Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong.
Welcome to the first in a series of posts that will explore some of the characters from the first wave. At the moment, my intention is simply to show you the character in question and speculate a little bit on how they might translate into mechanics in the game. First up, let’s take a look at the Autobot Common characters. All of the images used are from the Transformers Legends mobile games, which seems to be a source used for most (if not all) of the character cards previewed so far.
Autobot Hound // Long-Range Scout
Hound held a fairly prominent role in some of the earlier episodes of the original cartoon. In terms of personality, he was disgusted by the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. After crash-landing on earth, he was one of the few Autobots who truly felt a sense of passion and wonder for their new home, particularly for exploring the outdoors, which was a natural fit for his role as a scout. Hound also had the special ability to create holograms, which he used on multiple occasions to trick the Decepticons.
In-Game: As a scout, Hound could be used to check/rearrange your own deck or do the same for your opponent’s deck. The ability to create holograms could also potentially factor in as some sort of defensive bonus.
Bumblebee // Courageous Scout
Bumblebee is well-known as the kid-appeal character from the original cartoon, which continued through the live-action series and even had its own iteration in Beast Wars in the form of Cheetor.
In-Game: This version of Bumblebee will probably be less offensively-oriented in comparison to the one in the starter (Bumblebee, Brave Warrior) or the Super Rare (Bumblebee, Legendary Warrior). With the title of “Courageous Scout,” he could perhaps allow you to look at and manipulate your opponent’s deck.
Dinobot Slug // Hot-Headed Warrior
Better known to G1 fans as “Slag,” Hasbro began to refer to him as “Slug” to avoid associating him with a slur word commonly used in England. Often depicted as the fiercest Dinobot aside from Grimlock, Slag transformed into a triceratops and was often depicted with the ability to breathe fire. Fittingly, he was well-known for his temper and was often itching for a fight.
In-Game: Slug’s ability to breathe fire in dinosaur mode could translate into an AOE style effect where it is able to lightly damage multiple characters on the opponent’s side.
Dinobot Swoop // Fearsome Flyer
In the original cartoon, Swoop was one of the second generation of Dinobots created, along with Snarl. Specifically designed to give the Autobots a bit more air support, his alternate mode is that of a pterodactyl. His tech specs and his Transformers Universe profile from the original comic books mention that others find his pterodactly mode terrifying, and tend to give him a wide berth. He struggles with this, as he’s actually the friendliest of the Dinobots and would prefer to be socially accepted by them.
In-Game: Swoop is one of only three Autobots in the first wave who have a flying alt mode (the other two being Cosmos and Jetfire). Presumably, keywords like “Jet” and “Ranged” will end up being important to gameplay (presumably in how they synergize with other characters, upgrades, and battle cards (“Strafing Run” and “Aerial Recon” are two of the major ones that stand out).
Optimus Prime // Freedom Fighter
In-Game: Optimus is getting three cards in this Wave. The starter card (Optimus Prime, Autobot Leader) is extremely basic. Presumably the Rare card (Optimus Prime, Battlefield Legend) has Prime as an extremely powerful/high-cost character. I could see this version being one that is meant to support the rest of his team, buffing their abilities, and possibly even providing a healing effect since we don’t have Ratchet in this wave of characters.
Sergeant Kup // Veteran Sergeant
Kup served as one of two mentor figures to Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime in the later seasons of the original cartoon. He’d been a long-time soldier and had a story to fit every occasion. In the IDW comics, Kup became a grizzled veteran, someone who had trained many of the greatest warriors in the Autobot ranks. They also gave him a Nick Fury-esque cigar to chomp on.
In-Game: One of the common themes related to Kup throughout his various incarnations is his mentorship of younger characters. Kup could be designed as a stronger leading character that could buff up lower-cost characters on his side.
If you have any comments or ideas of your own, please comment below!
Next time, we’ll take a look at the Decepticon Common characters. In the meantime, make sure you’re part of the online communities where we’re discussing the game and getting hyped!
Transformers TCG Facebook Group
Wreck 'N Rule 