Arms Micron: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 03:53, 13 February 2013

The Arms Microns are a Mini-Con subgroup from the Aligned continuity family.

The Arms Microns (アームズマイクロン Āmuzu Maikuron) were once ordinary weapons. However, a bizarre interaction with Earth's energon mutated them, giving the weapons the spark of life and the ability to transform!<ref>Figure-Ō magazine, March 2012</ref>

This new breed of Mini-Con assists the larger Transformers in the battlefield, combining their powers to form amazing new weapons.

Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime cartoon

Arms Micron Theater



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Toys

Prime

The Arms Microns were, with rare exception, only released in predominantly-TakaraTomy markets (Japan, parts of "mainland" Asia). Due to the... interesting variety of Arms Microns, they will be tackled here as groups.

Promotional campaign Arms Microns

The first Arms Microns made available were released as giveaway exclusives, usually with the purchase of larger toys. All of these Microns are redecos of prior toys. As some items were part of multiple promotions, only the first day and venue of availability is listed here. See individual pages for more details on each one.

Vector Oracle


Pack-in Arms Microns

The Arms Microns are the primary gimmick of the Japanese Prime toyline. All Deluxe-and-up releases come with their own Arms Micron, which replaces the accessories from the Hasbro versions (when applicable). Most of the toys have been retooled to add more 5mm post-holes for the Microns to attach to. Each Micron transforms into a weapon, typically modeled after the character's in-show weapon (with exceptions for non-show and repeat characters), and feature numerous 5mm posts and holes, allowing you to combine them together to create larger and more ridiculous weapons. (See "Arms Up" below for more information on combined Arms Micron weapons.)

However, each Micron comes out of the package as an unpainted, unassembled series of parts on plastic runners like a model kit, requiring stickers for detailing. Whether you consider this a good or a bad thing depends on how much work you like putting into your toys.

The Autobot Microns all transform from weapons to humanoid robots. Their names are one-or-two-syllable contractions of their larger partner's names. The Decepticon Microns, however, all transform from weapons to one-eyed animalistic robots, with names based on their animal-form, again crunched to two(ish) syllables, with some slight changes to consonants.

Released toys

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Upcoming releases

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There are a few gaps in the numbering. The missing numbers coincide with the new-character AMW Microns (see below); Gabu, Baru and Dai at M-18, 19 and 20 (respectively), and Pral, Sais and Jayz at M-23, 24 and 25 (respectively).
Starting with Jigu, the numbering no longer is put on the site listings. The "missing" numbers come from the runners of the Arms Micron kit and the sticker sheets.


Gacha Arms Microns

A completely new set of molds were created for a set of Arms Microns distributed mainly through Gacha-branded "capsule toy" machines. Oddly, they contain a mix of Micron versions of larger show characters (for lack of information or a better explanation, this wiki is treating them as new characters) and entirely-new bestial Decepticon Microns.

Vol.1

The first wave began appearing in early June of 2012. The toys were also later made available in individual boxes through the Arms Micron Gum series (released on August 20 of 2012), though at a slight markup.

In November of 2012, Esdevium Games imported the entire wave to UK toy stores as a blindbagged line in English packaging, produced by Tomy and licensed by Hasbro UK. The packaging does not give any names to the Microns inside, and merely refers to the toys as a "Transforming Figure Collection". {{ #if: {{#ifexpr: 4 }}

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Vol.2

Wave 2 appeared in late August of 2012. {{ #if: {{#ifexpr: 4 }}

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Vol.3

Wave 3 appeared in early December of 2012. {{ #if: {{#ifexpr: 4 }}

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Arms Micron Weapon series

The Arms Micron Weapon series is a secondary line of individually-packaged Arms Microns sold without any larger companion figure. These vary between entirely new molds and redecoes of partner Microns. They come in identical clear-plastic bags with adhesive flaps, with the assembly instructions printed on the cardboard backer inside. Initial installments had weapon combinations formed by trios of Microns, with later installments featuring five-Micron weapon combinations.

Released toys

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"Arms Up"

The main gimmick of the Arms Microns is their combination ability, both with larger toys and each other.

Simply attaching an Arms Micron to a larger toy produces an Arms Up Mode. Every AM-series larger robot has at least one specifically-named Arms Up Mode, depicted on their packaging back, utilizing multiple Arms Microns.

Energon Crystals

Every Arms Micron (well, every one that was specifically designed for the Prime toyline, at least) has a socket made for a clear-plastic "Energon Crystal", laid over a small foil sticker showing the Micron's allegiance. They come in a broad variety of colors, and in three different shapes:

Color Name AP

(Attack Points, hexagon)

HP

(Hit Points, trapezoid)

SP

(Speed Points, circle)

Super Combo Weapon
Light Blue Pure (ピュア pyua) O.P. R.A. B.2 Star Saber
Bright Salmon Fast (ファスト fasuto) C.L. B.H. Arc Galaxy Launcher
Clear Natural (ナチュラル nachuraru) Zamu Gora Igu Debris Hammer
Amber Mud<ref>According to Hironori Kobayashi, via personal correspondence. The kana can be rendered as either "mud" or "mad", but Kobayashi intended it to be the former.</ref> (マッド maddo) Balo Gra Ozu Asteroid Drill
Bright Green Power (パウァ paua) Ida Jida Noji Lunatic Chainsaw
Purple Dark (ダーク dāku) Gul Gora II Zori Planet Bowgun
Bright Purple Fake Dark (フェイクダーク feikudāku) Shadow Balo, Shadow C.L. Shadow Gora, Shadow R.A.
Orange Hard (ハード hādo) Bumblebee Sword Bulkhead Knuckle Optimus Prime Blaster Grand Cross Archery
Yellow Shine (シャイン shain) Dado Gob Zad Wormhole Whip
Frosted Clear Rock (ロック rokku) or
Titan (チタン chitan)
Hades Hades Hades Meteor Scythe
Yellow-orange Electro (イレクトロ irekutoro) Baru Gabu Dai Dark Matter Calibur
Aqua-Green Gōsei (合成 "Synthesis") Hellflame Zamu Hellflame Jida Hellflame Noji Prominence Killer
Green Ion (イオン ion) Hellflame Gul Shining Gra B Terrorcon Zori Solar Ion Arrow
Black Magne (マグネ magune) L.P. Sou S.2 Leonid Tonfa
Blue Positro (ポジトロ pojitoro) Jayz Sais Pral Cosmotector
Burgundy Cure (キュア kyua) Ratchet Spanner Wheeljack Kunai Arcee Blade
Dark Green Poison (ポイズン poizun) Starscream Boomerang Dobo Megatron Cannon
White Ice (アイス aisu) Bido Giza Bogu
Pink Shield (シールド shīrudo) Ooje Ulma Iro
Aqua-Blue Mystic (ミスティック misutikku) Magi Dago Jigu
The colors shown are as close to the actual plastic colors as is possible in RGB. This chart does not list every variant of each character, only those that have a change in Crystal color. In other words, all versions of, say, O.P. have the "Pure" Energon Crystal unless otherwise noted.


Combinations

Combining multiple Arms Microns together to produce bigger weapons is heavily encouraged in the line. Once three Microns are joined together, one with each different Crystal shape, the combination is dubbed a Combo Weapon. By combining three Microns with the same color of Crystal, one of each shape, the combined form is dubbed a Super Combo Weapon, and is deemed to be much more powerful than a normal Combo Weapon.

There are also some named weapons formed by combinations of two, and even four Microns (or Micron substitutions), without regard to Crystal shape.


Combo Weapons

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Super Combo Weapons

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Other named Micron combinations

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Obviously, there are vast numbers of potential combinations possible, this list only gives those that have been named officially.


Arms Up Mission Game

The above combinations play into the online "Arms Up Mission" online game on TakaraTomy's website.

Aside from the usual eight tech spec stats, every large AM-series robot has an additional three stats, the same as the three shapes of Energon Crystals on the Arms Microns: HP (Hit Points), SP (Speed Points), and AP (Attack Points), though these are rated using thousands rather than ones. By equipping Arms Micron weapons, the Microns' point values are added to their larger partner's; 500 points for the stat related to their Engeron Crystal shape, and 100 for each of the other two.

It is currently unknown if the Energon Crystal colors have any meaning as far as the game goes aside from enabling Super Combo Weapon creation.



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Notes

  • In an interview in Dengeki Hobby magazine, TakaraTomy designers Takashi Nakase and Hironori Kobayashi explained the reasons Microns played so heavily into the Japanese Prime line when it wasn't designed that way from the start:
Takashi Nakase: The biggest reason is that we wanted to raise the target age group. In past series, the target ages were small children and their fathers, but the age group which is actually able to enjoy transforming toys is 7 ~ 9 years old. We went back to the beginning and considered appropriate products for that age group, and came up with the concept of "customising". That is why Arms Microns need to be assembled from parts, and stickers are included to be put on the main figure - to give the feeling of "completing" the toy as one's own.
Hironori Kobayashi: We conducted a play session with children where they played freely with Movie series Transformers, mixed with various items such as Minicons, and found that they mostly enjoyed combining Minicons to make larger weapons or to customise the Transformers. We thought it might have some potential.
  • Model-making is huge in Japan for the 7-and-up crowd. Mega-huge.
  • While the "weapons turned into living robots" backstory was given in specific reference to the pack-in toys, it's pretty safe to assume that it holds true for all characters labeled "Arms Micron".

References

<references />