New JD Review: VTSC Sand People (Tusken Raider)

[Reid]

                                                             
Good review Jesse. Can't wait 'til mine arrives in the mail. Read Full Review Here!

[Jesse James]

Yuppers, this week we are taking an in-depth look-see at the new Vintage Saga Collection: Sand People (Tusken Raider)

figure.
Clicky button, Ready Review...

So what makes this guy great?  A number of things really...  But not the price.  If there's one constant flaw in the "Vintage" deluxe line, it's a $10+ pricetag that really kills the joy any collector must feel opening these rockin' figures up... 

That said, you do get the most Star Wars figure you ever have gotten for your money with these.  The Tusken here features the weakest articulation in this 5-figure set this year, and if this is the worst than consider yourself blessed because the Sand Person is fantastically poseable.  The elbow joints are his only real weak spot.

Some loathe softgoods, but I find this figure's to be among the best and my review details why...  It's also nice to see 2 pack-in weapons as opposed to just the pike.  The rifle's a nicely painted weapon too, and I've got my Tusken sniping away with it.

This is a figure Hasbro could repaint and re-release again and again in the line, and I'd be dumb enough to buy it again and again.   It's the army builder in the VTSC line that's flying under the radar.  You'll want a couple trust me, and you'll maybe want to replace your previous sculpts with this guy.  It's just a fun figure to play with, so enjoy the review and drop your thoughts here with us too.

[Angry Ewok]

What a beautiful figure. Great review, and great photos, too...

I hate to say it, but at times I get depressed after reading your reviews of this line, just because I know I'll really, really want to buy not just one of the better rated figures, but multiples of the same... It's just a travesty in my mind is that these figures are so expensive.

It sucks to have been waiting for this sort of quality from Hasbro since '97 or so, and when they finally hit that mark where some figures are truly near-perfect... I can't afford to pick it up.

Here's to hoping that they end up repacking this very nice figure onto a cheaper card!

[Jesse James]

Amen...

Drop the coat even as cloth does spike cost a bit...  It's costlier to include and things due to sewing it and such, but this figure looks great without the cloak on, and really it's a whole other figure... 

I figure when I see them, If I have a couple bucks (well, $10 or more), I'll pick one up...  But when you figure that's like 1/3 of a tank of gas then you really have to be cautious...  I try to only buy extras right now here and there, and when I'm sure I have the extra $ and nothing else I need more...  Buying is a really weird thing now with items like these, where I'm weighing my purchase a lot more...  I'm thinking to myself, "hmmm, extra Tusken or do I want to really hold on incase I see something else I want more at some point?".  It sucks but when a figure's $10+ you have to think that way.

With scouts I'm not as deep in thought to make a decision.  I know I want it in droves, but for the Sand Person I really want it but I know I don't need/want as many as the Scout so I'm pacing myself more on these.

[Darth_Anton]

This figure continues to exceed expectations. It seems every time I look at it, I'm still amazed at how well it looks, and when I play with it (pose etc...) it seems to be able to do something new. My only gripe is the Gaffie stick, it's definitely under-scaled.

[Roton7]

Indeed he is a very ncie figure, I just scored mine last weekend. I haven't tried the sniping pose yet, I'll have to try that one soon.

[Jesse James]

For sniping, I actually have found that a little part swapping helps...  What I do is pop the forearms off, and swap them (and of course swap the hands appropriately then as well).  The key though is moving the right forearm to the left, and the left forearm to the right...

The figure holds a MUCH better sniping position then, so if you want to run with something different for that weapon, that's the route to go.  The limbs/wrists popped right off on my figure, no boiling, so give it a go.

[ruiner]

This is the sleeper figure of the bunch IMO.  I must admit, I really dig this guy.  Aside from the angle cut elbows - I think he's very cool and have accumulated six of these guys.

Great review BTW!

[Jesse James]

I think something that hurts this figure's popularity is the sheer number of Tuskens out there...  There's like 3 repaints of the POTJ Sniper sculpt, there's the headless Saga one, there's POTF2 and his Bantha riding counterpart, and there is now a nicely articulated one...  Most of us bought the past ones in bulk though.

I like the figure though...  It's nice that even the Vintage's "worst" are still better than anything in the basic line (for the most part).    I love this one's gauzey robes too...  I think Hasbro picked the best softgoods ever on this figure. 

[Roton7]

I think one of the reasons it isn't selling too well is that if you aren't one of us that has been seeing loose pics of him for months, the only view you see is a boring cape/cloak thing since that's all you can see in the packaging.

I'm actually growing tired of him. The elbows really keep super cool poses out of this guy's league.

[Oboewan]

I don't know.. I really like the figure.. don't get me wrong but the dang right forearm continues to pop off whenever I try to pose at all... even when I first tried to get the Gaffi stick in his right hand... pop!  off comes the forearm.

Maybe I should try switching them around and see if the reverese forearm stays attached better.

Sigh...

Oboewan

[Smartypants1635]

Put a small dab of super glue in the whole. Replace the arm, and move the forarm around in the joint so the glue does not harden and freeze it, the glue will harden on the peg but the peg will not stick to the whole if you keep moving it till its all dry. By doing this the arm will have a stiffer joint and won't pop out as easy, hope this helped.

Adam

[obi-dad]

Another great review Jesse.   The main problem I have with this figure is that for me it makes all the old Sand People obsolete.   If I finally make a diorama with the Tusken standing over Luke on the rocks, that's one thing.  But  if I stood this one with it's cool cloth robe (and I don't usually like soft goods, but this one really works), the other ones look more like plastic toys now.