Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,441: Omega Squad Commando (Boss Repaint)

OMEGA SQUAD COMMANDER Elite Forces of the Republic
30th Anniversary Collection Entertainment Earth Exclusive Mandalorians & Omega Squad Set
Item No.: Asst. 87467 No. 87455
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Backpack, rifle, 6 more figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $39.99
Availability: November 2007
Appearances: Republic Commando novels

Bio: This elite clone commando squad wears black armor, unlike most other commando squads. They are originally from different squads whose ranks were ravaged during the Battle of Geonosis. Those who survived were combined to form the Omega Squad. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' apartment complex parking lot. If you people gave me some money for this column I could afford a house by now.

Commentary: The members of Omega Squad were requested by fans and here they are, as repaints of Delta Squad. This particular figure is a repaint of Boss, as he lacks the backpack gear or any other special add-ons on his person. The figure has 10 points of articulation with swivel wrists and ball-jointed elbows, making him a good-- but not perfect-- figure. I saw no shortage of complaints when it came to the articulation of Clone Commando Scorch and all his descendants, although I have a hard time truly faulting them as, generally speaking, they're pretty good. They look good, and sure, Hasbro COULD have done a better job-- they certainly would have got a good return on the mold with all the repaints plus the popularity of the characters. But it is what it is-- the token black repaint, which most toy fans know is an inevitable strong seller. This set did fairly well, selling out in a reasonable amount of time thanks in part to it being a giant pile of awesome. Each 7-figure set had 3 Mandalorians and 4 Clones, which was a hard deal to turn down.

Of the entire set, this figure is the least ornate-- all the other commando figures have more gear-- but he's still pretty nice. He also does have a quartet of silver dots on his breastplate, just like the Communications figure in the set. The rest of the black Omega Squad figures are unpainted as dots go, but sport the bodysuit paint and the helmet deco.

Collector's Notes: So far these figures are exclusive to this gift set. The set itself has retained much of its value, actually climbing slightly-- so if you see a deal on it, grab it. It's possible Hasbro will some day revisit these characters as they would be easy sellers, but it's getting increasingly difficult to pinpoint who Hasbro is going to make and why in their movie line.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,441: December 22, 2010