Okay, I'll play. I'll only judge figures I own or have owned by likeness/accuracy, technical achievement, accessories/value, iconic status. I'm trying to be objective as there are figures I've ranked higher that I nonetheless didn't keep or would part with before lower-ranked figures.
1. HT Bespin Luke DX07. I no longer own this set because it didn't fit in with my overall scheme, but I see it as a peak in terms of quality, presentation, value and packaging. BD likeness pushes it over the top.
2. HT Chewbacca. I'm *still* not sure I'll keep this one, but it seems to be a production benchmark. There are some structural issues, but if you commit to painting the facial area to lighter and more accurate (which I have not), these flaws are mostly hidden. The figure is incredibly expressive, instantly recognizable, and fun.
3. MMS304. Luke-in-Stormtrooper Disguise makes the Top 3 because it's the best 1/6 representation of a stormtrooper to date, i.e. better than the original HT stormtrooper release. Versatile with good accessories. Head sculpt is okay. But where it shines is the subtle tweaks -- the body hangs more naturally than the HT stormie release, the frown is subtly different and the helmet with its interior detailing, has a slightly higher dome. At this scale those tiny differences add up. The foam neck adapter allows for expressive, natural and flattering angles on the helmet, and the glossy finish is iconic and bounces light beautifully. The slightly shorter chest armour is a nice touch and shows off the overall proportions better. This is the stormtrooper I was waiting for and I'll likely pick up Han-in-Disguise too.
4. SSC Imperial Probe Droid. Very accurate, very articulated. Base could have been better -- plain black looks like a toilet plunger, snow base's paint isn't great close-up -- but the droid itself is excellent, even if the paint falls short of the prototype.
5. SSC Red Five. The production figure took a lot of heat, with a fair amount coming from me. But this is an iconic piece representing one of the key moments from the film that started it all. The uniform is excellent, for the most part; the stock body isn't terrible, but a simple swap pushes it over the top. The head-sculpt...works incredibly well with the helmet on and looks better than the HT ANH Luke sculpt; the eyes behind the goggles look fantastic. One-trick pony as the paint and overall look suffer badly without the helmet. The helmet itself reaches its full potential with the simple mod of stripping some of the poorly done factory weathering, which is too uniform and dull.
6. HT Sandtrooper (Squad Leader). The helmet gets certain proportions correct that no one -- not even Marmit -- has ever nailed in this scale. Lots of options thanks to a good accessory kit, highly accurate overall with some nitpicks. My only real issues are the weathering -- too uniform with the over-spray, can render the armour kinda biscuit coloured in the wrong light ... and the fact that the character is really niche, in terms of display options, which I suppose is neither here nor there.
7. SSC R2-D2. A touch too small? Sure. Weathering needs partial stripping and re-doing to bring out the best, and some examples have a worse seam on the dome than others. But the touch control for lights is a nice touch, and like the Probe, I don't care in the long run if the droid is "light". It's a great representation and complements other figures very nicely, also a very nice stand-alone piece.
8. HT Han Solo. The likeness isn't a home run, but at several angles I think it nails '70s Ford-as-Solo.
9. HT Obi Wan. It channels Alec Guinness as Obi Wan with the hood on. They made some odd materials choices, and even if it's not perfect, if you need this character, I think it's the best to date when taken as a whole and can hit some great poses and gestures.
10. HT Stormtrooper 2-pack. While the helmets started bugging me, there's no denying that this set was fun, game-changing, and iconic.
Figures I don't have that I should mention: HT Leia (no-brainer), SSC TIE Pilot (just needs body mod or swap) and HT Vader (best out-of-the-box Vader available).
I don't own R2 or 3PO
