Sandtrooper - Premium Format Figures

"Let me see your identifications."

Sideshow proudly presents the Sandtrooper Premium Format™ Figure inspired by appearances in Star Wars: A New Hope.

Deployed on a mission to the desert world of Tatooine with his standard issue blaster in hand, the Imperial Sandtrooper is armed and ready for anything – except perhaps Jedi mind tricks. On the lookout for Rebel forces and missing droids, the battle-hardened squad leader is fully equipped to operate in the harshest environments, fitted with authentically detailed weathered armor and survival gear. The figure is depicted amid a barren stretch of the Dune Sea; the themed deco base at his feet features an enormous bantha skull and stray womprat scuttling past. Joining the growing ranks of Sideshow’s Star Wars Premium Format Figure collection, the Sandtrooper Premium Format™ Figure will be an incredible recruit for any Imperial army.

It's hard to believe that it has taken Sideshow Collectibles more than a decade to get to the Sandtrooper in their highly popular Premium Format Figures line. With such a strong focus on Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope already represented in the line, they're not just getting to one of the most recognizable characters in the entire Star Wars saga. Perhaps recent Star Wars Entertainment like The Force Awakens and Rogue One have lit a fire under Sideshow Collectibles to produce "officers" in this high-end format. After all, colored pauldrons are both widely seen in the latest Star Wars installments, and generally speaking it is a symbol of the Galactic Empire or something else Imperial. Whatever the reasons for the delay, the Sandtrooper, based on some sort of off-screen moment in Episode IV, is now available and the final piece is pretty impressive. Standing atop a section of some Tatooine wasteland, the Sandtrooper in in the midst of some carcass that suffered the harshness of the duel Tatooine suns. Its 'deadness' is beautifully tooled and the details in the skull are just so incredibly executed. What looks to be a younger (smaller) bantha who died in the Dune Sea, the details in the curled horns make this an unmistakable visage. Star Wars collectors are going to be thrilled with this beautiful display piece.

The Sandtrooper itself is pretty amazing too. The weathering on the shiny armor dulls it a bit, but not enough to hide all of its sheen. The Sandtrooper stands pretty erect and doesn't show any signs of too much action. He appears to be walking pretty steadily in the Tatooine desert and is holding a heavy repeating blaster with two hands. The gun is a beautiful recreation of the onscreen prop. And it even comes with a real soft-goods strap that hangs as he holds it too. What's more, the Sandtrooper Premium Format Figure comes with a soft-goods orange officer's pauldron, and a heavy and stunningly detailed survival backpack: two signature additions to this character's gear. Both pieces add an incredible amount of authenticity to this collectible. It's just amazing what Sideshow Collectibles is able to achieve in this scale. If you inspect the armor carefully, you'll see that they even added scratching to the plastoid. It usually takes close inspection to realize just how much effort Sideshow Collectibles puts into these very expensive figures. It's sad to see how expensive the line has become, but they are also taking steps to make these figures the best they ever have. it's bittersweet. But it's hard to get upset about collectibles that are this gorgeous.

Sideshow Collectibles has also found a better way to attach their figures to the bases too. Instead of a metal post, they've added large "slats" on the feet that provide better anchoring for the figure and a closer fit to the base. It basically prohibits any wobbling of the figure which is a wonderful thing. It's evident that they've thought about this figure from every aspect very carefully. Sideshow Exclusive collectors are treated to a womprat additional accessory that plus into an obscure hole in the base. It looks like it is running around the legs of the Sandtrooper. We're still confused about the actual size of a womprat. This one looks too small when compared to the Sandtrooper, but then again, the womprat from 2008's TLC Disturbance At Lars' Homestead Toys R Us exclusive is much too big. We're going to have to assume that the artisans at Sideshow Collectibles did their homework and tooled an accurately sized womprat for this piece. Admittedly it's not the greatest exclusive accessory we have ever received. It probably would have been more exciting to get alternate/interchangeable black and white pauldrons instead. We know that's how we felt about it. But that wasn't in the plans this time. We're thoroughly impressed with the Sandtrooper Premium Format figure. It's expensive, but beautifully executed.