Today we are checking out the latest release in the Fans Hobby Master Builder series; MB-19 Double Agent. This sample was provided by Fans Hobby for review purposes.

Double Agent is available in two different variations; A and B. The difference is the color of the wings that become the rear of the missile truck. The A variant is a teal plastic, that matches the rest of the truck, with the B variant sporting a lilac purple that better emulates the wings on G1 Doubledealer, while being a little more conspicuous in vehicle mode.

The production sample I received is the B version, with the purple wings. Of the two, this one is my preferred colorway, as I really wanted the purple wings, and I'm not really bothered by the purple section at the rear of the truck. I can't help thinking they might have been able to get both colors into one release, as the panels that become the rear of the truck also become the top of the wings. If they had painted the underside purple, you could have the purple wings on the bird mode when facing forward, and still keep the uniform color on the vehicle mode. Ah well, I'm ok with the purple in both modes so no worries. Let's check out the Vehicle Mode!

Vehicle Mode

Double Agent becomes an armored ICBM carrier, with an optional launch mode and cockpit space for one of the Powermaster partners to ride in. The vehicle mode is incredibly clean, with a chunky armored aesthetic that's pleasing to look at and handle. Rubber wheels and chromed hubcaps give it a premium finish that helps separate it from official offerings. There is a spot on the rear of the vehicle that can hold an additional Powermaster in "engine" mode, so you can technically store both pilots at the same time. The rear armor plating can be a little finicky to get lined up just right, but with a little finesse it will all fall into place.

We've got some of the usual Fans Hobby essentials; great painted and tampographed details, a laser cut metal cockpit panel, and if those aren't enough there's also a sticker sheet to add some G1 style details in all 4 modes. Most of the stickers can be applied in Vehicle mode, with a few that are specific to the other modes.

The giant missile accessory slots into a square peg hole in the middle of the truck. This works well enough but the fit is a bit loose, so it can fall off if you are not careful while manipulating the figure. The missile can also be configured in an upright "launch" configuration by flipping out panels at the rear of the vehicle. There are keyed grooves in the armor plates that will line up with the missiles detailing to hold it upright. The missile also contains a "breathing effect" LED that can be enabled in this mode.

Avian Mode

Doubledealer is an infamous double agent that works for both the Decepticons and Autobots, as he sees fit. Whoever's paying more at the time has his loyalty. As such, he needs specific configurations in order to protect his secret identity when dealing with the opposite faction. He chooses to do his business with the Decepticons through his partner Skar, and if he's needed in person, he takes on the form of a giant vulture.

Double Agents avian form is very mechanical looking, with a lot of truck details visible. The huge wingspan and intimidating vulture head and beak make for a great toy to mess with. The range of movement in the head could be better, he has a hard time looking down, or to the side, but the range in the wings makes up for any shortcomings. The wings are huge, and there are a ton of joints to manipulate them into almost any configuration you can think of. The missile can be mounted on his back, between the wings, or you can split it, to mount the front half on his underside similar to the G1 toy. Keep in mind, if you choose to mount the missile underneath, you will block the mounting position for one of the flight stand adapters that comes with the figure.

You can mount Skar (The Purple Bat) on his belly, however this has to be done mid transformation, before you lock the arms in place.

Bot Mode (Avian)

Fans Hobby engineered a whole new robot mode into this figure, to give you display options depending on the faction you want him to side with. The changes seem minor, but in reality it makes for a pretty significant difference. Most notable of course are the giant wings on his backpack, and the Divebomb-esque headgear. His Decepticon themed partner; Skar, mounts on his stomach in his “engine” mode.

I chose to give him an underslung cannon as well to further differentiate him in this mode. The slide lock works in both directions so he holds the weapon just fine this way. You can still mount both weapons on his shoulders, or the full missile on his back as well. Articulation is nearly identical between the two robot designs, so we will go over that in the next section.

Bot Mode (Primary)

Double Agent's transformation is a bit more complicated than some of Fans Hobby's previous releases, but given that you have 4 modes to work with, that makes perfect sense. I did have to turn to the instructions a few times on this one unlike previous releases. A couple times through and it was pretty easy to remember.

Hot damn! This is one handsome bot. I think this might be my favorite Fans Hobby release to date. The size, proportions, aesthetics, everything speaks to my tastes just right, and functionally he's an excellent figure to mess with. They absolutely nailed the head/face sculpt which is really great to see. This sculpt is a massive improvement over some of their early designs. Both a silver and blue face plate are included, so you can choose your flavor. The blue faceplate is my preference, it's incredibly striking and powerful looking. It really sells that Doubledealer is not a bot to be messed with.

Build Quality is excellent, as is the plastic and hardware. Nothing feels flimsy or weak, and most everything locks in pretty solid. The backpack has a bit of a floaty feel to it due to it's many panels, but it stays in place well enough. Lots of heavy ratchets, and nice tight joints. The bicep swivel is perhaps a bit too tight, but everything else is smooth and easy to articulate. I would have liked a little more range on the head for looking up/down, but everything else has more than enough range for any pose I wanted to set up.

Here's the articulation breakdown, from top to bottom.

- Ball joint neck.
- The wings can rotate, spread, and bend if deployed, or can fold up as a backpack.
- 2 way ratcheted shoulder joints. 90º out, 360º around.
- Transformation joint works as a forward butterfly.
- Ratcheted double jointed elbows that can fold the forearm flat against the bicep.
- Hands have a wrist swivel, and full articulated fingers/thumb.
- Ratcheted ab crunch, only 1 click, more for posture than anything.
- 360º waist swivel. (Backpack kibble will block some movement)
- Heavy ratchets at the hips. Can go forward and back about 85º, and outward to a full 90º split.
- Ratcheted knee joints. Around 90º bend, but you can spin the calf to get a full double bend.
- Ball jointed ankles. You can also use the transformation joint to push the heel down/toe up.

Double Agent is super fun to pose and play with. He feels decently heavy, but still easy to balance. The ball jointed ankles make it easy to find a solid base in most poses. This figure is a joy to mess with, no other way to describe it.

Accessories

2x Power Pilots. Designed to homage the G1 Powermasters Skar and Knok. Skar has a bonus robot mode now instead of just turning into a bat. Both can fold into a Powermaster style engine, to be mounted on various locations.

- Missile. Can be split into two components, a blaster and a shoulder mounted missile. The base has a light up feature that requires 3x LR44 Batteries. Pressing the red thruster button will switch between lighting up the rear of the missile, or the front barrel of the blaster.

- Silver faceplate. The same design, but painted in a gorgeous metallic silver. It's great to have options. It can be a bit tough to swap out the first time. Make sure to use something soft like a spudger or plastic tweezers so you don't damage the faceplates. I made the mistake of using metal tweezers and I scratched the nose of my blue face plate.

- 2x Flight stand adapters. They clip onto the bottom of the Vulture mode, and can be used to mount Double Agent on a FEXT Hobby stand, or a similar 3mm stand of your choice.

- Collectors card and instruction manual.

Final Thoughts

Fans Hobby has hit another home run with Double Agent. Aside from the neck range in bot and vulture mode, I really have no major notes. The design is great, the articulation is exceptional, and the whole package is delightfully enjoyable. The face sculpt is leagues ahead of previous releases (I hope this is a new standard for Fans Hobby going forward). He has a ton of presence and looks phenomenal on the shelf with their previous releases, as well as official Transformers products.

If you want to pick up your own Fans Hobby Double Agent, he should be available from your preferred 3p retailer, or you can purchase directly from Fans Hobby by clicking here.