Figure of the Day: Day 363: Super Battle Droid

SUPER BATTLE DROID Firing Arm Blaster
Revenge of the Sith Collection 1
Item No.: Asst. 85173 No. 85281
Number: III-04
Includes: Spare rocket firing arm, blast effect
Action Feature: Arm fires rocket
Retail: $5.24-$6.99
Availability: April 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Manufactured by Count Dooku, the tough, deadly and durable super battle droids are used by the Separatist forces in battle. These droid armies clash with the clone troopers throughout the galaxy. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' desk.

Commentary: If there's one thing fans like, it's troopers-- in theory. Collectors never really were all that gung-ho about Battle Droids, even the Super Battle Droid. This particular release is notable because it contains elements from a previously released figure, and another previously released figure, and comes up with something more or less new. Or new enough. You see, the rocket firing arm is adapted from a 2002 Super Battle Droid. The rest of the figure comes from a deluxe two-pack with Yoda from 2002. The deco is mostly new, but the figure has little in the way of detail work.

The droid itself is pretty nice and shiny, looking as if it just came off the assembly lines of the galactic confederacy. The lines are clean, the design is smooth, and it has five points of articulation. The figre itself is pretty excellent, but when you have reduced articulation, the sculpt becomes more important than ever, as a couple of crappy legs mean that a figure will be doomed to not stand properly, lean over, or just exist solely as cannon fodder. Some samples of this figure do have issues leaning and will require a display base, otherwise gravity will bring them down faster than a Jedi strike force. This is a fun figure to play with, as its firing arm and simple articulation structure gives it that pick-up-and-play aesthetic that, in theory, we all really want. Problem is, for me, a figure that cannot stand up stops being fun really quick because you can't have another figure "attack" it and knock it over if it's already going to play dead on its own.

Collector's Notes: The mold for the body was originally used in 2002 with the Yoda vs. Super Battle Droid deluxe set. Then it was reused here, in the Battle of Geonosis Battle Pack (with slightly different deco), and a Kashyyyk Super Battle Droid redeco as well. This mold is quite common, but as it's not exactly well articulated, collectors on a budget would be best served steering clear of this one and picking up the 2007 30th Anniversary Collection release.

Day 363: May 4, 2007