This is now the second time, by my recollection, that Hasbro has pumped out a quick multi-pack of repaints in order to satisfy demand for characters from a particular source.  The first was for The Bad Batch, when we got THIS 4 pack of clones.  As mentioned in that review, the set was frustrating in that we got some “holdover” figures, but there was no sign of a future world in which we would get the actual Clone Force 99 figures themselves.  Fortunately, several months later, we finally got a pipeline reveal for Hunter.  Presumably, although there are no guarantees, we’ll get the rest of the crew eventually. 

This set is similar in that vein, in that we are getting 3 repainted troopers for a popular video game source.  The great news, is that we at least already know that we are getting Cal Kestis w/ BD-1, and probably pretty soon.  While most sites list delivery as spring, Cal is part of the final wave of 2022 figures, so if all goes well, we’ll be getting him before the holidays.  The flip side, of all this, as that these figures are sourced not from Jedi: Fallen Order, but to the yet-to-be-released sequel, Jedi: Survivor.  Interestingly, we already have three figures from JFO (none are Cal Kestis) which are VC195 Electrostaff Purge Trooper, VC196 Scout Trooper and VC253 Heavy Assault Stormtrooper.  Interestingly, the first 2 figures sport the double racetrack “Star Wars” card, with a smaller JFO callout, while VC253 debuts a full JFO logo for the cardback. If you want to be fancy, you could also say that the stormtrooper w/pauldron from the 4-pack is from JFO, even though it’s not marketed that way.

So I had some difficulty coming up with a meaningful diorama shot for our gallery, without a Cal Kestis figure for these guys to fight.  So you get them hanging around, gambling on droid fights.  My money is on KX.

As for the figures, there’s nothing all that exciting here, but they are decent troop builders if you want to beef up your Imperial forces before Cal Kestis crashes the party.  The Scout Trooper is the least interesting figure here. First of all, it’s a straight repack of the aforementioned VC196.  The only difference is that it comes with a shield accessory.  I assume this is brand new, but I might be missing an earlier release - possibly with one of the cartoony Clone Wars figures.  Furthermore, a “new” scout trooper was just shown (although previously pipelined) by Hasbro during the London show.  The figure is reported to sport rocker ankles and a new helmet.  Some speculation persists about new hips, but this is unconfirmed.  Otherwise, it’s the same figure, with dated articulation, especially the wrists.  My point here, is that you’re getting a sub-par biker scout, when we already know that an improved (but probably still sub-par) biker scout is soon on the way.  This is similar to Hasbro still squeezing out VC45 clone repaints, even though they’ve already announced a new clone buck for 2023.

KX security droid is a great looking figure, but not much in the “new” category.  It’s got some red flashes to differentiate it from the beloved VC170 K-2SO, as well as some variations in the weathering.  KX comes with the the same electro-baton as the scout trooper.  My sample was a bit frustrating, in that the legs weren’t assembled well at the hips, resulting in the legs being slightly off kilter, making the figure difficult to stand.  The hip articulation was already a bit suspect, and is reminiscent of the fit-inducing VC45 Clone.  Yours may be better constructed, but probably the single most frustrating aspect of any figure is if it doesn’t simply stand upright.  I wanted to love this figure, but I can’t, unless it manages to stand.

Probably the most pleasant figure in the group is the MagnaDroid.  It’s often requested by collectors that VC18 be re-released.  Well, we don’t get another shot at the ROTS film version, but we get a totally repainted version here.  VC18 was very well weathered, especially for its time.  This one is clean, but sports an all new paint job, which is visually striking.  He comes with a cape/shawl, which seems to be less like the flimsy cotton VC18 shmata.  It comes with the same electrostaff as the original.  The articulation is pretty good, especially for 2010.  Sadly, no improvements were made to the sculpt, so no rocker ankles, but it can still be posed rather dynamically.

It’s not a bad set, and allows us to fill out the J:FO / J:S Imperial ranks.  Sequel Cal Kestis will probably be a great figure, but I’m hoping for a version from the original game, along with a few other main characters.  Unfortunately, at $17 a figure, it’s a tough pill to swallow for some repaints, especially a couple that are over a decade old.  Might as well get used to it.  Inflation is a thing.