Search found 3 matches for AssaultTank

Introduction

This new release from Hot Toys arrived from Sideshow yesterday. Hot Toys' coverage of Rogue One has been spotty, but they did show some love for imperial trooper types, producing the Rogue One Stormtrooper (in a couple of versions), Death Trooper (in three versions), and Shore Trooper (in a couple of versions?). All these have seen second release due to their appearances in The Mandalorian. The only Rogue One imperial trooper type left (they sorta covered the revised Imperial Ground Crew as Jynn Erso's disguise version) was the Imperial Assault Tank Commander (with Pilot variant). This is the product just released. It, too, has a Mandalorian version, of sorts, the Transport Trooper, a hybrid between Rogue One's Assault Tank Commander/Pilot and Solo's Mud Trooper. It seems like trooper figures keep on giving and multiplying and army-building should be easy... except, of course, for the price.



Packaging

The Assault Tank Commander comes in a long-familiar standard Hot Toys shoe box-type cardboard container with a colorful image of the product on the cover. Another colorful image is found on the card covering the single plastic trey (with transparent lid) containing the figure. Everything is snug, safe, and collector-friendly.



Sculpting

Sculpting a fully-armored figure with futuristic armor is, of course, a challenge, yet not quite the challenge of making a faithful, lifelike, and realistic representation of an individual's features. As usual, Hot Toys rose to the challenge, and created a very fine replica of what was seen on screen. The edges are suitably sharp and clean, the proportions quite accurate (for some minor issues see Source Accuracy below), the detail is rich and distinctive as needed. The figure stands just about 12 inches tall, and scales well among other Rogue One figures by Hot Toys (see last image below).



Paint

In principle, the paint work on a subject like this, need only be sharp, if the armor and clothing are in pristine conditions. But since the subject is meant to be dirtied up and weathered, there is still plenty of room for a complex and nuanced paint application. The armor has been supplied with the appearance of wear and tear, grime, scratches and stains. Overall, it is believable and appropriate. At the same time, the paint job is suitably sharp in the areas where it ought to be. Apart from the weathering, the paint is mostly black and white, with some details in red and brownish gray. The blaster rifle is also given a little weathering.



Articulation

Hot Toys used to lead in the field of hard plastic open-jointed bodies, which used to be available as base bodies. That no longer seems to be the case, but the bodies that come with most of their sets still tend to sport a good articulation. More often than not, however, this is compromised by the use of tight and stiff cloth for the outfit and, even more so, by the insertion of padded undergarments. These are ostensibly to improve the appearance of the figure, but do so only marginally, while at the same time significantly impairing articulation -- and this without additional limitations imposed by armor and accessories. This is exactly the case with this set. The apparent padding makes it difficult to achieve the full range of articulation; the outfit is not exceedingly restrictive, but also does not help. The armor is mostly out of the way, except for the vambraces in the wrist area and for the tabs (boxes?) handing from the armored utility belt. On the other hand, elbows, knees, and ankles have excellent articulation. As a result it is sometimes difficult but not impossible to achieve more dynamic poses. I have not yet explored this option with this set, but previous experience suggest removing the padding would greatly facilitate the articulation with almost no impact on the look.



Accessories

In this area, the figure is woefully short. There is, of course, an action figure crotch-grabber stand with an optional printed graphic card to cover the base, and an optional additional detail piece to add to the base. There are alternative parts, namely two additional sets of hands, for a total of three pairs (relaxed, gun-grip, and fists). There are spare parts, namely the two extra wrist pegs. But none of these are really accessories. The sole accessory is the E-11 blaster rifle with its Rogue One flashlight add-on. The blaster rifle is beautifully and precisely realized, with a folding three-position stock. Now, I realize we can't expect the Assault Tank Commander to come with an Assault Tank as his accessory, but this is exceedingly light. And it should be reflected in the price (see Value below).



Outfit

Apart from the molded hard or soft plastic armor (see Sculpting), the outfit consists primarily of the gray-brown cloth pants and some sort of black garment visible primarily at the elbows -- since I have not taken the body apart or seen the set parted out, I'm not certain if this is a whole top or even a whole bodysuit (perhaps unlikely). The belt combines cloth and molded plastic pieces.



Source Accuracy

The top part of the image below is for reference, from https://www.starwars.com/databank/imperial-combat-assault-tank-commander
On the whole, Hot Toys has rendered the character's appearance very well and quite accurately. It is possible that the helmet has become slightly vertically elongated, but it might be an effect of my camera lens. The only certain inaccuracy I spotted is the treatment of two of the recessed areas on either side of the segmented element in the middle of the abdominal area. The reference image shows larger recessed parts in dark gray, whereas in the figure they appear to be significantly narrower (see images in previous and succeeding sections).



Fun Factor

Without a tank and a couple of pilots (which would effectively be slight variants) to boss around, the Assault Tank Commander runs the risk of being a lonely figure. The presence of a single accessory (the blaster rifle) also does not open a huge field of possibilities for fun. However, one could pair him with any or all of the other imperial trooper types from Rogue One produced by Hot Toys. The Jedha patrol stormtrooper would be a particularly apt companion (I could not easily excavate mine, so I substituted a virtually identical regular Rogue One stormtrooper in the photos here).



Value

This is the tricky bit. Retailing at $230 (USD) before taxes and shipping, this figure is at once pricey and yet more affordable than so many other Hot Toys releases these days. I don't know if this is a nod to the dearth of accessories or to the potential for army-building (although one is unlikely to be looking for an army of Assault Tank Commanders, I suppose). Even so, "objectively" speaking, it seems difficult to justify such a hefty price tag for a figure this simple -- no detailed realistic human face, no extravagant bases or accessories (in fact, only one accessory), a trooper, reused or duplicate parts (from the Shore Trooper, Transport Trooper, Mud Trooper, and not even talking about the standard Rogue One blaster rifle) and so on. Yes, Hot Toys quality is (as it should be, but apparently not always) very good, the sculpt and paint are excellent, but I don't see why this figure is not almost $100 less than this asking price (and that prior to secondary market inflation). Other than, of course, Hot Toys' "ambition" and precedent. Some of the recent or upcoming trooper figures are actually slightly less expensive ($220). Of course, the thing about value is that its estimation varies based on a number of variables, most notably one's means and priorities.



Things to watch out for

Nothing much, the only readily breakable area is the folding stock of the E-11 blaster rifle.



Overall

When it comes to protagonists, certain secondary characters, and imperial trooper types, I'm a completist, and Rogue One is quasi-canon to me, so I'm happy I purchased this figure. It is a very fine figure, although I cannot really say I'm blown away by it. Then again, I got it to have a representation of the character (or rather type), not so much because I was specifically drawn to it. The execution is excellent, the functionality is good (without being perfect), the price is hefty (without being totally excessive). The design is cool, if repetitive (the most notable though not only point of comparison is the Shore Trooper design from the same film), and the figure fits in well with Hot Toys' other Star Wars figures, especially those from Rogue One. Given their usual practice, I'm surprised they did not offer the pilot variants, but perhaps they are uncertain of the degree to which this type and this movie would sell at this point.



Where to buy

I got mine for $230 (USD) from Sideshow, using some accumulated points. The secondary market is inflating prices, and I have seen it going for $275 to $542 on eBay. Among others (mostly on pre-order),

Cotswold Collectibles has it for $230;

Monkey Depot has it for $230;

Timewalker Toys has it for $230 (wait list);

Big Bad Toy Store has it for $245.



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I hope this has been useful. As always, what do you think?

#hottoys #starwars #rogueone #imperial #assaulttank #commander #male #scifi #fiction #film #movie

Imperial troopers have always been popular with many Star Wars collectors and today, Hot Toys is delighted to officially introduce the 1/6th scale Assault Tank Commander collectible figure from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Perched in the command seat of the thickly armored Imperial combat assault tank with a view of the surrounding area, the tank commander barks out orders to the combat drivers within to steer the vehicle into battle. The commander stays in contact with his crew and with headquarters to keep updated on changing combat conditions.

Based on the appearance of the Assault Tank Commander in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the collectible figure features skillfully crafted helmet and armor designs with great weathering effects, a fabric under-suit, a blaster, and a display stand.

Enlist more Imperial troopers into your Galactic Empire collection with this 1/6th scale Assault Tank Commander collectible figure.
SPECIFICATIONS
PRODUCT CODEMMS587
PRODUCT NAMEASSAULT TANK COMMANDER
HEIGHTAPPROXIMATELY 30 CM TALL
POINTS OF ARTICULATIONS30
SPECIAL FEATURESNEWLY DESIGNED AND FINELY CRAFTED HELMET AND BODY ARMOR WITH SPECIALLY APPLIED WEATHERING EFFECTS AND DECALS
ARTISTSHEAD SCULPTED BY N/A
HEAD PAINTED BY N/A
HEAD ART DIRECTED BY N/A
The 1/6th scale Assault Tank Commander Collectible Figure special features:
- Authentic and detailed likeness of Assault Tank Commander in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Newly designed and finely crafted helmet and body armor with specially applied weathering effects and decals
- Body with over 30 points of articulations
- Approximately 30 cm tall
- Six (6) pieces of interchangeable gloved hands including:
- One (1) pair of fists
- One (1) pair of relaxed hands
- One (1) pair of hands for holding blaster

Costume:
- One (1) Assault Tank Commander armor with weathering effects
- One (1) black-colored undersuit
- One (1) utility belt
- One (1) pair of dark green colored pants
- One (1) pair of armored boots with weathering effects

Weapon:
- One (1) double-barreled blaster rifle

Accessory:
- Figure stand with Star Wars logo and character nameplate with detachable Death Star staircase

Release date: Approximately Q2 – Q3, 2022

*Prototype shown, final product may be slightly different
**Product details are subject to change without further notice

& TM Lucasfilm Ltd.
2021 Hot Toys Limited. All Rights Reserved.















#newproduct #HotToys #StarWars #RogueOne #AssaultTank #Commander #Sci-Fi #movie

Introduction

It has been all Star Wars over the last week here, what with the Jabba Tatooine Skiff review (HERE) and the updated sixth-scale Sandtrooper (HERE).

To my delight, Hasbro has revisited "super" articulation in their "classic scale" (3.75") figures from their new
"Vintage Collection" (which was rebooted in 2018, after a hiatus since 2013). Among a large array of other figures, this year (2019) has seen the release of three imperial characters from Rogue One: Imperial Stormtrooper, a Death Star Gunner, and Imperial Assault Tank Commander.



Packaging: 4/4 stars
Each figure comes packaged in a transparent plastic bubble on a classic-style card, complete with nice color photos of each character from the film and a blatantly nostalgia-exploiting "Kenner" label on it. For all of its obviousness, I do like and appreciate the packaging.



Sculpting: 4/4 stars Stormtrooper and Tank Commander; 3.5/4 stars Gunner
The sculpting appears to be excellent on all three characters, taking advantage of the apparent new techniques and possibilities developed over the period when the Vintage Collection was on hiatus. The Tank Commander and Stormtrooper are particularly well done; the proportions of the Gunner might be just a little bit off, with the helmet probably just a bit undersized, while its antenna looks far too thick, but would probably have been impossible to supply otherwise. Nevertheless, this figure features the same excellent complexity of detail as the other two, with the natural folds of the jumpsuit, the ribbed segments of the top, and the (possibly too subtle) patterning on the armor.



Paint: 3.5/4 stars Stormtrooper and Gunner; 2.5 stars Tank Commander
Overall, the paint work is really impressive, given the small size of the figures (just 3.75"). The Stormtrooper is actually surprisingly well-painted, though I realize I might have gotten lucky, and someone else might get a misaligned paint application; here the imperfections on mine are limited to a few specs of white (or exposed underlying paint at the joints?) on the black body suit below the armor. On the Gunner one can find just a little bit of silverish paint bleed on the belt, but again, given the size of the thing, this is still a very good quality application; the imperial "cog" crest on the helmet's forehead is applied flawlessly. When it comes to paint, the Tank Commander is the most complex and arguably most poorly executed figure of the three. Both the movie character and the figure are given a lot of weathering and dirt, perhaps inexplicably much. But it just does not translate as well on a figure this small, as opposed to what you might get in 1:1 or even 1:6 scale; this is most obvious on the helmet, where the weathering ought to have highlighted (or actually tarnished) the recessed lines, but does nothing of the sort, thereby reducing the likeness to the film appearance. On the other hand, the parts that should have received a precise and clean paint application on the Tank Commander are executed very well indeed.



Articulation: 4/4 stars
Each of the three figures features an excellent 16+ points of articulation (ball-jointed neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, upper body, hips, knees, ankles, and swivel thighs. The joints are relatively well hidden and work very well, allowing for pretty much any pose one might want to recreate. The figures appear well-balanced and relatively easy to stand and pose. This is what action figures should be like when it comes to functionality, in any scale.



Accessories: 3/4 stars
Considering what we see the characters use on screen, the limited accessories we get (one blaster each) are adequate or more than adequate (we don't see the Gunners or Tank Commanders handle blasters -- I think). For what it is worth, each of the blasters features some nice painted detail (clean in the case of the Stormtrooper and Gunner, and very weathered in the case of the Tank Commander). That said, they are rather limited, although I suppose it would have been too much to ask to get a control panel background or cannon station with the Gunner, or an Assault Tank with the Tank Commander (though the tank is available separately!). I do not recall if regular Stomtroopers are seen with long blaster rivals or other alternative weaponry in Rogue One. Some of Hasbro's older figures (including Gunners/Englineers and Stormtroopers/Spacetroopers) had featured removable helmets, and their recent Han Solo in Stormtrooper disguise figure showed they could now make even the removable Stormtrooper helmet look as nicely sculpted, proportioned, and painted as the non-removable version we get here. (By removable helmet, here I mean one that fits over a separate sculpted head.) This might have been a relatively easy and sensible additional detail to which we are not treated. Hence the good but less than optimal rating in this category.



Outfit: 4/4 stars
Since everything is sculpted, this is about general appearance. As I noted above about the Gunner, the clothing elements are nicely sculpted and include plenty of detail, like ribbing on the Gunner's top and the tiny segmented (ribbed) surface of the Stormtrooper's black body suit. It should be noted, again, that these figures are based on the unit types' appearance in Rogue One. Thus, the Stormtrooper sports a rectangular side button on his abdominal armor, and has a little indent running along the top of the protruding section on his upper back. The Gunner's top does not feature the imperial "cog" emblem on the sides of his upper arms at the shoulders, which were there on both the ribbed top and on the underlying jumpsuit in the Original Trilogy. While I don't think these changes from the Original Trilogy look were advisable, those were questionable choices on the part of the filmmakers, not Hasbro, and the figures are accurate to their stated source, Rogue One.



Fun Factor: 4/4 stars
With their good proportions, faithful detail, and excellent articulation, the new imperial figures from Hasbro lend themselves to plenty of fun display options; and we should not forget that although they are bound to appeal to collectors, these are actually toys for children. With Hasbro seeming to produce more sets and vehicles (in this instance, most pertinently, the Assault Tank), there should be additional possibilities for playing with or displaying the figures.



Value: 3/4 stars
While the figures are awesome for adult collectors, they are also supposed to be mass-produced toys for children. That is where the cost of about $15 (USD) per figure is not exactly cheap, although the product quality in appearance and articulation has improved over preceding versions (if any) in every way, and product costs in action figures have been rising across the board. It is a rather tolerable price compared to the larger-scale figures we might look to (e.g., those in 1:12 scale).



Overall: 3.6/4 stars
For action figures in the 3.75" line, these little guys are almost perfect and I think better than any previous iterations. I had previously showcased a simple kitbash to produce a perfect or near perfect Stormtrooper in this scale (using the Rogue One under-articulated figure's fine helmet and the older Vintage Collection's Spacetrooper body, HERE), but you no longer need to do that to get an even more perfect Stormtrooper: you can simply pick up the new Vintage Collection Rogue One version. Similarly, despite the unfortunate design changes (as to imperial emblem at the shoulders) in Rogue One, this is the best articulated Gunner we have gotten.



Things to watch out for
Since these are technically intended for children, they are relatively safe and cause little concern. The blasters are small enough to lose or misplace easily, so keep an eye out for that. I imagine that, if carelessly stored, the antenna on the Gunner's helmet might end up bending in an unfortunate manner.



Where to Buy
Some of these are already widely available in the States, while others (the Stormtrooper) appear to be at the pre-order stage at most places. You can look on eBay or Amazon or here (for example) :

Big Bad Toy Store for $15-16

Entertainment Earth for $14 (Stormtrooper)

Atomic Universe for $14.25 (Stormtrooper)

Hope this was helpful. What do you think?

#starwars #classic #vintagecollection #hasbro #galacticempire #stormtrooper #deathstar #gunner #assaulttank #commander