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Name: Republic Commando
Boss
Type: Mini Busts
Number: Item No. 12287
Edition Size: 1300 (PBM Exclusive)
Source: Expanded Universe (Republic Commando)
Availability: January 2010
License: Gentle
Giant, Ltd.
Equipped with specialized weaponry like the DC-17m rifle, special tactical visors, and Katarn-class body armor, the Republic Commandos can infiltrate the deepest, darkest reaches of the Separatist strongholds. The Clone Wars were won or lost, more often than not, due to the efforts of small, anonymous squads of Republic commandos, working behind the scenes and deep behind enemy lines to do what larger armies could not.
Oh, the long-awaited Republic Commando mini busts have finally been released by Gentle Giant Ltd.! It has been grueling, but they are completely worth it. Sculpted and painted beyond expectations, the Republic Commandos are the finest collectibles we have seen from Gentle Giant in quite some time. The first time a collectible was attempted for this tough band of brothers was also done by Gentle Giant, but it was in the form of a faux bronze maquette which became a Star Wars Shop exclusive. It was repainted in color a year later but it didn't capture the magic of the original piece. But fans wanted to get them in mini bust form and here they finally are. But the edition sizes of each may not meet all of the demand and this is a terrible shame because they are some of the best mini busts Gentle Giant has ever created. And we don't say that these are the best yet because they are the newest additions to the long, healthy line of mini busts. They are some of the best because of their brilliant sculpts, stunning paint jobs and excellent execution from prototype to finished product. This review is about Boss, but we can't help but rave about the others here too.
Boss, the Republic commando with the orange color flashes, is known as RC-1138 (Delta Three-Eight) and the number 38 is painted on his backpack. "Boss" is technically his nickname. Constructed in a attention-grasping pose, Boss has a posture and attitude that is not seen too often in the mini bust line. While we have see many clone troopers designed by Gentle Giant with extended arms and pointing figures, never have we seen such "attitude" captured in a polystone product before from them. His head is cocked ever so slightly which brings the piece an unprecedented amount of threat and prowess. With his gun pointing upwards, it's a safe bet that this is a clone trooper you should not aggravate. While he looks bright in spots, Gentle Giant did a phenomenal job to ensure that enough scoring and scratching was applied to the armor to break up what started off as a beautiful and solid paint job. The visor is painted especially well and we almost swear we can see our reflection in it. The white parts of the armor show signs of battle and have plenty of dirt and grit from the elements of the various planets where they defended the Republic.
Limited to only 1300 pieces, we bet that this mini bust will be quite a battle to find. But Gentle Giant Ltd.. did something special for Premier Guild Members in order to guarantee that the four individual Republic commandos would be relatively simple to add into their collections. But even so, these pieces were scoffed up by PGMs and the stock almost immediately evaporated in minutes. So, in a nutshell, it may be wise to start tracking them down as soon as possible before time makes their MSRP exponentially increase. Boss is a mini bust that should please all collectors. The Republic Commando video game has a lot of fans who still love these characters. The 2006 TSC Republic Commando Delta Squad set by Hasbro was pretty good, but can barely touch the wondrous artwork of Gentle Giant's mini bust interpretations of them. And we think that Boss is one of the standout commandos in the four piece set. A PBM exclusive, only a small amount were allotted for PGM collectors, the rest are being held for that event. It is really amazing how much better the high end collectibles are coming out and Boss is a fine example of Gentle Giant's best work yet.
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