The Energon Pub

OK, so discussing with Savage last night, who is the best combiner to date, I decided to post who, are in my opinion, the best combiners, starting with the worst, on tiers. Note:
No RID Combiners are featured, as I do not own any...

Now-

6.

Supreme Class ROTF Devastator was a complete fail in my book. Hasbro gave us a combiner figure that Did not have robot modes. Then they Made it so each appendage could only be said appendage, a loss in many people's books. I would not have bought this figure now that I own it. It is by far one of the worst created, and that is why it is on the 6th tier.

5.
Power Core Combiners
OK, So Hasbro gave us a combiner, with a scout sized center bot, and Legends limb bots, but made the legends limb bots just like Devastator, but with the ability to interchange the arms with other arms, and legs with other legs. Hasbro, you perfected combiners in G1, called them Scramble City, and PCCs, are far below that. Granted there are other arms you may swap it with, and legs, but it still isn't as good as number 4.....

4.
Energon Combiners
Yes, Better than the PCCs and many ears earlier, you have the energon combiners. They had a deluxe sized center bot, with the limbs as scout sized. Granted 2 of them were just repaints, but still, you have them fully transforming, scramble city, with fully interchangeable. Years ahead of PCCs in my opinion, but nothing can beat nostalgia...

3.
G1 Combiners
Most were scramble city, they had actual arms and legs. Nostalgia. Need I say more.

2.
3rd Party Combiner upgrades, and Legends Devastator.
Don't shoot me for putting these 2 above G1. Legends Devy is a great figure, he can switch his arms and legs, just like the PCCs, but he has no extra parts and all individual parts are transformable. he may be slightly disproportionate, but it makes him a cute little Devastator. The Fansproject add-ons and the ( Crazy-Devy add-ons make G1 combiners what they can be, and make the energon Combiners everything they could be. Improved articulation, More screen accuracy, Actual hands and feet. I also include all custom kitbashed combiners but one. Which one Why none other than...

1.

Predaking X
I do not have to say anything else.


Stixx

Great list, man. I see you're sticking to your stance on the awesomeness of Energon combiners, but glad to see some of my points about the G1 combiners made it into your argument as well.


And that custom Predaking...

Wow. Just freaking WOW.

Savage wrote:Wow. Just freaking WOW.

It does nothing for me.

I see that a lot of time and craft went into making it, but I look at it as being "cheaty", especially compared to the original thing.

The hips, most of the chest, probably the combining ports are all kibble. Play by the same rules as the original piece and you'll get my respect. You can make any robot look good with a lot of washed details and exposed machinery.

The artist did a nice job, no doubt. It's not even remotely a fair comparison to existing product though.

Actually, all of the kibble folds up and combines into a war chariot.

Counterpunch wrote:

Savage wrote:Wow. Just freaking WOW.

It does nothing for me.

I see that a lot of time and craft went into making it, but I look at it as being "cheaty", especially compared to the original thing.

The hips, most of the chest, probably the combining ports are all kibble. Play by the same rules as the original piece and you'll get my respect. You can make any robot look good with a lot of washed details and exposed machinery.

The artist did a nice job, no doubt. It's not even remotely a fair comparison to existing product though.

Still a badass display piece. I wouldn't own it myself, but I do think it's pretty awesome to look at, and I have insane amounts of respect for anybody that puts that much time, effort, and energy into making their vision a reality.

Much like my views on cosplay really.

I don't think it's fair to compare a fan's combiner to the retail stuff. You could never get away with so much "combiner bits" in a real TF, nor could you do it at that size ANY day of the week. It's still a great Predaking.

I think you're missing the Micromaster combiners, Build King, and Rail Racer.

The Scramble City guys, although I don't have most of them, were brilliant. Can't find all the parts needed for one set? Just use another! Too bad they couldn't be bigger. I think legends Devestator is below them. Sure he has a nice combo .... but he's smaller with less value since there's only a couple ways to reconfigure him and MANY more ways to reconfigure the Scramble City combiners (they kept true to that process for a good amount of time).

PCC ... these guys coulda been great had they made the limbs actual, recognisable limbs with working hands and elbows rather than one massive, unmovable claw. The drones wouldn't have totally killed it were it not for that.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:PCC ... these guys coulda been great had they made the limbs actual, recognisable limbs with working hands and elbows rather than one massive, unmovable claw. The drones wouldn't have totally killed it were it not for that.

So true! And since they don't have to turn into robots, I would think they could have found a way to work in actual hands. But maybe if PCCs continues for a while they will get better and better.

Savage wrote:

Gauntlet101010 wrote:PCC ... these guys coulda been great had they made the limbs actual, recognisable limbs with working hands and elbows rather than one massive, unmovable claw. The drones wouldn't have totally killed it were it not for that.

So true! And since they don't have to turn into robots, I would think they could have found a way to work in actual hands. But maybe if PCCs continues for a while they will get better and better.

Two words: reversible thumbs

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by the Power Core Combiners and am going to start experimenting with swapping more pieces back and forth. I actually think the one Aerialbot assualt helicopter would look good with the COmbaticons but only have the Combaticons and Smolder so far.

If I were to do a list of 5 it wouldn't include any of your choices. As a matter of fact, it'd probably be mostly Micromaster combiners. The 3 Universe releases and the Takara "reissues". They're simple, they're robots with obvious hands and feet. They turn into alt modes that are also obvious what they are. Just great simple clicky stuff. As per usual with any combiner, articulation isn't king here. Although if that was a huge factor? RID Railracer and Energon/Universe Devastator, hands down. Gotta give an honorable mention to Magmatron too. He's just such an odd but beautiful piece. I can't say anything about Supreme Devastator though since I don't own him. He looks cool enough to me. Don't get me wrong G1 is great, speaking from nostalgia. However, most of them are some hot fall apart messes.

Flux Convoy wrote:As a matter of fact, it'd probably be mostly Micromaster combiners. The 3 Universe releases and the Takara "reissues".

4 Universe releases: Defensor (Sixturbo), Devastator (Sixbuilder), Rail Racer (Sixtrain) and Superion (Sixwing). The last one has limited release thanks to KB's bankruptcy

If I may be honest, G1 Scramble City combiners aren't all that. Their combiner kibble usually has nowhere to go outside of Combiner mode, which is their greatest weakness. The later combiners tried giving them places, or even better, integrated the hands and feet into the individual robots.

My favourite Combiner? RiD Rail Racer, hands down. And why hasn't anybody mentioned the Beast Wars combiners Magnaboss and Tripredacus?

Sorry, but you're missing out if you don't have/experience the RID and Beast Wars combiners. I understand this list is your personal option, and I respect that. However, Tripredicus and Railracer alone are better than any of the recent combiners (Energon included). Can't really fault G1 combiners because at the time, they were pretty cool. But Energon, PCC, and Movie verse "combiners" are all several steps backwards after the awesome Beast Wars and RID Combiners.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:My favourite Combiner? RiD Rail Racer, hands down. And why hasn't anybody mentioned the Beast Wars combiners Magnaboss and Tripredacus?

Because they're ugly?

I can understand Tripredicus and Magnaboss being seen as a little "ugly". But ROTF Legends/EZ Devestator is ugly and people seem to at least KINDA like him.

However, never in my life did I think anyone, with a straight face, would say that Railracer is ugly.

WolfDawg wrote:I can understand Tripredicus and Magnaboss being seen as a little "ugly". But ROTF Legends/EZ Devestator is ugly and people seem to at least KINDA like him.

However, never in my life did I think anyone, with a straight face, would say that Railracer is ugly.

He just meant the BW ones, not Rail Racer. He knows to watch his words now *has hammer ready*

I hope so Jelze. For a while there, CP had me worried. Lol.

WolfDawg wrote:I hope so Jelze. For a while there, CP had me worried. Lol.

Should not have been any misunderstanding. The question pertained only to the BW combiners.

Rail Racer is the bee's knees and is almost certified as the cat's pajamas.

Rail racer might be the overall best combiner. The three 'bots have good transformations, good robot modes and train modes. They combine into a well-articulated, uniform-looking gestalt with cool weapons and look.

Does anyone have or can anyone take a group picture of the different combiners all together? I've never seen one around and it'd be nice to know who'se largest and most impressive looking amongst his peers.

Ask and you shall recieve!

Here's a pic of all my combiners. The empty space in the last two pics are for Piranacon when he arrives.

From the center, the Decepticons go right in chronological order, and the Autobots go left in chronological order

personally, I think one of the best combiners is one I don't own, the Breastforce combiner Liokaiser. they have solid vehicle modes, great robot modes, and the gestault only has a single piece of kibble:the head.
Even that part is only a helmet, with the back of Leozack's head being the face.

adamassc wrote:personally, I think one of the best combiners is one I don't own, the Breastforce combiner Liokaiser. they have solid vehicle modes, great robot modes, and the gestault only has a single piece of kibble:the head.
Even that part is only a helmet, with the back of Leozack's head being the face.

I agree with this 100%. Now we need a reissue STAT!!!

Sweet pics, thanks! It's nice to see an accurate estimate of how tall everyone is.

Build King is smaller than I'd have thought. And the Energon guys seem to be around the tallest ... a point in their favor for me. Good to have this comparison!

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:4 Universe releases: Defensor (Sixturbo), Devastator (Sixbuilder), Rail Racer (Sixtrain) and Superion (Sixwing). The last one has limited release thanks to KB's bankruptcy

You're right, slipped my mind. Kinda funny because I have them all on display. I could have corrected myself lol. I ended up tracking down all my Aerialbots from different CVS or Walgreens. I can't remember which at this point. Oh, and yeah, Magnaboss and Tripredacus are pretty awful. I have them and I'm happy to but they're not good.