Special 3 Action Figures [Riot Scout Trooper/MagnaGuard/KX Security Droid] - TVC - Multipacks

Riot Scout Troopers are deployed wherever the Empire needs to put down insurrections. Imperial Security Droids, also known as KX-series Security Droids, are commonly used in service to the Galactic Empire. The elite IG-100 MagnaGuard served as bodyguards to the highest-ranking Separatist leaders. All are formidable opponents.

Meh. The Vintage Collection is becoming a place of desperation for Hasbro lately. We admit that they’ve released many excellent products in recent years, but then they do stuff that is as agitating as it is stupid. Despite some clever kit-bashed figures and all-new sculpts, the super-articulated 3.75-inch line is hit, or miss, and the Special 3 Action Figures [Riot Scout Trooper/MagnaGuard/KX Security Droid] set feels like a miss. Your mileage may vary. We love the Gaming Greats concept and action figures that support the video gaming community. But this set feels like a stretch. What’s more, Hasbro “repacked” 2021’s TVC Scout Trooper (VC196) figure, gave it a slightly different paint job and a new name, but placed it on a Jedi Survivor entertainment logo. It’s the exact dang figure and character, so why does it get a unique VC number and name? This insanity needs to stop. The Vintage Collection line is cluttered because Hasbro doesn’t think things through before doing something. They should have chosen an entirely different video game character (we’d go so far as to say that another B1 Battle Droid would have been a better option here) to avoid releasing the exact figure under a different nomenclature.

It’s lovely to see a new MagnaGuard enter the line again, but collectors have asked for black, blue, and white MagnaGuard characters from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith instead. But no. We get a trashy Disney Star Wars interpretation of it. Admittedly, the MagnaGuard in this set is colorful and looks pretty good, but with so many characters missing from the George Lucas era of Star Wars, why can’t they throw longtime collectors a bone and help us complete our incomplete collections at a brisker pace? The new MagnaGuard comes with a soft-goods hood and cape, and the fabric wraps around the figure beautifully. The new paint operations are pretty colorful, and the figure comes with most of the accessories from the original 2010 version. There are missing parts, however, like the plastic head covering and droid blaster. Time also seems to be taking its toll on this old tooling. The joints on our sample are loose, and the left forearm fell out constantly, much to our chagrin. The figure still looks excellent, posed in various action positions. And the MagnaGuard still holds its electropole excellently thanks to the tight grips on the hands. Overall, we’re happy to see this figure again, but we wish it were under different circumstances.

The most significant missed opportunity here is the retooled version of the KX-series Security Droid. Hasbro took 2020’s TVC K-2SO (VC170) figure and added a new backpack attachment permanently glued to the figure. They also repainted the figure by adding red color flashes and changing up some other deco throughout the figure. We received the standard K-2SO action figure only a couple of years ago. And there are all-red and other colored droids they could have produced instead of another black version. Also, this may be exclusive to our sample, but the left leg hangs lower than the figure’s right leg, and posing for us was an absolute nightmare. Hasbro included some accessories that came with the Riot Scout Trooper, including the electropole and the effect. In all honesty, we feel that the KX Security Droid is the most boring release here. But again, your mileage may vary. You might feel entirely otherwise about this inclusion here. The Special 3 Action Figures [Riot Scout Trooper/MagnaGuard/KX Security Droid] set has an MSRP of $50.99, which breaks down to $17.00 per figure. That means we’re paying $17 for all previously existing sculpts and one duplicate figure already released single-carded in The Vintage Collection. Something has got to give.