Trailbreaker

"Aw, hexagonal nuts!"

Name: Trailbreaker

Allegiance: Autobot 

Function:  Defensive Strategist
Motto: "An Autobot's as good as the fuel in his tank."

Profile: "Looks like some pigeonoids can't find their nest." That's how Trailbreaker describes a full-scale attack by a battalion of flying Decepticons. He'll make light of anything, no matter how dire the situation, and has been known to cross the optic circuits of Huffer while he's in his rest mode. Even Huffer laughed at that one. He's the Autobot cheerleader. But there's a darker side to Trailbreaker. He is the most fuel-consuming Autobot and thus believes he is a liability to the group. He often has volunteered to be left behind in battle situations rather than use up precious resources. His lack of self-esteem is apparent to Autobot Leader Optimus Prime, who continually reassures him of his value.

Abilities: Trailbreaker's force-field projector can create an invisible barrier with up to a 30-foot radius that withstands penetration by all forms of projectiles, all wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation except those of extremely high intensity, and temperatures as high as 800,000 degrees Centigrade. A sustained assault on the force-field, if strong enough, can eventually weaken and destroy it. Mounted behind his head, Trailbreaker wears a radio-jamming broadcaster. He can transmit signals on 64 frequencies simultaneously and often uses it to jam enemy attempts at jamming Autobot communications.

Weaknesses: His high fuel consumption and slowness of movement make Trailbreaker particularly vulnerable in certain situations. He'll often mope about his handicaps and forget about his responsibilities as a consequence. But his bravery and defensive prowess are unquestioned, and he can usually recover his wits in time to save himself and his comrades.

Strength: 7; Intelligence: 6; Speed: 4; Endurance: 10; Rank: 7; Courage: 9; Firepower: 3; Skill: 7

G1 Animation Model

Robot Mode

Alt Mode

Alternate Images

G1 Marvel Comic

G1 Toy

Third-Party Images

Mastermind Creations Ocular Max PS-06 Terraegis

Mastermind Creations Ocular Max PS-06 Terraegis

Mastermind Creations Ocular Max PS-06 Terraegis

Mastermind Creations Ocular Max PS-06 Terraegis

Review

Trailbreaker was one of the few G1 toys that I didn't own. I can't really remember why; it could simply have been a case of lack of availability in my local shops. I know I had Hoist (I still do somewhere!), but his mould 'twin' passed me by. Thankfully there are several third-party figures to chose from when selecting a Masterpiece scaled representation of the character, but after considering Badcube's Speedbump and X-Transbots' Aegis, I settled on MMC's Terraegis.

My primary reason for going with MMC's effort was cartoon accuracy. For one thing, both of the other versions of the figure are too tall in my eyes. Speedbump is also mess from the legs down and Aegis too bulky up top, whereas Terraegis gets both the height and proportions more or less right. Some say he looks a tad short next to both Ironhide and Ratchet, but I think those characters are too tall, especially when you look at the scale chart. When comparing Terraegis to MP-10 and the bulk of the car-bots he appears to be almost exactly the right height. What really sold be though was how accurately he mirrors the animation character model, something made possible by the clever collapsible chest gimmick, which makes for a much less boxy silhouette than the other options. His arms and legs are also noticeably more 'toon accurate, while the attachments and head sculpt also tick all of the right boxes.