Unlike Monocle, and Landslide, Ascentor maintained contact with the Mini-Con robots that returned to Cybertron after the Armada Battles. Over the years, he has developed a philosophical give-and-take with the Mini-Con Council of Sages. This ongoing discussion occupies much of his core processor time, causing him to be distracted, and vulnerable to the traps set by Payload. However, his years of deep thought have also caused his sensory and motor-control systems to rewrite themselves, giving him what appears to be nearly be a sixth sense when it comes to avoiding pitfalls and sneak attacks.

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You'd expect anyone as big and tough as Payload to be pretty dumb, or at least used to relying on his natural strength and endurance to get him through life. Many have made the same mistake, but you underestimate the intelligence of this Mini-Con at your peril. Payload would much rather outwit his opposition than destroy them in a straight fight. He therefore spends his time setting traps and pitfalls for Ascentor, who - while smart - is often distracted by his own thoughts.