Phase I Clone Trooper - TVC - Builder Packs

When you see a “troop builder” set like the Imperial Death Trooper, you know that Hasbro was being lazy. But when you visit a set like the Phase I Clone Trooper; your kneejerk reaction might be to accuse the current Hasbro Star Wars team that they’re entirely disengaged from collectors’ reality. You’ve likely questioned by now how in the world they could release the SAME TWO iterations of Phase I Clone Troopers, 2011’s TVC Clone Trooper (VC45) and 2012’s TVC Clone Trooper Lieutenant (VC109), AGAIN in the latest The Vintage Collection “troop builder” set. (Because that was our first reaction, too.) But you should note that Hasbro is updating the action figures to make them look better and fit in the latest Star Wars entertainment. And these updates give us great hope that the other Phase I Clone Trooper officers, including the captain, commander, and sergeant, are coming soon. (And if they’re not, Hasbro will hear about it from us.)Not only did Hasbro whiten up the clone trooper armor, they brightened up the blue color flashes for the lieutenant. But that’s not all. They gave all four action figures here “new” and revised portraits, including likenesses from The Clone Wars like they did with the 2022 TVC Clone Trooper (501st Legion) (VC240) reissue a short time back. The figures look vibrant, and the likenesses are refreshed, resulting in a four-pack of action figures that you’ll be happy to own and not regret purchasing as rehashes. So, while we would have MUCH PREFERRED to see a set of one of each clone trooper officer, this set will suffice until Hasbro gets to them all. Imagine an all-new revitalized Phase I Clone Trooper army across multiple sets that give us everyone in the best form possible.

Of course, not everything is perfect here. Hasbro appears to have no rhyme or reason when pairing accessories with the figures included in these “troop builder” sets. Why can’t all of the figures come with the same accessories? Or why do one or two clones come with one less supplement? We’re not sure what’s going on here, but Hasbro needs to load up every figure with the maximum number of accessories possible, almost as if they were single-carded action figures. Right now, it feels a little disorganized, and we hope they show these figures more homogeneity as time progresses with this exclusive program. We’re impressed with what Hasbro did here to update these action figures. We weren’t expecting them to use the newest head sculpts they designed for other The Clone Wars characters. And if you can get past them using tooling from 2011, you’ll find there is quite a bit to appreciate here too. Besides, the 2011/2021 TVC Clone Trooper (VC45) figure creates much whining among collectors. And frankly, the figure is underrated. It poses beautifully and has a sleek frame and body type, which is screen-accurate whether you want to admit it or not. With all of the enhancements here, it feels like we’re getting more newness than we are, and that’s a lovely feeling. We’ve lauded The Vintage Collection Clone Trooper (VC45) figure from the beginning when Hasbro first released it in 2011. While imperfect, we strongly feel it’s the best Episode II (phase I) Clone Trooper action figure available on the market. We agree with this sentiment over a decade later. The figures come with Photo Real paint operations, and the armor is pristine. However, there is one “bigger” issue here, and we have to classify it as a setback.

Because Hasbro opted to go with the newest head sculpts based on characters from The Clone Wars, the phase I helmets don’t fit on the heads properly. It’s too tight of a fit, and the rubbery helmet gets skewed. This issue is bittersweet because most collectors would prefer an update of some type, but it mildly backfires because not all parts are fully interactive. Still, since Hasbro bothered to update the head sculpts, most collectors will probably pose them with their helmets off and have the figures hold them. Or, when you want to use the helmet, use the VC45 head sculpt for an ideal fit. We have options, and that’s excellent news. The 27 points of articulation should excite many, and Hasbro did a great job hiding the ball joints in the hips. But we struggled to position the hips naturally because the articulation isn’t fluid in this part of the action figure. Sure, they easily move and will allow your figure to attain any pose, but we don’t think it looks flawless. Including ball-jointed wrists is a dream come true and allows for more versatility than you may expect. When you pose all four figures together, you will see a strong “The Clone Wars” theme between them. Overall, we think this four-pack is a notable upgrade. They look better than the figures released previously. Our only anxiety is that Hasbro makes the other clone trooper officers ASAP. They cannot sit on this. Time is ticking away, and collectors who have waited for decades cannot handle waiting any longer. This multipack is exclusive to Hasbro Pulse and Shop Disney and has an MSRP set at $44.99, which is a fair price for four super-articulated action figures, even if Hasbro produced them a decade ago.