2015 Star Wars The First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter - Star Wars The Black Series 6-inch
10/28/2015
Thank you for joining me as I take a closer look at Hasbro's First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter vehicle from Star Wars The Black Series 6-inch toy line. The Tie Fighter was released in October 2015 and retailed for approx. $169.99 in the United States. Fellow collectors found the Tie Fighter first at Toys'R'Us retail stores and on Amazon.com.
Even though we've received a Speeder Bike in the 6-inch line before, this TIE FIGHTER is the first big vehicle in the line-up. The outside of the box has "01" written on it, which indicates it's likely the first big vehicle in an ongoing series.
The packaging is kept mostly black, grey and red, which gives it a classic and clean look. The front of the box has a small window in the bottom right corner which showcases the included (and currently exclusive to this set) Special Forces Tie Fighter Pilot 6-inch figure.
The back of the packaging has different pictures of the craft on it and some background information about the Tie Fighter and the Tie Fighter Pilot Elite:
First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter
The elite of the First Order starfighter pilots have access to specialized craft, such as two seater TIE craft outfitted with enhanced weapons and sensor systems.
First Order Tie Fighter Pilot Elite
The skilled pilots of the First Order launch into combat aboard advanced fighter craft, hunting down enemy vessels and protecting space around installations and warships.
Once I had pulled out all the TIE FIGHTER pieces from the box I realized how big this vehicle was going to be. Here is a picture of my six year old son holding the cockpit next to him, and you can see that the cockpit is bigger than his head!
In order to assemble the TIE FIGHTER I only had to attach both wings, the cockpit hatch, the laser cannon on the bottom of the cockpit and the laser cannon on the top next to the cockpit. All the pieces snapped right into place without any issues and I had the TIE FIGHTER set up and ready to be played with in less than three minutes. Luckily Hasbro pre-painted all the details on the outside and the inside of the cockpit, so I didn't have to mess around with stickers.
It took me a while to get two pilots seated inside the cockpit because there is not much room for your fingers once the action figures are inside. However, there is a plastic piece in the middle between both chairs which can be pulled out, and that makes it easier to fit the pilots inside the cockpit.
I had heard about some Tie Fighters having warped wings, but this version had no issues. The only thing I found a bit strange was that the figure and the Tie Fighter itself had a slight film of dust on it when I removed the plastic. It was easy to wipe off, but it was still a bit strange.
Differences Between The 6-inch And 3 3/4 inch TIE FIGHTERS
There are some differences between the 3 3/4 inch version of the Tie Fighter and this 6-inch Tie Fighter. The 6-inch version has both Tie Fighter pilots sit back to back, while the 3 3/4 inch version has the pilots sit next to each other facing opposite directions. This was likely done to keep the scale down in the 3 3/4 inch line. Hasbro also removed the "exploding" wings feature on the 6-inch Tie Fighter, so both buttons on the bottom of the cockpit are now gone. There are also no projectiles which shoot out from the 6-inch version. The rotating laser cannon next to the cockpit and the one attached on the bottom of the cockpit are still there.
Final Verdict
I found this TIE FIGHTER to be an excellent vehicle. The wings and the cockpit are very detailed (have a look here: Tie Fighter Wing details) and even though it takes patience to get two pilots seated inside the cockpit, it's doable. Once I had the figures placed onto their seats, I was also able to make them hold the controls, which looked even cooler. The paint application is done nicely as well, the outside has subtle weathering on it and the cockpit has many "lit-up" control lights. It looks outstanding.
My six year old was quite in awe when he saw the Tie Fighter first, but it was too heavy for him to carry around and he lost interest in it very quickly. Even though the packaging says "Age 4+", this Tie Fighter is clearly for adult collectors who are looking for a centerpiece in their collection.
The size of the Tie Fighter however will likely be a huge problem for many collectors. Yes it's impressive and it looks majestic on display, but it will likely not fit onto your shelf. The other negative is the hefty price tag of approx. $169 in the United States. However, if you have the room to display it and enough money in your wallet then I am sure you will enjoy this Tie Fighter as much as I do. It looks fantastic on display and makes a great conversation piece.
More First Order Special Forces Tie Fighter Info
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