Figure of the Day: Day 322: Battle Droid Pilot

BATTLE DROID with Armored Scout Tank
Episode I Invasion Force
Item No.: Asst. 84205 No. 84367
Number: n/a
Includes: Rockets, Vehicle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: January 2000
Appearances: The Phantom Menace

Bio: Specially designed for the Trade Federation's secret army, the light armored scout tank is a nimble vessel capable of presenting the enemy with a blistering hail of assault fire from high-power twin laser cannons. Piloted by one battle droid, but usually travelling in formations of three, the scout tank is perfect for quick hit-and-run missions. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' Separatist Vehicle Shelf.

Commentary: While they appeared in both The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith, to date there's only been one pilot version of the Battle Droid action figure produced, and this is it. It's a little stiff, with about five meaningful points of articulation, no blasters, and little in the way of dirt deco. Still, it looks cool, and is about as basic as you can get-- if this figure didn't have the blue shoulder markings of a pilot, there really wouldn't be much nice to say about it, aside from the fact that it came with a nice vehicle for the price. Unfortunately, there isn't much to it-- black eyes, blue shoulders, no accessories, and very little in the way of articulation means this figure can serve your armies as either a pilot for his vehicle, or shelf fodder. It isn't a lot of fun to play with by itself, but when combined with his miniature "scout" version of the Trade Federation AAT, it's totally cool for the money and well worth picking up.

Collector's Notes: This item was sold in a closed box with a window revealing the figure, and in a window box with a diorama background showcasing the entire product. Considering this figure came packaged with a modern "Mini Rig" for $9.99 when basic figures sold for $6.99, it was an excellent value.

Day 322: March 24, 2007