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Strategies and Descriptions for latest Cards from Transformers TGC with Arcee, Ironhide, Soundwave and More

Date: Thursday, May 9th 2019 7:11pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Game News
Posted by: #Sideways#

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So many reveals so little time. But before we get into them, I think we should probably address the elephant in the room -- or to be more specific, the cassette player in the room!

If you couldn't tell from the teaser up top, we're going to be getting Soundwave as well as his cassettes this wave! Now, it is currently unknown what they're going to look like given the line "drastically altered their appearance", but we can guess that they're going to look something like their Siege incarnations. We also have literally no idea how they're going to work given that the guys at Wizards have stated that they had a specific playstyle that was unlike anything we've seen before.

My mind is reeling this early in an article? Criminey Christmas! Someone, start the spoilers, quick, before I start speculating... And hey, what's with this cassette deck on the table? I thought those were out of style since... Bah. Let's get to the reveals!





Arcee is an interesting, and a surprisingly competent, character. This is the second Arcee card we've gotten, with this form being in the form of her G1 design. With her comes Focus, a new type of keyword-based ability. Let's dig into that, shall we?

Focus, when used, is a pre-attack ability similar to Plan where you look at the top card of your deck and decide whether or not to keep it. Basically, just think of Aerial Recon where you can Surveil the top card of your deck to hopefully make your next attack better. But here's the thing. I've said this time and time again, even with Recon System: Focus and other attack-based effects like it, if you really think about it, are just worse versions of Bold.

Put it this way; which of the two would you rather do?

Focus: Look at the top of your deck, decide you don't like it and scrap it. Then, you flip the next two cards, with the end result being you seeing the top three cards of your deck with the standard two flips.

Bold: Flip three cards. The top card of your deck wasn't what you wanted, but the other two were. The end result is that you see three cards off the top of your deck with Bold 1 and and the standard two flips.

If you think those things are anything other than exactly the same, then you're fascinatingly wrong.

But here's the thing: If they're the same, then what makes Focus worse? I must have been exaggerating, right? Well, let's take a look at that same scenario again but let's change the top of the deck to something we want to keep instead of something we want to scrap. Let's see what happens:

Focus: You look at the top card of your deck and you decide to keep it. This means you won't be seeing another card off the top card of your deck, and this means you're only seeing two in total and you're doing the damage that would entail.

Bold: You flip three cards, including the card you wanted to keep, dealing more damage than Focus would allow.

Empirically speaking, Focus is worse than Bold. Now, this is not to say that Focus in itself is bad per se, in fact, I'd much prefer Arcee to have Focus instead of being vanilla, but you have to understand that unless it's in extremely high numbers, Focus won't do much for you outside the first turn or two.

Now, where does that leave Arcee? Well, since we know that having Focus is better than nothing, we can safely say that her vehicle mode lands solidly in the "somewhat mediocre" slot. Hey, it's better than "bad" or "unplayable", right? I may be harsh but I'm not heartless!

But what of her robot mode? Well, my friends, that's where I'm actually slightly excited. Now, I am an excitable person, but in balanced builds Arcee might actually see value. You see, we're in an anti-Armor meta with Bashing Shield making aggro decks extremely powerful against their more defensive opponents. It's why Force Field isn't as powerful as it could be.

So, when I saw that Arcee could retain Tough with only a weapon, I was intrigued. There is no anti-Weapon cards that are played to any notable degree with the innate lack of permanence that many of the most powerful weapons have. So, you could make whatever armor you have on you far more potent, or you could play her in an all-blue list to make her mediocre defensive stats higher.

But here's another reason to be excited for Arcee in aggro lists, as well: She makes every weapon attached to her provide Bold 1. You could use a Power Punch to give her Bold 3, stacking with her innate ability to give her a thick total Bold 4. Which reminds me, if you manage to put a Superior Blaster or Lionizer's weapon mode, you can give her a monstrous Bold 5 not even counting any Actions you've played.

Of course, one could make the argument that one could just play Wave 1 Wheeljack. He has Bold 3 innately, after all. Naturally, I agree. If it's one or the other, Wheeljack is definitely the better option. However, I wonder if she won't have a claim to a spot alongside him instead of Wave 2 Prowl thanks to her Tough and higher HP adding to her survivability?

Who knows? I just write here.

All in all, she's interesting. I can definitely see her getting played in certain balanced lists for her Bold/Tough split, but I can also see a case for her use in Cars. I wouldn't count on it, of course, but she certainly has potential.




Flamewar has as many cards as her toys. I really don't have that much to follow that up with, but I just thought it was an interesting point at how we have a hilarious lack of Flamewar representation in the toyline. But, is her card just as dismal as her representation?

Well, not really. Somewhat. Kinda. That'll take some explaining.

Firstly, I've spoken at length about low numbers of Focus and how it's basically just Bold but with more steps and less payoff. Now, with Flamewar's Focus 2, you can still look at the top of your deck to arrange them however you want or scrap them. Something about Focus that I didn't exactly touch on is that the high number of Focus (say, for instance an Upgrade gives you Focus 3 plus the innate Focus 2) you can potentially arrange not just the next attack but potentially the defense afterward. I'm not saying that this is confirmed to happen, but it would be fascinating if it did.

I mean, you could pair it with Plan 2 to put two cards for Flamewar's attack on the top of your deck after arranging the next two cards for defensive purposes. I don't know if that's viable given Flamewar's... Rather dismal defense to say the least. Arcee could get away with it with her Tough 1, but Flamewar isn't so lucky. Of course, you could always try out the Plan combo I was talking about to hopefully rig the topdeck to your defensive purposes, but that only goes so far.

But enough about Focus! Let's talk about the stats of everyone's Decepticon waifu: Flamewar! If you couldn't tell, Flamewar is a cheap-ish Motorcycle, which means she can finish out a full team of Motorcycles worth 25 Points with Chromia at 8, Wave 1 Arcee at 5, Wave 1 Flamewar at 5 and using those 7 points, Specialist Flamewar to round out the whole list.

Now, is there any point to a full Motorcycle list other than the novelty of saying that you, in fact, have four Motorcyles on the field?

Not anymore. You remember Swap Parts, right? The banned card? Yeah, that card was kind of important for the Motorcycle's explosive playstyle given the Specialist support that the archetype relied upon. It kinda stinks because Motorcycles were seemingly about to get their hayday with a fourth Motorcycle Specialist to join their ranks and more cards to use in their combo. Now that Swap Parts is banned, who knows if they have the power to be viable anymore?

Who knows? Either way, I just know that Specialist Flamewar will be played in the list. Will she be played anywhere else? Probably not. She doesn't have the amount of power that other seven starred characters have, and despite her Stealth in vehicle mode, not that much bulk to back up the opposite end of the spectrum.




Something about Infinite Combo being uncounterable?

Let's be honest, here, this is the epitome of a hard counter to the Infinite Combo. Ironhide can't take non-attack damage, which is kinda the entire win condition of the Combo deck, and his stats are high enough that we can pretty well say that Combo can't pull off the KO on him pretty much no matter what. Remember, Combo is not dead -- it's just more complicated. Red Heat makes it a competent composition, albeit a more counterable one.

But Ironhide? Ironhide counters it in the same vein that Acid Storm counters Dinobots. His very existence means that, in all likelihood, you will be able to punish their flimsy composition. This is not to say that it's an autowin, but you're guaranteed to at least have Ironhide alive and likely at nigh full HP when their combo inevitably ends. When it does, Red Heat is going to be tapped, and as such, you can more or less annihilate him and his flimsy stats, likely ending the combo for good.

Ironhide can also do a good bit of work against Aerialbots and similarly geared direct damage decks. These aren't played as much as other decks, but it's nice to know that Ironhide is roughly impervious to their entire deck in the same vein that Motormaster makes the rest of his team effectively invincible to direct damage.

Of course, there is more to Ironhide than his vehicle mode. His robot mode is something of an interesting novelty. With the weapon trading effect, you can retrigger weapon effects like Armed Hovercraft, or swap an Armed Hovercraft for a more potent weapon like Energon Axe. Sadly, this happens before flips, meaning you can't swap a Bold weapon with a damaging weapon after the Bold triggers.

Regardless, the Armed Hovercraft combo is something that I'm fascinated by. I've always loved Armed Hovercraft and cards like it such as Photon Bomb, and his synergy with them is titillating. I just wish that it could be with any weapon, not just blue weapons. That way you could put a Superior Blaster on him, bypassing the Tech Research stipulation.

Either way, Ironhide is an interesting little Rare card. I'm not quite sure if we'll see him out in the field thanks to his middling stats and above average cost, but in his own deck or maybe partnered with Ultra Magnus? Now you're cookin' with gas.




Roadhugger is basically baby Thrust and I love him.

I know, I know, I said the same thing about Storm Cloud, but let's be fair here. What you lose in a single point for playing Roadhugger, you could say that you're gaining consistency. Instead of requiring you to discard three green pips (in some cases three of the same green pip), you need only to discard a single blue pip to get roughly the same value. If you consider that most of the time Bold is just +1 damage (not counting extra white pips, blanks or double orange cards), you're effectively getting the same value for a much more manageable cost.

Roadhugger, however, does require you to play blue cards in an orange deck and I am not super in love with that. However, there is a silver lining. There are cards like Matrix of Leadership or Roll Out which have one of each, as well as playing Backup Beam or Scoundrel's Blaster to have a green pipped green that doesn't really make you lose out on damage with their being weapons.

Plus, he's a Car, which means that you can untap him in a car deck rather easily to be used again (if he survives)! All in all, I think Roadhugger might replace Storm Cloud in most lists that don't care about alternate modes. In decks that want to field a lot of planes, Storm Cloud's your guy, but if you don't care about that single point and you don't mind having a car... Well, look no further.




Hey, wait a minute! Laserbeak? Where's your...? Ah, nevermind.

Laserbeak is both amazingly good and amazingly worrying at the same time. On one hand, you have Laserbeak's horrible stats in both modes. On the other, however, you get to play a "free" Secret Action during your turn as well as a little extra draw support with his neat little draw ability in alternate mode. Now, this would be even better if we knew what kind of things we could look forward to in terms of Secret Actions. But, as it stands, we have no idea other than a simple Draw + Plan card as to what we're going to have access to.

But, to be perfectly frank with you, Laserbeak was probably not meant to be played alone. Even though he actually could be competent in terms of his Secret Action engine, he's basically just a slightly worse Micromaster at that point. Why do I say this, you ask? Well, look closely: He's a Micromaster in all areas except the most important: Stealth.

On the first turn of the game, Laserbeak has a great many chances to get annihilated by any and every aggro deck you ever have the displeasure of facing. I gripe, of course; with proper blue support, you have just as many chances at survival, as well, but I can't help but to be worried about the little guy.

In closing, Laserbeak may be frail, but he brings unquestionable utility with his Secret Action ability. We don't know all of those Secret Actions, or any beyond the first to be exact, but playing free Actions never hurt anybody.




Ravage is surprisingly good, and he makes up for Laserbeak's less-than-stellar offensive power and bulk by being... Well, both of those things. In terms of five star cassettes, he's going to be able to take quite the beating in his alternate mode. But that's not all that this little bugger can do: In his robot mode, he can do a bit of chip damage here and there, and start pounding on some more dense targets.

I do realize that his chip damage makes him a bit lackluster in many (most) compositions, but do keep in mind that his chip damage actually turns out to be a bit useful in certain scenarios. For instance, he can turn Skrapnel into a 2HKO, and he can pop Six-Gun for one damage to negate the Force Field. Sometimes one damage is all you need, and whereas I still stand by Zap being one of the worst Actions in the game, I can still find justification for Ravage's abilities seeing as he's always there and not a constant threat of cluttering your hand.

Now, the down side. His stats are nothing to write home about other than his high defense in cassette mode, and his survivability in robot mode is actually markedly worse than Laserbeak's. In fact, Laserbeak is actually better at attacking than Ravage could ever hope to be with his innate Pierce 2, but with any luck Ravage won't need to be doing any head-on attack damage, anyway.

All in all, I think that Ravage will probably be passed up on in most compositions outside of cassettes. Laserbeak is just better value for his point cost, including the ability to deal two damage to a high-armored target through Pierce. Plus, there are just better Micromasters, including Roadhugger, in defensive lists for the same cost.

Okay but real talk: We can now have just an entire team of cats. Lionizer, Rampage, Razorclaw and now Ravage. There is literally no actual reason to have that team other than the fact that they are all cats, but like... You have an entire team of cats.




Soundwave? Wait... Soundwave? Hey, wait a minute... Where'd that cassette player go?

Oh. Well, my own blindness aside, let's peel apart the mystery and see just what Soundwave can really do!

Looking over his stats to start off, we see that he is 11 Stars -- not bad, but still not that great for having three five starred characters paired with him. But there's more to him than meets the eye. You see, he also has two abilities directly tied to another team keyword: "Spy Patrol". These are undoubtedly his cassettes (see below) and both of his abilities are equally as powerful.

First, I think I can safely state that giving passively +1 Defense to your cassettes is absolutely insane. Now, sure, your opponent is probably not going to use much effort in KOing them and instead focus on Soundwave given their high defense (especially Ravage), but it's a very interesting idea to transform Laserbeak to robot mode on the first turn and attack with Ravage, forcing them to attack into his monstrous defense. After all, Soundwave can use his robot mode the next turn to completely refund that entire transaction.

How? Well, when he attacks, he untaps your cassettes. Thus, after you've tried to punch your opponent with a literal cassette tape turn one, you can prevent Ravage or Laserbeak from being double targeted and reuse their tap abilities to boot. You probably don't need me to tell you this, but this effect is extremely powerful.

Something else that is worthy of note is that Soundwave doesn't have any innate effects to force you into playing orange or blue. Thus, I would probably say that the best way to play Soundwave is defensively so that Ravage or Laserbeak can survive their first hit, and Soundwave can get more value. This lower attack in the blue version is mitigated by Ravage being able to put out some surprising amounts of damage on heavily armored targets. Now, I realize that he's not going to be winning any awards or dominating any games, but adding on a little bit of damage on a turn where you can't or don't want to play a Secret Action with Laserbeak can't be understated.

But finally, something that I want to touch on slightly is this: Soundwave and his cassettes are entirely 21 stars. This means that, unless you wanted to play four Star Cards, you could play Storm Cloud or perhaps -- and no, the irony is not lost on me -- a Constructicon. Now, again, we don't have all the facts. Buzzsaw could be revealed tomorrow, Ratbat the next day, or perhaps Frenzy, Rumble or even Overkill. There are so many options to fill that fourth spot, but the big question I want to ask is... Just who could it be, and just what could they do?

I think I'll leave that question unanswered for now. But I for one welcome Soundwave. He might be janky, but you can't deny that his monstrous 15 HP and his cassettes' utility is not to be understated. I worry about his low damage output, but perhaps there could be Secret Actions to save him from that fate? Or perhaps a third cassette? Until we know, there's no way to tell. But that being said... I can't wait to see how Soundwave does in the meta. I think we're going to see a lot of him, jank or otherwise.




So, I might have forgotten to show off the starter set when it came out, but I figured I might drop them here and share my opinions on them anyway just to get the news out there! Remember, you can buy the starter set in stores now, and it's a good start to teach people how to play the game!

Just as a disclaimer, my opinions below only reflect the constructed competitive mentality, not from a new player, casual mentality. The set is still a good start to get people into the game, but I fear that may be the only use for it.

_______




No.

Just say no.

There are just so many better options, like W2 Prowl, Hot Rod, Sunstreaker... Well, you get the picture. He might make a good proxy back, though!




One day we'll get a good Windblade. One day.

So, I suppose one could make the argument that she is an Autobot Plane who also happens to cost a solid 5 Stars. Now, that's actually quite something, isn't it? Of course, we could try putting her in a five-wide Autobot Plane list, essentially cutting Alpha Bravo from the Aerialbots and making a passing attempt at pulling off the fabled Photon Bomb + Bombing Run combo with five Planes in play. Of course, it's hard enough to pull that off with the Aerialbots on the regular that I daresay that it wouldn't be any easier taking out one of the Aerialbots -- a Specialist at that -- and replacing him with someone who is essentially a vanilla.

To make matters worse, Aerialbots get a lot of power out of Superion, especially on the turn of combination.

I just can't imagine her in anything else, and it sucks because I do love Windblade as a character. Hopefully, one day, she'll have her moment in the sun; but for now, it looks like she'll just have to keep having her moment in the tsun tsun.

Remind me to never make that pun ever again.




Megatron might actually have some potential. Think about this: Demolishor has 6 points. Flak has 5. Warpath has 6. Those tanks total 17 points, and you know what that means? You can fit a fourth Tank in that list.

Now, quad tanks might be lacking in quite a bit of defensive power, but consider for a moment the idea of running offensive tanks, with Demolishor being the mainstay. You can Hunker Down your whole field with Force Field as well as Bashing Shields to make your life easier, and your spare Armor could be Scrapper Gauntlets to draw even more cards than you already will with Demolishor. You can even play a Full Loadout with your spare Star to make Demolishor hit even harder.

And, backing him up, is Megatron. Megatron can be used in tandem with Full Loadout, Attack Drones or Flak to boost his damage to similar levels that Thundercracker has. Megatron can boost his damage to startlingly high levels for his point cost when you crank out several Upgrades at once.

The Bold in his vehicle mode won't do you much good, sadly, given his measly 2 Attack. But, at least he is a tank. Demolishor couldn't be happier for it.

But, that being said, I could also see playing him alongside Megatron -- Living Weapon. You can use Living Weapon's alternate mode to boost Baby Megatron's damage, with the two Upgrades from that alone boosting his attack to a very respectable 5, not counting the weapons. Plus, you can use Flak to put a third Upgrade on him, boosting his damage to 6, still not counting the Weapons. Fully stocking him with Upgrades certainly sounds nice, though I do worry for his staying power given his mediocre stats otherwise -- I mean, it always sucks to put all of your eggs in one basket; sucks even more to do it twice. But, he might just have the power necessary to have the payoff.

In total, Megatron alone might make this set purchaseable. He can be used as a nice backup attacker, something similar to Baby Buzzwole in the Pokemon TCG in many fighting decks. Good as a one-and-done, but has diminishing returns. Whether he's in as a fourth member to a Tank list or as a backup to someone double his size, Megatron has a lot of value in a little package.




Starscream might have potential. Stop laughing, I'm serious.

Okay, so, remember when I talked about how Megatron could fit into a quad list? Or Windblade in a five-wide? You could say the same thing about Starscream, here, except he has something extremely powerful going for him that Windblade doesn't have, and that Megatron can't take advantage of in the same way:

His name is Starscream.

So if you remember, way, way, way in the past -- around September -- you might remember a Starscream being released that had Bold 2 innately, but more importantly had a very special vehicle mode ability tied to how many Planes you had on the field. Now, back then, the Planes list was something of a misfire. Starscream loved having Planes, but he couldn't get the right planes.

Thundercracker just didn't belong in the list despite his vehicle ability, and Skywarp was... Well, W1 Skywarp was W1 Skywarp. Thus, Starscream rather fell into the wayside for other lists. I still tried to keep the dream alive with more and more variations, but all fell rather flat on their faces.

So, then, how does Baby Starscream help with that?

Well, for one, he has five stars. This means you can play Starscream -- Air Commander at 11 stars, Starscream -- Decepticon Lieutenant at 5, Storm Cloud at 4 and Fireflight at 5 to round off the list with a solid Brave effect to keep both Starscream safe. This means you have four Planes on the field, which means you can use Starscream -- Air Commander's vehicle mode effect to its fullest potential of a good three damage. I don't think you'll be progressing too hard in the direct damage route for this build, though, and that's for good reason.

Reason being, you now have two Starscream in the list. Meaning, you can make full use of Null Ray of Starscream to add a whole mess of damage to Air Commander as well as making Baby Starscream's competent four attack an astonishing 5 base with Bold 2 stacked on. Just imagine Storm Cloud getting involved in that mess with his Bold effect, too!

Now, I realize Baby Starscream is about as frail as one can be, likely being in an all orange list to make your Bold deal the most it can, and his Tough 1 can't make his 7 HP last through a soul-shattering 0 Defense. But that being said, you will likely get a lot of value out of him before he falls, potentially one-hitting many threats out there.

Don't mark this guy up to binder bait just yet. I think he might just have a bright future ahead of him.






Full Loadout is kind of nutty. Not only is it a double orange pip -- a blessing in aggro decks with one star to spare -- but it has an effect that is quite ridiculous in many decks.

So, I want you to imagine something. You're sitting there across from a Megatron -- Cybertronian Tyrant and you just went first. You think that your Battlefield Legend is safe, and you decide to swing into their Warpath with just enough to KO them. Not a bad start, and Megatron is too slow to possibly get up enough Upgrades to threaten you on the first turn of th-- Surprise! He is completely powered up with three Upgrades, boosting his damage to 6 base plus a Grenade Launcher and his level of damage and survivability go through the roof with his Force Field and Data Pad.

Battlefield Legend is nearly one-hit out of nowhere.

Now, the effects of Full Loadout are a bit amplified on my cherrypicked Baby Megatron scenario, but playing three Upgrades for essentially free should not be understated in its usefulness, especially if it's on a double orange pip. Now, again, you need to have the Weapon, Utility and Armor in your hand in order to get the full effect of its power and that means you're highly unlikely to get it off on the first turn of the game. But, later on, you can get some shocking comebacks by exploding upgrades on a character out of nowhere.

As for which is better between Mounted Missiles or Full Loadout, I think that should be fairly obvious. Mounted Missiles is neat, but they've never had that powerful burst that you really need to justify playing them on your turn. Sure, you can play it in a Utility or Armor slot, but really, wouldn't you rather just play a regular weapon? Or rather, wouldn't you rather play a Weapon, a Utility and an Armor?

Just saying.



This card is lying to you.

EMP Wave taps all characters, both yours and your opponents. So, what happens when all characters are tapped? Everyone untaps. This means that you are untapping all characters on the field going into your opponent's next turn, effectively giving them their choice of whomever they want to attack on their turn. You don't get to attack with one of your characters -- instead, you're forfeiting that last attack to tap everyone.

Now, there is actually merit to doing so if you happen to be behind in the character trade or the untap game. If, say, you face cars and they're -- per usual -- more or less completely untapped during the turn where you would be completely tapped out, you could potentially play an EMP Wave to negate your opponent's trademark Car Dogpile where they get to attack you with all of their characters.

But, to be perfectly frank, is that worth the star? Maybe. I don't really like Energized Field that much, especially given that it flat out begs you to play orange cards in a blue deck, and EMP Wave's limited use is probably better than Energized Field's practical disuse. Regardless, it's an interesting card. Whether or not it'll see play for its effect or just its pip still remains to be seen, but I think we'll probably see it over Energized Field regardless.

Gives a whole new meaning to getting a "Ram Truck".

Battering Ram is not the best at everything, but it does its job very, very well. Now, you might be asking, "Hey, what is that job, exactly?" and that is a good question, and I'm afraid it has a simple answer.

Combiners hate Battering Ram because they really, really like being able to combine during a game. Battering Ram not only slows Combiners down to a crawl, but in some cases outright denies combination in general. I mean, think about it. Every time you attack with your truck, you keep undoing their hard-earned flips and it stalls their combiner for another turn.

Wasting turns combining is the kiss of death for many Combiners, and I can definitely see running Battering Ram for the combiner mirror in many decks. Take Stunticons, for instance, who have two Trucks that can use Battering Ram, with Motormaster being effectively unpunishable in his robot mode. You could also say the same for a control-based Sentinel list, though that is played to a lesser degree.

Battering Ram, however, can also be something of a double-edged sword. Take, for example, Metroplex. People love giving Metroplex a seizure and flipping him multiple times in a turn. With Battering Ram, you effectively give them a free transformation into Base mode, spitting out another one of his smaller characters.

This isn't the only case, either. Like, for instance, Megatron -- Arrogant Ruler can play a free Upgrade when Battering Ram swings into him, or returning a non-pipped card from your Scrap to your hand in terms of Skywarp. A double-edged sword, it is.

But, honestly? I think Battering Ram's usefulness against Combiners more than makes up for its peculiarity against other lists to include it in any Truck-based deck. I could even see a case for it in non-traditional "Truck" decks, like Nemesis Prime. After all, slowing your opponent down is something that Nemesis will always enjoy.




Device Virus is coming from fellow content creator "TCG Roll Out!" on Twitter, and I have to say, Device Virus is probably the best black-pipped Action we have by a large margin. Everything else is either split colors with a black pip with a lackluster card effect when you play it, but Device Virus is different.

It's basically Super Energy Removal, something you'll remember if you played Pokemon during the fledgling years. Of course, there's a big difference between Energy and Upgrades, but it's pretty much the same effect. But, when you realize that you can combo Device Virus with other Upgrades, things start getting a little interesting.

You see, Device Virus has the potential to remove three Armor cards in one turn when used in tandem with Bashing Shield. You can play a Bashing Shield, scrap an Armor, then Device Virus the Bashing Shield to scrap two more Armor. You could say the same about Weapons with Enforcement Batons or Utilities with Crushing Size.

Of course, such an effect necessitates playing all of those things, so it really depends on what your deck looks like and what matchups you want to beat with it. But, if you're afraid of decks like Predacons which bust out the Upgrades -- usually weapons -- quickly, especially when combined, Device Virus might be for you.

At the end of the day, though, it's a black pip and we still have yet to see how good it is in a blue/black or mono black deck. But, if the black pips we have yet to see are anything like Device Virus, I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of them in lists.




Repurpose is the only black draw card we've seen thus far, and I can't mention too much about it because it's nothing too much to write home about. It's a very basic cycling card that replaces itself and one other card in your hand with the top two cards of your deck, essentially.

It's a black pipped card that also happens to draw cards. I mean, in a black deck, do you really want too much else out of it? Let's be fair here. You won't play it in any other deck that doesn't play black pips, but if you play black, then you'll be needing this.




Can I just say this?

Soundwave.

That is all.

But in all seriousness, I can't wait to see how Soundwave will be playing out in this meta. Perhaps more than that, I can't wait to see how his cassettes will fare under stress. The whole composition just seems a bit frail from my perspective, but I haven't really touched it in physical form (yet) and I suppose we won't find out for sure how good he is until we see him in action.

The other characters aren't too much to write home about save the Ironhide. Being able to dance Armed Hovercraft makes me happy, and having an effective autowin against Red Heat Infinite is a brilliant thing to have just as an alternate mode.

As for his female compatriots, Focus is an interesting new mechanic, as well. I think, if we get effects for high Focus, we may very well see balanced decks other than Metroplex make a comeback in the game. Until then, however, just give me Bold and call it a day, hm?

As for the Battle Cards, there were a ton of reveals. I can't say that some of them were overtly good or overtly bad, but I can definitely say that many of them had a ton of potential like Device Virus.

What did you like the most? Roadhugger? Soundwave? W2 Starter Bumblebee? Maybe not that last one. Let me know in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading! If you want to check out more of my content, go to my YouTube Channel, Nanomachines, where I do deck profiles and other competitive content.

You never know... Something interesting might happen there in the next few days. Who knows?

Twincast / Podcast Episode #219 "Big Cat Convoy"

Date: Monday, March 18th 2019 10:21pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: megatronus

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The Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast is gearing up for the latest waves of Siege and Masterpeice toys, and the highly anticipated IDW reboot. Your host ScottyP along with Megatronus, D-Maximal_Primal, and Jon3.0 discuss their in-hand thoughts of their hot-off-the-production-line acquisitions and in-depth reading of Transformers #1 and the "bold new era" Hasbro and IDW Publishing are building.

Episode #219 "Big Cat Convoy" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

Here's what we talk about during this episode:

• We kick off the show with Megatronus' in-hand impressions of Siege Voyager Soundwave, and soon to be in-hand impressions of Siege Voyager Starscream.
  
• ScottyP similarly got his paws on the newly released Studio Series Wave 6 deluxes, including Shatter and the surprisingly delightful Scrapmetal... who will give you the clamps!
  
  
• When we spoke about the MP10 Atmos Safari Lebron collaboration on the last Twincast, we figured there'd be more oddball MP10 redecos, eventually. Well, we already have wind of 2 more Atmos collaborations: Tiger Camo Black & Yellow, which we have affectionately dubbed Big Cat Convoys.
  
  
• We get to reveals out of Australian Toy Fair, including Micromaster Sports Car & Off Road Patrols, and the Twincast-predicted Siege deluxe Barricade. While the Twincast crew debates whether this is the Barricade we deserve, it is certainly the Barricade we need.
  
• We talk about IDW's Transformers #1, reviewed here. *** SPOILER ALERT: Transformers #1 spoilers discussed from approximately 1:05-1:34 ***, so skip ahead just past that point in the audio if you're waiting for the trade! It's always tough to write #1s, but between the strong art and twin atmospheres of open discovery and claustrophobic chaos, Transformers #1 does a reasonable job of setting the scene on a new era. The Twincast hopes for great things, and more painfully accurate toy drawings.
  
  
• We answer illustrious one of News Crew member D-Maximus's questions: "Which Supreme Commander and Emperor of Destruction (of any faction or point in time) is your favorite outside of the standard Optimus Prime, Rodimus, Megatron, and Galvatron?" Mmm... destruction.
  
  
• Of course we close out this episode with a short round of Bragging Rights.

Twincast / Podcast Episode #218 "Jump To Conclusions"

Date: Sunday, March 3rd 2019 12:46pm CST
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: ScottyP

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Views: 41,746

Get your mats ready for Scotty P and Megatronus to take you through a new Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast where conclusions are reached in the most arbitrary ways. Our Toy Fair hangover still hasn't quite subsided, so tune in to hear about what it's like on the ground during the event. Stick around after that for an impromptu look back at IDW Publishing's first 13 year run of Transformers plus the usual banter and brags.

Episode #218 "Jump To Conclusions" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

Here's what we talk about during this episode:

• A group audio interview conducted with the Transformers brand team at Toy Fair 2019 begins the episode. This features no members of the Twincast, but thanks to our pal Mr. Starscream for recording the questions and answers!
• Megatronus talks through the Toy Fair experience as we put a cap on this year's big event. Don't forget to check out Seibertron's massive Toy Fair 2019 galleries if you haven't yet had the opportunity!
• We give our two cents on a straggler from the Toy Fair coverage, MP-18+ Streak.
  
• Our wallets prepare to weep as Lebron James opens the Matrix of Leadership wait what?
• We take a moment to appreciate amazing Transformers prototypes from the 80s.
  
• We aren't afraid of no ghost.
• D-Maximal_Primal provides some excellent listener questions and we cherry pick two of them, starting with a look back at our favorite issues and characters from IDW's first 13 year Transformers continuity.
  
• A second listener question from the same batch is answered, this one regarding non-transforming Transformers.
• Bragging Rights take us to the end of another episode.

Twincast / Podcast Episode #217 "Toy Fair 2019"

Date: Monday, February 18th 2019 1:46pm CST
Categories: Site News, Event News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: ScottyP

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The Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast sits on the sidelines and armchair quarterbacks its way through the massive gauntlet of Transformers toy product news from both Toy Fair and Wonderfest. Counterpunch, Rotorstorm, and Scotty P bring the rain and talk about what looks cool, what looks blase, and what just kind of exists in the Siege, Studio Series, Masterpiece, and Cyberverse product lineups hitting shelves sometime this year.

Episode #217 "Toy Fair 2019" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

Here's what we talk about during this episode:

• Scotty pulls rank and puts the Wonderfest reveal of a new Armada Convoy and Star Saber at the top of our list. But where are his pants?
  
• Initial impressions of MP-46 Masterpiece Blackarachnia and speculation on how the toy transforms.
• That new Bumblebee.
  
• Movie Masterpiece MPM-8 Megatron and MPM-9 are discussed next. Click here for the Seibertron.com gallery of these toys from their Toy Fair 2019 display.
• Studio Series gets its time with the cast falling in love with the strange Constructicon Hightower. Click here to check out all of the Studio Series toys seen during Toy Fair.
• The surprisingly popular Ectotron Ghostbusters crossover toy gets noticed.
  
  
  Image from our listener pal @CF_TheNewSam
• The fan favorite Generations War for Cybertron: Siege comes next. Click here to check out all the War for Cybertron: Siege toys shown at Toy Fair 2019.
• Extra time is spent discussing the impressive looking Titan Class Omega Supreme.
  
• The focus on Siege continues as we discuss highly anticipated toys like Jetfire and Impactor.
• We take a short moment to reflect on the pulled-from-the-floor 35th Anniversary repaint lineup.
• Toy Fair talk wraps up with a look at the Cyberverse toys shown off at Toy Fair. Click here to check out the gallery for Cyberverse.
  
• Bragging Rights take us to the end of another year's Toy Fair weekend.

Twincast / Podcast Episode #196 "One With The Matrix"

Date: Sunday, March 18th 2018 2:31pm CDT
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: megatronus

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Views: 34,189

Welcome to the latest episode of the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast! This episode features your host ScottyP with Megatronus and RodimusConvoy13. Listen in as we discuss the latest news, toys, and more.

Episode #196 "One With The Matrix" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

TRU is dead. Long live the... department store chains? Toys 'R' Us is defunct, at least in the United States, and while many (including the Twincast) have discussed the emotional response many are having to the news, we take time this episode to talk business. How did this series of unfortunate events comes about? How are Hasbro, Mattel, and other toy makers handling the news? Perhaps most importantly, where will the business go?



A skillful segue later, and we're into TRU Exclusive Studio Series Thundercracker. All hail Nitro Zeus repaints! The Twincast, while slightly confused about how this particular character choice fits into the 'movie accurate' Studio Series, is interested in acquiring what will likely be the last TRU exclusive Transformer out there.



Power of the Primes reveals have kept apace, and we're faced with redeco-aggedon. While we are not exactly thrilled with Voyager Inferno and Legends Outback & Cindersaur, we are not displeased either. Meanwhile, Megatronus smells victory as a prospective PotP Wreck-Gar finally brings a Junkion combiner into the realm of possibility. Still... does every motorcycle have to be redone as Wreck-Gar? (Yes.)



Friend of the Twincast Skullcrunchberries has a listener question about a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad man on the inter-webs who counterpunched him (hint, hint) into getting back into the Transformers hobby. How, he asks, did the rest of the Twincast get back in the game? Whatever our answers... it's pretty clear we're in the thick of it.



We have another listener question on our docket. Acesmcgee asks: "my daughter and I have been having a blast making Skylinx walk around the house and it has had me pondering what my favorite gimmick that I can recall from past and present lines has been, and for me it turned out to be simple, light-piping that gives a sense of life to my TFs. What is yours?"



We move on to comics, particularly the recent Optimus Prime Annual 2018 - Seibertron review, here. While disappointing in its lack of title character, the issue is a delightfully campy romp through the eyes of Thundercracker, who is charged with making a film to prop up Starscream. The Twincast enjoys this issue greatly, and we do our best to parse the more serious and character defining gems held within.



Lost Light 16 is next - Seibertron review here. This issue is full of character work, vignettes, and exposition. In other words, it doesn't push the plot very far... until the end, that is. Still, the Twincast finds value in this odd situation of being dead, err, one with the matrix, and teases out where this strange predicament might lead.



We conclude this episode, like we always do, with bragging rights. What has the Twincast managed to find since our last recording?

Twincast / Podcast Episode #195 "City of Fear"

Date: Sunday, March 4th 2018 10:52am CST
Categories: Site News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: ScottyP

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Views: 57,226

Turn on your cloaking device because it's time to Wreck 'n Rule once again with the Seibertron.com Twincast / Podcast. This latest episode features the G2 host Scotty P as he's joined by Aligned Megatronus and Binaltech Asterisk Car Robot RodimusConvoy13. With the fan vote done for another year and the malaise of the springtime upon us, get ready for some takes on all the latest in Transformers that aren't quite hot yet because they need some time to thaw before we can bake them, ok?

Episode #195 "City of Fear" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

The results are in for the latest Generations Fan Vote, with the winning duo of Deluxe Class figures (each sold separately) announced as Impactor and Mirage. Despite the presence of Classics Mirage, Combiner Wars Mirage, Generations Impactor, and the TFCC Subscription Service Impactor, it seems fans can't get enough of certain characters - or want a proper Transformers toy of Impactor at any rate. Is it the power of comics, or is it something else altogether? Hang on tight as this topic journeys into the wild and goes for quite a long time, with opinions and musings about why some characters keep coming up in plastic form time and again.



Wave 2 of Power of the Primes has been out for at least a couple weeks now, and with our impressions of the Voyagers cut short during the last episode we take some more time to examine them in detail. RodimusConvoy 13 also tells us about the pair of Deluxe Class figures he's had the opportunity to find and purchase in Rippersnapper and Moonracer. Even Rodimus Unicronus and his questionable facial hair decisions get a mention as we hang out and chat about our newest toys.



As the G1 line of the week winds down, another line is winding up in the form of the Movie Studio Series. Listeners of our last episode may remember that Scotty P was one of the early adopters over Toy Fair weekend when the Movie Studio Series Wave 1 Deluxe figures went up for a limited time sale on Hasbro Toy Shop. With these figures in hand, the team discusses the highlights of the wave and even some of the drawbacks too. Plus, we pretend we know anything at all about marketing, but really we're just disappointed that these aren't quite the premium line-up they're hyped up to be.



The toy talk carries on further and into the latest releases and rumors in the Masterpiece lineup. MP-40 Targetmaster Hot Rod has arrived with a fun new deco and another shot for collectors to pick up the Targetmaster Firebolt accessory that was included with the older Hasbro release of the first Masterpiece Rodimus Prime. Of course, there are also comparisons to be made to MP-28, the first Masterpiece Hot Rod.

Then we pick up on the "basically news" that a third version of a G1 styled Masterpiece Optimus Prime is on the way. No one is surprised and the cast is encouraged, as we discuss other incarnations of the character from the Masterpiece lineup such as the first release of MP-1 Convoy. Of course, there is also some talk about room for improvement that could be available when considering MP-10, the first Masterpiece of the bygone "Super Car" era for the line.



We go full on 90s next, with ad-hoc Recommendations From Another Time! This new segment covers some toys you may have overlooked, and possibly even some you'll never be able to afford. We follow the trail set upon us by the ghost of a dead Battle Beast to go off the beaten trail once again. What on Cybertron is this paragraph talking about? You'll have to tune in to hear the sort-of rules for the segment before you hear our random recommendations.



After that we move on to our first Listener Question of the episode from Acesmcgee, who asks:

Acesmcgee wrote:So I saw the video by Gotbot, I think, where he modded his POTP Rodimus. So my question is, what is the most extreme modification you've made to your transformers, if any?

The hour gets a little late, so before we fall asleep in front of the microphones we pick up the pace and mention our favorite art and story moments from Optimus Prime 16. This second part of "The Falling" story arc has excited us and continues to build the excellent character of Soundwave within IDW's Transformers comics. Listen in to hear about what great moments there are in store within this latest chapter of the series.



After that, we take a second Listener question from Ironhidensh who asks:

Ironhidensh wrote:If, say, a content provider that is actually good, like Netflix or Amazon, decided to put out an adult/older fan oriented cartoon, would you want an all new story line? Or one based off of past or current comics?

While the 16th issue will be upon us soon, that means it's a good time to again go through our favorite parts of a comic with Lost Light #15. The Scavengers' part of the tale comes to an end, with answered questions, new mysteries, and significant developments for at least one classic character. Join us as we roar to the rescue and explore answers definitely not provided by any Magnificence.



We wind down with the Twincast doing something it promised it would never do: break news. Well, kind of. Maybe. Let's not actually call it that. Rumors and hearsay that have a chance of being right are presented for your consideration, and time will tell if they end up being the ultimate plan. What are we talking about? Here's a hint.



Join us on the Energon Pub Forums to discuss this episode, and expect more Twincast Podcast fun in roughly two weeks' time.

Twincast / Podcast Episode #194 "Toy Fair 2018"

Date: Monday, February 19th 2018 3:01pm CST
Categories: Site News, Event News, Digital Media News, Podcast
Posted by: Tigertrack

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Views: 45,822

The Big Apple hosted a huge event over the weekend for toy enthusiasts of all types...Toyfair 2018! This gathering held big dreams and hopes for Transformers fans as we looked for reveals of the magnitude that we've come to expect from such past experiences. We waited, somewhat impatiently by our social media feeds, and finally it came. Did the show end up being more of a toy-unfair, or were we done a titan class solid by Hasbro? Opinions vary, but you can hear the thoughts of our host ScottyP joined by xRotorstormx, and Tigertrack, with special guest appearances by Seibertron and friends live from New York! That doesn't quite sound like enough for you? Megatronus also landed an interview with the HASBRO brand team!

Episode #194 "Toy Fair 2018" is available directly and in our RSS Feed, and should appear on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio within 24 to 48 hours of when you see this news post.

Our talkative trio wasted no time mincing the small stuff, we jumped right in to discuss the largest and most anticipated reveal, Titan Class Power of the Primes Predaking! More than wings this time, the show had the full-on painted reveal of this monstrous bots' combined mode, as well as, the individual animal, and bot modes. Our crew had some things to say about it...some good, some bad, but we want to know what did you think? Was it what you pictured in your mind's eye? You can refresh your memory by checking out Predaking's Toy Fair 2018 gallery.





You can imagine that big bot took a big chunk of time in discussion, but we also managed to talk about another fairly large bot, Power or the Prime's leader-class Optimal Optimus which also made a splash in the display. Beast Wars fans get a treat as this triple-changing favorite is updated and seems ready to make it straight into our collections. You can use this gallery to re-acquaint yourself to POTP's Optimal Optimus on display at toyfair.





Yes indeed, the cast did also find time to talk a little bit about Abominus, Terrocons, Nova Star, and the newly revealed Prime masters: Bomb-burst, Bludgeon, and Octopunch! Cute, and yet awesome! Check out the Power of the Primes Toyfair gallery to refresh yourself on the new offerings.

Host ScottyP also does a quick in hand check on the POTP Hungrr (Hungurr, Hunger?) mold versus the Combiner Wars Silverbolt mold. Shared parts..more?...less?





But it's not all about the Power of the Primes. The Movie Studio Series was also bantered around and it seems there was much to delight the movie toy collector in the forms of leader-class Blackout and Grimlock, and several other interesting new offerings. Oh, did you know there's a gallery for the Movie Studio series at Toyfair too? (Sorry folks, I mistakenly referred to Brawl as a deluxe in the show, but he's listed as a voyager.)





We manage to also chat a little about Cyberverse (psst...Cyberverse Toy Fair galleries are here)...



ScottyP scored most of the wave 2 Power of the Primes toys at retail, and he couldn't stop gushing about Battletrap, Roadtrap, and Battleslash...and the changeable pants! Have you managed to find any of the wave 2 offerings at retail yet? All classes (legends - Battleslash, Roadtrap, and Tailgate; deluxes - Dinobots Snarl and Sludge, Terrorcon Rippersnapper, Moonracer, and Blackwing; voyagers- Hun-grr, and Elita-One; and finally, leader - Rodimus Unicronus) have now been found out in the wild! You may want to get your hunt on...

Somewhere in the middle of it all we touch on the new fan vote, also. Versus sets (choosing one of the three) or 3 new figures and you're choosing between the two in each set? Nah, it's the first.



And to conclude the show, are Seibertron and friends (unavailable, but credit deserving was fellow podcaster Megatronus!). After a long day of photographing and reporting, these toy aficionados share about the experience and how they felt upon being in the audience of the presentation and able to experience the new reveals with their own eyes.

A post-script conclusion: Megatronus (mentioned earlier) interviewed the HASBRO brand team over the weekend too. We've added the interview to the podcast as a listener bonus! You can check out a summarized text version of the interview in this news post.

Thanks for joining us for another filled-to-the-brim with transforming roboty goodness episode. Please join us next time, as we move one step closer to our our grand bicentennial episode.

Toy Fair 2018 - Transformers Movie Masterpiece MPM-6 Ironhide, with Barricade #HasbroToyFair #NYTF

Date: Saturday, February 17th 2018 7:09pm CST
Categories: Site News, Movie Related News, Toy News, Event News
Posted by: Va'al

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Views: 26,762

Another of the figures on display in the Hasbro showroom over in New York City in occasion of the Toy Fair 2018 was the collaboration effort between Hasbro and Takara Tomy on the Movie Masterpiece line - in fact, the sixth figure in the series: MPM-6 Ironhide!

We've seen preliminary images just earlier, but our new gallery shows some more to the weapons specialist, with a sneaky apperance from Decepticon Barricade, too. Check out a preview below of this GMC licensed alt-mode sporting Autobot, remember his vicious and sad demise in the Paramount live-action movie series, and join the conversation in the Energon Pub!

Toy Fair 2018 - Gallery of Transformers: Power of the Primes: Nova Star, Abominus, Moonracer, Bludgeon, More #HasbroToyFair #NYTF

Date: Saturday, February 17th 2018 6:56pm CST
Categories: Site News, Toy News, Event News
Posted by: Va'al

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Views: 29,523

The next gallery from the Transformers: Power of the Primes section of the Hasbro Showroom at New York Toy Fair 2018 comes in the multitude that is the presence of the Terrorcons and their combined form Abominus, the deluxes Moonracer and Nova Star that will join the Elita-Infin1te combiner, plus Legend class Battleslash and Roadtrap and their combined form Battletrap.

Check out below a selection of the newer figures from the displays, including the original names of the Terrorcon team, with Voyager and torso Hun-Gurrr, and limbs Rippersnapper, Blot, Cutthroat, and Sinnertwin. You also get closeups of Prime Masters and Decoy Suits featuring Bludgeon, Octopunch, and more. Click on any image for the full gallery!

Toy Fair 2018 - Gallery of Transformers: Power of the Primes Optimal Optimus #HasbroToyFair #NYTF

Date: Saturday, February 17th 2018 6:38pm CST
Categories: Site News, Toy News, Event News
Posted by: Va'al

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Views: 22,751

Another gallery from Seibertron directly from New York City and the Toy Fair 2018 brings us the big, but not biggest, full colour reveal from the Hasbro Showroom - the protagonist of the Power of the Primes line under many aspects, and definitely the boss bot many will remember from childhoods: leader class Optimal Optimus, the winner of the 2017 fan vote!

The gallery, which you can view in full here, accompanies the initial look we reported on here and the official image posted by Transformers Facebook earlier today. Check out a selection below, spotlighting the two main modes for the Evolved version, and the Optimus Primal sk8r munky mode looking proud!