What QC problems? Mine’s perfect. He’s definitely worth the price too. *shrug*

 

Rodimus Prime is wonderful, QC is fine on mine, not aware of any issues. Definitely top five for the year on my list!

 

The trailer was frequently warped out of the box such that it couldn't close. Pretty easy fix though and a great figure, but it couldn't crack my top 5 in a really strong year.

 

This was sure a great year for figures. I was not sure which figure to include in my top, but after helping to put him on display at the Transformers Exhibition we hace here in na local mall, you can't deny he's an impressive piece.

 

It was a very crowded field of excellent figures this past year. I wouldn’t begrudge anyone for not including Rodimus in their top 10 lists for personal preferences. He’s not my #1 fig either, actually.

That honor goes to Covert Agent Ravage. He’s just so good, looks so great, and is so fun to play around with. It gives me the same joy that the Pit of Judgement set gave me the year before.

Anyhoo, here’s my list:
10. Huffer. He has no business being this good.
9. Galvatron. Pick one. Would’ve been higher if the shoulders on mine weren’t backwards & the battle smudges weren’t included.
8. The Ark. Would’ve been higher if it had better hands & the turrets rotated.
7. Cyclonus. Great fig, but suffers from the Blurr & Kup “why the long face?”
6. Dinobot. Another great fig, just missing front dino teeth & those raptor hands could’ve been better.
5. Tigatron. Love this fig, just wish there was a little less piss yellow.
4. Optimus Primal. No complaints, wonderful all around.
3. SS86 Hot Rod
2. Rodimus Prime
1. Covert Agent Ravage

Honorable Mentions: Airrazor, Wreck-Gar, BW Megatron, Transmutate, Gnaw, Fangry, Sweep

 

You guys should have categories. Like Generations, MP, and Studio series. I think it would be far more interesting, even if all staff do not collect all three.

 

My favorite of the year is MP-52 Starscream, but for a non-Masterpiece, mainline toy, my favorite was Kingdom Tigatron. 2021 was great year for Transformers, there were so many solid releases.

 

But that's why it's easier for them to just do their personal top 5. If someone doesn't collect MP how would they begin to have a fave let alone a top five? Their top 5 in each would seem arbitrary because they wouldn't be pulling from the same pool.

This way they just pick their five favorite, and their personal preferences would be taken in to consideration as part of that.

Plus, these write ups are something they do for the fun of it. Having to get that granular turns it in to work.

Just the rubber band trick, right?

I mean, after folding the blast panels correctly out of the box.

 

Was hard to decide my top pick of the year. Was so many great releases in 2021. SS Grimlock & Slug/Slag, Gnaw, Wreck-gar, Kingdom Rodimus, GS Galvatron, etc......
But my top figure is Kingdom Cyclonus, with Haslab a close second. Both are phenomenal, but Galvy's second-in-command took the #1 spot. Cyclonus just blew me away with his great engineering, screen accuracy, and just a great figure to fiddle with.

Plus making "whoosh ,whoosh" sounds flying him around the house in his awesome space jet mode makes the look on my GF's face all the more priceless.

 

Let's See

10. Kingdom Tigatron
9. Kingdom Airazor
8. Studio Series 86 Grimlock
7. Netflix Optimus Primal (and Rattrap)
6. MPM-12 Optimus Prime
5. Kingdom Beast Megatron
4. HasLab Unicron
3. Kingdom Ark
2. Kingdom Galvatron
1. Kingdom Rodimus Prime

 

Kingdom Cyclonus came out in 2020, why have I seen him in so many peoples top10 lists?

 

*shrug* Kingdom was the 2021 line, if I'm not mistaken. It just hit retail ahead of Q1.

Realized I didn't do a top 10. *Shrug* I dunno who came out when so here's the top 10 I bought in 2021 in no particular order...

- The Ark
- Tigatron
- Netflix Soundwave
- Grimlock
- Slug
- Airazor/Skywarp
- Wreck-Gar
- PulseCon Ravage
- Takara Selects God Neptune
- Rodimus Prime

 

If we're allowed to cheat, I'd put the Cyberverse Dinobots as a group on my list as a single entry (Volcanicus included). Jankiness of the One-Step gimmick aside, as a team they look great together and Slug would stand alongside Generations in terms of engineering and style.

 

figured I'd share this here, but this is my top 10 Transformers of 2021! It's a mix of official and unofficial, but there are a lot of official choices in both the top 10 itself and in my honorable mentions.

 

Nice to see SS Hot Rod getting so much love. Definitely my pick for 2021!

 

I've gotten quite a few figures in 2021 myself, including Optimus Primal, Airazor, Taigatron, Black Arachnia, Scorponok, Waspinator, Ractonite, Paleotrex, 86' Cyclonus & of course, 86' Hot Rod.. And I have to say, my top pick out of those figures is unsurprisingly Hot Rod. Before getting him, the only one I owned before was the Potp evolution figure, and I thought that was pretty good. But the 86’ figure is just in a league of it's own. His robot mode is highly articulated, he has a slew of small but appreciative gimmicks, comes packed with some really cool effect parts & accessories, and his conversion from robot to vehicle mode isn't overly complex and even manages to look screen accurate from the 86' film. Even the display base he comes with is beautifully done. He truly is a love letter to the fans, representing the 86’ film in all it's glory~

The only gripe I have, (which is pretty minor) is with the Matrix. And this follows suit with other figures that come with it too. I hate the fact that you can’t actually open it >~< and I don't wanna hear crap like (making something that small would be too hard to do" or whatever, because I’ve seen other 3rd party companies do exactly that. Witchcraft? Perhaps.. But regardless. The only 'official' Matrix they’ve ever released (at least to my knowledge) that you can actually open is the one that comes with MP01, and I hope that changes in the near future.

 

2021 was the most fun & excitement I\'ve had collecting since 2013. Based on appearance( how cool both modes are), playability (conversion too simple or grossly over engineered) & quality ( can I pick it up and play with it as much as I want it without worrying about it breaking) here\'s my list:

1- Rodimus Prime
2- Cyclonus
3- Galvatron
4- Beast Wars Megatron
5- Hot Rod
6- Beast Wars Dinobot
7- Grimlock
8- Slag
9- Wreck-Gar
10- Origin Bumblebee

 

 

My list ever fluctuates, but I think I may have a fairly ranked assortment from 2021, starting with some Honorable Mentions:

Honorable Mentions:

Honorable Mention #1: Kingdom Ultra Magnus

This big boy is my first and only UM toy I ever owned, and I'm pretty happy with this (at least in terms of his robot mode). Beefy, bold colors and armed to the teeth, Magnus feels good in hand. However, he does NOT make it to the main list simply because his alt mode is sorely lacking; a horribly fugly truck cab paired with the one job his toy needed to do: a car-carrier that cannot carry cars, save for maybe one small deluxe on top. Unacceptable. Fortunately, Magnus will always be displayed in his bot mode.

Honorable Mention #2: Earthrise Megatron


I long-touted this guy as my favorite rendition of the Decepticon Leader in the beginning of 2021, and he still is. He looks like his cartoon self, without having to transform into a handheld gun. Now, he's a big gun on treads, and while his Siege/Netflix version sports better paint apps, this is the guy I always wanted to represent the Season 1 Cons. My biggest gripes are carry-overs from the Siege mold; his stupid floppy feet sticking out in tank mode is an eyesore and a new issue - his giant sabre-dagger thing is ridiculous and awkward. Still, he looks amazing with the rest of my first-season Decepticons!


Honorable Mention #3: Earthrise Netflix Soundwave



Far from a bad toy, Netflix Soundwave finally scratches that itch that us G1 fanboys whined about since the beginning of the CHUG era: Make Soundwave a microcassette player! And lo and behold, he does just that, all while looking like he jumped outta my TV. There is really not much to complain about here, aside from Ravage's piss-poor cat-mode. But having not one, but TWO cassettes included, along with his weapons and a neat gun that you can plug to Earthrise Megatron's back, makes this a total win. Is it anything groundbreaking? Nope. This toy could have been made 10 years ago, so the lack of engineering feats keeps this guy categorized in Honorable Mentions.


TOP 5:

#5: TIE - Studio Series 86' Grimlock and Slug (SLAG!)

Giving me every reason to throw out my PotP Dinobots, these two Leader Class guys are so much fun. If I were to give one the edge, it would be Grimlock, for having a smoother transformation and shelf presence. I've said, no, praised before how much the last two years of TF's have been elevated by the attempts to use the Sunbow cartoon scale starting with WFC Siege, and here is where it really counts. Grimlock is nice and solid in hand, with no QC issues I have noticed, whereas Slug suffers from some loose knee-joints, fiddly transformation with the legs and constant horns and back panels popping off. Nonetheless, I love Slug and he only ramps up my anticipation for the rest of the Dinobot team in the future. Both come with useless statues of maligned characters and their classic guns. I had to rate them as a set, because they looks so good together, and it was hard to really leave one behind. That being said, this isn't the only entry with that issue...

4: TIE - Kingdom Cyclonus and Studio Series 86' Scourge

While most people's choice in their top 5 has been Cyclonus, I have to give credit where credit is due: Scourge is another feat of engineering in getting that vampiric look on point. His bat-wings were always something that could not be properly replicated in toy form in his past renditions and the whole Floro Dery aesthetic will continue to dominate this list going forward. His space boat-soap bar mode is fantastic and still gives you the opportunity to pop his mustachioed noggin out.

Cyclonus is as perfect as you can get. Zero kibble in robot mode and still having a seamless space jet really is jaw-dropping. I remember thinking how damn good that Universe mold was. Now I can't even look at the thing. I know some people gripe about his head sculpt, but it doesn't bother me (but the same can be said for SS86' Kup/Blurr). He's tall (if you position the knees right), menacing and purple-ish.

Both taunt you to look back at the old 86' toys and force you to really appreciate what can be accomplished today. TF fans eat real well in this era.


#3: Studio Series 86' Wreck Gar


I was never a fan of Wreck Gar. I had no desire of ever owning his character or any Junkion. I didn't hate him/them, but he didn't really do anything for me neither. But this, THIS toy is WOW. Between Cyclonus and this guy, you couldn't get closer to perfection. I mean, I simply don't see how there will ever be a need to perfect upon these two. Aside from being a physical copy of his character model, he's hefty and solid. His transformation is well done and his alt mode is fun. His colors are vibrant and he has so much personality. Once I heard everyone rave about him, I needed to experience him for myself, and let me tell you:

NO 'RAGRETS'.


#2: Kindom Rodimus Prime


Another guy that I had no intention of picking up, especially at his price point. But a little thing called Black Friday came along and I scooped him up at Leader-class pricing.
While many would put SS86' Hot Rod on the list, I wanted to pass on him and go big. Where do I start? He's amazing. A big sucker too, with tons, I mean TONS of accessories. You get a his rifle, the Matrix, the sword of Primus, blast effects, blast effects, blast effects and matrix effects. Oh you also get this tiny afterthought called his Battle Platform, that, depending if you've won the lotto, will actually close properly into his trailer! His transformation can feel challenging, not because of the actual steps, but the tolerances vs use of force. Yeah, his leg calves pop out often, but it's a small price for such an otherwise well designed Autobot leader. He would have been #1, save for his tolerance issues and non-committal pieces that won't snap together. So it would only make sense that he would lose to...


#1: Kingdom Galvatron


Why you ask? Because Titans Return happened, I will tell you.

Kingdom Galvatron not only gives us the reborn Megatron we always needed, it manages to do it without sacrificing anything for transformation into a huge space cannon on tank treads. Now to me, this is pinnacle engineering. A fully articulated figure that resembles his on-screen image that can unfurl into his futuristic alt mode. Galvatron FEELS like his worth; he's heavy, because he's jam-packed with folding panels. His plastic quality is good. I can handle him and have no fear of accidentally snapping or breaking something (yet). He looks regal-evil, poses well, has beaucoup accessories too. His arm cannon is iconic, but getting a matrix on chain is something we never asked for, yet deserved. Throw in two Revenge-style gun halves and you've earned your keep. Could his shade of purple been more indigo? Certainly. Did we need his battle-spooge deco? Nope. But we got it, and some fantastic repaints, which is why this guy is #1.

 

2021 is the year that my collecting necessarily slowed down. Beast Wars doesn't interest me as much as G1, and I am seriously running out of space to store my figures and have continued selling some of them. This is the first year that I've taken back a Titan-class figure (The Ark), both because I didn't have room for it after FINALLY getting TR Fortress Maximus and because Ark wasn't, IMHO, a good toy. That said, there are some Beast Wars characters in my top figures just because I do like the toys. I didn't get that giant Unicron because of the aforementioned space issues and also because money's been tighter this year due to the COVID plague still raging and supply chain disruptions making stuff harder to find and cost more. I ordered a bunch of figs off off Amazon because I didn't wanna go out and hunt.

Honorable Mentions include: Kingdom Core Optimus, Core Soundwave, Core Starscream, Deluxe Huffer, Beast Megatron, Leader Ultra Magnus, Leader Galvatron, Wingfinger, and Paleotrex; Studio Series Hot Rod, Scourge, Gnaw, and Kup.

The best ones that I picked up this past year include:

10. Kingdom Deluxe Slammer


9. Kingdom Commander Rodimus Prime


8. Studio Series Deluxe Jazz


7. Kingdom Deluxe Airrazor


6. Kingdom Voyager Blaster with Eject


5. Kingdom Voyager Inferno


4. Kingdom Voyager Optimus Primal


3. Kingdom Voyager Cyclonus


2.Studio Series Leader Slug (Slag)


1.Studio Series Leader Grimlock