Smashdown

Smashdown is an Autobot Battle Master from the Siege portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Impactor wishes he looked this good!

As the mascot of the Wreckers, Smashdown is exactly what you'd expect from someone who transforms into a hammer used to... well, "smash down". He's very loud, he's very proud of his ability to hit things real real hard, and he leaves a trail of destruction behind him.

Smashdown doesn't know the meaning of the word "subtle" and would probably punch you if you tried to explain it to him. Most Autobots feel the need to cover their audio receptors and leave his presence in fairly short order. But for the Wreckers, his ability to always be a bull in any china shop suits them just fine.

Sometimes, he is a mass-produced body-type of Selectors.

Fiction

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

During the war for Cybertron, Smashdown was a Ground Command Artillery Private. Siege toy packaging

After Cybertron fell, the Autobots left their homeworld aboard the Ark, traveling through space in pursuit of the AllSpark. Earthrise webpage During this period, Smashdown was an Air Command Artillery Private. Earthrise toy packaging

Generations Selects Special Comic

Super! Smashdown! MELEEEEEE!!!

A type of Selector created by humans with the power of Angolmois Energy, Smashdowns were used as tools in the evacuation of more Angolmois Energy. However, the Selectors didn't care for their position in life and sought to rebel against humanity with the help of Megatron's Decepticons. With their assistance, the Smashdowns and other Selectors began their rebellion in Neo Scramble City. Volcanicus comic 1

One Smashdown stood by Selector leader Rung as he denounced Optimus Prime's treatment of the Dinobots, and later watched as the new combiner Volcaticon announced his intent to find a solution that would benefit both humans and Selectors, moments before the Quintessons and their Terrorcon servants invaded. Volcanicus comic 2 The Terrorcons were hungry for Angolmois Energy inside the Selectors, and began to feed. A Smashdown was among the first victims of Hun-Grrr. Abominus comic 1

2019 IDW continuity

Thunderclash considered Smashdown to be a trusted ally and included him in a list of potential recruits for a new team of Wreckers. Tread & Circuits Part 4

Toys

War for Cybertron: Siege

Red bull gives you dings.

• Smashdown (Battle Master, 2019)
  • Hasbro ID number: WFC-S31
  • TakaraTomy ID number: SG-29
  • TakaraTomy release date: September 30, 2019
  • Accessories: Hammer handle, impact "Fire Blast effect"

Part of the third wave of Siege Battle Masters, Smashdown transforms from a robot mode inspired by the mythical Minotaur into the "Airquake Hammerclaw" weapon. In an undocumented feature, the hammer handle can be slotted into the inside of the left forearm (under his "main" arm) to give him a blaster rifle. Otherwise, the handle either sits unused... or stays awkwardly sticking out of his robot-mode butt as a very long tail.

Smashdown comes with a "Fire Blast" effect part, which can be attached to the "face" of the hammer mode, to simulate smashing against objects. This effect can also be attached in reverse to small pegs on other figures in the line.

War for Cybertron: Earthrise

• Smashdown (Battle Master, 2020)
  • ID number: WFC-E2
  • Accessories: Hammer handle, "Fire Blast" impact effect

Smashdown later received a package refresh in the first wave of Earthrise, one of a handful of Siege toys used to "bridge" the two lines. Because of this, he is, alongside Rung, the only Earthrise Battle Master not to transform into a shield. The two releases are identical outside of packaging.

Like all Earthrise toys, the cardboard back of the Earthrise version of Smashdown's package includes an exclusive cut-out collectible piece of a larger star map. Unlike most larger toy size classes, this piece does not include a named location. Sadly, if you already bought Smashdown in Siege but you want to collect the whole Earthrise star map, you'll have to buy another one, or at least the package.

Merchandise

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Private Smashdown, Ground Command-Artillery (2019)
  • Wave 3P: War for Cybertron: Siege I
  • Rarity: RT
  • Card Number: P3/2019
  • Stars: 5

Private Smashdown, Ground Command-Artillery was released as an in-store play promo for the Transformers Trading Card Game's Wave 3: War for Cybertron: Siege I release. As a Battle Master, when Smashdown is KOd, the card is played on the Airquake Hammerclaw side as an Upgrade - Weapon onto another character. The art on the robot mode side reuses Smashdown's stock art.

Notes

• Smashdown's gender was unclear for a time. The character was referred to as male by Hasbro representatives at New York Toy Fair 2019 but female by a member of the Transformers Trading Card Game crew in a YouTube interview, neither of which were accompanied by any narrative fiction. A solid answer would not come until the Earth Wars mobile game released a bio in an October 2020 update.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Smashdown (スマッシュダウン Sumasshudaun)