Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Road to Rogue One: Imperial Death Trooper from Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III by Hasbro

 As we continue on the road to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story I'm looking at the first (of what appears to be just one of many) cool new trooper types in Rogue One: The Imperial Death Trooper. Not to be confused with the pretty cool Expanded Universe novel from 2009, these Death Troopers are not zombies but the elite Imperial troopers of Imperial Intelligence. So far the Death Trooper definitely seems to be the cool armored character that people just like the look of (similar to last year's Captain Phasma) as I heard multiple people asking about them at the Force Friday/ Rogue Friday event I went to last week. Let's take a look at this extremely cool Imperial troop builder, shall we? Join me after the break...



 The Facts:

Height: 6 3/8ths inches

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

Accessories: Blaster rifle and modified SE-14C blaster pistol.

Non-Scalper Price: $20 dollars
 The Positives:

* I really like the articulation on the Black Series and the Death Trooper is another stellar figure. Sturdy, durable, and fun to play with, you won't be disappointed with this guy in the slightest. While the newer troopers don't have the double hinged elbows of the earlier troops, the swivel/hinged elbows still have a really good range of motion.


 * I'm absolutely digging the helmets of the Death Troopers. These helmet are sleeker than the standard Stormtrooper helmets and appear to have a more complex life support system. They also have a built in range finder on the left side which I just find really, really cool.


* The armor looks great. Like the helmet, it's a bit slimmer and less bulky than the Stormtrooper armor. It absolutely looks like something light and tactical compared to the "shock and awe" presence of standard Stormtrooper armor. I love the visible clasps on the sides and the visible bodysuit underneath.

 * I really cannot wait for the Rogue One visual dictionary to come out so we can see all of the cool details on the film props. The Death Troopers wear asymmetrical boots with differing knee pads and a plate or compartment of some kind on the right boot.

* I absolutely love the weapons that the Death Troopers carry. This rifle looks like a modified version of an E-11 with an extended barrel, a longer stock, and some extra accoutrements added on the sides. Maybe they help connect the rifle to the range finder-like device on the helmet? This weapon even has a few paint apps on it which adds to the cool look. Darn, I love this thing and I cannot wait to find out it's real name!

* Not only does the Death Trooper come with a great blaster rifle but they also come with modified version of one of my favorite blaster pistols: The SE-14C! I had hoped that we would get an SE-14C with the TIE Fighter pilot (or with a Ponda Baba figure) but it's still cool to see this modified version. This is a slick looking pistol, isn't it? I love the scope on it.


 * Interestingly the Death Trooper has a loop on the right side of his belt to hold the modified SE-14C. It's a simple but cool way for the trooper to carry around his sidearm.



* There is quite a bit of cool stuff on the Death Trooper's belt: Three large pouches, a thermal detonator, and three smaller containers.
 I really love this figure. He's just so darn cool and tons of fun to pose and play with or to stand alongside other Imperial troopers. Great sculpt, great paint, and great accessories really make the Death Trooper one of the standout figures from the first set of Rogue One inspired Black Series figures. I'd go so far as to say that he's an Epic figure and the best Rogue One figure in this series of figures. I've seen quite a few of these so far so hopefully collectors are able to find these in decent numbers. I cannot wait to see these guys in action in less than three months!

This is the first Death Trooper I've reviewed, but I have reviewed plenty of other Black Series figures, including:

Star Wars: The Black Series (6 inch) by Hasbro (2013)
Anakin Skywalker
Boba Fett
Darth Maul
Greedo
Han Solo
Luke Skywalker (Bespin Outfit)
Luke Skywalker (X-Wing Pilot)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Revenge of the Sith)
Princess Leia (Slave Outfit)
R2-D2
Sandtrooper
Stormtrooper

Star Wars: The Black Series Phase II (6 inch) by Hasbro (2014)
Boba Fett (Prototype Armor)
Bossk
Chewbacca
Clone Commander Cody
Clone Trooper Captain
Clone Trooper Sergeant
Darth Vader
Emperor Palpatine
Han Solo & Tauntaun
Han Solo (Stormtrooper Disguise)
IG-88
Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight)
Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise)
Luke Skywalker & Wampa
Princess Leia Organa (Boushh)
TIE Pilot 

Star Wars: The Black Series Phase III (6 inch) by Hasbro (2015)
Ahsoka Tano
Captain Cassian Andor (Eadu)
Captain Phasma
Chewbacca
Constable Zuvio
Darth Vader (Emperor's Wrath)
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 TIE Fighter Pilot
Guavian Enforcer
Han Solo
Imperial Shock Trooper
Jango Fett
Kanan Jarrus
Kylo Ren 
Kylo Ren (SDCC 2016)
Kylo Ren (Starkiller Base)
Luke Skywalker
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
Resistance Trooper
Rey (Jakku) & BB-8 
Rey (Starkiller Base)
Sandtrooper Sergeant, Crimson Stormtrooper, Lieutenant OXIXO, and R2-Q5
X-Wing Pilot Asty 

2 comments:

  1. Looking forward to finding one of these, though it seems all the stores around me have skipped the stuff that was supposed to be before them (everyone kept restocking wave 1 Force Awakens stuff, then didn't, then put them on clearance, then...nothing). Hopefully I can run into these when the hype dies down.

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    Replies
    1. My local Wal-Mart still has a whole bunker of these. The Toys R Us I went to on Force Friday? They had nothing except 6 of their exclusive figure!

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