In Summer 2020, Hasbro moved to a Phase 4 packaging for their Star Wars Black Series figures, entitled the Galaxy Collection. This new design moved away from a fully uniform look for the series and introduced accent colours for each movie or show within the Star Wars Universe. The first store Exclusive in the new packaging was the Attack of the Clones Clone Trooper Lieutenant. He was a Walgreens Exclusive in the US, and exclusive to Star Action Figures in the UK.
Packaging 3.5
The new angled box features a base black colour with accented red colour for Attack of the Clones. This deep red is used in a bar that sits under the figure window and in it the movie is confirmed. The same red is used for the character name underneath. The red is also present on the angled artwork panel to the right with a deep red hue at the base of the illustration. As the image only uses the accent colour and then a grey scale finish, it is difficult to differentiate this Lieutenant to any other Phase 1 Clone. In the space above his helmet in the artwork is a backdrop of Kamino. Like all Galaxy Collection releases, the art panels will line up with the next figure to be released from the movie to create a larger montage.
The red bar continues round the left side spine and onto the back of the box where it now houses the new numbering system where figures are numbered by film. The Lieutenant is the first of the Attack of the Clones releases and is numbered. This may prove problematic in the future if all Exclusives are numbered in collectors being able to secure all the figures in a run and to then display the artwork montage if they wish.
The back of the box also carries the same artwork in a side panel next to some background text. The text used is very vanilla and not aligned to the Lieutenant rank at all. I will be interested to see if this is a generic text for all future Clone Troopers - and if it is I will be disappointed. Nothing on the box confirms the exclusivity of the item.
"Throughout the Clone Wars, Clone Troopers fought the Battle Droids of the Separatists across the galaxy. They were loyal to their Jedi generals and the Supreme Chancellor."
Due to the angles used for the box, there is a significant amount of tape in use which does look unsightly although they have avoided use on the front and the art panel. The figure is accessed via the top or bottom flaps - the bottom being a little easier to get at with less tape used.
The figure sits in an inner tray as normal, but now the outer window is part of this inner piece and is not attached to the box. I do wonder if that makes recycling easier where the parts can be separated more efficiently. The cardboard backing card is quite a dull grey and this is uniform on all figures. I wonder what it would have looked like if the accent colour was used as the backdrop?
Paint & Sculpt 2.5
Out of the box we have the usual Phase 1 body that has been in circulation since 2015 and cast in white with painted black undersuit. The blue is applied onto the armour and within the blue applications are scratches and wear to signify damage. The four colour dots are present on the left chest in the same blue colour.
The paint around the joints is still a little messy in places where white is used to try and cover black joints. On the reverse where black is painted over white there is no such issue. Proportions are OK, the helmet is perhaps a little slim considering a human head is meant to be inside.
The 2015 body has now been used on multiple occasions for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 clones, the later with the updated helmet. The coloured rank officers, as seen fleetingly in Attack of the Clones as the army left Kamino, are now complete with Green Sergeant, Red Captain, Yellow Commander and now Blue Lieutenant.
I understand that for consistency they've decided to use the old body over the new version. But if that was the case they should have also ensured the white plastic finish on all four Clones is consistent. The Green Sergeant from 2014 always suffered with a slightly off white base plastic and the Lieutenant has the same issue - looking much duller when stood with the Red or Yellow Clones or any of the basic troopers.
Accessories 2.5
Our Lieutenant is armed with the usual Clone Trooper blasters that originated in 2015 with the original Clone Trooper sculpt. Starting with the DC-15S Blaster, this is cast in black with zero paint applications. It fits into the right hand where a trigger finger slots into position. The left hand can and will cup the barrel if you want a two handed pose. The left hand will also hold the weapon, but has no trigger finger option.
The DC15-A is pretty much the same, cast in black with no paint. It also fits in the right hand with left hand as a support in a two handed pose. Both weapons do the job, but we have seen from other releases that adding some paint apps in terms of gun metal colours or picking out details like the scope does help the weapon. Considering this is a re-release of a 5-year old figure with a splash of blue - some additional effort in the blasters would have been appreciated.
Articulation 2.5
The Clone Trooper Lieutenant has 18 points of articulation - two more than a normal Black Series release. The extra joints are found in the arms, where the elbows are double jointed and supported by a bicep swivel above them. Quantity however is not the same as quality and the Clone Trooper is very limited in movement - hence why a new body has been designed for 2020.
Head : ball joint pivot neck
Body : torso ball joint
Arms : ball joint shoulder, bicep swivel, double joint elbow, pivot wrist
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivel, double joint knees, ankle rocker
The arms cannot be raised at the shoulders as the pauldrons block the movement. And while the figure has double joint elbows, the shape of the insert that forms part of the elbow pad blocks movement and therefore it is actually less mobile than a single joint. What is frustrating is that an updated elbow joint is available - as used on Captain Rex - but has not been used.
The legs are a little better on the posing front, but are still held back a little by the armour shape around the hips. This allows you wider stances and action poses, but kneeling and crouching is difficult.
Summary
The Clone Trooper Lieutenant is a figure that takes a 5 year old body, does a great job of adding the blue paint application, and repacks it into the new Galaxy Collection packaging. It stays consistent with the three ranked Troopers already released - although they still look mismatched side by side due to differing shades of white plastic used across the four of them.
The sad part is that this release was preceded by the brand new Clone Trooper body (Kamino Phase 2 Trooper) and will be immediately followed in the Attack of the Clones series with the new updated body on a base Clone Trooper. This was an opportunity to give us these improvements - but it was not taken. They didn't even give us the updated elbow tweak or add paint to the weapons.
I feel a little flat having finished reviewing this new Clone Trooper Lieutenant. A few years ago Id have been happy, but knowing significant improvements were available and not used is disappointing - even if doing so would have left him looking different to the other 3. I score the Exclusive Clone Trooper Lieutenant a 2.5
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