Review: Hasbro Transformers Age of the Primes Deluxe Class Alchemist Prime

“Activate your Alt Mode”

Transformers: Age of the Primes is a current sub-line of the Transformers: Generations series from Hasbro, replacing the Legacy line and launching in 2025. The series focuses on the original, mythical 13 Primes, and their artefacts, as well as their descendants, following the established sizing principles with the releases falling into Deluxe, Voyager, Leader, Commander or Titan class. 

Alchemist Prime is a Deluxe release packed into a dark-themed window box with a bold red Transformers logo and the gold Age of the Primes sub-header with the same dull gold used to confirm the character name and the conversion steps. Alchemist is pictured, using the same image, on the top right corner of the box front and on the left spine. The right-hand spine is a part image of golden statues of The Thirteen, with the image for Alchemist the same as used on Solus Prime, as both are shown in the same segment of three Primes. While this is part of a larger image, there is no direct connectivity across the wider collection by lining up the boxes on display.

The rear of the box shows Alchemist in robot and vehicle mode while reaffirming the steps to transform. Inside the box, the figure is strapped to a cardboard tray with multiple elasticated straps. 

Alchemist Prime has appeared in various Transformers media, including IDW comics, War for Cybertron & Cyberverse Cartoons, and recently as one of the original Primes in Transformers: One. He is a squat, muscular figure with a look of Brawl or Hound with a military green colouring over silver and gunmetal components around the arms and legs. He features golden highlighted sections around the core of the body and down onto his knees, while the face includes what looks to be black glasses and a moustache as part of the wider facial features. 

(scaled alongside Deluxe 86 Bumblebee and War for Cybertron Voyager Optimus)

Alchemist is articulated as usual at the arms and legs and at the head and can be posed across a number of positions, including both neutral and dynamic, for display. The engineering of the transformation does leave some of these arm and leg joints feeling smooth and almost loose. This doesn’t, however impact their ability to hold a pose; they just take a bit more care in positioning without a ratchet joint you’d find on a traditional figure. 

Alchemist Prime is the holder of the Lenses, his Artefact, and these are essentially the glasses we see on his head, but with projected power included as a pair of translucent blue parts, one of which bears the Artefact’s symbol in white paint over the blue base colour. These fit into the slots on his wrists to create wrist-bladed weapons. They also connect together to a larger ‘projected’ version of the Lenses to use as a shield or larger weapon. 

Alchemist converts to vehicle mode in just 17 steps, the conversion supported by the included guidance sheet with pictorial step-by-step guidance. The conversion process was described as a ‘breeze’ by my Transformers-collecting son, who complimented the engineering as one of the best he has seen to date. 

The vehicle mode is an armoured car complete with a grey undercarriage and deep green bodywork. The windscreen is translucent blue, while the headlights and side vents are picked out in silver, the latter also trimmed in gold. The vehicle features four rolling wheels, expanding the playability with Alchemist able to freewheel around as needed. The Lenses will connect to sockets on the roof of the car to create a stowed look. 

As is the intention with the series, Alchemist Prime is designed to collect alongside the other Thirteen Primes and therefore scales with and looks brilliant alongside other releases, including his fellow deluxe release of Solus Prime and the Voyager class Prima Primus. 

Alchemist Prime is available at Hasbro Pulse for £24.99 plus shipping. Thank you to Hasbro Pulse UK, who provided this figure to us free of charge for review purposes.

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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...

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