Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,802: Shoretrooper (The Black Series 6-Inch)

SHORETROOPER Formerly Walmart-Exclusive Scarif Stormtrooper, Redux
The Black Series Archive 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. F0961 No. F1905
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2021
Appearances: Rogue One, The Mandalorian

Bio: Specialist stormtroopers staged at the top secret military headquarters on Scarif, shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility. (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: If the Shoretrooper looks familiar, it should - it's a reissue of 2016's Walmart exclusive Scarif Stormtrooper [FOTD #2,322]. The update seems to mostly be a batch variant from the release from five years ago - most of the paint applications are pretty much the same, but any mass-produced figure will have some visible differences from figure to figure - especially with this kind of time between production.

The figure shares tooling with several others, and likely will share parts with more in the future. Heck, there's a third Scarif trooper we still don't have! This one looks more or less like the other trooper - the tan is a tiny bit different, the body glove seems a smidgen darker, and the paint wipes are different as manual wipes are wont to do. The 2021 release has a lot more in the way of wipes, but they tend to be more subtle. The arms are a bit dirtier on my sample, and the helmet is as well. Some of the chest dirt looks the same, and the smudge on the area below the belt is a bit more pronounced too. However, the boots have some patterns that seem identical to the previous release, which is a pity - it would've been great if they just left it off entirely so it would look different in any shelf army situation. Still, it's different enough that any collector who is inclined to army-build should be fine buying another one of these. I've more or less sworn off army building at this scale, so maybe some day I'll get rid of one of them, but right now I can say they're different enough to warrant trying to show them to you.

I admit, there is zero chance I would have said they were different without putting the old one and the new one side by side. Obviously you can tell by the SKU painted on the sole of the boot - but otherwise, I doubt most fans would just be able to tell which was which at a casual glance. I haven't seen enough of the Walmart release to know if each one is a bit different, or if they're all the same - right now I would wager Walmart's are only just barely cleaner.

It's a great figure if you missed the original release or just want more - you get the same blaster, with the same deco, and the same 27 points of articulation. I can't knock it for delivering what the market needed, particularly given the high secondary market price of the original release thanks to its limited availability. If you never got a Shoretrooper in this size, you should get this one. Unless you don't like the big guys, in which case, why are you even reading this far?

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,802: April 19, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,428: Shoretrooper Captain (Rogue One Line Look)

SHORETROOPER CAPTAIN vs. Bistan
Rogue One   Two Pack Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. B7073 No. C0928
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, 2 rifles, 1 backpack rocket launcher, 2 projectiles
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $17.99
Availability: October 2017
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio:  Relishing the thrill of action, Bistan fights to ensure the freedom of fellow Iakaru, taking on enemies like Imperial stormtroopers. Specialist stormtroopers stationed at the top secret Imperial military headquarters on Scarif, Shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility. (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: Also a "lost" figure, the Shoretrooper Captain  was the third of three varieties of Scarif Stormtrooper from Rogue One.  Hasbro even teased that three versions would be coming, but it looked like it was not to be briefly - mercifully this barely-new mold with very new deco slipped out by mercy of an online store chasing it down.   This is, to date, the only Hasbro figure of the Shoretrooper Captain in any scale.  I assume this might change some day, because it looks like an easy 6-inch or 3 3/4-inch The Black Series redeco down the road.

If you bought a Wave 3 Shoretrooper [FOTD #2,343], you might recognize the core figure as being basically identical.  It's notable that the original plain trooper was made in China and this Captain was made in Vietnam, so there are some very minor changes between the molds - but they're functionally identical  with the Captain having a more rubbery "skirt."   Aside from copyright markings, the other changes are crisper details.  The texture on the thighs are just a little more detailed, and the helmet looks a lot sharper.   The other big difference of course, is a smattering of blue and yellow - the Captain has a lot more color than the rank and file troop.

It's also worth noting that the blasters changed.  The single-carded plain Shoretrooper is blacker and has more detail - certain dongles are missing from the Captain's blaster, which is also a little more brown.   So far it seems that Vietnam tends to make better figures, with China having the better accessories, so if you want the best of everything you'll need to be a completist.   Unless you squint, though, I doubt you'd even realize there was a difference between them.

As an unabashed fan of troopers, droids, and aliens - not necessarily in that order - it really stung when it looked like this set may not have made it out.   The deco on this trooper is really top-notch, with a yellow band on his forearm and blue stripes on the body and shoulder.   It would be awesome to have had a chance to buy a lot more of these, but a short-run online release beats no release at all!   Snag it if it's still available, and weep 5 years from now when it costs more.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth where it is a de facto exclusive shared with its EE Distribution wholesale wing.   I work there, so you know how biased I can be.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,428: November 22, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,350: Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader (The Black Series)

SCARIF STORMTROOPER SQUAD LEADER More Blue
The Force Awakens The Black Series 6-Inch Figure
Item No.: Asst. B3834 No. B9801
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #28
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Specialist Stormtroopers stationed at the top secret Imperial military headquarters on Scarif, Shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility. (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:  Beach Stormtroopers?  Yes.  The non-exclusive Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader brings us one of three Shoretrooper armors, and this is a good one.  There's a lot of variation between the styles, which is a huge change from the Sandtroopers, Clone Troopers, and whatever else you've seen. The colors are great - one of my co-workers is collecting the various flavors of Shoretrooper and she's right to do it!  They're wonderful.   This Squad Leader has the best 6-inch deco on such a trooper so far, with the figure giving your old favorite Stormtrooper a real run for its money.  Especially when you factor in inflation!

The figure is cast in a sandy brown plastic with dark brown pants, matching shoes, and some wonderful battle damage.  It's not Hasbro's best, but maybe second best.  (Look, I loved those Revenge of the Sith Clone Trooper scuffs and marks.)  The figure is retooled slightly from the exclusive, non-leader version - note the distinctive belt and kama!  The deco adds blue to the chest and shoulders, plus a fancy yellow "U" on the chest.  The mud splatter looks good, as do the painted vents on the figure's back side.   The distressed blue striping is sharp, and the shins are messed up just a little bit - it does a good job bringing out the sculpted detail while also hinting that this trooper spent some time in the water.

Articulation is good - he has no problem double-gripping his rifle, and there's cool silver wear-and-tear on it too.   The leg articulation is good too, although he won't be doing much sitting thanks to the plastic skirt piece.   The rocker ankles are conducive to all sorts of poses, and thankfully they're solid enough to keep him upright.   It's good.   It's not perfect - it's hard to do perfect at this scale at mass-market price points - but the paint applications are nice and clean, the colors are vibrant, and it's a cool design.  I hope there are more things like this in the Lucasfilm playbook, because I am so bored with white troopers at this point.   Color and variety are good, even if it's color on top of earth tones.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,350: March 8, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,343: Shoretrooper (Rogue One Line Look)

SHORETROOPER That's What the Box Says
Rogue One   Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. B7072 No. C1370
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, claw weapon
Action Feature: Recoiling claw
Retail: $7.99
Availability: January 2017
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Specialist stormtroopers stationed at the top secret Imperial military headquarters on Scarif, these Shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility.  (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: Often sold as Scarif Stormtroopers, this figure is interesting because the packaging says Shoretrooper on it.   It's strikingly similar to the Imperial AT-ACT Driver [FOTD #2,330], but it's not the same mold - the Shoretrooper is actually good.  It's better than the driver, which hurts given the driver was a lot more expensive.   Walmart's The Black Series Scarif Stormtrooper [FOTD #2,328] is best, but if you're building an army you'll want a couple of these too.

Why?  For starters, a different blaster - the super-articulated version has a small blaster, while this one has a big rifle.  It's different, and mixing and matching makes a display happy.  The Shoretrooper is also clean - Walmart's figure has dirt and battle damage.   Walmart's also has the best articulation you could ask for from a trooper, while this one only has 5 joints.  His arms and legs swing forward nicely, give or take the "skirt" piece providing minimal blockage to the leg movement.  I love the ball-jointed neck, and the various rank markings are crisp and bright.  This is a nice figure with painted ammo pouches and largely great decoration.

His alternate weapon is a big, goofy clawed weapon.   I'm honestly not sure what I'm supposed to do with it, as it's kind of short and really strong.  If you pull it out, it'll recoil unless you're gripping the other end.   The string has a claw on the end which, I guess, if you had three hands you could play with in a meaningful way by wrapping it around someone else's hand.  It's too big for the figure to hold and stand without creative positioning of his feet, and it's not in the movies.  I assume these things tested well, but man, I just don't love 'em.     If it had some sort of button to allow the string to remain extended and retract when I release it, I'd love it.  As it is, it's just kind of annoying.  I've seen better.  (The same kind of winch toys were used in Kenner's 1990 Batman figure lines to much greater effect.)

 You won't see this figure in stores, most likely because if I see it first I'll buy them all.  They're nice.   I haven't seen this wave anywhere other than online stores yet, so you know the drill - get it or regret it.   This is probably the one you're going to want to army build if you want something clean, so... good luck with that, kiddo.  I'll be happy with my one.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,343: February 14, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,328: Scarif Stormtrooper (The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch)

SCARIF STORMTROOPER Low Rank
The Force Awakens The Black Series 3 3/4-Inch Figure Walmart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. B4054 No. C0665
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $12.83
Availability: December 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Specialist stormtroopers stationed at the top-secret Imperial military headquarters on Scarif, Shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  For reasons unknown, Walmart gets to sell the basic troop-builder flavor of the  Scarif Stormtrooper.  A regular basic version shipped late December as part of the final-so-far wave of the line, but if you want super-articulated ones - and you do - get this one.

Hasbro basically put the 6-inch Walmart exclusive Scarif Stormtrooper in the reduct-o-matic.   You get 28 points of articulation and good - but not as good as the bigger figure - deco.  I like the weathering in the smaller figure better, and if by some miracle these start hanging around I'll be picking up more of them.  The red bicep, the white shoulder stripe, the three yellow boxes, even the painted vents on the back are all here.  The newfangled Stormtrooper blaster - with what I guess is a second scope, and a different magazine - is here too.  Thanks to the new hip articulation he can actually sit fairly well, better than the AT-ACT Driver which is a garbage figure and significantly more expensive.  I assume some fans will just buy these and paint them white for better, if less accurate, results.

The thing which makes these figures stand out - a real evolutionary move here - are the thigh swivels.  This means he can go in vehicles easier, although the stiff skirt piece will be its usual problematic self.  I've seen worse ones.   The paint job is nice, and the shin armor is molded in tan rather than painted like the larger version.  You'll dig it.   As with Jyn and the others I've opened, Hasbro eschewed rocker ankles in favor of the ones that served them well since 2003.  I guess you can't win 'em all, or someone just forgot to put them in.  I assume the latter is more likely, but we do have bend-and-swivel wrists here and for two-handed shooing that's a bit more important.  I'd really rather have both, and I hope Hasbro gives some thought to doing more Scarif troopers down the road including these and maybe the other troop deco markings.

You've just gotta get one (six) of these if you like 3 3/4-inch figures.  I liked The Force Awakens' mini-Black Series line but I'm really in love with Rogue One's offerings thus far.   Do yourself a favor and buy them if the opportunity makes itself available.  My feeling about Rogue One - and I may be dead wrong - is that you should snap it all up now without hesitation.  The limited potential for spin-offs means Hasbro may take a while before revisiting these guys - so just get while the getting is good.  To date I'm only counting 12 released basic figures, 4 Black Series 3 3/4-inch figures, 6 figures from 2-packs, 5 unique "pilot" figures, and about a half dozen or so from various retailer exclusive multipacks.  It's a tight run.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart by way of pal Matt.  Thank you Matt!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,328: January 4, 2017

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,322: Scarif Stormtrooper (The Black Series 6-Inch)

SCARIF STORMTROOPER Basic Trooper
The Black Series   6-Inch Figure Walmart Exclusive
Item No.:   No. B9608
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistol, rifle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.96
Availability: November 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Specialist stormtroopers stationed at the top secret Imperial military headquarters on Scarif, Shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Since the prequels fans have asked "Now how come the Empire didn't have more color in its army?"  The Scarif Stormtrooper shows us that they did, but when they went to the beach with the soft drinks and candy, someone blew them all up.   I find that reasoning a little hard to swallow,  because a) I don't doubt that armor and clothing is manufactured and stored off-world, and b) I snapped some scar tissue in my jaw and after the dreadful internal explosion, holy cow this is killing me.  But I digress.   For reasons only Hasbro understands, the basic Shoretrooper was made as a Walmart exclusive.  The Squad Leader is in the main line.  And don't worry, you're unlikely to actually easily find either for at least a few weeks to months thanks to the new movie release and the legions of people out and about buying Christmas presents for fans and non-fans alike.

This isn't a bad figure - it's not as cool as the Squad Leader because it's less colorful, but I like it.   The figure is molded in a great sandy brown color and is enhanced with dark brown pants and shoes, a black body glove, and some red on his shoulder with three yellow dots that no doubt signify rank or how many drinks it takes until this guy passes out and someone puts his hand in warm water. The figure is peppered with weathering and swell details, like vents on his helmet and backpack plus a white band on his shoulder.  Again, I don't know why it's here, perhaps it's the color his underpants were prior to the warm water hand dip.   A little red symbol on a forehead ornament looks great, as do the various pouches and buttons on his belt.

Articulation is better than expected, as Hasbro gave the elbows a little more clearance so he can hold his new blaster in fancy positions.  It looks like a standard Stormtrooper gun, but it has that added little scope thing on the sides.  The blaster deco is also some of Hasbro's finest, with silver highlights/battle damage highlighting the various grooves, tabs, recesses, and embossed bits.  It's cool - you'll be angry they didn't remake the regular Stormtrooper with one.

Our new friend here shares a lot of parts with the Hovertank Pilot (Toys R Us exclusive) and the aforementioned Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader.  Those two each have unique belts too, plus very distinctive deco and in the Pilot's case, a unique helmet.   They're all great, but if you want to make the best impression on your desk with one figure go ahead and get that Squad Leader.   If you see the regular shoretrooper, it's pretty fantastic - I would army build these guys if I did such things with the bigger, more expensive figures.  Instead I'll have to settle for not army building the 3 3/4-inch line, which is also too expensive and I can't find them en masse anyway so who cares?  Get this figure if you can see it.   The figure looks like a great post-Return of the Jedi design, despite being a pre-Star Wars design in some respects.   It's more at home with the kind of things I like.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.  The store had about a dozen one day and zero the next, which is the way of the Force I guess.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,322 December 26, 2016

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,305: Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader (Rogue One)

SCARIF STORMTROOPER SQUAD LEADER vs. Moroff
Rogue One   Two Pack Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. B7073 No. B7261
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, 2 rifles, 1 backpack rocket launcher, 2 projectiles
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2016
Appearances: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Bio: Specialist stormtroopers stationed at the top-secret Imperial military headquarters on Scarif, Shoretroopers patrol the beaches and bunkers of the planetary facility.(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: Why Hasbro put multiple versions of the basic white Stormtrooper out and so far has kept the Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader confined to a 2-pack is beyond me.   New troopers are always a little tough to read with Hasbro, because this is a clear winner - one with variants that don't have figures yet - and he's not being sold individually in a commander or troop form in the first two (possibly three) waves.  What a missed opportunity - it's a lovely figure and along with the Death Trooper, these are the first new on-screen movie Imperial troopers we've had to army-build in quite some time.  But enough about that - how's this one? 

Apparently the Empire's budget on specialized troopers was spent on other worlds we didn't see - color beyond white or black was rare in the original trilogy, so now we've got a trooper with sand colored armor and blue shoulders which suggest a sky and a couple of red dots that could be a sun, or a planet, or a moon.   It's really nice from a design perspective, with little hints of wear and tear plus the kama molded to the legs so the figure can actually sit in a vehicle.  The helmet feels like a variation on existing designs - Return of the Jedi's Biker Scout lives in the mouth and visor, while The Force Awakens' TIE Pilot can be seen in that forehead visor a bit.    The arms are very similar (if not identical) to typical Stormtroopers, but you'll see more bits on the legs, with soft thigh armor and unique shoes plus a new body shell.  The "OII" design can be found on the new Death Troopers, but is absent from the Scarif Stormtrooper armor.

A new weapon awaits you - a beefed-up rifle that appears vaguely like the original Stormtrooper blaster on steroids, cast in a bronze color.   It's not bad - it won't impress anybody, but it's certainly nice to see something new and different from the Empire's arsenal added to its troops.

You should buy it.  Moroff is great - but this is great too.   I don't want to troop-build Moroff, but I think he's a figure every old-school fan might want.  The Shoretrooper Leader here is pretty swell - the color on his armor changes a bit depending on rank - and maybe more, we'll see - but this is a decent figure.   You'll be glad you did if/when the other flavors are available.   I'm looking forward to seeing just how many legit new trooper and pilot variants Disney can come up with... and how long it will take Hasbro to give us them all as toys.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,305: November 10, 2016