Tech Spec



Tech Specs, short for "technical specifications", are the character-ratings that many Transformers have received on their packaging or on Hasbro.com, ranking qualities like "Strength" and "Intelligence" and "Skill" on a scale of 1-10. These have also been called Technical Data or Vehicle Data.

While technically the character bios included on most toys are separate from the Tech Specs -— and are sometimes called out as such on the packaging itself -— the graphic design traditionally merged them into a single box/card (which you are encouraged to "clip and save!"), along with a reduced version of the character's package art. Thus, "tech specs" has become, in casual use, a shorthand term for the entire bio/art/Tech-Specs combination.

The current lineup of stats is:


 * Strength
 * Intelligence
 * Speed
 * Endurance
 * Rank
 * Courage
 * Fireblast (formerly Firepower, which meant something)
 * Skill

While these stats often correspond at least loosely to the described abilities of the characters, parity between characters is virtually nonexistent. Optimus Prime, for instance, has traditionally maxed out most or all of his stats, despite the existence of much stronger, faster, fireblastier characters. The only category with anything really close to a sense of scale between characters is "Rank," where faction leaders tend to be 10s, group leaders tend to be 9s and 8s, and most others are below that. There are of course many exceptions, but at least there's a solid trend.

Generation 1
Tech Specs were present right from the start. With the very first Transformers also came a packaging gimmick: Kids were instructed to "use the special decoder inside to decipher your Tech Specs." A fuchsia criss-cross pattern obscured the blue line that indicated the various ratings, so overlaying a piece of clear red plastic made the blue line much easier to see. This design was used for five years, then was replaced with a bar-graph design that required no decoder to read. The description was also changed from just "Tech Specs" to "Bio and Tech Specs". Generation 1 ended two years later, but in all the Transformers revivals and re-envisionings since then, the decoder gimmick has not yet made a comeback.

The MUX uses them as the basis for FC stats, with some alterations for balance.