It’s amazing what six years can do.  In 2006 this exact figure was part of the Vintage Saga Collection subset and commanded the premium price of $10.  Fans seemed to be reluctant to army build this figure at that price.  Fast forward six years, and at $9, this figure seems to be selling at a decent clip.  One of the reasons for the poor performance in 2006 was that the soft goods robes just seemed to miss,  On the 2012 version, the robes are not at wrinkled as on the first release and it makes a world of difference.  It may or may not translate to the camera, but take a peek at the comparison pic.  For that reason, it’s worth picking up at least one of these even if you already own the figure.  Unfortunately, that was the only problematic issue with the 2006 release that was corrected.  The big Achilles heel, the swivel elbows, persists into the 2012 edition.  It’s supremely frustrating because it’s a tiny correction Hasbro could make that would make this a must army build figure. Without the upgraded articulation point, it’s a figure that will remain just below the current standards.  You could spend hours posting this figure.  Not because it’s fun, mind you, but because it’s difficult to get the elbow cuts to strike the pose you’re hoping to achieve.  Plus since they require rotation to change position, you constantly have to readjust the soft goods which have been spooling up in the armpits while you work with the arms. Lastly those elbow joints will pop apart several times within the sleeves causing you to have to reboot the pose while you reassemble your figure.  This keeps the figure out of the top grades.  6 out of 10.  But buy one. Fortunately, there’s an excuse to rework this figure next year with the prominent inclusion of Tusken Raiders in Attack of the Clones. 

6/10 Bantha Skulls