Editor’s Note:  This review has been updated with our second look at TVC…

Original Review:  Bret - 9/7/10 04:34 AM

This is a pretty nifty figure, and a nice upgrade from the previous release.  The sculpt is good. I’d prefer a sligthly larger head, but it’s not bad.  There’s a removeable cowl.  He’s got a removable chest photoreceptor.  This figure is superarticulated, including a ball jointed chest, and both hips.  He can stand in many positions.  At first I thought the figure was a little too flimsy, but I’ve changed my mind. It’s thin, like the battle droid, but made out of a sturdier plastic, so you can pose him in many ways.  I wish his casemate, General Grievous, was made out of the same plastic.  Anyway, the paint is good, with some notable weathering, and some additional details on the face and chest.

He’s got a neat cape, which is made out of a basic thin cotton, like a t-shirt, complete with the arrow symbols on it.  It also has some tear holes at the bottom.  Due to the thin nature of the material, it tends to curl, which is too bad.  Rolling the bottom around a short poseable wire would do wonders for the look. The figure comes with an electrostaff, which he can grip somewhat loosely in either/both hands.  The electrostaff has removeable plastic caps w/electric bolt, to simulate it being activated and generating energy and electricity.  He also comes with a Grievous-style pistol for some reason, which he can grip tightly in either hand.

This is a really good figure, and has grown on me as I inspected it more closely since I first opened it.  I’d recommend picking up 1 or 2 extra.  I would expect a repaint (or 2 or 3) somewhere down the line.  It’s hard to tell, but this is either the “alabaster” or “grey” version of the IG-100 Magna Droid.  In the movie, it seems that there is a blue version and a white or grey version, so, well, whatever. 

Get one or more now!

Updated Review: Bret- 4/10/18. 07:05 AM

Not much more to add here.  This MagnaGuard is outstanding in the sculpt, paint applications, articulation, posability, and accessories. As mentioned, the thin nature of the limbs of the character give the false impression that the figure will have difficulty standing or being posed.  Quite the contrary, as it has myriad display options.  It’s a dynamic figure, and just about everything works.  The only thing that might be missing here is a blue variant.  My very minor gripes would be the strange clear plastic electro-staff caps that are part of the blue electricity effect.  Something a little better would have sufficed. Also, the cape, while showing a lot of extra care by Hasbro because of the arrow markings and battle damage holes, could have been crafted out of a slightly thicker material to prevent curling.  As I had stated in the original review above, having some kind of wire in the hem of the cape would also prevent curling while giving some dynamism and posability to the cape itself.

Verdict:  No Action  

The VC18 MagnaGuard is virtually a flawless figure.  Minor gripes aside, the only thing Hasbro might consider doing down the road if a re-release is ever considered is to release this alabaster version along with a blue variant.  Ebay prices are pretty decent for both carded and uncarded auctions, showing that there is some interest out there for the figure.  With everything else on Hasbro’s to do list, I’d have to call this a “No Action” right now, but it should be kept somewhere on the very long list of figures that should one day be re-released, especially if there’s going to be some prequel support down the road.

Verdict Guide:
Re-sculpt = The figure is not definitive, and a new version should be developed.
Re-issue = This version is definitive (or close enough), and shows sufficient secondary market demand to warrant a straight repack.
No Action = This release does not require new attention.