AT-RT Driver
Back when the images for the sixth wave of figures from the Star Wars Vintage Collection were posted online, I knew that the AT-RT Driver would be on my short list of figures to get, because the improvements made on this release include a removable helmet, better articulation and a revamped paint job.
The AT-RT Driver is a completely new mold based on the digital character models seen briefly in Revenge of the Sith. The sculpted detail in this new figure is arguably closer to the on-screen troopers appearance than that of the AT-RT Drivers released in 2005, as evidenced by the lighter and more streamlined armor design.
The head under the helmet is a new sculpt made in the likeness to actor Temuera Morrison, and is actually very good, but it also appears to suffer from the same malady as the removable helmet figures made of Clone Commander Cody, meaning his head looks way too small next to the more common clone heads.
The AT-RT Driver was given the whole ultra-articulated treatment with:
• Pegged hinge shoulders.
• Pegged hinge elbows.
• Swiveling wrists.
• Floating torso.
• Pegged hinge hips.
• Pegged hinge knees.
• Pegged hinge ankles.
Unfortunately, the armor design on these troopers actually limits a good deal of the articulation range. The shoulder hinges have their range reduced because lately, Hasbro designers have been hiding the joint disks by encasing them in plastic almost completely during the injection process.
On the limb joints like elbows, knees and ankles, the edges of the armor are so close together that it is difficult to approximate a 45 degree flex without abusing the inherent flexibility of the material.
Now, generally speaking, the way the hip articulation is implemented works best when there is not a definite front for the thigh piece, as sitting poses require the rotation of the thigh and then you adjust the position of the knee swiveling the joint to your liking, but for armored figures it can become rather tricky to do so.
On the AT-RT Driver, the knee indentation on the back of the thigh is so deep that it becomes rather futile to try and sit the figure in any way but with the legs completely extended. Since I don’t have an AT-RT to see how it’d work with this figure, I’d rather give it the benefit of the doubt, but it still seems like an oversight.
On a much more positive note, the figure looks fantastic. The torso is molded in a muted green plastic hue, while the limbs seem to be made from a sandy /tan plastic, and of course, the head is made from flesh colored material.
The paint operations on the AT-RT Driver are fairly minimal and neatly applied, with the face paint apps being particularly effective in its portrayal of a miniature clone trooper. One rather interesting aspect was that the lower leg sections were painted entirely in a light gray color, which surprised me because you’d think that molding those sections in the correct hue would have been cheaper, but Who am I to argue the results?
The AT-RT Driver comes with his helmet, a small armored backpack, a long blaster rifle and a shorter grenade launcher that has a rubber strap to hang it on the figure.
The helmet is extremely nice and fits over the head very well. It is molded in the same sandy hue as the limbs, but has additional details picked out in white and green.
Both the weapons are molded in black, rubbery plastic, with a few silver accents painted on. The backpack color matches that of the torso, with only a big black H for decoration.
Even with the unexpected articulation issues, and the slightly under scaled noggin, the AT-RT Driver turned out to be a rather nice figure to have, and one I might even consider to pick an additional copy or two to round up a squad.
Errex Score: 88/100
Category: Featured, Star Wars, Toy Reviews
I have not done much collecting of these newer SWROTS figures. However, this AT-RT driver is really a nice looking unit. I think the color scheme of green and tan is quite striking in contrast while still remaining functional for a scout clone.
Please tell me if you know what information such as name and numbers etc… I would need to find them. I think three to five would form a good scout unit, and if memory serves there were some of these chaps working with Obi-Wan and Anakin in one of the recent Star Wars the Clone Wars episodes. I have some of those figures of Obi-Wan and Anakin, and they might mix well as a diorama of that episode. This was a great presentation and the images are excellent. Is the figure in the next to the last image, where he is sitting cross-legged, is that possible, or did you have to dislocate the joints? In any case, well done.
Hi, I don’t have more info on the AT-RT corps, other than they appeared in the last movie. I guess the ARF troopers from the CW series would be like, their predecessors as a recon unit, but I have no hard facts on that.
The figure in the picture you mention is sitting normally, joints intact. You’ll notice that the knees can’t bend more than is shown, due to the armor design.