Road to Solo: Range Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

   This is it! The first action figure based on the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story that I've reviewed! Today I'm checking out the Range Trooper, the only villainous character from Solo currently available in the Black Series. Having been referred to as the Pimp Trooper by fans due to his furry white cloak, the Range Trooper seems like an evolutionary link between the design of the cold weather Clone Trooper armor and the classic Imperial Snowtrooper armor.  This makes sense considering that Solo takes place about 10 years before A New Hope (Rebels takes place about 5 years before, FYI), so we're kind of seeing another unexplored point in time for the New Canon. The Range Trooper seems to be a specialized trooper for remote worlds with harsh weather but it will be interesting to see how prevalent they are in the film. We still have about a month to wait for that, so let's spend some time now checking out this very cool figure after the break...

 The Facts:

Height: 6 1/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, swivel/hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljointed hips, balljointed mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, hinged neck, and a balljointed head.

Accessories: Blaster rifle

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars

 The Positives:

* The Range Trooper is a pretty impressive looking trooper. You can definitely see elements of classic favorites such as the Snowtrooper and AT-AT Driver in the design, but also elements of newer designs like the AT-ACT Driver and the Hovertank Pilot, particularly when it comes down to the design of the helmet. The Range Trooper is a rather large figure thanks to the bulky armor and outfit, making him seem a bit larger than your average trooper. Like with many of the Imperial cold weather troops his paint design is a mixture of bright white for the armored elements and a grayish white for the cloth outfit elements.  

 * I love the helmet. The design is great, particularly the gold visor, and I love the weathering and damage on it.

* The Range Trooper's chest plate is excellent. Not only is there plenty of sculpted and painted detail but you also have some more great weathering, too. Plus, I dig those large pouches on the Range Trooper's belt.

* Let's talk about the standout element of the figure's design: The furry white collar/ cloak that rests over the figure's shoulders. It isn't removable unless you fully pull off the head (which is not easily removable), so it fits nicely on the figure and doesn't shift much. It's a great cloth accessory and really looks and feels like what you'd expect from this type of material. Maybe it's Wampa fur?

 * Like the Snowtrooper, the Range Trooper is wearing a "duster" of sorts that flows over his hips and down to his knees. Interestingly, the Snowtrooper's duster actually attaches around his hips thanks to some gray straps. This is an interesting design that seems like it would help the "duster" portion of the Trooper's outfit from flaring up and around.

 * Another really cool aspect of the Range Trooper's design are these crazy boots. What is their deal! They look very mechanical, seemingly having various belts and fuel tanks in them. They're incredibly cool and have a few minor painted details on the back, too.

 * Due to his somewhat bulky outfit the Range Trooper does have some mobility issues. Still, the articulation isn't bad and this is a fun figure to pose and a durable figure to play with.

* The Range Trooper has other cool little details, too, such as these pads and devices on the forearms on both sides and the cylinders on his left bicep.

* I don't know the official name of this blaster yet but it definitely looks like a version of the E-11 blaster rifle with some extra scopes greebles on it. It's a great accessory, but guess what?

The Negativess:

*From every source I've been able to find the Range Trooper's rifle is supposed to be white. It seems like Hasbro missed this detail and left off the paint applications. Bummer.

 * The boots are very cool but they make it very hard for the figure to stand. They do seem to have a swivel joint in addition to the hinge joints but they're pretty tough to get any range of motion from. This guy has to be posed just right or else he tumbles over.

 * The hips are also very restricted, making wider poses rather difficult to maintain.

   The Range Trooper is a very cool troop builder figure. I'm rather excited to see these guys show up in Solo and have high hopes we'll see more cool troop types, too. This is a Great 1/2 figure with some excellent paint work and sculpted detail. I love his blaster but I wish it were painted the proper colors. Still, the design and the unique elements such as the straps on the hips and the fur color really work well. There's a lot to love here and the Range Trooper has me even more excited for Solo: A Star Wars Story.


This is the first Range Trooper figure I've reviewed. For more Star Wars: The Black Series figures check out the following:

442nd Siege Battalion Clone Trooper, 212th Attack Battalion Utapau Trooper, Coruscant Guard ---(Phase II), and 501st Legion Clone Trooper 4 pack
Admiral Ackbar and First Order Officer
Ahsoka Tano 
AT-AT Pilot 
Baze Malbus
Captain Cassian Andor (Eadu) 
Captain Poe Dameron
C-3PO
C-3PO (Resistance Base)
Captain Phasma
Chewbacca
Chirrut Imwe 
Clone Captain Rex (HasCon Exclusive)
Clone Commander Gree
Constable Zuvio
Darth Revan 
Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath)
Director Krennic 
DJ (Canto Bight)
Elite Praetorian Guard
Elite Praetorian Guard (with Heavy Blade)
Finn (First Order Disguise)
Finn (FN-2187)
Finn (Jakku)
First Order Flametrooper
First Order General Hux
First Order Snowtrooper
First Order Snowtrooper Officer
First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter
First Order Stormtrooper
First Order Stormtrooper Executioner 
First Order Stormtrooper (with Gear)
First Order TIE Fighter Pilot
General Leia Organa
Grand Admiral Thrawn (SDCC Exclusive)
Grand Moff Tarkin 
Guardians of Evil 4-Pack
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo 
Hera Syndulla
Imperial AT-ACT Driver
Imperial Death Trooper
Imperial Death Trooper, Captain Cassian Andor, and Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha) 3 pack
Imperial Hovertank Pilot 
Imperial Shock Trooper 
Imperial Royal Guard 
Inferno Squad Agent
Jaina Solo (Legends)
Jango Fett
K-2SO
Kanan Jarrus
Kylo Ren 
Kylo Ren (SDCC 2016)
Kylo Ren (The Last Jedi) 
Kylo Ren (Starkiller Base)
Kylo Ren (Throne Room)
Lando Calrissian
Luke Skywalker 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master) 
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Master)- Ahch-To Island
Maz Kanata 
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Force Spirit)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (SDCC 2016)
Phase 1 Clone Trooper Commander, Phase II Clone Trooper, Imperial Stormtrooper, and First Order ---Stormtrooper Officer four pack
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron and First Order Riot Control Stormtrooper
Porgs
Princess Leia Organa 
Qui-Gon Jinn
R2-A3, R5-K6, and R2-F2
Resistance Tech Rose
Resistance Trooper
Rey (Island Journey)
Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 
Rey (Jedi Training)
Rey (Jedi Training)- Crait
Rey (Starkiller Base) 
Rey's Speeder (Jakku)
Sabine Wren
Sandtrooper Sergeant, Crimson Stormtrooper, Lieutenant OXIXO, and R2-Q5
Scarif Stormtrooper
Scarif Stormtrooper Squad Leader 
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu)
Sergeant Jyn Erso (Jedha)
Snowtrooper 
Supreme Leader Snoke (Throne Room)
Tusken Raider 
X-34 Landspeeder & Luke Skywalker (SDCC Exclusive) 
X-Wing Pilot Asty