The Good: Great coloring detail, Amazing accessories, Wonderful articulation, Excellent balance, Fits the Dewback!
The Bad: None!
The Basics: The second Vintage Collection Sandtrooper action figure (VC112) fleshes out every Tatooine Imperial figure collection and makes for a wonderful rider for the new Dewback toy!
Sometimes, seeing things in person is what really makes the sale. In my new digs in Michigan, I was shocked at an out of the way K-Mart in the middle of nowhere to find something I had not found at any of the big cities I have checked before now: the latest Star Wars Vintage Collection toy line! More than that, the new line, which lamely splits the collection between the classic vintage style cards and the new, montage cards, had the entire new line with the cool looking, full-bleed cardbacks. So, when I found the new Bespin Princess Leia there, I was thrilled. Then I saw the Sandtrooper.
The Sandtrooper was a figure I had completely written off in this line. After all, in the first wave of Vintage Collection figures, there was a Sandtrooper (reviewed here!). Why did they need another?! And what was with all the f-in’ clone troopers in this line?! But seeing the new Sandtrooper, covered in sand detailing, with its accessories, like the floating droid, and I coveted! So, my wife picked it up for me and presented it to me yesterday as part of our 41 month anniversary (we are so delightfully geeky that we still celebrate that!). It was actually a pretty fair trade, as far as I am concerned, as I gave her Happy Endings Season Two (reviewed here!).
The Sandtroopers are the standard Stormtroopers with mild modifications for desert conditions seen on Tatooine in A New Hope (reviewed here!). Loaded with backpacks, shoulder guards and heavier guns, the Sandtroopers scour Tatooine searching for the droids that escaped the Tantive IV! They also are seen in the background riding the massive, reptilian Dewbacks.
The 4" Vintage Collection Sandtrooper is the latest rendition of the generic Imperial trooper and it is perfect!
Basics
The Vintage Collection Sandtrooper figure stands 3 3/4" tall to the top of his head and this is a barely-modified sculpt of a Stormtrooper. However, Hasbro did an excellent job on the Sandtrooper in that the white plastic that defines the Sandtrooper’s armor is weathered, yellowed, and browned, as if the Sandtrooper has been out in a violent sandstorm.
On the sculpting front, the Sandtrooper made entirely of hard plastic and is the armored shock trooper of the Empire made inscrutable in its heavy white armor. The detailing on this iteration of the Sandtrooper is pretty incredible, though. The left knee has a molded on knee guard and the thin fingers are molded to perfectly hold the blaster rifle this character comes with. The shoulder guard perfectly fits the figure and on the back, there sits the survival backpack that helps to define the Sandtroopers.
As for the coloring detail, the Sandtrooper is incredible and accurate. The white of the armor is weathered and looks appropriately filthy. The only other coloring details are highlights; little vents on the helmet and the orange on the shoulder pad and this Sandtrooper looks fine.
Accessories
The Sandtrooper is a powerful military presence for the Empire and as such, he requires three accessories: his surveillance droid, his blaster pistol and his blaster cannon. The surveillance droid is a 1” long oval-shaped robot with tiny protrusions out the front and back. Black and silver, this little camera droid is immaculate in its detailing. Molded with precision, it includes the forecameras and the tiny tubing that connects to the engine in the back! Hasbro wisely made the surveillance droid with a custom “stand” that connects to the Sandtrooper’s backpack. The 1” clear plastic tube attaches to the cylinder on the Sandtrooper’s backpack and then connects to a hole in the bottom of the droid. This makes the robot look like it is hovering and it has a great range of motion there.
The blaster pistol the Sandtrooper comes with is arguably the most detailed one that Hasbro has yet produced. Molded with exceptional details for the scope, barrel and trigger area, this 1 1/8" long weapon is cast in solid black plastic and looks badass in the Sandtrooper’s right or left hands (the left trigger finger is molded to perfectly fit into the trigger guard). You can fake a two handed grip with the Sandtrooper, though the left hand is not molded to quite cradle the barrel.
The blaster cannon is instantly reminiscent of the cannon that came with one of the Legacy Collection concept Troopers. 2 3/4” long, the 3/8" in diameter cylinder is cast in gunmetal colored plastic and features a strap molded to look like heavy nylon and colored tan to fit the desert theme of the Sandtroopers. This weapon fits in either hand, but looks most natural slung over the Sandtrooper’s shoulder or held in a two-handed grip.
Playability
The four inch toy line was designed for play and Sandtrooper is exceptional in that regard, regardless of how he may not be able to hold his guns in a real two-handed grip. The Sandtrooper figure has great balance, not tipping over even when posed in some fairly outlandish positions. The figure does have holes in the bottom of his feet to allow him to stand tall on any number of playsets in outlandish poses or attach to pegs on vehicles.
This Sandtrooper also has amazing articulation. He has hinged ball and socket joints at the ankles, knees, groin socket (making it possible to mount this figure on the new Dewback toy, reviewed here!) elbows and shoulders, as well as a ball and socket joint which allows for some range of motion for the head and torso. The wrists are the only point on the figure that have simple swivel joints! This is easily one of the best Imperial Stormtrooper figures ever made!
Collectibility
The Sandtrooper figure is part of the Vintage Collection line that was released in 2012 and, because the line is nearing its end and is harder to find (and appears on two different styles of cards), he has already been appreciating in value. This is THE ideal figure accessory to the Dewback exclusive vehicle toy. This Sandtrooper is Vintage Collection figure VC112 and is a fairly good investment figure, largely because fans are likely to want to stock up on this figure.
Overview
Fixing the sole problem of the earlier Sandtrooper, without creating any new issues, the VC112 Sandtrooper is the perfect support figure for anyone’s Imperial collection!
For other Vintage Collection figures from A New Hope, please check out my reviews of:
VC53 Bom Vimdin
VC57 Dr. Evazan (Cantina Patron)
VC65 TIE Fighter Pilot
10/10
For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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