Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,551: Weequay Skiff Master

WEEQUAY SKIFF MASTER Toy Debut
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 28440
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC48
Includes: Pistol, Force Pike
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99-$10.99
Availability: February 2011
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Fore be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: While I've been itching for the Weequay Skiff Master for quite some time, I gotta say, it feels a little off. If you were to run down a checklist of everything a good Skiff figure should have, this one makes the grade. There's a great sculpt, good accessories, exceptional detail, and no problems standing or holding on to his weapons. It's just when everything is put together, it's a smidgen funky.

The figure's outfit and deco are where the trouble begins. If you look at the cardback photo, it appears as if the figure has an armored garment over another, long-sleeved garment. The coloring if these two garments is slightly different, so it looks like there are indeed two distinct pieces of clothing in there. On the figure, it looks like he has puffy sleeves. There's a slight difference between the colors on the figures, but it's so subtle I think it could just as easily by my imagination. The texture and detailing basically feels right, they even got the armbands, but the costume feels like it didn't quite hit the nail on the head. As far as the pants and shoes, well, it's tough to tell-- so I'm going to give Hasbro an A on these, because they seem to fit in with the costume just fine.

While I love the head sculpt, the head sits strangely on the body. I can't even put it in words well beyond "it's almost like he has no neck." The costume from the movie looks a little strange in this department too-- there's little to no visible neck, just a costume with a head on top of it-- but as a figure it seems strange. Hasbro replicated the costume well, but again, it's just a little weird when you see it in person. Some sort of collar where the neck pops out, or even a little artistic license to give him a neck, would make it a little less unsettling. It does seem that they replicated the outfit though, so this is no real fault of Hasbro's. (Well, the sleeves. But other than that.) It's a fun, menacing, and most importantly new figure. I'd suggest getting one, unless you just can't get past the neck issue-- which, in a display, you should be able to do pretty easily. Grab it if you have the means, because anything new from Return of the Jedi is most welcome.

Collector's Notes: Still newish, still hottish. A neck variant exists which I have not had the fortune of seeing in person yet.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,551: May 25, 2011