Crimson Stormtrooper, Sandtrooper Sergeant, Lieutenant Oxixo & R2-Q5 (Imperial Forces 4-Pack) — Star Wars The Black Series

Overview

The Imperial Forces 4-Pack is a November 2015 Entertainment Earth exclusive at $99.99 — four all-Imperial figures on a named-character and variant-specific theme. A Crimson Stormtrooper from the Expanded Universe, a Sandtrooper Sergeant with the rank-accurate white pauldron, Lieutenant Oxixo — one of the named TIE pilots who pursued the Millennium Falcon escaping the Death Star — and R2-Q5, the Imperial astromech from Return of the Jedi with a new dome sculpt. At $25 implied per figure, it sits above standard single-card pricing, justified by the exclusivity and named-character depth.

Crimson Stormtrooper

A straight repaint of the standard Phase 3 Stormtrooper (id=2285) in all-crimson armour. 23 joints — dual-axis elbows, swivel biceps, full above-baseline configuration. The character traces back to the 1995 Expanded Universe short story Lumiya: Dark Star of the Empire, making this one of the earlier EU-sourced Black Series 6” releases. Packaging describes them as “trained for operations in the extreme temperatures of volcanic areas.”

Black blaster and silver/grey blaster rifle — both fit OK in the hands, standard blaster holsters on left hip. Shoulder armour limits arm elevation as standard for this tooling. No head under the helmet. Stands well.

Sandtrooper Sergeant

The most accessory-heavy figure in the set: 6 accessories and 23 joints. A repaint of the Sandtrooper Squad Leader (id=2069) with one critical rank-specific change — the white shoulder pauldron instead of orange. In A New Hope Sandtrooper pauldron colour indicates rank, with white denoting Sergeant. This is the first time the white pauldron variant appeared in Black Series 6” form.

The backpack pegs firmly into the back hole. The inside of the backpack has a small peg where the ammo pouch attaches, hanging the pouch over the Sandtrooper’s left shoulder. The white pauldron is removable. Both blaster rifles and the blaster fit well in the hands. Nicely painted with Tatooine sand worked into the armour throughout. No balance issues.

Lieutenant Oxixo

A repaint of the standard TIE Fighter Pilot (id=2354) representing a specifically named character: Lt. Oxixo piloted one of the four TIE Fighters shot down while pursuing the Millennium Falcon during its escape from the Death Star before the Battle of Yavin. The figure has two exclusive paint details that distinguish it from the standard release: a silver stripe on the helmet and red buttons on the chest box instead of the standard black. 19 joints.

The chest box is permanently attached. The two cables running from the chest box to the helmet can be removed from the helmet end but not from the chest box. The Imperial blaster fits into the holster but feels slightly oversized for it. Trigger-finger right-hand grip works well. Imperial insignia on helmet and shoulders are present. No balance issues in dynamic poses.

R2-Q5

A rework of the 2013 R2-D2 tooling (id=2070) with two specific changes: a new dome sculpt distinct from the R2-D2 version, and a new black Imperial paint application. R2-Q5 can be seen in background shots aboard the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi — the packaging names the character as entrusted with the Emperor’s own secrets. 6 joints. Five removable panels (3 dome + 2 leg), no plug-in accessories included. Front arms pull out manually. 360° dome rotation moves the middle leg. Dual foot wheels for stability. Undersized vs 6” scale — the same programme-wide astromech tooling limitation.

None of R2-D2’s accessories were included — the ammo pouch/booster rocket holes in the leg panels remain but nothing plugs in.

The Naming Detail

Three of the four figures in this set are named or rank-specific, which makes it unusual in the Black Series 6” programme. The Sandtrooper Sergeant’s white pauldron is rank documentation; Lt. Oxixo’s identity is canon film lore from A New Hope; R2-Q5’s role is canon Return of the Jedi background detail. The Crimson Stormtrooper draws from EU publishing history. This is the kind of Imperial deep-cut that rewards collectors who know the source material.

Secondary Market

Entertainment Earth exclusive, November 2015, Phase 3 Red Line. Verify all nine accessories: Crimson Stormtrooper’s blaster + blaster rifle; Sandtrooper’s white pauldron, backpack, ammo pouch, two blaster rifles, and blaster; Oxixo’s blaster. The ammo pouch and the Sandtrooper’s white pauldron are the most easily separated small components on a loose set. R2-Q5’s 5 removable panels also need checking.

Verdict

Imperial Forces 4-Pack earns its $99.99 price through depth rather than spectacle — all four figures trace to specific lore, with named pilots, rank-accurate pauldron variants, and EU sourcing. The Sandtrooper Sergeant’s six-accessory loadout and the new R2-Q5 dome are the engineering highlights. The Crimson Stormtrooper and Oxixo are strong repaints with good lore backing but limited new tooling. For Imperial-focused collectors, this is a set worth tracking down.

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Part of Star Wars The Black Series | Phase 3 Red Line. Related: Amazon Trooper 4-Pack P3-EX-4PK | Imperial Shadow Squadron P2-EX-ISS | Red Squadron Droid 3-Pack P3-EX-RSD.