I recently wrote at length about the detestable abomination that is plastic molded capes in the VC180 - Moff Gideon review.  So how, pray tell, could I possibly give a perfect 10 out of 10 to a figure with a plastic molded cape?  Simple.  I wanted to.  I will never give a less than perfect grade to any figure based on the on the VC166 - The Mandalorian figure.  NEVER!  I don’t even care if there’s a fire!  This sculpt simply functions too perfectly especially with respect to the way it interacts with the included accessories, particularly the Amban sniper rifle.  Being able to flawlessly and naturally interact with such a long rifle is incredible.

This does not mean the figure is perfect, despite the perfect score.  I know that doesn’t make much sense, but neither did the Pontiac Aztek, and I don’t remember you getting all over GM’s case!  Think of it as extra credit.  This figure is objectively a 9 out of 10, but it gets a subjective extra credit point for how well it functions as a posable action figure.  To that point, the plastic molded cape does not interfere nearly as much as it does on the aforementioned Moff Gideon figure.  But there is another area that is mildly disappointing.  I recently participated in a live chat on the Facebook Star Wars The Vintage Collection group.  The subject of the return of rocker ankles to the 3.75” scale came up, and how it’s almost bittersweet.  The reason being is that their return came just after the release of figures that could have desperately used them.  One is the VC140 - Stormtrooper figure.  The other is this Mandalorian sculpt (both VC166 and VC181).  In certain action poses, we are forced to deploy the dreaded “kickstand” leg. 

We need to discuss a couple of notes about this figure.  First, the right shoulder sports the Mudhorn signet.  The Armorer doesn’t tack it on until two thirds of the way through the season one finale.  This means that for the majority of season one, Mando is rocking a slick shoulder.  A Beskar Mando without the Mudhorn emblem is a minor tooling variation that fans would actually welcome. In the good old days, it would have been released before we even realized we wanted it.  It would have been stealthily released as a pack-in figure with a speeder bike or a blurgg. Things used to be so much cooler.  The other note is that you’ll notice the diorama photos are from season one.  The reason is that we simply don’t have any of the figures Mando interacts with from season two (aside from more other Stormtroopers).  No Boba Fett.  No Fennec Shand.  No Ahsoka, Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves, Cobb Vanth or Mayfeld.  Things used to be so much cooler.  Mando does interact with Moff Gideon, but….no Beskar spear.