Army-building

You don't wanna know how much this costs.

Army-building (also troop-building) is a nickname for a toy-collecting habit that involves buying multiple identical toys which represent generic or mass-produced characters (for example, Cobra soldiers or Star Wars stormtroopers), with the intent of displaying them as an imposingly large cohesive unit. Some army-builders have hundreds of figures, arranged in elaborate dioramas or military-style formations.

The practice is somewhat less-common in Transformers fandom than in other fandoms, primarily due to the relative lack of mass-produced, identical, "generic" units, but there are notable exceptions. Perhaps due to the relative dearth of toys representing multiple generic characters, some fans amass armies of non-generic characters (like the Jumpstarters).

Generation 1

The Transformers cartoon

Generation 1 offers many possibilities for army building, usually by using multiple figures of named characters to represent an army of similarly designed drones.

A typical example of the victim of somebody's evil plan.

• The pilot mini-series featured a fleet of nameless Seekers colored differently from the primary three. Two decades later, toys of these "Air Warriors" were finally made in the form of Heroes of Cybertron PVC figures. They were sold in multi-packs featuring three identical Air Warriors alongside the aforementioned three named Seekers.
  • Additionally, generics with identical colors to the original three would sometimes appear within the SAME SCENE as the original three, technically making Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker army builders as well.
  • Hotlink and Bitstream are also a good match for plenty of Air Warriors, though that would be somewhat pricey.
• Shockwave's description in the cartoon's production bible stated he could create weaker duplicates of himself (an ability that showed up in Transformers: Devastation), thus making Shockwave an army-builder who can also double as a conversation piece among fans (especially if you want to really show off your Transformers knowledge).
• The Insecticons can be represented by Bombshell, Shrapnel and Kickback. This is probably the cheaper option than using multiples of the actual drone-unit Insecticon toys Salvo, Zaptrap, and Shothole (especially since the orignal Insecticons are frequently reissued), and more show-accurate to boot.
• Multiple Scourge toys can represent the Sweeps. Similarly, multiple Cyclonus toys can represent his armada. In both cases, the main character and his nameless henchmen may be represented by different releases.
• Multiples of Gnaw can be used to represent the Sharkticons. This works particularly well with this figure, as Gnaw received very little characterization in most official fiction.

• The Guardian robots/Dark Guardians are potential army builders, though as an e-HOBBY exclusive they would be costly ones.
• Kremzeek could be considered an army builder, albeit a costly one, as he has only been released as a pack-in with the large Autorooper, the Reflector three-pack, and Masterpiece Megatron toys.
• Though there are multiple Junkions, each one has a different character model, and thus using multiple Wreck-Gar figures to represent them is not common. While Wreck-Gar's original toy can't really ride himself well, his Reveal the Shield toy can and is designed for it, as are its retools Scrapheap and Junkheap.

The Headmasters cartoon

In The Headmasters, Sixshot demonstrated the ability to create temporary duplicates of himself.

Super-God Masterforce cartoon

Super-God Masterforce was good to army builders, as it provided several good opportunities.

• The Seacons had multiples of all the limb-units; Turtler was the only non-cloned individual of the group. Thankfully, the Takara versions of the original toys are identical to the Hasbro versions, reducing the need for costly importing.
• The Sparkdash Javil, Guzzle, and Sizzle are all drones with multiple copies. Though Javil and Guzzle's toys are colored differently from their Firecon doppelgangers, the Masterforce cartoon gave all three Sparkdash the Hasbro colors, making for cheap army-building for those who'd rather be show-accurate with their hordes.
• Legions of black Guardminder drones appeared, led by a single golden one. The black drones can be represented by Fasttrack, while the leader can be his redeco Black Roritchi. However, while collecting a single Black Roritchi wouldn't be too hard, as he comes with BlackZarak (just be careful, okay?), collecting an army of Fasttrack toys, which were only sold packaged with Scorponok, would be expensive. Fortunately, the Earthrise toyline would release Fasttrack as an individual deluxe class figure, with a subsequent gold repaint in the Generations Selects line as head honcho Black Roritchi.

2005 IDW continuity

• The Centurion droids are a fairly classic army-builder, though, as usual, an expensive one that comes with a lot of accessories you don't really want multiples of.
• During Devastation, the Machination sent multiple Sunstreaker clones after Hot Rod and Wheeljack. However, there is no toy of Sunstreaker in that particular form, let alone as a Headmaster, requiring a substitution. There are also multiple Sunstreaker bodies in black, white and red; though there are no Transformers toys of these, if one were so inclined they could track down the Diaclone red and white Sunstreakers Countach LP500S. Alternatively, the Sideswipe version of Sunstreaker's Universe toy has been produced in those three colors, although the prospect of an army of BotCon 2010 Sideswipes takes this page to an entirely new level of prohibitively expensive. The Masterpiece version of Sunstreaker has made this a little easier, between himself, Cordon, Spin-Out and the G2 version of Sideswipe—if you don't mind the latter staying in vehicle mode all the time. Also, the Earthrise version of Sunstreaker was redecoed as Cordon and Spin-Out in the Selects toyline.
• Cover A of Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4, as well as various other panels, draw the Ammonites as using the designs of the Mini-Con Assault Team, making the team an army-builder.
• Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires features an army of clones of Ramjet and Thrust.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3 features a pack of Ravage units.

Timelines

Timelines toys are all convention or collectors' club exclusives, which can give attempts to army build with them a rather prohibitive pricetag.

• The Virulent Clone exclusives of BotCon 2005 were army builders, and in fact were only sold in pairs.
• BotCon 2009 featured an exclusive three-pack of Sweeps.
• Similarly, BotCon 2010 featured an exclusive three-pack of Sharkticons.
• BotCon 2013's comic showed Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Prowl, and Sandstorm leading hordes of drones based on their Generation 1 counterparts' Machine Wars toys.
• As a shared bodytype, BotCon 2014's 2-pack of Pounce-type and Wingspan-type clones can be army built as the named and unnamed Dread Pirate Crew from Cannonball's Tidal Wave. Or indeed unnamed cannon-fodder resulting from the blueprints being sold on the black market.
• The BotCon 2015 comic showed hordes of Waruder mechs: Parasites, Mudfighters, Storm Riders, and Paralyzers.

Kiss Players

The Earth Defense Command's Kiss Players had 48 of the human-created Autorooper models in service. In what can only be a move designed to encourage army-building, the large Autorooper toy came with a decal sheet with specialized markings for all 48 units, not simply the ones given to pack-in pilot character Atari's Autorooper.

Alternators/Binaltech

With the introduction of the GT System in that series's fiction, Smokescreen can inhabit four bodies in unison, so some collectors might take to buying all four Smokescreen variants (or, more precisely, both Smokescreen variants and both Smokescreen GT variants) to represent him in his four bodies at once.

e-HOBBY toy bios

• E-HOBBY exclusive Overcharge is a Quintesson military product with multiple units available. This back story, along with the multiple different faction insignias he is packaged with, encourages army building, though like the Guardian Robots he would be costly to collect.
• Megaplex's Collector's Edition bio describes him as "one of a series" of Megatron clones, making him a possible army-builder. Naturally, though, the e-HOBBY Megaplex toy, similar to Overcharge, would not be easy to army-build. On the other hand, it's pretty dang similar to G1 Megatron, meaning one could use him, and the original Machine Wars Megaplex shouldn't be too hard to find.

Legends Spin-Off

• United EX Rollermaster was used to represent the entire Rollermaster Corps, a legion of spare bodies and slaves and for the twin Straxuses to use for their own evil deeds.

Golden Lagoon

• Golden Lagoon Starscream's lack of any Starscream-specific features makes the figure suitable - but expensive - for army-building Golden Lagoon Skywarp and Thundercracker.

The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers manga

• You can build up the Megatron Corps by purchasing six of any version of Megatron.

Generations Selects comic

• Some of the Battle Masters such as Soundbarrier, Smashdown, Ironworks, and Doublecrosser can be purchased in bulk to represent the Selectors in the comic.
  • The Pteraxadon Battle Masters can be similarly bought in bulk as well, to represent the pack seen in Abominus comic 1.

Beast Era

Beast Wars Metals manga

The Scorpion Corps could be built with numerous Scorponok toys, if one considers the minor differences between the two characters to be simply due to an artistic interpretation of the character model. Considering how other characters have been... stylized in these mangas, it might not be much of a stretch.

Beast Wars Neo cartoon

Multiple ships in the Cybertron fleet share a design with Fortress Maximus, which would undoubtedly make him the most expensive army builder of them all.

Beast Wars Neo comic

The Blentrons Elphaorpha, Drancron, and Latolata have many duplicates.

Beast Machines

The Vehicons of Beast Machines are undoubtedly the most popular army builders from the Beast Era, possibly from all of Transformers, with virtually every Vehicon representing thousands of identical drones. (Megatron was the main exception.)

The Beast Machines cartoon featured legions of Thrust, Tankor, Jetstorm, Obsidian, and Strika drones, each commanded by a general. Note that the character model for Tankor was much closer to the Tank Drone toy.

The Wreckers comic "Departure" further featured drones of Scavenger, Blastcharge, Spy Streak, and Mirage. Additionally, an on-model depiction of the original toy for Tankor was repurposed to represent drones for Quake (who had the same bodyform, but in different colors).

Universe

The 2003 Universe comic "Homecoming" featured multiple Piranacons, toys which would be eventually released by Transformers Collectors' Club as new decos of the original Seacons.

Unicron Trilogy

The Unicron Trilogy offers multiple possibilities for army building.

Armada

Corner pocket.

In Armada, Unicron's interior is patrolled by swarms of Dead End Drones, commanded by Dead End General units. This was originally an expensive toy to army-build, being a pack-in with the $50 Unicron toy (though eventually some Target stores clearanced them for as little as $13). In the Galaxy Force toy line though, the fourth Micron Booster assortment featured "Bug Drones" at a mere 300 yen a pop (very roughly $3). Unfortunately, the blindpacked boxes meant you either had to buy opened samples, or an entire case of twelve toys to ensure getting a single Dead End Drone... and the General came only one per every two cases.

Energon

Energon offers the largest number of potential army builders of the Unicron Trilogy.

• In both the Energon cartoon and comic continuities, the Decepticons send thousands of Terrorcon drones to combat the Autobots and steal raw energon ore. In the comic continuity, these drones were based on four living, fully-sparked Decepticons: Battle Ravage, Cruellock, Divebomb, and Insecticon. In the cartoon continuity, the four drone-types also had color-changed variants sold as limited-retail toys. Hasbro would introduce another small Terrorcon to the mix: Doom-Lock, who was later established as a mass-produced drone via Swindle's Spiel.
• In the cartoon, there were also countless identical Omnicons split among the three body types; Strongarm, Skyblast and Signal Flare. The fourth Omnicon type from the cartoon, Arcee, however, was a unique being, serving as the Omnicons' leader. In the comic series, the Omnicons never became mass-produced Transformers.
• The bio for Omega Sentinel says he is the commander of the "Guardians of Cybertron", though nothing has ever come forward to indicate just what that group is made up of. Hasbro representatives at OTFCC 2004 indicated that they had intended for groups of Omega Sentinels to appear in the cartoon, but ultimately not even one did, just the original iteration of the mold, Omega Supreme. No canon has specifically made the Omega Sentinel toy, a clear homage to the Guardian Robots of Generation 1, an army-builder. However, Hasbro's original intent and the Generation 1 allusion has led some fans to collect several of him.

Cybertron

Cybertron offers a few good army building opportunities.

Joe's Apartment 2099

• Technically a Terrorcon, Scrapmetal is an excellent army builder from the Cybertron franchise. In the Takara line, it was available in three different colorations; red, yellow, and blue. Hasbro would later release both the red and yellow versions in their own line, but blue remained exclusive to the Galaxy Force toyline, ramping up his secondary market value outside of Japan.
• The inhabitants of Planet X are represented by hundreds of gray clones of Sideways and attack bird-bots. Both are cost-prohibitive army-builders, as the "Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version" was a DVD pack-in exclusive in Japan (and DVDs are not cheap there even without limited-edition toys packed in), and the only way to collect a horde of Laserbeak drones was by buying multiples of the Voyager-class Soundwave toy (which is still less expensive than the Noisemazes).
• Throughout the cartoon series, "clones" of the Blurr toy are seen both as part of the civilian Autobot ranks hiding on Earth and inhabiting Velocitron. These were never seen in robot mode, and sometimes came in red and yellow varieties as well as the toy's blue (no red or yellow versions of the toy exist, though the Universe Swerve toy is a red-colored pre-Cybertron-retool version of the mold). This doesn't exactly inspire too many to army-build him, but the canon is there to support it.

Live-action film series

The video games and subsequent comics for the live-action movie universe feature numerous models of mass-produced robots for both the Decepticons and Autobots. Though there are several toys based on these models (designed primarily for the version of the game for the PlayStation 2 and 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC), the accuracy of the toys' coloration and head design to the game models varies, but most are geared towards being the Decepticon drones. Interestingly enough, the toys that got redecoed were given original decos, not opposite-side game-decos.

• Swindle's toy is nearly-accurate to the console game's Decepticon Swindle drones.
• Dropkick's toy has the Decepticon drones' deco, but the face is only somewhat like the Autobot face, leaning towards a more unique design.
• Longarm's toy is only barely accurate to the drone design, owing to timing issues. In the game, both Autobot and Decepticon versions are primarily white. The non-lenshead makes it a little more Autobotty, though.
• Dreadwing is fairly accurate to the Decepticon version of the drone.
• Both versions of Payload are similarly very close to the Decepticon Class Beta and Constructicon Warrior drones' designs.
• In the movie comics, Landmine lent his form to a series of L.M.-1 drones.

Dirt Boss and Deadlift have identical bodytypes to the Scrapper drones. However, since they have different names and bios, they don’t technically count as canonical army-building candidates. But if you want to build armies of Dirt Bosses and Deadlifts or unofficially repurpose them as Scrappers, go ahead. We're not stopping you.

Revenge of the Fallen

Potentially, every Constructicon from the movie is an army builder, because multiple characters with the same body model are either destroyed, merged into Devastator, or are fighting the army at the same time.

Dark of the Moon

• Multiple Autobots of Roller's design are seen aboard the Ark. Like many of the potential army builders on this page, having to actually army-build Roller is an expensive proposition since Roller was only sold as a pack-in with the Ark playset.
• The tiny Lensmeter Decepticons seen attending to Megatron in the movie share their design with Scalpel.
• The Dreads can be portrayed by multiple Crankcases with the metal hair in different positions. They're later joined by The Last Knight Berserker, and Studio Series Crowbar and Crankcase.
• A fleet of Orbital Assault Carriers is shown invading Chicago.

Age of Extinction

"You're going to pull my head off and give it to Lockdown, aren't you?"

• The Knight Ship is guarded by a pack of Steeljaws. Studio Series would later give us the Shadow Raiders, despite them being redecos of their boss Lockdown.
• An army of Vehicon toys can be used to represent many of the vehicles used by Cemetery Wind. However, that would be rather difficult, seeing as the only toys are either part of a rather expensive Platinum Edition multi-pack or a hard to find tail-ender.
• Multiple Insecticons were seen in the KSI headquarters.
• Multiple Stingers can be used to represent the mass-produced units seen in the Mobile Game.
• The Vehicons can also bolster Galvatron's ranks, but we have already mentioned that would be difficult. Fortunately, Studio Series would give us KSI Bosses redecoed from Nitro Zeus. And while their toys do not necessarily match their on-screen portrayals due to being redecoed from Stinger, the KSI Sentries can make useful army-builders nonetheless.

The Last Knight

• The six identical Infernocons seen in the movie can be represented by six figures of Skulk, all of which are only available in the relatively rare TRU exclusive Infernocus box set.

Bumblebee

• Studio Series Thrust, Thundercracker, and Skywarp can be used to represent generic Seekers in addition to the respective official characters.

Rise of the Beasts

• Studio Series Freezer and Novakane can be bought in bulk to stand in for the many Sweeps that appear as part of Unicron's army.
• Multiple Scorponok (or the more accurately colored Double Punch) can be seen scurrying around in the film's introduction and final battle.

Animated

• Transformers Animated Starscream had multiple clones of varying colors. In "Dino-MIGHT!", they were all colored like him, making him an army builder. There were also sparkless, inanimate clone bodies colored like him in "A Fistful of Energon".
• Soundwave's multiple VR clones from "Human Error, Part II" make Electrostatic Soundwave an army builder.
• Autotroopers are an all-identical Autobot police force. Figures were made available at BotCon 2011, featured in an exclusive three-pack. An Autotrooper-inspired retool was also featured in a Legacy multipack.

Aligned continuity family

War for Cybertron

• Studio Series Gamer Edition Decepticon Soldier is there to help you army-build a bunch of Decepticon troops to reenact playing the Autobot levels and Escalation maps in War for Cybertron.

Prime

The Steve Convention

• The Prime toyline has a plethora of Vehicon toys, based on the generic Decepticon model in the cartoon.
• The MECH Trooper that came with the Bumblebee vs. Starscream Entertainment Pack is technically an army builder, since you see multiples in the show, but you'd have to buy multiple Bumblebees and Starscreams to get more than one of them.
• Any of Starscream's Prime figures can be used to represent the Starscream clones from the show.
• The Arms Micron Gaia Unicron is an army-builder, because Unicron had the ability to multiply himself in the show.
• Cyberverse Commander Hardshell can be used to build an Insecticon army.

Rescue Bots

The only Con in the village.

• Doctor Morocco produced multiple MorBots in Rescue Bots, making any of the resulting MorBot figures potential army-builders. However, the transforming Rescan figure is the most viable, being the only one not packed as part of a set. (Nobody needs to army-build Bumblebee or Graham Burns...)

Robots in Disguise (2015)

• Many Caretaker Mini-Cons sharing Fixit's design were shown aboard ships, particularly in the episodes "Deep Trouble", "Portals", "Decepticon Island (Part 1)" and "Decepticon Island (Part 2)". This makes any version of Fixit an army-builder.
• Multiple Major Mayhems were shown under the command of Stockade, essentially making him an army-builder. There's also a command unit who bears a slight resemblance to Volcano...who is an Autobot. However, Major Mayhem is in a two-pack with Bumblebee, and may be expensive because you have to buy multiple Bumblebees to get multiple Major Mayhems.

Generations

Combiner Wars

• At Toy Fair 2015, a member of the Transformers design team commented that Viper was designed to be a generic-style Transformer like the Omnicons with the intent that fans army-build him. Whilst he has no fiction of his own, this army-building reputation comes from the fact that he is based upon both the Cobra Viper troopers and the Cobra Rattlers that they often pilot from G.I. Joe. However, Viper ended up being the shortpacked figure in his wave (two of him per case compared to three Grooves and three Warpaths), and was also omitted from the subsequent wave (unlike his two wave-mates), which made finding him rather difficult to begin with, let alone collecting multiple specimens. On top of that, several international markets (such as Australia and the United Kingdom) skipped the only wave he shipped in entirely.

Titans Return

• Titans Return Legends Class Gnaw and Legends Sharktron can be army-built into hordes of Sharkticons.
• In the spirit of army-building, the aforementioned Legends Sharktron also includes a Sweep Titan Master/Headmaster that differs from that of Scourge/Fracas, intended as a replacement to help differentiate your "real" Scourge from his minions.

War for Cybertron: Siege

• Multiple War for Cybertron: Siege Refraktors can be used to fill out an army, since their model was used for this purpose in the cartoon. Hasbro even encourages it, by allowing three copies of the figure to combine into their camera mode.

War for Cybertron Trilogy

• The War for Cybertron Trilogy Centurion Drone can be reasonably army-built. However, doing so comes with a downside: while multiple pistols and energon cubes—and even backpacks usable with Tigertrack and Red Alert—would certainly be useful, most of the remaining accessories in the included Weaponizer Pack are character-specific. Soon to flood eBay.
• The War for Cybertron Trilogy Deseeus Army Drones can be bought in bulk to display alongside Sharkticons and Allicons, although their exclusivity to Walmart means they aren't as widely available for purchase.

War for Cybertron: Earthrise

• Like Gnaw, above, the Deluxe Class Earthrise "Quintesson Allicon" army-builds nicely, being sold singly at regular retail in the U.S. The Quintesson Judge is also an army builder.

War for Cybertron: Kingdom

• The Predacon ship has an army of generics based on Scorponok, so the Deluxe Class Kingdom "Scorponok" works as an army builder.

Studio Series

• Studio Series Gnaw is perfect for building Sharkticon armies, though at the Deluxe Class scale it is slightly more costly than the Titans Return version.
• Studio Series Sweep is another ideal army-builder. The Voyager Class Sweeps have a more saturated color scheme than Studio Series Scourge, making it easier to distinguish the troops from their master in this case.
• A Studio Series "MTMTE Collection" multi-pack contained both a Decepticon Ground Soldier and an Elite Seeker from the game Transformers: Devastation. These do NOT scale, however, with the Devastation Optimus Prime released that same year.

Legacy

• Legacy (specifically its subline imprint Evolution) features a cross-continuity multipack that consists of four trooper characters. Exclusive to Target's Buzzworthy Bumblebee subline, this set is notable for being purchased with the explicit purpose of army-building, with three of the four figures including alternate heads meant to be swapped out at the owner's wish. The set features:
  • Animated Universe Autotrooper
  • Decepticon Seeker
  • G2 Universe Cybertronian Trooper
  • Quintesson Trooper
• Legacy (specifically its subline imprint United) also features a cross-continuity multipack that contains trooper characters. Of this Target exclusive set, two of the four figures excluding Prime Universe Cliffjumper and G1 Universe Squeezeplay work as army builders:
  • Beast Wars Universe Tarantulas as Tyrantulas.
  • Cyberverse Universe Tarn as generic Decepticon supersoldier.

Cyberverse

• In the second season of Cyberverse, Starscream used Vector Sigma to reprogram the AllSpark, creating an army of his "children," the Scraplets. The Cyberverse Scout Class Scraplet toy, while far larger than the on-screen Scraplets, is practically made for army-building.
• Warrior Class Gnaw, while looking nothing like his statue in the show, has an alternate mode that somewhat looks like the Sharkticons, without all the tribal markings, of course. Smaller tribal marked versions were released in the Sharkticons attack pack.
• Tarn led an army of identical super-soldiers. Though Tarn never received a proper Cyberverse toy, he did get a Cyberverse-inspired repaint in Legacy that could be army built, though it comes in a multi-pack with three other characters.

Collaborative

• Though he's never appeared in any actual fiction, per se, Party Wallop is based on the designs of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who are historically a four-man team. He also comes with all their weapons and four different "bandanna" pieces, which encourages collectors to buy four of him and give each one a given Turtle's bandanna and weapons.