Choose your last stand

[snaketales]

In issue 4 of Marvel's comic run five Autobots are picked to defend the Ark: Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Huffer, Blue Streak and Mirage.

Who would YOU have chosen??

Options are:
Optimus Prime
Prowl
Cliffjumper
Hound
Brawn
Sunstreaker
Mirage
Jazz
Huffer
Windcharger
Gears (recently repaired after injuries in issue #3)
Ironhide
Blue Streak
Sideswipe
Trailbreaker
Wheeljack
Bumblebee

Ratchet is on a mission (I think that's everyone).

Will post my team later - better get back to work.

[JJJ]

Well, with the hindsight of a lot of character development that Bill Mantlo and Ralph Macchio never had to work with...

Optimus, because he is defined as being better than all the other Autobots (even though he did bugger all, and repeatedly had the shit kicked out of him...)
Mirage is still in, because he's the cold psycho aristo. Although you still have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't join Megs...
Jazz, because when else is a special ops murder-bot more needed than now?
Trialbreaker, because a defensive last stand is perfect for those force-fields that got a lot of talk but no real use back in the 80s.
Sunstreaker, because why leave the other murderous psycho behind?

If it should turn out that Prime isn't all that great after all (hmmm...), then Cliffjumper instead, because this sounds like a situation for lots of really big guns and a suicidal bravura.

[Paulbot]

I've never questioned it before but looking at the art, they chose not to include their strongest Autobot (Brawn) or their actual "warriors" (Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Windcharger).

Seems like the best choice would have been

Optimus Prime
Brawn
Trailbreaker
Sideswipe
Ironhide

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I've never questioned it before but looking at the art, they chose not to include their strongest Autobot (Brawn) or their actual "warriors" (Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Windcharger).

Seems like the best choice would have been

Optimus Prime
Brawn
Trailbreaker
Sideswipe
IronhideI'd switch out Trailbreaker for Hound for the illusions (though I haven't read much of the Marvel comics so I don't know if he still had that ability or it was just holographic maps - if so then Mirage who was also pretty badass and has misdirection abilities) and possibly Sideswipe for Sunstreaker (ruthlessness vs willingness to cheat when necessary, plus slightly better arms and armor - with only 5 members every advantage counts).

[snaketales]

I have no idea why Blue Streak or Huffer were chosen in-universe: Huffer has no special abilities and Blue Streak doesn’t strike me as a fighter. He has to be rescued during the battle and then freezes against Jetfire late in the run.

I would keep Optimus (naturally) and Ironhide for his experience and endurance.
But I would have Windcharger up front behind one of Trailbreake’s forcefields and use his magnetic ability to mess the Cons up. I’m surprised we never saw more use of that ability.

And I’d stick with Mirage for his holo powers and fighting (he went back to fight after losing an arm!)

So:
Optimus
Ironhide
Mirage
Trailbreaker
Windcharger

[Seraphim Prime]

Just thinking through the list, you definitely want Prime as he's strong all round and the leader of the team. Trailbreaker can support with his forcefield and has decent personal strength. For he rest of the team, I'm wanting a bit of a balance between firepower and physical strength, so I went back to the tech specs, and Ironhide is your typical all rounder.

Otherwise the last two surprised me.

Wheeljack sits with the third highest firepower and fourth highest strength, and high intelligence and courage to use it
Bluestreak sits with the highest firepower of all the Autobots, he's mid tier strength but otherwise pretty well rounded - he's let down by courage, but figured his main roll is in distance work and he has the speed to support that too.


Optimus Prime
Ironhide
Trailbreaker
Wheeljack
Bluestreak

[Jetfire in the sky]

Optimus
Brawn
Ironhide
Hound
Wheeljack as medic in place of the away Ratchet

[Lint]

Windcharger
Wheeljack
Jazz
Cliffjumper
Bumblebee

All these guys have real experience defending Autobot assets from Decepticons and monster planets.