Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,644: TA-175 Tactical Droid

TACTICAL DROID with Armored Scout Tank
The Clone Wars Vehicles with Figures
Item No.: Asst. 94737 No. 20795
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Scout tank, blaster rifle, game stand and card
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $16.99
Availability: November 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Tactical droid TA-175 drives an Armored Scout Tank (AST) during the Battle of Ryloth. ASTs are light reconnaissance vehicles armed with twin laser cannons and often used for small hit-and-run missions. Tactical droids have more advanced programming to command Separatist troops. Each one has a unique paint scheme, so that no two units are identical. Like all tactical droids, TA-175 is impatient and demanding as he pilots the single-operator AST to assess the battle. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' stove.

Commentary: Of the Tactical Droid figures released so far, TA-175 is my favorite-- he looks good, and lucky for you, he's the most common so far. (The first single-carded Tactical Droid remains... difficult to find.) It shares the same sculpt with that figure, and the same flaws-- the packaging bends the figure oddly, as do the rubber bands, so you may need to repair the structure by dipping him in some boiling water or whatever it is you prefer to do to fix up your misshapen figures.

This design doesn't have knee joints, but he does sport neck, waist, hip, shoulder, elbow, and wrist movement. The wrists can be particularly tricky, so be careful with those-- the fingers are delicate, and while I haven't seen any tear off yet it never hurts to take care with some of these guys. It's a great design and as characters go, it feels like something that would have made a great puppet in Return of the Jedi if they decided not to go with EV-9D9. If the chance comes up, get this figure-- unless I missed one, there are only two Tactical Droid figures to date and given how stingy Hasbro has been with the design, I don't know if we can expect another one any time soon.

Collector's Notes: If you want a Tactical Droid and aren't picky which one you get, this is the cheaper way to go-- the vehicle was originally $17, and TX-20 sells for $20-$40. TA-175 doesn't carry the same gear, but he's got a tank, and is cheaper-- and that's certainly worth a look.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,644: October 3, 2011