#tf swagger

As you know, every now and then I get dragged back into Transformers Universe for a while after seeing others post/talk about it. This usually compels me to watch a gameplay or some videos (or fall into a rabbit hole), my personal favorite is Sooo Mungry’s Autobot/Decepticon tour where he shows all of the characters bios and voicelines.

Usually, I just read their bios and listen to their voice lines as background noise (while trying to think of a VA for them, just for fun). Though, now I’ve decided to focus on the Playstyleand Warrior Balance(consisting of Offensive, Defensive, and Utility, ranked via an “/10” scale)…and I found something that PLEASANTLY shocked me.

Before you watch the video (or just put it at 2x speed tbh), guess which TFU Autobot has the strongest Offensive/Offense? Here’s the video.

Not gonna lie, but I genuinely thought that bots like Front–Line, Monsoon, Showdown, or Ripraw would score higher in the Offensive category (for obvious reasons). But surprisingly, they score (in order): 6, 5, 4, and 5. No shade to him, but I thought Showdown would’ve scored higher.

Though, we do need to consider their “Classes”. According to TFU’s Class Guide, Front–Line’s a Supressor, Showdown’s a Guardian while Monsoon and Ripraw are Soldier class. Each class has their own explanations (and are pretty in–character for a lot of the cast, like Showdown as a Guardian just fits) for why certain characters have certain stats. While I don’t agree with some stats (the fact that Triage only has 2/10 Offensive is CRIMINAL. Methinks he should be higher), the rest are pretty reasonable.

But with that being said, if those 4 aren’t the ones with the highest Offensive/Offense…then WHO is?

So, the Autobot with the highest Offensive/Offense stat…IS NONE OTHER THAN SWAGGER HIMSELF, AKA THE TWO–WHEELER SAMURAI, WITH A WHOPPING 8/10.

If you listen closely, you can hear the EXACT moment my JAW DROPPED TO THE FLOOR.

Though, I think it’s important to note that Offensive ≠ Physical Strength (because if that were the case, those 4 I mentioned earlier would’ve ranked WAY higher), but more so Offensive = DPS (Damage Per Second AKA Damage Dealers). But that ASIDE, TFU/Jagex seems to support the idea of Swagger as a strong DPS. According to the article/news, apparently, THOUSANDS of TFU players were told to vote for a DPS for the Autobot team…and SWAGGER was SELECTED.

In short? This guy is CRAZY STRONG AND IS 100% READY TO TAKE ON THE DECEPTICONS. Makes you wonder the kind of training regimen Drift subjected him under…*shivers*.

But honesty, it checks out. The ‘cons were responsible for his father’s death and his Master’s abandonment of him sudden disappearance. They’ve taken away the TWO bots that are important to him. NO WAY Swagger wouldlet them off easy. While he tries his hardest to obscure his anger by keeping up his cockiness/arrogance, sometimes, the “mask” slips when some battles against the ‘cons get “heated”. As a result, Swagger would get borderline aggressive in such cases.

Though, there’s a downside. Despite having the highest Offensive/Offense among the Autobots…Swagger has, unfortunately, the LOWEST Defensive/Defense at just *checks notes*…1/10.

Yikes.

((Note: An interesting tidbit I found is that Swagger’s Offensive and Defensive stats are nearly the complete opposite of Meltdown’s. So, Meltdown’s Offensive is 1/10…while his Defensive stats are NEARLY MAXED OUT AT 9/10.

The mental imagery of Swagger being frustrated at Meltdown for closing his optics whenever he shoots his missiles/beam gun at a ‘con (thereby missing at times), and Meltdown having spark attacks 24/7 whenever Swagger’s deployed in battle (because the kid has ZERO DEFENSES), is pretty funny, heh.

Another interesting tidbit is that, on the Decepticons’ side, Swagger shares a similar Offensive and Defensive stats with Duststorm. Her Offensive is at 7/10, the highest of the Leviathan crew, while her Defensive also sits at 1/10, the lowest of the crew. And here’s the kicker; both Duststorm and Swagger are both from the Interceptor class, AKA “highly–destructive” bots. Yeah, their Offensive stats make much more sense now. I know we rarely touch on them, but seeing them clash would be pretty interesting…))

But all jokes aside, the two contrasts between his Offensive and Defensive suits him scarily well imho. Swagger may not be the physically strongest of the Arclight crew, but he CAN dish out a LOT OF DAMAGE (courtesy of his martial prowess and weaponry), if need be. But at the same time, he needs to be careful.

There’s a general HC/observation floating around that Two–Wheelers are, for lack of a better word, “glass cannons”. For reference, look no further than the many times Arcee got one–shotted and KO’d by hits/attacks, with her also needing longer time to recover. Bottom line is that smaller/lighter frames are more vulnerable to attacks

That aside, I do recall seeing Swagger being referred as a “glass cannon” in some forums (and his playstyle…also reflects that tbh). He’s NOT weak (in fact, I HC him to have a scarily high pain tolerance), it’s just that… his frame isn’t as sturdy as the other non–Two–Wheeler crewmates, is all.

But he’s not backing down without a fight! He could handle getting injured, really!

Triage, kneeling down: What happened?

Swagger, slurring a bit with a gash on his side: ‘s no biggie. Fought her off.

Macro, serious: Diabla’s Venom Arm Blades happened. That’s what.

Triage: …”No biggie” my AFT! Help me carry him to the Medbay! NOW!!!

On a more serious note, while we know how Swagger’s now living out of sheer spite and that he’s holding on to everything and everyone he has right now with a death grip…I think that some of his extreme gung–ho nature can be attributed him having the Bushido code ingrained within him stemming from Drift’s tutelage (specifically the “fight to the end” belief/mentality). But as we’ve also talked about, Swagger’s the kind of Samurai that follows his own code after his Master’s departure. In this case, he will meet any challenges head on (even if it means putting down his life in the process)…but at the same time, he wants to keep going. To be there when Drift returns and to stand with the Arclight crew.

(While his intentions are noble and honorable…you best believe that Doubletake, Limelight, and Showdown are all keeping an eye on him. Heck, in a display of Two–Wheeler solidarity, Cameo and Wildcard might also be in on it. Swagger might grumble and complain a bit from their focus…but deep down, he appreciates their care and concern. But good luck making him admit that).

Hope you don't mind my Swagger-centric ramblings, Blade! Because really, the more info I find about him, the more I grow to respect him (and that I thank Jagex for creating a VERY interesting character). You could tell they put a LOT of thought into him, even if the evidence isn’t as obvious, but that’s what makes connecting–the–dots all the more fun, hehe.   

But anyways, that’s all from me, Blade! Thank you very much for reading, and I look forward to your thoughts! Happy weekend!

Hi Jazzi! It's going well so far, thank you. I hope yours is treating you well too!

Nice. I should look more into the footage, too - and you know what, I think I'll make a fan-cast post for the crews some time. I might even link videos to the names as a general voice ref for how I envision them myself.

Neat! I definitely need to go back and watch their promo/gameplay vids myself. It's fun!

This all fits most of the crew (though I'm biased in thinking Monsoon should be in the Medic class thanks to his bio - though Demolisher might also fit), but if anything I feel Triage should be in the Hybrid or Demolisher class. The man is too feral and unhinged for simply the Medic class, imo.

.....holy shoot kid, you don't mess around!

Though that really makes sense. Between his musculature, hard life, and general disposition, Swagger is going to gear himself toward dishing out heavy damage to his opponents. Not to mention, if you stop and think about it, Two-Wheelers are naturally small and light, so they'd either have to fight from a distance constantly or specialize in dealing out speedruns of death.

Oh yeah! But DPS/Damage Dealers makes sense for the likes of Swagger; it's not quite like the paladin class I hear of in D&D, but the Guardian class is the Transformers: Universe equivalent of the paladin because they're both tanks. And as we can see here, Swagger can deal damage but can't take it himself (1/10 defense, ouch.)

Woo! Atta boy Swagger! You made the cut my guy!

But yeah, the training (and diet probably) from Drift definitely was intense for Swagger to eventually be able to deliver such brutal attacks to the Decepticons. They'd better watch out when he's on the field, even if he isn't a physical powerhouse like Showdown. If a battle ever got heated and fury guided Swagger (while not blinding him *cough*Arcee*cough*), then there's likely both gonna be dead bodies and a few critical injuries on our boy.

(Oh. Now that makes Meltdown a bit more interesting - I'm a little tired of conscientious objectors in fiction, but now that you point that out, that's hilarious! XD

Oh wow. So not only are the Interceptors what Universe calls their Glass Cannons, but Swagger and Duststorm are the only ones in the game who qualify for the trope. Now that'd be an interesting 1v1...)

It is indeed a perfect contrast, especially with his personality in mind. Swagger's an aggressive combatant who specializes in heavy damage, but at the cost of defense. He definitely needs to be buddied up with with likes of Showdown in a battle.

(Ngl, I thought he did a burnout on her for a few seconds after this scene.)

Yeah that should have been instant death.

.....Why didn't she move -? Oh right, it's Miss Attack On Sight *rolls eyes*

Yep, accurate depiction of a Glass Cannon getting lasered.

I have many concerns about both Arcee's inability to MOVE when an unstoppable force is heading her way as well as how often the writers made it a point of her getting her teeth kicked in.

Okay, THAT'S funny!

But yes, the Glass Cannon can deal out pain, but can't take it themselves. As evidenced too by the ease with which you can ragebait Arcee

Oh by no means is Swagger weak. He's just not physically the strongest/most durable. His pain tolerance however, that's another matter (of Spark attack for Meltdown and yelling matches between him and Triage).

Doubletake: Henceforth, we're taking rotations on who gets partnered up with Swagger during a battle. Literally anyone just stick by him like Terran superglue until the battle's over.

*everyone nods as Triage growls over Swagger as he repairs him*

Yeah, despite his death grip on what little he has left, despite Swagger holding on out of sheer spite against the universe, a lot of it is the Bushido code Drift imparted to him. Fighting until the end was likely always his sort of thing, but it got dialed up a notch when he began his training, and then Drift's disappearance made him go a little overboard. But he has real friends now - a real chance at being reunited with Drift. So he'll keep fighting to the end, but he still wants to be around to see his mentor again.

(Oh yes, they're all keeping an eye on him! Swagger's still their friend/teammate, they're gonna make sure he doesn't go dying on them. Cameo and Wildcard would absolutely help out in that, and though Swagger complains about it, he oddly never pushes them away from their self-appointed duty. So far though, no one has gotten him to admit that he appreciates their care.)

I don't mind at all, Jazzi! I just hope I answered your ask properly - I know I didn't answer in proper order. Swagger is such a fun character, and you gotta love how Jagex put so much thought and effort into him (as well as the others, of course.) Indeed, being able to connect the dots makes the trips to Transformers: Universe all the more fun!

You're welcome, and I hope I satisfied with my answers! Who knows, maybe I'll manage to make some observations of my own soon!

It’s been a while since I’ve made an ask! Though, you have to excuse me for the subject of my ask. Unsurprisingly, my ask will be about Arcee, and this time, I’ll be focusing on her “stealthiness”, specifically how she’s stealthy in theory but not in execution. Fair warning, I’ll be highly critical, but then again, when am I never critical about the subject of our ask? I hope it’s alright!

We’ve talked about Arcee not being the stealthiest a few times now, and look no further than when she exposed herself to the kids in the pilot episode. Yet, despite being the bot responsible for said MAJOR BLUNDER, she gets ZERO reprimands for them AND THAT TIDBIT IMMEDIATELY GOT SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.

At first, I was meh about it (besides, having the “stealthy” bot turning out to be anything but is pretty funny). But then, rather than actively working to improve her own “stealthiness” or remaining QUIET about others’ flashiness, for some reason…SHE HYPERFOCUSES ON SMOKESCREEN’S “FLASHINESS” AND IS VERY VOCAL ABOUT IT.

Haha. No. I am NOT taking that from the bot who exposed herself to THREE human children.

Look, I understand that she may not be in the right headspace after Cliffjumper passed…but seriously, did she HAVE to “take five” in a populated area??? For someone who doesn’t sound fond of humans/humankind…she sure LOVES being close to them. Yeah, she’s tailed by the ‘cons, but couldn’t she lead them outside the town AWAY FROM HUMANS?

(Note: Though, it is pretty funny to see her “declaring” she’d be protecting humankind…only for her to endanger them afterwards. Poetic.)

Don’t get me wrong, Jack’s “responsibleness” becomes questionable when he hopped on top of a random bike and claim it as his own. But even so, (and I’m not justifying his acts), it can be chalked up to “teenagers not thinking twice”. Though, that explanation would’ve been more understandable had the show not shove Jack’s “responsible” nature in our faces 24/7.

Him aside, though…IT MAKES ZERO SENSE THAT ARCEE NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR BEFORE.

You could argue that Arcee never had humans hop on top of her alt–mode before…but I HIGHLY DOUBT that, given her lack of reaction when Jack did it (just…try to ignore his creepy line…*shivers*). If anything, she sounded mildly irritated with her “smooth operator” quip, as if she dealt with something similar before. If so, THEN SHOULDN’T SHE KNOW BETTER THAN TO STAY OUT IN THE OPEN???

It ALSO doesn’t help that Arcee’s alt–mode is canonically EYE–CATCHING. I mean, look at how it gained Jack and Miko’s attentions?To the point the latter chased after Arcee (presumably to ask the “driver” about their cool “bike”). That aside, I’ve never seen the other Autobots’ alt–modes be given the same kind of “attention” (Bee’s an exception, but his case is a bit different since it occurs in the internet). So, yeah, Arcee is THAT flashy.

((Note: Agent Fowler described Arcee’s alt–mode as “of unknown make”, while acknowledging that Bee’s is a custom muscle car. The fact that he likely knew the types/brands of vehicles that the bots turn into, but NOT Arcee’s is…concerning. He didn’t even say that her alt–mode’s modded or custom–made….

But let’s be real, Arcee’s bike mode is very spiky, which is absent from the IRL 2010 Kawasaki Ninja 250R that her bike mode’s based of. I don’t expect Fowler to namedrop the IRL brand, and I know the spikiness is due to Arcee’s own porcupine–like frame…but still. She REALLY stands out.

For comparison, look at the TFU bikeformers (Backlash-bike; Cameo-bike, Diabla-bike, Flamewar-bike, Swagger-bike, and Wildcard-bike and how their alt–modes resemble their IRL counterparts.

While Swagger’s alt–mode is the ONLY one directly namedropped by his character designer (I researched the rest, so it might not be 100% accurate), kudos to Jagex for making their bike modes look similar to their IRL versions. Though, I do admit that Flamewar’s STAND OUT, and I could also see the “unknown make” label apply to her imho, especially with the spikiness. Plus, I HC her turning into a Kawasaki bike as a “parallel/mirror” to Arcee’s own alt–mode as a nod to their relationship in your AU. Heh. Guess Arcee learned a thing or two from her sister))

For someone “stealthy”, Arcee sure knows how to STAND OUT, huh?

You know,Ithink she secretly likes the attention and praise, which explains her strong reaction at being called “ugly” by Vince. You’d think someone like her wouldn’t care about that, but nope. She’s as vain as Knock Out.

Even so, what’s even funnier/worse is that KO is WAY stealthier–and more professional–than her! Compared to how it only took Vince’s ragebaiting for Arcee to lose her cool (also, notice how she NEARLY MADE JACK FALL OFF???), KO ONLY retaliated once the guy scratched his paint. Yes, he took it too far, but three things: A) He’s a Decepticon, B) It's in–character, and C) At LEAST he did so in a race where his opponents are ALL CARS that spared him from BECOMING THE TALK OF THE TOWN. Seriously, how is Knock Out stealthier than *checks notes* THE COMMANDER OF STEALTH TEAM???

Besides, Jasper’s illegal racing provides a good cover for the presence of other sportscars (Bee, Smokescreen, and Wheeljack). But Arcee? She’s the ONLY motorbike/sportsbike in Jasper. And yet, we’re supposed to believe that Arcee is “stealthy” despite her MANY stunts???

Make it make sense.

(Note: This is random, but I can envision Rollcage trolling Arcee by nicknaming her “ugly”, since I HC her as the type to give Autobots “nicknames”. You know that Rollcage would be as insufferable as possible once she finds out how REACTIVE Arcee is to insults.

While we’re at it, I think Rollcage has an advantage/would win in a fight against Arcee. Since Arcee never won a fight against KO, I think sportscar bots/’cons–especially those who are quick–are Arcee’s weaknesses. Plus, given her tendency to lose her cool via ragebaiting AND how her anger’s quick to cloud her judgement/movements…Rollcage definitely has a shot, especially with her build).

Anyways, when it comes to blowing her cover to the kids…I’ll admit that Raf was a victim of circumstance (which WOULDN’T have happened Arcee made better decisions…but I digress). Raf aside, how do you even EXPLAIN her blunder with Jack and THEN Miko?

Despite our gripes on Jack, I feel bad for Jack. Not only did Arcee threaten him (when she herself put them both in that situation), but she was also assigned to get him afterwards. No wonder he didn’t want anything to do withher!

Again, despite our gripes on him, you have to admit that Bee handled everything pretty well. Plus, you also see the different ways he and Arcee handled the situation. Bee was apologetic when he accidentally crushed Raf’s toy car. When it was time for him to pick up Raf, he stays in his alt–mode, waits for him in open area while also stating his purpose, and then drives off. But what does Arcee do? She goes after Jack, blocks his path (in an alleyway btw), and transforms into her bot mode–BEHIND the school–as if to INTIMIDATE him before FINALLY stating her purpose.

Guess what happens next? That’s right, Miko saw Arcee in bot–mode.

(Note: This shows how Arcee DIDN’T learn from her mistakes. You’d think she’d know by now that staying put in her FLASHY ALT–MODE IS A NO GO…BUT NOPE. Don’t get me started on how she TRANSFORMED INTO BOT–MODE BEHIND THE SCHOOL)

But rather than coming clean about her mistake that led to Miko’s sudden addition…all Arcee had to say was, “Humans multiply"???

So, not only was she being UNTRUTHFUL, but she also PINNED THE BLAME ON MIKO’S CURIOSITY WHEN SHE COULD’VE EASILY IN HER ALT–MODE???

No wonder Jack convinced Raf to be untruthful and went on that race in Speed Metal. He learnt it from The Best, after all. Arcee is such a good “role model”...*rolls eyes*.

Now, on to my bit about her (continued) mistreatment and hypocrisy towards Smokescreen (the level of hate/saltiness she has for him is INSANE).

Arcee is the LAST BOT that has the right to lambast Smokescreen about blowing his cover. She’s DEFINITELY projecting here. If anything, OPTIMUS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO DO SO (and perhaps Bulkhead, somewhat, since he warmed up to Smokey Post–Human Factor AND the fact that he’s ACTUALLY STEALTHY. Those two aside, Ratchet’s mention of Alpha Trion made ZERO SENSE, Bee’s silence is nothing new, and Arcee…can shut up).

But that’s not all.

Arcee’s entire spiel later on GENUINELY ticked me off. First of all, what’s with the “in all his (Smokescreen’s) wisdom” quip when you NEVER IMPARTED YOUR OWN “STEALTH” WISDOM IN THE FIRST PLACE? (but maybe it’s for the best, given her “stealthy” track record). Second of all, you’re LITERALLY the only one taking issue with Smokescreen’s “screaming 38’s”. Don’t you have ACTUAL issues to focus on? Lastly, “making him (Smokescreen) an easy target” AND “concerned about Jack’s safety”? Seriously??? Have you LOOKED AT A MIRROR??? Have you ever done some SELF–REFLECTION ON HOW YOU DID THOSE THINGS YET NEVER SEEMED TO LEARN FROM THEM??? Heck, have you ever THOUGHT of setting aside your personal one–sided beef with Smokescreen in order to PROPERLY guide him?

Of course not. Because that’d mean Arcee has to own up to her mistakes and APOLOGIZE. Two things she’d NEVER do because she’s perfect.

I hate it here.

((Note: You know, the reason why Arcee HYPERFOCUSES on Smokescreen’s “flashiness” may stem from her JEALOUSY. Think about it, she loves it when humans compliment/praise her alt–mode. So, when she sees the New Guy with a flashier paintjob AND alt–mode? It all makes sense now! Good to know that Arcee is vain and borderline narcissistic! (I’m being sarcastic btw…or am I?))

In conclusion, the more we talk about it, the more it becomes clear that Arcee really is stealthy in theory but not in practice. With that being said, either Wheeljack or Smokescreen himself should’ve been the commander of Stealth Team. You know, for ACTUAL stealth (and character development for those two, given how TFP did them dirty).

That’s all I have for now, Blade. Excuse me for the…lengthy stress–inducing ask, but I’ve been focusing more on Arcee’s “stealthiness” and…yeah…it’s really ironic. Anyways, I hope I’m not too all over the place with this one. Thank you for reading, and hope you have a pleasant weekend, Blade!

Hi Jazzi!

It's definitely been a while, and I don't mind at all! Yeah, Arcee deserves whole essays critiquing her, especially thanks to the fact that TFP prides itself for its "realistic" approach to a Transformers show when it also gratuitously tries to eat its cake as well by having Arcee do whatever she wants while getting away with murder.

Yeah, Arcee's "stealthiness" would've earned her so many reprimands from Optimus in just Transformers: Cybertron. For context, Optimus was planning for the Autobots to just quietly inspect other planets for the Cyber Planet Keys, grab them, leave without disturbing the natives of the planet the Keys were on, and then go home and close the black hole that was threatening the universe and not bother anyone. When Hotshot fessed up that he'd broken protocol (he failed to mention why he did so - to be fair, the poor guy was so tired and fatigued he passed out seconds later), Optimus told him in no uncertain terms that he'd endangered the mission and all. Arcee would've gotten the exact same kind of treatment in Cybertron had she been transported to that universe.

Oh it's definitely cute - until she keeps harping on "stealthiness" while never practicing what she preaches. Don't get me started on how the show pats her on the head for the atrocious behavior she gets away with.

I repeat: The Unicron Trilogy (first and third installments, because the second one was a direct sequel to the first show) had the kids' involvement make more sense because they were out hiking on their own and stumbled across the Transformers rather than the stupidity of TFP's attempts at dragging the kids into the show.

You know, Arcee's whole behavior here makes no sense. Ignoring for a moment the pure venom with which she delivers the line "So unless anyone minds...think I'll get back to protecting HUMANkind", that sounds ODDLY directed at Optimus, as if passive-aggressively blaming him for Cliffjumper's death, but she LITERALLY GOES INTO TOWN TO, ironically enough, SULK.

(That's not just poetic irony - I'm starting to believe that was intentional. I mean the logical thing to do would be leave Jasper and draw them out of the location with a large human population to at least prevent her cover from getting blown. The fact that Arcee stops at an ACTUAL DRIVE-THRU while KNOWING the Vehicons are there.....it was on purpose. She WANTED human casualties, I'm convinced of it now.)

It absolutely could have been chalked up to teenagers "not thinking twice". The problem is, I have never seen any teenager hop onto a random bike, let alone get their hands all over it. What makes this worse is that it is COMMON for the "biker gangs" to be seen primarily in the American Southwest, albeit they're the ones you see driving Harleys and the like. From what I can gather/surmise, "sport bikes"' (like Arcee, take back your venom against Smokescreen you supermodel of a "warrior") owners tend to be more chill than the biker gangs. That said, it is widespread knowledge to NEVER MESS with someone's bike, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE OWNER IS. The only exception is if you're a big rig driver like Snowman from Smokey and the Bandit (highly recommend you find the scene of Snowman driving over the bikes of the biker gang who beat him up. Big rigs >>>> bikes every time.) Jack doing this, and then the whole show proceeding to shove down our throats that he's "responsible" is a walking contradiction, ESPECIALLY when we learn he's home alone with his mom. If that's the case, he's going to be the poster boy for manners and discipline; what we SEE HIM DO actually aligns with the attitude of a rich kid who's never been given a slap on the wrist for any wrong he's done. So the whole sequence with him there just purely contradicts with everything they try to set up with him and Darby Senior-ette later.

Wait....that's a good point.

Given she's Miss Reacts to The Slightest Provocation, she should've done something like creating a hologram next to him to chase Jack off (yeah that part...how were viewers NOT supposed to see a romantic subtext between them?), and given how he didn't notice his crush and her pal approach, it would've been the logical thing to do: let the hologram appear and tell him to get lost before bailing out. Simple as that. ("Come on, smooth operator. Wrap it up." Yeah 'Cee's familiar with this thing, or at least witnessed it; Cliffjumper was better with his illegal parking. Also, this whole scene of Jack and Sierra is giving me uncomfortable Sam/Mikaela vibes...) Miss I Work Alone should be out in the desert somewhere, not in public.

I mean, the fact that Miko is sitting still after school hours to draw a bike says a LOT about how unusual her alt-mode is. ESPECIALLY when you consider she is literally the only bike in Jasper throughout the show. Heck, she's the only bike IN THE ENTIRE SERIES that we ever see (wait, I don't recall a bike-former in RID2015 outside of Fracture....)

First of all, I thought Bee's windows were tinted? This guy saw through them??? Anyways, the fact that "sporty muscle car" is the only descriptor for Bee says a lot about Bee's choice of v-mode. Seriously, you've seen one Camaro/Camaro knock-off, you've seen 'em all - though again, the custom paint job is a sign that a street racer is in your vicinity. "When you're a superstar, you're paparazzi bait" I had no idea Miko was talking about Arcee this whole time (I can be evil when I want to be, hehehe.)

("And of particular note...numerous reports of a speeding motorcycle, of unknown make." WAIT, HE LOOKED RIGHT AT ARCEE.

Now, to divert topics here real quick....Bumblebee got his alt-mode called two different types of brands at two points in the Aligned Continuity. But if Bee was simply "a custom black and yellow muscle car", while Arcee was "of unknown make".....HOW IN THE WORLD DID SHE GET THAT V-MODE?! DID SHE SCAN AND COMBINE LIKE THREE DIFFERENT BIKES?!?!?! Seriously, what is up with this girl and her behavior? How did she get past A LITERAL GOVERNMENT AGENT who can't ID her alt-mode?!

Okay, so this is her canon bike mode with better lighting, I hope:

And this is a blue 2010 Kawasaki Ninja 250R:

Not only is this noticeably different from TFP Arcee's v-mode, but it's actually so much softer and sweeter. Like I want that one. And the fact that Fowler didn't name it....oh boy Arcee, get a grip on your ego.

So, lemme show comparisons this way (sorry some of those links didn't work, and please read the image descriptions):

Even if these are all guesses, they align very well with the models Jagex used. It's a little scary, and even without my AU, Flamewar in TFP is obsessed with Arcee, it only makes sense that she would look like her in her "stalking" of the Two-Wheeler. But, to your comment about my AU, there's definitely a lot of similarities between the sisters, with Arcee still carrying over many of Flamewar's traits that she most likely picked up from her in their youth.

Stealthy, thy name is NOT Arcee. And for someone who is constantly preaching about the rules and "being a team player", it sure holds zero meaning when she's called "a chunky clunky trike" and "ugly". So....her ACTUAL foil is Knock Out. That makes sense *smiles innocently*

Remind me again, why are we letting her near CHILDREN 24/7?!

Okay so one, "European design?" KO's is at least recognizable, and while this scratch is hilarious for the reasoning behind KO getting mad, it at least makes sense as opposed to simply being called ugly (especially since that paint scheme is way more expensive than Bee's.)

Okay so, this looks to be Knock Out's way of "having fun" with humans, because no way Mr. "Hey watch the paint!" would have done this otherwise.

And here, that was malice aforethought. Which all lines up nicely with how Knock Out is an amoral, vain Decepticon who gets in a snit when someone messes with his paint job.

"You scratch my paint, I scratch yours." Sums him up. Funny how Vince ragebaiting Arcee also sums her up, especially as the series progresses.

Revoke that title, now. Also sweet Smokescreen's taller than Bee and the Two-Wheeler!

It doesn't make a lick of sense, and with the alt-modes of Bee, Wheeljack, and Smokescreen, it's totally believable once we learn that Jasper has an underground racing scene, even if most would actually look at Smokescreen's v-mode and think he's a famous racer. It still makes sense even then, not the lone, UNKNOWN MODEL BIKE BEING DRIVEN BY THE TOWN'S BROKE KID.

(Ironically enough, I see Rollcage as a gremlin in many ways. Like the fight I keep envisioning between her and Bulkhead has Rollcage purposefully getting under his skin and driving him nuts to the point she wins the match - all while cackling away because he's such an easy mark. Put her up against Arcee, she's walking away with numerous wins and bragging about it. And that's before we get into her build!

"Arcee. You know better than to engage the enemy alone." I'm sorry Optimus, but have you met this entitled bratty half pint? Knowledge constantly pursues her, but Arcee is too quick to be caught by it.)

Raf makes sense. Miko does not.

"I don't exist. Tell anyone about me, and I will hunt you down." Yeah 911, we got someone who is threatening a child, please call the authorities. This was a bad setup from the start...

See, THIS is a face that is remorseful (annoying as the face is.)

And this is proper etiquette: waiting for the human to enter and then leave.

Yet Arcee, the beloved creator's pet, bullies and exposes herself to COUNTLESS PEOPLE AND LISTENING EARS, gets ANOTHER HUMAN INVOLVED, and blames it on the girl who went after her when she knew she'd been the object of said girl's attention.

(At this rate, Arcee learning from her mistakes would be OOC.)

Oh yeah, Arcee is oh-so-perfect a role model *throws the Bayverse Dinobots at her*

Yeah, here we go (agreed. Worst part is how Arcee's favoritism even among the fandom makes it so that her hate of Smokescreen is "justified.")

"Is THIS what you learned while serving Alpha Trion?! I highly doubt he would have condoned such irresponsible behavior!" YOU MEAN THE BEHAVIOR THAT BUMBLEBEE AND ARCEE GET AWAY WITH ON A WEEKLY BASIS, FATFACE? THE BEHAVIOR THEY EXHIBIT DESPITE BEING ON EARTH FOR *THREE WHOLE YEARS* TO SMOKESCREEN'S BARELY ONE MONTH STAY ON EARTH?! ENOUGH WITH THE FAVORITISM, YOU RUST BUCKET!!! And how in the world does Alpha Trion factor into this? Like, the dude has no idea about humanity, why should Alpha Trion care one way or another about Smokescreen transforming in front of a human, LET ALONE WHEN NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU HAS BOTHERED TO TEACH SMOKESCREEN THE ROPES?!?!?!

"Blowing your cover, is not okay." Woman I get Smokescreen's paint is really bright, but stop using him as a mirror. The man is better than that, and if you need to give yourself a daily reminder about not blowing your own cover, go take a trip to the Arctic to make use of the glaciers. Smokescreen's a living being, show a little itty bitty part of that "compassion" you're so well-known for. Gosh, times like this I wanna vaporize Arcee.

Oh it never is with this two-faced toothpick.

The fact that she's so possessive over Jack that she'd rather have the walking plot device in her clutches than let Smokescreen take care of him - who has successfully snuck up on Decepticons, evaded capture/serious injury, and has ACTUALLY WON BACK THE APEX ARMOR WHILE ALL DARLING ARCEE DID WAS POINTLESSLY SNARK AT HIM RATHER THAN SHOW A MODICUM OF CARE FOR HIS SAFETY - says a lot about her priorities, NONE of which are good. Because guess what dearie, Smokescreen makes a better guardian than YOU. He helped boost Jack's non-existent confidence without ever getting involved in a street race that called attention to either of them, AND DID SO WITHOUT TRANSFORMING OR OTHERWISE CAUSING HARM TO A HUMAN, WHICH YOU'VE DONE COUNTLESS TIMES!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, she's soooo perfect that she can't see beyond her own nose and has to belittle anyone else who accomplishes something she never could. If we tried getting her off her high horse, it might just kill her - but maybe I'd like for that to happen. Just once, somewhere, let Arcee meet the demise she deserves.....

I hate it here too.

(Oooo, that's a good point - it would also explain why she always tries going for Knock Out in the show. Man, this woman is so self-centered and narcissistic, it's insane. I mean really, up until Smokescreen arrived, the only one with a flashier alt-mode was Knock Out, and now that Smokescreen's got one that's even better than either of theirs combined, and is getting win after win under his belt, it makes so much sense why she's beefing with him.)

Oh yeah, and I hate how she's propped up as the "best Arcee" by so many people. Wheeljack would've been great in a leadership position, especially if Smokescreen were his SIC. Like imagine Smokescreen helping streamline Wheeljack's more widespread damage-dealing combat style while they sneak behind enemy lines. It'd be awesome (yes, the character development would've been so good for them - and while we're at it, just bench Arcee indefinitely. That's quite possibly where she can cause the least amount of damage.)

It was certainly a trip, Jazzi. You didn't strike me as all over the place or anything; I just hope I satisfied with my reply. I'll have to look at other things though, because I confess this was rather draining - or I just over-exerted myself in doing my best to answer between this, the heat, and the storms that didn't come but thought would arrive XD. Thanks, and I hope you have a good weekend too!

This was originally going to be a reblog of a post I saw with me tagging…but as always, I have thoughts, so an ask would have to do. That said, I saw this alternate design of TFU Swagger a while back, and I was wondering what you’d think of it. I think you should check it out first before reading the rest of my thoughts, though.

With that out of the way, on to my thoughts!

I personally HC that to be Younger!Swagger when he’s still under (your) Drift’s tutelage, especially with the more noticeable Samurai aesthetics (he looks a lot like RID 2015’s Drift, Jetstorm, and Slipstream tbh, especially the helm crests. I’ll also be focusing on RID 2015 Drift because he’s in the Aligned Continuity, and that I’ll mention your version of Drift here and there).

(Note: This whole time I legitimately thought Swagger’s still a Samurai–in–training, when in reality, he’s a full–fledged Samurai. Never realized I’ve been disrespecting my boy this whole time…my bad *facepalms*)

Tying his design a bit into your AU, since he was on his own basically living on the streets after his father died…I also envisioned him being rather skinny/malnourished as a result. It explains the stark contrast when you compare it to Present!Swagger, who appears healthier and is more buff in comparison due to (your) Drift’s strict training regimen (and the fact that she basically raised him as well). Though, I do appreciate the artists’ depiction of a more trimmed down version of Swagger. Nothing against his OG build, he could still stay as is, but I would’ve liked it if he looked like this in ‘bot mode, especially since he’s a Two–Wheeler.

Diving a bit into angst territory…I feel like Swagger would intentionally lose the Samurai aesthetics after (your) Drift’s departure. While part of it was indeed due to how he didn’t want the ‘cons to immediately identify him as (your) Drift’s student…a much more personal reason would be how it reminded him too much of her.

On one hand he wants to distance himself from her influence and memory, mostly out of pure spite and hurt. Though, on the other hand…he COULDN'T. How could he…after everything they went through together?

It was also during this time he began to tinker with technology. Given her background, (your) Drift had to be crafty, and as a result, she also taught Swagger a thing or two about technology (even if it's not as often).

So, it came off as no surprise that Swagger picked up a thing or two from this non–combat/physical lesson. As an effort to distance himself/minimize over–reliance on martial arts/his katanas, he’d turn to technology, and managed to create some high–tech gadgets and make some modifications to his pre–existing weapons that’d help him out in battle. (Ex. His cloaking device, his retractable katanas and how it could electrocute his opponents, etc.)

As a result? At first glance, not many (me included) could tell he’s a Samurai. A borderline arrogant and cocky swordsmech?  Sure. But a full–fledged Samurai? Even the revelation shocked the Arclight crew when they first found out, even more so when Swagger was comfortable enough to finally tell them who exactly his Master/Sensei is.

All in all, despite his boasting, one thing that Swagger often keeps quiet about is his Samurai background and the identity of his Sensei (even if his combat style and the way he uses his katanas are quite obvious to some Decepticons who pay close attention). It helps that he’s a Samurai who doesn’t act or present himself like a typical Samurai would, both appearance–wise and behavior/personality–wise.

In other words; Swagger is an unconventional Samurai. Sure, some more traditional Samurai/warrior (read: RID 2015 Drift, who gives Swagger a MAJOR case of déjà vu and is someone he actively avoids/is quite hostile to due to certain reasons) wouldn’t approve of Swagger’s methods…but hey, it’s not like his Master/Sensei is there to correct him Plus, it worked out well for him so far, so he’s going to keep doing it. Nobody’s the boss of him!

And honestly, I really like this contrast! It’s such a nice juxtaposition that you can’t help but wonder what was going on behind–the–scenes when Jagex was designing him and discussing what to do with his character. I mean, people are quick to point out and associate Prime Wheeljack with the “wandering Samurai” vibe due to his lone wolf persona (I’m aware of the “He should’ve been Drift” arguments/comments, but I digress). But I feel it’s a different case with Swagger, since you really can’t tell that he’s a Samurai at first glance, especially since his katanas are retractable and not visible like RID 2015 Drift and Prime Wheeljack.

That’s all from me, Blade! I took one good look at that fanart…and the thoughts and HCs just came flooding in, heh. Anyways, thanks a lot for reading my ask/ramblings, and I hope you have a great day, Blade! :D

(P. S. I don’t want to end this on a sad/depressing note…but given what we know of him, Swagger should’ve been classified as a Ronin instead of a Samurai. And apparently, Ronins are supposed to…well, snuff themselves after their Master is “gone”. This includes being abandoned by their master, btw. Just...wow.

But the thing is; Swagger’s bio and his weapons’ infos all describe him as a Samurai. So, what this tells me is that, despite his claims or thoughts of him hating his Master…he couldn’t bring himself to sever that Master-Student bond he forged with her. Swagger’s unsure if it was also (your) Drift’s intention to renounce him…but unless he directly hears it from her, his loyalty to her isn’t going anywhere. Is he in denial? Yes. Does he care? Nope.

There’s NO way this guys isn’t DEPRESSED after everything. That said, someone–yes, I’m looking at you, Arclight crew! Especially you, Showdown!–please give him some hot cocoa, a warm blanket, and a hug. Seriously, this guy needs it more than anything).

Hi Jazzi! It's been going pretty well, thank you. I hope yours is doing well, too!

Okay, I'll post the picture and give my thoughts on it since the original poster is deactivated now.

It's not that bad. Personally, I have a strong distaste for the art style of Animated, though I will admit that this kind of fits Swagger. He's scrawny enough that this, in regards to my AU, would fit him when he had been found by my Drift and taken under her (door)wing. And while I do like both the canon design and this one for their takes on his musculature, I do agree that something like the below would be better for him ultimately (thanks to @theangrycomet-art for creating such wonderful artwork.)

I think a design like Cliff's would work best for Swagger, as he's still small, but thickly built following his apprenticeship to my Drift.

Aww, thanks! I can see why - all the samurai themed ones (with the odd exception of Strongarm, but I don't want to go there) in RID 2015 had that head crest design, so it would make sense if Swagger picked up on that from my Drift. In fact, the art I used for my Drift kinda parallels that head crest, now that I consider it a little...

(Oh dang. I think I forgot that, too. So sorry, Swagger *hugs him* No worries, we both made that mistake!)

Yeah, Swagger is someone who had a rough time of it once his father was taken out of the picture. I do have to agree that he was shockingly malnourished when he and my Drift came across each other. Hard training and better food sources really helped him grow, though....maybe his growth would be permanently stunted? Come to think of it, while I feel he'll be taller than Arcee (and obviously beefier by comparison), Swagger might have lost any chance of growing taller from lack of food sources until he met Drift. She took care of him and all, but there's only so much you can do when undernourishment prevents further growth.

Definitely. Swagger would figure out after a short while that it would be a giveaway to not just who his sensei is/Swagger himself, but there were only so many times he could stand it whenever he looked at his reflection. The abandonment was still fresh, still sore, and it hurt Swagger too much to keep the samurai gear on.

But it was still her armor pieces he'd received. Still something he had of her, other than the skills she imparted to him. Swagger likely just packed it away and kept them close for the future. Or to look at when loneliness hit him like a meteor.

Ooo, that's a good point! Drift uses cunning as much as she does martial arts, so she probably taught him how to tinker with anything techy, as well as how to upgrade certain things. Was it as often as the martial arts training? No, in part because Swagger was at a stage in his life where he wanted to physically cause harm, not with guns and projectile weaponry. But it was there, and most likely often after a long day of training.

Yep: now on his own with nothing but himself, his gear, and his wits, Swagger took to improving the tools at his disposal to give himself a greater advantage in battle. Though even he has to admit that a part of it was because otherwise, he'd be too distracted by how he dedicated he was in following Drift's formula...

(Somewhere out there, Drift is proud of the only child she managed to raise.)

Absolutely! The skills are there, sure, but plenty of other Cybertronians know those forms, too. That, plus his arrogance and spite, means you don't give Swagger a second thought...until Anomaly saw a glimpse of the samurai armor pieces, and eventually the crew, after a begrudging, fiery confirmation of his samurai status, learned that ex-Decepticon Drift was his sensei.

"Boy kid, you disappeared into the mists well!"

Showdown after all's been said and done. There is no mistaking the pride in his voice.

Only eagle-eyed ones like Flamewar would take note of Swagger's particular moves, but otherwise? Virtually anyone, 'Bot or 'Con, would never stop to think that he was a full fledged samurai. He's got the skills, but so does Wheeljack, and Primus knows he's no samurai! And all of this is helped by the fact that Swagger, for all his cockiness, sharp tongue, and general attitude hides the fact that he was trained to become a samurai, and become one he did. Even Doubletake is impressed by the facade the young Two-Wheeler has put on.

Indeed! He's an unconventional samurai, but it works, so why change things up? Oh yes, RID 2015 Drift would grate on his nerves ("Why does he have to remind me so much of her?"), but he's not Swagger's sensei, and Swagger's not looking for a new one, thank you very much. If he meets THE Drift, his sensei? Then he might think about behaving as a proper samurai.

Till then, Swagger is his own mech, and no one will tell him how to live his life, including the code he follows.

Oh it's a beautiful contrast! I LOVE it! It really does make you wonder, especially since Jagex was obviously so loving of the source material, Transformers as a whole, and went above and beyond in their creation of all-new characters. I'm kinda familiar with the "Wheeljack should've been Drift" arguments, and while that's probably a topic for another day, I really disagree. Yes, we needed more of mad scientist Wheeljack, but his characterization in TFP was really good (and slept on, as I've said elsewhere.) So in light of that, Wheeljack's characterization was honestly good, if a little familiar to Western audiences (hey, he made the cut!) RID 2015 Drift and his students Jetstorm and Slipstream are the general idea of samurai in the West, which is fine, but Swagger really shook up that image we all have of the samurai. Man, I'd have paid good money to see someone write him intelligently as a honorable, code following samurai who didn't act the part and see how it went from there.

Thanks for dropping by, Jazzi! It was fun, and I'm pleased to share ideas about Swagger and his past in my AU with you and others! Feel free to drop by whenever you want to share more ramblings down the line. You're welcome, and I hope you have a great day, too! :D

(P.S. Same for Wheeljack, in my humble opinion. I mean the literal, non-kanji related translation is "drifter/wanderer", which fits both of them to a T. Yeah, that....the Japanese are hardcore, huh? 😅

So, if we translate the bushido code to Transformers, then Swagger not committing seppuku is a pretty big deal, especially since he could have been in a mental state where he would have done that. But, since Drift left him some provisions before suddenly disappearing without a trace, he could discern that she didn't actually disown/renounce her favor of him, and thus avoided seppuku that way. In short, there's enough evidence to support that, and unless and until he hears from Drift's mouth that she renounced her favor of him, he's not gonna do that.

Denial is stubborn, but so's Swagger. Nothing short of Smokescreen or Drift herself will really, truly, get through his thick helm on some matters such as this.

He's gotta be depressed. Good thing the Arclight crew takes care of their own, and that Showdown's Spark is as big as he is. Definitely get Swagger some hot cocoa, a blanket, and hugs. Boy needs it - Limelight, I think you can help with that, right?

Also @personizloading I see your ask, amd will tackle it tomorrow! For now, though, I will leave you one suggestion: Look up Transformers Devcon. He's a cool bounty hunter, and less likely to be as sadistic or hard to shake as Lockdown, at least until I do more research myself.

Okay, so this is different than what I usually talk about, because it’ll be me info dumping/headcanon-ing/rambling about something that’s been in my mind. Its random, but I hope you hear me out!

A while ago, I revisited Transformers Universe (I never got the chance to play it, which is sad) and read a bit on the game’s plot as well as the character bios I managed to find. In typical me fashion, I just had to connect it to Smokescreen. With this bigger Autobot cast, I just think it’d be nice to see Smokey interacting and befriending a bunch of the Arclight Autobots as a result because, let’s be real, this mech needs more friends (and not bots who constantly disregard or alienate him).

Since Universe and Prime are connected (from what I’ve heard, the two go hand–in–hand), I can see this happening. Though, my only gripe with Universe was the fact that Smokescreen isn’t there…but then again, a bunch of S2 (Dreadwing and Shockwave) and major S1 characters (Airachnid, Soundwave, Starscream) aren’t there. There’s no confirmed reason on why that is, either they hadn’t been included, or Jagex don’t plan to include them since their “replacements” are there (ex. Starscream is replaced by Switchblade as Megatron’s SIC, Airachnid is replaced by Flamewar as Arcee’s rival, etc.).

But even so, I’d like to believe that they just hadn’t been included (the thought of Smokey being sidelined for the umpteenth time saddens me), especially since they planned to add a bunch of characters such as Barricade, Grimlock, Onslaught, Perceptor, etc. Plus, in an interview, one of the PICs said that they had this 15–year plan of the game…whether or not that’s true is debatable, but it shows they had big plans for Universe.

That aside, I also noticed some similarities with Universe and your AU. For example, I just realized that your Hound is actually Universe Hound (though you have a more in–depth focus on his character, can’t believe it took me a while to realize that!), and the fact that Chromia escaped Cybertron alongside Ironhide, Prowl, etc. I think the parallels are neat.

I’m getting a bit off track, but as I said before, I think Smokey would get along great with a bunch of the Arclight crew.

His background would make it easy for him to relate to some of the Arclight crew with less–than–fortunate backgrounds, but remained steadfast and did not “succumb to the darkness”. For example, Showdown was a gladiator in the pits of Kaon, meaning that he likely witnessed Megatron/Megatronus in action back in his gladiator days. But while most of his fellow gladiators joined the Decepticons, he became an Autobot.

Another bot that comes to mind is Cameo, who, in another bio, is described as “An Autobot underdog from the start”. While it’s unknown if her status extends to her pre–Autobot/pre–war life, I’d like to think that’s the case, especially since it’s said that she “has survived by her lightning reflexes since the second she crawled from the Well”. Plus, given both Smokescreen and Chromia’s own statuses as underdogs due to being Mithrilians, I feel like they’d all relate to each other’s past.

But all in all, Smokescreen’s personality is what shines the most, with him already being a pretty extroverted and friendly bot. I can see him befriending many ‘bots, especially those with similar personalities, skillsets, and are likely at the same age range as he is, such as: Anomaly, Macro, Outsider, Sparkscape, and Swagger.

But among all those ‘bots, one of them piqued my interest; Swagger (a bit out of topic, but we need more guys that turn into bikes). If you look closely, you’ll see that both Smokescreen and him share a lot of similarities. They both don the same paintjob (many people mistook Swagger as Smokescreen at first), have similar personalities (though, Swagger’s a bit more on the arrogant side), ticks off a certain blue Two–Wheeler, and have similar backstories in terms of being “abandoned” by their mentor figures (Swagger’s bio literally stated that his teacher/master left him, for reasons unknown).

All in all, I think Swagger would remind Smokey of his younger self. Some of his antics would probably give him second–hand embarrassment, but hey, Smokey’s been there done that. Besides, as someone was often looked down upon, Smokescreen understands that Swagger’s just trying his best to help out (even if his exterior may suggest otherwise).

(Swagger aside, come to think of it, the Arclight’s filled with ‘bots with colorful personalities. Makes you wonder how a certain deadpan snarker would react to suddenly having to share space with them, especially since a bunch of them are skilled. She’s got no reason to complain about supposed “inexperience” or “not following Team Prime’s way” if that were the case. Hopefully not. Plus, I read that she was intended to be the mentor for the Autobots’ training room…while that’d be interesting, she really needs to learn to be patient, for her sake as well as everyone else’s).

Anyways, that’s all from me! Aside from the fact that Smokey needs more friends/positive influences in his life, I just think that the Universe bots in general are a pretty interesting bunch, and it’s a shame that we never really see them in any other continuity/adaptation. Plus, it makes you wonder how everything would go down with the addition of all those bots and cons (especially since Prime felt empty at times).

I’ll end it here. As always, thank you for reading my ramblings, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this :)

Hi, Jazzi! It's been good, all things considered, thank you. How about you? Oh, before too much further, Happy Halloween!

Oh gosh, you found Transformers Universe! I won't lie, I love all those 'Bots it introduced. The sad thing is (besides also never getting to play it, or having it last longer than 1-3 years max) that, according to something I read once, the Arclight's crew/conception was to set up what had been a larger Autobot and Decepticon force on Earth pre-TFP. Which also means, within TFP's lore, they're....all dead in the present. Assuming my memory is correct (given though that the Aligned Continuity is held together by floss, we can just pretend that never happened *grins innocently*)

Hehehe, I'm glad you noticed! Yeah, I just love their design for Hound and will take any opportunity to use my favorite artwork of him

Honestly, I'm well acquainted with Flamewar within TF lore, and I've been trying for years to utilize her for a story, she's that compelling of a villainess. If you check my #Blade's TF tag, you can find my current plan for her - and yes, she's in the works for my OG TF continuity. Before I delve deeper, I just gotta highlight the Arclight crew's base High Grand. It reminds me so much of Transformers: Cybertron's base of operations that I simply CANNOT leave that on the shelf! (Oh, thank you! The parallels were primarily an accident, I think - well, aside from High Grand, but I appreciate it!)

Oh yeah, Smokescreen would vibe with a lot of the Arclight's crew members, and he certainly needs more adult friends (seriously, Chromia is the oldest of the gang with Smokey, Hound, and Red Alert being roughly the same age. On Team Prime, Wheeljack is the only one who'd count after Optimus.) Oooo, Showdown and he would be great friends! Smokescreen might even see some of Roller in him (I've always pictured him as this giant of a 'Bot, so he and Showdown would share that trait.) Given they've both got big Sparks and understand hardship, they'd get along great. Showdown would also love to have someone who is both interested in his past and who won't get squeamish about the circumstances surrounding his gladiatorial record, or even some firsthand accounts of Megatronus'/Megatron's time in the ring. And Smokescreen would be ecstatic to learn some of his moves, and realizing how much of a quick learner he is would definitely endear him to Showdown - who may also see some of the younger, less noble Kaonites he wanted to help but didn't care for the offers he'd give them.

Hmmm, I'd prefer something other than a bike for Cameo, but I think you're right: she'd get along with Chromia and Smokescreen. I kinda have this feeling that Cameo's more skittish than they're used to, but still manages to lock-in and deliver in a battle. Chromia would respect that, and her ultra strong Big Sister Instincts would make her teach her some additional moves while Smokescreen would compare notes with her of surviving on the streets when everyone was bigger than you (wait, I'm considering her for Jack now - apparently Arcee was made blue so Jack "wouldn't look like a wimp" with a pink bike, but the dude could do with a kick-butt girl who isn't afraid to own up to her femininity in her paint job....I may have just started a separate analysis post brainworm, moving on.)

I don't think I can say this enough, but Smokescreen's greatest power is his ability to get along with all kinds of people. He has a natural charisma that literally got me to focus on someone who wasn't Optimus for longer than five minutes back when I was super fixated on him. There's a reason he got singled out by the Matrix of Leadership.

Anomaly would be a good one for their shared gung-ho demeanor, as well as Smokescreen not stopping from befriending him just because he's a "walking fallout". Smokey's niceness and genuine desire to be his friend would do Anomaly a lot of good, while Smokescreen would eagerly learn from his scientific and soldierly mind.

Oooo, Macro is what Bee should have been, and that's a team-up I now want: the two stealth operatives (with bright paint schemes) sneaking behind enemy lines, beating up the bad guys, and balancing each other out - Smokescreen's guns and speed matched with Macro's blades and unpredictability. That'd be so much fun to write, never mind witness! Dang, now I gotta either do something for that or - wait, Troy Baker voicing Macro! He and Nolan North would play off each other well, haha!

Outsider would be a toughie. I can see them being an "odd friendship", insofar as while Outsider would be on his own at base a lot, the one he wouldn't mind having hang around him would be Smokescreen. Smokey's no stranger to dealing with the "strong, silent type" who rarely speak, and I think even if he did the talking while Outsider did the - not work, but introverted loner thing, Outsider would appreciate having someone talking over the darker thoughts in his head.

For some reason I'm seeing Sparkscape as a hippie/innocent doper. Like, Amphiaraus of Hercules 2014 innocent doper: the guy who is usually smoking something but fully combat capable and who won't mistreat you because of the mushrooms he's eating. Smokescreen might initially find it difficult to bond with him because of that, but when he reminds him of that one nice guy who'd hang around the docks/the corner of Roller and Aileron's bar, he'd get into Smokescreen's good graces. I can also see a persistent joke of "you want some?" over Cybertronian drugs that never fails to get them both laughing.

Oh gosh, Swagger!!! He's one of my favorites, and I've been trying so hard to figure out where I could put him! I'm also wondering if I could swing Drift as his lost mentor, but IDK yet on that front (yessssss, give us more male bike-formers!!) Oooo, that'd be fun: Smokescreen seeing a younger, more aggressive/hotheaded version of himself in the 'Bot, and trying to help him out. If anything, they might be the only ones to lock horns from the two groups (just because Swagger is the type of guy to be aggressive/violent when pushed on his past), but they'd never come to blows. After a while, I think they'd come to an understanding and Swagger would mature from his old habits - though still with a distinct swagger to his name. (Swagger can keep his colors, but I'd greatly appreciate it if he were as lithe in build as Arcee. Don't go doing double standards for the designs simply because he's a dude - also, if I did make his mentor Drift, that could bleed into the family reunion later on...)

(Lol, Arcee would freak until legitimate character growth sets in! Hmmm, making her a mentor would actually do her development a number of favors, especially if they called her out on the whole "experience/no-nonsense" thing she always spouted off but never practiced. Hooooo, now I need to see her and Swagger trading blows, because she would trigger that response from him, never mind bad memories of his abandonment....)

Thanks for this, it was a fun thought exercise! Oh yeah, not only does Smokescreen deserve more friends, but Prime needed more characters. That's technically Hasbro's fault for hamstringing them, but dang if it didn't negatively affect the show's hollowness in terms of world-building.

@somereaderinblue

"What the Pit, Swagger? We needed Mismatch alive!"

Smokescreen was a very patient 'Bot. He could handle taunts and threats from teammates or classmates without batting an optic, he could deal with others getting short with him for reasons that were beyond his scope to deal with, he could even handle fellow Autobots treating him like scrap (it had taken a while to understand just how unfairly he was being treated by certain other 'Bots, but that was over now and he didn't hold a grudge.)

But Swagger's near antagonism the past month, particularly over the subject of his missing sensei, was something that for some reason irked him to no end in spite of his best efforts.

And the muscled Two-Wheeler's execution of Mismatch less than ten minutes ago was the straw that broke the turbofox's back.

The younger mech, his paint scheme a near mirror image of Smokescreen's own, made a dogged march toward the training area as the GroundBridge shut down in High Grand. Barely turning to him, Swagger snapped, "I was ending a threat and saving your hide, that's what. And it's not like the 'Con who took trophies from the dead would bend to anything, even torture."

A rare anger boiled inside of him, and darting forward, Smokescreen grabbed the mech's arm and turned him around. Optics wide, Swagger scowled at him as Smokescreen, keeping his hold firm against the other's attempts to squirm away, retorted, "Ignoring for a moment that the Phase Shifter was active on my wrist when he charged, you could have incapacitated him without killing him like that. Even if he didn't talk, we could've tried having Breakdown get something out of him."

"You're naive if you think a corpse desecrator would have even initiated a civil conversation with a defector," Swagger spat, his free servo darting for his Shifter. Without even taking his optics off him, Smokescreen nimbly switched servos on the Two-Wheeler's arm and pulled his Shifter wrist behind him.

As Swagger growled, Smokescreen refuted, "You don't know that we couldn't have figured something out, or even if Breakdown could have told us a more humane method for getting Mismatch to leak intel. Split second decisions might make the difference on the battlefield, but foresight wins the War!"

With a snarl, Swagger yanked his arm out of his hold, his unusual strength making it a far easier feat despite his shorter height. Turning on his heel, he ranted, "Fragging Pit, you even sound like her!"

Even as his frustrations mounted, Smokescreen's curiosity and desire to help his new teammate piqued at the outburst. Jogging up beside him, he needled, "What, I sound like your lost master? Maybe that's a good thing."

"Maybe you should bite your glossa into infinity!" he shot back hotly, glaring daggers at Smokescreen. "It's none of your business, what she was like! Stay out of our life!"

"Oh, so she's still a part of yours?" Smokescreen dug, mildly satisfied to see Swagger freeze and turn a cold gaze on him. Servos clenching into fists, the Two-Wheeler warned in a low tone, "Don't push it, Guardsman."

"Or what? You'll fight me?" Smokescreen pressed his advantage, taking a step forward and finishing, "I don't think Optimus would appreciate his subordinates tussling like street urchins, but maybe she taught you differently before leaving you in the dust."

As he'd expected, the jab did the trick - just not in the way he anticipated.

Swagger's frame shook with unbridled rage, optics wide with fury but holding a naked pain in them. His right servo twitched open, as if about to make an attempt on his voice box, before the Two-Wheeler suddenly stepped back. Turning, facing a nearby training dummy, he pulled out one of his Dynasty Katanas and, with a primal roar, threw it fully charged at the dummy. It soared end over end, connected with the dummy...

...and buried itself straight up to the hilt in the dummy's upper chest.

Even as the discharge made the dummy shudder and tumble backward, Smokescreen stood petrified in place, his surroundings turning into the Mithril Sea's infamous alleyways as he once more saw the drug addict collapse from the same executed strike.

He barely blinked as the High Grand's interior slowly morphed back into reality, his childhood memory fading as he saw Swagger violently extract his katana from the dummy.

As the Two-Wheeler swung his blade around briefly, Smokescreen lifted a trembling servo and, pointing at him with one digit, asked, "Who taught you that?"

The aridity of his voice surprised him. Even Swagger looked at him in confusion.

For a long moment, they just stood staring at each other, 'Bots once so used to the other's appearance now looking at the other as if he were a phantom of the past.

A shared past.

Finally the other mech sheathed his Dynasty Katana. Strutting toward him, arms spread out as he swung his body in a boastful manner, Swagger gloated, "Oh look, Momma's spitting image finally figured it out."

"You knew," Smokescreen realized, anger returning and shifting into something between rage and pain. "This whole time, you knew who I was. Who Chromia was, and who our mother is."

"I knew who she was," he answered spitefully. Stepping forward, optics blazing, Swagger continued, "You want to know who my sensei was? Fine. She was a defector of a 'Con who saw a War orphan and took him in, probably because his former size and colors reminded her of her real son. She took him in and trained him, had him up before the crack of dawn and learning how to fight, how to survive. She made him train until his muscles ached, to make him stronger because the universe is a mess and if he wanted to live, then he needed to understand that he had to push himself. And I did! I went through the Pit of training she put me through! I learned all the forms, all the techniques! I saw who she was, all of her! Her pain, her grief, her remorse, her fury, all of it! And despite it all, despite all our time together, Drift still abandoned me!"

Swagger was practically up in his faceplate, and this close, they could more easily take in the other's features. Smokescreen saw just how young he was in spite of the creases in his faceplate, and that in spite of the venom the Two-Wheeler had just ejected, he was in pain from loss.

The loss of a mother. Something Smokescreen knew all too well.

His anger was still there, but the pain of the fleeting moment he'd had with his mother was greater than it.

"So that's why you never told us who she was. Never told me," he muttered, consciously letting his frame relax. Swagger's expression wavered, clearly thrown by the reply, but he still hissed, "Yeah, 'cause you look just like her. Didn't need the reminder any more than I was already living with it."

"She did care," Smokescreen breathed, optics darting around. "That time in the alley...it wasn't a one time deal."

Swagger audibly groaned, spurring Smokescreen to look at him. Watching the other mech drag a servo down his faceplate, the Two-Wheeler insisted, "You still don't get it. If Drift really cared, she wouldn't have abandoned me, and you'd have seen her more."

"Do you have any idea what the penalty was for the lower castes to meet their parents, vice versa, or if either party even initiated contact?" Smokescreen asked pointedly. As Swagger looked at him skeptically, he pushed on before the other could respond, "The children alone would have been thrown into the mines for civil service lasting seven centuries. The parents would have had their T-cogs removed before being sent to the gladiator rings until they died in a fight. And if that didn't kill them, then the smelting pits were the preferred execution."

Swagger didn't move, nor did his faceplate betray emotion. But the short burst of shock and horror in his optics told him he understood.

"You were just a youngling when the War broke out," Smokescreen continued, choosing empathy over wrath as he reached out and put a servo on Swagger's shoulder. "It's a miracle you lasted as long as you did, never mind that your father managed to keep you with him. Abandoning Chromia and I was the best choice either of our parents could have made, and maybe Drift - Mother...left you to protect you from her past. She defected from the 'Cons, she would have been putting you in danger if she kept you with her."

Swagger blinked at him, looked down at the servo on his shoulder, and shrugged it off. Turning away, he crossed his arms and responded quietly, "You don't know that. You never even met her. You can't just say that that was even on her processor when she ditched me."

Singular this time and he hasn't walked away. Progress, he mused distantly in the back of his helm.

"And that doesn't mean we can't give her courtesy for what she did do for us," Smokescreen noted. When Swagger side-eyed him, he pointed out with a tiny smile, "That move you just used is the same one she used to save me. She saved you by taking you under her wing. The least we can do is offer her the benefit of the doubt."

For a long time, they stared at each other, the atmosphere still thick but becoming a little clearer. Scuffing a pede against the floor, Swagger glanced up at the balcony where the humans would oversee the training and mission areas of High Grand. Casting a quick look at the floor, he decided gruffly, "I'd better report to Doubletake about Mismatch. I'll see you after that."

Turning, he began walking over to the doorway that lead to the general room. Unable to help himself, Smokescreen called after him, "Any chance you could show me some of what Drift taught you after the fact?"

The Two-Wheeler didn't stop his march, but as he neared the exit, he answered casually, "Maybe. Depends on the audial-full I'm gonna get."

"I'll take it," Smokescreen replied as Swagger disappeared from sight.

He had a lot to digest, never mind figuring how to tell Chromia about this revelation.

But maybe - just maybe, the family unit he'd always longed for for the both of them was possible after all.

Drift - Mother, if you're out there still, wait a little longer, he thought, turning and making a dash for the recreational wing. I want a chance to know you, and maybe Father too if he survived this long.