help out a noob with some TF abbreviations

[darthrage]

Hey guys,

I was reading through some threads and realized that I wasn't entirely sure of what people were referring to when people used abbreviations.

All I know is the obvious:

TF - Transformers
RID - Robots in Disguies
TRU - Toys R Us

But what is BW and BWX or BXW?? And some others I should know about?

Thanks, I really appreciate it!

[Phy]

BW: Beast Wars, the mid-90's CGI cartoon and associated toyline. Unlike G1, it is probably as good or better than you remember.
BWX: Beast Wars 10th anniversary, a reissue of a few of the BW toys, an event designed to make most of the fandom feel really friggin' old, myself included :P
BM: Beast Machines, the followup to BW.
G1: The original '84 toyline/cartoon/Marvel Comic. When someone who hasn't seen any TF media since they were kids starts talking about how awesome the truck dude and the guy who turned into a tape player were, they are talking about G1.
AEC: Armada/Energon/Cybertron, the last three TV shows and associated toylines.

[dak]

Armada, Energon and Cybertron can be seen as A, E, and C. Cybertron can show as Cyb.

TIT= Titanium
FAB= Fast Action Battlers
BWN= Beast Wars Neo
BW2= Beast Wars II
Alt= Alternators
BT= Binaltech
MP= Masterpiece
RM= Robot Masters

aaaaand there are more...

[Aernaroth]

WST - World's smallest transformers, a line of teeny tiny versions of g1 toys.
TFTM - Transformers the movie. Usually the '86 one.

[Shepp]

SWTF = so what the f.... actually, its Star Wars Transformers. star wars vehicles that can transform into robots resembling their pilots.

AM = Action Master, the line that signalled the end of the G1 continuity, they were fairly detailed toys with limited articulation that couldnt transform.

G2 = Generation 2, the early 90's tried a revival of G1 transformers, rehashing the show with effects that werent needed, and re-releasing figures with altered paint schemes (most were neon and other strange combinations). Near the end of the line they were producing new sculpts, some of which were very well done. Laser Optimus Prime (recoloured Scourge in RID) had amazing posability, articulation, and features that made it fit right in around 10 years after it was first released. G2 also had a marvel comic line.

TIT= Titanium, a series of die cast transformers featuring characters from various lines released in transformable 6" robot scale, and non-transformable 3" scale. can also be seen as "3TI and "6TI"

BW2 = Beast Wars the Second, a japanese series following the north american BW. it used different characters and featured a new planet, the destrons also featured some vehicles as well as beasts.

BWN = Beast Wars Neo, the follow up series after BW2. i think it takes place on the same planet, but i'm not sure.

BWR = Beast Wars Returns, the Takara release of BM, with show accurate colours.

BWReborn = Beast Wars Reborn, Takara's reissue of the original BW gorilla prime and BW t-rex megs. no others were released as part of this.

Alt = Alternators, more or less model grade cars that can transform.

BT = Binaltech, takara release of alternators, featuring die-cast metal.

BT* or BTA = Binaltech Astrisk, the follow up to BT, featuring posable female human drivers that made sense.

MP = Masterpiece, this series started off with show accurate robot modes, and then suddenly changed directions once Takara merged with Tomy Japan.

KP = Kiss Players, plastic follow up of the BT* line, and very controversial for having scantily clad pre-pubescent girls as the posable driver figures. the packaging and series in general market the posable drivers more than the transformer.

MW = Machine Wars, a short-lives series between G2 and BW featuring vehicles.

RM= Robot Masters, a reissue series taking some BW and G2 sculpts and repainting them while also including scaled down versions of larger sculpts from various series. worth looking into.

ARM = Armada, the series after RID, restarting the continuity again and introducing minicons, smaller figures that can enhance regular sized transformers by attaching to them. some figures were very good, while others were very back. the entire toyline was littered with gimmicks based on the minicons.

ENG = Energon (i've seen many different abrvs for it), the sequel series to ARM, where the focus was having figures able to combine with each other, and where weapons were made of translucent plastic to represent energon.

CYB = Cybertron. much confusion comes from this because it was never really meant to be a sequel to ENG, but in north america they edited it to make it into a sequel. the scout sized figures are some of the best in recent years, and the rest of the series has quite a bit of detail. once again, the gimmick (using a chip/key instead of a minicon to activate features) was widespread in the series, but not as intrusive as in ARM.

now for the new size classifications

Legends = more or less what the spychanger size used to be, but now features scaled down and very simplified transformations.

Scout = used to be named basic (which made more sense), the minicon teams fit into this category.

FAB = Fast Action Battlers, a size range created somewhere in between the scout and deluxe scale, with simplified transformations meant for a younger age range, but not as young as the old preschooler transformers. they are called "fast action" because most of their transformation is automatic via spring action

Deluxe = no name change. (though during armada they were named Supercon)

Voyager = used to be the mega scale.

Ultra = the next size up from voyager

Leader = the next size up from that. i think it used to be named Super

Supreme = since BM, there have been really gigantic figures released. Unicron comes in this scale.

Ultimate = not quite sure what this scale is, it may replace the "supreme" scale, but then it also might be something new. so far its only for the movie.

Real Gear = transformers made in scale to real-life items like cell phones, MP3 players, etc. the figures generally fit into the same size point as the scout class.

[darthrage]

WOW! thats a lot to remember but I'll get used to it

Thanks for all the help!! Much appreciated!

[Phy]

MP = Masterpiece, this series started off with show accurate robot modes, and then suddenly changed directions once Takara merged with Tomy Japan.
A show-accurate robot mode. AFAIK, Magnus was never shown as a White Prime on the show, though there was the Anti-Hate Plague coating for Optimus. Unless Takaratomy merged during the Starscream development process, and that's when they decided to give Kawamori free reign with the design?

(Sorry, urban. Minor quibble.)
Somewhat esoteric:
VF-1: The designation for the Valkyrie transforming spacefighter from Macross/Robotech, which would eventually be sold as Jetfire in '85.
FIRRIB/FIBRIR: Frenzy is Red, Rumble is Blue/Frenzy is Blue, Rumble is Red. Refers to an old fan argument about whether Frenzy is the red cassette tape (like in the cartoon), or Rumble is (like everywhere else.) Hasbro and Takara seem to have taken the FIBRIR position, especially in light of Alt Rumble.

[Aernaroth]

TNM - TRUKK NOT MUNKY. Another old fan argument about the nature of optimus prime.

[Super_Megatron]

MIB - Mint In Box
MISB - Mint In Sealed Box
MOC - Mint On Card
MOSC - Mint On Sealed Card

[jourdo]

TNM - TRUKK NOT MUNKY. Another old fan argument about the nature of optimus prime.

This is an argument? I always thought it was fact? :)

[grizzly519]

This is a great list and very helpful.Can anyone explain another one i've seen floating around evilbay.The item i'll use as an example was a rotf chug loose but complete mindwipe.Revenge ot the fallen i get(rotf),but what does chug stand for?

[pandaprime]

_C_lassics, _H_enkei,_U_niverse, _G_enerations

I don't like it. also a racist slur

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chug&defid=1004662

[grizzly519]

_C_lassics, _H_enkei,_U_niverse, _G_enerations

I don't like it. also a racist slur

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chug&defid=1004662
Thanks for the explanation.can a seller use that term as isn't classics generations and universe all seperate lines?Didn't know the racial bit.Thanks for the heads up.

[Commandoclone87]

Thanks for the explanation.can a seller use that term as isn't classics generations and universe all separate lines?Didn't know the racial bit.Thanks for the heads up.

While they are separate toy lines, they share similar aesthetics and mostly represent reimaginings of G1 characters. Since this now also includes many figures from other lines such as the PCC (Power Core Combiners), ROTF (Revenge of the Fallen), the Transformers 2010 sublines HFTD and RTS (Hunt for the Decepticons and Reveal the Shield), some people have been referring to these figures as G3 or Generation 3 (Being the third generation of the original characters).

As for the seller listing Mindwipe as CHUG. It may be because RTS Strafe uses the same mold and is considered CHUG (so Mindwipe becomes CHUG be association) or the seller is trying to bet that buyers have heard the term referenced by a TF fan and will be more likely to bid on it. Who really knows what they are thinking, but for me, the mold fits the movie lines better than the G3 ones.