Well for the same cash you get the entire Computron UW set. Which in my eyes is a great set far outclass in the single inferno. Don't get me wrong inferno is worth every buck. Just that price / quality and playability make many toys close contenders also personal feelings towards a character make a toy.
Soundwave my favorite character. His masterpiece for example is my all time favorite. TR Soundwave is a popular figure but for me a blaster retool won't do. The speakers etc bug me.
I can imagine many people are that way with their favorites.
So this list will never be the same in general. That said a masterpiece with hindsight should not make the list haha. It got a different marketing aim.

 

Looks like MP Inferno is a good pickup. Maybe one day I'll get him, but he's a bit too bland for my tastes.

I'm glad to see so many liked Iron Hide and Hot Rod as they were a couple of my favorite figures this year. With so many complaints about MP figures lately it's refreshing to highlight the good.

 

UW Computron received 11 honorable mentions, which is hardly being overlooked -- especially for a figure made up solely of retools. And while MP Ratchet and Ironhide were definitely good figures, my impression right out of the box was that Inferno took what I liked about those figures and improved on them in pretty much every way. Finally with Triggerhappy although he is new, he's largely a consensus best deluxe of TR despite being new. And first wave mold Blurr / Brainstorm was well represented.

That being said, you'll see a lot of variety in the list. Some new, some old.

 

I'm not sure I completely follow your logic here. But nonetheless, I feel setting rules for a favorites/top list is counterproductive.

 

Pretty much all the 2016 Masterpiece figures where epic. Solid tie between inferno and primal I think.

 

Thanks man, appreciate the share.

I've been doing this for a few years and it's never been front-paged which I would love to see, that is the aim when I sit down and write them every year. Shame, as I think the fan feedback vote is important, and after 5 years of voting we have a bit of a tapestry growing.

Last year it at least got tagged at the tail-end of the staff picks for extra visibility, which was something.

 

Interesting choices but of course MP wins out over anything else. Hey whatever people have different tastes I just don't see the appeal of those overpriced pieces of plastic.

Anyway these two won out for me as the best of 2016

 

If I ever need to describe why I love Robots in Disguise 2015 to someone I can just pull out Thunderhoof & Bisk. Some of the most creative designs ever in the Transformers brand. I just love the design of Bisk and how well it was executed in plastic form.

I can't exactly articulate why I love Astrotrain as much as I do. I love the colors, the guns, and the head sculpt. That and Astrotrain is one of my favorite characters and he scales so well with Thrilling 30 Blitzwing. I knew I was going to love him the moment I picked up Sentinel but never realized how much I would love him. He took the attention away from Victorion on my birthday thats for sure  

 

Good picks on TR Powermaster Prime. He was the first Titans Return figure I bought and it was pure love. So good, I decided to buy God Ginrai as well. It's okay...they can live together on the shelf as separate characters just fine.

 

TR A-Train gets my vote!

 

My #1 pick is third party but my #2 is Unite Warriors Computron, just for the sheer amount of remolding on all the characters and combined mode set it apart from any of the other Combiner releases IMO.

Masterpiece Inferno and Optimus Primal were both incredible releases though. I was blown away by both.

 

My number one is MP-28 Hot Rod, my number two is Titans Return Powermaster Optimus Prime, third place goes to Titans Return Triggerhappy.

 

Some great picks in there. Titans Return has really knocked it out of the park this year, especially the Japanese versions. Legends Fort Max is a thing of beauty, but the whole line has been pretty spectacular. My own favourites are the Legends versions of Scourge, Weirdwolf, Highbrow, Blurr and Hardhead. Triggerhappy & Super Ginrai have been lovely last-minute additions too. I feel spoilt.

With regards to MP, Inferno would have been my number one if he'd been around £75 on a par with Ractchet/Ironhide, but at £140 he was very poor value. I won't be buying Grapple and Megatron might well be my final purchase in this line given his OTT pricing. Good as Masterpiece are, they aren't on a par with DX Chogokin and shouldn't be charging as though they are. I've had a lot of fun with Hot Rod, especially paired with my Delicate Warrior figure.



Very much looking forward to what 2017 has in store - already off to a strong start with Perceptor and the announcement of Krok I feel!