A History of some of Hasbro's Multi-Packs and Battle Packs

[Tycho]

Well, first before we cover specific scenes, they did troop builder sets, usually with 4 figures.

There were:

Endor Rebel Soldiers
Rebel Fleet Troopers
Sandtroopers
Stormtroopers

for OT troop builder sets, this begs for there being:

Snowtroopers, Bikerscouts, Hoth Rebel Soldiers, Jawas (include variants)

For the Rebels, variant headsculpts would be great.

This concept could apply to the PT with:

Naboo Royal Security, Naboo Royal Guards, Coruscant Senate Guards (face showing underneath open-style helmet), Battle Droids, Super Battle Droids, Destroyer Droids, Gungan Warriors, Tusken Raiders, Geonosian Warriors. The humans with their faces showing should have variant ethnicities.

Hasbro made the AOTC Clone Trooper 4-packs with ranked officers Cmdr, Capt, Lt, Sgt. and regular all-white grunts, clean and battle-worn.

They would later do some of the ROTS units in various ways.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, let's start with the REAL battlepacks. At least ONE MAIN CHARACTER usually anchors these, which sucks for us mainstream collectors, as we're already likely to own them. (I've barely ever bought battlepacks myself - but they are designed as gift items or impulse buys for kids in reality). So these are the battlepacks:

IMPERIAL FORCES: (this set also included an E-Webb, Mouse Droid, weapons)

AT-ST Driver
Stormtrooper
R4-19 (black R4)
DARTH VADER - this is the first of many Darth Vaders to be included in BPs

I finally got a black R4 unit from the BAD concept in the current run of figures.

JEDI WARRIORS (Geonosis): (this set also included the Jedi detention device)

Plo Koon
SaeSee Tiin
Sirch Fi-Ek (the Nikto Jedi I've also seen as Fi-Ek Sirch)
OBI-WAN KENOBI (AOTC)

I wish I could've gotten the Jedi Detention device that Dooku used to hold Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis.

THE BATTLE OF HOTH: (this set also included a TaunTaun)

R3-A2
PRINCESS LEIA (Hoth)
LUKE SKYWALKER (Hoth)
CHEWBACCA (Hoth)

By giving up R3-A2, I managed to split this battle pack with a friend so I could get the TaunTaun with belly slit.

SKIRMISH AT CARKOON: (this set also included the sailbarge cannon)

Klaatu
Barada
Nikto
HAN SOLO (Sarlaac Battle)

I got the sailbarge cannon with Deluxe Slave Leia (POTJ)

ULTIMATE BOUNTY: (this set also included Aurra's swoopbike)

Aurra Sing
IG-88
BOBA FETT
Bossk

My friend gave me the Swoopbike years later, as he's not too familiar with the EU. It's strange how this set mixes the bike and Aurra from the PT with OT bounty hunters. Boba Fett has a speederbike stored in Slave-One, and Zuckuss, Dengar, or 4-LOM were all available by this time.

Moving on to 2004, we saw:

ENDOR AMBUSH: (included Speederbike)

Bikerscout
Endor Rebel Soldier (new Saga style)
Logray
WICKET
HAN SOLO (Endor)

NABOO FINAL CONFLICT: (included Kaadu)

Naboo Royal Guard (a harder to get figure at this point in the E1 line)
Battle Droid
Gungan Warrior
CAPTAIN TARPALS (not really a mainline character, but he's the most describable as headlining)

In 2005 Battle Packs were the most prolific yet:

ASSAULT ON HOTH:

General Veers
3 Snowtroopers
Probot

This kind of covers the need for a Snowtrooper army builder set, but how many General Veers figures can one use?

CLONE ATTACK ON CORUSCANT:

ARC Trooper Clone Commander
4 Clone Troopers (Coruscant gray)

(this takes care of one of the E3 Clone Trooper sets for army building.)

IMPERIAL THRONE ROOM:

Imperial Dignitary
Stormtrooper
2 Royal Guards
EMPEROR PALPATINE (E3 version)

JEDI TEMPLE ASSAULT:

3 501st Clones
1 ARC 170 Pilot (this makes little sense to include here, but the figure is useful)
DARTH VADER (in Anakin Skywalker form)

JEDI VS SITH (CLONE WARS)

Assaj Ventress
GENERAL GRIEVOUS
MASTER YODA
OBI-WAN KENOBI (in Clone Armor)
ANAKIN SKYWALKER (Yavin Duel)

This was sold with the exclusive Anakin as bait, and the Obi-Wan sucked and only 3 years later did an improved version of Obi-Wan in clone armor surface for 2008.

JEDI VS SEPARATISTS

Mace Windu
OBI-WAN KENOBI (AOTC)
ANAKIN SKYWALKER (AOTC)
JANGO FETT
DARTH MAUL - why the heck is he included. Maul wasn't a Separatist!

REBEL VS EMPIRE:

Stormtrooper
DARTH VADER (again, but with removeable helmet)
HAN SOLO (Endor Bunker)
CHEWBACCA
LUKE DEATH STAR II (the crappy version from 2003)

2006 saw battle packs continue....

BATTLE ABOVE THE SARLAAC:

Weequay
BOBA FETT
LANDO SKIFF GUARD
LUKE JEDI KNIGHT
HAN SOLO SARLAAC BATTLE

JEDI VS DARTH SIDIOUS:

Kit Fisto
SaeSee Tiin
Agen Kolar
MACE WINDU
DARTH SIDIOUS

this set's perfect if you want to set up this scene, but buying individual figures would bring you higher quality.

SITH LORD ATTACK:

Battle Droid
Security Battle Droid
DARTH MAUL
OBI-WAN KENOBI
QUI-GON JINN

MACE WINDU'S ATTACK BATALLION:

Clone Commander (in airborne gear)
3 Clone Troopers
MACE WINDU

SKIRMISH IN THE SENATE: (includes Senate Speaker Car)

2 Shocktroopers
DARTH SIDIOUS
MASTER YODA

They still have yet to make the correct Darth Sidious figure for the Yoda duel scene.

THE HUNT FOR GRIEVOUS: (Clone Wars):

3 ARC Troopers
Heavy Gunner Clone
CAPTAIN FORDO (ARC Trooper)

2007 saw the most battlepacks ever: 22 of them!!!

THE BATTLE OF GEONOSIS:

Aayla Secura
OBI-WAN KENOBI
Super Battle Droid
COUNT DOOKU
JANGO FETT

BATTLE ON MYGEETO:

Ki-Adi Mundi
Cmdr Bacara
Galactic Marine
Super Battle Droid
Tri-Droid

BETRAYAL AT BESPIN:

Boba Fett
DARTH VADER
PRINCESS LEIA (Bespin)
CHEWBACCA
HAN SOLO (Bespin)

This set could have appropriately included Lando, but I don't know how you sacrafice any of the other principal characters included.

CAPTURE OF THE TANTIVE IV:

2 Rebel Fleet Troopers
2 Stormtroopers
DARTH VADER

(This set is almost perfect for troop building, but by including another Vader it turned me off)

DROID FACTORY CAPTURE:

C-3PO / Battle Droid head mix-up
Destroyer Droid
JANGO FETT
ANAKIN SKYWALKER (AOTC)
R2D2 (flying)

JEDI TRAINING ON DAGOBAH:

Darth Vader Apparition
YODA
LUKE (Bespin)
R2D2 (Dagobah)
OBI-WAN KENOBI (spirit)

AMBUSH ON ILLUM:

2 Chameleon Droids (one uncloaking)
PADME AMIDALA (snowbunny)
C-3PO (wrong one - shouldn't be gold yet)
R2D2

ARC 170 ELITE SQUAD:

2 Clone Pilots
2 Clone Troopers (ARC Fighter markings)
R2 Droid (no official name)

AT-RT ASSAULT SQUAD (includes 2 AT-RTs - large battle pack):

2 AT-RT Drivers
1 Clone Commander (Kashyyyk)

ATTACK ON KASHYYK (The Force Unleashed):

2 Wookiee Warriors
2 Stormtroopers
DARTH VADER (again)

BATTLE RANCOR (with Rancor):

Fallucian Rider

BETRAYAL ON FALLUCIA:

Aayla Secura (she's necessarily included here):
3 Clone Troopers (starcorps, 1 with removeable helmet)
Commander Bly

I bought this one as it was useful

THE ULTIMATE BATTLE OF ENDOR (includes AT-ST, 2 logs):

AT-ST Driver (gray hair) - nice figure
2 Biker Scouts
Stormtrooper
CHEWBACCA
HAN SOLO (Endor Bunker)
Oochee (Ewok)
Widdle Warrick (Ewok)


THE ULTIMATE BATTLE OF HOTH (includes AT-ST, Turret Cannon):

AT-ST Driver (younger version)
3 Snowtroopers
LUKE SNOWSPEEDER PILOT
HAN HOTH
Rebel Officer
Rebel Soldier

This set could've almost been worth it for the Turret Cannon.


BANTHA with TUSKEN RAIDERS: (includes Bantha):

Bantha Riding Tusken Raider
Tusken Female with Infant
Tusken Sniper with Massiff


HOTH PATROL:

I think this is the 2 Snow Scout Troopers on Speederbikes

STAP ATTACK: (includes 2 STAPs)

Silver Super Battle Droid
2 Pilot Battle Droids

TREACHERY ON SALEUCAMI: (includes 2 Clone speederbikes)

Commander Neyo
Clone Trooper

SPEEDER BIKE RECON: (includes 2 Clone Speeder Bikes)

2 Clone Troopers

SHIELD GENERATOR ASSAULT:

Imperial Lt. Renz
Rebel Nik Sant in Biker Scout Disguise
HAN SOLO (shield bunker)
R2D2 (shield bunker blast damage)

LARS HOMESTEAD (with Lars Homestead Entrance, vaporator, womprat):

Uncle Owen
Aunt Beru
Sandtrooper

ULTIMATE BATTLE PACK: PIT OF CARKOON (with Sarlaac and Skiff):

Weequay
BOBA FETT
HAN SOLO
LUKE SKYWALKER
LANDO CALRISSIAN

There are more battle packs that you can fill in and discuss here, but these are the basics that are interesting to write about.

[Tycho]

Alright, so THESE are the ones I bought:

THE BATTLE OF HOTH: (this set also included a TaunTaun)

R3-A2
PRINCESS LEIA (Hoth)
LUKE SKYWALKER (Hoth)
CHEWBACCA (Hoth)

By giving up R3-A2, I managed to split this battle pack with a friend so I could get the TaunTaun with belly slit.

My friend gave me Aurra Sing's Swoopbike years later, as he's not too familiar with the EU.

SKIRMISH IN THE SENATE: (includes Senate Speaker Car)

2 Shocktroopers
DARTH SIDIOUS
MASTER YODA

They still have yet to make the correct Darth Sidious figure for the Yoda duel scene. I originally bought 2 of these sets but I'm not sure if they're in storage or if I returned them, as I plan on building custom Senate halls for each of the prequel movies.


AMBUSH ON ILLUM:

2 Chameleon Droids (one uncloaking)
PADME AMIDALA (snowbunny)
C-3PO (wrong one - shouldn't be gold yet)
R2D2

I wanted to make this scene anyway - with Luminara and Barris, and Yoda as well.

BETRAYAL ON FALLUCIA:

Aayla Secura (she's necessarily included here):
3 Clone Troopers (starcorps, 1 with removeable helmet)
Commander Bly

I bought this one as it was useful

TREACHERY ON SALEUCAMI: (includes 2 Clone speederbikes)

Commander Neyo
Clone Trooper

This set is perfect and very useful when combined with Deluxe Stass Allie.


LARS HOMESTEAD (with Lars Homestead Entrance, vaporator, womprat):

Uncle Owen
Aunt Beru
Sandtrooper

I wanted the homestead and the timing on my eligibility for returning this set to TRU ran out, so I'm keeping it even though I wind up with extras of Owen and Beru. I should've trusted myself to make a custom homestead.

So that's all I bought. Next I'll discuss some pieces I wanted but never could get because I refused to take the bait and get the battle packs.

[Darth Jax]

BANTHA with TUSKEN RAIDERS: (includes Bantha):

Bantha Riding Tusken Raider
Tusken Female with Infant
Tusken Sniper with Massiff

man that's gotta hurt

[bigbarada]

man that's gotta hurt

I think he meant to say Bantha-riding Tusken Raider.


I don't remember this set at all:

ASSAULT ON HOTH:

General Veers
3 Snowtroopers
Probot

This kind of covers the need for a Snowtrooper army builder set, but how many General Veers figures can one use?

[Mad Slanted Powers]

JEDI VS DARTH SIDIOUS:

Kit Fisto
SaeSee Tiin
Agen Kolar
MACE WINDU
DARTH SIDIOUS

this set's perfect if you want to set up this scene, but buying individual figures would bring you higher quality.

Actually, Mace is probably the only one you could get a better version of individually. Palpatine isn't that great, but it is the best in this outfit. Plus, the Jedi all come with soft goods cloaks that that carded versions didn't have.

I don't remember this set at all:

ASSAULT ON HOTH:

General Veers
3 Snowtroopers
Probot

This kind of covers the need for a Snowtrooper army builder set, but how many General Veers figures can one use?

I got that one. It is an okay set - http://www.rebelscum.com/rots05BPhoth.asp - but there are much better versions of the figures that have been released since then.

[bigbarada]

I got that one. It is an okay set - http://www.rebelscum.com/rots05BPhoth.asp - but there are much better versions of the figures that have been released since then.

Okay, I remember that set now. Just rehashes of outdated figures. Although we do need that Tripod Cannon remade, it's just too big for the VTAC Snowtroopers.

I guess when they're not fighting off the Rebellion, General Veers and Saga Snowtrooper can spend their time laughing at the two Snowtroopers who fell in Wampa poo.

[Tycho]

Actually, Mace is probably the only one you could get a better version of individually. Palpatine isn't that great, but it is the best in this outfit. Plus, the Jedi all come with soft goods cloaks that that carded versions didn't have.

I don't dislike all softgoods, especially for figures that need to ride in the vehicles, but it was really unnecessary here. The cloaks look too big for the characters, as what usually happens. Also I don't think Agen Kolar came with a softgoods cloak, but all the other Jedi did. To give Mace a more imposing look in this scene, I may very well use my Clone Wars Mace figure from 2003 (realistic style). Yeah, it's quite possible that a better Palpatine in the red outfit has been made (maybe in this battle pack), but I'd be interested in seeing him single-carded.

[Tycho]

Going through this list, there were some things I wanted out of individual battle packs, but never was able to get:

the Jedi detention device from Geonosis that held Obi-Wan while Dooku interrogated him.

R3-A2 from Hoth's Echo Base

By giving up R3-A2, I managed to split this battle pack with a friend so I could get the TaunTaun with belly slit.




Captain Tarpals made to ride a Kaadu

ANAKIN SKYWALKER (Yavin Duel)

Senate Speaker Car

2 new Wookiee Warriors



2 logs)
Oochee (Ewok)
Widdle Warrick (Ewok)


Hoth Turret Cannon
AT-ST Driver (younger version)
LUKE SNOWSPEEDER PILOT


Silver Super Battle Droid (this would look great single-carded!)

Imperial Lt. Renz
R2D2 (shield bunker blast damage) (but this figure needs to be redone right)

Sarlaac - which needs to be redone, larger and correctly, with a large sand base.

There's also a Hoth set which I did not list as I didn't have the name for it or a picture to look at, but it included the R5 droid with the black head and white body from Echo Base. I always liked that droid and hope it shows up in the BAD options.

[Mad Slanted Powers]

You are right about Kolar not having a soft goods cloak, but he does have a sculpted cloak as did the carded figure. Kit and Saesee didn't have any cloaks in their carded ROTS versions, and I think these are both perhaps the best versions of the characters. Adding the cloaks to them in this pack makes them more scene accurate.

This is probably the best Palpatine in this outfit, but that isn't saying much. It's the same as a carded version, and doesn't have much articulation. If they could take the Evolutions Sidious body and put this outfit and a better head on him, then we'd have a good replacement for this figure.

If you want to have a complete history of multi-packs, you could go back further to include the Cinema Scenes. Those all had three figures.

POTF2 Cinema Scenes
Cantina Aliens - Labria, Nabrun Leids, Takeel
Cantina Showdown - Dr. Evazan, Ponda Baba, Ben Kenobi
Death Star Escape - Han & Luke as Stormtroopers, Chewbacca
Final Jedi Duel - Emperor, Darth Vader, Luke
Jabba The Hutt's Dancers - Rystall, Greeata, Lyn Me
Jabba's Skiff Guards - Klaatu, Barada, Nikto
Jedi Spirits - Anakin, Yoda, Obi-Wan
Mynock Hunt - Chewbacca, Leia, Han
Purchase of the Droids - Owen, C-3PO, Luke
Rebel Pilots - Ten Numb, Wedge, Arvel Crynyd (actually should be Lt. Telsij)

Episode I Cinema Scenes
Mos Espa Encounter - Sebulba, Jar Jar, Anakin
Tatooine Showdown - Darth Maul, Qui-Gon, Anakin
Watto's Box - Watto, Graxol Kelvyyn, Shakka

And there are also the Jedi Council 3-packs and Geonosis War Room 3-packs

[Tycho]

There's also the Trash Compactor sets, but there's only 2 figures in each of those, the Cantina sets with the bar assembled (part of it anyway), and so on.

I keep thinking of more of these.

I'm going to do a character re-use analysis pretty soon here.

Anyone want to start with how many times Darth Vader appears in a multi-pack / battle pack?

Troop builders don't count as tons of them are actually wanted and useful.

But Vader, Luke, Boba Fett, Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO, R2-D2, the list goes on.

Do you think selling packs like Betrayal on Bespin will prompt people to buy an extra Lando figure if they were carded collectors and now they have a ready-made scene to open up that only needs a few more figures? (Lando, Lobot, Stormtroopers - probably 8 or so, Bespin Guards)

As I'm not a carded collector of any kind, this doesn't work for me. When a new figure is coming out (Luke Medical Frigate), I list every scene I think I want to do with that figure (uh...1 in this case - the Medical Frigate) and then buy whatever else I need: Leia Medical Frigate, R2D2, C-3PO, 2-1B, FX-7. I also got a deluxe Titanium or Action Fleet Millennium Falcon from a while back to sort of "frame" in my display window, like Luke and Leia are watching it fly away.