Transformers: Armada (franchise)

"Armada" redirects here. For other uses of the word Armada, see Armada (disambiguation).

Unicron Trilogy continuity family Armada » Toyline Cartoon Commercials Dreamwave comic Panini comic Toy pack-in mini-comic Linkage mini-comic Coloring books Video game Trading cards

Transformers: Armada is a Transformers franchise that launched in the year 2002. It was the first Transformers franchise to be completely co-developed by Hasbro and Takara. Until Armada, every Transformers franchise had been led by one company or the other. It is the first franchise in the Unicron Trilogy, and was followed by Energon and Cybertron.

Takara marketed the series as Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Micron Densetsu (超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー マイクロン伝説), officially translated as Transformers: Legends of the Microns.

The Armada franchise featured the following primary components:

• A toyline
• A cartoon series
• A mini-comic series packed with the Japanese DVD releases of the cartoon
• A series of mini-comics that came packed with toys
• An American comic book series by Dreamwave
• A British comic book series by Panini Comics
• A video game for PS2 based on Armada developed by Melbourne House
• A series of coloring and activity books by Funtastic Publishing
• An Official Guidebook published by Reader's Digest.

Armada also had a large amount of ancillary merchandise; examples include birthday cards, storybooks, and coloring books. Merchandise of this sort had been rare during the years of Beast Wars, Beast Machines, and Robots in Disguise.

Armada also introduced a brand new faction to the Transformers multiverse: Mini-Cons.

Reception

Although fans had a mixed reaction towards the product as a whole (which is typical of any new series), it was incredibly successful with the target audience, children ages 4–9. The toys sold like hotcakes, prompting Hasbro to pad out the tail end of the toyline with a number of Beast Wars redecos.

The success of Armada led to the more expensive R&D that went into the next two franchises, Energon and Cybertron. It also prompted the launch of the Transformers Universe subline, as demand for Transformers product continued to outstrip Hasbro's ability to develop new molds.

Notes

• Why is the franchise called Armada? The answer: we don’t know.