Even though the title of this review says " Dewback and Sand Trooper Review" , the overall toy set itself is simply referred to as Dewback, as you can see on the outer packaging . Speaking of Packaging, this box set is very huge, literally. It is bigger than a lot of computer monitors . I purchased this Dewback set at a local Walmart for around the $ 59.99 price range .
This side of the packaging displays instructions for the Dewback. This side of the packaging also makes me think of the Dragon Walker vehicle from the Masters of the Universe franchise. With the similar graphics and by both the Dewback and Dragon Walker being basically the same color but not the same shade of green. The main difference between the two being that one is a machine and the other is an animal .
The back of the packaging . I love how it's done, it's got an old school feel to it with all of the extra pictures. Just like the backs of packaging of old toys from the 1970s and 1980s . By the way this box is so big that I could not fit it into my scanner and scan the back of it. So I literally just took a picture of the back with my camera, just like I did with the front .
As previously mentioned, this box set is too big to fit into most scanners . So if you're having trouble seeing the words in the bios clearly , here they are . For the Sand Trooper it says " Stormtroopers dispatched to desert worlds wear specialized gear and are nicknamed sandtroopers . Sandtroopers wear standard Stormtrooper armor augmented with cooling units, a helmet sand filter, and a survival backpack with extra rations and water . While hunting for the Death Star plans on Tatooine , sandtroopers use native dewbacks as mounts .
For the Dewback bio it says " Rugged reptiles with thick hides, dewbacks are plodding but reliable mounts. When prodded by their riders, they are capable of brief bursts of surprising speed . In analysis of the bios, I like the fact that the Dewback may look slow but can be surprising fast. Imagine being charged at by something that big in real life, it can be a very scary situation .
A drawing on this side of the packaging of the Sandtrooper, which as mentioned in his bio is just a modified version of a Stormtrooper . Now for a look at the interior of the packaging .
Notice that the Dewback is only revealed only when the contents of the packaging have been removed from within. Notice that you can not see the Dewback when you purchase this set, it is hidden inside. Only the Sandtrooper can be seen when purchased . I by the way love this " element of surprise" by Hasbro . The toy is almost a complete mystery when purchased at a store, however when you arrive home the mystery is no longer there when you open the packaging . This situation gives the luxury of " surprise Christmas gifts" which is a fun experience . Now for a look at the Sandtrooper .
As you can see the Sand Trooper comes with three accessories, maybe four if you count the Dewback's harness as a product of his . I love all three of the accessories by the way . A long spear like weapon , which also can be used to tame the animal , along with the laser rifle and backpack . I love the realism of desert sand covering the Sandtrooper's body . That's what the brown stains represent which makes sense since he's traveling in a desert . For you customizers out there, you can easily modify this into a regular Stormtrooper by removing the shoulder pad and painting over the brown stains. However I would not recommend this because of the cost of this set, unless you can find some loose Sandtroopers on Ebay for a good price. However there is no need to customize in my opinion as the Sandtrooper is already a very cool figure with no need to make modifications to it by customizing . Now for a look at the Sandtrooper compared to a normal Stormtrooper.
When compared I'm somewhat surprised to see just as many differences than similarities . Plus notice how much whiter the suit is of the regular Stormtooper . Now for a look at the main prize of this set, the Dewback .
There's no doubt about it that the Dewback is the star of this package. Don't get me wrong however, the Sand Trooper is a cool figure too, but the Dewback is the main reason I purchased this set . Plus this is my first animal figure from any major franchise that I have purchased in quite some time. Even though the Dewback is not a real animal in real life , it looks as if it could be real thanks to not only the movie makers but to Hasbro also . Since this is supposed to be a reptile like creature, it looks every bit reptilian in every way. From the scaly green skin, the clawed feet, the reptile like eyes, etc . It kind of reminds me of komodo dragon, which unlike the Dewback is in fact a real animal . I also love how weighty this Dewback toy is. It's big, sturdy and fun to hold in your hands.
Good articulation points makes the Dewback fun to have too. The head can move slightly up and down and slightly to the sides. The tail can move side to side, slightly downward but not upward . The Dewback also has articulation points in it's clawed feet, which you can see above, in it's ankles and also whee the knees are supposedly . The Dewback is a very big toy, hence the big box that it comes packaged in. When measuring the length of the creature on all fours, it measures slightly past the twelve inch mark when measuring from the tip of the nose to the middle of the tail .
The Dewback's mouth can easily open and close .
Here's a surprise. Did you knew that the Dewback's tongue can move up and down ? Yes the tongue moves which is a nice feature . I also love the detail on the tongue with the realistic look of striations, etc.
Notice how scaly the skin looks. Very similar to an alligator, crocodile or any reptile . Great job Hasbro !!! I love the realism !!!
The slot in the Dewback's upper back is where the harness snaps into place . Plus is it just me, because looking at the above pic reminds me of Stridor and Knight Stalker from the Masters of the Universe franchise . That the rider's legs would just fit into that slot, just like with those toys.
Closeup look of the Dewback's harness.
Above, a pic of the SandTrooper holding onto the harness strap with both hands . The luxury of this situation is the multiple display options. If you wish you could also pose the Sand Trooper to hold one of his weapons in one hand and hold the strap in the other , or vice versa.
FINAL THOUGHTS
(1) ARTICULATION LIMITS - The Dewback - the tail has no upward movement. No outward movement in the limbs. The Sandtrooper - Excellent all around articulation .
(2) STANDING ABILITY - When positioned properly they both stand well without balance issues .
(3) WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT THESE FIGURES ? - The Dewback - it's fun to hold and display. I love it's realistic reptilian looking skin with the scales, along with the opening and closing of the mouth along with tongue movement. These luxuries allow for multiple display options . The Sandtrooper - The illusion of his body being covered with desert sand along with excellent all around articulation . Plus like with any Stormtrooper figure in any variation , I love the fact the the body armor is a hard plastic, giving the true feel of these figures actually wearing armor .
(4) WHAT I LIKE THE LEAST ABOUT THESE FIGURES ? - No dislikes ,
(5) WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO IMPROVE THE FIGURES ? - No improvements needed .
(6) GRADING SCALE - A Perfect 10 for both the Dewback and Sandtrooper . No flaws .
(7) FINAL ANALYSIS - The price tag of this set may make many of you grimace when you see it in the stores, however when you arrive home you'll notice that it is worth the money .
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