41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (Coruscant) - 1:6 Scale Figures

At the time of their introduction, the Republic clone troopers represented the future of galactic warfare. Far superior to the battle droid armies of the era, the clone troopers formed the backbone of the Republic's new military initiative that battled against the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. So pervasive and symbolic were they of the times, the galaxy-wide conflict that saw their debut took its name from their ranks: the Clone Wars. It would be a long and bloody conflict in the years to come, but the efficiency of the clone trooper infantry would be proven time and again on many scattered worlds.

Identical in form, physical prowess, stamina and mental capacity, each of the first generations of clone troopers were fully encased in hard white armor, each identical face concealed behind a t-shaped visor. Color-coded flashes on the armor denoted rank and eventually came to signify individual units, who often became more customized with mission specific gear and armor modifications. Units such as the Galactic Marines, the Shock Troopers, the Attack Battalion and the Star Corps had distinct armor variations that made them stand out.

Recognizable for the grey flashes on their armor, the 41st Elite Corps was a legion of the 9th Assault Corps. This legion included AT-RT drivers, scouts and swamp troopers, among others, and specialized in extensive patrols of alien planets, often enduring grueling conditions while acting as peacemakers with the native populations. The 41st Elite operated under the command of Jedi General Luminara Unduli and Senior Clone Commander Gree, both of whom were lost during the initiation of Order 66.

Sideshow has done it again. They have made the next 1:6 Scale Clone Trooper better than the last. And it is better because of the fine attention to detail they've paid to the CG images of the clones seen in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. While it is easy to claim that one clone is basically identical to the next except for some color differences in an egregiously incorrect claim. And as the 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (Coruscant) character shows us in the film, this clone is certainly different in appearance than both the Imperial Shock Trooper and Republic Clone Trooper (212th Attack Battalion: Utapau) that we are all a little bit more familiar with in the film. Sideshow not only paid attention to the new details of this clone, but they have also improved technique on some of the deco common to all of the phase II clone troopers. All of the Episode III clone troopers released to date from Sideshow Collectibles have dull visors on the helmet. They have give the 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (Coruscant) a shiny gloss on his visor and it is a detail that is significantly improved. Not only has this paint job been upgraded, the armored body has clearly gone through a few more revisions itself as the joints are the tightest yet on this clone trooper. This is extremely important for a 1:6 Scale Figure because trying to pose them unassisted with loose joints is maddening. There are no worries of this here because this clone trooper may just be the perfected specimen we have all been hoping for since the Militaries Of Star Wars line was announced. One detail we would have wished to seen applied was the inclusion of the new fabric (and not vinyl) body glove that was utilized on the Republic Clone Lieutenant figure. Hasbro used the same body glove that has been used on all the other clone troopers to date, but perhaps they did this to keep them all uniform.

We don't hide our passion at all, but the 41st Elite Corps clone troopers (the Coruscant gray colored clone troopers) are our absolute favorite clone troopers in Episode III. Not flashy in the least, they have a very subtle design on their armor and they possess an elusive confidence that the other clones don't have. If you have the 2008 TLC Clone Trooper (Coruscant Landing Platform) (BD 17) from Hasbro, you are probably already very familiar with the patterns on this figure. But what we didn't realize until playing with the 1:6 Scale Figure is that these clones do not have even or equal-sized gray squares on their forearms and chest armor. They are actually "notches" or "stick men" symbols that must represent their success in battle or something quite similar. It gives this squadron of clones a whole new attitude as far as we're concerned. Sideshow Collectibles gave this figure a knock-it-out-of-the-park amazingly perfect paint job. From the multicolored wear and tear marks to the aged and scraped styling of the battle-damage of the gray paint, this figure's paint job is a work of art itself. The figure comes with an extra pair of hands and both the DC-15 blaster pistol and DC-15 blaster rifle (which receives its own unique paint job for the first time too with this figure). The exclusive is still the chronically boring squadron-specific figure stand that is cats in a white plastic. We are really over this exclusive "accessory" at this point and we hope that Sideshow Collectibles abandons them to give us some extraordinarily cool "real" accessories. (Editor's Note: Even the announced 1:6 Scale Commander Cody exclusive's accessory is a "commander-specific" figure display stand.) This figure is quite an accomplishment for Sideshow Collectibles. They have clearly perfected art to new degrees and are proving to collectors that it is their intention to make the most impressive affordable figures with an exceptional level of quality. The 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (Coruscant) in the textbook definition of this.

You know how Hasbro has given us an antenna on almost every single super-articulated clone trooper released to date? Well, the 41st Elite Corps Clone Troopers are one of the types that actually did wear the antenna. Sideshow Collectibles has effortlessly recreated the antenna exactly as it appears on these clones' armor in the film. It sits on top of the box on their back and "plugs" into two holes on the back of the box. Check out our photo gallery to see how incredibly well Sideshow has replicated this. It's blows our mind. It is created in mixed media and contains parts of plastic and metal. It is truly a wonderful accent to this figure and we are extremely thankful that Sideshow took the necessary research measures to ensure that is is authentic to the characters seen onscreen. The rest of the elements of this figure are of course familiar since we have received two Episode III 1:6 Scale Clone Troopers so far, but there is something just brilliant about the 41st Elite Corps and it solidifies in our minds why we love this flavor of clone trooper so much. We realize these 1:6 Scale Figures are very expensive, but you are really getting quality for what their prices command. These figures can't even be compared against what Hasbro gave to us when their line was active. These figures are better than what Medicom Toy can do in their Real Action Heroes line. And we really never expected that we would ever receive clone troopers executed in such amazing accuracy with beautiful paint jobs for under $100. Of course, it looks like the armored figures are creeping up again and we hope that Sideshow Collectibles will indeed find a way to keep them under the $100 mark. But even in a worst case scenario, we think that Sideshow will always be able to impress collectors in new and profound ways. 41st Elite Corps Clone Trooper (Coruscant) should prove to everyone that Sideshow can do just about anything. And "anything" is what we really look forward to in their illustrious line of 1:6 Scale Figures.