CLONE TROOPER ARMY Army of the RepublicClone Wars Deluxe Figures
Item No.: Asst. 84845 No. 84987
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Non-removable rifle, binoculars, 2 more figures
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Fall 2003
Appearances: Attack of the Clones, Clone Wars
Bio: Virtually indistinguishable from one another, Clone Troopers are identical in physical appearance, mental capability, and stamina. Part of a clone army, they are grown in the cloning facilities of Tipoca City, a luminescent city of industry emerging from the raging seas of Kamino. Although clone troopers share the same modified genetic code, their genetic structure has been altered to make them less independent than their genetic host, and their growth has been accelerated to twice the normal rate of a human. Grown and trained specifically for military combat, the Clone Army was mysteriously commissioned ten years earlier. (Taken from the figure's cardback.)
Image: Adam Pawlus' photo dump.
Commentary: The Clone Trooper army men were a really nifty idea from 2003: 3 simple figures for ten bucks. This will never, ever happen again. This was also a rare instance where a whopping five variants shared a single SKU, so you really didn't know which version(s) you were getting if you bought a case or ordered by mail. They all had the same SKU and UPC, so it was probably the most miserable time to try to complete a set. I know there were certain variants, like this one, I never once saw at retail. This particular clone is an all-white trooper with special binoculars, and was the most uncommon mold of the 5 sets. (A yellow version also exists.) It looks cool because it has a little bit more "action" sculpted into the figure, but it is posed awkwardly enough that you probably won't want to futz with it too much. It's the perfect filler for your Republic Gunships, or for diorama fodder. It was a really clever idea to infuse the then-starved Clone Trooper Market which suffered through only 3 Clone Trooper action figures in 2002. 3! Can you imagine a movie year with only three Clone Troopers? That's crazy.
A display stand is advised for this one, and while it isn't the best-ever Clone Trooper it's certainly a nifty one and a noble experiment. I would love to see these cheap, barely-poseable figures added as a bonus item if/when manufacturing costs allow, as they make great filler in vehicles so I can use my other figures for other needs. They sold pretty well too if memory served, although it wasn't uncommon to see many of one flavor and none of others depending on the city in which you dwelled.
Collector's Notes: The figure isn't necessarily rare, but due to how people sell figures it can be tough to locate as simply finding the correct name on eBay or Amazon, plus the right photo with the listing, can prove tricky. Ask questions before buying if you can't purchase it in person.
--Adam Pawlus
Day 1,974: January 7, 2013
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