Review: 40176 Scarif Stormtrooper
Posted by CapnRex101,
40268 R3-M2 was revealed at the beginning of this year and inspired considerable speculation surrounding which characters we might find in future polybags. 40176 Scarif Stormtrooper is perhaps an unexpected successor as we have already seen a couple of similar minifigures appear in other recent sets, although this Shoretrooper features unique armour and occupies a different rank of squad leader.
The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story range is missing a number of major characters so this Shoretrooper will not appeal to everyone, although I love the design of their armour so am pleased to add another soldier to my collection. Hopefully it will maintain the high standard of detail set by previous Scarif Stormtrooper minifigures.
Minifigure
Shoretroopers have appeared in a couple of previous sets but this Scarif Stormtrooper is distinguished by his black kama and the unique printed designs on the torso and legs which denote his rank of squad leader. I like the contrast between the sand blue and tan of the armour and the spot of yellow on the breastplate looks great. There are even some dirty areas to replicate the battle-worn appearance of these troopers in the movie.
The shape of the helmet is not perfect as the same piece was used for the Imperial Hovertank Pilots in 75152 Imperial Assault Hovertank but I still think it looks pretty authentic, featuring a printed respirator and a red marking which shows the Shoretrooper's affiliation with the Death Star project. A standard Clone Trooper head is found underneath the helmet but the printed design on the legs is unique as it lacks the faulds seen on other renditions of the character, instead including a fabric kama that wraps around the legs.
The soldier is armed with an E-22 blaster rifle represented using an Alien Conquest pistol with a pair of binoculars fitted to the end. This is very simple but captures the double barrels of the weapon in the film and I am pleased to see such consistency across all three sets that feature Shoretroopers. They look marvellous together and I am very glad to have all three ranks represented in minifigure form.
The Completed Model
The minifigure is displayed on an attractive stand that slots beside the base found in 40268 R3-M2. They fit together using Technic pins, although this polybag includes a light bluish grey pin rather than a black one which is slightly odd. Nevertheless, the stand looks great and I like the muted black colour scheme, ensuring that the Scarif Stormtrooper is most prominent. A sticker featuring the name of the figure is applied to a 1x4 tile at the base. I would rather have seen a printed element but the sticker is perfectly serviceable.
A thin sheet of plastic forms the background for the Shoretrooper and appropriately shows the beaches of Scarif in the midst of battle. This feels quite sturdy and is fitted over two Technic axles which are effectively hidden behind the base. I like the LEGO Star Wars logo at the top but it seems a shame that the copyright information has been printed on the front as this is visible beside the minifigure when it is on display.
Overall
40176 Scarif Stormtrooper is a welcome addition to the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story range but once again I am left slightly confused about the minifigure included, much like 40268 R3-M2. Shoretroopers are undoubtedly prolific in the movie and I like their design very much but a named character such as Galen Erso or a member of the Partisan rebel cell would have been more appealing from my point of view.
Nevertheless, the Shoretrooper is an excellent figure and certainly seems more desirable than R3-M2, although Astromech droids are highly collectable. I am pleased to complete the ranks of Coastal Defender Stormtroopers and like the display stand very much so would recommend adding this little set to your collection if you can, although I am more excited about which characters we might see in future polybags like this one!
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.
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24 comments on this article
Looks cool, but I HATE that there are no brand stores in Northern Ireland. Ugh!
Agreed @Speed champions fan
I sincerely hope this becomes available in the netherlands at some point.
Gotta catch m all etc. etc.
I broke my big SW order into a number of smaller orders so I could get multiples of this guy because I rarely meet a trooper minifig I don' like. However, I missed whatever promo R3-M2 was in the U.S. because I never got him. Perhaps I'll find someone who wants to trade.
Thanks for the review. I like the colour scheme. I'm looking forward to getting this minifig. I got the trooper added to the order I placed last Friday for Christmas gifts.
l don't understand why a random droid and trooper get display stands like this when other more important characters don't
A very neat figure and IMHO a good choice as there are many Trooper types to have. I do hope that Galen does get released (as you also would like). I'll keep an eye out for this fella.
@JDC I think I've seen mention of R3-M2 being a Toys R Us freebie in the US.
Its not that I don't like the minifigure, but I did choose to pass on it while standing in the Lego store. Somehow I didn't realize how similar it was to the other shore troopers and it just didn't feel like an exclusive minifigure to me. Maybe I'm alone on that, and it is a neat looking figure that I'd like to start the new exclusives collection with, but I just couldn't bring myself to pay $50 to get that figure.
Having wanted this figure badly I couldn't find a Lego store close to where I was staying. Ah well. I wonder if it will ever be available again?
I really like this guy with just a subtle variation compared to the others. Normally I love all stormtroopers, but the white version is my least favorite.
I wonder if Lego will ever make a Star Wars CMF series or just stick with releasing these standalone minifigs
@JDC @paulmison Yes, I just picked up R3-M2 on Force Friday as a promotion at Toys "R" Us with any $30+ LEGO purchase.
No lego store here meant I couldn't get one. Very disappointed as I'd collected all other rogue one minifigures.
@JDC -- As mentioned, R3-M2 was part of the TRU Force Friday promotion. However, you *may* be able to purchase one there now if they still have any available. I was able to buy a couple at $5.99 a few days prior to Force Friday. They were keeping them behind the front customer service counter in a LEGO shipping box. It's probably worth a phone call if you have a TRU near you. The item number (SKU) on the receipt is: 673419269179.
Thanks! I've got a TRU about 20 mins away (which I normally avoid). I'll check it out.
hey – @JDC – I think I have a second R3 somewhere, happy to swap for a trooper!
No brand store, crappy postage times/prices and oh yeah, we don't actually get the promotion! At least the Australian reseller's market on Ebay is reasonable. Hopefully I'll be able to snag this for next to nothing as its popularity dwindles, like I did with the R3-M2.
I thank my lucky stars that I happened to have a business trip and client meeting in London on Force Friday, because I was actually able to go in the store and obtain the elusive (in the UK) Scarif Stormtrooper/Shoretrooper! Note the odd faces when I told my colleagues what I was doing... The store was heaving and I had to queue for 5 mins or so to get in at Leicester Square, but fortunately there were plenty of freebies left at the time, and boxes that hadn't got battered in the melee.
Got to say I really like this version of the Shoretrooper at this rank - the printing seems a lot sharper and more detailed, particularly on the torso. I could almost throw the display stand though as I already have my own display plan.
@JDC: you wrote "I broke my big SW order into a number of smaller orders so I could get multiples of this guy..."
How is this possible? I thought it was an in-store-only promotion. How did you manage to get it added to your cart at LEGO.com?
@AustinPowers, in the US it was also available over LEGO.com.
Only available with 'in store' purchases in UK. That sucked as I (like the majority) live nowhere near a Lego store. And I am not going to pay over the odds for one from a reseller who is lucky enough to live near a store. And to make matters worse I get offered a 'fugly' Heavy Assault Walker polybag for online purchases from the Lego shop. No thank you - it is a hideous design (as are all of TLJ sets so far IMO). Anyone want to swap a Heavy Assault Walker polybag for the Scarif Stormtrooper polybag? I very much doubt it....
I came across the astromech one at Toys R Us a while ago, maybe this will end up there.
I think they should make one with Cassian Andor in his Imperial Officer uniform. That would be very cool to collect. When did the Astromech Droid promotion happen and where or what was it for?
^ if you're still wondering the R3 unit promo was run on May 4th earlier this year with purchases of £50 / approx. $50 on Shop at Home and in Stores. But it popped up in a couple of other places afterwards too. Maybe excess stock.