Attack mode

Transforms from robot to monkey to coffee table and back!

Attack mode (sometimes called battle mode) is an extra mode added to a Transformer toy to give its robot mode and/or alternate mode a more combat-orientated configuration. It primarily consists of a figure arranging or adding weapons in such a way that it becomes more focused on combat than the standard robot or alternate mode. Sometimes it consists of uncovering weapons not seen on either mode. A good example of this is B'Boom's third mode. Another example is Animated Ultra Magnus; by deploying his cannons on his back and flipping out his guns, he goes from imposing to "beating you to hell and back".

However, attack mode may also involve only a slight shift from the basic robot/alt mode, such as folding wings onto the shoulders, like Revenge of the Fallen Ransack, or just pointing the beast mode head up on the chest, as with Animated Snarl. It is most likely that these modes are thought up by Hasbro to give the toy an extra bonus without actually investing in extra parts.

Toys

The Transformers and Generation 2

I play Downshift in attack mode!

• The Constructicons and Predacons had vehicular/beast attack modes that incorporated extra combiner parts and loose weapons.
• Many characters had attack modes made by adding loose weapons to their alternate mode including:

• Limbs from all the other combiner teams except the Aerialbots, Pretender Monsters, and Strafe who needs his weapons to complete his vehicle mode.
• Autobot Headmasters except Hardhead.
• Targetmasters.
• Powermasters except Doubledealer.
• Pretender shells.

• Many others could be made into "attack robots" by attaching their loose weapons to their robot modes.
• The Omnibots possessed vehicular "assault modes" with weapons systems deployed from their vehicle modes.

Beast Wars

Yup, that sure is an entirely new mode.

The term "attack mode" was used rather loosely throughout the Beast Wars. Several characters were advertised as having an attack mode in their instruction booklets, but oftentimes, this mode was merely the character's beast mode with their robot-mode weapons deployed. Nonetheless, the following characters were referred as having an attack mode:

Additionally, the following characters were said to possess an animal attack mode:

What draws the line between an animal attack mode and a regular attack mode in these cases is unknown. B'Boom and Transquito were the only Transformers to possess two separate "attack modes" each. Oddly enough, nearly all toys from this era were shown as possessing similar offensive abilities in their beast modes that would suggest they too had either an "attack mode" or an "animal attack mode". However, in these cases, said ability was not shown to be a distinct mode, but was alternatively referred to with the somewhat redundant term "attack weapons". Finally, Optimal Optimus possesses two vehicle modes, the names of which evoked an "attack mode": his "Hypersonic Attack Mode" and his "Ground Assault Mode".

In the guide book Beast Wars Universe, there are several terms for third mode besides "attack mode", including:

Energon

Aside from the smaller Terrorcons and the Decepticon combiners, every Decepticon has a Hyper Mode. Sometimes it is just a minor repositioning of parts, as with Slugslinger, but in many cases, it reveals hidden weapons or accessories, like Sharkticon's side cannons or Snow Cat's skis. In the cases of Scorponok, Shockblast, and Six Shot, their third modes (scorpion or satellite) act as the vehicle mode's hyper mode, the vehicle mode being a plane or a laser tank.

Animated

• Oil Slick has a hilarious "Vehicle Attack Mode" that pretty much looks like he's doing a pushup.
• Snarl features an "attack mode", that is basically flipping the beast mode's face up on his robot mode chest.

Revenge of the Fallen

• Depthcharge and his redecoes, Sonar and the cancelled Drydock, have a battle mode allowing them to transform into robot mode while still on the water and float on large boat-feet.
• Ransack and his redeco, Divebomb have a battle mode that consists of his rotor being pointed forward and his wings propped upwards.
• Skystalker and his redeco, Sunspot, have a battle mode.

The entire Stealth Force concept can be considered attack modes for a Transformer's alternate form, and several toys from Dark of the Moon toyline have the ability to deploy weapons (or at least ports to peg weapons onto) in vehicle mode to simulate it.

Notes

• A Transformer with an attack mode as the third mode isn't usually a Triple Changer. Some of them weren't labeled or identified as Triple Changers until several years after the release of the toys.

• Apache's third mode is called "Angry Combat Mode".

See also

• Stealth Force
• Retroactively labeled Triple Changers
• Transportation mode
• Transformers with three modes

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