I haven't seen a thread yet discussing this, but I think it's cool that more and more Transformers are coming with melee weapons. I remember that a couple years ago, it was a very popular topic of discussion. Lots of people wanted melee weapons with their TFs. Now that so many are, I find it odd that no one (that I've seen, anyway) has mentioned it. The ones I can think of right now: Animated: Optimus Prime: 4 different axes Leader Megatron: swords Prowl: ninja stars (and a street light?!) Jazz: nunchucks Ultra Magnus: hammer (of doom!) Sentinel Prime: spear (?) Bulkhead: big...balls Grimlock: sword Swoop: mace Snarl: club Lockdown: sort of...does the hook count? Ratchet: again, sort of...he's got that hammer attachment Lugnut: the mace attachment, which so far has been absent from the show Oil Slick: chain...weapon...thingie Others: Universe Tankor: a big...comb Cybertron Defense Hot Shot: a knife (?) Cybertron Red Alert: again with the hammer...what is it with medics and hammers? Are they checking reflexes or something, or is it for pounding out dents? Cybertron Scourge: giant axe of doom Cyb. Vector Prime: Sword You get the point; I won't belabor the issue any longer. I just think it's cool, and would like to thank Hasbro for seemingly listening to us whine and complain.
I totally agree, its a cool nod since I remember all the melee weapon requests a few years back, particularly when Energon's Omicon weapons went over fairly well. Always cool to see a TF carry around a bigass sword or axe.
I love melee weapons. Makes for awesome fights. Thanks, hasbro! Couple of things, though... Sentinel Prime uses a lance and sheild, Bulkhead uses a wrecking ball. (like they put on cranes to smash buildings) He used the hammer in Wreck Gars ep. (and lost it when the tail was eaten by microbots)
I guess shields can count as weapons. I've certainly seen enough movie scenes in which someone got smashed in the face with a shield. Wrecking balls are still just that...balls. I do remember seeing Lugnut's mace now, thanks...forgot about that.
This topic made go to see my movie, Classic, 2.0 and animated toys. Almost all of those deluxes have melee or not firing weapons, with the excepcion of my 74 camaro Bumblebee, Cl jetfire and movie Leader Prime... does this have something to do with safety regulations, or with little kids buying the smallest figures? Cos it's a coincidence that, among classics, none of my deluxes have firing weapons, but the bigger ones does have them, as well as the upcoming 2.0 Powerglide, again a bigger toy. Weird...
Melee weapons are nice and all, but I don't want to trade proper guns, rifles or shoulder rocket launchers for axes, tailpipe nunchucks, fire swords, fire clubs, hammers, ninja stars, stingers, fist wrecking balls, etc.
the movie toys and universe are still very gun heavy if you ask me. I think animated is focus on hand to hand combat because of its target age and the whole autobots as superheroes. Personally I prefer it because it doesnt make any sense for robots to be such bad shots all the times. Also it makes for more dramatic action scenes
I like melee, always fun. What I like most though is non-firing guns, like the one Cybertron Scattorshot came with. I lovers them bests.