Turbo Tank Support Squad - TCW [R] - Deluxe

Clone troopers man the Republic's enormous turbo tanks, blasting battle droids with grenade launchers and laser cannons. Bred and trained for combat, clone troopers use the armored assault vehicles to plow directly through obstacles and straight into the maelstrom of battle.

What’s the overall consensus by collectors when our favorite toy maker delves into their very own "universe" and makes unique takes on events just off-screen in The Clone Wars brand? Do we like it, hate it or ask ourselves what in the world is Hasbro doing? We probably ponder all three as they all really apply, but when it came to 2009's TCW [R] Turbo Tank Support Squad we don't think there were too many of us who could not find something to appreciate about it. A lot about liking a toy has much to do with how cool it is. When the Deluxe line resurfaced in the red (or Season 2) phase of The Clone Wars line, many of us didn’t know what to expect. Worried that it would be a rehash of some of the inferior Deluxe figures from the Revenge Of The Sith line, collectors became instantly wary. Interestingly, these Deluxe sets from The Clone Wars line did indeed bring back some of those "ancient" toy concepts from the Revenge Of The Sith line but with a new The Clone Wars twist, while others were innovative and fun. But instead of looking for episode specific vehicle with character combinations, Hasbro decided to use their own heads and come up with a believable, yet interesting figure two-pack. The great thing here however is that it's a seamless addition to the line.

Hasbro did a great job on this set, even if it is based on events off screen in The Clone Wars. The Turbo Tank Support Squad set is ultimately awesome and we bet that it went over big with most collectors. Hasbro really can’t go wrong with introducing two new clone troopers to us and to add portable cannons just makes this particular set outstanding. Heavy artillery and aggressive clones is a win-win situation. Turbo Tank Support Squad comes with two Clone Troopers and two portable cannons (which both fire a projectile). The Clone Troopers are unique and worthy of purchase alone for multiple reasons. Both have the same two insignias on their shoulders. And both have been cast in a unique shade of white which the basic figure line has never seen to date. Almost a light shade of gray, the off-white color does wonders for them since Hasbro has cut back on applying battle-damage to the clone trooper armor in the form of carbon-scoring and/or gashes. This shade of gray gives the Clone Troopers a natural and pleasing “real world” look and we hope that Hasbro will use it often of the clone trooper action figures they make. Dare we say it, they included Clone Troopers almost don't need the battle-damage now.

Both Clone Troopers are super-articulated with over twenty (20) points. They appear to use the 2009 TCW [B] Clone Trooper (212th Attack Battalion) (No. 19) mold but they come with much tighter joints and the legs seem to be ever so slightly repositioned. (This doesn't mean they are, but something is notably different about them.) The Clone Troopers can be positioned in a cool action stance at their respective cannons and admittedly, it's one of the neatest accessories in the entire The Clone Wars line. The stands that hold up the cannons fold up and stay in place with the most basic technology. It’s really not much different than a fold-up table or chair they uphold a large cannon with an easily firing projectile. (Be careful, that thing shoots if you look at it wrongly.) Meant to indirectly complement the awesome Clone Turbo Tank vehicle (the super-deluxe vehicle of 2009), it is one of the most believable "off screen" sets made. We actually wish they made an appearance somewhere within The Clone Wars. Clone Troopers are always a safe bet and Hasbro knows this well. It will be nice if Hasbro makes even more use of a two clone trooper deluxe set instead of one figure and one vehicle. After all, two action figures are a lot more favorable than just one.