Post by Dark Horse on Jan 4, 2013 17:18:35 GMT
I happily bought less toys in 2012 than in many a year. There was so much shit out there, making this year's top ten pretty hard to decide. The winner was pretty easy to pick though,
10 - Star Wars Nom Anor. I think this year marks my lowest Star Wars purchasing perhaps ever. I might have bought five figures (CW Cyber Maul, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and I can't remember any more) and to be honest they all sucked. Nom Anor is pretty cool though. He does have setbacks - the cape doesn't sit right, his wrists are loose, and his head sculpt could have been meaner. But his overall sculpt is great and actually fits in with most lines. He's equally at hope fighting SW folk, Marvel characters or even Hobbits and similar fantasy punters.
9 - G.I. Joe Dollar General Cobra trooper. These guys came in under the radar and made a big impact, proving that Hasbro can still produce awesome Joes at reasonable prices. The trooper was the standout of the bunch imo. Very cool figure.
8 - Marvel Universe Kang. I've been waiting for this guy since MU started and he doesn't disappoint! Practically a perfect rendition of the character.
7 - Avengers Black Widow. Thankfully one of the only figures in this line without the shit articulation! Featuring a head sculpt that not only actually looks like a woman and not a burnt mannequin, and having a pretty perfect likeness of ScarJo, this figure makes the list.
6 - MotUC Fisto. If you'd have asked me about this character before I'd seen it, I'd probably have passed. When I saw Pixel Dan's review, I changed my mind 180 degrees! Having both sets of parts to make either the vintage or 200X (my favourite He-Man era), and even including the massive sword that was canceled from the 200X line, then you have a massive win. His head sculpt is wicked cool, and he even has a beefier arm to support that big fist.
5 - Starwarsgeek's SDCC style Shockwave crossover kit. Yep, I'm putting a third party figure in here. Why? Because it's fucking awesome! Yes, I put the kit together, but there's a gulf of difference between a fragile master sculpt, and a specially cast kit. SWG delivers, making the vest and gun arm out of a more flexible material than Hasbro usually uses. Plus you get a filecard! Win!
4 - Marvel Universe Hulk. A lot of people don't like this figure, but I love it. They finally got it right after all these years. His sculpt is outstanding, especially the skin texture. I'm not sure if I prefer the single card or comic pack version though.
3 - MotUC Draego-Man. If you haven't seen this guy, then you need to. One of the Four Horseman's finest designs. Dragons are always cool, couple that with him being a renegade, and the sheer amount of plastic in the bubble, then you're getting a lot of bang for your buck.
2- The Hobbit Goblin King. These Bridge direct guys started out of the gate in impressive fashion. Their Hobbit figures really are great, my only minor nitpick is the lack of a hip swivel. Anyway, my favourite of the bunch by a long chalk is the Goblin King. This fat ugly bastard is great! They really got some great articulation on this guy, he's very heavy, has incredible accessories, and nice paint. In a two pack with Thorin, I can't believe how cheap this set is. Mt Goblin King alternates between fighting Hobbits and Dwarves, to fighting He-Man on Eternia. He's perfect for both!
1 - SDCC Shockwave HISS tank. Do I need to explain this? Absolutely perfect in every department. Killer packaging, awesome vehicle, thoughtfully repainted figures and tons of accessories - including mini Soundwave and the cassettes! It's like being smashed with waves of awesomeness!
What are you guy's top toys of the year?
10 - Star Wars Nom Anor. I think this year marks my lowest Star Wars purchasing perhaps ever. I might have bought five figures (CW Cyber Maul, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and I can't remember any more) and to be honest they all sucked. Nom Anor is pretty cool though. He does have setbacks - the cape doesn't sit right, his wrists are loose, and his head sculpt could have been meaner. But his overall sculpt is great and actually fits in with most lines. He's equally at hope fighting SW folk, Marvel characters or even Hobbits and similar fantasy punters.
9 - G.I. Joe Dollar General Cobra trooper. These guys came in under the radar and made a big impact, proving that Hasbro can still produce awesome Joes at reasonable prices. The trooper was the standout of the bunch imo. Very cool figure.
8 - Marvel Universe Kang. I've been waiting for this guy since MU started and he doesn't disappoint! Practically a perfect rendition of the character.
7 - Avengers Black Widow. Thankfully one of the only figures in this line without the shit articulation! Featuring a head sculpt that not only actually looks like a woman and not a burnt mannequin, and having a pretty perfect likeness of ScarJo, this figure makes the list.
6 - MotUC Fisto. If you'd have asked me about this character before I'd seen it, I'd probably have passed. When I saw Pixel Dan's review, I changed my mind 180 degrees! Having both sets of parts to make either the vintage or 200X (my favourite He-Man era), and even including the massive sword that was canceled from the 200X line, then you have a massive win. His head sculpt is wicked cool, and he even has a beefier arm to support that big fist.
5 - Starwarsgeek's SDCC style Shockwave crossover kit. Yep, I'm putting a third party figure in here. Why? Because it's fucking awesome! Yes, I put the kit together, but there's a gulf of difference between a fragile master sculpt, and a specially cast kit. SWG delivers, making the vest and gun arm out of a more flexible material than Hasbro usually uses. Plus you get a filecard! Win!
4 - Marvel Universe Hulk. A lot of people don't like this figure, but I love it. They finally got it right after all these years. His sculpt is outstanding, especially the skin texture. I'm not sure if I prefer the single card or comic pack version though.
3 - MotUC Draego-Man. If you haven't seen this guy, then you need to. One of the Four Horseman's finest designs. Dragons are always cool, couple that with him being a renegade, and the sheer amount of plastic in the bubble, then you're getting a lot of bang for your buck.
2- The Hobbit Goblin King. These Bridge direct guys started out of the gate in impressive fashion. Their Hobbit figures really are great, my only minor nitpick is the lack of a hip swivel. Anyway, my favourite of the bunch by a long chalk is the Goblin King. This fat ugly bastard is great! They really got some great articulation on this guy, he's very heavy, has incredible accessories, and nice paint. In a two pack with Thorin, I can't believe how cheap this set is. Mt Goblin King alternates between fighting Hobbits and Dwarves, to fighting He-Man on Eternia. He's perfect for both!
1 - SDCC Shockwave HISS tank. Do I need to explain this? Absolutely perfect in every department. Killer packaging, awesome vehicle, thoughtfully repainted figures and tons of accessories - including mini Soundwave and the cassettes! It's like being smashed with waves of awesomeness!
What are you guy's top toys of the year?
Happy in his folly, the fool embraces the Devil 
