Topic: AT-AT Driver BD-49

[Tamer]

First off I have to thank Clint for allowing me to help him with this review and he held off for some days so I could post this. Thanks Clint. For this review the text you see in orange belongs to Clint while the text in yellow belongs to yours truly. This was kind of a little test for us to do a co-review and I must say I have enjoyed it.  




The new wave is upon us and I believe that this is the figure that I have been the most curious about. I picked this one up at Wal-Mart for $7.47.

I had to resort to the evil bay and paid about three dollars more, but I am nuts for AT-AT drivers so I had to get one as soon as I heard they were hitting and mine finally arrived today momc at its finest. One thing the carded collector in me  has to note is the fact that this new packaging is very easy to damage and I can imagine finding one of these momc might be difficult. I hope I am as lucky with the second carrded full helmeted version I keep hearing about. If anyone happens to snap a pic of this I would love to put it here too. As for the front of the card I thought it was very nice  and flowed well, noticing that mine has the sticker for the Episode 1 mail in. I did not notice any of the clone cash I have seen either. That being said, I really thought it would have been better for the back of the card if the picture they had used had shown the face, not the back of the helmet! Geesh Hasbro, who wants to see the back of someone's head? Not me! I also would have liked to see the full figure wave instead of just three. Ok enough about the card, I know most of the folks here want the loose skippy.





First off, this new sculpt ATAT Driver is fully super arty and features a ball type swiveling torso spaced right under his chest armor.

He features an imperial blaster, a removable chest mounted air box that is a different sculpt than the recent tie pilot airbox that we have gotten. The airbox is attached by way of airhoses to his newly sculpted removable helmet.  Mounted on the ball of a neck that seems too thin, is a new sculpt of a Cloneish looking head that has prokchop sideburns and if you look real close, some natural looking pock marks where his beard would grow.

I too noticed the side burns right off and they give this figure a more realistic appearance with those pock marks really sending it home. I wasn't sure if those were intended or more likely just a mold problem that wasn't too big of a deal they hoped no one would notice. Still, I expected a Galactic Marine or a type of clone head we have all seen numerous times and was pleased to see he was a bit different. I have a few customs I had commisioned a few years back and notice the face is much different (pics at a later date) and I liked this version much better.



When compared to the Saga ATAT driver from a couple of years ago (last two pics right above), this one is a bit taller in stature. The paint apps and molded colors look very similar and fairly neat on our legacy copy. The removable helmet on our new version is, alas, sized a bit too big and is a bit of an eyesore on this figure where it might blend in with a more armored figure.
I would have preferred that the airhoses were removable from the helmet so that a helmet swap might be more easy to those who like to experiment. I feel that they could have gotten away with a smaller, more accurate sized helmet and, that human neck should have been molded a bit thicker to look more real. Other than that, I don't have any more complaints and I'm sure that it would look great in the cockpit of a walker.

I had to agree with Clint on the helmet being a tad large in my opinion. Matter of fact, I can't find anything in his above review I didn't agree with. That thin neck sure does seem to push that helmet up and the back of the neck being exposed didn't look very good to me. The way this helmet sat kind of reminded me of the soldiers who used to stuff thier helmets so they would sit farther forward on thier head and to me it just looked silly, not to mention failed to protect the vital areas a bucket was meant too. I am thinking that one of the customs guys might cut this neck down a bit and perhaps dremel out a regular atat helmet to see if this would look better.

This version came with the torso of the HK-50 BAD figure and speaking of versions, I understand that there are two different carded versions available of this figure. They share the same name and number but the main difference is that for one version, the figure is wearing his helmet and for the other, his helmet is mounted in the package off to the side. My guess is that both are packed with different BAD parts and one would have to wonder if both versions would have the same face sculpt on their heads. My version was the one with the helmet off to the side.

Aside from the stuff I picked about, It's a solid figure and the added articulation makes it much better than the old Saga version. I will have to look for another one of these.

I too have to agree that minus the slight helmet wearing issues this version is gonna enable me to do a lot more poses when I finally get around to my Hoth diorama. It will be interesting to see how rare this carded helmet wearing one will be and I plan on picking up quite a few of these in the near future. One can only guess that perhaps we will be seeing something for this figure to drive with the annivesary of TESB this coming year. Cmon Hasbro, don't let me down!"

[Reconsgt]

Very nice review guys,   I have to say this is going to end up in my collection in great numbers,   This whole wave is a winner in my opinion. I eagerly await seeing these on the pegs.

[wraithnine]

minty review guys loved the dual review ..its something me and steve have done in the past

[Clonehead]

That was fun, Shawn. We will have to do it again soon.

Here is a shot of the two carded variants that I seen on ebay.

[Tamer]

I am gonna have to find the one on the left now. Thanks for the pic Clint. I agree this one was fun, we will do it again for the BAT-AT!

[bobby-brazil]

i used to be able to go to the stores everyday when they opened but since the recession has hit pretty hard , i've been working like i'm supposed too so i dont get out tomuch but i have found only one so far and it is the helmeted version i haven't yet opened it but i was impressed, getting tired of the clones though but still a great figure hopefully hasbro will come out with a tiefighter pilot by itself soon, anyway walmart has the figures down to $6 now so it is a better buy, i'm glad i got it

[Clonehead]

Hey Bobby Brazil, welcome to the shipyards! You got the helmeted version, eh? What BAD part did it come with?

[StenHunter]

Awesome review guys! Loved it.

[FialaFernbrugg]

excellent dual review guys, I hope you make much more

I can't wait to get one of those AT-AT drivers for my small imperial army

[SithLord229]

Excellent review. This one is at the top of my wish list

[Tamer]

We are glad you folks liked this one. I hope to do many more if Clint lets me. Don't forget folks, you too can review figs. 

If you want it on the front page review index, I will need a good review with plenty of pics and then we will archive it for all time. I am really liking this section that Clonehead started.

[night force cynic]

I don't have this figure yet but looking at the comparisons between it and the Saga 06 figure I think I can say unanimously the '06 version better.  The helmet might be small on it but this new helmet is ridiculously bigger IMO.


I really like the co-review format, need more of that!