Hoth Battle - POTF2 [R/G] - Playsets

Imperial snowtroopers are attacking the Rebel Alliance base on the ice planet Hoth. Help the Rebels fight against the evil forces of the Galactic Empire in the Hoth Battle!

1996 was the year that Kenner/Hasbro gave collectors initial offerings of playsets. They released both the Detention Block Rescue and the Death Star Escape playsets to mixed reviews. They didn’t meet collectors’ expectations fully, but each had charm and added a beautiful background for display action figures in The Power Of The Force “2” basic figure line. Most collectors found them to be usable. That said, Kenner/Hasbro picked up the pace increasingly when the color of the line look transitioned from “red” to “green.” They decided to go with more familiar battle-oriented environments while making the playsets larger. Unfortunately, we didn’t have too many action figures to interact with the playsets. Kenner/Hasbro new they were working on new action figures behind the scenes, but it was a little disconcerting to only have a few Hoth-themed action figures to place in the new Hoth Battle playset. Inspired from the playsets made by Kenner in the early 80s, the Hoth Battle playset incorporates both the power generators and turret cannon. Collectors could dust off the Probe Droid Deluxe figure, which was released previously and complete the scene to help make it feel more like the Kenner days. Still, the only new figures at the time of this playset’s release were the Snowtrooper and Hoth Rebel Soldier. They’re both characters that fight in the Battle of Hoth, but that’s about all we had to work with here.

The Hoth Battle playset is a scaled-down version of what we see on Echo Base during the Battle of Hoth. The turret is too small, as are the power generators. But there’s enough here to work with to help you develop your diorama of Hoth. The Hoth Battle playset comes together as two halves where the one half features the turret, and the other half features the power generators. The side with the turret is the “better” half. The turret has an opening top hatch and a hinged door, and the cannon spins 360 degrees. There is a slider that pushes out a faux flame. It’s a strange action feature, and we’re not sure why Kenner/Hasbro implemented it. You’d think they would have added a firing projectile instead. This “flame/fire” is as strange as they come. The other half of the playset has the power generators nestled on a platform. There is a lever in front of it. And when you press it down it makes the three-pieces of the power generators “explode.” Again, these are much too small, but we appreciate the inclusion here. Running perpendicularly to way the two halves come together is a snow trench so you can pose various Star Wars action figures in there to keep them protected from enemy fire. It’s a fresh take on a Star Wars Hoth-themed playset, and it’s screen-accurate as well.

At the end of the trench is a laser cannon that does fire a projectile. It also freely rotates as needed. Overall, there is a decent amount of play features here for kids and collectors to enjoy. The set looks visually lovely, and the play features are worked into the tooling discreetly to avoid upsetting the aesthetics of the playset. Our only gripe, and this complaint won’t last forever, is that Hasbro didn’t have enough “Battle of Hoth” action figures and vehicles released before this playset. Collectors have to grow this playset over time. Although hollow, the Hoth Battle playset has sturdiness required to pose figures in and around it. Also, the deco throughout it is beautifully done and has elements that are familiar from the film. The Battle of Hoth is one of the most popular Star Wars battles, and it would be an excellent addition to the toy line if Kenner/Hasbro continues to develop these sets with more attachable sets. As far as the value of this set, well, it’s pretty cheap. With an MSRP set at $14.99, you do get a decent amount of plastic for the cost of three basic action figures. We’d love to see a focus on the interior of Echo Base. We’re confident that a playset like that will go over well with Star Wars collectors, something that Kenner didn’t delve into during the 80s. Now would be the time to take that deeper dive.