The Energon Pub

[Blurrz]

25 Years. 25 Days. 25 Transformers.

Now on Seibertron.com, we've had some articles celebrating the 'best of the year' in December. Now I'm not going to dish out this list right here in this post. No, I'll be like how women are usually like to us men, a tease. I'll post one per day, like an Advent Calender, till Christmas time.

While this is just nothing but a matter of opinion. It's a little bit more thoughtful than that. I'm looking at the success of the figure, the influence of the figure on future toys being made, and just how awesome they are. Basically, if you don't have all 25 figures in this list represented in your collection, it just isn't complete.

So kickback, relax. It's the Holidays. Enjoy.

Glossary
#25 - December 1, 2009 - G2 Laser Optimus Prime
#24 - December 2, 2009 - BWII Lio Convoy + Origin of the List
#23 - December 3, 2009 - Alternators Smokescreen
#22 - December 4, 2009 - Robots In Disguise Megatron
#21 - December 5-ish, 2009 - Cybertron Hot Shot/Excellion
#20 - December 6, 2009 - 2007 Movie Camaro Concept Bumblebee
#19 - He's nearby... - Powermaster Optimus Prime
#18 - Real nearby... - G1 Punch/Counterpunch
#17 - Yeah... not even going to document the date - Beast Wars Optimal Optimus
#16 - December something - Armada Jetfire
#15 - Please don't say 'You are lazy' - Superlink Galvatron
#14 - Cause I'm actually crazy - G1 Devastator
#13 - We're getting closer.. - G1 Predaking
#12 - And closer.... - G1 Soundwave + Cassettes
#11 - Don't call it a comeback... - Cybertron Optimus Prime
#10 - I've been here since the start! - Victory Victory Saber
#9 - BURNING JUSTICE - R.I.D. Optimus Prime
#8 - Stunner - Classics Jetfire
#7 - Classics Starscream
#6 - 2007 Movie Prime
#5 - Classics Prime
#4 - G1 Starscream
#3 - Sixshot
#2 - Armada Unicron
#1 - Masterpiece Prime

[Blurrz]

#25 - G2 Laser Optimus Prime

The sad thing about Generation 2 is that most of the fans now just don't really know about it. After Transformers 2007 brought a mass amount of people into the Transformers fandom, the fact that G2 existed just wasn't advertised at all. Not too many people liked it, not many people cared about it. Basically the time skipped from Generation One to the start of Beast Wars. I call it sad because there's a massive amount of figures from Generation 2 that arguably aren't half bad. One of them stands out, and it's everyone's fan favourite character, Laser Optimus Prime.




Laser Optimus Prime could probably get a bit deeper in this list. The reason why it's not is of course, G2's popularity. And well, for being a Robot in Disguise, there really wasn't much of it when you clearly know who the figure is with 'Optimus Prime' on his chest in Robot mode and on the tanker in Alternate mode. The figure has a handful of differences from Generation One Optimus Prime. He carries a sword, and his tanker turns into a disc-launcher base.



However, the mold's characteristics isn't the saving grace as to why this figure is on this list. No, one of the reasons why Generation 2 Laser Prime is an influential figure is because it's the base for one of the best repaints EVER - Robots in Disguise Scourge (Black Convoy).



I'm not saying that Scourge started off the Black Repaint craze. I'm pretty sure it was done before, such as Tripredicus Agent back in BW. But it's up there as being one of the main influences we see Black repaints, especially of Optimus Prime, to this day. And no one can deny it, everyone likes the evil counterpart of the face of the Transformers franchise.

[goshjosh95]

The forefather of RID Scourge/Black Convoy (one of the super bad@$$es of all-time) is indeed worthy. I love these kinds of articles/posts (e.g., "Hidden Treasures"... whatever happened to that?). Can't wait to see the rest of your list.

[Counterpunch]

The forefather of RID Scourge/Black Convoy (one of the super bad@$$es of all-time) is indeed worthy. I love these kinds of articles/posts (e.g., "Hidden Treasures"... whatever happened to that?).

Skowl just...went away. ?

[SJ21]

I love these threads!

There are a lot of lines of Tf's I missed, so it is nice to see some of the gems I missed out on over the years of non-collecting.

[Razorclaw0000]

It is an awesome mold. I look forward to seeing the remaining 24.

[--B--]

I have to agree that the mold is plenty sweet, and you need some pics of the Magnus repaint as well, cause it rocked.

My wife picked up an advent calender that has 25 little boxes with plenty of room for minicons, I am going to pick up a bunch an do that for my sons next Christmas, so they get either a TF or a HotWheels/Matchbox car every day for a month.

A new TF every day for 25 days, now that's a good holiday season!!

[Razorclaw0000]

I have to agree that the mold is plenty sweet, and you need some pics of the Magnus repaint as well, cause it rocked.

My wife picked up an advent calender that has 25 little boxes with plenty of room for minicons, I am going to pick up a bunch an do that for my sons next Christmas, so they get either a TF or a HotWheels/Matchbox car every day for a month.

A new TF every day for 25 days, now that's a good holiday season!!

Speaking of, does anyone still have a link to the Minicon Advent calendar from last year (or was it two years ago?)?

Was it CP that did it?

[Counterpunch]

I have to agree that the mold is plenty sweet, and you need some pics of the Magnus repaint as well, cause it rocked.

My wife picked up an advent calender that has 25 little boxes with plenty of room for minicons, I am going to pick up a bunch an do that for my sons next Christmas, so they get either a TF or a HotWheels/Matchbox car every day for a month.

A new TF every day for 25 days, now that's a good holiday season!!

Speaking of, does anyone still have a link to the Minicon Advent calendar from last year (or was it two years ago?)?

Was it CP that did it?

Wasn't me.

The board crash was around that time and the 5 or 6 days that got posted were completely wiped by the crash.

[Mykltron]

The forefather of RID Scourge/Black Convoy (one of the super bad@$$es of all-time) is indeed worthy. I love these kinds of articles/posts (e.g., "Hidden Treasures"... whatever happened to that?).

Skowl just...went away. ?

No, it's cos there weren't enough people volunteering to contribute. I wanted to do one but the figures I wanted to do weren't in the gallery so I wasn't allowed.

Blurrz, this is an excellent idea for a thread, I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes up. Lazer Prime is a great mold (excellent for it's day, HUGE amounts of playability) but one of those TFs that really improved with a repaint!

[Convotron]

What I like most about Laser OP is that it's a more aggressive looking design than the G1 original. It was a nice change of appearance and I think that simply having "Laser" as part of a name immediately makes it 100x cooler.

[Hip-Hoptimus Rime]

Laser Prime doth rule. Love the mold, even the launching gimmicks. I usually don't use launching missiles, often removing them or even disabling them. But Laser Prime's discs and missile battery and air-launched rocket are exceedingly awesome. The working headlights/glowing sword are great details.

And the trailer graphics, oh man: Optimus Prime torching a forest with a flamethrower FTW!

[kirbenvost]

Torching a forest...that is just so, so wrong.

What I like most about Laser OP is that it's a more aggressive looking design than the G1 original. It was a nice change of appearance and I think that simply having "Laser" as part of a name immediately makes it 100x cooler.

I completely agree. Although I'm completely satisfied owning only RID Scourge, of the three versions.


Awesome thread, Blurrz! I think it should be front-paged as an article.

[Autobot Strider]

I'm completely satisfied owning only RID Scourge, of the three versions.

Same here. Now I just might have to go and break him out of storage for a few weeks...

Thanks for this thread, I'm looking foward to each day's post!

[Diem]

If this is about the most awesome and the most influential figures the top three better damn well be Topspin, Staxx and Under-3!

[Blurrz]

Alright.. Didn't expect the volume of replies to be so high! I've jotted down the Top 25 Figures and have been fiddling around with where they rank. The problem is that I've never really been a Transformers fan for all these years. I'm only 18, and I only started with Beast Wars. The time skipped after Armada, and I never even got into RID toys. Basically the only toys I have are Beast Wars, Armada, and everything after Cybertron. It's really hard to judge the figures in the past 25 years, there's just so many! It's especially difficult when you can only look at most of them in pictures, and not physically. I don't know the presence of some figures compared to others, don't know how tricky or easy they are to transform, etc. There's just so many variables when you see a figure in person, that can make a figure look awesome or just terrible.

I've been helped with Seibertron members Real Devastator, Mkall and neliz on which figures have made the list. In all honesty, I think I've been trying a bit too hard to get that perfect 25. I know the list will never be 100% correct with everyone else because it's just simply the combined opinion of 4 Transformers fans. The popularity of some figures have simply guaranteed some a spot on this list. Some of them are just simply fantastic, and the odd ones, well, you can blame that on my Beast Wars-Armada heritage.. However, I think I've got the writing skills and the lovely pictures from Seibertron.com's galleries to make everything look nice. Plus, it's always nice to have different opinions, it provides discussion. It's not like I want to see all 'Yes, I agree with everything on this list' replies in the upcoming 25 days.

If I had to describe the Transformers fandom with one word, it would have to be Dedicated. I'm trying not to anger some of the fans by including some figures that are just terrible, or missing some figures that should be on the list - I'm trying to have some creative fun. I can't really say this is an elite list - the best of the best. There are so many figures out there. Good, Bad, and Ugly. Yet any figure from those 3 categories can mean the world to a collector. There are figures, regardless of what they look like, or how they feel, that are simply special. Maybe it was your first Transformer ever. Maybe your parents gave it to you. Perhaps it was the centerpiece of your childhood. It could be a Transformer that completed a collection, or simply a character that was funny to watch in the cartoons. All in all, any Transformer from the past 25 years can be the best. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that this list is trying to celebrate the 25 years that Transformers has existed! I'm trying to show how quirky and awesome Transformers is, and just how big a nerd I am! I know that a list of 25 Transformers can never truly bring justice to the Transformers Universe, but I'm going to give it a shot!

With that all said and done......



#24 - BWII Lio Convoy

If your first reaction to this selection is either 'EW BEASTFORMERS' or 'DUDE ZOMG HOW IS THIS BETTER THAN LAZER PRIME', then I'm sorry. There are 2 other Beast Era figures on this list that will probably disgust you, and regarding how this is better than Laser Prime.. Cry moar!

On to the figure. I don't know the exact history of Beast Wars II or Neo. All I know is that the portrayal of a 'Prime' in Beast Wars was to be an animal that was on the top part of the animal hierarchy. Optimus took the form of an ape, which is close to our human genes and very respectable. Big took the form of a mammoth. While long extinct in contemporary times, it's descendent the Elephant is still a keystone species in the animal kingdom. Then there's Lio Convoy, taking the form of a Lion. It just doesn't get more superior than that. I believe Takara did the right thing making the Lion character, a Prime. Now forget about the Lion we got over here in North America - Prowl....



.... Takara's Lio Convoy is where it's at. If you're not a fan of the kibble, than that's also a matter of opinion. However Kibble did play a key part as to why Lio Convoy is here on this list and Big Convoy is not. I really like the alternate mode of Lio. It's mane, it's moveable jaw, the painted feet, and aesthetics - are features that make this figure a bit superior to it's Hasbro brethren. Since it was released in '98, it did get a few years to learn from Hasbro's beast wars, so that's one of the reasons as to why it's on this list - instead of some other Beast Wars figures we saw in the first few years.



I don't really have words that can describe Lio Convoy's robot mode. The way the Lion's head melds into Convoy's right shoulder is simply aesthetically pleasing. Painted ribs. The Blue-Prime like face. Glistening Maximal logo. If it weren't for the Lion's head, you might not even think that it's a Beastformer. It looks close enough to be an action figure, instead of a Transformer. The way Takara was able to do that with a Transformer back when toy technology wasn't at it's peke is inspirational. Imagine going from Generation One to this. Just dynamic.



Plus, how awesome would it be to do this.



Back to the figures, I think one of the interests to look at is a figure's repaints. I believe it's documented that Lio had two repaints. One of them was a shiny gold and clear version - Flash Lio Convoy.



The other, like #25 - a Black repaint of the show's main hero - Black Lio Convoy.



They aren't the most impressive repaints compared to repaints now, but they definitely paved the way for them. We haven't strayed away from repainting figures like that in current times. Black is a common theme, and Lucky Draw has continued the trend of shiny gold jaw-dropping repaints.

When it comes to Lio Convoy's influences on the Transformers of today. Leobreaker from Cybertron/Galaxy Force series was likely inspired by Lio Convoy. That mold has been repainted 4 times. Nemesis Breaker looks awfully alot like Black Lio Convoy, and the two Universe figures - Leo Prime and Target Leo Prime are also inspired. Target's version is arguably the closest representation to Lio convoy.




So that's it. Was Lio Convoy a good choice? Agreements, Arguments? Did I miss out a piece of info? Let me know and of course, discuss!

[goshjosh95]

Wow, another interesting choice! This one wouldn't have occurred to me. However, I appreciate your line of reasoning, especially regarding Lio's significance (great aesthetic design/articulation for its time) and influence: 2 repaints (I still want to get Flash Lio), & inspiring new figures (love that pic of the 5 different versions of the Leobreaker mold). However...

Plus, how awesome would it be to do this.

Primal should not be doing the bad touch to Lio. Bad monkey.

[Counterpunch]

If I were fighting Lio Convoy, I would always attack him from his right side.

[Diem]

If I were fighting Lio Convoy, I would always attack him from his right side.

Nah, getting bitten by someone's shoulder is too embarassing.

Blurrz, don't lose confidence! Everyone's gonna argue about which are the best and most important figures but hopefully everyone respects one another's personal opinions, and you made it clear that this top 25 isn't definitive but simply your opinion. Keep up the good work!

[olokin]

@ Blurrz: nice pick for #24! I wish he was ranked a little higher though. The next 23 better be good. Keep up the good work, your first 2 were solid picks.

[TFBuyer]

The forefather of RID Scourge/Black Convoy (one of the super bad@$$es of all-time) is indeed worthy. I love these kinds of articles/posts (e.g., "Hidden Treasures"... whatever happened to that?).

Skowl just...went away. ?

No, it's cos there weren't enough people volunteering to contribute. I wanted to do one but the figures I wanted to do weren't in the gallery so I wasn't allowed.

Blurrz, this is an excellent idea for a thread, I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes up. Lazer Prime is a great mold (excellent for it's day, HUGE amounts of playability) but one of those TFs that really improved with a repaint!

Well, that's too bad about the Hidden Treasures piece...I submitted one on BM Hammerstrike that never saw the light of day...

Anyway, a nice idea here, though! Looking forward to following along until Christmas!

[Counterpunch]

Well, that's too bad about the Hidden Treasures piece...I submitted one on BM Hammerstrike that never saw the light of day...

As far as I knew, there were a lot of submissions...

[Razorclaw0000]

Well, that's too bad about the Hidden Treasures piece...I submitted one on BM Hammerstrike that never saw the light of day...

Anyway, a nice idea here, though! Looking forward to following along until Christmas!

Hammerstrike is one of my favorite BM figures.

[Mykltron]

Does Lio Convoy have a corresponding Megatron? By corresponding, I'm not referring to a pen-pal.

[Counterpunch]

Does Lio Convoy have a corresponding Megatron? By corresponding, I'm not referring to a pen-pal.

Galvatron