The Hunt Is On - Force Link 2.0 3 3/4" Trooper Pack Found

While I have a pretty broad focus when it comes to 3 3/4" figures, I've always been a sucker for trooper variants. Given this, I was incredibly excited to hear that Target would be stocking an exclusive trooper pack featuring half-a-dozen Imperial soldiers from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Mine finally arrived this week, and has quickly become one of my favourite offerings from Hasbro in the modern era.


Featuring six figures in total (including four new brand new figures - three of which are character debuts) this pack is every army-builder's dream come true. The clear highlight of the pack is Mudtrooper Han - a wonderfully sculpted figure that features a cape, blaster rifle, removable goggles, and a breathing mask that clips ever-so-pleasingly onto Han's face. In fact, the goggles and mask fit so well that the figure can easily (once its face is covered) double as a generic Mudtrooper - perfect for those planning on purchasing more than one of these sets. In fact, the additional Imperial Mudtrooper that comes with the pack appears to be exactly this: the Han figure with the goggles and breathing mask permanently glued into place, along with a slightly different paint scheme and a modified rifle.

The third character debut in this pack is the Imperial Patrol Trooper. While only a blink-and-you'll-miss-him character from the film, he's still a highly desirable addition for any Star Wars military completionist like myself. Though not posed in a particularly dynamic way, he still comes with a sidearm that slips nicely into the working holster at his hip.

Also included is a repack of the Mimban Stormtrooper from Wave 1 of the Force Link 2.0 line. Like the Rangetrooper in the "Mission on Vandor-1" pack, this is an excellent choice of repack - being a character that many collectors struggled to find during its single-carded release. In fact, since managing to nab one straight off the shelf-stockers trolley on release day, I've yet to see another Mimban Stormtrooper in the wild.

While technically a new figure, the fifth addition to the pack - the Stormtrooper Squad Leader - is a clever kitbash of the body of the Mimban Stormtrooper and the head and pauldron from the Rogue One Stormtrooper. What this gives us, however, is possibly the nicest, crispest sculpt of a stormtrooper that we've ever seen in the 3 3/4" line. Sure, he only has seven points-of-articulation (POA) - but as a display piece, he's second-to-none.

Rounding out the pack is a simple 5POA TIE pilot. He doesn't have a whole lot going for him, and most collectors will already own this character in a much more highly-articulated form. That being said, he features a heightened level of detailing that sets him apart from previous releases, and still makes him incredibly useful as diorama filler.

My hope is that this pack sells well (at least, much better than Target's last straight-to-clearance 3 3/4" exclusive) and sends the right kind of message to Hasbro that we need plenty more packs like this!

Title of Jon Favreau's Live-Action TV Series Announced as The Mandalorian

Today StarWars.com announced the title of Jon Favreau's upcoming live-action TV Series as The Mandalorian, and gave us our first glimpse from the set - and potentially of the main protagonist.

(Image courtesy of StarWars.com)

The announcement came shortly after Favreau Instagrammed the following brief synopsis of the show:
After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.
The series will be written and executive produced by Favreau, with Dave Filoni (of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels fame) directing the first episode. Other episodes will be directed by Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, Bryce Dallas Howard, and - most excitingly - my fellow Kiwi Taika Waititi.

Ever since falling in love with Firefly, I've been dying to see a western set in the Star Wars universe. I'm incredibly excited that this show might just give us that!

How about you? What are your thoughts on this announcement? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

The Hunt Is On - Force Link 2.0 "Mission On Vandor-1" Pack Found

Ever since Disney took over the Star War franchise, it's been tradition for Hasbro to release a 3 3/4" figure pack to coincide with the home video release of each new film. Unfortunately, the figure selections in these packs has often been highly questionable. The first pack (the Force Awakens' "Takodana Encounter" Pack) bundled the exclusive - and highly desirable - Maz Kanata with three straight repacks. Further, these repacks are usually of unique characters (like Jyn in the "Jedha Revolt" pack and Rey in the "Battle on Crait" pack) that collectors already own, and that aren't required in duplicate. This time, however, Hasbro have done everything right.


The Force Link 2.0 3 3/4" Mission on Vandor-1 four-pack - released to accompany the home video release of Solo - features three brand new (and highly desirable) figures. First up is train-heist Han, who comes complete with a blaster pistol, working holster, fur coat, and the most adorable pair of goggles you ever did see. Best of all, he features a surprising nine points-of-articulation - only three less than many of the figures in the premium 3 3/4" lines. Next up is Qi'ra, making her first action figure appearance in one of her adult outfits. The figure is a superb likeness of Emilia Clarke, and also comes with a sidearm and working holster. Interestingly, though, the figure eschews Qi'ra's screen-accurate mini-skirt and tights in favour of a far more 70s-esque pair of slacks. While never actually seen in Solo, this outfit is, in fact, the very one worn by Qi'ra in the animated Forces of Destiny episode "Triplecross".

But the real star of this pack is Weazel. Ever since my first viewing of Solo, I've been hoping to assemble the whole of Enfys Nest's Coud-Riders gang in action figure form. Weazel is a first step towards this. Sculpted with a gorgeous crispness - and featuring pleasing little details like the two additional rockets strapped to his waist - Weazel is everything you could want in a figure. He, unlike the other three figures, also comes packed with two weapons: a rocket launcher and blaster pistol. Further, his diminutive height makes the reduced articulation makes little-to-no-difference to his poseability.

The single repack in this set is the Rangetrooper from Wave 1 of the Force Link 2.0 line. But this is as it should be. Nobody minds duplicate troopers - especially when the initial release of this figure was hard to track down for many collectors.

All up, this stands out as Hasbro's best home video pack to date. Featuring the perfect blend of characters - and a wise choice of a repack - it should be an easy sell for anyone collecting 3 3/4" figures.