Duel On Mustafar - LC - Battle Packs

On the planet Mustafar, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi face each other in their penultimate battle. They are both gifted with the Force and skilled in the art of lightsaber combat. As rivers of molten lava flow around them, the Sith apprentice and the Jedi Master engage in a brutal contest that has tragic consequences for the entire galaxy.

The Duel On Mustafar Battle Packs set slightly exceeded our expectations. And we are not impressed because of how Hasbro reinvented four older figures, but because the presentation makes them look better than they are. This isn't a dig but rather actually a compliment to Hasbro on how a little extra thought in presentation can make old things relatively new again. You may or may not be of the opinion that three out of the four figures in this set are what we consider definitive (for the moment) and the fourth is an OK sculpt with an OK likeness (but unfortunate and terrible action feature). So overall, there are pretty great figures in this set. Loosely based on a pivotal scene in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, the Duel On Mustafar package is a great selection of main characters even though you may likely have all four by now (and multiple times too). Let's be upfront and clear as can be from the very beginning of this review: this set is one to keep boxed. If you are a packaged collector, you have the opportunity to add a very nice piece to your collections because this set looks spectacular through the window box. The figures are posed very nicely in the package and stand in front of a beautiful background where the orange lava follows the silhouette of the figures. It is quite a visual and grabs your attention. We rarely talk about packaging, let alone rave about it in our reviews, but in this case, we will make an exception because this set stands out and we think it is worthy of comment. Moving along to the figures, Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker – yes it drives us crazy too – Darth Vader is a guy with a helmet and in a black suit, not some kid who played Anakin Skywalker) is included here. So is Obi-Wan Kenobi. They are repacks of 2008's TAC figures with the slightest of paint changes (not enough to qualify as a repaint by any means).

Both Obi=Wan Kenobi (08 01) and Darth Vader (08 02) are fine figures to begin with so it's great Hasbro chose good figures to include here. Most noticeably different are the eyebrows and scar on Anakin and the dark layered shirt on Obi-Wan Kenobi. It seems as if Hasbro is unable to guarantee exactly the same figures coming our way if they are made during different time periods. Factories seem to make unintentional changes here and there no doubt due to what materials are available on hand when it is time to make more figures (including slightly different shades of paint). But even the vintage line has paint differences, many of which we feel the collecting public as whole still are not even aware. Moving along, Emperor Palpatine is the same old figure from 2005's Revenge Of The Sith line. And yes, it comes with the same old action figure and silly projectiles that was designed with kids in mind. It is a disappointing addition to this set is the only figure that has aged poorly even in such a short time. The Shock Trooper is a repack of the 2007 TAC Shock Trooper Saga Legends figure. It is not a repack of the figure included in the 2006 TSC Skirmish In The Senate Battle Packs set. This Shock Trooper's helmet parallel lines deco (right above the visor) and on the "cheeks" were not far enough (space-wise) from each other (they looked as if they were almost bleeding together). But Hasbro corrected this issue starting with the 2007 TAC Saga Legends Shock Trooper creating very nice alternating white spaces between the red lines. It makes the Shock Trooper look exactly like the character we saw in the film. Trust us, if you compare the 2006 TSC Skirmish In The Senate Battle Packs Shock Trooper against any subsequently released Shock Trooper, you will be impressed how much better this enhancement looks!

And thankfully Hasbro has carried forward the corrected version ever since. Hasbro colored him in a very deep shade of red so he doesn't come across as too bright. The figure looks great and we can never add enough to army build in our collections. It is interesting to us that this Legacy Collection product contains 75% of its figures that are also available as Legacy Collection Saga Legends individual carded figures too. At $7.99 a pop, it is certainly the better deal to pay $24.99 for the four figures in this Battle Packs set versus getting the four basic carded figures separately. But we would also like to make the point of why Hasbro would be revisiting these figures again in a new format when they are shipping so heavily as basic figures concurrently? We don't know, but it doesn't take away how great the package looks and what a deal it is. And it will provide those of you who have missed out on Emperor Palpatine a new chance to pick him up. (But at this point, we would be shocked if you still needed this figure.) We do like the new approach to Hasbro's Battle Packs, even if they are repeating the same old figures. If you don't need them, it is an easy set to pass on, but if you do need some or all, it is a great way to kill multiple birds with one stone. Plus, the presentation is great! And since this Battle Packs set is based on probably the most important duel in the Star Wars saga, it makes sense that it has been captured in a "screen scene" type of platform or medium. While not all Battle Packs are scene-specific, they do a good job of capturing four characters from a film that surround themselves with a certain main battle or action sequence. Emperor Palpatine and a Shock Trooper obviously never looked on as Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi engaged in battle, but they all appeared on Mustafar at some point. It's technically splitting hairs, but it's true and makes these sets movie source specific enough for us.