Bot a Day: Daily Drawings

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. 

The Classics line also included a subset of Mini-Con three-packs consisting of new designs. A trio of Dinobot Mini-Cons included this mechanical triceratops named Knockdown in 2006. That same year, this same toy was packed in with a Cybertron Walmart-exclusive release of Primus . A 2007 redeco of this design released as a Micron Booster named Ironlunge was previously posted. 

Concluding this line of Walmart-exclusive Dinobots with Sludge. In this incarnation, Sludge turns into a sail-backed dimetrodon, which is technically not a dinosaur but we won't tell him that. He is a redeco of 1999 Japanese Beast Wars figure named Sling . Sludge was available in a two-pack with Snarl starting in 2003.

Another older design redeco'ed to be part of the 2003 Walmart-exclusive Dinobot two-packs, Snarl turns into an organic stegosaurus. This design dates back to Saberback , a 1999 Japanese-exclusive Predacon from Beast Wars Neo. It was later reissued as Striker in 2000 , a Maximal from Beast Machines, and then again in 2003 as Dinobot Striker as part of Universe. As part of the Dinobot line, he was packaged with Sludge.

I've drawn this design several times now: Guiledart , Triceradon ( Beast Machines ), Killer Punch , and Triceradon ( Universe) just earlier this year. It's a favorite of mine, what with the triceratops head for an arm. This Triceradon, part of the Dinobots Walmart line, was packed with Slapper in 2003.

Next in the line of Transformers: Dinobots exclusives from Walmart is Slapper, who turns into a well armored organic ankylosaur. Slapper is a redeco of the 1999 Japanese Beast Wars toy, Bazooka . This version of Slapper came out in 2003, bundled with Triceradon. 

Packed in with yesterday's Grimlock was a pteranodon Dinobot that was briefly named Swoop before a running change (presumably trademark-related) quickly changed his name to Terranotron. This Beast Wars -era design has been used many times over the years, debuting as Terrosaur before also being used for Lazorbeak , Fractyl  and Hydra . This latest incarnation from 2003 was a Walmart exclusive.

In 2003, a series of two-packs came out exclusive to Walmart stores with the branding Transformers: Dinobots. They didn't seem to be connected at all to the concurrent Armada or Universe series and just stood alone as their own sub-brand, with no storyline. They were all redecos of Beast Wars -era designs. First up is Grimlock, a redeco of the original Beast War s Dinobot toy that turns into a velociraptor.

A re-release of a 2000 Beast Machines toy, Striker (now renamed "Dinobot Striker") is redecoe'd and turns into an organic stegosaur. He now has an Autobot symbol tucked under the skull on his chest. Dinobot Striker was released in 2003. 

Swoop and Grimlock combine to form this multi-limbed monstrosity: Mega-Dinobot. That combination feature is really the only reflection that these two Dinobots are part of the Energon line.  

Joining yesterday's Grimlock as the sole Dinobot representatives in Energon is trusty Swoop, the classic pterosaur design upgraded for the 21st century with large booster rockets on his back. He can combine with Grimlock to form Mega-Dinobot.

 Another classic G1 character given new life in Energon is Grimlock , leader of the Dinobots. In the case of the Energon series, there really wasn't much of a Dinobot team to lead -- a scant two Dinobots could be counted in the Autobot ranks. Part of this is because these two Dinobots were not intended to be part of the Energon line, but rather releases in the concurrent Universe line. They became late additions to Energon despite not having many of the play features present in the line. They did, though, have the ability to combine which we'll get into over the coming days.

It's Magmatron... again. I posted him not too long ago, as part of the Beast Wars Neo line , but he's back as part of Beast Machines. It's the same toy as the Japanese release, with some modifications to bring the pointy bits into US safety standards. The insignia on the toy are still that of Predacons, even though the character is a Maximal in its US release. It was a Target exclusive in 2000. Magmatron consists of three individual dinosaur components: a gigantosaur (his lower body), an elasmosaur (his upper body) and a quetzalcoatlus (his winged back and head).  

Rapticon is another of the Maximal Dinobots added to the Beast Machines lineup. The design is a redeco of Dinobot 2 from the Beast Wars Transmetal line . He turns into a mechanical velociraptor, and was available in 2000.

The next Dinobot from the Beast Machines line-up is Dinotron, who turns into a dome-headed pachycephalosaurus. He is a more realistic hue (green and black) that this mold's original release; Japan's Hardhead was purple and celeste. These toys are retools of the original Beast Wars Dinobot. Dinotron was released in 2000.

Airraptor is a redeco of Archadis , a Beast Wars Neo toy originally released only in Japan. What was once a Predacon design is now a Maximal, though the coloring differences are minor. Airraptor turns into an organic archaeopteryx. He was available in North America as part of the Beast Machines line in 2000.

Striker is the next of the Beast Machine Dinobots on the roster. He's actually a redeco of Saberback , a Predacon from the Japanese Beast Wars Neo line. Striker is a Maximal, and turns into a stegosaurus. He was available in 2000.

Triceradon is the Maximal frontline combat specialist, part of the Beast Machines incarnation of Dinobots. He is a redeco of Guiledart , who had previously been only available in Japan as part of the Beast Wars Neo line. Triceradon turns into a triceratops, and was available in 2000.

T-Wrecks is the Dinobot commander if this new iteration of the team as part of the Maximals in Beast Machines. The toy design is a redeco of the original Beast Wars Megatron . As such, he turns into a Tyrannosaurus Rex.  T-Wrecks was available in 2000.