TF Prime First Edition cliffjumper. I love that mold.

 

G1 Bumblebee, G1 Swerve(my first transformer) G1 Snapdragon (a kid in school gave it to me!), G1 HotRod.
Animated Voyager Prime, Rodimus, Jazz, Ironhide, Leader Megatron, Ultra Magnus (animated in general got me back into buying!)
Prime FE Deluxe Starscream.
Generations/United Springer, Cylonus, Jazz, Cosmos, Swerve Warpath...
I could go on but best to leave it there, thats too many listed already!

 

All my MPs. MP-08 through 19. I pose and re-pose all of them all the time, but I surely transform Grimlock most often as its fun and easy and is iconic in both modes.

 

1.Classics Voyager Optimus-still a stud after all these years
2.Classics Bumblebee-fun as hell, love the sneakers and backpack
3.Universe Countdown-big,chunky,over-compensating for something-makes me laugh still
4.Energon Leader Megatron- just big and cool,imposing,still a badass on the shelf
5.Movie Big Daddy- Sweet muscle car, nice compact transformation-was a gift to me on fathers day..hell yeah.

 

Hard for me to call "long term favorite" on a toy less than five years old. Im'ma be a bad person and ALSO throw up a stupid-large list of faves. Sorry.   In order of increasing age:

* Generations Warpath - - just simple goodness
* Animated (leader) Bulkhead and Arcee.
* Classics (voyager) Optimus Prime and Bumblebee - still great toys and the definitive versions to me after 8 years.
* BW 10th/Cybertron Megatron - Transmetal Megs is awesome too, but this guy has better balance and molecular integrity.
* Telemocha (Robotmasters) Optimus Primal - All the Primal with more screen accuracy in a small package
* Energon Treadshot - screw combined mode. I would rather call him "Sky Shadow" though.
* RiD Scourge - still has a great look. G2 Laser Prime was my Go-to Optimus for years prior too.
* BW fuzor Silverbolt - much love for ol' dogface.
* TF:Victory Jaruga - Not sure why, but outside of Liokaiser he's just a fun little fiddle guy.

(be grateful I cut off the very recent toys   )

 

My vote as well.

Has a near perfect likeness in bot mode, uncanny head-sculpt, a target mater partner, spot on color scheme, and gorgeous alt-mode (despite the iffy separating leg halves that could have been better engineered).

This, to me, is as close to perfect a transformer can get.

He is just pure 100%... 

 

Superlink Scorponok, MP cassettes, MP G2 Sideswipe, Animated Voyager Optimus, G1 Soundwave, RotF Leader Prime (all versions), RM Lio Convoy (regular & black), BWN Black Big Convoy, BW Razorbeast, TFC's Devastator/Constructicons, PE Guardian/Fort Max, Superlink Micron Booster Cryo Saber microns, Prime Megatron Darkness w/Hades & Gora II

These are the figures I keep coming back to, pop into my head randomly and unprovoked, and always catch my eye when I scan my shelves.

(I'd love to add some Japanese G1 to that list, but unfortunately those are out of my price range right now, barring reissues.)

 

I've had Armada Supercon (deluxe) Optimus for years, and he's still my go-to figure. So much fun to pose.

 

THS G1 Convoy......shocker *looks at sig* I never put him away so he wins

 

Well, you could actually do that for the whole website couldn't you?

 

The figures that span thru most lines are these,all for different reasons and I'll explain.

G1 Jetfire because even today after 30 years he still has more poseability than some figures made today,like shoulder articulation,head turning,even knee joints,but even tho he doesn't have thigh or waist swivel that could be said about half the figures made today,so I'm not gonna fault Hasbro or Bandai for that.To me Jetfire looks as good as the day he was made 30 years ago.

Another unforgettable figure or should I say figures are the Dinobots since most people have actually thought about dinosaurs atleast once in there life,and some people more than that,add that to the fact Hasbro literally brought dinosaurs back to life back in 1984 or '85 and so The Dinobots were revived,oh but wait and they did it again on June 27th of this year too and now look,nearly every person on this board is trying there hardest to not only complete the Original 5 Dinobots,but also the 2 Bonus Dinobots that shocked the crap out of us with the reveal of Scorn and Slash.But as BIG (pun intended) as Dinosaurs are right now I think Hasbro is pretty happy with them.

Next we have a figure who needs no introduction cause we all know who I'm talking about The Chaos Bringer,The Planet Eater,Armada Unicron,it took almost 20 years for fans to get him but was it well worth the wait,he wasn't exactly like G1 Unicron but pretty close,so that's one more figure that made a major impact on TF's.

Lets go back to 2002 or 2003 and we find out about Masterpiece MP-01 Optimus Prime or Convoy and were amazed how so G1 toon accurate he was and also how pricey,but then like a year later Hasbro announced there own MP Optimus Prime just in time for the 20th Anniversary and he could be had for like $75 or $80 compared to $150 for Takara's,so that was another milestone in TF history.

Lets jump about 10 years ahead to MP-10 and we have MP Optimus Prime version 2.0 and not only was he more G1 accurate his truck mode was more realistic,and I think this was the first time Takara actually used the US trademarked name Optimus Prime,but it might have been earlier or later but can't remember,but without a doubt he was more wanted than MP-01.

Finally we have "The Big Cheese,The Most Big Screen Accurate Figure Ever" Revenge of the Fallen Leader Class Optimus Prime,to me it still blows my mind how even today how Hasbro managed to recreate a CGI character into an actual figure that size and look as close as the real thing is beyond me.All I have left to say is if Hasbro could build the full size version it would scare the Holy He** out of some people that's how real this figure actually looks.

So that is all everybody of the figures that have kept Hasbro going for 30 years,and hope the next 30 will be even better.Later all.

 

Fall of Cybertron Optimus Prime. I know it's not the most popular mold by far, but I think I fiddle with him the most. He's super articulated, and after giving him Orion Pax's weapons, he's even better.

Damn, it's hard to think that I've had that figure for two years now....

 

-Classics Optimus, the defacto Optimus until Hasbro makes something better (which isn't a obvious way to get Motormaster)

-Classics Seekers, the default Jet mold, which is like crack to some, much like

-Prime Vehicons (mass release version), if you only have one, then try to get more

-Generations Springer, the first Triple Changing Springer since 1986

-ROTF Lockdown, which works as a Animated Homage and a IDW G1 figure

-Classics/ Henkei Megatron. Until they make a decent large Megatron (Leader Class perhaps), this mold is the default Megatron

-Generations Whirl, for a long time many thought the Super Uninvinceble One would never get a proper update, some going by the Wrecker Team/ Ruination Version

-Classics Bumblebee, for it's still a cheap stand in until the MP is released (if one can afford MP Bumblebee )

-Transmetal Optimus Primal, Tarantulus, Rattrap, are still prominent in my collection

-Generations Waspinator/ Rattrap/ Rhinox for the Beast Wars Nostalgia

 

I still think RiD Scourge (rather, G2 Prime) holds up rather well with modern toys. It's got great size and heft, very good articulation (especially for its time) and the proportions in both modes are pretty spot on. The trailer's got a lot of fun things to mess with, and mine, despite years of play, has kept its chrome coating nicely. I'll never stop enjoying that figure, it's again amazingly.

 

Classics Bumblebee.

 

No matter how many other versions of Optimus I buy (hundreds), I still love and will always keep out on display my G1 Masterpieces....several of them....almost every one that have been released.

 

Car Robots Super Fire Convoy/Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime - it's been 14 years already and the figure can still go toe to toe with more modern TFs in terms of design, articulation, transformation and detail. I've loved this figure ever since it came out and was largely responsible for bringing me back to Transformers collecting.

 

I know this may get some criticism but my favorite long-term figure(s) would be:

Reveal the Shield G2 Laser Optimus Prime: It's something about it, posable as ever and fun to play with. I never liked the color scheme on it, but it grew on me after a while.

CHUG Cyclonus: Such an amazing figure, kudos to HasTak for making it.

and WFC Megatron and Soundwave: Fun transformations, and good representations of the video game characters. I love them

 

for those who want a proper prime for their classics collection, i wish they had just done what they did with HFTD voyager prime.. they should've just downsized MP10 or MP01. i would love that. because classics voyager prime isn't very good. it's not bad either.. it's just not what a prime should be. especially when compared to figures like MP01, MP10, voyager animated prime, voyager TFP FE prime, and WFC prime.

as for figures with staying power.. i still love animated voyager prime.. MP10 clearly.. HFTD leader starscream.. also, while it's not my favorite figure ever, WFC is pretty great, especially compared to some of the garbage we're getting these days. i mean, compare WFC prime to FOC prime.. it's unbelievable.

for me, none of the original classics figures are all that great.. grimlock is terrible, astrotrain isn't bad, hot rod is awful. the seeker mold, while it's nice and i enjoy it, it's REALLY outdated.. well, not really anymore since hasbro has decided to regress in articulation and size, so i guess it's starting to fit in better.

i think the masterpiece figures that we've gotten in the last few years are going to be the ones with true staying power. MP soundwave, the datsons, the lambo's.. now we have bumblebee, wheeljack, and magnus. i think all of those are going to leave a mark.

lastly, generations voyager rhinox is a great figure, same with waspinator. now, if hasbro continues releasing updated beast wars era figures, i think they'll fit this thread perfectly. i mean, how long have people wanted a true rhinox, now we have one. but from the looks of the upcoming combiners and leader class jetfire.. i think good, quality, non-masterpeice figures are going to be REALLY few and far between.

i'm starting to feel like we blinked and missed the golden age for classics/generations figures. i don't think we'll see an abundant amount of quality molds like we had in the past few years.. like prowl, smokescreen, bluestreak, sunstreaker, sideswipe, jazz, warpath, kup, perceptor, blurr, drift, inferno, hoist, trailbreaker, .. i think those days of really nice figures like that are over. we're going to continue to get figures like the upcoming combiners, figures that lack wrist and ankle articulation, figures with fewer and fewer paint apps.. figures like jetfire where their limbs are completely hollow.. figures that only have one or two screws and are mostly comprised of pins. and figures like the AOE dinobots and sky-byte who have no wrist swivels and inward bending elbows. so, again, i think the golden age of classics style figures has come to an end.

but hey, when one thing dies another thrives. that's how i see the masterpiece line. the masterpiece line seems to be the only thing that is trending upwards, it's the only thing that seems to be progressing in engineering and innovation. so, while it's upsetting that hasbro's cost cutting measures from AOE have now bled into the generations line.. i'm hoping that we'll see masterpiece versions of more and more characters.. maybe even a masterpiece combiner or a true masterpiece jetfire. you never know, but i'm excited to find out.

don't get me wrong, i'll still collect generations figures, but some of that excitement of seeing something in the store for the first time and opening it up is going to diminish. and the "i can't believe i paid $17 for this" feeling will start creeping up.

i'm sure i will enjoy the combiners.. i'll just always know that with a couple extra joints, a couple extra paint apps .. and you know.. maybe an aerial bot team without a damn helicopter.. these things could've been perfect.

 

DOTM Deluxe Ratchet. Ratchet has always been my favorite Transformer, especially in the movies. He's a really admirable character despite his lack of screentime in the Bayfilms. I admire how he always throws himself onto the battlefield whenever needed, despite his status as a medic. He really reminds me of my uncle Garry, who's more gruff than Ratchet but no less kind and caring for his family. Garry's almost like a father to me, and I see a lot of him in Movie Ratchet. He's always a comforting presence at family reunions, often in the background and while not always at the forefront of things, he's definitely always there.

The figure itself, besides being a reminder of Garry to me (who lives across the country from me), is definitely the best Movie Ratchet toy we ever got. His transformation replicates how he'd hop on his feet and spin his torso 360 degrees, which the first movie voyager did not. He's pleasingly poseable, detailed, and his alternate mode is good.