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 Titans Return Hot Rod

Hello there, and welcome back to MythicTF’s for another review. Before we begin I would like to mention that I updated all of galleries to have the size class within the banner along side all the other general information. Anyways, I am weirdly excited about this one and I don’t really know why. He was a pretty basic but enjoyable figure from Titans Return and an extremely basic one by today's standards. It is weird to think that it has been 4 1/2 - 5 years since he came out cause it doesn’t feel like that long ago but I guess it is a testament to how far we have come since then, especially in terms of engineering. With all that said he still has a lot of character and charm to him so let’s look at Titans Return Hot Rod.

First thing I am going to mention right out of the gate is that I have customized this guy slightly. I took a Silver Paint Sharpie to his rims to help them stand out a bit more. I was planning to take it off before doing this but I couldn't find anything on hand that took it off easily, and I didn't have a lot of free time to go and buy something that would take it off so I decided to just leave it. I think it looks good and doesn’t really take anything away from him as a whole. Anyways let’s just get on with it. 

Starting with the head means that we start this review off looking at Hot Rod Titan Master partner Firedrive. For those who are knowledgeable about TF lore, Hot Rod never had a Titan Master, or Headmaster as they were originally called, he got a Targetmaster named Firebolt. For legal reasons they cant use the name Firebolt so they renamed him to Firedrive and since Hot Rod needed to incorporate the Titan Master gimmick, so they gave his new headmaster the name of his old targetmaster, pretty simple. Like all Titanmasters in Titans Return, Firedrive has a unique power that he gives to any larger robot he is attached to, in this case he gives Hot Rod and I quote “an electrostatic that disables the systems of enemy targets...”. As for looks, there isn't much, he is cast entirely in grey plastic and has no paint, which sucks but since you will probably keep him attached to the main body, i don’t see it as much of a loss. You can make out most of the details on him with the exception being the head as I feel like there isn’t enough definition on them and as a result some of them get lost. For articulation he really only has arms that go forward and the head can do a full 360. the legs are molded together so you can’t really get any poses from them. Finally we can get onto Hot Rod’s face, which is good enough for the most part, although the headcrest fins get lost a lot of the time giving him an off look but it works well enough, especially once connected to the rest of the body.

Speaking of, the torso is pretty simple, your standard hood chest with Hot Rod’s usual flare of engine block and flame decal. It does have a chunk missing at the bottom of it to allow for some ab detail but otherwise there isn’t much happening on the front. The back is what you would expect for a Hot Rod, the windshield/cockpit area and the spoiler section. THe spoiler doesn’t sit quite far enough up so it ends up getting blocked by the shoulders most of the time, which is unfortunate since that is a main part of his silhouette.

The arms seem very rudimentary, i mean the necessary articulation is there; the ball jointed shoulders, the bicep swivel and the 90 degree elbow, but they very much look like two large rectangles attached by a small hinge. They have all the right details too, like the shoulder wheels and his triple barreled forearm exhaust pipes. Oddly his hands are orange instead of the more cartoon accurate grey, but this figure is mope so based on the original toy and not the cartoon as one would expect, so it works. 

The legs feel more articulate and less blocky than the arms even if they really aren’t. I think that is mainly because of his ability to have double jointed knees, you just need to move the kibble out of the way. As for other articulation he has a waist rotation, ball jointed hips and a full thigh rotation. The detailing here isn’t bad, I especially like the vent knee caps and silver shins. His feet don’t move at all but they are molded at an angle so he has a more natural stance when he is just standing. 

For accessories, we already covered the head Titanmaster but he also comes with a pair of rifles. I can’t really tell what these guns are based on, if they even are, the closest I could come up with is maybe the G1 Rodimus Prime rifle but even that is a stretch. Otherwise they fit in his hands well enough and can also be plugged into the shoulder ports if that is something you want to do. You can combine the rifles together to form a double barreled gun of sorts but he has to hold it by the side so it ends up looking awkward and overly large. 

Transformation is simple, nothing too involved or interesting, just make sure you remove the head first. AND HOLY COW this car mode is STUNNING. There are no robot parts at all, everything lines up really well to make this super smooth and clean looking car. The dark translucent blue windshield is great and helps break up all the red and of course he has his classic flame hood and engine block. The orange could stand to be a bit deeper to really help the yellow stand out better, but it is pretty good as is. For weapon storage you can plug the guns into either of the side holes and there is just barely enough clearance to allow him to still roll, you can also combine them together and plug them into the engine block which is a classic feature with almost all Hot Rod toys. When the guns are combined together you can actually fit Firedrive in the middle so he can use it like a manned turret or you can open the windshield and seat him in the car so he can drive it. The last feature I want to mention is the little pegs right in front of the spoiler. They are for titanmasters to stand on so he can give some extra guys a lift or just have Firedrive stand on the car.

So that is Titans Return Hot Rod, while he may be kinda basic and obsolete by today’s standards he is still pretty fun and the car mode stands toe to toe with his newer counterpart’s. For me he is a solid 6.5/10. I don’t really have much else that needs to be said about him, I think I covered everything I wanted too, so feel free to check out the gallery. Next week is going to be a BIG ONE, probably going to have the most amount of pictures in a gallery so don’t be surprised if I end up taking an extra week on it. It isn’t the one I had initially planned to be next but I honestly couldn’t wait and to be honest I almost did her this week instead of Hot Rod but figured I would wait to form a better opinion. Hope to see you all then.