One of the new Imperial Trooper types making a debut in the Solo movie was the Imperial Mudtrooper. Han himself was a Mudtrooper prior to abandoning his post after meeting Beckett and soon after, Chewbacca. Hasbro released the Han Solo Mudtrooper figure in 2019 as part of wave 20 and he was number 78 in the red lined boxed 3rd phase packaging.
Packaging 4/5
The 3rd phase packaging is now so familiar to Black Series collectors, with this release of Han slotting into the standard packaging format - but with a very good Gregory Titus illustration of Han in his Mudtrooper helmet and armour.
The figure is number 78 in the line and this sits on the gloss red right spine, with the character name also picked out in red on the box front and the left spine. Round the back we have a larger version of the Titus image and a short piece of text.
"After getting kicked out of the Imperial Academy, Han Solo found himself dumped on Mimban as a mudtrooper. While there, Han met an Imperial prisoner named Chewbacca in an encounter that would change his life"
Han comes out of the box in an inner tray that itself sits in the red backing tray. There are no ties or bands, the figure sits in place via the shaping of the tray. His breather mask sits to one side while the blaster rifle sits across the other.
Paint & Sculpt 5/5
The figure, out of the box, is wearing the full imperial Mudtrooper helmet - and I was pleased to find that this is removable and there is a fully sculpted and face printed Alden Ehrenreich head underneath with a very good likeness and realism. It was also a surprise that this is not the same one as was used on the standard Han Solo release - the hair is flattened, to accommodate the helmet, and the expression is much grimmer.
The costume, which we don't get long to examine on screen, is a brilliant mix of Imperial officer, Imperial snowtrooper and Imperial stormtrooper. While parts look familiar - like the chest plate which came with Veers - I don't think any parts are a direct re-use. The painting is good with a pleasing dirty look and splashes of mud and dirt on areas like the chest, arms and boots.
The figure is finished with a cape that holds into place over the shoulders. It is a plastic piece and not soft goods. It is sculpted tattered and rugged and painted with a dried pale mud pattern up the side and round the base. It can be removed if you wish to give the figure a variant look.
Accessories 4/5
The figure, once broken down, comes with 5 separate parts if you include the removable cloak. To achieve the various looks of the figure, Hasbro have cleverly broken down the figures to a removable helmet, removable goggles and a face mask piece - much more complex than a swap out head which must have been considered? The benefit this brings is the ability to have varying looks for the figure - Helmet on/off, mask on/off, goggles on/off/up. It also means that anyone wanting Mudtrooper "troops" for army building still get the parts they need.
The helmet sits well on the head, we are no longer in the world where removable helmets look clunky and oversized. There is a bit of a nack to get the chin strap in place, but all in all it works. The goggles too are a separate piece so these can sit on the helmet, or be pulled down over the eyes to start to create the masked Mudtrooper.
The breathing mask is a trickier proposition as it has to be plugged into two holes on the figures back and then pulled over the face and tucked up into the helmet. There are no holes or sockets, it kind of just hugs the helmet and face. It is also a two part construction with the black rubberised piping glued to the mask - ours arrived with that misaligned so I had to heat it up, break it and glue it back in place. You will need some patience to line up the mask, then add the goggles and then get the cloak back in place to complete the Mudtrooper look.
The figure is armed with a E-10 Blaster Rifle, a weapon new to the line as far as I am aware. It is cast in a grey plastic and has some paint apps in silver dry brush to enhance the look. It fits into Han's right hand - a hand that comes with the flexi trigger finger, although it is tough to get that finger across and in place.
Articulation 4/5
We get the usual 16 points of articulation with the Han Mudtrooper, giving him a good amount of posing options - including a stiff but workable two handed weapon pose.
Head : ball joint pivot head
Body : torso ball joint
Arms : ball joint shoulders, single joint rotating elbows, pivot wrists
Legs : ball joint hips, thigh swivels, double joint knees, ankle rockers
Like a number of other armoured troopers, there is a clever trick with the shoulder armour which slides under the chest piece as the arms are raised so not to restrict movement.
Summary
The Han Solo Mudtrooper is a figure that delivers in all areas with a good sculpt, good accessories and a decent set of articulation. It has a depth of options with the various removable parts, but they do also serve as an area of frustration when fingers are trying to line up a helmet, goggles, breather mask and a cloak for display.
The figure serves a 2nd purpose to allow collectors to buy it as a simple Mudtrooper for a Mimban or Imperial troop focused display - although I do suspect at some point we will see this re-released with a fixed masked Mudtrooper head, perhaps with some variant paints/weapons.
I score the Han Solo Mudtrooper a very solid 4 out of 5.
