Figure Of The Day: Day 191: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Lieutenant
The 30th Anniversary Collection Tins
Item No.: Asst. 87154 No. 87222
Number: 2 of 6
Includes: Helmet, blaster pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: 2006
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The clone troopers identified by this characteristic, blue armor highlighting came to be known and feared by Separatist forces as one of the most effective fighting units of the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's cardback. Yes, there's a little cardback INSIDE the box. And yes, I realize it looks like it may be the worst written and potentially incorrect bio I've seen in ages. The pack also lists "special equipment" as rocket pack, and I don't see no rocket pack.)

Image: Adam's toy shelves. Whoopee.

Commentary: Who loves more of the same? This Clone Trooper is the Evolutions mold from 2005, but with new paint. That's pretty much it. The figure has excellent articulation, mostly good deco, but if I had to pick nits, I'd pick three. One, the mold has no waist articulation but is otherwise super-poseable. Two, the figure's head (on my samples) have questionable paint on the hair and face. And three, the helmet is still too tight. Due to the super-soft plastic, when you press it over his head, sometimes you can make out his nose pushing through. This is what we in the business call "crappy." (It's an industry term, so I can understand why it may be confusing to hear at first.) But this sort of thing really sucks. A pilot needs to sit in a ship, a weapon needs to be held in a hand (I'm looking at you, Foul Moudama), and a removable helmet has to be able to be placed on a head so it can be removed later. As a helmet-free figure, it's pretty awesome, but it's gosh-darn disappointing to have to fidget with this thing to minimize the nose poking through the face of the helmet.

Collector's Notes: This item was released as part of the 30th Anniversary Collection, which came out several months early. The Clone Trooper came in a four-pack with Evolutions Count Dooku, Evolutions Episode II Anakin Skywalker, and a retooled Jango Fett with a similar helmet problem. Given the obscene price of $30-$35, it's a hard set to advise you to buy unless all of these figures appeal to your collectorial (new word?) needs.

Critic Notes: I just want to take a moment to say that I absolutely adore the concept of the tins. The packaging is gorgeous, the packing-within-the-packaging is genius, the tins are awesome, and the overall look and feel is just magnificent. But the price point is insulting-- most of these take 3 previously $4.99-$5.99 figures with minimal changes and charge a whopping $30 for the set. If the set had all new repaints or a larger emphasis on "new" items, these would be my absolutely favorite items of the year. (For example: an Astromech droid, 2 Battle Droids, a Clone, and a Jedi of your choosing.)

Day 191: November 13, 2006