Shoretrooper - TVC - Builder Packs

Hasbro seems to be gauging what characters to introduce into the new and popular “Trooper Builder” 4-Pack sets released currently as Hasbro Pulse and Shop Disney exclusives well. And while getting “never before released” characters in these multipacks is fantastic, many hardcore TVC collectors feel that some of the characters should have been single-carded releases first. These feelings were valid for the Rebel Fleet Trooper set, and it feels more poignant with the Shoretrooper set. There is extra eagerness and anxiousness with the Shoretrooper set because it includes two variations of the standard infantry Shoretrooper character, including the accurate Squad Leader and the Captain for the first time in 3.75-inch super-articulated status. Many The Vintage Collection collectors feel that both of these characters should get their deserved place in the basic carded lineup before getting relegated to a multipack. We have to agree with that assessment wholly. Hasbro should have placed these long-awaited additions into the line on stunning card art with a corresponding entertainment logo. Now, they’ve been wrapped in tissue paper and thrown in a boring white box, and it remains unknown if Hasbro will ever give them a VC number. And once again, Hasbro gets a new character into the 3.75-inch lineup before The Black Series collection, the Shoretrooper Captain, to be specific.

The Shoretrooper [Squad Leader] is a retool and repaint of 2016’s TBS [P3] Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader Walmart exclusive action figure. If you recall, Hasbro misnamed the action figure, and it was the basic infantry foot soldier. Hasbro retooled the belt and completely repainted the action figure by adding lots of blue color flashes and some red and yellow details. They then added a new soft-goods skirt, which we find to be the figure’s weakest point. The Black Series version came with a molded skirt, and that figure looked better below the waist. The Vintage Collection Shoretrooper [Squad Leader] figure is gorgeous, and we’re thrilled to have it in the line after all these years. The Shoretrooper [Captain] also uses the Walmart exclusive figure, but it’s a complete repaint. Hasbro didn’t need to work on any new tooling, but they repainted the figure also with blue, red, and yellow colors to recreate the unique markings of the captain. It, too, is another glorious release for the line, and the two repaints in this set are worth the price of this set. However, we still hope Hasbro finds it in their heart to release both in the basic figure line for obvious reasons. They both deserve a place in the sun. That said, the multipack will suffice for now. You’ll probably want to buy a half dozen of these things. That’s how beautiful the paint jobs are on these figures.

The other two figures are repaints of the Walmart exclusive two, but no color changes. Hasbro took some time to enhance the base color of the armor. Previous versions were too light, and others came with sloppily applied paint operations. The articulation system on all the figures feels like it’s beginning to wear, but overall we believe that you’ll be happy with how these action figures look and function. Until now, we mostly only had 5POA versions of half this set. It’s incredible to have all the leading versions designed together, so they have uniformity in tooling and coloring. All of the Shoretroopers come with 29 points of articulation across 16 points. Aside from the swivel thighs and the ball-socket head, the rest of the Shoretooper figures have ball-jointed articulation. These points include the wrists and hips, two areas that often don’t receive this premium articulation. Thanks to this arrangement of parts, you’ll get excellent movement out of these premium action figures. Let us come back to the paint jobs here. The shininess is mainly gone, and they have duller sheens. You’ll notice that the browns are more prosperous, and the base armor is a tad more yellow, but with subtle dirt collection throughout the buck. We appreciate the “Troop Builder” format, and many have come with pleasant surprises, but we still think that screen-accurate characters should be released first in the main line.