Captain Phasma, and her Quicksilver Baton, were released in 2018 as an exclusive release. Based on her Last Jedi outing, Phasma was originally planned as a Toys R Us Exclusive that then fell foul of their demise. The figure was released via the Disney Store in the US and via the fan channel for the rest of the world - while in Canada and the Far East it remained a Toys R Us product in the TRU stores still operating there.
Packaging 4/5
The box for Phasma is the standard red 3rd phase box. As an exclusive there is no numbering on the release, and Phasma is named as Captain Phasma with a subtitle of "Quicksilver Baton" to differentiate from the 2015 version.
There is some new Gregory Titus artwork for this box, recreating the damage to Phasma's helmet and that single exposed eye beneath. This artwork is repeated on rear of box along with some specific text around Phasma and her role in The Last Jedi.
"Captain Phasma and a squad of elite First Order troopers capture Resistance heroes Finn and Rose, who have infiltrated Snoke's flagship, the Supremacy. Before Phasma can eliminate them, a series of unforeseen events leads to a dramatic battle between Phasma and Finn."
Paint & Sculpt 3/5
The first striking thing about the head sculpt on this updated Phasma is the realism of that exposed eye beneath the helmet. Even though it is such a small area, it has been given the face print application and that eye and the shading is uncannily realistic.
The blast damage works too, with a melted plastic look to the damaged area that is then scorched with a rusty metal colour around the outside.
This damage is carried on down the figure, although not on the cloak which does look a bit odd. The body is a full re-use of the 2015 Phasma from Force Awakens. It is well coloured, but not the shiny metallic we see on screen.
The majority of the figure is cast in a black plastic and the silver is painted on top. That has led to some messy areas with ragged lines around the leg armour and on the hands - and even a big silver paint splodge in one of the black thigh areas.
The cloak on the 2018 version has been changed from rubbery plastic to a soft goods. This is the ultra thin material that flows much better than the earlier Black Series soft goods, and it comes with a red trim to match the onscreen cape.
Accessories 2/5
Phasma retains the blaster rifle from the 2015 release. It is cast in metallic gold and sections of black have then been added. The weapon carries a good deal of sculptural detail across its length, and the black applied paint is neat and tidy and picks out details as small as fastenings on the grip.
It sits into Phasma's right hand and it can also be slung via a slot in her right thigh.
The other two accessories are what give the release its name - the Quicksilver baton. This is the weapon she uses to face down Finn and the first accessory is the small un-extended version. This is cast in silver with no real detail other than some small holes cut out at one side.
The longer version, the extended version, carries the same details and is as tall as the figure.
The issue with both weapons is the fact the figure's hands have not been adjusted - or a second pair included - to hold it. Neither weapon can be gripped as it simply slips through either gripped palm. You can balance it in place or with the longer weapon use two hands to give more friction in order to hold a pose.
In a set named after the weapon itself it would have been an expectation that Phasma could hold the baton securely?
Articulation 3/5
As this is the same body as the 2015 Phasma, it comes with the same articulation count and setup - 16 points in total.
Head : ball joint pivot neck
Body : torso ball joint
Arms : Ball joint shoulder, single joint rotating elbow, wrist pivot
Legs : Ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double joint knees, ankle rocker
Without the rubbery cape the figure does have more options for posing and the arms do work well enough to get two handed weapon posing with the baton and the blaster. They can be raised fully, with the shoulder armour withdrawing cleverly under the chest piece, and can also be raised outward in firing poses.
The legs remain quite fixed with the large thigh armour clashing with the belt if raised. The leg joints are secure though and the ankle rockers a good secure ratchet, allowing Phasma to stand well in a number of poses.
Summary
I liked the original 2015 Phasma when released, I scored it a 4 out of 5 at the time. Since then the Black Series has moved on big time and I am pleased to see that this figure does benefit from these improvements - particularly the face print use to show that single exposed eye, and of course the improved soft goods to allow the cape to be updated and therefore open up more posing options.
The figure is still not a great match for the shine of Phasma's armour on screen, but it does look metallic and shiny enough and the burn and damage marks are well executed. The figure does however have some sloppy paint lines where the silver and black armour transition.
The biggest frustration is that in a figure subtitled "Quicksilver Baton", Phasma is not able to hold the said baton securely as there has been no work done on her hands to match the new accessory. She needed a revised left hand as a minimum, or ideally a second set with which to grip and wield the baton.
I score Captain Phasma a 3 out of 5.
