The Star Wars Black Series Umbra Operative ARC Trooper was announced in December 2021 as the 9th figure in the Gaming Greats Galaxy Collection Series. The figure is based on a Galactic Republic Clone Trooper skin from EA's Battlefront II videogame. The figure was touted as a late 2022 release, between October and December. It would actually land in early March 2022 at UK retailers (Fan Channel).
The Umbra Trooper comes in the usual Galaxy Collection packaging with the blue hue as applied to all Gaming Greats releases in the line. The Gaming Greats foil logo is applied to the bottom right of the window, and the source game is confirmed across the blue border and then again on the rear box image that carries the Battlefront II logo. To the side of this sits a short piece of text that covers the Trooper's appearance in the game rather than any background for the Unit or Trooper type which was created solely for the game.
"The Umbra Operative ARC Trooper is part of the infiltrator reinforcement unit for the Galactic Republic in the action-packed multiplayer game across all 3 eras, Star Wars: Battlefront II."
As is standard for the Gaming Greats line as a whole, the Umbra Operative is not a newly developed figure but rather a repaint of the existing ARC Trooper Echo figure from 2021. The only difference applied between the two figures, other than paint, is that the pouch hanging from the pauldron is on the figure's right, not the left.
The armour is cast in gloss black plastic throughout, including the areas that represent the bodysuit underneath the armour. Over this, we have additional parts using the softer plastic including the dual pauldron, and the kama skirt piece complete with belt and dual holsters. To the back we have an ARC Trooper backpack, while this is an added piece to the Clone Trooper armour, it has been glued in place and is not removable.
The orange decor is painted over the gloss black and in a way that recreates how this is applied by the Clones themselves with the edges left rough and worn in places. The coverage over the black is good in most areas apart from the skirt section where the finish is a little duller. The helmet is executed in the same way as the armour - a cast gloss black piece with painted yellow markings. Like most recent Troopers, there is a fully sculpted head under the helmet but this is left unpainted and the helmet is glued in place.
The most recent Clone Troopers are seeing their weapons scaled back in the Black Series, and while ARC Trooper Echo came with a full set of blaster pistols, rifle and carbine the Umbra ARC Trooper is left with just a pair of DC-17 blaster pistols. These are the existing sculpt cast in black with no paint apps.
Like other Clones issued with these dual pistols, there is an issue with the left-hand grip. While the right hand is fitted with a trigger finger, the left is the same gripping hand as all the other Clone figures to date - designed to grip the barrel of other larger weapons. This means the blaster grip in the left hand is not quite secure and looks a little off. When not in use the blasters sit into the dual holsters.
Articulation on the Umbra Operative starts with the range finder on the helmet. This is on a pivot that allows it to rotate down and over the right eye.
In terms of more traditional articulation, the Umbra ARC Trooper has 19 points of articulation in total, and the body is pinless throughout which further enhances the aesthetics. We get the newer combination of a butterfly shoulder joint to back up the arm articulation, and the neck is jointed top and bottom for head movement.
Every joint works as it should and each is secure and with ratchets build in where you'd expect including the ankles, knees, and elbows. While the joints are extensive, the armour coupled with the shoulder pauldron and kama does restrict the range of posing. The Umbra Trooper cannot kneel or crouch due to a combination of the thigh armour and the kama skirt itself. The arms can move a little more freely, but there is some blocking of the shoulders when the armour clashes with the torso - more so on the right rather than the left. This prevents the arms from being lifted beyond about 45 degrees. This means any blaster posing shots are always with the ARC Trooper aiming downwards.
Fans of the Clone Trooper Armour are being treated at present with a lot of new Troopers being released both from the TV & Movies, but with other Troopers mined from the Battlefront II game and out of all of these the Umbra Operative is one of the most visually striking. The black armour is something we have seen on Imperial Stormtroopers, but it does suit the Clone Troopers just as well - particularly with a striking paint job over the top.
The figure is a little shortchanged with accessories and should really have included one or both of the larger Clone blasters - especially when these Gaming Greats and other Exclusives are being priced at a good £2-£3 higher than the mainline. Like all exclusives, the premium price and the limited availability will work against it - especially when hardcore Clone Trooper & Clone Wars collectors would like Squads of this Trooper for display.
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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 licenses - 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...