Hasbro
Released June, 2003
Reviewed by Adam Pawlus
Photography by Michael Sullenger
Reviewed on June 27, 2003
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The 800-pound gorilla of the Clone Wars toy line thus far, the Command Gunship looks more or less like a simple repaint of the 2002 Republic Gunship.

The set includes one vehicle and many, many projectiles.

The Vehicle

The Command Gunship is, surprise surprise, a repaint. It isn't overwhelmingly new and different, as the toy is based on the same mold as another ship, but for those looking to build up a Grand Army of the Republic, this is a heck of a nice toy.

The differences in the toy seem to be entirely deco-based, with slightly stronger springs and better weapon launchers. They just seem a little stronger overall, which is good, as they really weren't all that great the first edition of this vehicle.

In the realm of stickers, we're seeing no real significant changes-- just recolored stickers which are no big surprise. The new colors are pretty nice, and the blue looks really great on the label sheet. On the toy, though, the labels really don't stand out all that much and tend to look pretty dark. Still, it's nice to see they made a new sheet.

The paint job is the exact same job except they changed the colors. The paint is scuffed in the same places on both toys, just with a new and different color, like black, being used. The blaster damage is new, different, and quite excellent-- I wasn't expecting anything quite so refined. Also new was a series of markings on the hull showing the Gunship's previous targets, and the Republic logo is more or less the same, except worn differently.

Some of you may be saying "pish posh, repaints are never the way they used to do things!" Well, of course, this would mean you forgot about the vintage X-Wing and TIE Fighter toys. The original X-Wing Mold was repackaged for each film, and at the time of Empire, recolored and I daresay improved with darker coloring and optional battle-damage stickers. The TIE Fighter was treated to a similar makeover, going from white to blue, also finding itself with a new sheet of stickers. While there wasn't a gap between the Gunships like there was between the other fighters, this isn't exactly an unprecedented move, and at least we are supposedly being treated to a price drop as well.

 Like the previous release, the Pilots with gunpods were not included. As the pilots are technically not shipping as part of the current 2003 assortments, if you didn't stock up or live near a store with old stock, you're out of luck for finding qualified personell to fly your new toys. Shameful, no?

Weapons & Features

While there are over a dozen total rockets, bombs, and so forth included in the box only four of them can fire, which is better than none. Under each wing, there's room for four bombs... there's no mechanism included to drop said bombs, which is very unfortunate, but at least there are bombs there in case you want them for something. It's a nice extra if nothing else.

The big firing cannons on top are vastly improved over the last release, but the last release was so bad that a vast improvement means they can easily clear the barrel. The important thing to remember here is that Hasbro was awesome enough to look at the old mold, tweak the springs, and make them better so this makes a better toy. As the Clone Wars range seems to be geared toward kids, who probably won't care too much, it's good to see this is a better toy.

The chin guns have also been improved upon, flying fairly well instead of flip-flopping in the air before landing on your carpet. Again, we're seeing a sign of improvement here, which is atypical of Hasbro repaints. More often than not, fans of lines like TransFormers speak of repaints suffering from a lower grade of plastic or mechanisms that don't quite so well, so this is a real departure from what one may expect.

Lastly, there's a turret of sorts on the rear. I find this constantly popping off... I'm not sure if it's my fault or if it falls out. Either way, watch this piece... it's small and easy to lose and really doesn't do anything, so it's easy to forget it's supposed to be there.

 It's nothing new, but it is improved. All you can really ask for in a repaint is for the piece's integrity to remain constant, and here we see it get better. Huzzah and kudos to the big H for this one.

Nor surprisingly, this set is compatible with the Clone Pilot and the Deluxe Clone Trooper with Speeder Bike once again, neither of which are easily purchased nowadays and are likely to be even tougher to see on the pegs come the Gunship's wide release. As such, it's a good idea to bolster your stashes now so you're prepared for the Gunship, or you just have to share your pilots between the vehicles like a dirty, filthy savage.

On my review sample, the opening cargo doors are auto-opening once again, but this time one seems to open much faster than the other. Not that this is a bad thing, but it does feel like this wasn't a perfect sample of the mechanism or could be representative of some sort of badly aging mechanism.

Next, there's a pair of grappling hooks, and like you may have heard, the strings are still too long. Without some sort of winch or other recoiling mechanism, they aren't all that great in the first place. It's a neat idea and will add play value for the kids... but odds are your average adult collector wouldn't have used them, given the option.

The dropping platform is back, and is still more or less an empty gesture. All of the figures on the platform have to be directly above the platform, limbs and all, to be dropped from the ship without getting clipped on the vehicle's base. As such, it really doesn't work well unless you're going to drop no more than two or three figures, or unless Hasbro puts out vintage styled figures who don't have limbs jutting out everywhere.

Last, and not least, are a pair of "hidden" cargo bays under each wing. They look like battery compartments, but they aren't-- you can cram extra weapons, blast effects, or whatever in there so you're sure not to lose them. This is especially cool, but will many people realize they're there? (Sure, they're on the instructions, but still...)

Packaging

As the first widely released Clone Wars toy, this is the first real look many people will get at the packaging up close. While early samples shown at Toy Fairs were said to have a black Star Wars logo, this one has the same gold one we've seen used by Hasbro and other companies since the Luke Stormtrooper/Greedo waves shipped in 1996.

The neat thing is that this shows off quite a few details that I'm not used to seeing on a box, like a head-on shot on the side flaps, and a most excellent side view on the top and bottom. The clones from the multipack are used in the side views, giving many their first official glimpse at the upcoming yellow Clone Trooper figure (the one from the three-packs.)

Some of the shots are lifted-- quite obviously-- from the old toy, and the coloring wasn't updated. Not that I'm surprised, but still, it's notable.

The back of the box doesn't match the front design at all, and looks like a vastly improved version of the old Saga box back. It's very pleasing to look at, but really doesn't seem to match the insanely active box fronts we're seeing as part of the Clone Wars range.

Amusingly enough, it touts the Clone Trooper Pilot figures, which are still showing up on occasion, and the Clone Trooper speeder bike, which many have never seen. Perhaps Hasbro will be goodly enough to continue offering these toys? Perhaps not. But if by some miracle the Clone Wars takes off, it would be nice to see those Clone Trooper bikes in Clone Wars packaging.

Availability

It's relatively new as of this review, and I have yet to see it in stores yet. Some sources peg the toy discounter price at $29.99, about $10 less than last year's vehicle-- but that seems a little low. Online stores are charging anywhere from $37.99 at Entertainment Earth to over $50 at some other places, so shop around, or wait, or whatever.

Fin

As one of the few all-new vehicles released since Episode I's demise, it's a welcome and a large addition to any collection. It's big and, compared to other vehicles, fairly cheap. For roughly the price of two Jedi Starfighters, you can own one of these monsters. If you like the design, it's great and well worth it. If not, well, you can pass on it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty great and as a fan of all things Cloned, this is something I'd advise you buy.

Our sample was obtained from Entertainment Earth in June 2003.