SUPER BATTLE DROID Battlefront II Droid Pack
30th Anniversary Collection Diamond/Previews Exclusive
Item No.: Asst. 87561 No. 87478
Number: n/a
Manufacturer: Hasbro
Includes: Stand, 6 more figures
Action Feature: Removable arm
Retail: $39.99
Availability: November 2007
Appearances: Star Wars: Battlefront II

Bio: Super battle droids are the next generation of battle droids, stronger than their predecessors and capable of more independent action in battle. (Taken from the set's box.)

Image: Still more carpet.

Commentary: The Battlefront games are really one of the best things that could ever happen to toys-- they're loaded with troopers, most of which are based on the movies but with new paint. It's a winning formula for toys, so it's a bit of a bummer that we got saddled with this Super Battle Droid rather than something better. The figure is based on a 2002 mold-- which wasn't very good in the first place when compared to other 2002 Super Battle Droid molds-- plus it isn't all that distinctive from other droids. It's still blue, except now it's more of a baby blue. It has four points of articulation, and his right arm can be popped off. Had the designers put more thought into this set, they may have included the firing arm to switch out, but they didn't. So what you see is what you get-- a figure that has difficulty standing on his own and may sag with gravity and time. Fans of droids, this is one more new and unique deco to add to your collection. It's unfortunate it doesn't use the super-articulated mold from earlier in the year.

Collector's Notes: The set as a whole is fairly weak, with the little brown ammo droid being the big highlight-- and he's a repaint of a 1999 figure. The set was shipped alongside a much more popular clone pack, so odds are if you just want the droids you can save some serious bank by just waiting for one to show up cheap on eBay. I personally would not advocate paying big bucks to get this one unless you're an absolute fiend for the game or these kinds of figures.

--Adam Pawlus

Day 737: May 12, 2008