Decisive Battle

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« Transformers: Armada ep 21 »

You and I are a lot alike, meteor, except I'm a Decepticon, and you're dust!
"Decisive Battle"
前兆 (きざし)
(Kizashi)
"Omen"
Production code TF: A-21
Production company TV Tokyo, NAS
Airdate January 24, 2003 (English)
30 May 2003 (Japanese)
Writer Isao Shizuya
English adaptation Terry Klassen and Heather Ann Puttock
Director Mitsuko Ohya
Animation studio Actas Inc.
Continuity Unicron Trilogy

With the power of the Skyboom Shield at his disposal, Megatron invites the Autobots to what could be the last battle.

Synopsis

Testing the power of the Skyboom Shield, Megatron disintegrates an entire comet. Satisfied with his new toy's power, Megatron anticipates the next conflict will allow the Decepticons to end the routine of battling for new Mini-Cons and finish the Autobots.

In the Autobots' base, Hot Shot is running through an obstacle course of suspended metal pieces, while the Mini-Cons try to slow him down by tossing stuff at him. But before Hot Shot can win, Blurr catches up and captures the flag. Smokescreen arrives and asks to join in the training, and Blurr goads Smokescreen to attempt a run by challenging his performance hardware. While taking several hits in the process, Smokescreen eventually manages to grab the flag.

Autobots have the best screensavers.

In the Autobot control room, Optimus Prime receives a direct challenge from Megatron. Optimus knows that despite being hopelessly overpowered, it is his job to accept the challenge. The Autobots all rush out to teleport to the location Megatron specified.

When the Autobots arrive to battle the Decepticons, Megatron summons his Star Saber and Skyboom Shield. He tells Demolishor to hold back as he anticipates that, with his new weapons, he can defeat the Autobots on his own. The shield blocks attacks from Hot Shot and Blurr, and then all of the Autobots' firepower. Megatron moves forward and slices apart Optimus's rifle. Cyclonus and Demolishor contribute by raining down gunfire on the scattering Autobots, allowing Megatron and Optimus to be separated from the rest of the group.

Surrender now maggots and you will not be harmed!

Psyche!

Hot Shot and Blurr notice Optimus Prime fighting Megatron by himself, and the two transform and rush to aid their leader. Starscream and Cyclonus chase the duo from the air. Hot Shot provides cover fire while Blurr attempts to lose his pursuers. Blurr and Hot Shot trade positions, and eventually, Cyclonus and Starscream fly out of range. Powerlinxing with Swindle, Starscream "lays a pounding" on the two cars.

In a move even Demolishor finds unwise, Sideways dives directly onto Red Alert, but is soundly blasted away. Smokescreen, tired of the Decepticons holding an advantage, powerlinx with Liftor and disables Starscream. Demolishor rolls a large boulder at Smokescreen, who is pinned to the ground. When Cyclonus observes that the Decepticons are maintaining their advantage, he's blasted out of the sky by Sideways, whom neither side sees.

Near a crevice, Optimus is still surviving against Megatron. Hot Shot and Blurr arrive to distract Megatron, allowing Optimus to grab onto the Skyboom shield while Megatron is still holding it. Trying to slice Optimus away, Megatron accidentally tosses the shield into the crevice. Angry, he attempts to impale Optimus but is halted by Sparkplug.

Ruffolo?

With Megatron intending to get at Optimus by slicing through Sparkplug, the Skyboom Shield activates and levitates from the crevice to protect the Autobot. The two weapons used against each other send out a bright light that Rad notes is similar to the light that reactivated all the Mini-Cons in the start of their Earth encounters.

The Decepticons, having lost the shield, retreat to their base again. The Autobots congratulate Smokescreen for changing the tide of battle (that is before he was caught under a rock), and Fred hugs Carlos.

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans Mini-Cons

Quotes

"He kinda reminds me of myself when I was working out more."
"Somehow I find that a little hard to believe, Fred."

—Fred pays Blurr a dubious compliment.


"We've been expecting you, Optimus."
"Didn't think we'd show, did ya, ya overgrown motherboard?"

—Megatron and Hot Shot, who should really have his audio receptors checked


"Lock onto shield."

—Sparkplug gives us the first words spoken by a Mini-Con.

Notes

Differences with Micron Legend

  • While the animation of the episode isn't given any significant overhaul, Micron Legend fixes the most glaring issues like adding proper laser and lighting effects in places of the black spots and editing reused footage to match the episode.
  • Megatron laughing as the meteor approaches is an Armada addition to cover the silence in the Japanese dub.
  • The distortion effect seen in the last two shots of Megatron blocking the meteor is exclusive to Armada.
  • In Armada, the Skyboom Shield glows, and fragments of the comet are left. In Micron Legend, the glow effect is more elaborate with an added starburst effect.
  • Armada has Megatron sarcastically thank Sideways for his input before commanding him never again to question his authority, and asking Sideways if he has any "tricks up his sleeve" that he hasn't shared. In Micron Legend, Megatron asks Sideways what other proof he needs that Megatron can handle the shield after witnessing the comet's destruction, and if he has another reason for objecting.
  • The shot of the Earth just before the commercial bumper, it's silent in Armada but Megatron's laughter from the previous shot is extended into it in Micron Legend.
  • In Armada, Fred says he used to be physically fit, and Blurr finds it hard to believe (quoted above). In Micron Legend, Fred follows up on Billy's remark on never seeing metal move so fast, and Blurr says, "Why not ask something equally dumb like how birds fly?" Then Hot Shot says Blurr's harsh personality still needs some work, instead of calling him a show-off like in Armada.
  • Immediately after this, Blurr is heard saying "Huh?" in Armada, but Micron Legend changes it to "Once more!"
  • In Armada, Blurr quips about Smokescreen not having the same "performance chip"(?) as himself and Hot Shot, and doesn't want to embarrass him. In Micron Legend, he says Smokescreen can't keep up with them in terms of speed, and it's their training.
  • Rather than saying that Smokescreen "smokes" Hot Shot on the obstacle course, Blurr isn't impressed and says it's still his and Hot Shot's job to fight, just as he previously believed. Then Rad says Hot Shot has catching up to do in Armada but calls what Smokescreen did "a different kind of training" in Micron Legend.
  • In his message to the Autobots, Megatron says the Earth will be at the decisive battle's mercy before showing the map in Armada. In Micron Legend, he tells them to go to the point marked on the map if they're brave enough to face him. Then he gives the ultimatum that if they refuse, he will destroy the world.
  • In Armada, Optimus says he has to face Megatron to protect the Earth; Micron Legend has Optimus include the peace throughout the universe.
  • Blurr says Hot Shot isn't going to the battle with the others in Armada, but in Micron Legend, he's talking about Smokescreen's crane and says he won't get to use it.
  • Fred and Billy cheer on the Autobots with Carlos, instead of Fred telling them to be back for dinner and Billy telling him to shut up as they do in Armada.
  • Instead of the opening narration about the meteor heading towards the Decepticons base that Armada has, the first narration heard in Micron Legend is Rad repeating what Optimus just told him about how there's a time to take action despite unfavorable odds.
  • As the Decepticons wait for the Autobots, Demolishor speaks when the scene stops panning; Megatron says the Autobots will come since they always say how heroic they are to the end; Megatron's laughing extends into the shot of Sideways, and ends when Cyclonus speaks.
  • After he slices Prime's gun, the animation of Megatron swinging the Star Saber at him is entirely redrawn.
  • In Armada, Cyclonus and Demolishor quip about the Autobots running around like headless chickens and how they should join the fight. In Micron Legend, Cyclonus says one shouldn't turn their back on an enemy, and Demolishor says they won't get in Megatron's way.
  • When Optimus fires at Megatron, Megatron once again brags about how attacking him as futile. Armada changes this to Megatron asking if Optimus is going to surrender and adds Prime's response as he doesn't answer in Micron Legend.
  • Armada has Carlos cheer for Optimus despite looking worried in the next shot. In Micron Legend, he shouts in concern for Optimus, and Fred's line is changed to him cheering Prime on.
  • The close-up of Optimus after Megatron cuts his arm is changed to remove the motion lines and have skewed shadow effects on the upper-left and lower-right corners. Then Megatron laughs and says Prime is out of luck. Carlos and Rad's following dialogue is changed to focus on Optimus.
  • As he and Hot Shot take cover, Blurr's dialogue is him reminding himself about teamwork in Armada but remarking on Cyclonus and Starscream being too close in Micron Legend.
  • Some of Cyclonus's and Starscream's dialogue is either removed or changed to be not as quippy as they are in Armada.
  • The shot of Sideways after Red Alert shoots him is changed to a close-up.
  • After Smokescreen saves him and Hot Shot, Blurr is silent. Then Demolishor gripes about having to deal with the Autobots alone, rather than trying to figure out their weak point.
  • The first shot of Sideways after he shoots down Cyclonus is silent before he casually says in the next shot, "Guess I had to do it..."
  • The colors of the Skyboom Shield are now dulled when it falls into the crevice.
  • Optimus is heard reacting to Sparkplug's sudden appearance. Then Sparkplug's line (quoted above) is not present in Micron Legend, and his mouth isn't animated since he uses the Mini-Con language.
  • When the Star Saber and Skyboom Shield collide, the scene is silent, the shield's glow is slightly lowered so the sword can be made out, and the lighting effect in the shots of Megatron and Optimus and Sparkplug is increased. Instead of being in awe, Optimus asks what is happening like Megatron.
  • Scavenger says the Autobots won the fight thanks to Smokescreen providing backup and enabling Hot Shot and Blurr to help Optimus. Then instead of cutting from Hot Shot to Blurr as in Armada, the scene pans from one to the other.
  • In Armada, during Rad's closing narration, he says that as everyone celebrates the victory, the light beam from the sword and shield's collision went into space like it has a purpose. The scene also fades from the Autobots to the shot of the beam entering space. In Micron Legend, Carlos gives the narration, which is mostly the same, but the part about the beam having a purpose is removed, with him wondering where it could be heading. Instead of the fade between scenes, the shot pans up from the Autobots toward the sky.

Animation and technical errors

The animation in this episode is very atrocious in general; it's arguably the worst Armada episode in terms of how many errors can be found:

  • From the get-go, with the opening scene on the Moon, the numerous amount of errors are a tell-tale sign for the animation quality of this episode:
    • During the shot of the meteor with the moon in the background, the camera pans toward the top-left corner and back down toward the bottom right. In Micron Legend, the screen only pans in the bottom-right direction, so the meteor's trajectory is straightened out.
    • In the close-up shots of the Skyboom Shield blocking the meteor and its fragments drifting into space after its destroyed, the specks of moondust are miscolored brown. Micron Legend makes them the proper light gray color.
    • In the shot of Megatron blocking the meteor before the fade to white, the background is the starry sky instead of the blue stock background from the previous shots. Micron Legend uses the blue background throughout.
    • In the final shot of Megatron with the shield after he disintegrates the comet, some of its fragments are static despite other pieces moving in the same shot. The Japanese dub fixes this so that all the meteor fragments move entirely out of frame.
    • When Megatron says now is the time for the decisive battle, his mouth doesn't move.
    • In some shots of Sideways, the yellow sides of his chest are blue. Corrected in the Japanese dub.
    • During the shot of Megatron's internal monologue, a shadowed part of his green shoulder tread suddenly becomes highlighted when he starts laughing. This doesn't happen in Micron Legend.
  • When Smokescreen first appears, he is again missing his antenna/horn... and again when he's swinging his crane arm in circles... and AGAIN when the Autobots show up for the decisive battle.
  • In the Japanese dub, Optimus says that Megatron's transmission was "intercepted" instead of received.
  • In the wide shot of Megatron in his transmission, the background changes. In Micron Legend, the background shot of the Decepticon base remains consistent throughout the message.
  • Carlos saying that the "creep" Megatron gives him the creeps makes zero sense since someone giving another the creeps makes the other person scared, and Carlos looks more annoyed than afraid. The Japanese dub changes this line to have Carlos call Megatron a pest and an arrogant jerk instead.
  • The whites of Carlos's eyes appear in some scenes.
  • During the titular battle itself:
    • After Megatron forms the Star Saber and Skyboom Shield, Demolisher has two mouths.
    • When Hot Shot fires the first shot at Megatron, his left eye doesn't have its black outline. In Micron Legend, neither of his eyes has the outline.
    • When the Autobots all shoot at Megatron at the start of the battle, Optimus's mouthplate is blue. Corrected in the Japanese dub.
    • When he blocks the Autobots' fire with the shield, Megatron's horns are colored red.
    • Many insignias are missing throughout the episode.
    • When he goes to help Optimus, Blurr's chest is red, where his Autobot symbol should be.
    • At one point, Hot Shot's Autobot insignia is just a red upside-down pentagon.
    • There is another time where Megatron's insignia on his right shoulder is just a jumbled, purple mess of a polygon.
    • Starscream appears in a couple of shots as a solid black dot with wings.
    • The same stock footage of Megatron slashing at Optimus with the Star Saber and him dodging is used again a minute later.
    • When Cyclonus and Demolishor start shooting, it looks like a frame of animation is missing. Then the Autobots in the next shot are all off-model.
    • During the cutaways to the kids, Billy's face looks misshapened.
    • When Blurr and Hot Shot try to save Optimus by transforming into vehicle mode and racing over to Megatron, Hot Shot proceeds to turn around, transform, and then turn around again and drive after Blurr... but why?
    • In several scenes, Starscream is drawn horribly off-model.
    • Cyclonus is really off-model when he transforms, and in the shot of Starscream flying backward, Cyclonus has barely moved since his previous shot. Micron Legend fixes the latter issue as Cyclonus is redrawn with an accurate model.
    • When Starscream transforms, the background is the blue sky, and in the next shot, he is seen flying backward. The Japanese dub fixes these errors.
    • As Blurr and Hot Shot are driving, the black smoke and gravel are superimposed over their dirt trails, and it looks as if it's from gunfire even though Cyclonus and Starscream haven't begun shooting at them yet. It's fixed in Micron Legend as the ground only shows the Autobots' dirt trails, and it isn't disturbed until the Decepticons fire.
    • After powerlixing with Incinerator, Blurr floats in the middle of the frame before being back on the ground in the next shot. He's closer to the ground in the Japanese dub.
    • In the shot of Cyclonus and Starscream firing (pictured right), Blurr is missing despite being heard giving dialogue, Hot Shot is out in the open, and the Decepticons don't move. The Japanese dub corrects these errors by adding Blurr on the left, moving Hot Shot behind the rock in the background, and animating the Decepticons as entering the shot.
    • As Hot Shot provides cover fire for Blurr, the rock and ground where the former is located are gone. Fixed in Micron Legend.
    • There is an unnecessary freeze-frame when Blurr drives away from Stasrcream's and Cyclonus's fire. He is in the middle of driving, floats in the air while the sound of fire continues, and then appears on the ground with dust still in the air. In Micron Legend, the freeze-frame is removed, Blurr doesn't float, and he exits the shot driving on the ground.
    • There are various instances of what should be glowing energy appearing black, such as Starscream's exhaust and the shot that takes down Cyclonus.
    • When he drives away from Cyclonus and Starscream, Hot Shot appears to be going on a diagonal, although the ground is flat.
    • At one point, when Blurr transforms, he drives away mid-transformation in the front. In the next shot, Scavenger is missing his Autobot insignia, the rock by Demolishor looks pasted into the scene, there is some small unknown aircraft next to him, and the light rings on the horizon are slightly off from where Starscream and Cyclonus are shooting. All of these mistakes are corrected in Micron Legend.
    • In one shot, Blurr is driving in place before transforming, and he towers over the mountains in the background. The Japanese dub fixes these problems with Blurr animated as driving before he transforms, and the mountains are their proper size.
    • Demolishor's Decepticon insignia is gone in one shot, and instead, the whole "box" where it should be is colored purple.
    • In one shot, the ends of Starscream's wings are cropped.
    • When Starscream fires the Null Laser Cannon, the background is the sky, and as the lasers descend to Earth, the background stays blue. The Japanese dub corrects the background to the ground below.
    • When Sideways leaves Demolishor, the latter's face under his left eye is miscolored yellow like his head in one shot.
    • Red Alert says Cyclonus and Starscream are "all over us" when they're only attacking Hot Shot and Blurr. Corrected in Micron Legend.
    • The boulder Demolishor pushes toward Smokescreen doesn't match the color of the other rocks in its first scene and later when it hits Smokescreen. While the boulder chases Smokescreen, it jumps back and forth twice in one shot. Both issues are fixed in the Japanese dub.
    • The short scene where Sideways shoots down Cyclonus is reused from Overmatch, where he was struck down by a flying shard of Starscream's sword, making it look like the scene suddenly taking place at night. The only changes being the shard being replaced with a flying black disk, and Cyclonus missing his spinning rotor. Micron Legend removes the reused nighttime background, fully redraws Cyclonus as getting hit by laser fire, complete with his spinning rotor.
    • Before Megatron strikes Optimus with the final blow, he is holding the Skyboom Shield upside-down. This is corrected in its next visible frame.
    • A few seconds later, when Megatron attempts to hurt Hot Shot and Blurr with the Star Saber, the screen awkwardly turns all black for two seconds as the Star Saber goes down over it. In Armada, the screen has some splotches on it, but it's all-black in Micron Legend.
    • As Optimus tries to take the shield from Megatron, some colors in the shot flicker in places, and Megatron's arm holding the shield doesn't move. In Micron Legend, there are no flickering colors, and Megatron is completely redrawn with his arm now moving.
    • When the Skyboom Shield falls into the crevice, it appears to be falling smack in the middle. In the next shot, however, it catches on the side and sticks into solid air.
    • After Megatron loses the shield, he raises Star Saber, and the arm which should be holding it vanishes. Corrected in Micron Legend.
    • When the shield glows in the crevice, the glow effect is just a couple of bright-colored lines around it, and the surrounding rocks are not affected. In 'Micron Legend, the shield glows white, and the rocks around it change color.
    • In the next shot, when Megatron prepares to kill him and Sparkplug, Optimus tells Megatron to watch it, but why?
    • When Megatron raises the Star Saber to strike the killing blow, his mouth is moving, but he is only yelling, and the Star Saber is off-model. In Micron Legend, Megatron is saying, "Go to the Pit!" and the sword is redrawn with a lens flare effect added to it.
    • As the Skyboom Shield rises behind Optimus, it's not glowing. Corrected in Micron Legend.
    • As Megatron brings the sword down, his cannon turret is cropped in one frame, and the Star Saber doesn't have the blue glow effect around it.
    • The kids react to the energy blast born from the collision of the Star Saber and the Skyboom Shield, but the monitor is all blue. The Japanese dub shows the energy blast on the screen.
    • When the energy blast disappears into the sky, Optimus is drawn with an out-of-place cube next to the truck side window on his back, and his waist is colored red instead of grey. The handle of the Star Saber is also colored purple like Megatron's hand.
    • When Megatron teleports away after losing the Skyboom Shield, besides the missing Decepticon symbol on his chest, his animation model is drawn with several misproportions (pictured above), his chest and arms being enormous compared to his head and lower body, his shoulder threads and back tank turret being even more massive, and the side of his right shoulder thread is gray instead of green.
  • When Smokescreen and Scavenger arrive, the walking sound effect is heard, and they are moving their arms, but they're already close to the screen. Micron Legend reanimates the scene so that they walk toward the screen. The shot of them is reused a few seconds later, but the Japanese dub replaces it with a new close-up shot of Smokescreen.

Continuity errors

  • As Megatron blocks the meteor with the Skyboom Shield, the moondust is brown in one scene (explained above) but light gray in the next. Also, between shots, the glow from the shield changes from yellow to white, and the shield isn't visible in the latter shot. In the Japanese dub, the moondust stays gray, the shield remains visible, and its glow is yellow (except for the final shot).
  • When he faces the Earth, the rest of the Decepticons are behind Megatron but, in the shot of the Earth appearing over the moon's horizon, Megatron is alone, and he seems to be in a different location as the rocky terrain in the foreground is now smooth. Micron Legend adds the other Decepticons behind Megatron as he laughs, and the foreground is corrected.
  • When Megatron summons the Star Saber and Skyboom Shield before the fight starts, he refers to both weapons by the name "Star Saber" in the English dub. The Japanese dub corrects this.
  • How can Megatron say, "Final attack!" in the middle of the episode? His line is changed to "Take This!" in Micron Legend.
  • Rad tells the Autobots to keep firing and then, for some reason, Red Alert ignores Rad and turns his attention to Optimus. In Micron Legend, Rad tells the Autobots to help Prime as he's about to get killed.
  • After Blurr takes cover from Starscream and Cyclonus, he disappears from the next shot even though he is still heard speaking. Blurr reappears in the scene after Hot Shot starts shooting at the Decepticons. Blurr doesn't vanish in the Japanese dub.
  • In the English dub, Starscream refers to his Null Lase Cannon as "Light Beam" in one scene.
  • Megatron says to Optimus, "It looks like you boys have been busy out here," but if he is referring to the other Autobots or Decepticons, it doesn't sense with his following line about it being the end for Optimus. Micron Legend changes Megatron's line to him saying that Optimus has fought a long time.
  • When Sparkplug appears, he's off-center to the right on the shot but appears in the middle of Optimus's chest in his next scene. The Japanese dub corrects this by having Sparkplug appear in the center of the frame in his first shot.

Transformers references

  • Near the end, when he raises the Star Saber to strike Optimus and Sparkplug, Megatron references the Pit in the Japanese dub.

Real-world references

  • In the Japanese dub, as Blurr and Hot Shot arrive to help Optimus, Blurr says, "Don't you forget about us!" This is an offbeat reference to the song, "Don't You (Forget About Me)," made famous by The Breakfast Club.

Trivia

  • The kanji 前兆 would be pronounced as "zenchō," while "kizashi" uses 兆しor 萌し.
  • This is the first time a Mini-Con speaks English.
  • This is one of the three Armada episodes with more than one word in the title.
  • Sideways's poorly thought-out attack on Red Alert could have been to intentionally get himself disabled, helping the sides stay level, so the conflict endures. This is consistent with his secret long-term agenda. He has also been shown to try and not make this battle the "final battle" by telling Megatron that he is not ready to use the Skyboom Shield, so they should not fight just yet.
  • The opening narration has changed for this episode. It did not set up the whole Mini-Con premise but rather the small plot point of the rogue meteor heading for the Decepticon base.
  • This episode's title gets "title dropped" a few times.

Foreign localization

Hungarian

  • Title: "Döntő ütközet" ("Decisive Clash")

Polish

  • Title: "Decydująca bitwa" ("Decisive Battle")

French

  • Title: "Une bataille décisive" ("A Decisive Battle")

Korean

  • Title: "운명의 결투" ("Destiny's Duel")

Home video releases

All releases listed are in English audio unless otherwise noted.
DVD

Japan 2003 — Transformers: Micron Legend — Volume 6 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
United States of America 2004 — Transformers: Armada — Best Battles (Rhino Entertainment)
United States of America 2004 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part One (Rhino Entertainment)
United Kingdom 2007 — Transformers: Armada — The Collector's Edition (Universal)
Germany 2008 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (New KSM) — English and German audio.
United States of America 2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)

VideoNow

United States of America 2003 Transformers: Armada (Tiger Electronics)

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