Sandtrooper - TBS [P3] - 3.75 Inch Figures (Exclusive)

Stormtroopers dispatched to desert worlds wear specialized gear and are nicknamed sandtroopers. Sandtroopers wear standard stormtrooper armor augmented with cooling units, a helmet sand filter, and a survival backpackwith extra rations and water.

It was the apology figure of 2012 – released in the second to the last wave of The Vintage Collection. You see, in 2010, Hasbro released the Sandtrooper (VC14) figure. While it looked cool to see a Sandtrooper on a vintage Kenner inspired card back, the figure itself was too clean. Hasbro made up for this by releasing 2012’s TVC Sandtrooper (VC112) figure – a figure with a filthy wash, an orange pauldron and two different card back styles: a vintage Kenner card back and then a “lost line” inspired card back as a running change. No matter how you obtained him, he was a hit and collectors army built him like there was no tomorrow. Five years after his original release, the aftermarket premiums will set you back about 500% more than it would have in 2012. Seeing this, Hasbro felt this Sandtrooper would make for a wise release in the Walmart exclusive The Black Series [Phase III] 3.75” action figure line. At first we weren’t so sure if he was a smart figure to repack, but we’re quickly seeing that Hasbro may have cleverly thought ahead. Clearly Imperial soldiers are always strong sellers, and the Sandtrooper looks great now, just like he did in 2012, and should become a sought-after action figure in 2017. Hasbro has clearly chosen the best sculpt available for the Sandtrooper and his re-release is warmly welcomed.

The Sandtrooper is a slight repaint of 2012’s TVC Sandtrooper (VC112) figure. But that figure was simply a rework of the Imperial Sandtrooper figure from 2009’s LC Dewback With Imperial Sandtrooper Walmart exclusive. This release sports an orange squad leader's pauldron to perfectly capture the unique characteristics that separate Sandtroopers from standard Stormtroopers and it looks amazing. There are other details that differentiate them as well. Keep in mind that this figure comes with ball-jointed hips. So making the figure straddle a beast like a Dewback, while not necessarily easy, is indeed something possible to perform with this figure. Ball-jointed hips make almost everything possible for action figures, and ball-jointed hips are especially important for any military member in the Star Wars universe. The figure’s paint job is stunning. Hasbro has truly mastered how a Sandtrooper should look. Sure, the paint operations looks a little glossy, but there is no denying that the deco looks fantastic. Obviously we don’t want our Sandtroopers to be pristine and clean, but sometimes Hasbro can get a little too carried away with the final paint washes intended to look like dirt. We feel this version of the character is the perfect marriage of dirt to white armor. And the method of the paint application is done very well too as it has a very realistic look to it. There are no hard brush strokes or powdery splattered spray dirt on this armor.

Hasbro also includes a sentry droid with the Sandtrooper, something that won’t necessarily appeal to hardcore fans of the unaltered Original Trilogy. Admittedly, we’re not huge fans of this extra accessory, but it was incorporated tastefully well here. You can attach the sentry droid via an “invisible” post that attaches to the Sandtrooper’s survival backpack. It’s a great effect and it’s certainly accurate to the Special Edition of A New Hope. The standard survival backpack and heavy blaster cannon have been carried forward from the 2005 ROTS Clone Trooper To Stormtrooper [Version 1] Evolutions figure as well. There is certainly a lot to play with here. Perhaps the greatest addition is still the new E-11 blaster. It hasn’t lost its luster after a half decade. Even at this extremely small scale, Hasbro has added articulation to it to bring it to a new level of accuracy and authenticity. The stock folds out to give collectors a few more options when it comes to displaying the Sandtrooper in their collections. The detail worked into the blaster file is also unprecedented. Take a few moments and inspect the new accessory because we’re certain you’re going to be very impressed with it. Hasbro has gone above and beyond with the Sandtrooper and the figure really holds onto that “definitive” status very strongly. You’ll see too why it was a wise choice to repackage in The Black Series [Phase III] Walmart exclusive line. Let’s hope this wave makes it out there.