Utterly Without Redeeming Value: The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker Action Figure!

The Good: None!
The Bad: Figure looks nothing like Luke Skywalker, Poor articulation, Lousy balance, Yellowing plastic
The Basics: The Luke Skywalker figure that helped launch the comeback of Star Wars figures just plain sucked!


Fans of Star Wars collectibles once lived in want for something new. It is hard to believe (and, given how packed my home is, hard to imagine!) that it was just over twenty years ago when Hasbro relaunched their Star Wars collectibles line. The first few sets of figures were instantly bought up by eager fans and young parents psyched to be able to give their kids Star Wars figures instead of risking their brood entering their collectible sanctuary and unleashing some of their collectible figures from the 1980s. Unfortunately, while time might have dulled our memories to a time without a constant stream of Star Wars action figures, the memory of collectors also seems to be pretty dim for just how lame that first line of figures was. The worst of the first wave was easily the Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figure.

The 4" Luke Skywalker figure is a lousy action figure that was dramatically overproduced, look nothing like the subject of the figure, and has since begun yellowing on the white costume elements, futher degrading the value of the toy.

Basics

The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker is based upon the costume, at the very least, of Skywalker from A New Hope (reviewed here!). This was made during Kenner's obsession with beefing the characters up. As a result, Luke is wearing his recognizable costume (his white outfit he wears on Tatooine and most of the Death Star scenes), but the person underneath it looks almost nothing like Luke. With an upper body that makes Luke Skywalker look like the Terminator, this is Luke Skywalker on steroids. Luke has no real neck and looks like a body builder and his legs look like those of a professional football player or track star. This incarnation of Luke Skywalker would stand 3 3/4" tall if it would stand up!

The detailing on the costume is incredibly basic. Luke is painted to have molded and colored details on his belt and the boots look like wrapped cloth, which is how they appeared in the film. But Luke's hair looks plastered down and cut like the Incredible Hulk. Still, Kenner got the eyes mostly right as they are bright blue.

Over the years, Luke's white wrap outfit has yellowed. The yellowing of the plastic was an unfortunately common problem with the Kenner Star Wars figures and it is little surprise that this Luke has yellowed as well. As a result, most of the Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figures look entirely unlike Luke in both shape and coloring now!

Accessories

The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figure comes with two accessories: a lightsaber and a blaster pistol. The blaster pistol is a solid black, 1" long plastic gun that is essentially Han Solo's blaster pistol. It is very light on the surface detailing, but it is recognizable as a firearm for Luke.

The lightsaber is appropriately blue with a silver-gray plastic base. The weapon is a bit overlong - 3" long - and the saber base is entirely underdetailed. The blue portion that represents the actual "blade" is made of clear blue plastic, which adds an element of realism to it.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and Luke Skywalker figure is terrible in that regard. The figure is mildly articulated, with only swivel joints at the groin socket, shoulders, waist and neck. This Luke Skywalker stands with a wide stance and is virtually impossible to balance him so he actually stands up. As well, the hands are molded in an awkward way that makes it difficult for the figure to actually hold his accessories and have them look like they are organically placed. The moment one starts to move the figure with the accessories in his hands, they fall right out. As such, the Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker figure is not great for either play or display.

Collectibility

The Luke Skywalker is part of the Power Of The Force four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was exceptionally common. This was a pegwarmer even at the time, largely because it was massively overproduced and fans were utterly unimpressed by the execution of this version of Luke Skywalker. Now, this remains one of the Kenner failures as even years later, it is hard to find it for more than its initial release price. Investors took a bath on this one and it seems as people notice theirs yellowing, this is not a figure most fans are replacing.

Overview

The Power Of The Force Luke Skywalker action figure has since been replaced by vastly superior sculpts making this one entirely unworthy of any collector's attention or dollars.

For other Star Wars: A New Hope figures in the "Power Of The Force" line, please check out my reviews of:
Grand Moff Tarkin
TIE Fighter Pilot
Sandtrooper
C-3PO
Momaw Nadon
Ponda Baba
R5-D4
Death Star Gunner
Cantina Aliens 3-pack
Garindan
Death Star Escape 3-pack
Luke Skywalker In Stormtrooper Disguise

0/10

For other toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Loose And Flexible The Legacy Collection Jodo Kast Is A Mediocre Repaint!

The Good: Good articulation, Good sculpt, Good accessory, Generally decent coloring detail.
The Bad: Exceptionally loose joints, Comparatively expensive, Lame play function
The Basics: The first Jodo Kast figure is a recolored Boba Fett with ridiculously loose shoulders, but is otherwise all right!


My wife is an incredibly sweet woman. Every now and then, she picks up something off my old want list and randomly picks it up and gifts it to me! Unfortunately, several of the items on the want list are things I either saw once or have only found online. The Jodo Kast figure she picked up for me was one such item and, unfortunately, it was an underwhelming Star Wars figure.

The Legacy Collection casting of the Jodo Kast is exceptionally articulated and recreates the expanded universe bounty hunter in Mandalorian armor that is recolored and loose limbs that are unsightly and tough to pose.

Basics

The Jodo Kast figure is incredibly detailed both in the sculpt and the coloring, at least for the figure, if not his accessory. The thin, armored bounty hunter stands 4" tall, from his boots to the top jet pack's rocket. The Jodo Kast figure was released in 2008 as part of Hasbro's Legacy Collection with the Droid Factory bonus. This Jodo Kast appears on the Stormtrooper helmet-shaped card with the rounded plastic bubble.

This toy is a very cool sculpt, though it is pretty hard to get a Mandalorian sculpt wrong at this point, given how Hasbro has been making them for years! This sculpt is the standard blue-gray Boba Fett figure with knee and shoulder pads molded in and recolored. This figure's helmet is not removable.

As for the coloring, the Jodo Kast figure is good, though this is a very clean version of the Jodo Kast, outside the portions that are supposed to be fabric beneath the armor. He is clad mostly in green and orange armor with additional padding on his gauntlets, knee pads, and the iconic Mandalorian helmet. He looks exactly like he is supposed to; a recolored Boba Fett.

Accessories

This Jodo Kast, bounty hunter who is happy to mistaken for Boba Fett that he is, comes with only one accessory: a blaster rifle. The blaster rifle is the 1 7/8" long blaster rifle with the scope and elongated barrel which allows Jodo Kast to hold the gun in a two-handed grip and look realistic while doing it! The blaster rifle is cast in monotonal black plastic.

This figure was part of the "Droid Factory" line of the Legacy Collection figures and the basic premise was that for every six figures you bought, you'd get a seventh which would be assembled from parts in each of the six toys in the collection. Jodo Kast comes with left leg section of the MB-RA-7 droid. This is a silver-gray leg that has joints at the ankle and knee. This sets MB-RA-7 up to be exceptionally articulated, especially for a protocol droid. This piece is monotonally colored, but looks good for a clean droid.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Jodo Kast is mediocre in that regard. While Jodo Kast has great articulation, his play function makes him look goofy because he has super-loose shoulder joints. Jodo Kast is solidly built outside the shoulders and has great balance and articulation.

Jodo Kast comes with twelve points of articulation, most of which are not just simple swivel joints. The Jodo Kast has joints at the ankles, knees, groin socket, shoulders, elbows,neck, and waist and he twists at any of those points. The ankles AND knees are both hinged ball-and-socket joints, though the rest are on swivel joints. This Jodo Kast figure has more dexterity, balance and poseability than the earlier Boba Fett figures.

For added support, should one wish to make improbable poses with the figure, there are playsets with foot pegs which fit into the holes in either of the Jodo Kast's feet.

The shoulders are exceptionally loose because the jet pack rocket has a special play function. Pushing the rocket down, raises the arms. That means that unless one pushes down the rocket, the arms stay by Jodo Kast's side. In order for them to be loose enough to work the play function, the shoulder joints are exceptionally loose and unsightly with their exposed joints.

Collectability

The Jodo Kast is part of the 2008 Legacy Collection four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was not incredibly common and Jodo Kast was just a repaint. While this was not overly common at the time, there was a later Saga Collection Jodo Kast which was an improvement, and that has depressed the value of this first-release Jodo Kast.

Jodo Kast is BD18 in the Legacy Collection and is one that is ideal for collectors looking to make a massive expanded bounty hunter collection or Mandalorian army!

Overview

Jodo Kast is a good concept assembled poorly, which makes for an impossible sell, especially now that there are better versions of the figure available.

For other Legacy Collection Build-A-Droid figures, please check out my reviews of:
R4-D6 Build-A-Droid Figure
R4-J1 Build-A-Droid Figure
GH1 Commander Gree
GH4 EVO Trooper
BD7 Bane Malar
BD17 Coruscant Landing Platform Clone Trooper
BD20 Saleucami Trooper
BD35 Pons Limbic
BD40 Captain Needa
BD43 Ugnaught Engineer

4.5/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please visit my Toy Review Index Page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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As Overdone As Han Solo Figures Are . . . The Echo Base Outfit Han Solo Figure Still Holds Up!

The Good: Decent coloring detail, Good accessories, Wonderful articulation, Great balance
The Bad: Jacket undermines some flexibility, Face mask does not stay on on its own.
The Basics: The Vintage Collection Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) is a decent variant of the familiar Han Solo figure!


As a fan of The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars action figures, I have an unfortunate number of Han Solo action figures, though I don’t mind. The latest one I managed to find was the Vintage Collection Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) action figure and it was, generally, worth the wait in picking up.

For those unfamiliar with the Han Solo, as he appeared at the Echo Base on Hoth, this was one of his first outfits in which he appeared in The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). While Han Solo and Chewbacca worked to fix the Millennium Falcon so it could lift up off the planet Hoth, Han Solo wore a heavy padded jacket and worked with welding tools. This is essentially the same outfit that he would later wear on Bespin, but without the distinctive navy blue jacket and with a long black winter coat instead.

The 4" Vintage Collection Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) was a new Hoth Han Solo figure.

Basics

The Vintage Collection Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) figure stands 3 3/4" tall to the top of his head. The figure is obviously human with the general look of Harrison Ford as Han Solo. This figure is cast with a mix of hard and soft plastics, but looks and holds up remarkably well. This rendition of the Hoth Han Solo features a pretty standard Han Solo head, a molded-on jacket sleeves, and the appropriate boots with the pants tucked into them. Notable details on this version of the Bespin Han Solo include the holster for his blaster that looks remarkable and holds his blaster perfectly and his fingers which are distinct and include both knuckles and fingernails! The real masterwork of molding, though, is in this Han Solo’s belt. The belt is molded to include every buckle, every pouch and every rivet and it looks amazing! The figure’s chest is coated with a soft plastic coat that descends almost to the knees. The jacket is accented by a hood that it textured and colored to look like fur. The coat is just a little larger at the sleeve holes than it should be, so the white shirt Han Solo is wearing beneath the coat is visible near the sleeves, which is ridiculous.

The Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) is colored remarkably well, as good as it can be for a character who is wearing so many solid colors. Despite the monotonal skin coloring on the head and hands, the hair has highlights and the eyes are expertly colored with brown dots with tiny black pupils! The rest of the figure is appropriately monotonal with highlights. The jacket, shirt and boots are solid colors. The brown pants, however, feature the racing stripe on the side, as is appropriate. The lips on this figure are uncolored. All in all, though, this figure looks exceptionally good.

Accessories

The Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) is the Rebel smuggler and comes with his welding tool, face mask and a blaster pistol. This version of the Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) features separate a face mask, which he was seen utilizing as he welded atop the Millennium Falcon. The face mask has a stick that can be held in the figure’s left hand. The face mask does not have a translucent panel and it is cast and painted with monotonal accents. The face mask does not remain on the figure’s head at all. When the figure is holding the face mask’s stick, it cannot actually hold the mask directly in front of the figure’s face.

This Han Solo figure also features a welding tool, which has a long staff that allows him to be away from the welding point. This welding tool is a 1 3/4" tall device that is cast in plastic and accented with white, silver and red accents. The welding tool matches well the rest of the Han Solo figure. He can hold this in either or both of his hands.

The Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) also comes with a pretty standard version of Han Solo’s blaster pistol. It is a 3/4" long plastic gun with dual scopes that fits perfectly in the holster on Han’s right thigh or in his right hand. It does not fit organicallt into his left hand. However, this is an exceptionally detailed accessory with black and silver accents for the various parts. It is actually amazing how much detail Hasbro can squeeze into an accessory as small as this!

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) is exceptional for that. This Hoth Han Solo figure has pretty amazing balance, not tipping over despite being put in very complex poses. In addition, the holes in the bottom of his feet allow him to stand tall on any number of playsets in outlandish poses or attach to pegs on vehicles, including the latest Millennium Falcon toy!

The Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) also has almost lifelike articulation. He has hinged ball and socket joints at the ankles, knees, elbows and shoulders, as well as a ball and socket joint which allows a great range of motion for the head and bust! The groin socket, wrists and waist are the only simple swivel joints. This is the best-articulated Hoth Han Solo yet, despite some of the articulation being inhibited by his jacket!

Collectibility

The Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) is part of the Vintage Collection line that was released in 2010 and he was a pegwarmer at the time. Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) is Vintage Collection figure VC03 and he was not released more than once. As a result, it has barely maintained his value without truly appreciating.

Overview

The Vintage Collection Han Solo (Echo Base Outfit) action figure might be yet another Han Solo figure for one’s collection, but it fits the newer line of well-detailed, highly articulated figures exceptionally well. This is an obscure rendition of Han Solo, but it is well-executed.

For other Vintage Collection figures of characters from The Empire Strikes Back, please check out my reviews of:
VCP03 Boba Fett
VC01 Dengar
VC05 AT-AT Commander
VC9 Boba Fett
VC10 4-LOM
VC11 (Twin Pod) Cloud Car Pilot
VC50 Han Solo (Bespin Outfit)
VC61 Boba Fett (Prototype Armor) Mail-In
VC65 TIE Fighter Pilot
VC95 Luke Skywalker (Hoth Outfit)
VC111 Princess Leia Organa (Bespin Outfit)

8/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my 3.75” Star Wars Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Generic To Its Core, The Death Star Scanning Crew Exclusive Two-Pack Is Entirely Forgettable!

The Good: Appropriate accessories, Generally good sculpt and coloring, Incredible articulation
The Bad: Scanning box accessory is very cheaply made, Entirely lame subjects, No collectible value!
The Basics: The Death Star Scanning Crew Vintage action figure set is a pair of generic Imperials that only has any value because of their rarity!


It is a rare thing that I am not excited to actually sit and write a review of a Star Wars toy. In the Star Wars Vintage Collection, there might not be a less interesting figure set to review than the Death Star Scanning Crew. The bottomline is: these are boring figures, not worth picking up, despite being well-made (save one of the accessories).

The Death Star Scanning Crew appeared at the midpoint of A New Hope (reviewed here!), on the Death Star. They are seen momentarily approaching the Millennium Falcon on the hanger deck where they go in to scan for life forms and get knocked out so the crew can escape to skulk around the Death Star.

The 4" Death Star Scanning Crew figure two-pack is a very basic Imperial Officer and a generic Imperial Technician.

Basics

The Death Star Scanning Crew is a two-pack that includes two unremarkable figures that are generic lackeys working for the Galactic Empire. The figures in the Death Star Scanning Crew, the Imperial Officer and the Imperial Technician, stand 4" and 3 3/4” tall, respectively. The Imperial Technician is cast wearing his gray uniform, the Imperial Officer is an equally generic officer in the black uniform. These figures are made entirely of hard plastic, save the holster, and they are two of the least-detailed Star Wars figures in the Vintage line.

This toy is a decent sculpt, especially for a figure that is supposed to be a generic technician/officer. Because they are such basic figures – the uniform for the Imperial Technician is monotonal gray, while the Officer is monotonal black, Hasbro easily got the sculpt right. Both are very simply dressed Imperials. As far as molding details go, that Hasbro included seams on the characters’ uniform and pockets molded onto the pants deserves some credit. The big difference in sculpt is that the Imperial Officer has the rank pins on the character’s shoulder.

The Death Star Scanning Crew figures are very basically colored. Both figures are indistinct without any coloring for badges and the Imperial Technician figure is monochromatic with the gray uniform, black boots and peach flesh tones for the face and hands. Sadly, on the Imperial Technician, the foot is colored only on the surface; when the ankle is moved, the resulting hinged ball and socket is revealed to be gray underneath.

Accessories

Both members of the Death Star Scanning Crew come with blasters. They are the very basic Imperial Blaster, which is a 1” pistol that comes with any number of Imperial action figures. These are detailed to be in perfect proportion to the new figure line and as a result, they are thinner and smaller than the original Power Of The Force figures.

The Death Star Scanning Crew figures also come with the box of scanning devices. This is a bright blue box that has things that look like they could come out. The box has cheap black dowels for wheels and they do not actually help the scanning tools box move. The box is completely incongruent with all other Star Wars figures.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Death Star Scanning Crew is pretty exceptional in that regard. The figures are incredibly articulated and well-balanced. The Death Star Scanning Crew figures have great balance, arguably because the amazing articulation provides so many posing options that it is easy to find the figure’s equilibrium. Like virtually every other Star Wars figure, they have the standard holes in the feet that allow this figure to be posed in more outlandish poses on the playsets and toys that have the matching foot pegs!

The Vintage Collection Death Star Scanning Crew figures are high on articulation. Each figure has fourteen points of articulation, most of which are ball and socket joints. These figures are articulated at the ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists, groin socket, neck and lower bust. This provides the consumer with incredible options for play and display of these simple-uniformed officers!

Collectibility

The Death Star Scanning Crew is part of the Vintage Colleciton four-inch series, but was exclusive to the two-pack and released only at Kmart. Locally, three of the four Kmarts still had some available this month, over a year (and two Christmases!) after their initial release. That makes it a distinctly poor investment for collectors and fans.

Overview

The Death Star Scanning Crew is well-made, but utterly dull. That’s all there is to it.

For other Star Wars exclusives, please check out my reviews of:
Vintage Collection Imperial Scanning Crew
Amazon.com Exclusive Legacy Collection 212th Battalion Clone Trooper figure
30th Anniversary Battle Of Hoth Target Exclusive Playset

3.5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Such Mundane Exclusives: The K-Mart Exclusive Star Wars Imperial Scanning Crew Underwhelms.

The Good: Appropriate (and well-made) accessories, Generally good sculpt and coloring, Incredible articulation
The Bad: Entirely lame subjects, No collectible value!
The Basics: The Imperial Scanning Crew Vintage action figure set is yet another Stormtrooper and an entirely generic Imperial officer that makes for a dull exclusive!


When it comes to exclusives, Hasbro does a pretty good job of spreading the love around with its retailers. Unfortunately, sometimes the exclusives are less than thrilling. Such is the case with the last K-Mart Exclusive figure set from 2013: The Imperial Scanning Crew. While the Return Of The Jedi Anniversary figures were somewhat unimaginative, K-Mart’s follow-up was even less remarkable. The Imperial Scanning Crew was the more interesting of the two two-figure sets K-Mart released as part of the Vintage Collection in 2013. It had the Stormtrooper and Imperial Technician figures.

The Imperial Scanning Crew appeared at the midpoint of A New Hope (reviewed here!), on the Death Star. They are seen momentarily approaching the Millennium Falcon on the hanger deck where they go in to scan for life forms and get knocked out so the crew can escape to skulk around the Death Star.

The 4" Imperial Scanning Crew figure two-pack is a very basic Imperial “officer” and a generic, though very well-constructed Stormtrooper.

Basics

The Imperial Scanning Crew is a two-pack that includes two unremarkable figures that are essentially generic lackeys working for the Galactic Empire. The figures in the Imperial Scanning Crew, the Stormtrooper TK-421 and the Imperial Technician, stand 3 7/8" and 3 3/4” tall, respectively. The Imperial Technician is cast wearing his gray uniform, while the Stormtrooper TK-421 is a generic stormtrooper figure. These figures are made entirely of hard plastic, save the belting, and they are two of the least-detailed Star Wars figures in the Vintage line.

This toy is a decent sculpt, especially for a figure that is supposed to be a generic technician/stormtrooper. Because they are such basic figures – the uniform for the Imperial Technician is monotonal gray, while the Stormtrooper is a typical Stormtrooper, Hasbro easily got the sculpt right. The Imperial Technician is a very simply dressed Imperial officer. As far as molding details go, that Hasbro included seams on the character’s uniform and pockets molded onto the pants deserves some credit. The Stormtrooper looks like virtually every other Stormtrooper action figure.

The Imperial Scanning Crew figures are very basically colored. Both figures are indistinct without any coloring for badges and the Imperial Technician figure is monochromatic with the gray uniform, black boots and gloves and peach flesh tones for the face. The ips have no shading or coloring, making this a very basic figure on the coloring front. Stormtrooper TK-421 has no distinct features, nor flesh tones.

Accessories

Both members of the Imperial Scanning Crew come with blasters. They are the very basic Imperial Blaster, which is a 1” pistol that comes with any number of Imperial action figures. This is detailed to be in perfect proportion to the new figure line and as a result, they are thinner and smaller than the original Power Of The Force figures.

The Stormtrooper TK-421 has a comm unit that detaches from his belt and barely fits in his left hand.

The Imperial Scanning Crew figures also come with the box of scanning tools. This is a bright blue box that opens up and has a larger comm unit and a scanning “gun” with an attached tube that fits the figures. The box is blue and looks like nothing else in the Star Wars toy line.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Imperial Scanning Crew is pretty exceptional in that regard. The figures are incredibly articulated and well-balanced. The Imperial Scanning Crew figures have great balance, arguably because the amazing articulation provides so many posing options that it is easy to find the figure’s equilibrium. Like virtually every other Star Wars figure, they have the standard holes in the feet that allow this figure to be posed in more outlandish poses on the playsets and toys that have the matching foot pegs!

The Vintage Collection Imperial Scanning Crew figures are high on articulation. Each figure has fourteen points of articulation, most of which are ball and socket joints. These figures are articulated at the ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists, groin socket, neck and lower bust. This provides the consumer with incredible options for play and display of these simple-uniformed officers!

Collectibility

The Imperial Scanning Crew is part of the Vintage Colleciton four-inch series, but was exclusive to the two-pack and released only at Kmart. Locally, three of the four Kmarts still had some available this month, over a year (and two Christmases!) after their initial release. That makes it a distinctly poor investment for collectors and fans.

Overview

The Imperial Scanning Crew is an unremarkable set that is hard to get excited about spending money on, despite the quality of the sculpts of the figures in it. In fact, one only suspects there will be any enduring value to this set for fans who want to replace the tiny comm unit when one loses it from the Stormtrooper!

For other Star Wars exclusives, please check out my reviews of:
VCP3 Boba Fett (Mail-Away)
TC-70 Amazon.com Exclusive Build-A-Droid figure
Power Of The Force Spirit Of Obi-Wan Kenobi Mail-Away

5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out my index page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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(Near) Perfection From Obscurity: The Star Wars 30th Anniversary Hermie Odle Figure Is Awesome!

The Good: Good concept, Decent detailing, Fine balance, Good articulation, Rarity
The Bad: Could be a little more detailed/Cloth element could be better fitted.
The Basics: The Hermie Odle figure takes another exceptionally obscure Star Wars background alien and makes it into an awesome action figure!


While on my recent vacation with my wife, I discovered a pretty awesome local comic book shop in Minnesota. The shop was a little treasure trove of goodies for my business . . . and for me as a collector. As a fan of toys from the DC Comics Universe and the Star Wars films, I was excited when I discovered a number of toys in the store that I never even knew existed. Being that we were on our vacation, my wife encouraged me to spend a little money on myself and she encouraged me to buy some figures for myself. One of the ones that was available at an amazingly low price that I never knew about was the Hermie Odle Star Wars 30th Anniversary action figure. In addition to being an almost-perfect figure, Hermie Odle is just a cool name to say in enthusiastic tones when shopping!

For those unfamiliar with the Hermie Odle, it was one of the background aliens that appeared in Jabba’s Palace near the beginning of Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!). Never given lines or a clear presence, Hermie Odle might be distinctive only in its lolling tongue and rags that cover the muppet-like head of the creature. In fact, he is only seen when Han Solo is first shown on the wall of Jabba's Palace!

The 4" Hermie Odle figure from the 30th Anniversary Collection is, to date, the only version of this figure to hit the market.

Basics

The Hermie Odle figure stands 4 1/4" tall to the top of its hunched back. The Hermie Odle is dressed in an earthtone pair of leggings, wraps for its feet and forearms and then covered in a cloth cloak. The cloak covers most of Hermie Odle, but the moment it is removed from the package, that cloak puffs up in an awkward fashion; it is virtually impossible to get the cloak to fit close to the figure again after it is out of the package. Hermie Odle is molded with a realistic level of detail, from knuckles and fingernails to the texturing on the character’s tongue!

As for the coloring, Hermie Odle is cast in a pink/purple plastic that is very close to the color of the light brown cloth cloak. While the skin tones could be just a little more detailed, Hasbro got Hermie Odle almost completely right on the coloring front, including his tiny yellow eyes!

Accessories

Hermie Odle is a pretty simple alien life form and it comes only with a standard Tatooine Force Pike. The force pike is 4 7/8” long and is realistically colored a metallic silver-gray color. The grip is appropriately brown and the force pike, on its own, looks good (if quite a bit cleaner than Hermie Odle himself).

Like most of the 2007 30th Anniversary Collection figures, the Hermie Odle features a collectible coin. The coin is a silver-colored, metal and plastic coin of the Hermie Odle. The 1 1/2" in diameter collectible coin features the Hermie Odle embossed on one side and the Star Wars 30th Anniversary notation and symbol on the obverse.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Hermie Odle is exceptional in that regard. The Hermie Odle figure has great balance, though the natural stance for the figure is hunched over, as if Hermie Odle is bearing a great weight on its back. The character is unable to stand fully erect. Regardless, Hermie Odle has an incredibly solid stance, making it hard to tip over. That makes the figure ideal for any Jabba’s Palace setting one puts the toy in.

Hermie Odle is articulated at the ankles, groin socket, waist, shoulders, wrists, mouth and neck. The head is on a simple swivel joint, but the fact that it has a hinged lower jaw so the mouth may be opened is pretty cool. While the waist, wrists, groin socket and head are simple swivel joints, the figure feels like it has a great range of motion because the ankles and shoulders are all hinge joints on ball-and-socket joints, which allows them to have incredible range of motion! With that level of articulation, it is easy for Hermie Odle to hold its force pike in a two-handed grip!

Collectibility

The Hermie Odle is part of the 30th Anniversary line that was released in 2007. Hermie Odle is 30th Anniversary Collection figure #29. The Hermie Odle figure was fairly uncommon and this whole set was not widely released, so it is still sought after today. Given that there has only been the one casting of Hermie Odle, despite the fact that it is an obscure character, it was a decent investment figure.

Overview

Hermie Odle is a pretty cool alien which will flesh out the Star Wars alien toy collection exceedingly well, making it a must-buy when one can find it – whether or not they are on vacation!

For other figures and toys from the Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection, please check out my reviews of:
Battle Of Hoth Ultimate Battle Pack
AT-AP
#03 Mustafar Lava Miner
2005 #06 2-1B
#08 Mustafar Panning Droid

9.5/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Limited Appeal Does Not Undermine The Value Of The Vintage Collection Grand Moff Tarkin Figure!

The Good: Cool accessories, Wonderful sculpt, Great articulation, Collectible value
The Bad: Light on facial coloring details, Fabric element is underwhelming
The Basics: The Grand Moff Tarkin Vintage Collection action figure is a wonderful addition to the broader Star Wars toy line for the die-hard fans!


If one goes back and watched the Star Wars Saga, one of the aspects that is somewhat hard to accept is the timeline. After a meteoric rise to power, the Emperor spends more than twenty years working to wipe away the Old Republic. It is not until well into A New Hope that the political institutions of the Old Republic are finally destroyed. In the larger arc of the full Saga, it becomes clear that for all of the Emperor’s machinations, the power he has is not absolute until after the destruction of the Death Star. The symbol of the limitations of the Emperor’s power is Grand Moff Tarkin. Grand Moff Tarkin keeps Darth Vader on a short leash and actually orders him around in A New Hope. Despite his importance in the Saga, Hasbro has only produced one 3.75 scale Grand Moff Tarkin figure, the Power Of The Force version (reviewed here!) . . . until the Vintage Collection version!

The Grand Moff Tarkin appeared throughout A New Hope (reviewed here!), where he oversaw the testing of the new Death Star. It was actually Tarkin who ordered the execution of Princess Leia and the destruction of the planet Alderaan.

The 4" Grand Moff Tarkin figure is very basic, which is appropriate for the character. Like other Imperial officers, Grand Moff Tarkin is dressed in a gray Imperial uniform with rank pins on his left breast and a simple belt on his waist.

Basics

Grand Moff Tarkin is a distinctive Imperial officer working for the Galactic Empire. The Grand Moff Tarkin figure stands 3 7/8" tall to the top of his gray-haired head.

Grand Moff Tarkin is cast wearing his gray uniform, which is monotonally gray, though of course his belt and boots are appropriately black. The figure is made entirely of hard plastic, save the belting/skirt (the bottom portion of the shirt that hangs below the belt), and is one of the least-detailed Star Wars figures in the Vintage line.

This toy is a decent sculpt, especially for a figure for a character most people but the die-hard fans forget about. Cast with realistic proportions, he has incredible flexibility, but very minimal detailing. This is a very simply dressed Imperial officer. As far as molding details go, that Hasbro included seams on the character’s uniform and the tiny pen-like object poking out of his shirt pocket is worth noting. This figure’s hands are molded both so they may hold the figure’s gun and look like they are pointing. Grand Moff Tarkin is distinctively sculpted with the face of Peter Cushing, who played the character.

Unfortunately, the Grand Moff Tarkin figure is very basically colored. This is a figure that features realistic coloring for the badges and the entire figure is monochromatic with the gray uniform and simplistic white flesh tones for the face. The most detailed this figure gets on the coloring details are the gray hair with brown highlights. The character’s eyes are simply tiny black dots and the skin lacks any realistic depth or shading. In fact, Grand Moff Tarkin’s lips are not even colored!

Accessories

Grand Moff Tarkin comes with only two accessories; a seemingly unique Imperial Blaster and a little “mouse” droid! The Imperial Blaster is a 1” long pistol that may be unique to this action figure. Featuring an elongated scope and a very short barrel, the gun that this Tarkin figure comes with is cast in solid black plastic. The figure can hold the gun in either of his hands.

The Grand Moff Tarkin figure also comes with a small “mouse” droid figure. The “mouse” droid is a small black rolling droid seen on the Death Star (Chewbacca growls at one and it rolls off fast in the opposite direction). The tiny boxlike droid comes with two sets of wheels that allow it to roll around. The sides of the small droid feature both the sculpted detailing and colored accents for the lights or controls the droid possessed. This makes the droid match the quality of the Grand Moff Tarkin figure more than the simplistic firearm.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the Grand Moff Tarkin figure is impressive in that regard. While the figure is cast with a somewhat wider stance than one might expect for a bureaucrat, he is incredibly articulated and very well-balanced. The Grand Moff Tarkin figure has great balance, arguably because the amazing articulation provides so many posing options that it is easy to find the figure’s equilibrium. Like virtually every other Star Wars figure, it has the standard holes in the feet that allow this figure to be posed in more outlandish poses on the playsets and toys that have the matching foot pegs!

The Vintage Collection Grand Moff Tarkin figure is high on articulation. This figure has fourteen points of articulation, most of which are ball and socket joints. This figure is articulated at the ankles, knees, shoulders, elbows, wrists, groin socket, neck and waist. This provides the consumer with incredible options for play and display of this officer; more than he had in the film!

Collectibility

The Grand Moff Tarkin is part of the Vintage Collection four-inch series and is one of the least inspired Star Wars figures in the line, though it is well-made and replaces the prior version of the figure well. This is Vintage Collection figure VC98. Because there are so few Grand Moff Tarkin figures and this one was not overproduced, it seems to have retained its value well and may be one of the few figures from this part of the Vintage Collection that will appreciate in value.

Overview

The Grand Moff Tarkin is an esoteric subject for a Vintage Collection Star Wars action figure, but that is par for the course with the figures currently being produced. Even with the problematic way the fabric skirt fails to match the rest of the uniform, this is the definitive Gran Moff Tarkin figure for all serious Star Wars action figure collectors!

For other Vintage Collection figures from A New Hope, please check out my reviews of:
VC14 Sandtrooper
VC40 R5-D4
VC41 Stormtrooper
VC53 Bom Vimdin
VC57 Dr. Evazan (Cantina Patron)
VC65 TIE Fighter Pilot
VC94 Imperial Navy Commander
VC112 Sandtrooper

8.5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Expertise In Monotones: The Star Wars Black Series Bastila Shan Figure Is Incredibly Dynamic!

The Good: Wonderful sculpt, Decent accessories, Great balance and articulation
The Bad: Very simplistic coloring
The Basics: The Star Wars The Black Series creates a concept figure worth picking up with the Bastila Shan action figure!


For my recent birthday, my wife picked me up several truly awesome gifts. One of them was the Black Series Bastila Shan Star Wars Black Series action figure. Bastila Shan is a concept figure, an embodiment of a character not seen in the Star Wars films. This is actually the second Bastila Shan figure to be released and, honestly, I am uncertain if the new Black Series version of the character is any different from the Vintage Collection one, but given how the first iteration is virtually impossible to find, the Black Series version of the character makes the inaccessible affordable and gives collectors a reason to bother with the new Black Series, which has been plagued by figures of oft-recast characters.

The Bastila Shan figure is the Jedi from the Old Republic who is part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe concept of action figures, so there is no live-action reference for the toy.

This 4" Bastila Shan figure is wonderfully balanced, incredibly sculpted and articulated exceptionally well.

Basics

Bastila Shan in this form is the female Jedi, who looks lithe and dangerous. She is cast in a yellow outfit with brown flexible armor overtop it. She has a neutral stance and both of her hands can hold the lightsaber she comes with.

The Bastila Shan figure stands only 3 5/8" tall, which puts her in proportion to the rest of the line. Bastila Shan is appropriately coifed in her yellow-tan body suit and maroon-brown armor/skirt and boots. The figure is cast with exceptional detail for the face and hair of the character. Bastila Shan is cast with a somewhat angry look on her face and deep ear canals. This figure is made of a combination of solid plastic, with her hands, skirts, and ponytail being composed of a softer, more rubbery plastic.

This toy is a decent sculpt, despite there being no frame of reference for the character. Unfortunately, Bastila Shan is unimpressive in her coloring detail. The detailing on the figure's face and costume is entirely monolithic and the skin tones are nowhere near realistic. She has no rouge, for example on her cheeks, but her lips are a darker pink. As well, the fingers do not have fingernails molded into the sculpt, so they are not colored either. Unfortunately, this figure has a somewhat sloppy paint job; in addition to the hair being monotonally brown, the hair on the left side of the figure is painted so erratically that mine was flesh-colored for most of her bangs!

Accessories

Bastila Shan, being a Jedi Knight, has two appropriate accessories. This Bastila Shan figure comes with a double-bladed lightsaber and the lightsaber handle. The lightsaber handle is a simple 1 1/2" simple sliver cylinder. The lightsaber handle attaches to the figure’s belt from a little peg that is on the lightsaber handle. The lightsaber fits nicely onto the belt or in the figure’s hands.

The other weapon Bastila Shan comes with is the same double-edged lightsaber with the lightblades extended. This basically looks like Darth Maul’s lightsaber, but with yellow blades instead of the red ones. This is a 4 3/4" lightsaber that looks awesome in Bastila Shan’s hands!

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and Bastila Shan is incredible in that regard. This Bastila Shan has incredible balance and articulation. The figure has holes in the bottom of the feet that allow it to be stuck onto any playset or vehicle that has the corresponding pegs. Bastila Shan is gifted with an incredible fourteen points of articulation. Bastila Shan, as an action figure, has joints at the knees, ankles, groin socket, waist, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and neck. Most of the joints are actually hinge joints that also swivel, which gives Shan an incredible amount of articulation.

Between the balance and articulation, this is an incredible figure that has somewhat obvious and exposed joints, but still looks pretty wonderful.

Collectibility

Bastila Shan is part of the 2014 Star Wars The Black Series collection of four-inch action figures. This series of Star Wars action figures was fairly common and the Bastila Shan figure was #20 in that collection and was one of the rarest from the Black Series so far. As a result, Bastila Shan is highly sought-after, but nowhere near as rare as the Vintage Collection version of the same figure. That makes it less of a good investment than the Vintage Collection figure, but a more worthwhile investment than most of the other 4.5” Black Series figures. It remains one of the few Black Series figures I’d actually recommend as an investment figure.

Overview

Bastila Shan is a cool figure and a must-buy for those who are collecting Jedi and concept figures, but not as worthwhile for those who are only casual Star Wars fans.

For other Star Wars concept figures and toys, please check out my reviews on:
Legacy Collection TC-70 Build-A-Droid
Vintage Collection VC61 Boba Fett Prototype Armor (Mail Away)
Vintage Collection VC96 Darth Malgus

7.5/10

For other toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Unsurprisingly Basic, The Star Wars Vintage Collection R5-D4 Is An Average Astromech!

The Good: Decent color/sculpting details, Good balance
The Bad: Vastly overproduced, No special feature
The Basics: Arguably the least ambitious figure of the entire Vintage Collection line, the R5-D4 is a perfectly average astromech droid without any flairs . . . or issues.


Up until it began to discolor, the Power Of The Force R5-D4 action figure (reviewed here!) seemed to be all that fans of the obscure astromech droid would need as far as action figures go. So, the fact that R5-D4 made it into the Vintage Collection toy line, a line of figures that has the definitive sculpt of a good number of Star Wars characters, was somewhat surprising. The fact that it was added to the Vintage Collection line without any conceptual flairs – the droid could easily have been molded with a pop-off head and panels that sprang open – is even more surprising.

For those not into obscure Star Wars droids, R5-D4 was the droid Luke Skywalker and Uncle Owen tried to buy with C-3PO in A New Hope (reviewed here!). When this red astromech droid exploded, C-3PO suggested Luke take R2-D2!

The 4" R5-D4 is the simple astromech droid without any flair or additional playability features.

Basics

R5-D4 is a three-legged, barrel-shaped droid that stands 2 7/8" tall to the top of the antenna atop the droid's head. This is essentially a red version of R2-D2, but with a flat head. This version includes sculpted details such as the flexible tubes on the feet and hinged “ankle” joints.

This toy is a decent sculpt, kept in perfect scale to other droids in the line. The barrel-shaped droid is augmented on the legs to feature depth on the supports that make it look much more practical and functional than on prior sculpts. The antenna on the top of its flat, rotating, head is made of a softer plastic than the rest of the droid, but it does not look added on, which is nice.

R5-D4 has a white and red color scheme and this is a “clean” version of the droid, so there are no weathering marks or burns. This R5-D4 is a masterwork of detailing that is consistent with the quality of other Vintage Collection figures. Contrasting elements like the silver coloring for the “eyes,” ports and leg struts are beyond what prior R5-D4 figures possessed.

Accessories

R5-D4, barrel-shaped droid who would otherwise explode, comes with no accessories, which makes sense because it does not have the ability to grip anything.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and R5-D4 is good in that regard. The figure is as well-articulated as it possibly can be given that it is a barrel-shaped droid with two limbs. R5-D4 is exceptionally well-balanced, thanks to articulation at the “shoulders” and ankles. Flatfooted, R5-D4 is well-balanced and manages to stay up even on surfaces that wobble, largely because of the third leg at the front of the barrel. Outside that, R5-D4 lacks significant articulation to make it interesting.

Unfortunately, this version of R5-D4 does not have a head that blows off. The closest thing to a playable feature it has is a removable third foot. The center foot may be popped out to make one pretend like it has retracted up inside the figure.

Collectibility

R5-D4 is part of the Vintage Collection four-inch series, a series of Star Wars action figures that was common-enough. R5-D4 was overproduced, appearing in multiple cases. This figure is VC40 in the Vintage Collection series and its price peaked quite a while ago; its value is now depressed to where it is likely to remain. This is a poor figure for investment, as opposed to enjoyment for droid enthusiasts.

Overview

Found inexpensively, R5-D4 is a decent enough toy, though it is unextraordinary and likely to be sought only by the most obsessive of Star Wars fans.

For other Vintage Collection figures from A New Hope, please check out my reviews of:
VC14 Sandtrooper
VC41 Stormtrooper
VC53 Bom Vimdin
VC57 Dr. Evazan (Cantina Patron)
VC65 TIE Fighter Pilot
VC94 Imperial Navy Commander
VC112 Sandtrooper

5/10

For other toy reviews, please be sure to visit my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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What The Line Was Building To: The TC-70 Build-A-Droid Star Wars Action Figure!

The Good: Great coloring detail, Wonderful articulation, Good balance
The Bad: Not unique, Costly for the concept
The Basics: The Amazon.com Exclusive Legacy Collection Build-A-Droid TC-70 is an unnecessary oddity whose value only comes from getting an additional figure out of an unremarkable action figure line.


Last Black Friday, I found myself unnaturally excited by Amazon.com. One of their few toy-related deals for Black Friday was the complete set of exclusive Legacy Collection Build-A-Droid action figures that the website had commissioned from Hasbro. After a few duds and erratic Star Wars toy lines, I was psyched to see the return of the Build-A-Droid concept – especially as Hasbro was busy disappointing me with the lack of original figures in The Black Collection. So, having gone through the six figures that were exclusive to the Amazon.com set, I now find myself contemplating the seventh figure one gets in the case . . .

. . . and discovering that, unlike most Build-A-Droid figures, it is not original or unique! The figure is TC-70 and there is another TC-70 figure in a boxed set released years ago under the Legacy Collection branding!

The 4" TC-70 is a super-articulated figure from the 2013 Amazon.com Exclusive Legacy Collection and it is fairly unremarkable. After all, TC-70 was seen for about five frames of Return Of The Jedi (reviewed here!) as Jabba’s droid minions drew and quartered him.

Basics

TC-70 stands 3 3/4" tall to the top of its head. TC-70 is sculpted using one of the latest bodies for a standard Star Wars protocol droid and colored a copper color. That makes TC-70 a humanoid robot, virtually identical to C-3PO, save in coloring. The distinctive aspect of TC-70 is a painted triangle on the character’s forehead, which looks almost like a tribal tattoo. That is represented well on this action figure.

TC-70 is colored with amazing attention to detail. This metallic copper droid was made to look like a clean version of the little-seen protocol droid and details like the neck servos molded in perfectly! The figure is colored accurately with a lighter steel-colored leg panel, much like C-3PO has panels that have been replaced. The coloring details are accurate right down to different colored wires in the abdomen section of the droid, below the familiar circle on the protocol droid’s breastpiece.

Accessories

TC-70 is a mass-produced droid and, like most protocol droids, comes without any accessories. After all, what use does a translator for Jabba The Hutt have with any sort of tool? They are the tool!

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and TC-70 is exceptional in that regard. First, the figure has decent balance. Flatfooted, TC-70 is entirely solid, and because of the lower half articulation of the figure, it has decent posing options. Some extreme poses may be done without using the holes in its feet! Even so, the holes in the bottom of its feet allow it to stand tall on any number of playsets in outlandish poses.

TC-70 holds up extraordinarily well in the articulation department, which is a surprise for a droid figure. This droid has hinged ball-and-socket joints at the ankles, knees and elbows, as well as a ball and socket joint which allows a great range of motion for the bust. The shoulders, groin socket, neck and wrists all have simple swivel joints that provide the figure with more than enough posing options to make the figure worthwhile! This is incredibly poseable – more than most C-3PO figures! - and that makes it very worthwhile for play!

Collectibility

TC-70 is part of the Legacy Collection line that was released in 2013 exclusively through Amazon.com. Because the complete set is still sold by Amazon.com, fans have not had to deal with trying to scavenge the figure from buying the single figures culled from cases (which is bound to be a pain in the ass as the torso comes from the less-inspired FA-4 figure, reviewed here!). Combined with the fact that there has already been a TC-70 figure, it is entirely possible that this is a Build-A-Droid figure that will not appreciate significantly for quite some time, if ever. (Though, note to Amazon: I love that the entire set was sold together for one low price! Very easy!)

Overview

TC-70 is a somewhat pointless background droid that is hardly essential, though it is exceptionally well made. That is pretty much all that makes it worth assembling. It is by no means an indispensible Star Wars droid figure!

For other Build-A-Droid figures, please check out my reviews of:
HK-50
R4-D6
R4-J1

7/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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An Action Figure That Won’t Stand For Action Poses: The New Legacy Collection 212th Battalion Clone Trooper!

The Good: Incredible sculpting, Amazing poseability, Exceptional detailing, Decent accessories!
The Bad: Poor balance, Left hand does not really hold the accessories, Production markings.
The Basics: The Star Wars Legacy Collection 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is a good new version of the Clone Trooper, but it cannot stand in truly lavish poses, despite its exceptional jointwork!


When it comes to Star Wars action figures, I am about at my threshold for Clone Troopers. Given that there are legions of Clone Troopers seen in two of the Prequel Star Wars, it seems like it would be a figure one might be willing to get an infinite number of the various Clone Troopers to establish a generic standing army of anonymous soldiers. But, when spending money on toys, it seems like there is a line and for Clone Troopers, I’m about there. The reason is simple: with the new Amazon.com Exclusive Legacy Collection 212th Battalion Clone Trooper, it seems that Hasbro has jumped the shark; the company has made dozens of great Clone Trooper action figures, but with the new 212th Battalion Clone Trooper, they sacrifice functionality for style and that is an unfortunate choice.

For those unfamiliar with the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper, they are the Republic Clone Troopers seen on Utapau in Revenge Of The Sith (reviewed here!). These are the Clone Troopers who were augmented with orange accents on their armor and were the group of Clone Troopers who turned against Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The 4" 212th Battalion Clone Trooper figure is another generic shock troop which suffers from a few minor defects that rob it from being worth stocking up on. The extent to which this Clone Trooper falls down (literally) comes out more when one looks closely at the figure.

Basics

The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper figure stands 4" tall to the top of his helmet. He wears the white, orange and black armor of the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper and this figure does have a removable helmet. Beneath the helmet is a generic Clone Trooper head with a somewhat stern look on his face. The head includes ears that are very well-detailed and molded, but somewhat underwhelming on the coloring details (the lips, for example, are not colored). Unlike some of the other Clone Troopers and 212th Battalion Clone Troopers, this is neither a filthy, worn-looking figure nor a completely clean version of the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper. This has a burn marks at various points on the armor, like knee, chest and helmet.

As one might expect from the fact that the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is based on the generic Clone Trooper, the new 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is an amazing sculpt. The figure's armor includes such realistic details as a soft belt with flaps and buttons on the pouches there. The armor on the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper's outfit looks slightly worn, which makes sense given that the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper was shot at repeatedly. The coloring details on the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper's armor are also pretty wonderful and this looks exactly like the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper's in the pictures (and in the movie). The seeming simplicity of the figure is undone by the fact that the figure is so detailed that it includes the fine detailing like the black vents on the sides of the helmet.

Unfortunately, the sculpt has production issues that several of the other figures do not have. On the back of the left thigh are deep imprints of a production number. On the bracers, near the elbows, are tiny raised letters that seem to indicate the which sides the arms belong on.

Accessories

The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is a Republic Clone Trooper and comes with a standard Republic Clone blaster and a Blaster Rifle. The 1 1/8" long gun fits in the right hand of the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper's and looks entirely proportionate there. This is a completely generic, monotonal black firearm and, rather frustratingly, the figure cannot hold it in its left hand because of how narrow the figure’s grip is.

The blaster rifle is a big gun seen being utilized by the 212th Battalion Clone Troopers in Revenge Of The Sith as they attack the Jedi and General Grievous’s forces. The 2 11/16” rifle is big, but clean and monotonal black. The fact that the scope for the gun is on the bottom is weird, but accurate. The figure may only hold the blaster rifle in its right hand, though the left hand may be arranged to support the rifle’s barrel.

Like the rest of Amazon’s 2013 Legacy Collection figures, the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper features a droid part. The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper features the right arm of TC-70. The copper arm is augmented by silver and dark purple accents. The hand looks articulated and jointed exactly like what one expects of a Star Wars protocol droid. The arm has a simple swivel joint at the wrist and the elbow has an appropriate hinge joint. The arm has a peg at the shoulder which allows it to plug into the torso section of the Build-A-Droid figure.

Playability

The four inch toy line was designed for play and the 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is only good in that regard. The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper has poor balance, but incredible poseability, illustrating the latest in molding technology. The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is articulated at fourteen points, only one of which is a simple swivel joint! The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is articulated at the ankles, knees, groin socket, bust, shoulders, elbows, wrists and head. The head is on a ball-and-socket joint, as is the bust of the figure. The knees, ankles, groin joint, shoulders and elbows are all hinge joints on the ball-and-socket, giving them exceptional poseability and playability. The wrists have simple swivel joints which do all they truly need to do.

Unfortunately, the figure has terrible balance. While the figure may be posed well, the toy does not remain standing without using the holes at the backs of the feet. That makes this a great figure to augment vehicles or accessories, but it stands poorly on its own.

Collectibility

The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is part of the Legacy Collection with the build-a-droid figure that was released in 2013 exclusively through Amazon.com. The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper was released with equal frequency as the rest of the line. Given how this is 212th Battalion Clone Trooper easily interfaces with a number of toys and has multiple playable options, it is one that fans might be willing to stock up on, but for the fact that there are other, less problematic Clone Trooper figures. That makes it unlikely that it will appreciate in value significantly or fast.

Overview

The 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is a good Clone Trooper figure, but hardly one of the most original Star Wars toys ever made. If it were not for the build-a-droid piece, this might have been one of the figures in this toy line one could pass on.

For other Clone Trooper figures, please check out my reviews of:
Vintage Collection VC15 Clone Trooper
Vintage Collection VC38 Clone Trooper (212th Battalion)
Vintage Collection VC60 501st Legion Clone Trooper
2009 Legacy Collection BD37 Clone Commander Deviss
2009 Legacy Collection BD47 Commander Bacara
2008 Legacy Collection GH1 Commander Gree
Attach Of The Clones Collection #49 Clone Trooper Republic Gunship Pilot

7.5/10

For other Star Wars toy reviews, please check out my Toy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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