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[william-james88]

2022 Year in Review

Y'all got anymore of them Cosmos?

We won't beat around the bush, 2022 was one of the worst years for Transformers collecting due to atrocious distribution that was worse than what we saw during the pandemic. Even now, several 2022 toys have never been found at US brick and mortar retail like the AOE Crosshairs wave from Studio Series, and the Earthspark line which is still a no show anywhere in the US even though it was meant to be released at the same time as the show, for the holiday season (you know, that time of the year when most toys are purchased). We basically ended up with shelves looking very similar for the majority of the year with stores having so much Legacy wave 1. Plus there was the headache many had with exclusives around the world (still no indication of an Asian release for Galaxy Shuttle). Some fared better of course and those who buy principally online did get most of the 2022 toys (but still, no Earthspark and very little Cosmos), so we still have quite a bit to look back on (although next year will be PACKED with 2 more lines on the shelves). Below are the picks for the year from the various staff members here on Seibertron.com. Please tell us your pics for toy of the year, best exclusive, best Legacy toy, best SS toy and what you look forward to most in 2023 Transformers wise.

Transformers Toy of the Year

It's a tie between Victory Saber and MPM Blackout for me, but since I'll talk about Blackout later, I'll stick for Victory Saber here. While mine does have one of the more common issues with the filled in peg hole (giggidy) that didn’t stop me from enjoying my toy in all its facets, that’s how good this toy is. I love going from the giant spaceship to his different robot modes. You have the the tiny brain master becoming a larger robot who then combines with a giant suit which then also combines with a mechanical lion to either be a giant robot or starship. It is a glorious super robot, I can see so much love went into designing this toy and I feel I got my money's worth (the whole package was cheaper than what Legacy Metroplex retails for). Now if Hasbro could send me a replacement copy for my single defect, that would be great. - William-James88

Legacy Jhiaxus. Legacy has been a line embracing the chaos of what Transformers fans really want: a little bit of nonsense. It's only right that not-quite 30 years later, this line brings us a toy of G2 Jhiaxus for the first time. The first time. No really, grab your Foreigner belt because it really feels like the first time this time! Those orange things are just for show. It also helps that Legacy's Jhiaxus is one of the best figures in the entire line, with a transformation that hits just the right balance between fun and involvement, great articulation and an imposing presence suitable to the character. The alt mode weapon storage is really up to your imagination, but weapons inappropriately sticking out of nice-looking vehicles is extremely on-brand for G2 so this isn't a problem.

Legacy Voyager Class Jihaxus. Just a fun toy to mess with. He's a solid figure and it's nice to get the G2 version after all these years. A haslab Liege Maximo when Hasbro? - ZeroWolf

Legacy Metroplex. I was very excited for this figure this year, and it did not let me down in any capacity. Metroplex is big like he should be, scales with the Unicron trilogy like he should be, and he looks like he should. The colors and paint work on him are magnificent. All the joints they added to make him super duper posable are amazing. What they did with his head is amazing. How they worked Sparkdrinker to split, adding so many new fun things to do with him, was beyond great. He ruled, there is no ifs, ands, or buts about it. He ruled the year. - D-Maximal_Primal

HasLab Victory Saber. It's the best and most accessible version of the character(s) that I'll own, and was worth the wait. - Bounti76

Favourite Legacy toy

Blaster. The final wave of Kingdom was a crapshoot at retail for me, so it's a good thing Blaster was rereleased in Legacy. While wave 1 seemed to be overordered, the repacked Blaster didn't stick around too long whenever it was restocked and I can see why, this toy is a beauty. Blaster has always been an independent toy from Soundwave, so I am so glad he finally gets his own dedicated mold. Plus, we now have a proper voyager sized blaster in the generations line with a proper alt mode and he's even compatible with cassettes released from the past 4 years. Plus, he comes with a cassette while at the same price point. Basically, he's a perfect. - William-James88

Y'all know I have to get in my annual double-dip, so while Jhiaxus is what I'd consider the overall tops for the year and most definitive representative of 2022 Transformers, my personal favorite for the Legacy lineup is the Titan Class entry: Cybertron Metroplex. It's really tough to re-do some Cybertron/Galaxy Force characters as toys with any real improvements, but some of them do exist. I wasn't sure upon its initial reveal if Metroplex was one of them, but that feeling was wrong. Not only does the size of this toy scale wonderfully with other Cybertron toys, but he looks even more accurate to the cartoon than his original, very heavily "inspired by the show's CGI" Leader Class entry from 2006. While the lack of Drill Bit and a Cyber Key are still major oversights, the toy's so fun overall that I can look past them - assuming that obvious spot for Drill Bit gets utilized at some point through Core Class. - ScottyP

Transmetal II Megatron. I had a really tough time with this, as Jhiaxus, Megatron, and Metroplex were by far the 3 best Legacy figures this year. But I saw everyone else giving Jhiaxus love, so I felt comfortable going this way. Megatron is a true Leader Class figure, with size, complexity, and presence to him. He is so very good. Initial images were questionable, but in hand, he absolutely rules. This right here is a royally grand toy. - D-Maximal_Primal

Commander Class Motormaster. He's just so well done. Fun to transform back and forth (the trick with the feet is cool), appropriately hefty, and looks great in both modes. - Bounti76

Favourite Studio Series toy

Bumblebee Ratchet/Ironhide. I really liked the beginning scene from the Bumblebee movie so it was cool to see Hasbro go all in on those designs for the Studio Series toyline. I like that they got to make up their own alt modes, giving the designers more agency than with any other movie design since all they had to adhere to was a robot mode. And that's the part that amazes me because it could have all gone the Soundwave route where the alt mode feels really secondary but with the Ratchet/Ionhide mode, we got wonderful Cybertronian alt modes that are a great reimagining of their typical van alt mode, with one of my favourite transformations. I'm a sucker for inside out transformations where the robot folds within the alt mode, it just feels so satisfying and provides distinct details for each mode without giving extraneous kibble. - William-James88

Core Class Laserbeak. I mean it even (sort of) includes a Tea Party backdrop! Haters of this toy (hi, r/transformers) have bad taste and need to go back to fun school. Sure, it's barely a step up in molding from the old Legends Class movie Bumblebees of yesteryear, but dude, daddy's home. - ScottyP

For this, I'm choosing the Fallen. Despite its many, many flaws, I do have a soft spot for the Revenge of the Fallen movie. This toy is everything I wanted in a representation of the character. - ZeroWolf

TLK Hot Rod - This was a good year for SS, and I think the king of that is Hot Rod. The Fallen getting a magnificent leader toy is certainly up there, as is the fun of Brawn, but Hot Rod was definitely a case of "oh finally!" come to life. As someone who owns several official and 3P Hot Rods, this toy gives us the proper TLK Hot Rod design that TLK did not give us, coupled with the design choices of a 3P but made to a deluxe price point, and made for almost a mini-MP figure. This is a dang good figure, and worth your time to check out. Kibble management, smart transformation, the look in both modes down, they gave us the full package here. Well done. - D-Maximal_Primal

Leader Class Sludge. This is the Sludge I've waited for since I never got the G1 toy at Christmas in 1985. Big, hefty, fairly poseable, nice transformation, and that gorgeous dino mode. A few minor things (hollow dino mode belly, less than tight joints) don't detract at all from my enjoyment of this figure. - Bounti76

Favourite Masterpiece toy

MPM Blackout. This guy came right at the end of the year for me since my best option was importing the Takara release and he basically eclipsed almost all other toys I had the pleasure of handling in 2023. Of course, he was one of the most expensive ones but when something is pricey you do expect it to match your expectations, something the MPM line has not done consistently (still disappointed with that Prime we got). Well, MPM Blackout is worth every penny. The Transformation is fully original and finally concludes that imaginary contract I made with Bay/Paramount when I first saw the designs back in 2007 and expected it as a transforming toy. - William-james88

From a jam-packed field of :checks notes: five entire Masterpiece figures released in 2022 it was hard to pick one stand-out, because they're all equally close to one another in presence and quality. I'm going with the first Trainbot, Shouki, but that pick is probably based more on the novelty of a train alt mode than anything else. Getsuei, Nightbird, Crosscut and even MPM Blackout were all pretty darn great too in their own ways. I like quality and quantity, but if I have to pick only one, then quality is fine. - ScottyP

Senator Crosscut. It's incredibly well done so and I ended up taking a step back from Raiden for cost concerns. - ZeroWolf

MPM Blackout. I was excited for this toy coming into the year, and it lived up to the hype. It is a big figure that has a truly impressive copter mode that looks great from every angle (including bottom!) and that has a super robot mode that is an imposing size and also very posable. There are so many smart little cues in the transformation and robot mode, like the way the check and cockpit windows work, that makes him truly stand above the MPGs this year. - D-Maximal_Primal

Masterpiece Clutch. That we got a Senator Crosscut with him (who's the best looking of that mold) is just icing on the cake. - Bounti76

Favourite Exclusive

Cosmos. It’s really a pity not everyone who wants one can get one because this little bot is a joy to transform and discover. I also really liked how the Velocitron Blurr turned out, a very welcome surprise. - William-James88

Override. The exclusive channel was a great place to be this year. Not only were there great and sometimes wacky repaints, but just about all of them complemented either Kingdom or Legacy (or both) in what felt like very natural ways. There were even some new molds among Walmart's Velocitron sub-line, and this is where my favorite exclusive for the year was contained: Override, or if you prefer, Nitro Convoy. Basically all of my notes from Metroplex apply here as well, though Override's at least got Cyber Planet Key compatibility of a sorts which is a big positive. Speedia's leading lady is another example of a smaller sized Voyager Class toy with an expanded budget hitting a really sweet spot quality-wise in the "main" line, and though this isn't the most popular opinion I hope we see many more toys like her in the future. - ScottyP

I'm going with plucky little Cosmos here. I was down on him at first but after having him in hand, he's won me over (okay, being the only one I ended up with from the line may factor in here). - ZeroWolf

Wreck N' Rule Springer. This one really surprised me, and is why I want to include him here. I didn't get Siege Springer, as the old T30 is still far superior to that figure. But this one, I wanted to get the Wrecker Hammer, and he had a big ole Wreckers symbol, so why not. And he is real nice in hand. The colors and paint work help him stand so far apart from both T30 and Siege, and he owns this mold. He is real nice, glad I got this one in particular. - D-Maximal_Primal

Tie between Cosmos and Minerva. I was lucky enough to get a Cosmos right out of the case as he was being unpacked, and I've never seen another one since (why 1 to a case, Walmart??). Despite his hella rarity, he's a fun toy in all regards and is the perfect scale with the other small-deluxe Minibots so far (Netfix Bumblebee, Kingdom Warpath, Selects Hubcap, etc.) - Bounti76

And despite only NOW showing up at physical Walgreens (I saw 6 yesterday alone), it's nice to FINALLY own a retail release of the first female Autobot toy ever released, since (barring a reissue of Minerva's G1 toy), her original 1988 figure is prohibitively expensive. She's got a fun mold, a satisfying transformation, and her body actually becomes a decent portion of her altmode, aka she isn't a huge shellformer. - Bounti76

Favourite piece of Transformers Fiction

Earthspark was perfectly fine for the kid show it was. It gave us an excellent take on Megatron, easily my favourite character in the show (too bad his toy isn’t that great)- William-James88

The percentage of good stuff proportionate to the amount of Transformers fiction released this year would point to it being a really great year for the stories that give depth to our Cybertronian friends. That probably can't be said in general though, as the overall amount of output delivered was collectively tiny, especially as compared to some other recent years. While the Beast Wars comic and TV's Earthspark provided some super fun material, the best of the heap this year was Nick Roche and EJ Su's Last Bot Standing. Simultaneously a send-off to everything that came before and a challenge to everything that is to come, this book imagines what the real end-game for the Cybertronian race could look like. Whatever your expectations were of it, you were likely not prepared for the tough questions this story attempts to answer. I doubt we'll ever see a Transformers story like this one again, but thank goodness this happened.

But dang Hasbro, we all love Moon but why'd you force Waddlepop out of it? That's the kind of uncomfortable stuff I want to read! - ScottyP

IDW Last Bot Standing - Anyone who knows me knows I almost never buy individual issues of comics, i buy trades. So, the fact that this series got me to buy all 4 individual issues should say something. This comic was pure joy to read, a great de-construction of Rodimus and the story of countless endgames finally reaching a logical conclusion. The story helped solidify Rodimus as one of my all time favorites, while also giving such a nice breath of air with the Pack of Antagonists. It was a great time, and a true sendoff to the IDW era of Transformers. - D-Maximal_Primal

EarthSpark. It's a fun show, with some nice callbacks to other TF fiction that manages to still do its own thing. - Bounti76

Best TF related Moment

Watching Earthspark with my kids while my son was playing with the new Earthspark toys (we got them up in Canada). If there's a heaven, I can't imagine it being better than that. - William-James88

I should begin elaborating with a point of clarity: I'm not happy about IDW's license to make Tranformers comics not being renewed. They made most of my favorite Transformers stories over the years, and losing the ongoing Beast Wars series from Burnham and Burcham (among many others) is a great loss.

What I am celebrating, in a way, is the end of the least interesting Transformers ongoing comic in a very long time. With the wider universe of the TF 2019 continuity wrapping up so early compared to other books and side projects, it feels like this was inevitable even if IDW's contract had been met with a renewal. Interesting side stories like most of Galaxies and the brief, probably-intended-as-a-toy-pack-in Wreckers series never felt like they fit alongside Optimus Prime and Megatron's boring, planet-wide war about, uh, stuff they probably could have talked out. Then there's Exarchon, an attempt at the "villain that could unify all Cybertronians" trope that was handled so awkwardly it led to me dropping my subscription for the book. I eventually did grab and read the rest after its cancellation was announced - my message had been sent - but the damage was done at that point. The book had committed a far greater sin than being actively bad, it was inactively just a thing that existed with no soul to be found in the story. The primary emotional response I had to it wasn't anger or frustration, it was ennui. Was the sometimes bizarre lack of direction and cohesion due to Hasbro interference, editorial shuffling, a lack of long-term planning, or even some combination of those things? One day we might know, but whatever the cause, this run ultimately failed. I mean no disrespect to the creators, sometimes the best efforts we put forth just don't work. The 2019 Transformers comic continuity ending was a mercy and hopefully leads to better things in the future for both TF comics and the creators that worked hard on this latest iteration. - ScottyP

HasLab Deathsaurus reveal. On one hand, it felt inevitable given the HasLab Star Saber, but seeing Hasbro going full throttle with the character (that someone on the design team clearly loves) was pitch perfect. - ZeroWolf

If I had to choose a 2nd one, it would have been the drop of the teaser trailer for Rise of the Beasts, letting us see a glimpse of how the beast wars gang look on the big screen. - ZeroWolf

Deathsaurus announcement - Deathsaurus has been a very specific character i have longed to see done right, and his announcement in Haslab was a huge highlight. Couple that with how well he turned out in the colored renders, painted prototypes, and all the accessories he will come with at his very impressive size, and I am super excited for him. His announcement was a truly great moment of the year. - D-Maximal_Primal

Seeing "bad bot" characters outnumber good bots and sell very well. Deathsaurus become HasLab's most popular figure ever, and the main Legacy lineup was at least 50-75% Decepticons and Predacons (Deluxe figures 8-4, Core 6-2, Voyager 4-2, and Leader 3-1 ratios). - Bounti76

The reveal of HasLab Deathsaurus, specifically Thew's reaction. I'm a latecomer to his content and his appearance on the Pulse livestream was tremendously entertaining! And this single stream led me to finally watching the various anime for the first time.- Rotostormnz

What are you looking forward to most next year

I have been fascinated by Hasbro’s ability to push the release of the ready made Rise of the Beasts toyline and the effect it will cause. Instead of seeing two different sets of toys for the same characters released a year apart, we will see similar characters in similar price points on the shelves at the same time and I’m looking forward to seeing the difference between those toys and the different approaches taken. - William-James88

Whenever I try to be optimistic about Transformers in 2023, I remember there's a movie coming out and it all comes crashing down. I know that more of the MPG Trainbots are on the way, so let's go with those. - ScottyP

There's a lot coming out that I really want to see but most of all? Commander Class Armada Optimus Prime. The original is a brick, no getting around it, but it also has a lot of charm. It'll be interesting to see how Hasbro handle it with the technological improvements of the past couple of decades (*sniff* has it really been that long already?*sniff*). - ZeroWolf

Rise of the Beasts - I always love a movie year, and with what we have seen so far, I am very excited for Rise of the Beasts. I won't let you movie haters knock me down! Particularly, the Terrorcons, Maximals, and Mirage have me very excited for the new movie. I cannot wait. - D-Maximal_Primal

Hopefully getting the first female Titan toy, if the rumors about the Nemesis are realized. Since Lodestar is the first female Titan in fiction, maybe she could be a remold of Nemesis? - Bounti76

The releases of Legacy Evolution Voyager Tarn and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. I'm very curious to see what other G1 Retro reissues we get (fingers firmly crossed for Mirage!) as well as a handful of leaked listings that would make me very, very happy if they came true. - Rotorstormnz

[william-james88]

And here's an extra for those who wish to express their frustrations as well, some volunteered to also include their worst TF toy of the year:

SS86 Ironhide - God, where to begin. Well I guess first, this toy wasn't necessary, at least not so soon. Siege Ironhide remains a great G1 Ironhide, and will remain as such in my collection. Then there is the toy itself. It feels needlessly overcomplicated for the sake of just that, and is quite bland, with little in the way of details or paint work to help it out. The transformation is also rubbish, and I am convinced there will be a lot of these with broken roofs once all is said and done. The alt mode is also a mess, with so many panels, hinges and different shades of red. This is a toy that was cursed from the start, and lived up to the curse. - D-Maximal_Primal

Studio Series Galvatron was a great idea on paper. It might have even been a fun design on a computer, but in its plastic reality it is not. Galvatron is an absolutely abhorrent representation of everything about Studio Series toy transformations that I loathe - panels that don't lock in right, lopsided alt modes because some tab is both too small and/or large depending on how the Moon's cycle affects the specific heat of the plastic based on how I'm breathing or something because it's made of plastic that's too soft but it can't be harder since the tab is so tiny because then it would just break, topped off with instructions that can barely be read because they're printed on the back of a newspaper that Bob Hasbro found in a gutter which he thinks will show the low contrast images just fine especially with this added Virtual Boy red scale tinting because that's a great idea and if you're sick of this run on sentence and frustrated just wanting it to stop oh god make it just be done then congratulations, that's what it's like to "transform" most Movie-verse Studio Series toys these days sucks doesn't it. I've put lots of toys into bins in the past few years while trying to re-gain some semblance of organization for my collection, and this one's got to be the new toy that's gone into storage the fastest. - ScottyP

Legacy Pointblank just didn’t do it for me. I don’t go out of my way to get toys I know I won’t like so there’s for sure a worse toy out there but of all the toys I handle this was the one that disappointed me most. I don’t think I’ll ever pick this toy up again. It’s alt mode is too gappy, there isn’t anything interesting in the transformation, the bot mode has wonky proportions and poor articulation. No thanks. - William-James88

[-Kanrabat-]

Favorite TF of the year:
Victory Saber. I lucked out with having a perfect copy all over with no issues. He was so satisfying to play with and combine. A real treat.

Fav MP:
Crosscut and Skids. That MP mold is perfect all over and is a real pleasure to handle. Plus it's affordable.

Fav SS:
Leader Sludge was fantastic, but its not ultimate. I didn't bought much SS either. So I guess it's SS86 Core Ratchet. Ironically the best Ironhide/Ratchet mold so far.

Fav Legacy:
Skids/Burnout. What's up with the Skids being so good recently?

Fav exclisive:
Holiday Optimus Prime. That Optimus was FRESH and very fun. Well worthy of paying double because getting the Reprolabels and Shapeway upgrades.

-------------------

Most disappointing Transformers:

Worst of the year:
SS Galvatron. The truck have a bad case of hemorrhoids. The bot is square everywhere. The transformation was annoying. But even though its my "worst of the year", SS Galvatron have that little something that prevent me from selling him. Like a special needs kid who's just trying his best and just asked to be loved.

Worst Legacy / Exclusive:
Cosmos. At the base, it's a brilliant toy. But mine was looser than a ragdoll and needed so much crazy-glue treatments. Then I bought some upgrade kits to cover those giant gaps everywhere and the Reprolabels to cover up the messes. That toys should have been good right out of the box but no. At least now he's fine.

-------------------------------

Best 3P because I'm a rebel:
Unique Toys Desperado. Complicated to transform, but fun to do. Sure it's no tanker, but the bot is perfect. The fact that he's unpainted should make him "bad", but here, it was an advantage. I had lots of fun to paint him and the results are pretty awesome if I can brag.

[ScottyP]

My links didn't get copied over so my joke about this being the first Jhiaxus toy probably seems really clumsily written :/

[william-james88]

My links didn't get copied over so my joke about this being the first Jhiaxus toy probably seems really clumsily written :/

I'll fix that

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

The first post could maaaaybe stand some proofreading. Instances of it saying "2023" where it should say "2022", saying that Kingdom Blaster was rereleased in Kingdom... Well, this might be fixed by now, since I fell asleep before sending.

Let's see...
Favorite Legacy Toy:
Pointblank, funnily enough. I don't think his altmode is overly gappy at all, even without the engine+spoiler shield funnily enough. He's got good posing range despite not having a bicep swivel, I like the bot mode proportions, the car mode is neat (my favorite of the Autobot Targetmasters, definitely), his headsculpt looks neat, and of course Peacemaker is a delight to have. The only complaint I have with him is that the front wheels should have only
been half as thick, to avoid obstructing the elbow bending range.

I considered giving the spot to Motormaster because he is pretty cool, but without either an adapter and better feet than borrowing PotP Starscream's, or the other 3 Legacy Stunticons, I'm not getting his full potential. That, and I wanted to defend Pointblank

Favorite Studio Series toy:
Sludge. Granted, he was the only one I went for, but he's still pretty great. Glad to have him.

Favorite Masterpiece:
N/A, because I didn't get any. Would love to have the Trainbots though.

Favorite Exclusive:
Selects Black Zarak. The original Black Zarak has long been regarded as a grail by collectors outside of Japan, with a lovely black-and-gold-and-red deco. But that same deco also means it is a grail tarnished by Takara's dodgy metal flake plastic mix; the deco also does not change the stature gap between the Scorponok and Fortress Maximus molds.
But with this figure, the legend is reborn. Bigger and better-articulated, and with far superior gold plastic. He is epic. Sometimes, we really do get nice things.

Worst Toy of 2022:
And sometimes, we don't. I nominate SS86 Ironhide for the worst. I didn't get him, and nor am I inclined to. They should have used the Voyager price point to give him the Onebox Component, instead of making him "Earthrise Ironhide with integrated roof". Would have more justified him, and avoided the panel mess D-Max describes.

Toy of the Year:
I almost gave this to Black Zarak. But because I gave the "Best Legacy toy" spot to Pointblank (and because BZ, epic though he is, is a retool)... I'm giving it to Legacy Motormaster. I still have mixed feelings about the combination system, since it means needing adapters to use CW-style figures as arms (and also has less robust shoulder rotation ratchets IMO). But he's still a well-engineered toy that makes great use of the Commander-class price point, and gives us the core of a Menasor that can actually swing a sword without coming apart! I also had the satisfaction of buying him from Target in-person.

Favorite TF moment:
Finding the Jurassic Park x Transformers set on sale after getting a $50 Amazon gift card. I had wanted that set from the moment we knew about it and this finally gave me the chance. That was beautiful.

Most looking forward to in 2023:
SS86 Snarl, Metalhawk finally materializing, and the rumored SS86 Commander-class Ultra Magnus.

[Emerje]

I mean to take part in this every year and then the Holidays happen and I forget all about it.

Transformers Toy of the Year: Victory Saber - I was lucky enough to get one without any issues (technically two but I haven't opened the second one yet, it could be a lemon). It's a mantastic package that reminds me a lot of the old days of Takara Tomy box sets that gave you a leader and his combining partner in one box (Fire Convoy and God Magnus, Galaxy Convoy and Sonic Bomber and so on). Not that I actually care about the box, I'll take a box with flaps over a box that's loosely holding things inside a slip cover. But the figure itself is ridiculous. I really expected Star Saber to be done like a small version of the MP, and in a sense it is, but it also does some interesting things making the shoulder guns jointed to get them out of the way when you need them to. And then there's Victory Leo who ended up being a much better figure than I expected. It's the little things like the way the mane frills out or how the rear lion legs are articulated. It's just a fantastic full package. It's not perfect, the gaps are annoying, as are the stickers, but none of the great figures we got this year are without issues.

Honorable Mention - Titan Metroplex, MPM Blackout

Worst Transformers Toy of the Year - Wreck N' Rule Spindle and Masterdominus - Usually mold degradation means some loose joints, maybe even some muddy sculpted details, but in this case the figures just barely hold themselves together. A little movement and they just fall apart at every joint possible. It's a shame because it's great getting these molds retooled into new dinos, but they are by no means fun to play with at all.

Honorable Mention - Bumblebee Movie Soundwave (purely for the alt mode)

Favorite Legacy Toy: Victory Saber - I mean, VS is technically a Legacy figure so if he's my figure of the year he kinda has to be my favorite Legacy figure as well, right?

Honorable Mention - Metroplex again

Favorite Studio Series toy: Bumblebee Movie Wheeljack - I know there's a lot of love for Ratchet and Brawn from the same wave, but for me Wheeljack is an outstanding little figure. He's sturdy, compact, has a nice transformation, and looks great in both bot and car modes. Thanks to his smaller size they managed to prevent him from a lot of large gaps that tend to plague Generations figures these days. Just an overall fun figure.

Honorable Mention - Leader Sludge

Favorite Masterpiece Toy: MPM Blackout - This guy is such an impressive piece. Huge, heavy and our best likeness we'll probably ever see. And at his Target price it's really hard to go wrong with so much toy. I'm not all that crazy about his feet, but it was a clever way to hide some of his panels.

Honorable Mention - Senator Crosscut, Trailbreaker

Favorite Exclusive: Cosmos - Technically Victory Saber is a Pulse exclusive, but that's just the nature of crowdfunding so I'm not counting him. Cosmos is a figure that photos really didn't do justice. They really nailed his bot mode, perfectly capturing his squat body type. Saucer mode feels a lot better in hand, the proportions don't seem nearly as awkward as they do in stock photos. It's a shame he got screwed by Walmart not understanding the gem they had in their hands.

Honorable Mention - Black Zarak, Override

Favorite Piece of Transformers Fiction: Last Bot Standing - Most of my Transformers comic intake comes from Comixology Unlimited, which is to say I really don't like spending money on individual comics. But let me tell you, I bought every issue of Last Bot Standing (when the prices dropped a month later, but still!). Just a really entertaining mix of scifi and wild west story telling that I haven't found this entertaining since Trigun! And the choice of invading bots is not short of inspired. Could have probably done without a certain anime inspired ending, but it was still fun.

Honorable Mention - Earthspark

Best TF Related Moment: Deathsaurus secret Micromasters reveal - I mean, we knew Deathsaurus was just a matter of time, he's even on VS's box for crying out loud! But when everything wrapped up and we were all content with the numbers that Deathsaurus (and we) achieved to then get that email from HasLab casually saying thanks, here's a bonus was very unexpected. They didn't have to do it, there was no obligation, but after a short string of failures it was nice to see that the Transformers fans got a nice something extra as a sign of appreciation. It was the first time in a long time that I felt that from Hasbro, like our dedication to the brand meant something more to them than just dollar signs.

Honorable Mention - Hasbro x Lego

What are you looking forward to most next year: 40th Anniversary HasLab - The big 4-0 is next year which means the promised 40th Anniversary HasLab project is happening this fall! Hasbro has given us a few teasers and I expect nothing short of "shock and awe" from the reveal, it's got to be something huge, right?

Emerje

[DeathReviews]

A pretty solid set of reviews from the gang there. Kudos. And don't even get me STARTED on Walmart and Velocitron Cosmos! They couldn't have made a worse botch of that if they'd been trying, and they probably were. BOOOOO!

[Nemesis Reformatted]

I saw Cosmos & left him there. That alt mode is atrocious. Sure, it's accurate to the original G1 toy but the G1 toy also sucked! Instead of a spaceship/flying saucer it looks like a green bell. So crappy it was an easy pass.

The only 2 Transformers I bought in the past year were SS Bumblebee Thundercracker & leader Sludge. Legacy sucks so badly that it has never been so easy to pass on everything. The last time it was this easy to not buy Transformers was during that godawful abomination Transformers:Animated.

And Titan Metroplex is a complete joke. Metroplex & Backstop were easily the worst Cybertron toys. I can't believe Hasbro actually remade Metroplex with an alt mode just as horrible as the original. Barely even tried to improve it. I wouldn't even pay $25 for that hunk of junk.

Jhiaxus' alt mode is one of the worst alt modes I have ever seen. I mainly go for jets & spaceships but that thing looks like a brick with cheap crappy wings tacked on.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

I saw Cosmos & left him there. That alt mode is atrocious. Sure, it's accurate to the original G1 toy but the G1 toy also sucked! Instead of a spaceship/flying saucer it looks like a green bell. So crappy it was an easy pass.

It's called an Adamski-style flying saucer, although due to transformation Cosmos lacks the bottom bulbs. Blame Japan's fixation with that saucer type. We already had a solid non-Adamski Cosmos previously, so IMO it's only fair the Adamski saucer altmode got a turn.

The only 2 Transformers I bought in the past year were SS Bumblebee Thundercracker & leader Sludge. Legacy sucks so badly that it has never been so easy to pass on everything.

So, a top-quality G1 Skids, a Menasor that doesn't fall apart when you make him do sword swings, a larger, more-articulated Kickback, a clean SIEGE Soundwave, what are by and large held to be quality updates of Tarantulas, Inferno, and Dragon Megatron, faithful versions of Pointblank and Needlenose that come with their Targetmaster partners, and a clever retool Laser Optimus Prime "suck badly"? Okay then.

The last time it was this easy to not buy Transformers was during that godawful abomination Transformers:Animated.

Whatever, dude. Whatever.

And Titan Metroplex is a complete joke. Metroplex & Backstop were easily the worst Cybertron toys. I can't believe Hasbro actually remade Metroplex with an alt mode just as horrible as the original. Barely even tried to improve it. I wouldn't even pay $25 for that hunk of junk.

If they changed the altmode much beyond adding the support bars real bucket-wheel excavators have, Metroplex would no longer look like himself. And regardless of how you think it looks, his altmode is certainly highly functional as a toy excavator. Which is in fact why he got picked for the Titan spot to begin with.
I've personally never seen anything wrong with alien altmodes being function-over-looks, and it's a common trend for colossal-size Japanese media robots to minmax on altmode vs. robot mode quality.

Jhiaxus' alt mode is one of the worst alt modes I have ever seen. I mainly go for jets & spaceships but that thing looks like a brick with cheap crappy wings tacked on.

It was the closest they could get to his G2 comic altmode while still having his G2 comic robot mode. It's not the greatest, but the blame lies with the stupid comic artists for his altmode cheating so badly (it cheats worse than the Female Autobots' robot modes). It's basically his torso (albeit more rounded than it looks in robot mode) with his limbs magically vanishing, in the comics. It's bad.
They could maybe have pulled some magic off and had the limbs tuck into the torso or mostly so at the Leader price point, but not at Voyager. Well, not without seriously hurting the robot mode size. I suppose they could also have given him Scourge-style shell panels that his comic self doesn't have, but that too would have cut into the size.

[SynchroBunny]

Favorite Legacy Toy:
Motormaster. Loved the engineering on him and he's just a fun figure to transform and handle in general. Blitzwing is a close 2nd.

Favorite Studio Series toy:
This is a little tough, there's only a few SS figures we bought and they're all really close. Sludge, BB Arcee and BB Wheeljack.

Favorite Masterpiece:
Haven't bought any MP figures, but MP Skids nearly made us break that trend.

Favorite Exclusive:
If it wasn't for the shoulder clips on Velocitron Cosmos, we'd have said him. He's a great little guy. A chonky robot mode with a "classic" UFO look, but we're just terrified of them snapping for no reason. So, favourite exclusive has to go to Road Rocket. One of the first TFs we just wouldn't put down and it went everywhere with us as a kid. And we were super happy to see the character get an update after being unused for so long.

Worst Toy of 2022:
Out of everything we've bought... There's no real "terrible" figures. But the worst for us would probably be Prime Universe Wreck'N'Rule Bulkhead. The waist assembly has us scared we're gonna snap it, everything clips together a little TOO securely and he doesn't really evoke Prime Bulkhead in his alt or robot modes. Almost like the mould was designed for another character and they slapped his head on instead.

Toy of the Year:
There's a whole bunch, all for different reasons. Some for the engineering, how they look, nostalgia or just how special they were to us. It's a rip-off answer, yeah. But we loved 'em all [Not you, Prime Bulkhead]

Favorite TF moment:
Earthspark. Just the show. Loved it.


Most looking forward to in 2023:
Studio Series '86 Snarl. Finally getting our favourite Dinobot.

[blackeyedprime]

Quite a fair few redundant bots last year that already had better versions of them (starsaber, legacy g2 prime etc) and bots that still have better G1 toys than modern days. For a positive it didnt seem nothing was on the level of using something that doesnt fit a character comes to mind like previous years (Bugbite not being a bug, the bumblebee in the first buzzworthy pack etc), well maybe legacy bulkhead

I'd like more consitency for some of the figures in 23, such as pretenders being the same scale (not core, deluxe and potentially voyager) but I think what looks to be promising for 23 if a figure sucks in one line or didn't get things right, there is a chance for multiple versions available within thwe same year or a chance to revisit them in other lines such as with rise of the beast figures, ss86 etc.

[Sowndwave76]

Favorite Legacy Toy:
Motormaster…
I’m getting two copies of the Stunticons, and for this guy alone I’m beyond glad I made that decision; even with getting both copies ridiculously cheap thanks to a Target promotion and a couple old gift cards, I would’ve bought these 2 copies for full price.
Knowing I’ll get to keep Menasor formed and still have an extra set to periodically transform, as well as display in my collection in alt modes…. Relatively speaking, this makes me really happy.

Honorable mention goes to Blitzwing…. Hastak did a phenomenal job with his bot mode.

Favorite Studio Series toy:
Sludge…
Despite the joint issues, after being slightly disappointed with Slag, this bronto-beefcake has me more excited than ever to get the last two Dinobots.

Honorable mention goes to Ironhide. I don’t even have him yet, but I know from what I’ve seen, even with the non-matching reds, his appearance alone is incredible.

Favorite Masterpiece:
I only bought one, but Maketoys Reflector has added the bit of variety I wanted to my Decepticon display. And thanks to a solid sale from TFSource, it almost feels like I still owe them money.

Favorite Exclusive:
This has to go to Cosmos. I feel so lucky to have this guy! I also think he is the best version of this character we’ll ever see.

Worst Toy of 2022:
I don’t have him, but Point Blank looks like an unfinished design, or a bad prank was pushed through production.

Dishonorable mention goes to Selects Cyclonus… A mold I love, with very disappointing QC issues. I really don’t even want to talk about this. This figure is set to be sold-off sooner than later.

Toy of the Year:
My initial gut feeling was off… As much as I love the SS86 Dinobots, this crown belongs to the Legacy Stunticons and Menasor.
Sure a couple of the Stunticons have an issue or two.
But I have to give Hastak credit; even with Breakdown just being a repainted retool, overall this group looks great, and what they’ve done with Menasor and the vast improvement of this combiner compared to some past offerings… He’s stable AND poseable, fun, and looks fantastic!

Honorable mention goes to Sludge.

Favorite TF moment:
Officially finding out that SS86 Snarl, & Legacy Shrapnel and Bombshell are all being released this year.
These are 3 of the last 4 I’ve been waiting for… It really feels like it’s been the 16-17 year wait that it’s been…. Of course with some other future purchases as I wait for Swoop, these 3 will help highlight roughly the last year that I’ll be collecting.

Most looking forward to in 2023:
Snarl, Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Star Toy Blitz.

Also excited for SS86 Ratchet, Brawn, Hound, & CC Magnus, as well as Beachcomber.

[Emerje]

I don’t have him, but Point Blank looks like an unfinished design, or a bad prank was pushed through production.

That's literally what he is. They thought they were being too ambitious with his design and stripped him down to what we got for cost reasons.



Emerje

[-Kanrabat-]

So they should have released Point Blank as a voyager.

[Emerje]

So they should have released Point Blank as a voyager.

If they did that then not only could they have left it alone, but also filled in some of his gaps and included a proper Battlemaster style Targetmaster to go with the rest we just got in WFC.

Emerje

[-Kanrabat-]

So they should have released Point Blank as a voyager.

If they did that then not only could they have left it alone, but also filled in some of his gaps and included a proper Battlemaster style Targetmaster to go with the rest we just got in WFC.

Emerje

So far, my PB is on its way to become a "voyager". I already bought the legs panels upgrade kit. All I need is the spoiler/shield and the Reprolabels. Those still needs to be made.

[Whifflefire]

This time last year, 2022 looked to be a rather light year for Transformers. But as it went on it proved to have plenty of good things to offer. Even though Legacy, the main line of the year, was stagnant for most it, it gave us some real gems, and between the various exclusive lines there was product that appealed to more areas of the fandom at once in a long time.

My top figures of this year:

Studio Series Brawn: I didn't get too many non-86 SS figures this year, so there isn't much to choose from, but Brawn definitely deserves the spot for best Studio series figure. He's a very faithful recreation of the movie model with a unique alt-mode that fits the character and calls back to the G1 character in a fun way.

Velocitron Scourge: This figure just looks cool. It may not be 100% accurate to the RID 2001 cartoon, but it's clear who it's meant to represent, finally bringing some more generations love to the most forgotten TF show. The fact that he comes with the trailer (a much more substantial trailer than the Earthrise one) makes him really feel like a full package.

Studio Series 86 Ironhide: I am in the camp that is super happy with this figure. Panel lines and different shades of red won't stop the fact that this is the best representation of G1 Ironhide at Generations scale, and is not marred by exclusivity or poor distribution. Truly a momentus occasion in the Transformers world.

Studio Series Sludge: While Grimlock was a basic Grimlock figure that was big, and Slag was really good but had some compromises, Sludge is excellent all around. looks great in both modes and has a really fun and clever transformation. Reminiscent of the Leader class of old. A great figure on his own and complements the other Dinobots beautifully.

Masterpiece G Shouki: A really intricate figure that looks great in both modes, and represents the start of one of the most ambitious projects in TF history. The end result is going to be quite a spectacle, but its roots are in this figure. For being a great figure overall and kicking off the first Masterpiece combiner, Shouki is definitely among the most consequential figure of 2022.

Velocitron Override: An astonishingly faithful materialization of the character that improves upon the original toy and repreents the branching out of the Generations line to being more encompassing of other elements of the franchise. It is also notable for being a new mold created out of a retool budget, and unprecedented and impressive feat by the designers. As well as being a character from my favourite TF show, Override is a shoe-in for best exclusive.

Masterpiece Blackout: I was on the fence about getting this guy at the beginning, but I'm so glad I have this guy. He is a magnificent beast. Ginormous, extra-posable, and a sight to behold. A great tribute to the first live action Transformers to appear on the big screen. My entry for best Masterpiece of 2022.

Legacy Metroplex: The most articulated Titan Class toy, he is super dynamic and stands out amongst any group he's in. Like Override, a great update to one of the few Cybertron figures that could be considered sub-par. He is a fantastic addition to any Cybertron fan's collection (and unlike other Titans is actually in direct scale with smaller figures). May lose cyber key functionality and his mini-con, but I think he makes up for it with all of the other things he can do. I am, of course, expecting a core class Drill Bit, but for now Metroplex is my pick for best Legacy figure of 2022.

And, of course, for toy of the year, it must go to none other than Victory Saber. This is the package we all had in the back of our minds throughout the calendar. It may not be 100% perfect, and unfortunately carried some assembly issues for many, and for others there is little chance of acquiring one at all. But this must certainly be the most talked-about set of the year and will forever colour people's recollections of what was going on in the world of Transformers in 2022. Besides that, Star Saber and Victory Leo are great toys on their own and deserve the hype they get. They were well worth the wait.

Honourable mentions: BW Inferno, Armada Starscream, and Galaxy Shuttle, whom I've heard all good things about but don't own myself yet

The things I'm most looking forward to in 2023 are, of course, the Rise Of The Beasts film and toylines, Evolution brining us another large variety of characters in modern toy form, and completing Masterpiece Raiden. Here's to a prosperous and enjoyable year of our favourite hobby!