Age of the Primes Flatline
Released as a redeco and slight retooling of AOTP Armada Red Alert, Flatline serves as a premier example of the Black Convoy effect, because everything looks better in black.
I was. Not Sold on Red Alert. I've not really watched Armada so I have no connection to either the character or the original toy, and the new figure seemed really basic and, thusly, a bit boring. Flatline, though, looked much cooler. The heavy amounts of black were obviously enticing, but the red highlights helped draw me in further. They pop really nicely, the translucent plastic especially. I do feel he's lacking paint in robot mode, especially in places like his thighs his massive, massive thighs, but I'm not too bothered by it and the placement of what paint is present is also different from Red Alert, which is nice.
I was right about the mold being a bit basic, though. What you see is what you get, by and large. He poses well and has some good range, but no single point is super outstanding, and the transformation is even more straightforward. Fairly clean, but you're not going to be surprised by much, I don't think. What he does get is a good number of accessories. He comes with everything from Red Alert, being three attachments for the left arm and a gun, and a hand. Which Red Alert did not have. They all look nice and fit well! Not much going on there. It's a reasonable amount and they all stow away on the figure itself, which is very much appreciated.
While there's nothing to shock you in the posing department, the joints are fairly tight. Something that wasn't lost in the repaint process, from what I've heard. In general he's a well built figure. Though the heels are just "ok".
The transformation is not terribly involved, but it ~overall~ flows quite smoothly and feels good. My only gripe is that the final step is a bit funky. Getting the rear wheel wells in/out of place requires either a bit of flexing or a very awkward motion, neither of which the figure is particularly built for. You've gotta get like four different sets of tabs into place pretty much at once. Not a huge concern but it's fiddly. The end result is a very sturdy little SUV. Looks great and rolls amazingly, actually? All four wheels are pinned, there's plenty of room underneath, and you get some good traction right out the gate. You also get a few play features. Well, one. But it's still a neat one!
