Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

Finishing off the Classics line with this boxed set titled The Ultimate Battle, featuring all-new sculpts for Optimus Prime and Megatron. Prime turns into a flat-nosed truck, and his robot mode has a spinning torso to simulate a powerful punch. Megatron turns into a tank, and has a spinning arm-blade. Both come bundled with a DVD titled "The Ultimate Battle," which despite the Classics branding has an Energon episode. This set was available starting in 2006. This concludes the 2025 Daily Drawing exercise. Perhaps this will return in 2027. Time will tell.

Another exclusive from BotCon 2007 is Alpha Trion, an Autobot elder from the original animated series, realized here as a redeco and retool of V ector Prime from the Cybertron toyline . The ornately baroque robot turns into a space cruiser. He has a pack-in partner named Beta Maxx who turns into a smaller craft and laser cannon. This set was also bundled with the villain, Weirdwolf. 

Bundled in a bag with Springer , Huffer was a 2007 BotCon convention exclusives Though under the Classics banner, he is a redeco of Cybertron Armorhide done in G1 Huffer colors . He turns into a Volvo FH Globetrotter semi tractor-trailer cab with a crane attachment. 

With its back-to-basics approach,  Classics  was a hit with  Transformers  fans so the Botcon 2007 Exclusives carried the theme, though some of the toys were redecos from earlier lines. Case in point, Springer is actually a redeco of Cybertron Defense Hotspot, from the  Cybertron  line. The armored aesthetic of his M1117 Guardian security vehicle works well with Springer's auto mode, but this version of the character is not a triple changer. Springer was available in a two-pack with Huffer at the show.

The second Jetfire in the Classics line (the first being a s caled down Legends of Cybertron redeco ), this deluxe version does a successful job of evoking the original toy without stepping into the branding issue of repurposing a Macross design. Jetfire turns into a Cybertronic jet that evokes his old animated design, has add-on armor, and a cool helmet design that looks like his classic toy head but can removed to reveal a head that resembles his classic animated design. Jetfire was available in 2006.

The Classics line had a new incarnation of the classic Autobot leader, updated to turn into a streamlined cab-over-engine style truck. His weapons are integrated into his vehicle design, becoming his smokestacks and roof-mounted wind vane. He was available in 2006.

The classic character of Mirage gets a 21st century upgrade as a very poseable figure in the Classics line. He still turns into a Formula 1 racer. His livery is still white and blue, and his number is still 26 , but his sponsor labels based on a French cigarette brand has understandably been removed. He now promotes "Witwicky Sparkplugs." Mirage was released in 2006.

One of the designs featured in the Classics series is Grimlock, the Dinobot commander reimagined at a slightly smaller price-point, with a more compact robot form with a sleek build who turns into a swift-footed mechanical Tyrannosaurus rex. Grimlock was available in 2006. 

Another great new design debuting in the Classics line is this rendition of Rodimus. He turns into a flame-deco'ed and modified Dome Zero prototype sports car. He was available in 2006.

One of my favorite Bumblebee toy designs came out of the Classics line. Unlike the Classic Legends incarnation that was a redeco of Hot Shot, this version is all-new and has less superheroic styling and more of the tubby "sidekick" Bumblebee character that dates back to his '84 original . In the years since his original release, branding and trademark concerns had changed enough that Hasbro and Takara could not comfortably leverage the Volkswagen Beetle design without a formal partnership with the car manufacturer, who had no interest in such. So Bumblebee instead turns into a generic compact hatchback sports car. This Bumblebee came with an accessory of a Jetski-like "Wave Crusher" molded onto a tow trailer that could also transform into a winged jetpack accessory for the robot. Bumblebee was available in 2006.

Rounding out the Clear Skies Team is Thunderwing, who turns into an F-14 Tomcat jet. The set also includes Nightscream and Steel Wind .  This iteration of Thunderwing, unrelated to past Decepticon versions, is an Autobot Mini-Con. His blue and gold livery makes him look like one of the Blue Angels. He was released in 2007.

Another member of the Autobot Clear Skies Team, Steel Wind turns into an A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack plane. He's got a pretty sophisticated transformation scheme for a toy as small as a Mini-Con. He was part of a three-pack released in 2007 as part of the Classics line.

Starting a new set of Mini-Cons -- the three-pack Clear Skies Team, released in 2007. While two from the trio turn into planes, Nightscream is a different type of flying Autobot. He turns into a mechanical dragon. 

The last of the Night Rescue Team trio is Strongarm, an Autobot Mini-Con who turns into a police car. This design would also serve as Radrogue and Detectas in the Micron Booster line in Japan, Strongarm was available in a three-pack with Divebomb and Firebot in 2006. 

Next in the Night Rescue Team Mini-Cons is Firebot, a name that's been kicking around for a few years as a different Mini-Con. This Firebot is a more elaborate design who turns into a Rozenbauer Oshkosk Striker 1500 fire truck. He was released in 2006 as part of the Classics line.

Another Autobot Mini-Con trio released in the Classics line in 2006 is the Night Rescue Team. Among their members is Divebomb, who turns into an AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter. 

The last of the Dinobot Mini-Con three-pack is Swoop, who turns into a mechanical pteranodon. This set was released in 2006. The following year, this same design was used as the Micron Booster Reptix in Japan. 

Also part of the Dinobot trio of Mini-Cons, Terrorsaur turns into a mechanical Tyrannosaurus rex. This design was also redecoed for the Japanese-exclusive Micron Boosters Gnashteeth and Chromebite . The Dinobot trio was released in 2006. 

This tribute to G1 Whirl is not the cyclopean claw-handed warrior from 1985 , but has similar hues and is a redeco of Legends of Cybertron Evac . He turns into a Eurcopter Dauphin rescue helicopter, and was available at retail in 2007.

A white and red redeco of the Legends of Cybertron Thundercracker figure , this is one of two G1-tribute Jetfire toys in the Classics line. This Jetfire turns into a Sukhoi Su-7 fighter jet. He was available in 2006.