Skyboom

Formed from the Race Mini-Con Team members Dirt Boss, Downshift, and Mirage, the Skyboom is possibly the ultimate defensive force in the known universe. It is the only thing that can withstand the might of the Star Saber and Requiem Blaster weapons, but the full limits of all three have never been tested.

Linkage
The Skyboom, Star Saber, and Requiem Blaster were the "three keys" needed to awaken Unicron.

Armada cartoon
The existence of the Skyboom was first revealed by Scavenger to Megatron when the Decepticons managed to find a seemingly-unresponsive Mini-Con panel. Reputedly, the shield had the ability to resist the power of the mighty Star Saber sword.

Soon afterwards, the Decepticons managed to secure the remaining Mini-Con Race Team members, and deployed the shield in battle. To the surprise of both factions, however, when Sparkplug defended Optimus Prime, the Skyboom in turn defended the Autobot leader against Megatron's Star Saber. The resulting blows by the sword against the shield unleashed a beam of energy into deep space, similar to the Mini-Con signal that drew the Transformers to Earth.

Afterwards, the Skyboom remained in the possession of the Autobots and was entrusted in the care of Smokescreen. Smokescreen would fire the Shield from his shoulder mounted cannon in order to quickly transport it to a comrade in need.

The Skyboom was drawn toward the Star Saber. Together, they caused a signal that awakened the three Mini-Cons that combined into the Requiem Blaster.

Smokescreen/Hoist used the Skyboom to block a shot from the Requiem Blaster. He wished he had it earlier. He then handed it off to Jetfire to use on the Mars mission. While in close proximity to the other two weapons, it glowed with light and then all three caused an explosion in space.

Thrust asked Starscream to bring the Skyboom back to lunar base. He was then accused by the Autobots of stealing it when the Mini-Cons had, in fact, gone into hiding. Eventually, the kids returned the Mini-Cons to the Autobots and Hot Shot brought the shield into battle. Hoist threw it to Optimus, but Starscream grabbed shield and warped away.

On return to the Decepticons, Starscream presented the Skyboom to Megatron. It was then combined with the other two weapons into the powerful Hydra Cannon. Later, armed with the Skyboom and the Star Saber, Galvatron led the attack on Cybertron.

Betraying the Decepticons, Thrust stole the Skyboom with the Requiem Blaster to bring to Unicron. He took them through a portal to the moon and set them upon the ground.

The Skyboom was then considered part of Unicron's body, with tentacles covering the shield and the component Mini-Cons being unable to wake up until the Mini-Con song was sung,  at which point, the Skyboom then flew out of Unicron.

Transformers Legends comic
Megatron wielded the Skyboom, Star Saber, and Requiem Blaster during his foray into the Legends Universe.

Armada

 * Race Team (Mini-Con Team, 2002/2003)
 * Japanese ID number: MM-05


 * The Skyboom shield is formed out of all three Race Team members. Downshift forms the top of the shield, Dirt Boss forms the middle of the shield, and Mirage forms the lower portion of the shield. There is a fold-out handle with a 5mm peg for compatible figures to hold in their fists. The shield can also be mounted on a Mini-Con peg via the Mini-Con Powerlinx port on the underside of Dirt Boss. It is a little fiddly because of the shape of the head, so some characters hold it loosely compared to others.


 * The US card-back actually refers to the shield as "the plane Skyboom."


 * These molds were redecoed into the Speed Chaser Team and their combined mode, the Magnawing.


 * Grap & Lift with Race Micron (Multi-pack, 2003)
 * Japanese ID number: MS-02


 * The Race Team was available in Japan both as an individual team, and in a multi-pack with Smokescreen.


 * Race Micron X-Dimension (Basic, 2003)
 * Japanese ID number: MM-10


 * A limited-edition (but still regular-retail) redeco of the Race Team was made available in Japan. The entire Team was given a deco in varying shades of blue. This deco was repurposed as the Burning Rubber Mini-Con Team and their combined mode, the Cosmotector.


 * "Race Team" (Micron Booster, 2003)


 * Part of the first Micron Booster set, the entire Race Team is almost totally identical to the retail version, only this uses a slightly-sparkly plastic and paint.


 * "Race Team" (Change Micron, 2003)


 * Another nigh-identical Japanese release, these versions came as "candy toys" produced by Kabaya as part of the Change Micron assortment. These toys are actually a new molding, though based on the original mold.


 * Road Assault Mini-Con Team (Basic, 2003)


 * A late-series redeco of the Race Team — now named the Road Assault Mini-Con Team — was released alongside the Road Wrecker Team. In Japan, individually-bagged members of this Team were given away randomly with the purchase of Armada Jetfire or Tidal Wave at Ito Yokaido stores in August.

Universe (2003)

 * All three individual Race Team Mini-Cons were released in 2004 as Tiny Tins in their original Armada colors under the Universe line.

Energon

 * Race Mini-Con Team &amp; Space Mini-Con Team (Multi-Pack, 2004)


 * An unaltered version of the Road Assault Mini-Con Team (yet named the Race Team again) was released as part of an Energon-series "Mini-Con 6-pack" with the Space Mini-Con Team.

Cybertron

 * In 2006, the individual Race Team members were redecoed with all-new colours and released with Tiny Tin carrying mini-cases in the Cybertron line. They were packed in special Walmart-exclusive sets with figures from the first two waves of Cybertron ' s Deluxe class.

Foreign names

 * Japanese: Cosmotector (コスモテクター Kosumotekutā)
 * Finnish: Taivaan kilpi ("Shield of the sky")
 * Hungarian: Égbolt pajzs ("Skyscape shield")
 * Italian: Scudo Stellare ("Stellar Shield")
 * Korean: Cosmotector (코스모텍터 Koseumotekteo)
 * Polish: Gwiezdna tarcza ("Stellar shield")
 * Russian: Zvezdniy shchit (Звездный щит, "Star shield")
 * Swedish: Skyboomskölden ("Skyboom Shield")