The Energon Pub

by **Leon S Kennedy** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:31 pm

Ok,

WHAT ARE THEY??? I have me a TF price guide (G1-Beastwars) and all over some guys say "Headmasters"or "Targetmasters"(But i know Actionmasters... Crapppy non-transformable figures who Were "action-packed"....OP rode in a Giant Truck!) So? What are they? Also, who is Fort Max? (Forretress Maximus)

:???:

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:38 pm

The basic definition of a "master" back in G1 was that they had a special gimmick, usually (but not always) involving a smaller partner figurine. In order of release, they were:

- Headmasters: the smaller partner transformed into the bigger bot's head. Upon inserting the head you could read out three special stats on his chest
- Targetmasters: the smaller partner transformed into a gun
- Powermasters: the partner transforms into an engine, which unlocks an integral part of the transformation.

Fortress Maximus was a double Headmaster, meaning the smaller partner formed the head of a robot, that robot could also transform into Fortress Maximus' head. Not just that, he currently holds the record of largest Transformer ever produced at a whopping 2 feet in height.

News Credits: 13 · by **Overcracker** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:40 pm

Headmasters are figures form the later seasons of G1, that have smaller companion figures that turn into the main robot's head.

Fortress Maximus or Fort Max as he is affectionately called is the largest transformer toy to ever grace the toy isles.

Transforming into a city, he has a double headmaster feature.

Spike transforms into the head for Cerebros, and Cerebros in turn transforms into the head for Fortress Maximus.

Targetmasters, is a different sub line in which the companion figures transform into the main robot's weapons or guns.

by **Leon S Kennedy** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:41 pm

Fort Max must be valuable.... Anyway! Thanks! According to my title, I'm a micromaster!

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:43 pm

Leon S Kennedy wrote:Fort Max must be valuable.... Anyway! Thanks! According to my title, I'm a micromaster!

Yeah, those are Mini-Con sized TF's with very simple transformations. Their charm came in their numbers (and sometimes silly names) and the different playsets they had.

News Credits: 13 · by **Overcracker** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:45 pm

Quite valuable. Even though there have been several repaints of him and he was last released in the Robots in Disguise toy line back in 2001. Unfortunately it was a Japan only release, because the big guy was just a death trap according to toy safety laws of then and now in the US.

News Credits: 129 · by **Counterpunch** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:48 pm

lol at title! :lol:

by **Glitcher** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:52 pm

Overcracker wrote:Unfortunately it was a Japan only release, because the big guy was just a death trap according to toy safety laws of then and now in the US.

That's one side of Fortmax I never heard of before. What happened?

by **zemper** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:53 pm

Leon S Kennedy wrote:Fort Max must be valuable....

ah, young Grasshopper, you have NO IDEA......

by **Ramrider** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:07 pm

Micromasters were, and are, as some might say, "the awesomesauce" (no, I don't get it either). I've been playing with mine a lot lately.
They stand at around an inch and a half in height in robot mode, and while the articulation is understandably limited (shoulders, hips and knees) and their transformations generally simplistic (usually fold legs up and flip chest/back over head), there were a wide range of vehicle forms, and their sheer numbers meant you could hold a good-sized battle over a few square feet of floor.
And the battle station sets gave you ready-made terrain to make them that much more interesting.

The original Micromasters came in patrols of four (two Autobot patrols to one Decepticon patrol). There were eventually 8 Autobot Patorls and 4 Decepticon.
In addition came the Transports (a single Micromaster came equipped with a trailer or vehicle that became a vehicle or mobile battle platform), Battle Stations (civilian-style buildings that opened up into battle stations and vehicles), and Transport Bases (the Micromaster figure piloted a vehicle which transformed into a battle base).

At the head were Countdown and Skystalker. Skystalker piloted an enormous space shuttle (with a detachable flight pod), and Countdown manned his mobile rocket base. Each also transformed into a battle base.

Later came the Combiners. Available in four squads of six (two per faction), the six team members' alt-modes combined to form three larger vehicles.
There were also three Combiner Transports (two figures connected to either end of a trailer, which could transform into a base, or separate and transform into two weapons emplacements. And there was also the Decepticon Anti-Aircraft Base, which transformed into a two-man tank, and the Autobot Battlefield Headquarters, a truck which converted into two shuttles which then combined into an orbital space station.

There were other Micromasters released (at least initially) exclusively in Japan, including the gestalt teams which have more recently been recoloured and released over here in the Universe line.

by **Ramrider** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:11 pm

Glitcher wrote:
Overcracker wrote:Unfortunately it was a Japan only release, because the big guy was just a death trap according to toy safety laws of then and now in the US.

That's one side of Fortmax I never heard of before. What happened?

Basically, it's the famous 'drop test'. They have to drop the toy from a fixed height to see how it breaks. If it shatters or breaks into a lot of small or sharp parts, it fails. Luckily some countries don't have this test, which made the rerelease possible, and allowed me to get hold of the Korean release of the RiD version. :grin:

News Credits: 13 · by **Overcracker** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:15 pm

Glitcher wrote:
Overcracker wrote:Unfortunately it was a Japan only release, because the big guy was just a death trap according to toy safety laws of then and now in the US.

That's one side of Fortmax I never heard of before. What happened?

What Ramrider said. Fortress Maximus apparently had the awesome ability to transform into hundreds or razor sharp shards of plastic, that could potentially impale a child in several different, deadly and lawsuit causing ways.

by **Glitcher** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:26 pm

Ramrider wrote:Luckily some countries don't have this test, which made the rerelease possible, and allowed me to get hold of the Korean release of the RiD version.

That kinda makes me feel sorry for the Koreans.

Actually, I'm surprised to learn there's a drop test for toys. That got me thinking... how would you feel if you were in charge of that test and you were forced to drop hundreds of great TF toys to their doom. :grin:

by **Ramrider** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:30 pm

Less bad than I'd feel for depriving hundreds or thousands of kids of great toys because they did shatter. If you're stupid enough to drop him from that height you deserve everything you get.

News Credits: 1 · by **iron maniac** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:12 pm

I have an almost complete set of G1 first wave Headmasters(Mindwipe & Weirdwolf are all I need now). I'm a BIG Headmaster fan.

When they came out in 1987 I thought they were the coolest damn Transformers yet. Brainstorm was my favorite as a kid.

A modern day interpretation of a Headmaster can be found in the Energon Omega Supreme.

by **publicvisage** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:06 pm

Ramrider wrote:Less bad than I'd feel for depriving hundreds or thousands of kids of great toys because they did shatter. If you're stupid enough to drop him from that height you deserve everything you get.

Actually, if the height is considerable, as you imply in your post, I'd think it be any unfortunates below who would be impaled "in several different, deadly and lawsuit causing ways."

Either way, I definitely agree that the risk is acceptable for the chance to own such an awesome figure.