MYTH’S TOP 20 TRANSFORMERS OF 2022
Hi, it has been a minute since a blog post. Let’s just get into this, though, shall we? Same format as last year, Top 20 because there were too many standout figures; the figures did not have to release this year, I just had to acquire them this year, and as always, this is in no way a definitive for anyone else, just me. Now without further adieu, let’s start
Hi, it has been a minute since a blog post. My posting, in general, on the website has been inconsistent this year, which is something I would like to improve upon next year, hell, even this post is late, but better late than never, I suppose. Let’s just get into this, though, shall we? Same format as last year, Top 20 instead of Top 10 because there were just too many standout figures; the figures did not have to release this year, although most of them did. I just had to acquire them this year, and as always, this is in no way a definitive for anyone else, just me, so if you disagree with some of my picks, that’s cool, let me know on Twitter what your top figures of the year are. Now without further adieu, let’s start with #20;
#20: Shattered Glass Jetfire
Starting off with a Big Boy. I never got the original release of this mold when it came out during Siege, it never really appealed. I am perfectly fine with the T30 Jetfire as my normal Jetfire. Still, when this guy was announced, I knew I had to get him, mainly because I wanted to complete the Shattered Glass line, but I was also curious about the mold. I am glad I did; Jetfire here is PACKED with features and accessories, and while his transformation isn’t anything special, his sheer size makes up for it.
#19: Selects Galvatron II
This is a figure I was unsure if I would pick up. I already loved the regular release from Kingdom, and while I knew I wanted the toy decos for Scourge and Cyclonus, I wasn’t thrilled with the pics of this guy. Obviously, I did pick him up, and he is just as good as the Kingdom/Legacy release, but this time with proper shoulders, a manga reference matrix, and some stickers for that extra toy look, even if those stickers aren’t very good, I appreciate the effort.
#18: Wreck ‘N’ Rule Collection Autobot Springer
It is wild to me that it took this long to get a repaint of this mold, but I won’t say no to a toy deco, and I knew I had to have this one as soon as I saw it. I absolutely adore the Siege Springer mold, and the toy colors for Springer are so good and this mold wears them perfectly. He is just as good if not better than the original release, and I couldn’t be happier about that.
#17: Studio Series KSI Sentry
This is a mold I have loved since Stinger came out in 2018, and I finally got KSI Sentry, who is just as good. The deep blue and black Pagani Huayra alt mode is absolutely stunning. And the added gunmetal silver in robot mode makes all the details in the molding pop, making up for the lack of weaponry.
#16: Revenge of the Fallen Knock-Out
The is a classic for anyone who grew up with the movie toylines. The Revenge of the Fallen toyline scouts are some of the best figures in the line, and Knock-Out is the epitome of that. Incredible colors, impeccable bike mode, and a remarkable robot mode design. Any version of this mold is excellent, but Knock-Out is the OG.
#15: Fansproject Protector & Fansproject Knight
We have come to the first of my ties with Fansproject Protector and Fansproject Knight. These are two very different figures, but both are great in their own rights. Protector has the classic look and charm of old school 3rd party figures and upgrade kits that is hard to rival. While Knight has a similar charm to him, his size and six modes make him a just as fun a toy to mess with.
#14: Premium Finish Optimus Prime (SS05)
I know this could be a controversial pick, I mean this figure is controversial. Most people question why this version of the mold and not the more accurate SS32 version. I am not most people. I have always preferred the SS05 version; I think transformation is less complicated, and I don’t care about the Jetfire compatibility as I never wanted Jetfire. This is just the perfect version of 05, and I couldn’t be happier.
#13: Studio Series TLK Hot Rod
This is a figure I hoped to be good, and it did not disappoint. I am one who enjoyed the original TLK deluxe, as flawed as it is, but this just blows it out of the water. The transformation and engineering is nuts, the car mode is excellent, and the robot mode is absolutely stunning. Plus, he actually comes with a gun this time.
#12: Legacy Blitzwing
Another controversial pick, but I think this guy is pretty fun. Transformations are simple yet interesting, and vehicle modes are flawed but fun. He looks great next to the rest of the Season 1 & 2 Decepticon cast, especially Astrotrain.
#11: Kingdom Blaster/Shattered Glass Blaster
I don’t think many people were expecting Blaster to be as good as he is. Essentially perfect looking in both modes, interesting transformation, not to mention the included cassette companion being better than pretty much all of the Decepticon ones. Just an all around great toy no matter what version you choose.
#10: Studio Series 86 Sludge
It is such a shame that the QC on this figure is so sloppy because he rivals Grimlock in my opinion. The transformation is interesting without being too frustrating. Visually he looks great and fits right in with the other two. It also helps that he doesn’t come with a weird squatting companion.
#9: Kingdom Slammer
The final of the WFC weaponizers and what figure to end with. He is a fantastic figure in his own right, but all the weaponizing parts are great and so much fun to use on other figures, and he has bonus functionality with T30 Metroplex if that is up your alley.
#8: Studio Series Bumblebee Thundercracker
This shouldn’t be surprising, considering Starscream made my list last year, and this figure is just as good. I talked about how much I loved this figure last year, but these colors are just as good, if not better. Now, all we need is a Skywarp to complete the trio.
#7: Premium Finish WFC Starscream/Shattered Glass Starscream
Another seeker mold and my favorite Seeker one to date. I have every version of this mold and will buy every version they release in the future and two of the best-looking ones released this year. SG Screamer does have rampant yellowing, I can’t excuse that, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t look stunning out of the box.
#6: Masterpiece Trainbots Shouki & Getsui
Every time I get a new one of these guys, I get even more excited for the rest of the components and for Raiden himself. Don’t let that overshadow the fact that these are excellent figures in their own right. The engineering is constantly surprising and interesting without being overly complicated and frustrating. On top of that, the licensed train modes are sublime especially for someone like me whose childhood was filled with trains. I can’t wait for the rest of the crew.
#5: Fansproject Sigma L & Browning II
The final 3rd party figures on the list and what figures they are. I love it when 3rd party companies redesign existing characters, and these two are precisely why; Great designs, interesting transformations, and oozing personality. I knew I was going to like Sigma L, but Browning II was a complete surprise, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
#4: Selects Cyclonus & Nightstick
If it hasn’t been established already I love a toy deco, and this figure is the best one so far. It was an already near-perfect mold, but include the Targetmaster and the perfect paint job and toy detail stickers. It doesn’t get much better than this.
#3: Legacy Jhiaxus
The complete surprise of a figure to pretty much everyone if I had to guess. No one ever expected this design to get a toy, much less for it to be this good. This is one of those rare times when Hasbro knocks it out of the park on the first try. Not much else I can say about this figure; if you haven’t picked one up, you are missing out.
#2: Legacy Motormaster/Menasor
I was not expecting to like this figure as much as I do, but the engineering is incredible, not to mention that the designers somehow managed to make the toon look for Menasor, the worst-looking combiner in the original show, look good, which is an achievement on its own. Combined mode aside, Motormaster on his own is great fun to play with and transform to the point where I recommend him on his own.
#1: Haslab Victory Saber
I don’t know what else to say about this figure that everyone else has already said. Exceptionally engineered, looks superb, and, most importantly, incredibly fun. All of the Victory Saber component figures would be on this list if they were sold individually from one another, but the whole package together is just something special. Some of the most fun i have had with a set of figures in a long time
And just like that, this list is complete; those are my top 20 figures for 2022. If you want to be technical about it, this is my top 25 figures of the year, but that’s semantics. All these figures are great, and I recommend all of them if you have any passing interest. I hope to be more active on this place this year, but only time will tell if that actually happens. Until then, I hope you all had a Happy New Year, and I’ll see you when I see you.
MYTH’S TOP 20 TRANSFORMERS OF 2021
Hi there, it has been a while since I have done a blog post, but it is that time of year where we take a look back at everything we got, did, and watched and then rank them because… why not. I would usually just do this on twitter but since I now have this space I can go a bit more in depth on each figure. Now If you know me, you know I like to rank things so this was a lot of fun for me and took a lot more time than I thought it would to finalize. Even now while writing this I am still moving figures around, which is a testament to how stacked this year has been for me in terms of getting figures. That is seconded by the fact that this isn’t a Top 10 list, it is a Top 20 cause there were just so many figures that deserve praise and recognition that I couldn't narrow it down to just 10.
Before we get into it I do want to set some general ground rules; First, this list is not limited to just figures that came out in the year 2021, it is any figure I got throughout the year. Second, this list is by no means definitive in anyway or to anyone other than me, I shouldn’t have to say that this is an opinion piece, but there are a lot of dumb people out there, so this is more of a precautionary measure than anything. This is less of a rule but if you couldn’t tell by the title, this is going to be a REALLY LONG blog post so strap in and let’s get started
20: Studio Series 86 Wreck-Gar
Starting us off is Wreck-Gar, who I imagine is going to be on numerous people's lists, because he not only looks excellent in both modes but also has tons of play value in either mode. In robot mode he has great pose ability and has his signature axe. On top of that his wheels can be placed in a variety of locations across his robot mode giving him quite a few display options. In vehicle mode he is engineered to be able to have figures ride him, which is way more fun than it has any right being. What really holds him back from being higher up is his transformation, while it isn’t complicated, I always get hung up on how everything folds, especially his chest.
19: Studio Series Dino
I don’t feel like I have much to say on Dino here. He is the first proper toy of a character we barely saw in Dark of the Moon, and it is wonderful. The transformation is neat, vehicle weapon storage is very cool, and just an all around fun figure.
18: Legends Blurr (+ Mold Mates)
I went from having none of this mold too having 3 of it within a month, and while it is a pretty simple mold, it is still very fun and I love all 3 versions pretty much equally but I think Legends Blurr would come out on top if I had to pick one just because of that color scheme alone. I appreciate that all 3 versions look different enough from one another, especially in vehicle mode, giving the mold their own personality.
17: Studio Series Bumblebee Starscream
I know I might get flak for this one considering how many people I see who dislike the alt-mode and head for this figure but as someone who loves both the Bumblebee movie aesthetic and Cybertronian alt modes, this is a hard one not to love. On top of that, the colors on this toy are absolutely perfect and just make me happy anytime I look at him. While I do have Thrust as well I don’t get the same level of enjoyment out of him as I do Starscream here.
16: Studio Series 86 Slug
This large lad is excellent despite some visual wideness and him being more complicated than I would have liked. That being said the transformation has some cool and interesting sections, like the way the rear dino legs compress and fold away for robot mode and how the robot chest compresses for dino mode.
15: Studio Series 86 Grimlock
Not much to say here, he just is a very good, very chunky G1 Grimlock, essentially a scaled down Masterpiece Grimlock. Just a simple and fun robot dinosaur that turns into a simple and fun aggressive murder himbo/dad
14: Generation Selects Deep Cover
Deep Cover is one of those characters that is essentially a nobody. He has never appeared in any media, at least not in this color scheme, but I love him all the same. That is mainly because of the colors, as black and blue is one of my favorite color combinations and he wears it well. The mold itself is just the Siege Sideswipe mode, which is pretty basic in and of itself. Not much else to say here, just an obscure character with a good color scheme on a good mold.
13: Transformers 2007 Stealth Bumblebee
This one is pure nostalgia for me. I was introduced to the franchise via the 2007 movie and had both the Cliffjumper and regular Bumblebee variants of this mold, so getting Stealth Bee was an absolute blast from the past. The color scheme of this guy is incredible and the car mode is absolutely stellar. When I opened him up I did not want to transform him into robot mode because I was so enamored with his car mode for a good 15 minutes. On a side note, Transformers should return to being packed in vehicle mode.
12: WFC: Kingdom Core Class Soundwave
Core Class was a pleasant surprise for me, I wasn’t initially going to get any of them but after I got Core Starscream(mainly out of spite) I was pleasantly surprised, and as much as I enjoy both him and Megatron, Soundwave takes the cake. He is the perfect little desk toy and the closest thing we have gotten to replicating the original toy in modern day. If you only get one core class figure make it Soundwave.
11: Titans Return Topspin/Twin Twist
These two have no good being as good as they are. From being some of the most simple G1 toys to these to being one of the best molds in the entirety of Titans Return, which was a line FULL of absolute bangers, especially at the deluxe size class. They are just a pair of absolute delights and the epitome of a “pick up and play figure”
10: Universe 2.0 Ratbat
This is a figure I was not expecting to love as much as I do. The transformation is simple but the way the legs become the wings is both ingenious and simple. The colors on this guy are ACE, and a jet mode that looks like some sort of evil future tech Batwing and is everything I love about cybertronian/non-earth alt modes
9: Generations Selects Shattered Glass Optimus Prime
If you know me then you know that I LOVE Shattered Glass, so obviously this figure was going to make the list. The colors and articulation are ace the the way they have miniaturized the MP-10 transformation for this mold is very impressive and shows just how far we have come in the decade since that figure came out.
8: Universe 2.0 Roadbuster
This guy is simplistic fun incarnate. The transformation is great, I love all the hidden missile pods and he feels good to handle. Just a good, chunky lad and sometimes that is all you need.
7: Reveal the Shield Lugnut
I really have no idea what to say about RTS Lugnut that hasn’t already been said by both myself and anyone else who has this mold. I highly doubt we will get a mold this good again, especially for this character. Just absolutely excellent.
6: Universe 2.0 Dirge
I don’t feel like I need to explain why this is a good figure, cause everyone should already know why this is a good figure, I mean it is the Cybertron Starscream mold. It looks incredible in both modes and then put Dirge’s royal blue and dull gold color scheme on it and you have a match made in heaven. Sure the arms may be hindered by the flip-out sword gimmick, but that is to cool a gimmick for me to not love.
5: WFC: Kingdom Galvatron
This is the best Galvatron figure we have ever gotten HANDS DOWN, and probably the best leader in the entire WFC trilogy. He just has this presence to him in robot mode that only he can have. He looks great next to anybody, whether that be Rodimus, Cyclonus and Scourge, or Optimus and Megatron. Transformation is interesting and alt mode is just this giant space cannon that looks as ridiculous as it does awesome
4: Universe 2.0 Nemesis Prime/Classics Ultra Magnus
This is a mold I have wanted for a while and I am so glad I got my hands on, not one but two versions of it. For a mold that is 15 years old, it holds up EXTREMELY well and is so much fun to play with. Posing it is a blast even if it doesn’t have the amount of articulation of a modern figure. The weapons look so cool and the way they store in vehicle mode is incredible and I am pretty sure there is not a single version of this mold that doesn’t look incredible. I think this is one of the quintessential Transformers figures and every fan should, at least, mess with it at some point.
3: WFC: Kingdom Cyclonus
On the topic of Classics figures, Kingdom Cyclonus is just Classics Cyclonus brought into the modern era. The engineering between the two is incredibly similar which I think is a testament to how ahead of its time the Classics figure was. Kingdom Cyclonus is proof that you don’t need complicated transformations or world class engineering to make a good toy, you know what they say, less is more.
2: WFC: Kingdom Rodimus Prime
There is not much I can say about this figure that I haven’t already said in my review. Rodimus’ price of admission may be high but he is absolutely worth it in my opinion. His engineering is incredible, he looks fantastic in both modes. He is so much fun to pose and the accessories just exemplify that. For a figure that I was not considering picking up when first revealed, I am so glad I caved.
1: Ocular Max Eris: Kultur
And so we have come to the final figure, my number 1 of 2021, and it should come to no surprise that it is Eris:Kultur. Similarly to Rodimus there is not a lot more I can say that I haven’t already said. Not only was this figure my first brand new 3rd Party figure but it also fits with my own personal canon, on top of that both modes are extremely good looking and all the engineering is simple yet intuitive. I knew as soon as I got her out of the box she would be my number for the year, and despite figures coming close it was never a question.
And that is all folks, that is my top 20 figures that I got in 2021. I do hope you enjoyed my little look back at the past year, and am curious as to what your favorite Transformers were that you got in 2021, so let me know on Twitter if you want. As for the future I still plan on doing galleries every week and I do want to get back to doing blog posts, they just take a while to write so they might not be as regular as they started out. I also want to expand beyond reviews and perhaps do monthly news roundups or top ten lists, maybe incorporate tier lists or brackets somehow, I guess only time will tell. Until then, Have a Happy New Year and I’ll see you when I see you.
Transformers Generations Selects Deep Cover
Welcome all to my first official MythicTF.ca blog review, I do hope you enjoy and don’t forget to check out the figures gallery afterwards. Now without further adieu let’s get to it and take a look at one of my favorite figures I have gotten this year, Transformers Generations Selects WFC-GS23 Deep Cover.
Now this toy is based on the original Deep Cover toy which was a E-Hobby repaint of the G1 Sideswipe mold that was released in 2003. As soon as I learned about this guy he has been one of my favorites, from his colors to his ability to shrink like a transformers version of Ant-Man. I just wish he got put in some Transformers media so we would have more to go off of personality wise than just his OG toy’s bio-card.
Getting back to the figure at hand, he is obviously a repaint of the Siege Sideswipe mold, the 7th use of the mold to be exact(well 8th if you count Gigawatt) so he has every positive and negative that mold has, plus quite a few more positives. That being said he is closer to the Covert Clone Sideswipe use of the mold with the color layout being the same, just swap the red for a deep blue and some red accents to help break it all up.
The head is you standard Sideswipe affair cast in this glorious deep blue, with the trapezoidal prism triangle making up the general face shape with the small horns/fins/ears on the sides and the head crest on top, for which he is the only one out of all the mold uses to have it painted and in silver no less. On the topic of silver, his face is done up in it and it looks really nice, my only gripe with this face sculpt would have to be the eyes, more specifically the color used. The color they used is a metallic, almost pearlescent blue, which while nice, but they just kinda get lost cause it doesn’t really stand out enough from the blue or silver surrounding it. At least the head is on a very nice ball joint, meaning you can get some good poses out of it.
The chest is your standard hood chest carbot variant, that being said I do like the shape of the chest with the subtle curves at the bottom and sides, but then the top has these nice angles so that the head is visible, while also giving a sort of jacket vibe, especially with how the wheels end up hidden and the white sections beside his head giving off a collar like vibe. The back is just the entire windshield of the car but that is par for the course for Sideswipe’s design, But because of how wide it is it is visible from the front or at least partially. Like most kibble on transformers this doesn’t really bug me as it gives the character/mold a unique look and feel, plus it doesn’t get in the way of the wait swivel, or any of the other articulation for that matter, or make him back heavy.
The arms are your pretty standard affair, just a series of boxes attached via a multitude of joints, including full shoulder movement, bicep swivel, and a 90 degree elbow. No wrist articulation unfortunately, due to transformation. There is quite a bit of detail present on the forearms and because of the white plastic used none of it really gets lost which is always nice. The legs are in a similar boat to the arms, just boxes connected via joints; Full hip movement, thigh swivels(slightly limited by their design) 90 degree knees and a decent amount of ankle tilt. All this articulation means he can pull off quite a few good poses and he has decent enough balance to pull off a high kick and a running pose of sorts.
I guess the final thing to address in robot mode would be the accessories. Deep Cover comes with the Sideswipe missile launcher parts, both molded in black, the launcher section has silver trim on one side while the missile is fully painted white. He also comes with the “Red Alert Gun'' this time painted in silver. It is just a standard rifle but it does have a 5mm hole on the back for you to plug the launcher into if you so choose. Seeing as this was a Siege toy to begin with you can plug the weapons into any of the 5mm ports available or you can plug the missile launcher into either side of the shoulder for a more traditional look, but personally i chose to either store the launcher on his back or attach it to the side of his arm as a sort wrist mounted rocket or a drill.
Transformation is a pretty simple affair, nothing complicated at all but nothing super inventive either. That being said, I constantly forget to keep the side panels folded up to give the legs the clearance they need. Now the vehicle mode is a sort of cybertronian supercar, similar to what a space age Lamborghini might look like, and probably the best looking out of all the uses of this mold. The slight glossiness of the black and the blue highlights (that are mainly just remnants from robot mode) really compliment each other, and the added accents like the golden badge tampographs, and painted rims, headlights and taillights really bring this everything together. You can of course plug the weapons into either side of the car or the roof if you would like.
I think that about covers everything I have to say about this figure. I just really love his whole vibe from the car mode to the bomb ass colors to the excellent articulation he is all around just a very fun figure and the best looking version of a mold that has been used many times over. Now if only we could get his brother Clampdown for the final use of the mold, but until then I will make due.
I hope you all enjoyed my first actual blog post review, and are looking forward to more, hoping for these to be weekly but that is dependent on my work schedule so if some are late or possibly early, blame that and don’t forget to check out the full gallery of pictures for Deep Cover (click here) before heading out. I will be adding pictures to pre-existing galleries down the road when I use said figure again for comparison with other figures, so look forward to that. Figured I should add that at the end before I forgot, even though it doesn’t really apply quite yet. Anyways, that is all for now, see you all next week.
(Edit)May 16th,2021
With my Siege Springer review, I have started giving figures a rating out of 10, so I am retroactively adding one for Deep Cover. I give Deep Cover a 8.5/10 mainly based on his colors and simplicity but the ability to just pick him up and mess with him without really worrying about anything, and my love of the character does factor into that score as well.