Last week I was thinking about what new Clone Troopers I want to see, but that made me think about the fact than all of my Clones and Jedi have nobody to fight but each other! Now, it’s a cool part of Revenge of the Sith, but I certainly don’t want to be re-enacting order 66 all the time. I need some six inch scale, Hasbro Black Series Battle Droids for my clones to battle. Click through to read my top five most wanted Battle Droids for the Hasbro Black Series line.
Runners Up
I always like to start with a runner up, and today is no different. This is a bit of an odd case, however, since I already have these characters in six inch form from another company. I’m talking about the amazing SH Figuarts Bandai plain Naboo and Geonosis style Battle Droids.
They are great figures, but a little pricey and I’m afraid of losing pieces, so I’d love for Hasbro to help me out and make a standard, solid Battle Droid figure that I can army build and treat roughly. Like the clone trooper, it would be a great investment in reuseable tooling as you can offer plenty of repaints and variations on these guys like the security droids Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn first encounter on the Neimodian ship, an officer, a sniper, a heavy trooper or even R0-GR from the Freemaker Adventures. If Hasbro does make this figure, I’d really like them to pay close attention to the durometer of the plastic. The 3.75 inch troopers were always really bendy, and I’d hate to see that in the black series.
5. Droideka
This transformable, walking gun platform was ubiquitous in the Prequels and the Clone Wars cartoon, so it feels a little odd that we don’t have one yet.
They were one of the few droids that actually gave the Jedi a run for their money. I’d love to see them make it either transformable so it can roll or include a rolled up version with it.
4. Tactical Droid
The Clone Wars introduced a few new classes of droids to the mix and one of my favorites is the Tactical Droid. Oftentimes serving as lieutenants to the more incompetent organic leaders of the Separatist forces, the Tactical Droids were scary in their own cold, calculating way.
The ruthless efficiency of the Tactical Droids were more frightening than the droid army usually was. There was also a Super Tactical Droid in a few episodes and while it has a similar function, the design is very different.
I’d take either style, but I think the original tactical droid design fits in a little better with the clone army than the more elaborate and decorated Super Tactical Droid.
3. Super Battle Droid
The Super Battle Droid was introduced in Attack of the Clones and have a bulkier frame, an interesting metallic blue finish and some boss double hand cannons. They ultimately don’t fare too much better than the standard Battle Droids against Jedi (or even R2-D2), but they have a great look and would fill out the droid army nicely.
It’s also another candidate for parts re-use and repainting. I’d especially like a variant painted like the Rocket Troopers in Battlefront II.
2. IG-100 MagnaGuards
The MagnaGuards are another droid that actually stood a chance in a fight with a Jedi. For a minute or two. But hey, that’s pretty good against a Jedi. These guys appeal to me too as droids who wear capes. Why would a droid need a cape? The droid can’t feel cold, can it?
Because it looks damn, cool, that’s why. These vain droids were also pretty good at whirling around a two sided electrostaff that blocked lightsabers. I absolutely love that sound effect, it’s one of my favorites from the prequels. effect. You need a couple of these to flank your General Grievous, be it Disney, Bandai or the eventual Hasbro version. They should come with an electrostaff and really push the articulation so they can be posed in a fight.
- Commando Droids
Remember running zombies? You spent years of your life terrified of the slowly plodding zombies of Romero classics like Dawn of the Dead, but then a maniac like Zack Snyder decides that they need to run! Holy crap, that becomes a whole other scary thing to itself. Well, that’s the BX series Droid Commando. He’s basically the droid version of the running zombie.
Introduced in The Clone Wars cartoon, these guys can run, roll, flip, kick and punch and were probably the best and most effective Separatist troops against clones. The fight against the droids usually felt woefully uneven in the clones’ favor, but the commandos helped even out the fight. These droids would continue fighting even after they were cut in half.
They kind of remind me of a robot version of a Harryhausen skeleton warrior. If Hasbro were to make these figures, I’d like articulation to be a priority so that they can move like the droids in the show, especially crucial to me is a good two-handed rifle holding pose. I’d also really like for them to come with a vibroblade too.
Well that’s my Battle Droid wish-list, what do you want to see? Let me know in the comments below or on our forums!
