Toy Review - PRIMA (Age of the Primes)

The Thirteen PRIMA PRIME
Series - Age of the Primes
Size/class - Voyager
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - 1
Released here - 2025
Approximate Retail Price - $55
Approximate Size - 17.5cm
Allegiance - None
Alt-mode - Cybertronian armoured all-terrain transport
Main Features/Gimmicks - Matrix hilt, Matrix chamber
Main Colours - grey
Main Accessories - Matrix of Leadership, Star Sabre handle, Star Sabre blade

Armoured transport mode
https://i.ibb.co/wFq31jW8/Aot-P-prima001.jpg

Yes, this is an official configuration. :D
https://i.ibb.co/G4s96D0H/Aot-P-prima002.jpg

With Power of the Primes Prima (Punch/Counterpunch ver.).
https://i.ibb.co/B2dVvnRF/Aot-P-prima003.jpg

Prima piloted by Prima :p
https://i.ibb.co/JwRrcPz1/Aot-P-prima004.jpg

Robot mode
https://i.ibb.co/HL5H3wPN/Aot-P-prima005.jpg
The Matrix attaches to the Star Sabre hilt with the same kind of clip as the Matrix chamber.

Matrix chamber in chest
https://i.ibb.co/218Pxwnh/Aot-P-prima006.jpg

Hands can open to hold the Matrix
https://i.ibb.co/dJDGWV1K/Aot-P-prima007.jpg

HEAD ON! :p
https://i.ibb.co/m5frWxrR/Aot-P-prima008.jpg

The artwork on the sides of Prima's and Wasp's boxes showing six of the thirteen Primes.
https://i.ibb.co/7t9rKtyB/Aot-P-boxsides.jpg

PROS:
+ A cool new mould with a head sculpt that's modelled after Prima as seen in "Five Faces of Darkness," although this name/identity is a retcon. The original script identified him as "Powerful Robot." I personally would've preferred Prima to be modelled after his appearance from the Marvel Comics, but I get that the Sunbow cartoon is more popular, so Hasbro's going for a wider appeal for what is a fairly obscure character.
+ The armoured transport mode can also be configured as a hover vehicle by turning the wheels 90 degrees.
+ The pauldrons can be reconfigured to allow for unobstructed shoulder articulation.
+ The Star Sabre (actually a backsword despite being called a sabre) features a cool looking upturned crossguard. Crossguards do exist on some swords as they can be used to trap an opponent's blade. What's unusual though is that this crossguard is upturned on both sides, which doesn't make much sense on a single-edged backsword. Dual upturned quillons are more commonly seen on double-edged swords. Although I guess if an opponent's blade were to contact the blunt edge, Prima could proceed to trap it with the backside upturned quillon. What do you mean I'm overthinking this?!?

NEUTRAL:
/ So... that Matrix clip on the sword hilt. I think it's meant to be Prima using the Matrix to power-up the Star Sabre, but it also seems really impractical. Surely he'd choose to keep the Matrix better protected in his chest than risk exposing it even as a sword power-up. Then again, Big Convoy has a similar thing with his Matrix Buster cannon (which was included with the retooled Matrix Buster reissue of Big Convoy (along with a retooled Matrix to fit inside the Matrix Buster).Matrix Buster Sword?

CONS:
- I find that the arms don't tab in very firmly in vehicle mode.
- A really bland colour scheme. This toy is light grey with gunmetal grey accents and some tiny blue accents throughout, but not enough to adequately break up all that grey. It's an odd choice to give this toy a head sculpt that's modelled after Powerful Robot from FFoD, but not carrying over his colours. G1 Prima is blue and grey. I personally don't care if Age of the Primes Prima carries Powerful Robot's colours or not, I just think it just needs more colour diversity.
Prima in most other media is silver/grey, but this seems to have been inspired by statues of Zeus (which was Prima's holomatter avatar in OTFCC/FunPub canon; but this is really due to statues of Zeus being white marble colour because the colour pigments have since worn off or faded. Statues of Greek and Roman gods were fully painted in colours when they were new, but obviously millennia of photodegradation have just bleached them. Archaeologists have found trace pigments on these statues, so we do know that they were originally coloured. What do you mean I'm overanalysing this?!?

Another interesting point with this toy, and this was also true on Nova Prime, is the lack of any faction insignia.

OVERALL
A satisfactory but not particularly outstanding figure. Bland colours aside, it has no significant flaws, but nor does it really have much going for it that makes it particularly remarkable. Somewhat disappointing given that this is an original mould; I find Nova Prime to be a funner toy despite being a retool of Siege Ultra Magnus. It's a cromulent collector's piece, but don't particularly exciting to play with. Somewhat recommended.

Random facts:
+ I picked this toy up yesterday, which was Simon Furman's birthday. Furman created the "character" of Prima back in the Marvel comics. Coincidence? Well.. yes. ;)
+ Prima Prime is my 2,960th Transformer. Yeah, I know nobody else but me cares about this. :p