Adventure Mini-Con Team

Clockwise from left: Ransack, Dune Runner, Iceberg. 'Cause baby, there ain't no mountain high enough...

Between its three members, the Adventure Mini-Con Team can handle any terrain. They dig in deep and plow their way across frozen wilderness, parched deserts or deep swamps to get the job done!

The Adventure Mini-Con Team is composed of

• Dune Runner the buggy.
• Iceberg the snow-tracker.
• Ransack the pickup truck.

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

Linkage

Dune Runner was one of the many Mini-Cons who responded to Combusta's signal and turned up to help reformat Ravenus, an Autobot tainted by Unicron's power. Later, Dune Runner, Ransack, and the rest of the Mini-Cons joined the Autobots on the Axalon just before its launch to Cybertron. Linkage Part 12

Cybertron comic

Ransack was part of an army of insurgent Mini-Cons plotting to destroy a Mini-Con colony on one of Cybertron's moons. He bore witness to Unicron, the insurgents' secret ally, turning on them and killing everyone around him. Revelations Part 5

Dreamwave Armada comic

The Adventure Mini-Con Team was stationed on Earth's Moon for millennia, under Dualor's command in the Mini-Con Moonbase. The team prepared defenses when the Decepticons discovered the base Armada #9 and assaulted Megatron when he broke in. Armada #10 The battle between Dualor and Leader-1 wrecked the bases defenses, the Adventure team and the rest of the inhabitants were forced to evacuate in escape pods. Armada #11

Later, after (temporarily) siding with the Autobots, the Adventure Team was dispatched to Alaska in order to retrieve the last Mini-Con escape pod from the Moonbase. However, when the team started digging, they were interrupted by Thrust, then the super-powered Cyclonus, who scattered the team. Fire & Ice The Autobots subsequently managed to recover them all. Armada #13

They gathered with the Earth-based Mini-Cons at Arizona's Black Mesa to take the space bridge back to Cybertron to battle Unicron. There, at the Loop in Cyber City, Dune Runner and presumably the rest of the team gave their energy to the Mini-Con Matrix that was used to deliver a critical blow to Unicron. The End

Fire in the Dark

Ransack and Dune Runner, along with Laserbeak, managed to get on an archeological expedition to the Labná ruins in Mexico. Ransack inadvertently caused a cave in, plunging himself and Doctor Jessica Theist into a cavern. It turned out to be a lucky accident, as they discovered a message on the cave wall, recorded by Rhinox and detailing the adventures of the Natiltec tribe, who encountered a race of beast warriors. Fire in the Dark

Toys

Armada

• Adventure Mini-Con Team (Mini-Con 3-pack, 2002 / 2003)

• Takara ID number: MM-16
• Takara release date: August 28 2003
• Known designers: Takashi Kunihiro (Takara), Joe Kyde (deco artist)

The Adventure Mini-Con Team (Dune Runner, Iceberg, and Ransack) are a trio of tiny robots who turn into tiny off-road vehicles. As Mini-Cons, they each have a Powerlinx port that allows them to connect to toys with compatible Powerlinx plugs, activating gimmicks on the larger toys when attached to a "live" plug. Each toy also has a gear-wheel system that moves some part of their vehicle mode when pushed along. They can also be attached to the underside of the Armada Cyclonus mold, interacting with the Decepticon’s gear-wheel rotor system so their action gimmick moves as Cyclonus's rotor-trigger is pulled.

This version of the Team was nominally available as a three-pack, sold in third assortment of Mini-Con teams in Hasbro's Armada line. This release was also made available in a clamshelled two-pack at various retail outlets: so far, all samples of packs with the Adventure Team known have come with the Street Speed Team as their pack-in partners. In Japan, the pack was part of the seventh wave of Takara's Legend of the Microns product in Japan. Aside from packaging, there are no noteworthy differences between the two companies' releases.

This mold-set was used to make the pack-in partner Mini-Cons Armorhide, Cliffjumper and Ironhide; the Off-Road Mini-Con Team; and the Lunar Assault Mini-Con Team.

Also known as "Grapventure"

• Grap Supermode & Adventure Micron (Multi-pack, 2003)

• ID number: MS-07
• Release date: August 28, 2003

The Adventure Team were also available in Japan in a multi-pack with Hoist and Refute.

All the toys were identical to their individual releases.

Ain't no valley low enough... Ain't no river wide enough...

• Adventure Micron Exdimensions (Mini-Con 3-pack, 2003)

• ID number: MM-19
• Release date: September 11 2003

A somewhat more limited-edition -but still regular retail-redeco of the Adventure Team was released by Takara as part of the Exdimensions series, released in the eighth wave of the line. This version of the team is decked out in rather vibrant colors, and even get some new paint applications, a rarity among the Exdimensions.

The packaging is nearly identical to the original Takara three-pack, showing the Team in their original colors in both art and photography; the Team name is now in silver foil and marked with "Exdimensions" (エクスディメンションズ Ekusudimenshonzu) underneath.

This deco was repurposed as the All-Terrain Excursion Team.

• Battle for the Matrix (Multi-pack, 2003)

• Release date: November 28, 2003

Part of a Kmart exclusive multi-pack released on Black Friday, this version of the Adventure Team is unchanged from the original release.

This set also includes a gold Optimus Prime with unchanged-from-normal-release versions of Sparkplug, Jetfire, and —oddly enough— Longarm.

• Powerlinx Cyclonus with Powerlinx Crumplezone (Super-Con Class, 2003)

• Powerlinx Hot Shot with Powerlinx Jolt (Super-Con Class, 2003)

• Release date: November 28, 2003

In November of 2003, US Toys"R"Us stores had special bonus pack Super-Con toys, which came with a single bonus Mini-Con attached to the card over their sticker, for less than the price as a normal Super-Con during Toys"R"Us's post-Thanksgiving-day sale.

One member of the Adventure Team was added to both Powerlinx Hot Shot and Powerlinx Cyclonus.

To keep me from getting to... Aww, scrap.

• Adventure Mini-Con Team (Mini-Con 3-pack, 2004)

A partial redeco of this team, changing only the Team's plastic colors while using the same paint masks/colors, has been found on Unicron Battles packaging.

It is unknown the exact nature of this set; it is possible that a late-series redeco was in the works but canned, and that this would have involved a paint scheme change before the final release like with the other redecoed Mini-Con Teams.

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Energon

• Adventure Mini-Con Team / Sea Mini-Con Team (Multi-pack, 2004)

The Adventure Team was given a straight re-release in the Energon series, in a six-pack with the Sea Mini-Con Team.

This set was one of three 6-packs available at US Toys"R"Us stores, and the only one of the three that was not a "shared exclusive" with Walmart.

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Adventure Micron (アドベンチャーマイクロン Adobenchā Maikuron)
• French: Équipe des Aventuriers Minimodus ("Adventurer Mini-Con Team")
• Spanish: Los Minimodus - Equipo de Aventuras ("The Mini-Cons - Adventures Team")