Tuesday 24 December 2019

Toybox REVIEW: Star Wars Black Series Heavy Infantry Mandalorian

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Release Date: November 2019
RRP: $29.99/£29.99

Overall The Mandalorian has done an incredible job of keeping spoilers underwraps until the episodes air, but one of the things Star Wars fans were treated too prior to the series was the confirmation that other Mandalorians would indeed be appearing. But while the solicitation of the Black Series Heavy Infantry Mandalorian may have revealed this, what it didn't tell us was said character would also go by the name of Paz Vizla – relating back to Pre Vizla and Clan Vizla, significant pieces of Mandalorian lore. The character was even played by none other series creator Jon Favreau, who voiced Pre Vizla back in The Clone Wars. Hasbro's second deluxe Black Series figure of 2019, the Heavy Infantry Mandalorian was released as a Best Buy exclusive in the US and through multiple channels in the rest of the world.

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The long awaited second deluxe figure in the range (following on from General Grievous), the Heavy Infantry Mandalorian comes in a slightly wider box than a typical Black Series figure along with the unique numbering of "D-2". The front of the box features the usual fantastic artwork, which a larger version of is repeated on the back alongside a short character bio. Naturally with The Mandalorian still to be released prior to the figure's production and the show's tight grip on spoilers, the bio doesn't really have a whole lot to say about the character but it still does a surprisingly good job of explaining the setting of the show and where the Mandalorians are at this point in the timeline. Inside the figure and accessory are stored on a standard moulded plastic tray.

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Given how quickly this figure saw release almost immediately after Chapter Three of The Mandalorian aired, it’s fair to assume that Hasbro were working off the concept art for the series when sculpting the Heavy Infantry Mandalorian rather than the show itself. There’s a few little touches on the figure that seem to confirm this too, such as the Mythosaur tampograph on the left shoulder pad (not present on the actual suit). But at the same time the difference between the two is EXTREMELY minimal, so it’s not like little details like that are going to encourage Hasbro to release a second version somewhere down the line. Paz Vizla is a suitably beefy figure befitting of his name and quite unlike any Mandalorians we’ve previously seen in the Star Wars universe, but whether the size truly justifies the deluxe price is a little more debatable. There’s no denying he’s bigger than your average figure, but then so was Rogue One’s Baze Malbus and that stayed under the standard price point. But then again, there’s considerably more plastic here than there was with General Grievous.

The sculpting and colours on the figure are absolutely fantastic - with the same range of armour panelling, battle damage and moulded pouches that make the other Mandalorian figures so good. The blue paint job is a nice change of pace from figures that have come before, and clashes brilliantly with the odd splashes of brown and mustard yellow for that true mismatched Mandalorian feel. The flamethrower on the left gauntlet has a nice big nozzle that again seems befitting of a Heavy Infantry Mandalorian. It’s like everything we’ve come to know about Mandalorians jacked up ten fold, and it really works.

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Armoured figures can sometimes be pretty hit or miss in toy lines that don't have the price point to justify making every piece moveable, and the larger the character is the more awkward it can be. Thankfully the Heavy Infantry Mandalorian seems to be of the exceptions out there, with plenty of movement on offer and the only obvious hindrances being the usual Black Series complaints. Altogether the figure has a ball jointed head and neck, swivel/butterfly hinge shoulders, swivel hing elbows and wrists, a ball jointed waist and hips, double hinged knees and swivel hinge ankles. Even when made of a flexible plastic the fixed shoulder pads continue to be a source of annoyance/disappointment to me - the arms are still perfectly moveable, but they still get in the way of making the most of those swivel hinge shoulders. The leg armour also limits the amount of tilt you can get out of the ankles, but it’s still enough to get the right balance for those wide legged shooting poses. Once again though it’s odd to see Hasbro opt for a soft plastic skirt piece rather than a fabric one - much like they did on the Mandalorian. It’s not a deal breaker (though naturally it does take a little bit away from the hip articulation), just oddly inconsistent. Other than that though it’s about what you’d expect from a Black Series figure, which is great when there aren’t any balancing issues to speak of.

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The sole accessory included with the figure is the trademark Mandalorian jet pack, but this is far more than your typical jet pack like Boba Fett's. On top of being a more heavy duty variant befitting of Vizla's armour, the jet pack also has his heavy blaster cannon built into it – with the two pieces connected by a thick length of segmented cable. When not in use the cannon can comfortably peg onto the right side of the jet pack, and despite its huge size it surprisingly doesn’t cause any balancing issues. Meanwhile the left side has its own smaller piece of cable, which fits into a port on the Mandalorian's gauntlet. The cable fits onto the gauntlet tightly and has some degree of flexibility, but unfortunately it isn't quite long enough for it tom always stay in place whilst moving the arm around. In fact pulling the arm too far forwards can make it outright impossible to keep a connection between the two, which could have easily been avoided had Hasbro made it that little bit longer. Both the jet pack and cannon look fantastic though – not to mention a far cry from typical Star Wars weapons which make them stand out all the more. More to the point though the figure manages to hold the cannon EXCEPTIONALLY well – the right hand grips the handle at the back while the left holds onto an additional grip further up that swivels inward when not in use. Even with the wholly unnecessary trigger finger moulding on the right hand the grip is still nice and tight, which is much more of a rarity on Black Series figures than you might expect.

Admittedly the Heavy Infantry Mandalorian does have a bit more of an extensive arsenal in the show, including a vibroblade. This, along with some jet pack effect parts (although Marvel Legends Iron Man pieces will do the job if you have any lying around) could have easily been included to further justify that deluxe price tag, but personally I think the cannon was the most important thing to get right. And given the size of the thing, does he really need much more?

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Mandalorians have always been a strong seller for any Star Wars toy line, and so a more unique mould like the Black Series Heavy Infantry Mandalorian was always bound to be well received. A few minor design issues aren't enough to put this figure down, and though it could have perhaps done a little more to earn that deluxe price tag it's always great to see larger characters like this get produced. Even if Paz Vizla never shows up on The Mandalorian again Chapter Three was more than enough to cement his place in Star Wars history, so be sure to grab him while he's still readily available.

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