Yeah, it was a pretty good time. Armada was done, Energon was done, we were still doing Cybertron, but by then the toys had gotten good again (though still a bit too bubbly with the cars and the stupid key gimmick, while less intrusive and requiring of sacrifice than the other AEC gimmicks, was pretty stupid), and Archer was forced to accept that his great napkin experiment had failed and was finally giving us G1 via both Classics and Alternators. Bodycount had ceased annoying every board, news of the movie was making the rounds, yes, it was a heady time to be a fan.

 

In general, I prefer most of the older chugs.

 

I still prefer the RotF Leader Prime mold over any original trilogy Prime that came after. The MPM does some impressive things, despite its faults, and is still a good figure in its own right, but will never replace the OG.

 

Hound
Springer
Jetfire
Galvatron

 

I never understood the reason why they released Astrotrain like that.....so unfinished, I mean, what kind of shuttle looks like that? A scrapped one as far as I know.

 

I'm surprised no one's brought up Classics Bumblebee, unless I missed it. The new Netflix one is okay, but it has a lot of obvious problems you didn't see on the Classics figure.

A lot of the new stuff is pretty good to me, with a few exceptions. I just got Warpath yesterday, and I think it's one of the worst figures I've bought in years, so I definitely prefer the CHUG one there.

RTS Jazz is probably the best Jazz, though I also really liked the CW figure. Both are nicer than Studio Series.

Oh, and toss me in as an ER Arcee hater. T30 is way better.

 

he's gotten 3 or 4 mention so far. I always considered him like a mini Alternator. SOOOOO much better then the new one.

especially when you are, for all intents and purposes, charging an even higher leader price for a voyager-sized figure, you could at least get the alt mode to look completed.

 

MP01
TR Blurr
T30 Rhinox and Waspinator

 

Generations Warpath-While it is nice that Kingdom has given us an updated version of the character, the generations toy works perfectly for me because it's simply just that awesome. It's one of the few toys back then that looks like and still does btw fit into the Bayverse. Also it's such a hassle free toy. I like toys that I can pick up that don't have unnecessary parts forming pieces to em a.k.a Kingdom Warpath

 

Older figures that haven't been replaced (or won't be based on rumors of new molds coming) for me...

T30 Bumblebee
Classics Cliffjumper
T30 Arcee
T30 Chromia
Classics Jetfire
FoC Grimlock
PotP Swoop
PotP Slag
T30 Skids
Universe 2.0 Hound
RTS Tracks
Combiner Wars Prowl
Combiner Wars Ironhide

 

It would actually be easier to list the WFC figures that have replaced earlier ones - I haven't been all that impressed with the line. In the vast majority of cases I've either gone back to an eariler figure or skipped the WFC version entirely. Basically, if a character has been done in CHUG before, it's a very hard sell for me these days. It has to really impress me, and most of WFC ... hasn't. I bought more of Siege than the later two lines, and was more often than not underwhelmed. After that ...

Siege:

Sideswipe - Can't stand the shoulders of the Universe Lambo mold.
Jetfire, mostly due to being big enough to be plausible as the Autobot Air Taxi.
Springer - I hate the T30 figure, so Siege would have had to be truly abysmal to not replace it.

Earthrise:

Cliffjumper replaced GDO Cliffjumper.
Sky Lynx replaced the CW due to more appropriate size, while CW now hangs out with the Legends class guys.
Optimus Prime I have as a display piece, but Perfect Effect Jetpower Revive remains my Prime Prime.

Kingdom:

Cheetor replaced Universe Cheetor
Dinobot replaced Universe Dinobot
Rattrap provides a more in-scale beast mode for Universe Ratty
Optimus Primal kinda stands above the BW10th and Robot Masters versions, but doesn't really supplant either.

 

For me, this is pretty easy, as I really don't care for figures that stick too close to the overly simplistic look of 80s G1. While I admit, the scale and completeness of Siege's S1 'Con collection sold me on it for pre-movie G1 and the battle damaged, mechanical look provided some extra style that did grow on me, SS86 and the accompanying 86 characters in WFC have been largely unappealing. It's ironic, since I actually like the 86 movie designs more, but the toys' slight simplifications and compromises are enough to make them feel more like bland, wonky pre-movie designs. I much prefer the more modernized takes from early Generations, for the most part. Specifically:

• RTS Wreck-Gar (at least until a less garishly coloured version of the SS one is made)
  
• Gen2010/11 Kup
• Gen2010/11 Blurr
• T30 Springer
• T30 Arcee
  
• CW Magnus
• Universe Cyclonus (at least until a less plain looking version of the Kingdom one is made)

There are some characters outside the 86 movie who's older toys I prefer for my WFC collection. Namely:

• RTS Perceptor (better matches Siege style than TR one and has an actual vehicle form)
• T30 Rhinox (matches Kingdom style better than Kingdom Rhinox)
• T30 Waspinator (I slightly prefer his robot mode appearance)

There are some characters outside the 86 movie who's older toys I prefer, despite them not working in my WFC collection. These are:

• Classics Jetfire (less blocky, love his giant cannons, plus I feel the Siege one lacks features for a figure it's size)
• Classics Optimus (love his weapon integration into vehicle form)
  
• Classics Bumblebee + Cliffjumper (love their trailer/jetpack)
  
• T30 Skids (OK, we haven't seen the new one, but there's no way he'll be as cool)
• T30 Orion Pax (I prefer his modernized look)
• T30 Brainstorm (I prefer his modernized look)
• Universe or CW Prowl (one's wonky looking, one's inaccurate but I prefer both for modernizing/stylizing Prowl)

Also, figures that I would've preferred, had they been larger (all for their modernized looks):

• RTS Laser Optimus
  
• Gen2010/11 Scourge
  
• T30 Trailcutter + Hoist
• Plus Universe Cyclonus and RTS Wreck-Gar would have less tenuous positions in my preferences.

Lastly, I much prefer the looks of Universe Onslaught and Silverbolt, over their CW one, but I do prefer the CW ones, due to them actually combining.

 

Here's a curveball:

I much prefer Animated Blurr to ANY other Blurr figure, before or since. He was one of the last G1 figures l bought off the shelf and always thought he was cool, but what Animated did with him was fantastic.

The character really comes out through the figure, which is so well executed he has become my favorite figure of Blurr.

 

Imo Siege/ER easily destroy their earlier CHUG iterations. My notable exceptions would be.

T30 Springer- It's close here but T30 squeaks ahead with much better accessories and more fluid transformations.

Classics Hound- This one's pretty obvious.

T30 Jetfire- Only in terms of CHUG scale here. I don't like Jetfire towering over bots like a combiner. I'm a Marvel Comics TF fan at heart and T30 is closer to that imo. Siegefire is a great figure, but he's my MP Jetfire.

Generations Wheeljack- this one's a tie for me with Siege. Things I like about both of them.

PE Rumble and Frenzy- the Siege versions just look like poo, I know it's 3P so maybe this one and the next don't count.

PE upscaled Reflector- not even close in my book these look better, cost less, and turn into a camera. Add the tons of playability with their accessories, and Siege Reflectors were an easy pass.

 

Legends/T30 Arcee is the only one thats a preference on grounds its a just a better figure.

Anything else isn't BETTER just I like the design more.

Universe Hound just has a cooler more classic design, though Siege is still great.
T30 Springer has as the Roche design which I love more than the G1 design, though I'll argue till the day I die the Siege one is a far superior figure.
RTS Jazz just looks cool as hell. I like the new SS86 one a ton and kind a hold them as equals as far as which is "better" but I do think the design on RTS is more exciting.
Universe Warpath just looks badass and the transformation is really cool vs the new one which is also very good as a figure but G1 to a fault where he looks goofy more than threatening.

 

T30 windblade, Arcee and Chromia

 

yeah, he would have benefited greatly by leaning more into the toys proportions and design rather than the doofy animation model. The low, slope-y shoulders just kill him for me me (same with K Galvatron) the white treads look lame too.

oh, this reminded me: United Frenzy (is blue) and Rumble (the red one). to date, they honestly haven't done good modern versions of the cassettes aside from MP and Uni 2.0 Ravage. Seige cassettes are atrocious all around (OK, Ratbat's kinda cute, but the rest suck), the TR data pad things were hamstrung by forcing them to be triple changers, and trying to turn a mold meant for Rewind/Eject into Frenzy/Rumble, like most designs from those games, the WFC/FOC data discs were dull and terrible.

But Scout Frenzy/Rumble (really only available from Takara thanks to the gold box line getting nixed at the end ) is a pretty fantastic reimagining of the 2 as small anti-aircraft tanks. The bot modes catch the characters great and even include arm transformations to give them their piledrivers.

Great modernized updates just like Scout Windcharger.

 

Yeah, those actually looked like fun figures to me. They were never really available at a good price, and I'm still pretty happy with the PE ones. I've had Zero interest in the RED line until I saw how big the Bumblebee was. I'd definitely like to get Rumble(red) and Frenzy(blue) from that line for my MP Soundwave.

 

Device Label Ravage. Regrettably the mold is fragile but it's the best looking Ravage figure and the only Ravage figure I can think of who can open his mouth.

Device Label Blaster. Great head sculpt and light piping. Compatible with G1 and Masterpiece cassettes.

Robotmasters Mirage. Excellent articulation for the time. Great head sculpt and light piping. Looks good with the Diaclones.

Siege Seeker mold. I hope we see it repainted as every known Seeker at some point.
Extremely poseable and great light piping.

Siege Ironhide.

Takara Legends Blurr. What I consider the definitive toy of the character. I just ignore the Titanmaster aspect but I love that he can accommodate one in car mode and that he looks good with the Diaclones in that mode. Much better colour scheme than the Hasbro version.

Titans Return Kup. Pretty much the same reasons as Blurr.

Armada Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp. I prefer them as Voyagers rather than deluxes.

G1 Roadhandler, Big Shot. Better head sculpts and colour schemes.

G1 Flak. Better vehicle mode.

Siege Ultra Magnus.

G1/Device Label Optimus Prime. No modern Optimus has ever beaten the original's truck mode in appearance or feel. The Device Label toy did give him a cartoon accurate head sculpt thankfully.

G1 Menasor. Only his size fails him. Love the combined form, especially the head.

G1 Dead End. Looks great in both modes though it's a shame he's so small. Headsculpt is vastly superior to the animation model.

G1 Motormaster. Same as Dead End.

 

I love the spirit of this thread. So many great choices to choose from.

most of mine have already been chosen, but there’s a ton of other great designs. Generally if it’s creative and well built, I’m gonna prefer it.

Off the top of my head:

t30 springer, kup, and many (but not all) other idw designs

RTS Jazz

Pretty much anything from Titans Return

Hftd mindwipe

generations skullgrin


some new stuff I prefer:

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker

Skyfire

Siege Optimus

others