Stealth Operations Clone Trooper - TCW [SOTDS] - Basic (Exclusive)

A seasoned veteran of many covert military operations, the stealth operation clone trooper shows a rookie trooper how to survive the dangers of a stealth combat mission – particularly one led by Anakin Skywalker. A routine relief operation turns into an all-out fight with a ruthless enemy. The battle-hardened trooper is tough on recruits, to make them ready for unexpected attacks and able to jump into action.

We sometimes wonder why it is that Hasbro generically names characters from The Clone Wars television show especially when there are plenty of resources around that give these characters specific names. Such is true for the Toys R Us Stealth Operations Clone Trooper whose real name we’d like to scream from the rooftops is actually Commander Blackout. Generic designation aside, the Stealth Operations Clone Trooper is one of the finest specimens we have come across in the basic (or exclusive) figure line and we’re proud to have him in our collections. It's surprising even for us to make this claim since we're less than thrilled with the base sculpt of this figure, but it's hard to deny the fineness of this action figure and something about it just stands out. It’s a relatively simple design, but simple works perfectly well here and even to the figure's advantage and we’d suspect that any other direction to take on this figure would just be wrong. From the flashy insignia on his helmet to the accuracy of his proportions on his body, the Stealth Operations Clone Trooper should be a no-brainer addition to you’re The Clone Wars collection. (And he’s pretty much the best Toys R Us exclusive since 2009’s TCW [S2] Commander Ponds figure released exactly two years before this one.) It’s rare to get a clone trooper that isn’t white, but The Clone Wars television show has proven that any color is on the table. And the Stealth Operations Clone Troopers proves that once again.

Largely based on the controversial 2010 TCW [S2] Clone Commander Stone (CW44) figure, the kit-bashed Stealth Operations Clone Trooper also utilizes the head from the Special Ops Clone Trooper from 2011's TCW [SOTDS] Special Ops Clone Trooper And Geonosian Drone TARGET exclusive two-pack. The sculpt of Clone Commander Stone has also been retooled and the holsters are now missing. This actually does a lot of good for the Stealth Operations Clone Trooper as he looks very streamlined in comparison. Never (?) has there been a figure to divide the collecting populace as has been the case with Clone Commander Stone. A figure that should have made everyone happy due to its near exactness to the onscreen character, the articulation backslides to a relatively upsetting degree. Whether you like this sculpt or not, it is still the most accurate portrayal of the clone troopers seen in The Clone Wars television show. Its shortcomings are in the lack of ankle articulation and its bizarrely angled legs which make posing it maddening. Hasbro also went from ball-jointed torso to swivel waist with this sculpt as well. So does one sacrifice authenticity for utility? We don’t know. But we do know the figure is bittersweet at best and it has been the center of debate by collectors since its debut. Still, the figure looks awesome when posed, even in action-oriented positions, so we're not going to complain about this one.

The paint job on the Stealth Operations Clone Trooper is extremely simple but perfect all the same. His armor is cast in a light gray plastic and the details including his knees, shoulders and belt are painted in a darker gray. And then the places where is body suit would be are painted in black. His helmet has an eye-catching insignia painted on it. (For the record, we are so impressed with the graphics Hasbro manages to silkscreen to their action figures lately. These extra add-ons bring a wealth of character to their action figures.) The Stealth Operations Clone Trooper’s “earmuffs” are removable, but the figure looks ridiculous without them. Trust us when we say you’ll want to leave these in place. The figure is lightly accessorized and only comes with a DC-15 blaster. It’s really all you need to be honest. But then again, we’re not into having a half of a dozen accessories with our action figures because that would be too many pieces to misplace or lose. The figure also comes packaged with his Galactic Battle Game card as well as with an action figure stand and die. The Stealth Operations Clone Trooper is a lot of fun and despite not having ankle articulation he still is a darn good action figure. He is definitely worth checking out if you’re a The Clone Wars fan. We bet The Clone Wars television show (and subsequently the toy line) will get more and more popular with a great deal of thanks to the work Hasbro is doing. What a great time it is to be a Star Wars collector!