Republic Gunship - TSC - Vehicles (Exclusive)

Who can forget the explosive scene in the Clone Wars animated series when a customized Republic Gunship swoops into action on a desperate rescue mission. Armed with an impressive arsenal of weapons and painted to resemble a snarling beast, the gunship swoops over a vast army of battle droids to confront the deadly General Grievous himself head-on. Heavy laser cannons blaze in rapid fire, driving Grievous off and clearing a path for the ARC troopers to gather the wounded Jedi. Although the troopers are unable to eliminate the swift-moving Grievous, they successfully escape with the remaining Jedi Knights and simultaneously set off a series of explosive charges that rock the droid army.

If you’re new to collecting, you missed out on what was one of the greatest periods of Hasbro Star Wars products. Released under The Saga Collection banner, the Toys R Us exclusive Republic Gunship was a pinnacle in the line. Not only did Hasbro create a color-coded product line of Star Wars toys based on the source from which they were inspired, they reached far and wide across the Star Wars saga and Expanded Universe to develop what remains one of their most robust lines to date. By 2006, Hasbro had a fantastic archive of previously tooled parts that they could utilize to produce excellent new toys for the Star Wars line, in addition to store exclusives. As we all should know well by now, amortizing tooling dollars is Business 101. And using existing parts helps to allow Hasbro to produce all-new figures and vehicles for the line as well and keep the line forging ahead healthily. But instead of rehashing the same old characters and vehicles, Hasbro went above and beyond and developed both a Republic Gunship and Battle Packs multipack based on Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars micro-series. This dream-come-true Republic Gunship vehicle and The Hunt For Grievous Battle Packs set were made exclusive to Toys R Us, and brought together some of the finest moments in Volume 2 of the television show. Emblazoned with extremely colorful “space whale” deco, the Toys R Us exclusive Republic Gunship, and a corresponding Battle Packs set, are two of the greatest exclusives Hasbro has ever put together for collectors. We are overwhelmed by the gesture, and the joy it brings us is insurmountable. Paying attention to every last detail on the Republic Gunship is necessary to appreciate what Hasbro has done for us. From its size to its stunning paint job, the Republic Gunship is one of the most incredible vehicles Hasbro ever made for the Star Wars toy line. But this version significantly stands out as more impressive. The deco is astounding. We’re thrilled with the final results, and we know for certain it will be a highlight in your collections. It may have a few imperfections here and there, but overall it’s going to impress the socks off of you.

Seen in the first episode of Volume 2 (21st episode overall) of the Clone Wars micro-series, the chapter introduces the world to General Grievous as he tries to defend himself against the Grand Army of the Republic during the Battle of Hypori. We’re introduced to a plethora of other clones, as well as Jedi never seen before the episode. The action-packed story became sensory overload (in a good way) to fans of the television show and left an indelible mark of the brains of Star Wars fans everywhere. Originally, the episode was designed to showcase Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi battle a regenerated Durge, but George Lucas stepped in to advise the plot and wanted to use this opportunity to introduce the new villain in Revenge Of The Sith, General Grievous. While General Grievous may be the most important part of this episode, many Star Wars fans became obsessed with the development of Captain Fordo (ARC-77) and his team of ARC Troopers as they attempt to save the remaining Jedi being taken out by General Grievous one by one. Keeping in mind that The Saga Collection Republic Gunship is realistically styled, Hasbro did an incredible job bringing the complicated design, color scheme, and faithful approach of the vehicle without a hitch. The Republic Gunship is colorful, full of warning, and a stunning recreation of the goodness brought forth by the Clone Wars micro-series. We consider it a privilege to add something of this rarity and magnitude into our collections. It’s not often we get large vehicles based on Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars added to our collections. And we can’t think of a greater choice than the Republic Gunship to make a point that Hasbro still has their eyes pinpointed with a laser focus on this part of the Star Wars timeline. From the opening canopy/cockpit to the slow-opening doors, the Republic Gunship is a case in point example of how much work Hasbro adds to the toys they make for the Star Wars line. Visually, The Saga Collection Republic Gunship is one of the most colorful we’ve seen produced to date.

The Republic Gunship serves as a gloriously vibrant backdrop to recreate key scenes from the Battle of Hypori. You can decide to display this vehicle with the many Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters already released in the Revenge Of The Sith line surrounding it. Or you can pair it with the connective The Hunt For Grievous Battle Packs set. You have limitless options of how you want to set up this gorgeous vehicle on the display shelf in your collection. Republic Gunship is a dramatic repaint of 2002’s SW [S - P1] Republic Gunship vehicle. This time it has been given a completely new paint job to recreate the “space whale” deco. Collectors will appreciate how much effort Hasbro put into this vehicle and its deco. While kids will appreciate the play features that make this item a toy, collectors will recount the moments when they saw this episode of the Clone Wars transpire, and how exciting it was to watch it. As you might imagine, the Republic Gunship comes with the same features of the original version. To make things easier on younger fans, Hasbro added a “hidden” handle which makes carrying the vehicle around a simple task. They placed it in a spot that offers a fantastic center of gravity, and it’s ergonomically designed to fit in the hands of both large and small hands. Hasbro added a healthy amount of play features here too. There are two front-firing cannons, in addition to two larger upper cannons that fire larger translucent red projectiles. Additionally, an articulated rear cannon is also part of the vehicle’s design. There is a large transport bay with a deployable trooper platform. Hasbro ensured they added an adequate amount of footpegs to place the clones on so they can work together to defeat General Grievous. The Republic Gunship also has the same storage area for the Clone Trooper Deluxe figure’s Speeder Bike just like past releases. We’re confident that The Saga Collection Republic Gunship will go down in history as one of Hasbro’s finest exclusives of all time. It’s an almost-perfect release, and Hasbro should be praised and commended for their efforts here.