The Gaming Greats line launched in 2020 as a sub-line to the 6 inch scale Star Wars Black Series, bringing us figures of our favourite Star Wars video game characters. The first releases were of Jedi Revan and the Battlefront Heavy Battle Droid. They were followed in Summer 2020 with two Stormtrooper releases from The Force Unleashed. Here we look at the Stormtrooper Commander Gaming Greats figure.
Packaging 5/5
The Gaming Greats line follows the base design and shape as the Phase 3 Star Wars Black Series packaging. The base colour of the box remains black with the glossy Star Wars Black Series logo across the top rail. The differences start with a hexagon cut into the window with the Gaming Greats logo. The figure card back and side spine are variant colours depending on the character, with a deep blue selected for the Stormtrooper Commander. This same blue is used for the character name and in the Gregory Titus artwork. This gives the box a very vibrant and different look to the other Black Series figures.
Most Black Series characters are now labelled as to the movie or property they are taken from, however the Gaming Greats line - and other video game figures prior to the line being launched - carry the game logo on the bottom right of the box.
The side spine itself is not numbered, but rather than the dot matrix pattern of other exclusives, it uses the Hexagon Gaming Greats logo above the character name. The back of the box repeats the Titus artwork and the Force Unleashed logo. It also carries the usual background text which is split between the premise of the Game and the role of the Stormtrooper Commander.
"Star Wars : The Force Unleashed follows Darth Vader's secret apprentice, trained to hunt down and destroy Jedi, while Stormtrooper Commanders lead Imperial troops into battle"
Paint & Sculpt 4/5
The figure in hand is well proportioned to the generic Stormtrooper look, with the helmet shaped well and the armour all well rounded and shaped over the black body suit within. As normal, the Stormtrooper armour is cast in white plastic with paint apps applied for the black sections as well as the trim on the helmet and the cheek, nose and mouth components.
Over this is painted the blue insignia of the Stormtrooper Commander as seen in the game as a link back to Vader's 501st Legion. The paint application is very similar to how some of the Clone Trooper paint has been applied - not as a solid colour, but with scrapes and scratches to give it a worn and battle damaged appearance. Over this we then also get weathering application with dirty splases and marks on the helmet and chest.
The figure uses the original 2014 Stormtrooper Sculpt and not the upcoming 2020 revisit. In the main this isn't an issue, but the 2014 Stormtrooper has always suffered with a bow legged look which does translate into this figure.
Accessories 4/5
Our Stormtrooper Commander comes packed with the same weapons as all previous Stormtrooper releases. The E-11 blaster rifle is cast in a black plastic and has the silver panel painted on the barrel. It is designed to fit in the right hand, where a trigger finger slots into place. When not in use it can fit into the holster on the left hip.
The D-20A rifle is also cast in a grey plastic and over this we have some hefty gunmetal dry brushing. It too fits into the right hand and can also fit in the holster if needed, but it looks a bit odd sticking up so far towards the head.
The Stormtrooper Commander in game used a more variant blaster cannon and it is a shame this has not been replicated for full authenticity, although I can appreciate these Gaming Greats are very much built on repaints and tweaks.
Articulation 3/5
The Stormtrooper weighs in with 18 points of articulation. This is a couple more than standard as this is an older figure base and gets the bonus of having double joint elbows supported by a bicep swivel. This makes the lower arms very mobile and poseable with weapons posing etc, but the upper shoulders are not quite so lucky as they are blocked by the shoulder armour when you try to raise them.
Head : Ball joint Pivot Neck
Body : torso ball joint
Arms : ball joint shoulder, bicep swivel, double joint elbow, wrist pivot
Leg : ball joint hip, thigh swivel, double jointed knees, ankle rocker
The legs too, as mentioned, are carried over from the older figure and are not quite right. They look bow-legged a lot of time and to get a stance you often have to bend the right knee. The knees and ankles are securely ratcheted, but there is an issue that the feet never seem to line up with the knees for a flat position pose.
Summary
The Stormtrooper Commander is another variant of the Stormtrooper base that is itself 6 years old at this point. It has some flaws, particularly the bow legs, but once posed looks fantastic and with the blue markings this is an Imperial Trooper that will stand out on the shelf.
The same can be said if you keep your collection boxed with the blue side spine and highlights in the artwork. The only downside is the exclusivity of the figure - Gamestop in the US and via the Fan Channel here in the UK. That will mean it is unlikely to hang around on sale for long and Army Building will be harder and more expensive as the figure also carries a higher than usual price tag of circa £24 on most sites.
I score the Star Wars Black Series Gaming Greats Stormtrooper Commander 4 out of 5.
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...
action figures, reviews, review, articulation, star wars, black series, gaming greats, stormtrooper, empire, force unleashed, imperial, hasbro