First Order Stormtrooper (Shield & Baton Set) - S.H. Figuarts

S.H. Figuarts is a new standard figure series that incorporates the Bandai action figure "Art" under the theme "Pursuing Character Expression through Humanoid Action."

What a legacy the Japanese have left on the toy industry. When it comes to precision, accuracy, and likeness, they make some of the greatest collectibles possible. And when Star Wars began getting spread further out across the globe, various Japanese licenses stepped up to the plate to produce wonderful Star Wars collectibles that consistently have the edge over those made in the American marketplace. When it comes to detailed sculpts, the Japanese have it. When it comes to deluxe articulation systems, the Japanese have it. And all of these wonderful skills are beautifully implemented into the S.H. Figuarts line. It wasn’t long after Hasbro's The Black Series 6" line that Bandai, part of Tamashii Nations, developed their own quasi 6” scale of Star Wars figures under the S.H. Figuarts banner. The figures in the line are remarkable. From hyper-articulated articulation to beautifully sculpted accessories, the S.H. Figuarts Star Wars line is among the finest of Star Wars collectibles on the market today. We confidently can say that the S.H. Figuarts line of Star Wars action figures are light years better than anything Hasbro has produced in The Black Series 6” line and we hope that they continue to bang out the characters as briskly as possible. Any licensee is quick to reuse a previously existing sculpt to amortize tooling costs, and S.H. Figuarts is no different. They've taken 2015's SHF First Order Stormtrooper, added some new accessories, and created a new release.

The first thing that you’ll notice right out of the package with the First Order Stormtrooper (Shield & Baton Set) is that the figure is lightweight.But the figure's lightness allows it to be posed in very dynamic and action-oriented ways (lots of them). By not being “top heavy” or “weighty,” the First Order Stormtrooper (Shield & Baton Set) can attain a variety of incredible poses with very little effort. And once you inspect the figure, how it articulates and what can be done with him, it becomes immediately clear just how sturdy these figures’ designs are. So, lightweight, yes. Cheap? No. We’ve heard comments that the figure’s range of movement just isn’t up to par. But we have to wonder if they have the same figure we do. The figure can be posed in any position you desire and will look naturally doing so. Sure, you may have to twist a thigh or bicep here and there, but this figure looks astounding in any position you choose. We may be off a point here or there, but at last count, we were able to sum up minimally 47 total points of articulation on the First Order Stormtrooper. How can ANYONE say they find that 2015’s TBS [P3] First Order Stormtrooper (04) figure is better? Not only does the S.H. Figuarts First Order Stormtrooper (Shield & Baton Set) have more streamlined and crisper finishing details, it can move freely and look amazing no matter how you decide to utilize its articulation. If you're not into 6" scale now, you WILL BE once you get your hands on a figure from the S.H. Figuarts line.

This time, they've tooled a betaplast ballistic riot shield and a Z6 riot control baton (which comes in three separate pieces) to complete this trooper's look like a First Order Riot Control Stormtrooper. The baton comes with an open as well as a closed attachment. It looks fantastic. But sadly, he comes without a First Order blaster. It doesn't matter anyhow. They didn't add a thigh armor clip to attach it even if we received one with it. So hopefully you'll be able to appreciate the new accessories here instead. We're impressed with the approach of his shield too. S.H. Figuarts tooled a permanent hand attachment inside of the inner shield so that the shield's replacement and removal are simple. We would have loved to see Hasbro employ the same technology here. You'll have lots of fun posing him in a variety of ways. The articulation system is impressive beyond words. And there are points of articulation here that we’ll never see added to the figures in Hasbro line, despite their importance. For example, the two shoulder armor pieces each contain two points of articulation. There are four belt pouches that each have hinge-jointed articulation. And the “toe sections” of both of his boots also come with hinge-jointed articulation allowing you to angle his feet as needed for balance and believable running poses. There is so much to appreciate here that you'll need time to take in all in and savor it. This figure is fun. We can't wait to see what trooper is next!