Two new Masterpiece toys split the crew on this Thanksgiving episode. Brian calls MP-45 Bumblebee 2.0 his least favorite Masterpiece ever, while MP-46 Blackarachnia wins him over. Takara Tomy reveals MP-49 Black Convoy, and Brian preorders Fans Hobby’s Masterpiece-style Minerva despite his third-party pledge. Brian also issues a scam alert about a remote-control Optimus Prime listing. Chris crowns Siege Spinister his favorite toy of the line.
News
FansHobby Master Builder MB-12 Athena Color Images of MP-Style Minerva Figure
Fans Hobby’s Athena is a Masterpiece-style take on the Headmaster Minerva, priced around $55. Brian has never bought a Fans Hobby toy, but he preordered this one right away. He explains that his no-third-party rule always carried an exception for characters Takara will never make. The crew thinks it shows a mechanical Tech Spec gimmick. Brian would still trade it for a Generations Selects Minerva someday. [Source: TFormers]
MP-49 Black Convoy / Nemesis Prime From Takara Tomy Revealed
Takara Tomy gives Black Convoy its own Masterpiece number, MP-49, with pricing still to come. The crew suspects it gets a full number because it ships without the trailer. Guesses run from 25,000 to 30,000 yen. Brian and John, who both own MP-44, say little would tempt them to buy the mold again. The talk turns to MP-50, with Starscream, Blaster and Jazz as the favorites. A rumored Masterpiece Cliffjumper had been pegged as MP-49, which is now ruled out. [Source: TFormers]
Figure King Magazine Issue #262 Scans: Earthrise, Studio Series and Cyberverse
The scans show Earthrise Cliffjumper standing two Micromasters tall, about 3.5 to 4 inches. One host says that matches the height he predicted from packaging photos. Hoist looks huge next to the other deluxes, and Ironworks also runs large. The crew worries a deluxe Hoist that tall undercuts the Voyager price point. [Source: TFormers]
Scam Alert
Brian ordered a remote-control transforming G1 Optimus Prime for about $50. The site promised the item shown, but he received a cheap, different movie-style robot. The retailer insisted it was the same item and refused a refund, so he is disputing it through PayPal. He warns that the same listing runs under several store names, with Facebook ads and five-star reviews that describe junk. He declines to name the retailer.
What’s on TFormers
New Cyberverse Figures Revealed in Preorder Listings: Hammerbyte, Ramjet and Dead End
Entertainment Earth listings reveal Cyberverse Scout Class Ramjet, Dead End and Hammerbyte. Nobody on the crew knows who Hammerbyte is. [Source: TFormers]
Review: Transformers: A Visual History Is More Than Meets the Art Book
Jack reviews Jim Sorenson’s new art book. Brian loves Sorenson’s books but is put off by the movie-style art on the cover. [Source: TFormers]
What We Got This Week
Rob picked up Siege Impactor and Mirage. He wishes Mirage’s central block were not clear plastic, and calls Impactor a solid pile of rectangles. Chris sent him a replacement Titans Return Chromedome and Siege Spinister. Rob says Spinister has the best collapsing rotors he has seen on a helicopter Transformer.
Chris ranks Siege Spinister as probably his favorite Siege toy. He praises its accordion-style torso transformation, ankle range and tight joints. Siege Crosshairs is a head swap of Ironhide with vibrant colors and slightly loose joints. Siege Astrotrain is the most disappointing leader of the line for him. Its three modes work, but the extra launch pad and cargo pieces feel tacked on.
Diecast showed a pin display for his 35th anniversary Megatron pin. He got Toyworld’s yellow Green Hornet, which is far smaller than he expected. He also got an upscaled knockoff of Masterpiece Ironhide with light-up eyes and cannons. MP-46 Blackarachnia arrived in its Amazon Japan wrap, and he has a Zeta Toys Bruticus still to open.
Jason has an Iron Factory haul. He got their Nemesis Prime take on the War Within Optimus Prime. He also got his next-to-last member of their Decepticon Justice Division. He is building Flame Toys’ IDW Nemesis Prime model kit over the holiday. Flame Toys’ IDW Megatron and Shattered Glass Optimus Prime kits are still on the way.
John got MP-45 Bumblebee 2.0, with MP-46 Blackarachnia due Friday.
Brian picked up Classics Legends Fireflight and Last Knight Leader Class Megatron with a coupon. He added another Siege Ratchet on sale and a Transformers fidget spinner. He hates MP-45 Bumblebee 2.0, which arrived with a piece that pops off and appears short-shot. He loves MP-46 Blackarachnia and transformed her in about a minute and a half without instructions. He also found a 1985-era Takara keshi gomu set, all Decepticons, and a Bluetooth Bumblebee mask for $19.99 at Burlington.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.