With 2016 rapidly fading into memory, the TFW2005 staff once again sat down to reflect on the figures released in the past year. The overall consensus was that 2016 was once again a strong year for collectors, with the Masterpiece and Titans Return/Takara Legends lines scoring top picks or honorable mentions across the board. The staff also confirmed that they were not yet done with combiners, with those molds continuing to make a strong showing.

Among individual figures, it appears as though Masterpiece finished the year on an uptick. Inferno led the way overall with four top picks and six honorable mentions. The boss monkey himself, Optimus Primal, narrowly missed the top spot with four top picks but only four honorable mentions. Finally, in a remarkable feat Unite Warriors Computron managed to pull in eleven honorable mentions without a single top vote.

And without further ado...


Superquad7

MP-33 Masterpiece Inferno

As with other Masterpiece releases, the early photos trickled in; I always get excited about a new release. I didn't anticipate liking this figure as much as I do. Inferno captures something that's really...magical. Yes, this figure does so many really cool and clever things, but there's just something about this figure that's much more than the sum of its parts. This figure really captures the "life" of a character that this Masterpiece line is trying to encapsulate with our nostalgic feelings of seeing our favorite characters from our favorite show. Both Ironhide and Ratchet along with "Delta Magnus" are only barely edged out here (as they do much the same for me), but Inferno seems to do all of this exceptionally well. Instead of simply another release, Inferno has captivated me in ways I hadn't expected.

Runners up: MP-31 Masterpiece Delta Magnus, MP-27 Masterpiece Ironhide, MP-30 Masterpiece Ratchet, MP-29 Masterpiece Laserwave, LG-31 Legends Fortress Maximus


Smashs

MP-33 Masterpiece Inferno

I generally don't like to say a figure is perfect, because it's usually just new-toy infatuation, but I am confident in saying Inferno is absolutely perfect in every way. Intuitive transformation, weapon storage in BOTH MODES, fun gimmicks, more accessories than you know what to do with, and top-shelf poseability.

Runners up: MP-27 Ironhide/MP-30 Ratchet, Combiner Wars Legends Shockwave, Titans Return Deluxe Wolfire(Weirdwolf), Titans Return Fortress Maximus, Titans Return Deluxe Chromedome


ServO

Masterpiece Hot Rod

Far from being a perfect masterpiece figure, this release hit close to home, and tugged on the feels for me, as Hot Rod was a childhood favorite.
An added bonus was being able to display him with MP-9 and see an actual "before and after"...
Throw in some penny repros, and it all comes together as a perfect addition to the display.

Runners up: Masterpiece Optimus Primal, UW Computron, Fort Max, BotCon Terrorsaur, Titans Retrun Triggerhappy


SilverOptimus

Warrior Class RID Starscream

It's always nice to see Starscream again. This little toy became my top pick for that very reason. Though I very much liked Starscream from Transformers: Prime, I always felt he was not "classic" enough. That particular problem was solved with the current iteration of our Decepticon Master Schemer. While retaining certain aspects from Transformers: Prime, Robots In Disguise version adopted a more G1 color scheme and aesthetic. My only pet peeves is the fact that the figure got wobbly legs. Other than that, I'm very happy with the figure which first came as an exclusive for TRU.

Runners up: Fortress Maximus, Optimus Prime (Power Surge, Electronic), Optimus Prime Racing Trailer, Sky Lynx


Matty

Masterpiece Optimus Primal

2016 gave us a handful of "number 1's." The first Beast Wars Masterpiece figure takes top prize, though. Catering to a generation that is largely coming into the prime years of collecting, this figure set the stage for what can be a phenomenal line of Beast Wars Masterpieces. The accuracy to the show model truly shines in gorilla mode, you'd swear it stepped right out of the TV screen. Transformation is an elegant update to the original Ultra toy, adding in all of the necessary bits and surprises of a Masterpiece figure. The assortment of weapons, accessories, and changeable expressions is just enough to keep your display constantly fresh. In a year where we have the near perfect MP Inferno, MP Hot Rod, and a swarm of fantastic Titans Return figures, Masterpiece Optimus Primal still takes the "Prime" spot.

Runners up: Masterpiece Inferno, Masterpiece Hot Rod, Titans Return Hot Rod, Masterpiece Ratchet


Razerwire

MP-33 Masterpiece Inferno

Best Masterpiece to date thus far. The ladder transformation is practically engineering magic.

Runners Up:

MP-11NR Ramjet, MP-11NT Thrust, MP-27 Ironhide, MP-28 Hot Rodimus, MP-30 Ratchet.


shibamura_prime

Titans Return Optimus Prime (Powermaster) with Apex

NOT YOUR FATHER'S REPAINTED AUTOBOT. Further proof Hasbro/Takara isn't messing around with retools. This robit makes this lifelong fan of PM Prime very happy. Bring on Ginrai, yo.

Runners up: MP-33 Inferno, MP-31 Delta Magnus, BotCon 2016 Unit-3, Titans Return Blaster with Twin Cast


Onslaught24

MP-22 Ultra Magnus (Reissue)

Despite all the awesome combiner sets that came out this year, Masterpiece won with Ultra Magnus's reissue. While he originally came out in 2014, he was reissued this year and still seems to have held up nicely. Everything about his transformation is fluid and fun. Inferno looks great too and has some smart engineering, but it felt like a little more of a wrestle when transforming than Magnus. The arms especially blew me away when I was going through the initial transformation. I don't like to look at instructions, so when I discovered that his arms folded instead of sliding on a track, it was a surprise for sure. Sets like UW Computron and UW Bruticus may have made this combiner fan weak in the knees, but as a lover of clever engineering, I have to pick Magnus. He was also on sale so he gets bonus points!

Runners up: Unite Warriors Computron, Unite Warriors Bruticus, Legends Broadcast (Blaster), MP-33 Inferno, Titans Return Skullsmasher with Grax


TJOmega

MP-27 Masterpiece Ironhide

No G1 character has needed a good update as badly as Ironhide. From the G1 toy that's unrecognizable by kids watching the cartoon to the blue-faced Universe toy, we had to wait till early in 2016 to finally have a toy that matched our memories of the Autobot veteran. Turning the detailed and rounded-off shapes of the vehicle mode into the smooth and boxy Ironhide is one of Takara's best transformations and no other Transformer had such a wealth of accessories before, until his remold of course. Throw in some homages to the original toy and you have one of Masterpieces strongest showings to date.

Runners up: Unite Warriors Computron, MP-29 Laserwave, MP-32 Convoy (Beast Wars), LG-25 Blurr, Combiner Wars Shockwave


Seawing

Titans Return Triggerhappy with Blowpipe

This was a tough decision for me as there were many great figures that I really enjoyed in 2016. With all of the different jets and space craft that Hasbro/Takara has created in the past 32 years that Transformers have been around, I'm still amazed that they are still able to create a figure that transforms in such a unique, seamless, and elegant manner that truly sets it apart from the crowd. This figure does a great job homaging both the G1 alt mode and bot mode, even though the figure is now a Headmaster. But its transformation is what seals this as my top pic for 2016. It's simple, straight forward, and has a few clever surprises that makes this figure a joy to transform. Plus he should be easy to acquire and is not as expensive as Masterpiece nor third party offerings. Highly recommended.

Runners up: MP-33 Inferno, MP-32 Beast Convoy (Optimus Primal), UW-08 Computron, TAV-55 Windblade, Titans Returns Blaster with Twincast


MetalStorm

Hasbro Masterpiece Bumblebee with Spike

"Prime told me there would be days like this."
MP Bumblebee was my second foray into the Masterpiece lineup, the first being the MP Thundercracker that released a few years back at TRU. Thundercracker looked good but was finicky, MP Bumblebee on the other hand, is straight up awesome! Masterpiece-level of aesthetics with a Generation-style transformation and it is a blast to interact with. The transformation feels intuitive, complex enough not to be insulting, and not too much to be frustrating. MP Bumblebee is an extremely remarkable figure for me and my top favorite purchase of 2016.

Titans Return Astrotrain nearly tied with MP Bumblebee as my number 1 pick. I know it sounds crazy to think that a regular retail figure could be as good as a Masterpiece, but Astrotrain is. It may not be G1, but that endears it to me more. Steam-engine locomotives and bullet trains are awesome, but the armored and heavily armed War Train that Astrotrain converts to, (along with the spacecraft, obviously) has Decepticon written all over it.

Runners up: Titans Return Voyager Class Astrotrain with Darkmoon, Titans Return Voyager Class Galvatron with Nucleon, Combiner Wars Voyager Class Sky Lynx, RiD2015 Warrior Class Quillfire, Titans Return Deluxe Class Blurr with Hyperfire


Sol Fury

Everything released in the Masterpiece, Unite Warriors and Generations lines this year. It's been a great year for toy releases, and I've had a hard time narrowing it down. They are all worthy of praise.

But, if I could only have had one toy this year...

Masterpiece Optimus Primal

Every once in a while, you get a toy that comes out and amazes you, reigniting your passion for the hobby and spurring you on to collect more releases from the same line. That was how it was for me with the original Beast Wars Ultra class Optimus Primal, the toy that got me back into collecting Transformers 20 years ago, and got me tuning in to watch the Beast Wars cartoon series. That toy was one of the best of his line and still stands up extremely well now. So how could a Masterpiece come along and top that? Very conclusively, as it turns out. From the show accurate transformation style to the interchangeable heads for both modes, this figure takes every single thing great about the Optimus Primal design and the original Ultra class toy and improves on it. The transformation is clever and intuitive, the design is on point, and even the packaging's subtle callbacks to the Beast Wars packaging helps to sell this as a definitive release - one that is effectively a 20 years of Beast Wars anniversary celebration all on its own.

A note on my runners up - because there have been so many great toys this year, I've opted to pick a favourite or two from each line I collect, so every line is represented and this section is not dominated by Masterpieces (which have been universally excellent)

Runners up: Masterpiece Hot Rod, Unite Warriors Computron, Legends Mindwipe, Titans Return Triggerhappy, Robots in Disguise Scorponok, Robots in Disguise Starscream


Tony_Bacala

Masterpiece Optimus Primal

The one figure that got me going this year was this guy. It nailed both modes with a toon accurate deco. It's engineering and construction materials were great in hand, fun to play around with. It triggered nostalgia feels for the first time in a while here, so hands down winner.

Runners up: Masterpiece Inferno, Masterpiece Ironhide, Masterpiece Hot Rod, Titans Return Blaster, Titans Return Soundwave.


Vangelus

Titans Return Legends Gnaw

After years of rumoured existence and months of waiting after the toy's momentous reveal, Legends Gnaw finally graced our fandom. And certainly, there is no more perfect toy to be crowned a king and/or queen of 2016, Transformers or otherwise. A misshapen bipedal thing opens the experience, less a robot mode and more the best attempt by an inhuman creature to mimic the humanoid form. A mockery of the Homo sapien state, vomited out of a creature as its head splits in half, in order to blend in and be accepted by society. But that creature, the true form of the Sharkticon Gnaw, is the beauty of this piece. A finely crafted and distilled ball of ugliness on two legs, a literal giant mouth that has sprouted infant-like and near-useless limbs in an attempt to be an independent living creature. If there is proof of Primus, it is the Sharkticon, for there can be no intelligent design without a receptacle for the creator's cruelty and frustration. A gaping maw that can never fully close, attached to a creature whose appetite we merely assume to be carnivorous because of its odious silhouette. Legends Gnaw is a perfect toy, for every fault is in character, and every quality is a pleasant surprise.

Runners up: Combiner Wars Sky Lynx,Titanmaster Apeface,TAV-38 Thunderhoof,TAV-39 Quillfire,LG-25 Blurr


C310 Ginarai

TakaraTomy MP-33 Masterpiece Inferno

On top of being an excellent portrayal of a specific character, in my opinion a Masterpiece Transformers figure should first and foremost be an excellent toy. I believe that TakaraTomy offered us a top notch play experience through Masterpiece Inferno. The transformation from vehicle to robot mode did not once feel over-engineered or unnecessarily complicated. Steps were clever, and the process was well thought out. Not once did I find the piece that I needed to move being hindered by another part of the figure. Speaking of transformation, my first experience of folding the ladder into the body was like tasting good ramen for the first time; I just did not know how it can be that good. Inferno's Robot mode has a great deal of excellent feature and design ques as well. I love that fact that the box shape housing the robot head can turn unhindered in a seemingly crowded space. I also appreciate that the head is attached to a hinge and ball joint that you can pull out to better access the head and face changing gimmick. The switch between fist and hand cannon is also well implemented, including the empty space in the elbow to accommodate the tip of the cannon. Inferno truly embodies that concept of being a Masterpiece in every way, and it gives me hope that the toyline's excellence will continue in its future releases.

Runner-Ups
Legends LG-35 Super Ginrai, Legends LG-31 Fortress Maximus, Unite Warriors UW-08 Computron, Legend LG-32 Chromedome, Adventure TAV-39 Quilfire


Lumpy

Titans Return Triggerhappy with Blowpipe

Last year, I picked Combiner Wars Bruticus and thought for sure I'd be heading towards Unite Warriors Bruticus as my top pick this year. In a line where everyone has the headmaster gimmick, I really thought I'd be bored and pass on a majority of the figures. However, this line has been anything but boring so far. Vastly unique molds and transformations set it apart from Combiner Wars, which I loved, but it's been great getting a multitude of new toys each wave. Triggerhappy was something I expected to quickly toss to the side, but then I opened him. Such a fun transformation, alongside the titan master gimmick, and it's just like being a kid again. I love swapping the heads around, and pairing Triggerhappy with a partner to man the guns. I eagerly anticipate seeing a reuse of this mold so I can pick it up again.

Runners up: Unite Warriors Bruticus, Unite Warriors Computron, Masterpiece Ironhide, Combiner Wars Sky Lynx, RID15 1-Step Springload, Botcon Tarantulas, Botcon 2016 Unit-3


Jacer

Titans Returns Power Master Optimus Prime

I was really hyped for this figure once it was announced. I really enjoyed the Ultra Magnus and I knew this would hit a sweet spot for me. A lot of my love for this figure goes back to when I got the Toys R Us reissue. Lots of nostalgia because of the memories I have with my father and the reissue. I'm looking forward to Japan's offerings of this figure as well. I really enjoyed the new tooling he has compared to Ultra Magnus, he really feels like a different figure. It is also a huge plus that a car can go into the trailer unlike what I remember of the reissue figure.

Transform and Roll Out!

Runners Up:

Titans Return Hot Rod, Titans Returns Brainstorm, Combiner Wars Victorion, Combiner Wars Unit-3, Unite Warriors Computron, Combiner Wars Impactor, Deadlock


ORIO

TIE: Titans Return Triggerhappy and Legends Blurr

I simply couldn't pick one of these over the other. Triggerhappy is a feat of engineering and a lovely version of his G1 Counterpart. That transformation is so cool and I'm looking forward to further reuses of it down the road. Legends Blurr is just gorgeous and is vastly better looking than his Hasbro version. Obviously, that's just because of the paint. The mold itself is great. But this a perfect example of a little paint going a long way. If Takara's Hot Rod and Kup are as good as Blurr my money is as good as spent.


Runners up: RID Bisk, Masterpiece Optimus Primal, Unite Warriors Computron, legends Gnaw


optimusfan

Masterpiece Optimus Primal

2016 was a pretty great year for official Transformers. I've decided to steer away from RID other than a couple of figures, focusing primarily on Masterpiece and Classics. 2016 was a delight as a result, with both lines churning out strong offerings across the board. I chose Titan's Return Brainstorm to represent the best of a really good "Classics" bunch, though truth be told picking him over Legends Blurr was really, really tough.

Although Masterpiece Inferno felt like a better version of Masterpiece Ironhide, my top figure of the year ended up going to Masterpiece Optimus Primal. I had high expectations for this figure as a Beast Wars fan, and it exceeded them on pretty much every level. The transformation is really more involved than it had any need to be (in a good way). I expected the beast mode to exceed the 2006 Takara anniversary Primal toy, but I didn't expect how much better the robot mode would look in comparison. Even with the improved anniversary head, the original looks like a guy wearing an over-sized fur suit in comparison. The Masterpiece looks almost like it walked right off the screen in both modes, which is an incredible feat and why I feel it's worthy of my pick of the year.

Runners up: Masterpiece Inferno, Titans Return Brainstorm, Geoffrey Prime, Unite Warriors Computron, Legends Blurr


moreprimeland

Titans Return Optimus Prime (Powermaster) with Apex


Boardwise

Super Ginrai

Like shibamura_prime started, Titans Return Optimus Prime (Powermaster) with Apex is a great retool. Super Ginari turns it up to 11. Roll on Godbomber.

Runners up: Unite Warriors Bruticus, Legends Broadcast with Twincast, Unite Warriors Computron, MP28 Hot Rodimus, MP29 Laserwave, Legends Soundwave with Soundblaster

 

I do like how @moreprimeland's purple theme got carried over into this.

That's a great list and it's nice to read the thoughts behind it. Also nice to see some of the staff going with MP Optimus Primal as their favorite of the year.


Now my favorite of the year shouldn't be a huge surprise...

 

You noticed that too...   Thank optimusfan for that!!

^^^ Your fave would be my 2nd choice.

 

Is it my imagination or does Vangelus always pick a legends toy? This year is Gnaw, last year was Shockwave, and I believe the year before that was Blackjack.

 

Awesome choices for last year, everyone.  

 

Are you guys going to do another list of favorites that allow third party?

Excellent list, and good points. 2016 was a good year.

 

God I cant wait to get Inferno. Apparently I really gotta jump on this Triggerhappy train.

 

Glad to see a lot of my favorites made it onto this list.

Robotochan Reviews Robots: The Best of 2016

 

Yes, Triggerhappy really got a a lot of love.
I need to get onboard, but I had a lot of Amazon gift cards and didn't want to miss the chance to pick up Victorion while the price was nice.

 

Believe optimusfan is working on that list as well, and probably will be posted in 3P forum.

 

I don't hate Triggerhappy, I just find him meh.

My top figure would have to go to RiD Starscream. I swapped heads with FoC Skywarp and I can't put the figure down. This mold beats out the old Classics mold, and the built in Coronation kit is a giant plus.

 

From TT, Inferno was an easy win IMO. What was it up against in the S1 - S2 group?

 

One of these guys speaks the truth.

Gnaw rules them all.

 

Thanks guys, for putting together this list. I look forward to it every year.

 

I love reading this list every year, esp Vangelus' spilling of the Thesaurus  

  when I get more time I need to start a "Top toys of 2016 that I haven't opened yet" I have such a back log of toys I've gotten and haven't opened yet, it's laughable. I think there's 5 unopened figures for every one I opened. *sigh* perhaps 2017 will afford me more time to enjoy the toys I'm collecting.

A good news for me is that most of the runners up and finalist listed above are in that backlog.

 

Good lists, and I can appreciate all the picks, agreed with or not.

It's always tough for me to pick just one toy, as my favorites fluctuate with my moods, but I shall pick:

Masterpiece Optimus Primal
I have a love/hate relationship with the Masterpiece line. I appreciate them for what they are, but generally prefer the simpler, more accessible mainline toys. Primal is something special, if for no other reason than the MP line's adherence to cartoon accuracy produced a stunning physical recreation of 1996-kids-TV-grade CGI.

Runners up:
CW Swindle - Good mold, and I'm a Swindle fan.
TAV Windblade - I always appreciate 'take 2' toys that fix flaws of an earlier incarnation.
TR Powermaster Optimus - Impressive reworking, and I appreciate that the headmaster gimmick is an option instead of a requirement.
TR HotRod - flawed-yet-awesome take on the design.
TR Rewind - Love that little fart.


Ain't found Triggerhappy yet, so I can't comment. I'm betting Sixshot would be here if I saw one in 2016 too.

 

I don't even like BW toys and still think OP wins.

Looks like it popped out from the CG cartoon.

Then again I hope it stops at cheetor.

 

Those 5 (10) figures are probably one of the best thing to happen to TF toys in years

 

@CZ Hazard did an AMAZING job with the Third Party favorites for 2016 that you can check out here:

Third Party Year In Review 2016

 

Glad to see UW Bruticus , as well as UW Computron getting such love .