The Bad Batch is the latest of the Star Wars properties and the Black Series figures from the debut Season initially focused on the Clones themselves. The first non-Clone character in the Black Series line is Vice Admiral Rampart who was released in September 2021 in the UK as a Fan Channel exclusive - in the US the figure is exclusive to Walmart.
While Rampart is an exclusive release, he remains part of the numbered Galaxy Collection for The Bad Batch and is number 7 in the line. He follows on from the Clone Shock Trooper releases at the same time.
The packaging design for Rampart uses the deep red hue as the other Bad Batch releases and an art panel on the slanted spine that lines up with the other releases to make a wider Bad Batch montage (see our Galaxy Collection page for a look at the connecting images). The rear of the box has a short background piece on Rampart and his position in the fledgling Empire.
"After the fall of the Republic, Vice Admiral Rampart is assigned to oversee the clone troopers on Kamino by Governor Tarkin. Rampart has eagerly taken to his role in the new Galactic Empire as it aims to instill order in the galaxy"
Rampart uses the entirety of the Grand Moff Tarkin figure body from 2018, with a new head sculpt. Like all Bad Batch, Clone Wars and Rebels figures to date, the Rampart head is realised in a real-world setting and it also uses photo-real face printing to enhance the realism of the sculpt.
The body from Tarkin makes sense considering the Imperial Uniform is consistent across a number of high-ranking officers. The Rank Badge for Vice Admiral looks right on the figure compared to a lot of online references, but on-screen Rampart is only seen with a single row of rank insignia?
Like Tarkin, Rampart does look a little out of proportion with a larger head and oversized hands compared to the rest of the body. Paint apps are also sloppy on our figure with an error on the left knee, and a smear of silver on the black of the belt.
Rampart is packed with the small hold-out blaster that has previously been included with other Imperial Offices like Piett and Veers. It is cast in black and is very simplistic in its details. It fits into Rmpart's right hand snugly enough, but Rampart has no holster for stowing the weapon away.
Rampart is also packed with an MSE Droid, the same one that has up to now been exclusive to the Disney Parks First Order set. The droid is well scaled and cast with a good level of detail down the main body and across the two rails on the top of the droid. The four wheels all move so you can roll your mouse droid up and down. Paintwork is a dry brush over the base colour.
Articulation is standard with 16 points in total. As a slightly older body, you miss out on the newer dual neck articulation, and coupled with the larger head the head movement is more or less restricted to a rotation only. The arms & legs all work well enough and Rampart stands perfectly well.
Vice Admiral Rampart was always a prime candidate for an exclusive release considering Hasbro had the parts for the body already in their back catalog - I just wish they had cast the head a touch smaller. The addition of the MSE droid is a good one and brings that piece into wider circulation, although the set still remains exclusive so will not be as accessible as the mainline releases.
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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 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...