Battle Droid Commander - EI - Action Collection

Battle Droid Commander OOM-9 scans the defensive position of the Gungan Army as both sides brace for the final conflict of the Naboo plain.

Just as the Original Trilogy has different types of Imperials, the Prequel trilogy also differentiates between its ranks too. After the Episode I line released the Battle Droid Action Collection figure, fans of the film wondered if they would start releasing the variations of these characters seen throughout the film. Whether adding the ones with blue color flashes, or maroon color flashes, or yellow “commander” color flashes, collectors became quite eager to add the various styles of B1 battle droids to their collections in the 12 Inch Figures scale. Hasbro did a great job of working in the different types of Battle Droid characters into the Episode I 3.75” range, but the Action Collection line often doesn’t get the same treatment because of the fewer releases it receives, and the large-size of the figures contained within it. Thankfully, to help save tooling costs and to diversify the line a little bit more, Hasbro added the Battle Droid Commander to its Episode I Action Collection roster, and it turned out especially well. It’s great to have a standard infantry Battle Droid in addition to its commander now.

You might think that the Battle Droid Commander is only a simple repaint of 1999’s EI Battle Droid 12 Inch Figure. And mostly, that’s true. However, there is a significant section of the figure that Hasbro had to retool to make it OOM command battle droid-specific. Hasbro tooled an all-new torso for the Battle Droid Commander because the antennae attachment fits differently on the figure’s dorsal side than the standard backpack. Also, to make the Battle Droid Commander as screen-specific as possible, Hasbro tooled macrobinoculars for the figure. They added a slit into the accessory that allows the Battle Droid Commander to hold it without issue (its thumb/fingers lock into the slit allowing for a tight grip). The macrobinoculars are tooled beautifully and have a gorgeous paint job that adds realism. It’s also perfectly scaled to the figure. Thanks to basic articulation, the Battle Droid Commander possesses the ability to hold the macrobinoculars up to its photoreceptors. It looks incredible when displayed in this manner.

Hasbro also tweaked a few things for the Battle Droid Commander’s release too. The regular Battle Droid Action Collection figure came with a gray droid blaster. This time, Hasbro corrects that error by including one colored in black. The droid blaster still comes with the plug that fits into the slot in the Battle Droid Commander’s hand which locks it into place when displaying the figure. It is a wonderful, albeit simple, feature that is essential for a character the like that doesn’t come with normal gripping features for its accessories. The deco on the Battle Droid Commander is interesting. From a distance, it looks like a “leopard” styled application, but the sculpt is covered in more battle-damage detail than the regular Battle Droid. We would probably advise that the figure received a different type of deco than this, but from a certain perspective it works. Overall, it’s nice to get one of the leaders from the Separatist Droid Army. While not designated as such, collectors can utilize this figure as OOM-9, but if not, there are plenty other commanders you can choose from for your collection.