Get ready to rock the Geonosis arena with the Sideshow Collectibles Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids Sixth Scale Figure Set. Packed with personality and engineered with a full range of articulation, the set includes two OOM series droids, hand-crafted in the signature rust-colored paint scheme from the secret factories of Geonosis, and identified with unique numerical markings. Weathered from combat, these infantry soldiers are equipped with their blasters and backpacks, ready to receive their next marching orders. On their own, or accumulated in squads, the Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids offer endless display options for the imaginative Star Wars enthusiast!
It was inevitable. After the Battle Droids (Infantry), OOM-9 Battle Droid Commander, S.T.A.P. And Battle Droid and the Security Battle Droids releases, Sideshow Collectibles finally delves into these Separatist Droid Army members as they appeared in Attack Of The Clones complete with battle-damage and dark red/maroon color. Created this way to match the reddish backdrop of the Geonosis landscape, Battle Droids were given matching color flashes to blend in with their surroundings in an effort to defeat the enemies. Admittedly, for us, B1 battle droids became a little more interesting and entertaining in Episode III than Episode I. The Battle of Geonosis was much more exciting and there were so many of them fighting the Jedi in the relatively tiny Geonosis Arena that their numbers seemed even greater. And with all of the action going on, it was instant sensory overload, something we absolutely adore in Star Wars films. Sideshow once again brings a relatively flawless interpretation of the B1 battle droids to market once again. You should probably expect them to keep reusing this sculpt over and over again until they’ve made them all. It’s a wondrous design and we love seeing it replicated in different colors. We just hope that Sideshow Collectibles doesn’t go into hyperdrive and overproduce them like they’ve done with the various clones. The Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids are very functional of course and can be posed in basically any position you desire. From action stances to the distilled crouched position, the Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids once again bring much needed diversity to Sideshow’s 1:6 Scale Figures lineup.
As mentioned in other reviews about this sculpt, the Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids definitely possess the same fragility in general, but keep in mind that they have been designed with the intention to be posed and played with by the collector. Parts will indeed snap if pushed too far (as we have sadly learned), but in general these sculpts have a lot more give than most give them credit for having. Besides, posing them is something you’re definitely going to want to do with them. Regardless, the Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids set has very few issues and you should choose to focus on their strengths than their weaknesses because there are more things to be happy with than not here. The plastic used to sculpt these masterpieces is lightweight, but has some pliability worked into it so that they don’t feel entirely brittle when attempting to pose them into some really cool action stances. Multiple joints in the arms allow for a full array of various poses and the ball-socket thumb is very useful for keeping the included droid blaster in his hand. The Battle Droids can be posed with wide stances thanks to superbly designed ball-socket hips and ball-jointed feet. The hinge-jointed knees and swivel ankles really aid in allowing you to achieve some pretty cool aggressive poses. From what we can tell, the Battle Droids are an exact replica of the three-dimensional images seen in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones and all of the movements captured in the film can pretty much be imitated with these 1:6 Scale Figures as well. The Battle Droids come in the packaging folded up (as they appeared in Episode I coming off of the MTT) but can be quickly unfolded to show their height and imposing stature. Their droid blasters cannot be secured to their backpacks in this mode which we think is terribly unfortunate, but the figures themselves can fold up very compactly.
The Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids have gorgeous paint jobs. You will see scratches, dirt accumulation, dents and blast marks as well as other wonderful like details that really do wonders to bring these pieces to life. The final production figures are a sigh of relief for us and what’s more is that the final production figures look significantly better than the prototypes Sideshow Collectibles use to advertise them to the buying audience. This has been a running trend with these figures. Every last detail on these figures has been mastered and we’re quite impressed with that. The floodgates have been widely opened for B1 battle droids in the 1:6 Scale Figure line now and we imagine others will follow. Based on the successful line they already have under their belts, we have great confidence in what Sideshow will be able to produce in the future, especially for those that hold Sideshow to extremely high standards. Sideshow has managed to get the B1 battle droid body perfectly right from the start. There hasn’t been a need for a learning curve or a point to grow from because these figures have been so nice since their inception into the 1:6 Scale Figures line. These figures have tight joints, excellent paint jobs, beautifully perfect designs and incredible functionality, all things we have previously mentioned. And the very modest accessories including their backpacks and droid blasters add the perfect amount of accessorizing. There is no exclusive version for this release, but that’s just fine for us. Sideshow Collectibles continues to knock these characters out of the park. There isn’t much “mass” to this Star Wars character design and maybe that’s why Sideshow has been able to include two here for less than the price of a clone commander, but we think this is a very fair price for such incredible workmanship. And you get two to boot.
Collector Notes
Geonosis Infantry Battle Droids
Announcement Date: February 15, 2014
Pre-order Date: February 20, 2014
Retail: $129.99 USD
UPC: 747720228986
Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on listings.
Geonosis Infantry Battle Droid [A]
Status: Geonosis Infantry Battle Droid [A] utilizes the B-1 Battle Droid body type.
Articulation Count: 30 points
Articulation Details: ball-jointed head, sliding neck, hinge-jointed neck, 2 swivel shoulder armor, 2 lateral swivel shoulders, 2 swivel biceps, 2 hinge-jointed elbows, 2 swivel forearms, 2 ball-jointed wrists, 2 double-jointed "fingers", 2 ball-socket "thumbs", "swivel" midsection (very inhibited movement - barely articulated), 2 ball-jointed hips, 2 hinge-jointed knees, 2 swivel ankles, 2 ball-jointed feet
Accessory Count: 2
Accessory Details: backpack (with two extending antennas), E-5 blaster rifle
Geonosis Infantry Battle Droid [B]
Status: Geonosis Infantry Battle Droid [B] utilizes the B-1 Battle Droid body type.
Articulation Count: 30 points
Articulation Details: ball-jointed head, sliding neck, hinge-jointed neck, 2 swivel shoulder armor, 2 lateral swivel shoulders, 2 swivel biceps, 2 hinge-jointed elbows, 2 swivel forearms, 2 ball-jointed wrists, 2 double-jointed "fingers", 2 ball-socket "thumbs", "swivel" midsection (very inhibited movement - barely articulated), 2 ball-jointed hips, 2 hinge-jointed knees, 2 swivel ankles, 2 ball-jointed feet
Accessory Count: 2
Accessory Details: backpack (with two extending antennas), E-5 blaster rifle