Incinerator Trooper & Grogu - TVC - Deluxe

Hasbro is again getting the most out of their 2019 The Vintage Collection Imperial Stormtrooper (VC140) figure tooling. However, with any fantastic sculpt is a breakdown in the tooling, and we’re starting to see the minor imperfections make their way into the plastics they’re using. And with the incorporation of new "rocker" ankles, this figure will hold up longer. The figures seem less than they were, but not a terrible breakdown in the sharpness of the tooling or anything. Hasbro is treating The Vintage Collection better than it ever had, but some things still need remedying. Like, why must they repack the exact figures and characters over and over again? Why does the inclusion of cheap accessories result in a set twice the price of a basic figure with an interchangeable head sculpt or hands? As you can see, there are many inconsistencies in the Hasbro Star Wars brand, and we don’t see them stopping this anytime soon. Now Hasbro re-releases 2021’s TVC Incinerator Trooper (VC177) figure, adds a new Grogu and some new environmental accessories, and “pow,” we have another Walmart exclusive Deluxe set. Another release of the Incinerator Trooper isn’t a terrible decision, but it’s frustrating when everyone is waiting for so much more newness of the line and characters from The Mandalorian.

Based on a scene from the episode’s climax where Din Djarin becomes injured and rescued by IG-11, Cara Dune, and Grogu, they rushed into an abandoned cantina for protection against the Galactic Empire remnant. Moff Gideon sends in his Incinerator Trooper to burn them out, and as the Incinerator Trooper enters the doorway of the cantina, he shoots a fireball to burn our heroes. Grogu uses the Force to deflect the Incinerator Trooper’s fire, then pushes it back to kill him and collapses, saving the day. Hasbro didn’t do much to make this Incinerator Trooper any different from past releases. But admittedly, the background environmental pieces like the standing flames will add a ton if you decide to pose the figure with Nevarro’s Cantina or similar diorama settings. It’s still challenging to pose the figure with the flame thrower and attachment accessories in hand, but with a bit of balance and posing savvy, you will obtain a believable position for your action figure. Hasbro worked in an impressive 30 points of premium articulation into this figure/sculpt. And for an armored trooper figure, the ball-socket head with the reverse ball-socket neck barbell joint is a must-have feature.

Hasbro also loaded the action figure with revised ball-jointed articulation points, and the chunky armor barely inhibits the figure’s full range of movement in these areas. For example, the elbows bend at a realistic and practical angle to the figure. You can outstretch the arms and make most of the shoulder movement. The inclusion of ball-jointed wrists is like the icing on the cake. We have to credit Hasbro with carefully integrating such movement in this action figure. Likewise, Hasbro tooled the armor in a way that optimizes the figure’s articulation. They work in tandem to allow for the most extensive range of motion. The backpack and pauldron combination piece is removable, although it takes some time to remove it. The included Grogu is all-new and comes with more articulation than past versions. In addition to a ball-socket head, the figure comes with ball-socket elbows and swivel wrists. When posed with the fire accessories, it looks like Hasbro ripped this scene out of The Mandalorian and flash-froze it into plastic. We commend them for a job well done. But let's spread out the redundancy a little.