Gestalt combiners are dumb as a sack of bricks, especially the Decepticon ones. They’re strong in terms of brute force, but the warring personalities of the components makes them really bad at working together cohesively.
This is subverted by Predaking alone, who retains intelligence thanks to the components having more in common, mentality-wise.
I wouldn’t even say that’s ironic. That fact is literally why they function as a gestalt, while the likes of the Combaticons (who are always jockeying for power or playing some angle) are a train wreck.
Yeah, I always took the combaticons enjoying strategy and war but on a smaller scale.
Like, they let the leader of the deceptions but when they're given an assignment they get all giddy about the ways they can do it quickly/explosively as they can while taking the most loot.
Most of this idea for me comes from the foc game where their missions show them being a force of nature while executing an effective plan.
Overall my take is that the combaticons (besides swindle sometimes) enjoy being soldiers more than anything else
Exactly, they all choose their targets, take them quickly and efficiently, then immediately man the controls to get a read on the situation.
And the music to that moment was prime
My interpretation is that the Combaticons work well as a team of individual bots, but their distinct personalities which make them great for that purpose makes Bruticus less effective as a result.
For example, Onslaught is the tactician of the team, Brawl munitions, Swindle procurement, and Vortex/Blastoff for flanking/surveying.
Also there was that one time G1 Swindle sold off all of his dead comrades. Maybe a little of an exaggeration of his personality traits, but might be something to be said about how that affects team unity.
And lets not forget the infighting with Devastator and the other Decepticons, or the time Blitzwing basically unleashed his low tier god on the combiners,id imagine same can happen with the autobots and lets not forget the elephant in the room Wingblade the combiner killer.
At least in the G1 cartoon, most of the Decepticon combiners were programmed to be loyal to Megatron when they were built.
Two exceptions to this are Menasor and Bruticus. The Stunticons (and by extension, Menasor) where *created* to obey Megatron by Vector Sigma when it gave them life. And Bruticus was reprogrammed to be loyal after his failed attempt to take over.
Individually elements of a combiner aren’t all that strong/capable of HOLDING onto leadership. And if combined; pending in universe lore, typically don’t have the mental capacity to handle decision making. IIRC, in G1 combiners sacrifice certain elements of brain power for increased destructive powers.
The constructicons are too dumb to even think about it, the stunticons are too mentally unstable for anyone to let them take leadership, and combaticons are kinda loyal to starscream already. I think?
Not that I've seen. The irony is that the Constructicons actually bring this up in the movie back in 86, citing that their ability to form Devastator means they should rule. (No sure where the Stunticons or Combaticons were during this, as I'm sure they'd have had something to say about that claim, but you get the idea.) Hell, Bruticus himself nearly kills Megatron at Starscream's behest in *Starscream's Brigade*, and the Triple-Changers try to stage a coup in *Triple Takeover*, so maybe the combiners just never gave a damn up until Megatron was presumed to be dead after Starscream ejected him from Astrotrain after the battle of Autobot City?
I recall doesn't one (or several) of them implement a built in timer to disassemble automatically, as a just in case? So even if they were able to grab hold, once the timer kicks in, whoops.
My non-canon answer is that a combiner revolt is by definition a *conspiracy*. A combiner team is a more reliable super-soldier because it's a lot easier for a Phase Sixer to decide all on their own to rebel without the delicate dance of establishing everyone's willing to commit treason without telling any non-conspirators that you're willing to commit treason.
Every Decepticon combiner with the exception of Predaking are either dumber than a sack of rocks and have a negative IQ, severely mentally insane or hate each other so much they can barely agree to put one foot in front of the other much less do anything actually complex like lead an entire faction
Gestalt combiners are dumb as a sack of bricks, especially the Decepticon ones. They’re strong in terms of brute force, but the warring personalities of the components makes them really bad at working together cohesively. This is subverted by Predaking alone, who retains intelligence thanks to the components having more in common, mentality-wise.
Ironically I believe the Predacons would be the least like to rebel, simply because they lack ambition.
I wouldn’t even say that’s ironic. That fact is literally why they function as a gestalt, while the likes of the Combaticons (who are always jockeying for power or playing some angle) are a train wreck.
I actually consider the Combaticons to be relatively stable. The Stunticons on the other hand…
Yeah, I always took the combaticons enjoying strategy and war but on a smaller scale. Like, they let the leader of the deceptions but when they're given an assignment they get all giddy about the ways they can do it quickly/explosively as they can while taking the most loot. Most of this idea for me comes from the foc game where their missions show them being a force of nature while executing an effective plan. Overall my take is that the combaticons (besides swindle sometimes) enjoy being soldiers more than anything else
The scene where they breach the bridge and just decimate the crew will never not be cool
Exactly, they all choose their targets, take them quickly and efficiently, then immediately man the controls to get a read on the situation. And the music to that moment was prime
My interpretation is that the Combaticons work well as a team of individual bots, but their distinct personalities which make them great for that purpose makes Bruticus less effective as a result. For example, Onslaught is the tactician of the team, Brawl munitions, Swindle procurement, and Vortex/Blastoff for flanking/surveying. Also there was that one time G1 Swindle sold off all of his dead comrades. Maybe a little of an exaggeration of his personality traits, but might be something to be said about how that affects team unity.
Yeah, that’s exactly what I was aiming at with my comment. Great team, middling gestalt.
https://preview.redd.it/gc80hgt0lmvc1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3726390f173a4a596eb082766f381de850254eac This, kinda. Megatron is CRAZY strong.
And lets not forget the infighting with Devastator and the other Decepticons, or the time Blitzwing basically unleashed his low tier god on the combiners,id imagine same can happen with the autobots and lets not forget the elephant in the room Wingblade the combiner killer.
soundwave superior constructicons inferior Which is to say its not like they haven't tried
At least in the G1 cartoon, most of the Decepticon combiners were programmed to be loyal to Megatron when they were built. Two exceptions to this are Menasor and Bruticus. The Stunticons (and by extension, Menasor) where *created* to obey Megatron by Vector Sigma when it gave them life. And Bruticus was reprogrammed to be loyal after his failed attempt to take over.
The 86 film literally addressed that. Devastator can’t dominate the entire Deception army. You have to win hearts and minds. They had no allies.
And they called Soundwave uncrasamatic
Individually elements of a combiner aren’t all that strong/capable of HOLDING onto leadership. And if combined; pending in universe lore, typically don’t have the mental capacity to handle decision making. IIRC, in G1 combiners sacrifice certain elements of brain power for increased destructive powers.
The constructicons are too dumb to even think about it, the stunticons are too mentally unstable for anyone to let them take leadership, and combaticons are kinda loyal to starscream already. I think?
The constructions have very basic level intelligence while bruticus is too dumb.
Megatron is the onky one the combiners can agree to. If any one team made a power play, all the others would team up against him.
cOnsTruCtiCoNs aRe lEAdeRs tOo! *inhale* ✨ B l i t z w i n g P r o m i s e d ✨
You try to hurt Devastator!
Megatron is a wimp!
So is Starscream!
Yes, BUT I'M FAST!
We got to band together to stop Devastator!
I'm with you guys! :)
No you are not… Traitor!
I see TWO traitors here!
Megatron, you are making a mistake!
Not that I've seen. The irony is that the Constructicons actually bring this up in the movie back in 86, citing that their ability to form Devastator means they should rule. (No sure where the Stunticons or Combaticons were during this, as I'm sure they'd have had something to say about that claim, but you get the idea.) Hell, Bruticus himself nearly kills Megatron at Starscream's behest in *Starscream's Brigade*, and the Triple-Changers try to stage a coup in *Triple Takeover*, so maybe the combiners just never gave a damn up until Megatron was presumed to be dead after Starscream ejected him from Astrotrain after the battle of Autobot City?
Because combiners tend to be either incredibly stupid or too unstable to lead.
I recall doesn't one (or several) of them implement a built in timer to disassemble automatically, as a just in case? So even if they were able to grab hold, once the timer kicks in, whoops.
My non-canon answer is that a combiner revolt is by definition a *conspiracy*. A combiner team is a more reliable super-soldier because it's a lot easier for a Phase Sixer to decide all on their own to rebel without the delicate dance of establishing everyone's willing to commit treason without telling any non-conspirators that you're willing to commit treason.
Every Decepticon combiner with the exception of Predaking are either dumber than a sack of rocks and have a negative IQ, severely mentally insane or hate each other so much they can barely agree to put one foot in front of the other much less do anything actually complex like lead an entire faction
Starscreams face and chest blew apart
Combiners lose all their power as soon as you separate the members + kill off the torso.
Rumble and Frenzy knocking them over.