Yeah. HT is not perfect. They have fantastic figures but also issues. Especially with rubber figures. But once you get a fine figure you will realize their potential. The Stormies might not be 100% accurate (Marmit still has an overall better helmet) but are very sharp, quite sturdy bodies, and in the end are superior to both Marmit and SSC. Something pretty creepy to read about rubber deterioration on Hot Toys figures:
http://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/general-collectibles-action-figures/82683-hot-toys-rubber-deterioration.htmlHot Toys vs Marmit vs Sideshow Stormtroper 1:6 figure reviewOn another board I've been asked about my opinion regarding Hot Toys Stormtrooper 1:6 figure compared to Marmit and SSC versions.
I had my own issues with the HT TK regarding glued parts, but they were easy fix, and thus this will not affect my judgement. HT is a big improvement over the SSC, this can also be seen if you read carefully on the box, regarding who was involved in its development, and on HT FB page (some older posts and replies). Anyway HT has a better body, better shiny ABS armor (no need for chest plate futzing) and a better helmet compared to SSC. While the HT Stormie helmet is not totally accurate (not meaning asymmetry, which is not necessary at this size) is much better shaped than SSC.
SSC lid has the big jaw, enormous mic tips, and when putting the helmet on body, the trooper has no neck anymore. Not to mention the freaking ugly tiny SSC codpiece - I'm even thinking maybe to re-purpose my SSC Stormie and transform it into a female TK some day in the future... On the SSC plus side I'd add the E-11 which is better than any 1:6 blaster and the thermal detonator clips (better and more solid steel than on HT).
The Marmit still has a better overall helmet sculpt, but HT is very close. On the armor part the Marmit is great, but has its own issues already addressed (accurate but softer general sculpt, comes as a kit that needs assembly, legs/feet armor connected, thermal detonator not so good, soft PVC armor instead of hard ABS like SSC and HT, Marmit body is not that good compared to HT, but still not as floppy as SSC, and Marmit E-11 is weak in design for today's standards). And the fact that HT comes already assembled, and not as a kit, neither you need to futz the armor, and with good body that fits the armor, adds up to the HT.
So is HT overall better than Marmit and SSC? Yes. Is it perfect? No. Is it the best 1:6 Stormtrooper? In some parts it indubitably is, in some still needs improvement. Do I like it with all its issues? I love it and and I own 3 of them already.
PS. TK = Stormtrooper-----------------------
1:6 E-11 blaster comparisonI took a few pictures of the two 1:6 Stormtrooper E-11 blasters from Hot Toys and Sideshow and made a comparison. The blaster on top is HT and the one below is SSC. They are very similar in appearance, I have a hunch HT copied it from SSC, or back then when they helped SSC with their Stormtrooper figure, they had their hands involved in making this as well.
The difference lays in some details like scope, scope rail, t-tracks, magazine, magazine ejector port, folding stock back/shoulder plate, and weathering. The SSC scope is clearly sculpted after an M38/M40 Sherman tank scope with rounded foot, as for the HT seems it is made after an M19 - but this way it should have been a bit bulkier, shorter, and with different sculpted feet. The scope rail on HT is too high. Way too high. The HT has an issue on the right side of the blaster (the opposite part of the magazine), they are not glued where they should be and thus showing the holes in the barrel.
The ejector port is better shaped on SSC blaster and also better weathered (I painted the HT with silver but will go more metal grayish in the future). The SSC blaster I have here doesn't have the best ejector port weathering either though - some others I own are better. The magazine is longer on the SSC and shorter on HT, both are accurate so no problem. Magazine cylinders are very similar, so are the Hengstler counters. Both blasters have the same way of extending the folding stock - we've never seen this in movies, but cool to have nevertheless, since it is a feature the original Sterling Mk4 L2A3 has. The SSC folding stock back plate has better detailing with the hole on each side just like a real Sterling.
In the end I think the SSC E-11 is better (10), but HT is pretty good too (9). Both are much better than Marmit (6) or Medi (7) Stormtrooper blasters, that's why all my figures have now SSC E-11 blasters including my Medis and Marmits. The last thing I'll mention is that for the SSC Snowtrooper the E-11 shouldn't come with cylinders or Hengstler counter, it should be a bare blaster something like the Master Replicas E-11 version.
