First:
The Autobots!
Dune Runner - Function: Patrol Commander
Bio: Though hardly ancient, Dune Runner has been around a long time. On Cybertron, he was best at adapting to new conditions caused by the toll of war. But the war on Cybertron embittered him, and he declared himself a neutral, no longer willing to support either of the factions. But when he received Prime’s call to Earth, he found his way there, hoping the war had ended. Once arrived, he was forced back into combat by Decepticon attacks, and immediately promoted to squad leader (despite his protests), as his adaptability allows him to deal with many of Earth’s environments. Dune Runner’s fascination with the Terrain goes beyond professional, as he’s grown quite fond of the bio diversity on Earth, and he would much rather spend his time observing nature than leading his team. Only his deep and honest concern for his teammates keeps him from abandoning his post - again.
Weapons/Abilities: Dune Runner received his new Alt Mode through NEST, and with it came human-issued sabot rounds mounted on his back. His vehicle mode is adept for traversing most difficult terrain - very little can stop him. He has average strength and above average intelligence.
Weakness: Dune Runner can become morose after combat, especially if a natural environment has been harmed. Though respected, the Autobot command structure is suspicious of his motives.
Rollbar - Function: Lieutenant
Bio: Rollbar was once a courier, tasked with running messages and supplies between war zones. Rollbar liked his function, liked his job, liked his commanders, and was generally happy with the situation. But when his commander was killed in the heat of battle, Rollbar stood up and took charge of the team, managing through surprisingly skilled tactical maneuvers to pull everyone else out in one piece. His superiors were so pleased, they immediately promoted Rollbar, hoping to exploit his tactical brilliance. Rollbar, however, was completely unprepared for the rigors of command and was terrified of his new position. Realizing they had made a mistake, he was reassigned under a new mentor, where it was hoped that he could be properly groomed for a new position. Rollbar is dependable, but he can’t and won’t take any initiative, and works well only under guidance. Prospects for another promotion are dim, and Rollbar much prefers it that way.
Weapons/Abilities: Rollbar has a flash cannon embedded in his chest as a defensive measure. It can do a minor amount of damage, but it’s true purpose is designed to create as much light and noise as possible to confuse his enemies, allowing him to escape. During his brief command stint, Rollbar used the weapon to great effect as a battlefield distraction. He has slightly above average strength, and his vehicle mode is well armored. He has surprisingly high intelligence, despite his simplistic method of speaking.
Weakness: Rollbar has a true phobia of command, and requires a lot of supervision to be an effective soldier. Only in the heat of battle does he truly shine.
Knockout - Function: Shock Trooper
Bio: Knockout was a young and eager warrior who believed he was always right, the most skilled, and invulnerable - the typical flaws of youth. The Autobot Longarm took him under his wing and promised to tame him, guiding the young Autobot past his flaws to be a an effective soldier. The two formed a close bond, and Knockout showed great promise and initiative. All that changed when Longarm was killed in battle. The death of his mentor left Knockout sullen and feeling abandoned. Knockout regressed back into his old ways, but now full of bitterness and rage. Seeing the young Autobot on a path toward self-destruction, Dune Runner stepped up and took on the new mantle of mentor. Almost immediately, Knockout showed signs of improvement - but now he’s much more cautious and protective than before. Though he’s still a bit rash and thick-headed, he will do anything to protect his friends - and especially his new mentor, Dune Runner.
Weapons/Abilities: Knockout is incredibly fast, and his left arm turns into a shock cannon, capable of shattering a Transformers exoskeleton at close range. Though he’s not the strongest, he has a sharp wit, and a keen eye - most of his shots will hit.
Weakness: The only way to get to Knockout is through his friends. Threatening them will send him into a rage. He tends to blame himself for his failures, and can become depressed if he feels he ‘wasn’t there’ for his friends.
Depth Charge - Function: Sea Control
Bio: Depth Charge earned her rank off-world. As part of an Autobots exploratory mission, she found herself the lone Bot manning an energon deposit on an ocean world. When she received the call to Earth, she was immensely happy to finally be among other Autobots again. Unfortunately, her time alone left her unable to be personal with her Autobot comrades. She doesn’t mean to be rude and distant, but the simple fact is, she doesn’t know how to relate with other Autobots anymore. While she’s a courageous warrior and a master of ocean tactics and combat, she just can’t gel personally with the other members of her team.
Weapons/Abilities: Depth Charge made on mistake upon her arrival on Earth - she scanned the internet for an alternate mode, but misjudged the size. As such, she Transforms into a very small gunship. Despite its small size, her alternate form is equipped with nearly the full weapons compliment of the full sized versions of her Alt Mode. She uses her weaponry to bombard enemy positions from afar. She can Transform into a tertiary mode which allows her to skim quickly across the water in robot mode. Her robot mode is also equipped with long-range missiles.
Weakness: Though she has no combat related weaknesses, her inability to gel with her teammates can hurt the overall team effectiveness.
Nightbeat - Function: Detective
Bio: Nightbeat is one of the greatest minds on Cybertron. With a keen eye and an excellent memory, Nightbeat spends every hour pursuing some mystery, tracking down some Decepticon. While he has no particular love of combat, he is one of the best hand to hand fighters in the Autobot army. All this would make you think he's a great mechanoid, but there's one other singular thing that defines Nightbeat: He's gone completely loopy. Several solar cycles ago, his unmatched record went entirely to his head, and he now carries himself with a dramatic self-important flare that would fit a fictional super-hero far better than an Autobot detective. He speaks almost entirely in dramatic monologues, overusing adjectives and creating ridiculous metaphors that tend to inspire laughter more than anything else. The worst part of all is that Nightbeat doesn't even realize how nuts he's become, or how everyone is laughing at him behind his back. He doesn't care, he has Decepticons to stop, and with a stunning monologue about goodness and rightousness, he's off again!
Weapons/Abilities: Nightbeat is only armed with a few low-level lasers imbedded in his hands - the circular holes in them focus intense light into a beam, and these can double as a magnifying glass. Otherwise, he has no true weapons. However, he is a veritable master of Autobot Diffusion techniques, and with his quick reflexes and creative thinking, he can best most opponents in any fight. Nightbeat's mind is a mechanical wonder - he stores memories like raw data, able to replay and mentally go over anything he sees. His memory is legendary, and he's got a lot of smarts as well. He's also added several other pieces of equipment to his armament, including a grappling hook, built in high-beams, radar scramblers, comm interceptors, and a host of other devices to help him in his detective work.
Weaknesses: Despite his physical abilities, Nightbeat isn't actually that strong - in a contest of pure strength, he can be easily overwhelmed. In addition, his general nuttiness causes few to take him seriously, friend or foe.
Scattorshot - Function : Air Defense
Bio: Fearing Dune Runner's command was getting out of control, Autobot command assigned a loyal Autobot to the team as second-in-command, in the hopes of improving their effectiveness. Scattorshot was picked, but he's not quite what Autobot command had anticipated. Though he follows orders well, Scattorshot has a mean streak, and often a thuggish attitude. He doesn't hesitate to berate - verbally and sometimes even physically - those who he feels have 'gotten out of line'. While this makes other Autobots resent him, they cannot help but admire his fearlessness in battle and his take-charge attitude. But once combat is over, back at the base, everyone avoids him. Scattorshot doesn't mind that at all.
Weapons/Abilities: Scattorshot is armed with two high-intensity laser cannons that fire long concentrated pulses. This allows him to 'sweep' the sky of incoming targets. The weapons can also convert to high calibur round launchers which first at upwards of a thousand rounds per second - his wild shooting with these weapons is legendary, and earned him his name.
Weaknesses: The other Autobots neither like nor trust him, hindering team effectiveness, and he does little to rectify - or even alleviate - the problem.
Decepticons!
Ransack: Function - Seeker
Bio: Ransack is ancient by any standard. One of the Seekers sent to Earth to find clues to the Matrix, Ransack returned to his Decepticon comrades after the death of the Fallen, ready to resume his rightful place as Decepticon warrior. However, his superiors weren’t impressed with his frailty and outdated weaponry. They regulated him to a small squad full of misfits and rejects. Despite this setback, Ransack is showing his potential, leading his squad to many Decepticon victories - and is, indeed, seeking out more - the hopeless, the insane, the just plain nuts, all have a place in Ransacks squadron. Ransack is odd, even for a Decepticon. Though cruel, he is always well spoken, willing to make negotiations at times, but utterly merciless when his victims have no escape. His polite attitude unnerves Autobots - they would never expect to face so eloquent a Decepticon!
Abilities/Weapons: Ransack is old and outdated. Though he pilots his vehicle mode well, he’s severely limited by the amount of stress his frail body can take, His weapons too are outdated. Despite these setbacks, Ransacks great intelligence leads him to use his armaments in creative ways - his use of them makes him every bit as deadly as many Decepticon heavy-hitters!
Weakness: He is very weak. In a physical contest, he is easily defeated. His Transformation takes longer than normal for most Transformers. Though hardly a coward in combat, he can be ‘coerced’ into fleeing (or negotiating a truce) if he feels his spark is in danger.
Dirt Boss - Function: Supply Transport
Bio: No one likes Dirt Boss. He’s loud, obnoxious, foul mouthed, inconsiderate, and not too bright. He was thrown the job of supply transport just to get rid of him. But he is undeterred, because Dirt Boss has plans. Big plans. Ruling the Decepticons big plans. Dirt Boss has been working on a master scheme for years and years. While he’s not very smart, he’s just smart enough to see the flaws in his grand scheme, and thus he keeps reworking it over and over, adjusting and changing it as necessary, until the time he ‘knows will be right’. His grandiose scheme, which currently involves 300 toaster ovens, exploding a star, sowing dissent among the drones, and a well timed lucky shot to the back of Ransacks head, gets bigger every minute of every day, as he spends all his mental energy plotting for the day when he will get his big break. One of the first members of Ransacks team, he was surprised and horrified to learn he was, by far, the most normal.
Abilities/Weapons: Dirt Boss has unremarkable strength, intelligence, and courage. His sole weapons are a pair of deployable blades that he uses with surprising effectiveness. However, his bad attitude keeps him away from the front lines.
Weakness: No one likes him and he’s dumb.
Dead End - Function: Energy Scout
Bio: Some people think Dead End is immortal - or just darn lucky. He’s been completely trashed several times, with only his spark core intact. Rebuilt from the ground up more times than any other Decepticons, Dead End seems to lose a little bit of his sanity with each new form. With his latest after a thorough thrashing on Earth, his comrades finally realized he had entirely snapped. Reduced to sentence fragments and words which don’t make sense in any context, Dead End has become much creepier than ever before. When he started scuttling about on all fours, the Decepticon high command shunted him off to Ransacks unit, hoping to be rid of someone they suspected was draining energy behind their backs. What they didn’t realize is that Dead End’s psychosis has had an effect on his actual mechanical makeup, and now Dead End is draining energon directly from his victims! Ransack is the only one who truly understands the psychosis, and he now uses Dead End as his watchdog. For reasons known only to Dead End, he’s proven to be utterly loyal to the Seeker - to the detriment of everyone else, friend and foe alike!
Weapons/Abilities: Any weapons Dead End once had are gone. He now fights tooth and claw - quite literally, as his latest form is equipped with actual teeth and claws! His small, wiry form is far stronger than it appears to be, and he can literally rip a Transformer apart with his hands. This strength comes from excess Energon stores in his system, which he refills by syphoning energy directly from his victims through his teeth - which creeps all other Transformers out completely.
Weaknesses: Dead End appears to have no capacity for rational thought.
Reverb - Function: Warrior
Bio: Reverb is surprisingly cheerful, for a Decepticon. Upbeat and fun loving, first impressions would suggest that she has no business being among an army of ruthless killers. It would seem the only darkness lies in her competitiveness - everything is a grand game to Reverb, a game she is determined to win. And therein lies her darker side. Reverb has a strange psychosis - she literally believes she is part of a giant unending game. The entire war is merely a plaything - those who die, lose, and that's all there is to it. Reverb literally cannot comprehend pain and loss - she simply doesn't understand that her 'fun' can leave hundreds of innocents dead, or that if someone is killed, that they won't ever come back. The battlefield is almost an ever-present fantasy world to her, where none of it actually matters in the long run. Rumor among the Decepticons has it that Reverb was once a playful Autobot who's world was shattered in the early days of the war, and she turned it all into a game to help her mentally cope. Some Autobots - like her eternal rival Knockout - suspect this as well. Knockout in particular shares a strange friendship with her, and he privately hopes to free her of her dangerous delusions. Reverb keeps up her rivalry with him because she finds him a lot of fun.
Weapons/Abilities: Though she is only armed with a low-powered short-range blaster, Reverb's true strength lies in her speed and agility. Though not very strong, she is very quick to respond, and is a master at avant garde fighting styles, She's incredibly flexible, and can dance around most her opponents with ease. Though incredibly creative where combat is concerned, otherwise she displays little inclination for deep thought - that might ruin her game.
Weaknesses: Squad leader Ransack suspects that Reverb's psychosis is unstable. He theorizes that if something were able to pierce her fantasy gameworld - say the death of someone truly important to her, or a grievous injury - it could break her mind, leaving her an emotional wreck - or worse, cause her to lash our randomly at everything in the vicinity. Thus far, her skill and detached nature has kept that from happening - but Ransack is becoming concerned about her attitude toward Knockout....
Skystalker - Function: Arial Harassment
Bio: Even hanging out with Mindwipe is criteria for insanity in Decepticon circles, and Skystalker relishes it. Before meeting the elder Decepticon, Skystalker was a normal - if exceptionally 'playful' and cruel - Decepticon. But after meeting Mindwipe, he seemed to devolve -becoming more vicious, hunched over, and crawling about on all fours. While he hasn't reached Dead End levels of strangeness - he still talks normally, if interrupted by occasional, uncontrollable cackling - it's still enough to put the other Decepticon's on edge. He's been seeking to imitate Mindwipe's mind-control abilities with no success. After he fails, he's likely to rip the intended victim to pieces with his hooks. After Mindwipe's defeat by Optimus Prime, Ransack abducted Skystalker into his growing group of outcast and misfits among the Decepticon army.
Powers/Abilities: Skystalker's primary weapons are two large hooks, which he uses to eviscerate targets. The hooks are diamond-edged, and can channel high-level energy charges to deliver shocks. In vehicle mode, he's armed with several low-level lasers beneath his wings. His lone eye also shoots a low intensity laser, which he can use as a weapon - or as a focus for his attempts at Mind Control.
Weakness: Despite his posturing and viciousness, Skystalker is a coward. If the tables turn he's likely to flee shrieking, rather than risk any harm to his person.
Brakedown - Function: Scout
Bio: At one time, Brakedown was the best scout in the Decepticon army - one who never got caught. Cautious and careful to the extreme, he made an art of sneaking in and then sneaking back out of Autobot installations. But the constant danger and pressure began to wear on him, and has detrimental effects on his psyche. Caution transformed into suspicion, which transformed into paranoia, which turned into near psychosis, turning him from an expert spy into a nervous wreck who now believed everyone - Autobots, Decepticons, Humans, even inanimate objects - were staring at him and plotting against him. When his paranoia caused him to be caught and defeated by the Autobot Mudflap, the disgraced Brakedown was demoted, and removed from from the front lines, banished to Ransack's ragtag team. The seeker welcomed the now psychotically paranoid Brakedown, who has begun seeing things, and jumping at objects not there, much like his protoform twin Dead-End did before he went insane...
Abilities: In addition to excellent speed and eyesight, and above average intelligence, Brakedown is an expert saboteur - he earned his name by destroying Autobot computer and security systems. He is very lightly armed, with only two arm-mounted low-level laser cannons, choosing instead to use those energy reserves for engine power.
Weaknesses: His paranoia and delusions have grown so intense, they cause internal malfunctions, forcing him into shutdown. He will not trust any of his comrades.
