First up on the list of Core Class people is Rumble. Yes, this guy is better then the Siege Micromaster, especially since he has a pair of piledrivers and guns. But that being said, the way Hasbro handled this guy is pretty weird with the way Hasbro handled the humanoid Deployers. Firstz we get them as being stumpy and limited in engineering. Then we get Eject (and later, Rewind) with elbows and clear plastic. Now we have this guy who has accessories and we revert to no elbows despite having the same points of articulation that Eject has. To his credit, we get a proper cartoon deco for Rumble being lavender and light blue instead of normal blue and black or the toy-accurate red and black.
After that, we got Laserbeak. Everyone flipped their shit over the existence of this guy while forgetting that Laserbeak did indeed turn into a pink Bumblebee. That's what jerking off to the various MP & Legends scale G1 Primes does to them! Anyways, apart from the excitement of a mainline version of the disguise, this figure okay at best. I like that he has more articulation than the other Legends figures in addition to the doors and cannon being new for this guy. On the other hand, the arms look worse than the flat door arms of the older Legends figure as well as the very weak chest connection. I'm sure none of these issues will be fixed for the proper Bumblebee recolor, which sucks since this could have been a major slam dunk.
And now we have Wheelie. I did not get the Titans Return version, so was this guy pretty much a must-buy? Well, maybe if you got him in stores rather than buy on on eBay (though TBF I got other stuff for cheap). This guy's alt mode probably won't be as cool as the TR or Universe versions, but the transformation is neat and the robot mode definitely is accurate. I also like his little slingshot. He's definitely going to replace that static figurine that came with SS86 Grimlock back in 2021. Sucks that he has to deal with that junk in the trunk.
Ravage shows up next as a required chest filler for poor Soundwave. He's greatly articulated and has a nice amount of paint apps and sculpted details. I His accessories work generally well, though the part that would go on his back is easy to lose, and that missile looks wrong underneath his body. So yeah, Ravage is pretty much Soundwave DLC, and I can see why one fan on YouTube found it ridiculous that we'd pay $10 for a Deluxe back in 2010 and the same price today for a Core Class figure...this economy sucks dick.
The sole human in the Core Class line, Exo-Suit Spike manages to be better than his MP counterpart thanks to his lack of poor tolerances and an easier level of engineering to make him much more tolerable by comparison. I like that he comes with his own effect pieces to serve as either boosts or blasts, and the head, while missing some paint, is at least able to turn left and right. A surprising addition to the line and a great addition to any collection.
If you thought there'd be a pattern of 86-LiveAction-86-LiveAction in this part of the tier list, think again because in second place it's Ratchet! Not a perfect figure, what with the odd proportions and the way the ball joints feel a little sticky when you try to straighten the limbs, but still a great release all around thanks to his transformation and robot mode feeling more complete than that Earthrise release. He's also in scale with Ironhide in the same line like in that one episode, so expect an inevitable role reversal where we get Voyager Ratchet and Core Class Ironhide.
And in first place is Shockwave, the only Decepticon in the Bumblebee movie to NOT have a larger-scale figure. This guy is basically the Prime version with the crab tank and leg transformation, but the arms this time become the back as opposed to the backpack, which makes sense given how the design works. I like that he's a tank as opposed to a submarine that's an upside-down gun, which I value Hasbro for avoiding. He could really use a larger toy, and that's coming from someone that hated the Bumblebee movie!
Now let's cover the main live-action Studio Series characters, starting with Soundwave as he appeared in the Bumblebee movie. This guy kind of sucks lol. Like yeah, the design is accurate to the movie, but I'll be real with you and say the design sucks because of how the proportions work and how sad the visor looks on him. And the figure itself is pretty laughable. Articulation's fine and the transformation is serviceable, but the alt mode is pathetic. I don't want to hear people say that the alt modes of Cybertronian characters in the previous movies, especially since they're meant to be alien, were made from the ground up, and aren't a case where they try to force in a new mode on a Geewun design.
And here we now have Thundercracker from the same movie. I'm surprised Hasbro hasn't done a bazillion Seeker repaints for the Studio Series line as they did with Siege and Earthrise. Same strengths and weaknesses as with Starscream and Thrust, though TC thankfully doesn't have any loose joints and doesn't make the transformation all that annoying. That being said, his nosecone is slightly warped out of the box. I do at least appreciate that he has gunmetal gray plastic to stand out from Thrustcream.
And we complete the Bumblebee trilogy (no not that one) with the Dark of the Moon version of the character. It's cool to see a more accurate take on the redesign since the original Deluxe didn't quite nail the look, though I will admit this guy has a few issues. I did grow to like the figure more and more, but this figure has new problems stemming from the mismatched plastic and paint around the doors as well as there being some missing paint apps, like the Autobot insignia. And the retooled hood does clash with the doors and wheel kibble, but otherwise, this is a strong figure that you should go get if it's discounted.
Crosshairs takes up the next ranking, being a massive improvement from the TLK Deluxe while having some new problems of his own. The vehicle mode and especially the robot mode look much better, and the fact that the wheels are pinned on and roll well makes me very happy! Sadly, some of the problems that the figure has, such as the removable spoiler, the weak gun storage, and the limited shoulder movement, do keep him from being perfect, but one baffling thing is the removal of paint apps from the legs. Otherwise, he's cool overall.
Ironhide/Ratchet are next on the list, and we get some pretty solid molds out of the duo. Their robot modes being the same like in G1 sucks, but that's expected for them to be screen-accurate, but I like how they transform into pretty cool military vehicles that remind me of the mobile cars from Armageddon, the Michael Bay movie. They do have some problems outside of my preference of depiction for the two, such as the shoulders as well as the feet being skinny while Ironhide's hips are red instead of matching the waist or lower thighs, but they're both otherwise great additions to the line
Galvatron is next on the list, and while he may seem initially scrappy at first glance, he actually grew on me as time went along. Yes, the robot mode is proportioned weirdly and the truck mode has kibble on the back, both of which are not issues for the original version, but to the credit of this new figure, it has a more creative transformation, a better-painted robot mode, the inclusion of a waist swivel, and no shellforming in sight. I'm quite surprised Hasbro made a Galvatron before we got either of Prime's forms in Age of Extinction. We'll see if they'll deliver on that front...
Wheeljack received a lot of attention of late, what with his nerdy redesign making Geewunners and Beewunners cry over how the character looks in ROTB, so here is proof that the BB movie design of Jackie still exists! This guy is not too shabby, even though there are a few issues I do have with him. The vehicle mode looks pretty successful as an original concept not seen in the film. Transformation is also interesting since it's not 1:1 with the G1 approach, though the feet being on 2 ball joints makes it a little harder to pose. Robot mode's accurate to the way it looks, though the ridges of the mouthplate look like an actual mouth. Honestly, the biggest issue is that the right arm doesn't peg in thanks to the tolerances of the slot from the back portion of where the rear wheel is. Seeing this and the yet-to-be-released ROTB Deluxe remind me we're still missing Que!
Sideways finally pops up after ROTF turned 10, and he's undoubtedly a worthy entry for those who were itching for a Decepticar. I love the silver paint apps to help it pop in both modes, as well as the figure being much closer to the intended proportions of the design. I even have to commend HasTak for giving him a gun from the PS2/Wii game of all sources! The biggest issue comes from how small the legs feel next to his upperbody, but that extends to the loose ankles with ball joints that should be tighter. Still, a figure worth getting if you ask me.
Brawn was my favorite out of the first wave of Beewun Autobots, with him not being based on an existing character (aside from the ROTF toy), meaning he doesn't come off as slavish as the others! His design is positively reminiscent of a Ninja Turtle, from the proportions to the color scheme; the hip joints feel robust, the altmode is creative, the only major issues I have are the hole on the back of his altmode and the shoulder joints feeling less robust than the hips. Otherwise, this guy rules.
NEST repaints were a weird concept at first, but then I realized that it'd mean getting older figures and repurposing them as NEST vehicles. Also nice to see it being Offroad Bumblebee this time around, after seeing only the crappy Cliffjumper/B-127 tooling. The inclusion of a Sam minifig makes things funny for continuity, though he looks a little oversized next to the seats? Euther eay, a cool figure in a deco that weirdly fits.
I initially hated Arcee's look in the Bumblebee movie for yet another case of an established character getting the Geewun redesign. Seeing it look different from Rise of the Beasts made me value it more, but this toy did make me appreciate its Beewun appearance somewhat with the way it chooses to make her a motorcycle rather than a car. It's a very interesting design, with it having the typical Troncycle look with a hint of Bat-Pod badassery from The Dark Knight trilogy (even if the guns are in the back than the front). Her transformation is also different thanks to the front becoming the legs while the back becomes the upper body, a rarity for motorcycle formers. The best part about it? The skating wheels add a bit of versatility for her, which is reminiscent of ROTF Sideswipe and makes for a better way to remain mobile while in a slower robot mode (when compared to her altmode) without looking like that ROTF design.
In second place, we have the infamous French boi himself, Hot Rod. We previously had him as a retool of WWII Hot Rod, which wasn't that great. There was a prototype that was seemingly meant to be this guy, but it appeared to be either held back or canceled for a long time. Thankfully, we have a new mold that better captures the character design in a way that was not done with the other iterations of the character. With leaner proportions, door wings, a proper hood chest, and the wheels on the arms, this is a massive piece of victory! He even comes with the Time Gun! Sure, he's not perfect thanks to the somewhat-overcomplicated transformation and the ball joints popping off the hips, but he's the best we're going to get with this character since I doubt we'll ever get a Masterpiece figure of this guy.
And in first place is none other than a certain Transformer who'd rise again, and it's The Fallen! After having no new toy since 2010's HFTD retool of the ROTF Voyager, this guy makes it to the top with a superior toy that is accurate in terms of design, color scheme, and even including new engineering traits that hadn't been done before, like the arm tendrils that connect from the back to complete his alien look. His mask is removable while his jaw is articulated, and even if his altmode and transformation are more or less the same as before, I do at least value the latter for aiming to look more alien outside of the exposed hands. I mind of doubt it, but I hope we get the other Dinobots from AOE, especially if the G1 crew is almost done.
Now it's time for the SS86 people! A lot less to talk about since there wasn't as much of a presence for these slaggers, but I don't mind so much. Outside of the Core Class, half of these guys are new molds while another half of them are repaints/retools.
In last place is the Sweep, who is basically Scourge with brighter shades to apparently match the old Scourge toy. He is more or less the same as the original Scourge figure but with mirrored hands.
Perceptor is definitely the closest to the G1 cartoon, but I don't think that necessarily makes him a top tier figure. He's okay at best. But he feels pretty plain. He has the colors and design traits but is otherwise uninteresting. He can turn into a tank thing. Cool, right? Idk, he comes off as only the type of figure PrimeVsPrime would say is "THE BEST VERSION OF SO AND SO FROM HASBRO AND TAKARA TOMY!"
Arcee genuinely surprised me as she is not a slightly better painted Earthrise figure but instead a retool of Thrilling 30 Arcee! She may look the same, but I have to commend Hasbro for not only using the colors of the Legends version, which I own, but also give her better proportions in addition to the new waist swivel and ankle rockers. Now let this be the last time I have to buy an Arcee figure until the next Generations reboot for the 45th anniversary.
Coronationscream was a figure I had no interest in at first until I received a discount for it. $35 bucks for a Leader Class figure that's basically a literal Voyager with benefits?! SIGN ME UP!!!!!! Anyways, the toy itself is pretty much nearly the same as the original Voyager, only with slightly different paint apps and articulated hands. To its credit, the shoulder pads, extra null-rays, cape, crown, and throne make for neat additions, though Starscream is less Leader Class and more like a Marvel Legends Deluxe figure.
Ironhide is another iteration of the character in G1 form, with the first two belonging to the WFC trilogy. I can see why he'd be the best version of the character, though it is a case of Hasbro boasting extra engineering and claiming it's deserving of being a Voyager. Yeah, he's got a more complex transformation on top of a more filled-in robot mode, but can we PLEASE stop trying to market smaller than usual figures as Voyagers just because he had a few more steps than his Earthrise counterpart? I also want this to be the last G1 Ironhide ever until Hasbro decides to make another reboot in 2029...I'll probably stop collecting Transformers by that point!
Cliffjumper is in third place probably because I appreciate this mold being a little easier to justify than Ironhide at retail price. Apart from the Allspark Power windows, this guy's better limb coloration won me over more than I initially expected! It makes me wish the Earthrise version had these limbs, and IDK If it's possible to part swap somehow. I liked regular CJ already, and this guy makes for a neat bonus. I wouldn't mind if Bumblebee had a similar treatment if we get his VW tooling again.
Junkheap has not only the second place position but also includes a surprising amount of retooling for a background character. With more than a head swap, the chest, upper feet, lower arms, and even the gas tanks getting a similar treatment. His face is weirdly Shrek-esque (Shresque?), and I dig the inclusion of the two guardplates on the forearms, even if the wheels being on both legs means he may have a little less practicality.
And the number 1 spot for best SS86 figure goes to Sludge, but only by default. The Dinobots get a good amount of praise for being pretty definitive and more complete than the Masterpiece line ever would, yet I can't help but feel this guy is the weakest one yet. His wing kibble feels a bit loose, the hips were very loose (which TFWiki interestingly mentioned before erasing the edit), and his Dinomode probably feels a little smaller than usual. He also doesn't have a minifigure, but at least trade it in for a sword, damnit! I hope Snarl will be better.
And that wraps up the Studio Series offerings of 2022! Certainly nice to see more attention given to the proper Bayverse after a heavy bias towards the 1986 movie, and at least most of the Beewun figures we got were pretty good. The inclusion of Core Class characters does give me hope for some additional characters to pop up (just don't pull a Rumble), and Rise of the Beasts will give us some long-overdue hype for a new Transformers film.
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