Recent Star Wars Figures Help Request: The Best Ones????

[grayhank]

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[huedell]

thanks grayhank---lemme catch up with Speed and rche---and then I'll run
something by you most likely.
(Gotta get that Lobot somehow---he makes Lando look cooler on display)

[spiderrogue]

Something else to think about tracking down if you can is the Wal-Mart's Early Bird set from a few years back. The Luke in this set is my favorite because his lightsaber slides out of his hand just like the original Kenner one. Don't know how much they go for on-line.

i know that our walmarts around here ended up clearancing those sets out to about 10 bucks, but that was at least a year or so ago...which probably means that you can find them pretty cheap online somewhere...

[huedell]

re: those early bird sets...

it'd be nice to pick up one cheap eventually---

I mean, even if they aren't the very best versions of
those characters in those specific outfits---they are still
some of my TOP favorite figures to have being that I really
go for the "big gun characters" and NEW HOPE versions in particular.

Luke in his classic tunic garb and Leia in that classic white outfit
are great icons foe me---as are R2 and Chewie---"naked" if you will.

[spiderrogue]

i was bored..so here is a link to ebay for the sw early bird stuff...im sure that there are more of them, this was just a really quick, random search on my part..lol...
star wars early bird, Action Figures, Decorative Collectibles items on eBay.com

[grayhank]

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[darklord1967]

Hey Huedell,

I've been a 3-3/4 inch Original Trilogy STAR WARS action figure collector for 30 years, and if I may, I'd like to offer you my take on some of these classic characters.

Let me apologize from the onset for being self-serving with some of the photos I will post, but I think they will help me illustrate some things.

Let me start off by saying that I think by and large Hasbro is doing some really great stuff and putting out some fine products with their STAR WARS brand figures.

Unfortunately, I am so darn nit-pickey, that I haven't come across action figure versions of our MAIN CHARACTERS that I consider absolutely perfect... So I've done what I do normally which is to CUSTOMIZE.

Let's go character by character with my picks:

TUSKEN RAIDER: Definitely the best version is the 2006 SAGA II Vintage Collection version. But he is too pin-headed. A head-swap with the 2002 SAGA I Tusken (from Attack of the Clones) makes the figure much better.

C-3PO: So far, there isn't a better sculpt that the Revenge of the Sith C-3PO released in 2005. The Saga II C-3PO with the added knee articulation comes off as a little weird looking to me (proportions are a bit off). And he's got one leg shorter than the other.


DEATH SQUAD COMMANDER / DEATH STAR TROOPER: Last year's 30th Anniversarry figure is the way to go. Great articulation. Great sculpt. Removable helmet. It's just too bad he's a bit pea-headed.


GRAND MOFF TARKIN: So far, all we've had is the lousy Power of the Force II version. It had an okay head-sculpt, but that was about it. I'm sure Hasbro will get around to making another.

In the meantime, I mated that POTF II head sculpt to the 2003 OTC Admiral Ozzel body and this was the result. I'm pretty happy.





HAN SOLO: I'm still wating for a perfect one. The VOTC Solo that everyone seems to love is far too skinny in my view. And this is the sculpt that keeps geting re-hashed. Articulation is good, but I'm not crazy about the likeness.

CHEWBACCA: Look no further than VOTC Chewbacca. Perfect figure. Perfect articulation, Perfect likeness. Nuff Said.


PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA: So far, NO VERSION of Leia in her senatorial robes from A NEW HOPE has done it for me. The VOTC figure was nice, but once again, I could not stand the strange head sculpt. I created a custom figure using the Power of the Jedi (25 Anniversarry "Swing to Freedom") Leia head sculpt on the VOTC body and I like that a lot more.





LUKE SKYWALKER: TATOOINE FARMBOY I loved the advance photos I saw of the VOTC Luke back in 2004. But when the actual figure hit, I was disappointed: A sub-standard face sculpt, stubby legs, a bizzare hip articulation that made for a strange stance, and a soft-goods tunic that was ill-fitting.

Well, I tailored the robe for a better fit, I did some surgery on the legs, and I replaced the head with the Power Of The Jedi (25th Anniversarry "Swing To Freedom") Luke. I was happy with the result.





R2-D2: Eventually Hasbro will make the Definitive Perfect R2-D2 with the R4-G9 sculpt that they released during the Revenge of the Sith line. Until then, I'll wait.


DARTH VADER: So far the version that everyone seems to agree is the BEST is the Evolutions Vader (and all of its re-issues) with the great articulation, removable helmet, and soft goods robe AND cape.

Respectfully, I disagree. I thought the torso on this figure was too thin and the arms too bulky (because of the added articulation). The armor was VERY sloppily cast and warped, and the low-quality fabric used to make his "poofy" cape and robes had such a large weave that in the 3-3/4 inch scale, it looked more like a burlap sack. Also, the mask and helmet were simply too small to represent what we saw in the films. Vader's mask and helmet should be proportionately HUGE. Of course, Hasbro depicted the removable mask trick as a two-stage head gear, rather than the correct three-stage.

I won't go into all of the separate parts that I used to make MY version of (Return of the Jedi) Darth Vader, but they came from no less than 11 different figures.

My version has super-articulation, the correct body-proportions, full-length soft-goods robe and cape, AND a 3 stage mask and helmet combo.







IMPERIAL STORMTROOPER: Everyone likes the SA VOTC version. Me? I'm not too crazy about it. The torso yellows pretty quickly, and so you end up with the limbs being a brighter white than the body. The chest articulation point (in my view) is awkward and unnecessary. It just gives the figure a wonky, lanky stance. My vote for BEST Imperial Stormtrooper so far is the 30 Anniversarry Collection Tantive IV Battle Pack Stormie (Re-pack of Evolutions Sandtrooper with clean deco and no Sandtrooper gear).

He's bright white. He's got tons of articulation (without the weird chest articulation) and he's been adjusted in the pelvis to have a slightly wider stance to his legs. I think it makes him look tough and ready for action.

A GREAT figure!



BEN OBI-WAN Kenobi So far, no definitive version from Hasbro. 2001's Power of the Jedi head sculpt is the best one so far in my view. but that's about it.

I made my own version and here he is. Full SA articulation, soft-goods robe and sash.




BOBA FETT: You can't go wrong with the all-new Evolutions Fett (from ESB). Great figure.



EMPEROR PALPATINE: Still no definitive version from Hasbro so I made this guy with SA articulation and soft-goods sash and hooded robe.





YODA: VOTC version had nice articulation, but it missed the mark MAJORLY on the LOOK of the character. And all versions since have looked NOTHING like Yoda. I thought Hasbro offered the very BEST Yoda likeness way back in 1995 during the Power of the Force II line. Beautiful sculpt!

I combined that head with the VOTC body and accessories, and the 1980 vintage Kenner cloth robe, and this little guy was the result.






JAWA: Still waiting on a really good version of this character. The TAC version with the LIN droid was okay, but he was strangely proportioned and shaped. A bit pea-headed too. I actually like the look of the OTC Jawa (re-packaged from 1999's "Comm-Tech" line) better overall.. But ultimately, I'd like to see an SA Jawa wearing a soft-goods robes and separate bandoliers.

[grayhank]

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[BlackKnight]

I love this Figure !

[huedell]

Wow darklord---what can I say?

Because of your deft work there it almost warrants
making this thread a sticky!

Probably more comments/questions later---right now, I'm beat!

[darklord1967]

Hey DL - love the Vader! Excellent job there - as are the rest.

I just wanted to point out that Tarkin has been done at least 4 times now. POTF2 was the first. The 2nd was the ROTS Governor Tarkin, and the 3rd and best IMHO being the one from the Briefing Room Multi-Pack. This one is actually a repaint of the ROTS Governor Tarkin but because of the repaint job he appears older; making him more true to form. The 4th Tarkin of course is from the comic packs.

Also, the recent Emperor from Target's 2nd line of Order 66 packs is pretty darn definitive IMHO. He is in fact a reissue of the Evolutions Sith Pack version but with a new paint job, making him look all the more menacing. He has fully articulated shoulders, arms, wrists, knees, feet etc. The biggest fault he has is two of his fingers are painted a darker gray for some reason. Other than this I don't see how Hasbro could improve him any better.

http://a310.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...61b7580e2d.jpg

Thanks a million for the compliment on my work Grayhank. Greatly appreciated!

Good catch on the Tarkin figures. I had so thoroughly ignored the ROTS Tarkin release that I had forgotten about it, AND its subsequent re-use twice.

Since the uniform of that figure is sculpted as the CAPTAIN Tarkin we saw at the end of ROTS and NOT the Grand Moff we saw in ANH (major differences), and since his face-sculpt was so cartoony in appearence, he was completely off my radar.

The Evolutions-based Emperor Palpatine IS a good figure with nice articulation, but as I said before, I'm ridiculously nit-picky:

I re-used virtually all of the articulation points of THAT figure's limbs to create my custom Palpatine. So, I was certainly grateful to him for that.

But to my eyes, The Evolutions Palpatine figure represents the character more accurately during his younger Revenge of the Sith days (as more of an "action character" who battles Yoda, etc.) I just don't believe he resembles the ultimately evil elder statesman that is seen in Return of the Jedi with the (deceptively) frail appearance. There are two reasons for this:

1) The anatomy and stance of the Evolutions figure is incorrect to represent an older frail-looking evil wizard. There is no hunch to the shoulders, and no upward straining of the neck (caused by wearing the heavy robe and hood.

2) The material used to create the soft-goods robe and sash for the Evo-based Palpy is of inferior quality. It has a weave that is FAR too large for a figure of this scale. The fabric is so thin and light, it is virtually see-through. It has an inappropriate sheen that comes off as too "glitzy". And it is so "poofy" and out of control that it does not appear to have the "weight" of the Return of the Jedi robe. Instead, it looks more like a robe caught fluttering in mid-air during his climactic duel with Yoda in Revenge of the Sith... even when he's standing still.

Don't get me wrong. I think the Evolutions-based Palpatine is a VERY nice figure. Hasbro did a nice job.

I just think that by itself, and un-touched, this figure falls a little off the mark in terms of resembling the character as he appeared in EP VI.

[huedell]

darklord---I apologize for the laziness in my reply posts to you here--
but I will say that your posts in this thread are nothing short of AWESOME

I admire your resolve in making the perfect figures for all these classic characters
---I especially like how you put the kibosh on all that bulk that the soft stuff can add
I hate excess bulk in any kind of figure, whatta buzzkill for scale

[darklord1967]

No apologies necessary, good buddy!

I just hope that I can do my part to point you in the right direction of getting the VERY BEST representations of these characters in your collection... OR at the very least putting together the very best versions on your own (with some minimal effort I might add).

A few of my customs are really not too tough to make.

I'll post my picks (and pics) for the best verions of some supporting characters from ANH and main characters from Empire next.

Comin' right up...

[huedell]

YES---darklord--I do find this extremely helpful---all the descriptions of what
makes a certain figure better/worse in tandem with the closeup pix are just great---

(although even the easiest customs DO seem daunting!)

---and because the SW franchise and what HASBRO does with it is such a hot topic-
if this isn't a sticky, you can bet I'll be bumping it every so often if only
for your input into the thread---very nice!

and that's not to discount you other's help too---all the input from EVERYONE is
making this shape up into one heck of a "Modern Toys" thread!

[darklord1967]

SUPPORTING ACTION FIGURE CHARACTERS FROM EP IV: A NEW HOPE (Referencing the 8 characters from the Vintage Kenner line)


GREEDO: The Saga Vintage Collection version of this guy has my vote as the best. He's got the best overall articulation and sculpt. There is one problem: This figure suffers from what I like to call "half-a-jaw-itis". That's where the jaw is cut off in an unsightly way to make-way for a ball-jointed neck.

Look, Greedo should have a large noggin, and a narrow neck. For that reason, my pick for the best head sculpt for greedo goes to the OTC version with the (more appropriate) swivel neck. I combined the neck hole and head sculpt from OTC Greedo to the SAGA Vintage version for (what I considered) a perfect figure.

The removable cloth felt vest here is a little long, but I think it's at least better than the bulky molded rubber one from the OTC release. I suggest carefully trimming the cloth vest along the bottom. Trim the bulky seams on the inside. Then soak the vest in water thoroughly, and press it with an iron (through a blotter barrier) to flatten it. It will look great once its on the figure.


HAMMERHEAD (aka MOMAW NADON): No better version exists than the excellent SAGA II release from 2006. One of those rare perfect figures.


WALRUS MAN (aka PONDA BABA): The nicest verson is still the POTF II sculpt (which still holds up in my view). But Hasbro is likely to update him soon so stay tuned...

SNAGGLETOOTH: (aka Zutton): During 2001's Power of the Jedi line, Hasbro provided us with a really nice "short" Zutton in reddish suit. This figure is really based on the character that was seen in the STAR WARS TV Holiday Special. As an homage to the vintage Kenner "tall" Snaggletooth error, Hasbro re-released a tall blue-clad version of Zutton as part of a K-Mart exclusive Cantina Bar Set 3-pack.

Both figures are nice to have.


DEATH STAR DROID (aka RA-7): So far Hasbro has only tried this figure with the POTF II sculpt (originally a fan-club exclusive). It's been re-released several times, most-recently as last year's "Legends" line.

NONE of hasbro's versions are of the chrome version of this droid seen in the Sandcrawler (they released one that has a strange brass colored paint-job).

The good news is that the original POTF II version (which is painted black like the droid actually seen on the Death Star) is actually chrome underneath!! Yes!!!

Simply take a cotton ball and some nail polish remover and carefully remove the black paint, and you'll have a nice modern version of the vintage Kenner DSD.



POWER DROID (aka EG-6): Light years ahead of Kenner's vintage "box with legs", Hasbro's EG-6 (in all of it's different releases and variants) is an excellent figure.

This figure originally was offered as a pack-in with 1999's Commtech Jawa.


R5-D4: We had a pretty F-UGLY "false start" with this little droid during the POTF II line. It was called "Attack R5-D4". His body would split in half, and he had a launching missile inside... Don't ask.

Anyway, HAsbro redeemed themselves BIG-TIME with 2006's excellent SAGA R5-D4. A virtually perfect figure. Three panels at the back of his body were not painted in red (as they should have been). Otherwise perfect.


LUKE SKYWALKER: X-Wing Fighter Pilot: Sigh... so close!! The Saga Vintage version is the best, but I personally do not like the head / face sculpt. Warped, soft details, lousy paint... ugh!!

Let me just say that as far as HUMAN MAIN CHARACTERS are concerned, I don't think Hasbro has ever done a better job than the Power of the Jedi line. Beautiful CLEAN, sharply-detailed sculpts with perfect paint deco.

These are the sculpts I like to use REPEATEDLY for ALL versions of my main characters REGARDLESS of which film they are supposed to be from.

Now, I get a lot of flak from collectors in the STAR WARS community. I constantly hear, "Nice Jedi Luke, but his face is too young... blah, blah, blah"

Just look at it this way: I make my custom figures the same way Hasbro made their initial re-launch of the STAR WARS line with Power of the Force II: ONE face sculpt for all versions of that character... regardless of which film he/she is from. Period. End of story.

Now... having said all that, I prefer to use my favorite Luke head sculpt (POTJ 25th Anniversarry "Swing to Freedom") on ALL of my custom Luke figures... certainly THIS X-Wing Pilot version.