My Reactions To This Week’s Vintage Collection Reveals

Posted by Chris on 04/07/22 at 07:05 AM Category: Vintage Collection, Fan First Event

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I would personally say that the Vintage Collection had a good week. It was a solid double. It's wasn't a home run, but it also wasn't a swing and miss either, like the very first Fan First livestream. Let's get right into it.

Figrin D'an

This gets an A+ for the fact that it exists, but the execution is about a B in my opinion. It's so exciting to get figures in the Vintage Collection that feel like they were omissions from the vintage Kenner line, but the Imperial Gunner cargo pockets are a bummer as is the fact that the jarringly obvious articulation serves to "break the fantasy".

ARC Trooper Jesse

While not the most existing reveal, this is a kindness to fans who missed out on the 501st Legion ARC Troopers 3-Pack. This is the final figure from that 3-pack that needed to be released with ARC Trooper Fives and ARC Trooper Echo having previously received the single carded treatment. It's kind of like getting a pair of socks for Christmas. You need it, but you're not going to do handsprings over it.

Lando Calrissian (Battlefront II)

If Hasbro invented this design I would be going on a fist waving tirade about how kitsch has no place in the Vintage Collection, but since this is a canonically established costume variant, what's not to love? If you don't like this figure, you can get out. And that's all I have to say about that.

Shae Vizla

This is probably the most exciting reveal from yesterday for me. It really bothers me when an otherwise good figure has a single fatal flaw, and the garish head sculpt on the original VC101 - Shae Vizla is a prime example. I'm so happy they're getting this one right. Shame that rocker ankles also couldn't have been costed in because some of the press photos for this figure featured the dreaded "kickstand leg". Hasbro, now that you've fixed Shae Vizla's head sculpt, can you please do the same for the Black Series 3.75" #14 - Mara Jade figure?

Death Watch Airborne Trooper

Okay, confession time. I'm starting to get a little burned out on "all the things Mandalorian", especially when none of them are a definitive Episode V Boba Fett, but this one looks great. It's odd that we're getting two different flavors of Death Watch Mandalorians so close to one another (one sourced from The Mandalorian and this one sourced from The Clone Wars), but this is an amazing looking figure. I will definitely be picking up a couple extra of these.

Update: I want to make sure my messaging on this is clear. I am only burned out on these minor Mandos. I will gladly take all the Boba Fett variations of VC186 - Boba Fett that Hasbro gives me starting with a slightly retooled Episode V version. I will also take Paz Vizla.

Mandalorian Super Commando Captain

I don't know if you've heard, but I'm starting to get a little burned out on "all the things Mandalorian". This one doesn't have the same draw to me as the Death Watch Airborne Trooper. I'll be honest, I liked (not loved) The Clone Wars, but I couldn't get through a second sit through. There's simply too many bad or sluggish episodes, and my mind wanders. For that reason, I couldn't pick this character out of a lineup, which probably mutes my enthusiasm. You animation super fans better carry the sales of this figure because I won't.

Imperial Death Trooper - Trooper Pack

As I posted in the comments when this was revealed: zzzzzzzzzz. In my opinion, this is the first real miss in the Trooper Pack format. There is zero newness here, unlike two of the previous three sets. All Hasbro had to do here was give us a new head sculpt without the helmet mounted flashlight, which is how the Death Troopers appeared in The Mandalorian, and this would have been an exciting release. I only need six Death Troopers, which I already have. This is inching towards a rare pass for me.

Pipeline Reveals

The pipeline reveals are what stretched the livestream from a well struck single into a double. To our international readers, I apologize for the baseball metaphor. I know nothing about soccer and less about cricket. Aussie Rules Football is straight out. So I have to go with what I know, and that's boring as all heck baseball. I also apologize for saying "flashlight" above instead of "torch".

All of the pipeline reveals are great. The Klatoonian Raider is a perfect pack refresh (a.k.a. repack). It give fans a chance at a figure that was previously only released with the expensive AT-ST Raider. The Artillery Stormtrooper is something we all wanted the second we saw the Tython episode of The Mandalorian. I will buy more of the Mandalorian season 2 Luke Skywalker than any sane person should. It will be a make up call for not getting nearly as many VC175 - Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight) figures as I wanted. Finally I will need a bunch of those Dark Troopers for that S2 Luke to fight. I can't wait.