Clones are pretty much old hat at this point.  (Look no further that the recently announced Commander Doom from Hasbro.)  There’s not a lot here that we haven’t already seen from Sideshow.  But since Sideshow’s clones, especially the recent ones, are nothing short of amazing, this is definitely a good thing.

With this set, you obviously are getting a two-pack.  It is reasonably priced, at $200, since the individuals tend to be priced well over $100.  While these guys don’t come with a ton of extra gear, as have the recent deluxe versions, they do come with enough hands and feet to allow for a nice array of possible poses.  Since they each come with a rifle and blaster, they won’t have to fight over which weapon to carry.

Each clone comes with a unique swappable human head and phase I bucket.  The heads have tremendous detail, although Echo looks like he needs to visit the dentist a bit more often.  Fives has his signature “5” tattooed on his right temple.  As for the helmets, they look great, as we should expect at this point.  The 501st markings are different on each helmet, as is the body armor decorations.  I’m not sure how this was okay with the GAR brass, but these clones definitely stand out from their fellow 501st Legionnaires.

The paint applications are tremendous.  The weathering, scratches, dents, and blaster marks are incredibly detailed and life-like.  Sideshow has done this very well on their recent batch of clones, and you can see the difference when compared to the somewhat lame weathering on the Phase I Captain Rex.  Each clone has an amazing looking decal dedicated to a deceased squad mate, with the Aurebesh markings translating to “For Hevy”.  Echo (not Fives!) has a five-fingered hand-print on his chest armor, made by Captain Rex, using the blood of a Rishi eel.

Had I received these figures a month ago, I would have had 3 items to complain about.  However, 2 of them have been rendered moot, so my only standing complaint is that I found the bodies a bit loose in the joints in my samples, and found certain poses didn’t hold well.  I would have lamented the exclusion of a Phase 2 helmet, but Sideshow has already announced a Phase 2 set of Echo and Fives in full ARC trooper gear, and the photos from the Sideshow booth at SDCC are simply stunning!  I also wasn’t looking forward to the stands, which were shown in pre-production shots having The Clone Wars logo.  Thankfully, the gods intervened, and we have the standard Star Wars logo on the final product.

The figures look amazing alone, together, or in a group with other 501st Phase I clones, such as Captain Rex or the Deluxe 501st Clone.  I have chosen to display Echo in a kneeling position holding his rifle, with Fives at the ready holding his blaster.  Both are looking on, along with gatling-toting squad mate, as Rex identifies an enemy approaching.  Coming soon is Denal, another Phase 1 clone, who is actually Cad Bane in disguise.  There will then be 5 different Phase 1 clones for the 501st legion, which makes nomadscout a happy (and broke) guy.

If you love clones, the 501st, or are looking for a neat set of clones to get your collection started, I would definitely suggest considering a purchase at Sideshow.  We earn no commission on Sideshow 1:6 product, so this link is just a public service:.

Click here to order the 1:6 scale Echo and Fives (Phase I) from Sideshow

9/10 Bantha Skulls