Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,794: Commando Droid

COMMANDO DROID Bounty Hunters from Hostage Crisis Animated Series Episode
The Clone Wars Target Exclusive Gift Set
Item No.:   Asst. 19540 No.  19543 
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, stand, additional figures, crappy DVD
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: October 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio:     Bounty hunters and droids take senators hostage on Coruscant. Robonino, Shahan Alama, assassin droids and commando droids help Cad Bane force the release of Ziro the Hutt.   The villainous posse infiltrates the Republic Senate, captures a small group of senators, and frees the imprisoned crime lord.   Cunning and ruthless, the criminal gang gets the best of clone troopers, Senate commando guards, and even Anakin Skywalker before fleeing the planet.  (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' kitchen.

Commentary:  When I think of the "Hostage Crisis" episode, I think of the IG droids running around with Shahan Alama and his cohorts.  The Commando Droid didn't quite stick in my brain as much, but hey, they were there and we get what appears to be a Black Sun logo on its chest and I love faction logos.  I'd wear it on a t-shirt if someone made it. (Heck, I was lucky enough for someone to make the Separatist logo, a TIE Fighter wing lookin' thing, on a shirt for me.)  So yeah, I like it!  The figure is fundamentally similar to the thing and nicely articulated figure released earlier, except with new markings.  This is a significant repaint with some blue markings, which I assume is either gang-related or some form of odd blue urban camo.

The figure looks great on a display stand and the Commando Droid mold is one of the many good releases put out by Hasbro in what appears to be a decreasingly present animated action figure line.  He can fold up into a tiny little ball for storage reasons too, and his eyes are nice and bright.  You'll notice there's a peg coming off the side of his gun, and that can plug right into his back.   Short of giving fans even more gear, I can't imagine what else you could do to make this figure better.  Hasbro did a nice job and threw two of them in the set, so all I can say is that this was a fun set that I was happy Hasbro made.  Even if it was a crazy slow seller.

Collector's Notes: At $25 this set felt a little expensive, but now we live in the era of $8 or $9 figures so four figures for $25 seems like a pretty good deal.  The set has a DVD with clips form the saga-- worthless, and a waste of money which adds to the cost of the set-- but the newly-sculped Robonino and Shahan Alama are both welcome, and the droids are no slouches either. (The set has two.)  You should be able to get this set for $10-$20 these days, anything cheaper than that is a bargain that you would be a terrible person for skipping.   Screw lunch, you can stand to lose a few pounds. Buy this set!

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,794: April 30, 2012