I'll honestly admit it. I did not expect 2010 to be that strong of a year compared to 2009. Well I was completely wrong there. After living and breathing the Transformers lifestyle for the past 12 months, it feels like Transformers has gained a new level of popularity, and another level of excellence. 2011 brings mystique and new horizons. Yet if it's anything like 2010, then we are certainly in for one heck of a ride.
Can you believe it? We're about to enter the 27th year of the Transformers franchise! While franchises have become defunct, or have fallen off the face of the Earth, we have stood strong together. Certainly it hasn't always been pretty, take the transition from Generation One to Beast Wars, or the split-opinion on Michael Bay's Live-Action films as examples. However as a long-time fan and member of this site, as long as Transformers continues to be what it is - the heroic Optimus Prime fighting against all odds, or that joy you get when you open up toy packaging - then every year will be a great one.
Before we embark into 2011, I think it's suitable that we celebrate 2010. With that notion, I have the help of nine of my fellow staff members - Burn, Counterpunch, Dead Metal, Delicon, DevastaTTor, Diem, Mach, and Razorclaw0000. Before you get to know their Transformers tastes, let's get to know a little bit more about the people who help maintain Seibertron.com and assist this wonderful community!
- I'm Blurrz, from the land they call Canada. Armada crazed, and you don't need to guess who my favorite Transformer is.
- Burn is here to give us his "disgruntled" "I-like-my-TF's-as-bricks" opinion. We're not actually sure what he does on the staff though!
- Counterpunch has a knack of making other people buy Transformers. He also keeps the forums safe with burning justice, or was that Punch?
- Dead Metal is crazy, from Germany, and he helps out the news crew while most of us are fast asleep. Did I mention he's crazy?
- Delicon is a humble Transformers fan from the Northeast United States. He keeps the news up and running.
- DevastaTTor has this addiction to collect transforming plastic toys. You might have heard of it.
- Diem spent most of the year in Takara territory, and made his way back to the US later on. He got married this year, so congratulations!
- Mach keeps the news looking mighty fine from Singapore. He's an Optimus Prime fanatic, he probably has more blue and red trucks than you!
- Razorclaw0000 is a big contributer on the News Crew, and still has the time to maintain one of the most comprehensive Mini-con collections in the world!
Now that you know a little more about the staff, here's how we're going to reflect on 2010. We're each picking our favorite candidate for the following categories listed below. If you are interested in one of our many different selections, links will be provided to galleries of the featured toys so you can follow along!
The Transformers Figure of the Year
Favorite Toy Line of 2010
Favorite Transformers: Generations Figure
Favorite Power Core Combiners Figure
Favorite 2010 Movie Line Figure
Favorite 2010 Animated Figure
Favorite 2010 BotCon Exclusive Figure
Favorite 2010 Non-BotCon Exclusive Figure
Favorite 2010 Third Party Figure
Favorite Transformers-Related Moment of 2010
What you are looking forward to with Transformers in 2011So hide your Starscreams, hide your Bumblebees, and hide your Megatrons, 'cause they are certainly going to be jealous when they look at our selections. 2010, through the eyes of the staff of Seibertron.com. Enjoy!
The Transformers Figure of the Year
Dozens of toylines, hundreds of new figures, numerous repaints, and jaw-dropping exclusives! Yet only one figure can remain on top of the scrap heap and claim the title of 'Figure of the Year!'. The majority of us went movie-verse or Generations, while DevastaTTor went with a product from the most respected third party.
N.E.S.T. Alliance Voyager Bludgeon
Blurrz: Look at your hands. Now look at my hands. Back to your hands, what are my hands holding that yours are not? It’s one of the best sculpted figures known to man, a plastic figure assembled in factories overseas. How do you get this figure in your hands? You walk to your toy shelf and pick it up, and if it’s not on your toy shelf, you order it right now from one of our site sponsors. Now look at my hands, Bludgeon is now diamonds. Anything is possible when you’re a staff member of Seibertron.com. I’m on a harrier jet.
Diem: Way back in
the best thread ever written I said this about Bludgeon:
some awesome dude wrote:Sometimes, you transform a figure just once and know it's going to be one of the figures of the year, if not the figure of the year. Universe Cyclonus, Alternity Convoy, ROTF Prime, Universe Onslaught, Universe Jetfire and Masterpiece Convoy have all been in the running in recent years, but ROTF Bludgeon may well be the one of the moment. His tank mode, though unspectacular is heavily-armed and realistic, his robot mode plays around with the whole skeletal samurai theme well, and he has tons of fun features, such as his two swords and his glorious unfolding wakizashi holster/sheath. Done.
There have been a lot of great figures this year but I stand by what I said. I'm the exact opposite of a Marvel Comics fan but this figure impressed me utterly.
Hunt For The Decepticons Leader Starscream/
Movie Masterpiece-01 Starscream
Counterpunch: This figure is absolutely amazing. Rarely do I pick a figure for this kind of thing due to the engineering involved in of itself, however, HFTD Starscream is above and beyond awesome. For the first time in three years we have an appropriately large, intricate, and posable Starscream (with hands!). Many times when you can speak the praises of a toy's alt mode or robot mode you at the same time must concede some fault in the other mode to compensate for the bonuses of the other. In this instance, there is none of that. Starscream has almost everything you might want in a robot mode with a large, detailed, jet mode with a well done undercarriage. Did I mention that his transformation is fun? All this for $45 is a steal. Best ask your mom for this one for the holidays if you haven't got one already.
Dead Metal: Wow this is a brilliant figure, the sculpt is brilliant. The detail in the mould itself is just great and the paint job just improves it. All this makes this the most accurate and articulated figure of Movie Starscream yet, maybe even ever. This is just a brilliant way of starting a new sub-line.
FansProject Crossfire 02B Combat Unit Munitioner "Swindle"
DevastaTTor: I love this figure. It's just so cool and epitomized all a really good, modern Transformer should be: looks like a real vehicle, is well made, is fun to pose and display, and accurately depicts an updated version of its original character. And the fact that it came from a third-party toy maker is simply amazing, especially when you factor in the huge improvement functionality it makes to the Energon/ROTF Bruticus Maximus gestalt. Sure, it was expensive when you consider that he's no bigger than a scout. But to me, he's just such a great figure and is totally worth every penny. Bonus: the packaging is also really well done too which further illustrates the huge gap between Fansproject and all the other 3P toy makers in the market today. Did I mention I love this figure?
Receiving honorable mention: HFTD/MPM Leader Starscream, HFTD Voyager Bludgeon, and RTS Deluxe Jazz
Generations Red Alert
Delicon: Of all the original G1 figures, Red Alert was actually my favorite. I didn't own him, but a friend did and I actually would go out of my way to go over to his house just to play with that figure. When the Henkei version of Red Alert hit last year, I made sure I had him on pre-order but I'll be honest, I was more than a little let down. I couldn't even tell you why, but the figure just didn't do it for me. Generations Red Alert on the other hand is awesomesauce. I know some may prefer the more cartoon accurate head of the Henkei version, but the Generations rendition to me just takes me a lot more back in time to 1985 and the original G1 toy release. I'll even go so far as to say that it's my favorite version of that mold, which is saying something considering the competition there.
Hunt For The Decepticons Deluxe Ironhide/
Scout Breacher
Burn: Honestly, there's been nothing really stand out this year for me. In fact, I can barely remember most of the year anyway. But these two guys actually sat on my table for a fair while. For a figure to actually sit on my table right in front of me, they either have to be bloody big (Unicron, Primus, Darth Vader), need propping up to stop from falling down (anything PCC) or are actually good figures. These two fall in to the final category. To me, what makes a good TF, is they have to be solid. Both Ironhide and Breacher are solid little figures. Both have pretty good poseability, and the clincher for me is, they both look like they won't take crap from anyone.
Family Mart Lucky Draw Clear Leader Optimus Prime
Mach: Crystal clear toys are usually exclusive toys from Takara Tomy. Some people like it, Some people don't. Personally I like it a lot, and add to the fact that this is Optimus Prime, and he's crystal clear, I can't be anymore happy. However, I thought that the ROTF Optimus Prime figure would be impossible to do in crystal clear form, however Takara proved that I am wrong. How gorgeous this figure has turned out to be!
Favorite Toy Line of 2010
Hasbro gave us Reveal The Shield, Generations, TRU Animated exclusives, N.E.S.T. Alliance, Hunt for the Decepticons, FunPub's Timelines and Power Core Combiners. Takara piled it on with the 2010 Celebration line, Autobot Alliance, Animated, Device Label, and Alternity. Your wallet took a big hit, and if your spouse stayed sane, we commend you. DevastaTTor, Dead Metal, Delicon, Mach and I took the safe pick, Diem went Japanese, Razorclaw0000 went with elusive exclusives, and I think both Burn and Counterpunch are out of their minds!
Generations 
Blurrz: Before it’s time some called it Classics 3.0 or the War For Cybertron toyline. I simply thought “thank goodness for something other than the movie aesthetic”. Every wave is a blockbuster, every figure is a masterpiece. Among my favourites of Blurr and Drift, Generations offers Thrust and Dirge to collectors who might have missed out on Henkei and probably missed out on the 2007 BotCon set. Here’s to wishful thinking for more War For Cybertron figures!
DevastaTTor: While most of us were pretty excited as the news from Hasbro and TT started coming out about these lines, I don't think we could have ever predicted that we'd get so many characters we've been begging for: Kup, Wreckgar, Jazz, Scourge, Tracks, Wheeljack, Frenzy/Rumble, Grapple, Perceptor, etc. Now all we have to do is find a way to pay for all this goodness!
Dead Metal: So classics is back, now under the banner of Generations and what's the census? Well it's full of characters from different continuities and even features a few repaints from earlier lines. But oh boy, does this line blow me away! So far it's just deluxe class figures, but these are some of the finest deluxe sized figures ever, the detailing is great, the engineering is superb, the paint is of a higher quality than the previous two years, and the character choices – Awesome! Straxus (Darkmount)? Blurr? Thunderwing? Wow if this is just a taste of what's to come in the future, I can't wait! And also every repaint has at least a new head, well save for Thrust and Dirge who are Hasbro releases of the Henkei Gentei moulds – and they are AWESOME!
Delicon: Back when I was in elementary school, I never would have guessed that in 2010 I'd still be in the toy department looking for Transformers but lines like Generations and of course its forerunners Classics and Universe have me doing just that. Sure, there are some nice figs from the other lines but seeing fresh versions of the characters I have loved for oh, a quarter century or so definitely has the kid in me jumping for joy.
Mach: The Generation One cartoon and characters have always had a place in my heart. So Transformers Generations/Reveal The Shield/TF United is a dream come true for us to get updated versions of many G1 characters!
Power Core Combiners
Counterpunch: Power Core Combiners have trolled the fandom in a way that is all too much fun. Are Generations, the 2010 Celebration Line, and Alternity lines just out and out better toys? Of course. PCC is my favorite of the year because of the audacity in doing things that fans “just hate”. One of the better things about the PCC line is that it has inspired so much discussion lately (and I don't mean the naming thing). You know...the toys are actually kind of fun too, once you get past the first wave's bad quality.
Timelines 
Razorclaw0000: FunPub knocked it out of the park this year! Between the spectacular G2 Redux BotCon toys, the ambitious (albeit head-shrunk) Punch/Counterpunch, and the surprisingly great Dion, there has been little to not love this year. The main G2 Redux box set gave us the excellent Clench and Spark, as well as a self-referential nod to G2 Breakdown. It also gave us a majestic Sky-Byte homage, and a nod to a Operation Combination character that never made it to the US. The souvenir sets were great, too, with my personal favorite, Double Punch. The other figures, including an SG Ravage and the under appreciated Cindersaur and Slice, were all clever and fun homages. Finally the year capped off with the controversial and wicked cool G2 Sideswipe.
Alternity
Diem: 11 figures. 4 molds. 1 totally end-of-Webworld-insane storyline. Alternity sadly had to hit the ground running outside of Japan. While Americans enjoyed big houses and $9 Deluxes we in Japan were stuck with Micromaster-sized apartments and regular figures more than twice the price of their USA counterparts. For the Japanese these smaller, incredibly intricate, highly detailed figures were perfect for salarymen with high incomes and rooms so small they had to sleep in an L-shape.
Kabaya Transformers Gum Box
Burn: Yeah i'm throwing this one in from left field. A little and practically obscure line from Japan. These guys came in little boxes and you had to assemble them, then add a lot of decals to make them look good. They also came with candy! To transform them you even had to partially disassemble them, oh and they have about as much articulation as a G1 figure. But they're bloody awesome because they're something different. What makes them even more fun, is that they're great for customising, and the perfect sort of line for those looking to get into customising. Keep an eye out for Wave 3 next year!
Favorite Transformers: Generations Figure
Continuing Classics and Universe, there was no doubt that this line would be the favorite among the Transformers Community. Headlined by characters from the video game War For Cybertron and from comics new(Drift) and old(Straxus), the line was a huge hit. It also gave fans a go at Thrust and Dirge, both coneheads being exclusive in their previous two releases. Not going to put you, the reader, on the spot but if you don't have a toy from this line, then get under your rock and get with the program!
Drift
Diem: Proof that you don't need a good character to make a good figure, this toy garnered about as much love as the character's existence got hate. With a literally unique transformation, no fewer than three swords and some gratuitous kanji, this figure belongs in anyone's collection.
DevastaTTor: I am prepared to be nailed to the cross for this selection. Yes, I am aware that so many people in the TF fandom hate Drift the character-and I can completely see why. However, Drift the figure was so much better than I thought it was going to be and is really fun to display and pose. Sure, the floppy sword is a bit of a downer. And yes, the paint job is a bit bland for some peoples' tastes. But with no less than three blades available to him, a decent alt mode, and great articulation, it's a really great figure overall. Maybe he should be "Pleasant surprise figure of the year".
Darkmount (Straxus)
Counterpunch: I like this toy, particularly his transformation. I like his bulk, his color scheme, and the range of motion in his arms. In some ways, Straxus breaks certain conventions about what characters and toys are in the realm of possibility. One thing I particularly like about this figure, is that a whole new generation of fans is now looking back into TF history to learn about who or why this character is important enough to get a new Classics style toy.
Razorclaw0000: A showcase of the 3mm clip system, Straxus-come-Darkmount is one of the most intriguing figures to come out of Hasbro/TakaraTomy in a long time. The transformation is elegant and interesting. His weapons are excellent. The head sculpt is great. He's a comic-only character given life for the first time. This guy is one hundred percent fan-wanking at it's finest.
Blurr
Blurrz: I simply feel blessed with the ever abundance of Blurr figures the past few years. Shattered Glass in ’08, Animated in ’09 and now Generations. Blurr’s similarity with Drift in All Hail Megatron is obvious, and when Drift’s toy was first announced I just knew the Blurr was coming. When I first got Drift`s figure, it blew me away, and the same feeling occurred when I opened Blurr. Among everything else great with the toy, they decided to outfit him with two of my favourite military weapons. Clearly Hasbro’s trying to please Seibertron.com celebrities, with Counterpunch for Counterpunch, and this figure now for yours truly. Expect a transforming Seibertron in 2011.
Burn: What i'm about to say will probably never see the light of day because of who's putting this article together (Editor's Note - You're on thin ice buddy!), but i've never been a fan of Blurr. That being said, when it was announced he was going to be a slight remold and repaint of that over-rated TF Messiah known as Drift, I felt a little sorry for him. Drift was an okay figure, but my disdain for the character made it hard to really like the mold. But then Blurr came along and Blurr made the mold good! Blurr should have been the original release and knowshesetterthanyou should have been the repaint. Not as sleek as his G1 or Animated self, Generations Blurr still had a "fast feel" to him. It was a great take on an old character and was truly one of the best homeages this year.
Cybertronian Optimus Prime
Mach: This is one of my favourite Optimus Primes ever. I like his 'cybertronian' look yet he's still able to look like his Generation One counterpart. The most interesting thing about this figure is the difficulty of transformation. Hasbro rated him as "4", yet I believe this is one of the most difficult Deluxe class figures to transform in a while.
Thrust
Dead Metal: I can't help it but damn do I love this toy. It's an old mould and engineering and sculpting wise it's simply blown away by Darkmount. But somehow I can't help myself and pick it up over and over and over and over again. The mould is still very very nice but the colours on this are just mesmerising, I wish more toys would be released in this exact shade of red. Plus the toolings on Thrust are the coolest on any of the Seekers. I love this toy – although I don't really care for Seekers!:P
Red Alert
Delicon: You can read my tribute to Red Alert above. All of the Generations figures I have bought so far seem pretty cool to me, although WFC Soundwave needs to eat some more robocheeseburgers or something as he's a bit too skinny.
Favorite Power Core Combiners Figure
Much like any Transformers toy line released past Generation One, Power Core Combiners received a lot of heat. Mini-cons/targetmasters/Little guys, were back in full force in 2010. Power Core Combiners also brought back drones - very similar to the one's manned by Energon Optimus Prime. Despite the cries from fangirls and fanboys, there's always the bright side as we point out below.
Leadfoot with Pinpoint
Diem: If you've read any of my past posts you'll know that I'm a one-man, fiery, slightly drunken campaign for characters who are forgotten, underestimated and underutilised. And I'd forgotten about G2 Leadfoot. Thankfully Hasbro hadn't and this little guy is a great representation of the original, sans rotors, mais avec a Minicon Targetmaster. The figure is good on his own terms as well with a groovy faintly-futuristic alt mode, a unique, mighty-fisted robot mode and a fierce, sleek combiner torso mode with a fantastic headsculpt. Good show.
Counterpunch: Yo, he's a powermaster. That's F'n rad.
Burn: What's that? Burn managed to find something good about PCC? Yeah, Leadfoot's a pretty good looking figure. Ignoring the fact he's PCC he's solid, simple, and just plain looks good. Tack on a mini-con or any drones and boom, he's back to being sucky. Did I mention this year that I don't like PCC much?
Sledge with Throttler
Razorclaw0000: Sledge is one mean looking Son of a B'. Both his regular and commander face sculpts convey downright savage hatred. He's got a fun and complex transformation, with some cool gimmicks, like the bear hug of death (look out Lugnut, your P.O.K.E. has a contender). He looks good in every one of his modes. Throttle is a brilliant little Minicon that turns into a rather wicked looking drill. He also converts into, hands down, the best chest armor of any PCC Minicon.
Crankcase with Destrons:
Delicon: Yeah, I know they're repaints and I'm not a big fan overall of how much Habsro is repainting and reusing the molds in this line. However, this set just looks very natural together and probably would have gotten the line off to a better start had it come out earlier. (Yeah, the one helicopter foot sorta sucks but you can't have everything)
Smolder with Chopster
Blurrz: A fire truck shooting fire. You’ll have to watch his characterization in
Transformers Cyber Missions to see just that. I didn't like these guys in the beginning. Plus I’m not entirely happy that Smolder and the rest of his PCC brethren are Scout class figures, however I’m quite happy with more and more and more mini-cons. Chopster’s axe mode is fun, while Smolder still offers decent articulation for a smaller class figure. Certainly the figure you should buy if you are testing out the PCC waters.
Favorite 2010 Movie Line Figure
There was no live action movie this year, but there was certainly a lot of action on your movie toy shelf. Hasbro completed the rest of the N.E.S.T. Alliance, and started a new movieverse line, Hunt for the Decepticons. Combined, these toy lines gave us new renditions of Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Jazz, Ironhide, and Starscream. Also included in the lines were movie-aesthetic toys for G1 characters - Seaspray, Bludgeon and Brawn.
N.E.S.T. Alliance Mindwipe
Diem: So as not to repeat Bludgeon, let's look at Mindwipe instead. I personally was glad to see that Hasbro are keeping the Mindwipe trademark cosy and warm, even though this figure bears scant resemblance to his G1 counterpart. Nonetheless this guy is awesome cool with a great jet mode (could've been blacker with less execrable graffiti littering his sleek lines but what're you going to do?) and a cagey, sinister robot mode holding backhanded knifes. Fantastic. The interaction with Skystalker is great too.
N.E.S.T. Alliance Brawn
Blurrz: I don't feel like sounding like a broken record because I absolutely did last year. I especially don't need to when you have Deluxe figures like Brawn. Sure you've got kibble, but go a little left on the political spectrum and you've got wings. And he wields Dual Pistols. Throw in Generations Blurr, Impossible Toys Arcee, and Gundam Cherudim, you've got a Dual Pistol brigade. Top it off with a figure of FFX-2 Yuna and you're a freaking genius.
Razorclaw0000: Who doesn't love John Woo-style twin pistols? Brawn looks killer from the front, has a great vehicle mode, and has a pretty fun transformation as he unfurls from the shell of body panels. The head sculpt is brilliant and memorable. Some complain about the back kibble, but it can be made to look good. It gives Brawn almost a feeling of flight capability with the array of wing-appendages.
N.E.S.T. Alliance Lockdown 
Delicon: There have actually been some better figures from this line than most people would realize. I almost gave it to Terradive because I love the paint scheme but finally settled on Lockdown for a couple of reasons. For one, he's that rare figure that displays well with almost every other recent line and secondly because well...he's tall. Like super duper tall, he's a deluxe figure that feels more likme a Voyager and who doesn't like bang for their buck?
Hunt For The Decepticons Breacher 
Burn: Between Ironhide and Breacher, I gotta go with Breacher. He's small and fun! But you know if you mess with him he's going to take out your kneecaps!
Hunt For The Decepticons Starscream
Counterpunch: Go back and read my first answer to all this. PATHETIC FOOLS!
Mach: I owned the Takara version of Movie Masterpiece Starscream. I hesitated for so long whether or not to pick up this figure, as I kept going back to my local toy shop to look at him. Finally I picked him up, and wow, I don't regret the purchase a single bit. Yes, he's ugly to me and the ugliness had made me hesitate at the beginning. But you cant blame the toy, as it follows the movie design. The bot mode is one of the best to stay faithful to the movie design, other than ROTF Optimus Prime. The plane mode is equally awesome. Another strong point is that all his weapons are able to store properly in both modes. My only complaint is the plane mode is abit too thick for my liking.
N.E.S.T. Alliance Bludgeon
DevastaTTor: To me, Bludgeon was the really bright spot for the Movie/NEST line this year (ok, Leader Starscream was great too). And the fact that he's the only movie-related figure that's I bought in 2010 should say it all. A killer samurai that transforms into a jungle tank-what's not to like about that?
Dead Metal: This is a very easy thing to explain, very easy indeed. Let me “explain”:
G1 Pretender homage Check
Skeletal look Check
Sword Check
Dagger Check
Tank Check
Totally METAL!
Although I have to say that the upcoming HeadRobots upgrade set is a much needed improvement.
Favorite 2010 Animated Figure
The remnants of Transformers Animated was dished out by Hasbro through Toys'R'Us. They gave us Arcee, Rodimus, Cybertron Mode Ratchet, and Ironhide. But while the remnants of Animated died in one continent, it took flight in another. Takara's Animated hit the east with eye-catching metallic or crystal clear repaints of Hasbro's Animated. The line being over 50 figures strong, Takara has released many of Hasbro's cancelled products, including Hydrodive Bumblebee, Blackout and Wingblade Optimus Prime. Counterpunch and I dig the fembot, Delicon goes arching, while Diem, Dead Metal, Mach, Burn and Razorclaw0000 go Japanese.
Takara - Wingblade Optimus Prime 
Diem: This was a great year for Animated with Arcee, Rodimus and the Sons of Cybertron set but the winner has to be Wingblade Optimus. For the benefit of those who'd already picked up the oh-so-shiny regular Optimus Takara released this guy in delicious-looking clear plastic. The best part about this guy is of course the many add-ons. Jetpack? Fantastic. Shoulder cannons? Huge fists? Magnus Hammer?!?. Of course the best part is the strong resemblance to God Ginrai what with the gauntlets, wings, shoulder cannon and all. Homagealicious!
Burn: Again, Animated was not a good line for me. But I have to go with Wing Blade Optimus Prime because let's face it, for years we've all wanted Optimus Prime to have a jetpack. Jetpacks are cool. So are big honking hammers. And look what we have here. Optimus Prime AND a jetpack AND a big honking hammer.
Mach: Personally I am getting tired of the Voyager Class mold of TFA Optimus Prime, however Takara Wingblade Optimus Prime is one of the most outstanding toys for the series. The flying parts not only fit in nicely for Voyager Class Prime, it can also fit onto the Deluxe Class TFA Prime. Not to mention the homage to G1 Powermaster God Ginrai. Oh yeah, the main figure of Optimus Prime is in crystal clear plastic!
Takara - Blackout 
Razorclaw0000: Sadly, this figure has yet to (and may never) be released in by Hasbro, and it is a shame. While the figure itself is small for a Voyager mold, the density of it conveys a bulk and heft that do the character justice. A heavily armed helicopter, Blackout's deco is spot on Animated with comically large guns, smooth curves, and an extremely expressive face. I applaud TakaraTomy for not slathering him in shiny paint and keeping the traditional matte deco.
Dead Metal: Sadly currently Japan only, also he's a tiny Voyager, just like Lugnut. However he has redeeming qualities, first off: His eyebrows are ARTICULATED! Yes you heard that right, his eyebrows are articulated, which is both hilarious and awesome.
But to top things off he is, reference that confused Derrick J. Wyatt himself incoming, the Hatredcopter! Get it? Get it? Because he homages movie Blackout in body and movie Bonecrusher, who hates everything, in head design and he turns into a helicopter!
Hasbro - Arcee
Blurrz: Ever since her appearance in the Animated cartoon, I had long waiting for this figure. She’s streamline, very articulate, and despite the ‘hands’ problem, she’s the best fembot figure ever created. This figure has so much repaint potential, it’s shameful that Hasbro had to slow down their Animated releases. Takara? Chromia, Moonracer, Elita-1? Shoutout to my buddy Rodimus Minor, you got repainted so many times this year.. you are 1-B to 1-A Arcee.
Counterpunch: I use this figure as my Classics Arcee. Damn your talky-ness about “Aesthetic”. She looks good next to City Commander, Warbot, Classics Hot Rod and the like. Season 3 G1 toys had a different look and I have no problem fitting her in with my Classics toys due to this. All that and she's a really good figure too. IDW style swords, changeable alt mode style due to wings, and a pink but not pink color scheme. For $12? That's gold.
Hasbro - Rodimus Minor
Delicon: Arcee is going to be the pick of many, but I was blown away by Rodimus, especially in vehicle form. I also am a big fan of the Japanese Animated figures and their gaudy paintschemes - I almost view them as G2-ish versions of the Animated characters and I love that.
Favorite 2010 BotCon Exclusive Figure
Botcon took us a couple decades back and rebooted the infamous Generation Two toy line. The toys in this year's convention were proudly wearing some colors you wouldn't normally associate with the Transformers of modern times. The box set included Generation Two favorites Autobot Spark, Clench, Streetstar, Breakdown, and the R.I.D. poet Sky-byte. Bagged sets had Cindersaur, Rapido, Double Punch, Turbomaster (Scorch), Shattered Glass Ravage, and an army-building three-pack of Sharkticons (Land/Air/Sea). If you were lucky, you also got a chance to build G2 Sideswipe *shakes fist at Razorclaw0000*. Which figures caught our fancy?
Clench
Blurrz: This year’s BotCon was all about homages, and none captivated me more than Clench from Universe Onslaught. The head is just dead on, while the colors were just so funky that they were actually appealing. Not exactly a great standalone piece, but great with the rest of the convention sets and baggies.
Counterpunch: I have to agree with Blurrz on this one. Clench is far and away the coolest of the 2010 figures. FunPub did a great job of capturing the colors on this challenging figure, sparkly inclusions and all. The head sculpt is outstanding. It's surprising how many better uses of this mod we have gotten since the original Onslaught release.
Spark
DevastaTTor: This year, BotCon honored all the dayglo spender that is G2 Transformers. While the styles and paint schemes are not for everyone, the figures themselves were terrific interpretations of several of the original characters from that line. Of all of them, I liked Spark the best. The paint scheme epitomized all the fun and wackiness of G2 and it is a great repaint/rework of Voyager Inferno, a figure I'm really fond of already. I mean, how can you go wrong with a Transformer painted with no less than 9 different colors?
Rapido 
Diem: I almost said Breakdown. I almost said Breakdown. But how can you not like this guy with his super-speed, random Spanish and rank of Over Nine Thousand. Plus he has a cool new headsculpt and beautifully ugly Nineties' colours. Fabulous.
Dead Metal: I have to go with Rapido on this simply because he's so, so, so, …. LOCO!
Seriously, the mould is pretty nice to start with, but it's just improved upon with the colours. He might look strange, even ugly on photos but once you see him up close and get to handle him a bit you see just how cool he is! It's almost worth owning the horrible Cindersaur just to own this jugete excelente!
Streetstar
Delicon: I know I'll get some heat for this one, but for me it's sorta like Prowl and Barricade had a baby. Some think it's plain compared to the rest of the set but for whatever reason I just love his colors, and the fact that they homaged another combiner team to give Brakedown some company (and Breakdown is no slouch in his own right)
Sideswipe
Razorclaw0000 Don't be hatin'. I was lucky enough to make it into Wednesday's customizing class and had an absolutely spectacular time. When Pete Sinclair stopped by with the two Hasbro-branded cases, and handed them over to Shawn, the class instructor, you could have cut the tension with a knife. Hasbro did a one-time, extremely short run of the Sideswipe mold in Black, Red, White, and Neon Green, just for the class. I deviated a bit from the recommended paint applications, adding a bit of extra silver to the engine turbine, as well as leaving the wheels an outlandish red, and my Sideswipe is my own. You may say he's not a real a figure, but he's one to me. I'll forever keep him as a crown jewel in my collection, and fight savagely to get a seat in every customizing class from here on out.
Favorite 2010 Non-BotCon Exclusive Figure
Ah, exclusive toys. If you want them, you better get an early plan of attack, or be an eBay bidding war veteran! Store exclusives were mainly movie-verse in English-speaking countries, such as the Orange Fallen, or those gnarly looking Autobot vs Decepticon Deluxe two-packs. As stated before, Toys'R'Us had the four Animated figures. Overseas there was a huge release of new figures from Takara, including the 2010 Celebration Line, as well as Animated convention exclusives. The Transformers Collector's Club released three figures, one of them being the 'free' Dion, Shattered Glass Cyclonus, and the very elusive Punch/Counterpunch.
Tokyo Toy Show Elite Guard Prowl
Diem: While I lived in Japan I often got asked politely and not so politely if I could pick up exclusives for Seibertron members overseas and this one must have been the most popular. It's not any real surprise; Animated Prowl turned out to be an exquisite toy for a popular character. The Elite Guard repaint was ostensibly a repaint of the figure as his G1 namesake (albeit with far more gold on him) but it was so much more than that. EGP is truly a beautiful figure in its own right.
TCC Elite Guard Dion with Coptur
Blurrz: I might be one of the few people who really like the concept of the Elite Guard. I’d like to thank the club for continuing the 2009 BotCon set with Dion, as well as Takara with their exclusive Animated Elite Guard. Not only is Dion is painted with the vibrant colors from the beautiful country of the Netherlands, he comes with the guns and missiles that were not included with Dion’s predecessor, Universe Hot Shot. The weapons change the aspect of the toy completely. A fantastic homage to an obscure Generation One character!
Dead Metal: Dion is cool, he looks odd and the mold isn't the best in the world, but damn is he cool. Forget the Mini-Con that comes with him, it hardly stand up on its own and won't really attach to his car mode, and it looks stupid on his shoulder. But wow the toy itself is fantastic, I just had to own him, so I bought him and I do not regret it. He just looks so badass and odd at the same time. I want a second one.
Takara's 2010 Celeberation Line - Primus
Razorclaw0000: You might think my decision is strange, as a lot of people love the new 2010 Unicron, but I think the head is too fat and the paint apps are too fragile. 2010 Primus, on the other hand, features a more vibrant deco than the original Cybertron version, which makes the figure "pop". It's a great update to the deco without being absurd like 2010 Unicron.
USA Mail-Away Exclusive Recon Ravage
Delicon: If you don't live in Canada or have a Canuck friend who'd help you out (thanks, Mkall) you were stuck having to buy a crappy Bumblebee/Soundwave 2-pack to snag this bad boy. Understandably, a lot of collectors didn't make the effort but I'm glad that I managed to snag one. To me, it's easily the best use of chrome on a modern Transformer (and that includes the entire Henkei line)
ROTF Promotionals: Guardian Micron Team 
Counterpunch: I thought I'd pick something strange here. I know about 3 other people who got these. (Editor's Note - This is what you call Hardcore!) Sure, they're redecos of Mini-cons we have seen multiple times over, but these little guys are the best of the original Cybertron Mini-cons. Don't torment yourself attempting to track them down at this point. If my vague description of these little bad-asses has got your attention, send me a PM and I'll tell you how to get yourself a set.
Family Mart Lucky Draw Clear Leader Optimus Prime
Mach: Crystal clear..
Favorite 2010 Third Party Figure
Companies not named Hasbro and Takara have been a controversial subject the past few years. Yet among a multitude of suspect projects, this year brought along many gems that have blown us away. FansProject released their first ever own figure, Defender (Springer), as well as add-ons for ROTF Bruticus (Crossfire) and Classics Rodimus (Protector). Mastermind Creations brought Transformers Evolutions: Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime to life, while Impossible Toys and iGear both produced an Arcee figure. PerfectEffect defined themselves as the #1 Cassette revolutionists, HeadRobots engineered new Headmasters - Snake and Hothead, while CrazyDevy's been crazy with remodelling your Generation One gestalts - Devastator, Predaking and Superion. Shoutouts to my Canadian brethren, Renderform for turning shelfwarmers Universe Blaster and Skyfall into transforming Olympic Gold, and CorbotV for DAT AXE and their future products!
Crossfire Combat Unit Full Colossus Combination (Bruticus)
Counterpunch: No surprises here. These two figures are amazing, creative, and truly inventive. Munitioner and Explorer in addition to being solid standalone figures find a way to give us a truly completed Bruticus for our Classics collections.
DevastaTTor: As I've already written, Munitioner is my pick for TOTY this year. However, Explorer is also a great figure and homage to Blastoff, and what the two sets collectively do for Bruticus Maximus is simply amazing. A Transformers gestalt with advanced articulation, real hands and feet, 3 guns, a knife, and backpack cannons-it just doesn't get any better than that. To me, Fansproject is just light years ahead of all the other third party toy makers in the market today and the Crossfire 2 upgrade is a perfect example of why.
Dead Metal: So OK technically this is 2 3rd party toys in one, together with 3 Hasbro toys but hot diggity, FansProject made this thing their own. The new figures are awesome on their own, but that Not-Bruticus is just too awesome to be left off any list. This might be the best Gestalt ever made – well until TFC releases their Devastator.
Mach: G1 combiners are always my favorite, other than Optimus Prime and Grimlock. I bought all 3 versions of TF Universe Superion, Bruticus & Devastator just for the love of combiners. Even though they look nothing like their G1 counterpart. However, FansProject made the dream come true for me. First the add on for Superion, but the most impressive is the Bruticus Add On. Not only we have add on parts to make him look more like his G1 counterpart, we have 2 additional new toys. It also make Bruticus much more articulated, if he had any in the original toy. Another strong point of FansProject is also the quality of the product that puts many other third parties to shame.
Renderform RF-002 Empyrean Espionage Upgrade Kit (Skyfall)
Razorclaw0000: From out of no where,
RenderForm, high-end garage kit shop from Seibertron.com member venksta, has come on the scene to provide some really fanastic fan-wanking. The second RenderForm release (the first a G1 Prime axe), RF-002 takes Wal-Mart exclusive Universe Skyfall (an homage to G2 Skyjack) and pushes it to the next level. Comprised of a new head and guns, the set was affordable (at around $30) and complemented the figure perfectly. It turned a so-so homage into a balls to the walls neo-G1 upgrade. The head perfectly captured Skyjack's creepy blank face plate, while letting the LED shine through for maximum effect. The kit even contained two differently colored face plates to allow you to mix and match. The guns were equally impressive, with a real heft due to casting material (resin based, not ABS plastic). Lucky fans received a clear red "Lucky Draw" rifle as well. With all that praise, the kit isn't perfect, with a few tiny molding issues and air bubbles, but for the price, it's superb. Without Renderform, Skyfall may have never gotten to be as awesome as he is now.
Mastermind Creations Knight Morpher Commander (Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime)
Blurrz: Before I give
reason madness to my selection, I’d like to give an honorable mention to HeadRobots – really looking forward to what they have in store for us in 2011. Now back to the Morpher Commander. This is simply the tip of the iceberg, something I’ve waiting a long time for third parties to do. They take characters that Hasbro would never even touch, and then transform them into plastic and onto our toy shelves. Knight Morpher Commander is basically Hearts of Steel Optimus Prime in the flesh. Much like any third party product, it’s something that might not tickle everyone’s fancy – a purchase that requires a lot of thought!
I'm a party pooper and lame-duck Transformers collector Delicon: Hasbro, I think I deserve a big high five for not "endorsing the violation of your intellectual property" That and a pony, please Habsro, send me a pony.
Burn: These things are just like Drift. Over-rated, and over-priced in some cases. Sure, they look good. But are they really worth all that money? Personally, I don't think so.
Favorite Transformers-Related Moment of 2010
There was so much news and events this year, we of Seibertron.com are proud to have brought it all to you. War For Cybertron. Botcon. Transformers: Prime. The list goes on and on, but here is what caught our attention the most!
Generations Revelations at BotCon
Counterpunch: Of course, you had to be there, but that's besides the point. One thing I always enjoy are the moments at BotCon that are fueled by the collective excitement of fans. The one thing that does this better than any other is the revelation at BotCon that more Classic toys are on their way.
DevastaTTor: I'm with Counterpunch on this one. Finding out about these lines and getting our first looks at the new figures at BotCon and CybertronCon was simply awesome!
Mach: This year's Botcon is meaningful to me due to Hasbro's announcement of upcoming Transformers Generations products.
War For Cybertron 
Blurrz: Among all the staff members here, I’ll solemnly admit that I logged in the most hours, or should I say days, of War For Cybertron. While not to the calibre of Halo, Call of Duty, or Gears of War, the multiplayer is still very competitive, and might turn off many Transformers fans who are first time gamers. Still the campaign is something every Transformers fan needs to experience, whether it be buying the game, renting the game, or simply watching the cutscenes on Youtube. To those, like me, who are skilled gamers and Transformers fans, you’ve probably already had endless fun with everything WFC offers!
BotCon Hall Of Fame Dinner
Razorclaw0000: While the food was just OK, the awards presentation at the end was face-meltingly awesome. Showcasing each robot inductee and nominee was a short video montage set to perfectly chosen music. The speeches for the human inductees were heartfelt and human. The entire
event was emotionally charged and presented real validity to our hobby.
Seibertronians Invade BotCon 2010 
Delicon: What more needs to be said? Good friends, good times and plenty of booze = pure win. Oh, and we celebrated our 10th anniversary in the process
Transformers: Prime 
Burn: There was something good this year? Oh be still my negative heart. No really, Transformers Prime, while not perfect, was enjoyable and shows great potential. I guess the other highlight of the year was calling up Delicon at Botcon only to be mistaken for Counterpunch. Who would have thought Counterpunch had an Australian accent! I also promised to call him back when he met up with all the others ... I never did. Whoops!
Transformers Dark Of The Moon Trailer
Dead Metal: Yea my favourite thing that has happened this year is the teaser trailer for the next “Bayformers” movie. And yes I loved War for Cybertron, but seriously I love the movies, even with all their faults and shittyness. They look fantastic, sound fantastic and I can't really explain it but the teaser just makes me exited for the next instalment- which is the whole point behind it. Also it's our first look at DOTM.
Transformers Animated Japanese Opening Theme Song
Diem: Japan has a bit of a mixed big of experience when it comes to dubbing the American Transformers cartoons but they got one thing perfectly right: the intro for Transformers Animated. The tune is incredibly catchy and the whole thing is tremendously dynamic and exciting. Even Sentinel looks like a badass.
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