Republic Gunship - ROTS - Vehicles

The Republic Gunship is a powerful combat vessel used by the clone troopers. Its transport bay can carry large numbers of troops into battle, deploying them through the side doors and with the drop-off landing base. Outfitted with an impressive arsenal of weapons including "laser" cannons, chin guns and missiles, the gunship is one of the Republic's main fighting vehicles in the Clone Wars.

It appears as if Hasbro wasn’t as prepared for the Revenge Of The Sith line as many collectors suspect. It’s one of their most significant Star Wars toy lines to date, but there are many action figures and vehicles in the line that aren’t screen-accurate. They released early concepts of Commander Bly (III 57), abandoned concept art, converted into action figures, or deleted scene characters made into action figures. And Hasbro released examples in the Revenge Of The Sith line that fall under the “Expanded Universe” banner. The same is true for the Republic Gunship. Probably in an effort to keep the Revenge Of The Sith release different from 2002’s SW [S - P1] Republic Gunship vehicle, Hasbro essentially created an “inverse” of the 2002 version. Where there is red, there is now lime green. And where there is lime green, there is now red. Also, the hull of the 2005 ROTS Republic Gunship is now light gray, instead of cream or off-white, as seen as the 2002 Star Wars “Saga” Republic Gunship. There are other differences as well, but these are the most significant changes between the 2002 and 2005 LAAT/i vessels. What you received in 2002, you also receive for 2005. The only differences you’ll find are in the paint operations. Hasbro didn’t add any new features here. But interestingly, the color scheme of this Republic Gunship is not seen anywhere within Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. It’s, at best, a Hasbro concept.

You should pay close attention to every last detail on the Republic Gunship. It’s required to appreciate what Hasbro produced for us here. From its generous size to its stunning paint job, the Republic Gunship is one of the most incredible vehicles Hasbro ever made for the Star Wars toy line. Sure, it’s too small in scale to the on-screen vehicle, but they gave this toy some mass to make it relevant in the 3.75” basic figure line. Despite its overtly gray body, the Republic Gunship is colorful thanks to the red and lime green paint detail. And then Hasbro included a sheet of decals to give the Republic Gunship some blue elements as well. From the opening canopy/cockpit to the slow-opening doors, the Republic Gunship is a case in point example of how much work Hasbro adds to the toys they make for the Star Wars line. Still, perhaps an aggressive repaint of 2002’s SW [S - P1] Republic Gunship would have been the best choice for Hasbro to include in the Revenge Of The Sith line. Collectors are all about accuracy, and getting a significant vehicle like this in the toy line that doesn’t reflect the faithfulness in the film, it’s ultimately disappointing to them. The Revenge Of The Sith toy line is gigantic, so there will likely be way too many things that will serve as sensory overload for collectors. Collectors probably won’t focus on what’s wrong with the Republic Gunship. Besides, there’s more to enjoy here than not.

Young Star Wars fan will appreciate the play features that make this item a “toy,” but collectors will recount the moments in Episode III, and they’ll want to recreate scenes in dioramas in their collections. To make things easier on younger collectors, Hasbro added a “hidden” handle, which makes carrying the vehicle around a simple task. They placed it in a spot that offers a fantastic center of gravity, is ergonomically designed to fit in the hands of both large and small Star Wars collectors, and aesthetically pleasing. Hasbro added a healthy amount of play features here too. There are two front-firing cannons, in addition to two more massive upper cannons that fire larger translucent red projectiles. Additionally, an articulated rear gun is also part of the vehicle’s design. There is a large transport bay with a deployable trooper platform. Hasbro ensured they added an adequate amount of footpegs to place the Clone Troopers on so they can all work together to defeat The Separatist Droid Army. The Republic Gunship also has the same storage area for a Clone Trooper’s Speeder Bike, just like we’ve seen with past releases. Retailing for $29.99, and part of an assortment along with the ARC-170 Fighter, the Republic Gunship is a fantastic addition to the Revenge Of The Sith line. We want to reiterate that our preference for future releases is screen-accurate versions. They’re a necessity in the Star Wars toy line.