"This R5 astromech is built for adventure."
Since his newfound role in The Mandalorian, R5-D4 has already seen a single Star Wars Black Series release as part of the main line and using the new Astromech Droid base - and now he is getting a second release as part of a Deluxe Exclusive box set that also features three other droids employed by Peli Motto at the Mos Eisley Space Port. The Droid pack is exclusive to Target in the US and sold via the Fan Channel here in the UK. It is packed in the slant-sided Galaxy Collection packaging with a wider frontage to accommodate the four droids. It utilises The Mandalorian colour scheme and artwork but the side panel is a montage itself and the set is not numbered and does not directly connect to other releases.
R5-D4 is, at its core, the same figure as released in 2023 as a single Galaxy Collection figure. This is the newer and better proportioned Astromech figure base with R5 made up of a predominantly white plastic body with red, blue, and silver painted components as well as a bit of bronze on the foot wiring and with twin red tramlines around the top if the flattened dome section. Like the first release, the droid is all a bit too clean and really needs weathering to fit his onscreen look in Peli Motto’s hanger.
Vs 2023 single release R5-D4 (right of each image)
R5 maintains the same articulation as all the Astromechs in this new body with a rotating dome, dual jointed legs at either side, and an extending third foot from the main body which is pulled down manually and features an articulated ankle. The Droid also has the same opening panels on the main body with two upper horizontal segments that open on a pivot, and two vertical ‘doors’ that open on either side to reveal six slots (three at each side) for R5’s various Astromech attachments.
These attachments are also the same as the standard release in terms of the five slot-in tools. These include three probes, each featuring some paintwork on the main shaft in either gold or bronze, with one of them also featuring a black section. And a pair of tool accessories featuring black-painted component ends that may well be welders or repair tools. All of these tools can be slotted into any of the six available slots and when not in use the same storage function exists where the Droid’s dome can be pulled up to reveal a circular slot in storage bay beneath.
We do not get the bad motivator accessory that was included in the first set, and the panel on R5’s head does not open on this version - which does create variation between the two releases. All is not lost though as we do get a bonus feature on this version of R5 with slot in rocket boosters and rocket effect pieces. These connect to each leg where the original flat blue panel can be clipped off and the extended rocket parts slotted on.
The blue translucent effects then connect to the bottom pf each booster so we can display R5 as though he is about to take off. Sadly, there is no flight mode option as there is no flight stand as we had with Chopper and it is unlikely any aftermarket stand could accommodate the girth and weight of an Astromech (but I may be wrong).
BD-72 is an Explorer Droid identical to BD-1 from the EA Jedi games, and because of this BD-72 is just a re-release of the BD-1 droid with some paint updates. BD-72 features a grey off-white finish with minimal extra decoration aside from some blue blue panels and the chrome and black components at his head, and legs.
Vs 2019 BD-1 Droid (right of each image)
He features five points of articulation with two joints per leg and a ball joint head. This allows him to stand unaided and be posed in a few variations.
The final two droids completing the set are a pair of Pit Droids. These are not new either but have only been available prior to this set’s release as part of a larger 2022 Droid Factory set at Disney Parks in the US. Considering the role of the Pit Droids in The Phantom Menace and now in The Mandalorian, it is nice to have these more readily available. Each Droid is cast in a slightly different brown finish one paler than the other.
These do then feature some wear and tear paintwork with some rubbed panels and a couple of limbs or components in differing colours to show their patched construction. The Pit Droid's large head features a single gloss black eye, with each head then trimmed in an edging - one is white, the other beige - and with a pair of flexible aerials.
Vs 2022 Disney Parks Pit Droid (right of each image)
Articulation is 17 points in total which is impressive based on their size. The joints are similar to those used on B1 Battle Droids and are part of the sculpt. The arms and legs can both move in a full range of motion, with both a pivot and swivel at the waist and a ball joint head on a pivoting neck. Despite all this, there is no folding action which is not practical considering the entire body has to retract up into the head to match what we get on screen.
The joints are not ratcheted so while they are secure on arrival, they will start to deteriorate and we see from the 2022 Disney Parks release that these Droids can become very loose over time. Their slim legs and small feet also make display poses slightly unstable and while they hold an upright stance, they are not very resilient to any knocks to your shelves or display cabinet.
Each Pit Droid does feature rudimentary griping hands, but they do not come with any direct tools or accessories as such. They are however able to hold some of R5-D4’s accessories as tools if you want to give them a bit of purpose on your display.
This new Droid 4-pack will set you back between £42 and £45 here in the UK depending on where you shop. With R5 being a £25 single release, that puts the Pit Droids and BD-27 with a value somewhere between £18 and £20 which feels reasonable. Even though they are small there is a good degree of decor on each and articulation in keeping with their on-screen counterparts. While R5 may have been robbed of his bad motivator feature, the new jet packs are a neat addition and I suspect may find their way onto an R2-D2 release in the future. I guess the only real miss on the set (at the moment) is that we have no Peli Motto to display with her Droid crew.
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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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