Multiforce

The Multiforce is an Autobot combiner team from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Multiforce (マルチ戦隊 Maruchisentai) is the name for a young group of Autobots serving in the Galactic Defense Force Sector One unit. Originally working under Supreme Commander Star Saber on Planet V, the group transferred with him to Earth where they began training under the elite unit known as Brainmasters. Despite being the new bots on the block, Multiforce members were often sent out on missions solo, though for some sensitive missions they would be assigned a senior officer to command them. Each member is possessed of the power of an element. Multiforce served as a counterpoint to the Decepticon unit known as Dinoforce.

The Multiforce consists of:

• Wing (leader) — the warrior of the wind
• Waver — the warrior of the water
• Dash — the warrior of the Sun
• Tacker — the warrior of the fire
• Mach — the warrior of the Moon
• Tackle — the warrior of the earth

These robots can combine in pairs, with each one able to form either the top or bottom of the resultant robot, whose names are formed simply by combining the names of their component parts, top-first. The team can assume thirty potential combinations, but the primary three configurations the Multiforce operate in are:

• Wingwaver (leader)
• Dashtacker
• Machtackle

The six robots can all also combine to form Landcross.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Victory cartoon

Dashtacker and Machtackle served about the Sector One space station under God Ginrai and the Car Trio while Wingwaver served directly under Star Saber on the Planet V. After the destruction of the Lunar Energy Plant and Space Station it was decided to transfer all survivors and the Sector One troops to Earth for the time being. While Wingwaver was transferring from Planet V to Earth he came under attack by the Dinoforce but was saved by the Brainmasters. At their next engagement, Multiforce was able to employ their own secret weapon, Landcross, to combat the Dinoforce combiner Dinoking. Time after time the Multiforce has been called upon to detect hidden energy plants, uncover Decepticon plots, and defeat superior Decepticon forces.

After the end of the conflict, they were collectively appointed governor of Vega Sector.

Micromaster

The Multiforce were testing new stealth technology on Earth (presumably at some point before their appointment to the Vega Sector) when they suddenly found themselves sucked through a rift in time and space. Deposited on Earth in the early 1980s, the team discovered that they had arrived at the foot on Mount St. Hilary prior to its eruption. The volcano was being protected by a team of Autobot Micromasters, and the six Multiforcers cautiously approached their headquarters, Metrobase, in their stealth modes. When the base's sensors finally detected them, they decloaked and introduced themselves to the Micromasters, forming a fast alliance. The group was soon attacked by the Micromasters' Decepticon enemies, but the Multiforce quickly combined into Wingwaver, Dashtacker and Machtackle to fend off Decepticon Sixbuilder, then merged into Landcross to send Sixwing packing. Landcross wondered if it was destiny that they had been pulled back in time to this point, so that they could help protect the Transformers slumbering within Mount St. Hilary and thereby safeguard their own future. The Menace of Landcross's Combining Formation!

Ask Vector Prime

The Multiforce followed the normal flow of time to return to their native period, making sure to not interfere with events they knew had to transpire. To this end, they avoided the other Transformers and explored the Skomiloch Territories, eventually clashing with the Predators. Their journey enabled them to be able to stop the Praetorian from using the corrupted Reconfiguration Matrix to rewrite all robotic life in the Vega Sector into loyal Scrapmetal, and at some point in their battles they evolved into Gaiacross. Ask Vector Prime, 1/6/2015

Toys

Victory

• Wingwaver (1989)
  • Japanese ID number: C-316

This set came with Wing and Waver.

• Dashtacker (1989)
  • Japanese ID number: C-317

This set came with Dash and Tacker.

• Machtackle (1989)
  • Japanese ID number: C-318

This set came with Mach and Tackle.

• Landcross (1989)
  • Japanese ID number: C-319

A giftset of Wingwaver, Dashtacker, and Machtackle. In addition to transforming separately into robot and vehicle modes and combining into Landcross, the six toys could also be combined in two-robot pairs, with one robot forming the head, upper torso, and arms and the other forming the lower torso and legs. The six robots' guns could be combined into a single large weapon.

Although they were typically depicted in the fiction as Wingwaver, Dashtacker, and Machtackle, any two Multiforce members could be combined with either robot on top (similar to Energon Powerlinx Autobots), allowing combinations such as Tackerdash, Machwing, or Tacklewaver. (...What? What's so funny?)

Micromaster

• Multiforce (Micromaster, 2004)

In 2004, the entire Multiforce was re-released as part of the Micromaster toyline (despite having never previously been considered Micromasters), in individual boxes with a number visible to show which mold was inside each box. For this release, all of the decals from the original version were replaced with paint applications. Landcross could only be assembled by buying all six components individually; he was never offered as a complete set.

In every case of twelve Multiforce "Micromasters," two of them were solid-black-plastic "stealth mode" variations. All six toys were available in this manner, and could be combined into a black "stealth mode" Landcross.

Notes

• Although the word "Multiforce" is spelled out in English on the team's toy packaging, the group breaks Japanese Transformers convention by not actually being referred to by this English name in the animated series, where they are identified as the Multisentai, using the Japanese translation of "force".
• While the relationship between the Micromaster versions of Sixliner, Sixturbo, Sixwing, Sixbuilder, and Sixtrain and their counterparts in Operation Combination (or Return of Convoy in the case of Sixliner) is unclear, the Micromaster Multiforce are explicitly the same as the Victory Multiforce.
• The Multiforce have the interesting distinction of being the first instance in Transformers of a combiner team made up of several smaller combiner teams.
• The Multiforce seem to be the precursors to the Powerlinx concept used in Energon and the Magna and Flash brothers from the Brave Saga 2 video game. Magnum Bomber was when Magna was on top, and Flash Kaiser was when Flash was on top.