Opinions?
IDW Transformers had two concepts for super warriors: Combiners like Devastator and enhanced warriors like Sixshot who's endoskeletons were coated to make them indestructible (Called Phase Sixers, as their function was the razing of entire planets as Phase Six of the Decepticon takeover).
Sixshot was only ever deteated by Metroplex stepping on him. Otherwise, Phaser Sixers are strong enough to kill Ultra Magnus in a single punch, and single handedly massacre entire armies. Contrast with Devastator repeatedly hitting Megatron and Galvatron and them taking it, and one bot even outright stopping his downward punch in his hands.
Plus, gestalts like Bruticus were taken down by Ironhide shooting him through the eye, and Defensor was cut down by a special sword that channels Spark energy (Sparks being a Transformers "soul" or power core), while similar swords were ineffective against Phaser Sixers.
So the question: Logically, in a fight Combiners lose out to Phase Sixers?
Devastator loses to Sixshot, ect?
That's how I feel about it, but it's kind of strange to say that when narratively Megatron wanted combiner technology for millions of years, yet already had the vastly superior Phase Sixers. Logically you'd think combiners > Phase Sixers, or why would he want them so badly?