Republic Commando Boss - SW [TPM 3D] - The Clone Wars (CW11)

Republic Commando Boss is the sergeant on Delta Squad, an elite unit of clone troopers. He receives standard clone trooper combat training on Kamino, then is put through additional training that is extremely tough, but it makes Boss an aggressively effective trooper able to survive the demanding missions given to Delta Squad.

Even if you’re only a casual observer of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, it’s a good bet you’re already well versed in the Republic Commando Delta Squad. These “super” clones (for lack of a better word at the moment) fought in the height of the Clone Wars. And now Dave Filoni has added them to his multimedia event The Clone Wars. In true Hasbro fashion, they’re slow as molasses and seemingly releasing them one by one in the current lineup. They like starting with Boss and then just stopping. Well, that's what they did with Galactic Heroes anyway. But just like they’ve done with the 2006’s TSC Republic Commando Delta Squad Previews exclusive and the updated/upgraded 2011’s SW [SOTDS] Star Wars: Republic Commando (Delta Squad) Toys R Us exclusive, Hasbro should have bit the bullet and released The Clone Wars interpretations as a set. It would have been the most ideal way to get them into our collections. Hey, it’s always possible that they might release a three-figure Battle Packs set with the remaining Delta Squad members, right? But Republic Commando Boss, or simply Boss, or any of his remaining nicknames like RC-1138 or Delta-38 is an action figure that will make you feel bittersweet. We don’t like feeling bittersweet because it makes us feel like we were sold a bridge. And it’s a shame because Boss possesses the potential to be one of the greatest figures in the entire The Clone Wars line. So why isn’t it. Well, there are multiple reasons, so sit down and buckle up because the facts border on brutal. You may cringe periodically so be forewarned.

Republic Commando Boss first and foremost is a gorgeous sculpt. It’s probably the best sculpted Boss action figure out of the three released quite honestly. That is saying a lot since this figure is based on his animated appearance and not a realistically styled one. But from the design of his helmet to the exactly sculpted armor, Boss is just a gorgeous action figure that captures your attention instantly. But beauty is only in the eye of the beholder, because Boss fails in key ways – more on that in a few. He certainly is the tallest of the lot and we find this particularly interesting, but there isn’t a Boss action figure available up to this point that has incredible details in the armor that perfectly match his onscreen appearance. The paint job is superb. Hasbro has managed to match the color of the orange color flashes perfectly this time around. It isn’t neon or glowing which is the way it should be and instead it’s bright without blinding your eyes. The lines are superbly clean and there is no bleeding whatsoever on this figure. We are thoroughly impressed. But where the greatness of Republic Commando Boss begins to breakdown is in the articulation. Sadly, Boss only comes with eight points of articulation. We find this utterly unacceptable. The 2012 lines that aren’t “intended” for collectors are regressing in very sad ways. A figure this brilliantly sculpted should not have its articulation sacrificed this badly. other than swivel hips, there is not articulation in the legs. This makes posing very frustrating and extremely stagnant.

Another aspect of Republic Commando that we equally like and dislike is the newly sculpted survival backpack. We love it because it can house multiple accessories that come with the action figure. And there are actual sections where you can secure these accessories so they don’t roll around loose inside of it. The backpack system is quite impressive. A separate belt clip accessory gets firmly secured around Boss’ waist and then there are two prongs (on the back of the belt) that fasten to the backpack for a very secure fit. It works like a charm. We’d have to say that the sculptors who engineered this accessory “system” are geniuses. Kids are going to love it and we can confirm that it has made collectors smile as well. What we aren’t crazy about however is that we don’t have a screen accurate backpack for this figure. Hasbro has opted to give Boss a play feature backpack accessory than an accurate one. So we’re frustrated by that too. Here is a great action figure that is missing a key screen accurate accessory. Oh well. Maybe Hasbro will give us a The Clone Wars inspired Delta Squad multipack with the backpacks they’re wearing from the Witches In The Mist episode. We hope so at least. Republic Commando Boss is visually impressive, but you’ll quickly realize how much he lacks one you have him I your hands. it’s just such a shame. With only approximately less than 20 The Clone Wars figures per year (per Hasbro), they should make these premium action figures and not ones with cheap shortcuts.