Combiner Wars (franchise)
| This article is about the real-world franchise. For the historical event within the fiction, see Combiner Wars (event). |
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Combiner Wars is a 2015-2016 multimedia branding used by Hasbro, encompassing Transformers toys, comics, and other merchandise. As the name suggests, it focuses on combiners, specifically the Scramble City-style combiner teams from Generation 1.
As the first installment in the Prime Wars Trilogy, Combiner Wars precedes the Titans Return and Power of the Primes sublines.
Toys
Following the conclusion of the Generations toyline's Thrilling 30 subline imprint, it was refreshed with Combiner Wars branding. This new subline ushered in a new, unified play pattern whereby a Voyager Class toy and any four Deluxe Class figures can form a combiner robot. Furthermore, some Legends Class toys can form accessories for the combined figures, such as armor and weapons. They are not compatible with Fall of Cybertron Bruticus and his retool—nor any other previous combiners, for that matter—as the Combiner Wars figures feature a larger peg system, and the pegs being located on the limbs instead of the torso.
Takara's iteration of this toyline is titled Unite Warriors. It is noted for featuring the combiner teams with their classic members in more cartoon-accurate color schemes and sometimes entirely different molds.
Comic
Like "Dark Cybertron" and the Thrilling 30 toyline, IDW Publishing produced an "event" storyline tying into Combiner Wars, which was similarly packed in with Deluxe Class figures. Additionally, several older stories focusing on combiners were retroactively labelled as Combiner Wars issues for toy pack-ins.
Cartoon
The last major tie-in for the line, a 3D-animated web series for Combiner Wars was produced by Machinima, spotlighting the line's toys and taking inspiration from the IDW Generation 1 setting. Marketed as specifically as a series for adult fans, it was released through the go90 platform between August and September 2016, and ran for eight episodes. Two sequel series were later produced.
Notes
- While not directly tying in to any specific fiction, Transformers: Devastation was treated as part of Combiner Wars in the game's marketing material.
