Pros : Head sculpt is glorious. The Wolfpack markings are neatly applied. The new BARC helmet is a good fit.
Cons : Articulation remains restricted by the armour as has been case since 2014. The left hand doesn't hold the gun properly.
Clone Commander Wolffe, like Rex, was never seen in any of the live action movies and was a creation within the Clone Wars series - appearing in a number of stories through the Clone Wars years. He would also turn up again in Rebels with Rex (and Greggor) although not as trim as we see him in this Black Series release.
So far in the Black Series we have had figures of Cody, Gree, Rex and now Wolffe. All using the same 2014 base Clone Trooper body with tweaks and additions relevant to each character.
Wolffe is an exclusive release, and is therefore not numbered. The figure is assigned to Gamestop in the US, but is a shared exclusive outside of the US available via most independent stockists. Ours was supplied by Kapow Toys.
While there is no number, the figure carries all the same other traits as the standard phase 3 line with red side spine and red lettering for the character name.
The backing card s also a bold red, which really makes the figure pop. Wolffe is clipped into an inner tray with his helmet to one side of his head, and his two blasters to the other side.
Wolffe is the second Tamura Morrison headsculpt, after Rex, to use the face print technology. And while this may be the same base actor the head is vastly different from Rex and includes Wolffe's scar and damaged eye as well as his scowl. His hair is jet black and in a flat top cut.
The 104th Battalion, led by Wolffe in the Clone Wars, was nicknamed the Wolfpack and it is that iconography that we see as decals on the figures shoulder armour panels.
The body for Wolffe is that of a standard Clone Trooper, a figure base we've had since 2014. There are a couple of changes to the standard body with the figure using a left shoulder panel with antenna. This is similar to the one used on Commander Cody, but it sits more flush to the armour and is painted the same grey. The other change is the addition of the Kama skirt and the holstered belt - both are taken from Captain Rex although the kama is trimmed now in a dark grey.
While the armour is very crisp and clean, there have been some effort made to weather the figure with mud splashes added to the chest and arms - yet not on the legs or the feet.
Articulation remains exactly as it was in 2014 when the Clonetrooper body was released. It has a ball jointed head and a ball joint in the chest to allow the torso to swivel and lean forward and backwards. The arms are ball jointed at the shoulder, but the movement is restricted as you can't raise the arms by much as the shoulder panels block the movement. There is a bicep swivel, double jointed elbows and a pivot wrist.
Legs are similarly restricted by the armour at the hips which are ball jointed, but unable to be moved much. The knees are double jointed and the figure ends in ankle rockers and is absolutely no problem standing or posing.
Wolffe uses the pair of blasters that were packed with the Rex figure. They are cast in a black plastic with some detail apparent, but no paint apps at all to bring it out.
The right hand of Wolffe takes the blaster really well, with a flexi trigger finger. The left hand was never designed to hold the grip of a blaster and Hasbro have not replaced this (they didn't on Rex either) so while it does hold the weapon it looks a bit half hearted as though Wolffe is about to pass the blaster to someone else.
When not in use the blasters fit neatly into the belt holsters. Once inserted they hold in place, and with no paint applied to either belt or blaster there is no risk of paint rub.
Wolffe comes with his Phase 2 BARC helmet which is also decorated with the Wolfpack designs. It also has a central red panel above the visors and yellow markings to one side. The helmet is also weathered with mud splash effects painted predominantly on the left side as you look at the figure.
Wolffe comes with a rangefinder on the side of the helmet, and this is articulated so it can be swung down over the visor.
Rex suffered from a visual skin line when his helmet was on, but this seems to have been addressed with Wolffe. Weather this is because the neck line has been painted higher, or the helmet is naturally bigger it is good to see.
I do also like that we now have the parts for both BARC and ARC troopers in the line and wonder how long it will be till we get some more Clone variants.
These Clonetrooper variants are becoming an annual exclusive now and with the basic figure already sculpted it is both an easy option for Hasbro, while playing to fans of the Clone Wars and Prequel films. Wolffe wasn't a character that was high on a lot of lists for figures but once announced it has been highly sought after with early pre-orders in the UK at least selling out.
The figure doesn't do a lot wrong. It does suffer from the articulation issues of the Clonetrooper body, as has been the case since it was released in 2014. The head sculpt is glorious and not just a repaint of Rex - it has its own personality and look. The BARC helmet is another nice nod to keep Wolffe screen accurate and this fits neatly on the head. The weathering perhaps doesn't go far enough to be realistic, but that is nitpicking really and I score Clone Commander Wolffe a strong 4 out of 5. Now all he needs is some Wolfpack troopers for him to lead into battle.
