Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,386: Clone Trooper

CLONE TROOPER Damaged White Style 1
Original Trilogy Collection Clone Trooper Troop Builder Four-Pack Assortment, Entertainment Earth Exclusive (and others)
Item No.: Asst. 85688 No. 85777
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster Pistol, collectible poster
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $34.99 (part of a four-pack)
Availability: Spring 2005
Appearances: Primarily Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and The Clone Wars

Bio: Virtually indistinguishable from one another, clone troopers are identical in physical appearance, mental capability and stamina. Part of a clone army, they are grown in the cloning facilities of Tipoca City, a luminescent city of industry emerging from the raging seas of Kamino. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: If you bought the four unique Clone Trooper army builders from 2005, you may have noticed that the four white "battle damaged" clones each had a unique pattern of "damage." Some said "mold," but blast marks are blast marks. With 14 points of articulation, the sculpt reuses the super-popular 2003 figure which, in a lot of ways, is the common ancestor for nearly every now-modern figure being released in 2010. So back to the damage-- this one has two distinct splotches on the front which, if memory serves, Hasbro said something to the effect that it made more financial sense to do dirt on the front than on the back. (If this memory is correct, I agree with them.) Both markings are on the figure's left-hand side, with one splotch of paint on the chest plate and another on the shin, just above the knee. For whatever reason, Hasbro has continued to use this mold but neglects to put any battle damage of any sort on the figure. Seeing how this clone mold has been in constant circulation since 2007, frankly, I can't see why they don't try this or another form of "damage" on the figures. Even though Saga Legends is the kiddie line, half a penny's worth of black paint could make this mold desirable to adult fans yet again.

But I digress. This is a solid figure, one of four unique patterns, and it's pretty good. If you do dioramas or displays, this set is a must-buy simply because there are no other official "damaged" clones using this mold other than this specific collection. (Also, I had a hand in how it took shape, so yes I am biased. But you would be too, just look at these figures. They're great.)

Collector's Notes: While it's hard to see in the picture (and in person), this figure's plastic was mixed before Hasbro seemed to crack the code to make figures not yellow. As such, it's not uncommon for the figure to have an off-white or slightly yellow torso. The white plastic for the body is different than that of the arms, which, really, has been a problem with these figures since 1978 and the infamous "green limbs" Chewbacca. (For the kids out there, that's a sun-damaged figure and not a variant.)

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,386: October 6, 2010