Sawback

Sawback is an Autobot Mini-Con from the Robots in Disguise portion of the Aligned continuity family.

His feelings toward Fetch are unknown.

Sawback absolutely loves the game of fetch. It doesn't matter if it's a thrown stick or a fleeing Decepticon, this canine crook-catcher will give chase, relentlessly, for miles if need be. Once he's got a whiff of his quarry, he's unshakable. As tenacious as he is, once his target is acquired, this noble beast sometimes lets them go, trusting that their brush with justice will set them back on the straight and narrow. And if it doesn't, well, the chase is on again, and there's nowhere they can hide.

Some of the above does not apply when the target is a stick.

Games

Robots in Disguise mobile game

Sawback could be recruited to help fight off the Insecticon clone army overrunning Crown City. Robots in Disguise mobile game

Toys

Robots in Disguise (2015)

It's a dog that turns into a frisbee.

• Sawback (Mini-Con, 2015)

• Accessories: Armor sprue (muzzle-guard, left & right shoulder-blades, left & right axe/cannons, tail-flame effect)
• Known designers: Hisao Nishimoto (TakaraTomy)

Part of the first wave of Robots in Disguise single-pack Mini-Cons, Sawback transforms from a robotic wolf into a Cybertronian buzzsaw in a single step. He is designed to attach to and launch from Deployer Drift's grill-mounted launcher. He comes with a number of clear-plastic accessories attached to an Autobot-insignia-shaped sprue, which can be attached to him in both beast and buzzsaw modes (though the muzzle-guard really doesn't want to allow him to close all the way into buzzsaw mode).

His leg-mounted axes/cannons can combine with armor parts from his wavemates Divebomb, Dragonus, and Slipstream to form a robotic lion.

Sawback was later released by TakaraTomy in November of 2015, as part of the Transformers Adventure Limited Micron Gift Campaign. He was given away free with the purchase of 3000 yen worth of Transformers Adventure products at Yamada Denki and Yodobashi Camera stores, plus AEON "Cybertron Satellite" stores in Lake Town, Mito Uchihara, and Sapporo Hiraokanishi. This release of Sawback has a Transformers Chronicle mobile app-compatible scan-badge, but is otherwise identical to the Hasbro release.

Put a chain on him and he can be a pocketwatchdog.

• Mini-Con Mega Pack (Multi-pack, 2016)

This version of Sawback, available in a massive fifteen-pack of Mini-Cons released exclusively in some Asian and European markets, adds some silver paint on the part of his disc-border at his shoulders, and lacks his armor sprue.

All of the Mini-Cons in this set have similar minor deco differences from their individual releases, and all lack armor parts. This set also includes Anvil, Back, Bashbreaker, Beastbox, Divebomb, Hammer, Lord Doomitron, Ratbat, Sandsting, Swelter, Tricerashot, Undertone, Velocirazor, and Windstrike.

Merchandise

McDonald's

• Bumblebee (Happy Meal toy, 2016)
  • McNumber: 5

As part of the 2016 Robots In Disguise/My Little Pony McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, the robot-mode Bumblebee toy comes with a blue disc-projectile adorned with a sticker of Sawback's stock character art. This disc can be launched from Bumblebee's back, or stored on either of Bee's legs by the central post.

Dickie Toys

• Optimus Prime Battle Truck (2016)
  • Accessories: Slipstream figure, Sawback figure, 2 Slipstream discs, 2 Sawback discs

A Non-transforming Sawback figurine (and the disc) is available with the similarly non-transforming Optimus Prime truck. His disc counterpart can be launched on Optimus Prime's truck front or both sides of the built-in pressure-firing launchers. The Sawback figurine can be attached on both the truck top and the launchers, but since it does not really activate any gimmicks, why bother?

• Bumblebee (Mini-Con Deployer, 2016)
• Sideswipe (Mini-Con Deployer, 2016)

The Sawback disc, along with Slipstream's, is also available with either Mini-Con Deployer Bumblebee or Sideswipe, which can be launched from his vehicle front.

Notes

• Sawback had the working name "Wolfwire", used by a presenter at Toy Fair 2015 for the "wave 1 Mini-Con wolf". This name was later used for the Titans Return incarnation of Weirdwolf.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Sawback (ソウバック Sōbakku)
• Mandarin: Jùquǎn (Taiwan, 鉅犬, "Giant Dog")
• Russian: Sawback (Собэк Sobek)