Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 2,911: ARC Trooper Captain (The Vintage Collection)

ARC TROOPER CAPTAIN Now with Less Gear
The Vintage Collection Walmart Exclusive
Item No.: No. F3116
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: #213
Includes: Helmet, 2 blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $13.47
Availability: March 2022
Appearances: Clone Wars
Bio: A prestigious promotion from clone trooper, the rank of ARC Trooper can be earned through proving oneself in battle. (Taken from the web site. There is no packaging copy.)

Image: Adam's photo lab.

Availability: Click here to buy it at Amazon now!

Commentary: While some may mistake this ARC Trooper Captain for a new retool, it's a 2011 figure with less gear. The original release had a figure painted up to match Fordo in his Phase II armor, but the figure was tricked out with Phase I and Phase II accessories - you really got your money's worth! This 2022 release drops all Phase II gear, and Phase II deco. And it costs more. Progress?

Like most The Vintage Collection figures, it looks good yet shows signs of age. The original mold was used back in 2011, which is 11 years ago, which means more time elapsed between this figure's first (underserved) release and this reissue than passed between Kenner's final vintage-era Ewoks and Droids figures in 1985 and the relaunch of The Power of the Force in 1995. That's a long time. That means that articulation has improved significantly since this once-gold-standard mold was released, so we don't have things like thigh swivels or some of the recent excellent hip joints. He'll stand, but the legs don't move quite as well as you might want, nor do the shoulders swing out particularly well as aesthetics were prioritized over functionality in that era. But he looks good. Especially if you don't open him.

A "photoreal" face with a fauxhawk sits under the helmet, which has been painted exceedingly well with bold black lines resembling the 2003-2005 Cartoon Network series. The white rangefinder looks great, and the red stripe matches the pauldron and the largely corrected red armor markings. If you want a first-appearance Fordo figure, this one is excellent if you can get it. The white is bright, the red is vibrant, and right now everything seems to match nicely. Just don't expect this figure to do much sitting, despite the cloth kama. It's a good design, but for whatever reason sitting just wasn't a priority for a good long time.

If you can find it I recommend it - even if you have the 2011 ARC Trooper Captain. You should leave that one in "Phase II" armor with the other helmet and bandolier, and leave this one with the Phase I gear as shown, and you'll be happy to have both. It's a compelling reason to buy both figures - pending availability - and I hope Hasbro made enough of this guy to go around. He'll make a lot of people angry, provided you can actually get your grubby mitts on one somehow.

Collector's Notes: I got mine from Walmart. I missed the pre-order and lucked into finding it online in stock.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 2,911: March 29, 2022

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,729: ARC Trooper (Fordo)

ARC TROOPER Season III Series
Clone Wars Cartoon Network / Tartakovsky Animated Series Action Figures
Item No.: Asst. 85661 No. 85471
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Two blasters, display stand
Action Feature: Working holsters
Retail: $6.99
Availability: Early 2005
Appearances: Clone Wars 2003 series

Bio: Through the creative vision of Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Cartoon Network, the Clone Wars are brought to life in an exciting new series of short animated chapters. A unique animation style captures the drama of this epic period in galactic history along with its outstanding heroes and adversaries. Noble Jedi warriors lead Clone Troopers into battle against the evil Separatist forces and their droid armies. Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda and their comrades struggle against the rising power of the dark side and confront personal challenges against a backdrop of war-torn planets. (Yes, this press release was taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam's desk.

Commentary: Fans are still asking for the perfect movie-style ARC Trooper based on the original animation designs from the Clone Wars cartoon series of old, and we've had a few close ones. Of course, so many of us forget there was an animated figure based on this series in 2005, and it-- plus the rare 2010 CG-based release-- are both excellent takes on this fan favorite. Everybody loves Fordo, the red ARC Trooper commander. If anyone says otherwise they are lying, please punch them in the incisors for me.

For various reasons, I did not have this figure in my collection until late 2011. As with the other figures in the line, it's more of a collectible figure or statue than a plastic plaything. The ARC Trooper has four points of articulation, including a ball-jointed head which is fantastic for display purposes. His bright red armor markings come through crystal-clear, plus my favorite thing about the figure is his sculpt. Hasbro did a really good job ensuring that he can signal with his right hand and, were you so inclined, it can also hold his second blaster. Both blasters can fit in his holsters, but just barely-- it's a tight squeeze.

The detail closely matches the series, save for one thing: the animation model has tons of black lines detailing armor, bringing it to life as a delightful drawing. The action figure has very little of this, and I'd be curious to see if a fan customized this figure with a Gundam marker bringing out those panel lines and seeing just how much better (or worse) it looks. While the helmet isn't perfect, it's quite good and the figure makes for an excellent, low-cost desk decoration.

Collector's Notes: The figure has sold for as little as 99 cents on eBay, and was also sold in a 3-pack as well as individually. I would suggest buying it in a lot with other figures from this animated line to keep your costs down, plus they're all neat enough to warrant your wanting the entire collection. It's a small line, and they're all unusually timeless for Hasbro figures-- they look just as good today as they did in 2005, although I still believe another nickel spent on deco would make them even better. They are worth your while. Buy them.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,729: January 30, 2012

Star Wars Figure of the Day: Day 1,402: ARC Trooper Commander

ARC TROOPER COMMANDER ARC Troopers
The Clone Wars Battle Packs
Item No.: Asst. 94743 No. 19682
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: n/a
Includes: Pistols, rifle, stand, rangefinder, pauldron, display stand, wrist communicator, game card
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: September 2010
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Like the men under his command, the ARC trooper commander faces even the most threatening situation with unfailing courage. (Taken from the figure's packaging.)

Image: The backdrop from his battle pack.

Commentary: Let's get this out of the way: the ARC Trooper Commander is Fordo form the 2003 Clone Wars show. For the uninitiated, Fordo is the baddest-ass Clone to appear in any of the many television projects bearing the Star Wars name and anyone who says otherwise is a damned filthy liar. Hasbro effectively introduced this figure at the summer conventions as Fordo, and this is unofficially Fordo because Fordo doesn't appear on the new cartoon. His deco matches closely, and his two pistols are closely modeled after the character's earlier appearances (note the lack of red dots on his breastplate). His rangefinder has a white tip, he has red armor, and the wrist communicator on his left hand. Since the style of the shows is quite different, it's a great port of a popular character. It's really, really good.

With 14 points of articulation, this figure is essentially a reworked 2008 Captain Rex. The pivoting/swiveling wrists are still here as are ankle joints, but there are two new elements. The kama/wasitcoat/skirt is a new sculpt designed especially to fit "Fordo"'s weapons, and the helmet is also a new sculpt. Unlike other clones, the helmet is not removable (thank you Hasbro) and the rangefinder is both fully articulated and removable. His legs seem to have a full range of motion, but the skirt itself is stiff and may prevent him from sitting in a vehicle. That's OK though-- the figure is so good, you'll want it out on your desk. As repainted and reworked clones go, this one makes me incredibly happy, and he's one of very few characters from that show to transition to the new toy style. Heck, he might be the only one from that show to get a toy without actually appearing on the new show.

The other figures in the set are all different enough to make its purchase worthwhile, but this one just makes me incredibly happy. OK, so I'm easy-- but if you saw those episodes I think you'll agree that this is a must-own figure. This is one of my favorite figures of 2010 because if you look at the holsters and wrist commlink, it's obvious Hasbro really did rework this figure to be as Fordo-y as humanly possible. Having said that, I almost feel ungrateful saying "now how about other 2003 ARC Troopers and Gunners in the animated style? I'd buy 'em." (Seriously though, this is a wonderful figure.) I would very much like Hasbro to see more ARC Trooper gift sets like this one... but with different figures, of course. I'd buy 3-4 a year, easily.

Collector's Notes: Hasbro has made other figures intended to be (or inspired by) Fordo. In 2003, they repainted the standard ARC Trooper figure in red, which was a shorter run and hard to find item. In 2005, they released animated-style figures specifically designed to be Fordo from the show. A red ARC Trooper was made as a Wal-Mart exclusive in 2009, but they called it "Alpha" despite "Alpha" being blue in most of his appearances. Oh, and Target got a red ARC Trooper in this color scheme in 2008 but it didn't have a specific name, it was also merely called "ARC Trooper Commander." The 2006 Fordo figure doesn't really look that close to Fordo except in color, as it's missing the rangefinder and that's sort of an important piece.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 1,402: October 28, 2010

Figure of the Day: Day 918: ARC Trooper Commander

ARC TROOPER COMMANDER and Obi-Wan Kenobi
30th Anniversary Collection Order 66 Target Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87356 No. 87666
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Number: 1 of 6
Includes: Blaster pistols, blaster rifle, Helmet, Obi-Wan figure
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $9.99
Availability: Spring 2008
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: Obi-Wan is assisted on many of his missions during the Clone Wars by an ARC Trooper Commander and his elite supercommandos. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: This ARC Trooper Commander is apparently not Fordo. Ah well. Hasbro hasn't quite perfected Fordo, but this figure serves as a pretty good substitute as it actually has a rangefinder on his helmet, in addition to some armor bits that look pretty slick. The commander's armor is recycled from the Clone Trooper Alpha figure from the 2007 comic pack, as is most of his body. His crotch, thighs, and kama (skirt) are recycled from the 2005 Clone Commander figure, and the end result is actually pretty great. And I'm not just saying that because the grey and red seem to match 16bit.com quite nicely. Heck, Hasbro even retooled the helmet to have a little tab under it to better sit on the figure's head-- this appeared on other ARCs too, but it's still nice to see. Aside from telling you what it's made from, there's not a lot to say about this figure other than it's the best red ARC Trooper money can buy today. This may change, but right now this is your go-to figure for all your red ARC needs. Plus it's kinda cheap given fans didn't exactly embrace the second round of Order 66 with open arms, despite it being a great value with mostly good figures.

Collector's Notes: I expect a reissue at some point in the distant future, but there's no reason you can't get one on eBay. It's long gone from stores in North America, so contact your trading buddies for more here.

Day 918: December 19, 2008

Figure of the Day: Day 393: Red ARC Trooper

ARC TROOPER Army of the Republic
Clone Wars Collection
Item No.: Asst. 85205 No. 84753
Number: 0343
Includes: Blaster Rifle, removable armor (waistcoat, shoulder pauldron, rangefinder)
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $4.99-$5.99
Availability: Late 2003
Appearances: Clone Wars

Bio: The ultimate supercommandos, the ARC (Advanced Recon Commando) troopers are clones who were personally trained by Jango Fett. Only a select number of ARC troopers were bred and trained before Jango's untimely demise at the Battle of Geonosis. Activated shortly after the start of the Clone Wars, ARC troopers are used for only the most dangerous missions in which a substantial amount of independent thought and iniative is required. They are equipped with highly advanced clone trooper armor and formidable heavy weaponry. Whether they are fighting on their own or at the side of the Jedi, the ARC troopers are a symbol of the Republic's military superiority over the droid armies of the Confederacy. (Taken from the figure's cardback. Which is the same as the blue figure's packaging.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' toy room.

Commentary: While released for a few short weeks in late 2003, this red ARC Trooper quickly became a fan favorite due to the awesome red ARC Trooper in the Clone Wars cartoons. He had two guns, could signal with his hands, and do all sorts of crazy stuff-- which this figure couldn't do. No, this figure took the existing blue ARC Trooper, changed it to red, and that's it-- so you got a rifle, and the same figure with questionable articulation. Sure, it has ball-shoulders, but swivel elbows and normal neck, waist, hip, and shoulder joints really don't make it exciting. Of course, sometimes that doesn't matter-- the character is just so gosh-darn exciting that fans like myself had to have it. If you were one of the lucky (and smart) fans to buy extra Clone Trooper pilots, you might even have extra guns so you could give this guy extra armaments. Out of the box, this is a pretty imperfect figure, but it didn't matter. Sometimes, being rare is more important than being great. Still, if you like Clone Wars, you totally need to get this one or some other red ARC Trooper figure. As red ARC Troopers are muy, muy excellente. Muy.

Collector's Notes: This figure was exceedingly hard to get in many markets, leading some fans to believe it doesn't exist. Well, obviously, it does exist. Another red ARC Trooper (named Fordo) was released in 2006 as part of a Toys "R" Us exclusive Battle Pack, except it used a completely different mold and didn't have a rangefinder-- which is an important part of the character's ensemble. It's quite surprising Hasbro didn't reissue this one given how much it tends to go for on eBay, which is to say, more than it cost when it first came out. Which is really rare given collectors have an attention span of about a year when it comes to "rare" figures.

Day 393: June 3, 2007

Figure of the Day: Day 112: Captain Fordo

CAPTAIN FORDO The Hunt For Grievous
The Saga Collection Toys "R" Us Exclusive
Item No.: No. 87116
Number: n/a
Includes: Blasters
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $24.99
Availability: Summer 2006
Appearances: The Clone Wars

Bio: Leader of the task force known as The Muunilinst 10, Fordo is known for his aggressive fighting tactics and prefers to employ firepower over finesse. Fordo was once awarded the Chancellor's Service Medal, which he refused and transferred to a fallen member of his task force. (Taken from the figure's box.)

Image: Adam Pawlus' TV tray.

Commentary: Almost perfect, but not quite. The second "red ARC Captain" was this figure, Captain Fordo, part of the Hunt for Grievous Battle Pack. Rather than sculpting a new figure, Hasbro took the head of the Super Articulated Clone Trooper (Clone Wars, Entertainment Earth Clone Troop Builders) and the body of the Episode III Clone Commander to make a fairly good quick-and-dirty Fordo. The problem is that while it looks OK in the box, it loses lots of points for authenticity. And when you're making a figure to look like a flat, simple drawing, that's a bad thing.

So, what's good? Well, the figure has an excellent range of articulation, a blaster rifle, and two tiny pistols to call his own. He's colorful, and looks fantastic. The problems are, well, problematic. The shoulder pauldron doesn't fit well without the aid of the infamous clear rubber bands used to hold the figures in the box. The figure has no rangefinder on his head. As it was an Episode III Clone body, the armor isn't at all accurate to the unique armor used by the regular ARC Troopers, and Fordo is little more than a red ARC Trooper with a few other tiny tweaks. Also, the weapons don't match the dueling pistols seen in the cartoon as they're too tiny. This is a good figure. Compared to the red ARC Trooper from 2003, it's a lateral move. But as this figure needs a rangefinder to just be merely OK, it's a bit of a disappointment. It's not that it sucks, it's just that it's obvious this was cobbled together quickly despite fan wishes for a new and improved ARC Captain.

So, in short: it's OK. Not good, just OK. There's significant room for improvements, but for the cost and the packaging, it's an OK value. (The Hunt for Grievous set includes 3 blue ARC Troopers, 1 blue Heavy Gunner Clone Trooper, and Fordo for about $25. As current figures sell for $6.99, that's a decent deal.)

Collector's Notes: Fordo's a fun figure, and his boxed set, The Hunt for Grievous, was hugely popular. Due to Amazon's divorce from Toys "R" Us, lots of backorders were cancelled, and fans were worried that their orders would be dropped. Sure enough, they were. Given the rampant, crazy popularity of the Clone Wars ARC Troopers and anything related to them, this item got a lot of undeserved hype. It's a fun figure with almost a full range of motion, but it's just so unfortunate that fans were treated to this and not a new mold. Of course, the good news for Hasbro is that it seems a lot of fans missed out on this set and an all-new ARC Trooper mold (in blue or red) is something fans would still really want. Although if I can just chime in to any toy developers out there, can we wait for 2008 at this point? I just got a black Stormtrooper and I'm a little clone-d out right now.

Despite the griping, the figure is still lots of fun, and for a kid, would be a delightful item to have. Despite a litany of fan complaints, my only real problem with the figure is the lack of rangefinder. That's a key aspect of the character and without it, it seems incomplete. It's still lots of fun to mess with, but, unfortunately, these sorts of things leave the door wide open to revisit this figure for a third time. None of this matters, though, as the item is presently so popular that most people are worried about getting to see one, and not so much worried about how it looks when they find it. Heck, I hit Toys "R" Us stores daily for a few weeks when I got wind of the fact that my Amazon order might not have come through, so for me, I'm always going to think of the amount of time I spent getting this toy more than I will about the toy itself.

Day 112: August 26, 2006