Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,227: Stormtrooper Officer (Desert, The Force Awakens)

STORMTROOPER OFFICER Desert Assault Walker
The Force Awakens Entertainment Earth Exclusive Vehicle Pack-In
Item No.: No. B4842
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Blaster, Assaut Walker vehicle
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $29.99
Availability: October 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: These mobile assault walkers operate as mechanized calvary units, storming enemy positions and running down fleeting troops. (Taken from the figure's packaging.  It's the same as the Jungle version.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  One good Stormtrooper Officer deserves another!   A Stormtooper with an orange/red shoulder pad is right up my alley, because I'm one of those old farts that remembers in the early 1990s when customizers' Sandtroopers were just vintage Kenner Stormtroopers with a pauldron and no backpack or other changes.  (It's also one of the first times we've had an exclusive at work where we had no reference material and didn't see the movie/read the comic.  Exciting!)

It's charmingly retro, and a red pauldron is cooler than a black one if you ask me.   Other than that?  It's a slightly different figure - perhaps a different rank, I don't know what role pauldrons play in the First Order if any yet - and I like it more than the Jungle version of the vehicle, too.  After all, I live in the desert.

The Stormtrooper Officer figure is a tiny bit whiter than the Jungle mass-release black pauldron version, and the gun is fundamentally the same.  The paint masks for the black body glove deco are also similar to the Jungle trooper, which is to say they're a bit softer than the single-carded Stormtroopers.  If you got the Jungle version, this Stormtrooper is a lot like it.   It just feels more, I don't know, cheerful.  Fresher.  Expensive-r.

The vehicle - since we're here, let's talk about the vehicle - is also similar.  It's not a straight-up color swap, numerous changes were made other than "green" and "brown."   The Desert version has added markings under the "eye" guns, a different camo pattern, and extra camo on the body of the vehicle above the legs.  The legs also  have added paint on them, with extra elements decorated.  However, the Jungle version has some cool yellow markings under the legs and there's no analog present on the desert version.   As to declaring a winner, I'd say either is exactly as much fun but it's far easier for me to spot details in the Desert version.  The "screens" behind the controls pop a little more thanks to the brighter plastic colors, and if you're like me you're just going to buy them both.   I give a slight edge to the Desert version, but it has the same articulated ankles, hips, and chin gun as the Jungle version.  Get what you like, either one is enjoyable.   I'm more of a "both" kind of person, though.  I wonder if we'll get a snow one?  I assume we won't get a space one.

You know I like it - but if the numbers don't add up for you I can't blame you for skipping it.  For me, it works.  But I've got a shelf full of slightly different TIE Fighters and I just adore this kind of weirdness.  The Desert TIE Fighter went from "That's dumb!" to "That's awesome!" when I got it in my hands.  I won't say I'm the most discriminating person when it comes to the right kinds of weirdness, and I think this one qualifies.  If you like what you see, I think you'll like it.  If you wanted a Death Star instead, well, let's all cross our fingers for the next movie.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.  Full disclosure - I work there and this is our exclusive.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,227: October 30, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,226: Sarco Plank (The Force Awakens)

SARCO PLANK Scavenger
The Force Awakens   Snow and Desert Figures
Item No.: Asst. B3963 No. B4176
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Gun, bigger gun
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $7.99
Availability: September 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: A scavenger and trader who scours frontier worlds for riches, Sarco Plank must wear a specialized mask that keeps his native atmosphere circulating through his alien lungs. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  I was considering waiting to write up Sarco Plank until I knew more about it, but then I found out he was included in a recent novel to menace Luke Skywalker.  With that in mind, I'm assuming that - like the Ephant Mon/Ki-Adi-Mundi thing in the comics - it's pretty likely that Sarco Plank won't be doing much of anything in the new movie beyond showing up and saying hello.  So I'm assuming we won't be seeing him do all that much, but really, I have no reason to assume this beyond the book connection.   It's a pretty neat figure!  

One of the things about character design in the prequels I didn't care for was more gowns and less pants.   This continues that trend.   Sure, the figure's legs are sliced up so his legs can move but chunky gown legs do impose limitations on movement, regardless of how you joint the legs.  The arms move fine, the neck is more or less stuck thanks to the design of the hood, and the legs swing forward but not enough to fit in most vehicles.   They did a decent job there, but the sculpting is really, genuinely something.   The exposed green skin and hair feels truly alien - even for Star Wars, you don't see a lot of green hairy guys. 

The face mask looks like a bug, with wonderfully intricate tampos giving it a weird, presumably reflective, form of light.  His cloak is insane - there's a great fabric pattern but also really nifty stitching, with an obvious change of texture about ankle-high on the figure.  What's more, if you look between his legs - and really, who wouldn't? - there's even more to see there.  The nutty people at Hasbro actually painted the interior of his pants, a detail you will never see unless you have one leg kicked out and the other one left alone.  Separately designed breathing gear is integrated to the head and as a backpack, which just adds to the weirdly alien look that - amazingly - continues this line's tradition of covering up most alien faces.   It's amazing how they really turned the whole creature design aspect of so many characters on its head by just not showing them to you.

As weapons go, he has a wrapped-up cobbled-together blaster by default which fits in his hands and works just fine.  There's no paint, and I assume it's accurate to the movie.  Minus the whole paint thing, at least.  It fits, it works.

It is joined by a "Combine Weapon" blaster which is similarly proportioned, but much larger.  It's silly, and you can plug it in to Ezra's mortar weapon and Kanan's Portal gun to make an incomprehensible and utterly worthless piece of hardware.  As a gun, it's decent - just big.   As these weapons go it's pretty nice, and only mildly ridiculous.  Sarco Plank can even hold it - a rarity for these things, so that's a plus.

I like this figure because it's really bizarre.   One of the great things about the original Star Wars was how we were treated to exotic forms of life with no backstory - they were just there.  Over the years, that got eaten away.  It's likely Sarco Plank will get more of an origin, and maybe we'll see him unmasked.  I hope not.  I really like the idea that there are some strange worlds inhospitable to humans with weirdly colored beings who, even in their presence, we may never really truly see.   I've got a lot of weird toys, and this one really does strike me as odd.  Get it if you can.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.  

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,226: October 29, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,225: Ahsoka Tano (Rebels, The Force Awakens)

 AHSOKA TANO and Darth Vader
The Force Awakens 2-Packs
Item No.: Asst. B3955 No.  B3959
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Lightsabers, lightsaber spinner thing, Darth Vader with accessories
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2015
Appearances: Star Wars: Rebels

Bio: Anakin Skywalker's apprentice Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order before it was destroyed during the Great Jedi Purge, but the truth of her fate remains unknown. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Isn't it funny what a difference a few years makes?  In 2008 the character of Ahsoka Tano was sort of a whiny kid sister assigned to challenge Anakin Skywalker and who was unfortunately assigned dialogue with awkward nicknames for someone  who fans already had wavering amounts of respect for in the first place.   She proved herself on the show and quickly became a hit with fans, especially the younger ones.  Those fans grew up and now seven years after her debut we found out she's been retroactively named as one of the founders of the Rebellion - which makes a lot of sense.   We probably missed her 20s, and my guess is here she's 30ish.

Warning/guarantee: Ahsoka was not designed with the kind of squared-off legs you may be used to thanks to her unique costume - a bit of armor hangs over her waist and down over her legs.  On my sample, it was "glued" with paint and made a terrible tearing sound when I tried moving her legs forward.  Everything is fine, but you may wish to be careful in case yours does rip.   It's flexible plastic, but since it's held by a small strip of plastic it pays to be concerned.

Her costume looks a lot like what I assume she would have worn during the Clone Wars - the toy is missing the wrist communicator, but the armor looks like a mutation of what the various Jedi generals wore, and the coloring looks similar to what she was fond of wearing on the show.  Her flesh-hair has grown in, and the figure itself looks a lot like the animation model - a little paint slop, but generally quite good.   There's a lot of color, and the only thing that really irks me here are her hips.  Like Vader, each leg has a "hook" that serves no purpose - her lightsabers can't hang there and there are no hilts included.  They're just something of an eyesore.   It's also worth noting my sample has difficulty standing - if she's holding her lightsabers with her blades facing behind her, the weight may keep her upright briefly but she almost always teeters forward.  If you have display stands, she's a figure that will make good use of them.
  
Speaking of accessories, they're not bad.  She has a blue energy blast with a handle that spins, complete with lightsaber slots.  It's similar to The Clone Wars Darth Maul's, but a different sculpt.  The energy and lightsaber blades are a bluish hue, which more or less matches up with the show's almost-white.   Each hilt is unique, but doesn't quite match the ornate (and most worthy of replicating at a larger scale) versions from the show.    One hilt is bent in a way that I assumed it was warped plastic, but that's just how decades of collecting has treated me to see bent plastic.  Even if intentional, it sometimes looks wrong.  Each blade also lacks the "flare" at the base - a feature on nearly every lightsaber since 2001.

Because of what this figure is - the only adult Ahsoka ever, the only Ahsoka in stores in 3 years, and also packed with a new Darth Vader - you'll want it.  Yeah, she can't stand.  Yeah, sitting's a problem.   But she comes with a new Vader and it's not like we're swimming in Rebels toys.   $15 ain't a killer for this set, even if the figures could have used a little more time cooking.   Get it anyway, unless a better one has been released.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.   An Ahsoka/Anakin Mission Series 2-pack was long rumored and, hopefully, still possibly coming.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,225: October 28, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,224: Unkar's Thug (The Force Awakens)

UNKAR'S THUG and BB-8 and Jakku Scavenger
The Force Awakens 2-Packs
Item No.: Asst. B3955 No.  B3956
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 action figures, blaster, staff, net launcher
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: The strong-armed bullies who work for junk dealer Unkar Plutt help keep his scavenging business running on the remote world of Jakku. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: From the copy, I'm guessing Unkar's Thug might be one of Rey's coworkers.  With his similar pole and similar employment, it would stand to reason that they may see each other at the office Christmas parties.   For the time being Unkar's Thug has no actual name and may represent what I consider to be everything you should do with a new movie line.  Specifically: 1. make obscure dudes who people will buy before they know any better.  2. Package weird dudes with the dude people want.   It's a win-win.  I don't know if I like Unkar's Thug - or for that matter, Unkar - but I do know that right now, things like the Guavian Enforcer seem damned exciting.  Removed from context, Unkar's Thug is actually a pretty fascinating costume.

Packaged with a blaster in his hand and shown with a pole in an illustration, this costume looks not too far removed from some of the lower-budget costumes on Tatooine in Star Wars and Return of the Jedi.  With the blacked-out goggles and creepy mask evocative of Darth Vader, we know he's probably not a good guy just by looking at him.  We also know he's not wearing pants, as robes and gowns became the norm for this franchise and I find that troubling.  Seriously, what's wrong with pants?   The quilted vest looks like a lot of heat for a desert world, but we don't know if this guy is human or some sort of snow alien.  We do know that Abrams' crew brilliantly bypassed the burden of making new and believably Star Wars-y masks by giving him survival gear that looks like something out of this galaxy.   The gloves and shoes are nice, but he has problems sitting thanks to the bulky robes.  This figure feels a little undercooked with a squared-off butt area and the aforementioned can't-quite-sit legs.   The gun fits in his hand, the pole fits in his other hand, plus he looks good.  He's exquisite if you see this as a 3-pack and him as a $5 action figure.  (I do.)

With no new movie on our radar yet, this guy is really only measurable against the yardstick of other desert dwellers - Jawas, Tuskens, and the like - and he looks like a more genteel, more L.L. Bean cast-off take on that.  Those fancy shoes and vests just don't come from any space dumpster.  If I stuck this guy in the back of Jabba's Palace or a cantina display, it'd fit.   If you saw this guy as a background alien in a comic, it would be convincing.   By not buying this set, you are a bad person.   For $15, it's probably the best deal in the entire line - admittedly not high praise given the dollars vs. value proposition so far, but 3 figures for $15 works for me.  I assume his role in the movie will be about as fleshed-out as Bane Malar.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,224: October 27, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,223: R2-D2 (The Force Awakens)

R2-D2 and C-3PO
The Force Awakens 2-Packs
Item No.: Asst. B3955 No.  B3957
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Rocket launching harness, rockets, C-3PO
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: A loyal and dependable astromech droid well equipped for starship repair and computer interface, even after decades of service R2-D2 continues to be full of surprises. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  To me, it's not a Star Wars line unless it has R2-D2 in it - so the 2-packs not being out at launch (and being hard to get) colors my view of the new line as almost something of an impostor.   Thankfully he's here, and he's also been in Rebels near the beginning and in nearly every movie line over the last couple of decades.  You can put a guy in thrift store rags and blacked-out goggles and it's Star Wars-ish, but it's difficult to come up with an all-new design that immediately feels like Star Wars.  This is why you rerelease and repainted R2-D2 - and unsurprisingly, this one is both of those things but with a notable and great bonus accessory.

If you bought the Mission Series 2-pack with R2-D2 from 2013, you know what to expect - the shade of blue is different, and the date stamp has been updated to a more elegant printed (rather than carved) model, but it's fundamentally the same exact figure.  All three points of articulation have been preserved and the sculpt is still clean (and bare white on the back) as before.   The bald spot - the silver cap on his head instead of blue - is also there, so Hasbro neglected to make this correction with this release.  Perhaps I should complain more loudly next time.   Its a good representation of the character and should be enough to delight the kids - given the lower price of this mold, I hope they use it for future exclusive repaint opportunities.  I'd rather pay $7-$8 for a droid over $13.

What really makes this set sizzle is the utterly preposterous droid harness.  It's great.  I don't know that it's worth a $5 mark-up over the previous accessory-free set of R2-D2 and C-3PO, but I'll be honest - I'd have paid it.  It's not particularly securely assembled.  Each rocket is a 2-piece item, as the "energy bolts" are a rubbery cap that goes over the head of the rocket.  (Please save your giggles.)   The color matches nicely.   The harness itself is three pieces.  Each launcher is separated from the connective piece on his back which reminds me a bit of a jet pack.  It doesn't hold together perfectly, but it looks like a goofy 1980s mini-rig kind of a thing.   It fits perfectly, and it's nicely decorated - dark grey and blue bits give it a little more life.  Even more paint would be great as the details on the harness beg for some more color.   Normally I'm not a big fan of adding spring-loaded anything where it doesn't make sense, but this delivers on the promise of the undelivered 1996 "Attack R2-D2" figure we saw in a Kenner catalog as a line item.   It's also optional, so it's not entirely implausible to think that, at some point, R2-D2 had to pop a cap in someone's backside.

I really love this set - even though I own all the dang R2-D2 and C-3PO figures, it offers something new for both.  A new red arm for C-3PO and rocket launchers for R2-D2 changes up how we perceive these characters, and it makes it fun too.   If you have the means, get yourself this set.  If Hasbro never single-cards C-3PO, you are required by space law to get it.  I'm loving it, I wish R2-D2's paint was a tiny bit better - specifically that silver dome cap - but other than that, it's a lot of dumb fun and a good toy twist on everybody's favorite pet Swiss army knife.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,223: October 26, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,222: Jakku Scavenger (Teedo, The Force Awakens)

JAKKU SCAVENGER and BB-8 and Unkar's Thug
The Force Awakens 2-Packs
Item No.: Asst. B3955 No.  B3956
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 action figures, blaster, staff, net launcher
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: Teedo is a small, brutish scavenger that roams Jakku's vast wasteland on his semi-mechanical Luggabeast. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  He has a name!  And apparently, a Luggabeast.  Teedo's derivative name is better than the on-box Jakku Scavenger, which bears a TM while Teedo does not.  Curious!  This is a good set, with some bad gear.  Teedo makes for a nice figure, but his accessory is one of my least favorite in the line.  And I hate a lot of the accessories in this line.

This little guy is most likely a new species.   Like his companion thug, his face is covered so we don't get a good look at him - this has the added bonus of making him appear more menacing (see also: Jason Voorhees, Tusken Raiders) while employing a great cheat of making the movies look more real.   Subtlety and nuance are often lost as budgets increase, movie makers are more concerned with overly realistic designs and showing them off - here, at least so far, it looks like we're seeing a more conservative approach to alien design by considering the environment and pulling back.

By not showing the face, it's left to your imagination - we see some green reptilian skin on the back of his head, but we have no idea if he looks cute, goofy, or terrifying yet.   We may never see his face on-screen, like with the Jawas and Tusken Raiders.  (I am assuming this is an intentional nod.)   Mystery is good, but licensing partners want to show and tell us everything - it's a bad idea.  Not showing us Boba Fett's true face from 1979 through 2002 paid great dividends for the character, and it's possible the approach could work here too.  The little green guy is wrapped in beige cloth (shades of the Tuskens) and sports bandoliers crossed on his chest (see also, Jawas).  The mask is unique, with "snowshoes" for the desert and little bits of gear dangling off his costume.   While a simplistic design compared to the preposterously ornate gowns and suits of the prequels, it feels like it would be right at home in Jabba's Palace or a Cantina.  Were he to show up in a comic, you'd assume he belonged there.  He's Star Wars-y.  He also doesn't feel cheap despite being short and one of three figures in a great $15 set.

I like the pole accessory.  I love the figure.  I hate the big accessory.  He comes with a spring-loaded rocket launcher with nets on it, and if you're old you may recall similar accessories in other lines.  The designs are tough to execute, and generally don't play well - trying to catch an enemy in a spring-loaded net is tough, and that's when they're designed sensibly.  (Scavage Predator had a bola that worked quite well, though.)  This launcher is far too big for the figure to hold, and requires  you to deploy two flick rockets simultaneously in order for it to fly.   Needless to say, this does not work well.   The gun is too big for a 6-inch figure, and some sort of pole or tripod to prop it up would be nice.  And so would a better launching mechanism.   And a cloth net, rather than this fragile-looking plastic one.

For all I know the weapon integrates with an as-of-yet unrevealed Luggabeast, or maybe it serves some other better purpose.  Right now, it's a cruddy gimmicky thing that doesn't work well and prevents me from netting BB-8 like the photos suggest - an actual small cloth net I could drop on him would be more effective.   It's not fun, and it doesn't work well.   So - the figure is good, the accessory is not.  I still strongly suggest buying the figure, just be prepared for a weapon that should make children cry.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,222: October 23, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,221: C-3PO (The Force Awakens)

C-3PO and R2-D2
The Force Awakens 2-Packs
Item No.: Asst. B3955 No.  B3957
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: R2-D2 with rocket launching harness
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: A fastidious and worry prone protocol droid, C-3PO longs for more peaceful times, but his continued service to Princess Leia keeps him in the frontlines of galactic conflict. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Expectations are hard to avoid, and are easy to subvert.  I assumed C-3PO was the 2013 figure with a red arm.  Nope!   There's new tooling here.   The legs are slightly narrower, with a new 2015 copyright mark.  The torso is new - the wires on his belly are totally different.  The circles on his chest are also quite different, finer and more compact.  Details around the neck and robo-nipples also seem to be sharper and in more focus.   The arms seem very similar, as does the head.  For a "repaint," there's some surprising work done here.

Deco is, of course, more obvious.  C-3PO's (largely underrepresented) silver leg is gone - this seems to be consistent with other The Force Awakenes products so far including a life-size cardboard stand-up.  The right arm is now red, similar to R-3PO - this is the most obvious and glaring change on the toy.   A subtler change are his eyes, now with black dots on a yellow eye.  It looks better than the white eyes of the previous release.  Paint masks seem more cleanly applied and the overall look is a better, sharper, and I hope more authentic figure.  For those of you joining us in the distant future, information on the new movie is limited and its release is nearly two months away - so from what little we know, this seems to be a fairly authentic figure. I assume a comic will explain the red arm.  Or perhaps it's a nod to Attack of the Clones.

What matters - I dig it.  The silver leg is gone, but hey, red arm. That's visibly new.  I look forward to seeing a shiny version down the road.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,221: October 22, 2015

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,220: BB-8 (The Force Awakens)

BB-8 and Jakku Scavenger and Unkar's Thug
The Force Awakens 2-Packs
Item No.: Asst. B3955 No.  B3956
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 2 action figures, blaster, staff, net launcher
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $14.99
Availability: September 2015
Appearances: The Force Awakens

Bio: BB-8 is the spherical, loyal Astromech Droid of the Resistance pilot Poe Dameron. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Entertainment Earth now!

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary:  Easily the most famous face of The Force Awakens' pre-marketing campaign, life-size BB-8 displays ensure this is to be the most popular toy in the line.   A pity it was late for the launch, and tough to get.  This set is a fantastic value, providing you a cleaned-up version of the orange and white droid whereas the Millennium Falcon has one with some wear and tear on it.   If Hasbro sold just BB-8 by himself for $8, it would sell - even though he doesn't do much, popularity counts for everything and the $80 and $150 RC toys are selling just fine.  With that in mind, why wouldn't you fork over $15 to get him and two weird masked aliens?

If you read my review of the Falcon pack-in BB-8 last week, this is really similar.  But here's the amazing thing - it's not the same sculpt at all.   (Or if it is, it's packed with changes.)  The head moves in the same way, they're roughly the same size, and more or less the same color.   But side-by-side, you'll see a ton of changes.  The footpeg hole on his base is moved.  The white is bright white on the 2-pack release, rather than off-white on the Falcon pack-in.   The antennae on the 2-pack version is much thinner and the eye isn't nearly as glossy.  Even some orange panels are painted a little differently, with some spots painted on one figure but not the other - it's amazing to me that Hasbro would make two different molds to make two different BB-8s right now, but perhaps that's a necessary part of ensuring there are enough in the supply chain to go around.  And of course, there aren't.

As you put the little guys next to each other, you'll notice changes in rivets, or vent placement, or panels, or other minor and relatively insignificant changes that will leave you wondering why Hasbro didn't just deploy one mold to two master tools.  Or if they did, then this is a fine example of how the toolmasters in China can execute the exact same design in a completely different way.  We've seen some of this on the various First Order Snowtroopers, Stormtroopers, and even the TIE Pilots already, but it's still a surprise here.   With only one moving part, neither is fundamentally "better" and just because of cost, I'd suggest you buy this cheaper version.  The Falcon pack-in has a big, glossy eye that looks a little more adorable but that's offset by his off-white finish.  I like the bright white one better.   I can't declare either superior, but if you don't plan on buying the expensive Millennium Falcon I bet you or your loved one will be very happy with this figure set - the scavenger and thug are nothing to sneeze at, either.  At $15, even just for BB-8, at least for now - I think you'll be happy.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Entertainment Earth.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,220: October 21, 2015