Mustafar Lava Miner - TAC - Basic (30 03)

Clad in armor and uniforms designed to maximize combat efficiency in hostile environments, the Galactic Marines are the Republic’s front line forces and often take on the most formidable opponents. After the issuance of Order 66, a squad of these troopers betrays and shoots down Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi on Mygeeto.

Did you know that both the Mustafar Sentry from the 2005 Revenge Of The Sith line and Mustafar Lava Miner from the 2007 30 (77-07) line are both called Mustafarians? OK, maybe that’s not the coolest trivia of the year, but we have a point to make. While it makes sense in retrospect that inhabitants of a planet would likely pick up the planet’s name in their species designation, we rarely see two diverse and unique looking species being referred to with same name. Take for instance the planet of Mon Calamari. The Quarren Soldiers and the Mon Calamari Warriors both get their own species designations. And even on Utapau, the two distinct species each have their own names: the Pau’ans and the Utai. But it doesn’t seem to be the same way on Mustafar. Granted, they are distinguished as the northern species (the Mustafar Sentry) and the southern species (the Mustafar Lava Miner). But unless you’re describing them or looking at them, you’ll likely not be able to tell them apart in a conversation. And these two Star Wars characters also share a similar trait in that Hasbro can’t seem to get their names right either. The 2005 Mustafar Sentry was originally going to be named “Flea Rider” and the 2007 Mustafar Lava Miner doesn’t really have the correct name at all. The true Mustafar Lava Miner is the Mustafar Panning Droid (that we also got as a basic action figure in the 30 (77-07) line). So technically, this figure should have been called simply Mustafarian. And this is probably more trivia than you ever wanted to know about inhabitants of Mustafar, correct? We digress. We offer sincerest apologies for the diversion.

So, how did the action figure turn out? We think it’s splendid. But we also believe that this figure will absolutely divide Star Wars fans and collectors. Visually, the Mustafar Lava Miner is truly a work of art. It is beautifully painted and has a level of realism that isn’t often attained in general in the basic figure line. Despite his awkward stance (awkward for an action figure, not awkward for the Mustafar Lava Miner), this figure is one tremendous accomplishment and between its beautiful design and stunning paint operations, it significantly surpasses the quality of many of the other figures in the 30 (77-07) line as well as most others before it. This is not an action figure for the weak of heart. The engineering that went into this action figure blows us away because it almost doesn’t make sense how he is able to stand while holding his pot of lava without issue. Hasbro obviously worked overtime to get the center of gravity just perfect. What’s more, it almost doesn’t make sense how he is able to stand in such an outstretched pose successfully without falling over. We’re impressed to say the least! He maintains a strategic and solid pose and won’t vacillate or waver if you get him just perfectly balanced. It’s getting him there that may require the patience. It’s not too often when we get a crouching action figure that can pose so well and Mustafar Lava Miner is certainly one strong (and heavy) action figure in the basic figure line. He’s an action figure that doesn’t look right without his accessories, so this is one to keep in action for sure!

Colored in the same grayish-blue and bronze colors of his predecessor the Mustafar Sentry, the Mustafar Lava Miner fits into the current toy line beautifully. The protective bronze portions have lots of lava damage on them and it’s quite amazing how well Hasbro recreated this realistic looking damage. He has lots of protective gear like his helmet and a plethora of tubing to obviously protective from the lava’s harmful fumes. He’s stocky, but solid and looks to have a strong athletic build despite his girth. And we’re even more surprised by the fact that Hasbro has included 14 points of articulation in this figure. (And unlike many other figures, we use all of them to attain the desired poses of him milling the lava for precious metals.) His accessories are also beautifully sculpted and designed. The mining pole and bucket are actually two separate pieces. This was a very nice touch. And the bucket is nearly filled to the top with red hot lava. (And we have found varying shades of oranges and reds used to color the lava.) We believe that the Mustafar Lava Miner will unfortunately go unnoticed by many collectors. This is a character that panned by the camera win seconds and serves no real purpose in the plot of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. But those who pass on him will certainly be missing out on a great figure. It still surprises us after all these years that some of Hasbro’s best work and most articulation are found on the most obscure characters. But that’s always been a trend and a big part of collecting for years, hasn’t it?