Review of Star Wars Deluxe sixth scale Clone Troopers
Shiny, 501st, Veteran action figures

Introduction

When it comes to Sideshow and their Star Wars Troopers, re-use is the word of the day. That makes sense though, since the armor and accessories are fairly consistent for a lot of the various designs.

However, they took the concept to a new level with four releases under the label 'Clone Trooper Deluxe'. I'm checking out three of these tonight - the Shiny, the Veteran, and the 501st. They also have a trooper from the 212th coming that fits in with this set.

Normally I wouldn't try to cover three sixth scale figures in a single review, but because of the extreme similarity between them, I thought it made the most sense.

All three (and eventually four) of these figures are identical, except for the paint deco. Obviously the shiny is the pure white version, and the 501st has blue highlights. The Veteran has lots of dirt, damage and wear, as you'd expect with a veteran of the Clone Wars. The 212th will have orange highlights, and should be out soon.

Each of these will run you $140, and is currently shipping from Sideshow, where they are being exclusively sold.

Packaging - ***1/2
Sideshow has always done great work with their Star Wars packaging, but the plain black is still a bit dull. However, it is completely collector friendly, with no twisty ties or even tape that needs to be cut. The multiple plastic trays keep everything safe, and I love the magnetic wrap around lid.

Sculpting - ****
When it comes to the sculpt, these are identical figures. The armor is beautiful, although we've seen it before. I'm not including an Outfit category this time, since the Sculpt and Paint really covers the overall costume.

There are two helmets included - Phase 1 and Phase 2. I've included photos using both, but I specifically did close ups of the Veteran wearing each. Both look amazing, and having both means you can mix and match these three figures, or you can simply keep them consistent in appearance.

The armor is designed to allow a maximum amount of posability, and still look accurate. I did find that the thigh pieces ride a little low, exposing a bit more of the hips and thighs than I really like, but you can futz with it and get past the problem.

There's a ton of extra hands (and one set of feet) included, which will really improve the Accessories score. The sculpt on these is designed to work with the maximum number of poses and accessories, and they succeed.

These are sixth scale of course, and come in at just about 12" tall. They'll fit in nicely with other Sideshow, Hot Toys and Enterbay figures.

Paint - Veteran, 501st ****; Shiny ***1/2
As you might expect, the place where there's some variation in score is the place where there's some variation period. While I knocked Shiny down a smidge in this category, it's really an aesthetic issue and not one of quality.

The damage and wear on both the Veteran and 501st looks terrific, and quite realistic. I'm particularly fond of the Vet, but the blue really works on the 501st as well.

I'm knocking the Shiny off a bit simply because the glossy, perfect finish looks much more toy-like to me. It lacks a bit of the realism of the other two, but that's really a personal preference.

Articulation - Veteran, Shiny ***1/2; 501st ***
All three of these use the same base body, so you'd expect the same score. Surprise!

The underlying body has all the articulation you expect, including two ball joints at the neck which allow for a terrific range of movement. While not quite as perfect as the TrueType when it comes to taking natural, flowing stances, these are still well above average.

My only general complaint is that all three are still a little loose. They don't have any of the extreme issues I've mentioned in the reviews of recent Sideshow DC characters, but they are still a bit looser in the hips, elbows and knees than I'd really like.

The 501st ended up having one more issue. As I was swapping hands, I found that one of the forearms started to crack open, gapping at the seam where it should be tightly glued. That meant that the left hand started to slip in and out much too easily, making it harder to work with the figure. I didn't have this problem with the other two, so it's clearly not a consistent problem, but it's still something to remain aware of.

Accessories - ****
These three are identical when it comes to accessories, but there's a ton of them. That makes the re-use a lot more palatable, since you can make all three look very unique.

Perhaps the most important is the inclusion of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 helmets. When you think Phase 1, think Stormtrooper, while Phase 2 is more traditional Clone Trooper. The helmets look terrific, and they pop on and off easily. The double ball joints in the neck aren't restricted by the helmet either, making it possible to tilt and lean, adding lots of realism to any pose.

There's a ton of hands - 13 in all. These include the usual (fists, gripping hands, etc.) as well as some very specific gesture poses. The hands swap easily enough (and every one has it's own wrist peg), but I did have the wrist/forearm problem with the 501st that I mentioned above.

Along with the many hands, there's one extra set of feet. These are sculpted with the foot bent, to allow for running or crouching poses.

There's enough weapons to go around too, with the blaster carbine, blaster rifle, and rotary cannon. That means each can have his own gun on the shelf that's unique - until you pick up the 212th.

They each come with four popper grenades as well, which they can hold in one of the gripping hands or carry in their cool backpack. The pack has a cloth cover that opens and closes easily, making it possible for them to haul extra goodies with them.

The straps on the packs are set to about the right length out of the package, but are adjustable of course. They also have easy to use buckles, so you can get them on and off the figure easily. The straps aren't necessary to keep the pack in the perfect spot on his back either - there's a strong magnet that will hold them in place.

Finally, there's the usual black display base for consistency. I don't use them myself, but it's an important add for those that do.

Fun Factor - ****
Tons of accessories with solid articulation and a great look? That's pretty much the perfect recipe for a sixth scale figure. Better yet, there's nothing here that's super fragile or likely to break with even normal play. While it's unlikely any 10 year old will ever get to use these guys as toys, it's nice to know they have true action figure DNA in their genes.

Value - **
At $140, these are a bit steeper than some past Troopers. While there's plenty of cool accessories here, there's also a ton of re-use. They've maximized their profit by packaging the same figure multiple times with a basic paint change, but this price point makes it tough for a completist to keep up with all of them.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - Veteran ****; 501st, Shiny ***1/2
I don't know about you, but I can always use more Troopers. These are army builders, and while it might seem crazy to build a sixth scale army, most of us are exactly that nuts.

I don't mind the re-use because they gave us so many hands, heads and weapons. It allows you to make each unique, beyond the paint job.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them continue this either, since it keeps their costs down but gets a wider range of troopers on the shelf.

I do wish the price reflected the re-use a little more. We're getting into Hot Toys range here - or at least their range for a basic figure a year or so ago. That might mean that the production numbers are lower than usual, but there's no way to tell since they didn't publish them.

I gave the Vet a slight nod over the other two for different reasons. The Shiny just doesn't have the realism, at least to my eye. The 501st does - and you gotta love the blue - but the gapping forearm was frustrating. Overall, I really want to see Sideshow address the underlying body issues and get their version to be at the same quality level as the TrueType. It's the last step to their evolution into the high end sixth scale market.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ****
Paint - Veteran, 501st ****; Shiny ***1/2
Articulation - Veteran, Shiny ***1/2; 501st ***
Accessories - ****
Fun Factor - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - Veteran ****; 501st, Shiny ***1/2

Where to Buy 
These are supposed to be a Sideshow exclusive, and they have all three - Veteran, 501st, and Shiny - for $140.  Or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
Sideshow has done a ton of troopers, including the Snowtrooper. Other characters include the oustanding Bossk, and IG-88. The Battle Droid and STAP is cool as well, along with the double pack of Droids.

- other reviews include the Tusken Raider, the Bepin Luke (from Hot Toys), Sideshow's Boba Fett, the big Dewback and Trooper, Figrin D'an. the Sargeant Clone Trooper, Yoda, the Gammorean Guard, Admiral Thrawn and his command chair, Lando Calrissian, he Shock Trooper, Darth Vader, the Utapau Trooper, the Imperial Stormtrooper, Captain Antilles, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Obi-Wan in Clone Armor, Aayla Secura, Tatooine Luke, Han Solo, Commander Praji, Palpatine/Sidous, ANH Obi-Wan, Ilum Padme, Leia and Bespin Luke, the Holo-chess set, Sideshow's Asajj, a terrific figure, Yavin Luke, the Endor Troops, Jabba the Hutt and his throne, Bib Fortuna, Jedi Luke, Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, Bespin Han Solo, regular Anakin Skywalker and Kit Fisto.

- I also have guest reviews of the SDCC Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Emperor Palpatine and his throne, and Qui-Gon Jinn.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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