Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,366: Battle Droid (Right side of tray, The Vintage Collection)

BATTLE DROID (Geonosis, far right)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F9259
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, backpack, antenna, 2 slightly different red droids and 1 Super Battle Droid with gear
Action Feature: Blaster
Retail: $67.99
Availability: July 2026
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Battle droids, also known as combat droids, war droids,[2] clankers, droid soldiers, or battle bots, were a type of droid designed for combat. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: I love a nice surprise. This is one of three barely different Battle Droid figures in a four-pack with an all-new Super Battle Droid. I appreciate there was some subtle variety, but I particularly appreciate that this figure is not identical to the 2022 Battle Droid [FOTD #2,913] from Walmart's "Clone Wars" (no "The") collection. Not only is it a different shade of red, the hands and feet had some changes.

Looking at my review of the previous red droid, Hasbro listened. The same plain basic droid is a new shade of red, with some silver enhancements painted on the arsm, ribs, and metal antenna on the backpacks. On this particular robot, Hasbro added some excrutiatingly subtle silver weathering on its right neck collar area and around the right area of its torso. It has to catch enough light just-so, or you won't even notice it's there. I wish Hasbro could have amped it up or left it off, but it's appreciated. The backpack has similar weathering, also on its right side. There are also black blast marks over the vents of the backpack, and some on the front of the figure's torso too. Check out the right thigh and a unique rusty drip coming from the nipple - the pattern is different on each droid in the set. Hasbro could have put them all out with the same (or no) weathering and while I would probably complain, I certainly would understand why they didn't go all-out. But they did! There are some black enhancements to the eyes too, but they're so small you might miss them.

Hasbro was not content to use the same body as last time. A few parts may be derived from similar CAD files or tools, but the legs are new. The arms are new. The chest seems to be new. I can tell because we have things like bend-and-swivel wrists, swivel knees, and what seem to be attempts at rocking ankles. I can't get the ankles to move much from side to side, but the pins are much more subtle and that can be said of the arms, too. Hasbro getting more movement out of one of the skinniest figures in the line is quite impressive. He can mostly fold up and crouch, but I found the telescoping neck will cause the head to bump into the backpack. 

Both the head and the backpack were knocked off when I tried to do this. (He works fine with the OOM antenna, though.)  At least he can get pretty close, though. I was particularly pleased at the range of motion given to the shoulders thanks to its ball-and-socket construction, which lets him get a few decent blaster poses when combined with the wrists. Hasbro did a generally excellent job here, and we're probably approaching the limits of what you can do with joints on very thin limbs. Swappable arms might be a way around this, or slug figures specifically meant to crouch and only to crouch.

The one accessory that I think could have knocked this set out of the park would have been a single C-3PO head to swap out on one of the droid bodies. Maybe next time. What we do get is an unpainted black blaster and silver-antenna'ed backpacks. They fit nicely, even if they sometimes get in the way of some poses. It's a pretty decent load-out given what we saw in the Geonosis arena in 2002.

While I'd be lying if I said the prospect of a new Battle Droid in 2026 was something I was excited to see, I can say it's an improvement over the ones I had at home already. It's nice to see them fit in wrist articulation, and I appreciate the attempt at the tilting ankles. I had a hard time getting this figure to balance in a lot of poses, but at least he can stand on a shelf. If you're on the fence, I'd nudge you to give this set a shot. It's slightly cheaper than four carded figures, which is nice to have in this economy.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,366: July 28, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,360: Guard Droid (with STAP, ActionVerse)

GUARD DROID & Mercenary STAP
ActionVerse Target Exclusive Vehicle
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F9798
Number: n/a
Includes: 2-part green display base, cape, STAP vehicle, two red rockets
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster
Retail: $21.99
Availability: April 2024
Appearances: The Mandalorian and Grogu

Bio: B-1 series mercenary sentry droids were a variant of B1-series battle droid that existed in the galaxy by the early New Republic Era. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Not planned for the 3 3/4-inch collector lines (as far as I know), this Guard Droid was something I saw at Target and planned to skip. Heck, the whole line is something I planned to skip because I wasn't in the mood for yet another new scale... but I'll buy a clearance vehicle for 66.66% off. This is a particularly interesting piece in light of the history of this toy line, because back in 1998 we got an Episode I sneak preview STAP with Battle Droid and it was $19.99. It was similarly jointed, and that was 28 years ago. If you're wondering if there's a collector tax of sorts, wonder no more - but that "tax" is also what happens when your toys stop being toys. If Hasbro made a 3 3/4-inch version of this same exact vehicle with movie-accurate bodily proportions at the very same price, I'd be screaming from the rooftops about how you should buy it, until they hauled me away.

Hasbro's figures-for-adults have exceeded their mandate, and fan tastes are a little too fancy for the price points they want. At $21.99, this whole set is $2 more than a 3 3/4-inch The Vintage Collection figure. It really does raise the question of "what are wrist and ankle joints worth to you?" The Guard Droid lacks ankle or wrist joints, but everything else is really good. The ball-jointed neck is perfect. The shoulders, hips, knees, and elbows all bend and swivel. He even has a very nice plastic cape - other than the beefy proportions I think most fans of all ages would be generally happy to have a 3 3/4-inch figure of this quality. I just don't want another (most likely temporary) scale in my collection, but I can't deny Hasbro did a nice job painting the blue, rusty, and brown parts that give us a surprisingly ornate kiddo action figure for the asking price. It isn't a perfect match for the movie, but it's not bad at all. For the money, I'm generally impressed. It's good enough, but I also don't agree with the general sense of fans demanding everything be a tiny prop replica with every detail that's perfect, and money is no object. The head is a little wide, and it's all a little silly - but it evokes the vibe from the movie.

While there's no handheld blaster in the box, Hasbro instead gives you a full-blown vehicle and a stand that's also a micro playset. Grogu can hide in the side of the 2-piece green display base, effectively giving him a little cave in a tree. That's a great, clever idea on Hasbro's part. The STAP plugs in the base nicely, and if you have any trouble you can pop it apart to remove it. There's a peg and a hole to keep it upright. Will it snap off? I have no idea, I'm old and not going to snap it. The ship itself is made out of a great hard plastic and has two firing rocket launchers. Each launcher is activated by its own unique button, so you can pick which one goes off. The red fireblasts look bright and shiny, making them easier to find in the carpet than a brown rocket. Unless, of course, your carpeting is covered in fresh blood or berries. If either of those things are happening, get the appropriate help. Our Guard Droid friend has no problems reaching the foot pedals and the handlebars, making this an absolutely ideal example of Hasbro making a toy with figure/vehicle compatibility that works without flaw.

If I bought this set at full price, particularly in this economy, I would tell you it's very good and Hasbro's changes to the STAP & Battle Droid format work well even after their cost-cutting. By changing scale, Hasbro made something I think a lot of fans have no reason to consider or even look at despite the fact their engineers cooked up a really solid-feeling toy that is a heck of a lot more fun than more expensive items on the toy aisle. For those of you who like toys, I'd strongly recommend picking it up on sale. I'll probably pick up other vehicles (and maybe figures) as they hit sale shelves. I'm a big supporter of buying what you like at full price, but I didn't want this scale because it doesn't fit in well with any of the many toy lines I collect. It's a great one-off, though, and Hasbro's toy designers should be proud that they managed to deliver a toy concept from the 1990s at the same price and same quality given all the production and freight challenges they face in 2026.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Target. It was on clearance for $6.59.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,360: July 7, 2026

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,134: Battle Droid (The Retro Collection)

BATTLE DROID with Non-removable Backpack
The Retro Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure Target 6-Pack
Item No.: No. G0370
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster with Queen Amidala, Jar Jar Binks, Qui-Gon Jinn, Darth Maul, and Obi-Wan Kenobi
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: March 2024
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: The Star Wars Retro Collection is inspired by 1970s Star Wars figures and features original figure design and detailing! Continue your collection from the galaxy far, far away! (Stolen from the marketing copy. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Sometimes a retro figure looks a lot like a regular figure - take the Battle Droid. At first glance, it looks like any of a number of figures put out by Hasbro around the turn of the century, many of which had more articulation. This one stands out with sturdier, thicker limbs, no knee or elbow joints, and a distinctive pose that actually gives him some personality. You also lose a removable backpack, but depending on how you see Kenner figures, that's something that may be a good creative decision.

I'll give away my overall opinion by saying I'm annoyed that this figure is in a $60 gift set, as I'd love to buy another one or two. (Maybe Hasbro can repaint it later.) A lot of fans forget that a lot of old Kenner figures had poses with personality, including bent arms or hands that look like maybe they were posed to push a button on a panel. The Battle Droid keeps both hands able to grip things, but the sculptors made a good decision to twist the right wrist and bend the elbow so he can look like he's gesturing and telling you that you're not authorized to go there. This sets the design apart from a lot of modern figures who just stand there with their arms at their sides, which is never quit as interesting. His pose is mostly upright, but that's typical for this kind of robot - and probably why it looks so much like existing "modern" figures. He's hard to get wrong.

The details are pretty good, a little less intense than Hasbro's other droids but all the major elements are all there. You can see little ridges and joints (that are cosmetic), and the head has some mold seams that I assume weren't intentional, but certainly add to the old-ness of the design. His head now turns at the base of the neck only, so be careful - you don't want to torque the head off the neck. I don't know if this design would hold up to kids playing with it, but hey - that's never going to happen, is it? In the hands of collectors it should be fine.

In the movies and previous figures, we saw Battle Droids with removable backpacks - Kenner never sold a figure with a removable backpack. (Some accessory packs with backpacks did, however, exist.) Hasbro 2024 opted to co-opt the backpack designs of 1979, fusing the backpack to the body with some hand-waving, rounding it off and making for a thicker torso. I think this is the right idea - we saw similar design cues in Dengar and the Rebel Commander, but the connective tissue was refined as time went on. The Battle Droid has tiny antenna and a rounded-off look that seems unfinished, or perhaps made from memory - which is how a lot the Cantina Aliens of 1979 were made. I think going with how the Rebel Commander backpack made it look more like a separate element than part of the body would be a better looking choice, but the weirder choice is certainly more interesting (if intentional.) If you told me the idea was to make something Kenner might have designed before the original Star Wars line, I think I'd believe you - it's wrongness feels a little right.

It's always a little jarring to have Retro figures that have modern touches (hands that can grip the blaster well) and things that seem primitive (backpack), but it works for me. It's different enough from a standard figure that I can say "hey, that's interesting" even if I can't say "hey, that seems worth the ten bucks." Hasbro made freebie Battle Droids as substitutes for CommTech chips in some non-English speaking markets in the 1990s... and this is about that good, with similar articulation. And let's be honest, probably why the entire set is $60, unlike $72 or more like some of the other retro 6-packs we've seen. I like this figure for what it is - quirky, fun, sturdy - but odds are its pose isn't "retro" enough to please purists and anyone who has an MTT full of Battle Droids already doesn't need another one. Recommended for retro enthusiasts... unless this set goes on clearance, in which I say don't buy it at all, just leave it at the store so I can buy more of them.

Collector's Notes: I got my set from Target. It was in a pile of stuff on the "Collectibles" shelves without any real indication as to where it should have been.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,134: May 16, 2024

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,946: Battle Droid (Droid Depot set, The Black Series)

BATTLE DROID Droid Depot Set
The Black Series Galaxy's Edge Exclusive Action Figure
Item No.: No. F3400
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Babu Frik, Pit Droid, Battle Droid with blaster and antenna backpacks, K-7R1, and CB-23
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $74.99
Availability: March 2022
Appearances: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace   

Bio: The soulless ranks of the Separatist armies are dominated by tall, thin B1 battle droids controlled by centralized command center. They often suffer programming glitches that manifest as personality quirks. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This Battle Droid is the same as the Best Buy carded figure (which I haven't opened yet), and both are almost the same as the 2019 Battle Droid [FOTD #2,579] sold in the main line. For army builders, the slight deco variations are just what you want. For everybody else, this means there are three "just different enough to make you mad" Battle Droids in this line - and counting.

It's worth noting that the 6-inch Battle Droid is one of Hasbro's stronger efforts. I don't care if you hate the prequels, it's a good figure - there are lots of joints, good option parts, and he can crouch down like in the movies. The design is very good and not nearly as spindly as some of the 3 3/4-inch Battle Droids we got after the 1999-2000 Episode I line ended.

What I don't like is that the deco is seemingly the same paint masks, but slightly differing colors. The silver scuffing all seems the same, with added dirt markings in slightly lighter dirt. In a display you could probably see these as slightly different - they're good markings, and the change in brown is at least a change even if it isn't a significant one. Changing up the scuffs and markings make army builders worth re-buying, although in this case all three tan Battle Droids are probably close enough to identical that it may not be worth buying all the flavors.

I would have preferred Hasbro spend a couple of pennies and add red, yellow, or blue shoulders to give us another squad variation. But they didn't. If you bought this set anyway, it's one more to add to your ranks. Or more junk for the drawer if you're trying to keep your displays tight. Or you can display one with the antenna, and one with the backpack. I was hoping they would have updated the damage, but they didn't.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Shop Disney.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,946: July 28, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,913: Battle Droid (The Vintage Collection)

BATTLE DROID Red Redux
The Vintage Collection Walmart Exclusive
Item No.: No. F5865
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #216
Includes: Antenna, backpack, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $13.47
Availability: March 2022
Appearances: Clone Wars
Bio: Battle droids are dim-witted and no match for clone troopers or Jedi, but they weren’t designed to be smart – they were designed to overwhelm through sheer numbers (Taken from the web site. There is no packaging copy.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: When fans clamored for more The Vintage Collection in 2017 before its reintroduction in 2018, I don't think this Battle Droid was what they had in mind. We've previously had this mold in a few colors - including a Battlefront red edition - so bringing it back in a slightly more saturated red with minimal paint and no battle damage is less of a "finally!" and more of a "eh."

The figure itself is nothing new - it can crouch down to be loaded in that MTT you forgot to buy when it was on clearance. The ankles are jointed, you've got your choice of antenna pack or backpack with antenna, but thanks to the thin limbs he's going to fall over without added upper-body support. The elbows bend, the shoulders have a little give to them, but if you want to mount the blaster to the backpack, you're out of luck.

With the only paint on the figure being its black eyes, it's not a stretch to be able to applaud Hasbro for accurately recreating Genndy Tartakovsky's excellent cartoon styling. The droids in the cartoon are clean and red - and this figure applies that deco to the 2012 The Vintage Collection Battle Droid mold with no thought for improvements or enhancements. A little silver on the antenna would be nice, but it's just bare plastic. Conversely, the blaster barrel has some extra silver on the tip which wasn't on the cartoon. Why? I have no idea. But it does look nice.

Over the last 23 years, we've seen lots of new changes made to the Battle Droid mold, but the 1999 originals seem to be sturdiest and offer quite a bit of playability. Sure, you can't pivot the shoulders or move the ankles, but they were a bit easier to keep standing and it was nice to plug the blasters in the backpack. I applaud Hasbro's cleverness in squeezing another line of repaints out, but it's also kind of hard to get excited about a second red Vintage Battle Droid in less than a year when there are reissues that are still in demand like Revan or the like. But hey, it's still a nice batch of figures and they'll go great with the 2008 The Legacy Collection wave 2 what with its Quarren Soldiers and Quad Cannon Clone Troopers. Hasbro certainly seems to be putting together a line for fans who are with it for the long haul, but given the last emphasis on this micro-series was around 2008... that's more patience than most fans should be expected to have. I'd say get this droid if you're in need of more robots, but I'm guessing mine is about 30 minutes from winding up on a shelf I won't touch for years.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,913: April 5, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,888: Hevy Battle Droid (The Vintage Collection)

HEAVY BATTLE DROID Star Wars Battlefront II
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: No. F2711
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #193
Includes: Rifle, smaller rifle, backpack, antenna
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: June 2021
Appearances: Star Wars Battlefront II
Bio: The Heavy Battle Droid was a modified version of the B1-series battle droid,[3] being equipped with firing programs to help in combat. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: One of the good thing about droids, they're easy to do as retailer exclusives with variant deco. GameStop had this guy as a 6-inch figure, but the 3 3/4-inch Heavy Battle Droid was a shared "fan" exclusive at most online retailers (and not big box stores.) It takes a good Battle Droid mold from 2012 and adds a lot of metallic red paint plus a bonus blaster for a small upcharge. Is it worth it? For one, sure. For army building... that depends on how much you love games.

The package isn't as robust as what you get in the 6-inch line, and it seems like the 3 3/4-inch scale is increasingly meant to be for a niche audience. The paint job on this one looks better than his bigger companion, as he's molded in a black plastic and slathered in a metallic red that really pops. There are some silver scuffed bits in there too, and it's subtle. It's hard to explain just how much better it looks - a droid molded in red plastic looks nice, but one painted red on top of that looks like it's the real thing. A movie prop (or CG model) usually has paint over whatever raw materials are used, and this isn't a benefit just for action figures - if you collected Transformers or die-cast cars, fans typically put a premium on die-cast construction. A lost art it may be, but it's really all about paint and weight, and the weight is not all that important. If you take a plastic toy car and completely coat it with paint, the eye can't tell the difference. (A scale, of course, can.) A few extra pennies turns a cheap toy into a premium collectible, plus it has other fringe benefits. For example, white paint doesn't yellow like white plastic does. If Hasbro spent a few extra cents in manufacturing, yellowed Stormtroopers wouldn't be an issue. That's why the extra paint on this Battle Droid looks superb - it's more than color. It's texture. It's an amazing form of visual trickery, and I am all for it.

The mold itself is The Vintage Collection mold we've seen in other colors before, and it's fine. It's not a huge improvement over the 1999 mold except for two things - one, there's a bit of a ball joint in the shoulders and hips so they can pivot in addition to swivel. Two, it can curl up into the ball pose so you can deploy it in that MTT you regret skipping 10 years ago. There are no wrist or forearm swivels, no waist joints, and it's not quite as fancy as the 6-inch armature. You can probably still squeeze some good poses out of him with the small and larger blasters, but it's worth noting that the spindly limbs won't hold up to gravity forever and you will want a display stand with upper body support. A disc with a peg will only be good for a short period of time before he sags and warps. That's not a knock on Hasbro's design - if they used stiffer plastic, there's a good chance the limbs would snap. If they had no articulation below the hip, it might stand up, but fans wouldn't like that. The 1999 models seemed to be the most durable, but at a cost of mobility and accuracy in the sculpt. It's a design that wasn't made with the very best 3 3/4-inch toys in mind, but it's still a good translation of the concept. Sadly I don't think swivel wrists and forearms will work at this size... but maybe someday they'll skip the joints entirely and just give us swappable arms for a future Battle Droid toy. (Despite collectors' requests, articulation is overrated in some figures - 2004 Dagobah Luke's swappable arms were definitely the right move, for example.)

I like the gear - the extra Stormtrooper-style rifle is nice, the default Battle Droid blaster is obligatory, plus you get the backpacks and the antenna to plug in the back. The extra gear has nowhere to stow, so keep track of it carefully.

Having not played the game, I can only say I like the figure. (If I knew a small one was coming, I'd probably have skipped the 6-inch one.) I doubt this is going to be an essential addition to any collection, but it's one I like a lot because it builds out the galaxy with something I don't already own. We get so many reruns, updates, and remakes of existing toys that sometimes a repaint of a new battalion or model of droid can be exciting, and the vintage packaging doesn't hurt either. If the mood strikes you, get it. (If it's on sale, get that army started.) Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,888: January 6, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,807: Battle Droid (2021, The Vintage Collection)

BATTLE DROID (Redeco, 2021 reissue)
The Vintage Collection
Item No.: Asst. E5912 No. F1886
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #78 (reissue)
Includes: Blaster, backpack, antenna
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.99
Availability: February 2021
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Battle droids, also known as combat droids, clankers, droid soldiers, or battle bots, were a type of droid designed for combat. Over the years, many different models of battle droid were being utilized by various factions throughout the galaxy. One such faction was the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which used a number of different models of battle droid during the Clone Wars to make up the Separatist Droid Army. (Stolen from Wookieepedia. Packaging has no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Since you're going to have to get used to more reruns, you're also going to have to know a good one when you see it. This Battle Droid is on the fence - an expensive army builder should be brought back! But it should also be improved. It's certainly good enough, with all-new deco and what feels like slightly more rubbery plastic. (At press time, I was unable to track down the 2012 original release in my collection. This is what not getting everything organized gets you.)

The sculpt is nearly perfect with wonderful details matching the films. For safety reasons - and to avoid breakage - these figures are a tiny bit rubbery sometimes. This one is very rubbery - I assume gravity, heat, and time will send them toppling over, even on a figure stand. (You'll need a small doll stand, something with upper-body support, to prevent falling over after a few days/weeks/months.) Having incredibly tight joints might help, but I've seen the actual leg bend of various thin-limbed droids over the years even when placed on a figure stand. There's no fighting the forces of physics, so you have to work around them and spring for tiny doll stands. While it's true this figure has better proportions, more authentic detailing, and improved articulation over the droids of 1999, the 1999 class was better at standing. You can't have everything - they have to fudge something in order to make these figures work. Packaged collectors should have no problems with this one, but hoarders troop builders may want to use other molds to build up their army.

The deco is new - and almost glittery. There's a silver scrape print finish over the bony "metal" coloration, and it reads as more sparkly than battle-worn. One of the eyes on mine was a smidgen off, but that's not the end of the world - if anything, a slightly off-model droid works well in an army situation. I prefer the original 2012 deco, but I'd still say you should get one of the new ones to build out dioramas. It's the kind of different that makes buying all the flavors worthwhile, because any time you can make a "different" trooper it's effectively a new figure.

Much like the original, you can swap out the backpack for an antenna pack, or have him crouch down in a ball to fit in the giant Hasbro MTT that got expensive when you weren't looking. This, friends, is why you can't always wait for clearances. If Hasbro experiments with materials I have no doubt they could make a better Battle Droid, but I don't know if - oh, he fell over while I was writing this. Well, that's why you need to get some sort of support under the arms. It's not great for openers, unless you want him crouched down, or have him supported, or have him in a vehicle. He's just not stable. ...he fell over again.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,807: April 29, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,746: Heavy Battle Droid (Gaming Greats, The Black Series 6-Inch)

HEAVY BATTLE DROID Red
The Black Series Gamestop Exclusive Gaming Greats 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: No. E9621
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #n/a
Includes: Blaster pistol, blaster rifle, heavy cannon, antenna backpack, antenna
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: February 2020
Appearances: Battlefront II

Bio: Star Wars: Battlefront II features Heavy Battle Droids, modified B1 Battle Droids armed with heavy blaster rifles and shield emitters to deflect most incoming enemy fire. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: While I haven't played the recent generation Battlefront games - or really, anything since the EA handover - I do like this Heavy Battle Droid a lot. I don't know if it's worth the $5 premium over the regular droids, but you do get two additional blasters - a Sandtrooper rifle, and a First Order Stormtrooper cannon. There are no new molds in this pack, but the deco and configurations are mostly unique in this set.

The droid deco is mostly red like on Geonosis, but with additional dark grey markings and totally different battle damage. It's different, but good - I almost wish they kept adding stuff, like maybe a white panel on the backpack to bring it even more wacky detailing. The damage scuffs all look great, and he's just as good as the other droids in terms of enhanced articulation with moving wrists, ankles, and tons of arm articulation. This is a figure that gets more and more impressive the more I look at it, especially since it can crouch down and somehow remain standing hours after holding up a heavy rifle. I don't know how it does it, but these are some good joints here - and they're all integrated into the figure in a way that isn't remotely obtrusive. I don't assume it can stay for months or longer on a shelf without support, but anything this spindly that can stand on my desk for a day with a giant weapon is worth citing as impressive.

The Battle Droid blaster is unpainted this time, with no scuffing or battle damage. It's a lighter dark grey color, so it looks like an action figure weapon. Other releases with Padme or Battle Droids tend to be black and weathered. Similarly, the Sandtrooper rifle is all grey too - but in all fairness, some of them are. The antenna on the backpack telescope down and up, and the cannon has an articulated grip. It's also missing a piece from its Amazon (and later shared) exclusive Stormtrooper release, which I still need to open and review. It's missing part of the rifle near the grip from the other release that serves as a support stand - they're all like this, so it's not incomplete - but it does set it apart from the other release.

While in no way essential to any movie collection, the Gaming Greats line has been a great collection of repaints (and retools) for fans - I wish they numbered them, too. I love the whole idea of "familiar troops with new weapons fight new battles further along in the timeline," because that's how I played with my toys as a kid - seeing Battle Droids running around with First Order gear is perfect. I'd love to see more of this kind of thing (not necessarily from the games) in the toy line and storytelling, because it's fun and it encourages you to try your toys in new combinations. I'd strongly recommend this figure, but I like weird things.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from GameStop.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,746: October 29, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,718: Battle Droid (Geonosis, The Black Series 6-Inch)

BATTLE DROID (Geonosis)
The Black Series   6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. E4071 No. E9327
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #108
Includes: Blaster, backpack, antenna pack
Action Feature: Telescoping antenna in backpack
Retail: $19.99
Availability: July 2020
Appearances: Attack of the Clones

Bio: Rather than use flesh-and-blood warriors, the Separatists prefer tall, thin battle droids to serve as mindlessly loyal soldiers that are easily controlled.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Continuing this Star Wars wave of repaints and retools, Battle Droid (Geonosis) takes the tan droid and redecorates it.  Hasbro could've done a lot less here - if they just took the tan droid and made it red, it would've sold fine and you'd be happy with it.   Thankfully I don't work at Hasbro in the deco department.    The Geonosis edition has distinctive battle damage and wear when compared to the Naboo version, and also is distinctive from GameStop's Heavy Battle Droid version.  I appreciate this.

It's a great figure, skinny and well-jointed with a lot of detail.  I love that the blaster can plug in the backpack, and that the hands are perfectly designed to carry the weapon.  I also dig that it can stand and be posed nicely, or ball up into that cargo mode we saw in the first prequel.   About 24 useful points of articulation let this figure assume a bunch of handy poses, with arms and legs able to bend incredibly well.   Hasbro's humanoid articulation in The Black Series hasn't always been the best, but for these droids it seems perfect.  For a figure of this size at this price, it's above what I would expect.

Finding the figure's center of gravity is tough, and I would assume it's going to fall over with time.  It would have been nice to have Hasbro give the figure some sort of stand that offers support above the waist, but they didn't.   It's a gorgeous figure with marvelous silver paint chips and excellent weathering on the blaster, though, so all I can say is that it's a pity that it came out during a time where it will be difficult to army-build and probably long after anyone sees it and goes "I want to spend thousands of dollars on prequel armies."  I think it's a great figure and I hope Hasbro reissues it on the regular so everybody can buy a few more.   Good job Hasbro!  I never thought it'd be 18 years out from Attack of the Clones and we're getting tip-top nostalgia collectible figures, but here we are.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,718: August 20, 2020

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,579: Battle Droid (The Black Series 6-Inch)

BATTLE DROID 6-Inch Debut
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. E4085
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #31
Includes: Rifle, backpack, antenna pack
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2019
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Rather than use flesh-and-blood warriors, the Separatists prefer mindlessly loyal soldiers that are easily controlled.  Battle droids are dim-witted and no match for clone troopers or Jedi, but they weren't designed to be smart - they were designed to overwhelm Republic civilians through sheer numbers, something they do very effectively.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  20 years on, you get the feeling Hasbro and Lucasfilm still don't much like the prequels.  It's a pity, there were some awesome designs in those movies and this Battle Droid was a hit as a small figure in 1999.  Today, six years into the 6-inch line, Hasbro adds a third character from The Phantom Menace in the line.  I can't assume we'll ever see the entire main cast at this rate, but at least we're getting Obi-Wan Kenobi this year.   Oh, and this Battle droid is pretty good.

I often roll my eyes at the 6-inch line and vintage line because there's not a lot of room to surprise anyone - the same basic cuts and joints are upgraded with a new joint every few years, or some new paint technique.   Lather, rinse, repeat.  Only though weird droids or unusual body designs do we get anything truly interesting, and given the problems many of these spindly droids had in the smaller scale I was most definitely interested to see what Hasbro would do with these guys.

One problem that may come up are limbs warping over time.  Many of the original smaller Battle Droids could be placed on display stands and would gradually tip over with time - I recommend you use stands with waist clips on this kind of figure to avoid such problems.  Hasbro shoved a ton of articulation on this one, with about 24 joints.  That's a lot.  He can stand, but due to the feet and proportions it's difficult to get him to keep standing up without support.  You can get him to fold up and crouch down, and he even has the telescoping antenna in his backpack!  It'll go great for that Battle of Naboo diorama you'll never make because there are no Gungans and you'd never buy enough of them to make it anyway.   You'd probably give it some thought, though - the battle damage and paint scuffing is really cool.  I like what Hasbro did here, and I wouldn't mind seeing a few deco variants of this one eventually.

I like this figure, but I think he'll need some long-term support at the waist or under the arms.   The design is great, I love the added range of motion in the neck and wrists, and it's surprisingly expressive for a relatively dumb bit of cannon fodder.  Nice job, Hasbro - and thanks for including parts to let us know you could make OOM-9 if you feel like it.  (We are interested.)   Get yourself the Battle Droid, but I would probably not bother to army build it.  I have to assume we'll get variant deco figures later.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.  

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,579: April 23, 2019