Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,969: MTT Battle Droid (Simple)

BATTLE DROID  The Cheapo One
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: No.  37905
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 15 more droids just like it, blasters, Obi-Wan figure with lightsaber, 4 more articulated droids, MTT vehicle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $129.99
Availability: August 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio:  Battle Droids deploy from massive TRADE FEDERATION MTT vehicle’s motorized troop deployment rack! Includes 20 BATTLE DROID figures: 16 INFANTRY DROID and 4 PILOT DROID figures! 20 blasters! Includes 1 OBI-WAN KENOBI figure with lightsaber. Lights and sounds! Firing missile launchers! Pivoting cannons! Front hatch opens to release troop deployument rack. Side hatch opens to reveal blaster racks. Upper hatch opens to access storage space. Works with Movie Heroes or THE CLONE WARS figures (sold separately).   (Taken from Hasbro.com.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: There's a lot of figures we don't necessarily need resculpted, but hey, we're going to get them.  This Battle Droid is an interesting item which exists solely to serve as a slug figure in a much larger toy, the MTT.  This is a simplified new sculpt which looks really good, all things considered, and has a built-in figure stand so it may stand around on the droid deployment racks.  In short, it's as much an accessory as it is an action figure... it's cheap.  Fans lamented the fact that the MTT didn't come with 20 "Vintge" (read: expensive) Battle Droids, but given costs these simpler robots are an adequate substitute.   It's better than non-removable droids or folded-up non-articulated droids, which is what I would have expected from Kenner in the 1990s.

So how is the figure?  Good enough.  It's not great, but it actually isn't bad as a seat-filler.  Standing fairly tall, the figure has but two joints: the neck, and the right shoulder.  And that's it.  Each one includes a blaster which can be carried in the right hand, or in a hole on the back. The figure can usually stand on its own (the legs on some may need un-warping) and the only paint application is the eyes.   There's not a lot to it, but it makes for a decent driver for the hatch on your ATT or the MTT droid racks.  Since its feet are fused together, it stands fairly well and I'm quite impressed by Hasbro's decision to actually give him foot holes so you can put him on a figure stand if you're so inclined.  The arm and head are both a little loose, but the figure is likely to be more durable and likely to stay standing on a shelf than his many brothers and sisters since 1999.   It's very thin in spots, but functionally it's good.  You won't love this figure, and while some of you may even hate it there's no denying it serves a purpose fairly well.   I'm glad Hasbro gave us 16 of these buggers rather than empty Droid racks.

Collector's Notes: Not knowing how many Hasbro made, I would suspect the MTT will be showing up on closeout shelves in the coming year.  Not because it's a poor toy, but because it's pretty obscure, pretty expensive, and frankly, pretty blah compared to last year's Republic Attack Shuttle Vehicle/Fortress and the previous collector-friendly ships like the AT-TE, Turbo Tank, AT-AT, and Millennium Falcon.

Vehicle Notes:  We're pretty spoiled.  The MTT is pretty neat, but it's basically a big box with a single gimmick... even at $99.99, or $49.99, it's going to be hard to convince people that this is an excellent toy.  I almost wish the racks were not powered electronically to keep costs down, if a kid could just slide the rack out manually and push a button to deploy the droids I have no doubt it would be a much cheaper piece.   Plus the whole "deploy the droids!" play isn't as fun as, say, spring-loaded damaged TIE Fighter wings, or the ATT's battle-damage feature, or the split-apart Clone Wars Jedi Starfighters.  I do dig the numerous storage bays, though, as there are many places to keep guns and other small parts plus store spare figures.  In many respects, the MTT could have made a better action figure carry case-slash-vehicle than an electronic key driver/feature-based vehicle.  If they just stuck a handle on the thing and hollowed it out, it would be an awesome way to haul your collection around if you had a collection small enough to be carried by someone with two hands.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,969: December 31, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,968: Obi-Wan Kenobi

OBI-WAN KENOBI  The Clone Wars
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  38525
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC103
Includes: Lightsaber, hilt
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: October 2012
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  No specific character information.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: It's always a little weird to see what Hasbro makes new and what Hasbro rereleases.  This Obi-Wan Kenobi is an awesome translation of the animated figure into the "realistic" style, fitting right in with your other figures.  It's also, by my count, at least the third "Clone Armor Kenobi" figure.  The first two were largely based on the 2003 animation design, while this one takes its cues from the 2008 animation model.  (The revised season 3 2010 model has yet to make the jump to "realistic.")   While not necessarily an essential release, I really dig this one and I appreciate that it brings a nice update of one of the best costumes to come out of the non-movie Star Wars mythos.

With 14 points of articulation, General Kenobi looks to reuse the limbs from the 2011 Clone Trooper at first glance.  When comparing Kenobi to the Clones, there's really only one piece that seems like it might be a straight reuse... everything else looks like a new sculpt.  The new Obi-Wan has swivel wrists, while the clones had bend-and-swivels.  The legs on the Clone Trooper were thinner, and the detail on the shoulder armor is different.  The gauntlets have different buttons on them, so it seems that the only reused parts on Obi-Wan Kenobi may be his lightsaber accessories.   Since 2012 we've seen nice "realistic" takes on Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka with an announcement of Mace Windu for 2013.  If we get Hondo Ohnaka and some Weequay Pirates I'll be set for life.

Collector's Notes: A shared online exclusive, it's entirely possible  you won't ever see this figure sold individually for its suggested retail price in person.  But online?  Oh yeah.  Amazon's prices on some of these guys has been super cheap, to the point where I don't get why they're selling them below cost.  If you can get it cheaply, so so.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,968: December 28, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,967: Tri-Droid

TRI-DROID Battle on Mygeeto
30th Anniversary Collection Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 87503 No. 87815
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 other figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99-$24.99
Availability: Summer 2008
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: As a stronghold of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the crystalline world of Mygeeto is caught in the maelstrom of the Clone Wars. It is where much of the Separatist movement’s wealth is kept, and so it is targeted by the Republic: gain control of Mygeeto, and the Separatists lose crucial funding. Ki-Adi-Mundi is stationed on the icy planet with the mission of wresting it from the Separatists. Together with Clone Commander Bacara, Ki-Adi-Mundi and the Galactic Marines battle the droid army in fierce urban fighting, pushing forward against a grim onslaught of super battle droids and enormous tri-droids.   (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Part of the fun (and danger) of making figures from a movie with digital models is that it can sometimes be tough to get a sense of scale. Particularly if the people doing approvals were asleep at the wheel. The 2008  Tri-Droid as unique Mygeeto deco, and is a redecorated version of a single carded figure sold earlier that year. It's larger than your average action figure, but nowhere near the size of the massive Walmart-exclusive Tri-Droid vehicle (Octuptarra Droid) which would come for the cartoon line. Given the design with this deco never appeared in the movie anyway (as far as I can tell) it's impossible to be "wrong," which means that for what it is, it's quite nice. The dark droid with the red and white highlights looks great, I particularly liked the separatist droid army faction symbol on the top of the head. There are little red lights all around the head, big white stripes on the legs, and of course, it's sizable. Each leg has multiple moving parts, although the design is a little wobbly and may need some care when it's time to display this one.

The figure is part of a pretty great set, so if you like a nice Battle Pack I'd say the Battle on Mygeeto may be right for you - each of the figures has unique deco, with the two droids having drastically different paint jobs. get it if you can!

Collector's Notes: This was the final "new" Battle Pack in the 87503 assortment, which mean it got that lovely Last Wave Syndrome. The big difference, though, is nobody seemed to care.  I saw it at Entertainment Earth and Toys R Us... and if memory serves, that's about it. It's $30ish these days, give or take.  That isn't a terrible price, really, although you may think otherwise if/when Hasbro resculpts Ki-Adi-Mundi and Commander Bacara. (It'll happen. Eventually.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,967: December 27, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,966: Snaggletooth

SNAGGLETOOTH Villain Set
The Vintage Collection  Target Exclusive Special Action Figures Set
Item No.: Asst. 32976 No. 39752
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Boba Fett, Tusken Raider
Action Feature: Holster
Retail: $14.99, $24.99, $26.99, other (varies)
Availability: July 2012
Appearances: Star Wars

Bio: Boba Fett, a fearsome, intergalactic bounty hunter, poses a threat to any member of the Rebel Alliance. Sand People, a tribe of desert nomads, survive by robbing innocent travelers like Luke. Snaggletooth is an alien creature seen by Luke and Ben lurking in the cantina.   (Taken from the set's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Depending on how much you paid for it, this Snaggletooth is either an awesome addition or a shameful cash grab.   So the update of Zutton or Snaggletooth or whatever his name is this week is tough to take on its own merits, despite being a new sculpt and a darned good one.   You get your 14 joints, and this figure probably would be really well-received on a Vintage cardback... if the original 1979 Kenner figure was the same guy.  There's another, similar alien named Zutton which has a different outfit and is slightly shorter-- that's what the 1979 figure is, and he's sorta from the Star Wars Holiday Special. Takeel is from the movie.  So... this is the one you should've got back then.

The figure is on par with Hasbro's better aliens today, with a nice wash over the body, good sculpting, uneven shoulders, and a nice recreation of the rubber mask.  It has a lot of personality, which is sort of a given when you've got a fang sticking out and big, black eyes.  Oh, and giant nostrils.  Seriously, this is a nifty one.  The boots look good, and you've got ankle joints and all that stuff.   Since it's a super-articulated vintage-quality figure, it's tough to review.  It looks right, the sculpting is good, it meets the expectations of a figure in 2012 and exceeds them slightly with some nice texture on the face and he looks good in a diorama.  I feel like I'm writing a fifth-grade book report.   It is what it is, and it's good.  You'd be smart to buy one for your Cantina toybox.

Collector's Notes: I got this set for $15, which was priced right.  The set included a variant Boba Fett (the backpack holds on better, the deco is 3% different) and yet another Tusken Raider.  But it was pretty common from its release around July through... well, now probably.  Don't overpay for this one in the future, it was pretty common and sat around.  Heck, I saw piles of these out at lunch today.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,966: December 26, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,965: Holiday Tall Jawa

JAWAS 3rd Edition
Star Wars Holiday Edition - Entertainment Earth Exclusive
Item No.: No. 34528
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 figures, 1 base, greeting card with envelope
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $17.99
Availability: 2004
Appearances: n/a

Bio:     Hasbro and Lucasfilm Ltd. are delighted to present the third in a series of Star Wars Holiday Edition commemorative sets. Inspired by the artwork of renowned artist Ralph McQuarrie, this specially designed set captures the imaginative vision of McQuarrie's art in collectible 3 3/4" action figure scale. Our gift to you, this piece is a distinctive addition to any Star Wars collection. May the Force be with you, and happy holidays.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: This set is interesting.  It was the first Entertainment Earth exclusive, after being developed for the Fan Club which has historically had some interesting changes of management and whatnot.  The Holiday Edition Jawas (we're looking at the tall one today) has a short but weird development.  Around this time, and this was before I came on board at Entertainment Earth full-time, there were talks about making one of the Jawas bright red and the other bright green to distinguish them from the normal releases... a concept which would be revisited with Darth Vader later.  I kicked and screamed and basically acted like a little brat... so the figures have clear red and clear green eyes but are otherwise Jawa-colored, and the taller of the two figures actually looks like he could fit right in with your Sandcrawler dioramas.  The Jedi Training Remote could be found in a junkpile, so it's not out of the question that this figure (a retool of the delightful 1996 figures) could fit right at home with the movie collection.  I think this is the only figure in this sub-line that has that distinction.

Based on the 1996 sculpt-- it has a 1996 date on the back-- the figure is a little dated but still looks good.  The uni-leg remains, and is joined by a uni-arm as the hands are molded to the remote, so it all moves as one piece.  There's also a waist joint, but for all intents and purposes this is less of a toy than it is a decoration.  Like I was mentioning yesterday, this kind of product sort of kicks Hallmark in the balls, so to speak, as you can just stick an ornament hook in a figure's head for $10 and it looks way better than a $16-$20 resin figurine.   The set is an adequate representation of the characters on the Ralph McQuarrie holiday card, and in 2004 there were (if you can believe it) still only 3 different molds from which to choose for your Jawa needs.   This one, with the twin bandoliers and red (almost orange) eyes just seems to be a clever reuse of existing tooling and it serves a need nicely.

Oh, and there's a display base with the golden words "Holiday Edition" with a sandy base and two wrapped packages.  This would be a kajillion times better without the nameplate and the packages, but for the purposes of a holiday item it works nicely.

Collector's Notes: We had this in stock at Entertainment Earth for years.   It sold pretty well, but it would seem that the best audience for Star Wars mixed with holiday kitsch was (and always will be) Walmart.  Loose samples are as cheap as $6, packaged ones are around $20.  It's the last "Holiday Edition" set that actually looks like the card on which it's based, the last one being a cherry red Darth Vader which may be the only figure that I feel like a chump for buying.  I would laugh at me knowing how much I hate that figure.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,965: December 25, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,964: Santa Yoda

YODA 2nd Edition
Star Wars Holiday Edition
Item No.: No. 26763
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Bag, cane, stand, greeting card
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $12.95
Availability: 2003
Appearances: n/a

Bio: Hasbro and Lucasfilm Ltd. are delighted to present the second in a series of Star Wars Holiday Edition commemorative sets. Inspired by the artwork of renowned artist Ralph McQuarrie, this specially designed set captures the imaginative vision of McQuarrie's art in collectible 3 3/4" action figure scale. Our gift to you, this piece is a distinctive addition to any Star Wars colection. May the Force be with you, and happy holidays.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: I actually didn't open this Yoda until this year, mostly because it was on the list of figures I was going to open after I got what I considered to be some form of permanent residence.  It's a very nice figure, and these show off just how far Hasbro came since the 1990s, during a time where Hallmark's Christmas ornaments were slightly more prized as collectibles due to their quality and authenticity, to some extend.  They were a harder material, and generally decorated significantly better than the toys of the day.  Flash-forward to 2003, and Hasbro is crushing them like a bug with figures like this Santa Yoda proving it.  It's a better item at a better price.  Suck on that, Hallmark!

This is one of the better Holiday Edition figures, as it actually looks like what the card represents.  Yoda has a mere 3 points of articulation, but sports a great head sculpt and articulated shoulders as well as a moving neck.  Each hand holds an accessory.  His right holds a sack filled with toys, while the left carries a cane.  Sure, Yoda's head departs from the card in that the figure's lips are parted slightly, but other than that it's a decent representation of the classic Lucasfilm Christmas card.  It has the big colorful ball (more orange than yellow) plus a green wooden toy block set on the base.  The base itself says "Holiday Edition" (no kidding) and has a nifty snowy design with tracks and footprints.  There's a groove in the back of the figure stand for displaying the card - a nice touch, to be sure.  The decoration is quit good with the toys in the back having lots of unique paint applications.  Having said that, they're a little muddy and it's tough to tell just what it is I'm looking at.  While hardly an essential figural purchase, it's a cute gift item and a nice holiday decoration.  You can do worse.

Collector's Notes: This figure doesn't actually have a name.  The front of the box doesn't have the word "Yoda" on it anywhere, and the back just identifies it as a McQuarrie art piece rendered in figure form.  How odd.  Also, the "2nd Edition" above refers to the packaging, which itself refers to this being the second in a series of Hasbro Star Wars Christmas figures.   There would be 4 total sets, although they could have called it quits after the first three and I'd have been pretty happy.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,964: December 24, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,963: R9-Series Blue Astromech Droid

R9-SERIES ASTROMECH DROID Blue Dome with Silver Panels
Star Tours Droid Factory Customizable Figure
Item No.: No. ???
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Head, 2 legs, torso, central third leg, optional hat
Action Feature: Comes apart
Retail: $10-$12
Availability: 2012
Appearances: n/a

Bio: These figures do not have specific packaging or configurations.  As such, we will be treating each dome as a unique "figure" as that part is the most plentiful.   At this time there are 25 domes and while Hasbro sometimes seems to indicate they are not Hasbro product, they do have Hasbro copyright markings and as such we are classifying them under the Hasbro banner.

Image: Adam's photo hole.

Commentary: Ah, it's the Christmas season.   That means I'm in the midst of my most sacred holiday tradition, which is re-listening to the five episodes of the classic Chunklet podcast.  (Reasons: Big Black, Mission of Burma, A Frames, Blood on the Wall, Scratch Acid, and I hate Christmas music.  'Tis the season for decent rock music.)  We'll also look at some Holiday-themed figures next week, as I keep neglecting to trot them out.  This has nothing to do with the R9-Series Astromech Droid but we've looked at a few of these by now.   This one is a decent release because the mold makes this color work.  The red one feels a little pock-marked and rough, but in blue it seems to smooth over much (but not all) of the rough edges.  We've still got silver panels, a black eye, and some other markings but it's obvious that this not-smooth dome really looks better in a darker color.  After looking at thousands of these goofy things, I can also say with quantifiable certitude that any and all astromech droid figures should have very glossy black central eyes... this one is a smidgen shiny, but the ones that REALLY shine are the most lively.   Because of its weirdness, I consider this a worthwhile purchase, although the green one ain't bad either.  I opted to stick it on the "dark blue" astromech body, which is actually a smidgen similar to R3-M3.

Collector's Notes:  This item was a customizable release at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, and you can configure them any way you wish.  Well, in theory, that's assuming they have the parts you want and they might not.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,963: December 21, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,962: Pit Droid

PIT DROID  with Ratts Tyerell
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures and also Discover the Force Mos Espa Race set
Item No.: Asst. 37499 No.  26973  
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC77
Includes: Goggles, blaster, other figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: January 2012
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  No specific character information.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' yard while under construction.  Yes, that is a pile of dirt.

Commentary: So while comparing this Pit Droid which came with Ratts Tyerell with the pair that came in the Mos Espa Arena Walmart Exclusive Gift Set, I found out they're all the same figure.  Harumph.  The Mos Espa Race packaging shows a Pit Droid with different deco, but that's not what you get.  You get this.  The mold is based on the infamous "Bonus Pit Droids" of 2000, a mold so rare fans actively lobbied for Hasbro to bring it out to the USA and they sort of succeeded, and the story goes (if I recall correctly) that Hasbro had to actually recreate the tooling to bring them back.  They did a nice job, it's a cute little figure.

The engineering is the same as before, and its fatal flaw is in the legs: they bend out of shape easily, and with no foot pegs he may fall over.  He has swivel shoulders and hips, plus a ball-jointed head.  The figure is filled with personality and can move his head around to emote in numerous fun little ways.  Well, a couple.  The figure has no accessories of his own, but is a nice bonus in any set.  The light, maroon-ish head has a lot of dirt and soot on it which makes this relatively simple design look amazing.  Sure, the sculpting is good, but the paint adds a lot of dimension to this otherwise more-or-less same figure.  I like it. It's cute.  More please.

Collector's Notes:  The set was widely available in 2012 at various points in the first half, so you should have got one at retail by now.  You might still be able to find it but I wouldn't hold your breath for too long... you're in the end of "crazy parents who will buy anything" season and that usually serves as a decent correction to any unsold pegwarmers.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,962: December 20, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,961: R2-D2

R2-D2 Many Features
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568  No. 21486
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: VC25
Includes: 7 glasses, drink tray, sensorscope, drink dispenser, lightsaber hilt
Action Feature: Pop-out arm, pop-up lightsaber, sensorscope, retractable third leg
Retail: $7.99
Availability: October 2010
Appearances: Return of the Jedi

Bio:  Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Fore be with you!  (Taken from the figure's packaging.  There is no bio.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' former apartment complex' driveway.

Commentary: This figure's an odd one, because R2-D2 was released in the 2010 Vintage line as a figure which exceeds the mandate of updating 1984 Pop-Up Lightsaber R2-D2 by leaps and bounds.  In the old days an R2-D2 figure had, at beast, 2 action features.  One? The dome clicks when you turn it.  Two? Either you had a pop-up scope, or a lightsaber that pops up.  And that was it... and we liked it!   This figure goes and basically shoves in most of the Original Trilogy features you could ask for, including the lightsaber stored in the dome, the famous sensorscope, a pop-out arm, and yes, a drink tray with removable drinks.  Back when the figure first hit you could get it for $8, and it's really hard to complain about getting a figure with this many moving parts and accessories for the price.  The deco is good, too, super-clean and factory fresh.

The figure comes up short- literally- among his brothers.  This is the shortest Astromech droid sculpt, but there's a reason: according to some sources, all the other ones are too big and this guy is closer to the right size.  In what I consider a decision of mercy, Hasbro opted to do only R2-D2 in the shorter size, and keep each and every other Astromech droid in the larger, "normal" size.   (If I had to re-buy the entire lot of them again, my head would explode.)   This version of R2-D2 doesn't have any particularly exceptional articulation, it's just as good as the others with a better compliment of accessories and I would argue a better attention to detail.  The panels and everything look a smidgen better, making this a worthwhile purchase.

Collector's Notes:  While I do tend to do the eyeroll thing a bit when Hasbro announces yet another R2-D2, I can't argue that this wasn't a good one for the issue price.  It's great.  It's impressive.  It'll also set you back $6-$15 on eBay, which is certainly a worthwhile price.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,961: December 19, 2012