The Clone Wars figures within the Star Wars Black Series Galaxy Collection have seen a lot of retailer exclusives over the course of the run and the latest 212th Battalion Clone Trooper is the latest, sold via Walgreens in the US and elsewhere globally via Fan Channel retailers.
The figure is the 9th in the Clone Wars run, following on from the recent release of Aurra Sing. The packaging is the standard, slanted side, galaxy collection box we have now had for a couple of years and it comes complete with the side art that connects to the figures on either side for a wider montage image. The Clone Wars figures use a yellow accent colour that is included on the border rail for the window, in the side art, and round the back of the box where we also pick up a short piece of text for the Trooper. This text is very generic and does not capture any details about the 212th Battalion or their Clone Wars appearances as we might expect it to.
"Far superior to battle droids, clone troopers formed the backbone of the Republic's new military that waged war against the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems"
The 212th Clone Trooper uses the newer Clone Trooper body introduced in 2020 with the Kamino Clone Trooper. This new design is a much cleaner look vs the older body as it splits the parts into white armour and black undersuit without the need to paint black over white or vice versa. The figure also includes a helmet over a molded head sculpt - this can't be removed on this release, nor is the head painted.
The 212th colours are added over the armour in a deep yellow paint tone. The paint is applied with slightly uneven edges, replicating how the Clone Troopers applied their own paint job to the armour. It is applied as a clean 'fresh' look rather than the scratched and worn colours we have seen on other Clones such as the 501st releases.
Clone Troopers, as a rule, have always come with two weapons in the Black Series allowing the choice of the shorter DC-15S blaster carbine and the longer DC-15A blaster rifle. The 212th only includes the smaller DC-15S. While many collectors will have spare DC-15A rifles, the decision to give the Trooper one weapon only is disappointing.
The blaster uses the slightly newer sculpt and is cast in black with no paint apps. It fits into the right hand where a flexible trigger finger slots into place. There are no holster options.
The new Clone Trooper body was seen as an opportunity to improve articulation and the 212th Trooper comes with 19 points of articulation, all executed on pinless joints to improve the aesthetics. This engineering does have a bit of trade-off with how the elbow and knee joints are tackled, with the elbow/knee pad not moving with the joint leaving a slightly odd look in some poses.
The upper articulation, with added butterfly joints in the shoulders, is impressive and much better than the original with the options for a number of different firing positions. The head, with its dual joint neck, is also very mobile and the whole upper body is supported by the midsection ball joint. The legs are not quite as extensive in their movement, with the thigh armour sitting too high and blocking some kneeling poses that the first release of the Clone Troopers could achieve.
As an exclusive, the 212th attracts - for some reason - a higher base price point, and for this, you do get arguably less than a standard release. The 212th should really include both standard-issue Clone Trooper guns as a starter. And it would be nice for Hasbro to start using the molded head and removable helmet to better effect, although I appreciate that adds further deco costs.
What we do get is a crisp and well-painted Clone Trooper that articulates and poses well. The strength of any figure like this for many is army building, and its exclusivity will work against it in this case.
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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...