Kashyyyk Trooper - TAC - Basic (08 04)

Clone troopers from Sarlacc Battalions A and B accompany Yoda to Kashyyyk at the end of the Clone Wars. When Commander Gree receives Order 66, he motions for a trooper to assist him in attacking Yoda. The trooper, like Gree, does not survive the encounter.

Since we tend be an obstreperous group of people, Hasbro knows that they best appease us by just getting certain action figures out to us, even if they don't come out perfect or as hoped. The Kashyyyk Trooper is the manifested evidence of this type of figure. He is a figure that has been long desired by fans, but didn't quite meet all of our expectations (twice) as a finalized product. And while this version is a marked improvement from the first, it still lacks in ways that are quite unfortunate. In particular, the height on this figure is unacceptably short. Apparently the Kashyyyk Trooper suffers from the same disorder as 2006's TSC Clone Commander Cody (SAGA 024) figure. Clones are identicle to each other, and varying heights in our action figures are becoming burdensome. And while the Kashyyyk Trooper is super-articulated, his awkward pre-posed form and nearly unmoveable waist joint really inhibits the figure from complete mobility. This is quite a shame, because the figure should have been designed in a very bland way that allows the collector to decide which way he should be posed and formed. Here is hoping a taller and more generic Kashyyyk Trooper is in the works. And while we have opened up this review with criticism, we have to admit that if you can overlook these two issues, the figure is a success in every other way. Hasbro first attempted this character in 2006's The Saga Collection but he was named the Elite Corps Clone Trooper (SAGA 065). Actually, both names are incorrect as these soldiers are correctly labeled as Clone Swamp Troopers.

Per Wookieepedia, "Swamp trooper armor was camouflaged for use in or around mires and boggy land. The troopers carried DC-15A blaster rifles, DC-15S blasters, sniper rifles, thermal detonators, auto turrets and blaster pistols. They would be assigned two vehicles: BARC speeders for mounted reconnaissance duty and AT-APs for attacking and defending. Using BARC speeders could make them look very similar to BARC troopers, some of which also wore a form of clone scout armor." Clearly, there predecessors are quite similar in many ways. Because the TSC figure was part of a repack and repaint wave, it was simply the VTSC Biker Scout in new colors. While similar in spirit, they are quite different in actuality. The figure wasn't authentic in many ways because the Kashyyyk Troopers have noticeably different armor from the Biker Scouts (seen in Episode VI). The Elite Corps Clone Trooper caused even more chagrin because Hasbro didn't include the long rifle, thus making the figure more inaccurate. If you compare the The Saga Collection figure to the 30 (77-07) figure, you will be surprised by the size difference. We really want to know why the final Kashyyyk Trooper turned out so tiny. It is such a shame because while many of us can overlook the stiffness of the pose, shrunken clones is a little bit unforgiving in the toy line especially when his peers tower over him. It's very frustrating because this figure is actually excellent in spite of its small size.

The Kashyyyk Trooper has a detachable face plate that lifts up and stays up very nicely. Underneath you will find another clone head (face) and while the likeness is pretty good, we have to question why the skin tone looks so dark and tan, almost to an orange degree. Needless to say, it is not too bad of a head sculpt despite the wrong skin tone. The deco on the figure is stunning and looks so much better than the TSC figure. Hasbro manage to get the right base color this time around and it does so much for the extra paint operations on top. The camouflage pattern blends in so much more nicely and the alternating flecks are much smaller in size which is more authentic to the costume seen in Episode III. In summary, the Kashyyyk Trooper is a fair action figure. And we will again question why Hasbro made him so stiff-looking and so tiny. He is in an almost completely different scale than most of the basic figure line. A definite revisit will be needed to make this figure definitive, because even if Hasbro can adjust the height, we still don't like the stiff body joint. It is so difficult to maneuver, it might as well not even be on the figure. Everything being said, he will serve your collection well, but it won't be the most perfect representation of the character that the line will see. Here is hoping that Hasbro will alleviate the issues and make this character definitive, because we all want definitive clone troopers in our collections!