Sandtrooper - TBS [P1] - Six Inch Figures (#03)

Imperial Sandtroopers fall prey to a Jedi mind trick that makes them ignore the two droids they are searching for.

"These aren't the Droids we're looking for."

Is there any other character from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope that is more symbolic to the film than the Sandtrooper? More specifically, it was the squad leader (with the orange pauldron) that left indelible marks on our memories as kids when we fell in love with the Imperial troopers from the Galactic Empire. Hasbro knows this all too well. In fact if you ask them, they’ll tell you that one of the biggest mistakes of the original Kenner vintage line was not including the “Tatooine stormtroopers” in the Star Wars basic figure lineup. Clearly times have changed and the Sandtrooper is one of the most overrepresented characters from Episode IV in modern action figure collecting. A new scale would surely mean that we would see the Sandtrooper again very soon and that has indeed come to pass. The Black Series 6” line’s first wave brings is the squad leader specifically and the final figure is something that should impress even those not yet engaged with the new scale. The Sandtrooper 6” action figure is loaded with well functioning articulation and has a paint job even your mother will love. With an array of pretty much every weapon utilized in A New Hope included in the packaging along with the Sandtrooper figure, a new level of excellence has been reached. Original Trilogy purists will be delighted. The Sandtrooper comes without a removable helmet, so you won’t find a stupid clone head on this piece anywhere, and the details added to the armor and the overall silhouette of this character are truly incredible.

The accessories are so exhaustive that it’s worth talking about them a little bit more comprehensive or even meticulous detail. The survival backpack is amazing. We have always been impressed with Hasbro’s 3.75” interpretation of this accessory, but if you don’t have any of the Sideshow Collectible’s Militaries Of Star Wars Sandtrooper 1:6 Scale Figures, you’re probably not aware of just how many extras are actually present in the design of it. Clearly not all of that definite detail can be added to a 6” scale figure, but there is certainly more here than the 3.75” line can bring. Obviously a large scaled item will translate as more detail, but even so, there are just some extraordinary details added to the survival backpack that we just have to talk about here. Firstly, it effortlessly and tightly attached to the back of the Sandtrooper figure. A strap attached via a swivel joint on the inside of the backpack wraps around over the shoulder of the Sandtrooper and hangs down over the chest armor section. At first it might stick up awkwardly, but if you allow it to be, it will eventually rest in the perfect nested spot on his chest. Take some time to inspect the various shapes, hoses and compartments that make up the backpack. It should definitely wow you. Even the squad leader ranking pauldron has an extra strap where the right arm goes through to secure it in place. All of these extra features elevate the quality of this piece to unprecedented levels. All of the Sandtrooper’s guns have been sculpted and paint with great care. They also fit in the Sandtrooper’s hands very, very well.

Let’s talk about the articulation some more. You know that many of the 6” The Black Series figures come with premium ball-jointed articulation points. But there is a new type of articulation that Hasbro is adding to the figures that are especially beneficial to the Sandtrooper. He comes with double hinge-jointed elbows and knees. Now, it goes without saying that hinge joints do not offer any lateral movement, but you’ll be floored with how much range of motion you’ll get when trying to pose his arms and legs, especially his legs. You can almost bend back his lower leg so that the heel of his boot can touch his butt, You may have no reason to try that and we understand why, but you have this option. That is a wide range of motion for a relatively simple type of articulation point. The same is true for his arms. You can achieve and almost forty-five degree angle at the elbows. Now that’s impressive. This will NEVER be able to be achieved in the collector 3.75” line ever. The deco is excellent on the Sandtrooper too. But for reasons unknown there are odd “white spots” in the deeper crevices of the armor. To us, a wash is a wash, so why would these sections be left untouched. It’s not a drastic issue, but it’s enough to stand out and it may bother some of the more “type A” collectors out there. The Sandtrooper is a stunning action figure. It would be a crime to forgo this figure just because you’re not into starting up a new scale. The Sandtrooper makes us pine for a 6” line that becomes much more than a novelty collection of action figures. We truly hope it becomes a mainstay.