Hot Toys MMS 434 - Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader Figure Set

[The Autistic Asexual]

That cape would look really good on R1 Vader to get the blowing cape effect that he had at the end of the film.

Just use a fan bro.

 

[The Autistic Asexual]

Just got my Tarkin/Vader set yesterday... now the seeds of modification are germinating...
The first thing that leaps out at me is repainting the chest armor.
I haven't dared to try removing the head yet, but I want to find out if the eye lenses are transparent or not. If they are, I'd like to paint the insides of them a subtle transparent red tint, as is often seen in the film. I suspect they are solid black plastic though, unfortunately.
I might modify one of the hands so it can hold up my SS Captain Antilles by the throat.

I know others have thought of and/or done a bunch of other mods...
Does anyone want to post a few of the best accurizing mods that they have seen or done?

Just paint the inside of Vader's mask/head white. The color of the eye lenses will really show and pop then.

 

[j14]

Looking for a quick recap. I have a chance at buying this set and replacing my original Hot Toys A New Hope Vader with this one.
Is this one accurate to ANH?

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[TonTon]

Yes. Pretty similar to the original ANH one but has the far more accurate gloves. Most everything else is the same — chestbox different but no clear consensus on which is better or more accurate.

 

[loki2371]

Looking for a quick recap. I have a chance at buying this set and replacing my original Hot Toys A New Hope Vader with this one.
Is this one accurate to ANH?

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To me, only the gloves are better, and maybe the boots. Hence I bought a complete set of this Tarkin Vader 2pk's gloves for my original ANH Vader. They added the boot straps to the 2pk as well that were missing on the ANH Vader, so I picked them up too.

While it's nice they added more accurate weathering on the chest box and belt boxes, I believe the original ANH ones are more accurate in appearance.

The main problem for accuracy with the Tarkin 2pk Vader is, for some reason, HT gave him the incorrect lightsaber hilt. They gave him the one from ESB (which also came with RO) for some reason, even though the initial ANH release had the correct lightsaber hilt. Puzzling on why HT would do that since they had the correct mold. Probably so the saber in the light up arm matched, rather than having to make a new one since the saber is permanently attached to the hand. And the original ANH had the different gloves so they couldn't reuse it.

Both are great though, as the ANH version of Vader will always be my favorite look.

 

[SilverStar17]

Can’t really go wrong with either one. Both have their pros and cons that sort of cancel each other out that people have already enumerated, so there’s no real clear cut better version. Just really depends which pros mean more to you and which cons you’re able to overlook.

I have the v1 myself. The inaccurate gloves I can overlook because I have mine posed in such a way where they are covered by the cape, so regardless of which gloves are used, they’re inconspicuous anyway. Like the above poster mentioned, I too prefer the v1 chest box as it look more accurate to my eye, and that’s something that’s important to me when I look at him.

 

[D.R.37]

Paint apps on the new helmet aren’t as good. The subtleties of the V1 look nicer imo.

 

[j14]

Thanks for all the replies. By the sounds of it I'll just keep my original Vader and Tarkin single releases. I really just wanted to upgrade because of the better gloves on Vader. .

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[SilverStar17]

Yeah, if you already have ANH v1, I’d just keep it. Going for v2 isn’t much of an overall upgrade (if at all) being that as mentioned, both have heir pros and cons that cancel each other out.

However, if the gloves are a big detail to you and are going to be visible in the way you have him posed, it might be worth just selling the v1 and getting the v2 simply from a financial perspective. I’m sure parted out gloves cost a pretty penny, so it might be worth just selling your current one and essentially trading that for the other. But like I said, v2 also has its inaccuracies that v1 got right, so it all just depends which details that are accurate mean more to you, and which inaccuracies you can overlook.

If you can find some gloves though for a good price, I’d just go that route if it’s the gloves that you’re mostly concerned with.

 

[DarkChocobi]

Im having an extremely difficult time to put in light-up saver arm, its just seems impossible. Any tricks would be greatly appreciated .

 

[K1NG J0RDAN]

Im having an extremely difficult time to put in light-up saver arm, its just seems impossible. Any tricks would be greatly appreciated .

Make sure the bicep is turned the right way. I had a ton of trouble and found out that was turned backwards somehow.

After I adjusted it, the arm popped in pretty easy.

 

[DarthBakura]

Does the light-up lightsaber arm work with the Rogue One Vader? I’m assuming they’re both the same body and so that version can pop the arm out as well?

 

[piccolodaimaoh]

Does the light-up lightsaber arm work with the Rogue One Vader? I’m assuming they’re both the same body and so that version can pop the arm out as well?

They are different bodies that do have one thing in common. The Rogue One Vader has a modified Christopher Reeve Superman body while the Tarkin Set, like the Empire and New Hope Vader figures use the Man Of Steel Superman body. Since the arms are different I do not think they will be compatible. Maybe with some modification but the arm would probably look not quite right.

 

[DarkChocobi]

I just notice my Vader suit has started peeling (small spots though) on the right arm and left leg, Im not entirely sure if those are scratches or the suit is actually deteriorating .

 

[Wor-Gar]

where do you live?

 

[TurdFurgusonsHat]

I just notice my Vader suit has started peeling (small spots though) on the right arm and left leg, Im not entirely sure if those are scratches or the suit is actually deteriorating .
View attachment 464491

....

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[Wor-Gar]

Looks like a bug ate it.

 

[GodParticle]

Yeah, that looks more like something tore into it or snagged on something. Or it might have been like that from the start and never noticed

I'm dealing with pleather breakdown on my sideshow crimson guard and it looks kind of like flaking rather than a gouge like that

One thing I've be careful of is the metal stands rubbing on the suits. I noticed on my crimson guard that it was rubbing away the pleather where it contacted

 

[DarkChocobi]

Yeah, that looks more like something tore into it or snagged on something. Or it might have been like that from the start and never noticed

I'm dealing with pleather breakdown on my sideshow crimson guard and it looks kind of like flaking rather than a gouge like that

One thing I've be careful of is the metal stands rubbing on the suits. I noticed on my crimson guard that it was rubbing away the pleather where it contacted

Same man, I strongly think the crotch grabber stand was rubbing away certain pleather part of the leg.

 

[jkno]

The pleather/faux leather on the old ANH Vader Premium Format is still in perfect condition today, of course that is a static statue, but is very old, and no damage so far. HT is well known for low quality pleather (and rubber), and this will happen sooner or later alas. This is the reason I didn't pre-order the 1/4 HT Vader.