Canadian Transformers News and Discussion Forum

[elburrito]

Please point me to it if this discussion is already on the boards, but I wanted to know people's ideas of rank structure amongst Autobots and Decepticons.

If interested, please post your idea of the basic rank structure and your reasons why. For example, one might say that Jazz is a Sgt. based on his depiction as such in the Transformers pilot episodes, "More than Meets the Eye".

Here's mine (only considering the cast of the first two seasons of the 80's cartoon, but not necessarily hoping for the same cast from you). I have signified high to low rank with a corresponding number 1 - 10:

Autobots

Optimus Prime (1) - Supreme Commander of Autobots

- this needs no explanation


Ratchet (Z) - Doctor (the Autobot equivalent of the
Senate to Prime's House of Commons)

- Ratchet is depicted as a medical specialist in pretty much all interations of transformers, and the Doctor can always veto or at least stall a commanding officer's decisions for medical reasons)

Ironhide (5) - Security Officer (Prime's bodyguard)

- Ironhide always sticks close to Prime, but does not appear to exercise any authority over the other bots. Also, tends to often impede plasma fire on its way to Prime with his own chassy.

Prowl (2) - Military Officer

- I cannot actually support this based on the cartoon, but there it is anyway

Red Alert (2) - Security Officer (Base)

- in the cartoon, Red Alert is often given charge of at least Inferno, but as often whatever headquarters the autobots currently inhabit

Wheeljack (3) - Science officer

- Wheeljack is given fairly free reign to create what he will and generally unsupervised. The same is not true of the other science guy, Grapple

Hound (4) - Scout

- well he's not much of a fighter, but tends to get important missions anyways and generally calls the shots when he does

Bluestreak (5) - Gunner, soldier

Sideswipe, Suntreaker, Trailbreaker (6) - soldiers

Mirage (5) - Spy

- not sure how to rank Mirage. He seems to enjoy a fair amount of independence in the cartoon, on the other hand, he seems to be a follower when in a crowd

Hoist (7) - I realize that the comic book Hoist has actually got some personality. The cartoon Hoist appears to be Grapple's assistant

Grapple (4) - Scientist

Inferno (6) - Soldier

Smokescreen (5) - Specialist (Similar to Steak)

Tracks (6) - Soldier

Skids (3) - Tactician

- While not much is seen of Skids in the cartoon, he is described as an advisor to Optimus Prime.

Well, there are my ideas. Look forward to hearing yours.

EDIT: I forgot the decepticons

1 - Megatron
2 - Starscream/Shockwave
3 - Soundwave
4 - Astrotrain

That's all I've got