Although we’re about halfway through the first month of the new year, there’s still a bit of reflection to be done on 2017 and the plethora of plastic robots it brought us. In particular, the TFW2005 staff have shifted their focus to the unofficial products crafted by the many third party companies we know and love. This past year was one full of surprises as Fans Toys churned out more gems for Masterpiece fans including the largest third party figure to-date, Mastermind Creations dropped jaws as if they were magnetized to the floor with their recreations of some very popular IDW characters, and Unique Toys released what some might call the “Dark Horse of 2017”. We also saw Make Toys take some highly-praised risks, Fans Hobby quickly rise through the ranks, and many others do what they do best, filling out the collections of many eager Transformers fans from all different backgrounds.
Want to see which figures made our year? Take the jump to read the staff’s thoughts on their top picks and who took home the silver and bronze, and share your thoughts and feelings in the discussion below!
Black Convoy
One of the best examples of what a 3P company can do when they have the opportunity to bring you the best option for your collections. Lockdown was the iconic villain in AOE, but so far we only got an official Deluxe figure (with a remold for Takara Movie The Best line). Unique Toys did not only brought a movie-screen accurate Lockdown but a figure that really makes you think on “mass shifting”. You go from the elegant car mode to a really tall robot mode who looks awesome next to the recent MP Movie toys. You get the mask, rifle, hook and even his robotic pet. A very impressive transformation, maybe one of the best this year.
Runners up: GCreation Fuuma, Fans Toys FT-20 Terminus Giganticus, Fans Hobby Feilong, Fans Toys FT-10 Phoenix, Generation Toy GT-02 Tyrant
C310 Ginrai
Mastermind Creations R-18 Kultur
Third party saw many more pricey releases in 2017, which translates to far less purchases of figures in this market for me. While Kultur is quite affordable, thee figure’s quality is definitively premium. Both mode of Kultur are very solid. In tank mode, the vehicle is sold and imposing. All parts pegs in solidly, and the angular design is undoubtedly Cybertronian. In robot mode, this is where the figure shines. All major articulation points are present here, with well implemented hip ratchet joints (as well as a big toe joint!) that results in a very posible yet stable figure. Every part feel incredibly solid on this figure, and this leads Kultur to being the pinnacle of Mastermind Creations’ offering thus far
Runners up: Mastermind Creations R-27 Calidus, Iron Factory IF-EX18D Lord Scorpion (Dark Version)
Lumpy
He’s small, he’s fun, he’s Dirge.
Runners up: Robot Hero Durden and Barney
Matty
Third Party purchasing was limited again this year due to focus and restraint. The market is overwhelmed with releases right now, but there are several top tier figures worthy of nomination. To a group of our Fandom, Tarn from More Than Meets The Eye captured our interest and never let go. This character was menacing, mysterious, and surely never seeing a worthy toy. Mastermind Creations capitalized on that and delivered a simplistic, engaging, and figure of the year toy in Kultur. Kultur doesn’t have one strong suit, it’s simply a phenomenal representation of a character fans wanted. In a market where Masterpiece toys are in high demand, MMC delivered a smooth Classics/Generations esque figure that stands out. It’s worthy of my top spot of 2017 in the Third Party realm.
Runners up:
Fans Toys Grinder, Mastermind Creations Calidus, Fans Toys Phoenix, Fans Toys Terminus Giganticus
Onslaught24
I didn’t collect much third party this year, but what I did get really wowed me. However, nothing held a candle to Fans Toys Grinder. After slapping the reprolabel insignias on and attaching the G1 dino head, it looked like he jumped right out of the cartoon. Grinder held the position of “deskbot” the longest out of any third party figure (and possibly any figure in general) this year before going on the shelf. The figure is overflowing with expression and is imposing in all the right ways. He was one of the few purchases this year to break that cycle of “conveyor belt collecting” for me as I feel I was able to sit down and thoroughly enjoy him for as long as I needed. As usual, Fans Toys never ceases to improve, especially as they released their crowning Dibot to finish the team. While their other releases, Phoenix and Terminus Giganticus, were incredibly fun and major feats of engineering, TG’s size and Phoenix’s proportions/design hindered their poseability some, which is a huge criteria for me. Bottom line: Grinder is a show-stealer and really puts the “Masterpiece” in Masterpiece-inspired.
Fans Hobby Feilong, Fans Toys Phoenix, Fans Toys Terminus Giganticus, Mastermind Creations Cyclops (reissue), Robot Hero Durden/Barney
optimusfan
2017 was supposed to be a great year for Cosmos. Three different companies announced “masterpiece” Cosmos figures, and as the self-proclaimed #1 Cosmos fan I was PUMPED. Nothing was going to stop me from getting these figures. Space Racer came out first, and he was a very fun toy, and remains my favorite of the three to pick up and fiddle with. XTB Klaatu came out next, and dazzled with a build quality and design I haven’t seen in other XTB releases. And they made this happen.
MMC was last out of the gate with Omne, and at first glance I was in love. Great feel, proportions, and posability. Then he broke. And it happened to others. And then waists started exploding. So here we are nearly two months later and I don’t have replacement parts, though MMC is in contact now and promising to fix things. As a result this otherwise nice figure is going to be listed below the KMart Universe Cosmos KO’s I picked up for the time being to keep my dreams of an all-Cosmos list intact.
Top pick of the year is Klaatu. Good job Keith Fantasy.
Runners up: ToyWorld Space Racer, ToyWord Space Racer (clear), KMart Universe Cosmos KOs, Ocular Max Omne
ORIO
MMC Reformatted Kultur
MMC Reformatted Tyrantron
Now, before I gush over these interpretations of IDW’s most ruthless, I just want to point out that my 3rd party collecting has dwindled considerably. I don’t dip into the Masterpiece-alike figures too often and that is what currently dominates the 3rd party market. MMC scratches my itch for figures I can include in my Generations/Classics display. I just needed to preface that so I don’t seem bias. Kultur And Tyranotron rule. Plain and simple. These two figures aren’t overly complicated just for the sake of being difficult to transform. That in of itself, is why I continue to support their Reformatted line. What’s the point of having a really cool, expensive figure if you’re too afraid to transform it? They have nailed down that very basic and fundamental understanding of what makes transforming toys fun and Kultur and Tyranotron are both excellent examples of that. Take that, add in super fun features like Kultur’s removable magnetic mask that can be worn on Tyranotron’s chest, various weapon choices and easy to swap out heads and armor and my pants start to shrink.
Runners up:
MMC Reformatted Oberon, MMC Reformatted Titanika, MMC Reformatted Boreas, MMC Reformatted Turben
Razerwire
If you know me well, you’ll know about my pet peeve about Jetfire/Skyfire. I’ve always wanted a Skyfire toy since the first time I saw him on TV, but we never got him. All we got was Jetfire, which to me as a Macross fan, is never acceptable. But FT answered the bell and released a Skyfire that is superb. My one gripe with it is the lack of weapon storage in alt mode. Other than that, it easily wins 3P figure of the year for me. It has the size, the look, the transformation that’s perfectly satisfying and so on.
Runners up: MakeToys Contact Shot, MakeToys Downbeat, MMC Reformatted Kultur, Fans Toys Terminus Giganticus
Seawing
My third party figure collecting has diminished substantially since the third party manufacturers shifted their focus to the Masterpiece and Legends scales. As a collector of mainly CHUG style figures, especially combiners, my choices this year was pretty limited. That said, my top Third Party figure for 2017 is TFC Toys Thousandkills. I have always liked the charm and goofiness of G1 Tentakil’s squid-monster mode and he is one of my favorite Seacons. TFC Toys has done a great job on their Poseidon combiner with updated engineering and aesthetics while keeping the versatility of the G1 toy intact. Thousandkills looks menacing in robot mode with the nasty scowl on his face, piercing yellow light-piped eyes, and is armed literally with eight posable tentacles—which are ready to crush you! And in his beastly sea monster mode, his monstrous face is even creepier and more vicious than the G1 toy. Plus there are added extensions to the tentacles to extend his reach. His limb modes do a great job as limbs but the tentacles do get in the way and some of the segments should be removed to make them more manageable. He does have a gun mode just like the G1 toy and it looks good but seems to be a little heavy and I wonder if the weight puts too much stress on the included plastic stands and if it will fail over time. The build quality and paint are top notch and thus the figure feels heavy and good in your hand; just watch out for the sharp bits—which are everywhere. Whether buying him as a one-off for your collection or to complete your Poseidon gestalt, TFC toys did a great job with this figure in keeping the versatility of the G1 toy intact while updating its aesthetics, engineering and build quality.
Runners up: Perfect Effect PC-16, TFC Toys Trinity Force Red Knight
Smashs
Unique Toys RT-01 Peru Kill aka AOE Lockdown
I don’t even know how to begin to explain the black magic UT conjured up to make this happen. AOE/TLK figures are not supposed to be possible with such accuracy in both modes. This has me extremely excited for the new 3P movie figures coming soon.
Runner’s up – Fans Toys Phoenix, Fans Toys Koot, Fans Toys Apache, Fans Toys Terminus Gigantus
Superquad7
This has been a stellar year for 3rd party figure offerings – so much, in fact, that I’m not able to keep up as I’d like. I’d wanted this figure ever since we’d seen the first photos, but I didn’t think that I’d be able to swing at it just due to the price. Well, things worked out for me, and I was able to pull this figure in as my main Christmas gift! I was a bit nervous, as I wasn’t for sure if it would live up to the anticipation I’d had for it.
I’m glad I was wrong.
This figure is just straight up awesome. Of course, the sheer size of this thing is the dominant characteristic of the thing. This figure is a testament of just where the 3rd party arena has arrived now. However, this figure is strong in being a fun toy. The transformation is engaging – it’s not to fiddly or finicky, as some 3rd party figures tend to be, and it’s not so involved that it’s a time-sucker just to go from mode to mode. It totally captures the character it represents, both in aesthetic and playability. In short, it’s everything I’d ever want in an Masterpiece Omega Supreme.
Runners up: MakeToys Contact Shot, X-Transbots Klaatu, Fans Toys Phoenix, Fans Toys Grinder
Vangelus
This year I’ve decided to highlight the unofficial toy that made me think the most, rather than the simple task of picking the one I liked best. Most of my top favs are already being highlighted by fellow staff, and I’ll list off a few down below. But Bold Forms Gladius is a piece that epitomizes exploration of concept to my current path of thinking more about this hobby that I still enjoy. Obviously, the figure has a long and storied development history, spearheaded by a team of (I think) literally one guy, and it shows. For better and for worse, Gladius is bursting with the energy of a one-man passion project, from the extremely specific decisions and solutions in its engineering, to the “listen I’m sitting down with you to tell you how my thing works” tone of the instruction manual, which goes into meticulous detail about some concepts and then blows past others as it runs into an apparent budget wall for its page-count. Gladius is riddled with flaws, but just as riddled with intrigue and outright sparks of genius. In a market where poor releases often fall into the two buckets of “too fragile” or “too complicated”, Gladius remains a piece I wouldn’t recommend to most people, but that I am extremely pleased to own and inspect. It is a transforming toy filled with small victories and critical faults, whose very existence and engineering tell the compelling story of a designer who I hope and pray can get one more chance to make a thing that he wants to make. (Maybe with one or two more core design team members to challenge and riff ideas against.)
Runners up:
MMC Kultur (Still the strongest MMC release to date, for the sheer combination of smooth transformation, solid silhouettes, and delicious handfeel)
UT Peru Kill (A toy with borderline magical transformation design that never forgets to stay smooth and unfrustrating)
MakeToys Galaxy Meteor (Slick and pleasant high-end transforming toy experience ladled lovingly onto frigging Galaxy Force, in the kind of release I didn’t think this G1 Whale marketplace would allow)
Iron Factory Seekers & Coneheads (Iron Factory rides the line of a chunk aesthetic just right, to allow these articulated jetbots with waist joints! to have a transformation that takes just long enough to make me smile)
AspiringCreator
Late entry into this, I know but I just have to express that I do genuinely like the mindset Vangelus had when he picked Gladius. He acknowledged the toy is flawed and with how it is seemingly worded, it\'s clear he doesn\'t exactly think he is amazing but that the figure shows such promise and is brimming with so much passion that there is a desire to see this man get another shot and really? I don\'t blame him since while the toy is flawed? Gladius has many elements to like. It\'s clear love went into the transformation, the design itself for a Megatron is cool in all three modes and it\'s obviously not trying to fill any voids in collections so much as he\'s just trying to be a cool toy. It\'s just the budget, lack of a team and far more really held this guy back.
edgs2099
Of course it doesn't "mean anything". Staff = Just people = opinions like everyone else. I guarantee that no matter how many break or are cracked out of the box, OM – Omni is someone's figure of the year. I mean, I agree Gladius is a shit toy, but someone picked it as a best of 2017.
xueyue2
Fanstoys Sovereign didn't get a nod
DX9 Richthofen didn't get any love…
And Bold Forms Gladius, this floopy mess is 2017 Third Party Staff Picks?
Make me really wonder if this "staff picks" means anything ….
Chiller
No love for DX9 Richthofen??
For me, best 3P of the year is a toss up between Richthofen and Klaatu.
Liege Prime
Peru Kill was designed before Takara even really had their MPM line going. It was just a company who wanted an accurate figure when there was none. But okay, he might fit in now with the MPM line, but still I would be surprised if Takara could make a better Galvatron than Sovereign. It's something I will have to see to believe, but I hated the engineering on Megatron, being just not a joy at all to transform and therefore stays in bot mode. So I don't think they guarantee better engineering. I also don't think Takara Shockwave beat out the third party competition. But hey, if they did make a better Galvatron, than nobody loses so that's good. For now though, I think Sovereign should be recognized as a damn good figure. Of course, if the staff didn't want to pick him than I am absolutely fine with that as it's their choices. Still surprised though.
BIOMEC
But Peru Kill is an MP styled figure… And Sovereign is quite good I think the robot mode is spot on… But TT would beat Sovereign… No doubt about it… And not by adding "dead weight", but by designing it with an outstanding engineering!
Liege Prime
The thing about Sovereign is, even if there is an official version, I don't see it beating out Sovereign. Takara's two more recent G1 MP offerings have also been complex with the transformation and there is no way Takara would make a heftier figure. And the heft does NOT come at the cost of articulation or detail in either mode. The alt mode is about what I expect, but honestly Galvatron as a character has never had an amazing alt mode.
That being said, I think both this year and last, the staff leaned away from MP style 3rd party bots. Some did include Phoenix, Grinder, and Gigantus, but otherwise went for more original designs. I sort of get it, if that's your thing, but surprised the whole staff just happened to lean that way.
Smashs
Sovereign was 2017? I could swear he was 2016.
Either way, if he was he\'d be in my runner up section. He\'s incredible.
86mcss
i hear what you're saying about masterpiece. i went to legends scales for my gotta catch them all line. i love what dx9 is doing with their war in pocket and i have dozens upon dozens on hasbro legends figures. they all look great at the feet of my metroplex and fort max.
86mcss
i thought his transformation was satisfying and not difficult at all. not bashing anyone's list, just thought it was amazing not one single person picked him.
divinecomedy
I don't like complexity either especially with no reason, but Kultur is overly simple. And of course it's really what price am I paying for it? I actually should have little complain since I literally got paid to own it. Sold the first release for 375, and rebought at 120 shipped.
LazyAza
Many people don't view complexity as a mandatory trait of a transformer being regarded as great. I've certainly got all time favorites of all varieties and the average collector tends to prefer figures that are as straight forward to handle as possible, clever engineering needn't be relegated exclusively to toys that "do the most" as it were. You need only look at Jizai's amazing work he did for Fansproject to see that in action.
Heck I still would put G2 Hooligan on my top 50 tf's of all time and he's literally just nine ball joints and a three step transformation.
Jakedc1997
I was expecting a lot more talk of Calidus. As that and Kultur seemed to be the most talked about figures, that had nothing but praise.
YukatanJack
Like a lot of others, I'm shocked Fanstoys Sovereign didn't get a nod — it's my figure of the year. Maketoys Downbeat also got snubbed, and that was a toy I utterly adored. But it seems like the staff as a whole was pretty down on MP-alikes, which is probably why those two gems didn't get mentioned.
I am pleased to see the outpouring of love for Kultur though. What a great toy. (And one I've not see crop up on a lot of End-of-year Top-10 lists.)
divinecomedy
All these picks tell me that the staff likes either simple or clever transformation. I don't get people's hard on Kultur, but yes transformation scheme does matter.
Splendic
As a Sovereign owner, I think his alt mode doesn't look great and the transformation is really intimidating for a lot of people. Amazing heft and bot mode, but that doesn't make a toy of the year, IMO.
Teepo
@Seawing listed PC-16 as his first runner-up
Unicron9
I don\'t remember if Rioter Despotron was 2017 or the year before, but if he was 2017 I\'d have to say he was my 3P favorite. If not, Peru kill.
Really though, I think despite what my personal fav might be, Peru Kill was the most impressive 3P figure I know of from 2017. I don\'t have a single movie figure but I got him after seeing reviews just to see the magic in my own hands. It delivered and then some. Just an awesome job by Unique Toys on that one.
I sold it after doing some custom work to it because he has no place in my collection, but it is one hell of a well done figure.
Roadbuster25
Kultur fell flat for me. I wanted more from the transformation and wish it had more heft to the figure. Also I wish the fusion canons were more compact in bot mode.
myrrh
…nice spectrum of opinions, especially the bold choice of naming gladius 3P figure of the year, but in a field otherwise dominated by flagship offerings i’m disappointed to see no mention of PC-16 jinrai…