The B1 Battle Droid sculpt is already well used in the Star Wars Black Series following the initial release of the Trade Federation Droid in 2019. The figure has already been released under the Gaming Greats banner with the Heavy Battle Droid from EA’s Battlefront Series, and now it is getting a second release with the B1 Battle Droid as seen in the new Jedi: Survivor video game.
The release is part of the Galaxy Collection and is number 16 in the Gaming Greats series. It uses the plastic-free black packaging with blue highlight colour and side art on the angled side section that connects to the other boxes to create a wider montage piece. With no plastic tray, the figure is held inside an inner cardboard tray and is wrapped in a waxy paper wrap. Due to the nature of the Battle Droid’s slim frame, this method of packing has presented an issue as without a tray to keep the limbs separated, the bag and cardboard tray have compressed the figure meaning he has arrived with very warped legs and is immediately difficult to stand out of the box.
(Stock Photos)
The sculpt remains identical to all the B1 Droids that precede him. He is cast in a grey almost gunmetal metallic plastic and over this is some paint applications in red and white - predominantly on the head, the shoulders, and a small amount on the hands and lower torso area. These designs are all neatly applied without the rough edges we see on the Clone Trooper coloured markings. There is no other weathering, and this B1 does lack any of the paint chip effects or darker worn areas we have seen on some of the other models.
The backpack is included and cast in white plastic without any other colour or effects applied. It looked quite odd initially in terms of how contrasting a colour this is vs the rest of the figure but makes sense once clipped into the two rear slots as it then lines up with the white trim on the droid itself. The backpack includes the two antennae that can be raised telescopically upwards, although this is a little fiddly. There is also a slot to hold the included E-5 blaster.
The blaster is also a repack and is cast in darker metallic plastic to the body and with a shinier finish. This works well in terms of replicating a realistic view of the blaster which doesn't need any more colours adding considering what we see on screen. The weapon fits in the Droid’s clawed hands and can be wielded one or two-handed.
Articulation on the Droid is designed in keeping with the mechanics of the droid and includes around 19 points of articulation that are either pivot joints or rotation points on the arms and legs to widen the motion as the elbow and knee pivots can move on one axis only. The Droid is mobile enough to fold up into the deactivated mode and can achieve some more dynamic stance although these will likely need a stand due to the flimsy nature of the legs and the fact the Droid is top heavy thanks to the backpack and any weapon he is carrying.
All in all this fits into the Gaming Greats key ethos of repurposing existing figures into those we see in the games of the Star Wars Universe. The B1 Droid has no discernable updates other than paintwork and therefore there is an issue over the price premium initially put on the release of circa £28 and you can now see that price tumbling rapidly to clear units. For those who have no interest in Gaming figures, you can skip it easily enough, although this works as a variant Battle Droid for any Separatist display and could be Army Built relatively easily. I look forward to coming across and hopefully dismantling, these Droids in the game once I get into it.
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About Me : As a child of the 70's and 80's I grew up in a golden age for action figures and in my youth bought and sold myself through collections of Star Wars, G.I. Joe (Action Force) and M.A.S.K. while also dabbling in He-Man, Transformers and Ghostbusters. Roll forward and I am now reliving that Youth with the action figures of today and am a collector and fan of the larger 6-8 inch figures from my favourite movie and TV licences - including the ones mentioned above, but also the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Who and the Aliens. I launched The Mephitsu Archives in 2015 with a view of creating a UK focused site or these figures where fans can pick up the latest action figure news, read reviews and get information on where to buy their figures and what is currently on store shelves. I hope I am delivering that to you guys...
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