Transformers United EX - Transformers Wiki
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Transformers United EX (トランスフォーマー ユナイテッドEX Toransufōmā Yunaiteddo EX) is a spin-off to the original Transformers United introduced in 2012. Consisting entirely of redecos of Power Core Combiners figures, its fiction chronicles an adventure set in the Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity occurring simultaneously with the events of Operation Combination.
Fiction
While the first few scattered pieces of Transformers United fiction followed no set approach to continuity, after the toyline was rebranded as Transformers United EX, an ongoing storyline was crafted to accompany it written by Andrew Hall with illustrations by Hidetsugu Yoshioka. Told through individual chapters printed on the backs of the toys' packaging, the story is set firmly in Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity, simultaneous with the events of Operation Combination (circa 2035), and depicts the Autobots and Decepticons warring for control of the new Power Core Combination technology developed on Earth. In particular, it is notable for recasting all the Power Core Combiners molds (except Smolder's and Leadfoot's) as pre-existing Generation 1 characters with new bodies and names, exploring some especially obscure characters and fleshing out old mysteries, and for forging new continuity links between the end of the Generation 1 era in Japan and the start of the Japanese Generation 2 storyline.
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Note that this list presents the story chapters in chronological order, which does not align with the numerical order of their ID numbers.
Toys
Compared to Power Core Combiners, United EX changes a number of aspects. The concept of Commanders shipping with only their partners at a smaller pricepoint is abandoned, in favor of shipping characters that lack drone teams in two-packs. Likely due to the resulting price increase, shared molds are very rare. While most partner figures in Power Core had bodies made of translucent plastic, EX toys tend to use painted opaque plastic, possibly for durability reasons. Lastly, and most visibly, drone teams in EX have their colors coordinated to match their leader, whereas Power Core drone teams (barring Grimstone's Dinobots) tended to be a mix of shades.
For unknown reasons, Smolder and Leadfoot's molds never saw release in the line. Additionally, due to the lesser focus on Commanders without drone teams, only six of the Mini-Con molds made it in and were referred as Targetmasters, though most of the others saw release in some other fashion (usually being redecoed into Targetmasters or Arms Microns, many of them as campaign items).
Wave 1 (9-22-2012)
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Wave 2 (10-20-2012)
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Wave 3 (11-17-2012)
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Grimmaster Prime Mode |
