COUNTDOWN: The Best 3PMP Head Sculpts (part 3)

Whilst reviewing Ocular Max’s new G2-flavoured take on their Fraudo design this week, I hit upon a revelation – it has an absolutely fantastic head sculpt.

Seriously, it’s the kind of stuff where a simple lump of plastic is somehow imbued with a feeling of discernible personality. It perfectly captures the character in question and looks great to boot.

So, with that in mind, let’s look at what I consider some of the best third party Masterpiece-styled head sculpts out there. You may disagree with my choices, but these are just the ones that have worked best for me! Time to get a head…

Be sure to check out part 1 and part 2 before continuing below.

#7: Maketoys Galaxy Meteor

Some things in life are a constant. The sun will always shine, water will always be wet, and Starscream will always have a smirk. Well, at least he should do! Yet not every toy captures it quite as well as this, which is saying something as I have occasionally felt that Maketoys’ efforts to do quirky faces have fallen a bit flat. Not so here, as the impressive sculpting work and bright purple eyes all make Galaxy Meteor a flat-out stunner.

#6: FansToys Smokey

There have been dozens (ok, not quite) of 3PMP Stunticons by this point, and with FansToys still yet to finish their set, they’re seriously lagging behind. No matter, as what they have produced so far is excellent, as evidenced by the bonce on Smokey here. He may still be waiting on his Bandit friend, but that doesn’t stop this one from looking gorgeous, with superb colours and a classic sculpt all working together in harmony. What’s also notable is that this head involves some transformation, with the ‘ears’ folding away on the journey to car mode.

#5: MMC Optus Nox

The original MMC Optus Pexus release was already a real beauty to behold, but I don’t imagine many fans wouldn’t get at least a little excited by the black repaint here. Taking a cue from the IDW comics, it shows a head design where half the face plate has been smashed away to reveal a shouting mouth underneath, all cast in stunning detail and perfectly recreated in the sculpt. This is a third party who is on top of their game – they might be showing off, but I am absolutely here for it.

#4: TransArt Black Agent

I can’t say enough nice things about TransArt Black Agent, at least as long as you don’t ask me about that weird alternate mode! Still, the robot mode is fantastic and besides, do you really need this thing to transform, anyway? In terms of the head, it’s fair to say that Ravage’s Beast Wars portrayal was quite out there, and could potentially have looked terrible on the journey to being recreated in toy form. Step forward TransArt, who I believe has done an immaculate job at bringing this one to life. It really does look like the Predacon stepped off the screen!

#3: Unique Toys Dragoon

The Last Knight is a film that defies explanation in a lot of ways. I’m not entirely sure I could sit and recount everything that takes place in its unfathomable runtime for you, but I know that it at least looked quite pretty. One of the visual elements that most definitely worked was Megatron, whose overhauled design was a far departure from what we saw in previous films. Unique Toys worked their black magic yet again with Dragoon, which not only does a fab job at bringing the main face of the character to life but also makes short work of the battle mask gimmick, too! Simply fold the sides of the helmet forward and you’re away. Now, if only outlining the plot was so easy.

#2: Fans Hobby Gunfighter II

I swear, it’s a total coincidence that a lot of these entries are Optimus Primes designs. It really is. Or is it? I’m actually wondering now, but either way, who can deny this one, eh? Fans Hobby had already crushed it with their first Gunfighter II head sculpt, but then they topped it with a re-designed version that was included with the corresponding trailer release. Simple but effective, which you might say is spot on for a figure that’s meant to homage the Generation 2 era.

#1: FansToys Stomp

For our final entry, we have an example which I believe may have been one of the first times I actually sat up and thought, “Wow, what a legitimately perfect head design” regarding a 3PMP figure. Not that there hadn’t been fantastic efforts before, but this has always been one that I just feel 100% nails it versus how the character is supposed to look. I’m sure it helps that I’m a big Sludge fan anyway, or that FansToys Stomp is just a superb release all round, but this is top-tier stuff and remains one of FansToys’ best.

So that’s our list! What are some of your favourite 3PMP head designs?

TTFN