CLONE TROOPER Clone Attack on Coruscant
Revenge of the Sith Target Exclusive
Item No.: No. 85995
Number: n/a
Includes: Rifle or pistol
Action Feature: n/a
Retail: $19.99
Availability: October 2005
Appearances: Revenge of the Sith

Bio: These clone troopers spring into battle as a massive droid army swarms upon Coruscant. As members of the Republic's mighty army corps, these clone troopers exit their gunships and engage the enemy in close-quarter combat, showing no inclinations of fear, hesitation or remorse.

Their commander takes charge and orders the troopers to protect their designated areas at all costs. Using their blaster rifles and pistols, these troopers take down droid after droid... until the secret declaration of Order 66. Now, these once loyal members of the Republic Army will change allegiances and serve a new master. (Taken from the toy's box.)

Image: The shelves of Adam Pawlus.

Commentary: Much like yesterday's overpriced exclusive Clone, the exact same week, Target and Hasbro teamed up to bring us the Clone Trooper as seen in the Clone Attack on Coruscant Battle Pack (which has since been rereleased in the regular line). For just $20, you got 5 figure-- whereas with the Utapau Shadow Trooper, it was $13 for 1 figure. The math, as you can see, makes one seem much better than the other. Five figures for the same price as one and a half? Who wouldn't prefer this one? Because of this, it sold out quick-- they tended to dry up fairly quickly, but some stuck around for a while.

The figure itself is pretty good, but not great. As a repaint of the less-than-stellar "Deluxe" Clone Trooper mold-- the one that came with a jet pack-- it has its highs and lows. The sculpt is wonderful, and the fact that it kept the hole in the back of the armor was a nice touch in that you can use it for future play expansion. A number of accessories can plug in here, which is a nice touch. This is also one of very few Clone Troopers made by Hasbro to be designed to sit without distorting the plastic-- the joints were well designed so he'll have no problem sitting on the edge of a gunship. From the waist down, the articulation is superb-- but from the waist up, and including the waist, it could stand to be better. The figure has standard shoulder joints, rather than the ball hinges which were essentially standard in 2005. The elbows were also fairly weak, as they really weren't able to move much at all. As such, this figure is one best described as merely OK. It's not bad, but it has a lot of shortcomings in the arm department. It's very difficult to get the figure to aim the way you might want, but the legs allow it to be posed in some fairly decent ways. When it's all said and done, though, this is a good figure: you get an entire squad and its commander for about $20, which is a great deal for the quality of the figures.

Collector's Notes: If you missed the 2005 release, snag the 2007 reissue. The figures are essentially identical, the packaging is very similar (and awesome), and let's face it-- a whole box of troopers for $20 is a deal. If you (or someone you know) is a fan of the clones, this is a great set to get, even though the figure itself is merely decent. This mold hasn't been used for many other figures, but there's three total: this one, the 2005 Jet Pack Trooper, and the 2007 Battlefront II Jet Trooper. ( MORE IMAGES COMING SOON )

Day 584: December 11, 2007