Legacy United Titan Class Tidal Wave is official, and the crew is thrilled with everything except its transformation.
Hasbro’s latest round of layoffs casts a shadow over the holidays and sparks a long talk about where the toy business goes next.
The crew also remembers Pauline Newstone, the voice of Beast Wars Airazor.
Studio Series Concept Art Megatron, the Year of the Dragon Crimsonflame and the Nemesis Bridge three-pack round out the news.
In What We Got This Week, HasLab Deathsaurus lands for almost everyone.
News
Pauline Newstone, the Voice of Beast Wars Airazor, Has Passed Away
Don broke the news to Brian by text. Word spread through David Willis after Newstone appeared in an award ceremony’s in memoriam segment. She reportedly passed away in May. Newstone also voiced Frieza in the Ocean and Westwood dubs of Dragon Ball Z. The crew calls Airazor a fan favorite and regrets how quickly the show wrote her out. Nobody could recall her at BotCon or TFCon. [Source: TFW2005]
Hasbro Plans to Cut 1,100 Additional Jobs
Hasbro will cut about 1,100 jobs in 2024, on top of roughly 800 cut in 2023. One host heard reports of a Providence, Rhode Island office closing. The crew finds the timing before Christmas depressing. One host notes Wizards of the Coast carried Hasbro’s profits this year. Don doubts Hasbro tried alternatives first, and the others push back that nobody knows. One host says fan grievances likely played a smaller role than fans think. Talk turns to the future of toys: more HasLab-style made-to-order collectibles, 3D printing, or Bandai-style snap-together kits. The crew agrees Bandai’s model-kit engineering is hard to match. [Source: The Hollywood Reporter]
Legacy United Titan Tidal Wave and Origin Wheeljack Revealed at Cybertron Fest 2023
The 2024 Titan is Legacy United Tidal Wave. Brian is 100% pleased, and Chris is 90% pleased. Sam Smith’s behind-the-scenes posts confirm Tidal Wave cannot go from robot to battleship without disassembly. A new base mode exists so the robot transforms into something. Otherwise, Chris says Hasbro got everything right. Tidal Wave stands about 20 inches tall, close to The Ark in robot mode. Extra parts upgrade Legacy Armada Megatron instead of a Ramjet Mini-Con, which one host regrets. The crew would welcome an Energon-colors redeco and a future Animated Omega Supreme Titan. Origin Wheeljack splits the room. One host is not feeling it, while another is buying it anyway for the vehicle mode. One host warns that Origin Bumblebee’s yellow plastic is already discoloring. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers Year of the Dragon Crimsonflame Official Images
The Year of the Dragon exclusive now has a name: Crimsonflame. One host loves it posed on its stand in dragon mode. Another says it looks like the Red Dragon Thunderzord, which is not a bad thing. The booth display carried a QR code for Amazon Singapore, so US buyers may have to hope for Hasbro Pulse. [Source: TFW2005]
Transformers Dramatic Capture Series Nemesis Bridge Sample Images
Production samples of the Nemesis Bridge three-pack show a more vivid purple on Shockwave. The set pairs cassette Netflix Soundwave with Earthrise Megatron, whose cannon hides neatly behind the throne. One host pre-ordered it in October for 20,675 yen. Chris, once nicknamed Dreamkiller in the Discord, reminds Brian to check his Netflix Soundwave for discoloring. [Source: TFW2005]
McFarlane Toys and Hasbro Sign Multi-Brand Licensing Agreement
McFarlane Toys will make Page Punchers for Hasbro brands, including Transformers. The figures stand about three inches tall, are articulated and come with a comic. The crew is lukewarm on McFarlane Toys. [Source: ComicsBeat]
Transformers Animated Season 1 Episode 1 Available in HD on the Transformers YouTube Channel
Hasbro has posted the first episode of Transformers Animated on YouTube in 1080p. One host believes this is its first full-HD showing without broadcast bugs. The crew wishes Hasbro could do the same with Car Robots and Robots in Disguise. [Source: TFW2005]
Studio Series SS-109 Concept Art Megatron In-Hand Images
One host says the robot mode is clean from every angle, but it contorts into two weak vehicle modes. He calls it a triple changer Action Master Elite. Another host says Hasbro tried to have their jet and tank it too. With a single vehicle mode, the crew thinks this would be a really nice toy. [Source: TFW2005]
Studio Series Core Class The Last Knight Mohawk In-Hand Images
In-hand photos of Core Class Mohawk arrive for The Last Knight fans. One host calls Mohawk a great character and one of the few Decepticons anyone remembers from that film. [Source: TFW2005]
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris’s Legacy United Chase did not arrive in time, so he had nothing on topic this week.
Don
Don got Legacy United Chase. He likes the clever transformation but finds it fiddly, and the shoulders never lock. It does not unseat Devcon as his deluxe of the year. As a 2024 release, it is not eligible for this year’s RFC awards anyway. He also got Legacy Magneous from Amazon and calls it the natural evolution of a Rock Lord. At City Trends he found a Beast Wars reissue K-9 for $7.99, which he donated to Toys for Tots, and a Wolfang. His big item is HasLab Deathsaurus. The chrome chest wings peg in solidly, and the chest animals fit well.
Matt
Matt used a little Donanomics. A forgotten gift card covered Legacy Detritus, leaving 66 cents out of pocket. He picked up two more Legacy Scraphooks from the Hasbro Pulse clearance sale. He loves HasLab Deathsaurus, chest animals and all, and has even tried the space chicken mode. Matt notes Deathsaurus is the third best-selling HasLab, and Victory Saber is fifth.
Brian
Brian got Legacy United Animated Optimus Prime and likes it far more than he expected. He also opened Fans Toys Jive X, a licensed repaint of their Jazz-style figure with Porsche racing markings. He calls it a beauty and better looking than Downbeat. He also got Legacy Magneous and Legacy Thundertron, both still boxed, and two HasLab Deathsauruses. Brian plans to finally transform his HasLab Unicron.
Rob
Rob got HasLab Deathsaurus but has not unpacked it. He also grabbed Studio Series 86 Hot Rod for about $18 in a Walmart online sale, after a Bluesky tip from Anthony at TFU.info. He loves how magenta it is.