Cruisemissile Trooper - POTF2 [R/G] - Vehicles

MODEL: Imperial Cruisemissile Assault Craft
LENGTH: 6.2 Meters
TOP SPEED: 750 KM Per Hour
AFFILIATION: Galactic Empire
CREW: 1 Pilot
WEAPONS: Dual Laser Cannons, Twin Proton Torpedo Launchers

The spearhead of the Imperial Navy is the cruisemissile trooper. This highly maneuverable craft is often the first wave of any full-scale Imperial assault on Rebel Alliance military outposts. Resembling missiles in size and structure, cruisemissiles are actually one-person assault crafts piloted by elite Imperial TIE fighter pilots. Cruisemissiles are launched in flight squadrons of twelve from the bombing bays of Imperial Star Destroyers. Locking onto their target, they speed through the atmosphere like guided missiles before deploying their weapons systems and flight control surfaces. Unfolding wings improve maneuverability while simultaneously revealing powerful dual laser cannons and twin proton torpedo laucnhers, an arsenal impossible to find on similar sized craft.

Attacking at low level and in large numbers, cruisemissile troopers swarm Rebel bases and overwhelm Alliance forces with an extremely high rate of fire. Though they are not equipped with shields, their tremendous speed and compact size compensate for their lack of armor.

At first glance it might be easy to discount the Cruisemissile Trooper vehicle as an unnecessary and unwanted release, but if you give it more than a cursory review, you’ll find it possesses quite a bit of charm, and doesn’t function all that differently from Kenner’s classic Mini Rig vehicles of the '80s. This one is bigger, however. The Cruisemissile Trooper is a Kenner Concept. We’re not sure why Kenner/Hasbro felt compelled to produce it. There are a ton of vehicles desperately needing updating, and then there are many others that need a first-time release. So, we didn’t need the Cruisemissile Trooper from that perspective alone. However, Kenner/Hasbro crafted a small-sized vehicle that feels right at home with any other “off-screen” themed ideas produced for the 3.75” toy line. And technically, this is the very first modern Kenner/Hasbro time that falls under the “Expanded Universe” banner.

The Cruisemissile Trooper is described as the spearhead of the Imperial Navy. They assaulted the Rebel Alliance military outposts and launched from the bombing bays of Imperial Star Destroyers in groups of twelve. The Cruisemissile Trooper is armed with dual laser cannons and twin proton torpedo launchers attached to the two engines. And not much different than a hang glider, Cruisemissile Troopers affixed themselves to the cruisemissile assault craft from the waist down. Despite the backstory, the Cruisemissile Trooper has only made a single appearance in The Power of the Force “2” Kenner/Hasbro toy line. Much like a reverse Imperial TIE Fighter Pilot, the Cruisemissile Trooper looks a lot like an AT-AT Driver or some other helmeted member of the Galactic Empire. We would have loved to see Hasbro add a complete and removable action figure here with this vehicle, but that wasn’t the way they approached this vehicle, unfortunately.

From a design perspective, the Cruisemissile Trooper is a decent addition to the vehicle line. Hasbro opted for a dark-colored palette with bright red highlights that almost look neon is some light. But the vehicle is accented beautifully with the decal sheet included. Hasbro created colorful stickers that add lights, exhaust, warning labels, and directional arrows. They do a lot for the vehicle, but there are so many tiny stickers that are quite difficult to apply. You may lose your patience applying them. You’re also able to place the Cruisemissile Trooper into many different configurations. You can pose the wings and cannons up and down, and depending on their placement, you can achieve many different looks of the Cruisemissile Trooper. It’s quite impressive how much versatility this vehicle has. Then again, it’s not in the film, has half of a non-removable action figure locked inside of it, and if you’re not creative, it may not be a vehicle for you.