Something for the weekend
I came across these old collection of Hellboy II promo videos. It sure made my day.
9 hours ago
Front Line:
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
# 49 : Star Wars, Clone Wars - 501st & BARC Speeder
Another repaint of previous figures but this time a welcomed addition.
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Packaging
Like the SW Crab Droid, it's basically the same type of display box but with a different diorama. I'm guessing its Felucia in the background.
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D.S.A.
|Details|
"Clone troopers ride Biker Advanced Recon Commando (BARC) speeder bikes on scouting and escort missions. BARC speeders give the troopers greater range, speed, mobility and firepower than foot patrols. They prove so useful to elite units like the 501st Legion that they are soon made available to the entire clone trooper army."
|Sculpt|
Hasbro decided to make a correction in the sculpt of the helmet to resemble the animated C.W. series. I think they started making this correction with the 212th Clone trooper in Wave 4.
The blue decals on the trooper has also been made to match Captain Rex's colors(about time). I had 2 of the Wal-Mart exclusive 501st trooper issued last year. The color(see pic below) is nice but it just looks so out of place with their captain. The new helmet sculpt is the inclusion of the small gap at the 'chin'. This is supposedly where the breathing apparatus connects for space missions.
|Accessories|
DC-15 Blaster rifle
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Articulation
|Clone Trooper|
No changes to the articulation. It's still the same as previous basic white clone trooper.
|BARC Speeder|
It still has the same retractable landing gear and 'exploding' bike gimmick(trust me, just leave it at that. It's not worth asking)
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Fun Factor
I currently have 3 BARC speeders from the ROTS Treachery on Saleucami battlepacks. So it's really sweet to have it all lined up. Plus I can use Rex for the blue BARC speeder and the other 3 501st for the red speeders.
I didn't have a pic of them on the bikes mainly because of their leg stance. Their articulation(swivel hips) aren't exactly the best to use unless you want to permanently ruin your figures. But there is a solution to this problem(I think). The ARF trooper has a sort of ball-jointed articulation in the hips. So if you could swap these with the 501st, you're good to go.
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Overall
I'm glad I decided to pick up this deluxe figure. The BARC speeder is nothing new but the 501st trooper with correct helmet sculpt and with the matching blue decals to Rex is a worthwhile addition. I just hope Hasbro will decide to reissue the trooper in a single pack.
Score: ****
Related Posts:
Friday, October 23, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
# 48 : Star Wars, Clone Wars - Crab Droid
The LM-432 or Crab Droid is not the most sophisticated piece of machinery within the Separatist Droid Army. It's design is pretty straight-forward. Get a laser cannon and attach legs to it so it can move over uneven terrain.
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Packaging
This is one of the new deluxe figures for 2009. The box converts into a diorama or so I've been told. From the looks of it, the diorama is a picture of the planet Christophsis.
Once you've open the packaging there's not a lot of assembly and best of all, no stickers!!
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D.S.A.
|Details|
"LM-432 crab droids are armored infantry units that easily move over rough ground. Their legs work independently of one another, allowing them to move with agility and speed as they track their targets and take aim with their blasters. Also known as Muckracker droids, they threaten Republic forces on many planets during the war."
Personally I don't really recall seeing the C.D. in either the C.W. animated series or movie. Maybe I wasn't paying attention enough. I do remember that the first time I saw this droid in the ROTS(a bit smaller) and in the 2003 CW Series(twice the size).
|Sculpt|
The sculpt and paint is good. No real problem there. I especially like the scratch marks or paint scrapes on the legs. It looks as if the paint was really scraped off and the metal underneath was showing.
|Accesories|
No accessories though I thought a battle droid would have been nice. There is a push button at the back of the C.D. to launch the laser cannon projectile. Standard Hasbro stuff, no surprises there.
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Articulation
None of the legs are articulated despite the description as "Their legs work independently of one another". There is a button on the side that if you push continuously will make a sort of movement of all the legs.
A sort of crawling type movement. A decent attempt but it WOULD have been better if each legs had movable joints.
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Fun Factor
I'm not sure if kids will enjoy this figure. It's as dull as a figure can be. Don't get me wrong. I still like it 'cos I get to display the C.D. being attacked by my clone troopers.
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Overall
I don't really recommend this figure. It's nice to have if you're a clone army builder and you want to add to the Separatist army. 'Cos lets face it, the Clone Army needs something to shoot at while you're displaying them on your shelves. Still the lack of articulation really bugs me because it means we can't display them doing gymnastics and stuff. Lastly, there is the issue of price. This cost about AUD 30. Twice the price of a regular SW figure and less the satisfaction. If this had been a vehicle where you can put a SW figure in than I would recommend getting it. For now if you really want to add this to your collection I suggest you wait it out for a clearance sale or grab one off ebay.
Score: **1/2
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