Battle Masters are characters that start in bot mode and can be played in their upgrade mode
after they are KO’d. Battle Masters don’t have an alt mode and can’t flip while they are on the
battlefield. There are both Autobot and Decepticon Battle Masters.
Battle Masters are the same size as battle cards! What does that mean?
[Source: WotC] 
The size of the card doesn’t change how they play. While in bot mode, Battle Masters are
just like other characters. They can attack and be attacked, they can be damaged, they can be
upgraded, and so on.
If Battle Masters don’t have an alt mode, how do they start the game?
[Source: WotC]
They start on the battlefield in bot mode.
If a card tells me to flip a Battle Master, what happens?
[Source: WotC]
It doesn’t flip. It just stays in bot mode. If the card has additional instructions, those are still
followed if possible.
If a Battle Master in bot mode is KO’d, you can immediately flip the card and play its other
mode.
Most of the time, characters are KO’d on their opponent’s turn. If that happens to my Battle
Master, can I still play the upgrade?
[Source: WotC]
Yes. This may cause some abilities to trigger that normally don’t during your opponent’s turn.
When I play the Battle Master in upgrade mode, does it count as my upgrade play for the
turn?
[Source: WotC]
No. If you played an upgrade earlier in the turn, you can still play the Battle Master in its
upgrade mode after it’s KO’d in bot mode.
In some unusual situations, your Battle Master in bot mode is KO’d during your turn before you
attack. Playing the upgrade mode in those situations doesn’t stop you from then playing an
upgrade from your hand before you attack.
What happens if the Battle Master upgrade would leave the battlefield?
[Source: WotC]
If that happens, the card is put into your KO area with its upgrade mode face up. This can
happen if the upgrade would be returned to your hand, returned to your deck, directly
scrapped, or if the character that had it is KO’d.
Battle Masters in your KO area will be in their upgrade mode, either because they were played and subsequently left the battlefield or because you didn’t play the upgrade after the character was KO’d. This means they won’t be characters in the KO area and won’t add to
Private Sideswipe’s bonus.
All the rules that apply to Battle Masters also apply to
Weaponizers.
Sergeant Cog represents more advanced weaponry. Sergeant Cog’s card is the same size as most characters.
Battle Masters and
Weaponizers are characters that start in bot mode and can be played in their Upgrade mode after they are KO’d. They don’t have alt modes and can’t flip while they are on the battlefield.
In Siege 2 (Wave 4), there are two Weaponizers, each made up of two cards. They start assembled together in bot mode. When one of these Weaponizers is KO’d, it splits into two different Upgrades that you can then play. These Upgrades can be played on separate characters or onto the same character.
After a Battle Master or Weaponizer Upgrade would leave the battlefield, it’s put into your KO area instead.
No. When in Upgrade mode, Battle Masters do not count as characters, so they would not be counted by
Emergency Maintenance on the battlefield or in the KO area.
Once a Battle Master is in the KO pile does it still count as a character while in it's upgrade mode? Can I bring it back to the field with ISF? Is it forced back into bot mode to take the damage if it can? If not does it automatically equip? if it can equip, is it forced to ko pile at the end of the turn?
[Source: WotC]
No, no, not applicable, not applicable, not applicable.
Can you use I Still Function to replay a Battle Master?
[Source: WotC]
Hard no.
When
KO’d, a Battle Master comes back as a weapon. Then once it gets destroyed, it goes into the KO area. My question is, can you flip it back to bot mode in the KO area after it falls off?
[Source: WotC]
No. You may only flip characters in the
KO area using your normal once-per-turn flip.
Do you have to attach the Battle Master's Upgrade side? My Wife pulled 2 Lionizers in Turbo Sealed but pull no Orange. When I KO'd Lionizer, would she be forced to scrap
EM24 IR Laser Launcher, or could she choose not to attach Lionizer?
[Source: WotC]
Yes, you must attach the Battle Master's Upgrade side. When you attach the Battle Master, you must scrap the older upgrade; in this case,
EM24 IR Laser Launcher.
If I were to have any Battle Master in upgrade form attached to a character ,and my opponent plays
Raider Ion Storm's ability of "when this attacks return the defender's upgrade to its owner's hand," what happens to the Battle Masters? If they leave the battlefield, do they go to the KO area?
[Source: WotC]
Yes. They go to the KO area.
Same scenario, but my weapon is a Battle Master/
Weaponizer.
In both scenarios,
Spare Parts does not protect your weapon. A Battle Master or Weaponizer in weapon mode would go to KO rather than to your hand.
If a Battle Master or
Weaponizer is in the
KO Pile, and the match runs to time and damage on all characters is assessed, should they count their damage for that total, or are they simply an upgrade with no damage on them?
[Source: WotC]
They are an upgrade with no damage on them.
This FAQ item refers to a form of tie-breaker from November 2019 tournament rules prior to November 2019. It is no longer relevant.
If I KO my opponent’s Battle Master and it has a
Dismantling Claw on it, and it scraps my Dismantling Claw, I think my Dismantling Claw would therefore scrap the newly applied Battle Master due to he is now a weapon on my opponents bot. Is that correct?
[Source: WotC]
That is correct.
Would Cornered work on a Battle Master causing it to flip to its upgrade side? If yes, what would happen to the upgrade?
[Source: WotC]
No, you can’t flip a Battle Master while it’s on the battlefield.
Regarding when Battle Masters go to the
KO area when they're removed from the battlefield in upgrade mode: Do they switch to bot mode when they go there or do they stay in upgrade mode? And if they do stay in upgrade mode, how does this interact with
Emergency Maintenance?
[Source: WotC]
They stay on their Upgrade side and it does not interact with
Emergency Maintenance because upgrades are not counted as characters.
So, when a Battle Master is
KO'd, does it count as a KO since they are technically not sent to the KO pile? Or is the instance of "KO" simply contingent on reaching your HP total?
[Source: WotC]
It is a
KO and they go to the KO Area, before flipping to its Upgrade side.
Speaking of when a Battle Master is
KO'd, it states that you "play" the Upgrade side. Does that mean that you are technically Upgrading a character triggering effects like
Wheeljack's alt mode? Furthermore--and I think I know the answer to this question--does this "play" take up the Upgrade for a turn?
[Source: WotC]
Playing the Upgrade side of a Battle Master is just like playing an Upgrade from anywhere else.
Wheeljack’s ability will trigger. As you probably know, this does not count as the one upgrade for your turn.
Does an Autobot Battle Master in upgrade mode on a character still count as an Autobot on the battlefield when putting cards on your KO area for
Daring Escape?
[Source: WotC]
Why is it you cannot increase a character’s attack with a reattached Battle Master during an attack, but you can increase
Optimus Prime - Battlefield Legend’s attack if you flip an action like Leap into Battle? How is this any different to using OPBL’s skill to play
Quartermaster and attaching a battle masters upgrade form before defense flips?
[Source: WotC]
You can use
Quartermaster to attach a KO’d Battle Master to OPBL. If OPBL’s ability results in a weapon being attached to him (for example via Quartermaster), the attack bonus of that weapon will apply because you haven’t counted attack yet. However, if the weapon gives the character bold, bold will have no affect because you’ve already flipped battle cards.
Yes. If you have no characters in KO or the characters in your KO area have too many stars, you can use
Involuntary Promotion to KO one of your characters.
I have
Wingspan in Bot Mode and a Battle Master upgrade on him. The upgrade is scrapped. What happens to the Battle Master?
[Source: Aequitas]
The Battle Master upgrade is put into the KO area, then
Wingspan's trigger puts it under him and counts towards his alt mode ability. When Wingspan is KO'd, the card is placed into the KO area.
No. Not unless that Battle Master is a 0-cost character.
No, the game operates in all situations as attacking/active player’s abilities all happen, then defending/inactive player’s abilities all happen. Your Bounty trigger will resolve before your opponent’s Battle Master trigger will make them play it.
If you use
Arm the Lonely’s second effect to put a Battle Master onto Spinister, the +3 health it gives him will no longer apply. This can cause Spinister to be KO’d if he has enough damage on him.
If you use
Brothers In Armor’s second effect to put a Battle Master onto Crosshairs, the +3 health it gives him will no longer apply. This can cause Crosshairs to be KO’d if he has enough damage on him.
If you have a Battle Master or
Weaponizer in Upgrade mode in the KO area, this card’s effect allows you to play it.
