I was working through putting all the tech specs into a spreadsheet for an RPG I'm writing and saw that Gen 1 Sideswipe's tech specs were different from Masterpiece Sideswipe. Is there any explanation for the difference? Which one is 'correct'?
Depends. Bob Budiansky created the tech specs for the G1 Marvel TF characters, to keep in line with the Marvel trend at the time to provide "stats" for their characters/heroes. If you're interested in Sideswipe, the G1 Hasbro/Marvel stats are where to go. If you're interested in Lambor, go with the JP stats.
Because the guys at Takara are so OCD with the source materials so, Budiansky's specs are the "bible" if you will with the "new testament" coming from Ron Friedman(look how different Shockwave is from the comic and show) But since he mentioned the MP stats, go the JP way.
Okay but Shockwaves Stats already varied wildly from the cartoon to the comic. Being that he was a top tier badass in the comics(Marvel) which matched his toy stats and a putz in the cartoon(G1). I'd say if you have two stat options utilize the set that best suits your needs for the character. Like I said above I would use the stats that best suit your needs. You will find especially in G1 characters that stats can vary wildly for the same character. Like this Whoever was designing the package that day was a huge Scourge fan as statistically he's the most powerful bot I've ever seen in CHUG!
Looking at the page listed as the source for MP Lambor's tech specs, it shows STR:6; INT:7; SPD:7; END:7; RNK:5; CRG:10; FBL:3; SKL:6 and those seem to be the currently accepted stats for Sideswipe regardless of language. When the stat listings were copied over to TFU, it looks like MP Sunstorm's stats got used there instead.
I think we can disregard those Masterpiece Stats as 'accurate', because for a start, they're wrong. The card that came with MP Lambor looked like this... Lets see what the G1 stats were... Sideswipe; Strength 7, Intelligence 7, Speed 7, Endurance 7, Rank 5, Courage 10, Firepower 3, Skill 6 Sunstreaker; Strength 5, Intelligence 6, Speed 7, Endurance 8, Rank 5, Courage 7, Firepower 7, Skill 6 MP Lambor; Strength 6, Intelligence 7, Speed 7, Endurance 7, Rank 5, Courage 10, Firepower 3, Skill 6 Except for the reduced strength The MPs specs are the same as the G1 spec... so I suppose the MP stats are the 'most accurate'... however. G1 Sideswipe and G1 Sunstreaker got their toys wrong to the Tech Specs. This means the 'complete egotist' Bio, abilities (such as the rocket launcher) and corresponding stats should have belonged to Sideswipe, and the rocket-backpack/arm piledrivers should have belonged to Sunstreaker. So really... none of these are right. The stats should probably be Sideswipe (vain, sleek, rocket launcher); Strength 5, Intelligence 6, Speed 7, Endurance 8, Rank 5, Courage 7, Firepower 7, Skill 6 Sunstreaker (Piledrivers, Rocket backpack); Strength 6, Intelligence 7, Speed 7, Endurance 7, Rank 5, Courage 10, Firepower 3, Skill 6 Y'know. IMO.
