Clone Trooper (212th Attack Battalion) - TCW [B] - Basic (No. 19)

The clone troopers of the 212th Attack Battalion are distinguished by the orange markings on their white armor. Led by Clone Commander Cody and Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, this unit includes a number of elite infantrymen trained for special missions.

We absolutely loved the look of the 212th Attack Battalion in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. But when this clone trooper got translated into The Clone Wars, it lost a lot of its individuality and uniqueness and really looked not that much different from the clone trooper officers that we saw in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. (Or the generic white clones for that matter either.) This time around, however, instead of red, blue, green or yellow color being used, this clone gets orange color flashes (in fact, it is barely the same exact orange seen on the Episode III 212th clones). The figure doesn't have an elaborate color pattern or anything special. Actually, he will cut to the chase right away. This figure is a little bit boring. Other than being a clone trooper with a new helmet and some added color, the figure doesn't offer much beyond that. Without powerful decorations, intriguing markings, insignias or even special artillery, the 212th Attack Battalion clone trooper doesn't offer anything new to collectors. Despite this, it is a necessary clone trooper to add into your collection. But it won't do anything to excite you.

The 212th Attack Battalion Clone Trooper is a kit-bashed figure comprised of the body of 2008's TCW [B] Clone Trooper (No. 5) with an all-new head. We are not entirely sure why Hasbro has designed a new head. It seems a little bit futile and moot, but they did for one reason or another that we can't figure out. The fin on the helmet seems to be bigger (taller) this time around. It looks a little bit too big, but at first glance, it looks pretty good on the figure. You already know that this clone trooper body has a very lean frame. And the figure didn't bulk up any with this new release. Loaded with super-articulation, this action figure can be arranged in almost every pose possible. He can hold his weaponry quite well and he comes with big accessories as well as his standard DC-15 blaster rifle. As with most clones that followed after the first one, he is very clean. So it looks like he has just begun his battling. We of course aren't big fans of this clean look. But after one constant battering after another with these clean figures, we are nearly growing numb of it and it is almost involuntary acceptance at this point. (Ugh.)

A great army builder, this figure is a great choice to make your Republic Army grand (and grander). Another figure was designed from the 212th Attack Battalion mold and repainted as the 2009 TCW [B] Clone Trooper (41st Elite Corps) (No. 26) figure. Again, this figure is another great figure you can army build. The Clone Wars is all about the clones. So we will continue to expect Hasbro to continually pump out multiple versions of them for our collections. The 212th Attack Battalion may be ones that stand out the most, partly due to their bright orange color and partly because they close resemble the markings of their movie counterparts. We wouldn't go as far to say that the clone trooper repaints are the most exciting action figures we have ever seen, but they absolutely serve a purpose to the basic figure line. Without them, we just wouldn't have the pieces that make up the television show. Many are background characters, but they give the television show a specific contour and back drop. And this creates a rich plateau for great storytelling and character development. In short, this figure is a necessary purchase. It is a rather generic clone trooper that is necessary to build the best and diverse clone army that you can.