Incinerator Trooper (Carbonized) - TVC - Basic (Exclusive)

The Carbonized Collection Incinerator Trooper figure has been treated with a sleek metallic finish down to the finest detail.

Here we go again! Hasbro offered Walmart the second wave of “carbonized” 3.75-inch The Vintage Collection characters based on The Mandalorian, and precisely a year to the day, the second wave went up for pre-order and arrived at collectors’ doorsteps within 24 hours. How can Walmart be so hit or miss? And why does Hasbro think “carbonize” action figures are a good idea? Sure, some collectors love novelty action figures. That’s why all of the Retro Collection 5POA figures do very well for Hasbro. But when it comes to super-articulated action figures (both 3.75-inch and 6-inch scales), we don’t feel novelty works so well. These types of action figures are strange. And we don’t think anyone who collects The Vintage Collection wants to augment their collection with action figures that have funky, shimmery, and pearly paint jobs. Maybe we’re wrong. First up is the Incinerator Trooper (Carbonized) figure. Coincidentally, the regular version is also a now sold-out Walmart exclusive. Aside from the paint operations, it’s the exact figure and helps build a growing collection of disparate characters that don’t fit in with the rest of The Vintage Collection assortments.

Once again, Hasbro is getting the most out of their 2019 The Vintage Collection Imperial Stormtrooper (VC140) figure. We will probably see them reuse this tooling until they no longer can. The Mandalorian Disney+ series has exceeded everyone’s expectations, especially Hasbro’s. Hasbro is forever scrambling and trying to get out as many characters as quickly as possible with available parts while slotting all-new characters into the line to help build it up for the collecting community. But if you’re into this exclusive sub-line of “strange” Star Wars action figures, then this one is for you. Honestly, the Incinerator Trooper isn’t a terrible action figure, but it’s odd “carbonized.” Hasbro worked in an impressive 30 points of premium articulation into this figure/sculpt. We love the ball-socket head with the reverse ball-socket neck joint, also known as a “barbell” joint. It gives the figure a fantastic range of movement in the head, creating an eerily human-like movement. We hope they don’t change this approach in the future. Hasbro incorporated ball-jointed articulation points throughout the Incinerator Trooper, and the chunky armor barely inhibits the figure’s full range of movement in these areas. For example, the elbows bend at an angle that is realistic and practical to the figure.

The inclusion of ball-jointed wrists is like the icing on the cake for this action figure. We have to credit Hasbro with carefully integrating such utilitarian movement in this action figure. Likewise, Hasbro tooled the armor in a way that optimizes the figure’s articulation and movement as well. They work in tandem to allow for the most extensive range of motion. But articulation is not this figure’s problem. Its deco isn’t perfect, and its availability is nonexistent. Articulation enthusiasts will be thrilled once they realize the poses they’ll achieve. Hasbro put together a fantastic articulation system for this figure. From ball-jointed hips to ball-jointed ankles, the Incinerator Trooper can accomplish a tremendous amount of poses. But will you be doing all this with a novelty action figure with a shiny and fake-looking coat of paint? Generally speaking, the flamethrower is too heavy for the figure’s hands, and balancing it is quite a chore. Things get worse when you add the flame attachment to the gun. We feel that Hasbro needs to get more 3.75-inch figures across the whole retail spectrum, and if that means fewer exclusives for Walmart, then so be it. We find it criminal that an army-building character like the Incinerator Trooper doesn’t have wider availability than it does, no matter its iteration.