Galactic Hunter's Star Wars Figure of the Day with Adam Pawlus

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,738: Darth Maul

2012-02-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

DARTH MAUL Really New
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No. 37509
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC86
Includes: Plastic hood, cloth cloak, two-piece lightsaber, lightsaber hilt, binoculars
Action Feature: Lightsaber splits down the middle
Retail: $9.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

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 Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. No specific character information.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary: An upgrade of Darth Maul was a long time coming, Hasbro's last attempt to "perfect" the figure was in the 2005 Evolutions packs, and fans said back then that Hasbro came up short. They were right. The new one manages to make a Darth Maul with the bulk of the important features of the day, but it still isn't quite perfect-- it's very good, but it could still be improved. For starters, he's assembled with his belt backward.

The figure's articulation is as good as Hasbro will likely be able to do with today's technology. He has ball-jointed everything, except for his wrists-- they merely swivel, which is something they could probably have improved upon. I know it sounds nitpicky, but this isn't a vintage Mon Mothma, it's Darth "Cash Cow" Maul, the figure you know you can sell forever and keep repackaging long after fans claim they're sick of it-- there is always a new crop of kids and fans who want Darth Maul. He can hold his lightsaber fairly nicely, but I feel the range of movement should be improved still-- it's good, and certainly the best Maul has ever been. But "the best it's ever been" isn't necessarily good enough in the age of $10 figures.

I still feel the best 3 3/4-inch scale Darth Maul, visually, is the Tatooine Showdown release. It's over 10 years old, significantly cheaper, and has a less-impressive weapon. But for my money, there's no finer Darth Maul to have on display-- his plastic robes look significantly better than the tattered robes of the new release, which, functionally speaking, are quite nice.

New Maul's accessories are pretty good-- Hasbro seems to have made peace with the concept of plastic hoods and cloth robes, which gives the head a decent look while allowing for a good range of movement. I don't think the robes accurately represent the costume in the movie, though-- they were pretty funky, with huge sleeves and other swell patterns completely ignored by this one. The lightsaber finally has a flared blade, which has only happened on one other release-- the 2002 Sith Training Robes version, and that had a metal hilt. It splits in two, which is nice for any Jedi Dueling you may do. The unlit hilt can plug into his belt, and the Macrobinoculars look like they should plug into something but they really don't do much interesting. Other than, you know, holding them.

Carded collectors: get this figure. Loose collectors: you'll probably want to get this figure, as his ball-jointed hips and cloth bits are nicely poseable. But in most respects, I don't feel that it's a vastly improved piece... it's good, no questions there. The droid control gauntlet is a nice touch. But the head is merely OK, the hood doesn't look quite right, and all of these things add up to (I'm assuming) unsatisfied fans demanding a revised version of the character, which we'll probably see in a couple of years. Maul is a cash cow that Hasbro hasn't milked much since the 2006 Holographic Darth Maul.

Collector's Notes: This figure will be shipping with at least 2 waves, beyond that we actually just don't know yet. I assume this figure will be in steady distribution for most of 2012, because like Darth Vader or General Grievous, to not sell it would be to leave lots of money on the table. Nobody wins when you make one of the most popular characters hard to find. Hasbro has done some pretty senseless things when it comes to distributing popular characters, but this is the Darth Maul To End All Darth Mauls. Basically.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,738: February 10, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,737: Aurra Sing

2012-02-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

AURRA SING Bounty Hunter
Discover the Force Walmart Exclusive Wave
Item No.: Asst. 38601 No. 38604
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #1 of 12
Includes: 2 pistols, 1 rifle, lightsaber case, 3 lightsabers, display stand, card, die
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $8.96
Availability: February 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Aurra Sing is a Force-sensitive bounty hunter, mercenary and assassin. She is willing to work for anyone who can meet her price. Many aspiring hunters seek her out for training despite her reputation as a cold-hearted taskmaker. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary: I am now quite happy Hasbro waited 10 years to really tackle The Phantom Menace again. Over the past decade we got a lot of figures again, and again, and again-- be it repacks, resculpts, or repaints that didn't do much to upgrade the original releases. But this new Aurra Sing and the whole massive launch of new figures is a breath of fresh-- or at the very least, less stale-- air. The last new movie Aurra Sing was nearly 12 years ago, and other versions of her have been inspired by the comics and TV shows. A new, super-cool movie edition has been held off for quite some time and now that we have it, I'm glad to say it's unquestionably superior to the Power of the Jedi release.

2000 Aurra had 5 points of articulation. This new one has 12 joints, plus a few of the minor quibbles of that older release have been fixed. Only one of her pistols were removable from the holsters before, and now both are. She had an awkward stance and couldn't aim her sniper rifle-- and now s he can. Her proportions are better, the sculpt is a little more bony, the coloring seems a little better, and oh yeah-- she has her antenna now! She didn't back in 2000. Her long fingers have black nails, there are all sorts of straps and buckles on her costume, and it's almost ridiculous how much better she is now. It's sort of like comparing a legit vintage Kenner figure to the Hasbro releases of the early 2000s-- the difference is remarkable. Heck, Aurra even seems nicer than a lot of other current Vintage 2012 releases-- it's surprising they didn't kick the assortment off with her!

I could quibble over minor details, but why bother? The creative higher torso joint is mostly hidden by her vest. Her hair has tons of painted beads in it. She's skinny. She is colored correctly. The only thing I can whine about is Hasbro hasn't yet perfected arm articulation to do some superbly cool sniper poses. I love the lightsaber "collector case" with the bonus weapons, which are molded in a silvery plastic rather than painted silver. It seems distinctive and different from other hilts, even though the molds look pretty familiar. As a fine example of what Hasbro can do in 2012, it's hard to find something more perfect than Aurra Sing. Short of giving her a vehicle, or a lightsaber of her own, I couldn't imagine improving her all that much. Hasbro should be proud. That's the good news. The bad news is that the bar for the new Darth Vader is set so high that I can't imagine being anything but let down, but overall this has been a good batch of figures so far this year.

Collector's Notes: This figure is scheduled for a release on a Vintage cardback if the NYCC 2011 presentation is any indication. Due to some items being shuffled, delayed, or flat-out not shipped in the USA I would be wary of any item you can buy today. Why wait? If you miss it, you'll be angry later. (Plus this version has a stand, the vintage version won't.)

Wave notes: I found this figure-- and several more-- in a large in-store display with dozens of these exclusive figures. I have also heard reports that they ship in cases of 12, but my store had tons. The wave has 12 figures. 4 of which are new, and are said to be appearing on Vintage cardbacks later this year: Aurra Sing, Naboo Pilot, Mawhonic, and Gungan Warrior. Two of these are said to be exclusive to this wave: Ric Olie and G8-R3. Six of these are repacks or being sold as Movie Heroes right now: Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Destroyer Droid, Yoda, and a Tusken Raider. Why all the repacks? The main characters statistically sell better, so it's in Walmart's best interest to have more Mauls to move than more Ric Olies.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,737: February 9, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,736: Bomb Squad Trooper

2012-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

BOMB SQUAD TROOPER Republic Clone Troopers
Discover the Force/The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 37822 No. 37827
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, stand, game cards, Cutup, Hardcase
Action Feature: Lightsaber hilt plugs into belt
Retail: $22.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Clone troopers train for comb at on the planet Kamino. Kamino is not only the place where the clone troopers are engineered; it is also where they are trained in battle tactics, fighting techniques and explosives. Seasoned clone troopers push the cadets hard to turn them into the toughest and most skilled fighters in the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' risers, which I'm not sure if I'm feeling for this display.

Commentary: Before we talk up the Bomb Squad Trooper, let me address a couple of things. First of all, I don't know what this line is really called. I believe it's being dubbed "Discover the Force," which is what I'm going to use until someone else comes up with something. (I think the name comes from the Wal-Mart exclusive product packaging.) There is no branding other than merely "Star Wars" on the box. I'd also like to talk up the packaging of the new Battle Packs, which I think is a high mark for efficiency and style. It's gorgeous, and there's not a lot of wasted material-- there's some, but not as much as we've had in the past. Gone are the 3D cut-out backdrops, the set is basically a really, really wide carded figure with a big bubble and an insert. I think Hasbro could shrink it down another 20% in materials, but I don't think it would look very good at that point. This feels very spartan, I'm glad they made something that doesn't take up a lot of room or waste a lot of material.

...having said that, it screws up Cutup's leg-- you'll need to heat it so it resets itself into a position which is more conducive to standing. Anyway, let's get on to this neon orange figure, which is great but doesn't seem to be a part of a thematic whole. This is just Hasbro repainting 3 molds in a box.

The Bomb Squad Trooper, also known as a Clone Ordnance Specialist, is incredibly bright. Preposterously neon orange paint has been applied to the now-standard clone body, while it seems the TV show is just a smidgen more reeled-in. I love the bright colors, but I wish they had used the revised mold which had slightly more range of motion in the hips-- as it is, this is not a figure designed for sitting. He can stand, sure. He can hold his guns, no problem. But not much else, so he'll be standing around on a shelf until I've got enough figures to do some sort of Blue Shadow Virus tableaux.

Collector's Notes: The set is new and is the best-selling set of the 3 new Battle Packs. Why? It's the only one with 3 new figures. Hasbro has said these sets are geared more to kids, but kids probably have some sense of awareness of what's new and different-- they may have Han Solo or Jango Fett, but they definitely don't have a blindingly bright orange Clone Trooper.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,736: February 8, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,735: Geonosian Warrior

2012-02-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

GEONOSIAN WARRIOR Arena Battle
The Legacy Collection Target Exclusive Geonosis Arena Packs 2010
Item No.: Asst. 97645 No. 97649
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #4 of 6
Includes: Staff, Shaak Ti figure
Action Feature: Lightsaber hilt plugs into belt
Retail: $12.99
Availability: October 2010
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: The Jedi Knights rush to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme from execution. The Jedi brandish their lightsabers against the Geonosian warriors and the massive army of battle droids, super battle droids, and droidekas. All hope seems lost that any Jedi will survive this battle, then Yoda arrives with an army of clone troopers. Although many Jedi are lost that day, others survive this climactic battle that ushers in the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Geonosis backdrop, which was tossed out months ago.

Commentary: Figures like the Geonosian Warrior are sort of the ideal multi-pack fodder-- it's a decent enough mold and a trooper, so you won't feel like a chump if you get stuck with two or three more of them. It's an upgrade of the 2006 Sun Fac mold, with new deco and all-new knee joints in the legs. This is good because, as a rule, more joints are better than fewer joints. This is bad because heat and gravity are not kind to figures with bizarre leg configurations, so you may need additional support (read: doll stand) to hold this little guy up. With all the articulation you could want and gritty green detailing, he looks super-cool but does not match his fellow Geonosian figures. Actually, Hasbro's been pretty bad about making them similarly colored since their debut in 2002, and the figures have a history of being difficult to stand and display. Having said that, this is one of the better-looking ones and if life allows you would be well-served selecting it as the one you troop-build. Even for a Sun Fac redeco with new legs, it's pretty awesome and would have made a great "vintage" figure were it packaged that way.

Collector's Notes: The set came out during a pretty big dump of exclusives-- over a dozen hit Target over the course of days, as opposed to 2011 when the chain had something like 4 total exclusives for Q4 representing quite a slowdown. The set was marked down quickly and for some reason Target continued to get more of the 2009 arena sets in 2010 after this wave shipped, meaning these ones are, relatively speaking, in shorter supply. This means that it is entirely likely that there could be some out there in the woodworks waiting to hit a closeout store near you. Also notable, these sets were slashed in price nearly immediately after they came out-- I believe they were about $8.99 for several weeks.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,735: February 7, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,734: Anakin Skywalker

2012-02-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Firing Lightsaber Launcher!
The Clone Wars Basic Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37290 No. 37293
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: CW1
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand, launcher, projectile
Action Feature: Launching lightsaber disc
Retail: $8.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: Clone Wars TV series

Bio: Anakin defeats battle droids with a whirling Lightsaber attack. Using the Force, Skywalker launches into combat with lightning-swift maneuvers. The droids are no match for this powerful Jedi and soon fall under the spinning strikes from Anakin's blade. (Yes, this press release was taken from the Hasbro web site.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Commentary: I was actually quite surprised Hasbro cranked out another new Anakin Skywalker sculpt after having just released a very good one in the 2010/2011 range. Why not just keep using the same sculpt? After all, he has no new articulation-- the figure continues to lack ankles, and while thinner, he doesn't really look significantly better than the last release. He's still good-- don't get me wrong, but it's an overall lateral move. It's not better, it's not worse, it's just different.

The biggest change to the design is the addition to some cloth bits which allow for improved use in vehicles. He can sit better, although not significantly so. The range of motion is improved somewhat, but the deco is really what's visually different. The robes are a darker brown, with an almost grey piece hanging over them. He seems thinner and a little more rounded, his face isn't quite as angular as his predecessor. If anything, the head sculpt reminds me more of the 2008 versions of Anakin.. a little rounder, a little paler, a little less harsh. A tiny detail that I'm quite happy to see added is a communicator on his left wrist, which has been lacking from most previous releases. Bravo!

His new lightsaber launcher is an interesting but wonky piece of equipment-- it's charming in that it reminds me of the Kenner of old, in that it's too big to carry (ala Jurassic Park weapons) and the "lightsaber" part really doesn't look like a lightsaber. The launcher itself has a swordlike silhouette, and a teeny-tiny clip which can be positioned on Anakin's arm. At first glance, I thought it was designed to hold his lightsaber. That's how small it is.

Overall I would say it's an acceptable figure. It wasn't an essential release, and it looks marginally closer to the animation model than the previous one-- and the previous one looked a little more heroic with a thicker build and a harsher face. However, this 2012 Anakin can hold a weapon with either hand, so I guess that's an important evolutionary step forward. I'd much rather have seen an entirely new character (or outfit for Anakin), but it's a perfectly acceptable figure for kids and, I assume, most collectors.

Collector's Notes: New! And common. Anakin, Commander Cody, and the Clone Trooper were the only overwhelmingly new figures in this wave, with a refreshed Cad Bane and a repainted Chewbacca rounding it out in terms of potentially interesting releases. Given that this makes up 10 of the (alleged) 19 figures we're going to get this year, and we just saw another 5 pop up in a preview, I have a hard time believing that this will truly, honestly be all we see this year.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,734: February 6, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,733: Saesee Tiin

2012-02-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

SAESEE TIIN Commemorative DVD Collection
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 34542 No. 34576
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand, Anakin Skywalker, Clone Trooper figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets. (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: I did not pass on, but missed Saesee Tiin as part of the Wal-Mart exclusive, supposedly-had-a-street-date, DVD-companion figure sets. I was livid-- I checked several stores for days before, during, and after the release and there was no real sign that they had ever been there, which is the kind of thing that toughens you up real quick when it comes to having to search for stuff. Since the sets were basically repaints or retools, I waited and I'm more or less glad I did. Secondary market prices spiked quickly, and the figure, while good, isn't really worth the insane attention that it got for a while.

Based on the animated version of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the figure has the same articulation (and body) as the other Jedi. A new head was created, new deco was applied, and presto-- new figure. Even the same ribbing sculpted on the forearms is present, giving-- at first glance-- the illusion of this being a new figure. The package art shows Saesee's amazing armored outfit, which sadly did not get an animated figure, but at least this nifty design retained the broken horn and did a bang-up job capturing his scowl. The articulation is particularly strange, given the figure's statue-like appearance. His waist and neck joints are perfectly normal, but his left arm swings from the left to the right, as opposed to rotating up and down like most figures. He can hold a saber with both hands, and the squared-off, stylized sculpt does a great job of replicating the look and feel of the animated series. I like this collection of figures as a subset, and while it's a terrible toy it makes for a nice display piece.

The head is the neatest thing about the figure, with his distinctive head markings and horns giving him the bulk of his personality. I wish it was in his clone armor, but well, sometimes Hasbro's desire to release something quick and on the cheap trumps something being superbly cool. As it is, it's just OK-- a nice piece of a good set.

Collector's Notes: Today, this set sells for about $15-$25. I got mine at a comic shop for $13, which was about as good as I could hope for. As a subset, the animated Clone Wars line is one I'd suggest new collectors jump on-- not only is it gorgeous, but it's small and relatively cheap. Roughly 17 figures, including Grievous and Clone variations, should set you back about $100 if not much less. There are various packaging variations and multipacks, but just getting a set of the figures to crack open is fairly cheap and, most importantly, this is a dead line. You can get 'em all and rest easy that, according to Hasbro, they will not be making any more in this style.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,733: February 3, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,732: Saesee Tiin

2012-02-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

SAESEE TIIN Jedi High Council
Original Trilogy Collection Screen Scenes
Item No.: No. 32162
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: Scene 3
Includes: Base, extra base, 2 chairs, Anakin Skywalker, Adi Gallia
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: 2004
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The Jedi High Council is the main interface between the Jedi and the government of the Republic. The twelve High Council members are chosen from the ranks of the Jedi Masters and represent a gathering of great minds who have proven themselves and their abilities in the service of peace and justice. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: I bought Saesee Tiin and the other Toys R Us exclusive Jedi High Council sets in 2004, and they stayed in their boxes until now. Heck, some of them are still sealed. Why? Because they are sort of boring, only good as display pieces, and not particularly good in the figure department. It was nice seeing Hasbro bow to fan demands to complete the scene, which started in 2003, but sometimes it's nice when they wait a few years-- better sculpts, better technology, or less miserly management may yield a better product, and at the time reissued or repainted figures were around $4.99 each. This set at $19.99 each, with no weapons and few newly tooled parts other than an occasional knee joint, felt more like an obligation than a purchase of joy. But I wanted the "playset," so I bought it.

Saesee Tiin makes use of the 2002 sculpt. You get no lightsaber, no weapon. The toy has jointed hips and no knees, so getting him to sit properly is quite difficult-- I took several photos trying to not make him look too awkward, and I don't think I succeeded. As of 2004 this was arguably a better figure due to its swell soft goods allowing for more movement, but with no lightsaber and a really half-assed ability to sit, it was weak. The figure itself has only 7 points of articulation and if it weren't for his accessories, I probably wouldn't have bought this set. I basically paid $20 for some chairs and a tile floor. The chair is nice, molded in a blueish hue with red fading into orange, and it seems like it would be an ideal place for another, better figure to sit. Since the 2005 Saesee Tiin is one of Hasbro's finest figures, perhaps you'll want to buy this set just to use with that figure.

Collector's Notes: The set is worth about $30 on eBay, but sellers in China are selling the base and chairs for a few bucks. I would like to say "go buy it," but there's an added floor panel included with this boxed set which does not seem present in the auctions-- so if you want to complete the council chambers, do not buy the bases without the additional floor panel piece. (It's under the floor in the boxed item.) All six sets will probably set you back $10-$30 a pop, so you should be able to complete the scene for $100 or less... just remember, you'll want to replace (upgrade) the figures included with most of the sets.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,732: February 2, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,731: Nute Gunray

2012-02-01T15:39:00.000-08:00

NUTE GUNRAY Geonosian War Room
Saga Screen Scenes
Item No.: Asst. 84997 No. 84711
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 2 of 2
Includes: Table, Shu Mai, Passel Argente
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: Fall 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: In a conference room on Geonosis, leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems watch Republic and Separatist forces engage in what will become the first batle of the Clone Wars. unscrupulous opportunists who will do anything that will benefit them financially, they ally with Count Dooku to advance their own interests. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: I like Nute Gunray. Not as much as I like Admiral Ackbar, but it's a neat character and an easy target for making jokes-- specifically, doing Taco Bell ads in his voice. Trust me, good times. Anyway, this figure-- which I believe is the most recent version of the character in action figure form despite being about 9 years old-- is actually a redressed version of the 1999 figure. (He even has a 1998 copyright date on his foot.) The head and coat is new-- the body and arms are old. I'm willing to bet most fans didn't notice, in part because the set comes with a swell half of a table and I would assume everybody's first reaction to buying this set would be to assemble the table and ooh and ahh over it. It's a nice table, with clear red surrounded by some yellow, covered in little yellow holographic vehicles. It's a nice little decoration.

Nute Gunray has only 3 meaningful points of articulation, with the neck and shoulders getting a decent range of movement. His hips and waist are articulated, but due to the robes they're really quite worthless. Thankfully the sculpt is good-- his head looks a lot like the mask in the movie, and the hat is a nice touch too. His face is quite colorful, with shiny eyes giving him a smidgen more soul than your average alien action figure. The robe sculpting is sharp, with lots of folds and detail-- it actually looks significantly better than the figure in the robes, because of the time difference in their creation.

Hasbro could do a better version of the Trade Viceroy, but probably won't-- which is a shame, because Nute makes for a nice figure. As this is the best Nute to date, you may as well buy it--if Hasbro doesn't announce a new one at Toy Fair, I have a feeling that this character's window may have permanently shut.

Collector's Notes: The Geonosian War Room and Jedi High Council sets were highly anticipated, and these first 4 "Saga Scenes" were dumped at Kay-Bee for half price. You should be able to get this set for $10 or so-- the set-- not just one figure. I give it a strong recommendation for ten bucks.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,731: February 1, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,730: Anakin Skywalker

2012-01-31T16:03:00.000-08:00

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Ambush on the Vulture's Claw
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87752 No. 87988
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: Fall 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Anakin wears a rough poncho to hide his identity as a Jedi from the Trandoshan trader. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: I love this set, but Anakin Skywalker isn't necessarily the selling point. Gha Nachkt was amazingly cool, but Anakin is basically more of the same. Basically, it's the 2008 figure with a poncho-- it's cloth, it has a nice stripe, and it's what makes this a new figure. It's not quite "New Hat Malibu Stacy" but... well, it sort of is. Hasbro has always been skilled at making a gift set where there's one cool, unquestionably new figure plus three or so others which you could probably take or leave. Anakin is one of those-- I like that it exists, but it's not like the poncho is a fantastic extra, it's just pretty much OK. If you don't have any Anakin figures, I'd suggest just getting this set because it's a fine way to get him, plus a few others, at an OK price.

Collector's Notes: While extremely hard to get when it came out, the set doesn't seem to be selling for a big markup on eBay. Few are selling at all due to the high starting bids, but you should be able to get it at or under $30. I would say this set's parts are basically worth $30ish, but mostly because I'm dumb enough to think $20-$25 would be a worthy price for the super-cool Gha Nachkt.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,730: January 31, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,729: ARC Trooper (Fordo)

2012-01-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

ARC TROOPER Season III Series
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85661 No. 85471
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Two blasters, display stand
Action Feature: Working holsters
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets. (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: Fans are still asking for the perfect movie-style ARC Trooper based on the original animation designs from the Clone Wars cartoon series of old, and we've had a few close ones. Of course, so many of us forget there was an animated figure based on this series in 2005, and it-- plus the rare 2010 CG-based release-- are both excellent takes on this fan favorite. Everybody loves Fordo, the red ARC Trooper commander. If anyone says otherwise they are lying, please punch them in the incisors for me.

For various reasons, I did not have this figure in my collection until late 2011. As with the other figures in the line, it's more of a collectible figure or statue than a plastic plaything. The ARC Trooper has four points of articulation, including a ball-jointed head which is fantastic for display purposes. His bright red armor markings come through crystal-clear, plus my favorite thing about the figure is his sculpt. Hasbro did a really good job ensuring that he can signal with his right hand and, were you so inclined, it can also hold his second blaster. Both blasters can fit in his holsters, but just barely-- it's a tight squeeze.

The detail closely matches the series, save for one thing: the animation model has tons of black lines detailing armor, bringing it to life as a delightful drawing. The action figure has very little of this, and I'd be curious to see if a fan customized this figure with a Gundam marker bringing out those panel lines and seeing just how much better (or worse) it looks. While the helmet isn't perfect, it's quite good and the figure makes for an excellent, low-cost desk decoration.

Collector's Notes: The figure has sold for as little as 99 cents on eBay, and was also sold in a 3-pack as well as individually. I would suggest buying it in a lot with other figures from this animated line to keep your costs down, plus they're all neat enough to warrant your wanting the entire collection. It's a small line, and they're all unusually timeless for Hasbro figures-- they look just as good today as they did in 2005, although I still believe another nickel spent on deco would make them even better. They are worth your while. Buy them.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,729: January 30, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,728: Battle Droid

2012-01-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

BATTLE DROID B'Omarr Monastery Assault
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87752 No. 87780
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Energy bolts, 2 STAPs, Battle Droid
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Jabba the Hutt's kidnapped son is being held in a B'omarr monastery built on top of a sheer cliff. Anakin begins the difficult ascent up the cliff with battle droids firing down on him, and droid-piloted STAPs racing into combat, laser cannons blasting. Casualties are mounting, so Anakin makes a daring move. He leaps into the air to take command of a STAP and dispatches battle droids with his lightsaber, clearing a path to the summit. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: This Battle Droid figure was one of many cranked out in 2008 with the launch of the movie and TV show. It's a little off-model-- the head in particular-- but it was resculpted a little bit to better fit the STAP. (I appreciate this, as there's little I hate more than a pilot that can't fit in its ship.) This figure has redesigned arms, the forearms are rotated slightly so he can grip the controls of his vehicle. The legs are spread to fit on the pedals, plus he has a backpack like all Battle Droids tend to. His legs have a lot of blast marks, and he seems dirtier than most Battle Droids out there too. It's a different-- although perhaps not significantly so-- take on the trooper. If I could buy one or two more easily, without the STAPs, I probably would.

While he doesn't include a blaster, he does have some bright blue energy bolts which look like he just got shot. Personally I think painted versions of this kind of damage looks better, but it's still cool and a welcome addition to your unnecessarily large armies.

The STAP itself is also quite cool, with Separatist logos, blue markings, some gold coloring, and tons of filth. If you get in close, you can see some amazing scrapes and grime on this thing. It's almost a shame that Hasbro hasn't applied this level of detail to all of its ships. They do a good job, but this one seems exceptionally nice. Perhaps they put the toy money into the deco? The set includes 2 STAPs (old mold from 1998), plus retooled versions of Anakin and the Battle Droid-- so it couldn't have been much to develop this one.

Collector's Notes: As with most recent toys, this set remains somewhat cheap. You should be able to get one for $15-$20.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,728: January 27, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,727: Vulture Droid

2012-01-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

VULTURE DROID Brown Variant
Revenge of the Sith Deluxe Figure
Item No.: Asst. 85182 No. 85774
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rocket, buzz droid
Action Feature: Firing rocket action
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Late 2005
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Vulture droid starfighters are highly maneuverable and effective in battle. When not in flight, they can change into a walking mode allowing them to be used in surface patrols. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: This Vulture Droid figure was one of few figures I was unable to find at retail during the first go-round. It started showing up, but why? Why would Hasbro take a mold from one movie and paint it up as the version from six years prior out of the blue? I have no idea, and until a couple of weeks ago it, too, sat unopened in a box. Now that we're on the verge of a Phantom Menace reboot, it's neat to look at this older mold and say that, yes, it still looks pretty good. The detail inside the wings is quite striking, and there are numerous sculpted panels and cannons. It's smaller than the "super" mold we'll see returning any day now, but at 7-inches from tip to tip of his wings, it ain't bad.

This is a repaint, the previous version had blue stripes and bright green eyes. This one is mostly a greenish brown, with some metallic bits and bright red eyes. The size is small enough to fit in kid hands without feeling puny, although the only moving parts are its firing rocket and the two articulated wings. A pop-up "head" would have made this a slam-dunk. Still, as deco goes this as (at this time, anyway) my favorite toy Vulture Droid in terms of overall realism. The Revenge of the Sith blue one is cool because of its freaky colors, but this one just seems right to menace the Naboo on behalf of the Trade Federation.

As a bonus it comes with a small, non-articulated Buzz Droid. It's slightly different than the mold with the Tri-Fighter, and has a little bit of paint bringing it to life. There's some yellow on the shell of the robot, plus red "eyes. You'll also notice a grey plastic body and a painted dark gunmetal grey on the arms and shell, too. For ten bucks it's a nice item, and I'm happy that after having hunted it down for five years-- and waited for the price to be right-- I now finally have one.

Collector's Notes: I bought this figure off eBay for about ten bucks roughly a year ago, which helped to cap my modern movie collection off nicely. I saw a few at toy shows over the years but they were always $20-$25, or as I like to say, on the "kindly choke on it" price range. It's not common on eBay, but it's also not really worth anything.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,727: January 26, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,726: Obi-Wan Kenobi

2012-01-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

OBI-WAN KENOBI vs. Grievous Bodyguard
Revenge of the Sith Battle Arenas
Item No.: Asst. 85241 No. 85456
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Display stand base, Magnaguard figure
Action Feature: Dueling action, sort of
Retail: $19.99
Availability: April 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Battle as Obi-Wan or one of General Grievous' bodyguards, as they face each other on the sinkhole planet Utapau! One remains - the other falls! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: This Obi-Wan Kenobi figure has sat unopened in my toy stash for over seven years. Seven years. For some reason, this Battle Arena just never got opened up, most likely due to my having several other fine and/or dandy Obi-Wan and Grievous Bodyguard figures from other parts of the line. I never felt I was missing anything, and this is as someone who feels a need to get his mitts on damned near every action figure Hasbro makes. While it's an interesting figure in terms of construction and its purpose, it does prove one of the things I keep saying in the Q&A column-- collecting is best done when a line is older. The perspective you gain from being a few years removed from a product line often helps you make better decisions and, in this item's case, results in cheaper pricing. It also can show the benefits of being obsessive about this-- Obi-Wan Kenobi just might be Hasbro's best take on the character as an actual plaything for kids.

The figure itself is not a good stand-alone action figure. It's acceptable-- but given its price at the time, it wasn't much of a deal. Obi-Wan has a bizarre swivel thigh joint, a waist joint, a right wrist joint, jointed shoulders, and a moving neck. This is actually enough to get the figure to be able to stand up without the support of the included display stand which effectively turns action figures into a low-rent copy of the Mattel Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots game. As a figure to hand a kid to play and fight with, though, this is actually a good example of Hasbro correcting its mistakes from Attack of the Clones figures. This time around, the lightsaber is designed to hold up to more abuse rather than just snap if it falls over. It is, unfortunately, embedded in his hand but that means you'll never lose it. The lightsaber, I mean-- if you lose his hand you're out of luck. The limited articulation prevents use in vehicles, but he's actually damn near perfect for holding up and slashing other action figures. It's somewhat remarkable really-- as collectors we rarely examine this sort of thing, but few if any Jedi figures can actually fight your other toys. If you take your average Vader figure, put a lightsaber in his hand, and have him start mowing down Rebels, the lightsaber will fall right out of his gloved hands. (There are exceptions, but most of them weren't designed for battle.) Obi-Wan here will never drop his lightsaber, I had him "fight" a bunch of figures on my desk a I write this and you know what? It works. It works very well.

The sculpt is good, as is the paint job. You can see a darker shirt inside Obi-Wan's sleeve, his lightsaber is painted in three colors, and his outfit is, on the whole, devoid of dirt. The face sculpt is vintage 2005 and could use a little more personality, paint could probably beef up his eyes and add some excitement to an otherwise bored-looking toy. Since his right hand has a dedicated lightsaber, it's no surprise his left hand was posed with looks in mind and won't be able to hold many (or any) accessories. His fingers are sculpted separately, and that's a nice touch. His outfit is nicely textured, but again, this is a figure from 2005-- it looks pretty great, but things have evolved since then and I doubt many (or any) of you will find this satisfactory after having bought so many Kenobi figures with over 12 points of articulation.

This figure-- indeed, this entire Battle Arena segment-- does show that you can make figures designed for play but certain kinds of play will cost you niceties like articulation. Having said that, his lack of joints is oddly refreshing and I think he will make a good display piece. While this likely will never be your go-to Obi-Wan from Revenge of the Sith, I can't deny that it was fun to pick up a figure and have him row down a couple of small Transformers and M.U.S.C.L.E. men without feat of snapping the blade off at the hilt. Oh-- the figure also comes with a big, bloated arena accessory. I can't say I'm particularly fond of it, but I'm old and it wasn't meant for me anyway.

Collector's Notes: A loose sample of this figure-- sans arena-- sold for $1.25 on eBay. Complete samples with the companion figure go for closer to $10. I'd say it's worth at least half that. Off the top of my head the figure was not reissued, although if it appeared in one of the many forgettable Wal-Mart exclusive DVD packs, my apologies. I might suggest tracking this down if you have children who are more likely to make their figures fight than to pilot vehicles. While I dislike figures that can't sit in vehicles as a rule, I will say that this one was extremely well designed when it comes to its function-- this shows a kind of thinking we rarely see from Hasbro since the end of the prequels, and depending on how the new "Movie Action" figures go, this could be a lost art. Which is a shame, I would totally buy a Darth Vader made like this. In the world of action figure collecting, a "toy" is a novel thing.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,726: January 25, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,725: Battle Droid

2012-01-24T15:48:00.000-08:00

BATTLE DROID Naboo Invasion
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No. 30787
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC78
Includes: Blaster, antenna, backpack
Action Feature: Folds up nicely
Retail: $9.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

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 Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. No specific character information.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' new (temporary?) photo setup.

Commentary: I mistakenly thought this Battle Droid was the same mold from a previous release-- it isn't. Brand new! New gun, new backpack (sits higher on the back than I expected), and yes, sculpted eyes. You might remember the last new version-- the Geonosis Arena sculpt from 2009-- had painted eyes, and they were painted really badly. This one? Pretty much perfect. The shoulders and hips don't have the same lateral range as the last one, but everything else is fantastic. I haven't had it long enough to know what gravity-related problems he'll have standing up over time, but it's an otherwise fantastic figure. Functionally, it's the same as the previous release except it folds up a little bit nicer.

He can collapse in a little ball. He has jointed ankles. He has a nicely detailed paint job. The head sculpt has never been better. And why don't I think it's fantastic? Well, the backpack seems to sit too high on the back, and it's way too clean. There is no way to hold a gun with both hands. The backpack no longer has a hole to carry his gun, which has been on nearly every Battle Droid since 1999. I don't get why they left it out, it was one of my favorite features. It's a big improvement as the sculpt goes, and the antenna makes me thing we'll see OOM-9 as a repaint some day. We'll see, I guess. It's worth picking up, but I wouldn't suggest army-building it at the price. Hasbro has said army builders have been less popular lately, I say it's because $10 a pop is too high to build a squad. $10 is a one-of-each price. When you get right down to it, the functionality of this figure is not greatly improved from the 1999 versions, although its look and feel will make you wish Hasbro had a cheaper way to build an army of these guys in a hurry.

Collector's Notes: This one just came out. There's a street date on it, but I saw them in a bunch of Wal-Marts a couple of weeks ago, and a few Targets over the weekend I believe. Toys R Us put them up on the web early, and after that I stopped keeping track. Long story short: it might be at a store near you. I like the packaging and cardback-- the new back of the card, unlike every Vintage figure since 2004, doesn't look boring. It also has a Phantom Menace logo, which-- if you're like me-- is exciting so you can have one "vintage" carded figure from every movie on display and then move on.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,725: January 24, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,724: PROXY

2012-01-23T15:55:00.000-08:00

PROXY Communications Droid
The Legacy Collection Toys "R" Us Exclusive Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Figure Packs
Item No.: Asst. 97910 No. 97912
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #2 of 2
Includes: none
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: April 2010
Appearances: The Force Unleashed

Bio: This prototype holodroid has been Galen Marek's companion for many years. PROXY is a one-of-a-kind droid that uses advanced hologram technology and built-in servos to alter his appearance, becoming virtually anyone. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old kitchen.

Commentary: Oh PROXY, you were one of the more memorable characters in The Force Unleashed. As a plot device, this character seemed to have more personality than a lot of his human counterparts, given a hard-working personality and the kind of can-do attitude about attacking your employer rarely seen outside a Pink Panther movie. An entirely new mold, the figure is super-articulated, super-thin, and a really nice recreation of the digital character. Leg articulation isn't perfect, but when it comes to exclusives like this, or weird Expanded Universe designs, they rarely are.

The skeletal robot basically sweats mist and projects holographic images on it, giving him the illusion of being other people. I don't think the concept-as-technology holds a lot of water, as it were, but it was fun to see him take on random character skins as "training programs" for Starkiller. If you get in real close, you can see wires, pistons, and other cables holding him together making him look like a part of the typical "used" Star Wars universe while technically being one of the highest-tech pieces of military equipment available to the Empire. Heck, even Darth Vader's suit looked like an Apple product despite being cobbled together after an accident. I mean, I assume that sort of attire isn't off-the-rack, but since I shop mostly out of dumpsters I am not up on galactic couture.

The deco here is good, there's a lot of grey but silver, purple, and yellow break it up nicely. A little more purple around the elbows and slightly darker "metal" parts would really sell the look, as the colors are a little muted compared to the rich blacks and vibrant purple seen on the in-game character model. Should Hasbro ever decide to rerelease and repaint, this figure could go from great-- and it is great-- to superb just by selecting slightly different materials. If you stumble on this set in your journeys, I do suggest buying it-- the Mandalorian Starkiller, PROXY, and redesigned Jumptrooper alone made this a worthwhile purchase. (The clear Stormtrooper less so... I'm terrified about keeping it from discoloring.)

Collector's Notes: The set came out during a real lull after the end of red-and-white Legacy and before Vintage launched, and also sat around for a bit. But because this is a good figure, the secondary market picked up on him and just this one robot will cost you about $15-$25. And the whole set was $30 when you skipped it-- see what you get for passing up a good deal? You get screwed. The boxed set is also a little more expensive than its issue price, but it appears to be cheaper than buying the figures separately. While I personally dislike seeing figures shoot up on the secondary market, it's nice to see that things fans asked for sometimes command a premium-- I'd rather see something good gain value than something "rare." And now that Hasbro is aware how much this guy costs, I'd say it's high time to rerelease it wouldn't you?

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,724: January 23, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,723: Battle Droid

2012-01-20T14:53:00.000-08:00

BATTLE DROID Separatist Droid Speeder
The Clone Wars Class I Vehicle (Mini-Rigs)
Item No.: Asst. 29960 No. 29958
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: I
Includes: Blaster, backpack, stand, Speeder vehicle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $18.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Battle droids operate Separatist droid speeders to attack the clone trooper army. The speeders may be lean in size, but they have plenty of built-in laser cannons to unleash on the troopers. The wings move to enhance its maneuverability during combat. (Taken from the figure's product info page on Hasbro.com.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: You've no doubt got too many Battle Droid figures, but this one is different-- Hasbro revisited the sculpt and added some stuff to it. For example, it has knee joints, even though it doesn't need them for this vehicle. His forearms are longer, the torso no longer has a waist joint, and the head is redesigned to look more like the show. It's Battle Droid 2.0, which seems to be about as different and refined as the new Clone Trooper body (first used with Stone) was to the original 2008 form. It's an upgrade, mostly, and the unique blue markings are pretty slick if not necessarily something you need to add to your collection. While not a match, the look reminds me of R2-D2's Battle Droid squad from the Citadel episodes.

My main beef with the new version is the backpack-- the peg is a little tough to push in, and it's extremely easy to knock loose. I'm not even sure how that's possible, but it is. The ball-jointed legs and shoulders had more range in the previous version of the mold, which actually might have been better for sitting on this vehicle-- he does fit just fine, though. The vehicle itself is a nifty little speeder inspired by the mini rigs of old, with moving wings and a dropping bomb. Its main flaw are two cannons right on top of the vehicle which pop off if you look at it funny. Don't touch them, they will shed. Hasbro could have (and should have) used another form of fastener, like the T-shaped peg used on the 1995 Boba Fett or the small pegs used on other vehicles like the Y-Wing Scout Bomber or Republic Scout Speeder. These have a longer slot with a weird fin-shaped peg, and it just doesn't work well. You may need to glue them in place.

Overall, I like the droid-- it looks better and with its knees, it's a better plaything in many respects if they just fix the backpack to stay on better. It isn't perfect, but it seems like very time a troop mold is revised you gain a few things and lose a few others. I'd say get it, but be prepared with some glue if you don't like how it behaves.

Collector's Notes: To date, I believe this is the only Battle Droid to use this specific mold-- correct me if I forgot one, Hasbro has been stingy with new Battle Droids of any kind and they all seem based on the 2008 sculpt. This set is somewhat common (or was late last year), so you might find it easily on your travels. Or you might not. Heck if I know what's sitting where you live.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,723: January 20, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,722: Endor Rebel Commando

2012-01-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

REBEL COMMANDO White Variant
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 21487
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC26
Includes: Coat, rifle, pistol, bandolier, backpack, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: October 2010
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: Hasbro claims that bizarre bureaucratic issues regarding SKU counts and other nonsense from their internal bean counters prevented things like running changes on troop builders since late 2009, and while I'd love to believe that to be true it doesn't explain the Rebel Commando. This version was released in October 2010, but an unannounced new head sculpt was created and sold in 2011 on a limited basis-- so far, anyway. Could this mean we'll see more? Was this a fluke, a surprise that got past them? Were we being lied to? I honestly have no idea.

The figure itself is an interesting mix of new and old parts. The legs are from Major Panno, a 2009 alien figure. The backpack and helmet are quite similar to previous releases, as are the weapons. The head and torso are new, as is the bandolier-- which features a particularly clever design in which the rank badge is removable with the aforementioned torso accessory, leading to a modular design which will probably never be used since we rarely see these guys without a coat of some sort. Heck, even the long coat used on this figure and its variant is pretty weird, there was no analog for it in the original 1983 line yet here it is in the modern "Vintage Collection." I appreciate variety, but I can't say I entirely understand it.

The coat is made from a colorful camo fabric, and the helmet is re-re-recycled from a 2002 Endor Rebel and at least 7 action figures. To date, no Endor Rebel character (including Luke or Leia) has been given a removable helmet with a chinstrap. Heck, I don't even need it to be removable-- a chinstrap would be nice. The range of motion is pretty good on his arms and legs, however the coat does inhibit movement.

Collector's Notes: While not a pegwarmer per se, this figure did hang around a bit, and Hasbro has said there was some degree of troop builder fatigue in the line. (I disagree, other than the endless Sandtroopers and sub-par EP3 Clones, we aren't getting enough generic guys.) Anyway, you can probably find him right now and odds are he'll be even cheaper if you can wait 1-2 years.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,722: January 19, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,721: Anakin Skywalker

2012-01-18T16:04:00.000-08:00

ANAKIN SKYWALKER Season III Series
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85661 No. 85470
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Anakin lightsaber, Ventress lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Image: Adam Pawlus' photo area.

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets. (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: Despite not being from Season 3 of the original Clone Wars animated program, this Anakin Skywalker was put in stores around the same time that it aired. While I previously did not feature this line, popular demand from a poll in 2011 said you wanted to read about these-- so here you go. This Anakin was a collector's figure, having less in common with action figures than with statues. Packaged with no twist ties or rubber bands, the card art was slick, clean, and gorgeous. The back had animation art from the episode as well as pencil sketches, with lots of white and big bold colors. As packaging goes, this may be some of Hasbro's most graphically pleasing work, despite never having been hailed as a fan-favorite sub-line. This line of animated figures came out long after the announcement of "realistic" Clone Wars toys, and were designed with collectors in mind. (That means they're not going to fit in vehicles.)

Modeled after his fight in the rain with Asajj Ventress, this action figure is wet in appearance with an angry face and matted-down hair. He is well-muscled, visibly in touch with his dark side, and features a mere 5 strategically placed joints. Each shoulder is poseable, as is his robotic wrist, his neck, and his waist-- other than that, he's a statue. I liked this line because it provided maquette-like collectibles at action figure prices, allowing limited articulation to give the character some personality without burdening the design with cuts all over the place. It looks spectacular and was the first version of Anakin in this costume to be made as an action figure, with a realistic (and dorky-looking) version coming later in 2005.

The figure reminds me a lot of Chuck Jones' art, for some reason, so I dig it. With big sparks coming out of the lightsaber hilts, bold poses, and lots of personality sculpted into the face, these are unlike any other figures in the Hasbro canon and there are only about 14 carded figures and an additional 6 figures exclusive to 3-packs, counting all major variants. It's a tiny line you may wish to collect as it doesn't take up a lot of room.

Collector's Notes: The figure was sold single-carded only, and was available for a short window of time. (The initial two series were Target exclusives-- this wave was the first batch of new figures to be sold everywhere.) Due to the coming of Revenge of the Sith, the line came and went quickly. Today, the figure sells anywhere from $0.01 (seriously, plus shipping, it closed for this) to as high as $10 on the secondary market. I would suggest seeing if you can buy the entire line-- or close to it-- as a cheaply priced collection. It is extremely unlikely that Hasbro will ever return to this style of product.

Other Notes: Due to some communication errors, I was supposed to be mailed one of these in 2005 and it never came. I didn't actually get this figure until late 2011, over 6 1/2 years after its release. Interestingly, I found it on eBay in a lot with the other figures from the line I skipped plus several extras I didn't need, and the price of the entire lot was significantly lower than buying the 3 figures I needed individually. So as you can see, I followed my own advice in Q&A which you people keep calling me out for offering, and it actually paid off. Sometimes, yes, it DOES pay to wait a few years and buy a whole collection rather than 2-4 individual figures.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,721: January 18, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,720: R2-T0

2012-01-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

R2-T0 Wal-Mart Exclusive
30th Anniversary Collection Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 12980 No. 87756
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 5 of 6
Includes: Watto, piece of C-3PX
Action Feature: Rotate dome, retract central leg
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2008
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Bio: Watto sells used droids and mechanical parts in his shop on Tatooine. One of the droids for sale is R2-T0. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's toy room.

Commentary: Arguably the best of the Wal-Mart Droid Factory sets in terms of deco, Watto and R3-T0 bring you characters you didn't think you wanted. While not a perfect match to the movie, it's not like you could pick him out easily and it looks like the paint job is extremely good all the same. In the movie stills, the droid was shown with arms and gadgets popping out-- but this sort of thing costs money, so Hasbro repainted the R4-G9 mold and made a perfectly good robot out of existing parts. This is the mold with the retractable third leg and rolling wheels, and it's the basis for most of the best R2-style droids since 2005. His head turns, his legs move, and his feet are articulated. It's a good design.

The main reason to buy this figure is the astonishingly good paint job. Again, it doesn't perfectly match the movie (which has even more dirt) but it's an amazing figure in its own right. If Hasbro came to you and said "We made this up, but we think collectors would like it" I think you'd agree. Mostly a dirty blue, R2-T0 has green panels, some red markings, a ridiculous amount of scrapes, and a big black shiny eye-- just the way it should be. While Hasbro has done some cute R2 repaints over the years, this is the one that-- with paint alone-- knocked my socks off. Sure, R2-KT is cute. Yes, I thought Goldie was nice as an evil robot goes. But for my money there's nothing more amazing than R2-T0 in terms of "so did that toy get hit by a bus?"-ness. The companion Watto figure is, at this time, notable as the finest Watto to date so you probably won't be sorry if you get this 2-pack.

Collector's Notes: The set is worth about $10 on the secondary market, if not less. You might get an even better deal by picking up all six droid factory sets so you can also build C-3PX.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,720: January 17, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,719: Sky Trooper

2012-01-16T13:42:00.000-08:00

SKY TROOPER Ambush at Star Tours
Star Tours Ambush at Star Tours Gift Set
Item No.: No. 33245
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, backpack, three other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.95
Availability: May 2011
Appearances: Star Tours

Bio: Sky Troopers use custom jetpacks to fly easily thorough sky and space. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's kitchen. Stand not included.

Commentary: While the Darth Vader from this set has a new accessory, the only real new figure is the SKy Trooper and Hasbro was kind enough to throw two in the box. The idea is that you get that Vintage 2004 Stormtrooper mold decked out with more space gear. "Like the Space Trooper I already bought?" you ask? Sort of. This time it has a new, slightly more awkward jet pack and new deco, and the new deco is the reason to buy him. It's both sort of Imperial Chic with grey stripes, maintaining the style we've seen on our clones more since 2005. The pattern feels vintage 1980s, which, for me, works quite well. He includes a clone blaster for some reason, and has the typical 14 points of articulation.

If you like the look of the figure, you're probably going to dig him. The only thing that could make him better would be a flight stand, because what's the point of a jet pack trooper who just stands around? Cody gets an exception, but for the rest? I demand flight!

Collector's Notes: This set is most likely available at a Disney theme park (not) near you right now. For $40 it's not a good deal, and it sells for $40-$60 on eBay. My pal Shannon is kind enough to act as my mule on these items, and for that I am happy-- but I wouldn't necessarily drop an extra $30 to get this set on the secondary market. Basically, you're paying $40 for a Boba Fett you probably have, a Darth Vader you also probably have, and the two Sky Troopers-- and unless you want two, it's kind of expensive.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,719: January 16, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,718: El-Les

2012-01-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

EL-LES Clone Trainer!
The Clone Wars Basic Figure
Item No.: Asst. 94736 No. 28523
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW47
Includes: Pistol, rifle, stand, battle game stuff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: February 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: The Arcona drill sergeant El-Les trains clone troopers on Kamino. His extensive experience as a bounty hunter makes him well-suited to teach battle skills to the cadets. Always armed, the blasters El-Les carries are the models favored by many bounty hunters. The long-distance marksman rifle is designed for pinpioint targeting accuracy. His compact pistol is easy to conceal, so that he does not reveal his purpose as he closes in on his quarry. (Taken form the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: As a companion to the more vocal (and arguably interesting) Sgt. Bric mail-in figure, El-Les is an Arcona bounty hunter/clone teacher appearing on only one episode of The Clone Wars so far. Minus a lack of ankle joints, El-Les is a super-articulated figure with some pretty decent sculpted detail. He's lanky, he has ribbed armor, and there's a fair amount of color like a yellow marking around his neck and a communicator on his wrist. Heck, most Anakin figures don't even have one of those yet! For a character that stands around offering exposition, he got a pretty good figure. The Lucas animation people didn't make him a particularly tough bounty hunter, resulting in a character that seems too forgiving and maybe even a little weak when put against the irate Bric. Heck, even next to Ahsoka, El-Les doesn't really seem like a heavy-hitter.

The sculpting and deco of the figure are great. The head has just enough detail, the toy matches the animation model to my liking, and I appreciate that his rifle has painted detail. Even if it is, you know, completely unnecessary. I'm actually a little surprised they opted to not include a spring-loaded weapon with this guy to appeal to the kids, but I do have a hard time reconciling Hasbro's "we're making this for kids" line with the product they release. There's a lot to like here, but most of it is going to come from just how interested you are in this guy as a character, or at least as an accessory for your clones. He doesn't disappoint, so grab one.

Collector's Notes: Unlike most non-major-character characters, Hasbro kept shipping this guy for a while-- so his being at your store could be a sign that you just missed Wave 10 right now.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,718: January 13, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,717: Lemmet Tauk

2012-01-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

LEMMET TAUK Training Uniform
The Legacy Collection Previews Exclusive
Item No.: No. 87924
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pike, helmet, 5 other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99
Availability: December 2008
Appearances: Crimson Empire comic books

Bio: Each member of the Royal Guard has undergone grueling tests of combat reflexes and stamina, and is trained in the deadly art of echani. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam's old kitchen.

Commentary: While most of the figures are-- or I figured were-- young initiates to the Emperor's personal guard, Lemmet Tauk looks older thanks to his beard. I mean, I suppose he could be a young military person but the look is more or less of a slightly older man. The body is the same as the other figures in the set-- the legs are recycled from a 2007 Clone Trooper, while the rest is, well, it is what it is. If you leave the helmet on, it's a perfectly good figure although it doesn't necessarily reek of the Empire. It's quite ornate, with sculpted gloves and big shoulder pads which seem almost too fancy for a trainee-- particularly when the trainees are disposable. The life expectancy is pretty short for a guardsman-in-training, but I suppose the dental benefits if you get the gig must be astounding.

With 12 points of articulation, the figure doesn't sound half bad. The problem is that he has very few ball joints, and the legs are posed in a way that limits mobility and cool action poses. I don't mind the design of the outfit, but I do sort of wish they had waited a few years to get to him. If we waited until now, it would probably play a lot better as a toy and as a display piece. Get it cheap if you can... and you probably can.

Collector's Notes: The complete set goes for about $20 these days, which is arguably worth it just for the Palpatine and Darth Vader if you don't already have them. I'd say go for it at that price.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,717: January 12, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,716: Clone Trooper

2012-01-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

CLONE TROOPER with Speeder Bike
Clone Wars Deluxe Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84845 No. 84846
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster pistol, grenade, helmet, armor, bike
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Fall 2003
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: The Clone Troopers use speeder bikes for reconnaissance and fast-strike attacks during the Clone Wars battles. Small and swift, the speeder bikes provide the Clone Troopers with an excellent means of gaining information on the Separatist forces by approaching close to the opposing armies and retreating quickly with valuable intelligence. Their streamlined design and highly reactive maneuverability allows Clone Troopers to coordinate surprise attacks on small units away from the main Separatist armies. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old desk.

Commentary: A repaint and remold of the 2002 figure, this Clone Trooper also includes a speeder bike except this one is painted differently and had some modifications made to it. The bike has a rocket launcher and a retooled pack on the back, while the figure has been repainted to have dirt on his boots.

The figure is a neat one, showing lots of promise-- but the execution could be better. The figure is sculpted with a black bodysuit, snap-on armor fits on his body and limbs to complete the look. The articulation is a little awkward, but it's largely good for posing the figure on the bike. As a toy, it's not very good-- keeping him on the bike with his armor attached is quite tricky, a simpler design may have made for a better toy. Newer figures may be able to fit on the bikes better, and the bike itself is a little soft in spots which makes it hard to display in the long term. You'll need to be careful with this one.

Collector's Notes: It's not even worth retail any more, and the main reason to get this-- or its 2002 predecessor-- is to store it inside one of your Republic Gunships.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,716: January 11, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,715: AT-AT Commander

2012-01-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

AT-AT COMMANDER Bounty Hunter
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 97573
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC05
Includes: Blaster, helmet, chest armor, goggles
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99-$9.99
Availability: June 2010
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: The vintage line does not have character-specific bios. It just reminds you that these are very old figures. In the case of this figure, you get a summary that tells you nothing of the character along with a photo and a caption saying the original figure card front was used from 1980-1982. Whoopee.

Image: Adam's old kitchen.

Commentary: A mix of new and old parts, this AT-AT Commander is a very good and very unnecessary figure. So why make it? Hasbro had a giant AT-AT hit stores around the same time as this figure, and the last General Veers was sold in 2006-- so for the newcomers, they're going to want a commander for the ship. As an added bonus, it checks off an update for a classic Kenner figure of the same name, so woo-hoo. The bad news is that it was a bit of a slow seller and was still available late last year. Heck, it might still be available now.

He used a mix of super-articulated parts from Janek "Tank" Sunber and Captian Needa, resulting in a figure that's technically superior to Veers from 2006. (Veers was also friggin' tall.) If you must have a commander with plenty of joints, this is the one to get. The detail is good, and the head sculpt doesn't look like anyone in particular. Were it not for the armor under his belt, you could even use this guy as a spare generic Imperial Officer of some sort!

The figure has no problem standing around in the commander's area in the big AT-AT and it looks pretty good too. Getting the goggles and helmet just right can be a bit of a chore, and I'm a little concerned the goggles will stretch or break over time if you aren't careful. The helmet is also a little bulky, but I'm not sure if they could make a decent one in a much smaller size-- although Veers did look pretty good, didn't he? Hmmm. Well, I guess with that in mind, if you have Veers be happy. If you need more, get an AT-AT Commander. Ultimately you don't need two of a similar character, but has that ever stopped you before? Oh, and his holster is pretty good-- it feels better than Veers' to me in terms of functionality.

Collector's Notes: This figure came out as part of the long-suffering first wave of 2010 Vintage figures, and hung around for a while. The wave was notable in that it proved how the market works when collector apathy sets in-- Darth Vader and Boba Fett repacks will sell quickly, followed by core characters like Han, Leia, and Luke... with troopers or lesser bounty hunters slowly selling out later. A bad wave 1 can disrupt distribution for an entire assortment for months or even years to come, and well, this one did. So if you see one out there, curse him for me.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,715: January 10, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,714: Stealth Operations Clone Trooper

2012-01-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

STEALTH OPERATIONS CLONE TROOPER or, Commander Blackout
The Clone Wars Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. 32249
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Stand, blaster, card, die
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: September 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars TV show

Bio: A seasoned veteran of many covert military operations, the stealth operations clone trooper shows a rookie trooper how to survive the dangers of a stealth combat mission - particularly one led by Anakin Skywalker. A routine relief operation turns into an all-out fight with a ruthless enemy. The battle-hardened trooper is tough on recruits, to make them ready for unexpected attacks and able to jump into action. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's basement.

Commentary: Nowhere on the package describes this figure as Commander Blackout, but this Stealth Operations Clone Trooper is referred to as that name on the box, and "Stealth Ops" on his trading card. A different clone called a "Stealth Ops Clone Trooper" was released about the same time, so this might be sort of confusing-- two nearly identical figures with nearly identical names issued at the same time. But how can you tell them apart?

The exclusive "Operations" version has only a blaster and the Galactic Battle Game gear, while the "Ops" version includes a rifle, a pistol, a jetpack, firing rockets, and a harness. Oh, and it's probably cheaper, too. That's the exclusive game for ya! The good news, though, is "Operations" has better deco-- note his helmet, while similar the other figure he has some yellow markings. And... well, I guess that's it really.

The body is the newer Clone body, with no ankle joints and only swiveling wrists. This means it's proportionally closer to the show, while being slightly less good at sitting down-- had Hasbro ever made that Stealth Ship from the series, he wouldn't be able to sit in it very well. Well, OK, he COULD-- but once you swing the legs forward, they do get a little loose until he morphs back into place. This is a fantastic stand-around-and-look-good figure. I dig it. But as an actual crew member for a vehicle, he may let you down.

Collector's Notes: A variant exists-- to add to the confusion, the exclusive figure sometimes shipped without the big silver "R" exclusive sticker. This means that at a glance, it's tough to tell that the exclusive version is an exclusive, and since Toys R Us mixes him up on the pegs odds are it's just going to confuse a bunch of people. Get him if you can-- but if you can't, there's at least one similar figure out there to be had. (Although to date, this is the more common of the two stealth clones.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,714: January 9, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,713: Plo Koon

2012-01-06T15:49:00.000-08:00

PLO KOON Cold Weather Gear
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 94736 No. 29651
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW53
Includes: Stand, lightsaber, snow shoes, mask, game stuff
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $8.99
Availability: August 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars comics

Bio: Plo Koon fights to free an ice-covered world from the Separatists. The Jedi general wears a special mask to protect him from Khorm's harsh environment. Traction spikes make it easy for him to move quickly over the snow and ice, as he fights a ruthless warlord and battles droids who are controlling an important source of fuel. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's former kitchen with Kit Fisto.

Commentary: Hasbro understands getting the most bang for its buck, which is why Plo Koon shares parts with Kit Fisto, both of which were released at basically the exact same time. The two share a number of parts, like bits of the torso and legs, which no doubt helps on keeping costs down. Both figures come from the comic books, which is a little odd as I think these may mark the first animated figures to come from print. Plo does not have articulated ankles, and the coat gets in the way of sitting, but aside from that is a great figure. I love that they included a snow mask for his regular mask, and the fact that it actually fits properly is a nice bonus. The snow shoes snap on to his feet nicely, but they're also sort of annoying-- Plo can't use his display stand and the shoes at the same time, which means either the stand is unnecessary or you're going to lose your shoes. Either way... hey, gear.

The figure looks good and seems pretty close to the comic book inspiration. Keeping elements from the TV show like his gloves and gauntlets while wrapping up his legs like a Tusken Raider, this is a figure with some excellent detail work and a folded-down hood for his jacket. As the hood is a separate piece, it's worth noting they gave Kit Fisto a completely different one to continue the illusion of the two wearing unique garments. If you like the look of this figure, I think you'll have a good time with it. As always cloth coats for improved sitting are preferred, but I'm more or less surprised we got any comic book figures for the animated line. I expect much complaining that we got these before a new TV show character, but the way Hasbro is with core characters in this line it seems that "snow" and "urban camo" figures are almost a requirement. I'd say get the figure if you're in to snow stuff-- the line seems to have a pretty good chunk of cold guys with Kit, Anakin, Obi-Wan, Rex, and at least one other Clone so far.

Collector's Notes: Despite being around for several months, this wave has not yet reached a saturation point. I've seen them come and go all the time, but now that we're on the cusp of a package transition it leaves one wondering if the "final wave" problem might end up being a final three waves problem. eBay prices are quite low given how difficult the figure is to find, particularly in lots. If you don't like risk I suggest grabbing it the next time he shows up in a lot at an average price of $8-$9 per worthwhile figure, or ordering a case if that's the kind of thing that you do. (Based on the mix, it's probably not the kind of thing that you do.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,713: January 6, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,712: Heavy Trooper

2012-01-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

HEAVY TROOPER Battlefront II Clone Pack
30th Anniversary Collection Diamond/Previews Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87561 No. 87466
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rocket launcher, rocket, 5 more figures
Action Feature: Squeeze legs to reposition arms
Retail: $39.99
Availability: November 2007
Appearances: Star Wars: Battlefront II

Bio: These front-line troopers receive special training to take out enemy vehicles, using powerful rocket launchers and other heavy weapons. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's former apartment.

Commentary: Hasbro wisely realized just how much mileage they could get out of their clone molds, and the Heavy Trooper was what Bacara got. It's the same sculpt as the 2005 figure, complete with the squeeze-the-legs-to-aim-the-gun action. (It's a nice action.) The big deal here is the new color and the gun, which for Clone fanatics is more than enough reason to shell out the cash to get one. The figure is now painted in a gray color rather than maroon (or camo, or blue) and sports some "battle damage" scrapes and markings. There are some silver highlights, but he's still the "can't really sit" figure from 2005, more or less.

The gun-- so far exclusive to this figure and this set-- is the high point here. The long black rocket is removable from the launcher, but does not fire-- this is unusual for a Hasbro product, as spring-loaded whatevers tend to find their way into most of the toys where it would be appropriate. Why they neglected to include on here is beyond me-- I would assume it might have to do with a reduced lead time to make the set, but it's hard to know for certain. (After all, we can't ask Hasbro questions about all 2,000 or whatever figures.) This figure looks good and is basically acceptable as a plaything, but it's more of a "pose" figure than an "action" figure. It's kind of funny to see that it has a mechanized feature to aim his rocket launcher... but the launcher does not fire.

Collector's Notes: The set was repackaged in the blue-and-white 2008 "Legacy" colors, making these figures not terrible tough to locate. The price varies based on a variety of factors, but has sold recently for as little as $26. Plus a lot of shipping.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,712: January 5, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,711: Clone Trooper Buzz

2012-01-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

CLONE TROOPER BUZZ with BARC Speeder Bike
The Clone Wars Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 31695 No. 31707
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, stand, game card, BARC Speeder Bike
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.97
Availability: December 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars "Landing at Point Rain" episodes on Geonosis

Bio: Clone trooper Buzz rides a BARC speeder bike on Geonosis. He is on a scouting mission for the Republic forces, as they plan their next move against the Separatist army. With its laser cannons, speed, and mobility, the bike gives Buzz the ability to defend himself against an enemy attack. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo area.

Commentary: The set with Clone Trooper Buzz is basically just a redeco of the Clone Trooper Jesse with BARC Speeder Bike set from about a year back. This is perfectly fine-- Jesse is a good mold, and the speeder with wheels is more fun than the ones without wheels. But anyway, let's talk about Buzz, who's full name is "Clone Trooper Buzz" most likely for the same reasons we got toys whose proper names were "Autobot Jazz" or "Marvel's Firestar." Because of how trademarks and whatnot go, sometimes a word by itself isn't strong enough-- so you add a prefix. Also, sometimes a character name is taken by another product, or another company, and in this case it's a safe bet "Buzz" needed more so it wouldn't be confused with one Buzz Lightyear. (Similarly, Hasbro made the Jedi Knight Kit Fisto around the same time as Mattel tried to remake an old He-Man character named Fisto, but at the time they just renamed him to Battle Fist.)

Lacking the rotary blaster cannon he had on the show, Buzz now sports a bike which is, arguably, more fun to play with. (Besides, you probably have a spare rotary cannon by now.) The figure is based on the Jesse body, which itself is based on the Stone body. It's notable for having swiveling wrists, no ankle joints, and armor more accurately sculpted to fit the look of the show. (The elbows were wrong on most 2008-2009 figures.) With the addition of ball jointed hips for better use of his vehicle, the sculpt is almost perfect-- the belt looks funky and is a little ill-fitting. I originally had thought the belt was upside-down, but this is not the case-- it's just not quite a perfect fit.

Other than that, it's a pretty neat design. I don't know if the name "Buzz" has any significance, but he does have a swell stitching on his helmet and some markings on his shoulder of which I do not know the meaning-- if any. The green paint is a little sloppy in parts, particularly some smudges on his backside and on the top of his helmet. At $17 with a vehicle, odds are you won't want the vehicle. But the figure was enough to get me to pull the trigger just because he did look significantly different from other green clones in my toy box.

Collector's Notes: The set was delayed, apparently by quite a bit-- the date stamp on the box indicates it was made in March of 2011. The item was announced in July of 2011, when Hasbro confirmed an August release date. It hit in December, more or less out of the blue after months of silence.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,711: January 4, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,710: Han Solo

2012-01-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

HAN SOLO Skirmish at Carkoon
Saga Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. 34511
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Handcuffs, sail barge blaster, other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: 2004
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: He escapes being fed to the Sarlacc when his friends come to his resuce. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's toy shelves.

Commentary: I'm not quite sure why Hasbro opted to put this "new" Han Solo out in 2004. Made of new and old parts, this figure creates an unfrozen Captain Solo out of elements of the 1999 Cantina version and the 2000/2001 Bespin Han Solo figure. It kept some of the good parts, but not all-- unsurprisingly, the new right leg has no holster, but it also has no knee joints. The figure doesn't sport ball-jointed shoulders either so when you get right down to it, at least from the perspective of articulation, this figure took the worst elements of those and put them together.

The figure itself looks OK, an improvement over the brow-furrowed unfrozen Han of 1999 and the bulky one from 1996. Han Solo in Carbonite is one of those few figures that could really stand for a complete update, although those just wanted a solid unfrozen Han may be best served by the 2006 carded release, or the 2008 Sandstorm version. This version is for collectors only, if you have to have every last unique mold, this is one you just have to buy. Seven points of articulation weren't very exciting in 2004, and they're not very exciting today. The coloring is good, but the shirt is wrong and the head sculpt feels off. Harrison Ford's head seems like a tough one to capture in this scale, so you might just want to give this one a pass.

Collector's Notes: The set itself is rather neat-- you get Klaatu, Barada, and Nikto from the then-hard-to-find Cinema Scene set featuring Jabba's thugs, although now they have black weapons. (Variant!) The other big accessory in this set is the Sail Barge Cannon, originally sold with a Deluxe Slave Leia in 2001. It's a nice accessory, and from the look of things it'll be the largest chunk of the barge Hasbro ever makes. I would suggest getting the gun, but to date there is no way to do so without also buying some of those older figures which you may no longer want or need. Since this set is basically worthless at under $10, or much less, I think it wouldn't kill you to get it just to toss out the figures and keep the gun. (But don't do that.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,710: January 3, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,709: Boba Fett

2012-01-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

BOBA FETT Prototype Armor
The Vintage Collection Mail-In Premium
Item No.: No. 36623
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC61
Includes: Jetpack, two blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99 + 5 UPCs
Availability: September 2011
Appearances: n/a

Bio: This limited edition figure depicts the first costume ever produced for Boba Fett. The all-white armor reflects the character's iniital concept as a "super trooper" before he evolved into the bounty hunter he is today. This prototype design was unveiled on June 28, 1978 in a screen test shot and is being worn by the assistant film editor for The Empire Strikes Back. In the 20-minute screen test, the sound designer describes the myriad weapons and features on this armored uniform for George Lucas and the Star Wars crew. For the first time ever, we have created this special action figure to commemorate hte birth of this favorite character from the Star Wars saga. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' room.

Commentary: When I posted that I received this Boba Fett figure in the mail-- and I held off on ordering it because I had to move this year-- I got a lot of responses like "so is it worth it?" That's not exactly a reassuring response to see, generally mail-in figures are jumped upon and the thought of not sending off for a figure which is clearly different is unthinkable. But you did ask the question, and you deserve an answer. The figure is a mishmash of existing figures: the bulk of it is the 2004 Vintage Boba Fett, but the holster is from the 2007 Animated Boba Fett. If what you're ultimately wondering is "Should I buy the McQuarrie version or this one?" I'd say go get the McQuarrie Concept version first.

The smaller pistol seems to be from the 2000 300th Edition Boba Fett, and the larger one seems to be taken from the aforementioned McQuarrie Concept version. Neither can be held particularly well, but the McQuarrie blaster does fit into the holster nicely. As gear goes-- and the figure as a whole-- I would best describe it as the best Hasbro wanted to do with what must have been a small budget. The figure has Wookiee scalps, the concept armor does not. The figure lacks the hooks/prongs/whatever on the rocket that the prototype armor has. Obviously, the prototype armor has fewer dents and scrapes, plus it has a much lighter gray body suit-- this figure, while light gray, is still relatively dark compared to the armor. The belt doesn't quite match either but remember-- this was not a figure meant to be a perfect replica of a unique piece of history so much as it was a token repaint wave figure being turned into a mail-in offer.

Because I'll buy anything, I think it's OK. I will say that I wish it was free with UPCs, because at $7... I don't know. At $7 I'd probably buy one at retail semi-happily, but ultimately it doesn't deliver on the authenticity I'd hope for on an obscure piece of Star Wars lore. It's plenty weird and neat in its own right, but as I was hoping they'd give us the grapple-hook rocket on his backpack I was a smidgen let down. Also, his cape lacks the towel elements of the original armor-- which probably makes for a better figure, but I was hoping it'd be more like the original.

Collector's Notes: This figure is still shipping and marks two years of mail-in figures based on some form of prototype Boba Fett. Mine took about six weeks to get here after I sent for it. The current redemption form may be found here but history says that Hasbro's Bozeman, MT fulfillment partners will take pretty much any UPCs so long as you supply a check and a valid address. The cardback comes unpunched, and it comes in a sturdy white mailer box. As of today, you have until March 31, 2011 to send for it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,709: January 2, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,708: Todo 360

2011-12-30T15:20:00.000-08:00

TODO 360 and Cad Bane
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 94736 No. 26375
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW42
Includes: Hat, two pistols, bag, Cad Bane figure, stand, card, die
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: January 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Cad Bane and Todo 360 sneak inside the Jedi Temple. Bane has a well-deserved reputation as a ruthless bounty hunter. He is hired by Darth Sidious to steal a Jedi holocron. He and his techno-service droid gain access to the building and break into the well-guarded holocron library. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former kitchen, on some box. (Spare. No. Expense.)

Commentary: Those with a sense of history may remember that Todo 360 was originally appearing on some online pre-orders when the very first Cad Bane figure came out a couple of years back-- before we really knew who or what a Todo was. It turns out he's basically a robot butler thing, and in the show was yet another source of comic relief as a robot with a less-than-pleasant personality. The action figure captures the look of the robot almost perfectly, but beware: he has one point of articulation. Despite his design being covered in places to hide a joint, Hasbro put only one in-- and that's at his neck, so don't try to bend the other ones or they might snap.

Sold as an accessory to Cad Bane, the figure is actually quite good-- I remember not 20 years ago, Playmates would include a sidekick figure with its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line and they were rarely, if ever, given any paint. Todo's paint job rivals most vintage figures, with painted eyes, a little grime, a tampo on his head, and black feet. Even if Hasbro revisits him later, there's very little room to improve on the paint job, and that's always nice to see. I wouldn't mind a joint or two as his large head may make him topple over if you aren't careful. You might want to lean him up against something, just to be safe. As bonus accessories which basically count as figures go, he's one of my favorites. He's also voiced by Seth Green on the TV show, so that's gotta be worth something. (Green voices Ion Papanoida as well.)

Collector's Notes: This figure is still showing up, so if you see it, why not grab it? I figure since there have been multiple Cad Bane figures, this one is probably going to be the best one to pick up since it included a bonus figure. Both Todo and Cad Bane were also repackaged in a battle pack in late 2011.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,708: December 30, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,707: Geonosian Warrior

2011-12-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

GEONOSIAN WARRIOR Republic Commando Delta Squad
The Legacy Collection Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 33259 No. 33260
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Sonic blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99-$49.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: Star Wars: Republic Commando video game

Bio: A dirty filthy Geonosian. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former kitchen.

Commentary: This Geonosian Warrior continues the proud tradition of fairly decent figures being made based on the Sun Fac mold since 2006. This particular figure has more in common with the 2010 Geonosis Arena 2-pack reissue, as he has knee joints. (Big improvement.) I like this one a lot overall-- the coloring is good, the armor is nice, there's a red jewel on his torso, Hasbro did a nice job making this one stand out. That's actually one problem I have with Geonosians as a whole, there's no real consistent coloring in either the movie or cartoon style-- each one looks fairly unique, so those looking to build an army will need to buy several of a single figure rather than buy a few, here and there, as new versions are made.

His accessory is a sonic blaster similar to others released in the line. With bronze, brown, and green, it stands out nicely. No staff was included this time around, but that's OK-- I can get sticks out in the yard.

With this current articulation structure-- about 14 joints-- he feels sturdier than some of his ancestors. Previous Geonosians lacked key leg joints or were designed without holes in their feet, so getting them to stand up would prove difficult if not impossible. That's not the case here! Since this Geonosian can stand upright, and he's got a stiff set of joints, it seems like he should have no problems standing for the long haul. The only variable, and I haven't had it long enough to confirm this, is that the legs' unique shape may result in bending with heat or gravity over time in ways the joints can't easily help-- so warping could be possible, but the material feels better than other figures. So yeah.... hard to say. My guess is you won't buy this figure on its own merits anyway since it was packaged with a new and improved Delta Squad, but I still like it and would probably support buying it for its own merits.

Collector's Notes: I see this set quite a bit, although it would seem some stores are swimming in them while others... not. It is my assumption that this will be a sought-after set in a few years unless Hasbro releases individually packaged versions of all the Delta Squad members, so go get it now, OK?

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,707: December 29, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,706: Ki-Adi-Mundi

2011-12-28T14:43:00.000-08:00

KI-ADI-MUNDI Jedi
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 94736 No. 20803
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW25
Includes: Stand, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: Fall 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Ki-Adi-Mundi is part of the massive attack to destroy a Geonosis factory churning out dangerous new battle droids. Damaged by enemy fire, the Jedi's transport crashes short of the designated landing point. As he pushes forward, Ki-Adi-Mundi and his squad enter a cave where they are attacked by Geonosian drones. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former kitchen.

Commentary: This Ki-Adi-Mundi probably has had the longest shelf life of any version of the character. Since his introduction about a year ago, he's still fairly easy to get-- the only exception might be the original Phantom Menace release due to its series' unprecedented level of distribution. This one is slightly better though, and I would say it's the best in terms of durability and play. Don't get me wrong, the Revenge of the Sith one is good, but this one's lightsaber is less fragile and I'm delighted by the robe design incorporating soft plastic and cloth, which allows him to sit fairly well. Or it would, if the back part of his robes were softer-- as it is, he can't fit in a Jedi Starfighter with the canopy closed, so I'd say he's merely good and not great.

With 12 points of articulation-- no ankles-- this is one fine figure. The joints integrate nicely into the design, the deco is good, and the features closely resemble the animation model. He's got a very distinctive and kind face on the show, and on the whole Hasbro replicated it here with flying colors. It's possible that if his head were painted its color rather than molded in it, it might look even better-- but as it is? It's very good. It would be nice to see his hands a less pink color, but still, it's a reasonably minor complaint when the overall figure displays nicely, has a good lightsaber, and show signs of Hasbro trying new things in its toy engineering. I might not suggest that you overpay for this one, but if you see it you may as well spring the eight bucks.

Collector's Notes: I see this one fairly regularly, which is nice because it's better than "What do you mean you weren't at the store that one weekend? Well, it's gone forever now." As such you should be able to procure one fairly cheaply.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,706: December 28, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,705: Yoda

2011-12-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

YODA with Jedi Mickey
Star Tours Park Exclusive
Item No.: No. 85679
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand, Jedi Mickey
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $20.00
Availability: 2005
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Mickey Mouse teams up with Jedi Master Yoda, another small but powerful fighter against the dark forces in the galaxy. With help from the knowledgeable and understanding Yoda, Mickey takes up his lightsaber and joins forces with the other Jedi Knights in their battles to fight evil wherever it is found. Yoda and Mickey prove that nothing is impossible and as Yoda might say, "Do or do not - there is no try" as long as the Force is with you. Come join Mickey and Yoda on their many adventures throughout the galaxy! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' shelves.

Commentary: This Yoda was one I, at the time, sort of decided not to cover. But it is from the movies and does have a Hasbro logo on the box, so here we are. I don't like this figure. The sculpt is a weird cartoony design which, considering it came from 2005, feels like some lost, alternate, or rejected Clone Wars character model. With a longer face and very little articulation, with a moving neck and arms. And that's it. For those keeping track, that means he's technically inferior to the 1996 version, which had a weird joined single leg-- but at least he could bend at the hips.

The picture pretty much says it all. I'm not proud to have this one but I've got it because it has a Hasbro logo on the box. I'm not entirely convinced it came out of Hasbro, but well... I can't prove that. The lightsaber is a new sculpt, and Mickey looks significantly better than Yoda, and as I don't collect Disney that's upsetting.

Collector's Notes: There are at least three versions of this set, with the bulk of the changes being made to Yoda. The first release had a dark-skinned Yoda with a blue lightsaber. It was followed by a green lightsaber. The final release had Yoda with much lighter skin. And I feel like a tool because I have all three. Versions of the set sell for as little as $5 and as high as $15, I'd say make this a $5 purchase if you get it. In the small canon of Star Tours Hasbro action figures, this is my least favorite item in the collection. And I don't just mean this set-- Yoda specifically is a snooze and a waste of new tooling. This one just makes me angry.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,705: December 27, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,704: Yoda

2011-12-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

YODA 2011 Edition
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 30241
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC20
Includes: Lightsaber, cloak, lightning, cane
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99-$10.99
Availability: January 2011
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

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 Pawlus' shelves.

Commentary: This Yoda figure's pre-history is more interesting than the final product-- so let's start there. He was originally going to be part of the late-2010 Return of the Jedi wave on a cardback based on the original 1983 package, but fans (well, a few of them) went nuts, Hasbro agreed, and the figure was updated, repackaged, and delayed until early 2011. My initial reaction was "just put the damn thing out," but well, I'm lazy. I'm kind of surprised Hasbro didn't do it both ways to sell more units, which I'm usually not a big fan of but I make an exception for Vintage cardbacks. Also, Hasbro solicited this product to online stores as "Yoda with Hoverchair," and as far as I know they never displayed a sample to the public which showed a chair. My guess is they took it out for costing reasons early in the product's development.

The figure is pretty good. It reminds me of the 2004 Vintage Yoda-- which I didn't like-- and the 2005 Yodas-- which were a mixed bag. When you get right down to it, Yoda is hard to do well at this scale if you incorporate certain kinds of cloth. The cloth may be too thick to hang right on the figure, so no matter what you do he's going to look a little funky. What's worse, though, is if you take off the cloak some samples have a date stamp carved into the front of his thigh, effectively defacing the figure in a very ugly way. (This has happened on numerous recent Hasbro products as of late.) Those are my two big complaints-- the rest of it is pretty good, but I've reviewed nearly two dozen Yodas and that's a figure which I believe stops being interesting after three or four. When scaled down to a small plastic figure, there's not a lot you can do to change up the design.

Yoda has 14 points of articulation, which I believe breaks the previous record of about 10 or so. The face sculpt is good, and the costume is, more or less, great. At this scale the legs look a little funky with knee joints, but you actually get knee joints, which is rare with figures of this size. For my money, my favorite Yodas are the 2004 OTC version (great sculpt) and the 2003 Bandido Clone Wars release and the 2007 Kybuck version-- I give bonus points for being weird. With his cane, lightsaber, and a reflected Sith energy blast this one aspires to be the best but ultimately left me shrugging. Bring in Yoda in tiny Clone armor or something fun!

Collector's Notes: Yoda is somewhat common and, if you ask me, not necessarily worth the upgrade. If you want a new Yoda, get it-- but if you're on the fence? Save your money. You'll be able to get it below cost on eBay soon if you haven't already done so. He's about $5 on eBay... but I'd say just drop $60-$80 on a real, genuine 1980s vintage Yoda. As soft goods go, despite not being wholly accurate, it looked better as a toy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,704: December 26, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,703: Holiday R2-D2

2011-12-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

R2-D2 Holiday Edition 2002
Saga Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: C-3PO, display base, greeting card
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $13.99
Availability: November 2002
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Hasbro and Lucasfilm Ltd. are delighted to present, for the first time, this Star Wars Holiday Edition commemorative. Inspired by the artwork of renowned artist Ralph McQuarrie, this specially designed set captures the imaginative vision of McQuarrie's art in collectible 3-3/4" action figure scale. Our gift to you, this piece is a distinctive addition to any Star Wars collection. May the Force be with you, and happy holidays. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' shelves.

Commentary: Ho, ho, ho. From 2002 through about 2005, Hasbro put out a bunch of Holiday Edition figures based on everything from classic Ralph McQuarrie holiday paintings to what I assume was a fantastic deal on red paint back in 2005. This R2-D2 was half of the very first set in the series, which was joined by C-3PO in a Santa outfit. This R2-D2 is modeled on the 2000 R2-B1 mold, painted up like R2-D2, and modified to include antlers-- given the red light under his eye, I assume the intent was to portray R2-D2 as Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

What I find particularly likable about this guy-- minus the novelty-- is how Hasbro sculpted the droid to look like the costume elements were, in short, sort of half-assed. On the left, it looks sort of like an antler was embedded into a small block, which was attached to his head somehow. I have no idea how, but it is. On the other side, it looks like C-3PO took some duck tape and stuck it to his head, which is a kind of a thing I'll always find funny. The dome sculpt itself is missing a ring near the bottom, but other than that it's painfully obvious that this is R2-D2-- and it's also painful to see just how far his sculpt has come in a decade.

With only three points of articulation and a light-up eyeport, there's not much to this figure-- even by the standards of nine years ago. Retractable third legs were the norm since 1995, so its absence is easily noticed. As a display piece-- particularly in the box-- this is a really great figure. I don't suggest that you open this set unless you really, really want to... it looks better in the box. But if you do open it, it looks even better in an X-Wing or Y-Wing fighter's droid socket.

Collector's Notes: The holiday line was plagued with cancelations-- the entire series was developed as a Fan Club exclusive, but only two of the products were released through the club as it repeatedly changed owners since the early 2000s. In other fun, I'm writing this in November-- I work ahead-- during a surprise internet outage. While this set originally sold for about $14, I remember it shooting up to $20 and $30 on eBay-- and unsurprisingly, it dropped and now it's $10 or so.

This piece was one of the first items I saw that showed me just how the Wal-Mart customer juggernaut could absorb a case of product quickly-- I actually saw a case of these on a pallet, and took it upon myself to liberate a set. I went back in a day, and they were gone-- and I didn't see another one until weeks later, in another city, and that felt like a fluke. This time of year, I've even seen an entire pallet of Mr. Potato Heads-- hundreds of units-- sell through overnight.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,703: December 23, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,702: Han Solo

2011-12-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

HAN SOLO Death Star
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 91416
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD30
Includes: Blaster, helmet, armor, detonator, bonus droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: October 2009
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: After rescuing Princess Leia, Han battles his way back to the Death Star’s hangar. The stormtrooper disguise came in handy, but now it’s his bold nature and his blaster that will free him from the Empire’s clutches. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former back yard.

Commentary: After 34 years I can honestly say that Han Solo might be the character I've been the least happy with in terms of the head sculpt. Hasbro does a good job getting a figure that looks like "Han Solo," but not "Harrison Ford." The 2004 head was pretty good, and this new head has slightly more exaggerated features-- depending on the angle, you can see that this head does look Ford-esque, but some parts are a smidgen larger or smaller than they should be. The elements are largely there, but as a whole it misses something, and it's possible part of the problem might be the paint or kind of plastic used. Either way, the end result isn't ideal-- although the articulation is.

WIth 14 points of articulation, it's close to perfect-- the belt may get in the way of hip movement, but it's still quite good. With a different head, and maybe a holster, this would be a good normal Han body. The sculpt is essentially the same as the 2004 release, with some tweaks to the legs, but there is one deco problem: the torso's white shirt seems yellower than the arms, which makes little sense given it's painted white and usually if something goes yellow, it would be plastic molded in white. This isn't age either-- this is how it came out of the package, and this photograph was taken in late 2009. (Apparently, I waste no time and plan ahead.)

As part of a collection-- specifically as a part to get all the pieces to build R3-A2 since Han has his torso-- this is an acceptable enough figure. It's not a variant I recall much clamoring for, and the added large Stormtrooper helmet and body armor don't add much to it from my perspective. As a toy, it's an incomplete disguise and while I would like to say "better than nothing," maybe an alternate gun or a MSE droid would have been more appealing from where I sit-- particularly since this wave wasn't exactly easy to get in some markets for the kids. Get it if you can, but don't pay a lot for it.

Collector's Notes: Complete and without the droid piece, it can be had for under five bucks. A complete R3-A2 build-a-droid, which is the robot which came with Han and the rest of this series, sells for about $16. A droid piece can go for $4 or more, so if you can get a carded Han cheap it might be worth your while. There are other versions of the character which look better, but few have this one's range of movement and diverse accessories. Heck, none of them have removable Stormtrooper body armor-- this one is unique in that department.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,702: December 22, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,701: R2-X2

2011-12-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

R2-X2 Artoo Redux
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 88884
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD52
Includes: Droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: Late 2009/Early 2010
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: R2-X2 is the on-board astromech droid for Red Ten during the Battle of Yavin. The R2 series atromech droid aids the Rebel Alliance X-Wing fighter pilot during the Trench Run to destroy the Galactic Empire's Death Star battle station. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former apartment.

Commentary: What color is R2-X2? If you asked me in 2005, when I asked for him as part of an exclusive gift pack at my day job, I said "black." Lucasfilm and Hasbro agreed, and now there are tons of black R2-X2s, but some fans said he should be green-- and in some stills, damned if he doesn't look green. So now he's green. Based on the R4-G9 mold, the droid has a leg which retracts when you spin his head around, jointed shoulders, and jointed feet. And that's it.

The sculpt is very good and due to it being the bases for most of the astromechs made by Hasbro, this is, by default, the "correct" scale. In 2010 Hasbro introduced a smaller R2-D2 body but, at press time, it has not become the basis for any other characters. This is a solid sculpt, and the holograph projector on the dome-- just down and to the right of his eye-- is hollow, so it could "project" a piece if Hasbro wanted to do so. R4-G9 had a projection of the planet Utapau, but subsequent droids dropped the gimmick entirely. Still... it's a good figure.

Collector's Notes: This is the only carded release of R2-X2, although other toys based on the droid exist-- including a Funko Bobble Head, which was based on this 2009 release. (I know because I nagged Funko to make that one too.) Since I got to ask for the black one, that's my favorite but today, either version could cost you between $10 and $20 depending on the seller.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,701: December 21, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,700: Lumiya

2011-12-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

LUMIYA Dark Lady of the Sith
The Legacy Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87970
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #07
Includes: Lightwhip, alternate head, Luke Skywalker figure, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: September 2009
Appearances: Star Wars Marvel comic books

Bio: Luke Skywalker is defeated in a battle with Lumiya, the Dark Lady of the Sith, who wields her lightwhip with devastating precision. But this confrontation is far from over. Lumiya wants to punish the Jedi who caused her to become more cyborg than human, while Luke tries to persuade his opponent to turn away from the dark side. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former back yard.

Commentary: There's a short list of figures I tried to see if I could nag someone into making-- as I assume they would never see production-- and Lumiya was on it. While some of you know her as a villain from a recent-ish batch of novels, I grew up with her as one of the last major adversaries from the Empire to confront Luke and the Alliance of Free Planets from Marvel's comic line. Very, very few original characters from Marvel's run made it into the toy line, and most of those which did were existing bodies with new heads. So this one seemed pretty damned unlikely, particularly given she's an entirely new sculpt with an alternate head and a companion Luke figure to boot.

With 12 points of articulation, this is a pretty good figure and a great argument for why it's actually just fine when Hasbro drags their feet-- the longer you wait, generally speaking, the better the figure will look. Were she made in 1998 she's have 6 joints and a crappy accessory, and certainly not have the alternate head. You can choose between an unmasked head, after she lost a duel with Luke, or a partially masked head which is, really, a battle-damaged one. Her first appearance played her up as some security cyborg, and through time it turned out she was a Rebel pilot-- who is actually an Imperial agent-- who went on to fight along with green pirates and pale extra-galactic invaders.

This particular figure bases its design on her increasingly damaged form, right around the One Big Cool Duel around the time of the Nagai invasion. Exposed wires and boards on her torso are accentuated by silver armor, plus a big yellow flexible lightwhip makes for a great accessory. It's a reasonably simple figure, with a scarred eye and some decent overall deco. I like this one a lot, but mostly because I liked those old comic books. It's still a fine figure, but you won't declare this to be some giant amazing incredible release. It's just good, and if you like the character you should enjoy this release. If not... well, I'm going to like this a lot more than you are.

Collector's Notes: Fans of the 1980s Expanded Universe-- before it had the name-- should probably want this one. It seems to sell for roughly the original price, give or take, but I'd be dumb enough to pay more. I really like this set.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,700: December 20, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,699: Battle Droid Commander

2011-12-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

BATTLE DROID COMMANDER Firing Blaster!
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 94736 No. 20800
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW22
Includes: Blaster, stand, binoculars, backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Battle Droid commanders transmit orders to squads of battle droid. Their advanced programming includes increased independence and enhanced intelligence, which gives them the ability to execute their roles effectively. They have yellow markings to designate them as commanders. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: The token repaints don't happen as often as I would like in The Clone Wars, as few specialized robots like the Battle Droid Commander have been made. We've had firefighter droids, and rocket droids, but not a lot of variation as far as rank goes. So I'm glad he's here. The short version of the review is this: if you have normal Battle Droids, get a Commander. If not... eh, you probably don't need to start here. But I like it.

The mold is a repaint of the 2008 basic Battle Droid, as it should be-- except now he has binoculars. That's what I like-- more. The yellow deco showing his rank really makes him look great, and well, if you like droids you should get one. I got a few-- I'm going to need them driving my tanks. He has somewhat limited articulation, sporting 8 meaningful joints and some nifty ball-jointed arms you can actually pull out of their sockets. Chewbacca would approve. The plastic looks pretty good, and on some figures you can see some silver damage which looks absolutely wonderful. This probably won't be one of your favorite figures, but it's a pretty good toy and I generally like how it turned out. Short of a few more joints-- which may make it more fragile-- I can't think of too much else I would do to it. Except, you know, maybe a voice chip.

Collector's Notes: This one kept shipping for a bit-- which I found interesting as, while I liked the design, it's not one I'd want a bunch of-- you should be able to get one at or under retail fairly easily. But I'm kinda serious about this voice chip thing-- one of my favorite exchanges on the show was between two Battle Droids. I can't find the exact quote, but it was something like "It's the Jedi! Get them!" and the second one says "It won't matter" and then is killed by Anakin. (Made me laugh.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,699: December 19, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,698: Darth Maul

2011-12-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

DARTH MAUL Deluxe
Episode I Deluxe Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84045 No. 84144
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, large deluxe lightsaber accessory
Action Feature: Lightsaber Handle Triggers Battle Swing
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 3, 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Darth Maul was a Dathomirian Zabrak Sith Lord during the waning days of the Galactic Republic. Later, Maul was sent to Naboo, where he fought Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Though (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: The great thing about a movie year-- if you write a toy column-- is that you can see all sorts of crazy stuff, and go back and armchair quarterback it ten years later. With this deluxe Darth Maul, it's really interesting to note that this kind of mechanism was quickly removed from the line, and is making a big return early next year. Actually, from the pictures, I'm not entirely sure if this exact figure is coming back or not yet-- one looks very similar, and it might be this one again. (Or, again, very very similar.)

For $10 this was... acceptable. At the time, the normal Darth Maul was $7, and this one had a large accessory and an action feature to boot. This is not an impressive modern figure, but as Hasbro needed a ton of Darth Maul stuff to sell in 1999 this made sense. It's basically their Jedi Duel version, on a stick, with a button in its butt. You push the button (or activate it via the lightsaber which acts as a battle-stick thing) and he'll wave around his arms. The figure's articulation is similar to the carded counterpart, which means he's of not much use from the waist down-- but his neck, shoulders, and wrists move just fine. This isn't a figure about posing, this is a figure you buy specifically to display or to use to fight your other toys. The mechanism is pretty good, but I can understand that a lot of people would just want a plain, normal, super-articulated Darth Maul and it's 12 years later and it's still not in stores yet.

As a weird side figure, I suggest getting it-- it's meant to be a toy that you can actually play with, and we see very few of those. It's worth about two bucks, and it's absolutely worth that-- I didn't feel it was worth the $10 at first, but now I can say that it was a neat experiment and Hasbro did exactly as many of these battle figures as they should have done at the time. Except it would have been cool to have had a Vader as well, now that I think of it. Maul will not impress you with its sculpt-- after all, Hasbro improves so much, it'd be sad if this was the peak of their talents-- but I do enjoy seeing what they came up with for the kids of 1999.

Collector's Notes: Unless this is, in fact, the basis for the new Movie Heroes figure next year, it's a one-time release. Hasbro put action features to bed until 2002 after this wave came out, with the exception of the spring-loaded 300th Boba Fett in late 2000.

As a single character, Darth Maul may offer one of the richest collecting experiences-- the character has been sold in so many varieties since 1999, you can get a late-era Kenner style figure, deluxe attack figures, figures with experimental dials and magnets, and all sorts of nutty outfits-- short of their being a legit 1970s/1980s-style Kenner version, Maul probably should be your go-to character for getting most (but not all) styles of figural collectibles.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,698: December 16, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,697: Jawa

2011-12-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

JAWA & Security Droid
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 93139
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD29
Includes: Security Droid, blaster
Action Feature: Can sit
Retail: $7.99
Availability: October 2009
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: KPR security droids are used to monitor perimeters and maintain security devices. During their scavenging for lost and abandoned equipment, the Jawas find one of these droids and offer it for sale at moisture farms on Tatooine. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's former back yard.

Commentary: For the time being, this is the most recent Jawa available today-- Hasbro cranked out four of the buggers in 2009, with two animated versions and two movie versions. This one is based loosely on the previous two movie version, which is to say, it has super-articulated arms, no light-up eye features, and a nice look. This one is upgraded slightly, with new cloth lower robes and two individually articulated legs unrestricted by a hard plastic cloak. Believe it or not, this is a first for a Jawa since the original in 1978. (The first three in the modern line were single-leg figures.)

As of right now, I would give this figure the crown as the replacement for the original cloth-caped Vintage figure. (The 2007 release feels similar to the vinyl version.) Anyway, this new version has about 10 points of articulation, which is basically as good as any Jawa gets. The darker color matches that original Kenner cloak nicely, with yellow eyes set inside his black face. The smaller blaster resembles the early POTF2 version (1996), and the sculpt is... well, it's as good as any Jawa gets with a few sculpted bits and a few cloth bits. Actually, this is the only Jawa in the modern line with cloth so far, until/unless Hasbro does a vintage one, which I'm somehow doubting they will in the coming year.

Collector's Notes: I really dig this set, when I got it I decided to grab my sandcrawler, run outside, and take some nice photos-- that's inspiration! It can be had as low as $9, but it also seems to go for more now. I'd say that it's a decent value for $9, but the companion droid is much smaller than previous 2-packs. I mean, the LIN droid and Treadwell droids were pretty meaty.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,697: December 15, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,696: Barriss Offee

2011-12-14T13:37:00.000-08:00

BARRISS OFFEE Luminara Unduli's Padawan
Saga Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84926
Number: #0312
Includes: Lightsaber, blast effect, stand
Action Feature: Magnetic lightsaber attracted to hand
Retail: $5.99
Availability: Early 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Barriss Offee is the Padawan learner of Luminara Unduli, and similarly shares her Master's latticed facial tattoos. The youthful Jedi apprentice often prefers wielding a lightsaber to participating in diplomatic negotiations. During the Battle of Geonosis, Barriss must defend herself and her fellow outnumbered Jedi from the Separatists' impending droid armies. Her strong healing abilities make her an invaluable asset when the battle erupts into a full-scale ground assault and the beginning of the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's spare room.

Commentary: As I've mentioned before, the figures of 2002 and 2003 were a little confusing and it's no surprise that fans requested a new version of Barriss Offee almost as soon as she came out. (New versions wouldn't come until 2011, at which time a new cartoon and a new movie version were released a few months apart.) The 2003 release is an astonishing piece, and a terrible toy.

Around 2002 Hasbro got really interested in the statue market, with its oversized "Unleashed" figures and to a lesser extent, the Collection 2 assortment of the 3 3/4-inch action figures. Luminara Unduli was basically a statue with arms, and Barriss follows suit. She needs her display base to stand properly, and while she does include an action feature, she's a terrible toy. She can't sit. Her legs can't move. All you can do is twist her head, position her arms, and basically have her scream and position her lightsaber. As a sub-category of action figures, this style is pretty remarkable-- it's just evidence of competing, incompatible schools of thought of how to do toys. As a display piece, the figure is pretty neat-- but the crazy cloak and screaming face are sort of out of touch with the bulk of this figure line.

The texture, deco, and sculpting are all pretty good and if an extra few cents were spent painting the dead droids on the Geonosis-themed base the right color, it would be a much better release. As a thing you can look at, it's pretty cool. As a toy? This is terrible. So depending on what you do with your toys, this could be the coolest thing ever that it's a crying shame Hasbro didn't keep doing... or a chunk of trash that you should be glad they fixed in 2011. I like it for what it is, but I'm really happy we got a new, better version this year. I will say this: she has a great personality.

Collector's Notes: This was a pretty neat figure in its day, but I don't remember it being particularly popular or well-received. And today it's worth about $5. If you liked the bigger Unleashed toys, I think you might dig this one. I wish Hasbro did do a few more figures in this style, but not minor characters-- I'd love to have a crazy-posed Maul or Vader in this size. Well, I guess we got a Darth Maul like this in 1999, as well as the 2002 "sneak preview" Jango Fett, which did a bang-up job of giving you a fantastic sculpt but a rotten toy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,696: December 14, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,695: Senate Commando Captain

2011-12-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

SENATE COMMANDO CAPTAIN Blue and Awesome
The Clone Wars Target Exclusive Two-Pack
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 87340
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, second figure, game card, stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: October 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: A Senate Commando captain and his elite commando team confront suspicious arrivals to the Senate building. The captain and troopers rush to the platform where Cad Bane has landed without permission. They are prepared for a fight if necessary, but are taken by surprise when Bane springs his trap. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's kitchen.

Commentary: I like this one too. Sharing the same mold with the enlisted figure save the helmet, the Senate Commando Captain shares the same blue armor but adds a fair amount of white detailing, effectively building on Captain Argyus from a few years ago. That figure had new arms, but otherwise was based on the Clone Trooper mold. The unique aspect of this figure is a helmet with a much larger crest, which sits atop a nicely-jointed body with 16 points of articulation. The awesome bend-and-swivel wrists are here, so he'll look good aiming his gun or hanging out or doing whatever.

I like this mold-- I don't get why it was an exclusive. I wouldn't mind having a squad of these guys, and I don't think you'd mind either. If you bought any clone figure from 2008-2009, you basically know how this guy is built-- minus the giant armored shoulder and alternate helmet design. It looks good, it plays well, it's worth owning. Do I need to go on? Because I feel more or less done here.

Collector's Notes: I paid $15 for this? I guess that's fair for it. On eBay, the set goes between $3 and $25 and everywhere in between. If you can score it for $10 or so, get it. I wouldn't suggest throwing down a premium to get it... but it IS pretty cool. Hmm. Yeah, go get it, you'll like it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,695: December 13, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,694: Mandalorian Warrior

2011-12-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

MANDALORIAN WARRIOR The Other Ones
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 94743 No. 19681
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistols, Gauntlets, Backpack, Rocket, Display Stand, Game Card
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: September 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: The Mandalorians who belong to the Death Watch work in secret to return Mandalore to its past as the greatest warrior society in the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's kitchen.

Commentary: There were two different Mandalorian Warrior figures sold in the battle pack, mostly the same save for the accessories. As I've said before, this mold is one of Hasbro's best. What you might not know is that you absolutely need this gift set to fill up your Mandalorian Transport vehicle, because few other figures can fit in those small chairs. The articulation is exceptionally good-- the ball-jointed hips are included in a grand total of 16 points of articulation, with a design that lets them stand at attention, straddle a bike, or fight for whatever it is they're after these days.

The first two Mando figures were very dark, with dark blue suits and almost black armor. The later ones were like these-- bright blue, with lighter gray armor. I don't think either is necessarily perfect, but it would seem the darker ones may be closer to the renders. Even then... I'm not sure either is really more "right." Anyway. The figures have working holsters, although I should note this set includes both large and small pistols which look the same at first glance. The little pistols fit in the holsters. The big ones do not. Fair warning.

I see this as a figure that shows what Hasbro has learned about figure design from its other properties-- you can see some of what worked in Marvel and G.I. Joe brought here, like a higher-on-the-waist joint and the return of those lovely bending wrist joints. The Mando troopers are one of very few molds which, on release, feel like something you probably wouldn't be able to do any better. They're almost perfect, so it might be years before Hasbro sees fit to tweak them. One thing I don't get is why they didn't work harder to make these guys available.

Collector's Notes: Despite being pretty tough to find, the price dropped recently on the secondary market-- it's closer to $30 now, which is good, before it was approaching $80. Since these guys are nearly identical to the individually carded figure you may not feel it necessary to get more, but I like the design and I've got one of each. So get it if you're feeling saucy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,694: December 12, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,693: Ten Numb

2011-12-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

TEN NUMB Rebel Pilot
The Legacy Collection Evolutions
Item No.: Asst. 87874 No. 87602
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: I
Includes: Blaster, helmet, tubes, additional figures
Action Feature: Removable helmet
Retail: $19.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Return of the Jedi (presumably a deleted scene)

Bio: The legacy of Rebel pilots is one of uncompromising independence and gritty determination. These are the pilots who crushed the Empire and became the architects of the elite squadrons to come. Dorovio Bold flies an X-wing at the Battle of Yavin, going cannon-to-cannon against Imperial fighters. During the Battle of Hoth, Wes Janson toppled an AT-AT walker with a skillfully unorthodox maneuver. Ten Numb helped achieve victory at the Battle of Endor flying a weapons-packed B-wing. From hotshots to heroes, Alliance pilots built a legacy that has given birth to countless tales of glory throughout the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old desk.

Commentary: For a prototype costume from a movie, the white-suited Ten Numb gets a lot of toy love. He's had at least 3 action figures-- 4 if you are like me and think the red B-Wing Sullustian is also Ten Numb. This white-suited figure is based on a scrap photo from Star Wars Chronicles and other reference books, which became the basis for the white-suited pilot figures and the character in the Rogue Leader comic book series. This body was introduced with this figure, and it has also been used for Keyan Farlander (2008 and 2011), Lieutenant Pollard (2008), Ekelarc Yong (2011), and "Nien" Nunb (2009)... maybe I forgot one off the top of my head. The point is this is a pretty durable body, too tall for a Sullustian but it still looks pretty good.

SInce Hasbro decided to jsut cheap out and use a single taller body, the good news is all descendants from the mold are the same height-- unlike a number of male orange-suited pilots, which were mistakenly given the shorter Luke body. With 14 joints, the figure has a great range of movement and can be posed in just about any action stance. That's the good news. The bad news is that the body type is a huge pain in the neck with all its hoses and cables. He fits into a B-Wing fairly well, I guess, but it's still bulky and may require some fidgeting. The pilots, post-2005, were not designed with piloting in mind. The detail is good, I like the head sculpt, the helmet fits, and it's basically the best Ten Numb in a white suit you can get-- but he's kinda tall, and if that bugs you, I guess stick with the 1999 release.

Collector's Notes: Despite having been released 3 years ago, several Toys R Us stores and online toy shops have unsold units of this. That, my friends, is why Evolutions is gone. You should have no problem getting it for under $20. Just this figure individually sells for under $3 on eBay.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,693: December 9, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,692: Jarael

2011-12-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

JARAEL and Rohlan Dyre
The Legacy Collection Entertainment Earth Exclusive Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 91774
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #15
Includes: Lightsaber, bag, Rohlan Dyre figure, comic book reprint
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: November 2010
Appearances: Knights of the Old Republic comic books

Bio: Jarael (born Edessa) was a female Arkanian Offshoot. She was hot-tempered with eyes and hands like Humans and pointed ears, bearing tattoos that were known as the Flames of the Crucible bearing the name "Jarael" in the ancient language of the Crucible meaning "protector." (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's old apartment's common area.

Commentary: I wasn't as excited to see Jarael as I was her pack-mate, because Rohlan Dyre has an awesome design with great gear and Jarael is some blue chick. There was a long list of characters from the Knights of the Old Republic comic I expected to see plastic, and I guarantee you she wasn't one of the first six I'd have bet on getting. With what's essentially a tank top and a cloth lower dress, the figure has a good range of movement and has no real problems holding her staff weapon.

While the deco on the head is exceptional-- the hair sculpting is great, the blue skin is awesome, the deco is dynamite and the tattoos are just amazing-- it's still a boring character. There's not much getting around that. This is a quality figure of a character I'm willing to bet most of you didn't ask for, and it really is a good one. I mean, considering this is the only one Hasbro will ever do, it's awesome. The little pouches, the painted buttons, it's obvious Hasbro put a lot of love (and paint) into this one. For fans of the character or comic, you owe it to yourself to get her and add her to your collection. For people that don't dig the extreme pre-history of the Skywalker clan... run away.

Collector's Notes: Released about a year ago, and still available if you want it. Her parts have never been reused and unless maybe they crib these parts to make Dani or another Zeltron some day, I doubt the tooling will ever see the light of day again.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,692: December 8, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,691: Savage Opress

2011-12-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

SAVAGE OPRESS Armored, Second-Ever Savage Opress Action Figure
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 94736 No. 32845
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW59
Includes: Stand, lightsaber, firing staff, missile, dice, card
Action Feature: Battle Axe Fires Missile
Retail: $8.99
Availability: August 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Savage Opress is magically strengthened by the witches of Dathomir and trained by Count Dooku in lightsaber combat and the ways of the Dark Side. Dooku send Opress on a mission to kidnap the king of Toydaria, but when the Jedi intervene, Opress wields his double-bladed lightsaber with devastating results. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's kitchen.

Commentary: I got both Savage Opress figures on the same day, which is good because the shirtless one left me wanting more-- and this armored version basically delivered what I needed. The two share a lot of tooling-- the legs and forearms seem to be the same, with different torso, heads, and biceps between them. The reason I like this one so much more is that the face sculpt is slightly better with its closed mouth, and his articulation is improved due to how he was sculpted. The shirtless one has a plastic lower robe, while this one has a cloth piece-- so if you want, you can get him to sit.

The sculpting is pretty clean, without too many excessive details. Hasbro went for a more streamlined appearance with limited textures, aslthough he does have a notable branch design on his... er... loincloth thing. The horns on his head are long and sturdy, and his boots are quite menacing-- someone's going to get kicked in the chest with these. He has few problems standing on his own, if you pose him right it shouldn't be much of a problem.

As to his gear? He has a firing axe missile thing, which looks better than it functions, plus a lightsaber. The saber is inspired by Darth Maul, Asajj Ventress, and Count Dooku's weapons with a few elements from each. I like it-- it would make a nice full-size roleplay toy some day. I assume most people who watch the show are actively searching for this one, and let me tell you it's worth it. The shirtless version is OK but not nearly as cool, which leads me to believe Hasbro knew what they were doing and decided to make the less desirable version more common as, well, you'll probably go ahead and buy the other one anyway if you ever saw it. Due to the villain's Maul-ness, he is one of the show's brighter introductions and will be making some sort of return-- so there's all the more reason to get this one.

Collector's Notes: Two Savage Opress figures hit basically the same week, but the shirtless one shipped in three different assortments while the armored one appeared in but one. So right now, this is the more scarce of the two. I fully expect to see him in droves early next year, because why miss the opportunity?

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,691: December 7, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,690: Coleman Trebor

2011-12-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

COLEMAN TREBOR Battle of Geonosis
Power of the Jedi Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84991
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0324
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: Fall 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: An amphibious creature from the watery world of Sembla, Coleman Trebor is a brave and noble Jedi Knight and member of the Jedi High Council. He is one of many Jedi assembled by Mace Windu to confront the Separatist armies on Geonosis. Here, where the Clone Wars begin, Trebor defeats countless Geonosian warriors and droid battalions, but meets his ultimate fate in the gunslinging hands of bounty hunter Jango Fett. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Just say no to rugs.

Commentary: If Coleman Trebor represented a stage in Hasbro's development as a figure maker, this would be the phase where she went off backpacking to German to find herself and join a band named "Chyx." (If you know the joke, pat yourself on the back.) This figure was an entirely new sculpt. This one came out between the 2002 phase, where most characters were statues, and the super-articulated phase, which really kicked off at the end of 2003 and again at the end of 2004. Trebor has 12 points of articulation and it seems obvious to me that Hasbro was aiming to add articulation while maintaining that statue aesthetic. The figure has a ton of sculpted detail in his robes, and very specific folds in his outfit that lend it to being displayed in a very specific way. Having said that, the legs and robes were designed so he can sit-- he still looks like he's going to fight, but you can fit him inside some vehicles. Aside from vehicle compatibility and packaging, this figure feels like the kind of thing most collectors wanted-- tons of statuesque detail and virtually invisible joints.

His articulation, like many 2003 figures, is uneven. Both wrists are jointed, but only one elbow. One knee is articulated, with the opposite leg's ankle having a joint. It's quite unusual, but it more or less works-- this is a figure designed to stand up or be displayed without too much force, except for one tiny little flaw which I'm now going to pick at as that's the way of my people. His right hand? It's a closed fist. There's a hole in it for the lightsaber, but it's an incredibly tight fit. Over the years in Star Wars, we've learned that closed fists designed to hold weapons are usually a pain in the neck. (See: 1995 Boba Fett.) One you get the saber hilt in his hand, it doesn't want to come out. Sure, you can get it out, but it's going to involve use of the force. And by force, I mean my three ounces of strength. This is one rare case where I am extremely happy that the lightsaber blade is removable from the hilt for storage purposes: I do not like extracting the hilt from his hand.

The stand is also really cool, with cracked mud and dead droid bits on the bottom. A little paint can make it even better, but overall this is a very strong figure. It's not 16+ joints super-aticulated crazy time, but for five bucks this was a remarkable release and it fits right in with your 2011 figures. If you go through life with only one Colman Trebor action figure, make it this one.

Collector's Notes: A new Coleman Trebor came out in 2009, based on a Qui-Gon Jinn body. I like the 2003 one better-- it has less articulation, but more personality. The sculpt is arguably better here in 2003, but it can't sit. Overall, I like the 2003 one more. He should set you back $10 or less.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,690: December 6, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,689: Ryloth ARF Trooper

2011-12-05T16:46:00.000-08:00

ARF TROOPER with AT-RT Walker
The Clone Wars Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 31695 No. 31708
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, stand, game card, AT-RT
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.97
Availability: December 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars episode "Supply Lines"

Bio: An ARF trooper in Captain Keeli's unit scouts the enemy's position on an All Terrain Recon Transport (AT-RT) walker. The ARF trooper drives the walker across the rocky landscape of Ryloth to gather information about battle droids heading toward Republic forces. The AT-RT can move quickly and is armed with a blaster cannon for assault missions. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo area.

Commentary: So far there have been at least 7 figures made based on the ARF Trooper mold, and this Ryloth-specific version is, like the others, supremely cool. They can keep making these all day long, and I hope that they do-- it's a great mold! This is the first animated clone design to incorporate ball-jointed hips, so seeing them reuse it makes me happy. His bend-and-swivel wrists can hold his blaster pistol, or you can park it in the back of the AT-RT walker. The figure appears to be molded in white plastic with lots of dark maroon splotches, and there's also a little bit of grey over it which... I gotta say, I'm not sure it's going to add any extra visual protection. I get the browns and stuff for the dirty world of Geonosis, or the dark greys for the jungles, but I'm not sure I totally grasp this one. Still... it looks cool. No arguments there.

The vehicle should be noted for its exceptional deco-- there's a lot of color on this one, with red horns, multiple shades or red and orange on his feet, plus a green splotch on the front with the word "RAM" written in Aurebesh. Appropriate, given the horns. The vehicle is as good as the others in terms of construction, but as deco goes I think it may be my new favorite. I really like these and hope Hasbro cranks out a new one every year or two-- it's a nice combination.

As an entire unit, I'd say that it's arguably worth it. $17 is a lot of money for a repaint these days, but the clone is cool and I like the vehicle a lot and the clone looks great. What's not to like? If you ever see it on clearance, buy it-- because if you don't, I'll be buying a squad of these if it gets to $5 or less. At $17, one is sufficient but... geez, it's nice. I was actually pretty disappointed when it got delayed with no real confirmation of when it would show, mostly because it's such a great design.

Collector's Notes: The set was delayed, apparently by quite a bit-- the date stamp indicates it was likely made in March of 2011. The item was announced in July of 2011, when Hasbro confirmed an August release date. It hit in December, more or less out of the blue after months of silence. It's the third AT-RT with ARF Trooper based on this mold, and probably the most ornate so far. It shipped with Buzz and his BARC Speeder, each is seemingly 2 per case. Due to it hitting in Wal-Mart's busy season, the set could quite possibly sell out very quickly-- I often point out that a ravenous Wal-Mart clientele can gobble up an entire palette of Mr. Potato Heads in under 24 hours, so given I just found this one last Friday I'll be quite curious to see how quickly it will vanish. (Or if it will vanish.)

So far there have been very few toys from this episode-- I have my doubts that we'll see Keeli, Ima-Gun Di, and Dao as action figures but Hasbro has done some wacky things before. Just in case... be ready and pick up this set.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,689: December 5, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,688: Obi-Wan Kenobi

2011-12-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

OBI-WAN KENOBI Jedi Warriors
Saga Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. 26720
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt, prison device, Assassin Droid, stand, other figures
Action Feature: Magnet in hand grasps lightsaber or Assassin Droid
Retail: $19.99
Availability: 2004
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Jedi Knight. Master to Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan exemplifies the courage of the Jedi order. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: There's no shortage of Obi-Wan Kenobi figures from the prequels, and I was genuinely excited when I first got this one back in 2002. But we're here to talk about the 2004 rerelease, which has slightly lighter hair and a darker set of eyebrows. Other than that, it's fundamentally the same as the 2002 release and arguably not different enough to get you interested in it. But it comes with a neat big accessory so that's why you want this.

The new piece, which was originally supposedly developed to be included with the Geonosis Arena playset, was cut due to budget reasons and ended up in this set. (The Arena was pretty cheap, as low as $40 I believe when it first hit.) It makes sense that you'd want to cut the less exciting bits, and this makes sense to remove. The round bits on the base rotate, just like in the movie. The blue clear energy bits can more or less grasp a figure, it's a little awkward to get this figure into the stand but it basically works. You can even toss a lightsaber in his hand if you really want, even though it makes no sense in the context of the scene where Count Dooku interrogates the Jedi.

A good accessory can make a figure you don't want into something you'll throw down some serious money to get. I bought this set because of the Nikto Jedi variant and this very base, which so far remains exclusive to this gift set nearly seven years later. It's weird to think, but the accessories aged better than the figures. So if you like this idea, get this set, take the stand, and put the figures into a drawer somewhere.

Collector's Notes: Unsurprisingly, this set is now effectively worthless. The main selling points were this big accessory and a Nikto Jedi who has since been upgraded. As such, buy the set for this restraining device and you'll probably be pretty happy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,688: December 2, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,687: Luke Skywalker

2011-12-01T12:59:00.000-08:00

LUKE SKYWALKER Jedi Training on Dagobah
30th Anniversary Collection Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87503 No. 87214
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, blaster, 4 other figures
Action Feature: Push button for lightsaber swinging action
Retail: $19.99-$24.99
Availability: Spring 2007
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Young and brave, Luke Skywalker was a fast and eager learner, but his own impatience and latent anger proved to be his greatest enemies. Despite the guidance of both Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, he was on his own for much of his Jedi training. It was his deep native connection to the Force that allowed him to eventually control his own emotions. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's couch.

Commentary: I've got a lot of Luke Skywalker figures. I haven't actually sat down and counted them for a while, but I do remember at one point I had something close to 30 of them when the line size hadn't yet hit 300, if memory serves. This was in part because Kenner kept tweaking and rereleasing figures, be it with new heads, different arms, or a new torso with a hole for an accessory which was never made. This particular Luke is based on the then-exceptional 2002 release, minus the accessories that made it so fantastic. Even though the 2010 Vintage Bespin Luke (not the 2007 one, that one sucked) is the best Bespin Luke, I still strongly suggest buying the 2002 release just for his gear. But how does this one rate?

It's OK-- I like the brown color better for his outfit, and I appreciate that Hasbro made him look less harried than the Cloud City-specific ones in 2002 and 2004. Luke is less sweaty and bloody, with fewer bruises and richer overall coloring. I like how he looks a lot, but without the antenna, bacta tourniquet, or other junk, it's just another Luke. Mind you, it's a good Luke-- the lightsaber swinging action at the waist was a really nice touch, even though Hasbro quickly phased out the button-activated features. The metal lightsaber grip looks great, and the blaster fits right into his holster. As toys go, this is a good piece and it wouldn't stun me to see Hasbro alter it slightly and rerelease it in its Movie Heroes line later. It looks a little dated by our current standards, but remember, back when this sculpt first came into the world it was dynamite.

With 12 points of articulation and a removable right hand, this figure simply did more and did it better than its siblings. It also had a holster sculpted as part of the leg, a minor detail but as a toy fan this is a huge deal. The separate rubber belt/holster hinders articulation slightly, while this one can actually sit with minimal problems. In short, it's a real toy, and as such it's really fun. If you're feeling up to it, go ahead and get this gift set.

Collector's Notes: There are two versions of this gift set. The 2007 release with 30th Anniversary Packaging has a different mold used for Darth Vader than the 2008 version, which should piss off a fair amount of completeists. (I just buy both and hate myself for the next week while I eat PB&Js to make up the difference in my wasted money.) The 2008 Legacy version seems to be the rarer one, with the 2007 one selling for as little as ten bucks on eBay. For ten bucks, the Yoda, Vader, Luke, R2-D2, and Obi-Wan Kenobi grouping is fantastic and even boxed, it's a nice display piece. If you can, get this set-- heck, get three or four so you can have all the versions around, you crazy person you.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,687: December 1, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,686: Nikto Jedi

2011-11-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

NIKTO JEDI Jedi Warriors
Saga Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. 26720
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt, stand, other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: 2004
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Jedi Knight. A renowned Jedi swordsman, Fi-Ek Sirch hails from the planet Kintan. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's printer.

Commentary: This Nikto Jedi was given a name in this set, although it wasn't the one that headlined the box-- why kick it into the bio? How odd! Anyway, it's a reworked version of the 2002 Nikto Jedi Knight, with two big differences. One, his outer cloak is missing. Two, his arms are a new color to match the robes under the cloak. Other than that, and a missing lightsaber effect that's hard to describe, it's basically the same as the 2002 release. Oh, and his lightsaber hilt has some more black paint on it.

This Jedi warrior is articulated at the neck, shoulder, wrists, and waist. It can't stand on its own, so be glad the set included some clear oval-ish constructs to prevent face-planting. Overall, it's basically a statue and that was how the lesser characters were during the second prequel. The main guys had action feature, the secondary guys were display pieces. I like this figure because it shows just how different a little bit of color and a removed accessory can make a figure.

Conversely, I hate this figure because of my growing dislike for the removable hilt lightsabers. The blade comes out, but it was partially glued in so it sort of sags and feels like it's going to break. It's very unpleasant, and it makes me glad that Hasbro has largely went back on this idea and now primarily makes one-piece lightsabers. I've had this stored in its original box as I was nervous the blade would snap after the figure fell over, and I'm still tempted to permanently glue it in there because... it just doesn't look good. With the 2011 Vintage release, there is no reason to buy this one unless you're a nutty collector, and even then be aware it's pretty fragile so if you wish to avoid heartbreak and/or repair, I'd say don't buy it.

Collector's Notes: Unsurprisingly, this set is now effectively worthless. The main selling points were this figure, being the only unique figure in the set, plus an exclusive restraining device accessory for Obi-Wan Kenobi that Count Dooku used on Geonosis. But more on that later. This set is worth the $10 or so asking price these days, although if you aren't into variants or accessories this is a pretty boring set by 2011 standards.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,686: November 30, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,685: Magnaguard

2011-11-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

MAGNAGUARD Feisty
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 20830
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC18
Includes: Pistol, staff, energy bolts, cloth cape, removable hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2010
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

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 Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: This Magnaguard is, arguably, as good as they get so far. It mixes cloth and plastic elements to make his cape with an incredible body sporting tons of moving parts. While the animated ones also turned out to be quite excellent, this one is as good as they get for the movie design and is, depending on your preferences, the better droid. When you get it, take note that the hood for the head wasn't put on particularly well-- you can adjust it slightly so his "mouth" pokes through the bottom part of the hood's opening. The design is good, but the assembly, not so much.

Covered in dirty deco, the figure looks much closer to the movies than its 2005 counterpart. Its torso is a little thick, but it's still a fairly solid piece with good accessories. The tattered cloth robes have a nice printing on them that isn't the kind of thing you usually see at this scale. For all your dueling purposes, and some of your display purposes, this is a great figure. Due to its construction it may require additional support-- beyond just the peg on a display stand-- to stay upright for long periods of time. His red eyes and skeletal form will look great on your shelves, provided he doesn't topple over and destroy anyone standing in front of him. If only the Grievous figures were this good!

Collector's Notes: He's more or less gone now, but arguably worth the asking price. If you have the chance, be sure to get this one (or any future repaints) for your stash-- you'll be glad you did. It currently goes for slightly more than retail on eBay, closer to $14 in some cases.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,685: November 29, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,684: Han Solo

2011-11-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

HAN SOLO Millennium Mint Coin Collection
Power of the Force Millennium Mint Coin Collection
Item No.: Asst. 69675 No. 84022
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, stand, coin
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: 1998
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Han Solo became caught up with the Rebel Alliance, courtesy of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, whom he helped rescue from the Death Star. ( Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's room.

Commentary: This Han Solo figure isn't as interesting as his accessories. The figure is the same as the 1997 Bespin Han Solo with some added paint on his boots, but this really doesn't add to the figure and its six points of articulation. What does make a difference is a small splash of silver on the barrel of his gun, which was a new and unique detail which we still don't see a lot of on new Han figures to this very day-- the latest release was unpainted.

His sculpt is good, but it's a 1997 figure meaning it's going to be unquestionably bad for most of you. I like it because I'm a fan of the now-defunct Kenner house style, which basically meant we got simple figures, often with big guns, for about five or six bucks. He can stand and sit, plus his display stand makes it a lot easier to keep him from toppling over. In the stand is a place to display a coin, based on a 1980s sculpt but now cast in gold with a new flip side. This predated the 30th Anniversary Collection figures and their coins by about 10 years, so it was a nice glimpse into the thought process inside Kenner which is probably very similar to ours. That is, "Hey, remember that thing? We should do that again."

As a display piece, this is a neat item-- only 7 different Millennium Mint Coin figures were made, so the entire set could go on a small display and not look too awkward. Hundreds of these things would have been weird, although I do wish Hasbro adopted the idea of a stand for the coin AND for the figure for the more recent collections... it's nice to actually see these things. If you have the guts to buy toys from the 1990s, this isn't a bad one-- although if you have the Mynock Hunt Han Solo (1998 Battle Pack) or the aforementioned individually packaged Bespin Han Solo, this one offers little new in the figure department... but oh! Those accessories!

Collector's Notes: He's cheap if you want him, which you probably don't, but the coin stands are pretty cool. If you want it, you should be able to get it for $7 or even less-- this old stuff has little in the way of fans.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,684: November 28, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,683: Cat Miin

2011-11-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

CAT MIIN Separatist
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85173 No. 86700
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #III-62
Includes: Mustafar display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: Late 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: As adminstress and chief aide to Commerce Guild President Shu Mai, Cat Miin oversees the distribution of raw materials to the Separatist Droid Army. She accompanies Shu Mai when the council is instructed to go to Mustafar and await the arrival of Darth Sidious’ new apprentice, Darth Vader. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: You know it's a good sign when you do one of these and draw a blank. Cat Miin is a figure from one of Hasbro's token repaint waves-- for several years between 2005 and 2007, we were treated to one or more assortments where all of the new figures were effectively just repaints with different accessories. It was a great way to get some weird characters in a hurry, but when you get right down to it nobody wanted Cat Miin and her lowered production proved it. She may be one of the shortest-run figures from the Revenge of the Sith era, and today commands seven bucks. Give or take a few pennies.

The figure is based on a 2003 Shu Mai mold, painted in far less colorful clothing but with one really neat added feature-- a chest wound. It's subtle, but there's a yellow burn in her chest which I believe has to represent Anakin's little killing spree near the end of the movie. I like the idea, but I don't know how many people were buying these figures to use as corpses. Her outfit is painted well, and the silver looks pretty good. There's even a paint wipe on her wrinkled head, which is nice because the figure isn't much to write home about.

Cat has three points of articulation: the neck, and the shoulders. The original sculpt came from when Hasbro was just starting to put ball jointed necks all over the place, but the arms merely swivel and with no weapons, there's not much she can do. The plastic skirt and legs are a hard plastic, and there's zero chance of her standing. Due to her own unique leg design, getting her to stand is difficult without assistance, and this is one of the main reasons articulation can be really important. Those hip joints aren't just there so she can pilot a ship, but they help a figure balance so she doesn't faceplant and effectively serve zero purpose on a collector shelf or toy box. I'm glad she has a stand, but even as a collector figure it somewhat disappoints. Hasbro did a nice job dolling her up, but ultimately it's sort of a snooze.

Collector's Notes: She's scarce but cheap, because nobody cares. That's an interesting side effect of this line: it's so vast, that just because something is rare doesn't mean it's expensive.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,683: November 25, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,682: Cortosis Battle Droid

2011-11-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

CORTOSIS BATTLE DROID Wal-Mart Exclusive Droid Factory Packs
The Legacy Collection Droid Factory
Item No.: Asst. 91939 No. 91929
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 2 of 5
Includes: Anakin Skywalker, Darktrooper arms
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.00
Availability: July 2009
Appearances: I, Jedi

Bio: In Star Wars: The New Droid Army video game, Anakin Skywalker must stop the creation of a new battle droid army after the Battle of Geonosis. This time, the Techno Union is creating battle droids with shells made of cortosis, a material that blocks lightsaber attacks, making these droids a particular threat to the Jedi. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: The Cortosis Battle Droid is an upgraded Super Battle Droid, and was part of the weakest two-pack in the second (and final) Wal-Mart build-a-droid program. I'm not sure if it was as a result of Hasbro raising wholesale prices or Wal-Mart jacking up retail, but the sets cost nearly twice as much and didn't provide as much newness-- this droid has a unique deco and new limbs, but his companion Anakin Skywalker figure was largely unchanged from its previous releases.

The droid is an upgraded 2008 Super Battle Droid, and I must say I do like how it turned out overall. The big red dot on his head, the dark grey panels, and the gun hands make it look a lot meaner-- and a little less logical in its design-- than its siblings. Gun fists mean he can't pick up things, but as a video game villain I can appreciate wanting to do something weird which is meant to be hacked apart anyway. The articulation is good, about as close to super-articulated as this design can get. (No ankles, no wrists, no neck.) For those building armies it's a great addition, but on its own the robot could stand to be more exciting.

Collector's Notes: The reason you will buy this set is for its build-a-Darktrooper piece. The set on eBay is frequently listed, but does not sell-- so odds are it's overvalued by sellers and when they start listing them cheaply, you should be able to get one for under $15. At the time of its release, figures were about $8 each so $17 for two full-size figures and arms for a much larger figure could be taken as a decent (but not great) value. Collectors fumed at the price, especially as the 2008 build-a-droid sets were better and significantly cheaper at $10 per two-pack.

An incomplete sample of the build-a-droid Darktrooper figure from this collection recently closed at $60. I wasn't able to find one, but in the past, I've noticed that while the complete Darktrooper goes for $60 or more, the lot of the 5 2-packs-- complete WITH the part-- often goes for less. Proof that collectors are insane? I would say "yes."

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,682: November 24, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,681: Gungan Warrior

2011-11-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

GUNGAN WARRIOR with Fambaa
Episode I FAO Schwarz Exclusive
Item No.: No. 84369
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Prod, Fambaa
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $75.00
Availability: Fall 1999
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Giant swamp lizards called fambaas are key to Gungan defense on the battlefield. Working in pairs, the forward fambaa's apparatus fires energy into a receiver mounted on the rear beast, creating a bubble-like shield that unites with other fambaa shields to from an enormous canopy of protection over the Grand Army. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's former back yard.

Commentary: The very first Gungan Warrior was packaged with a very expensive, very large exclusive which was sold at a high-end toy store not available in most cities. As an army builder, I found that frustrating-- especially since this one was pretty good. With six points of articulation, the figure was designed to do little more than stand on a platform inside the massive Fambaa, a huge lizard with zero points of articulation which was priced about $30-$40 too high for something that did essentially nothing. It was basically a very expensive version of the cheap hollow vinyl dinosaur toys, but if you wanted one of every action figure? Tough. You had to get a Fambaa.

I will say I like the figure enough that I'm not sorry I made the purchase. The armor was sculpted quite well, and the detail on the figure is very good overall. The skin pattern, specifically on the arms, is quite remarkable and something Hasbro has phased out of Gungans released since 2009 (so far, anyway.) If you get in close, you can see all these little textures on the figure, which does a lot to bring it to life-- granted, another fifteen cents of paint applications could have made him gorgeous, but that was twelve years ago and too bad. If you like Gungans-- and I might take flack for this, but I do-- this is an essential buy as the mold has not yet been reused.

Collector's Notes: After lingering on FAO shelves, the set is now worth about $20-$40. And yes, that's sealed in the box. Much like the Ewoks of old, the Gungans will likely always remain relatively cheap because the collector market won't drive up the prices. I'm not sure how many of these were produced, but there's no shortage of the supply. Don't let that stop you, though-- if you like Phantom Menace stuff, this is a really neat piece, and the entire toy program for that movie is better than people on the message boards would have you think. Having said that, the Fambaa comes in a swell window box (that's good!) and has fewer play features than your average $9 action figure these days (that's bad!) so buyer, be aware! Not "beware." I think you don't need a sense of foreboding when it comes to buying a Gungan and his giant elephant-lizard friend.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,681: November 23, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,680: Sandtrooper

2011-11-22T15:21:00.001-08:00

SANDTROOPER Black Shoulder Pauldron
The Legacy Collection Saga Legends
Item No.: Asst. 87995 No. 92090
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #SL21
Includes: Weapons crate, blaster, backpack, pauldron, grenade, prod
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Jedi mind tricks often work on the weak-minded. Such is the case when a squad of sandtroopers asks Jedi Maser Obi-Wan Kenobi about the two droids that are with him in a landspeeder. Obi-Wan tricks them into concluding, "These aren't the droids we're looking for." (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's former back yard.

Commentary: While Rebelscum has a sample of this figure on a 2007-style coin Saga Legends cardback, I'm convinced this Sandtrooper never saw actual release on the card. It seems it was only a few rare samples, which (so far) seem to not have been distributed outside Hasbro. I could be wrong... but I'm going to say I'm right and my guess is nobody will prove me wrong.

The figure is based on the 2004 Stormtrooper Vintage body, which means it was revised as a Sandtrooper in 2006 and repainted and rereleased several times since then, repackaged with other gear and for the longest time this was the easiest agent of the Empire to army-build. With 14 points of articulation, it's a neat figure but it's also one you could fake. The plain white body has been released before, and a black shoulder pauldron has appeared on other figures-- so with some creative swapping, you could have fudged this one before it was released. It's a nice addition to your army, but it's also entirely possible you had far too many Sandtroopers at this point. You can also leave his gear off to end up with a plain Stormtrooper, which is a pretty good selling point on this one.

Collector's Notes: While it's no longer shipping, a lot of them are out there and if you want you might-- just maybe-- be able to pick one up.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,680: November 22, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,679: Flying Geonosian Warrior

2011-11-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

FLYING GEONOSIAN with Sonic Blaster and Attack Pod!
Saga Deluxe Figure
Item No.: Asst. 84859 No. 84902
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Sonic blaster, attack pod, projectile
Action Feature: Press button to flap wings
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Summer 2002
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Inhabitants of the planet Geonosis, these winged warriors engage in a vicious battle on the side of the seceddionist forces. Skilled fighters with weapons for which the Jedi Knights have no known protection, the Geonosians threaten to overwhelm the beleaguered Jedi who have come to the aid of Anakin, Padmé and Obi-Wan. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: I thought I reviewed this Flying Geonosian warrior, but couldn't find it in my archives-- so here it is! This 2002 release was a heck of a nice figure, although not really worth the ten bucks. At the same time for $5, you could get a Geonosian with a Massiff or a Geonosian with a spear. This figure has slightly more going on, a better costume, better deco, and more gear... but it's still an awkward toy. As most early Geonosians were not posed with standing in mind, this figure is difficult to get standing on his own. He has no foot holes, so all he's going to do is, most likely, topple over without added hand support or a separate small doll stand to keep him upright. This is not due to age, it's just the design-- with legs like that, he can't hold himself up.

As a toy he's fairly fun-- his wings have limited articulation, plus a switch on the back lets you make them "flap" and that's always a good time. He has 5 joints, but the arms are done in such a way where you probably can't do a heck of a lot with him other than pose him aiming his sonic blaster. It's rare to see Hasbro sculpt a figure with an arm fully extended perpendicular to his body, so you pretty much are forced into a single position here. Hasbro has greatly improved sculpting on Geonosians with time, but little things like how to have the stand up aren't really seeing a whole heck of a lot of improvement-- they're going to need support, so if you want to set up a nice shelf for a few years, well, tough. You're going to have to buy some stuff to keep them from toppling over.

I like the sculpt and the wing mechanism is really fun, I just wish they made it so he could stand up without my buying an additional product. I expect to see this figure return in 2013 if Hasbro continues the Movie Heroes assortment, as just the figure without the pod is a nicely action-packed figure and for $8 or so, probably fits the bill of that upcoming assortment. It's not the most exciting thing, and I certainly wouldn't advise you pay a premium for it on the secondary market, but the mold is unique to this release and has yet to be reissued.

Collector's Notes: While somewhat scarce in 2002, this figure is now commonplace on the secondary market. Loose samples are as little as $1, while packaged ones are as low as $2. And to think, some people out there are still sitting on these expecting their investment to climb-- it's not going to happen. To put this in perspective, this figure is now about 9 years old. That would be like a Return of the Jedi figure from 1983 around 1992, when everything started skyrocketing and at that point, most packaged figures were going for at least retail or significantly above. For those of you holding out hope-- most of you would never read a column like this one-- give up on your dreams of getting your money back from this stuff.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,679: November 21, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,678: R2-MK

2011-11-18T15:30:00.000-08:00

R2-MK & Jedi Mickey
Star Tours Gift Set
Item No.: No. 16990900
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Display base, Jedi Mickey, removable hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $18.95
Availability: Summer 2010
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Whether he is fighting the Separatist forces in the Clone Wars, or helping the galaxy with their struggles against the Galactic Empire, Jedi Master Mickey Mouse is ready to use the Force at anytime. Aided by his new friend astromech droid R2-MK, these allies can complete any mission in the galaxy. Join Jedi Mickey and R2-MK on their many adventures across the stars! May the Force be with You. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: The box' insert.

Commentary: Let's start this one off with some controversy-- specifically, is this really a Hasbro product? When I mentioned it to a few Hasbro employees, they seemed to think it was developed by Disney theme parks, but that seems unlikely given that R2-MK is based on Hasbro's own R4-G9 mold. The figure has removable mouse ears, plus the legs were retooled-- the most obvious change being a pair of massive holes in his feet so he can fit on the display stand packaged with this set.

Aside form the holes, it's just another R4-G9 repaint. The hat fits right on the dome, sitting nicely until it's removed. A vac-metalized red dome looks good now, although I'm nervous about it staying that way down the road-- certain kinds of deco, specifically vac metal that isn't silver or gold, tends to crack or flake if not cared for. R2 has a purple eye which lights up, and a whole mess of red, black, and yellow markings to make him look more like Mickey Mouse than, in many respects, Jedi Mickey does. Since I'm a sucker for cool astromech droid repaints I'd suggest buying it, but you're basically going to be shelling out $19 for just the droid since Mickey is very similar to the 2-pack with Yoda from a few years ago. It's an overpriced set-- especially compared to the other gift sets-- but this is how collecting seems to work.

Collector's Notes: You can get this on eBay for (or less than) retail price, so keep that in mind if you decide to pick this set up in your travels.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,678: November 18, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,677: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Geonosis)

2011-11-17T13:54:00.001-08:00

OBI-WAN KENOBI Assault on Geonosis
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 35566 No. 35577
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, stand, chest piece, more figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $26.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Obi-Wan Kenobi, later known as Ben Kenobi during his exile, was a legendary Jedi Master who played a significant role in the fate of the galaxy during the waning days of the Galactic Republic. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' spare room.

Commentary: I don't know if this figure should make you mad, because I like Obi-Wan Kenobi with its filthy, Geonosis-themed deco. The figure (which is based on the 2009 super-articulated redesign of the 2008 action figure) has dirt on his face, boots, and chest armor plus some muddy printing on the cloth parts of his robes. He's basically super articulated and looks really fantastic. It would be nice if the head sculpt was updated (the 2008 Kenobi wasn't Hasbro's finest) but it does prove you can add some fun personality through a light dusting of filth.

If you don't have any animated Kenobi figures, this mold is one of the best based on the original 2008 animation design. I know not everybody wants a filthy figure, but it does make this otherwise repetitive release a thing worthy of your attention.

Collector's Notes: The set is pretty good, and as of now the set is fairly easy to find. If the price is right, particularly on sale, be sure you pick it up. The super-articulated version of Kenobi, without the dirt, was also packaged with the Freeco Bike in 2009 and with a BARC Speeder with sidecar in 2010, both are delightful vehicles.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,677: November 17, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,676: Han Solo

2011-11-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

HAN SOLO The Search for Luke Skywalker
The Legacy Collection Target Exclusive Gift Set
Item No.: No. 33237
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistol, helmet, Hoth Rebel Trooper figure and Tauntaun
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: October 2011
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: When Han Solo orders a deck officer to locate Luke, C-3PO tells him no on can find Commander Skywalker anywhere. Han realizes that Luke is still outside and leaves to find his friend, even though the nights on Hoth are perilous. Han rides a native tauntaun into the icy night, a daring search that saves Luke's life. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo studio of sorts.

Commentary: If this Han Solo has his hood up, it would be your new favorite figure. Unfortunately, it doesn't. Han is a mix of new and old parts, combining the previous Vintage/Saga Legends/etc. releases from the waist on up with a new set of legs and a new waist piece with cloth so he can better sit or ride his steed. The blue color is a definite nod to the Vintage collectors and children of the 1970s and 1980s, although I've heard a lot of complaints that it should be a different color. (I hear what you're saying but to me, Han wears blue on Hoth so tough.) Some of the cloth got stuck up in the figure's guts, so if you tug his coat down a bit it gets to be a more consistent length. Thankfully, the cloth frees up his hips so he can easily sit on large snow-dwelling reptomammals.

This figure will essentially do what you need him to do, and if Hasbro stuck it with the hood up on a vintage cardback you'd probably happily pay ten bucks to buy him again. I'd say the set is well worth the asking price, as Han is a well-executed design. His holster holds his blaster. He can ride the Tauntaun. His hands hold the reins. It's everything you could want... minus the hood. Oh, and the Thermal Hat? Still sucks. I don't get why they didn't just leave it out, it fits awkwardly and doesn't add much to the figure. An alternate hood-- or no hood at all-- would probably be more welcome.

Han does sit on the Tauntaun, but it's going to take some degree of futzing to get it right. The figure's feet are difficult to place properly, but it does look pretty good once you get it right. Unlike some earlier releases, he has no problems grasping the reins, so it's a decent pairing.

Collector's Notes: Arguably, to date anyway, this is the most pressing reason to buy this gift set. That, and it's a good deal-- all 3 toys in one box for $25, or a Tauntaun in a retro box by itself for $25. This isn't tough math.

Other: I've been asked if it's easy to swap this head with one of the hood-up heads on other Hoth Han figures-- the answer is yes. The other Han Solo figures which share the same body also use the same ball joint, so you could pop on a Droid Factory, Saga Legends, or Legacy Collection Battle Pack version of the figure's head with the hood if you're so inclined. The Droid Factory release from 2008 seems to match the color the best, but it's not perfect and you'll probably want to paint it anyway.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,676: November 16, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,675: R8-B7

2011-11-15T14:54:00.000-08:00

R8-B7 Rise of Boba Fett
The Clone Wars Toys "R" Us Exclusive Ultimate Battle Pack
Item No.: No. 20850
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Stand, third leg, game card, tons of other toys
Action Feature: Pop-out arms, removable leg, pop-up scope
Retail: $109.99
Availability: August 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: R8-B7 was Mace Windu's astromech droid for a brief period during the Clone Wars. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' floor.

Commentary: Hasbro really knows how to push my buttons in terms of big and expensive releases. This R8-B7 astromech droid belonged to Mace Windu and was dispatched mere minutes after his introduction, serving largely as a device to show how much trouble our hero R2-D2 was in during an investigation of a fallen ship.

The body is based on the R2-D2 mold from 2008, complete with pop-out claws and even (and this is the surprising part) the holes in the legs for the arm jets. The arm jets were not included, but it still looks really cool with its blue dome, grey body, and school bus-yellow markings. If you love droids, this gift set is really going to hurt at $100 or more, but at least you get two new vehicles, Bossk, and Boba Fett with it.

Collector's Notes: I ran out and bought this set early, at full price, because I am stupid. Hasbro and Toys R Us routinely do big sets for Q4 and they almost always put them on sale with a significant discount. I do believe I got my money's worth with 3 new figures, a new Starfighter repaint, and a big Slave I... but if you weren't excited about the vehicles this isn't exactly a bargain. Be wary of the packaging-- people tended to steal the figures from the set at retail.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,675: November 15, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,674: Mandalorian Warrior

2011-11-14T13:27:00.000-08:00

MANDALORIAN WARRIOR & Mandalorian speeder
The Clone Wars Figures and Vehicles
Item No.: Asst. 91787 No. 25578
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blasters, stand, jetpack, bike
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.99
Availability: June-ish 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Mandalorian commandos in the Death Watch splinter group ride security speeders for quick-strike attacks. Like all Mandalorians, they are highly skilled warriors who have perfected the art of battle. Their repulsorlift speeders are customized with binders to capture enemies during raids. The design of their helmets pays homage to battle helmets worn by Mandalorian warriors in the past. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old kitchen.

Commentary: The Mandalorian Warrior mold is one of Hasbro's finest. Ever. To date, there have been about 7 figures based on this body type, with two flavors of armor. This is the darker one, with nearly black armor while others are a lighter grey color. This is the only trooper with the dark armor-- Pre Vizsla is colored similarly.

The figure includes a bike, which, I have to say, was the most dull of the small vehicles in 2010. It's tiny and doesn't do much, but at least it has this great figure with 14 points of articulation. Hasbro wisely gave him ball-jointed hips, so all troopers so far share this trait. It's a rare instance of Hasbro doing a perfect job the first time which, I assume, is saving them money over the long haul as collectors will probably be happy to buy this figure with its working holsters for years to come.

Collector's Notes: At press time, there are 7 Mandalorians from the cartoons and 2 vehicles with 7 seats between them. It's one of very few times where the figures and the vehicles match up 1:1, so if you collect them all you probably have enough figures to fill some ships.

Despite 7 figures being based on this sculpt, all of them are actually somewhat tough to get. Hasbro also hasn't exploited the design yet-- if they made up new designs for the armor similar to Clone Troopers, they could probably sell a ton more figures. I mean, I'd buy them...

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,674: November 14, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,673: Plourr Ilo

2011-11-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

PLOURR ILO & Dllr Nepp
30th Anniversary Collection Shared Exclusive Comic Pack
Item No.: No. 93272
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Helmet, blaster, extra figure, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.99
Availability: March 2010
Appearances: X-Wing Rogue Squadron comic books

Bio: Plourr Ilo and Dllr Nep are X-Wing pilots in Rogue Squadron. Plourr is a princess who joins the Rebel Alliance to fight the Empire. The Sullustan pilot Dllr Nep takes part in several dangerous missions during his time with the elite squadron. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old back yard.

Commentary: Before being dumped at Ross, Plourr Ilo was a shared exclusive sold mostly, perhaps exclusively, to online distributors. It was originally developed for Wal-Mart as an exclusive until they objected to some language in the comic book, which I found amusing given what appears in various other forms of media I've purchased at the store over the years.

Anyway, this is a good figure. Plourr makes use of the increasingly popular female pilot body from 2008, which has been used on no fewer than four characters so far. It's a good design-- it's one of the few Rebel pilot molds to sport a working holster, plus it's just generally pleasing. The figure can basically stand and sit just fine, although the plastic leg straps are an increasing annoyance for those of us who actually use pilots as vehicle drivers.

Her head is really the only new element, which turns a bald chick into bald chic. (Eh? Eh??? Eh.) The sculpt is pretty good, but where Hasbro knocked this one out of the park was in its deco-- the face is actually (for the scale, heavily) made-up with red lipstick and a lot of rosey coloring which serves as a contrast to her shiny bald head. As figure head deco goes, particularly in humans, this is some of Hasbro's best work. It feels more real because of the paint, the fact that they painted her mug rather than leave it a plain plastic color makes it feel like a premium figure. If Hasbro spent the half-cent per face on its Vintage figures, they could probably add a lot of value to them visually which, at $10 a whack, would be nice. But we're talking about Plourr, and Plourr is good.

Collector's Notes: I've seen this set dumped at Ross for about six bucks after it was sold online for a few months, meaning the secondary market price should be somewhere in the middle. If you can get it cheap-- under $10-- this is a fantastic 2-pack you simply must own. (If you love pilots, I mean, it's fantastic.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,673: November 11, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,672: Aerial Recon Trooper

2011-11-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

AERIAL RECON TROOPER Bantha Squad Clone Trooper
The Clone Wars Anti-Hailfire Droid Battle Pack
Item No.: Asst. 94743 No. 19680
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, firing rocket, non-firing rocket, backpack, helmet, stand, more figures
Action Feature: Firing rocket pack
Retail: $24.99
Availability: June 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Aerial recon troopers monitor the enemy forces from the air and relay the location of the hailfire droids to their squad members on the ground. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old kitchen.

Commentary: Hasbro, at times, is allowed to make up some original designs for its toys in this line. I'm fairly confident that Bantha Squad's Aerial Recon Trooper is one of these, made up of bits and pieces of other figures from 2008 and beyond. The torso seems to be based on (or similar to) figures from 2009, the helmet was previously used on Echo, and the body is similar to that used for the basic 2008 Rex, Cody, and troopers.

What's really neat about this set is the armor design. The dark green color is complimented by a beige, and the jetpack is just plain cool. What I love is the Bantha motif, with horns on his helmet and other Bantha-esque elements on the other members of his team. This is my favorite figure from the set, and I wish I had lots more just like it. (I even got an extra of this Battle Pack which I'll probably crack open after I finish moving in to my basement.) It's already standing around on a shelf because, well, it's awesome. That's a good enough reason right?

I like this set a lot. I've got too dang many clones but I really like this one a lot. Get it if you can!

Collector's Notes: This set sat around a bit in 2010, but now it's starting to dry up. I don't expect it will ever be reissued-- Hasbro has been stingy bringing back most of its Clones since 2009-- but I would love to see it repackaged as an individually carded figure. I guarantee kids would buy it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,672: November 10, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,671: Hoth Rebel Trooper

2011-11-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

REBEL TROOPER The Search for Luke Skywalker
The Legacy Collection Target Exclusive Gift Set
Item No.: No. 33237
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistol, helmet, backpack, rifle, medical device, Han figure and Tauntaun
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: October 2011
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: The Rebels defend their base on Hoth with every available weapon in their arsenal. They know they can't defeat the Imperial forces attacking them, but they need to delay them long enough to evacuate the base. Rebel troopers blast the enemy from laser towers that ring the base, and fire anti-vehicle cannons and medium repeating blasters at the Snowtroopers and AT-ST walkers. (Taken from another version of the figure's packaging, as this one does not have any information specific to a trooper.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: I was debating on if this was or wasn't a new figure for a while. By how I treat Clone Troopers-- any change effectively makes it a new character, so I decided that the new medical scanner makes this Rebel Trooper different enough to make you mad. Since Han Solo from this set is extremely new, and the Tauntaun is cool, I figure you'll be buying this set anyway. Based on a 2009 body sculpt, this uses the less-frequently seen "masked" hat for the trooper with the also rarely-seen shaved face head. Hasbro didn't recolor the hair-- a shame, as that would have made this an easier call-- as it is, this is similar to a 2010 release with a new accessory, but I believe it's a medical or science accessory, which upgrades this to a new character in my book.

The main highlight here is the new accessory-- molded in silvery grey with some added silver highlights and a red window on the top which reminds me a lot of the old INT-4 mini-rigs vehicle. That's the main reason for anyone who already has EVERYTHING to be interested in this specific release. Aside from that, he has a great head sculpt, a cool helmet/hood/hat, and 14 points of articulation to sweeten the deal. Sadly he was not given ball-jointed hips, so he won't be riding the Tauntaun easily. Still, he's neat, he's worth picking up, and I'm glad that after his treatment in early 2009, he's finally getting a few extra shots at being made.

Collector's Notes: This set seems to be selling briskly at press time, so grab it if you can. The Search for Luke Skywalker gift set includes Han Solo, this Rebel, and a Tauntaun for $25 which is actually a really good deal, considering single figures are about $8 or $9 these days.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,671: November 9, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,670: Captain Rex

2011-11-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

CAPTAIN REX Hunt for Grievous
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 35566 No. 35580
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Twin blasters, helmet, pauldron
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $26.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: CC-7567, nicknamed "Rex," was a clone trooper captain during the Clone Wars, the galaxy-wide conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Rex was in command of Torrent Company, a unit of the famed 501st Legion in the Grand Army of the Republic. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's old kitchen.

Commentary: Since Captain Rex is a popular character, Hasbro has to keep coming up with new ways to present him as a toy. This version is based on an episode where he gets shot, but not killed, and is incapacitated briefly. The figure's design is similar to the first Captain Rex and uses the same body, plus has has good worn blue striping on his armor. His pauldron and armor have a sort of a bullet hole on his chest and the one on his armor reminds me of those fake bullet hole stickers they put on cars.

After numerous just-different-enough-to-make-you-mad versions of Rex, I'm thankful that this one has a unique, distinctive feature so if I stumble on one in the wild I can at least tell you which one it is. It brings little new to the table-- if you already have a Rex this one won't add much to your life-- but it's a nice variation on how Hasbro handles battle damage on its product.

Collector's Notes: As part of a gift set with another new clone character and a Grievous redeco, you might end up skipping this one. If it's on sale I'd suggest you get it-- it's pretty common right now-- but at full price you may not find it exciting enough to shell out close to $30 for it.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,670: November 8, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,669: Geonosian Warrior

2011-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

GEONOSIAN WARRIOR Assault on Geonosis
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 35566 No. 35577
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Gun, wings, stand, chest piece, more figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $26.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: The warrior caste was lower station within the Geonosian aristocracy. Members of the warrior caste were winged and divided into two sub-categories - the elite and the regulars. They matured quickly, achieving maturity at age six at which point they were battle-ready. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo studio test shot.

Commentary: Hasbro really seems to be getting the most out of its Geonosian Warrior mold, with this being one of the better overall incarnations. Incredibly colorful, this doesn't quite fit in with the other figures in terms of color but looks fantastic by himself. The yellowish-green wings pop nicely, and the face has a light, peachy color around his eyes and mouth. The golden chest armor is removable, as are the wings, plus the sonic blaster has a nice bright green dot at the center.

So far (I opened this in early October and am writing this on an airplane a few days after) it hasn't fallen over yet, so gravity seems to be kind to this figure so far. Previous Geonosians based on the mold toppled over pretty quickly, so I anticipate this to be doing a faceplant when I arrive back home. Still, it's a nice figure and even though it's part of a boxed set I'd say it's still worth your while.

Collector's Notes: It's part of a set with a dirty repaint of Obi-Wan Kenobi and another ARF Trooper figure. So the set itself seems good enough to warrant the asking price, although it might be close enough to things you have that you won't jump on it. I'd still grab it if you can.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,669: November 7, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,668: Endor Rebel Commando (Black Variant)

2011-11-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

REBEL COMMANDO Black Variant
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 21487
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC26
Includes: Coat, rifle, pistol, bandolier, backpack, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: July 2011/October 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 photo studio test shot.

Commentary: The Endor Rebel Trooper has grown from a weak space equivalent of G.I. Joe to one of Hasbro's most doted-on designs. Since 2002, nearly every new version seems to have a new or different head design which adds to its army-buildingness. After a bald, white head in 2010 Hasbro debuted a black gentleman in 2011 as part of its Comic-Con Exclusive "Revenge of the Jedi Death Star Boxed Set." It was, at the time, assumed by some to be exclusive to the set. Thankfully, it wasn't, so now you can find it in the newer assortments.

The figure retains the costume of the previous release, plus sports the same legs as Major Panno from 2009. He has 14 points of articulation and is about as good as you might expect, complete with a holster for his pistol. It has the same increasingly awful helmet from 2002, but I really dig the new head. I may not be able to pick this out of the film, but I'm glad I have the figure and I think it'll look great next to my other Endor stuff.

Collector's Notes: At the time I wrote this (early September) I haven't actually seen this set in the wild-- I ordered mine online the morning before I left for Comic-Con 2011, as is the way of my people. (It was cheaper.) Since all evidence says it has hit stores, that means it keeps selling out, which means it's popular and you'd be well-served to get it the next time you see one.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,668: November 4, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,667: Clone Commando Boss

2011-11-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

REPUBLIC COMMANDO BOSS Republic Commando Delta Squad
The Legacy Collection Toys R Us Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 33259 No. 33260
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, backpack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99-$49.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: Star Wars: Republic Commando video game

Bio: Boss leads the elite commando squad and has proven himself to be an exceptional soldier and natural leader. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's kitchen in the backdrop from the packaging. It's a nice backdrop.

Commentary: You can't go wrong doing video game characters as a rule-- especially if the design of a figure, like Boss here, outweighs the "but I haven't played the game!" factor. I don't care if you missed this one on the Xbox, it's still a nice design that fits right in to your movie-esque Clone Wars toy shelves. While not the greatest clone of 2011-- there are far too many awesome figures in the running for that position this year-- it's quite good, and like Scorch before him, another instance of several figures using the bulk of the same body. This time around, the almost super-articulated figure sports 14 points of articulation, just like fans asked for a few years ago. I say "almost" because the shoulder armor was designed with aesthetics over functionality-- some fans will appreciate the detail in the armor, the extra panel lines, the special decoration. Others may enjoy that the "rings" in some figure shoulders aren't visible, and you still can raise and lower the arms. And others are just going to be upset he can't do jumping jacks. There's no pleasing everybody, but since he does have the ability to hold his gun with both hands I'm pretty happy overall.

Decorated with bright orange and some brown scuffs (which honestly don't feel right), the figure's blue visor looks out onto a world of fun. Or something. It's just a nice blue visor, with a black mouth, and a ton of orange on the chest, arms, and even the backpack. It's a great-looking figure and presumably now that Boss has knees and ankles, we won't see another version. Unless Hasbro decides to do a Clone Wars cartoon version, which may sound redundant but let's face it: it'd sell.

Collector's Notes: At the time I wrote this (early September) I haven't actually seen this set in the wild-- I ordered mine online the morning before I left for Comic-Con 2011, as is the way of my people. (It was cheaper.) Since all evidence says it has hit stores, that means it keeps selling out, which means it's popular and you'd be well-served to get it the next time you see one.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,667: November 3, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,666: HK-50

2011-11-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

HK-50 Build-A-Droid
The Legacy Collection Droid Factory Figure
Item No.: Asst. 87535
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle
Action Feature: Removable parts
Retail: n/a
Availability: Late 2009/Early 2010
Appearances: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

Bio: The HK-50 droids series was based on the earlier HK-47 assassin droid. Like their progenitor, these droids possessed incredible linguistic skills and highly sadistic tendencies. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's old apartment.

Commentary: It's no surprise that Hasbro tried to get the most out of its tooling investment, so the introduction of HK-50 in the build-a-droid line was more or less an inevitability. (Although if you ask me, reissuing HK-47 would probably have made more people happy.) The bluish metallic droid has a gorgeous paint job, one of Hasbro's best as of late, and might be worth getting just for that.

Since he can stand, sit, and hold his blaster, I'd say this is a worthwhile purchase. Even though he's from thousands of years before the time of the Skywalkers, I'd still say it's worth a look just because it could fit right in with the cast of Droids or work as some random robot in Jabba's Palace.

Collector's Notes: For some reason he's not too expensive on eBay-- I think HK-47 is taking all the attention.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,666: November 2, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,665: Starkiller

2011-11-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

STARKILLER or Secret Apprentice or Galen Marek or whatever
The Legacy Collection Toys "R" Us Exclusive Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Figure Pack
Item No.: Asst. 97910 No. 97911
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Cape, lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: August 2011
Appearances: The Force Unleashed

Bio: Starkiller is the secret apprentice of Darth Vader and the son of Jedi. Vader trains him in the ways of the Force and promises to reward him with great power. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's kitchen.

Commentary: One of the annoying things about video game figures in the line is that you generally have to play the game to know what it is-- in the case of this Starkiller, even if you played the game, it might not matter. This outfit was console-specific, so Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 owners never saw it. The all-new sculpt turned out quite well, with a fair amount of detail, the best head sculpt for the character yet, and a pretty good lightsaber too. The removable cape is a clever design which Hasbro should consider using on more of its Jedi figures, as the plastic hood clings snuggly to the neck and looks well. If you could buy this figure on a card, you would probably want to do so. It's worth a look, but its not exactly a great toy.

Collector's Notes: The boxed set is, arguably, worth the asking price. It's a nice figure and I think that if you feel you want video game figures, you'll enjoy this one.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,665: November 1, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,664: Princess Leia Organa (Endor)

2011-10-31T14:14:00.000-07:00

PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA in Ewok Celebration Outfit
Power of the Force Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 69570 No. 69714
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Freeze Frame Action Slide
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: January 1998
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: An accident during a furious speeder bike chase leaves the princess without a way of finding her Rebel companions. Befriended by Endor's Ewok civilization, Leia is once again united with her friends, but under different circumstances. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' old apartment... one of them.

Commentary: There weren't a ton of previously-unmade figures in the early days of the line, but Princess Leia in her Endor dress stood out as something even the old-timers didn't have at the time. With six points of articulation, she's pretty good-- the sculpt isn't bad for its day, but this is a design which straddles the fence between the early days of the line, when everything functioned as a toy, and a more collector-friendly era where things like being to sit aren't as important.

She was repainted in late 2006, and retooled in late 1998 to include some cloth bits and pieces. The original release is pretty good, and since there's really no better sculpt you may as well get this or any of the versions on the market today.

Collector's Notes: The figure wasn't a huge seller, and her price remains low. There aren't many figures from the pre-Phantom Menace days which haven't been revised, but this is one of them.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,664: October 31, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,663: Clone Trooper Redeye

2011-10-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

CLONE TROOPER REDEYE Droid Attack on the Coronet
The Clone Wars Toys R Us Exclusive Set
Item No.: No. 32795
Number: n/a
Includes: Another clone, a big spider droid, three mini spider droids, two blasters, three stands, cards
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: September 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: A spider assassin droid attacks clone troopers in the cargo hold of the Coronet. Duchess Satine is on board the ship, heading to Coruscant to meet with the Senate. The Mandalorian splinter group Death Watch, which wants the duchess out of the way, has sent a spider assassin droid to attack her. The deadly droid strikes two clones as assassin droid spawn slip away to carry out the treacherous mission. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' basement.

Commentary: If you can't get enough of the clones, here's Clone Trooper Redeye. He was introduced and killed within minutes, and the figure is lacking the helmet lights seen on the episode. (Figures with lights will be appearing any day now.) The figure itself is kind of strange-- my sample had oddly-bent legs which couldn't be easily fixed by boiling water, plus his belt assembly was upside-down. I didn't notice this until I opened it, so I checked the store and sure enough, all of them were built this way. Redeye's construction is based on the newer "Stone" body, which has no ankles, plus his wrists only swivel and do not bend.

The deco is similar to 501st figures, with dark blue stripes on his arms. A circle with various lines on it decorates the helmet along with a small triangle, but other than that it's another nifty troop figure. Other than the deformed legs and flipped belt, I'd say it's a perfectly fine Clone figure. Mixer doesn't have these problems, which is odd seeing how one figure from the set is fine and the other has some serious problems. As a single figure I don't find this one incredibly exciting, but it's a neat gift set. It'd be even better if he had the flashlights on his head, but it's still "good enough."

A nifty bonus on this set is a trio of Assassin Droid Spawn, tiny little spider robots which can't stand on their own and cannot easily be stuck to a figure. So they're like garnish, I guess, throw some around and hope it looks OK.

Collector's Notes: At $25 it's a reasonable value. If you love clones you should have one by now, it's a nice addition to the animated line but I wish it was just a little better in terms of quality control. If by some miracle you get two of these sets on clearance, you might want to do some head-swapping with the Clones to ensure you get one of each as a "good" figure.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,663: October 28, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,662: Fixer Loneozner

2011-10-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

LAZE "FIXER" LONEOZNER & Camie Marstrap
The Legacy Collection Celebration V Exclusive Comic Pack
Item No.: No. 19671
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Camie figure, Empire comic book #8 reprint
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: August 2010
Appearances: Star Wars deleted scene, Empire comics

Bio: Fixer and Camie meet their friends Luke Skywalker and Biggs Darklighter at Tosche Station to work on their T-16 skyhoppers. As they make plans to go swooping through Beggar's Canyon to bulls-eye womp rats, they share their dream of leaving behind the remote desert planet of Tatooine to seek out fame and glory as part of the Rebel Alliance. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' bathroom.

Commentary: Too soon? Back in 2010 when Fixer was announced, it was after the cancelation of the comic pack line and-- we all assumed-- this figure would have gone with it. An obscure part of the franchise, Fixer is one of Luke's friends who was removed from the original film and known mostly to people who really follow deleted scene stuff and maybe the comics. Part of the problem is that as of 2010, few people have seen these deleted scenes and by 2010 the collecting pool felt like it was drying up a bit. The set not only didn't sell out at Celebration V, but there was no line at the Hasbro booth-- you could walk up almost any time during the show to grab this with no problems. It went from being a fan-demanded, screaming-out-for-mercy please-release-this-set item to "eh" overnight, which is an increasingly notable occurrence in this hobby. We have no attention span.

It's a good figure, and he meets most of the needs of fans with 14 points of articulation and a great sculpt. His jacket is molded as part of the torso and is not a separate removable piece, which I prefer, and his only accessory is a small blaster. The sculpt is pretty good, possibly great, but we've seen so little of the character in film that the stills are really our main point of reference, and it pretty nicely matches those photographs. It's just that in the movie, he's dirtier and his hair is more messed up.

If your collecting focus is on the original trilogy or the original film specifically, this is a must-buy, why-don't-you-already-have-it figure. It's a shame it was a Comic Pack release rather than Vintage, because odds are those would have been more popular. As it is, it's a nice set, with a nice package, and is unquestionably worth tracking down. The sculpt is unique, the design is good, and it brought fans something that, really, none of us genuinely thought we'd ever see. Good things come to those who wait... and collect toy lines which, seemingly, will never end.

Collector's Notes: Starting life at $15, the set is worth about $20. I'd say it's worth it, but this is a set which is mostly going to excite hardcore, long-haul collectors over the age of 25-- the people who saw the old storybooks or items which spoke of additional Star Wars scenes long before the internet. I see this as something of an amazing holy grail piece, and I'll be curious what the Blu-Ray will do to make this set more exciting to collectors, if anything.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,662: October 27, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,661: Bastila Shan

2011-10-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

BASTILA SHAN Never Before Made as a Star Wars Figure
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 32240
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC69
Includes: Lightsaber hilt, full lightsaber
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: September 2011
Appearances: Star Wars

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 Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: The first and presumably only Bastila Shan has been a few years in the making-- fans have asked for her, and if history is any indication this Knights of the Old Republic character is probably going to be super-hot stuff in a couple of years. Video game collectibles, Star Wars or not, tend to have fans more willing to shell out the cash for things. Oh, and let me get this out of the way: I never played this game and shrugged when I heard she was being made as a toy. There's nothing wrong with the figure but this wasn't a figure I really felt I needed in my collection... but it showed up in the mail, so.

The painting on the cardback looks a little bit like Jennifer Connelly, while the head sculpt looks vaguely like the game-- female figures at this scale are hard to detail properly, while the hair seems nearly perfect the face deco seems a little blah. Her face on the illustration and in the game stills seems to be a little more colorful, darker. There's nothing wrong with the sculpt but I bet Hasbro could refine the paint applications to better resemble the existing illustrations. The outfit matches many of the illustrations nicely, but there are multiple outfits from which to choose. This one is mostly yellow with some brown, the legs are designed in a way where she can swing her legs forward and, were you so inclined, she can sit in a ship. The detail on the outfit is quite good, with lots of folds and wrinkles. It's a nice sculpt, but again, a little improvement on the deco would be nice. There's no real shading or dirt here, so Hasbro clearly cut corners on paint... well, maybe that's harsh. But they certainly didn't go out of their way to add a lot of color.

With 14 joints she has no problems holding on to her double-bladed lightsaber, which is great. She can also plug the unlit version to her belt, so Hasbro just flat-out did a good job designing this one. While she doesn't really fit in to the line as a whole, those who specialize in video game figures will probably just be delighted she exists. The face could be a little better, but the packaging is great and the sculpt is certainly good enough for now. If you want a Bastila Shan figure, get this one-- because you don't have many other options.

Collector's Notes: A new release, she hasn't exactly had a wide release just yet. I don't expect her to last for long. Unless Hasbro decides to reissue Darth Revan, Malak, and Shan in some sort of boxed set I expect fans to be upset and have to live without. (I'm assuming you all got Darth Nihilus.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,661: October 26, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,660: AT-TE Clone Trooper

2011-10-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

CLONE TROOPER AT-TE
The Clone Wars Vehicles
Item No.: Asst. 87629 No. 87603
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, AT-TE
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $99.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: The All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE) blasted its way into battle for the first time at the Battle of Geonosis and proceeded to unleash its aggressive power all through the Clone Wars. This armored assault vehicle moves with unyeilding intimidation toward enemy fortifications, plowing through energy shields and firing its six laser cannons and a heavy projectile cannon all the way. Its interior can hold a squad of clone troopers that can be quickly deployed for ground combat. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' puzzles.

Commentary: In 2008 Hasbro managed to launch its Clone Wars line with a large selection of toys, thanks in part to the infinitely repaintable Clone Trooper mold. The version with the AT-TE was unique in that he had two insignias on his arm, one on each shoulder, plus a gunmetal silver blaster. Other than that, he's quite similar to the normal first-release "dirty" clones, right down to the unique pattern of grime and the wonderful range of articulation we've come to love. (As you can see, he has the swivel-and-bend wrists.) A similar Clone was sold in a Target-exclusive battle pack, although it only had one shoulder marking-- so it's different, you see. It's a good, durable figure which works well as a pilot, although it would be nice of the hip articulation was designed to be more conducive to being in the seated position. Given the variety of Clones out there there's really no reason to go after this specific one-- unless you want the AT-TE, which I have to say, I think you kinda do. If you're a clone fanatic, it's just different enough to be interesting.

Collector's Notes: The AT-TE hit closeout stores in 2009, as low as $25. This is a familiar trajectory with large toys. They start expensive, get blown out, and later, shoot back up on the secondary market. A clean (without dirt) version of this figure has surfaced on eBay but has never been released officially by Hasbro in the USA (and presumably nowhere else either).

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,660: October 25, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,659: Wedge Antilles

2011-10-24T14:49:00.001-07:00

WEDGE ANTILLES Delayed and a Pain
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 21489
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC28
Includes: Blaster, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: May 2011
Appearances: Star Wars

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 Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's basement in one of a few studio tests... of questionable value.

Commentary: There's a story behind Wedge Antilles and we don't know the whole thing yet. Originally slated for wave 3 of Vintage at the end of 2010, the figure got pushed back and the assortment was thrown into a weird revision spiral, which resulted in this figure being shipped at a tiny ratio compared to his casemates. Hasbro delayed him to fix or tweak him, but now that we have the final figure in-hand it's hard to figure out exactly what it was they did. I dug through my photos from Celebration V and it seems the body is indeed the same one they debuted at the show, but there are few or no good looks at the head I could see. From the original prototype, the head was retooled, but aside from that the figure is basically just a Vintage Saga X-Wing Luke with a new head and nice deco.

The reason to buy this figure is for the a) packaging or b) head. The face sculpt and deco is unquestionably an improvement over the last few Wedge figures, although it would be nice if they used the taller body without the lightsaber hole in the belt. His articulation is as good as ever with 14 points, and the helmet is quite snug. How snug? Well, when I tried to take it off the head came with it and it was sort of a trial to pop it back out.

I only have the one-- and to date I believe this is the only Vintage figure I have yet to see on retail shelves-- and mine had some extra paint on the chin, which was easily scraped off. This is a superior sculpt than the 2009 Wedge X-Wing pack-in figure, but given the cost you might want to weigh your options as to which version is best. For carded collectors, I think this is the best. If you plan on leaving the helmet on the figure, though, the X-Wing WITH Wedge and his droid may be a cheaper solution, depending on where you shop. On paper this is just another pilot figure and offers little new, but to fans: it's Wedge. It's Wedge on a vintage cardback. And for that reason, this figure is arguably worth a premium.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro has promised to bring the figure back at two public conventions now-- San Diego and New York Comic Cons in 2011. It is assumed they will make good, although a few "where is this?" items have seemingly fallen off the table for the time being. This is the first retail-carded single non-exclusive Wedge Antilles figure, and as the character has had a history of bizarre problems it's no surprise that this would be wonky, too. Not counting the variations, there are no fewer than 5 different orange flight suit Wedge Antilles figures, plus a dress uniform one from the comic packs and a major helmet variant from the initial POTF2 release in 1998. If you only collect Wedge toys, you could probably assemble more than a dozen toys for your shrine.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,659: October 24, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,658: R7-D4

2011-10-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

R7-D4 Plo Koon's Astromech Droid
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 94736 No. 32846
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW64
Includes: Removable limbs, dice, card
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $8.99
Availability: August 2011
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: R7-D4 is Plo Koon's astromech droid that provides navigational and repair assistance on the Jedi's starfighter. The Jedi flies many challenging missions during the war, and his resourceful astromech works quickly to keep the Jedi's vessel in flight despite numerous encouters with Separatist vessels and droids. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's old kitchen.

Commentary: Since Hasbro effectively designed Plo Koon's last droid, this R7-D4 actually appeared on the TV show-- sort of. I mean, you can actually see the body on the show, there's prior art to use as reference material. Most surprising about this figure is a new body type, similar to the animated R2-D2 from 2008 with a few notable changes. First of all, the legs and dome are all removable. The third leg even rotates, with a round peg joint. These are not the same size as the 2008 and 2009 build-a-droid figures so you can't easily put a movie dome on an animated body. The construction feels quite solid, and while the opening doors on his body still reveal tools, the sculpting is sharper and the silver looks even better this time around. The legs/arms no longer sport holes for the booster rocket accessories, and the back of the body no longer has the compartment with the tow cable. The head no longer features a periscope.

The deco is great, the look is good, the sculpt is an improvement (as a collector) but the lack of so many of the play features that made the original animated astromech body such a great toy are gone. So... it's a toss-up. I'd still like an R2-D2 with this construction (with a more silver dome this time), but I don't have a strong preference as to which body other new astromechs use. Each one is good for different reasons. Since I do own Plo Koon's starfighter, and the color scheme loosely matches my other site (16bit.com) I'm a fan of this one. If you have the means and like figures you can pull apart, get one.

Collector's Notes: Reasonably new, and possibly out at a store near you. Maybe. You'll need to go check.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,658: October 21, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,657: Lt. Oxixo

2011-10-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

LT. OXIXO Imperial Pilot
The Legacy Collection Battle Over Endor
Item No.: Asst. 97639 No. 21451
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #1 of 2
Includes: Pistol, helmet, 3 additional figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99-$32.99
Availability: January 2011
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio: Bravery. Skill. Loyalty. These are defining characteristics of the starfighter pilots on both sides of the conflict at the Battle of Endor. Whether they are Rebels or Imperials, these elite pilots are all focused on the same goal: victory. They are deeply aware that they are deciding the future of the galaxy, and will do everything they can to complete their mission. (Taken from the figure's packaging. Note, there's no character-specific copy on the packaging.)

Image: The backdrop from the packaging.

Commentary: So is Lt. Oxixo different enough to be interesting? Yes, but only barely. Making use of the Evolutions TIE Fighter Pilot sculpt, which is itself modified from the 2004 version of the pilot, Lt. Oxixo makes these pilots into clones and gives him only slightly different deco to set him apart from the pack. This one is new, you see, because the center and top of his helmet is painted silver. Other than that, he's fundamentally the same figure. You've got a removable helmet and holster, and the new design is distinctive, but it's sort of boring at this point. I'm glad they did it, but it's not exactly as exciting as the colorful Rebels with their new heads, colorful flight suits, and possible gender bending.

This is a good design which fits in vehicles nicely, if you need more pilots, and odds are you do. I'd suggest getting him as part of the set, with Sila Kott and all, as you will likely want to have them for your other vehicles. Since the figure is another Clone TIE Pilot-- and there are many now-- the main thing about it that's cool is all the silver on his head. If that doesn't do it for you, you can safely skip this one.

Collector's Notes: Still available exclusively at a Toys R Us at a store near you!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,657: October 20, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,656: Rebel Fleet Trooper

2011-10-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

REBEL FLEET TROOPER With New Hat
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 28620
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC52
Includes: Pistol, scanner, bandolier for leg, cap, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99-$9.99
Availability: July 2011
Appearances: Star Wars

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 kitchen, with some bad photoshopping.

Commentary: Since 1997 fans have asked for a new Rebel Fleet Trooper, with some versions being better than others. This one is arguably the best. While he doesn't have a working holster (and I don't care), it does have 14 points of articulation, a great sculpt, a non-removable vest, and swappable gear to get more than one figure out of a single release. He can become a tech just by switching his hat, and the included scanner will help make your dioramas more interesting. On his right leg is a small hole which allows a tiny bandolier to plug in, giving you one more easily-lost accessory for your collection.

The blue shirt, black vest, and grey pants are all sculpted nicely and the vest as part of the torso is overall a better look than the removable one. It's a good upgrade of a famous trooper, the best yet, and my guess is Hasbro won't likely get to a better one. It's a shame it's being released now, when army building is both difficult and cost-prohibitive due to current pricing. I'd say get at least one or two-- they'll flesh out your displays of the cheaper Rebel Trooper figures quite nicely.

Collector's Notes: Released over the summer, the figure remains elusive in many markets. He does ship in some current and future assortments, so no worries!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,656: October 19, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,655: Twin-Pod Cloud Car Pilot

2011-10-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

TWIN-POD CLOUD CAR PILOT Unlikely Remake
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 97584
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC11
Includes: Pistol, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99-$9.99
Availability: June 2010
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

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: Hasbro doesn't usually do a great job ensuring a pilot and his ship hit stores at the same time, particularly if a good pilot figure already exists. This wasn't the case with the Twin-Pod Cloud Car Pilot, which saw a really nice figure in 2010 despite a great one existing in 2004. This time around he has a removable helmet, a moustache some enhanced deco, and no communicator accessory. The gun fits in his holster, and most shocking, the figure fit in the then-new 2010 Cloud Car vehicle. With a great sculpt and a strong design, one would like to think it would be a huge hit but it's aimed at a specific kind of collector. Heck, I wanted a few of these guys and only bought the one myself. With unique detailing, special knee pads, and lots of yellow and red sprucing up that white suit, it's a very retro-futuristic figure. I like it, and if you collect vehicles it's a required purchase.

Collector's Notes: This figure, like so many wave 1 Vintage guys from 2010, may still be available at some or all stores near you. Probably all. Which is surprising given you need two of it to pilot the vehicle.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,655: October 18, 2011

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,654: 4-A7

2011-10-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

4-A7 Spy Droid
The Clone Wars Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87638 No. 91221
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #CW13
Includes: Blaster, hologram
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2009
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Anakin, Ahsoka and a clone trooper squad are greeted by 4A-7 at the B'omarr monastery. A spy droid, 4A-7 pretends to be the monastery's caretaker. The droid secretly records the Jedi and his team with the Huttlet and sends the holographic images to his masters as part of a devious plan to undermine the Republic. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: Effectively a modified C-3PO figure, 4-A7 looks a lot like the old Death Star Droids. He has a bug-like head, an antenna... and a gun. 14 points of articulation are employed to give this stiff character the full range of movement, plus his large eyes are a removable piece for some reason. (There's actually a color variant here.) The antenna is a little thick, but probably needs to be for durability's sake. The body is covered in dirt after being molded in a grey plastic, giving it a great appearance. He can stand well, sit just fine, and the overall design fits the Star Wars aesthetic we all love so much. What's not to love here? Unless you hate the TV show, this is a keeper. And, well, he's technically from the movie from August of 2008 but statistically, you didn't see it, so let's just say get one and move on.

Collector's Notes: This figure, like so many minor characters, came and went pretty quickly. Having said that, it's worth about five bucks.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,654: October 17, 2011