While the Transformers TCG doesn’t officially launch for 2 weeks, Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast have announced its first expansion, the Metroplex Deck. Of course it’ll include new battle cards but also a Transformers Metroplex character card nearly 8 inches tall!

Metroplex flips between bot and city mode, tapping and damage each enemy.

The Transformers TCG Metroplex Deck is scheduled for release November 21st.

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At Gen Con, I had the opportunity to sit down with WOTC Brand Manager Drew Nolosco for some background on the Transformers TCG. We didn’t discuss so much rules of play, mind you, but more design philosophy for the game. I’m impressed by the thought process that went in to it and expect that fans of the property will find that the game delivers a solid Transformers experience. The Transformers TCG is a head-to-head battle game, for sure, but the focus is clearly on characters. Every Transformer character card is oversized, foiled, and two-sided, one for bot mode and one for alt mode. The remaining battle cards provide tactics and upgrades for a player’s chosen Transformers team.

In the first wave, the 40 character cards total do include some of the rarer Transformers. And despite their unusual size for CCG packaging, every booster will have one character card.

Another WOTC goal with the Transformers TCG was to create a game for intergenerational play. The basic rules and goals—to KO all an opponent’s characters—were developed for children as young as 8, while still supporting more complex card-playing strategies for older players. The game allows for strategic play in defense as well as offense. And the rarity system was not only designed to make it easier to collect a broader range of characters, it also features a type of graduated complexity. That is, the more complex game rules only come in to play on rarer cards, thus easing people in to more advanced play.

WOTC is planning for some Transformers TCG events but not for much of a tournament scene.

While limited sales took place at Gen Con and San Diego Comic Con, full retail release is scheduled for September 28th. Starter Sets will come with four character cards and 40 battle cards for $15, boosters one character and seven battle cards for $4. There will also be a mobile companion app to assist with building teams and tracking damage.

I’m told also that putting the characters on oversized cards allows for experimentation. So look out for some possibly even larger or unusually shaped cards in future releases.

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Hasbro’s new Transformers Trading Card Game is scheduled for release in September. Though little else has been revealed publicly about this WOTC-developed game, I did get a look at some prototype product in Hasbro’s New York Toy Fair showroom. No photos but here’s what I learned…

In the game, Transformers are represented by oversized cards with bot versions on one side and vehicle versions on the other.

While not active yet, the official website will be TransformersTCG.com.

The contents of 2-player starter sets will include:

• 4 foil Transformers cards
• a 40 card battle deck
• damage counters
• turn order card

So, one battle deck for two players. Does that mean opposing players share a battle deck?

Also at Toy Fair, Ultra Pro said it is working with Hasbro to ship accessories (such as card folios and deck boxes) in time for the game’s launch.

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