MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Artillery Drone

2022-11-17T05:12:17Z

Zblayde: Original link is dead.

{{factions|vehicon}}
:''Artillery Drones are [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s from the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'' cartoon portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Sparkwar3 Heavy Artillery Drone vehicle.jpg|thumb|300px]]

'''Artillery Drones''' are [[spark]]less duplicates of [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], essentially a mass of troops that she controls. They replaced the [[Tank Drone]]s towards the end of the battle for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], following the instatement of Strika and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] as new [[Vehicon general]]s.

==Fiction==
===''Beast Machines'' cartoon===
Obsidian and Strika's first mission on being brought online involved luring the [[Maximal]]s into a trap. They were able to lure the six Maximals to an area of [[Cybertropolis]] and surround them with Artillery and [[Copter Drone]]s. Eventually the foe was forced to the [[Council Citadel]], and Artillery Drones pursued them inside. It might have ended there, but the interference of the newest Maximal, [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], caused the destruction of the drones and the escape of the rest of the Maximals. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike|The Strike}} The new drones were put to work patrolling the city in search of the Maximals. A trio of them were accompanying Strika when she found [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and Botanica, but all three were quickly destroyed. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search|The Search}}

[[File:Sparkwar3 Heavy Artillery Drone robot.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
While the two generals were coordinating troop movements, [[Noble (BM)|Savage]] creature gave away the position of a small team of Maximals. The Artillery and Copter Drones immediately attacked, but the Maximals were able to destroy a fair few of them before being forced underground. As part of a distraction, Cheetor, Silverbolt and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] later attacked a platoon of Artillery Drones, causing major damage before leading the drone forces on a wild goose chase, while the rest of the Maximals infiltrated the [[Grand Mal]]. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege|The Siege}}

Following [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s apparent demise, Strika retained control of her drones. A group of them were destroyed by a reanimated [[Aero Drone]] as it opened fire on the two generals after they decided to join the Maximals. Megatron, as it turned out, wasn't as dead as it had appeared, and when he came back on the scene, the two generals and their drones rejoined him. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The drones resumed patrolling the city, and production stepped up because Megatron intended to assault the Grand Mal, which the Maximals were occupying. As the combined forces moved into position, a Maximal team caused more chaos on the ground. The drones began the assault anyway, bombarding the ship's shields, until a clue found by Megatron enabled them to modulate their fire to pass through the shields and bring down the ship. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral|The Downward Spiral}} The drones initiated field repairs before the final attack, giving the Maximals time to get the shield back up, but it was soon brought down again, and the combined drone army engaged the Maximals in combat. Presumably the Artillery Drones were all deactivated when Strika was shot into space by Cheetor. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall|When Legends Fall}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
During the [[Vehicon Apocalypse]], when [[Galva Convoy]] turned on the [[Builder Assembly]], he had his Vehicons assimilate them. All but one of them were promptly turned into artillery drones, the exception being the smaller [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. Soon after, the Vehicons began assimilating more [[Macromaster]]-scale Cybertronians, creating more artillery drones. {{storylink|Derailment}}

==Notes==
===Name===
The Artillery Drones were never named in the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'' cartoon]], [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|toyline]], or related media. Behind-the-scenes of the cartoon, they were referred to by the production staff as just "Strika-Drones".<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071202095038/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html 14 April 2000 Q&A w/ Bob Skir] (archived)</ref> We of TFWiki must confess that the name "Artillery Drone" has its origins in, well, this Wiki.

In our early days (before the move from Wikia), there were several fan-coined names seeing use on various articles of this Wiki to refer to these drones in lieu of a known official name; such examples were "Ground Drones", "Striker Drones", "All-Terrain Drones", "Heavy Artillery Drones", etc. Of those examples, the name "Heavy Artillery Drone" is what this Wiki had previously used as the title of this article, with the name having been chosen by [https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Special:Contributions/72.48.102.5 the anonymous user who originally created the article.] As the name "Heavy Artillery Drone" had no [[canon|canonical]] origin, it is very likely to have derived from the opening paragraph of [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s article that describes her as "taking the place of Tankor as commander of heavy artillery."

From the time that this article was first created, the name "Heavy Artillery Drone" had remained untouched for a little over a decade, due to an unintended oversight and lack of fact-checking on this Wiki's part, which had remained in effect for all that time. As this Wiki is usually quite diligent in its adherence to official terminology, and not in the habit of making things up, it was assumed during all that time that the name "Heavy Artillery Drone" ''had'' to have come from ''somewhere'' official, even an obscure source. Simply put, no one was aware that the name ''wasn't'' official during all that time.

Near the end of [[2016]], the name "artillery drone" (in all lowercase) first appeared in the ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' prose story "[[Derailment]]" as a shortened form of the name that this article had been using since its onset, as was confirmed by one of the story's [[Jim Sorenson|authors]] (who also admitted to having floated "assault drones" as an alternative naming option).<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20201113130526/https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/101932-tfwikinet-thread-or-the-all-new-all-different-community-portal/page-320#entry3411749 Post by Jim S on The Allspark Forums, 2 January 2017] (archived)</ref> So now these drones finally have an official, in-fiction name [[Circular reporting|thanks in part to this Wiki's little slip-up]]. Yay?

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines Vehicons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Vehicons]]
[[Category:Fiction-only Transformers]]
[[Category:Drones]]
[[Category:Mass-produced Transformers]]

Feed the Beast

2014-10-07T12:28:41Z

Zblayde: /* Notes */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Transformers: Rescue Bots]]'' ep 35
|prev=Blame the Gremlins
|next=What Lies Below
|image=FeedTheBeast Luskey with samples.jpg
|title="Feed the Beast"
|airdate=[[April 19]], [[2014]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
|animation studio=[[Vision Animation]]
|writer=[[Greg Weisman]]
|director=[[Kevin Altieri]]
}}

'''While trying to hunt it down, Cody and the Bots discover the legendary Maine Ridge Monster is closer than they thought.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:FeedTheBeast blimp crash.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
[[Cody Burns|Cody]] is doing his astronomy homework, taking photos of constellations through a telescope while the Bots help, though [[Blades (RB)|Blades]]'s assertion that he can see the [[Mirtonian constellation|Mirtonian Star Cluster]] doesn't help. While they discuss what humans might call the constellation, [[Chase (RB)|Chase]] points out something closer to them and Cody quickly snaps a picture of what appears to be a large beast moving through the forest. He believes it to be the [[Maine Ridge Monster]], which he explains is New England's version of [[Bigfoot]]. When he asserts they have to warn the rest of the island because monsters are bad, [[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] leaps to the attack, and finds himself instead sprayed by a skunk. Chase consults the [[Lad Pioneers Handbook]] for a remedy, but they decide to head home first.

The rest of Cody's family doesn't believe Cody's seen the Maine Ridge Monster, despite the photograph he furnishes as proof. The next day, the team is at the charity sandwich sale where [[Luskey|Mayor Luskey]] drumming up interest in his "Magic Meat" and is giving out free samples. Cody spots [[Huxley Prescott]] about to do a news report and tries to interest him in the photo of the monster, but Prescott's there to cover [[Doc Greene]]'s [[Magnetic Insta-Grill]]. The demonstration goes off flawlessly, until Luskey loads some Magic Meat into the invention. The result is a missile of flaming meat that hits an overhead blimp, lighting it on fire. The team swings into action, clearing the area and dousing the blimp when it crashes, and in the aftermath, Luskey presents [[Graham Burns|Graham]] with a case of Magic Meat. Cody tries once again to interest Luskey in his photo, and knocks one of the cans which, unnoticed by anyone, reveals a second label under Luskey's Magic Meat label.

[[File:FeedTheBeast Luskey cannery.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
As Cody and the Bots prepare to go out looking for the monster again, [[Boulder]] asks Graham whether the monster is likely to be bad just because it's a monster. Graham thinks that humans fear what they don't understand, like his quantum mechanics homework. The Bots and Cody are soon out monster hunting for "Ridgey" and Cody gives a potted history of the creature's sightings. They soon track down the monster attacking an old cannery. They follow him inside to find him tearing the place apart, and after he flees, the Bots have their work cut out stabilizing the building. Unfortunately Cody's camera has been smashed in the ruckus, rendering its contents useless. Despite this, the monster appears to have left behind some hair, which Cody collects.

[[File:FeedTheBeast Graham eats like a pig.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"You know, dog food isn't half bad once you get used to it."]]
The rest of Cody's family still isn't impressed with his story, and the hair he collected turns out to be fake. The discussion is derailed when everyone's distracted by the fact that Graham keeps eating Magic Meat, and interrupted when Luskey calls to report that someone has raided his store of the food. The storehouse is indeed cleaned out, but there's a conspicuous trail of empty cans which turn out to lead to the fire station. Cody checks the security camera footage from last night, which show the camera's being taken out by the monster. While they're still reacting to that, Graham straight up metamorphoses into the monster and flees. The team prepares to track Graham down. Time isn't on their side, as word has spread of the monster's existence, and some of the islands residents have started preparing traps for it.

[[File:FeedTheBeast Graham homework.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
At the lab, Doc Greene identifies the Magic Meat as [[Fo-Foo]], an experimental ever-lasting food which was discontinued due to the unfortunate side effects. A store of it was in Bunker 16, located near the Mayor's mansion. The only remaining place it can be found is in the Best Left Forgotten section of the [[Hall of Inspiration]]. As the team closes in on the hall, it soon becomes apparent that there are two monsters, and they realize that the Mayor has been eating Fo-Foo as well. They reach the hall, but both monsters enter first. Unfortunately the Fo-Foo is stored near some nitroglycerin, making the situation even more dangerous. Boulder stops Heatwave from attacking the monster, and instead talks to Graham himself and manages to calm his partner down. They manage to restrain Luskey as well, but Boulder is knocked into the shelf containing the explosive, and it's only quick work from Graham that prevents an explosion.

With Graham and Luskey back to normal, Doc Greene breaks the news that there's a cure — eating vegetables. Heatwave apologizes for nearly trouncing Graham, and Cody promises to continue trying to hunt Ridgey. Out in the forest, something howls...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Heatwave (RB)|Heatwave]] (2)
*[[Chase (RB)|Chase]] (3)
*[[Blades (RB)|Blades]] (4)
*[[Boulder]] (5)

|c3=
*[[Cody Burns]] (1)
*[[Luskey]] (6)
*[[Dani Burns]] (7)
*[[Kade Burns]] (8)
*[[Charlie Burns]] (9)
*[[Graham Burns]] (10)
*[[Harrison (RB)|Mr Harrison]] (11)
*[[Huxley Prescott]] (12)
*[[Doc Greene]] (13)
*[[Frankie Greene]] (14)
*[[Talbott|Mr Talbott]] (15)

}}

==Quotes==
"Mmm, good science is delicious!"
:—'''Doc Greene'''

"It is true that most legendary creatures prove to be imaginary — the [[Loch Ness Monster]], the [[Yeti]], [[Prince Charming]]. There is no hard evidence they exist." 
"Well of course they do! I've seen all of them in movies."
:—'''Chase''' and '''Blades'''

"If that was CGI, it was very well done!"
:—'''Blades''' on Graham's transformation.

"Where are we going, Dad?" 
"Obviously to file for Graham's animal license."
:—'''Cody''' and '''Chase'''

"Now, the only place to find some..." 
"Don't say it." 
"...is on the Best Left Forgotten shelves." 
''*sigh*'' "Just once, couldn't something in the B.L.F. ''stay'' forgotten?" 
"I'm afraid Griffin Rock is quite ''thorough'' when cataloging its scientific failures."
:—'''Doc''' and '''Chief''' discuss the last known location of any remaining Fo-Foo.

"I wonder if any other late movie creepazoids exist, because if a zombie mutant potato attacks, I am so out of here."
:—'''Blades''' watches some strange movies.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity errors===
*The encounter at the cannery takes place at night, it's morning when Luskey reports his storehouse raided, and night again when the team reaches the end of the trail of cans?
*When Cody goes to use the [[ComTab]] to check the security cameras, he's initially holding it upside down, but between shots, it switches to right way up.

===Continuity notes===
*Chase first developed his deep relationship with the Lad Pioneers Handbook in "[[Rules and Regulations]]".

===Transformers references===
*The Mirtonian constellation was originally mentioned in [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]] Laser Rod bio.

===Real-world references===
* The [http://strangemaine.blogspot.com/2005/10/maine-ridge-monster.html Maine Ridge Monster] is a real-life [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptid cryptid], and others such as [[Bigfoot]] and the Loch Ness Monster are mentioned throughout the course of the episode.
* Mr Talbott's name and appearance both reference the classic werewolf movie [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_Man_(1941_film) The Wolf Man], though he doesn't transform during the events of the episode.

===Trivia===
*Quantum mechanics seems like an odd subject for an engineering school to cover.
*It's also odd that with an island full of tech, Cody appears to be using an old fashioned camera loaded with film rather than a digital camera.

===Foreign localization===

{{epstub}}
[[Category:Rescue Bots episodes]]