Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 3,108: Tusken Raider (Dark Robes and Stripes, The Vintage Collection)

TUSKEN RAIDER (Dark robes, brown marks on head wrappings)
The Vintage Collection 3 3/4-Inch Hasbro Pulse and ShopDisney Shared Exclusive Action Figure Set
Item No.: No. F8301
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: 4 figures with cloaks, rifles, gaffi staffs
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $59.99
Availability: August 2023
Appearances: The Book of Boba Fett
Bio: Survival in the unforgiving desert of Tatooine requires strict training and discipline for the members of a Tusken tribe. Led by a chieftain, each member of the clan must learn to be useful. (Taken from marketing copy. There is no bio.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

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

Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Click here to buy it at eBay now!

Commentary: While not bad, it can be hard to muster excitement for the Tusken Raider army pack - $60 (or $15 per figure) is not at all a good value, and I assume recolored figures may not float your boat the way individually carded figures might. It's not terrible either, as the figures have good articulation, decent accessories, and for three repaints and a newish guy deliver the goods as "good enough." Looking at the stills from the show, the Hasbro people did a good job applying the unique markings on this figure's head wraps. A new body would be nice, but Hasbro seems to be disinterested in new molds if there's an adequate tool in China that can get the job done. I don't blame them, especially for a trooper pack.

What makes this figure interesting are, unsurprisingly, his colors. Most previous Tuskens have been in the classic tan robes, but we've seen a little variation here and there with the Hetts and a reddish group for Toys R Us sold long enough ago that it could have a driver's license. This figure's decision to use tan arms, a dark, dark brown chest and robes, and dark brown pants makes for a satisfying - and more importantly, different - figure to add to your ranks. Boba can hang out with these guys, but there's nobody for them to fight just yet.

Our Tusken pal is pretty good, with swivel wrists (not exactly modern) an rocker ankles (very modern.) The hip joints have great "gee I wish he had a new Bantha" levels of mobility, making for a satisfying figure whose soft goods robes do a great job hiding the points of articulation. The material is a little stretchy, and it looks nice and hangs well. I can't fault it. He can easily hold his rifle, which seems to be made out of the kind of plastic used for green army men. The good stuff, I mean - it has a nice feel to it and it isn't quite as gummy as some PVC while being flexible enough to not easily snap.

This is a good figure for standing around and filling dioramas. Due to the nature of what it is - and the lack of other figures from these scenes - it's not exactly going to inspire a lot of play or combat. It can stand and look cool, or build out other clans, or fill stadiums. I guess he can also dance, if you like, as the set has a couple of rifles and a couple of gaffi sticks to mix up how they can look or be posed. Hasbro did a nice job with the resources at hand, but that is sort of the flavor of the line as a whole right now. It's heavy on old tooling and familiar faces, and while Hasbro isn't churning out terrible figures to turn fans away, I don't know that they're putting out amazing things to keep lifers on board as the old guard eyes 50, 60, and beyond and the younger fans don't really have a prayer to ever "collect them all" given current toy store conditions. I do not presently regret this purchase, but as I have written thousands of figures up and have dozens - maybe a hundred or more just sitting around the office waiting to be opened and reviewed - you could probably accurately insinuate that I have some sort of a problem.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Hasbro Pulse.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 3,108: February 15, 2024