TIE Bomber - TAC - Vehicles (Exclusive)

TIE Bombers carry proton bombs or other explosive payloads that they drop on their targets to cause damage or destruction. Their design is similar to TIE fighters, but they have elongated panels that boost their power. TIE Bombers are sent out in search of the Millennium Falcon after it escapes from Hoth and hides in an asteroid field.

What’s up with all of the reissues on the TIE Bomber? That’s really a rhetorical question because we don’t mind one bit. First released as 2002’s POTJ TIE Bomber, this all-new sculpt was quickly repainted and released as 2003’s SW [S - P1] TIE Bomber just a few months later. But there was demand and Hasbro made a concerted effort to give collectors another stab at it. (Both were Walmart exclusives.) A great sculpt and a vehicle full of cool details like a functioning cockpit and bomb-dropping capabilities, the TIE Bomber vehicle has become a much-requested staple in the Star Wars toy line ever since which is why it makes sense that it’s part of the 30 (77-07) line as well. It’s always been released as a store exclusive, but for 2007 TARGET has taken the reigns to release it as their own for the celebration of 30 years of Star Wars. Now that it’s part of the 30 (77-07), collectors have new reasons to consider buying this againf or their collections, because this version looks really different from the first two. The original versions released in the Power Of The Jedi and Star Wars “Saga” lines are significantly darker, albeit not entirely screen accurate. Now the 2007 TAC TIE Bomber now sports a very light paint job with very little carbon-scoring/battle-damage on its body which in our opinion appears to be a lot more screen accurate (based on the scenes we saw in Episode V). Hasbro also added red “counting sticks” to the front of the hull to give this version a little more uniqueness than past releases. For $29.99 you get an awesome vehicle as well as a pack-in figure which is a deal no matter how you consider it. And because Hasbro made this older sculpt feel so new again, we fell it’s worthy of another purchase by you. The actual color of a TIE Fighter has always been controversial. Depending upon the still you look at , it can look lighter or darker in color. We feel however that the 2007 TAC version looks pretty darn close to the stills of them TIE Bombers flying over the asteroids. Your opinions may vary however.

Hasbro’s sculptors paid careful attention to all of the vehicle’s unique features and crafted something that should thrill Star Wars fans across the globe. From the ingress-egress hatch to the rear thrusters, the design on this vehicle is jaw-dropping. It will no doubt remain one of Hasbro’s crowning achievements as well as be one of the most sought after exclusives of the year no matter how many times it gets released. We’re even inclined to believe that it will be one of the greatest success stories in the entire Star Wars toy line. Sure, it’s an Original Trilogy vehicle from The Empire Strikes Back, but it’s not prominently featured in the film. But it’s this is exact reason why it appeals to those who grew up with the line so many years ago. It was the obscure that drew us in and kept us there. Hasbro has stated time and again that they want to produce vehicles that have more than a few moments of screen time. The TIE Bomber blows this theory out of the water, and we’re happy it does. The release exceeds expectations and aside from a boring pack-in figure, we have very little to complain about here at all. The new take on the TIE Bomber has been executed so perfectly once again and we’re confident it will be another staple in the Star Wars line for years to come. There is no doubt that the TIE Bomber is impressive in toy format, just as it was in the film. That word often gets overused, but we feels it’s relevant here. Just a cursory glance will reveal detail after detail to you. This vehicle is loaded with an inordinate amount of nooks and crannies. Just the very design of this vehicle is a mechanical wonder in and of itself. The double body of the TIE Bomber is exquisitely recreated. The vehicle’s left side is where the cockpit and pilot sit and the right portion, properly defined as the ordnance pod, is strictly reserved for the vehicle’s bombing functionality. It includes a bomb port as well as two sections, although you have to use your imagination as you can't open it up.

The TIE Bomber comes with three separate clear-with-blue-centers missiles. In the past, Hasbro has filled these missiles with an orange center. They are loaded in a special compartment in the ordnance pod and you can fire/release them with a simple press of a ‘large’ button on the top of the . We would have loved to have seen inside of the ordnance pod to see the design of this complex hull of this vehicle, but maybe it is this specific mystery that makes this vehicle so appealing. Interestingly, the ordnance pod actually looks like a reverse of the cockpit hull, but when you study the vehicle from behind, you’ll see that they have identical twin ion engine thrusters on the back. What is equally as nice as the sculpt of this vehicle is the paint job. Hasbro generously decorated this vehicle by enhancing the paint scheme with grays and blacks to give it a contour full of texture and levels. Even the cockpit to the TIE Bomber is nicely done. It even gets a fancy name: the ingress/egress hatch. There is a nice lush area for the figure to seat itself. If we had a bone of contention here, it’s that the pack-in figure has aged out at this point. Hasbro has reused the same pack-in figure that they have been using since 2002 which is based on 1996’s POTF2 TIE Fighter Pilot figure. Why they haven’t included 2004’s SW [S - P3] TIE Fighter Pilot (Battle Of Yavin ) (’04 #14) is beyond our comprehension now. It’s time to retire that POTF2 sculpt at this point. Anyway, at least the pilot fits like a glove in the cockpit and although it is far from a definitive action figure, it’s nice to pull a figure that drives the vehicle from the same box. Despite the pack-in figure, the TIE Bomber is the perfect release to see again on shelves. The TIE Bomber should continue to be released in the Star Wars line. We think that the 30th anniversary era was a smart move to give this vehicle another chance. And it’s different enough to pique your curiosity. We’re thankful that the collector-focused Power Of The Jedi line was the line was the one to introduce it to us, but it’s great to see it is a celebratory collector-focused line as well. This awesome vehicle will not lose its luster. Hasbro got this nearly perfect, right from the very start.