"I'm here to win, and walk away"
The Cassian Andor figure in his Imperial Gear from the Aldhani heist was released in the Star Wars Black Series in early 2023 as part of a quarter of store exclusives to launch the Andor figure series in the Galaxy Collection. The Aldhani mission Andor is number #01 in this new addition to the wider Galaxy Collection and is exclusive to Walmart in the US, while getting a wider release via the Fan Channel here in the Uk - most notably arriving as part of the large stock dump in Game stores at prices well under the RRP.
The Andor figures will use an orange theme on the black boxes, and these first four figures escape the plastic-free packaging arriving in the standard window boxes. The side art for this figure kicks off the linked montage of artwork leading into the Imperial Officer (Dark Times) who was also a Walmart exclusive.
The figure doesn’t immediately appear to have any direct re-used parts despite the commonality of Imperial uniform and armour that has been seen on other figures including the Mud Troopers and the original General Veers. The execution of this Imperial Uniform is acceptable in terms of component parts, but the colouring looks all wrong considering what we saw on screen. The deep Olive Green uniform worn on set is depicted here as a much lighter green that then contrasts too much with the added black armour. The figure has also been given some odd weathering around the feet which looks more like sand that again doesn't quite line up with the rural setting of the Aldhani base. Detailing is applied to parts of the main chest armour including silver on the strap clasps and red & white on some indicator lights towards the base. The only other direct paint application is then on Cassian’s belt and buckles. What the body does do is establish some further Imperial parts for future use and indeed many of the Cassian parts on this figure are used on the Ferrix Imperial Officer.
The likeness to Diego Luna is OK and is a good match to his onscreen look with the five-o-clock shadow beard and longer hair that peeks out at the back of the Imperial Cap. The face print tech is applied to help add realism to the facial hair as well as the eyes, but the final output continues to be too glossy and reflective. The Imperial Cap is not removable and is coloured in the same lighter green as the uniform with a central silver emblem.
The body is entirely pinless and has the usual level of articulation with single joints at the knees and elbows.Everything works as it should with no obvious loose joints nor any area that is blocked or held back by the uniform or armour - the shoulders in particular look like they may be an issue, but the armoured piece slides neatly under the chest armour as the arms are raised. The sole accessory is a single blaster - an SE-14r repeating blaster - which I assume is the one the Cassian wears in his holster. This is a softer sculpt and has no paint apps. It fits well enough in the right hand and also is secure when stowed in the holster. The big issue here is the lack of the E-10 blaster rifle that is more prominent in the Aldhani scenes.
It is difficult to get excited over this particular Andor figure especially when much of it is not accurate to the scenes it is meant to be part of. The paint apps are too light, the weathering not accurate to the type of planet that Aldhani is meant to be, and the accessories not consistent with the onscreen scenes. I suspect the figure may be based on earlier concept details - an issue that does plague the Marvel Legends line - which is a shame considering what the figure could have been. I am sure the base figure and parts will go on for re-use in future figures, perhaps even other members of the Aldhani heist and if that is the case I do hope Hasbro do update the decor and accessories as a minimum to be more screen accurate.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...