Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) - TVC - Basic (VC269)

We never anticipated wanting Hasbro to tool an all-new Clone Trooper action figure for The Vintage Collection, but we’re glad they did. The often-underrated Clone Trooper (VC45) figure got a lot of unnecessary flack. Sure, it wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it serves a long and consistent purpose for collectors, and we amassed a huge Grand Army of the Republic because of it. But now we’ve reached another conundrum. Before raving about the 2023 TVC Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) figure, we should take a moment to assess where we’re at in the super-articulated 3.75-inch action figure line and if we want to go through all the reissues again with this new buck. Our quick response would be to want Hasbro to revisit the various battalions because this new Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) figure is the best Phase II clone we’ve received. Hasbro based it on a dreadful Disney Star Wars character, but it works equally well for any clones in the Prequel Trilogy or The Clone Wars series. You shouldn’t discount this figure if you’re tired of these characters in the basic figure line. You should probably open your heart and accept that Hasbro gave the collecting community a gift with this figure. And while it’s exasperating to think that we’d want to spend time, energy, and money going through all the various color-flashed clones we’ve received since 2010, it would be something we’d appreciate. It would be wise for Hasbro to consider this an option for army-building packs and periodic single-carded figures to help us get all of our clones looking uniform to one another, and yes, oh, the irony!

The Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) figure is fantastic. From the start, we’d like to point out that Hasbro utilized matte white plastic for this figure, which makes us happy. We do want to warn we see minor signs of discoloration here and there, most notably in the chest, but hopefully, this is just a learning curve they need to conquer for future clones. Still, it would have been nice if they got this plastic discoloring issue right from the start. It’s not glaringly discolored, but we’re confident you’ll notice something slightly off here. Anyhow, the flat matte color of the armor is perfect here, and we’re glad they avoided a shiny finish instead. The articulation system on the Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) figure is astounding. The inclusion of ball-socket hips and “rocker” ankles genuinely do wonders for army-building action figures like this. Plus, Hasbro figured out the proper way to keep the friction intact so that the hips don’t get loose after articulating them several times. Hasbro did a job well concerning that. They also added some unnecessary, yet appreciated, details like outlining the bottom of the boots with black and distinct textures to the body glove underneath the armor. This release is noticeably smaller than most clones we’ve previously received. But it’s also the most accurate as clones are average height and not towering over most other characters in the Star Wars universe. One of the greatest gifts on the new Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) figure is the properly sized or scaled bucket. How many years did Hasbro give us that ungodly oversized helmet that barely stayed on the figure’s head? That’s no longer an issue here. Some might say it’s too small, but we think it looks excellent.

The fairest thing Hasbro could have done was to issue this figure on a Revenge Of The Sith card. It’s like sand in our shorts when their knee-jerk reaction is to package a collectors’ figure with a Disney Star Wars Entertainment logo. But, if you can let that go, you should be able to appreciate one of the miraculous accomplishments Hasbro achieved by producing this action figure. The head sculpt underneath the helmet looks like Hasbro may have reused it. But, we’ll go on a limb and say it’s all-new here. If we’re wrong, we’re wrong. Also included with the Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) figure are two weapons, including a DC-15 blaster and a DC-15 blaster rifle. Both guns fit well into the figure’s hands, and thanks to outstanding upper body articulation, you can use one or two hands while holding them. The fluidity in the body movement allows you to pose the figure in various positions. You can accomplish all these positions without issue, whether standing, running, or kneeling. What’s especially beneficial here is that all Hasbro needs to do now is design a Phase I helmet, and then we can get all of the clones from Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. But again, it will be overbearing to go through that exercise. However, we should all be prepared to receive MULTIPLE Clone Trooper action figures because Hasbro needs to amortize the tooling expended to create the Clone Trooper (Phase II Armor) figure. In summary, you’re likely exhausted of clones at this point of your collecting life. We are too. But this is an action figure not to ignore. It’s another fine accomplishment in The Vintage Collection, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to purchase one (and many more).