2023 TVC Troop Builder 212th Clone Trooper 4-Pack

[Rob]

I read something on IG yesterday about Hasbro saying it was meant to be whichever version is from Clone Wars… are we sure both are getting out or is it possible the final product just doesn’t match the press photos.

Tracking down a variant set of these would probably be a pain in the ass.

[Muftak]

Both are getting out. Earlier date stamps have no stripe while later ones have it painted. It remains to be seen which one will be more common, but my money is on the no stripe version being the hard to find one in the end.

There has also been a lot of QC issues with the helmets-- both in Waxer's unique tampos but more generally with the consistency of sizing. I have seen some very small deformed ones in pics.

[Mister Skeezler]

If there's never another removable helmet on a clone ever again, I'd be super happy.

[Rob]

Ugh… since one is technically ROTS and one is technically Clone Wars (yeah?) I’ll want to track down one set of each.

[Nicklab]

Someone in the TVC Facebook group was able to ID an earlier version of the 212th trooper 4-pack that didn't have the brow line.  And the later production run (from April IIRC) DID have the brow line.  I haven't ordered this set yet, and I might wait a little longer in the hopes of getting the version with the brow line.

As for the helmet?  For all of the advances we've seen in sculpting, and the push for a figure that's based on an actor in the physical costume, it's stunning that the removable helmets just don't look good on a figure in 2023.

[Mister Skeezler]

Someone in the TVC Facebook group was able to ID an earlier version of the 212th trooper 4-pack that didn't have the brow line.  And the later production run (from April IIRC) DID have the brow line.  I haven't ordered this set yet, and I might wait a little longer in the hopes of getting the version with the brow line.

As for the helmet?  For all of the advances we've seen in sculpting, and the push for a figure that's based on an actor in the physical costume, it's stunning that the removable helmets just don't look good on a figure in 2023.

Especially since they actually did a great job on the removable helmets on the Arc troopers. Those look pretty right to me. But I still want them to stop with the removable helmet thing for any clone that isn't Rex, or do a swappable head/helmet.

[Rob]

I got my first set today.  No black brow line. 


I’m hoping the running change is to add it and I can just wait a month or two and order a second one to get both versions.

[Matt_Fury]

I got my first set today.  No black brow line. 


I’m hoping the running change is to add it and I can just wait a month or two and order a second one to get both versions.

Mine has the black lines on the helmets, Rob.  I bet if you bought another set now it would have the change.

[Ryan]

I got my first set today.  No black brow line. 


I’m hoping the running change is to add it and I can just wait a month or two and order a second one to get both versions.

Mine has the black lines on the helmets, Rob.  I bet if you bought another set now it would have the change.

My set from Pulse that I ordered last week just arrived today, I also got the no brow line version. Date stamp is 30321.

It's weird, I still have yet to see the plain white Andor version so this is my first in-person experience with the new clone body. Overall it feels like a bit of a let-down. The body sculpt is GREAT, and I'm really happy with it. The helmet really just kills it. I think it is slightly better in person than the images I've seen, but it is still squished and the paint apps are off. Specific to the 212th set, the paint applications on my helmets is a bit sloppy. I've also noticed that the white doesn't match between the various casted and painted armor pieces.

These sets are a great concept, I just don't think the Hasbro team fully recognizes or understands their army-building potential. Waxer would have made a great repaint on a single card, but he feels like a wasted slot in the set.  If Hasbro had gotten the helmet and deco right here and swapped Waxer for a more generic clone like a 212th airborne trooper (like Matt suggested), a more generic unnamed squad leader, or even just a 4th grunt this set would have been out of the park and I'd have wanted multiples. My old 212th clones are all yellowing and dated. I wouldn't have minded replacing a bunch of them. As is, I'll probably will stick to one set, and maybe pick up a second to try and get the black line variant.

[Matt_Fury]

It's so weird that Hasbro can get the removable helmet so right with the Deluxe and Morak Boba Fetts, but so wrong with the Clone troopers  and Axe Woves.

[Mister Skeezler]

I got my first set today.  No black brow line. 


I’m hoping the running change is to add it and I can just wait a month or two and order a second one to get both versions.

Mine has the black lines on the helmets, Rob.  I bet if you bought another set now it would have the change.

My set from Pulse that I ordered last week just arrived today, I also got the no brow line version. Date stamp is 30321.

It's weird, I still have yet to see the plain white Andor version so this is my first in-person experience with the new clone body. Overall it feels like a bit of a let-down. The body sculpt is GREAT, and I'm really happy with it. The helmet really just kills it. I think it is slightly better in person than the images I've seen, but it is still squished and the paint apps are off. Specific to the 212th set, the paint applications on my helmets is a bit sloppy. I've also noticed that the white doesn't match between the various casted and painted armor pieces.

These sets are a great concept, I just don't think the Hasbro team fully recognizes or understands their Amry building potential. Waxer would have made a great repaint on a single card, but he feels like a wasted slot in the set.  If Hasbro had gotten the helmet and deco right here and swapped Waxer for a more generic clone like a 212th airborne trooper (like Matt suggested), a more generic unnamed squad leader, or even just a 4th grunt this set would have been out of the park and I'd have wanted multiples. My old 212th clones are all yellowing and dated. I wouldn't have minded replacing a bunch of them. As is, I'll probably will stick to one set, and maybe pick up a second to try and get the black line variant.

Yeah, I'm totally aligned with what you're saying here, and I'm in the same boat where I would have bought a ton of these if the helmets were normal (especially if they were non-removable or swappable) in many of the color configurations. Hell, I just bought a bunch of 501st on the spindly clone body and I'd still buy a few sets on this body if they offered straight up trooper packs with the helmet issue remedied.

[Jeff]

Back from my summer vacation and catching up on things.  Interesting that Hasbro did end up adding in the black line on the helmets. 

Like others have said though, this helmet sculpt kind of sucks or maybe it's just bad paint apps.  Either way, at $60 a pop I don't really have much desire to buy 4-5 of these sets to upgrade/replace my 2006 Saga Utapau army.  Hopefully they correct the helmets (or offer up a swappable helmet head) before they start going crazy with 501st and ShockTrooper repaints of this sculpt...

[Rob]

Well I waited a few weeks and ordered a second one of these and got the striped helmet version this time.  So, that worked out nicely.  I'm going to throw four of them into the Clone Wars section, and four of them into the ROTS section.

[Matt_Fury]

Glad that worked out for you Rob!

[Mister Skeezler]

I just received my first set too, and they're the correct versions with the black helmets. It may be my imagination, but it also seems like the helmets are slightly smaller than the white Andor clones. At any rate, I really wish they'd release an option without the commander, because I would probably buy a few more sets from time to time. We severely need an update to Cody though...he looks ridiculous with these new, superior clone sculpts.

I hate the fact that I'm wishing Hasbro would put a bunch of clone 4-pack options on Pulse...501st, Star Corps, 212th (without the commander), and the white clones.

The new clone body is also making me wish we could have an update to the Galactic Marines (and a redo of Captain Bacara), since the ones we have are absolute garbage. ****...it's 2023 and I'm suddenly interested in clones again.