Snowtrooper

Recommended music: Foreigner – Cold As Ice

For this #StarWarsSaturday, we could be in my snowy backyard, but we’re still in Echo Base on Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back. From the Hasbro Star Wars: The 30th Anniversary Collection, it’s a Snowtrooper!

Officially called Imperial Cold Weather Assault Stormtroopers, Snowtroopers are elite infantry trained for the freezing conditions seen in The Empire Strikes Back. Standard Stormtroopers handle many tasks, but Snowtroopers focus on surviving and fighting in extreme cold.

After the orbital attack and AT-AT assault, Snowtroopers were the main ground forces sent to break into and clear the Rebel Alliance’s headquarters on Hoth. They are best known for using the E-Web heavy repeating blaster, a tripod-mounted gun that helps hold back Rebel defenders. They also act as a clean-up team, making sure no Rebel personnel escape Echo Base once the main defenses are down.

Of the more than two dozen 3.75” Snowtroopers Kenner and Hasbro have released since 1980, this one stands out from the distinguishable schmutz on his chestplate armor. I’m not sure how he already got his armor dirty before deploying from the AT-AT, but it happens.

Hasbro packed two of these TAC Snowtroopers into the Target-exclusive ‘The Battle of Hoth’ ultimate battle pack in 2007, along with an AT-ST and driver, Han in his Hoth outfit, a Hoth Rebel Trooper, Luke in his Snowspeeder gear, and a Rebel turret. Hasbro first started weathering to their Snowtroopers a decade earlier with the Power of the Force line, but the troopers in this set are actually repaints of the bright white version from The Saga Collection released earlier that same year.

In addition to upgrading to 14 points of articulation for the first time, this was also the first Snowtrooper to feature a removable helmet. He also comes with his blaster, a removable backpack, and a cloth skirt piece. From this release on, any Hasbro TESB Snowtrooper figure should work well for your Battle of Hoth diorama needs.

The Empire Strikes Back turned 45 last May! I “figure” I’ve got just a couple more Episode V figures to share here during the anniversary year. Happy 45 years and counting to TESB!

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