A bumper crop of posts on last week's thread about Rio Blast. Surprising to see how generally popular the figure was.
Anyway, this week's thread is on one of the least common figures, the HORDE TROOPER.
I didn't have a Horde Trooper during my original time collecting. It was released by the time my Mum had rather forced me off of collecting action figures (before I was old enough to stand up for myself and collected them anyway, and then some!). I can't even remember if I saw the figure in the shops or not (if I did, it was certainly one of the less common ones to be stocked). Only in the last couple of years have I acquired several (two in mint complete condition, and one in fair but played with condition).
It is an interesting figure. Its feature is that you trigger the button (part of his Horde emblem) on his chest, and its whole upper torso "explodes" apart.
It's actually rather impressive, demolishing the whole upper section. A couple of simple clicks, and the figure is back together ready for another attack.
The box blurb suggested buying numerous Troopers to build up an army. A lovely idea, but most kids don't have such money to throw away (or such generous parents), and I personally, if I had had a Horde Trooper, would probably have been tempted away by new releases rather than to buy duplicate figures.
The Horde Trooper resembles the Horde Troopers seen in just about every episode of Filmation's 'She-Ra: Princess of Power' cartoon series almost perfectly. It is one of the several cases (others being Orko, King Randor, the Sorceress) where the Filmation shows actually inspired the toy-line, other than the reverse which was the norm.
In terms of Filmation appearances, it was often shown that people were inside the Troopers, whereas other times it was suggested that they were robotic. The figure version would suggest that they are indeed robots.
On the second-hand market, Horde Trooper figures amongst the harder to find, especially in good condition; Especially finding all of the 'exploding' parts in good and working condition, and the Trooper's staff is particularly elusive, and as a result, a mint Troopers are in the higher price bracket second-hand-wise.
All-in-all... hmm, a toughie. It's nothing more than an expendable henchman, so doesn't really have much character to it at all. But as a toy, with a simple but impressive function, it does well.
I'm going to give Horde Trooper a reasonable 8 out of 10.
Well, there are my ramblings.
I'd like to hear your own thoughts, comments, criticisms, memories... anything Horde Trooper related.
And whether you post or not, don't forget to rate the figure in the poll!![]()