Figure of the Day: Day 927: IG Lancer Droid

IG LANCER DROID Battle of Muunilinst
The Legacy Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87535 No. 87613
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #BD13
Includes: Blaster pistol, blaster rifle, lance, droid part
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: IG Lancer droids are deployed by the InterGalactic Banking Clan on the planet Muunilinst to serve as a homeworld security force. Durge leads an army of IG lancers into battle against Obi-Wan Kenobi and his clone troopers during the Clone Wars. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' living room.

Commentary: When the original Clone Wars TV series aired, the IG Lancer Droid stood out as a figure that was pretty much guaranteed to happen. That was 2003, and five years later, we now have one. Built off the basic design of the "vintage" IG-88 from a couple years back, this release is extremely articulated but not so great at sitting. If you got that older IG-88, this is really pretty much the same figure except for his head, bits on the torso, shoulders, and lance. While a lot of people really seem to love this figure, I can't say I agree. While it is extremely posable, looks good, and has great accessories, it's all about the sum of his parts. He may have difficulty holding his guns, and I don't think it's possible to get him sitting on a bike ready to joust without distorting the figure in some significant way. If you just want him to stand around and look cool, this figure excels. But as a toy? Well, with those spindly arms and heavy weapons, you might want to be careful with this one. I wouldn't suggest you get it for a small kid but an adult collector will probably enjoy this figure as long as they are forewarned that it's somewhat fragile. Still, kudos to Hasbro for doing it, it's just a pitty it wasn't done in the context of a battle pack with his vehicle.

Collector's Notes: A recent release, this figure will continue to ship on and off for at least a small period of time-- so you can probably get your fill of this one with minimal problems.

Day 927: January 1, 2009

Figure of the Day: Day 926: Yoda

YODA Spinning Attack!
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85172 No. 85273
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #III-26
Includes: Cane, lightsaber hand, hand, action base
Action Feature: Wind-up figure and let it spin to hit things
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: March 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Yoda suspects that Palpatine is behind the evil events that are destroying the Republic. On Coruscant, Yoda and the Emperor meet in the ultimate confrontation between the galaxy's most powerful masters of the Force. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' living room.

Commentary: Of the entire saga, Yoda is one of the few characters that appeals to absolutely everybody. I knew girls in high school that were crazy about her. One of my pals in college dated this chick who was bonkers for Yoda. And of course, there are fans and collectors and kids who love the tiny green Jedi master, a character who managed to go under a bit of a reinvention in 2002 with Attack of the Clones from wise old guy with cane to insane, whirling dervish (or general baadasssss.) Hasbro built this figure for modern kids who want a figure that jumps around and slashes things. Collectors will no doubt admire its authenticity-- it has a great head sculpt and a wonderful costume, but it's meant to be used as a toy more than a collector's piece. The figure has a swivel head, swivel elbows, a swivel waist, and one swivel wrist. This limited articulation was designed to allow the figure to "attack" when you futz with the figure's internal mechanisms. You twist the figure at the waist a few times to wind it up, and when the figure's feet are tilted the right way, he starts spinning around like a crazy person. The platform included with the figure makes it slightly easier to make him perform his little trick, but it's still a little touchy. The mechanism is really the reason to buy the figure given there are so many Yodas out there, so if you want a figure you can use to amuse or attack your cats, this is the one for you. Otherwise, you might be better served by a figure with more articulation or the increasingly popular animated style.

Collector's Notes: A common figure in 2005, this is one of many Yoda figures sold over the past few years. Because of this, the figure doesn't command a premium price. The figure was reissued in 2007 without his action base as part of the Target exclusive Order 66 packs, bundled with an exclusive original design of a Kashyyyk Clone Trooper.

Day 926: December 31, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 925: TC-14

TC-14 Protocol Droid
Episode I Collection 3
Item No.: Asst. 84105 No. 84276
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Tray, drink container, CommTech Chip (2000 only), Coin (2007 only)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Spring 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Silver-plated protocol droid TC-14 serves her Trade Federation masters well when she suspects the Jedi identities of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: One of the first characters that appear in the saga, chronologically speaking, is TC-14. Since seeing the movie, fans quickly identified the figure as an easy repaint for Hasbro, and brought this up in hopes that the company would repaint a C-3PO and sell it to us. Not satisfied to stop at a mere repaint, Hasbro tooled up a brand new figure as its prequel line was on its way out. The figure is stunning-- she has golden eyes, a silver body, greasy black joints, and a fairly suggestive looking beverage dispenser. With only 6 points of articulation, the figure didn't offer fans too much in the way of movement. Still, she could carry a tray and look cool, which is really all one might expect from a figure of this nature in the year 2000. As far as protocol droids go, this was one of Hasbro's best. Ever. Seriously, some of the C-3PO figures look pretty good, but TC-14 stands out as particularly striking with her shiny metal eyes differing from her silver coverings while most C-3PO figures are gold through and through. Also, very few protocol droids were sculpted with hands to hold an accessory-- this is another point in her favor. If you're a droid fan, I'd suggest getting this one just because it's a solid release. Yes, even though it's Nute Gunray's droid, and from a generally disliked film in the series. It's a fine figure, and good sculpting and engineering trump issues of the character's own questionable value to the story.

Collector's Notes: In 2000, the figure had a CommTech chip and was phased out in a hurry. I saw it at retail about five or six times. The 2007 reissue was more common. The figures looked essentially identical, so if you just want one to open get whatever is cheaper. For quite some time, this figure qualified as "hard to get," although last year's reissue has changed this. The figure was quickly repainted in white and sold as K-3PO in the early Power of the Jedi line. (A new, more articulated K-3PO was released in 2008.)

Day 925: December 30, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 924: Super Battle Droid

SUPER BATTLE DROID with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Jump Attack)
Revenge of the Sith Deluxe Figure
Item No.: Asst. 85182 No. 85431
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Obi-Wan Kenobi figure
Action Feature: Falls apart when hit
Retail: $9.99
Availability: April 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: As a General in the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi leads clone troopers into battle against the droid armies. He uses his skill as a Jedi Master and his control of the Force to defeat the deadly battle droids. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Commentary: For Hasbro's deluxe figures, the company often pairs figures together so one figure takes some form of action on the other. This Super Battle Droid exists solely to be sliced and diced by Obi-Wan Kenobi. You can pose its arms and legs, and you can also tear off a chunk of him at the hip. Thankfully, Hasbro decided to make it slightly more interesting than just to act as a prop. There's a lot of dirt and detail, plus a few dents here. The hands are posed in a pleasing way, and despite not having any foot pegs he has the ability to stand on his own. (This, of course, is an important feature.) It isn't super-poseable, nor does it have any particularly striking accessories to make it extra fun. So what's the point of having these? Armies. There are so many unique Super Battle Droids that, if you bought one of each unique version, you'd have quite the army. This makes unique poses important, and this one is particularly notable in its distinctive pose. Be sure you get one if you build armies. If you don't, well, I can't really give you much reason to get this one.

Collector's Notes: In 2005, this figure sold really well. In most areas, he sold through long before the clearance sales, probably in part because it looks like a two-pack, and two figures for ten bucks ain't bad. For $10 or less, it's probably worth getting, if for no reason other than to add to your droid stash. It's pretty cheap on eBay.

Day 924: December 29, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 923: McQuarrie Concept Darth Vader

Darth Vader McQuarrie Concept
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87302
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #3028
Includes: Coin, blaster, lightsaber, alternate helmet
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: September 2007
Appearances: Art of Star Wars books

Bio: Darth Vader was not originally supposed to wear a facemask. Ralph McQuarrie's concept drawing of Vader boarding the Tantive IV was based on the idea that Vader would fly through space to reach the ship, requiring him to wear a breathing apparatus. The facemask remained and has become a modern-day icon of chilling doom. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' couch.

Commentary: Back in the 1990s, Kenner had a poll on its site for future non--movie line expansions and McQuarrie concepts were on the short list. As such, fans have been crossing their fingers for a McQuarrie Concept Darth Vader action figure for ages, and now we got one! That's the good news. It's also good news that it was made in the modern era, where the figures are way better than they were in 1995. Sadly, Hasbro took a shortcut or two here and the final figure isn't as cool as it could have been, or as the Kotobukiya statue was. The main downer comes from the awkwardly posed arms and the swivel (not ball-jointed) elbows, which restrict movement. The figure's pose is a little gimpy too, plus the figure isn't exactly black. Parts of him are, but others are more of a very dark brown/grey color. This isn't to say it isn't a great figure-- far from it. Its cloth cape is cool and Batman-like, the decision to leave the blaster and holster in is superb, and the bonus interchangeable heads? Genius.

It's fun to futz with, but a little frustrating in that it's just a smidgen stiffer than other concept releases with even less articulation. Pose is important, and the figure qualifies as good enough. Not perfect, there's certainly room for improvement, but it's better than no McQuarrie Vader at all and the price is right.

Collector's Notes: This is one of those figures that adult fans loved, and so did the various flea market buyers. Hasbro's decision to make the packaging blue tinged (rather than red) set the McQuarrie figures apart. Even though they were made in good numbers, a lot of misinformed buyers assumed they were all shortpacked collector's items. They weren't. Today you can pick up this figure at or below original retail, and some out-of-the-way retailers still have them, in addition to some online ones.

Day 923: December 26, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 922: R3-Y2

R3-Y2 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: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: January 2006
Appearances: The Empire Strikes Back

Bio: Assists the Rebels during their escape from Echo Base on the planet Hoth. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' slab of cardboard.

Commentary: Of all the droids done up by Hasbro, R3-Y2 is one of the most obscure that reportedly exists on film. Sure, some were made up just for the sake of toys, and others eventually showed up in The Clone Wars, but this one actually appears in The Empire Strikes Back and may or may not be on model. I expect the coloring on the panels is off, and the dirt isn't quite right, but it's not like I can prove this. Authenticity really isn't important when a figure is basically unseen by the audience, all that really matters is that the final figure looks good. And this one, for its time, was certainly decent. It just wasn't quite a slam-dunk. The figure used the now-old astromech body, which is a little long and thin, with less detail than that used on most current figures. The third leg is retractable, and the feet are articulated, but other than that there's not much to write home about here. The figure's main function is as scenery, and as such it will look great in any Hoth playset you might decide to buy. Of the figures in these exclusive sets, I'd say this might be the dullest.

Collector's Notes: It took a while, but these sets are (seemingly) totally sold through. Your best bet is eBay and various collector shops.

Day 922: December 25, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 921: MB-RA-7

MB-RA-7 Death Star Droid
The Legacy Collection Build-A-Droid
Item No.: Asst. 87535
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: November 2008
Appearances: Kenner's action figure line

Bio: MB-RA-7 was an RA-7 protocol droid. It had silver plating and black optics. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' floor.

Commentary: A recurring theme in collecting is fans wanting Hasbro to update all the old Kenner action figures, accuracy be damned. MB-RA-7 is inspired by the original Kenner Death Star Droid from 1979, which itself was a slightly distorted version of the Sandcrawler droid. Which was eventually released in 2004. Now this droid is notable because it's fairly well-articulated, and it's also a repaint. For some reason Hasbro opted to release this droid and the black version of the mold back-to-back, but at least both are pretty slick. This version has silver paint on its body, big black eyes, and a decent amount of articulation. Given that these droid parts exist as a cheapo pack-in, it's nice to see Hasbro included elbow and knee joints on the limbs as well as a waist joint. The figure is also poseable at every "connection point," and you can swap out parts with other droid figures. Yes, even the build-a-droid Astromechs. (The head is a tight fit but it fits.)

Overall, the figure is not as moveable as C-3PX, but it's still pretty good. One of the things I thought was neat about this figure-- and you will likely not agree-- was that the elbows have this weird articulation that hinders movement. You can still twist the forearms, but it's a very stiff overall movement. In other words, he moves like you might expect a robot to move. Since he looks good, and is a genuine remake of a vintage 1979 Kenner toy, I'd say you should all run out and get one of these-- even if it's as a completed loose figure on eBay. I'm not a huge fan of the figures you have to buy to get the parts, but I'd probably have dropped $15 or so on the droid as an exclusive just to say I have it, so buy as your wallet permits.


Collector's Notes: The pieces to make this figure ship only in revisions of what is known as Wave 4 of the Legacy Collection. At press time, you can find the six pieces with such figures as Bail Organa, Breha Organa, FX-6, Commander Faie, Jodo Kast, Kashyyyk Trooper, Felucia Clone Trooper, General Grievous, Stass Allie, Saleucami Clone Trooper, Coruscant Landing Platform Clone Trooper, and Darth Vader. It is not expected to come with any other figures. The figure ships in six pieces, and cannot be purchased fully assembled at this time. In other words, this figure doesn't exist unless you open your toys. This figure is a repaint of 5D6-RA-7, which was the build-a-figure from the previous wave.

Day 921: December 24, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 920: Obi-Wan Kenobi

OBI-WAN KENOBI Mustafar Redux
30th Anniversary Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 87500 No. 87541
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #0801
Includes: Lightsaber, display stand
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: January 2008
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Obi-Wan holds onto hope that he and Padmé can turn Anakin back from the dark side. But on Mustafar, he realizes that all is lost and Anakin has been consumed by evil. Obi-Wan is vicously attacked by Anakin and battles for his life in a climactic duel surrounded by molten lava rivers. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray. The Mustafar base isn't included with Obi-Wan, rather he sports the typical rectangular grey display stand.

Commentary: It's rare for Hasbro to take a popular figure and reissue it with more articulation and a new head. That's exactly what they did with this Obi-Wan Kenobi, making it one of several significantly different releases of the mold over the past three years. The main differences between this one and the others are its head, its partially cloth "skirt" piece, and its ability to swing its legs out to the sides. Kenobi's new head is presently exclulisve to this release, and sits a little higher on the neck than others. It's a little off-putting at first, but you get used to it. He also looks a little sweatier, which works. He's still super articulated, and generally has the same range of movement as all the descendants of the 2005 "Pilot" figure aside from the extra hip movement.

It would have been really cool to have a lightsaber hilt included with the figure, but Hasbro opted not to throw one in. As such, you'll need to raid your stash. The lightsaber is fine, as is the display stand. This particular Obi-Wan exists mostly as an upgrade and as a double (ha-ha) dip on the mold and character. If you only get one Kenobi from this movie, it may as well be this one.

Collector's Notes: This is one of several Episode III-specific Kenobis, and is also one of several Mustafar-specific versions of the character. Hasbro isn't shy about being redundant, but articulation fiends will note that this is the best of them so far. It's unlikely we'll see one much better than this, but hey, Hasbro is known to surprise.

Day 920: December 23, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 919: Sio Bibble

SIO BIBBLE Exposition Enhancer
Episode I Collection 2
Item No.: Asst. 84095 No. 84257
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster pistol, CommTech chip
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Spring 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Naboo's governor, Sio Bibble, remains on his besieged planet while Queen Amidala travels to Coruscant. Meanwhile, the Trade Federation's invasion begins. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' couch.

Commentary: For a while, this figure had a rare distinction of being actually worth something. As we approach 1,000 figures in this column, a recurring theme is that few figures from the modern era are "worth" more than their SRP within 1-2 years of release. Sio Bibble still commands a slight premium, but he used to be worth $25-$30, while today you're looking at about $8. Which is fair, the figure is actually pretty good. A tail-end Episode I product, the Naboo governor has a decent sculpt and a distinct purple color. The head sculpt, while not perfect, is pretty good and manages to nail the facial hair just right. It would be nice if his robes had more detail and his arms had more joints, but the fact that this figure exists is essentially enough to warrant the purchase. For someone who doesn't do much but deliver additional plot, it's great to see Hasbro actually made this figure during the movie's initial run. Even if it was during the final assortment of Collection 2 right before the line got pulled.

Articulation is weak, even for his era. Because of his robes you barely even get six places to move the figure, and if he can sit it's not like his outfit will let him have his rear on the seat. This figure is squarely for collectors and diorama makers, as he doesn't really function well as a toy. He does have a blaster, though, which gives it limited play value if you're so inclined to use him for such purposes.

Collector's Notes: As stated above, the figure's claim to fame is that he was really hard to get. He's still hard to get, it's just that fans have largely moved on which helped drive auction prices down while fans spend their money on other collectibles.

Day 919: December 22, 2008