"I can't seem to hit anything."
After the SDCC 2024 Star Wars Black Series Exclusive release of Darth Maul and his Sith Speeder, it was announced that Hasbro’s own Pulse Con event in September 2024 would have an exclusive companion piece with the debut of the STAP in the Star Wars Black Series. This Hasbro Pulse Con Exclusive was sold via Hasbro Pulse immediately after the Pulse Con virtual event with stock being dispatched immediately.
Like the SDCC Maul set, the STAP and Battle Droid deluxe pack uses a window package that pays homage to some of the original 1999 The Phantom Menace toys. The box uses the Darth Maul red and black colour scheme with gold Star Wars Episode 1 logo and the nameplate in a gold-trimmed box. The only newer addition is the Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary logo to the top right. Images of the STAP in action are found on the two side panels and on the reverse along with a short write-up of the vehicle and its use by the Droid Army.
Those like me around in 1999 for the figure launch for The Phantom Menace will remember this set as a ‘Sneak Preview’ release using a green colour scheme that was being used at the time by the Power of the Force II figures. While Hasbro has chosen to stick to the more defined red and black for this release, the backing artwork for the STAP and Droid is the same as this ‘Sneak Preview’ release with a depiction of a Naboo swamp, tree trunk and vines.
We start with the Battle Droid and this is the same Trade Federation beige-coloured droid as released originally in 2019 and again in 2021 on a retro card back (as well as being included in the Disney Parks Droid Set). The figure is constructed in cast beige plastic with a good level of accuracy to the on-screen Droids. There is a decor variation on this STAP pilot droid with differing weathering and a darker brown wash and no scratched or damaged silver paintwork as we saw with the original.
vs 2019 Battle Droid (right)
Articulation is 17 points in total with the joints visible and part of the sculpt as is the case on the Droid when we see them on screen. Joints are therefore more rudimentary than a humanoid character with rotating pivots at the knees and elbows and more limited ball joints at the shoulders and hips. The head features a dual joint neck which also extends out and folds down to get our droid into the dormant folded pose if needed - although in this case, that isn't a factor for a Droid included to pilot our STAP.
Our Battle Droid will stand, but the stability is not great and the right leg appears longer than the left which also skews the posing options. We also know these Droid joints will deteriorate heavily over time to a position where they won’t stand unaided.
The Battle Droid still comes with dual backpacks. And you can choose to fit him with the larger trooper backpack which also features a socket to holster a blaster. This connects into the rear of the Droid via two sockets and is shaped to fit over the curved back towards the shoulders. You also receive the OOM Commander Droid backpack which features a small shaped component and the twin antennae. This only fits on the right-hand side of the Droid using a single socket.
The Droid Blaster is the same as all previous B1 Droids, and E-5 Blaster rifle in grey with a metallic drybrush finish. This fits into either hand with the secondary clawed hand also able to grip the blaster barrel for a two handed pose. When not in use it can be holstered if you are using the larger backpack.
Moving onto the STAP and this is a brand new Black Series piece cast in hard plastic with an orange/brown colour scheme as seen during the scenes on Naboo during The Phantom Menance. The body of the STAP is then connected by a grey central skeletal shaft with twin engines on either side picked out in grey for the input and output jets, and with twin blasters ith grey and silver decor but with a brown barrel and darker wash ends to show scorching from repeated fire.
The STAP has twin handlebars, but these are not articulated and my review copy (purchased from Hasbro Pulse) saw these arrive warped. The only articulation as such across the STAP is the central colour allowing the upper canopy and guns to be angled up or down on a reasonably well-engineered sliding bracket. There has been no articulations added to the feet controls, or the engines.
As our Battle Droid has not been updated in any way, the connection of the figure into the piloting position for the STAP can be frustrating. The foot controls of the STAP, like other Speeders we’ve seen in the line, use pegs to connect to the feet. These are not the tightest of fit and they will pop off easily and with limited movement. The hands have not been adjusted to a tighter grip to hold the slimline handlebars of the STAP so our Droid doesn’t really hold the handles leaving the position of the feet and legs as the key factor in getting the Droid into riding position. More often than not gravity will then also kick in and the Droid will flop backwards and away from the riding position. In reality, it is probably easiest for a display to keep the STAP and Droid in the state in which it arrives with the Droid secured to the vehicle with thin plastic clear ties - this is perhaps as good as you will get and is certainly much more secure,
It is arguably easier to fit other figures into the STAP pilot seat, and despite not having articulated foot or handle controls, most humanoid figures can get into position as demonstrated here by our Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker.
The STAP sits on a clear plastic stand that itself features a ball joint allowing - on paper - the STAP to be displayed pivoting and banking. This can be achieved within a small element of bank or roll to either side, front or back - but if you take it too far the teardrop stand is not heavy or wide enough to counteract gravity so more severe turns or banking poses will see the STAP fall over. The ball joint itself is quite a firm fit initially and holds the poses well - there are questions about how long it will retain its stability, but it is certainly much better than what we got on the recent Green Goblin glider in the Marvel Legends series.
The Hasbro Pulse Con 2024 Exclusive STAP and Battle Droid is a £61 set here in the UK. If you take off the £25 standard figure price, that puts the STAP at £36 in value - although the exclusivity and special packaging will be included in that premium. The packaging choice may not quite feel right to most who remember this set and the illustrated backdrop in the green Sneak Preview packaging, but choosing the red & black does keep it consistent with the Darth Maul Speeder from SDCC and the previous Phantom Menace carded releases.
Ideally, the Droid should have been updated to include better gripping hands to secure it to the STAP. The STAP itself would have benefitted from more articulation in the steering, and foot plates as a minimum as fixing these in place does make the posing of the Droid more difficult. The pivot base works OK but is not sized or weighted enough for more extreme banking manoeuvres - but it does give the STAP and Battle Droid a more premium display option for your collection sitting well over the surrounding 6-inch figures and in a flight position.
You can get your Star Wars Black Series STAP and Battle Droid from Hasbro Pulse while stocks last
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...