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The first twelve Star Wars Figures. That's
where this fellow harkens back to. You'd have to ask
yourself why this guy got made when back when. Why?
Easy, two words. Cannon fodder. There was this great
Death Star Playset out, and nobody to fill it. You wouldn't
want to have Darth Vader at the computer consoles, would you?
And the stormtroopers had guard duty. Hasbro filled the void
with guy. He was an "army builder" before we had the term.
This same concept would come along in Cobra's army as well in the
initial GI Joe offerings (Cobra Commander, Officer, Trooper just
like Vader, Trooper, Stormtrooper.) Why
make him now? Well, for the same reason really. Today,
more than ever, folks are looking for army builders. If
you're going to build a Death Star diorama or just display a
number of troops in front of the Emperor and your shuttle, you
need members of the Imperial Army/Navy.
Being an Imperial troop, we have seen
surprisingly little of this guy over the years. The original
and a very odd POTF2 version.
Appearance:
I have to say a couple of things about the
package. One, I thought it was slick that Hasbro used
the original DS Trooper card image on the back of this guy.
Two, dude looks like he has to pee on the card. His legs are
in the blister at a funny angle and it looks goofy for a such a
sinister looking figure.
Now, on to the good stuff. Overall, the
Death Star Trooper looks good. He's a bit more menacing
looking than some of the Imperials have been over the years.
Gloves, boots, and holster are all there. His generic face
looks like a real person not a generic sculpt.
I have to say though, that at certain angles, he
looks a bit more like Dark Helmet from Spaceballs, than a Death
Star Trooper. His helmet appears to be a bit large for my
tastes. Although, I have to say there is so little in the
way of reference material to look at for this guy, it could be
right.
He's got a seventies haircut under that helmet.
The face reminds me a bit of Jack Bristow from Alias. I
really expected a hat or headset under the helmet but there isn't
one.
The texture on his chest and back is pretty
rough. If it was in scale, it'd look like corduroy.
I'm not saying I want completely smooth figures, but the cloth is
just a little overdone here.
This figure has one other thing that makes him a
bit funny to me. His knees and elbows appear to be a bit
puffed up. Maybe he wants to be the pirate.
The color is another thing where there isn't a
lot of reference. Looking at the pic on the back of the
card, to me his uniform should be grey. Could this be
something right in original line, and not in the new stuff?
Or is it another Han Solo Hoth coat issue, where not all the
reference matches? (There may have been some of these guys
in the detention block scene in black, now that I think about it.)
Fun:
There is plenty of articulation in this guy.
No matter what display you are putting him in you should be able
to get a pose that suits you. As long as it's a standing
position. Because of his jacket, he can't sit. I need
to add I noticed in the pictures that his ankles look a a little
odd due to the articulation. That's just the trade off,
though.
I love the fact he has a removable helmet.
I can make new Ewok drums if I want to now. Other that the
helmet, he comes with the standard coin and a standard Imperial
blaster. I have to say this one reminds me quite a bit of my old
"Three position Laser Rifle." That riffle tucks neatly into
his holster, if you put it in with the handle facing the front.
So apparently, all Imperial are left handed.
Overall:
Overall this a great improvement on a classic
figure. He's not the straight arms and legs stance of the
original, and he's not in the goofy dance pose of the POTF
version.
If your looking for a great army builder, this
guys should fit the bill. I would imagine there are few
customizers who wouldn't mind getting there hands on another
generic Imperial as well.
Engineernerd Score: 85/100
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