“200,000 units are ready with a million more well on the way”
The Phase I Clone Trooper from Attack of the Clones was one of the earliest releases in the Star Wars Black Series line with a 2014 release in the original orange line packaging. Since then the original body has been used for various ranks of the AOTC Clones. The Clone Trooper body was first revised in 2020 at the dawn of the Galaxy Collection and the Phase I Clone was given a release on this new body as the 2nd release in an Attack of the Clones collection, ironically following on directly from the 1st figure which was a Clone Lieutenant on the older pinned body. Roll forward to 2024 and the Clone body has been tweaked even further and the Phase I Clone is back with another Galaxy Collection release.
The latest Phase I Clone Trooper is a shared exclusive between Amazon and the Fan Channel retailers, including Hasbro Pulse. It remains part of the wider Galaxy Collection for Attack of the Clones with the burgundy colour scheme and artwork. The figure is number 05 in the series, following on from the recent Ki-Adi Mundi release. This does mean out of the 5 releases for AOTC, 3 of them have been Phase I Clone Trooper figures.
The Trooper is on the latest version of the Clone Trooper body using the same principle of individual parts cast in white gloss for the armour, or black for the undersuit. When combined this removes the need for any significant paintwork and gives crisp clean lines across the figure. There are some variations in white shading where the white has been overpainted on the black, most notably at the forearms. There is also a colour difference in the belt section vs the armour.
The helmet is removable, as it was with the Phase II Trooper, and underneath we find a generic Clone head with an adequate likeness to Temurra Morrison. This is the same head that we’ve now seen on Commander Appo, and the Phase II Trooper although this latest version has seen a return to a glossy skin tone which is disappointing. The helmet itself is white plastic with black and grey detailing and in a softer plastic to slip over the head. The fit is tight and paint rub will be an issue over time.
The articulation was already strong on the second version of the Clone Trooper body, and we’ve also now seen some additional tweaks to open up posing - most notably allowing the knee armour to float rather than be fixed to the upper thigh section. There are 21 points of articulation in total with butterfly shoulders and a dual joint neck working with the standard arm and torso articulation. The knees can get into kneeling positions as well as walking or even running poses with an aftermarket stand.
The other improvement we can see is the inclusion of a left trigger hand and the Trooper is no longer bound by holding his weapon in the right hand only. This is less of a bonus for our Phase I with his standard rifles but will help those twin blaster Clones in the future. Weaponry is the usual pairing of the DC-15S and DC-15A blasters. These are the newer options with a slightly smaller profile and crisper detail. They are cast in a deep grey with no further paintwork.
The Phase I Clone Trooper release is a strong release to bolster the Republic Forces but is still an exclusive and therefore buying options are slightly restricted. The armour execution and overall articulation are impressive and the recent tweaks are well-received. The weaponry fits well enough with either hand. And while the removable helmet does reveal a slightly glossier head sculpt, it is probably going to go unseen in many collections
Keep Track of all the Star Wars Black Series figures from Hasbro at our comprehensive
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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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