With @Sam's blessing, I think we should continue his "best official Masterpiece of the year" polls! Feel free to let me know if I missed any official MP releases for 2019! Because we are limited to 10 choices, I could not individually include non-TTMall exclusives, so I've grouped them under an "Other" option. THE CANDIDATES!!!: (sorry for the lazy smartphone collages) MP-20+ Wheeljack [anime edition] MP-43 Megatron (Beast Wars) MP-18+ Streak [Bluestreak] [anime edition] [TTMall exclusive] MPM-8 Megatron MP-44 Convoy (Ver. 3.0) [Optimus Prime] MPM-9 Jazz MP-45 Bumble (Ver. 2.0) [Bumblebee] MP-46 Blackwidow (Beast Wars) [Blackarachnia] MP-47 Hound Other: MP-10ASL Convoy (atmos safari LeBron Ver.) [Optimus Prime] [atmos exclusive] MP-10G Optimus Prime (Ecto-35 Edition) [Hasbro SDCC exclusive]
Is it kind of an unfair vote with MP 43 and 44 released in the same year. The rest don't even compare?
Damn, this is hard. 2019 was a terrific year for MPs. All figure released are incredible looking. I gotta go with Hound though as he's my favorite to pick up, transform and handle. Shame about the numerous QC issues.
I went with Blackarachnia. She really surprised me with how well she was built, and her transformation was actually kinda simple and fun. Not to mention that her robot mode is SO damn close to the show model that it is kinda scary. A very close runner up is Bluestreak+. Really amazing how much a different paint job, extra faces, and blast effects can make a previously released figure that much better!
I hear ya guys, I feel like if these had been spaced out more, MP-43, 44, 45, 46, and 47 could each be believable as the best of a given year. I had to give it to MP-44, the figure I've dreamed of my whole life alongside MP-36!!! They are the two best of all time to me!!!
I only bought MP43 out of those listed so I voted for it because GOT DAMN. LOOK AT IT! Takara did great aesthetically, wish some thin panels on mine didn't have stress marks and wish all copies were assembled properly.
If I ever decide that I have the space or money to expand beyond a G1 Sunbow collection, MP-43 is the first thing I'd get. I loved my original BW Megatron toy as a teenager but I always wanted it to look just like the show, and even did a sloppy amateurish job trying to paint it up. MP-43 looks EXACTLY like what I really wanted!
Well, of those listed, I only bought BW Megatron and Blackachnia, and Blacky didn't even ship to me until 2020, soooo.....
It transforms very similarly to the original and the deco is excellent! If you get a copy that isn't broken I'm sure you'll love it man, plus it's HUGE!
Hope you'll get the chance to pick him up in the future. Megs is pretty fucking epic and has great shelf presence. His beast mode looks so cool and imposing, yesssss
You guys are chipping away at my willpower!! Maybe the first reissue will be the right timing to finally give in...
Of all of those listed, Hound is the only one I actually got. QC issues aside...he looks nearly perfect and his transformation is clever and interesting. And if the parts actually functioned and moved as smoothly as I'm sure the designer(s) intended, it would probably be the most fun to transform and pose out of all of my MP TFs as well. Optimus, BA and Megs get special mentions for their extraordinary representations of their on-screen counterparts. I even like Bee and give the designer(s) credit for pulling off a nice chibi car and a great toon version of the character... even if he only really looks good from one angle... And to be fair to the rest, I really don't feel there is a single turd in the whole punch bowl. I think they all turned out to be decent...if not great...designs. But TT better get their QC under control or else it's going to be a short ride for me. I love Hound's design enough that I have been willing to put some time into correcting his QC issues...but I shouldn't have to do it. EDIT: I changed my vote to Blackarachnia. Since my original post, Hound has crumbled and TT haven't said a God damn thing about it. If Hound were not a crumbling shit show, he'd still be my #1 for 2019.
MP-44 for me. I took him on vacation with me soon after I got him, so I could have plenty of time to explore posing him and photographing him with few distractions. However I don't transform him. The truck mode is just a truck, and it takes too long to get there for too little reward. MP-45, by contrast, I transform a lot. It doesn't take me long and the Beetle mode is expressive all on its own. I like him quite a bit. But looseness in the hip area and the general unfinished look of the feet and the backpack keep him out of my top spot. MP-47, well, I love looking at him.
MP-43 looks so good it is nearly convincing me to get MP-32 despite the fact that I have the Beast Wars anime movie color/toy homage with MP-38.
I went with Hound mainly because I don't have MP-44... MPM Jazz is fantastic, same with MP-45, but Hound just ticks all the right boxes for me. He looks awesome in both modes, is really fun to pose, and that bigger Spike figure is really fun! My copy is solid so far aside from one small crack I glued.
I didn't buy any official MPs in 2019 apart from Hound. MP Hound would have won for me - and still wins on looks - but I can't bring myself to select him given that mine is being sent back for a refund.
