Destroyer Droid Battle Launcher - CW - Deluxe

Begun the Clone Wars has!" – Jedi Master Yoda
On the remote planet of Geonosis, the growing conflict between the Republic and its foes explodes into all-out war. The Republic's Jedi Knights lead a massive Clone Army into battle on hundreds of planets. The Separatists, led by the powerful Dark Lords of the Sith, fight back with their own formidable droid armies. As this terrible conflict rips across the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala and Obi-Wan Kenobi are swept into the turmoil of war and the rising shadow of the dark side.

Destroyer Droids are designed with one function: the complete annihilation of their targets. At the end of heavy arms are immense twin blasters, which unleash destructive energy at a pounding pace. The Destroyer Droid can envelope itself in a globe of protective energy via compact deflector shield generators. Slow and awkward on its three-legged gait, it transforms into a speedier shape by curling into a wheel-shaped form that can roll swiftly on smooth surfaces. In the Clone Wars, the Trade Federation uses Destroyer Droids aboard starships for security and on the ground for combat.

We know that since The Phantom Menace, you’ve been wondering how droidekas gain enough momentum to roll at their intended targets with such ludicrous speed. Now we know. They jettison themselves from the Destroyer Droid Battle Launcher. Of course, this claim is all nonsense. Hasbro created some “off-camera” toys for all of us to enjoy in the Clone Wars line in an effort to produce kid-friendly products which are part of a collector-focused line. The gesture is not necessarily appreciated, but at least they produced something that has some believability, based on what we see established in the Prequel Trilogy films. The Clone Wars Destroyer Droid Battle Launcher Deluxe set pairs the droideka launcher with a retracted version of the Destroyer Droid (which is essentially an accessory) and a more-articulated Destroyer Droid action figure (repacked from another Deluxe three-pack).

Looking like something that came out of the MTT during the Battle of Naboo, the Destroyer Droid Battle Launcher possesses elements of both the character and something the Separatist Droid Army would use in battle. Sure, it’s a far-fetched concept, but it works. And since the Clone Wars battles often focus on Jedi versus the many different droids threatening the Republic, a Hasbro concept like this isn’t completely out of the realm of possibility. Destroyer Droid Battle Launcher has a fabric “belt” installed inside of it which functions as the “launching” mechanism, and it works quite well. You place the retracted Destroyer Droid into the launcher by pushing the strap inside and underneath of the figure. Then you pull it out from the back tab, and the Destroyer Droid flies out at high speed and into battle.

Hasbro also provided a standard Destroyer Droid action figure. It comes with minimal articulation, but aesthetically it’s screen-accurate and looks great. The Q-series droideka included here is the same figure offered in the Clone Wars Droid Army three-pack which is also part of the Deluxe line. It’s nice to know that Hasbro paid attention to the color scheme of the Q-series Destroyer Droids when compared to the P-series Destroyer Droids see in The Phantom Menace. The Destroyer Droid action figure comes with six points of articulation, all swivel joints, and sadly they don’t allow for much movement at all. But as an army builder and scene developer, you can’t complain too much about what Hasbro included here. Hasbro intended most of the Deluxe sets to help build your dioramas and play areas. And they do that well.