CLONE TROOPER FIVES Defend KaminoThe Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 35566 No. 28533
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Gun, helmet, stand, more figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $26.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars
Bio: CT-27-5555 was a clone trooper who served in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Because of his assigned clone number, he was given the nickname "Fives." (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)
Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.
Commentary: The boys from the episode "Rookies" are something of a big deal to some fans of The Clone Wars-- like me, for example. I was pretty pleased to see the guys as recurring characters in new armor, plus a rank advancement. Fives gets his second figure with this release, a mass-release set based on the season 3 debut where he got to defend Kamino from hordes of invading droids. He has new armor with some nice graphics featuring some lettering and a logo (see below) as well as barcode-like stripes on his legs. I'm not sure if the barcode itself holds any significance or is just a broken stripe, and being in the worlds of retail I see it as something you scan at a store.
Fives' body is the basic 2008 Clone body, complete with ankles and swivel/pivot wrists. His helmet is the newer style, with a slightly different chin and forehead being the most obvious changes. So really, Hasbro did the best body, with a good head under the helmet, complete with the beard and the "5" tattoo on his head. The only real problem with the figure is the alignment of his deco. There are so many applications, it becomes obvious if something is a little off-center, and on my sample, it was. While the blue paint seems to be positioned correctly, the red "eyes" and "mouth" of the creature painted on his helmet were shifted slightly to the left-- so be careful if you have the chance to examine it at retail. Depending on how he's posed in a display, it's less noticeable, but this is something that might bug the snot out of you over time. I like the character, the figure, the deco, and the set, so I say go get it when you can. Heck, order it at the link below, because I get a cut of sales made through it. (Hooray, sponsors.)
Aurebesh translation: Five's arm (and Echo's leg) have a design with a Z-6 rotary blaster canon in a circle with some lettering beneath it. It's very small. It reads: "For Hevy," referencing the clone gunner who met his end at the end of the season 1 episode "Rookies." (If it's been more than a year, it no longer constitutes as a spoiler.)
Collector's Notes: This wave of Battle Packs marks an interesting historical turn-- the first Cinema Scenes were $15-$20 for 3 figures, and mutated into various 4- and 5-figure sets for about $20 over the years before raising costs returned us to 3-figure sets again. While mostly repaints, the amount of paint is greater than average. It's a new set, and obscenely popular-- with Echo, Fives, and the new ARC Trooper Blitz, this is one of the sets you Clone fans need to buy now because if you don't, you'll be sorry. The kids LOVE the ARC Troopers.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,629: September 12, 2011
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