So it seems that Combiner Wars aren’t limited to the typical 5 or 6-man gestalts. Anything that has an element of combination, such as Ultra Magnus (Optimus Prime-style cab merging with trailer) and the rumoured Reflector (three Cons becoming one camera) are also ripe for inclusion. Even Transformers: Robots in Disguise will be getting in on the action with their waves of combining Minicons.
But besides gestalts (that everyone wants to be remade under Combiner Wars), how about the other combining Transformers that have been released over the years but not remade? Here I present to you my top ten picks of non-gestalt/Scramble City type combiners that I’d like to see in the Combiner Wars (hopefully, they get to run for another a year!).
10. Squawkbox
We’ve seen a lot of love for Soundwave, Blaster and the other cassettes these past few years, what with the Fall of Cybertron releases and the rumoured Legends cassettes. But honestly, what I’d like to see is Squawkbox making a return. He’s made up of two insane looking animals, and I’d pick him over his Autobot counterpart, Slamdance, simply because he looks that much more evil.
9. God Ginrai
We’ve seen his reissue, plus the Fire Guts God Ginrai, then the Kabaya version, and the recent third party add-on for your Evasion Optimus Prime. But seriously, those broad-shouldered wings are awesome. The closest we’ve come to an update would be Wingblade Optimus Prime, thematically, and even so he’s missing that giant shoulder cannon. How about releasing a Godbomber for our Combiner Wars Optimus Prime, eh, Hasbro?
8. Star Saber (Minicon Sword)
One thing that the Unicron Trilogy really had me hooked on were the Minicons. I hunted down every set, and bought almost every Armada toy just so I had one of each unique mould (for the Minicons). The concept of accessories for the Transformers (which were what the Minicons essentially were) was a fantastic idea, and the trio of the Star Saber, Skyboom Shield, and Requiem Blaster made McGuffin hunting all the more fun. How about bringing that combining Mincon idea from Transformers: Robots in Disguise to our Combiner Wars Legends?
7. Sonic Convoy
Sonic Convoy is my second favourite Autobot leader/combiner, after Victory Saber, simply because Transformers: Cybertron was what brought me back to the collecting fold. As with God Ginrai, those wings are awesome, and he’s got double the number of shoulder cannons. Even the base toy, Galaxy Convoy, is a pretty fine figure himself, and he comes with a removable Matrix! If we don’t get a Godbomber for Combiner Wars, can we have a Sonic Bomber please?
6. Big Powered
OK so here’s where my wish list gets a little absurd. I would like to see Dai Atlas get a remake, since the original toy is kind of a brick and pretty inaccessible to me. I know that I’m essentially listing down all the Autobot leaders here, but who wouldn’t want to see Dai Atlas return? There was that King Atlas toy, but it was more of a homage than a straight up remake, and it doesn’t quite suit Dai Atlas’ alternate modes. I’m not forgetting Sonic Bomber and Roadfire either here guys!
5. The Beast (fictional Dinobot Combiner)
It goes without saying that all Transformers are fictional, and with TFC’s Star Cats we sort of have an option for that Dinobot combiner, plus all those fanmode AoE Dinobot combiners. But how about an official one? It’d be killing two birds with one stone – we get to see all the Dinobots again and we get another combiner from them! We could even have it recoloured into Monstructor, Dinoking, and Abominus! So many possibilities.
4. Overflow & Full Barrel (Battlefield Headquarters)
We’ve seen Targetmasters and Headmasters get some love in the form of Scoop and Brainstorm (and also the numerous Targetmaster Minicons issued during Transformers: United), but we haven’t seen any Powermaster or Micromaster love yet. The Battlefield Headquarters looks like classic alternate mode Optimus Prime, and we already sort of have that combining base idea with all those Legends vehicles during DOTM. So how about giving us a combining base, and as a bonus, a combining Legends Micromasters toy too?
3. Tripredacus
Ever since I saw the Tripredacus Council appear in Beast Wars, I’ve always wanted to know more about them and their grand schemes. Granted, the Tripredacus toy that we eventually got looked nothing like the shadowy alliance that we saw in Beast Wars, but it was great to see them realised in some form. If we can integrate the Beast Wars fiction into Combiner Wars, and have this combining trio of Predacons appear as well, then Tripredacus could very well be the final boss of this storyline! They’re not, I know, but let me know hope for a little bit.
2. Dreadwing
Granted, their combination is a bit unorthodox in that they combine in alternate mode rather than robot mode (just like Dai Atlas), but they were combining super fast planes that could even give Super Ginrai a run for his money, and later on God Ginrai (after they got upgraded). The Decepticon duo could return in both a combining plane form, and as Powermasters (since their Powermaster partners combine with them), and fulfill the Combiner Wars requirements – twice!
1. Victory Saber
And of course, no list by me would ever be complete with a mention of Victory Saber. He’s the Autobot leader, and even his combining partner, Victory Leo, was originally a combiner himself, being a rebuilt form of God Ginrai. We could have Victory Leo built as an add-on to a retooled Silverbolt as Star Saber, and make the best use of all the moulds!
Bonus! Here’s the top 4 traditional gestalts I’d like to see come out in Combiner Wars too!
4. Landcross
The reason Landcross is so awesome is that not only does he become a combiner, but his individual components can combine in pairs as well, making him a combiner made out of combiners! He’s also pretty resourceful and intelligent in Transformers: Victory, and what he lacks in brute strength he more than makes up for with strategy and wits.
3. Raiden
Raiden’s awesomeness comes from the fact that he’s a legitimate combiner in both alternate and robot mode, fulfilling his combining premise in every way possible! And which person doesn’t like trains, especially Japanese bullet trains?
2. Lio Kaiser
The most powerful of all the G1 Combiners, Lio Kaiser might look like a garish nightmare of colours, but it only serves to accentuate his threat level. He’s got planes, land vehicles, and vicious animals within the gestalt team, and everything about him just screams lethal killing machine. Each component is a combiner (Breastforce partner plus main robot), and his sheer power makes him the most formidable Decepticon combiner of our childhoods.
1. Computron
Computron may seem like an odd choice to some, but I like the fact that his superpower is his intelligence. Add to the fact that he has some pretty wacky origins in that he was built by Grimlock and is sort of the Spawn of Unicron, given that his intelligence and parts are from Unicron himself. The usual combiner is a big powerful robot that has all the brainpower of a carrot, but Computron bucks that trend by becoming even smarter when he’s combined. Go, Computron! Go, Technobots!
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