Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,468: Retail Droid LR-57

RETAIL DROID LR-57 Combat Droid
The Clone Wars Clone Troopers & Droids Battle Pack
Item No.: Asst. 94743 No. 19677
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Stand, additional figures, display stand, game card
Action Feature: Firing rocket launcher
Retail: $24.99
Availability: June 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: LR-57 combat droids, also called Retail droids, were battle droids used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars. Primarily used as sentinels, these droids stood on two bipedal legs and had two arms, each equipped with two blaster cannons, four in all. (Stolen from Wookieepedia.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' kitchen.

Commentary: If you saw The Clone Wars movie, one of the weirder designs that really stood out was the Retail Droid. Why? Because it's clearly a soda can with feet and arms. This bizarre creation feels like a leftover from the days where model makers would bash together model kits and garbage to create exciting sci-fi beings, except that it's 2010 and they do all that in computers now. WIth its bizarre appearance, the digital designers made a weapon that (in more ways than one) looks like a disposable unit in the war against the Republic. The toy, on the other hand, is not disposable, but it's the main reason to buy the "Clone Troopers & Droids" Battle Pack.

While it can stand on its own, I would suggest making use of the included display stand since the legs have more than enough articulation. There are ball joints at the hips, plus knees, and it's really easy to pose this guy in strange ways which were probably never intended by the animators. The figure's design is pretty close to the animation model, although it's simplified slightly and the deco is significantly cleaner. The little antennae are here, the gun hands are here, and most important of all, he's still got the pop-top in the middle of his face. If you like your figures weird, this is the can't-miss robot of the season. How many soda can-based toys are you likely to see made in the near future? Few to none, so get this one. (Hey, that rhymes.)

Collector's Notes: There's a variation of sorts on this Battle Pack-- the 2010 shipments look normal, but the December 2010-early 2011 releases have a big sticker on the front of the box advertising the Galactic Battle Game Mat inside. You should grab that version if you have a choice and plan on opening it. Both versions seem to be fairly abundant, so odds are you can get a deal on it or you'll see a lot of it later. It's a wonderful pack for anyone building armies of animated-style figures.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,468: January 28, 2011