Bill takes photos of some of the Rogue One troopers in the six inch Black Series line including the Death Trooper, Hovertank Pilot, and the classic Stormtrooper.
In anticipation of the new movie, Rogue One troopers are the focus of this edition of Photographic Plastic.
Rogue One premieres this week, and to celebrate I decided to share some photos of my Rogue One troopers. With this first “Star Wars Story” Lucasfilm has introduced a number of new Imperial Troopers including the Death Trooper, Scarif Stormtrooper, and the Hovertank Pilot.
Army-Building
Army-building is a fun way to collect Star Wars figures. For me, hoarding troops is generally more affordable than completing sets. When my collecting goal is to acquire every figure in the line, I often end up paying more than I need to because I usually try to get them as they become available rather than waiting for the best price. Army-building on the other hand is much more flexible. There is no rush to get that second, third, or tenth Death Trooper. Part of the fun is waiting for a sale our coupon and then stocking up, maybe even tracking down loose lots on the secondary market. By freeing myself from “needing” every figure, the stress of collecting goes way down, and really, why should collecting be stressful? It is a hobby after all.
Another fun aspect of army-building is that it generally makes for a more epic display on the shelf. To me more interesting than one of each character lined up like a class photo, is Kylo Ren surrounded by a dozen First Order Stormtroopers.
The Figures
The two new figures for me here are the Death Trooper and the Hovertank Pilot. RetroZap! editor-in-chief Joe Tavano hooked me up with the Hovertank Pilot (thanks brother!). And I was able to grab a couple Death Troopers on sale from Amazon. Unfortunately, at the time of shooting these photos I had not yet found the Scarif Stormtrooper, so that particular photo shoot will have to wait till a later date. Hasbro seems to have brought back some better quality plastic, especially with the Hovertank Pilot, because these feel stiff and durable. I highly recommend them. And I think the Death Trooper is seeing repacks, so it could be this year’s Flame Trooper and warm some pegs. The other two classic Stormtroopers are from Phase I of the Black Series, and they make me hope Hasbro will do another run in a later Rogue One wave, since they are one of my favorite molds in the line. In fact, they make me wish every Black Series figure would come with double-jointed elbows. Quality figures all around.
Playing with these figures has got me pumped for Rogue One. By the time some of you read this you may even have seen it already. See you on the other side of the first Star Wars Story!
Enjoy the photos, and don’t forget to look me up @LostStarWars on Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit.
Rogue One Troopers
Born in 1976, Bill Drewnowski grew up surrounded by Star Wars, the likely reason for his love of a great story. Now a father living in New England, Bill teaches high school English, including courses in science fiction and fantasy. Bill enjoys collecting books, posters, action figures, trading cards (including a huge Magic the Gathering obsession), and of course all things Star Wars. His favorite book is Moby Dick by Herman Melville. You can follow Bill on Twitter @DorkLair and Instagram @TheDorkLair.