Clone Trooper (212th Battalion) - TVC - Basic (VC38)

Celebrate the legendary Star Wars saga that changed the universe forever! This collection brings to life the incredible story of good versus evil that captured our imagination and took us to a galaxy far, far away. Iconic Star Wars heroes and villains are captured with incredible detail and premium features to commemorate each epic tale in the Star Wars saga. May the Force be with you!

Is it outright blasphemy to say a figure with fewer points of premium articulation is better than a figure that comes super-articulated? If it is, then we apologize in advance because the 2011 TVC Clone Trooper (212th Battalion) figure doesn't deliver in the same way that the near-perfect 2006 TSC Clone Trooper (SAGA 026) does. Even the 2010 LC Clone Trooper Lieutenant/Clone Trooper Comic Packs set offers collectors a better 212th Attack Battalion member than this new release does. And despite our frustration, it should go without saying that The Vintage Collection figure is still an admirable release. The biggest problem is that the 2011 figure has a bare-bones paint job, just enough to make the figure recognizable as a member of the 212th Attack Battalion, but absent is any reasonable sign that there has been any interaction with the Separatist droid army. The Clone Trooper (212th Battalion) figure is clean as can be, and this is one of the significant areas where the figure fails. If you dig out your old 2006 The Saga Collection Clone Trooper (SAGA 026) figure, you'll realize what a treat the paint job was. Coincidentally, it wasn't that accurate in terms of the correct colors, with neon orange color flashes and black-as-tar battle damage. The figure should have had red and brown dirt on the armor and a less fluorescent color palette instead. However, the black carbon scoring brought the figure to life. Unfortunately, you won't find any markings, scratches, or battle damage anywhere on the TVC figure. Additionally, the 2006 figure lacked a removable helmet, which made its size appear authentic to the film. The TVC Clone Trooper (212th Battalion) figure features a removable helmet, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. The helmet is out of scale as a result. Despite its setbacks, the figure also has some merit.

Collectors imply and accept that once Hasbro creates a new base body for a clone trooper, we expect to see every flavor of clone realized in that new tooling. And that's precisely what Hasbro did with the Clone Trooper (212th Battalion) figure. Taking the previously released 2010 TVC Clone Trooper (VC15) figure (which Hasbro based from the Gelagrub Patrol Battle Packs set), they've now painted it in the orange color flashes that are specific to Clone Commander Cody's 212th Attack Battalion under the direction of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The figure isn't terrible. However, the oversized helmet, coupled with very bland deco, leaves us wanting a whole lot more. You already know how we feel about this "premium" version of the clone trooper. When you compare it side by side with the 2006 release, you realize that Hasbro has not treated us to a quality deco. They should have employed more creativity in the paint operations and developed a sharper-looking figure before manufacturing it for mainstream release. To add a little more salt to the wound, would you believe that many samples show signs of yellow or green growth forming on the helmets? This issue, happening again, completely frustrates us. Hasbro resolved the running change of the Clone Trooper (VC15) with the later samples that shipped out. We hope Hasbro also resolves the yellowing issue on this figure. We would love for Hasbro to add some battle damage to this figure to correct it. And we hope they address the discoloring as it drives carded collectors crazy. Hasbro must stop using inferior plastics that easily discolor.

With other clones entering The Vintage Collection, like the Clone Trooper (501st Legion) figure, Hasbro is going to town updating all of the original Episode III Phase II clones that utilized the 2005 ROTS Clone Trooper (III 41) tooling. It is only a matter of time before we see updates to the remaining clones in this lineup, like the Shock Trooper or the Coruscant Landing Platform clones. And we will likely see new tooling as well. If Hasbro decides to use the same sculpt for all the figures, it will result in some impressive uniformity in our clone army displays. If they don't, the figures will be similar but not uniform. Collectors have commented that Hasbro is inconsistent in selecting the correct orange color for this figure. It's not the same shade as the recently released Clone Commander Cody (VC19), but it appears similar enough to be considered part of the same color family. Unequivocally, it's less bright than the 2006 figure, and it's only a few shades deeper than the ones from the Clone Trooper Lieutenant/Clone Trooper Comic Packs set. We appreciate an update to the clone troopers, but it would be better if they could find a way to attach the non-removable helmet to the enhanced sculpt with an alternate portrait. The bucket is too large, and it doesn't look particularly authentic. The clone troopers would need heads the size of peas to create a helmet small enough so that it wouldn't affect the size or scale of the removable helmet. If your main goal for a Clone Trooper action figure is ball-jointed hips, then this is the figure for you. However, if you want a figure that looks to scale on every part of its body, Hasbro will need to make a few more adjustments before we'll admit we're satisfied.