Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,685: Magnaguard

MAGNAGUARD Feisty
The Vintage Collection Basic Figures
Item No.: Asst. 97568 No. 20830
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #VC18
Includes: Pistol, staff, energy bolts, cloth cape, removable hat
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: August 2010
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you! (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's TV tray.

Commentary: This Magnaguard is, arguably, as good as they get so far. It mixes cloth and plastic elements to make his cape with an incredible body sporting tons of moving parts. While the animated ones also turned out to be quite excellent, this one is as good as they get for the movie design and is, depending on your preferences, the better droid. When you get it, take note that the hood for the head wasn't put on particularly well-- you can adjust it slightly so his "mouth" pokes through the bottom part of the hood's opening. The design is good, but the assembly, not so much.

Covered in dirty deco, the figure looks much closer to the movies than its 2005 counterpart. Its torso is a little thick, but it's still a fairly solid piece with good accessories. The tattered cloth robes have a nice printing on them that isn't the kind of thing you usually see at this scale. For all your dueling purposes, and some of your display purposes, this is a great figure. Due to its construction it may require additional support-- beyond just the peg on a display stand-- to stay upright for long periods of time. His red eyes and skeletal form will look great on your shelves, provided he doesn't topple over and destroy anyone standing in front of him. If only the Grievous figures were this good!

Collector's Notes: He's more or less gone now, but arguably worth the asking price. If you have the chance, be sure to get this one (or any future repaints) for your stash-- you'll be glad you did. It currently goes for slightly more than retail on eBay, closer to $14 in some cases.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,685: November 29, 2011