Except from the writings within the product box :
The Empire encompassed thousands of worlds, with countless climate and terrain challenges. Their stormtrooper ranks reflected this through specialized units trained and equipped to operate in specific environments. The sandtrooper is a desert terrain stormtrooper. Their armor consists of an 18-piece anti-blaster coccon shell with heat-reflective coating worn over a temperature-control body glove. The sandtrooper helmet features automatic polarized lensed, a built-in comlink and breathing filters. These stormtroopers are specifically designed for high temperature environments. Instead of depending on machinery that may not function in hostile environments, sandtroppers make use of local creatures for transportation. The stormtrooper detachment dispatched by Lord Vader to investigate a crashed escape pod on Tatooine just prior to the Battle of Yavin consisted of sandtroopers. They had heavy weapons, survivor gear, and shoulder pauldrons denoting rank.
This is the one Star Wars character I owned every 1/6 versions ever made till date. The first being Hasbro/Kenner we have a clunky clumsy looking Sandtrooper that fits right into a Robot Chicken video.
Then there is the top of the range Marmit Sandtrooper (2001). Some assembly and heating up the plastic armour, so as to fit into the body, will be necessary. Some skills require but when done, it blew the Hasbro version out of the water. But it is not without flaws with restricted articulations and armor looking plasticky. Proportion though is about perfect. If I am not wrong, Marmit releases all colored Pouldron - Standard 3 colors of Orange, White and Black - including the fabled Grey... but is never confirmed and debatable.
The Japanese Medicom Toys made their version in 2007. It was exclusive to Wonderfest if not wrong. It is a nice little figure but "abit short for a Sandtrooper". Standard Medicom RAH body about 11"ish tall and not too impressive. I feel the helmet is a little off being slightly ovalish instead of rounded. However if physical size is right, it is slightly better than Marmit's. 6yrs later after Marmit, expectation need to be higher. Only an Orange Pouldron version is released.
There was a post of this Medicom RAH Sandtrooper and Marmit version in this very Red6 blog. Click on HERE.
2 years later in 2009, Sideshow does theirs (this blog entry). Finally we have the right Sandtrooper. Proportion, sculpting, articulations, accessories are all very good. Only the Painting department fell short with substandard "weathering" and dirt patches that looks like camouflage. Armor still seems like "swimming" around the body. To solve this probably will need a padded body suit which will then limit articulations. At this time, there is no best of both worlds solution. Sideshow released all 3 standard colored and another Sandtrooper in 2011 that includes both White and Grey pouldrons. This figure release is meant for Sideshow's 1/6 Dewback. The only company that covers all 4 colors pouldron although it was eventually confirmed Grey pouldron never existed in the film. color reflection on screen causes the illusion exactly like Han's Navy Blue Hoth winter parka is actually Brown.
These Sideshows troopers are still good for the shelf after all these years.
Hot Toys finally joined the party in 2016 releasing their own version of a Squad Leader Sandtrooper (Orange). Comparing to Sideshow's version, it have better base body, better sculpting - ever so slightly, better armor fitting, more accessories and at about 2x the price. In 2023/24, Hot Toys announced its very own Dewback and an opportunity HT grab to "re-release" the Sandtrooper in White Pouldron. I contemplated Pre-ordering the new Sandtrooper but held it off giving my Sideshow brethren their due acknowledgement.
Prices of Sideshow's Sandtroopers have remain stable only surge from the couple of years after it release. With Hot Toys version coming on, prices drop further. I got this one used, together with the Black Pouldron trooper, for SGD100 each in Oct 2022. That is exactly 6yrs after getting my HT Orange version. So that completes the 3 standard Pouldron colors and that is the intention.
But I have held off these Sideshow Storm/Sandtroopers because the chest armor seem to flare out at both ends that made the armor looks really huge from the front. I want to close an eye but can't. So I heat it up with a hairdryer and make sure it is really heat up and maleable, pinched it down the sides. Glad I did that as it now looks much much MUCH better, armor hug the body more naturally.
Set does not include Monocular which picture depicted is borrowed from their HT comrade for posing purpose. White Pouldron being rank Sergeant does not need this equipment and to come without cause no fuss. It does comes with a standard E-11 Stormtrooper blaster and another heavier BlasTech RT-97c Heavy Blaster Rifle. There are other essentials like the backpack and pouches but these are considered part of the Sandtrooper setup ie the necessities to become a recognized Sandtrooper. Lastly, an extra pair of hands - a semi pointing right and a natural relax left.
Here we have molded pouches that I have a love and hate thing about. Love it that it is done in a decent way looks authentic enough and with proper painting and matte coating it will be really good. Unfortunately the paint works left much to be desired. Not the worst but can be much better. Sew pouches (HT) will be my preferred way but real leather, that will be long lasting to forever, is simply not heeded by manufacturer. We have temporally aesthetic pleasure with pleather pouches until it breakdown and crumble to pieces in as quickly as a year or two timeframe. Accelerated by the hot, humid weather in Singapore.
Overall this is a good figure that stood the sands of time, to me at least. But the heat-up-pinch-chest-armor to clip it nearer to the side of the torso is a MUST to do. Weathering is a little over the top and it did not do enough to ruin the figure but just. A sign of old age is felt at the ankle articulation that Sideshow use the same design as the wrist pegs. A ball and socket joint wasn't even invented - on 1/6 figure joints - back then, I assume. This is felt when an attempted wider stance can't get the feet flushed to the ground or pose in a natural way. No sophisticated pose as such.
With Hot Toys versions now out in the market, Sideshow's should become even more affordable. I will recommend this to collectors on a budget. It is still a very good figure considering its age. Collectors who modify figures will be able to elevate this trooper up a few notches just by swapping out the original Sideshow body with a newer, better articulated one. So I say, go for it when a cheap one floats by.
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