Well, here we go.  Back in the day, Hasbro was giddy with all kinds of gimmicky repaints just to throw some more fuel on the inferno that once was the 3.75” Star Wars heyday.  We got all kinds of Vader colors, whether to signify the “literal” appearance in comic books, or to be reflective of Mustafarian Lava, or lovingly covered in commemorative anniversary chrome, or dolled up in Christmas red.  Clones and stormtroopers were another favorite target of Hasbro’s artistic license.  Back then, it was fine.  Collectors that were into serious figures, or who didn’t have money to burn on such nonsense, could easily pass.  Others that liked kitsch, or comlpletists such as myself, would buy them up happily.  Either way, there was plenty to go around for everyone.  But times are different today.  TVC figures are so few and far between, that gimmicks don’t seem to be appropriate during these times. 

On the other hand, collector push for MORE TVC seems to slowly be bearing fruit, even if the fruit we are seeing now is a bit underripe.  With the petition, and more importantly, what appear to us lay folks as robust sales of TVC (both online and in stores - if you can find them), are signs that Hasbro is starting to right the ship.  As we have said countless times, this isn’t the type of thing that is going to yield overnight results.  But fan demand for TVC - particularly figures and other items that tie in to the currently mega-hot The Mandalorian show on Disney+ seems to have caught Hasbro’s attention, even if sadly late.  Of course, it has also apparently caught Hasbro off guard.  Brand new figures, which have been in development as fan outcry was reaching new heights, haven’t had enough time to complete the production cycle, but are rumored to be just around the corner.  In the meantime, Hasbro seems to have the strategy of putting out whatever the can, as quickly as possible.  As such, they returned to the well of the only previously released wave of figures based on The Mandalorian, and given them the “carbonized” treatment that has already been seen in the Sixer line. 

Many fans will scoff at this “waste” of time. Hasbro has not given the community precise insight into why this was done, but it seems clear that it was the only way they could get relevant product in front of consumers to coincide with the debut of season 2.  Many fans will then ask why Hasbro couldn’t just re-issue that wave straight up, instead of doing the unwanted carbon treatment, while charging an extra $5 per figure.  My only guess, based on nothing Hasbro has said, is that it was the best way to get their retail partners to buy in.  Remember, Walmart and Target can have huge (sometimes unwanted) influence on the product we see in stores.  Perhaps - and again, this is pure conjecture - updating the figures with the carbon treatment made the special enough to entice Walmart to want a piece of the action, as opposed to a re-issue of year old figures in a line that they may be a bit skittish about.  If you’re a fan of the Philadelphia 76ers, you’ve been told to “trust the process.”  While we will all continue to make our voices heard, and while Hasbro is definitely listening, they are still going to do what they need to do from a business perspective in order to help the line succeed, even if that may appear counterintuitive, of not maddening, to many hardcore fans.

As for this figure, we’ve got a repaint of VC165 Remnant Stormtrooper.  The most obvious change at first glance is the packaging.  It has the reflective chrome treatment similar to that given to the recent annual convention exclusive special 3-pack sets, like the ARC Troopers.  The card stock is very thick - it appears to be doubled up/folded over, actually.  It’s nice looking packaging, many will have to admit.

The figure itself, from a sculpting perspective, is identical to VC165.  The only difference is the “carbonized” coating given to it.  After opening it and holding it next to the original, I have to say the differences aren’t immediately obvious, until you give it a close inspection.  Rather than the white armor, it’s got a pearlescent effect. It’s actually kind of cool.  It’s not too bizarre looking, believe it or not, and if I didn’t have it side by side with the original, I might not find it too obvious.  If you had a squad of figures deploying from the transport, with no originals nearby, it’s possible you could get away with displaying them as part of a shelf scene. 

The dirt pattern is also a bit different.  Not too much, but enough to give some variation.  Again, I wouldn’t recommending displaying them together, but on their own, these figures might pass for regular troopers.

These carbonized figures seemed to be hot sellers around North Jersey.  I stalked 6 different Walmarts for 3 days, and watched online as inventory levels showed the being in stock, and then sold out in less than an hour.  I found only one cardboard shipper display, and it was already picked through.  This figure was sold out first, even before Mando himself.  I found more than 4 cases mere minutes after appearing on the pegs in another store.  Yes, “pegs.”  This store didn’t get the shipper, it only got TVC.  By the next day, every figure was gone.  It seems demand is so high and the market is so starved for TVC, that people are gobbling these up, despite all the negativity surrounding them.

It will be interesting to see if there is any replenishment of this wave, or if it was just a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it opportunity.  Currently, a few of the figures can be purchased on line, but Mando is sold out.