Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,276: Crosshair (The Vintage Collection)

CROSSHAIR (Scale Debut)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. G0918
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #370
Includes: Pistol, sniper blaster, helmet head, backpack
Action Feature: Removable helmet, pistol fits in holster, rifle fits in backpack, swappable head
Retail: $16.99
Availability: July 2025
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: A former member of Clone Force 99, the cold, quick, and calculating Crosshair served as the Bad Batch's sniper. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: Since their debut in 2020, fans have been asking figures of Clone Force 99. When The Bad Batch got their own show, we were surprised to see that the likes of Crosshair would make appearance in Mission Fleet, The Black Series, and not any of the 3 3/4-inch scale lines. There was a small kid focus, a small adult fan focus, and not much for the collector. The only other 3 3/4-inch member of the team to date is Hunter [FOTD #3,030] from 2023. A 6-inch version of Crosshair from 2021 seems to provide the basis of this figure. It's a nice one, but it's not timely. Early is on time, on-shelf with new episodes of the show is good too. Making season one costume as a figure over a year after the show ends? You're selling toys on "hard mode."

This one gets long, so I'll get right to it. He's missing a little paint, but the sculpt and articulation are very good for a figure that shares most of his construction with 2023's Hunter. If you liked Hunter, you are going to get that level of quality and satisfaction from Crosshair.

If what you wanted was a scaled-down version of the $19.99 for $16.99, here it is. He's almost exactly the same as the 6-inch figure, with a few tweaks. One, the red plate on his chest armor was left gray. Two, the removable helmet on the 6-inch figure was swapped out for a fully removable head. Articulation is pretty much the same, the sculpt is very similar - but smoother. The 6-inch figure had a lot of sculpted (but not painted) battle damage and rough spots. I think Hasbro made the right move by giving him "new" armor if they didn't have the budget to paint the scrapes. It looks pretty good, but isn't up to the standards of Hunter - he had some painted damage.

The chest is missing a red mark. The backpack has one red stripe, with the various lights and dark panels left unpainted. Given the size of the figure and how many people never open these things, I don't blame Hasbro for leaving deco off the back of most figures. The chest is an element most fans wont' miss, but the missing crosshair on his helmet (a second time) stings. He's named "Crosshair," and in the show he has a white circle with a line on his face. If we traded some color on the arms for that, I would think it was a good move. It absence with the premium price makes me wonder what we have to be charged to get something that would at least give us a pretty solid presentation from the front.

Hasbro fixed a detail I'd previously missed. Just above his shoes, on his lower legs, Hasbro elected to keep part of the armor unpainted. These were painted on the 6-inch figure, and it looks like they weren't painted on the cartoon. It's an improvement!

Budget is clearly an issue here, as you get a lot of parts. Crosshair seems to share most of his construction with Hunter - the head, left shoulder, and accessories are new. The feet have the same copyright date and oddly shallow/non-functional foot peg indentations. Also interestingly, his right forearm has a hole in it - that's where Hunter's knife storage should be. Since the articulation was good on Hunter, I doubt you'll be disappointed with what we get on Crosshair. It's consistently jointed and doesn't come up short.

The human head is great. It looks just a little bit like Clint Eastwood, squinting just a tiny bit. The hair is gray and looks perfect. The face printing turned out very nicely, keeping the crosshair mark on his actual face that the helmet left off. No notes, they did a marvelous job.

Most figures have one or two good accessories these days. Crosshair has two blasters, a backpack, a head, and that over-the-torso ammunition and armor. He can hold his gear fairly well, and I appreciate you can store most of it on board. The swappable heads present a challenge, but I'm always happy when a figure has plenty of parts he can hold and make it harder to lose.

This figure meets expectations, minus some paint on the armor. If you're patient and/or young? I recommend getting this figure and going back to grab Hunter too. Hasbro has been releasing one member of the Batch every two years, which would put our getting Tech, Echo, and Wrecker - and maybe Omega - somewhere around 2031 or 2033. It took Kenner 18 years to get Han Solo (Stormtrooper) to market, 20 years to get us the first Tarkin figure, and (as Hasbro) 48 years to deliver the Tonnika sisters. I assume younger fans might be too young to spend $17 per figure at a drop rate fitting in between major elections, but some of us are tenacious. Goodness knows I'm still waiting for some things decades later, and generally looking at a complete team or diorama feels really good. I know Hasbro has a lot of stories to make toys for, but as a fan my enthusiasm is very high for new characters - like this one - while I'm starting to look at the Rocket Launcher Trooper that arrived the same day with a heavy sigh.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth. I kind of wish Hasbro would embrace Retro for this kind of thing. Why? Speed, and lowered expectations. If a "Kenner" figure was missing paint applications (and released with the show), it is a lot easier to just shrug it off as being a stylistic choice. You're not expecting a premium figure - you're expecting the best $10-$12 figure that 1983 theoretically would have had to offer. As a $17 figure, expectations start to rise.

Show Notes: Have you seen the show? If not, it's got 47 episodes and I would say it's pretty good. The first two seasons to a great job bringing in new adventures and characters with snappy storytelling and an ongoing series of mysteries to explore in the early days of the Empire. Season 3 mostly circles the drain on the way out, trading much of the weekly adventures and fun for repetitive prison break-related stories. Most of the 2019 Disney-era TV shows have had a focus on things surrounding the cloning of the Emperor - including this show - so it might be part of a much bigger story that continues to be told throughout the Disney+ narrative. Having said that, if the clones were making you roll your eyes during The Clone Wars, this is largely a tighter version of that without as many new characters.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,276: September 16, 2025

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,030: Hunter (The Vintage Collection)

HUNTER The Bad Batch
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Action Figure
Item No.: Asst. E7763 No. F7330
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #268
Includes: 2 blasters, knife, backpack, helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: April 2023
Appearances: The Bad Batch
Bio: I think I'm a clone now. Every pair of genes is a hand-me-down. (There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth!   

Click here to buy it at Amazon!  

Click here to buy it at eBay!

Commentary: While there are some disappointing figures in this wave, Hunter is excellent. It you got The Black Series Hunter [FOTD #2,787] it seems it's pretty much the exact same design, with slightly different joints and it seems to be missing a couple of paint applications. The 6-inch figure had some red vertical tripes around his armor underoos, the 3 3/4-inch does not have them. Otherwise? Just as good.

My only real complaints about this figure are whiny. One, it took a couple of years to get this figure - he was on The Clone Wars before COVID, and he's the only member of the team we've had so far in this scale. Two, he's got more gear than he needs. You get the commando rifle, the tiny clone pistol, a helmet, and a knife - and there's still no holster for the pistol. There's also a swell backpack, and I wish it could pop open to store the blaster. Each of the accessories are good. The figure's paint job is good. The articulation is good. Presumably we'll see this mold used to get other clones, a new Delta Squad, and so on.

I love the sculpt - it's just like the big one, with an expressive face, a great helmet, but there's one big difference. His armor doesn't have sculpted dents - there are some silver painted scuffs, but the armor itself lacks teeny tiny dents. That's a good choice. The joints all move smoothly, with a great cut in the elbows so he can hold a blaster with both hands. The hips are greatly improved with an excellent and smooth range of motion. You can store the knife on his wrist, and he can hold the blasters. Most amazingly, though, the helmet fits really well - not too snug, not too lose. This feels like a figure engineered by someone who understands how a consumer will interact with it, and you should be able to make good use of him in vehicles, playsets, or even just on your desk. The grays and reds all look fantastic. His facial expression and painted detail look like a cross of the animation and real life. This is one of those figures that goes on your top 10 list of the year.

Unless you hate The Bad Batch you should buy this figure. It's great. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hasbro reissue it in a multipack at a later date, but if they don't, fans will be chasing him for years. Kids will want him, fans will want him, collectors of course will want him. He's a major character and one of the best-made figures in the size. Get it, it's worth it.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,030: May 18, 2023

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,987: Clone Captain Rex (The Bad Batch, The Vintage Collection)

CLONE CAPTAIN REX Poncho
The Vintage Collection Amazon Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2886
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #208
Includes: 3 more clones, helmet, blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $62.99
Availability: January 2022
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: Rex, formerly designated CT-7567, was a veteran Clone Captain, Clone Commander, and Advanced Recon Commando who commanded the Grand Army of the Republic's famed 501st Legion of clone troopers during the Clone Wars. Rex later served as a captain and commander within the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War. (Taken from Amazon. There is no bio on the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: This set was packed with drama - you could order it, then you couldn't for months. Then there was a price drop, a price increase, a price drop again, and Clone Captain Rex probably makes a good argument for occasionally waiting if you can't find something. Is it worth the infinite hassle to keep reloading a page over a few months? Maybe, maybe not. This Rex gives you the 2011 Clone body (again) with a repaint of an existing head in blonde. The poncho is new. The helmet is new as it has the nifty visor connected to the rangefinder, but the visor wasn't on the actual episode. You could probably just throw this poncho on an existing Rex figure and have an overall more satisfying figure - especially since Hasbro removed the Pauldron for this release.

It's kind of amazing that Hasbro was still using this body this year given its advanced age. It would seem almost ridiculous for Kenner to still be using 1970s bodies in the late 1980s and in the 1990s, especially since a new and improved Clone body could give them an excuse to revisit dozens - heck, hundreds - of characters with minimal investment. It really shows its age especially in this era of ever-increasing prices, because what you could do for $10 11 years ago doesn't really hold a candle to what Hasbro can make for $15 and up today - and this set was expensive as it was! Sure, you get a poncho, but you lose an accessory and there aren't any cool new battle damage dirt or scuffing. It's pretty much the same as the Clone Captain Rex [FOTD #2,776] figure that got reissued in December 2020 - about a month before The Bad Batch version, which was obviously made before the episodes aired. Maybe the visor is a spoiler for season two? We'll find out soon!

The figure itself - other than the weirdly hairier head - breaks no new mold ground. I just re-checked The Bad Batch and Rex didn't have that much more hair growth, so we can just pretend that this is his Billy Idol fan period or some such. At no point did Rex have both the helmet and the poncho, so this figure does raise a lot of questions about how much changed during preproduction, or if Hasbro made a figure that was meant to preemptively cover future bases. It's certainly cheaper than a single Rex was at its peak, but since you will likely want his pauldron you'll still want to chase down that earlier issue. I appreciate that this figure exists because it's a bit off-model and generally weird, with a nicely decorated cloth poncho featuring a hood and some really good printed detailing. Whoever designed it did an excellent job.

Canonically this figure is a little useless, and I wouldn't be surprised if Hasbro reissued it with changes to make it true to the show. I'd almost prefer they just make a new kid's line in 3 3/4-inch and do him right, but that's probably going to require the team to change over once or twice before it actually happens. (I really do think a full-blown kid line for The Bad Batch and/or The Mandalorian could be a good thing if it is done with a modest amount of respect for price points.) I'm not going to recommend this figure for you unless you like the weirder, off-model figures or just really need the poncho.

Collector's Notes: I got mine on Amazon. Interestingly the price has been going up and down, but is back up to going up again.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,987: December 20, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,967: Echo (The Black Series)

ECHO The Bad Batch, but not explicitly labeled as such
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Red The Bad Batch Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F4348
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #11 - The Bad Batch
Includes: Claw, blaster pistol, helmet, backpack
Action Feature: Removable helmet, claw plugs over datalink arm, removable backpack, blaster holster
Retail: $24.99
Availability: May 2022
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: Echo was a soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic, known for his strict adherence to orders and rules - hence, the nickname, which was sarcastically gifted by his clone brothers. (Taken from the 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: For whatever reason The Bad Batch skipped 3 3/4-inch completely for its main characters so far. For The Black Series, Clone Force 99 has shown a lot of shortcomings - Crosshairs and Hunter were missing some key paint apps, even Wrecker. Echo looks pretty great, and I assume that's because this figure was developed after two price hikes in recent years. Having gone from $20 to $25 I expect a "premium" figure to be somewhere between "excellent" and "perfect," and this one certainly hits "excellent" pretty well. It also makes a compelling argument for Hasbro to consider some sort of platinum-edition figures and just go all-out because some key paint operations - specifically, the abundant armor scuffing - is generally absent.

This is not to say he's completely clean - you can see some excellent black or silver splotches that would look just phenomenal if you didn't know something was missing. If you just saw this figure with no context, you'd love it - sure, you'd notice the sculpted crapes and scratches that are unpainted eventually, but the red trim, the Clone Force 99 skull and logo, and the copper vents on the backpack will distract you from any perceived slight. The figure's holster works, the articulation is great, and he has plenty of accessories - all of which can attach to the figure without fear of losing them somewhere.

The figure is a mishmash of new and old clone parts. The helmet is somewhat difficult to position because it also has to fit like a glove with the Lobot-esque cyborg headpiece, but you can do it with some tools and patience. (Note: no toy aimed at kids should require either.) The pale clone head looks great, and as someone who is almost a zombie thanks to his near-death experience in The Clone Wars is a neat fit for this month of monsters. (Granted, he's not a monster, he's a nice guy.) For a figure sold to an American mass-market audience, it has all the articulation you'd expect and an overall acceptable range of motion. 

There's so much going on with Echo that it is reasonable that he may cost a tiny bit more than some others - which makes it sting when we see figures with less deco be sold for $8 more than this guy. Hasbro did a good job here, there's even a red "tooth" on the "mouth" on the helmet that's the size of a pin prick. It looks like someone went to the mat here to do a good job, and while we can all nitpick and show how they could do even better, this is an improvement over most of what Hasbro has done with Clone Force 99 thus far. If you only get one Bad Batcher, this may be the best (or at least most interesting) one so far. 

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,967: October 11, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,942: Clone Captain Ballast (The Vintage Collection)

CLONE CAPTAIN BALLAST Tealer on TV, also named "Howzer"
The Vintage Collection Amazon Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2886
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #210
Includes: 3 more clones, helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $62.99
Availability: January 2022
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: "Howzer" was a clone who served as a Clone Captain in the Grand Army of the Republic and eventually as a stormtrooper captain in a battalion of the Imperial Army, shortly after the Galactic Empire's formation. (Taken from Wookieepedia. There is no bio on the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Another day, another repaint! I'm sure my disdain for what feels like an endless torrent of repaints for minor characters and not enough major characters - the titular The Bad Batch group still isn't out in any collector format in full, and none are in 3 3/4-inch yet - but we've got Clone Captain Ballast. It's a 2011 mold with a nifty unmasked head, blue markings that probably should be a tad greener, excellent battle damage, and the wrong name on the box. I assume this may have been developed before the episode aired, because it's so close to being excellent minus a couple of big, weird swings-and-a-miss. "They got the name wrong" is kind of startling in this day and age, though colors can and often do change during production on a TV show. I can't find an obvious production date stamp on the box or the figure, but pre-orders went up pretty close to the first appearance on TV.

His unmasked head has grey, buzzed-down sides and some longer, darker hair slicked back - and it looks great! The eyes are a little more piercing than the show, but that's not necessarily bad - he really seems to be staring into something. The eyebrows are good and there's plenty of life in that face of his. Should you leave his helmet off, his pauldron is rather loose - comically so. You can just have it spin around, it would have been nice to have Hasbro glued it down, or design it to grip the neck peg. It looks good, though, and I like the silver battle damage.

His armor on the recycled 2011 body is good for 2011. Today we know Hasbro can do better, so I'm hoping we see a new Clone mold some day - until then, this is what we have. The scuffed-up patches of blue look great, but I'm less and less sold on silver battle damage. It's shiny, and that doesn't quite seem right anymore. Depending on the room lighting, it blends right in on the white armor, and sometimes looks odd against other colors. It's distinctive, the patterns are good. I also like the painted communicator on the wrist. I just wish things more closely matched what I see on screen, but that sort of thing happens all the time when you try to get toys on-shelf (or on-pre-order) for a new show as it airs. I can't explain the name issue, though.

Articulation is the same as it was 11 years ago, which was a tad awkward but basically good. Today the weird gait, seemingly overlong legs, and increasingly dated arm articulation will probably result in most samples of this figure remaining carded or being opened, examined, and shelved until you move or decide to give up collecting and sell it/put it in storage. The helmet does an excellent job of keeping that loose shoulder pad in place, but since you won't be playing with this one, will it matter?

I am happy to see more figures in this line, but in another, more accurate way, I'm not. Given how many photoreal reruns, gold repaints, and other 3 3/4-inch figures that recycle old tooling to give us something "new" when straightforward reissues might make new fans happy, or when the main characters from a show are absent, it's kind of hard to say "wow, I'm really glad to have this." Hasbro did a good job refurbishing an old design to the best of their ability and delivered it on the quick - that's worthy of praise. At the same time, figures like this feel less and less essential to my general happiness about collecting this line at this scale. It's adequate, but Amazon was sitting on them for quite some time and having already bought hundreds of clones, I can only hope that there are a few fans out there that were giddy to actually get their hands on this figure. I'm just not one of them.

Collector's Notes: I got mine on Amazon. Interestingly the price has been going up and down, but is back up to going up again.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,942: July 14, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,919: Clone Captain Grey (The Vintage Collection)

CLONE CAPTAIN GREY Green on TV, Red in Comics
The Vintage Collection Amazon Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2886
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #209
Includes: 3 more clones, helmet, blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $62.99
Availability: January 2022
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: CC-10/994, who also went by the nickname "Grey," was a Clone Captain who served in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Assigned to Jedi General Depa Billaba, he was a Clone Commander in the general's battalion. Surviving the decimation of Depa Billaba's battalion, Grey was reassigned to a new battalion, also commanded by Billaba, along with Clone Captain "Styles." (Taken from Wookieepedia. There is no bio on the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: Over 10 years ago, back when Figure of the Day really was every day, I had a month where I basically trolled readers by doing a Clone every day. We got so many Clone Troopers that the line was basically all clones - and readership really took a dive a couple of weeks in. And today Hasbro gives us Clone Commander Grey, the TV version of the character as the trooper who made Kanan Jarrus's life awful during Order 66 was red in the comics. So maybe we'll get another one down the road. It's a good figure, but is it exciting? No, of course not. But it has a stellar face under that helmet.

A realistic interpretation of the CG-animated The Bad Batch trooper, has a darker green and less battle damage than on TV. The patterns are quite similar, though, so you'll get the stripes on the arms, the green shoulders, and the pad. The helmet does a good job replicating the pattern (but not color) from the s how, with a body that's teh same one we've been getting for about a decade. It's not bad, but it's out of date. The figure's chief highlight is the head. It's great! The hair looks good, the face paint is exceptional, and there's a decent resemblance to Temuera Morrison. I particularly love the wrinkles in the forehead and the signs of weariness around the face. I bet this would make a good Boba Fett face with less hair and more scars. It's really easy to like, and I think you'll be impressed if or when you see it up close for yourself.

Hasbro has made over 275 - probably over 300, I haven't reviewed them all - Clone Troopers since 2002. It's kind of draining. "We made the same guy again but the colors are a bit different and maybe he has different hair" is sort of soul-crushing, especially when you have a character like this who amounted to little more than a cameo in the rich tapestry of hundreds of episodes of Star Wars (with more time on comic pages... but he looked different.) In and of itself, this is a nice looking figure with cool armor and a stellar head sculpt. I just can't say that I feel much of anything now that I own it, especially after all the pre-order drama on Amazon not allowing people to place orders for several months after it launched. (Also, it got a price increase after being in stock for a few weeks and not selling out - as I write this, it shot up to $66.99 from $62.99.) It's not like this figure is bad - it's just hard to say it's worth 25% of $66.99 if you already have a healthy Clone collection. But if you don't already have dozens or hundreds of Clones, this is a good one, and one to display with the helmet off since the face is so good.

Collector's Notes: I got mine on Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,919: April 26, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,917: Elite Squad Trooper (The Vintage Collection)

ELITE SQUAD TROOPER Not quite black, not quite clone
The Vintage Collection Hasbro Pulse / Shop Disney Exclusive
Item No.: No. F2886
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #211
Includes: 3 more clones, 2 blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $62.99
Availability: January 2022
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: Elite Squad Troopers were special forces troopers who served the early Galactic Empire prior to the termination of cloning production on Kamino. (Taken from Wookieepedia. There is no bio on the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: One of very few unpunched carded vintage figures, this Elite Squad Trooper is part of an Amazon-exclusive The Bad Batch 4-pack loosely modeled after an old German exclusive package. You get a big box with 4 carded guys inside, all of which are effectively repaints/tweaks of existing figures. Since it has Rex in it, it's going to be a hit. This figure is technically not a clone, but it does wear clone armor, thus making it easy/fast to manufacture with no new tooling. That's a real time- and money-saver in this business.

Complete with glued-down helmet, this black repaint has a green visor, plus accessories. Firearms fans will enjoy a small DC-17 pistol, and a standard DC-15A blaster rifle. As always, they fit the hands just fine.

The base figure is the Clone Trooper mold we first got around 2011 with a Phase 2/Revenge of the Sith-style helmet. This is kind of funny, because that means the base mold is 11 years old. To put that in perspective, Kenner's original Star Wars figure line ran from 1978-1985, so what we consider to be the newest and best mold is, in toy industry years, positively ancient. It's still pretty good - the hip joints are a little antiquated given what we've seen as of late, and neck and shoulders are a little stiff, but he's generally thinner and looks better than his forebears. Despite not having rocker ankles, he looks pretty good! Unfortunately figures from that era weren't designed with balancing well in mind, so he may look a little awkward and stand a little funky if removed from the packaging.

Given what I assume was Hasbro's mandate - use existing tooling to make The Bad Batch action figures in a hurry - they did a good job. (Why we got 6-inch molds of the actual batch and not 3 3/4-inch, I can only speculate.) From a development perspective, this is a good figure. But it's also an army-builder, which means putting one of them in a gift set is just irritating to anyone wanting a second or third black trooper. Hopefully Hasbro will either release singles or a multi-pack of black troopers later, but given how The Vintage Collection has gone and we've only had a couple of Imperial Stormtrooper multi-packs for army builders over the course of 44 years, I wouldn't hold your breath. Just get this one now, or the 6-inch one if you prefer, because it'll probably be a long wait before they put out something else in this size. (Also the set is kind of expensive for what you get - about $15.75 per figure before tax.)

Collector's Notes: I got mine on Amazon.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,917: April 19, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,890: Crosshair (Imperial, The Black Series)

CROSSHAIR (Imperial)
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Dark Red Star Wars: The Bad Batch Packaging
Item No.: No. F2933
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #09 - Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Includes: Helmet, blaster, sniper rifle, backpack
Action Feature: Blaster fits in holster, helmet covers head, backpack is removable and can store rifle
Retail: $24.99
Availability: September 2021
Appearances: Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Bio: Formerly a member of the Bad Batch, Crosshair’s loyalties shift after his team defects from Imperial service. Committed to the Empire, Crosshair leads a new squad of enlisted recruits. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: When initially launched, I got a preorder in for Vice-Admiral Rampart but Crosshair (Imperial) sold out immediately. I was surprised to see him return, in stock, in December - so I went ahead and grabbed him with a Mando exclusive to qualify for free shipping at Walmart. The figure is the same tooling as the previous release, but with a $5 upcharge. Why? I assume a PopCopy employee has an answer.

Despite the upcharge, there's not a lot new here other than deco and a helmet. back in the 2005-2008 period of the 3 3/4-inch line, we frequently got repaint waves - often developed very quickly - with no new tooling to get troopers out. At that scale and price ($5-$7) "close enough" was acceptable for all these clones and droids and troopers. The Black Series is supposed to be a premium collector format, so seeing the wrong pauldrons (there's no 99 on the show, nor is there a spike) and no battle-damage deco at all make me assume either Walmart jacked up the price because they know they can get it, or Hasbro increased the price because they know they can get it. A newly-tooled helmet isn't enough to warrant that kind of price increase, and exclusive prices at Walmart (and elsewhere, but especially Walmart) have been all over the map lately.

If it wasn't for the show accuracy, I would say this is a spectacularly cool figure. A version 2.0 seems possible, because Crosshair's unmasked head gets messed up as the season goes and they could justify an all-new figure later. (This is not without precedent.) He stands well, holds his weapons well. The holster works great. The backpack can stow the rifle. I love the new helmet with its green visor, revised face, and articulated rangefinder. This is an awesome action figure, no doubt - even without painted silver scuffing, the sculpted scratches and dents look pretty great. I doubt most fans who watched the show won't even realize it's not completely accurate, and I assume Lucasfilm and Hasbro know this too given the character was largely seen in dark places. It's cool. It looks neat. If you never saw the show you'll just love it to pieces.

The unmasked helmet has Crosshair's trademark crosshair over his eye, and the figure's mutations make him look less and less like the prime clone. I hate that I both love and dislike the figure. If this were from some video game I never played, I'd say "this is awesome! Go get it! Treat yourself!" without a thought about accuracy. As a major character from a TV show, it's disappointing - not bad, not awful, just not as good as it should be for a figure like this. And I bought it anyway, and I really like it. If a newer version comes out I'd say skip this one - heck, the previous one's paint was lacking, so hopefully some day we'll just see a very fancy, very premium Evolution of Crosshair 2-pack where they smooth out the rough parts of both releases and trick us into spending another $50-$60. Until then, at $25, I can't deny that this is one awesome looking chunk of plastic.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,890: January 13, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,877: Wrecker (The Black Series)

WRECKER Deluxe
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Dark Red Star Wars: The Bad Batch Packaging
Item No.: No. F0630
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #05 - Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Includes: Blaster, Helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $31.99
Availability: September 2021
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: The boisterous bruiser of the Bad Batch, Wrecker has brute strength that makes him capable of lifting a clone gunship without any help . His muscle and size are matched only by his temper... and an equally pronounced sense of humor. (Taken from the 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: Rounding out the original Bad Batch, Wrecker joins Crosshair, Hunter, and Tech - and later, we'll get Omega and Echo - meeting our basic standard of collecting with the main characters seeing plastic. That's really the one thing you have to do when doing action figures for fans of any age - if you don't make all the regulars, it's not even worth kicking off a collection. (Hence, the disappointment on so many levels that is Star Wars Resistance.)

Given the much higher price point, Wrecker's a figure that has to show something to indicate it's better. After all, Chewbacca was huge, and cost the same as a basic figure. I'm glad to see that Wrecker does do some things that warrant the deluxe price point, but it doesn't seem 50% fancier than Hunter - but it's definitely unquestionably superior in production quality. Articulation is on par with the best of basic new figures, including the now-expected swing-forward shoulders and the armor that rotates with the shoulder. You get rocker ankles, elbows with good cuts and decent legs. Every joint moves surprisingly well for a bulky, armored figure with a rubbery armor vest hiding some of the torso joints. In terms of engineering, Hasbro did an A+ job - just like they did with the other Bad Batch-ers. You'll love how he can stand, you'll be impressed by the sculpted armor scrapes, and you're going to love the helmet too.

Also awesome, a realistic take on the distorted, goofy Temeura Morrison portrait used on the cartoon. Wrecker's wacky almost-a-sneer is unlike anything else I've seen in Hasbro Star Wars figures, and is probably one of the singular most expressive good faces we've ever received. Again, they deserve an award for this - it's quite possibly the very best human head they've ever done. Generally we just get good, neutral expressions - seeing what they did here with Wrecker makes me think there's still hope for a really, really, really good Han Solo some day. (Or, if they go that route, Indiana Jones.) With the sculpted scars and injured eye, everything about this figure looks like so much care and work went into getting it right. While that's not necessarily required for a deluxe figure, the extra effort is the kind of thing that makes me feel a little bit better about paying a premium for a figure like this.

Deco is also excellent - the head has an awesome paint job on the face which only highlights the spectacular portrait, but it's worth noting the scars and sides of the head are more or less left bare. I know you have to cut the budget somewhere, but I would've loved paint on the scars. The armor's paint is also excellent, but sadly they left off some stuff. We did get some painted battle damage - which we didn't on the others - but Hasbro left off the red highlights on the elbow and knuckle armor panels. At $32 we really should have those paint applications on a figure that's no more complex than a $23 figure. It's not nearly as ornate as the show - nor should it be, that paint job is complicated beyond a reasonable capacity for mass-production - but the big chest scar would be nice to have some silver there, and the red stripes would've been a plus. As it is, it's not amazing for the price, but OK.

You also get a removable helmet (good paint), a blaster (no paint), and a giant knife (perfectly painted silver blade.) Each element looks like it was handled correctly here, or is at least good enough that I can't complaint about it at the price.

While this figure absolutely has more going for it than some of the other deluxe figures, there's not a lot more here other than size to warrant a higher price point - and as we've seen with Chewbacca, size doesn't mean it has to cost more. But is it good? Yes. Did they do some amazing things with it? Absolutely. Is that human face worth the price of admission? Without a doubt - no other figure looks this interesting, and for that reason alone I'm going to go ahead and say hold your nose and spend the $32. The silver highlights on the sculpted damage were what I looked for when I first opened it, and I was not disappointed.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,877: November 30, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,874: Vice Admiral Rampart (The Black Series)

 

VICE ADMIRAL RAMPART Walmart Exclusive
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Dark Red Star Wars: The Bad Batch Packaging
Item No.: No. F2932
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #08 - Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Includes: Blaster, Mouse Droid
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: October 2021
Appearances: The Bad Batch

Bio: After the fall of the Republic, Vice Admiral Rampart is assigned to oversee the clone troopers on Kamino by Governor Tarkin. Rampart has eagerly taken to his role in the Galactic Empire as it aims to instill order in the galaxy. (Taken from the packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: There are a lot of aliens, pilots, and other good figures that I don't think will be appreciated in their time. This is one of them. Nobody knew who he was when the pre-order went live and after a few appearances on the show, they still don't know much about him! Vice Admiral Rampart is yet another Imperial stooge who is there to hunt down dissenters, but his whole deal is transitioning the Empire away from clones to citizens for some reason. It's a living.

The figure exists probably thanks to its speedy development - the body parts are shared by Tarkin, Thrawn, Veers, and Piett, just to name a few. I assume it's because of the existing body with 26 points of articulation that this figure exists. After all, you don't need to make new bodies like you would for any of the other recurring characters. There are minor differences between the various Imperials in this scale, and the figure has some minor accuracy issues, but it's a good figure. It's just not an accurate figure. The Imperial Navy rank badge is not always a consistent thing in reference books, so it's not surprising Hasbro's figure uses the same one with the Moffs and Admirals and such rather than the one on the show - which has two code cylinders, two blue rectangles, and four red rectangles. The figure has twelve rectangles - six blue, six red. Most fans probably won't notice (or, frankly, care) but it's the kind of thing that could probably have been done correctly and more easily in the 3 3/4-inch line thanks to more torsos and a system developed to plug in different rank pins from about 12 years ago. The Black Series was not created to be as robust nor as scalable.

It's worth noting that his head is new, and it looks like what it is - a realistic interpretation of a stylized, blocky cartoon head. The shin is a little big, the head is a little thick in spots, and it doesn't look like a specific famous person as far as I can tell. The shading and paint is excellent, but since it's not an exact representation of an actual person it's hard to rate well or not. As an action figure, it looks like an action figure. It resembles his TV appearance, and there's not a whole heck of a lot else to say other than they did a good job bringing a cartoon character into a photoreal space.

The blaster pistol is perfectly fine, but for $24.99 - a full $2 over the price increase of $22.99 we got earlier this year - I would have liked to see more new elements, like a retooled torso, given that we'll probably never get another figure of this guy. You do get a repack of the Disney Galaxy's Edge First Order Mouse Droid - the scuffing is so similar, I assume it's meant to be the same exact piece - but it's still not a heck of a lot of extra for your money. Tarkin got an Interrogation Droid, Veers got all that armor plus hats. At $22.99, I wouldn't complain, but at this time I'm not quite sure why some exclusives cost more than others, even at the same store, for varying levels of changes. 

But hey, if you want a Rampart, this is the only game in town right now and my guess is absolutely nobody will be excited for him until a couple of seasons in the show. You know, after he dies, or joins the Rebels or something.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart.com.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,874: November 18, 2021

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,867: Tech (The Black Series)

TECH 6-Inch Debut
The Black Series 2020 Line Look Red Star Wars: The Bad Batch Packaging
Item No.: Asst. E8908 No. F1864
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #04 - Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Includes: 2 blasters, helmet
Action Feature: Blaster, helmet, 3 tools, backpack
Retail: $22.99
Availability: October 2021
Appearances: Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Bio: Tech is the computer and weapons specialist, the most talkative of the group. His genetically enhanced brain can puzzle through technical issues at speeds even faster than some droids. (Taken from the 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: This is a good one too. Tech is a character (and design) that seems right at home in a 1980s toy line. The big clunky goggles and headphones - and backpack - remind me of old figures like Dial-Tone in G.I. Joe, with glasses and goggles on his helmet. He looks like a Biker Scout combined with Clone Commandos, meshed with 1980s and 1990s cartoon teams, through the lens of The A-Team. I don't get to say this much, but it feels like you're really getting your money's worth with this one - it's just a pity this isn't a kid's toy line with wide availability so young fans can have adventures with him. It's going to be an in-demand figure for collectors for quite some time and any kids finding it on-shelf will be the aberration.

While not perfect, I really like this figure - thanks to the shift from "animated look" to "realistic look," Hasbro gets to dodge a lot of complaints. It isn't perfect? Well, it's artistic license. I love the little pixel skull on the headphones, but I dislike the glasses are now opaque, hiding his eyes under the helmet. I do like the flip-down visor on the helmet and I'm in love with all the superfluous antennas. Technology has moved so much in our world that we lost dials, knobs, buttons, and other things you'd get at the Radio Shack - Tech keeps that ramshackle look on his helmet. This design has a face that looks to foreshadow elements of Biker Scouts and Stormtroopers, complete with grey and red highlights. I can't even hate on those opaque lenses too much. I mean, they worked for Gendo Ikari, right?

Articulation is good, although the belt gets in the way a bit. The holster for three unique tools is a great idea, but there's nowhere to hold his sole blaster - not even a slot in his removable backpack. (This is an oversight - they could have carved a groove for it to go between the back and the body, out of sight for storage.) The body is great, I'm counting about 28 points of articulation which is roughly normal these days. The face looks a lot like a mutant Temura Morrison, even moreso than the cartoon. There's not much to bag on here. The sculptors did a good job.

Deco could use some work - but again, Hasbro gets to claim creative license here. The armor is clean, while the show has a definitely layer of dirt on it. You'll notice the figure's forearms lacks the red stripes we saw on the show, which I think was probably for budget reasons. The character is a clone of Jango Fett, but for some reason the figure (and the character on the show) are significantly lighter. I'm pretty pale as an underground-dwelling cave person, but this figure seems to be even lighter than I am - a little color would have been good. His hair also seems lighter than on the show, but that could just be a trick of the lighting on most episodes. I'll leave it up to you, but there are opportunities for Hasbro to do a "premium" version of this figure a few years down the road with more deco and the goggles he wears when he isn't wearing his helmet, too. I guess what I'm saying it Tech would've been a better candidate for the $30 price point than Wrecker, who's just a tiny bit bigger than an average figure.

His tools don't have a lot of decoration, nor does his backpack - which drops some of the paint applications from the show. The helmet is great, the blaster is fine, but the backpack doesn't have much going on there. Given how figures are budgeted, I assume something had to be cut - it's not like it's immediately obvious that they colors are missing back there.

Thanks to his tools, decent deco, and plentiful paint applications, I still think he's a good figure. While I would've loved to see more money put into refining his paint job, compare him to other similarly priced figures - he's impressive. Hasbro put a lot into this one, with a great sculpt and relatively few deco shortcomings. This is an action figure that was born to be an action figure - I hope kids can find the Mission Fleet figure, and/or that we get a retro-style one later. And I'd happily pay a little more for one with a bit more gear and a bit more paint.

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

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,867: October 26, 2021