I love Minicons (my preferred spelling). They are like Mark II versions of Micromasters, with more poseability and forms. And, their transformations are not all similar (box with arms and legs). Some of them actually do have quite innovative transformations - others, not so.
And my newest quest is to collect all the Minicons - and then collect anime accurate ones. I know, I know, shooting myself in the foot here. But let's begin with a listing of Minicons. We'll do them by series, and alphabetically.
If I don't have them, or I have an alternate recolour, I'll note them here.
I'm not including recolours, unless they are anime accurate (a la Dark Saber, Energon Saber, etc... )
Micron Legend/Armada
Adventure Minicons
Team MegatronEach has geared moving parts that can Powerlink with Cyclonus/Sandstorm
They are pretty decent, and sturdy Minicons, who can Powerlink with Cyclonus/Sandstorm to activate the special gimmicks, via some special connecting gears. I'm not entirely sure how it works - but I know it works, and that's what counts, right? Haha.
Aerial Extermination Team
Team Nemesis PrimeCan combine to form the Dark Saber
They are the evil, alternate universe duplicates of the Star Saber/Air Defense team, and they can form the Dark Saber/Vorpal Saber. I think they're pretty nifty, and giving both the Star Saber & Dark Saber to one guy to wield is just... teh cool. Hahaha.
Air Defense Team
Team Hot ShotCan combine to form the Star Saber
They form the mighty Star Saber, homage to the giant robot Star Saber, and probably the mightiest weapon in all of the Unicron Trilogy. My original concept had Galaxy Convoy wielding both the Star Saber & Skyboom Shield... but perhaps a Star Saber & Dark Saber would be just as teh cool.
Air Military Team (only have the black recolour)
Team ThrustEach has an additional weapon alternate mode
I've got the cool black versions - but not the original ones. Ooh. I might get the original ones - or I might not, depending. Oh heck. Perhaps I will. They've got no gimmick - but when you transform into a bunch of jets, you don't really need one.
Destruction Team
Team Cyclonus/SandstormEach has geared moving parts that can Powerlink with Cyclonus/Sandstorm
Yes, I'm assigning Transformers to all the teams. So that when the Micron Legenders are freed, they'll have friends to play with! They've got gimmicks that work when you roll them on the ground, I believe... but I haven't actually opened them yet. Need my shelves! I think, if I'm not wrong, they can Powerlink with Cyclonus too for their special features.
Emergency Team (not acquired yet)
Team Red Alert Each has an additional weapon alternate mode
Emergency Minicon team! Well, I don't have them yet. Can't say much either, but I'm pairing them with Red Alert since they fit the "rescue vehicles" team.
Land Military Team
Team Ironhide/DemolishorEach has launching missiles
I think these are one of the most awesome Minicon teams yet (besides the combiners), for the simple fact that they have launching missiles. That makes them the most useful, and devastating (firepower-wise) for "blank" Minicon ports that don't activate anything.
Race Team
Team Smokescreen/GrapCan combine to form the Skyboom Shield
They are nifty, individually, as robots, as vehicles, but as the shield... not so convincing. Still, since the Skyboom Shield is a defensive weapon, I guess it doesn't have to be as flashy as the other Minicon weapons, I suppose.
Sea Team (only have the blue recolour)
Team Tidal Wave/Shockwave Each has launching missiles
Besides the Race Team, the Sea Team is the other awesome Minicon team because at that point, I only had Transformers with "blank" Minicon ports that didn't do anything. But with these new Minicons, they'd act as additional firepower, and shoot the wazoo out of anyone else.
Space Team
Team Overload/Ultra Magnus Can combine to form the Requiem Blaster
The Space Team forms the biggest gun (well, Galaxy Convoy has arguably bigger cannons) in the Unicron Trilogy. I'd give them to Overload - but I have to muse about it, since he combines with Monster Convoy already.
Street Action Team
Team Optimus Prime/Monster Convoy Can combine to form PerceptorI personally think they have the second most useless powers in the Armada Minicon teams. They are already pretty, well, useless robots. And they combine to form a larger, but equally puny Transformer. Sigh.
Street Speed Team (have the Cybertron recolour)
Team Blurr/Silverbolt Has additional poseabilityThey have officially the worst gimmick of all the Minicons. That is... they do nothing. At all. Haha. They have "additional poseability". That's a nice way of saying - more joints, less powers. Ah well.
That rounds up the Micron Legend releases for Minicons. 11 release + 1 recolour - more than enough to fill any Unicron up. If you take away the 3+1 weapons, that leaves 8 teams - enough to fill Unicron's rails but not his sides. But that doesn't really matter, since you have the other lines to fill up the Minicon "gaps".
Super Link/Energon
Energon Saber: A recolour of the Star Saber
Perceptor: A retool and recolour of Perceptor
Well, we wouldn't really get new Minicons until Galaxy Force, really. That's not to say I don't have them both.
Galaxy Force/Cybertron
Street Speed Team: A re-release of the original Street Speed Team
Recon Team
They're... really cute.And so we have the Recon team. Who have no special gimmicks at all, but were made up for by giving them very prominent roles in Galaxy Force. As a result... you just had to get them.
Giant Team
I guess they accompany the Gigalonians.Giant Planet Minicons were a mixed bag. I guess they were to add additional play value to the Gigalonians. They have mixed powers - either you fire a missile, had a hook, or... nothing. Haha. But they were also, I suppose, the Decepticon counterpart to the Autobot Minicons.
Oh yes, I have them all. Except the Shadow Recon Minicon Team, which is a recolour. So... no. No Shadow Recon for me. Yet.
And then we go on to a hitherto forgotten series of Minicons - the Classics!
Classics
Clear Skies Team
They are also included in the 12-pack Universe release.
Demolition Team
They are also included in the 12-pack Universe release.
Dinobot Team (not acquired)
They are **not** in the Universe 12-pack release! Which means, gotta catch this one!
Dirt Digger Team
They are also included in the 12-pack Universe release.
Night Rescue Team
They are also included in the 12-pack Universe release.
Predator Attack Team
I have them! I have them! I have them! And they are not in the 12-pack Universe release! Phew.
And so that makes 4 of them rereleased for Universe. Thank goodness I discovered this before rushing to buy them all! Haha.
Thus, my friends, we have 13 x 3 unique Minicon moulds (39), not including those that came along as Minicon partners. If you do count those, that's 26 more - bringing the total Minicon count to 65. That's 65 different Minicons designed, my friends - enough to put any series into syndication. Haha.
