Considering that in Dreamwave, the original idea for Headmasters was for a larger robot to turn their head into a smaller robot to save on fuel. Not to mention that a smaller robot would be able to go into places that a larger robot would'nt be able to fit.

I think it could work if the Headmaster process was developed by the Decepticons at first after one to many encounters with smaller organics that are able to hide and ambush Decepticons in places where they won't be able to reach.

So, they created the Headmaster process as a way to hunt down organics by turning their head into a smaller robot that is able to pursue their targets into places that a larger robot would end up being stuck or just won't be able to reach.

It is exceptionally useful for trackers and interceptors like Weirdwolf and Snapdragon since their jobs need them to follow targets and having the option to pursue their targets into difficult to move spaces for larger Transformers would be needed.

Of couse, the Autobots would steal the tech from the Decepticons and use it against the Decepticons.

 

So like, the headmaster becomes a t-800?

No? I don't see it that way. The cybertronians already had smaller members (the tapes, drone weapons, and later, micromasters), and in most continuities size-changing is very common. It wouldn't be that difficult to hunt down organics in smaller, more confined areas if they really wanted that to be a priority.

It makes a lot more sense as a way for those smaller individuals to be able to fight cybertronians on equal footing by merging with robot bodies or cybertronian partners.

 

The idea that many great Decepticon warriors have somehow been defeated by tiny humans hiding in like trees and stuff enough times for it to be a big enough problem for them to make a whole new really specific subgroup to deal with it is just kinda funny to me.

 

I don’t think it needs to be that complicated in the slightest. Some transformers heads are just smaller robots. Why? Because they’re fictional robots, of course!

 

I'm always taking the headmasters to be the actual sentient robot that uses the vehicle/larger body for combat/transportation (or such), and at their size are to function/work/cooperate with humans, including on large transport or such ships or in their bases.

I can see it as part of lowering their power requirements when the larger body isn't needed.

As mentioned, the Decepticons already have smallish recon and combat units. Not to say the the Decepticons headmasters couldn't use the ability to go into smaller areas to hunt down smaller prey, but I wouldn't see it as the reason behind the headmaster function/feature.

 

Case in point, the Bayverse movies.

Yes, you can't hide from a Headmaster.

 

The Decepticons should've accepted that sponsorship from the US military so they could've gotten that sweet sweet Murica plot armor.

 

Why not? Humans successfully hid from T-800s. What makes a headmaster a better way to hunt down organics than say, Soundwave popping a Ravage or a Frenzy out of his chest if they go to ground, or Laserbeak using one of his turrets to chase them down, or insecticons shrinking down and chasing them, pretenders putting on a shell that (in some cases) gives them a human disguise, or even giant predacons having enhanced tracking senses and following them from a distance until they come out again?

I think I get your concept, it just doesn't strike me as one that stands out compared to the 'usual' interpretation of the headmaster concept, or the other abilities we'd seen cybertronians have.

 

Yep, there are issues with the American idea (two minds in the same head is a bad idea if the minds don't get along) and Japanese idea (stealing a Transtector).

 

So what happens if either the hunting head doesn't agree with the non-hunting body or those pesky organics jack the body while the head is trying to hunt them?

 

The former won't happen. The body would be an extension of the head.

 

I don't understand what you were trying to say in your previous post then.

 

I can see this playing out very gruesomely, which I think would be the point from the Decepticons' perspective. I think the concept would definitely work as you said so, the 'Cons would be the first to develop this technology & use it as a way to "cleanse" any human/organic opposition while the Autobots would see the tragedies unfolding & start to co-op the tech to use themselves in order to better protect everyone. It's a much darker take on the idea, but one that I think totally works.

 

Agreed. Transformers are often hampered by their size (even the smaller guys like Bumblebee and Rumble) so having the ability to transform into a human sized body via the Headmaster process might be useful.

 

Someone can correct me if I am wrong here, but Transformers canon for Cybertron was that, IIRC, that many Cybertronians were built specifically to fill roles for either the "warrior class" or the "labor class" And if you have a labor class, to keep Cybertron running, you need bots of all shapes and sizes to optimize and maintenance everything.

Richard Marcinko, a retired Commander with the Navy SEALs, pointed out that he liked taking his units to bars and have some heavy drinking, to see how everyone reacted and see people as their "masks" fell off. He also pointed out it was helpful to have some people who didn't look the traditional military type and that he was relieved that one specific guy passed Selection because the unit needed more "clean cut types" for certain operations ( i.e. they might blend in better in some environments)

I take it, just my best guess, is that all Cybertronians had to adapt to planet wide war. Just like WW2 in real life here on Earth, no one got to hide, everyone got dragged into it in one way or another, the entire population of Cybertron had to take a side and adapt to fight. I see the "shells" or bigger neck down bodies of the Headmasters are complex builds to optimize the fighting capability of very small Cybertronians.

I don't think Headmasters were built as assassins for smaller threats like humans. I think however, they might be used that way as a form of adaptation over time. I just think you had a lot of needed jobs, needed certain "types" to do them, and everyone had to adjust from the start of the war.

Have you ever seen most plumbing crews? They have at least one guy in the company who can really snake his way into small spaces because he is also likely small. Most law enforcement agencies like to have at least one female officer on every shift, so if a female suspect needs to be heavily searched or some other situation, it might be easier to have a woman on woman interaction versus a male on woman hostile interaction. Even many QRF principles and crisis management principles have a pair come forward, a man and a woman, in the thinking that a woman might create more incentive to deescalate a confrontation with strangers.

If you think about, in TFTM, if Brawn was a Headmaster, he might still be alive. Ironhide, well not so much.