Bandai 1/12 Sandtrooper Model Kit

This is the 1/12 scale Sandtrooper Bandai model kit. I ordered this one to have a variation of the classic Stormtrooper in my collection. As you can see, the build is almost exactly the same as the classic Stormtrooper, with a few extra additions. The Sandtrooper has the addition of a shoulder pad, and ammo pack on the other shoulder (at least I think that's what it is), and addition set of ammo packs on the belt, and some back gear. Other than those additions, you basically have a Stormtrooper here. Sandtroopers are Stormtroopers outfitted for desert environments and desert combat.
Anyway, moving right along, you guys are probably wondering why the armor looks so clean, right? 'Cause if these guys are trekking through deserts, surely their armor would be more weathered or dirtied up. The answer is that I honestly don't know. I'm with you guys on that one. Honestly though, I actually kind of like how it looks with the clean armor. I think it displays better with my other Stormtroopers that way. So while I think it would have made more sense to try and add it in, the lack of weathering isn't that big of a deal for me. Plus, you can actually create that effect on the armor yourself if you know how (I'm not a professional or master model builder, so I don't know how people do it). As far as decals go, almost all of the sticker decals in this kit are applied to the helmet. The rest of the model looks really nice, and very screen accurate. I especially like all the details on the helmet. Definitely one of the much better looking Sandtroopers on the market. 😊
For accessories, he comes with a stand that's made to look like sand, which has a place to secure the model's foot. It also comes with several different interchangeable hands, four different blasters, and extra pieces to customize the backpack. Yes, this model is made so you can customize it a bit. It includes sticker decals to make the shoulder pad either orange or white (you can also make it black by not applying any decal to it), but you only get one of each. I chose the orange one just because that's how I'm used to seeing the Sandtroopers. It also includes pieces to make one of three different backpack designs (which one you pick is up to you), and while I haven't tried it yet, I think you can swap out the pieces to change the version of the backpack. I picked the first design since I liked how that one looked best.
My final thoughts? I wasn't sure if I was going to be completely happy with this model when I ordered it, but I'm glad that I decided to give it a chance, because it really is a really nice model kit, and I'm yet to see a Sandtrooper figure in this scale that resembles how they look in the movies than this one does. Another fantastic Star Wars model from Bandai! 😊 I would definitely recommend picking up this kit if you're looking for a good addition to your Imperial army, or if you just want a good looking Sandtrooper figure.