What's your favourite from the CHUG lines?

[DELTAprime]

There are so many great figures in the CHUG line over the years. Some of the standouts for me are the UW versions of the season 2 combiners, UW Devastator, Trypticon, Predaking, Earthrise Optimus, and the Classics Seeker mould.

[Paulbot]

Classics: Mirage (although I like it as Fracture more!)

Universe/Classics 2.0: Cyclonus (probably my favourite ever Transformer action figure, love at first sight)

Generations: WFC Optimus Prime (love the look in both modes and one of the most complex deluxe Transformations ever) or Scourge (if looking at G1 toys only)

Thrilling 30: Sandstorm (Looks fantastic in each mode, love the colour scheme, is based on toy that's just as wondeful but Springer's alt modes are bit samey)

Combiner Wars: Offroad (almost First Aid for me too but I think the vehicle mode doesn't suit the character which drops him a point, so this version of Ruckus wins out)

Titans Return: Topspin (looks beautiful, transforms wonderfully, great version of one of my first TFs; Triggerhappy, Misfire and Slugslinger close behind)

Power of the Primes: Blot (I think he's just great use of the CW design to create a monster)

Siege: Optimus Prime (just wonderful)

Earthrise: Hoist (so far)

[Tha_Phantom]

- Classics Jetfire. It's not quite a Jetfire and it's not quite a Skyfire, but it is definitely a gorgeous figure with many different ways to display.
- Legends Arcee. In my opinion still the best looking Arcee out of any that have been done, official or otherwise.
- Unite Warriors Baldigus. I wish we could have gotten this kind of engineering back in 2000/2001, or at least not reused G1 moulds.
- Titans Return Trypticon. An improvement over the G1 toy in every single way possible. I even see the exclusion of the electronics as a positive, since I don't usually care for such gimmicks.

[SharkyMcShark]

This is a worthy topic.

The Winners

Thrilling 30 Springer: I think this is the best CHUG figure, ever. This has everything I want in CHUG - poseability, modern (not slavishly G1), great weapon integration, dynamic looks, fun transformations. Yes the chopper mode is kind of tacked on, but the rest of it makes up for that.

Titans Return Triggerhappy: Sleek lines, fun titanmaster integration, intuitive transformation and poseable chunky robot. If it didn't have hollow forearms it would be perfection. I'm a sucker for a starfighter.

Titans Return Wolfwire: About as close to a Zoids crossover as we're coming.

Titans Return Megatron: This actually really works for me as a modern Earthen Megatron. Even the half grey, half black cannon works. Both modes are great, which is kind of unusual for retain triple changers too.

Classics 2.0 Cyclonus: This is the high point of 'amazing robot mode, kind of token vehicle mode'. The low point is listed below, in 'losers'.

Generations Deluxe Optimus Prime (War For Cybertron game tie in): Heavy, complex, bright, mean looking. In my heart I know this should have been a voyager really, but I love it none the less.

Combiner Wars G2 Bruticus: Not just for the price. $50 for a Voyager, 4x Deluxes and a Legends figure? Outrageous. Beyond that Bruticus is one of the few Combiners in the line who justified existing as it did. The limbs on Menasor, Superion, Victorion and Optimus Maximus (?) were all too samey for me. At least each of Bruticus' limbs was a different alt mode and converted differently.

Reveal the Shield Jazz/Universe 2.0 Hound, Sunstreaker+Sideswipe: Precisely what I want as a standard issue CHUG figure - posable, weapon integration, fun transformation and an updated modern day alt mode.

Classics Mirage: Genuinely one of the most underrated figures out there. Still one of the best CHUG figures released. All it's missing is a thigh swivel.


The Losers

The original Classics 2006 Seeker mold: Possibly the most overrated thing that's ever existed.

WFC Seige Seeker Mold: Rocking, beautiful robot mode but if we're being honest this is barely a transformer. It's basically a poseable action figure that curls up under a cape that looks sort of like a Viper from BSG.

Universe 2.0 Silverbolt: As above, this is barely a transformer. I too, as a living actual human being, could theoretically hold my arms down by my side and wear a backpack that flipped over my head. It wouldn't make me any more a transformer than this piece of trash.

Most of Thrilling 30: Really killed my desire to collect. The designers didn't really have much in response to budget cuts at that time so everything feels sort of flimsy and half assed.

Most of Combiner Wars deluxes and voyagers: They're all so samey. It was just a boring line. Yes, I know all deluxes have got to pull quadruple duty (arm, leg, robot, vehicle). I think it would have been more palatable to me if the gestalts had been done like the Titans are being done now - one per line - instead of all just being dropped at once. That whole line was a non-starter for me.

[Dan]

My list is limited to toys I own (or hope to soon) and so excludes some items I admire.



Classics Starscream (or its mould in general) I particularly like because it preserves (with a twist) the head and chest transformation of the G1 design. Only problem is it's too small but I know that Earthrise addresses that.



Universe Hound is cute overall and I like the way the seats become thighs. Ravage is cool for taking the same sized cassette as the G1 toy but transforming it in a completely different and more three-dimensional way.



Reveal The Shield Cyclonus Versus Rodimus is maybe me cheating in choosing a two-pack. I partly like the toys themselves, and partly remember the experience of buying them fondly. They were on sale, which I estimated gave them 1980s prices (if they were a G1 Decepticon Plane and Autobot Car). Then there's the bonus of a die-cast Matrix which I combined with some chain and use as occasional party bling.



Thrilling Thirty Arcee does a good job with the challenge of making this character a working Transformer, and without resorting to detachable parts.



Combiner Wars Chopshop does not combine with anything, but I like its striking colour and the way its thorax moves for transformation.



Titans Return Alpha Trion is one I've enthused about before, for its weird look, more like an undead warlord than a wise advisor.



Power Of The Primes Slash is a nifty addition to the classic Dinobot team.



Siege Brunt is a cool updating of a mere accessory into a fully-fledged Transformer, and it was a relief to finally get it and complete the recent Trypticon set.



Earthrise Quintesson Judge is something I've wanted for literally decades, and I'm even cool with its bonkers alt-mode.