First Order Stormtrooper [Ultimate Trooper Pack] - TBS [P3] - Six Inch Figures (Exclusive)

Equipped with sleek armor and powerful weapons, the Stormtroopers enforce the will of the First Order.

We honestly don’t know where to begin talking about the First Order Stormtrooper [Ultimate Trooper Pack] Amazon exclusive. It is a perplexing release, and something that we’re not even sure is needed. It’s evident that collectors need to army build the troops from the Sequel Trilogy, but is this the way to do it? It feels like we have received most of the gear included here via various previously released figures already, but somehow Hasbro felt that a multipack of accessories was a good idea. Yes, we have been begging Hasbro for years now to give their 6” figure many more accessories. But we’re not sure if the extra contents in this release constitute a $15 price hike. Your mileage on this opinion may vary. We don’t know the role of the First Order Stormtroopers in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, but we’re confused if this release is meant to be an Episode VII or Episode VIII character. Do they use the same weaponry in Episode VIII? Probably. But there is no way of knowing until the film gets released. What makes this even more confusing is that we're not sure if the First Order Stormtrooper [Ultimate Trooper Pack]’s gear that was utilized in either The Force Awakens and seen in promotional or reference materials is also used in The Last Jedi. Hasbro utilized the head sculpt from 2017’s TBS [P3] First Order Stormtrooper Executioner TARGET exclusive to make the one in this set. For us, that should mean that this is an Episode VIII First Order Stormtrooper, right?

Getting a First Order Stormtrooper isn’t nearly as exciting as getting an Original Trilogy Stormtrooper, so it’s hard to get excited about another release. Perhaps this will be a significant way for fans and collectors to army-build the “all-white” Stormtrooper since it comes with so much extra stuff. Rumors exist that a plain white First Order Stormtrooper is coming in the fourth post-Force Friday II wave of The Black Series [Phase III] 6” line as a mainstream release too. But will this figure also don the new helmet, or is it a straight repack of the First Order Stormtrooper (04) figure released in 2015? Everything is becoming very confusing, and the secrecy around everything is becoming burdensome. Either way, it’s evident that we’re going to be seeing the First Order Stormtrooper figures for quite some time. With 28 points of articulation, the First Order Stormtrooper [Ultimate Trooper Pack] can move as you desire, but there are still issues with how far he can bend his elbows, hips, and knees. Sadly his articulation is still encumbered by the armor pieces. Still, the figure is shiny and looks great. We imagine army builders have already added multiples of him to their respective collections by now. Obviously, you have a plethora of accessories here to create unique versions of this character. Interchangeability like this is something that collectors love having options for with their action figures. You get a great deal of choice with this release.

The First Order Stormtrooper [Ultimate Trooper Pack] comes with 10 accessories. They include a Z6 riot control baton (which breaks down into three parts), an F-11D blaster rifle, an SE-44C blaster pistol, an FWMB-10 repeating blaster (which is also called a megablaster), a megablaster stand, a megablaster support rod, a betaplast ballistic riot shield, web gear, a miscellaneous pouch, a backpack (which we thought only belonged to First Order Snowtroopers), and macrobinoculars. You get to do a lot of mixing and matching with the accessories. And the included web belt allows you to make a First Order Stormtrooper (Heavy Gunner) character. The inclusion of the megablaster and stand just makes this extra special. The shield, however, is a weird addition. There is no handle for the figure to hold it and it is almost pointless as far as accessories are concerned. There are other issues, however. Our accessories are fresh out of China and are beginning to discolor. The shield looks to be turning pink, and some of the guns and the megablaster stand already has yellowing on it. Hasbro isn’t using quality plastics here. These shouldn’t be discoloring so soon. This set seems to give the feel of getting a whole bunch of stuff, but in reality, you’re not getting that much new here to warrant the extra money. Add to that quality issues with the plastics used to make the parts included here, well, we have to say we’re a tad disappointed.