Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 861: R7-T1

R7-T1 Astromech Droid
The Legacy Collection Droid Factory
Item No.:
Asst. 87730
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: n/a, parts are accessories which come with other figures
Action Feature: Collect the parts to build R7-T1
Retail: n/a
Availability: July 2008
Appearances: Star Wars

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy shelves.

Bio: R7-T1, nicknamed Artee, served as Luke Skywalker's in-flight astromech droid when the Jedi Master borrowed an E-wing escort starfighter from the New Republic Defense Force for a brief time during the Black Fleet Crisis. However, Skywalker never became comfortable with either the new starfighter design or the newer-model droid, and soon abandoned them in favor of his usual T-65 X-wing starfighter and his old friend and trusty astromech droid, R2-D2. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Commentary: If you don't recognize R7-T1, that's a good thing. As far as I can tell, this is the first licensed visual representation of the small robot. Based on the same mold used to make R7-Z0, this droid has what I consider to be a fantastic paint job. Just look at it-- it's like some crazy R2-D2 concept born of the 1980s. He has fairly average articulation for an astromech droid, and his parts are completely swappable with all other build-a-droid figures released (or that I've played with) thus far. He's much more colorful and vibrant than the other droids released so far this year, and he looks like he might fit right at home in some sort of diorama. Or maybe in a droid socket. Basically, this is a figure you're going to get because you collect everything and because you love droids-- it's going to take some effort to put him together, especially as there's only one of him in every wave 2 case, and you have to buy four figures to get it. There's really not much to say other than you already know if you want this one or not-- I'm the kind of person who does, for many reasons. It's neat to look at, it's weird, and apparently it belongs to Luke. How much better can a weirdo new droid get?

Collector's Notes: Shipping in limited quantities with wave 2 of The Legacy Collection, you have two options to get this figure. One, collect the four figures listed below with the correct parts (be sure to ask before you buy). Two, buy a complete loose one on eBay. The going rate seems to be about $10-$15 for a complete one, with individual pieces going for a buck or two each. (After shipping, it'll add up.) Buying the droid at retail will set you back $28-$32 before taxes, so if you're going to pay $15-$20 on eBay you may be best served just buying the four individual figures. And sending me your spare Quarren Soliders and Mon Calamari Warriors. Trust me, they'll be happy at my place.

Assembly Notes: These are the parts you need and, at press time, the figures you need to get them:
Dome & center leg: Quarren Soldier #BD15
Body: Mon Calamari Warrior #BD14
Left leg: Padme Amidala #BD12
Right leg: Saesee Tiin #BD11

--Adam Pawlus


Day 861: October 1, 2008

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