First Order Snowspeeder - RO - Vehicles

The First Order deploys these fast, maneuverable gunboats for combat in subzero climates.

Gosh. The moment The Force Awakens line hit store shelves officially, collectors have had to adjust rather vigorously for the next chapter of Star Wars collecting. For the first time, a product launch for a new Star Wars film had little to no offerings for the hardcore collectors looking to keep the bar high with quality (and super-articulated) action figures. There are facets of collectors that will boycott figures with five points of articulation while other facets are a little more amenable and are going to give the line a chance. Everything has changed as we know it. Figures now come simply articulated, vehicles have been scarily scaled down, and new approaches to round out the line with the introduction of new products have put new generations of Star Wars collectors on the fence. Perhaps one of the more interesting ranges in The Force Awakens line is the Class II vehicles collection. For an overcharged MSRP of about $30, you can get a small and out of scale vehicle along with a pack-in figure. Perhaps it’s not the end of the world, and it could be worse, but this is essentially something we would have found in the Deluxe lines just a few short years ago. Admittedly it’s a bitter pill to swallow. One of the standout vehicles in this range is the First Order Snowspeeder. And now it's been carried forward into the Rogue One product line. It's a fun set, and it has grown on us more over time. It just feels unnecessary in a line geared toward the Original Trilogy timeline.

It is believed that Hasbro is taking their liberties with the vehicles that make up the Class II range. All this means is that supposedly not all of them are going to be seen in The Force Awakens. But once the film was released we all soon learned that these vehicles did indeed appear in the film, and even more blatantly in deleted scenes. This is true of the First Order Snowpseeder. It can be seen in the background of the First Order gathering and Rey and Finn confiscate one to escape the First Order Snowtroopers. Although the reality of what Class II vehicles is now grim, we have to concede that they’re well done regardless. Plus, the addition of an ”exclusive” pack-in figure seems to make it that much less painful. The First Order Snowspeeder isn’t a terrible vehicle, but it’s small and can barely accommodate the figure that has been packed in with it. The plastic is solid, the paint job is simple but neat, and there aren’t any real action features to speak of except for a removable cannon that can be placed inside of the vehicle, or removed and placed outside the vehicle for additional play. This little ensemble works well and could easily be used for an off-screen Battle of Hoth diorama and display. You must keep in mind that “Deluxe” or yesteryear’s Class I figure and vehicle sets are today’s Class II vehicles. It’s hard to process how we arrived at this point.

Included with the First Order Snowspeeder is a First Order Snowtrooper Commander. For the first time, we have a Snowtrooper type of character denoted with a colorful pauldron to denote rank. The action figure is simple, complete with five points of articulation, but has an excellent sculpt. Likely just part of the intended look of the character, the First Order Snowtrooper Commander looks eerily like a mannequin, and this is something we’re not sure if we can fully describe why we feel this way. But check it out. Something about him feels like he should be modeling clothing or something. The ball-socket head is removable which means that the pauldron is removable. His survival backpack is also removable. Lastly, the First Order Snowtrooper Commander also comes with a blaster. Admittedly, you can set up some pretty cool displays with this vehicle. The tundra white color of the figure is nicely complemented by the dark vehicle. And we imagine that when the opportunity arises to army build First Order Snowtroopers rather easily that collectors will make it a mission to do this. Don’t expect to be wowed by the First Order Snowspeeder (or the pack-in First Order Snowtrooper Commander). They’re pretty good toys, but these are in no way geared for collectors. And although one of the better efforts by Hasbro, we don't understand the need to repack it in the Rogue One line.