For purely spatial reasons, actinides, we show, will never form symmetric sandwich complexes with the intrig-uing symmetry-appropriate phenalenyl radical. But the radical is a versatile, hitherto untapped, bonding partner for forming lower symmetry main-group and d-block (slip)sandwich complexes. The diversity in the bonding motifs, and geometrical preferences in these novel complexes, is matched only by the sensitivity thermodynamic stabilities to p and d orbital (non)availability, the size, and the shell structure metals.