Dioramas, Dioramas, Dioramas...

And also gaming...  And just how great they look lined up.

OK, that's a few reasons I guess, but basically I have an love for the military aspect of the films, and lean towards that in my collecting then I suppose.  Star Wars is a rich fictional military background...  It's something that is expressed not only in the films, but in video games, books, the RPG, comics, the Miniatures Battles game, and the action figures.

I like to make a permanent diorama from time to time, but I also like the idea of the ability to flesh a diorama out "on the fly", just making it up as I go...  Maybe utilizing the weather, or a natural outdoor setting like a small creek at just the right time.  A lot of good army builders are fun for that.

When I was a kid, army building was fun with the G.I. Joe line because you could have some kickass playing around when you had a small army of Vipers, or Cobra Soldiers to fight your heroes in the Joe line...  Flint always kicked some rear as I recall (Decked out in Han's trenchcoat of course).  

I think a lot of folks just like the looks of a lineup of Rebels, or Imperials...  Customizers take it another step by making some diversity in the ranks for realism, but either way it's an additional way to own a bit of Star Wars...  And own it over and over and over in some cases.  My stormie army is over 100 now, and they look great together.  

I'm just antsy for Hasbro to crank out some good army builders for figures that haven't had a really good poseable army builder made yet.  The Hoth Rebel's probably at the top of that list...  I'd put either a new SA Endor Rebel or SA Rebel Fleet Trooper as 2nd for the Rebels.  For the Imperials almost ANY figure needs made SA at this point...  Snowtroopers, Sandtroopers, Stormtroopers, Biker Scouts, Officers, Death Star Troopers, Gunners...  They all could use a SA version I think.

I hope the SA Clone was just the start of something great from Hasbro.  So far it's a one-time-only deal it seems, but I have hopes that this figure's instant popularity spawns some other SA, or near SA figures that are just that "perfect".

Me=agrees with Jesse James

I love setting them up in formation,and making battles.I make senarios and have some fun!My friends(who are into military/star wars)get into it to.

Infact,I do this with real world armies too.I just wish BBi or 21st would give us some non battle attire,you know?Marines especially.

Yep, it's all about the dioramas.  My armies have grown through leaps and bounds over the past few years.  I like to line them up in movie-esque dioramas similar to niubniub does at his site (I started the diorama kick in late 1995).

Anyway, here's a rundown as close to as accurate as possible on my army-builders:

IMPERIALS

POTF2 Commtech Stormtrooper - 150
SAGA Stormtrooper Concept - 4
POTJ Sandtrooper (dirty)- 10
POTJ Sandtrooper (clean) - 8
POTJ Scout Trooper (dirty) - 12
POTJ Scout Trooper (clean) - 6
SAGA Snowtrooper - 10
POTF2 Snowtrooper - 10
POTF2 Deluxe Snowtrooper - 4
SAGA Imperial Officer - 20
POTJ Imperial Officer - 10
POTF2 Imperial Gunner - 10
POTF2 Death Star Trooper - 10
POTF2 TIE Pilot - 10
SAGA Royal Guard - 12
SAGA Dignitary #1 - 6
SAGA Dignitary #2 - 6
POTF2 AT-ST Driver - 10
POTJ R2Q5 - 4
POTF2 Death Star Droid - 2
POTF2 Captain Piett - 6
Custom Imperial Technician - 2
SAGA Imperial 4pk - 4  

That's just a start, my darn Seperatist Army has over 75 red Battle Droids, 20 Super Droids, 20 Destroyers, etc.

Yikes I spend a lot of dough on this stuff...

 

I army build for the dioramas, and it looks really awesome when 8 ARC Troopers are set up or 6 super articulated Clones or both set up together. I have 56 Clone Troopers, by far my biggest army, with Battle Droids being second with 21 of those. 7 Super battle droids, 7 Droidekas, 6 Sandtroopers (need more of these), 6 Endor soldiers, and some little Hoth armies. All of these are in dioramas or displays, and they look "outstanding".

That's why I army build. Plus the kids need armies when they play with them.