STAP And Battle Droid - EI - Vehicles

The STAP is a small, mobile and rapidly moving craft outfitted with high-power dual laser missiles. An excellent patrol and reconnaissance vehicle, STAPs are piloted by battle droids, which function as the Trade Federation's personal drone army.

Originally introduced as an item from The Power Of The Force “2” [FlashBack/CommTech] line, the STAP And Battle Droid vehicle and figure set gets updated in red and black Episode I packaging and becomes part of the mainstream line to support The Phantom Menace in theaters. When Kenner/Hasbro released the STAP, And Battle Droid set the first time, they featured beautiful Episode I concept art on the packaging which worked beautifully with the line look at the time. Now, this set looks modernized in the updated Episode I line look packaging and it looks like it is from a new era of collecting, which it technically is. The contents of both releases (separating by a month) are identical. You’re not going to miss something if you buy one or the other. But completists will likely want both for their collections since many of us fall under the “completist” definition of collecting. The STAP With Battle Droid figure and vehicle set arrived at retail with the deluge of other Episode I products and quickly purchased by collectors everywhere. Battle Droids are a focus in the film, so expect to see many of them produced as toys. We’re glad Hasbro got this one out from the beginning.

The STAP With Battle Droid is a decent set. It has its share of issues, but many are easy to overlook thanks to the effort put forth in the toy. It possesses a sleek design and comes with action features that don’t interfere at all with the aesthetics of its design. Paired with the STAP is a nicely articulated Battle Droid, that functions best when piloting the STAP. It’s not the greatest standalone figure Hasbro produced. The new “army builder” of the Prequel Trilogy, the Battle Droid looks comfortable steering the STAP. To allow for its proper placement on the vehicle, the Battle Droid comes with an impressive ten points of articulation to allow it to slouch, crouch, pivot, and pilot the STAP with relative ease. The inclusion of multiple hinge-jointed points of articulation gives the figure the free movement it needs to maneuver such a vehicle. Off of the STAP, the Battle Droid looks a little wonky. Its legs are widespread, and the figure leans heavily to its right, but it is a well-sculpted action figure and gives us great hope that Kenner/Hasbro is taking the Episode I line into an unprecedented “realistic” direction this time. It comes with a removable backpack.

The STAP vehicle is nice too, although based on the image provided on the back of the packaging, it looks out of scale to what is shown in the reference materials provided by Doug Chiang, and by out of scale we mean too large. The toy itself is nicely detailed and colored and has some discrete action figures to make playtime a little more interesting for fans of all ages. Nothing added here for play value is too obtrusive or overwhelming. They all work beautifully here. The STAP comes with firing laser missile projectiles. And they shoot out from the cannons via manipulation of the footpad. This action is initiated with simple pressing down on the figure. The stand the STAP comes with also functions as a handgrip so you can simulate it hovering and flying over the battlefields of Naboo. Articulated handgrips also provide some additional play value and make it feel like a realistic Star Wars vehicle that you can steer. For trivia lovers, STAP is an acronym for “single trooper aerial platform,” which speaks for itself. The STAP And Battle Droid is a nice-looking set. It has a size issue, but we appreciate what Hasbro’s done here. So will you.