Figure of the Day: Day 957: Wookiee Warrior

WOOKIEE WARRIOR Attack on Kashyyyk
30th Anniversary Collection Target Exclusive Battle Pack
Item No.: No. 87701
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Bowcaster, projectile, additional Wookiee, Darth Vader, 2 Stormtroopers
Action Feature: Bowcaster really fires!
Retail: $19.99
Availability: March 2008
Appearances: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Bio: The Wookiees courageously defend their planet but are outgunned by the Imperial army and its extensive weaponry. The Wookiees fight with ferocity and manage to hold back the troopers for a time, but are ultimately overwhelmed by the Imperial Troopers. (Taken from the set's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray. Note: the figure is carrying a Stormtrooper blaster and a Wookiee blaster, nether of which are supposed to go with this figure-- but you will get Stormtrooper blasters in the battle pack.

Commentary: There aren't many molds were swapping accessories and repainting the figure will result in a compelling plastic person, but Hasbro made this Wookiee Warrior on the cheap and it still looks pretty great. The figure uses the mold originally used for the 2005 "Sneak Preview" Wookiee Warrior, and tweaks it just enough to be cool again. All of the figures armor has been removed, and replaced with a retooled bandolier specially designed for this figure's girth. It's a huge figure-- and Hasbro gave him the big feet he needs to not fall over when fighting or what have you.

The new reddish brown deco is great, it's not crazy different from other figures but it's distinctive enough that it isn't obviously a previous figure with a new belt. It's actually the same as the other figure in the set, but it's in a different color, which actually is OK when dealing with a trooper figure like this. In the game, Darth Vader (you) fight Wookiee after Wookiee in an endless attack in the first stage, so you'll probably actually get pretty excited for this sort of thing if you like stuff from the game. In a way it's a shame we couldn't get more, but there are at least 6 Wookiee Warrior figures based on this specific mold at this point. It's probably time to move on, but at least Hasbro made a bunch of good ones and spread them out over 3 years.

Value Notes: Long time fans may wince at this boxed set due to what you get for the price. The Wookiee Warriors were originally $5.24-$6.99 each. The Vintage Stormtroopers were $9.99 each, if not more, as was Darth Vader (who is now missing a lightsaber hilt.) Individually, these figures would have ran you roughly $40-$45 which just goes to show that sometimes, you really can wait for a better deal.

Collector's Notes: I love this set, but it's pretty much guaranteed to do well-- as of the date I write this (which is before the print date), the Battle Packs are almost entirely sold out at every Target I've visited-- just a couple seem to be left at each store, if that. It's a neat set but I have to say it is a little scary to think that we might see a lot of "group of figures you have versus 1-2 figures you wouldn't mind having because they're different" even if the value is there. I don't know how it will ultimately do on the secondary market but it seems to be selling fast enough to warrant you take interest in it sooner rather than later.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 957: February 12, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 956: Tol Skorr

TOL SKORR with Asajj Ventress
The Legacy Collection Comic Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87504 No. 87630
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #01
Includes: Lightsaber, shoulder armor, additional figure, comic book
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $11.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Clone Wars comics

Bio: Asajj Ventress & Tol Skorr are on the trail of Quinlan Vos; Count Dooku wants the Jedi brought back to him to face punishment. They locate Vos on a ruined exploration vessel, but meet with unexpected difficulty when Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives to find out what happened to the missing ship. Ventress has battled Kenobi before and yearns to put an end to the Jedi. Kenobi and Vos must work together if they hope to escape these two relentless and ruthless foes. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' living room.

Commentary: When initially announced by only his last name, fans weren't who Tol Skorr was just because he's not what you'd call remotely popular, even by comic fan standards. I actually assumed they meant Skorr the Bounty Hunter from the old newspaper strips, which I thought was pretty exciting at first. And then I found out it's a bearded dark Jedi dude. Oops.

The good news is that Hasbro didn't skimp on articulation on detail for this comic pack figure. The bad news is that you likely not only don't recognize him, but don't care. (Humans are boring as a rule.) He has armor, scars, and 14 points of articulation, which on paper makes him pretty cool. Sure, he has a soft goods "skirt" piece so he can actually pretend to sit, a unique hand pose, and a distinctive lightsaber, but it's extremely hard to muster an ounce of enthusiasm for the character.

Collector's Notes: Generally Star Wars fans have a habit of asking for obscure characters, but this guy, as far as I know, was on nobody's lists. At just four comic appearances, it's actually a little surprising that they made this guy instead of Sora Bulq as a Dark Jedi or those wacky Nikto clones. While it's great to see fans have their "moar Expanded Oonivurse figgrus pleez" requests answered, well, uh, can we go for slightly more interesting ones?

Day 956: February 11, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 955: Darth Sidious

DARTH SIDIOUS Jedi vs. Darth Sidious
The Saga Collection Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87503 No. 87196
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsaber, additional figures
Action Feature: Push Figure Down for Lightsaber Slashing Action
Retail: $19.99
Availability: 2006-present
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Here, in a lavish Senatorial office atop one of the tallest buildings on Coruscant, the endgame of the conflict between Sith and Jedi begins. Revealed as a Dark Lord of the Sith, Chancellor Palpatine vaults across his desk with the uncanny speed of a master in the Force, his lightsaber blazing to life. Its blade carries the swift death of no less than three Jedi. Even the great Mace Windu will be fought to a standstill in this, the first battle in a conflict that will end with the extermination of the Jedi. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: This Darth Sidious has been through a few releases-- the basic body started life in 2005 as a figure with a hand that had a dedicated lightsaber, either in red or blue. The 2006 release (this one) dropped one of the swappable heads and gave the figure a removable lightsaber plus new hands. The 2007 release (Order 66) comes with the other head and a soft goods cloak. So they're all "just different enough to make you mad."

This one is actually pretty nice. The "evil" head is included, and is easily removed as the figure's first release had two different heads. The right hand also pops out for the same reason. Only articulated at the neck, shoulders, wrists, and elbows, it's essentially a statue. It's nice that he can swing his weapon, but eh, it is what it is-- a pretty good plaything, but it can't sit. Basically, the only reason you will want this figure is for it to fight your Jedi toys, otherwise it's a pretty dull plaything. It's an acceptable display piece, to say the least, as you can use it to "knight" Darth Vader. He's freaking ugly, so he'll do the trick just fine. Since there are multiple versions, and this Battle Pack comes with other figures you probably own once or twice over, I wouldn't suggest you go track this one down unless you're pretty hardcore about your Palpatine collection.

Collector's Notes: This is one of those figures that walks the line of "variant" and "new figure." This basic body has been used for three major releases, plus there's a lightsaber variant on one of those. This exact version, though, has come back a couple of times so you shouldn't have a problem getting one.

Day 955: February 10, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 954: Dr. Evazan

DR. EVAZAN Cantina Showdown Cinema Scene
Power of the Force Wal-Mart Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 69650 No. 69738
Manufacturer: Kenner
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, additional figures, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: Early 1997
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: On the run from Imperial stormtroopers, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker enter the seedy Mos Eisley Cantina in hopes of finding swift passage to the planet Alderaan. Inside, among the gallery of criminals are the murderous Dr. Evazan and the brutal Ponda Baba--both of whom are thirsty for a fight with Skywalker. Reaching for their blasters, the villains are suddenly cut off from Luke by the pulsating blaze of Obi-Wan's lightsaber! Will Obi-Wan triumph and save the Rebellion's only hope? (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' box lap thing.

Commentary: Virtually no characters in the Cantina had any dialogue. This is not remarkable. What is remarkable is how uninteresting the talky ones were, and how long it took for them to be made as toys. Dr. Evazan took 20 solid years, and when we finally got him he didn't look all that great. While fans had a lot to complain about when the Star Wars line started up in 1995, this figure just didn't quite click. He had a weird pose, a strange outfit, and a likeness that really didn't look a lot like the scrap photos I've seen. (Maybe they used different ones.) His hair color seemed off, he wasn't pudgy enough, he needs to be balding more, and to look a little more freakish. I mean seriously, the guy's a freaking troll. The figure looks like Father Jack on the show Father Ted more than a character from a sci-fi movie. It seems like Kenner took some liberties with the design, and a 2004 resculpt didn't prove to be all that much better. If anything, it's only a slight improvement based on this very same design. There are few figures from the 1995-1998 era that Hasbro hasn't updated in the past several years, and some of the very minor ones are actually getting a little love. In the coming year, Hasbro has figures like Malakili, Ugnaughts, and even a Spacetrooper in various stages of development. In case you haven't guessed, this translates to "buy it if it's cheap, but wait for a new one if you can."

Collector's Notes: This figure was really hard to get, then it hit wide. Then it went on clearance for as little as $2.00 (I got a few with the tag still.) After all that, the item became a wide release, turning up at other stores. In case you haven't yet figured it out, this is not a rare figure.

Aside from ol' Evazan here, there are a few other movie characters from the modern Kenner days that haven't been completely redone (that is, beyond a new arm or leg) yet. There's about 15-- many of which are about to be announced and shown to the public in New York, I assume. I believe this is the only Cantina alien from before 1999 that hasn't been redone at least once. Several of the others have been redone twice in some cases.

Day 954: February 9, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 953: Super Battle Droid

SUPER BATTLE DROID Battle of Kashyyyk
The Saga Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85770 No. 87331
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #061
Includes: Projectile, blast effect, firing arm, standard arm, display stand
Action Feature: Swap arms, firing rocket
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Late 2006
Appearances: Expanded Universe (well, maybe some day)

Bio: The tough, deadly and durable super battle droids are used by Separatist forces in battle. The manufacturers of battle droids corrected those droids’ shortcomings to create a more powerful and much deadlier version. These droid armies clash with the clone troopers throughout the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: A recurring theme in the Star Wars action figure line is that Kenner and Hasbro want to make figures that look like they were just out of range of the camera. This is a fine example. While we really didn't see a camo Super Battle Droid (as far as I can tell) anywhere in the fiction, it looks like it fits. Based on the 2002 "deluxe" mold which has been reused a few times, it's also an example of how Hasbro can dress up a less desirable figure into something you really want to have. Or at least, I wanted this one. In an era of so many different clone troopers, it's nice to see Hasbro tried to crank out some nifty repaints for them to fight. Very few Super Battle Droids exist in any color that isn't bluish grey, so this is more than a little compelling. I mean, it's brown! It's green! Sadly, there's not much else to write about other than that this looks cool. The mold itself isn't so fantastic (as you've seen in previous installments), but it will snazz up a diorama quite nicely. Hasbro's deco artists put on a nifty Droid Army logo on his arm-- I love those-- and lots of green detailing. Some said it looked goofy, but hey, I'm OK with that. I like the design, but it would have been nice to see it applied to the more highly articulated mold which was released about a quarter after this figure hit shelves.

Collector's Notes: This figure was fairly easy to find, I found quite a few on markdown when it first came out as well. Fan reaction will no doubt keep this cheap for those who admire truly unusual action figures. Score one more for an original Hasbro design!

Day 953: February 6, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 952: R2-X2

R2-X2 Astromech Droid Pack Series II
The Saga Collection Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87055 No. 87057
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: Twist dome to extend or retract third leg
Retail: $39.99
Availability: January 2006
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Flies on X-Wing Fighter Red 10 during the Battle of Yavin. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' carpet.

Commentary: When R4-G9 came out in 2005, I had one reaction: let's repaint the crap out of this. Thankfully a few months later I had my chance to propose a boxed set of droids (which went through a few mutations), and in its very first form the first astromech droid I put in any of the proposals was R2-X2 here. As such, you can guess, he's pretty special to me-- I mean, I got to ask someone to make this figure! It's been three years and it still makes me giddy. Since he's based on the best R2-D2-style body Hasbro has yet made, you can bet that he turned out as a pretty good figure. Twist the head, and his leg will go up and down. Move his legs and feet. Oh yes-- and admire his awesome black paint job, completely devoid of a clear plastic light-up eyeport. (This is important. If you're me. I'm glad they erred on making it look like the movie over the kid-friendly eyeport, which goes from "neat" to "eyesore" in about 2 seconds.)

It's a fun figure to play with, but it's lacking in accessories and basically exists to look cool. If you're reading this blog, that means you're probably the target market for it. Do you like the design? Great! Get one. If not, save your money. I'm hugely biased, but what did you expect? I think everybody should get this figure.

Collector's Notes: Sold out, not yet reissued. There's an ongoing debate between me and another collector on this figure's color. I say it's supposed to be black, he thinks it's dark green. The way I see it, Hasbro can always repaint it, but it looks right to me. One of my favorite things about this figure is that he apparently belongs to a Theron Nett in the movie. He still doesn't have a figure, but we've got his droid! (At least the droid looks cooler than yet another rebel pilot figure.) If you want just this robot, and not the boxed set, check eBay. There used to be tons of them individually for under $10, although lately they seem to have dried up. Also, I'm frequently asked "When can we expect Series III?" There are no plans to do another box of droids to my knowledge, so ask Hasbro if and when you see them. Since mid-2008, each figure includes a droid piece at retail, so I guess that's the main method for releasing Astromechs these days. (And the best, if you ask me, if you're a figure collector of the collect-them-all variety.)

Day 952: February 5, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 951: SP-4

JN-66 & SP-4 Research Droids
Saga Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84861 No. 84924
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0305
Includes: Extra droid figure with hover stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $5.99
Availability: January 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones Deleted Scene

Bio: The analysis droids SP-4 and JN-66 assist Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi when he seeks their help in identifying a small toxic dart. The origin of the mysterious weapon may provide the only clue in discovering who is behind the assassination attempt on Senator Amidala. Deep within the great Jedi Temple, in an encased analysis room, the SP-4 droid examines the dart and searches for a possible link in its streaming bank of datya. Typically reliable for such research, the analysis droid's assessment is less informative than the Jedi had hoped. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: What combines the fun of a librarian with the action packed excitement of a legless robot? Why, it's SP-4, the adorable examination droid! This little guy works at the Jedi Archives on Coruscant and was a pretty great little design that reminded me of Nintendo's ROB (Robotic Operating Buddy) from the NES days. Unlike his partner, this figure has legs and a little more articulation. One of the problems you'll see with the figure is that he's loaded with thin plastic pieces coming off his head. These have a habit of bending, or coming pre-bent. A little hot water can fix this, but it's a problem you can avoid and prevent. Store this one carefully, or better still, keep him standing up. He has a fair amount of detail, and there are all sorts of little rivets and panels brought to life on the fairly tall figure. While short, he's still bigger than an astromech droid. Each arm bends at the elbow, there are two head joints (one at the base of the skull, the other where the neck meets the torso) and he can sort of pivot the head forward. It's impressive, and if sold alone he'd probably have been a pretty good deal were he packed with more gear. Seeing that he has an extra figure with him, he's a wonderful droid and a great deal. Just not a particularly exciting deal.

Collector's Notes: They came, they went, nobody really seemed to notice. Deleted scenes figures are always an interesting proposition, and these sold surprisingly well given that there's no action, no real recognition, and the only people who knew who they were were hardcore fans with DVDs and reference guides. Heck, I can't even keep the names straight between these two.

Day 951: February 4, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 950: Stormtrooper

STORMTROOPER Vintage Edition
Original Trilogy Collection Vintage Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85213 No. 85272
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Imperial Blaster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Late 2005
Appearances: Star Wars and everything else

Bio: Stormtroopers were the elite shock troopers of the Galactic Empire. Like Imperial-class Star Destroyers and TIE Fighters, stormtroopers served as reminders of the Emperor's power, extensions of his will, and a method of keeping the Empire's thousands of star systems in line through fear. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: In 2004, some fans said this Stormtrooper was the best thing ever, and others saw it as an insult-- even though it was the best articulated Stormtrooper ever (and continues to be), well, I guess there's no pleasing everybody. Its sculpt allowed for it to be the first super-articulated bodied Stormtrooper, however the design did restrict some movement. His legs are basically very... tightly kept together, unable to get much dynamic movement. His arms can be moved in and out, up and down, but his poses tend to keep him looking like he's trying to avoid letting anyone see his armpit stains. They're very close to the torso, which can look a little weird. These guys are perfect for lining up on a Death Star, or manning certain kinds of equipment-- but if dioramas or action scenes are your thing, future figures with less articulation might give you more what you want.

Honestly, I can't complain too much here. He's about the right size, can move quite a bit, and the sculpt is above and beyond our expectations of what we should hope for out of a Stormtrooper figure. There are, however, two key problems I have with it, one of which was really just a flaw of its time and has since been fixed. 1. Holster. Hasbro designed the figure to have a holster to carry his blaster. The sculptors, I presume, in China goofed this up and the fit is extremely awkward. 2. Plastic. This is the one Hasbro has since fixed-- the 2004-2005 shipments of the figure (as in, any and all from the original cardback) have an off-white plastic that almost looks like its yellowing. Later releases in Battle Packs are pure white, or at least seem that way by comparison.

Collector's Notes: The figure was shipped for a while and even showed up at Tuesday Morning stores on closeout. (I got one of mine there.) It was repackaged as a more pure white figure in 2008 in Target's Force Unleashed Kashyyyk Battle Pack. In 2006, it was retooled as a Sandtrooper, and several versions of this figure have been issued since and they're still in circulation. The $7 Sandtroopers may be your best alternative to the "vintage" version, because many are also pure white, without battle damage, and all the gear can be removed. So, keep your eyes peeled for those. Also, in 2007, this figure was retooled to have a human head and removable helmet as part of the basic figure line. Oh, and it was recolored in black too. And they did some comic packs with Basso and Mouse in Stormtrooper disguises based on this mold, as well as Marvel-colored Luke and Han Stormtrooper figures. Movie colored version of Luke and Han are due out any day now, and odds are there are a few other figures based on this original mold too. While Clone Troopers are the most repainted figures, it seems this mold may well be the one with the most unique resculpts and reapaints available.

Day 950: February 3, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 949: Dice Ibegon

DICE IBEGON & Trinto Duaba
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87841
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD37
Includes: Trinto Duaba figure with blaster and hood, droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: January 2009
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Dice Ibegon is a female Florn Lamproid who believes in the Rebellion and is attuned to the Force. (From the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: There aren't many figures that Hasbro essentially designed in their entirety, but Dice Ibegon is one of them. In the movie, she just existed as a kind of snake head thing. Hasbro fleshed out the design with extra arms and a tail, and I'm not sure if it's more or less creepy that this unholy combination of male and female genitals with teeth can now visibly scoot around. The character's appearance in the cantina really did nothing for her popularity, but she was the subject of a short story by a couple of Trek scribes which put her in a relationship with a werewolf that is disturbing on numerous levels. I mean, I know that love is blind, but apparently it's also completely fearless. But hey, now you've got a figure of this thing, so how is it?

Surprisingly good-- even if assembly is required. (The top half needs to be popped into the bottom after you open it.) The figure is pretty nicely done, there's a good amount of detail here. Lots of wrinkles, some thinner skin is folded in a pretty realistic way, and some extra light brown paint helps the figure seem a little less like just a toy and slightly more lifelike. It has a bright red mouth-- too bright, really-- a torso joint, and six jointed, uh, "arms." Surprisingly, Hasbro's engineering team made it so the tiny arms don't fall out easily, or really at all so far. I'd expect the figure to fall to pieces if you look at it funny, but it doesn't. This sort of thing is pretty uncommon these days, so it's nice to have a solid release on what could have been a flimsy figure. As the first and likely only Dice Ibegon figure you'll ever see, you may as well get her. With Trinto Duaba in a 2-pack, plus a piece of the astromech droid, it's a good value. (As Hasbro creeped the prices of figures up while the price of oil went down, I fully expect figures to have more parts and pieces rather than a price drop going forward. Or people will likely be angry.) I'm not disappointed, and here I thought I just flat-out wouldn't care. It's pretty good for what it is, my only concern now is what the heck do I do with it now that I have it. It's not like there's a table she can fit in.

Collector's Notes: I just got this figure last week, so there's not much trivia to share just yet. But hey, we'll get to that when I do Trinto down the road. I've seen this one on pegs a few times but that doesn't mean it's a stinker yet. That remains to be seen.

Day 949: February 2, 2009