Sledge (Classics)

The name or term "Sledge" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Sledge (disambiguation).

Sledge is a Decepticon-allied Mini-Con from the Unicron Trilogy and Generation 1 Continuity families.

Sledge is a member of the Demolition Team, a trio who use their engineering skills and raw strength to destroy Autobot installations with ease. He is a prime example of a 'bot built into the wrong body; he is obsessed with detail and meticulous work, but his clumsy frame is good for little else than smashing things. This leads to a lot of pent up rage, which he lets loose whenever he is out on a mission. Nonetheless, his eye for detail is always present, and he will invariably strike at a target's weakest point to bring it down in the most efficient and elegant way possible.

Fiction

Classics

Sledge was one of the innumerable Mini-Cons entrusted by the Last Autobot to restore Cybertron in the Autobots' absence. He began his career on the Autobot-aligned Urban Renewal Team, but soon fell in with the scheming Broadside. Broadside grew paranoid about the Mini-Cons' eventual fate when the "bulks" would return on-world, and along with Sledge and other followers, conspired to claim Cybertron as a Mini-Con-only planet. To this end, they met at Maccadam's Old Oil House and concocted a plan to assassinate the current Mini-Con leader, Modus Prime.

Sledge was placed as part of a team escorting Modus Prime and Broadside to Altihex’s abandoned Energon refinery. The conspirators then assassinated Modus Prime, covering their tracks with an explosion and using a cobbled-together bulk carcass to blame the incident on. Sledge and Wideload then destroyed the body before it could be properly examined, under the pretense that it might contain a contagious "madness-disease." Though the plan was to have Broadside assume command, Modus's second-in-command Hacksaw took charge. Hacksaw was eventually disposed of as well, but those loyal to him uncovered the full extent of Broadside's conspiracy.

Sledge acted as one of Broadside's body-guards while he made a planet-wide announcement. The broadcast was interrupted by members of Hacksaw's cabinet, who revealed to the masses Broadside's plot. As the aggressors closed in, Sledge clashed with Nightscream. Ultimately, many more Mini-Cons were swayed to Broadside's way of thinking, and the once peaceful Mini-Cons began fighting among one another. The New World

Ask Vector Prime

In Aurex 615.03 Epsilon, Sledge was one of several Decepticon-aligned Mini-Cons dispatched on board the Doomsday to the Beast Wars of Alpha Q's universe. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/23

Beast Wars: Uprising

Sledge was a Builder Micromaster who auditioned for a spot on the Constructicons alongside his teammate Wideload in the peace that followed the Grand Uprising. He was turned away by team leader Buckethead, who found him and Drill-Bit more interested in destruction than construction. Wideload thought it was a shame, as Sledge had looked good with his Constructicon green paintjob and translucent blue weapon. The Inexorable March

2005 IDW continuity

audience laughter

Sledge, Wideload, and Broadside were a group of Decepticons who had chosen not to return to Cybertron at the conclusion of the Great War, making a home for themselves in a crashed Worldsweeper vessel and becoming a long-range informant for Starscream's government. In 2018, they were approached by Bludgeon, who recruited them and hundreds of other Decepticon deserters into the "Decepticon Vengeance Division" to take on Unicron. Stranger Eons

The Decepticon Vengeance Division ended up getting converted into Maximal-like forms after Bludgeon revealed himself to be in league with Unicron. As the DVD invaded Cybertron, Sledge got cleaved by Victorion Our Finest but eventually recovered in time for the invasion of Earth, even commenting that he was unable to feel his face. Road's End

As the fleet began their final approach over Earth, the Demolition Team noted that both Metroplex and Trypticon had vanished before the two Titans space bridged atop their ship. Assembly At Bludgeon's command, they set course for the Eastern Seaboard of the United States to wreak mindless destruction before the Dinobots boarded the warship. Even with his durability augmented by the Ore's power, Sledge was decapitated by Strafe just before the Worldsweeper crashed on the White House's lawn. Ceremony

Games

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Unconfirmed reports claimed that Sledge was once part of Devastator. The Enigma of Combination

Toys

Classics

He's totally unarmed, geddit?

• Demolition Team (Mini-Con Team, 2006)

Part of the first wave of Classics Mini-Cons, Sledge transforms into a backhoe loader. His instructions show the payloader-shovel support struts assembled in reverse to the actual toy and stock photos, which makes transforming his right shoulder as the instructions show (as seen in the toy photo) result in a slightly more awkward arm/shovel-hand position than the stock photo positioning.

He was only available in a three-pack with his teammates Broadside and Wideload.

The hand-painted sample pictured on the back of the Demolition Team's card has different paint applications than the actual final product. In Sledge's case, the sample has a painted-yellow driver's compartment, and more red paint on his broad shovel.

This mold was also used to make Rockblade, Backstop, Mighty Bull, and Pan-Handler.

• More information on Sledge at TFU.info

Transformers: Classics mold: Sledge
Hasbro: Classics Sledge Universe (2008) Backstop Transformers (2010) Pan-Handler TakaraTomy: Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 9 Rockblade (Micron Booster) Transformers (campaign item) Mighty Bull

Notes

• An Autobot-aligned Mini-Con called Sledge was planned for release in one of the Cybertron Mini-Con Versus Packs, facing off against the Decepticon-aligned Wideload, as part of a wave composed of members of the Mini-Con Council of Sages. Sledge's bio was lost to time, but Swoop's mentioned that he was directing the Council's military together with Tracks. It's not confirmed whether Sledge was originally intended to use the digger mold, but based on the name's history, it sure seems pretty likely.
• The Beast Wars: Uprising version of Sledge is noted to use translucent blue weapons, like those of the Energon character of the same name.