Assault Walker - RO - Vehicles

These mobile assault walkers operate as mechanized calvary units, storming enemy positions and running down fleeing troops.

It wasn't an ideal release in 2015. It certainly isn't any better of a release in 2016. Repacked to support the Rogue One line, The Force Awakens Assault Walker (with Stormtrooper Sergeant) is here once again and sharing shelf space with the original 2015 release. They could be found sitting side by side on store shelves. Never part of Episode VII, this Hasbro concept is a decent release on paper, but ultimately unnecessary when there are SO MANY screen-specific vehicles and troopers they could make instead. Hasbro has often cited that a compressed timeline plays a major factor to the limited amount of products that make it to store shelves, so perhaps re-releasing some of the past stuff from the first Force Friday into new packaging may help alleviate things for them a bit. The Rogue One Class I vehicle assortment is not that exciting, and we wish Hasbro would have focused on adding some Rogue One specific things in the line instead. Whether these just don’t have the same gravitational pull as basic figures, or perhaps there were just more made, the recent Class I vehicles have been consistent fixtures on store pegs (especially when compared to the other merchandise).

Inside of this package you’ll receive an Assault Walker vehicle and a Stormtrooper Sergeant pack-in action figure. For $19.99, this isn’t the end of the world, but keep in mind that both the figure and vehicle are simple in articulation and sculpt and that an MSRP of $14.99 is probably a whole lot more fitting than a retail price at nearly $20. For all intents and purposes, the Assault Walker looks pretty good. Shockingly, the legs of the vehicle are articulated at the (hips via swivel articulation) and the feet (via hinge-jointed articulation). You can position the vehicle in some fairly impressive poses because of this articulation. (Just check out our Photo Gallery.) The sculpt of the entire vehicle is admirable. But instead of straddling it like a bike, there is a cockpit area that functions more like a box in which the figure stands. The lack of articulation in the Stormtrooper Sergeant necessitates this approach. The whole design of the vehicle is new. Either way, this vehicle will fit in well with any Kashyyyk themed display as well as the various jungle/forest worlds that have been introduced via the Expanded Universe. There is room for this in your collection.

The pack-in Stormtrooper Sergeant looks cool too. Cast in a completely different off-white color than the basic Build A Weapon figures from The Force Awakens line, the Stormtrooper Sergeant actually has a better “lived in” appearance than the many other Stormtroopers already released under The Force Awakens banner. Sure, there aren’t any battle-damage markings or dents in the armor (like we used to get once upon a time) but the “not so bright white” color of the armor really does this sculpt justice. The Stormtrooper Sergeant also comes with a removable pauldron (thanks to the easily removable ball-socket head sculpt). And like most other First Order troopers, the First Order blaster can be secured to the right thigh armor when not in use. The figure interacts with the vehicle admirably, and we have to admit the whole ensemble looks pretty cool in a display. It is just that it’s still hard to know that these could have been super-articulated figures and vehicles had Episode VII arrived about five years earlier. Alas, it is what it is. This is not the worst item you could purchase with your hard earned dollars, but certainly not the best. It's definitely a strange repack for the Rogue One line.