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Rules and FAQ


General Questions

Which version do I download and print?

Use the embedded fonts versions of the PDFs unless your computer or printing solution doesn’t render the fonts; if so, use the rasterized versions.

Use the professional bleed versions if you’re looking for a professional look or you’re printing cards via a service. If you’re cutting with scissors at home, use the no-bleed home cut versions.

If your printing solution doesn’t like PDFs, you can download the bleed version of card images either individually from the Gallery or as a ZIP file.

If you’re specifically looking to print via makeplayingcards.com or boardgamesmaker.com, use the images in the ZIP files.

Fonts aren’t showing up! What gives?

Try downloading the embedded fonts versions of the PDFs to your device directly using the Download option instead of just previewing the PDFs in Google Drive. Otherwise, use the rasterized versions.

What is the complete list of cards supported in the Transformers TCG Community?

The Transformers TCG Community supports releases produced by Hasbro / Wizards of the Coast and the Transformers TCG Community. Be sure to check the Legal / Ban Lists page to see individual card bans.

Supported releases list

  • 2018 SDCC Convention Pack
  • All Hasbro/WotC and Transformers TCG Community promos
  • Wave 1
  • Metroplex Set
  • Autobot Starter Set
  • Wave 2: Rise of the Combiners
  • Devastator Set
  • Bumblebee vs. Megatron Starter Set
  • Wave 3: War for Cybertron Siege I
  • 35th Anniversary Edition set
  • Blaster vs. Soundwave set
  • 2019 SDCC Omnibots Pack
  • Wave 4: War for Cybertron Siege II
  • Energon Edition
  • Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack
  • Wave 6/BFA: World|Strike
  • 1C Open releases
  • Wave 7: Turbo Revving Old Punks
  • Wave 7A: Monster Menagerie
  • Wave 8/BFB: Waste|Lands

Future releases list

  • Tournament Season One Champions Pack
  • Wave 9: Ark Exodus
  • Wave 10: Hostile Airspace
  • Wave 11: “Ark II”
  • Wave 12: Shell|Shock

Gameplay Questions

Temporary Rules

The Transformers TCG Community has the following temporary rules in effect for all events (unless specified in the event details).

Belligerence / End Hostilities

Until Aequitas provides more clarity to the interaction between Belligerence and End Hostilities, the Transformers TCG Community has temporarily chosen the interpretation supported by the majority of former Aequitas members that both cards provide replacement effects that cancel each other out.

Black battle icons

Each black battle icon flipped by an attacking player provides Pierce 1 to the attacking character until end of battle. This is as opposed to the previous rules as curated by Hasbro/WotC, where they provide Pierce 1 until end of turn. This removes a major inconsistency in battle icon mechanics and brings black battle icons in line with other battle icon colors. Aequitas rulings and previously-established Transformers TCG rules here are irrelevant.

Eventually, all temporary rules will likely be formalized with the relaunch of the Aequitas ruling council.

Characters in multiple factions

Wreck-Gar, a character with multiple factions
Wreck-Gar, a character with multiple factions

Characters like Optimus Prime, Dark Awakening belong to multiple factions at once – in Dark Awakening’s case, Autobot and Quintesson.

They are disallowed for the purposes of Spotlight stratagems. For example, Decepticon Exhaust, Consumptive Condottiere is not valid for Villainous Spotlight due to his status as a Mercenary, and he is not valid for Enterprising Spotlight due to his status as a Decepticon. (See also the relevant ruling on Aequitas.)

However, characters with more than one faction may qualify to use certain cards that require one of those factions. For example, both Armada, Herald of Shrouds and Decepticon Exhaust would be able to use a Scoundrel’s Blaster.

Rolling Actions

Revving Up, a Rolling Action
Revving Up, a Rolling Action

Rolling Actions are a type of Action that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands. Rolling Actions are played on the owner’s turn tapped. While tapped, their abilities are inactive and unavailable. Rolling Actions in their owner’s played area are not scrapped at the end of turn like other played Actions. Rolling Actions become untapped at the beginning of their owner’s turn.

Rolling Actions activate their “When Scrapped” abilities only when scrapped under the conditions specified under “Scrap”. Multiple Rolling Actions can be scrapped at once as long as the conditions under “Scrap” are met.

Stations

Station ability icon

A Station is a type of card ability that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands. All cards with the Vehicle trait have Stations, though not all Stations are on cards with the Vehicle trait.

Keywords

Bandit

Bandit is a keyword that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands. Blue battle icons flipped by defending characters with Bandit have no effect.

Drifter

Drifter is a keyword that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands. Orange battle icons flipped by attacking characters with Drifter have no effect.

Oppress

Oppress is a keyword with numerical modifiers that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands. For each value of Oppress your battling character has, reduce ALL character’s Bold and Tough by that value until end of battle.

Traits

Action Master

Action Master trait

Action Master is a character trait that was introduced in Wave 6: World|Strike. Most Action Masters cannot transform. Most begin in bot mode.

Aerial Drone

Aerial Drone trait

Aerial Drone is a character trait that will be fully introduced in Wave 12: Shell|Shock.

Allicon

Allicon trait

Allicon is a character trait that was introduced in Wave 6: World|Strike.

Broadcast

Broadcast trait

Broadcast is a Rolling Action trait that will be fully introduced in Wave 12: Shell|Shock.

Combaticon

Combaticon trait

Combaticon is a character trait that was introduced in Wave 6: World|Strike.

Guiding Hand

Guiding Hand trait

Guiding Hand is a character trait that will be fully introduced in Wave 12: Shell|Shock.

Judge

Judge trait

Judge is a character trait that was introduced in Wave 6: World|Strike. Judges cannot transform. Judges begin the game in bot mode.

Me Grimlock

Me Grimlock trait

Me Grimlock is a stratagem trait that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands.

Pretender

Pretender trait

Pretender is a card trait that will be fully introduced in the Wave 6A: Tournament Season One Champions Pack.

Prime Master

Prime Master trait

Prime Master is a card trait that will be fully introduced in Wave 12: Shell|Shock. Prime Master can be found as a trait on battle cards and stratagems.

Road Drone

Road Drone trait

Road Drone is a character trait that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands. Road Drones cannot transform.

Sharkticon

Sharkticon trait

Sharkticon is a character trait that was introduced in Wave 6: World|Strike.

Tentacle

Tentacle trait

Similar to Battle Master, Tentacle is an Upgrade trait that was introduced in Wave 6: World|Strike.

Terrorcon

Terrorcon trait

Terrorcon is a character trait that was introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands.

Vehicle

Vehicle trait

Vehicle is a card trait that was fully introduced in Wave 8: Waste|Lands. Vehicle can be found as a trait on battle cards, characters, and stratagems. All Vehicles have Stations, though not all Stations are on Vehicles.


Specific cards

Wave 6/BFA: World|Strike

Battle cards

All-Out Attack

This card has errata in Wave 6: World|Strike 1.1. This errata was issued by the Aequitas rulings committee.

Angolmois Surge

Unicron, Chaos Bringer is a character from the community-created Unicron Raid.

Are These Wires Important?

As of this writing, the only characters in the abilities box that are relevant for play with Are These Wires Important? are the following:

  • Beasts (introduced in Wave 4)
  • Dinobots (introduced in Wave 1)
  • Firecons (Wave 3)
  • Private Dazzlestrike, Ground Command • Artillery (Wave 4)
  • Private Lionizer, Ground Command • Artillery (Wave 3)
  • Raider Ravage, Espionage • Saboteur (Wave 3)
  • Ravage, Saboteur (Blaster vs. Soundwave)
  • Steeljaw, Tracker (Blaster vs. Soundwave)
  • Trypticon, Assault Base (Wave 4)
Armed to the Teeth

This card will also allow you to play in multiples Weapons that can fit into a single Weapons slot, including Tentacle Upgrades and Multi-Missile Pod.

Assuming Control

As of this writing, the only characters in the abilities box that are relevant for play with Assuming Control are the following:

  • Inquisitor Drebzik, Exhaustive Interrogator (Wave 6)
  • Judges (introduced in Wave 6)
  • Bombshell, Insecticon Mind-Controller (Wave 1)
  • Bombshell, Decepticon Psy-Ops (Wave 2)
  • Mindwipe, Hypnotist (Wave 5)
  • Major Soundwave, Espionage • Spy (Blaster vs. Soundwave)
  • Soundwave (Blaster vs. Soundwave)
  • Trypticon, Assault Base (Wave 4)
Belligerence

Until Aequitas provides more clarity to the interaction between Belligerence and End Hostilities, the Transformers TCG Community has temporarily chosen the interpretation supported by the majority of former Aequitas members that both cards provide replacement effects that cancel each other out.

Brutal Conditioning

In 1.2, Brutal Conditioning is a 2 ★ stratagem.

CNA-Encoded Armory

As of this writing, the only Upgrades that can be returned from the scrap pile via CNA-Encoded Armory are the following:

  • Body Armor
  • Covert Armor
  • Energon Sword (Wave 9)
  • Polydermal Graft (Wave 6)
  • Power Sword
  • Rage (Wave 7)
Demolition Derby

Demolition Derby’s 1.2 text is as follows:

If your opponent has at least twice the number of characters on the battlefield than you → One of your characters gets +2 ATK until end of turn.

When that character would do enough attack damage to KO an enemy this turn→ If your opponent has at least twice the number of characters on the battlefield than you, untap your character.

Discordant Cacophony

The “When revealed” clause changes to the following in 1.2:

When revealed → The attacker untaps and the opponent chooses another character to attack.

As of this writing, the only characters in the abilities box that are relevant for play with Discordant Cacophony are the following:

  • Motorcycles (introduced in Wave 1)
  • Blaster, Communications (Blaster vs. Soundwave)
  • Frenzy, Warrior (Blaster vs. Soundwave)
  • Autobot Jazz, Special Ops (Wave 1)
  • Jazz, Outta Sight, Dynamite Lieutenant (Wave 9)
  • Sergeant Soundblaster, Weapons • Arms Dealer (Wave 4)
  • Major Soundwave, Espionage • Spy (Wave 3)
  • Soundwave, Communications (Blaster vs. Soundwave)
End Hostilities

Until Aequitas provides more clarity to the interaction between Belligerence and End Hostilities, the Transformers TCG Community has temporarily chosen the interpretation supported by the majority of former Aequitas members that both cards provide replacement effects that cancel each other out.

Guilty or Innocent

The defender's DEF becomes 0 during this battle. changes to the following in 1.2:

The defender's base DEF becomes 0 during this battle.

Loading the Cannon

Play 3 Loading the Cannons in conjunction with Sergeant Kup, Veteran Sergeant and the stratagem Death Crystal Cannon.

Shield Crash

Shield Crash effectively swaps your chosen character’s Attack and Defense values at the moment of play. Events that modify those values after the moment of play (like flips) work as normal.

Squid Pro Quo

For the Decepticon chosen for Squid Pro Quo, the bonus attack can stack due to counters placed on that Decepticon from other cards that turn.

The Dweller Awakens

This is revealed whenever the opponent plays an Action that would reveal or trigger any Secret Action in play. For example, if you have a face-down Infiltrate and a face-down The Dweller Awakens and the opponent plays a Peace Through Tyranny, you would flip both since the Peace Through Tyranny triggers Infiltrate.

United Against Tyranny

Press the Advantage is banned in many formats, but recent tournaments have shown its ability to match current card power levels post-Wave 5. United Against Tyranny is intended to be a PtA replacement that allows for PtA’s general card utility without PtA’s degenerate green battle icon.

We recommend that formats that have unbanned Press the Advantage also ban United Against Tyranny, as it is intended to be a replacement for PtA.

Characters

Axor, Opportunistic Fencer

When Axor, Opportunistic Fencer’s ability is activated for your Mercenary, the Bounty activated still belongs to the Mercenary and not to Axor. For example, Axor cannot repair 3 of his damage due to activating Detritus’s Bounty, though Detritus should repair 3 damage on Detritus.

Gilthor, Chained Amalgamation

For his alt mode ability, the enemy is not required to take the damage in order to be flipped. For example, where the opponent’s Flamewar is Upgraded with a Holomatter Projector, it can still be flipped by your Gilthor, Chained Amalgamation when Gilthor is flipped to alt mode.

Mind Control Collar

Its bot mode ability triggers KO effects normally, like Decepticon Quake’s.

Mind Control Helmet

Its bot mode ability triggers KO effects normally, like Decepticon Quake’s.

Nacelle, Eager Aerospace Engineer

As of this writing, these are all the Decepticons that can benefit from his abilities.

  • Arcana
  • Blackwing, Aerial Attacker
  • Bombshell, Insecticon Mind-Controller
  • Breakdown, Paranoid Scout
  • Brisko
  • Chasm
  • Deadlock, Bounty Hunter
  • Divebomb, Aerial Assault
  • Grax
  • Kreb
  • Mixmaster, Materials Fabrication
  • Monxo
  • Predacon Headstrong, Ground Assault
  • Raider Ion Storm, Infantry – Rainmaker
  • Raider Nightstick, Ground Force – Weapons
  • Raider Ravage, Espionage – Saboteur
  • Raider Runabout, Infantry – Soldier
  • Raider Runamuck, Infantry – Soldier
  • Ramjet, Sky Smasher
  • Ruckus, Combat Assault
  • Starscream, Decepticon Lieutenant
  • Thrust, Supersonic Interceptor
Optimus Prime, Dark Awakening

In bot mode, Optimus Prime, Dark Awakening gains the benefits of his faction Upgrade ability as long as the faction Upgrades on him aren’t Autobot or Quintesson.

As of this writing, these are all the faction Upgrades that Optimus Prime, Dark Awakening can utilize to buff your team.

Autobot
  • Any valid Autobot Upgrade (does not self-buff Optimus Prime, Dark Awakening)
Decepticon
  • Crushing Claws (Wave 9)
  • Electro-Optical Visor (Wave 5)
  • Energon Mace (Wave 5)
  • Fusion Cannon of Megatron (Wave 1)
  • Hazardous Shield (Wave 4)
  • Null-Ray of Starscream (Wave 1)
  • Zarak’s Shield (Wave 9)
Junkion
  • Decelerator Laser (Wave 8)
  • Head of State (Wave 8)
  • Hodgepodge Panoply (Wave 8)
  • Patrol Bolas (Wave 8)
  • Riffraff Knick-Knacks (Wave 8)
Mercenary
  • 38-Amp Ionic Plate (Wave 8)
  • Black Mail (Wave 6)
  • “Dutch” (Wave 6)
  • Subcontractor Agreement (Wave 6)
  • Valuable Contract (Wave 4)
Quintesson
  • Any valid Quintesson Upgrade (does not self-buff Optimus Prime, Dark Awakening)
Tow-Line, Signals Engineer

Tow-Line’s bot mode ability, when it qualifies on the battle flip, can return a face-up Secret Action, Action, or Rolling Action you played during the turn in your hand after the battle.

Stratagems

Hit Me With That Beat

Knowing the current amount of damage on Autobot Jazz, Special Ops is important to determine how much damage he takes when his alt mode ability triggers. For example, if he is at full health and an incoming attack triggers his alt mode ability, he first takes 1 point of damage, and then cannot take more than 1 damage for the attack. If he has 4 damage counters, first he takes 1 damage, and then cannot take more than 5 damage for the attack.

Off-Road Cycle

Off-Road Cycle enters play untapped. When the conditions of the card are fulfilled and it flips to its other side, it becomes “tapped” in landscape orientation. Once flipped, the Turbo Saddle station is immediately available for play.

When one of your Action Masters takes the Turbo Saddle station, return a Sidecar Artillery from your scrap pile to your hand.

Orbital Command

In 1.2, Orbital Command is a 2 ★ stratagem.

Your Orbital Command only grants the Guardian trait to the combined Captain Omega Supreme, Transport • City Defender, and not to each of his three individual components.

Pit of Judgement

Your Judge must currently be on the battlefield (and not only in your KO area) in order to use Pit of Judgement to return KO’d Sharkticons to the battlefield. If you use I Still Function! or a similar effect to return a KO’d Judge to the battlefield, you may use Pit of Judgement to return a KO’d Sharkticon to the battlefield while the Judge is still on the battlefield. There are currently no methods to add swarm counters to Pit of Judgement beyond the initial starting team composition.

The Solo Job

You are required to have a single Mercenary amongst the members of your starting team. The Mercenary can be a dual-faction Mercenary, like Decepticon Exhaust.

Third Party Brigade

Unlike when playing Recon System, when playing this stratagem and attacking with your Combaticons, you do not flip an additional card after scrapping the first black battle icon card you flip. This is a designed drawback of playing this stratagem.

In 1.2, Third Party Brigade is a Decepticon stratagem.

V2 Sonicsurge Drone Armor

If your opponent attacks one of your characters when all of your characters are untapped and you tap your Raider Ravage, Espionage · Saboteur to boost their defense, Raider Ravage does not become the sole valid target for the opponent’s attack due to its tapping, as it is being tapped after the opponent has chosen a defender. See the Official Expanded Rules for further questions on the relevant attack timing.

Vehicle: Off-Road Cycle

See the stratagem entry for Off-Road Cycle.

Wave 8/BFB: Waste|Lands

Battle cards

Custom Junkion Saddle

Just like characters with stations already on them, a character cannot take the Junkion Saddle station on another character that has been upgraded with Custom Junkion Saddle unless the upgraded character is tapped. You can tap the Custom Junkion Saddle when the character upgraded with it is tapped to help you remember.

Stratagems

Combat Deck

Combat Deck enters play “tapped” in landscape orientation. This means its stations are immediately available for play.

The City’s Finest Views

Just like characters with stations already on them, a character cannot take the Observation Deck station on a Titan with that station unless the Titan is tapped. You can tap The City’s Finest Views when the Titan is tapped to help you remember.

This Shall Be Your Ship

This Shall Be Your Ship enters play untapped. When the conditions of its “quest” are fulfilled and it flips to its other side, it becomes “tapped” in landscape orientation. Once flipped, its stations are immediately available for play.