Kit Review

Straight build + seals

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. At about 30cm long, it's the most elongated kit in the S

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.
At about 30cm long, it's the most elongated kit in the Star Wars lineup.

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (1/10)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (2/10)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (3/10)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (4/10)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (5/10)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (6/10)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (7/10)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Various angles (8/10)

Various angles

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Scout Trooper (1/6)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Scout Trooper (2/6)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Scout Trooper (3/6)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Scout Trooper (4/6)

Scout Trooper

Detail shots

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - The only weapon included is a small blaster, which can be stored on the side of the right leg w

The only weapon included is a small blaster, which can be stored on the side of the right leg when not in use.

A total of 5 hands are included.

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Articulation is a bit more limited compared to the Stormtrooper. Probably because there's so mu

Articulation is a bit more limited compared to the Stormtrooper.
Probably because there's so much stuff hanging off it..

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - The forward/backward range of motion at the waist and neck is pretty decent — it seems like the

The forward/backward range of motion at the waist and neck is pretty decent,
it seems like the angles were designed with mounting on the Speeder Bike in mind.

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - There's too much stuff getting in the way around the hip joints, so a kneeling pose is pretty t

There's too much stuff getting in the way around the hip joints, so a kneeling pose is pretty tough;;

On the flip side, you can seat the figure on the Speeder Bike quite securely.

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Blaster firing pose (1/3)

Blaster firing pose

Together with the 1/12 Stormtrooper.

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - The Speeder Bike on its own (1/3)

The Speeder Bike on its own

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Detailed close-ups by section (1/6)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Detailed close-ups by section (2/6)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Detailed close-ups by section (3/6)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Detailed close-ups by section (4/6)

Detailed close-ups by section

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Underside detail (1/3)

Underside detail

A uniquely shaped stand is included — you remove the cover on the right side to attach it.

The repulsor driver cover at the rear can be opened via a swap-out part.

Viewing it from below gives you a great look at the exposed inner mechanical detail.

All in all, this is quite a premium kit in many ways~

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - You can seat a Stormtrooper on it too, but getting the pose right is a bit trickier compared to

[ Bonus Shot 1 ]
You can seat a Stormtrooper on it too, but getting the pose right is a bit trickier compared to the Scout Trooper.
This just goes to show that the Scout Trooper really was built with the Speeder Bike in mind.

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike - Ooh~ looks like someone used to ride bikes back in the day~ The cape billowing in the wind look

[ Bonus Shot 2 ]
Ooh~ looks like someone used to ride bikes back in the day~
The cape billowing in the wind looks pretty cool, but all those capes make it quite a challenge to get a good pose going. ^^;

The 11th entry in Bandai's Star Wars series is a combo kit featuring the Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike. The box looks like an HG-sized box that you'd expect to cost around ¥1500, but the price is a whopping ¥5000 — this is probably the most expensive Bandai plastic model kit relative to its packaging. (The PG Unicorn LED Unit is exempt!) That said, when you open the small box, you'll find a surprisingly large number of runners packed in there with impressive efficiency, making this a curious kit that's also arguably the best ever in terms of contents-to-box-size ratio.

The Scout Trooper is basically built on the same concept as the existing 1/12 Stormtrooper, but since the appearance is completely different, all the parts are entirely new. The assembly process is easy and straightforward, just like the Stormtrooper, though articulation is somewhat more limited — probably because there's so much stuff hanging off it. On the plus side, the waist and neck joints are fairly flexible to help you get a good pose on the Speeder Bike.

The Scout Trooper only comes with a single small blaster as its weapon, and it can be stored on the side of the right leg when not in use. There aren't really any other accessories included, so honestly it looks much better just sitting on the Speeder Bike.

The Speeder Bike is a masterpiece that really showcases Bandai's engineering skills — it's easy to build, yet the detail and sense of depth once completed are excellent. In particular, all the thin, delicate parts are done in soft plastic, so there are no durability concerns, and the color separation is well done too, meaning the straight build alone already looks pretty satisfying.

In terms of functionality, there aren't really any moving parts aside from the footrests, but the rear repulsor driver cover can be opened via a swap-out part. Also, the dedicated stand attaches from the side rather than the bottom, which is a neat touch — it lets you display the bike as if it's hovering in mid-air.

So while the value proposition is a bit dizzying, the kit quality itself is excellent. The Speeder Bike in particular is the most refined and well-executed item in the Bandai Star Wars lineup, and that alone makes it well worth picking up. (The Scout Trooper is just a bonus..) Either way, for Star Wars fans, just being able to build a high-quality Star Wars plastic model like this should be a real treat. :-)

1/12 Scout Trooper & Speeder Bike | 2015. 6 | ¥5,000

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.