Alex Weaver 1/8/24 Alex Weaver 1/8/24

MYTH’S TOP 20 TRANSFORMERS OF 2023

Hi, there. It is that time of year again when everyone figures out their favorite figures of the year and my yearly tradition of going over my Top 20 figures I got this year. Let me tell you this year's top 5 is the CLOSEST ranking I have ever had and there is an easy argument for any of them to be #1. Honestly, this year was great for figures both in terms of release and acquisitions on my end, and on the whole, there are plenty of great figures that just didn’t make the cut that I thought were shoe-ins for this list when I got them. If you have read the previous year's posts you should know the standard rigamarole for my lists, the figures on this list didn’t have to come out this year I just had to acquire them within the past 12 months and it is not a Top 10 list because there are too many figures that I think deserve attention. Now then let’s get into it

#20: Shattered Glass Grimlock

The original Studio Series 86 Grimlock figure came in at #15 on my list two years ago and combine that with my love for Shattered Glass, this figure being on this list was a no-brainer. Sometimes all you need in life is a big plastic robot dinosaur that turns into a big plastic robot—pure simplicity.

#19: Universe 2.0 Powerglide

I have always loved this era of Transformers toys and Powerglide is such a good example of it. New designs for existing characters that have wack proportions, made of big chunky parts, and have tons of play value. This toy just oozes an energy that we just don’t get anymore, sure he doesn’t have the standard articulation we have now but he proves that it isn’t necessary to be a good toy.

#18: Alternators Miester & Wheeljack

I got quite a few Alternators this year so I am glad a couple of them made the list. Alternators are an incredible toyline that I don’t think we could get today and even if we did I don’t know if they would hit the same. This is a line of 1:24 scale model cars that just so happen to transform into, usually, recognizable Transformers characters. Wheeljack and Jazz here may be some of the more controversial picks for favorites, but Jazz has a really interesting transformation and Wheeljack is a toy I have wanted for a while, and he didn’t disappoint.

#17: Buzzworthy Origin Jazz

Not a figure I was initially planning on getting as I am pretty content with the 86 Jazz figure but I am really gald I did as this figure has no right being this good. He looks great in both modes, handles great, and transforms great. I don’t know how they managed to pull off this alt mode so well and have the robot mode be as good as it is.

#16: Legacy Evo Orion Pax & Senator Shockwave

This is a super weird set where neither mold really suits the designs they are going for but there aren’t any better options so this is what we got and I love it for that. Shockwave uses the Siege Seeker mold, which is always a win in my book, and wears it well. The new molding is good but I wish the wings were slightly bigger. Orion is the real star for me though as the Siege Hound mold is almost as good as the Seeker mold and it really shines here with the bright colors and new parts

#15: Legacy Evo Nacelle

This really shouldn’t be a surprise. Considering I just went over the other use of this mold that came out this year and that I had two versions of this mold on last year's list. This mold is a constant for these lists for me and I am not mad about it. Nacelle here is one of the best-looking of the bunch too. The only thing I wish he had was new wings with V-TOL blades, I am not complaining.

#14: Retro G1 Hound & Hot Rod

These two toys made me understand why the G1 toys are so loved. I grew up on the Micheal Bay movies and those are the toys that I grew up with so I had never really handled any G1 toys growing up, aside from a well-loved Prime and Soundwave, which were still great don’t get me wrong. But Hound and Hot Rod here are so good. They are fun, they are simple, and they are exactly what they need to be.

#13: Legacy Evolution Javelin

The original use of this mold was already phenomenal and one of, if not the best, female Transformers figure, and this version knocks it out of the park. I love the entire look of this figure, with the new colors and parts really enhancing the look. The customizable weapon is a big stand out for me, as it gives so much versatility and variety, but this entire figure is great and has not moved from my desk since I got her.

#12: Masterpiece Trainbot Suiken

Two MP Trainbots made the cut last year so of course at least one was going to make its way onto this year's list and Suiken is my new second favorite. The transformation on him is much simpler than the other 3 I have and he just feels so much more dynamic and clean compared to the rest and the train mode is just as incredible as the rest of the crew’s

#11: Shattered Glass Sideswipe & Hot Rod

As noted earlier, I am a Shattered Glass enjoyer so this pack was a necessity for me but man I was not expecting it to be this good. Hot Rod was already a great toy and the new head and Skywarp colors make it incredible but the real surprise here is Sideswipe. There are only 4 new parts on the mold itself plus the 2 new sword parts and it feels like a brand-new toy compared to any of the previous Siege/Kingdom Sideswipe variants, and then add the new mini-con and you get the full, incredible package.

#10: Legacy Evolution Metalhawk

The final instance of a remold/repaint of a toy that was on a previous year's list and what a toy. Metalhawk uses the phenomenal mold that is Kingdom Cyclous and it works so well. Both modes look super good and so and Metalhawk is just as fun to handle as Cyclonus, the only reason he loses points is that his alt mode is not as sleek and the colors are not clean, especially in jet mode

#9: Legacy Evolution Skyquake

Here is a toy that I’m surprised me it made my top 10, but after picking it back up I totally get it. This toy has presence, in both modes. The design is also such a good blend of the original toy and Prime iterations of the character, the easily best of all the “Prime Universe” figures we have gotten in Legacy. I am really hopeful we get to see this mold done up in more colors in the coming years as I am all in on a version in Classic G1 toy colors and Machine Wars Starscream colors.

#8: Legacy Evolution Tarn & Bludgeon

These two show off how good Hasbro figures can be, and how two, of what is essentially the same toy, can feel so distinct. Tarn is a toy nobody thought we would ever get in toy form, just because of the nature of the character, so his toy being this good is incredible. But then to get a reuse of the mold later in the year with Bludgeon who somehow wears the mold just as well if not BETTER than Tarn is something I never expected.

#7: Legacy Evolution Needlenose

Needles here is a surprise hit for me, I did not expect to like him as much as I do. He is a phenomenal fiddle figure, with a simple yet interesting transformation, all the various ports for the Targetmasters, and all while looking superb in all modes. Add to that the playability with Skyquake and you have a whole lot in such a small package.

#6: Studio Series 86 Ultra Magnus

I was always gonna get this figure when it came out as my last Ultra Magnus was the Siege version and I am not a big fan of that mold. This guy is the exact opposite; incredible looking in both modes, a transformation that is both interesting and not infuriating, incredible playability, and great accessories. This toy made me understand why the car carrier is such a great alt mode and why vehicle scale is so good.

#5: Haslab Deathsaurus

It may come as a surprise that the new Haslab is coming in this low considering last year’s was my figure of the year, but that just proves how stiff the competition is. On top of that, Victory Saber is more toyetic, with lots of combining elements, and just more fun overall to mess with. Deathsaurus on the other hand, while he has a lot of accessories and functionality, is just a phenomenal, premium figure which in the end, is all he needs to be.

#4: MMC Optus Prominon

As far as hyper-articulated Transformers go this is one of the best. He can pull off most poses extremely well, and all the accessories he comes with just add even more variety. On top of all that he looks great in both modes, my only gripe is that the transformation can be a bit of a pain in the ass, especially going to vehicle mode but considering everything he can do, that is a fair compromise.

#3: Legacy Evolution Armada Optimus Prime

I have always loved the Armada Optimus design so I am super glad this toy came along, as a good quality version of the original toy feels so far out of my price range, and boy does he deliver. The core robot is a blast on its own and then adding the trailer pants just adds so much pure presence that is hard to beat.

#2: Maketoys Contactshot

Everyone in this fandom has that one character who is essentially a nobody but they love them anyway, and for me, that is Pointblank. Needless to say, I have really wanted this guy for a while, and man I was not expecting him to be this good. Or this big. He is so much fun and such a beauty to pose and even just look at. The head and face options are a great addition, so you can mix and match to create your preferred Pointblank look. Transformation isn’t complicated and has some very interesting sections, specifically the legs, and the car mode is immaculate.

#1: Maketoys Striker Manus

This was a long-time grail figure for me, essentially ever since the original version was released back in 2016(I think), I have wanted it and now that I have it I have to say he doesn’t disappoint. This version in particular is the Premium Editions so it comes with all the extra bits and weapons from previous releases of the mould which just increases his fun exponentially. There are so many things I love about this toy, that there comes a point where it becomes derivative and the only thing to say is that he is phenomenal.

Once again my Top 20 Figures of the year list has 25 figures in it but really who’s counting? This is just a way for me to gush about a fraction of the cool robots I got this year for anyone who will read it. If you haven’t caught on this is the end of the list no honorable mentions or anything as that would take WAY too long and this is long enough already. Hoping to update this site more this year but I guess only time will tell, so in that case, I will see you when I see you.

Alex Weaver 8/2/21 Alex Weaver 8/2/21

Generation 1 Devastator

It has been a bit since I posted a blog of some sort and I apologize, life kinda got in the way but hopefully before long i will get back to my weekly schedule. This week is special cause it is review #10 so to celebrate I am doing my first group review. I have a couple of these planned but to start off I decided to do something pretty simple but also surprisingly enjoyable. This toy single-handedly convinced me to get every G1 combiner, and it is G1 Devastator.

The original G1 Devastator was released in 1985, the second year of the Transformers, as both a gift set and individually packed Constructicons. Now i would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this specific set is the “Vintage G1” Walmart Reissue from 2018/2019, so there are some slight differences between this and the original release, most notably the tighter tolerances on the joints and tabs, the plastic color having a more yellowish hue, the removed springs from all the launchers and the stickers being slightly different. Enough with all this though, let’s jump right into the figures starting with the character who is both the top and bottom of this team.

Scrapper

Scrapper is traditionally the leader of the team, and is also the most simplistic in terms of the toys. His face is just molded onto a black panel, with only the face plate and headlamp picked out in silver paint. The chest is a large slab of purple plastic detailed with various tampographs and stickers (if any are off-center I apologize, I am bad at applying stickers) that have a bunch of early 80s style techno detailing, which I love. His back is pretty much the entire front half of his vehicle mode including the drivers canopy and his iconic shovel behind the head look. His arms are essentially just hollow posts with very minimal detailing and holes to represent his hands, I do enjoy the large wheel shoulders however. His legs are just as simple with his thighs being silver sticks that lead into these bright green boot blocks with next to nothing in the detail department. He does have a gun of his own which is a very nice sci-fi pistol with the oddly long barrel and various molded details. Transformation is incredibly simple and when it is finished you get this nice looking front-end loader. Not much in the way of features he can roll well, the bucket can move up and down and you can plug the combined modes chest piece into the back for a sort of attack or flight mode.

Mixmaster

Moving onto the other leg and my personal favorite character of the bunch, Mixmaster. Arguably simpler than Scrapper in terms of basic design, Mixmaster has such a unique design. Like Scrapper the head is just a black and silver face on an immovable black panel, but he has his eyes picked out in silver as well as the face plate and headlamp. Before moving down to the chest I should talk about his signature overhead launcher. Sadly this version of the toy has the actual launching gimmick removed so you can’t actually use it as a missile launcher but you can still put any of the “missiles” in the slot for some display options. You can have either a single missile, his signature double missiles or even either of Devastator’s drill missiles. As will become a recurring theme with most of the Constructicons, Mixmaster's chest is just a purple slab which relies on his unique detailing and stickers to help differentiate him. His back is just the entire mixing barrel from alt mode, lucky despite its size it doesn’t make him back heavy at all. Nothing special about the arms as they are just the alt modes back wheels with some fist detailing and holes. The legs are silver slabs that lead into purple slabs, I do enjoy the feet being the upside down cab of the alt mode. His gun seems like some sort of submachine gun considering the more compact body. Transformation is just as easy as Scrapper’s and you end up with a very nice light green cement mixer, complete with a silver grill, purple windshield and free spinning mixing barrel. You can plug his gon into the cab of the mixer for some weapon storage but you can also plug in Devastator’s gun in as well for even more armament

Long Haul

Up next is the middle man himself Long Haul. Long Haul’s design is one of the more unique of the Constructicons if only because he uses the front of his altmode as his chest and the back for the legs, which isn’t even that unique of a design as it is essentially the same thing as characters like Prowl or Jazz. He has the usual face flap but his face is a bit different as he has no head lamp/crest, just a silver visor that takes up a good 40% of the entire face. Like I mentioned, the chest is the entire front of the altmode, which means it sticks out quite a bit. On top of that his back is completely barren save for the flap that rests on his back. His arms are nice because they actually look like arms and the hands are actual hands and not just holes in on the underside of a vehicle mode section. Now his legs can be slightly problematic. They are made up of the entire truck bed, while a neat effect, does cause some balance issues due to the lack of proper feet and the fact that they are slightly in front of the thighs. Long Haul is one of the few figures to have a green gun instead of a black one and it looks like a pretty standard assault rifle albeit a bit small. His transformation is EXTREMELY satisfying with everything folding in the same direction, but unfortunately the bed is only held in by friction which isn’t a big deal if it is just sitting on a table. Otherwise truck mode itself is very nice and I like that the back wheels are double wide. Not much in the way of features but you can plug the entire waist connector piece for the larger robot onto his truck bed for a type of battle mode.

Hook

Hook is probably my second favorite based on just design alone. He is very similar to Mixmaster in a lot of ways, especially in general design layout but because of the differences in vehicle mode shape he ends up with a very unique look. His head is one of the most defined ones of the group and that is due to his face being fully painted. I really like all of the early 80’s techno detailing on the chest and the big green shoulder pads made up of the rear of the vehicle mode. His back is the entire crane which can be rotated for some variation and can also be extended to help give him some extra support if needed. Not much I can say about the arms that I haven’t said already since they are essentially Mixmaster’s minus the back panel. Hook’s legs actually look like regular legs since they aren’t attached together and the thighs are separate parts from the lower legs. I do really like the asymmetricality of the legs, it just makes his design that much more interesting. His gun is probably my favorite of the bunch; it just looks fully kitted out with a grip, scope and possible muzzle, not that any of those can be used properly. Transformation is just as simple as the rest but has the added step of sliding the legs out before folding them up. Vehicle mode is very nice and has the most playability out of the whole gang, with the crane arm being able to fully rotate, move up and down and extend, plus the hook can even move a bit. For the combined mode part storage/battle mode you can plug the whole head piece into the center area and his gun into the front.

Scavenger

Second to last of the smaller bots is Scavenger, probably my least favorite of the bunch, at least in terms of toys. His face is neat because it goes for a more standard look with eyes and a mouth, he even has a silver goatee and the silver headlamp/head crest returns. The torso is a large chunk of green but instead of relying on stickers to fill in the details, he has this silver centerpiece instead that sets him apart from the others. While it may not be that noticeable, he is wearing his entire alt mode on his back, but the only part that is really noticeable is the scoop arm which can both hinder and improve his robot mode balance depending on th position His arms are your standard sticks with fist holes, they don’t even have any interesting features either, they are just sticks. Scavenger’s legs are pretty similar seeing as they are made entirely out of the alt mode treads, because of this they are not nearly as twig-like as the arms. He is one of the only figures in this set to have actual feet though and not just alt mode sections where his feet should be. His gun is really simple, just a long barreled pistol of sorts. Transformation is like 4 steps and then adjusting the scoop however you would like. Excavator mode is pretty adorable, the arm can move at 2 places and he can spin around but it is off center so it looks kinda funky if you turn it too far. For his obligatory battle mode you can plug his gun into his cockpit area and this launcher piece onto the other side, while just like Mixmaster the gimmick has been removed, you can still plug in either drill or the fist.

Bonecrusher

Last but certainly not least is Bonecrusher, who actually surprised me with how good of a toy he is. First thing you will notice about this figure is that he doesn’t really have a face, he looks like some sort of drone, which is very odd considering he is the only one that looks like this. Moving on to his chest which is very wide thanks to it being almost entirely made up of the vehicle mode plow. I do love the fake grill and the chest sticker that makes his chest look like the inside of a PC, which is probably pretty accurate. Nothing special going on around the back, just his vehicle canopy hanging out. His arms are really cool, they stick out a bit far thanks to his wide chest but it isn’t too bad as they end up giving him some extra articulation. I do really like the corner shoulder pillars that encase the arms, plus he has actual molded fists which is nice. His legs are pretty much the exact same as Scavenger’s but now they are green and the treads actually become the feet instead of them being separate parts. Bonecrusher’s gun is even more simple than Scavenger’s, as it is just a green spike held sideways with a scope on it. Transformation is incredibly fun but also simple at the same time, especially the arms folding in to become the front two thirds of the bulldozer. On the topic of the bulldozer mode, it is honestly pretty static, the bucket can tilt but that is about it. You can plug the other launcher into the front just like on Scavenger, and all the exact same pieces can be inserted.

Before we get to the big guy you may have noticed that I left out articulation in all the individual bot reviews and that is because the all have the same articulation, which is a full rotation at the shoulder. Any other articulation they might seem to have is pointless as they don’t have any other parts of articulation to support them using it. Moving onto combination it is pretty easy just plug everyone into their predetermined spots, the trickiest part is connecting the waist piece to Long Haul as it requires an unnecessary amount of force the first time you do it.

Devastator

Now it is time for the main event. Devastator. Man does this guy have a presence, just a giant lime green and purple gestalt made out of construction vehicles. The head his really nice, the silver face and head crest really pop against the black plastic. He has these giant yellow eyes which while they aren’t everyone's preferred preference they do look really nice. Now interestingly he has this green gun attached to the side of his head which is only ever used on this toy, which i really like the look of but it is kind of odd. His torso is just Hook and Long Haul connected together with Scrapper’s wing pack thrown on, becoming the chest piece. The arms are Scavenger and Bonecrusher with their respective launchers attached to become the forearms. This does mean he can have either the fists or the drills attached depending on your mood. Either hand can hold his large gun. I usually choose the right hand, as it is my go to arm for weapons and it also has the most clearance for articulation. Speaking of articulation, both his arms have shoulders and elbows which is pretty impressive for the time. Moving down to the legs, they are very static but Mixmaster and Scrapper do the job of holding everything upright. Devy here may not do much in this mode but he doesn’t really have to, he has this certain magic to him for lack of a better term, the entire team does to be honest. I don’t really know how to describe it, it is just something that every TF fan should experience. The simplicity of everything, the unified colors, the satisfying nature of the combination and all the transformations, it all creates for an all around enjoyable experience, and something I hope I can replicate if I ever get my hands on any more of the G1 combiner teams. 8.5 out of 10.

So yeah that was G1 Devastator, my first multi-bot review. Bit of a different style but I am really happy with it, even if it did take me a week longer than I had wanted, and as always the galleries for Devastator and all of the individual Constructicons are up and you can find them all here. I do hope to do more G1 figures in the future, if I can get my hand on any, reissues or not. But now that my two largest reviews are out of the way, I would like to get back to my weekly schedule and since this was also my tenth review I have reset everything behind the scenes when it comes to picking figures, so there might end up being some weeks where I end up doing figures from the same line back to back. The one thing I plan on doing is reviewing any figures I get as I get them and then on “off weeks” go through my backlog, which should keep me going for quite a while. See you all, next week hopefully.