Attack On Kashyyyk - TAC - Battle Packs (Exclusive)

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game, the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, tells the story of Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice, a mysterious figure who has been trained by the menacing Sith Lord to hunt down the last of the Jedi. Set in the dark times between Episodes III and IV, it explores the aftermath of Order 66 and the continued evolution of Darth Vader leading directly into the events in Star Wars: A New Hope.

The Force Unleashed video game can almost be considered the bridge between Episode III and Episode IV. There are somme non-canon issues that just can't be reconciled, but many collectors love the links between the Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy. One of the biggest battles in Episode III is continued via The Force Unleashed game and Hasbro saw some value in basing a Battle Packs collection off of it. We think it was a very wise decision. The Kashyyyk battle in Episode III was long-awaited by fans but was so incredibly short, tragic almost, that it made us hanker for a whole lot more. That request has been granted in the game. More importantly for collectors, the toy line also adds to the story now. While the Attack On Kashyyyk Battle Packs sets is certainly not the most exciting The Force Unleashed product our collections have seen, it does offer another great opportunity to army build stormtroopers and "new" Wookiees in one purchase. But if you're looking for a high quality set of figures, you may need to pass on this set and wait until Hasbro does some upgrading on some more action figures. A TARGET exclusive, it arrived in stores about three months before the 2008 TAC Battle Rancor With Felucian Rider And Saddle exclusive, and we all know that the set didn't sell that quickly but flew off of shelves at the sign of the first clearance. It now (and very peculiarly) sells for a premium slightly above its retail price on eBay today.

Attack On Kashyyyk is full of repacks and repaints so don't expect to find any "new" products inside. Darth Vader is a straight repack of 2004's VOTC Darth Vader figure. But it has a different feel and texture to it. It seems as if the tooling might be getting too worn. It may be time to retire this sculpt soon. The two stormtroopers are repaints of the 2006 TSC Shadow Stormtrooper Star Wars Shop exclusive and technically not repacks of the 2004 VOTC Stormtrooper figure. You can tell this is so by the 2005 date stamp. The Stormtroopers are extra clean but their articulation is a little loose. Hopefully the joints will hold with time. The two Wookiee Warrior figures are unique in that they have different paint jobs (one lighter brown and the other darker brown), but they are both repaints of the 2005 ROTS Wookiee Warrior (Sneak Preview) (3 of 4) figure. Both are loaded with accessories for extra play value. As you can see, you definitely get some generic "soldiers" and "warriors" here, but it really is just more of the same that we have seen multiple times already. This Battle Packs set serves a purpose, but it is clearly not the most exciting set of figures we could receive. The Wookiees themselves are in desperate need of an update and really need super articulation by now. They're not the worst Wookiee action figures Hasbro could have used, but they have not aged as gracefully as we wished they had.

Besides, Hasbro needs a new approach to develop a definitive Wookiee body sculpt. They have mastered Chewbacca's frame and they need to apply this to the other more generic Wookiee action figures. Let's hope that we don't have to wait much longer. The Force Unleashed multimedia event has left an indelible mark on the Star Wars universe. It is full of very cool troopers, new Jedi and interesting takes on the path of a Padawan. Mixed reviews have plagued the game, but there is no denying that there is intense popularity with the action figures based on the game. They have been a mainstay in the Hasbro line and it seems as if Hasbro has no plans to take a break from them. We hope the sub-line doesn't slow down either. It's been a while since we have been inundated with so many new characters that do not get boring, but instead makes us wish for more and more to be made into action figures. The Force Unleashed has a unique effect on collectors and that is we definitely want more and more toys based on it. All of the figures so far look like they completely belong in the films and this is something that is very important to Star Wars fans. The Attack On Kashyyyk Battle Packs set is certainly one of the weaker multipacks based on The Force Unleashed source, but we bet that it has the ability to make some of you quite happy. We like it, but we really just want upgraded Wookiees at this point. We hope they are coming soon!