Stormtrooper Troop Builder Set - SW [S - P1] - Multipacks (Exclusive)

A long-running request from Star Wars collectors was for Hasbro to produce army-building sets to help collectors expand their collections. They launched this premise in 2002 with the release of the Stormtrooper Troop Builder Set, the first in a series of four sets. In 1999, The Power Of The Force “2” [FlashBack/CommTech] Stormtrooper figure changed how the collecting community looked at Star Wars figures, especially army builders. At the time, 13 points of articulation was an incredible feat for a Star Wars action figure. And as of 2002, it was still the best Stormtrooper sculpt on the market. Hasbro decided to open up the Star Wars Trooper Builder Sets line with these Stormtroopers. They didn’t come with the gimmick effect of the 1999 release. Gone was the temperature-changing battle-damage effect. Now, these four figures are pure-white and half come with an E-11 blaster, while the other two come with blaster rifles. Incredibly, only three short years put the Stormtrooper figure in perspective for collectors, however. Collectors soon found that they couldn’t position the Stormtroopers in too many unique configurations to make them look different.

Let’s go back in time. From 1995, It took Hasbro FOUR YEARS to give collectors a decent Stormtrooper action figure. But in 1999, that Stormtrooper update came when Kenner/Hasbro released 1999’s POTF2 [FB/CT] Stormtrooper figure, the first Stormtrooper in the basic figure line with more than six points of articulation. What’s more, the figure included premium ball-jointed articulation to sweeten the pot. Affectionately known as the “CommTech Stormtrooper,” this figure brought the Galactic Empire’s shock troopers to a whole new elevated level, and these figures quickly became the talk of the town. With updated articulation, a great sculpt and awesome accessories, the Stormtrooper figure of the late nineties was a sight to behold. Not completely perfect, of course, the Stormtrooper was still a figure that fan boys and fan girls would be army building like there was no tomorrow as well as hoarding them for rainy days. Complete with a silly yet acceptable action feature, the CommTech Stormtrooper is a modern-day testament to what collectors find acceptable from Hasbro in the basic figure line.

Three more years transpired from the release of 1999’s POTF2 [FB/CT] Stormtrooper figure. Collectors were hoarding them, and there didn’t seem to be enough to go around. So, collectors began clamoring for Trooper Builder sets. Hasbro listened, and for the Star Wars “Saga” line, they released the first “Trooper Builder” set, the Stormtrooper Trooper Builder set for $19.99 as an online exclusive. It went over exceptionally well with collectors, and then collectors began pleading for more. More would eventually arrive. Some were delayed, and some arrived sooner than expected. But overall, they were hits, and it felt like the sky was the limit. Interestingly, after the initial four sets, the exclusive multipack line ceased, and Hasbro produced no more (in this format). Still, the power of a single action figure should be credited for creating this exclusive subline. That 1999 “CommTech Stormtrooper” changed the course of how collectors bought in bulk. And it leaves an indelible mark on Star Wars collecting, and will forever be credited with developing the exclusive online “Trooper Builder Set” multipacks.