BARC Speeder With Clone Commander Cody - TCW [R] - Deluxe

Clone Commander Cody uses a BARC speeder on scouting and escort missions. The one-person speeders are named for the Biker Advanced Recon Commandos who first used them in the war. The clone officer has customized his speeder with the distinct coloring of the elite 212th Attack Battalion that he commands.

Hasbro took a bit of a different approach with the first Deluxe line of figures for 2010. Even if they didn't pack these sets with all new vehicles (or vehicles that have not seen store shelves in over a decade), they have brilliantly repainted previously released and very familiar ones in ways that makes them look brand new.... and off screen as well. Take BARC Speeder With Clone Commander Cody for example. You likely won't see a brighter speeder bike ever again in the main line and this is not a cheap shot at it either. But you're not going to see this vehicle in the television show (likely) because this is a concept developed by Hasbro to help pad their "Vehicle and Figure" Deluxe line. We know that the different and varied legions of clone battalions tend to favor a certain color. And we know that the 212th Attack Battalion's choice is orange. As a result, Clone Commander Cody gets his own BARC speeder cast in relatively tame light tan plastic. But it is highlighted with a brilliant (and almost neon) organge color. It is one of the neatest paint applications we have seen in The Clone Wars line yet and we hope that Hasbro can come up with more similar ways to make previously existing molds this exciting. But if you're looking for screen accuracy, this may be a set you might decide to overlook instead.

To be honest, both the figure (Clone Commander Cody) and the vehicle (the BARC Speeder) are nothing new. But the way the paint decos were approached are nothing short of innovative. After a plethora of clone troopers that were released with clean armor, Cody finally gets his battle worn coat with this deluxe figure release. Of particular note is the changed shade of orange used for his color flashes. It has then been enhanced with a light paint application that gives the orange color a scuffed appearance. Simply put, it looks phenomenal. The orange is crisper and cleaner than the basic figure release (check out our review of 2008's TCW [B] Commander Cody (No. 10) here) and the other colors like black and red used to enhance the figure are applied within the lines. We are pleasantly surprised about how well this figure was done. We wished that Hasbro would have painted the basic figure this well. Cody comes with less weaponry (just a DC-15 blaster) than his basic figure counterpart, but we think he is perfectly accessorized. Sometimes when the figures come with too many large and bulky weapons it takes away from it quite a bit. Just having one gun is the perfect match, especially since the main weapon is the BARC speeder.

The Deluxe line is off to a great start in 2010 and we hope that Hasbro doesn't slow the momentum at all. We tend to dig sets liek this because it strongly reminds us of the vintage Kenner Mini Rig line which we completely adore. It is a great medium to provide a small sized vehicle paired with an action figure (which most of the time appears to be super-articulated). And if the keep up with the beautiful paint jobs they are giving both the figure and vehicle, it will no doubt guarantee the future success of the line. Collectors need to see things that are "new enough" peppered throughout the line. And since Clone Commander Cody is a no-brainer character to see multiple releases, we love that he is significantly different from all previous versions we have received. In conclusion, the BARC Speeder With Clone Commander Cody will offer the collector more than you initially think. So we are really looking forward to what this line will bring in the future. After a shaky start, Hasbro has shown us that they have some great ideas in store for the deluxe line. If this set is any indication, we will be having a great amount of deluxe figures to excite us down the road. You do get a super-articulated action figure and a nicely designed vehicle here. It has value written all over it.