It’s been quite a while since generic clone troopers have appeared in a set, and recently, I’ve had a desire to expand my clone army, so a minifigure pack for acquiring some is very welcome.

The Build

The command center and rifle rack: 2 small builds are included, the first of which is a blaster rifle rack. Blaster racks usually suck, but I don’t mind this one, it’s super simple, but it works, it has a panel print and holds 2 rifles with the black candlestick pieces attached at the front. The second build is the command center, it can seat a trooper well, there’s quite a few printed control panels and there are antennas at the back to send and receive transmissions. Overall, the 2 builds included are just fine, they do a perfectly good job as supplements for the figures.

The Minifigs

Clone Trooper Commander: There has been some controversy surrounding this figure in the past, and I might get some hate for this, but I’m glad he’s included in this cheap pack. I think it’s nice to have him here for people who can’t afford large UCS sets. As for the figure, the legs uses the same print as the 2 other troopers and the torso and helmet feature bright yellow markings and highlights. His accessory is a regular sized blaster. Overall, a really well-detailed figure and a good inclusion I’d say.

Clone Troopers: 2 updated generic phase 1 clone troopers are included, and they look better than ever. The updated prints are very detailed and well-done. I don't really know if some prints/details are 100% accurate, but as someone who doesn’t particularly care about completely accurate details (especially when it comes to Star Wars), I think they look perfect. Their accessories are regular sized blasters with the black candlestick attached to it, which does look a bit strange. Overall, I’m really happy with how they came out and hope to see them reappear in future sets.

Value For Money

This pack costs R280, which is what standard battle packs used to cost. And based on that, the value is noticeably weaker. This set is essentially a battle pack, but with some pieces and 1 minifigure stripped away. Which should’ve reduced the price, but the fact that you’re paying the same for less stuff is quite disappointing.

Overall Opinion

Overall, the price is a bit of a letdown, but if you look past that, this is a good army builder pack. The builds are decently serviceable and the figures look stellar. Do I wish it had Rex and/or Cody? Yeah, but at the end of the day, I’m still happy this pack exists. And while I don't buy multiples of a set for army building purposes myself, I’d certainly recommend buying multiples of this for those looking to expand their clone army.

The Clone Trooper Command Station might be 2022's most difficult set to obtain. Throughout the entire year and multiple restocks, you could probably measure the time it's been available in hours. For whatever reason, it's been really tricky to get one (or five) before it sells out again. On top of that, it's already scheduled to retire at the end of the year! So, is it worth the trouble?

*****

Included are three clone troopers and a couple of small builds at $15 USD. It's worth noting that before 2022, battle packs were priced at $15, and they always had four minifigures. Battle packs have since jumped to $20, with these accessory packs seemingly made to fill the gap.

Two of the figures are wearing standard clone armor. If you're an army builder, these two are probably the reason you would want multiple copies. Being the "default" clones, they're infinitely stackable, and the new Phase 1 helmets look great. A clone commander fills the final minifig slot, and he might be the set's only real downside. I'm not hardcore enough to remember what the ratio of clone troopers to commanders is supposed to be, but I do know that it's nowhere near 2:1. That might make this pack less appealing for army building, especially since the commander is also in two other sets right now.

On their own, though, I think all of these figures look pretty good. It's just a shame the hip piece is still an empty white. I wish they would either add some printing to fill it out or just make it in black again. Also, all three clones have holes in their helmets to attach antennae and visor accessories, but this "accessory pack" ironically doesn't include any. Those parts are very common, so it's not a big deal, but I thought that was funny.

The two builds are well done for their size, maybe a slight step up from what you'd see in an Advent Calendar. One is a weapon rack with a couple of extra blaster rifles if you want to switch out a clone's weapon. The other is the titular command station, which has been severely downsized from canon to fit in a set this small. There are a handful of printed computer tiles and other simple little pieces that would make a fine addition to any collection.

CONCLUSION/TL;DR

So, is it worth it? I would say it probably is, but just consider why you want it before you buy. If you're looking for a new set where you can buy a ton of copies and build a huge army, then you might want to look elsewhere. It's lacking in figures compared to traditional battle packs, difficult to obtain, and if you're concerned with lore, having a bunch of commanders might be annoying. But if you just want a neat little set with some clones, maybe as a desk toy or shelf decoration, then I'd say go for it if you ever get the chance.

Definitely a good way to army build, it's also very exciting that some form of clone trooper was made available so cheaply, however, comparing this to older battle packs, the deal has got worse for sure. The extra weapons included are a nice touch though, and the control panel pieces are pretty good. Also, the build for the structure is an actual existing thing from Star Wars, which is better than made-up designs.