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TK415 wrote: What was interesting, was that Swoop by himself, looked liked a Transformer, but I also like fantasy and had a dragon or two in my room as well, and with that around, Swoop would look like a life size, tough little male fairy. Stylized for sure, but very fantasy like. Odd, but fun.

I had brought something of the sorts in another thread when I first got Swoop (the TAV version with the red and black) and with the shoulders and cape and collar I said he looked like a dark wizard. Its really amazing how these figures can be so expressive to the point of crossing over in style and inspirations.

william-james88 wrote:

TK415 wrote: What was interesting, was that Swoop by himself, looked liked a Transformer, but I also like fantasy and had a dragon or two in my room as well, and with that around, Swoop would look like a life size, tough little male fairy. Stylized for sure, but very fantasy like. Odd, but fun.

I had brought something of the sorts in another thread when I first got Swoop (the TAV version with the red and black) and with the shoulders and cape and collar I said he looked like a dark wizard. Its really amazing how these figures can be so expressive to the point of crossing over in style and inspirations.

Dude, that is awesome! What year did he come out?

I just bought him because of your post! Thank you WJ! $17 free shipping, great price for a deluxe!
Cool post by the way. He does look like a dark wizard.

TK415 wrote:Dude, that is awesome! What year did he come out?

I just bought him because of your post! Thank you WJ! Cool post by the way. He does look like a dark wizard.

I just found my old post, the figure came out in 2015. And it turns out the words I used were high priest and cult leader (but dark wizard works too):

william-james88 wrote:A while back, Cobotron was talking about Transformer toys which fit a certain character profile. I just got animate swoop in TAV deco (anyone want to tell me what the deco is referencing?) and when his neck isnt strechted out, it looks like he has a pointy hood. With the shoulderpads and the wings becoming a cape, he looks a lot like a high priest at the head of an evil cult:

Cool, that is awesome.

Has anyone read the Vlad Taltos series called Jhereg?

Cryotech looks like a life sized jhereg. It feels like having a pet jhereg. I have loved having a little jhereg over the years.

Hey WJ,

Where is this thread: "Cobotron was talking about Transformer toys which fit a certain character profile."

Thanks

Nice list but id replace jazz with shockwave, personally i didnt think jazz was all that great but shockwave was pretty damn cool. Same with magnus, yeah its cool hes his own mold & not a prime repaint but the figure itself doesnt have much going for it. Id replace him with swindle, great transformation & looks good in both modes. Cant comment on bulkhead since i never got him but the rest i agree with, id change the order a bit but thats about it.

TK415 wrote:Hey WJ,

Where is this thread: "Cobotron was talking about Transformer toys which fit a certain character profile."

Thanks

Here you go sir

what-is-the-best-transformers-toy-in-terms-of-design-t74106s250.php#p1628664

In regards to Animated Rodimus, did you guys know that there are more steps in the transformation of his spoiler wings that the instructions neglect to mention?

In the photo seen in the OP, Rodimus's wings in robot mode are shown swung up against the rear windshield piece that sits behind the figure's head. This is where the instructions stop the spoiler's transformation. From here, if one unpegs the tip of the spoiler's center from the black piece that the spoiler is attached to (there's a tiny peg there on the tip of spoiler's center point), the spoiler will rotate on its central axis. Once the tiny peg is unpegged, rotate the spoiler 180 degrees and fold the black piece back down to let the black piece plug into the little circle indentation on Rodimus's back, which also enables the spoiler wings rest more naturally behind Rodimus's shoulders/upper torso (as wings should) instead of up behind his head.

This also enables the slightly more detailed underside of the spoiler, rather than more plain-looking top of the spoiler, to face forward in robot mode.

I really should inventory my collection some time. I think my Animated might be near complete... with the exception of Magnus; I just don't think I liked him back then.

Nothing against the figures... but I hated how so many became Toys R Us exclusives at the end of the run, and prices for Hot Rod, Arcee, Ironhide/Ratchet were I swear over $20 years ago...

Shockwave will always be my favorite figure from that line. While I agree the vehicle modes suffer, just looking at the crane or tank... you wouldn't immediately guess they were the same figure. This is even further exaggerated with the two robot modes. I really wish they'd revisit the idea of his figure.

william-james88 wrote:

TK415 wrote:Dude, that is awesome! What year did he come out?

I just bought him because of your post! Thank you WJ! Cool post by the way. He does look like a dark wizard.

I just found my old post, the figure came out in 2015. And it turns out the words I used were high priest and cult leader (but dark wizard works too):

william-james88 wrote:A while back, Cobotron was talking about Transformer toys which fit a certain character profile. I just got animate swoop in TAV deco (anyone want to tell me what the deco is referencing?) and when his neck isnt strechted out, it looks like he has a pointy hood. With the shoulderpads and the wings becoming a cape, he looks a lot like a high priest at the head of an evil cult:

The different style they were going for certainly helps towards that -- rather than being a traditional Transformers look it was much more indicative of cartoons at the time like Teen Titans. Heck, Animated was basically Beast Wars crossed with Teen Titans - and that's certainly nothing I have a problem with

SpikeyTigertron wrote:Shockwave will always be my favorite figure from that line. While I agree the vehicle modes suffer, just looking at the crane or tank... you wouldn't immediately guess they were the same figure. This is even further exaggerated with the two robot modes. I really wish they'd revisit the idea of his figure.

I like you and this comment. Huzzah!



Good list, but I think it's worth clarifying that - for me - the best OP mold of the line was the Voyager one with automorph spinning gravity something legs. And moveable faceplate. And axe cannon. He's basically Batman in the Elite Guard deco, too.



Prowl is phenomenal.

Excelent list. hard to do also.

The whole line is good. I would have mention Cybertronian Optimus, Blackout, and before every thing else Blackarachnia.

Swoop is nice but I understand your point about the alt-mode. Ironhide is also fun, but he is already in two of your list.
https://www.seibertron.com/transformers ... oys/34301/
https://www.seibertron.com/transformers ... les/34952/

Sounds like a lot of folks are really familiar with Animated. What would folks most-wanted, non-produced figure? I was dying to see the Omega Supreme from the Ark....

SpikeyTigertron wrote:Sounds like a lot of folks are really familiar with Animated. What would folks most-wanted, non-produced figure? I was dying to see the Omega Supreme from the Ark....

I think pretty much everyone wanted Omega Supreme (from the Orion, though).

william-james88 wrote:

TK415 wrote:Hey WJ,

Where is this thread: "Cobotron was talking about Transformer toys which fit a certain character profile."

Thanks

Here you go sir

what-is-the-best-transformers-toy-in-terms-of-design-t74106s250.php#p1628664

Very cool and interesting, thank you.

Thinking about these again, I'd probably bump Jazz off the list, and move Blurr further up the list.

Such a sexy bot.






Might dig him out later for a quick shoot!

Diem wrote:

Overcracker wrote:
I am surprised there's no mention of Swoop and Grimlock. At least Swoop has a lot of style.

I can't comment on Grimlock since it's one of the few Animated molds I never owned. Swoop's a good figure but definitely has too many flaws to be great; robot head just won't stay on, neutered weapon gimmick, incredibly simple transformation, and not particularly great alt mode.

Blitzwing though, I'll salute. His robot mode is great and full of personality. His artillery mode is unusual-looking, but is solid and unique, and certainly doesn't hint at the jet mode at all. And the jet mode looks great from above; it has a wonky undercarriage, but that's hardly unusual in this franchise, nor is a triple-changer with two good modes and one okay-ish one.

I'll give you Swoop's issues.



But Blitzwing is really really not a good figure. His Robot mode is o.k barely, but the wings get in the way and hang off of him awkwardly. His Tank mode is passable. Jet mode... just no.... That Jet Mode does not look good from any angle.





Too Gappy, and stubby,

As much as I love Blitzwing as much as my Nostalgia form having G1 Blitzwing as a kid tells me to like this figure, no. Its just o.k at best.

I always loved the Animated toyline. It was amazing how they were able to replicate the cartoony proportions of the characters into their toy selves. We've never quite seen anything like it since...

bluecatcinema wrote:I always loved the Animated toyline. It was amazing how they were able to replicate the cartoony proportions of the characters into their toy selves. We've never quite seen anything like it since...

I agree. Animated is literally a rich example of an awesome show and awesome toyline that made the show come to life. Nothing has really touched it since

Diem wrote:Surprised that Samurai Prowl and Wingblade Prime aren't on here, given that they're basically two of the figures on this list, but with more stuff.

Other than that I'd have included Swindle for all his fun features and overall solidness and Blitzwing for being the first really accomplished triple-changer in quite some time. Also Arcee if her thumbs weren't so fragile.

Well, I can't speak for Wingblade Prime since he was a TakTom exclusive, but I would also vote regular Prowl over Samurai. Samurai Prowl is amazing, but getting the armor on is a finicky matter of aligning things "just so" and you can't really play with him once it's on. Plus, they removed the hubcap shuriken. It's an awesome variant but the first version of the mold hangs together just that much better.

Honestly, for my money, the only "bad" toy in the entire line is deluxe Bumblebee. It's badly proportioned, **** pops off every time you breathe on it, and he's way out of scale. But I adore the line, I have basically the entire "retail" line along with a few exclusives (and Blackout!). The designs are fun, every robot mode is BURSTING with personality (remember the Universe blank dead stare package artwork?), and it's marvelous how they translate the stylized designs into terrific toys. Most of the top 10 are my favorites as well, although I would rate Blurr much higher. Leader Megatron's amazing voice chip never ceases to amaze me.

"WHERE is the Allspark? CRUSH the Autobots! *Maniacal Laughter*"

Somebody mentioned scale. Lugnut can't be solved, but as far as the main Autobot cast? Activators Bee and Leader Bulkhead work perfectly with deluxe Ratchet/Prowl and voyager Prime.

IMO it will always be a shame this line was basically the unwanted stepchild due to the movies. They barely supported it, they didn't put the toys out until well after the show was on (I know, movie 1 toys sold very well), and they cut it off after a year and a half. It had three seasons but that didn't equate to three years.

What we needed, and didn't get:

The Constructicons
Leader Lugnut
OMEGA SUPREME

...

OMEGA LUGNUT


Voyager Sentinel? Ehhhhh for scale, I guess, but his deluxe toy is just so perfect.

Nice list! Not much I can really add- the Animated line was absolutely awesome, and I don't think we'll ever see a line quite like it again. All I can really suggest is a few honourable mentions, mainly Blackarachnia and Arcee (the latter of whom I would suggest putting in the list proper were it not for her breakable thumbs).

One I'm surprised didn't make it into the list was Swindle. He looks like such a fun, characterful figure- is there some massive flaw I'm not aware of with him?

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:

bluecatcinema wrote:I always loved the Animated toyline. It was amazing how they were able to replicate the cartoony proportions of the characters into their toy selves. We've never quite seen anything like it since...

I agree. Animated is literally a rich example of an awesome show and awesome toyline that made the show come to life. Nothing has really touched it since

Well... TFP had a pretty awesome show with a pretty awesome toyline. //Shoves Airachnid to the side

SpikeyTigertron wrote:Sounds like a lot of folks are really familiar with Animated. What would folks most-wanted, non-produced figure? I was dying to see the Omega Supreme from the Ark....

Scrapper and Mixmaster. I don't really think of anyone else.

And the other way around : I would had like to see some more in the show Oil Slick, Blackout, Rodimus Minor... We have seen them in only one episode.

I really would like to see more of Rodimus, actually. MTMTE's take on him is by far my favourite and nothing will top that for me, but I'd have a vested interest in seeing a new series take his whole prodigy thing and do something interesting with it. If Bumblebee can get his own show, I see no reason a way cooler character can't

Helps he has a cool design. ... whiiiich unfortunately doesn't translate well to the toy in my opinion. The animation model has a sloping torso which makes the transition from his chest to his hips and legs much more natural and aesthetically pleasing, but the toy doesn't seem to have that connection from all pictures I've seen which just makes him look a bit off.