Spoilers Inside Walmart.com sold as "Transformers War for Cybertron Series Ultra Magnus Spoiler Pack" Transformers Generations War for Cybertron Trilogy Walmart Exclusive Netflix Set Item No.: No. E9494 Manufacturer: Hasbro Includes: Ultra Magnus, Battlefield Rung, C-30 Magnetic Inducer Launcher (2), RT-15 Stethoscopic Detector, W-HC-1000 Simulacrom Blaster (2), pink C.O.M.B.A.T. effects (2), 3 Energon cubes, Play-Doh Action Feature: Transforms from Robot to Truck and Robot to Blaster Retail: $59.67 Availability: April 2020 Other: Packaging does not tell you that you get Ultra Magnus and Battlefield Rung inside
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A weird set with good packaging for the Internet (but awful for retail), the Spoilers Inside set does not name check any of its contents. There's a sketch of Ultra Magnus' head on the side, and the fine print on the back says it has 2 figures, compound, and accessories. Unless you're a savvy fan, you'd see this $60 set on-shelf and not have a clue about what you're supposed to get - and I have a problem with this. It's a wonderful creative idea for online sales or as a promotional tool, but I'd be terrified someone will buy it and swap out other figures inside - the consumer never being the wiser - while the set doesn't make any effort to tell you that this is something you want. $60 for a mystery is a little high, and considering what it is I assume the hardcore fan that takes the plunge will be disappointed.

It's decent, but weird. If you already bought the orange Rung [FOTD #2,148] or the 2018 Siege Ultra Magnus [FOTD #2,062], you might not want this set. It's not bad, but it's also not overwhelmingly different to necessarily appeal to completists. On its own, it's really cool - Ultra Magnus is molded in slightly different colors with different battle damage, you get 3 Energon Cubes in some Play-Doh, and Rung comes in an excellent clear pink color. If you have a crack at this set on the cheap, you should run out to get it.

Ultra Magnus exists as a combined robot, a solo inner robot, a cab, and a whole fist-like truck. The toy has more pieces molded in grey, like the shoulder blasters, the big blaster, the shoulder stacks, the feet, the shins - there's a lot. The figure is covered in more paint, with things like the silver antenna on the helmet being replaced by that same muted grey color. A lot of the silver paint applications are now grey or completely missing, but the articulation is the same. You get the good ankles, great arm movement, and slightly more muted eyes. I think I prefer the first release to the 2020 one, but this is no slouch.

The core white inner robot has a bunch of changes. Much of it is molded in either grey or bright white plastic. The face is painted blue around the eyes, rather than silver. The Autobot logo has been removed, as have most of the silver paint applications. Most notable is the silver inside the windshield - it's just clear and unpainted now. The extra black damage paint this figure look a lot cooler, but you might be disturbed by the missing silver around the eyes or chest. They're both good for different reasons, and I can't pick one I like better.

I'd say the same about the vehicle modes - they're fundamentally the same and largely good, but if you want that worn grey look, the new one is better. The 2020 deco also drops the silver paint from the giant pair of blasters, but I didn't even notice the 2018 version had it until I did side-by-side photos. There are so many little differences that I can't say which truck I like better, but there's a bit more variation in this newer version. As such, it's probably barely the winner here.

Battlefield Rung is the pink, clear redeco in this set - Rung is the regular orange one. The C.O.M.B.A.T. effects are different molds this time, cast in pink to match Battlefield Rung. The clear figure drops a few paint applications, like the grey thighs and the yellow stripes around the chest. You'll also notice the stripe on the chest has a little less paint, giving you a clear ring around that central blue dot. You've still got the same four points of articulation and a pretty great weapon mode, complete with opaque arms that match the clear plastic surprisingly well. It's a shame Hasbro didn't just sell this one by itself, the Energon coloring is sharp and it stands out.

As far as "value" goes, a little tub of Play-Doh in asphalt colors was added with a surprise inside - 3 tiny .45-inch Energon cubes in a pink plastic that matches Battlefield Rung. They have no markings and probably serve no real specific function. I assume the Play-Doh will get dried up and thrown out, and you'll probably just misplace the cubes over time. They're neat though - they wouldn't be a bad value-added accessory in future toys just to give us something else to use in displays and dioramas. With Magnus at about $50 and Rung at about $5 or $6, that would mean Hasbro and Walmart value the Play-Doh (about $1 worth) with the Energon Cubes at $4-$5. I don't know that it's "worth it," as most older fans won't have much use for Play-Doh unless they have kids.

It's a neat - if odd - experiment. After last year's "Mystery Box" Star Wars: The Black Series gift set at Target, the thing they're hiding has been typically not terribly exciting. A redeco with slightly different accessories at a higher price isn't exactly a fun surprise once you pass $5-$10, but you now know what you're getting and can see if it's worth the asking price. I think any sale price would put this at being worth it if you don't already have Ultra Magnus, and you probably won't need or want it if you already have one. But hey, at least now you can see them both and make your own decision.

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