The leader of the Wolfpack upgrades his armor but loses mobility for his second figure release. There are a few things so right about this figure and a lot that could have been done better. Visually, he looks stunning, but if you can get by with 8 points of articulation on a figure that's meant to be posed dynamically or keep your figures carded, then you'll probably be O.K. 

CW17 CLONE COMMANDER WOLFFE
Affiliation: Galactic Republic
Appearance: The Clone Wars Season 4
Sequence: CW17
Asst. 37741/37290
Includes: 2 DC-17 Hand Blasters, Firing Rocket Launcher, Galactic Battle Game Card, Die, Stand
Action Feature: Firing Rocket Launcher!
Retail: $8.99
Released: April 2012

Bio:  Clone Commander Wolffe fires his rocket launcher at battle droids. Wolffe is the leader of the Wolfpack squad that serves under General Plo Koon. A tough warrior, the clone commander has a natural gift for strategy and a tireless dedication that always makes him the first to stride into the thick of battle. [IMAGE BANK PHOTOS]

SCULPT/PAINT: Hasbro's always done an overall great job with The Clone Wars sculpts, and Wolffe is no exception. He looks pretty accurate and true to the character with well done and nicely detailed paint deco to denote his 104th Battalion wolf markings. His kama is made of soft enough plastic as to not hinder leg movement, but it's a shame that leg movement features articulation from 1995.

The helmet isn't removable like his previous release, which had a great head sculpt of the good Commander with that cool scar and one missing eye. It's a simple ball joint, so you could potentially use that figure's head to pop on this one and have a "helmet less" look. The Phase II helmet is awesome, with a nice nod to the McQuarrie Concept Fett.

Wolffe also appears to have borrowed his torso from the CW02 Phase II Clone since he has the hole on his back to attach that Clone's missile launcher. So while Wolffe doesn't come with a back launcher, you can borrow CW02's if you are so inclined.

ARTICULATION: The Clone Wars assortment, due to the strength of their design, usually hides articulation really well as to not interfere with the aesthetics. It's been pretty well discussed in the collecting community how Hasbro is regressing the articulation on Movie Heroes figures, but it's a shame they're doing the same with Clone Wars, which have so many action packed characters, especially the Clones. Eight points of articulation (including ball joints on the shoulders and elbows and wedge pivot hips) is not going to get you much in pose ability, but it does keep the figure upright and somewhat balanced. That's not a tradeoff I'd take. And to add to the disappointment, his rangefinder isn't articulated either.

ACCESSORIES: Wolffe comes with all the accoutrements of the Galactic Battle Game and a pair of DC-17 blasters that fit snuggly in his holsters. Hasbro is also persistent in arming their Clone Wars commanders with the big firing rocket launchers, which are cleary aimed at the kiddies. It's tricky having this figure hold the launcher with no wrist articulation, but if you must, it takes some effort, especially since he's only meant to be posed straight and upright or sitting in the cockpit of a vehicle.

CARDBACK: It's the Movie Heroes/Clone Wars Maul cardback with character bio on the back, a plug for the Galactic Battle Game, and the rest of the figures in the wave.

TOPPING THINGS OFF: Good design and decent to good articulation shouldn't be mutually exclusive to each other in 2012. While Commander Wolffe is nice to look at, his 8 points of articulation is a real downer and inhibits the play and display value of an otherwise well sculpted and painted action figure. Put him in the Cargo Hold.

RATING: CARGO HOLD (3 out of 5 Bounty Points)