Transformers Site Articles News on Seibertron.com

Got Transformers News? Let us know here!

Goto Page: 1, 2 >>
11 total news articles in this section, 10 per page.

10 of 2022 - Share with us your Top 10 Transformers Purchases of 2022

Date: Friday, December 30th 2022 1:29pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Top Lists
Posted by: D-Maximal_Primal | Credit(s): D-Maximal_Primal

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 89,741

Hello there!

Welcome all. My name is D-Maximal_Primal, your friendly neighborhood Seibertron.com Admin, and today, I'd like to take you all on a journey through the year.

This journey is called the top 10 Transformers figures of 2022. It's a simple journey: I am going to talk about the Top 10 (or so) figures I personally bought and received during the 2022 calendar year, and in doing so, I hope to prompt you, dear reader, to share you own 2022 Top 10.

The top 10 is only limited to buying this year, not release of this year, and the terms of what makes your favorites are up to you. Me personally, I am going to talk about the 10 toys that brought me the most joy and that i like to handle the most.

Sound like fun? I hope it is! So let's go!

10) LEGO Optimus Prime

Boy oh boy, what a way to start this list off. I adore legos, always have, since I was a little boy. Seeing such a nice big lego set of Optimus Prime himself come to life was such a gift. It took a good while to build him, but the result is so very nice. The fact that this thing transforms so competently is a sign of how much love went into him. They nailed this one, well done.

Transformers News: 10 of 2022 - The Top 10 Transformers Figures of 2022

9) Legacy Jhiaxus

I have always had this weird soft spot for Jhiaxus, and it wasn't even necessarily because the G2 comics started me there. I became weirdly attached to him during the IDW2005 run, and then properly bought and read G2, where I fell in love with this berserker. And then this toy comes along and kills. This toy is so very good, it deserves a lot of praise, and a lot of people deserve the chance to get to handle it. It's great.

'8) Transformers Animated Waspinator

Waspinator was one of those toys I was hunting down for a while, but always seemed a tad expensive. Well, good thing I waited, because not only did I get one for a decent price, but the one I got was signed by Derrick J. Wyatt himself. That signature alone made this guy worth every penny and every minute of waiting. Thank you to Grimlockimus Customs on Twitter for this guy, he is treasured here.

7) Transformers Cyberverse Battle Call Optimus Prime

This figure was a total surprise to me. He showed up in an Ollies near me, so I decided to give him a go, since I do love Cyberverse. Wow, was he a pleasant surprise. He is both very posable and also very fun, with a strong build that can take some punishment but still throw some great shapes. The spark armor and entire 2nd head that is a posable as the main head was such a cool touch. This is a really fun figure, and fun figures make for great figures to talk about on lists!

6) Robots in Disguise 2015 Legion Heatseeker

Speaking of fun figures, check out this little knucklehead. Heatseeker was one of those legion figures that were skipped over in many parts of the world, which is a shame with how good he is. I lucked into this one after a friend on Twitter just kindly threw him in a package to me. What a great surprise! The RiD2015 legions were a fantastic little era of robots, and Heatseeker lives up to the joy they brought.

5) Black Big Convoy

Speaking of eras, lets go back to the beast era, and check out this guy. I lucked into this guy at what is essentially a large pawn shop, and following some haggling, coupons, and more, I got him for a great price, especially considering his vintage and exclusivity. I love Big Convoy, and to get this gleaming black and gold version was a treat. He looks so nice, and is a joy to have. And he also sparked a journey I am now on to own all the Big Convoy repaints. Just 3 to go I think!

4) Dark of the Moon Deluxe Leadfoot

As a movie fan, there are some figures that were very limited that you just wish you could get. And early in the year, I got super lucky with a chance to finally get the only live action Wrecker mold I did not own: Leadfoot. This guy was a bit of a white whale for me, given how rare and expensive he is, given how his release went. And to now have him properly, and to have a full and proper set of original deluxe Wreckers, it feels so very good.

3) Transformers Animated Blackout

As someone who loves Animated, there were some figures that I had not had the chance to handle and add to the collection, though that number is slowly dwindling. But Blackout was a huge grab this year. I got really lucky with the deal I got made, and it feels great to have the bruiser in the collection at last. He is a fun toy, not the best, but still very fun, and the exclusivity of him coupled with how long it took to get him makes him feel extra special now.

2) War for Cybertron: Kingdom Rodimus Prime

I had passed on this figure initially, and then part way into the year, I felt a pang of regret, especially as I began to realize Rodimus might actually be one of my Top 3 favorite Transformers characters. So I corrected a mistake, and I am glad I did. There is no doubt in my mind this toy is the best WFC toy released, and he can do so much while looking amazing at all times. He is truly a great toy, one I am more appreciative of after almost missing him. He is positively great.

1) ThreeZero Revenge of the Fallen Jetwing Optimus Prime

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the movies. They are my bread and butter. And in the course of the live action movies, there have been a select few that have truly captured my imagination more than any other.

Jetwing Optimus Prime, the fusion of Jetfire and Optimus Prime at the climax of Revenge of the Fallen, is one of those. No release had ever done the design full justice. Such small details like the extra facial armor to the inner leg guards had never been done before. But then, ThreeZero went and did it. They gave us the perfect, be all end all Jetwing Optimus Prime. Getting this guy this year was the true highlight of the year, and was always going to be #1. I am beyond the moon excited that this is something I get to hold in my hands now. I will always treasure the moment I fully finished the combined mode. It is a sight to behold.

Honorable Mentions:

I just wanted to highlight a couple of other figures that were standouts this year, but didn't quite make the cut.

Beast Wars II Moon was a fun grab, and one I bought after reading IDW's Last Bot Standing. So thank you, Nick Roche, for finally counterpunching me into this adorable little wabbit.

Beast War II Thrustor was a necessary evil, as I have had his 3 Cyborg compatriots for a couple years now. To finally get him and complete the set of lackeys for Galvatron feels so good.

Legacy Transmetal II Megatron will also join this list, mainly because he is so very good. He is such a great figure, he really turned out great despite the questionable early looks. They did him good.

Legacy Metroplex is the figure I determined was figure of the year for 2022 on our Seibertron year in review article, but Given how much I will gush about him there, I felt like he could sidestep here, especially given how personally important some of the rest of the list are to me.

Studio Series Premium Edition Megatron was so close to making the list, as he is so very good and so rich in beautiful paintwork. But I decided ultimately that he'll just be shy of the list as I have splurged a lot about that mold before. But he was still worth mentioning again.

And with that, that is a wrap on 2022! I hope you all enjoyed this article, and I hope you find time to share you own Top 10 of 2022!

Until we talk again, Happy New Year!

Top 10 Best Transformers Mini-Con Molds + Ranking for all 100 Mini-Con Molds

Date: Sunday, December 25th 2022 6:10pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: rikkomba

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 122,718

Hello everybody! Welcome back for the third and final part of this series focused on mini-cons.
You can find part 1, focused on Mini-con teams, here, and part 2, focused on mini-con partners, 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 Mini-cons 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.

Mini-con toys came in two flavours: teams, sold, in 3-packs, and partner Mini-cons sold together with their bigger partner. After journeying through teams and partners, we are finally at the final showdown: which are the top 10 Mini-cons, when taken as standalone toys?

In this list we won’t focus on “team’s theme” or “partner integration”, but on the toy in itself, in the context of still being a powerup for larger ‘bots.
1-20 scores were given for:
Alt mode: how cool is the alt mode, how well designed?
Robot mode: how cool is the robot mode, in the context of a tiny toy?
Powerlinx credibility: just by itself, how credible is this Mini-con as a powerup?
Engineering: how well was this Mini-con built?
Transformation: how original and well executed is the transformation?

Then those scores were added together to give a score on 100 which is what you will see on all the entries throughout the ranking.

The list includes:

- all 63 individual molds from Mini-con teams: 33 from Armada, 3 from Energon, 6 from Cybertron, 18 from Classic and 3 from Thrilling 30;
- all 35 partner Mini-con molds: 21 from Armada, 4 from Cybertron, 1 from Universe 2.0 and 9 from Power Core Combiners;
two molds with toys which were at some point called Mini-cons: Cybertron Laserbeak, and Generations Cyclonus’ Nightstick.

This gives a grand total of exactly 100 Mini-con molds.

Because of the number and variety of Mini-cons listed, in case of tied scores the placement in the list is down to personal preference.
Which are the top 10? Which is the single worst Mini-con out of 100?
Let’s get started!

#10. Transformers Armada Thunderclash (85/100)
20/20/5/20/20
Iconic alt mode, original transformation, not very credible as a power up, also because of how its port is positioned.
Team: partner, with Armada Skywarp
Versions: 5

Transformers News: Top 10 Best Transformers Mini-Con Molds + Ranking for 100 Mini-Con Molds

#9. Transformers Armada Gunbarrel (Glide) (86/100)
18/14/20/20/14
Six-barrelled cannon and bomber, some challenges with articulation in robot mode but overall solid targetmaster.
Team: Air Military Team
Versions: 9

#8. Transformers Armada Leader-1 (Barrel) (87/100)
14/15/20/20/18
Iconic triple-changing mini-con, simple but effective engineering and transformation.
Team: partner, with Armada Megatron
Versions: 3

#7. Transformers Classics Dreadwing (88/100)
20/14/14/20/20
Excellent beast mode, it could pass as a shield with its wings closed, why not.
Team: Classics Predator Attack Team
Versions: 4

#6. Transformers Armada Terradive (Recon) (89/100)
20/20/20/13/16
Excellent targetmaster to give Starscream some Wolverine claws, hampered by bad engineering and overall fragility.
Team: Air Military Team
Versions: 9

#5. Transformers Cybertron Safeguard (Roots) (91/100)
Safeguard is possibly the best Mini-con to come out of Galaxy Force. While it does not activate any real feature, being more of a targetmaster partner, Safeguard’s inherent coolness makes it stand tall among so many power-ups.
Alt mode (20/20): literally a flying laser cannon, cool enough to get a pass.
Robot mode (20/20): articulated, cool looking and well proportioned.
Powerlinx credibility (20/20): possibly the most credible arm-mounted powerup.
Engineering (16/20): durable, stands easily despite the massive backpack.
Transformation (13/20): effective, but simple.
Team: partner, with Cybertron Vector Prime
Versions: 5

#4. Transformers Armada Makeshift (Twist) (92/100)
Makeshift is a great mini-con triple changer, with two excellent alt modes and a passable robot mode.
Alt mode (16/20): iconic and unique, Makeshift’s alt mode looks so peaceful… until it’s transformed into its third mode, a double tri-barrelled rotating machine gun!
Robot mode (16/20): its gun-hands are a bit distracting, could be worse.
Powerlinx credibility (20/20): how cool is this?
Engineering (20/20): robust and durable, with thick transparent plastic.
Transformation (20/20): simple and effective across three modes.
Team: Emergency Team
Versions: 10

#3. Transformers Armada Stormcloud
(93/100)Stormcloud not only makes for an excellent power-up, but is also a great, fun TF toy on its own.
Alt mode (17/20): great looking speedboat with a giant, giant missile on top
Robot mode (20/20): articulated - even more than the “highly articulated” Street Speed Team members - stable and cool looking, despite the giant, giant missile.
Powerlinx credibility (20/20): one of the best.
Engineering (18/20): very well designed, more effort than in many other cases.
Transformation (18/20): simple, and very effective.
Team: Sea Team
Versions: 6

#2. Transformers Armada Waterlog (95/100)
Waterlog is at least as cool as Stormcloud, with a slightly more interesting transformation.
Alt mode (20/20): a great hovercraft mode, with a giant, giant missile
Robot mode (16/20): well proportioned and decently articulated, with a great arm-mounted weapon - the giant boots are still needed to give it stability
Powerlinx credibility (20/20): excellent power-up.
Engineering (20/20): stable and robust.
Transformation (19/20): original transformation for a mini-con, well executed.
Team: Sea Team
Versions: 6

#1. Transformers Armada Bonecrusher (Bomb) (99/100)
Bonecrusher is the pinnacle of mini-con molds, with an original alt mode, a unique transformation, a cool looking robot mode and great credibility as a power-up. Bonecrusher wins under all dimensions, and any TFan should own a copy of this mold.
Alt mode (19/20): unique and well designed - it’s a shame the first is so visible.
Robot mode (20/20): this mini-con means business.
Powerlinx credibility (20/20): an excellent power-up with a giant, giant missile
Engineering (20/20): the best engineering of any Mini-con toy out there. Solid and durable.
Transformation (20/20): the most original transformation of any Mini-con toy out there.
Team: Land Military Team
Versions: 6

Bonecrusher confirms the strength of the Land Military Mini-con team (see part 2). And now, as we go through all remaining 95 molds, we’ll finally find out: which is the worst mini-con ever forged?

#11, Overcast (Cybertron), (84/100)
13/15/20/18/18
Great power-up as dual missile launcher, but the giant missiles don’t work in alt or robot mode.
Team: Giant Planet Team
Versions: 3

#12, Steel Wind (Classics), (83/100)
20/13/10/20/20
Original transformation, and I guess it’s somewhat credible as “arm-mounted bomb launcher”. Proportions in robot mode are iffy.
Team: Classics Clear Skies Team
Versions: 6

#13, Firebot, (82/100)
20/8/20/16/18
Great, kawaii triple changer, with an excellent targetmaster mode as missile pod.
Team: Emergency Team
Versions: 10

#14, Jolt (Cybertron), (81/100)
20/20/1/20/20
Excellent TF toy, terrible power-up.
Team: Cybertron Recon Team
Versions: 8

#15, Longarm (Cybertron), (80/100)
20/20/0/20/20
Excellent TF toy, no credibility whatsoever as power-up.
Team: Giant Planet Team
Versions: 4

#16, Nightscream (Classics), (78/100)
20/18/0/20/20
Great Dragon TF, notable for having its Dragoyell repaint as one of the most elusive Mini-cons ever; terrible, terrible as power-up.
Team: Classics Clear Skies Team
Versions: 5

#17, Thunderwing, (78/100)
20/12/6/20/20
Fun triple changer toy, but… is it a rotating shield? A shuriken? Not very convincing.
Team: Air Military Team
Versions: 9

#18, Liftor, (78/100)
10/20/8/20/20
The Tiny God of mini-con toys, with possibly the best robot mode of any and all Mini-cons, not very convincing for the rest.
Team: partner, with Armada Smokescreen
Versions: 2

#19, Inferno, (78/100)
14/14/14/20/16
Solid in all three modes.
Team: partner, with Armada Thrust
Versions: 4

#20, Comettor, (78/100)
20/16/12/14/16
Unique modes and transformation, not very threatening as a power-up.
Team: partner, with Armada Jetfire
Versions: 4

#21, Firebot (Classics), (78/100)
16/20/14/14/14
Very cool looking robot mode, OK for the rest.
Team: Classics Night Rescue Team
Versions: 4

#22, Stripmine, (76/100)
13/17/12/18/16
While partner interaction with Quickmix was great, on its own Stripmine is much weaker in all modes.
Team: partner, with Cybertron Quickmix
Versions: 2

#23, Sky Blast, (76/100)
20/16/0/20/20
Fun, original rocket mode, not great as a powerup…
Team: Space Team
Versions: 6

#24, Heavytread (T30), (76/100)
20/12/20/12/12
Simple, chunky tank TF, nothing to write home about.
Team: Thrilling 30 Assault Team
Versions: 1

#25, Buzzsaw, (76/100)
20/10/20/12/14
Fun, original alt mode, mediocre robot mode.
Team: Destruction Team
Versions: 9

#26, Jolt, (76/100)
20/20/0/20/16
Spinning blade? Not really - but it’s a nice little TF toy on its own.
Team: partner, with Armada Hot Shot
Versions: 2

#27, Grindor (Classics), (74/100)
20/14/0/20/30
Unique car mode, original transformation, not much of a power-up, still quite nice.
Team: Classics Dirt Digger Team
Versions: 3

#28, Blackout, (74/100)
20/18/14/12/10
Iconic Mini-con, two modes and a half, simple but very well thought out.
Team: partner, with Armada Demolishor
Versions: 5

#29, Oval, (72/100)
20/20/0/16/16
Street Speed team members have the same thing in common: nice car modes, mediocre robot modes. Oval is the best one of the three.
Team: Street Speed Team
Versions: 8

#30, Wind Sheer, (72/100)
18/14/0/20/20
Iconic alt mode and fun transformation, not much of a power-up.
Team: partner, with Armada Wheeljack
Versions: 3

#31, Oil Slick (Classics), (70/100)
20/20/0/10/20
Fun little TF toy, not much of a power-up - most common case for Classics mini-cons.
Team: Classics Dirt Digger Team
Versions: 4

#32, Dead End, (70/100)
20/12/14/12/12
Here comes the pain. Unicron’s favorite antibody is as mean as its role requires - coming packaged with a massive gun only helps in its job. Considering the challenge of turning into a sphere, Dead End is one of the most ambitious designs - a qualified success.
Team: partner, with Armada Unicron
Versions: 7

#33, Heavy Load, (69/100)
17/17/7/14/14
Original alt mode, well articulated robot mode, it just sucks as a power-up.
Team: partner, with Cybertron Menasor
Versions: 1

#34, Strongarm (Classics), (68/100)
20/14/0/16/18
One of the most peculiar transformations ever, it’s less successful than e.g. Bonecrusher, but still manages to stand on its own.
Team: Classics Night Rescue Team
Versions: 7

#35 Wreckage, (68/100)
14/12/20/12/10
Excellent power-up, fun alt mode, OK-ish robot mode. In this vein, Cybertron Overcast is better.
Team: Land Military Team
Versions: 6

#36, Windshear (T30), (68/100)
20/20/8/0/20
Extremely fragile, Windshear has possibly the worst engineering of any mini-con class toy. It’s a shame, because its modes look pretty great.
Team: Thrilling 30 Assault Team
Versions: 1

#37, Rollbar, (66/100)
20/16/0/14/16
Original, satisfying transformation, a fun little toy on its own.
Team: partner, with Armada Scavenger
Versions: 2

#38, Knock Out, (66/100)
12/12/20/12/10
The weakest of the three members of the Land Military Team, still a great power-up.
Team: Land Military Team
Versions: 6

#39, Throttler (PCC), (64/100)
0/14/20/16/14
PCC Mini-cons don’t really have any alt mode, and rely on their strength as power-ups. Throttler, with its unique alt mode as a drill, is the most interesting PCC mini-con.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Sledge
Versions: 3

#40, Rollout, (64/100)
12/12/4/18/18
A core class toy by today’s standards: Armada Overload sold at the Max-con price point of $20, and a core class Rollout would easily cost $15 by itself, today. Would it be worth the money? By itself, probably not.
Team: partner, with Armada Overload
Versions: 7

#41, Reverb (Cybertron), (63/100)
18/20/0/14/11
A micromaster car: competent, with a fun transformation, but nothing special.
Team: Cybertron Recon Team
Versions: 8

#42, Beacon (PCC), (62/100)
0/20/16/14/12
PCC mini-cons are often great for fan-modes. Of all 100 Mini-con molds, PCC Beacon is the most fanmode-friendly, a great source of fun - with some imagination.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Steelshot
Versions: 4

#43, Runway (T30), (62/100)
10/16/14/12/10
Iffy proportions, iffy alt mode, overall it’s OK but nothing to get too excited about. At least thrusters can be used as an arm cannon.
Team: Thrilling 30 Assault Team
Versions: 1

#44, Sonar, (62/100)
10/20/0/16/16
The Star Saber is made of three little airplanes - and Sonar is the most interesting of the three.
Team: Air Defense Team
Versions: 12

#45, Crumplezone, (61/100)
15/10/8/18/10
A great partner and complement for Armada Cyclonus, but does not stand up well on its own.
Team: partner, with Armada Cyclonus
Versions: 4

#46, Nightstick (Targetmaster), (60/100)
0/20/0/20/20
One of the two “Mini-con because they say so” entries, Nightstick is not necessarily worse than many Classics or PCC Mini-cons. The lack of a Mini-con port just makes it less versatile.
Alt mode (0/20):
Robot mode (20/20):
Powerlinx credibility (0/20):
Engineering (20/20):
Transformation (20/20):
Team: partner, with Generations Cyclonus
Versions: 8

#47, Waterlog (PCC), (60/100)
10/20/20/8/2
A cheater - its wings suggest some alt mode, but no. Still, a fun power-up.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Undertow
Versions: 3

#48, Dune Runner, (60/100)
20/16/0/14/10
A fun toy, with a fun gimmick for its machine gun.
Team: Adventure Team
Versions: 6

#49, Iceberg, (54/100)
20/12/14/6/2
Sometimes less is more - and Iceberg really plays it safe. The original alt mode rescues it somehow. Its boosters can act as a double cannon, why not.
Team: Adventure Team
Versions: 6

#50, Ransack, (54/100)
20/10/14/8/2
Rope and hook gimmicks came at great cost in Armada, just see Armada Smokescreen. Ransack also suffers from balancing its budget, with the simplest transformation of the entire Unicron Trilogy.
Team: Adventure Team
Versions: 6

#51, Swoop (Classics), (59/100)
13/13/0/13/20
A competent dinobot micromaster. As we move into the second half of the list, most Mini-cons we encounter are still OK toys on their own - just bad Mini-cons.
Team: Classics Dinobot Team
Versions: 5

#52, Incinerator, (59/100)
20/13/12/8/6
Nice car, with engineering taking shortcuts, putting most of the alt mode on one arm. Maybe it can be a melee weapon - maybe.
Team: partner, with Armada Blurr
Versions: 3

#53, Dualor, (58/100)
16/14/20/4/4
Redundant alt mode, simple transformation, but competent overall.
Team: Destruction Team
Versions: 9

#54, Astroscope, (58/100)
20/12/0/12/14
A satellite mode is already cause for celebration, but this mold’s fragility holds it back. Not something you could ever give to a child.
Team: Space Team
Versions: 6

#55, Laserbeak (not a cassette), (56/100)
8/18/0/20/20
Nightstick’s partner as an “intruder”, Cybertron Laserbeak is more of an accessory than a toy - less interesting than a G1 cassette, and not even much of a power-up.
Team: partner, with Cybertron Soundwave
Versions: 3

#56, Bomb-burst (PCC), (56/100)
0/20/20/8/8
One of the best PCC Mini-cons, and one of the most credible Mini-cons in general as a power-up: despite its simplicity. Bomb-burst is straight out of the PS2 Armada videogame.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Salvage
Versions: 4

#57, Razorbeam (PCC), (56/100)
0/16/20/10/10
One of several “targetmaster PCC Mini-cons”, Razorbeam is only mildly interesting.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Darkstream
Versions: 3

#58, Deepdive (Cybertron), (56/100)
20/8/20/4/4
The submarine mode is cool, but when it comes to engineering and transformation, they didn’t even try.
Team: Giant Planet Team
Versions: 4

#59, Sparkplug, (55/100)
20/10/1/10/14
Sparkplug is yellow, awkwardly shaped and useless: it reminds me of G1 Bumblebee, and for this reason I was very tempted to give it a perfect score: 0
Team: partner, with Armada Superbase Optimus Prime
Versions: 5

#60, Jetstorm, (54/100)
14/14/0/10/16
Another little airplane, and possibly one of the most fragile Mini-cons out there.
Team: Air Defense Team
Versions: 12

#61, Longarm, (54/100)
20/12/0/12/10
A homage to Micromasters from inception, it succeeds in this regard - nice micromaster, bad Mini-con.
Team: partner, with Armada Red Alert
Versions: 6

#62 Drill Bit, (54/100)
8/14/18/6/8
Drill Bit took Leader-1 and removed any and all ambition from that concept. I am not surprised that Legacy Metroplex omitted Drill Bit entirely.
Team: partner, with Cybertron Metroplex
Versions: 2

#63 Rook and Crosswise, (54/100)
20/8/0/14/12
Dead End’s lost cousins, they only really work together - the novelty of their combination has its merit, but they only work as complements for Armada Sideways.
Team: partner, with Armada Sideways
Versions: 4

#64, Backtrack, (54/100)
20/14/0/12/8
At this point, almost two thirds into the list, we can start finding Mini-cons which have fewer and fewer redeeming qualities. Backtrack is one of these - Oval is a far superior alternative.
Team: Street Speed Team
Versions: 8

#65, Spiral, (53/100)
20/14/0/12/8
Boring, boring, boring.
Team: Street Speed Team
Versions: 8

#66, Dirt Rocket (Classics), (52/100)
20/16/4/2/10
Another spectacularly fragile mold, with hair-thin biceps which often break up during the first transformation attempt. While its two modes are OK, it’s a lazy, unrefined design.
Team: Classics Dirt Digger Team
Versions: 4

#67 Overbite (Classics), (52/100)
20/12/0/12/8
Wolves make for terrible, terrible pets, and even worse power-ups.
Team: Classics Predator Attack Team
Versions: 5

#68, Terrorsaur (Classics), (52/100)
16/16/0/10/10
Great homage to Beast Wars Megatron, not a great powerup.
Team: Classics Dinobot Team
Versions: 6

#69, Pinpoint (PCC), (52/100)
1/20/19/8/4
Effectively a homage to G1 Powermasters, with a piss-poor color scheme.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Leadfoot
Versions: 4

#70, Grindor, (50/100)
8/14/0/14/14
It’s a skateboard - and it could have been much, much worse.
Team: Street Action Team
Versions: 6

#71, High Wire, (50/100)
20/14/0/14/2
It’s a BMX bike, and… no, really, no, this doesn’t work.
Team: Street Action Team
Versions: 6

#72, Airlift (PCC), (50/100)
0/18/2/6/6
Yawn.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Sky Hammer
Versions: 4

#73, Prowl, (48/100)
20/8/8/8/4
Personally I love Armada Prowl’s car mode, but its other two modes are really bad.
Team: Emergency Team
Versions: 10

#74, Divebomb (Classics), (48/100)
20/2/14/4/8
Fun concept, and terrible, terrible engineering - this is something one would create with LEGO. Also, they really need to stop integrating rocket launchers and other weaponry into the robot head, it’s just bad.
Team: Classics Night Rescue Team
Versions: 6

#75, Refute, (47/100)
8/2/15/14/8
Great homage to G1 insecticon, inexplicable for the rest - comedy value at best.
Team: parter, Armada Hoist
Versions: 4

#76, Highwire (Energon), (46/100)
10/14/0/10/12
Better than its Armada version in some aspects, but it doesn’t even have cuteness to save it, this time.
Team: Energon Street Action Team
Versions: 6

#77, Sledge (Classics), (44/100)
14/10/0/10/10
Original, fragile, awkward, not the brightest design out there.
Team: Classics Demolition Team
Versions: 6

#78, Runway, (44/100)
16/10/0/10/8
Runway sucks as a robot - its arms are truly terrible.
Team: Air Defense Team
Versions: 12

#79, Oceanglide, (44/100)
0/6/20/10/8
The weakest member of the Sea Team, and one of the weakest alt modes of all Mini-cons.
Team: Sea Team
Versions: 6

#80, Drill Bit, (44/100)
6/4/20/4/10
Fun alt mode, completely botched robot mode.
Team: Destruction Team
Versions: 9

#81, Nightbeat, (43/100)
20/1/10/6/6
This might come as a surprise: Armada Nightbeat is not the weakest mini-con mold, despite its horrifying robot mode - even Universe downgraded its repaint as “Seek and Destroy Drone”, they didn’t dare call it a Mini-con. Not only its alt mode is well executed, but as a power-up it somehow works as a jetpack.
Team: partner, with Armada Side Swipe, or A.S.S.
Versions: 2
imagine it as flamethrower in reverse

#82, Dirt Boss, (42/100)
14/8/0/10/10
A boring car mode, an ugly robot mode, Dirt Boss doesn’t really shine.
Team: Race Team
Versions: 8

#83, Groundspike (PCC), (38/100)
0/8/18/8/4
Groundspike has one of the best Mini-con integrations of all PCC Mini-cons, but it only really works together with its partner.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Heavy Tread
Versions: 4

#84, Caliburst (PCC), (38/100)
0/8/18/8/4
Visually more interesting than other “PCC turrets”, with a terrible, ugly robot mode.
Team: partner, with Power Core Combiners Huffer
Versions: 3

#85, Sureshock (Energon), (36/100)
20/6/0/4/6
A four-wheeled bike, perfect for faceplanting - just like its robot mode’s design.
Team: Energon Street Action Team
Versions: 6

#86, Thunderwing (Classics), (36/100)
14/4/0/4/14
Tom Cruise would probably get offended - fun transformation, but overall a terrible design
Team: Classics Clear Skies Team
Versions: 6

#87, Broadside (Classics), (36/100)
20/2/14/0/0
One of the ugliest robot modes of any TF toy, Broadside’s hips are just under its chin. Moreover, Broadside cannot stand on its own. Who approved this thing?
Team: Classics Demolition Team
Versions: 5

#88, Ramjet, (36/100)
14/2/0/10/10
Armada Ramjet was entirely designed for a specific gimmick, much like Armada Nightbeat. No Tidal Wave, no party.
Team: partner, with Armada Tidal Wave
Versions: 2

#89, Sure Shock, (34/100)
20/4/0/6/4
It’s a Vespa! And it sucks.
Team: Street Action Team
Versions: 6

#90, Over-run, (33/100)
13/6/0/8/6
Over-run is effectively a rifle with wings. More of an accessory than anything else.
Team: partner, with Armada Optimus “Bendy” Prime
Versions: 5

#91, Swindle, (30/100)
20/2/0/6/2
Swindle somewhat worked as Starscream’s partner, but as a standalone toy it’s a bit of a stinker.
Team: partner, with Armada Starscream
Versions: 7

#92, Six-Speed (Cybertron), (28/100)
20/4/0/3/1
Possibly the most boring car mode in the entire Unicron Trilogy.
Team: Cybertron Recon Team
Versions: 8

#93, Wideload (Classics), (26/100)
9/0/10/0/7
Ugly in robot mode, forgettable in alt mode.
Team: Classics Demolition Team
Versions: 6

#94, Downshift, (25/100)
20/2/0/2/1
Downshift is similar to Six-speed, with a far more horrifying robot mode and worse engineering.
Team: Race Team
Versions: 8

#95, Mirage, (23/100)
10/4/0/5/4
Mirage is similar to Swindle - only worse.
Team: Race Team
Versions: 8

Here we are: 95 entries later, we start the countdown for the worst 5 Mini-con molds ever! Are you scared? You should.

#96, Knockdown (Classics), (22/100)
Alt mode (10/20): knockdown is less of a dinobot, and more of a frankenstein monster.
Robot mode (4/20): most of this robot mode is a cow split in two.
Powerlinx credibility (0/20): of course.
Engineering (4/20): it must have taken a good 4 minutes to design Classics Knockdown, points for the effort.
Transformation (4/20): I just want to forget this exists.
Team: Classics Dinobot Team
Versions: 5

#97, Payload, (18/100)
Alt mode (6/20): one of the least ambitious alt modes ever designed, it’s just there.
Robot mode (4/20): I assume this is some micromaster homage? Not brilliant.
Powerlinx credibility (0/20): of course.
Engineering (6/20): no engineering, just regrets.
Transformation (2/20): it does transform, yes, it’s something that happens.
Team: Space Team
Versions: 6

#98, Snarl (Classics), (16/100)
Alt mode (12/20): it’s a kitty… puma… panther? I think it meows.
Robot mode (0/20): Classics Snarl’s robot mode is so ugly its designed should be banned from ever approaching a cat again.
Powerlinx credibility (0/20): of course.
Engineering (0/20): no engineering, just pain, suffering and lots of sadness.
Transformation (4/20): Classics Snarl can be classified as an ass-former.
Team: Classics Predator Attack Team
Versions: 5

#99, Universe 2.0 Jolt, (15/100)
Alt mode (4/20): Universe 2.0 Jolt transforms into a helicopter, a helicopter made with spit and glue.
Robot mode (4/20): Universe 2.0 Jolt has a robot mode. Now that you know, no need to verify for yourself.
Powerlinx credibility (1/20): Universe 2.0 Jolt can be used as a shield, possibly while still alive.
Engineering (01/20): cheap, cheap, cheap, Universe 2.0 Jolt is nothing more than an insult to the Unicron Trilogy.
Transformation (02/20): yes, Universe 2.0 Jolt transforms. It also sucks.
Team: partner, Universe 2008 Hotshot
Versions: 3

#100, Grindor (Energon), (10/100)
Alt mode (8/20): I am pretty sure that Energon Grindor transforms into a Cybertronian Turd.
Robot mode (0/20): Energon Grindor’s robot mode should be fixed by activating SafeSearch.
Powerlinx credibility (1/20): it deserves a 20, in that enemies will probably run away laughing.
Engineering (1/20): Energon Grindor had elbows and ankle articulation - and nothing else.
Transformation (0/20): this is something you don’t want to test.
Team: Energon Street Action Team
Versions: 6

And here we are: all 100 mini-con molds, ranked. Between Armada Bonecrusher and Energon Grindor, mini-cons have brought incredible variety in their alt modes, transformations and gimmicks - a testament to the incredible creativity Aaron Archer and the Armada design team brought into our hobby.
As we celebrate Armada’s 20th anniversary, it’s an excellent time to revisit many of these molds - today is best time to get started with Mini-cons

Thanks for making us company in this celebration, looking forward to read your comments.
19 years later, still yours,

Rikkomba

Why it Makes No Difference if the Upcoming Transformers Film is a "Reboot" or Not

Date: Wednesday, November 30th 2022 8:27am CST
Categories: Movie Related News, Site Articles, Editorials
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 75,340

There's been a very tiring argument within the Transformers community for years as to whether or not the new Live Action films we are getting are part of the same universe as previous live action Transformers films directed my Michael Bay. But in reality, the argument is pointless since Bay is still involved no matter what, the designs still feature aesthetics from the Bay era and this would not be the first soft reboot anyway.

We'll just look at the facts. Firstly, neither Hasbro nor Paramount want to totally disassociate themselves from the legacy of the Bay era films, nor dissociate themselves from Bay himself. Those films inspired a new generation of Transformers fans and brought in billions. So you'd never hear the word "reboot" from them so as not to alienate fans of the franchise. Plus both Travis Knight, director of Bumblebee, and Steven Caple Jr, director of Rise of the Beasts, along with Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, said that these "not made by Bay" films are within the live action universe we already know of. That was even one of the reasons why we couldn't have Megatron in the Cybertron scene in the Bumblebee movie. And fans thinking that either the Bumblebee movie or the upcoming Rise of the Beasts film have nothing to do with Michael Bay are wrong. Michael Bay was on set of Rise of the Beasts with Steven Caple Jr, the director, as the film was being shot. He is a hands on producer here, and you can see him in this Instagram video below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvg7ifJHwK/?hl=en

Now in terms of designs, everything we have seen so far is indeed a departure form the 2007 film which had very alien designs. But that ignores 5 films since then where designs did evolve under Bay as well. So even if this is a "reboot", that doesn't mean that those who didn't like the live action designs will suddenly fall in love with them now. We just saw the toy for the upcoming film and here it is next to a toy of a character from a Bay directed film. Which is which? Can you tell from just the design cues? It looks like they both crawled out of the same factory. Simply said, we will still have complex designs with multi layered armor, a staple of live action movie designs.

Just to answer the previous questions in case you truly did not know, the figure on right is Hot Rod from a film directed by Michael Bay and the figure on the left is Battletrap from the new film, which Michael Bay is producing but not directing. And that brings another trope diehard fans hate about live action films: name slaps. Like with Bayverse Crosshairs and Crankcase, this Battletrap is just a reused name of a G1 toy with no reference to that character, which in this case had a very unique gimmick. This is a trend we saw in the Bay films and it is alive and well here. Plus, Bumblebee retains the same face he had from the Bay directed films, along with the car radio voice and the Camaro alt mode, offering a loose continuity with the previous films. I'd hope an actual reboot would forgo the design cues from the biggest staple of the Bay era, Bumblebee. But instead, we are getting all these design throughlines.

Also, if this is a "soft reboot", that doesn't mean it's not within the Bayverse. It would be (at least) the second soft reboot of its kind in the Bayverse, after all. After the initial trilogy, Michael Bay changed things up in Age of Extinction and the Last Knight. Optimus got a major redesign, looking more like a superhero than a robot made of car parts, and the faces looked more human, especially the faces of the villains (like Lockdown). That change in design carried over to the Bumblebee movie villains like Shatter and will probably carry over to the Rise of the Beasts villains as well. Any evidence of incongruence to continuity story is far from being a smoking gun when a film like The Last Knight exists. In that film, everything we saw before was retconned and continuity flew out the window.

That's why in the end, it really doesn't matter if this film is labelled as a reboot or not. You can call it a reboot if you like but remember:
- No one at Hasbro or Paramount is calling it that
- It is labelled as TF 7 in all toy listings as well as on set
- Michael Bay is still involved and on set
- There are still reused G1 names with no connection
- Design elements are carried over from previous films; Bumblebee still has the Bayverse face, radio voice and Camaro alt mode

Plus, you'll still get scenes focused on humans, including a scene where the main male character goes for a job interview (again). Trying to piece it with the other films will make as much sense as piecing The Last Knight with the rest (let's not, let's just choose sanity). Regardless, we saw with Bumblebee that we can still get a good story with a greater emphasis on the bots within a film that was meant to be a prequel to the Bay films. So nothing is stopping this film from being good too, regardless if it is in the Bayverse. And also, most importantly, nothing spares it from being terrible if it's not in the Bayverse either.

A Tale of 2 ROTB Airazors

Date: Tuesday, November 22nd 2022 11:35pm CST
Categories: Toy News, Site Articles, Editorials
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 61,540

We are here to explain what is happening. Fans have been very confused at the sight of 2 completely different Rise of the Beasts deluxe class Airazor toys which look as complex (for a standard deluxe). So here is a breakdown with info coming from insiders and people with access to distributor info.

This whole confusion is a result of the movie being delayed. The big difference isn't the complexity, it's the sculpt and detail. The initial Airazor we saw is part of the Rise of the Beasts mainline that was supposed to be out months ago. That line mirrors the Earthspark and Cyberverse lines where the entire line is aimed at kids but there are deluxes which may interest fans as well due to their more standard complexity. Since these were worked on early, all toys in that line are based on early movie designs so that they could be sold in stores in summer of 2022 for kids and parents to buy, along with the 2022 holiday season. Also, it would be a unified class so all bots would be relatively the same size, and there would just be deluxes, no voyagers or leaders. That is the line the initial Airazor is from. Below is an image along with the listing for that Airazor and the other characters in the deluxe class of that ROTB movie line (Core Boy means the toys are aimed at 8 year old boys).

Tra Mv7 Core Boy Deluxe Class Ast with the EAN: 5010993983308
Deluxe Bumblebee (Codename: George)
Deluxe Mirage (Codename: Pluto)
Deluxe Wheeljack (Codename: Barcelona)
Deluxe Airazor (Codename: Titan)
Deluxe Nightbird (Codename: Outlaw)

The Studio Series one first shown just a few hours ago is from the 2023 Studio Series line that was always going to come out in 2023, so one year after the film. And with that extra time, the idea is that Hasbro would have had more updated designs to work with, hence the differences in design.

But since the film was delayed, the toys that should have already been out will now come out at the same time as the toys that were always meant to come later. Hence why we get 2 deluxe Airazors at once, both seemingly as complex, transformation wise, but different in design.

Below are some of the Studio Series Rise of the Beasts figures we know are coming in 2023 along with Airazor.

TRA Gen Studio Series DLX TF7 Bumblebee (Codename: George)
TRA Gen Studio Series DLX TF7 Airazor (Codename: Titan)
Tra Gen Studio series Dlx TF7 Mirage (Codename: Pluto)
Tra Gen Studio Series DLX TF7 Wheeljack (Codename: Barcelona)
Tra Gen Studio series Dlx TF7 Nightbird (Codename Outlaw)
TRA Gen Studio Series VOY TF7 Cheetor (Codename: Butch)
TRA Gen Studio Series VOY TF7 Battletrap (Codename: Appolo)
Tra Gen Studio series Voy TF7 Rhinox (Codename: Warrior)

So that means what we are seeing with Airazor will also happen with Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Nightbird and Mirage. 2 deluxe toys, both similar in complexity, but with different designs. We don't know if Hasbro will try avoiding to have them on the shelves at the same time or not.

Hopefully that cleared things up for some people.

Top 5 Best Transformers Minicon Partners

Date: Saturday, November 12th 2022 7:49pm CST
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: rikkomba

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 110,125

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) 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.

Would the Trend of Retro Style Figures Work for New Transformers Characters in the G1 Toy Style?

Date: Thursday, September 29th 2022 12:22am CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 75,666

"Vintage", "Retro" and "Nostalgia" has been a big trend in the toy world for the past few years and we simply seem to be getting more. For instance, we currently have on shelves:
- Super 7 recreating the toy aesthetic of the late 70s with new characters that were never made in that style in their ReAction line.
- Mattel recreating the toy aesthetic of 80s MOTU figures for designs of MOTU characters that never appeared in the original line (like the 200X series in that classic style) in their MOTU Origins line.
- Hasbro making late 70s style figures of new Stars Wars characters from the Mandalorian and Obi-Wan series in their Star Wars Retro line.
- McFarlane reviving the 80s Super Powers line by adding DC characters that were never part of the original line as well as modern takes on DC characters with the same scale and articulation.
- Marvel Legends having a subline filled with carded 3.75 inch characters with limited articulation reminiscent of toys sold in the late 70s, early 80s.

These are all well known characters/brands replicating a style or aesthetic from the 80s and yet that list is missing a major player of that era: Transformers. The Transformers brand inspires so much nostalgia and strength among older fans that some will even debate whether or not the Transformers toylines sold in kids' toy aisles, like Legacy, is more for them than it is for kids. If we look at the toy brands mentioned at the top of the article which have a retro toyline, like Star Wars, DC, Marvel and He-man, each of those brands also have more kid friendly lines and at least one toyline dedicated to highly detailed and highly articulated figures at the same price points as deluxe/voyager Transformers toys (which technically makes Transformers a better deal than any other similarly priced action figure since they have double the parts count).

We'll take Marvel for the simplest comparison. The multiple Marvel Legends waves each year are in the same vein as the multiple Studio Series and Legacy waves we get. For kids, Marvel has a bunch of toylines, like the Monsters line, the Mech Line, the Bending line, movie specific lines (recently Thor and Spider-man) and those are in the same vein as the Cyberverse and Earthspark toylines for Transformers. And then there is also the Marvel Legends Retro line, which they are going full hog on, even to the point of introducing different scales like with the new Sentinel figure. There is no counterpart to that in the Transformers line.

Sure the Transformers line has figures labelled as retro, but these are rereleases of pre-existing figures, nothing new like McFarlane's new Super Powers line, or the Marvel Legends Retro line, or the Star Wars Retro line. And I make sure to bring up those last 2 a lot because they are from Hasbro, which means Hasbro sees the value in this retro type of play or collecting and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on brand new molds. The Transformers line becomes one of the only major lines in the toy aisle which does not have a comparable retro line alongside its other lines.

So the question then becomes, is that untapped potential, or a dodged bullet? And how would that even look like. An equivalent could be a redeco of G1 blades in Alpha Bravo colours giving fans the option of having that extra combiner limb on their vintage Superions. Or you could have the G1 characters/toys in their Bayverse decos. Like a silver G1 Jazz or a G1 Optimus with a flame design on his cab. How about an Ironhide and ratchet similar in deco to their E-Hobby releases but with extra parts to plug in a head with references to their Bayverse looks. Or a new mold of a 70s Camaro to give us a Bayverse Bumblebee but with G1 style transformation and articulation.

It could also be G1 toys we never had, like redecos of the G1 seeker mold and have it be Acid Storm. Or a retool of the wings to give us a G1 Windblade. Going the G1 route, they could release that G1 headmaster Arcee, from a redeco/retool of Chromedome. Or simply make a fully new G1 style toy based on the initial design.

Another example could be a grey G2 Megatron sold in G1 packaging to retroactively give G1 Megatron a tank mode so that we can have a cohesive aesthetic of the character of his various tank modes throughout the different eras. These ideas have been around for a while, as evident by the digibash you can find below from site owner Seibertron himself, but with more retro type product out there than ever before in the retail toy aisle, it's the perfect time to bring them back. The question is, would you fans be up for it? I ask because while this may look fun, there have been recent lines that mirrored the G1 toyline in terms of being out of scale and simpler than Generations toys, like the Cyberverse line, and those were mocked by many fans who even questioned their existence. Which makes one wonder, if the G1 line was released today, with all its partsforming, hollowness, non show accuracy, lack of articulation and simplicity, would it be mocked just like fans are mocking other lines suffering from the same issues?

Is this a thing that we want? Is this a thing that we need? Let us know what you think, both in terms of how a line like this would look like and if it is something that would interest you.

Top 5 Best Transformers Mini-Con Teams

Date: Sunday, September 4th 2022 2:14pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: rikkomba

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 109,229

Every month now, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by the main editor or a guest. These are our 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 Transformers Minicon Teams + All Minicon Teams Ranked

Hello everybody! It’s good to be back. 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. Partner minicons will be ranked in the second part of this celebration.

This first top 5 will focus on Armada mini-con teams were sold in 3-packs, each with a dedicated theme. Minicons have been defined as “feature-activating micromasters.
In ranking these teams, 1-10 scores were given for:
theme execution: how well does the trio represent its unique concept?
gimmick: how well implemented is the team’s gimmick?
power-up credibility: how credible does the team look when powerlinked?
engineering: how well was this toy built?
transformation: how original and well executed is the transformation?

We also add a couple of completely arbitrary notes on best partner for powerlinking, and best repaint out of many (MANY!) available. The list includes all 21 minicon team molds: 11 from Armada, 1 from Energon, 2 from Cybertron, 6 from Classic and 1 from Thrilling 30.
Let’s get started!

#5 Armada Race Team

Score: 43/50
Theme: 10, a nice variety of racing cars, no doubt
Gimmick: 10, the Skyboom shield combiner gimmick is great fun, and it doubles up as a “flying thing” which is fun by itself
Power-up: 10, the shield looks great in the hands of most ‘bots
Engineering: 6, the individual robot modes are quite sacrificed for the Skyboom combination

Transformation: 7, one of the three members, Mirage, barely transforms
Best partner: Smokescreen or Hoist
Versions: 8
Best version: Armada Road Assault team, which looks great with a variety of holders.

#4 Armada Air Military Team

Score44/50
Theme: 10, no doubt about what these planes are about
Gimmick: 10, they handle triple-changing at minicon scale very well
Power-up: 10, an excellent homage to G1 targetmasters
Engineering: 7, Terradive is prone to breaking - you can be careful, but it’s way too fragile
Transformation: 7, it does the job for all members, but it’s not revolutionary
Best partner: Armada Starsceam
Versions: 9
Best version: Galaxy Force Calibur Team, remolded and repainted to be paired with GF Sonic Bomber

#3 Armada Space Team

Score: 45/50
Theme: 10, they went above and beyond with an additional “ground transport” combination of two members
Gimmick: 10, the combination into the Requiem Blaster is well executed, with a stable weapon which can be comfortably handled by most TFs
Power-up: 10, a blaster for every season
Engineering: 7, the satellite is prone to breaking or losing pieces
Transformation: 7, one of the three is at G1 micromaster level of simplicity
Best partner: Armada Megatron (if you don’t know why, ask Smokescreen)
Versions: 6
Best version: The Umbral Blaster made up of the minicons from the 3 different mini-con vs packs (to go with TFCC Timelines Astrotrain)

#2 Armada Sea Team

Score: 48/50
Theme: 8, this is indeed a Sea team, but the terracotta colors are truly baffling. The Micron Legend original X-Dimensions release and its DVD version make this set worthwhile..
Gimmick: 10, three boats which double up as rocket pods for their partners
Power-up: 10, three credible weapon attachments
Engineering: 10, all three minicons are well built and sturdy
Transformation: 10, three diverse transformations, including an excellent one
Best partner: Micron Legend Shockwave (the purple version)
Versions: 6
Best version: Micron Legend X-Dimensions Sea Team (of course!)

#1 Armada Land Military Team

Score: 49/50
Theme: 10, three military vehicles which mean business
Gimmick: 10, three excellent rocket pods, with a well-designed pressure-based gimmick
Power-up: 10, possibly the most credible minicons for powerlinking
Engineering: 9, all three minicons are well built, with minor issues for Knockout’s legs
Transformation: 10, Bonecrusher has possibly the best transformation of any Unicron Trilogy toy
Best partner: Armada Demolishor (of course!)
Versions: 6
Best version: Armada Night Attack Team, to go with… anything, really, it’s just that good.

With the top 5 done, let’s find out which is the undisputed worst minicon team ever made as we rank ALL remaining teams!

#6 Armada Air Defense Team (42/50)
6 / 9 / 10 / 9 / 8
Iconic because of the Star Saber, but with an uncertain theme overall
Best partner: Armada Starscream or Micron Legend Hot Rod
Versions: 12
Best version: Air Assault Team, to go with Armada Galvatron

#7 Classic Night Rescue Team (41/50)
10 / 8 / 7 / 7 / 9
Original and partly awesome transformations, possibly the best post-Armada minicons.
Best partner: none - most Classic minicons don’t really work well when powerlinked
Versions: 6 Divebombs, 4 Firebots, 7 Strongarms
Best version: Classic

#8 Thrilling 30 Assault Team (40/50)
10 / 10 / 5 / 7 / 8
A great homage, reimagining Armada Perceptor at deluxe scale, with uneven engineering.
Best partner: none - these three are just too large for powerlinking
Versions: 1
Best version: T30

#9 Armada Destruction Team (38/50)
8 / 10 / 5 / 7 / 8
Together with Armada Cyclonus, the Destruction team represents all the best aspects of Armada. It’s a shame that Dualor got one of the most boring alt modes.
Best partner: Armada Cyclonus
Versions: 9
Best version: Micron Legend Space Galaxy Destruction team, to go with Energon Cyclonus

#10 Armada Adventure Team (37/50)
10 / 10 / 7 / 6 / 4
Meant to be the equivalent of the Destruction team for the Autobots, Armada Hoist’s cost-cutting led to losing its gimmick, limiting the value of this team. The micromaster-level transformations don’t help making them relevant, even if the theme is well executed.
Best partner: none
Versions: 6
Best version: Cybertron Lunar Assault Team, with Universe Ransack

#11 Armada Emergency Team (36/50)
10 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 5
Another great G1 targetmaster homage, ruined by the second worst minicon ever made - Armada Prowl.
Best partner: Armada Red Alert
Versions: 10
Best version: Armada, with Armada Red Alert

#12 Classic Dinobot Team (35/50)
10 / 10 / 1 / 7 / 7
Great homage to G1 Dinobots and Beast Wars but very weak as minicons.
Best partner: none
Versions: Terrorsaur has 6, others have 5
Best version: Rise of the Fallen (G1 repaints)

#13 Cybertron Recon Team (34/50)
6 / 10 / 3 / 8 / 7
Almost a celebration of minicons by itself, with two great transformations - but not really made for powerlinking.
Best partner: none
Versions: 8
Best version: Galaxy Force Micron Booster v3 repaints

#14 Classic Demolition Team (33/50)
7 / 10 / 6 / 3 / 7
Nice variety of alt modes, with some of the weakest engineering across any minicons.
Best partner: none
Versions: Broadside has 5, others have 6
Best version: G1 Micron Booster v4 with Universe Heavy Load

#15 Street Action Team (32/50)
10 / 10 / 1 / 6 / 5
Armada Perceptor is an iconic combiner and can hold Hotshot’s engine gun, but the individual robots suffer because of it - more than for most other minicon combiners. Very original and unique alt modes, points for audacity.
Best partner: none
Versions: 6
Best version: Micron Legend Magna Convoy DX Fembot version

#16 Cybertron Giant Planet Team (31/50)
1 / 5 / 7 / 10 / 8
Interesting little Transformers with great engineering, but not really great for powerlinking, and with a non-executed theme.
Best partner: none
Versions: the airplane has 3, others have 4
Best version: TFCC Timelines with Astrotrain

#17 Street Speed Team (27/50)
7 / 7 / 1 / 6 / 6
Easily the worst Armada minicon team, it betrays the core concept with tiny cars which make no sense whatsoever in the context of powerlinking, with an “articulation” gimmick which adds very little value, and a boring, uninteresting colour scheme.
Best partner: none
Versions: 8
Best version: Armada Beast Wars Transmetal repaints

#18 Classic Clear Skies Team (25/50)
10 / 1 / 3 / 5 / 6
They all fly, with some original transformations, but once again failing at powerlinking.
Best partner: none
Versions: Nightscream has 5, the others have 6
Best version: G1 Minicon Team (Japanese exclusives Sling, Glide and Dragoyell)

#19 Classic Predator Attack Team (25/50)
10 / 1 / 1 / 5 / 4
They are all predators, and they all suck in terms of engineering or powerlinking.
Best partner: none
Versions: Dreadwing has 4, others have 5
Best version: BotCon 2008 Shattered Glass Predacons

#20 Classic Dirt Digger Team (21/50)
1 / 7 / 1 / 6 / 6
Armada showed us that original, diverse transformations were possible even at minicon scale. The Dirt Digger team, combining simple transformations with misassembly and breakage, was made to remind us that times had changed.
Best partner: none
Versions: Grindor has 3, others have 4
Best version: Classic, if you must

#21 Energon Perceptor (Energon Street Action Team) (20/50)
1 / 6 / 1 / 6 / 6
Energon didn’t give us many minicons, but it gave us was memorable: the Energon Saber, a great remold of the Air Defense Team, and Energon Perceptor, one of the most abysmal concepts ever devised in almost 40 years of Transformers. 20 years later, I still can’t imagine how this concept got approved. Energon Perceptor is so bad it’s not even funny.
Best partner: none
Versions: 6
Best version: Japanese exclusive Stealth City Team

This wraps up our minicon team ranking. We hope you enjoyed this article more than I enjoyed Energon Perceptor.

Top 5 Best Wheeljack Transformers Toys

Date: Tuesday, July 19th 2022 12:06pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 109,059

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 Wheeljack Transformers Toys

Wheeljack is the seminal Autobot. He was the very first Transformers character we see in the G1 cartoon and he has been around for several incarnations of the brand, and no matter how redefined his character may be, there is always a throughline in terms of design cues for the toys, similar to Optimus Prime. To keep things simple for this list, we will simply look at toys labelled as Wheeljack with the Wheeljack design cues. Now let's get to it!

5. Transformers G1 1984 Wheeljack

One of the better original toys from the 84 line. Unlike other Diaclone toys, G1 Wheeljack works very well as a toy meant to convey a sentient robot, and he has no partsforming. He has that very recognizable headsculpt and since this is a Diaclone toy, the alt mode is perfect.

4. Transformers War for Cybertron: Earthrise Wheeljack

It was a toss up between this and the "Classics/Generations" version but in the end, the Earthrise toy makes the previous Generations Wheeljack obsolete due to the better proportions. While I love how the chest transforms to get a different shape in robot mode from what we see in the alt mode, that does cause him to be extra fiddly, which was also an issue with the "Classics" toy, and that's why he is not higher on the list. Looks great though!

3. Studio Series Bumblebee Movie Wheeljack

Man, what a breath of fresh air these Bumblebee designs were. Firstly in terms of looks, showing us that there can be a middle ground between G1 and the designs in the early Bay films, when it comes to live action. And secondly in terms of toys where the Hasbro team gave us completely new alt modes that they designed themselves to fit with the already conceived robot mode. So you end up with an interesting bot mode, giving a more realistic take on the G1 design and a really cool alt mode, that gives us a new take on a Cyertronian version of the Wheeljack's alt mode. And the transformation to get from one mode to the next is perfect, showing that after decades of car formers, Hasbro can still give us new transformations. Hats off to everyone who had a hand in making this toy.

2. Transformers Prime: Robots In Disguise Wheeljack

With all the accolades I gave to the number 3 pick, the next two should be damn near perfect right? Well they are. Starting with Prime Wheeljack. Stellar transformation that is still as intricate as ever and a very screen accurate toy in both modes. Plus it's a new take on Wheeljack, personality wise, with a new set of accessories/weapons not typically associated to Wheeljack. The toy gives us two options for weapon storage, including an offensive car mode.

1. Transformers Masterpiece Wheeljack

Perfect. I mean I could go on, but do I need to? This is the ultimate MP toy for me. A nice meaty transformation, not fiddly, turning a real world alt mode (like the G1 toy) into a screen accurate bot mode. This was truly the toy to satisfy any fan.

Honourable mentions: Cybertron Downshift is a great toy but I had to be clear with this list so he didn't really fit. Still I wanted to mention him so here's the best spot. Really cool alt mode, solid toy, and non intrusive gimmick. A great example of why he Cybertron line was aces.

Transformers Cybertron Downshift Gallery

Top 5 Best Transformers Cyberverse Toys

Date: Monday, April 18th 2022 6:34pm CDT
Categories: Site Articles, Editorials, Top Lists
Posted by: william-james88

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 122,953

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me. 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. Some images for this article come from Toybox Soapbox.

Top 5 Best Transformers Cyberverse Toys

With the Cyberverse show over and the toyline now being the place where the Rise of the Beasts 2022 toys will be released, I felt it was time to look back at the toys made for the Cyberverse show. While the show did end up winning over a lot of fans in the later seasons (if you didn't watch the first half of season 3, you are missing out), the toyline was never made to win over older fans. It was a toyline for kids through and through. There were some pretty fun toys in there and I am looking at the ones I think are the best of the lot.

5. Deluxe Soundwave

Soundwave is one of the best characters from the Cyberverse show. While some characters get hat is the equivalent of a cameo, Soundwave got a full arc from Cybertronian citizen just having a good time, to ruthless Decepticon soldier, to Cybertronian resistance warrior to Cybertron's ultimate hero. And he had a great design too, which is why the toy looked disappointing from the start for not fully invoking the design and having some issues with kibble. But the toy won me over. It's very solid, has a fun transformation and comes with a cute transforming Laserbeak. In the end, it gives us another good Soundwave toy and e finally have a good toy for this wonderful version of the classic character.

4. Warrior Hammerbyte

This is a really fun toy of a new original character. While he is indeed a warrior as opposed to a deluxe figure, he feels more like a toy from the Cybertron line with nice hard plastic and a simple yet also meaty transformation. And it has a great design in both modes plus a fun non intrusive gimmick. And all for the low price of yesteryear's deluxes. So yeah, very reminiscent of the Cybertron line, which is something you will hear a lot of in the next entry.

3. Ultimate Grimlock

No other Cyberverse toy aimed only at kids even comes close to being as awesome as him. He is very imposing and really commands the space he takes. While he is light, the plastic feels strong and durable. The transformation is not too difficult but interesting and there are even surprises in it for people who know the typical Grimlock conversion inside and out. He has decent poseability and fine gimmicks that don't get in the way. Plus, he is the size of a leader class toy, almost 9 inches tall and only cost $30 USD. Design, transformation and articulation wise, this is almost like a Grimlock we would have gotten in the fabled 2004-2006 Cybertron toyline.

2. Deluxe Slug

While I love animated Slag, I think this guy takes the cake as the best deluxe Slag/Slug we've ever gotten. Now that I think of it, is he the best deluxe toy to represent one of the Dinobots? Could be. He has great articulation, including his horns which actually have their own transformation step, even the SS86 leader Slag doesn't have that. Lots of accessories, a nice colour palette with many differently coloured plastics working well together and a simple yet very well done hand to "paw" transformation. The face is very expressive too.

1. Deluxe Bumblebee

This is one of the greatest deluxe Bumblebee toys we have ever gotten and that is saying a lot since there have been some really good deluxes lately. This one works really well though since it finally gives us a version of that Evergreen design which combines multitude of now classic Bumblebee elements. While probably unintentional, I really like how the black and yellow plastic around the feet are perfectly aligned with the stripes on the car roof making it look like the car's design runs deep within the robot's innards. Nice car mode, great robot mode, good articulation, smart transformation, nice weapon storage for the gun in car mode, relevant accessories with unique blast effects make this an all around winner.

Honourable Mentions:

Deluxe Arcee: the car mode is super cute and a fun new take on Arcee. there is very minimal alt mode integration with the robot mode but at least the backpack you get is show accurate.

Deluxe Megatron: too loose for my liking in important areas but that transformation is really amazing. I love toys that feel like origami where you are shaping a vehicle into a robot and that's what this was, especially for the upper torso/back.

Warrior Cybertronian Starscream: now this is how you make a simpler toy! Articulation is not jeopardized, neither are proportions or the look of either mode. It simply requires few steps to get from one mode to the next. Of course, that is not always achievable, but when it works it can be a thing of beauty and the perfect toy for a kid wanting to mimic the speed of conversion seen on the show.

New Galleries: G2 Laser Optimus reissue, Laser Ultra Magnus and Year of the Goat Optimus Prime

Date: Tuesday, April 5th 2022 1:56pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Site Articles, Collectables
Posted by: Bounti76

Discuss This Topic · Permanent Link
Views: 96,061

Seibertron is revving up gallery production again! As always, they're the most comprehensive, striking galleries around, and this time, he's going all the way back to G2! Given that the just released Legacy line has a Leader class figure of the Autobot commander Optimus in an updated version of his G2 form (which you can see a gallery of here), it seemed only natural to create galleries of the bot who inspired it.

In these new galleries, we not only get Legacy Leader Prime's inspiration, 1995's G2 Laser Optimus Prime (and all his light-up gimmick glory) , but we get a couple of rare redecos of the mold. The rarest version of that G2 mold is Laser Ultra Magnus, released by e-hobby back in 2006. The Laser Ultra Magnus figure came in a box meant for Laser Prime, and even included his stickers. It used the tooling of the original redeco of the mold, RID Scourge, but was a completely different deco based on G1 Ultra Magnus' inner robot. The next is of Year of the Goat Optimus Prime, a partially translucent plastic version of the mold released in 2015 in the Platinum Edition line (which still included the light up electronic features).

And now on to the galleries! Please click on any picture below to feast your eyes on all this G2 and G2 inspired goodness.

Generation 2 Laser Optimus Prime (123 images) - Laser Rods (Illuminators)