Hello everybody! Welcome back for the second part of this series focused on minicons.
You can find part 1, focused on minicon teams,
here.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of what has been one of the most influential Transformers toylines ever created, whose wild success eventually opened the door to investing in the Bayverse.
Armada introduced us to minicons as the “third faction”. Spawn of Unicron and pokemon of the week, these tiny robots were hunted down by both Autobots and Decepticons as “power ups” for larger Transformers.
Minicon toys came in two flavours: teams, sold, in 3-packs, and partner minicons sold together with their bigger partner. Today we’ll focus on the latter.
Minicons have been defined as “feature-activating micromasters”. Partner minicons are meant to integrate with their “bulk” best buddy, unlocking secret powerups and otherwise unaccessible features. This is important: the partner minicon should provide a significant upgrade.
In ranking these teams, 1-10 scores were given for:
- Integration in alt mode: how well does the minicon integrate in the bulk’s alt mode?
- Integration in robot mode: same, for the robot mode.
- Powerlinx gimmicks: how well does the minicon play into the main gimmick?
- Engineering: how well was this toy built?
- Transformation: how original and well executed is the transformation?
We also add a note on the best repaint out of several available, and we ask the question: which minicons were truly essential for its partner? Not as many as you think…
The list includes all 34 partner minicon molds: 20 from Armada, 4 from Cybertron, 1 from Universe 2.0 and 9 from Power Core Combiners.
It might be strange to see Armada and PCC minicons together, but the underlying concept is really one and the same. How well did PCC execute that concept… we’ll see.
Let’s get started!
#5 Comettor (with Armada Jetfire) (39/50)
Integration, alt mode: 10, Comettor, like Rollout, is an essential part of Jetfire’s alt mode.
Integration, robot mode: 7, Comettor looks the part on top of Jetfire’s blaster, but nothing more.
Powerlinx gimmick: 7, the pop-out wings look awesome, even if other minicons could be used as well.
Engineering: 7, considering the complexity of the transformation, the result is as great as it could have been.
Transformation: 8, original and not trivial.
Versions: 4
Best version: Armada Powerlinx.
Essential? Yes.
#4 Rollout (with Armada Overload) (41/50)
Integration, alt mode: 8, differently from Comettor, Rollout is not an option for Overload’s alt mode.
Integration, robot mode: 7, the “breastmaster + headmaster” gimmick is fun, but minicons are meant to be optional partners, and Rollout is not an option as it carries Overload’s head. Compare with Sideways, which comes with its own independent head.
Powerlinx gimmick: 8, that G1 transformation sounds still plays after 20 years.
Engineering: 9, the four modes don’t require much effort, but that’s no guarantee for success, see Universe Jolt.
Transformation: 9, simple but effective, across all four modes. The gun mode is just smart.
Versions: 7
Best version: Energon CostCo.
Essential? Yes.
#3 Stripmine (with Cybertron Quickmix) (42/50)
Integration, alt mode: 10, at this stage of the Unicron Trilogy nobody expected such a level of minicon interaction, but Stripmine delivered, almost turning Quickmix into a playset. The combination of Cyber Key gimmick and minicon is unique.
Integration, robot mode: 8, just like Leader-1, Stripmine can turn into a handheld gun.
Powerlinx gimmick: 7, while the main gimmick depends on a Cyber Key, Stripmine takes the whole toy to the next level.
Engineering: 9, it all works flawlessly.
Transformation: 8, not trivial, and solid.
Versions: 2
Best version: Cybertron.
Essential? Yes.
#2 Rook and Crosswise (with Armada Sideways) (43/50)
Integration, alt mode: 10, these two minicons can’t really be separated, and their combined Kamen Rider mode is pure genius.
Integration, robot mode: 10, the revival of the Headmasters gimmick, which also involved Overload, started here. A homage to Punch/Counterpunch, Kamen Rider, headmasters AND Unicron, all in one? Mind-blowing.
Powerlinx gimmick: 10, activating a different faction symbol per head is still lots of fun. Remember, the first run of Armada Sideways had the gimmick inverted.
Engineering: 7, it’s all functional, but many things could have been better.
Transformation: 6, this is primarily one humanoid figure whose alt mode is two minicons.
Versions: 4
Best version: Armada (second run).
Essential? Yes.
#1 Leader-1 (with Armada Megatron) (46/50)
Integration, alt mode: 7, Leader-1 unlocking extra missile launchers while doubling up as a gun pod always puts a smile on my face. The activation of “rat-tat-tat” sounds has the opposite effect.
Integration, robot mode: 10, Leader-1 can turn into a handheld gun, connect to a shoulder as a missile pod or enter a “not so secret compartment” to physically integrate into Megatron’s robot mode. Awesome.
Powerlinx gimmick: 10, the alt mode gimmicks also work in robot mode, and make Leader-1 a memorable partner.
Engineering: 10, it’s possible to achieve great things even with a simple execution - something that eluded most similar efforts in the Unicron Trilogy (see Cybertron Drill Bit).
Transformation: 9, simple, effective and elegant.
Versions: 3
Best version: Armada.
Essential? Yes.
Megatron truly reigns supreme over mini-cons. With the top 5 done, let’s find out which mini-con is truly the worst partner a Transformer could ask for!
Now, we also have the rest of the rankings for those curious of who'd be the runners up and which would be the worst one.
#6 Inferno (with Armada Thrust) (38/50)
9 / 6 / 5 / 10 / 8
Thrust is not that different from Hot Shot - not in the sense that they are both gullible idiots, but in their alt mode integration with their minicon. While Hot Shot has some unexpected air vehicle, Thrust has a land one - a small truck, adding firepower as nobody’s business.
Just like Jolt, Inferno and Thrust can share an accessory - in this case, Thrust can use Inferno’s launcher as a handheld weapon. Plot twist: Thrust got no hands!
Versions: 4
Best version: Powerlinx Inferno.
Essential? No.
#7 Jolt (with Armada Hot Shot) (37/50)
8 / 6 / 5 / 10 / 8
Jolt is the quintessential minicon. Its interaction with Hot Shot in alt mode is the stuff legends are made of (YUM JAAM!), and it’s a solid, well designed toy all around. As an additional bonus, Jolt can carry Hot Shot’s engine block as a gun, a rare example of accessories being shared between partners.
Versions: 2
Best version: Armada Jolt, the original.
Essential? Yes.
#8 Crumplezone (with Armada Cyclonus) (36/50)
10 / 2 / 10 / 9 / 5
Together with Demolishor, Armada Cyclonus sports the best alt mode integration in all of Armada. While Demolishor’s integration ended with alt mode, Cyclonus has several powerlinx gimmicks, maximising the real estate for Crumplezone to connect to. The “rat-tat-tat” gimmick is not trivial, and works perfectly as intended.
Versions: 4
Best version: Cybertron
Essential? Yes.
#9 Safeguard (with Cybertron Vector Prime) (35/50)
9 / 10 / 0 / 8 / 8
One of the most memorable partner minicons, Safeguard is an essential complement to Cybertron Vector Prime, even more in its Japanese version. No real powerlinking feature, but plenty to like.
Versions: 5
Best version: Galaxy Force
Essential? Yes.
#10 Wind Sheer (with Armada Wheeljack) (34/50)
7 / 0 / 7 / 10 / 10
A fantastic mini-con in both modes, with a fun transformation, Wind Sheer manages to look right next to Wheeljack thanks to coordinated color schemes and an overall alignment with the powerlinx gimmick’s appearance. Some instability - the powerlinx’ trigger tends to displace the minicon - but a great effort overall.
Versions: 3
Best version: Micron Legend.
Essential? No.
#11 Heavy Load (with Cybertron Menasor) (33/50)
7 / 6 / 6 / 7 / 7
The only minicon partnered with a Decepticon in the post-Armada era, Heavy Load has an original alt mode and a couple of interesting ideas for integrating with Menasor… how interesting, it depends on how much you like Menasor’s futuristic alt mode, which is more alien and sci-fi looking than many, many others in the Unicron Trilogy.
Versions: 1
Best version: one guess.
Essential? No.
#12 tie Throttler (with Power Core Combiners Sledge) (32/50)
9 / 8 / 0 / 8 / 7
A unique minicon whose alt mode is a… drill attachment. A necessity, for those who ever played with this little fellow. Simple but not trivial engineering completes one of the few essential PCC minicons.
Versions: 3
Best version: PCC.
Essential? No.
#12 tie Thunderclash (with Armada Skywarp) (32/50)
9 / 3 / 8 / 5 / 7
Compared to Swindle, Thunderclash works much better as Skywarp's partner, with much better integration in alt mode. In robot mode connecting Thunderclash meaningfully is a challenge, as there's not even a pseudo-shield option, balancing things out. However, Thunderclash has two fun modes and a fun transformation, making it closer to Liftor in terms of value. Beware breakages, though.
Versions: 5
Best version: Micron Booster v2 Saber.
Essential? Yes
#13 Incinerator (with Armada Blurr) (31/50)
10 / 4 / 10 / 4 / 3
A stylish, fun minicon car designed to activate a very specific - and excellent - gimmick. On the other hand, The simply designed Armada Incinerator could be considered the Trojan horse for Cybertron’s Cyber Key gimmick.
Versions: 3
Best version: Armada.
Essential? No.
#14 Beacon (with Power Core Combiners Steelshot) (30/50)
9 / 8 / 0 / 7 / 6
A fun, versatile mini-con with great personality, great addition to many larger TFs.
Versions: 4
Best version: PCC.
Essential? No.
#15 Nightbeat (with Armada Side Swipe, or A.S.S.) (29/50)
10 / 5 / 8 / 3 / 3
Nightbeat is the core of Side Swipe’s entire design. From this perspective, all of A.S.S.’ limitations can be a bit more acceptable. However, Nightbeat as a robot toy doesn’t really work - it’s not surprised that it was demoted to “Seek and Destroy drone” for a later release.
Versions: 2
Best version: Micron Booster v3.
Essential? No.
#16 Longarm (with Armada Red Alert) (28/50)
5 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 5
Longarm is a G1 Micromaster which happens to have a mini-con port. Great for G1 fans, but Red Alert could have been paired with a better match. Longarm’s crane is way too tiny to be a credible gimmick.
Versions: 6
Best version: Movie.
Essential? No.
#17 Blackout (with Armada Demolishor) (27/50)
10 / 3 / 3 / 6 / 5
Blackout and Demolishor have the best alt mode integration in all of Armada. However, things fall apart in robot mode, with just a two-steps missile launcher gimmick which was not interesting to start with.
Versions: 5
Best version: Energon KB Toys, the Devastator homage.
Essential? Yes.
#18 Over-run (with Armada Optimus “Bendy” Prime) (26/50)
5 / 10 / 4 / 4 / 3
A great targetmaster homage with some integration in alt mode - better than Sparkplug’s - and a problematic transformation. The powerlinx double-punch gimmick is on top of nobody’s list.
Versions: 5
Best version: Armada.
Essential? No.
#19 Swindle (with Armada Starscream) (25/50)
7 / 6 / 8 / 3 / 1
Somehow, Swindle works as Stascream’s partner, but it would be very difficult to pitch this concept without experiencing the toy. There is some redemption in robot mode with a fan-made shield mode, but ultimately Swindle fails as a Transformers toy, as even Nightbeat was designed with better articulation.
Versions: 7
Best version: Armada.
Essential? Yes (AAAARGH)
#20 Razorbeam (with Power Core Combiners Darkstream) (24/50)
5 / 9 / 0 / 5 / 5
Razorbeam is an axe, first and foremost. The transformation is not particularly involved, but Razorbeam manages to be a bit more interesting than many other PCC “turrets”.
Versions: 3
Best version: PCC.
Essential? No.
#21 Liftor (with Armada Smokescreen) (23/50)
0 / 0 / 3 / 10 / 10
Hailed as a “tiny god” since its release, Liftor is one of the most exciting transformer toys out there, with a fun, simple transformation, a heroic robot mode and a fun alt mode. This design would work even at larger scales, and I hope one day we’ll finally get a Masterpiece Liftor. As it happens, Armada Smokescreen is one of the most indecisive designs of the UT, and there is no true interaction between Smokescreen and Liftor. Looking at its eye patch, and based on Aaron Archer’s comments, it seems Lift-OR was meant to be a pirate, just like Demolish-OR. A wasted opportunity for a BotCon set.
Versions: 2
Best version: Universe Liftor.
Essential? No.
#22 Rollbar (with Armada Scavenger) (22/50)
7 / 0 / 0 / 7 / 8
Rollbar is a fun little minicon which can sit at the steering wheel in Scavenger’s alt mode. Fun and original, but ultimately worthless as a power-up. Just like Hoist, Scavenger didn’t really need a minicon.
Versions: 2
Best version: Energon Hound.
Essential? No.
#21 Bumb-burst (with Power Core Combiners Salvage) (21/50)
7 / 6 / 0 / 4 / 4
A highly versatile mini-con which looks straight out of the PS2 Armada videogame. Simple, but effective.
Versions: 4
Best version: PCC Chainclaw.
Essential? No.
#22 Groundspike (with Power Core Combiners Heavy Tread) (20/50)
8 / 6 / 0 / 4 / 2
This minicon, just like Nightbeat, is all about alt mode integration. The transformation is nothing more than a yoga pose, but at least it can become a great Devastator-like chest plate for many TFs, including Tidal Wave or PCC combiners.
Versions: 4
Best version: United EX Wheezel. Blowpipe might be easier to find.
Essential? No.
#23 Dead End (with Armada Unicron) (19/50)
4 / 0 / 3 / 6 / 6
Unicron has an immune system… made of mini-cons. The problem with Dead End is that it’s meant to represent on of trillions of Unicron antibodies, while its size makes it closer to a moon. Nice integration in alt mode, but its activation of leg missiles is problematic, as each missile is meant to be a Dead End drone by itself.
Versions: 7
Best version: Bug General, from Micron Booster v3.
Essential? No.
#24 Ramjet (with Armada Tidal Wave) (18/50)
8 / 0 / 0 / 5 / 5
The smallest mini-con, small and simplified enough to fit into a working elevator in Tidal Wave’s aircraft carrier mode. If Legacy Evolution Ramjet was core class, a potential LE Titan Tidal Wave would need to upgrade into a HasLab project. Would you pay $500 for a HasLab Tidal Wave?
Versions: 2
Best version: Energon / Super Link.
Essential? No.
#25 Caliburst (with Power Core Combiners Huffer) (17/50)
7 / 4 / 0 / 4 / 2
An iconic PCC minicon, Caliburst looks great as a weapon in alt mode, a bit more interesting than similar concepts in the same toyline. Surely more exciting that Legacy’s Energon weapons.
Versions: 3
Best version: PCC.
Essential? No.
#26 Waterlog (with Power Core Combiners Undertow) (16/50)
7 / 4 / 0 / 4 / 1
The wings in robot mode suggest some actual alt mode, instead we are left with a competent targetmaster/armor/turret with wings.
Versions: 3
Best version: PCC.
Essential? No.
#27 Leadfoot (with Power Core Combiners Pinpoint) (15/50)
6 / 3 / 0 / 4 / 2
An interesting homage to G1 Powermasters, with a simple transformation into an engine block. the twin barrels help, but nothing stops this minicon from being ultimately boring.
Versions: 4
Best version: PCC.
Essential? No.
#28 Airlift (with Power Core Combiners Sky Hammer) (14/50)
5 / 3 / 0 / 3 / 3
Just another competent targetmaster/armor/turret.
Versions: 4
Best version: PCC.
Essential? No.
#29 Drill Bit (with Cybertron Metroplex) (13/50)
6 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 4
You can see why the Legacy Metroplex’ product team ended up “costing out” a potential Core Class Drill Bit from the picture. Drill Bit is very similar to Leader-1, and manages to lose all potential of its close relative: no gun mode, no powerlinx-activated gimmick, just a parking spot on top of Sparkdrinker, making its twin drills truly dismal, when you look at the gargantuan machine behind it.
Versions: 3
Best version: Galaxy Force (with painted windows)
Essential? No (Legacy was right!)
#30 Sparkplug (with Armada Superbase Optimus Prime) (12/50)
0 / 0 / 0 / 5 / 7
Sparkplus combines an interesting, original transformation with limited engineering and articulation, and no specific interaction with Superbase Optimus Prime except for that “flat double-barrelled cannon” which can be deployed in base mode by many other minicons.
Versions: 5
Best version: Armada Corona Sparkplug.
Essential? No.
#31 Refute (with Armada Hoist) (11/50)
0 / 0 / 0 / 7 / 4
When you look at the ratio between gimmicks and articulation, there’s a clear pattern: early waves of Armada heavily prioritised gimmicks, making minicons truly central, while some of the last releases increased articulation at the expenses of minicon interactivity. The culmination of this process is Armada Hoist, and Armada toy which does not need a minicon - as demonstrated by its excellent remold, Cybertron Longrack.
Versions: 4
Best version: Armada.
Essential? No.
#32 Universe Jolt (with Universe 2.0 Hot Shot) (08/50)
1 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 5
Universe Jolt is an abomination, and a warning to all Tfans asking for modern versions of UT toys. The most iconic powerlink port of the entire Unicron Trilogy, connecting Jolt to Hot Shot’s car mode, has been removed, replaced by friction and luck. Plastic feels cheaper than most KOs, and would not pass the test for a Kinder Suprise toy. How anybody approved this is beyond human comprehension.
Versions: 3
Best version: TFCC Cop-tur, at least it’s a new character.
Essential? No.