General Information:
Release Date: March 2018
Price Point: $5.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General (Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart etc.)
Accessories: Weapon barrel, Landmine Decoy Armor
Official images above are from Hasbro. The official text below in italics are from Amazon.com:
The Autobots and Decepticons use Prime Masters to wield the incredible powers of the legendary bots who shaped the universe: the Primes. The Alpha Trion Prime Master gives other bots the gift of infinite knowledge. How will the Autobots and Decepticons use this limitless source of information? Anything is possible and everything is at stake when the Power of the Primes is unleashed!
Transformers Generations Power of the Primes Prime Master figures are 1.5-inch-scale figures that work with other figures. Attach this Prime Master figure to a Power of the Primes Deluxe, Voyager, or Leader Class figure (each sold separately) and imagine that bot wields the power of Alpha Trion.
Figure Specs:
- Alpha Trion Prime Master
- 2 Modes: robot, spark
- Converts in 1 step
- Comes with Landmine decoy armor -- the Prime Master figure hides inside
- Decoy armor converts to weapon
- Works with other Power of the Primes figures (each sold separately)
- Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
The trilogy that began with "Combiner Wars" concludes with "Power of the Primes". This line focuses on the original 13 Primes themselves returning. However, instead of gigantic beings storming the battlefield, the Primes have distilled their essence into Sparks that can be used by Transformers to gain all new powers. Depending on which Spark the Transformer takes on, they are powered up in different ways. From a play value standpoint these figures are an extension of the Titan Masters from last year. Instead of coming with beasts or vehicles, these mini-figures now come with "Decoy Armor" based on the designs of G1 era Pretender shells. The idea is that the Primes do not want just any Transformer to take their power, so they infuse these characters with their essence and are "pretending" to be other Transformers, a wonderful play on words and concepts.
Landmine was one of the first set of Generation One Pretenders in the 80's. He made a couple significant appearances in the Marvel Comic books, but he was a relatively unknown character for many fans from that era. The character was a much bigger part of the Japanese "Masterforce" cartoon where fans actually got to see him in action outside of a comic book. It is this character that Alpha Trion is "pretending" to be with the Landmine Prime Armor. This set is a redeco/retool of Prime Master Vector Prime in Metalhawk Decoy Armor so I recommend checking out that review. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release.
Packaging:
The packaging for the Prime Masters is similar to last year's Titan Masters. The figures are in a blister attached to a small card. Unlike last year however the card art on the front features Alchemist Prime in his Landmine armor in a "running" pose with all sorts of energy around him. This is a far better choice than last year where Fortress Maximus' head was on all the packaging for the Titan Masters. The back of the packaging shows a CG render of Alpha Trion and how he interacts with the Decoy Armor. On top it shows the weapon mode. The side shows a cosell of Alchemist Prime.
Robot Mode:
The basic structure of the Prime Master figures share the same core design as the Titan Master figures. They have the same tab on the back that allows you to attach them to vehicles and playsets from "Titans Return" and "Power of the Primes". The heads are also square in shape and while these figures do not form heads, you can attach them to the larger figures from "Titans Return".
Unlike many o fthe Prime Masters, the inner robot in this set is not based on Landmine's G1 "inner robot" design, but instead is a redeco of the inner robot included with Vector Prime, who was based on the design of the character Metalhawk. This is unfortunate since one of the most appealing aspects of the Prime Masters are their G1-based designs.
Alpha Trion is cast in grey and yellow plastic, with the face painted yellow. The back features the "Prime Master Spark" details which look like a series of diamond shapes. These are painted pink.
The Prime Masters all have five points of articulation. This includes the head, arms, hips and knees. The legs move together since they are fused together. The joints on my copy of Alchemist Prime are nice and tight with no issues.
Transformation to Spark Mode:
The Prime Masters all transform in the same fashion as the Titan Masters from "Titans Return". Swing the hips up and fold the lower legs in.
Spark Mode:
The Spark mode is basically the same as the head modes from last year's Titan Masters. Instead of a "face plate" however, there is panel with Alpha Trion's ancient Cybertronian symbol (discussed above).
The Prime Master Spark modes are designed to attach to Voyager Class figures directly or connect to the "Prime Armor" included with Deluxe figures in the "Power of the Primes" line.
Decoy Armor Mode
Redecos and retools are nothing new in the Transformers toy line, but with the Decoy Armor shell the designers did try to make this figure look as different from the original as they can within budgetary constraints. In the case of the Landmine Decoy Armor, the designers kept the back, arms and weapon barrel from Vector Prime but replaced the front cover panel. This piece has several details that come right from G1 Landmine. These include:
- The top of the helmet section is flat with two small raised tabs on top and a rectangular section in the front that comes over the forehead.
- On either side of the chest is a small, rectangular piece that sticks out a bit.
- Flanking the head are two raised sections near the shoulders with a circle in the middle.
- The belt section has a buckle in the middle with circle designs in it.
- The knee armor features a series of horizontal line details.
The Landmine Decoy Armor is cast in grey and yellow. The arms are yellow and the rest is yellow plastic. A layer of yellow paint is used on the chest to serve as a backdrop for other details Grey paint is used on the helmet and the belt, matching up nicely with the G1 colors in the same areas. Also, the mid-body area and the knees are painted red, again matching up with the G1 figure. A tiny Autobot symbol in red graces the middle of the chest. Overall the deco looks great and calls back to G1 Landmine's Pretender shell very well.
Transformation to Weapon Mode:
- With the weapon attached on the back, swing the trident forward.
- In between the feet, swing the peg down.
- Attach Alpha Trion in Spark mode to the small pegs in the back.
Weapon Mode:
The Landmine Armor's weapon form is pretty much the same as Vector Prime's in yellow and grey colors. The 5mm peg in the back allows most modern day Transformers figures to hold this weapon, but it is likely he will be more stable with figures from Deluxe Class and up.
Final Thoughts:
It is a shame that the inner robot in this set is not a brand new sculpt. I really enjoyed seeing the earlier Prime Masters mirror the designs of the G1 Pretender robots in a tiny form and I had looked forward to this doing the same. That said, the new panel on the Decoy Armor looks great and it does the job of calling back to G1 Landmine nicely. I still enjoy the play value of this figure and the aesthetics overall. Recommended!
Pros:
- Good retooling of the Decoy Armor to look like G1 Landmine's armor.
- A wonderful modern take on the Pretender concept that some considered goofy in the 80's.
- Good to see screws are being used now to hold the "plates" in place instead of bolts.
Cons:
- If you are not a fan of the Pretender concept, this likely won't change your mind.
- I personally would have liked more "organic" looking detailing on the Decoy Armor (particularly on the feet).
- I would have preferred the inner robot looking more like G1 Landmine.
