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Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.


Top 5 Best G1 Combiners


Continuing the lists spotlighting combiners, while awaiting their return in Power of the Primes, we now look at G1. It is still very much the golden age of Combiners, when looking at the sheer number alone. They came in all shapes and sizes, some could scramble, some couldn't, some came to the west and some remained in the east. Let's do this! You can view the 2 previous combiner related lists here and here.


5. Transformers G1 1987 Raiden

While Devastator may be far more iconic, Raiden has been by his side in the Diaclone line before the Transformers toyline even existed and it is a real pity we never got this in the west as I personally belive he is just as good as Devastator with a cool train motif. All the trains connecting together, which later train combiners like Six Train fail to do, is a really nice touch too. We often don't get to see the individual bots when speaking of Raiden so I will take the time to show them below. You will see that while they are simplisitc as all G1 combiner components are, they are diverse in their looks, mirroring the diversity of the train cars.


Transformers G1 1987 Getsuei Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Getsuei Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Kaen Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Kaen Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Shouki Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Shouki Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Yukikaze Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Yukikaze Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Seizan Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Seizan Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Suiken Gallery


Transformers G1 1987 Suiken Gallery








4. Transformers G1 1985 Devastator (Devastar)

I don’t think I need to say much about this iconic combiner. He was the first afterall. I really like how uniform he is with the green colour and the construction vehicle theme. The only set back this toy has is the large amount of kibble (here meant as the extra pieces) needed to complete the combiner mode, such as the breastplate, the head, the forearms arms and hands, and the hips. What’s fun though is that some of these parts can fit on the construction vehicles for added firepower.







3. Transformers G1 1986 Defensor (Guardian)

The Scramble City combiner were quite the revolution. While the combiner madness started with Devastator, these guys took it up a notch so that any smaller robot could be either an arm or a leg. Not only that, but they were interchangeable from different sets. Which meant that what served as an arm for Superion could be a leg for Abominus. Kids were encouraged to make their own combination, which is awesome. There were less extra pieces than with Devastator, but you still had to add (and not lose) hands and feet as well as breastplates and the bigger head. While this pic represents the Scramble City concept, Defensor is the better one simply because he had his combiner head was integrated with the larger robot forming the torso (Hotspot). So you wouldn’t lose the most important part of your combiner. Also, I love how Defensor illustrates the goofy and fun concept of these combiners by having a bunch of vehicles from different scales combining together. You have a motorcycle, a helicopter, a police car and an ambulance. And while they looked to be a different size from one another on the show, their robot modes were all the same size and they got even bigger when the combined. We paid it no mind and had fun with it instead by being able to play with an array of different vehicles without having to scramble.







2. Transformers Victory Liokaiser

As you might see, the trend on this list is to show how combiners evolved through this era having less extra parts every time. The culmination to this was with the late era combiner Liokaiser, who had only one piece of extraneous kibble you needed to keep: his helmet. The hands and feet were all integrated. This toy also had a really interesting theme. Instead of it being based on the alt modes, it was based on the robot modes which all had animal themed heads/helmets. Sadly, this toy never came out in the west, here’s hoping it gets reissued someday.







1. Transformers G1 Predaking

F%#K YEAH PREDAKING! Don’t you just hear the heavy metal pounding through your brain at the sight of this guy? This was the biggest combiner of the entire era, as you can see below with him standing next to Devastator. Also, he was made up of robotic versions of beasts found on earth, giving us some of our fist (or is it THE first?) animal Transformers. They were really well done too. What I find amazing about these beast modes is that many of them do not reuse their animal limbs for their robot modes, which plagued the Beast Wars line (especially for mammals). These beast modes look amazing too, very solid, and even better than their robot modes (except for Rampage). Using the combiner feet as Tantrum and Headstrong's back-mounted cannons is a great effect and totally works, to the point where this looks to be the accessorie’s primary purpose. The unified and yet varied colours works well together and I just love the extra touch of being able to unclip the eagle wings from Divebomb and attach them to the back of the combined form. It gives him that extra edge, making him look like an avenging angel from hell. Get the reissue while you still can at affordable prices!










Honourable Mentions:

Hasbro has never released Landross while Takara has done so twice (the last time was well over a decade ago) and I feel it is about time the west gets a taste of this beauty. While he is now considered a micromaster , Landcross is a bit more special than the rest. For those who don't know, Landross is a G1 combiner made up of 6 vehicle members. However what makes Landcross so special is that each member can combine with another member to make up to 30 different smaller combiners (check ou all the possible combinations on the back of the box below). It is very similar to what the Energon Powerlinx deluxes and voyagers could do but aside from combining two together for a larger robot, you could also combine all six.
Oh, and the six robot guns can be combined into a large weapon, always a fun bonus.

G1 Defensor was also one of the most 'solid' combiners. Unlike Devastator, which would fall apart if you looked at it wrong, Defensor held together even under rough handling. He didn't have any loose floppy bits that would twist out of place on the torso.

I'm surprised Bruticus didn't make the cut for this list, but there were a lot of good ones....

Nice list. Although I think the first animal Transformers would either be 1984's Laserbeak and Ravage (depending on how you define "animal Transformer"), or the Dinobots from '85.

Glarryg

I owned just six Transformers as a child, having caught the bug just as I was growing out of toys and into real cars and young ladies, but I remember getting them in a stocking for Xmas '84 and '85. Mixmaster was one of those figures and he was the only count combiner individual I owned until I started collecting as a much older adult. The other figures were all minibots--Brawn, Gears, Windcharger, Powerglide, and Warpath. I think the "bug" started then. Sure, I liked the idea of robots and vehicles, as the son of a hot rod mechanic, and the individual characters really appealed to me (enough to make an early RPG from the show) but that curiosity over how the Constructicons would look together was a big drive to collect.

Road Caesar is my absolute favorite combiner of the G1 era. Although Liokaiser might top it if I ever acquire one some day.

Nice list, though I would have switched Devastator and Raiden around and done the Seacons instead of Defensor because it's really hard to beat a combiner Targetmaster made of sea monsters.

Emerje

i agree predaking is no 1! also the biggest of all G1 combiners

Emerje wrote:Nice list, though I would have switched Devastator and Raiden around and done the Seacons instead of Defensor because it's really hard to beat a combiner Targetmaster made of sea monsters.

Emerje

I was about to say the same thing about the Seacons! Piranacon ranks in my top G1 era combiners just because of how unique the Seacons are. Each one has a robot mode, beast mode, and weapon mode. Yes he has a lot of extra parts to him, but that's what I like about him so much, all the customizing options. It's a shame the Seacons didn't get an update in Combiner Wars and Titans Return. Maybe in Power of the Primes? Wishful thinking on my part.

LordBludgeon wrote:Piranacon ranks in my top G1 era combiners just because of how unique the Seacons are.

Same here.

LordBludgeon wrote:Maybe in Power of the Primes? Wishful thinking on my part.

I'm not sure to want it. For pratical reasons.
We already saw ton of new unique molds for POTP. If we get Seacons on this line I'm afraid it's under the form of cheap terrocons repaints.

I prefer to wait more.

Hmmm. This reads like you consider the combiners better the less kibble they have, as pretty much the only factor. As someone who has said many times how much you like the design of new toys and the fun of them, I'm surprised the only combiner with all 6 individual components being completely unique moulds is so far down while the likes of Scramble city and Liokaiser are so high, when alot of them are the same figures engineering wise.


And why does G1 get it's own list, but the entire rest of the franchise has to duke it all out amongst themselves?


Eh. I seem to be in a funny mood today. On to the list!


I only have 3 actual combiners from G1, King Posiden, Devastator and Predaking. Objectively speaking, I agree, Predaking should be number 1. He's just pure awesomeness. Even if tantrum looks a bit stretched in robot mode.

I would put Devastator as 2. 6 guys, all the same size as each other, all about the same size as the autobot cars, all the combiner kibble doubles as weapons for the individual Constructicons (you can't make that a plus for Tantrum and Rampage and not do the same here), all the individual guys are well proportioned, Devastator himself is well proportioned and the vehicles have their own little features. Like Scrapper's bucket lifts. Hook's crane arm swings around. Mixmaster can turn his drum etc. And in an army of military vehicles, they're construction vehicles. You don't get that anywhere else.

Can't say I like those japanese-only ones at all.

Agree with Predaking as number 1. His combined form would work just as well if it was a seperate individual complete robot form whereas the others tend to look like the randomly coloured mismatched bots they often are. I've said before I'm not a big fan of combiners anyways but I also like G1 Piranhacon (just like his funky colours and solid bot shape)

Bruticus is my fave in terms of theme and his backstory, perhaps not as imposing as predaking but I prefer military vehicles over beast modes.

Devastator was good but I wouldn't put him in my top 5 cos he was so delicate .

Insurgent wrote:And why does G1 get it's own list, but the entire rest of the franchise has to duke it all out amongst themselves?

It's due to the volume of unique molds and designs in the different eras. G1 is not a line but an entire era lasting a decade, made up of different lines within it. And the technology is rather smilar so comparable within the era. Combiners became far fewer after with lines only getting one or two new combiner sometimes, like RID, Beast Wars, ROTF, and FOC. So inorder to be as inclusive as possible, it was best to split between G1 and post G1. It seemed most fair.

I do like how Defensor was updated for CW - especially with Rook and the downsizing of Groove; that was perfect - but seeing that picture of Streetwise really makes me wish his CW version was a lot more accurate

Too bad we never got the original Liokaiser, Raiden (& Road Caesar) in the U.S. Was the franchise in that bad a shape by that time that Hasbro couldn't bring them over?

william-james88 wrote:

Insurgent wrote:And why does G1 get it's own list, but the entire rest of the franchise has to duke it all out amongst themselves?

It's due to the volume of unique molds and designs in the different eras. G1 is not a line but an entire era lasting a decade, made up of different lines within it. And the technology is rather smilar so comparable within the era. Combiners became far fewer after with lines only getting one or two new combiner sometimes, like RID, Beast Wars, ROTF, and FOC. So inorder to be as inclusive as possible, it was best to split between G1 and post G1. It seemed most fair.

Fair enough. Makes sense.

Devastator should have been #2.

No surprise Predaking topped the list. He was an amazing toy. One of the best products to come out of the G1 toyline.

bluecatcinema wrote:No suprise Predaking topped the list. He was an amazing toy. One of the best products to come out of the G1 toyline.

And personally, I feel he is the best product to come out of G1.

As much as I disagreed with the last combiner list, I'm digging this one. Hotspot's mold really makes Defensor work just a bit better than the other Scramble City combiners. It's odd that a motorcycle and a helicopter are the same size, but this is Transformers ... scale is for wimps!
Also, Predaking was for many years a holy grail for many. I suspect not many parents were dumping out $15 to $20 per figure for five figures at time. It must have been a complete pain in the ass for kids to complete in the 80s. I remember seeing them in the store, and just walking away because I knew I'd never get them all.

Keep up the good work Seibertronians!

DeathReviews wrote:G1 Defensor was also one of the most 'solid' combiners. Unlike Devastator, which would fall apart if you looked at it wrong, Defensor held together even under rough handling. He didn't have any loose floppy bits that would twist out of place on the torso.

I'm surprised Bruticus didn't make the cut for this list, but there were a lot of good ones....

I'm right there with you as devastator I am I'm surprised devastator made list I clicked on topic expect to see bruticus seacons to make list those are two combiners that you can have mismatch any bot to be arm or leg except for leader bot who is main base of combiner superion does same thing but bruticus was more stable and sturdy compared to aerial bots, it's no surprise predaking made list and devastator but other two I will take out to put sea cons and stunticons on list they have more playability and Mitch match modes and little more stable in combined mode compared to ones that have made list,.

I pick up my classic predaking in combine he falls apart some times, and devastator as he is my favorite he is extreamly fragile combined mode and transforming to bot modes

william-james88 wrote:All the trains connecting together, which later train combiners like Six Train fail to do,

While true for the (very few) train-based combiners of the G1 era, RiD 2001 Rail Racer/Car Robots JRX could have his components connect together.

Why is everyone saying devastor falls apart? Did they do something on the g2 guys because my g2 dev is sturdy and doesnt fall apart at all.

Nice list! Though I wish my homeboy Piranacon could have made it on somewhere. Mind you I am biased as he's the only G1 combiner I own.

Are we going to get a list of "best Combiners that aren't part of Combiner Teams" such as "Savage Claw Mode," "JetConvoy," or "Omega Prime?" We don't usually consider these bots "Combiners" in the typical "Gestalt" sense, or combiner teams, but there are a lot of combinations, especially in the Unicron Trilogy, that happen. I guess it really could be a list of "Best Optimus Supermodes" since most are just this bot upgrades Optimus. Hmm, Maybe two lists:
1. Best Optimus Supermodes that translate well to toys (Because some look awesome in the cartoon, but the toys really fall flat).
2. Best Upgrade Combinations that aren't Combiner Teams (something like that).

OK...So I was on vacation when this list came out. As combiners (especially from the original series) are my absolute favorite thing about Transformers lore, I'd say Well Done on all counts . Before I sold my collection i was successfully able to own all the Hasbro produced original series gestalt Combiners from Devastator to Monstructor. As for the Takara ones...Raiden and LioKaiser were on my bucket list for the longest time. I owned them each for a few years before sadly having to part with them, but I'm glad I did. I also had Road Caesar. Unfortunately I never picked up Landcross or Dinoking, but time willing...we'll see what PotP or TT equivalent comes up with in their respective homage lines.

Also I can appreciate this list was made solely with the toys in mind, not necessarily how their characters are portrayed in fiction. Bruticus is extremely popular, no doubt about that, but Defensor was just a better toy. However Bruticus does have the distinction of having been remade the most...(Battle Gaia, G2, Baldigus, Ruination, Ruination (Gray Camo), Ruination (Desert Camo)...) am I missing any?

Also I'm not sure if I'd place Predaking as #1...I'd have to really think on that. It was unique and solid to be sure. Oddly enough, the one I purchased as a collector was 4/5 (or 80%) die-cast, only Tantrum was plastic.

Having an all die-cast Predaking (which I almost had...) is more valuable for collectors, but display-wise is very clunky and heavy. I've never handled an all plastic Predaking, as I would *assume* the Hasbro & TT re-releases are, but I wonder if it holds its weight better...I could never get my Predaking to really pose in any way other than hunched over, unless his back was supported by a shelf or wall.

Overall though, again very impressive list. It gets me excited to see what PotP has in store for us, as well as future plans. (please! please! please! continue the UW line!)