(NOTE: Because this set consists of repaints, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the set and the color schemes. For a review of "Thrilling 30" Flanker-- the mold used for Quickslinger-- read the review of Swerve w/ Flanker here. For a review on "Thrilling 30th" Arcee-- the mold used for Lifeline-- read the review here.)
 

Quickslinger

Difficulty of Transformations: Very Easy
Color Scheme: Lavender, glossy black, and some silver, glossy moderately dark red, pinkish purple, and yellow
Individual Rating: 6.3

    Quickslinger was an original character created back near the beginning of the Collectors' Club by Shawn Tessman, who was mostly responsible for the BotCon customization classes. In fact, in an early Collectors' Club magazine, there was instructions on how to turn Cybertron Ransack into this very character. Granted, this new version doesn't really share anything in common with the original custom figure beyond the color scheme, but it seemed to be another "thrown-in-at-last-minute" figure once it was discovered this would be the last TFSS, so in that respect I don't mind it. It's not like she's a long-established character, anyways. Now, regarding the color scheme-- it's pretty darned good, though the lavender/purple plastic used for most of the figure and the black paint used on the wings, central part of the jet mode, and on the feet, upper legs, lower arms, and chest of the robot mode fits a Decepticon a lot better than an Autobot, in my opinion. Regardless, it's a darned good color combo, and the red used on the nosecone and the rear thrusters and wings really pops against the lavender, too. As far as less common colors, there's silver on the edge of the wings and on the robot chest, a yellow triangle (hearkening back the original's mold detailing) on the top center of the jet mode, and even a tiny bit of pinkish purple on her little head. All great accent colors, the pinkish purple in particular, as it helps highlight her head in robot mode and it contrasts well against the black while also complementing the lavender plastic. It all comes together very well and keeps either mode from looking remotely boring.
    No mold changes have been made to Quickslinger; unfortunately, because of her 5mm weapon peg, this means that Lifeline can't hold her, so she's better off partnering up with another figure.

Lifeline

Allegiance: Autobot
Size: Deluxe (packed with Fractyl w/ Scorponok)
Difficulty of Transformation: Medium
Color Scheme: White, seafoam green,and some dark glossy gray, clear plastic, pale red, dark blue, and light pale purplish pink
Individual Rating: 7.6

    Lifeline is the name given for the character traditionally just known by the descriptor "Paradron Medic", which was always essentially a "Green Arcee" in the brief appearances she's been in. Like Arcee, white is a main color in mostly the same spots as on Arcee, with a bit more on the legs (which are unpainted except for the kneecaps) and a bit less on the arms (which have green and a rather nice shade of purplish pink used for the hands and portions of the upper arms). The shade of green used, though, is spot-on accurate and a rather "calming" shade, which fits Lifeline's role as a medic. It contrasts against the white fairly well and the purplish pink extremely well, to the point where I wish the latter was used more beyond just a few parts of the robot mode. There's also a fair amount of dark glossy gray, used on the robot stomach as well as on the seats, headlights, and parts of the larger of her two guns. It's an okay shade, but doesn't really catch my eye. To cap things off her windshield and swords are made of clear transparent plastic, which honestly looks a bit plain-- I wish they were at least tinted one color or another. Despite having a few extra paint apps on the arms, though, overall Lifeline has fewer paint apps than Generations Arcee-- no black line around the front vents, little on the robot legs... it's not what I'd expect from a FunPub exclusive. Particularly since the head is painted pretty much exactly like Arcee's, I wish they had done more to make her more unique beyond "seafoam green instead of pink" and some other minor changes. I understand that most of this is G1-accurate, and some may want it only that way, but I personally wish a bit more had been added to make Lifeline a bit more unique.
    No mold changes have been made to Lifeline.

    Lifeline and Quickslinger I'm of a mixed mind about. On the one hand, they both have pretty nice paint apps (Quickslinger in particular), and getting a mainline toy of a Paradron Medic has definitely been on a lot of Transfans' lists (though not on mine, in particular, for reasons discussed above). However, both molds are merely okay at best, and Quickslinger not being able to interact with Lifeline at all despite them being "paired up" is a rather significant oversight. I think overall this is the weakest release of the TFSS 5.0 figures.
 

Reviews by Beastbot

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