Top 5 non-Transformers Toys of 2013

[Philip Ayres]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your top 5 non Transformers toys of 2013 please. Lego, DW, whatever. Just not TFs.

[The Doctor]

Hmmm. It was all about the Lego for me this year when it came to buying toys. Will have to have a think!

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

lego.wikia.com/wiki/2013 may help

I did think of doing Lego separately but thought it would probably make up most of our lists.

There's a significant non Lego item on mine though

[Shockprowl]

Been giving this a lot of thought. My top 5 non TF toys:

5 Marvel Universe Baron Zemo. A surprise hit. The 3 pack he came in was going for silly money. But then I spotted a loose not too expensive one on ebay from a nice American! Big hole filled in my Universe collection!

4 Star Wars Lt. Treidum. My Imperial parade was desperate for black uniformed Imperial officers. These chaps, with a little head swapping, have sorted all that out.

3 Marvel Legends Wrecker. A perfect action figure of a personal favourite of mine. Long awaited. Please release Bulldozer!!!!!!

2 My Stormtrooper army. Having sold many items on ebay, and having found a supplier selling them loose at a great price, I jumped at the chance to fullfill a dream I've had since forever. A stormtrooper army. Risky,'cos you never know what the figures will be like. But I questioned the seller (who had good feedback), bought an initial sample... and here they are. Just just just just FANTASTIC.

1 AT-AT. Thanks to my very generous workk partner and good friend, Mark. This toy is huge, brilliantly detailed, and ssssooooooooooooooooooo much fun.

Good year.

[Pinwig]

I tend to restrict my toy buying now to Transformers and the classic range Doctor Who figures, so this top five is going to reflect that. I nearly branched out into the new TMNT figures this year, but persuaded myself that doing that was only going to dilute funds away from Transformers. So this is a pretty straight forward list as it wasn't a good year for classic Who figures anyway.

1. Three Doctors Set

Long overdue arrival of two essential figures for this range. Excellent Brig character, slightly iffy Jo Grant but more than adequate, with the added bonus of a brilliant Gel Guard. That really is one of those moments where you think - what were the odds on this ever happening? a Gel Guard!

2. Ace

Again, a figure that should have been released a long, long time ago because Remembrance of the Daleks is one of the best served stories in the range. Very good likeness, lovely detail and such a wide variety of accessories that she is almost a playset in herself. Usually you'd expect 2-3 repaints on a new mould, like Peri and Leela, but given the decline and apparent end of the line you have to wonder if they rolled the lot into one for this one.

3. 8th Doctor and Dalek Alpha twin pack

Given this line was stated from the outset to be one that would feature no new moulding at all, the only question about it was really how creative Character could be with what they already had. Especially as almost all the possible Dalek variants had been done. So when this one came out, based on the comic strip rather than a screen appearance, it immediately became something unique to me.

4. Pyramids of Mars Priory set

Classic example of Character/Forbidden Planet trying to create something out of nothing to maximise value out of existing moulds. The cardboard war rocket is genius and so are the light up eyes on Sutekh. People complain (including me) that the third and fourth Doctors get too much attention, but it's great that some individual iconic stories have a large number of releases, and Pyramids of Mars is now really only missing Sarah Jane in the right clothes.

5. 3rd Doctor and Transparent Planet Dalek set

2013 was by far the weakest year for the range since it started, and it's sad to think that next year will only see the delayed Axos and Daemons sets (and the remaining three talking Daleks) come out unless Forbidden Planet have a change of heart, so this set scrapes in on the grounds that there really isn't anything else. The transparent effect is great, but just leaves you wondering why the Sixth Doctor release in this series couldn't have been a transparent Dalek shell from Revelation of the Daleks. The Pertwee is a nice variant.

[Philip Ayres]

I've not bought a lot of Star Wars this year and what I have has been from previous years cheap. Jonathan got some Talking Daleks and Power Rangers which were nice but my top choices are mostly Lego..... with one notable exception.

Honourable mentions to Battle of Hoth, Gorzan's Gorilla Strike & Eglor's Twin Bike for being great but especially to Ewar's Acro-Fighter for giving us a Chima Eagle cheap which would have been my Minifigure of the year if we'd done them.

Top 5

5) Eris' Eagle Interceptor

A plane shaped and looking like a bird. Superb.....

4) Equila's Ultra Striker

..... but to do a Tank that looks like a bird is a real accomplishment. Get it. Currently cheapin Lego Shop sale.

3) Jabba's Sail Barge

Probably the final toy in the current run of Jabba stuff this is a superb vehicle withn several brand new minifigs and tons of opening panels.

2) Rancor Pit

This just hit the spot: huge monster with a building that adds onto a previous kit. Loved it. Lego kit of the year for me. Need more Lego buildings.

1) GI Joe Eaglehawk

A toy I'd wanted as a Teenager but never been able to afford when it was out and then never manage to track down a good condition one cheap enough. Then it gets a cheap cheap updated re-release and it's superb. Seriously if you're a AF/Joe fan then you need this.

[legios]

Hmmm. There is going to be a lot of Lego on my list as well...

5) NERF N-Strike Elite Stryfe: Lovely little addition to the N-Strike Elite line. Another of Hasbro's electricly driven semi-automatic soft dart guns. The look is really nice - somewhere between a modern Lawgiver and an oversized WH40K Bolt Pistol (or a Astartes Bolt-Pistol perchance). Makes up for lower magazine capacity compared to the Rayven (6 rounds as compared to 18) by being ergonomically better balanced for one-handed use (the magazine release switch can be tripped just by extending the index finger off the pistol grip). Probably my favourite Nerf Blaster for one-handed shooting - although the new Mega Magnus might offer it some competition there - and also has stock and barrel extension mounting points and a couple of tac-rails, and can take the 12 and 18-round N-Strike Elite magazines should you want to gussie it up as a semi-auto rifle of some sort. :-)

4) LEGO Galaxy Force Bug Obliterator - A wonderfully Anderson-esque vehicle for Galaxy Force, A spacecraft with a ground recon vehicle sling underneath which it can drop to engage bugs on the ground whilst the main craft provides fire support from above. Looks absolutely cracking, I have not been able to obtain one as yet but I can see me laying out funds for it in due course. The "Drop ground vehicle" and keep moving appeals to that part of me that loves Thunderbird 2, New Captain Scarlet's Albatross, the Aliens Dropship...etc.

3) GI Joe Eaglehawk - Lovely update of the Tomahawk, keeping most of the great stuff about the original but adding better moldings on the .30cal doorguns. Don't have one, but do covet one when funds and opportunity allow.

2) LEGO Galaxy Squad Swarm Interceptor - Lovely little Lego space fighter, love the down-folding wings which allow you to give it a wide range of looks, and the detachable cockpit section which is its concession to the "split" play-function of Galaxy Squad. Good, solid, fun to build space fighter with a high wooshability quotient.

1) LEGO Galaxy Squad Eradicator Mech - A fun set to build, which ends up as a large stompy mech with a missile launcher on one arm, and a rotary autocannon on the other. Lots of play value in the split function which sees the cockpit section taking to the air as a small flyer and the main body folding up to reveal an open cockpit for a robot to pilot the 'mech in the pilots absence. The design of the arms also allows it to be a pretty versatile kit fairly easily - I have already refitted it as an all-Autocannon variant and, with minimal rebuilding, as an all-laser variant with the cockpit of the Swarm Interceptor. Lovely kit, tempted to get another one just so that I can have a permanently assembled alternate configuration on the shelves next to it.

Karl