airachnid is an unquestionable #1 here. it's bad on every level, with no redeeming qualities. if you think something worse came out this year, you do not own a airachnid. so abysmal it's not only the worst of the year, but probably one of the worst in all time. prime knockout was also horrible for me. I can see how some people may like it now, but I still think it's a distant #2 as worst prime toy. I say distant because it looks like a masterpiece figure next to airachnid. I'd be content collecting prid knockouts for the rest of my life if I never had to buy another airachnid. foc figures aren't as bad as people make them out to be. they're just small and very few paint apps. I actually really liked the poseability of a lot of these guys, and they look great if you plan to dirty them up with some custom paint.
Optimus Maximus is right up there (or down there) with Airachnid. Piece of hollow Rubbermaid feeling shit built from as much plastic as Airachnid, but at over double the price!!
I don't have Airachnid, so apparently I don't have the worst of the year. Damn that thing must be way more horrid than I imagined. The funny thing is I've only ever seen her once so everyone keeps buying this piece of shit I've seen the once elusive Vehicon way more times than Airachnid, so.... Anyway, on topic my picks would be: -RiD Deluxe Bumblebee -FOC Deluxe Optimus Prime -PRiD Voyager Optimus Prime and -PRiD Voyager Thundertron (runs from room before being murdered!)
Airachnid, obviously. Thinking of all my other purchases this year, I'd say she's the only actual "bad" toy. The only redeeming quality is her alt mode, which, just isn't enough.
Probably: RID Airachnid FoC Jazz Weaponizers Prime and Bee FE Vehicon AM Unicron Cyberverse Commander Prime
I haven't got Airrachnid due to being advised to avoid her like the plague. Of the figures I have bought this year and been woefully underwhelmed by, the only one I can think of is FoC Shockwave. He's not a terrible figure per se, he's just very very very boring. My collector sense was telling me I wouldn't like him, but everyone raved about him so I gave it a punt. Wrong.
Deluxe Airachnid, because even the cheap knock off brands at the dollar stores look better than that figure.
DOTM HA Dragstrip. Even though it was released in 2011, I didn't get it until March of this year. I love the colors and the head sculpt (which I harvested for a custom), but don't like the limited articulation...especially in the arms. Other than that, I wasn't displeased with any of my 2012 purchases.
*obligatory mentioning of Airachnid* That aside... PRiD Cliffjumper. My gosh, how can a figure be so hollow yet so kibbly at the same time?! Not to mention the proportions. Vehicle mode was neat, though. PRiD Bee looks pretty bad also, but I only have Hot Shot (who is actually pretty cool), so I can't give make a proper judgement.
1. Airachnid - obviously. 2. Hot Shot - I just hate the colors. I prefer that mold as Bumblebee. 2. FOC Vortex (retail version) - a triple-colored nightmare, and in my opinion, the worst of the Combaticons. 4. FOC Optimus Prime - small, bland, and outshined by his WFC predecessor. 5. Cyberverse Optimus Maximus - interesting idea, but poor execution. Already showing up at discount stores.
PRID arachnid when I come to completing the prime cast I will be skipping her and getting rumble to replace her.
You can't just troll something as absurd as MP Prime being the worst of the year and then hide behind the opinion barrier when somebody calls bullshit. Anyway: Airachnid, Brawl, Onslaught. All three end up being equally bad. Airachnid is technically the worst, but Brawl gains some "awful" points because you will probably want him to form the admittedly fun Bruticus. His badness is amplified because he is harder to ignore. Onslaught is slightly better than Brawl, but gets a huge boost of awful points because you absolutely must own him for Bruticus. His badness is impossible to ignore.
Interesting. I couldn't disagree with you more on Number 2 and... Number 2. Vortex is easily the best of the Combaticons to me (G2 colored, since the retail color is an absolute nightmare) by simple merits of having the most interesting alt-mode and being the only one that has decent shoulders in the entire set. His biggest problem (other than the colors) are the awkward rotor of awkwardness on the left arm, and the skirt armor restricting articulation. And I love RID Hot Shot, he's my non-beast mode Heinlad. I find it interesting that everyone has their own opinions on who the worst of the Combaticons are. Though it seems like no one is saying Swindle, since he's so absurdly mediocre that he's relatively unoffensive.
I can only comment on figures I own so, 1. Prime deluxe Airachnid, poor articulation, looks and feels very cheaply made 2. Prime deluxe Knockout, very poor paint apps