Along with the first wave of Force Link 2.0 figures, the April 13th Solo product release date also saw the return of the wildly popular Vintage Collection after a hiatus of almost five years. Featuring phenomenal articulation and fantastic accessories, the Vintage Collection represented the very pinnacle of the 3 3/4" line, and I - like many fans - am thrilled beyond words to have it back. My picks from this line will be somewhat selective. When it comes to newer characters (i.e., those from the prequel, sequel, and standalone films) I tend to make my purchases from the main movie line as something of a 'time-capsule' of that particular era of figures. For this reason, my Vintage Collection hunt list will be focused on original trilogy and Expanded Universe characters. There was one figure in the first wave of new Vintage figures that fit this bill - and that filled a glaring omission in my collection thus far - the Hoth Rebel Trooper.
This trooper proved somewhat elusive, being that he's both (1) highly desirable to fans of the original trilogy, and (2) a great army builder (meaning that most collectors will tend to buy multiple). After some hunting, however, I managed to track one down at a Gamestop of all places. The Hoth Rebel Trooper encapsulates everything that's great about the Vintage Collection line. Featuring a wonderful fourteen points of articulation, two blasters, a working holster, and removable headgear and backpack, there isn't much more you could expect from a plastic representation of this character. The sculpt and paint app are - as always - on-point, and there's even some soft goods to add an extra sense of quality to the figure.
Hoth-themed figures have been getting a lot of love over recent years, including the wonderful Imperial Probe Droid and Wampa figures I picked up over the last few months. The Hoth Rebel Trooper will look great alongside these other recent additions!
