REPACK REQUEST: BD28 - Ugnaught (2009)

Posted by Dustin on 01/27/21 at 07:05 AM Category: Vintage Collection, Repack Request

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NAME: BD28 - Ugnaught

FULL GALLERY: CLICK HERE

LINE: The Legacy Collection

YEAR: 2009

LOOSE VALUE (EST): $65

CARDED VALUE (EST): $65

Many people hold The Empire Strikes Back as the greatest of all Star Wars movies, but it is definitely lacking in the cool alien category. There's no Cantina or Jabba's Palace scene, and Hoth and Bespin are both dominated by human backgrounders. But the Ugnaughts are a prominent exception which earned them a spot in the original Kenner line and in the hearts of fans.

Back in the POTF2 days, Hasbro/Kenner released an Ugnaught 2-pack. It was fine for what it was, but they aged as well as the rapidly melting ice cream they already resembled. It took awhile to revisit them, but Hasbro concocted a plan to once again hit us with a double Ugnaught- this time as a running change instead of a two-pack. The first (Blue jumpsuit) Ugnaught was released in the 2008 Legacy Collection with images of both characters on the packaging, but (keeping consistent with other planned running changes) the second variant never happened. Fortunately it only took a year to rescue it from oblivion and get this guy out. Originally assumed to be a repaint of the first, this variant actually has mostly new tooling. The articulation isn't perfect (no ankles), but smaller figures are more forgiving of these things. I think it's fair to say this is the best Ugnaught body sculpt we're going to get.

I know the Vintage collection is king, but I loved the Legacy Collection. The figures had finally reached a near-perfect balance of detail and articulation, and character selection was incredible. It was an embarrassment of riches, but figures were being cranked out so quickly that retail had trouble keeping up. A handful of slow sellers here and there could cause some major flow issues. When the switch was made from the blue Stormtrooper cards to the more appealing red cards, retail orders seemed to drop and things became a bit harder to find. This included the second Ugnaught which has steadily increased in price on the secondary market since its release.

When this figure was reviewed right here on Banthaskull a couple of years ago, it was specifically called out as a less than ideal repack. So what has changed since then? Not that much, unfortunately. The most needed Original Trilogy resculpts have been largely untouched since then, including several linked to Cloud City. But the release of the Carbon Freezng Chamber, the announcement of a long overdue refresh of Bespin Escape Leia, and recent rumors of more to come have changed the game a little bit. The Mandalorian also introduced us to our first on-screen speaking Ugnaught, sparking a renewed interest in the species. Maybe?

When considering if a figure should be repacked in the main line, it is important to weigh the pros and cons.

Pros:

The Ugnaught is an "Original 96" figure that has not yet been released on a vintage card
Like many figures in the red Legacy line, this figure was hard to find and was not carried forward into any later assortment
This figure would interact well with last year's Carbon Freezing Chamber
Editor's note: This should have been released last year for the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back
Editor's note: The fact that we need to mention either of the above two points to Hasbro is outright maddening
There are at least 6 Ugnaughts seen in Cloud City, so there's some army builder potential
I want this figure and I don't want to pay $60 for it

Cons:

Loser crybabies will complain that smaller figures should cost less

OK, there are some minor issues with repacking this figure. True Vintage zealots might not consider it an exact match to the vintage figure because that one included a cloth apron. I will concede that this added accessory would be an ideal callback, but might disqualify it as a "straight repack". Also, the TLC figure included a nifty control panel, which is quite versatile, but would look awkward at best on a vintage card. It would be a little disappointing if it was left out, but not a deal-breaker. There are also a few other distinct Ugnaughts that have never been released as figures that theoretically could hold higher priority. But with so few all-new figures coming each year, repacking this guy can scratch an itch without bumping something more desirable into the parking lot.