Review: 75531 Stormtrooper Commander
Posted by CapnRex101,
The Buildable Figures range began in 2015 and many fans seem to have been clamouring for a Stormtrooper from the Original Trilogy since then. 75531 Stormtrooper Commander should therefore prove quite popular and I have been eager to take a closer look at this iconic soldier.
However, the price point of £19.99 or $24.99 is somewhat disappointing as a considerable volume of the 100 pieces included are focused upon the enormous DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle. I am not convinced that the model is considerably improved by the inclusion of this weapon or the pauldron and I think a lower price point would have been beneficial. Nevertheless, there is much to be admired about the figure.
The Completed Model
The model measures almost 25cm in height and includes the standard articulation for a Buildable Figure, with ball joints at the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles. This allows you to create some dynamic poses with the legs but the bulky pauldron restricts the upper body movement as the blaster stock cannot rest against either shoulder. It is therefore very difficult to stand the Stormtrooper Commander for braced firing of the rifle.
The helmet is often the most impressive aspect of Buildable Figures like this one and that is certainly the case here. It features plenty of authentic details such as dark bluish grey heat dispersion panels, blue exhaust filters at the sides and a textured vocoder below the mouth. The white rim running around the underside of the helmet is not present in the film but serves to reduce the gap between the helmet and the pauldron which is useful.
The pauldron is made from a glossy plastic material and is attached around the neck and the left shoulder. Its shape is identical to that found in 75121 Imperial Death Trooper but this one includes an orange patch denoting the rank of the trooper. An ammunition pack hangs across the chest of the figure and features printed 1x3 tiles which look great, although Stormtrooper officers do not wear these with the pauldrons in the film and the entire accessory hinders the movement of the head.
A thermal detonator is fitted to the back of the figure and a small torso shell covers the skeletal frame fairly well. This consists primarily of black components which resemble the body glove worn by Stormtroopers in the movies so the frame looks fine where it shows through the gaps. Only the friction ball cups are cast in dark bluish grey and these appear to be colour locked. On the other hand, I am less keen on the light bluish grey pin beneath the helmet. It does not suit the white colour scheme of the model and the blaster looks a bit silly when attached to the pin, as suggested on the box.
Fans of Star Wars Battlefront will recognise the Stormtrooper's rifle as a DLT-19, one of the most popular weapons in the game. It features a spring-loaded shooter activated from beneath and two grips which allow the Stormtrooper to hold the blaster securely. The forward grip is useful in this respect but its fixed position hinders the poseability of the figure to some degree which is disappointing.
The instruction manual details how to reconfigure the DLT-19 to become a standard E-11 blaster rifle. This loosely resembles the weapon seen in the films and includes a scope on top as well as a missile launcher within the barrel. The red Technic pins look slightly odd given that the blaster is primarily black in colour but one could imagine that they serve as some kind of indicator light.
The pauldron is easily removable so the figure can serve as a standard Stormtrooper if you wish. This greatly improves the articulation of the shoulders and the head, allowing you to create a variety of dynamic poses. While the orange of the pauldron is striking, I actually prefer the figure without it as the Stormtrooper is more recognisable in this configuration. In fact, seeing one standard Stormtrooper tempts me to purchase a couple more, just as 75114 First Order Stormtrooper did!
Furthermore, removing the pauldron reveals some additional printing on the chest, all of which is faithful to the design of the Stormtroopers in the movies. This torso shell has been in use since 2015 and the start of the Buildable Figures range but its shape is particularly appropriate in this instance as the notch between the pectoral armour plates is absolutely perfect in relation to the source material. I also like the area of the body glove which is visible below the neck, matching the black Constraction frame.
Overall
Armoured characters frequently inspire the most impressive Buildable Figures and 75531 Stormtrooper Commander certainly fits with this trend. The design is simple but effective and the helmet sculpt is brilliant, with plenty of moulded detail as well as some attractive printing. In addition, I appreciate the ability to reconfigure the blaster rifle and change the rank of the Stormtrooper using the pauldron as these features increase the play and display value to some degree.
However, the set also suffers from some of the issues which often impact upon the Buildable Figures range. LEGO products are almost invariably designed to meet a particular price point, that being £19.99 or $24.99 in this case. It feels to me like a regular Stormtrooper was created but did not satisfy the price point, thereby compelling the designer to include an enormous DLT-19 rifle and a pauldron. I think the figure is quite expensive even with these accessories and would rather the price had been lowered in accordance with their exclusion, especially since the pauldron obstructs the articulation which is of great importance. Nevertheless, the Stormtrooper is a vital addition to one's Imperial collection and he looks great beside Darth Vader, whether or not he is wearing the command pauldron.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your thoughts on the set in the comments below.
62 likes
28 comments on this article
I would prefer to get a Boba Fett buildable figure
If I got this, I would definitely leave out the pauldron and go with the E-11 rifle.
I have a feeling that this will be my first constraction... Although I may pick up death trooper and scarif stormtrooper on Amazon to complement it.
Great helmet, better without pauldron and with short rifle. BFs with mask are always much better. With a 20-30% discount it is a must have, no doubt.
Boba should be the next one.
Damn, another awesome looking buildable fig I want!
This is better than the Scarift Trooper in that you can MOD the figure quite easily to build a platoon but that price is high.
I popped my buildable figure cherry yesterday. A while back I saw Deathtroopers for £10 in Tesco but didn't quite pull the trigger. Seeing the Stormtrooper recently made me regret that as a couple of Deathtroopers and a couple of stormies would look pretty cool. But saw Deathtroopers for £10.20 yesterday in a different Tesco so didn't make the same mistake twice. Slippery slope. Guess I'm gonna need a Darth now.
I actually managed to pick this up in Tesco's a couple of days ago and only paid £ 10.20 for it when it scanned at the till, so quiet a bargain in my opinion. Got all of these figures and only seem to get better.....
Picked one of these up in the minute I saw it in TRY on Friday but haven't put it together yet. I'm wondering how the stormtrooper might look wearing the Death troopers black pauldron to indicate an Enlisted trooper.
^ JasterMereel42 - there is a Boba Fett but it is unreleased. It was one of the first developed but for some reason TLG chose not to produce it. It did slip out onto the bootleg market however.
I was really anticipating this build. But, not impressed. It's better as an average stormtrooper.
So I guess Star Wars Buildable Figures are going to remain as LEGO's CCBS theme for a good few more years. There're cool and all, but I would prefer they did another Bionicle/Hero Factory style theme instead.
^ LEGOscum - I think you're referring to the Lego Ideas proposal that was rejected some time before the official Lego Star Wars constraction figures were announced. That is what the bootlegs are based on.
Can't wait to grab this , will be one of my favs
Awesome! A great looking buildable figure overall, and you can just take off the pauldron if you want it to be a standard stormtrooper! Brilliant!
Just built K2SO yesterday - awesome figure! Will get this also I think.
Looks great as always! (Except Baze) I'm guessing LEGO is waiting until The Han Solo movie to release Boba for maximum profits. I'm looking forward to a review of the Speeder Bike set!
I for one welcome the inclusion of the pauldron, as one can easily modify this into a Sandtrooper by making their own backpack. The blaster also doesn't look significantly larger than those found in many other Star Wars buildable figures. Personally, I think this is the most exciting buildable figure since Darth Vader, and look forward to picking it up next month.
Yes the price is ridiculous. However most of the time (Darth Vader being the only exception) I am able to get these figures at 30-40% of the original price (which I think is an acceptable price level for something as simple as this) if I just wait for a good sale.
Thanks for nice review again. Iconic figure for sure, no matter the little issues- but price maybe, just have to watch for a good sale price... A must have, for any star wars fan I think. I really really love this helmet, and accurate molding. GG to lego designers.
I agree the price is too high when most people would just prefer a regular trooper. I may pick up a couple of these to do just that if I see them heavily discounted, but I'll not pay full price for the extra accoutrements of the commander.
Despite the even higher price, the Biker Scout is a far more exciting set. As a display piece it might just be the coolest set LEGO has ever made! (For those who don't have it, the bike is BIG. A little disappointing that it doesn't come off the display stand, as that is configured as a hand-held gun to trigger the cannon underneath, but the finished piece is magnificent).
The Emperor's Royal Guard would be an awesome buildable figure
Thanks for the review! The price is rather high, but I'd rather it cost $25 and include the extra commander gear than be $20 and not include it. In a few weeks it'll probably cost about $15 on Amazon anyway, so there's no real loss here.
He seems like he was based off the Sandtrooper commander. In A New Hope, he wears one of the pauldrons.
Oh my gosh, I NEED this set. An OT Stormie is a necessity anyways... but I love the option to make him a Sandtrooper! I may be biased, though... this year I made a Sandtrooper costume for a school dress down day and Halloween ; ) Thanks for the review, I would love to see one on the Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike set, that one looks awesome!
@LEGOscum I've never heard of the prototype constraction Boba Fett. I did a search and could find no info. Where did you find out about that? It sounds really sweet.
@Capn Rex: the ammo packs you mention are present on the original Sandtroopers from A New Hope in 1977. Therefore, it is more accurate to refer to this guy as a Sandtrooper than a Stormtrooper Commander. I think the whole 'Commander' thing was retconned in for The Force Awakens and ended up being carried over to Rogue One.
@AstroDroid I believe is referring to the LEGO CUUSOO/IDEAS submission some years ago, here...
http://board.ttvchannel.com/uploads/db5640/original/3X/1/9/19027233a9d8ea1e928d3b45c9a8bd4e81601217.png
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/cuusoo/images/3/31/SW4.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130316115244
I believe these are what he's talking about, anyways.