New LEGO Star Wars battle pack brings back retired clones, but not the ones you’re thinking of

The latest LEGO Star Wars battle pack secretly brings retired Clone Troopers back to shelves – but not the ones you’re thinking of.

This summer will see yet another LEGO Star Wars army builder join the line-up from a galaxy far, far away, in 75359 332nd Ahsoka’s Clone Trooper Battle Pack. In the box you’ll find Captain Vaughn and three 332nd Company Clone Troopers, as seen in Season 7 of The Clone Wars. This particular company – a subdivision of the 501st Legion – hasn’t been seen since 2020’s 75283 Armored Assault Tank (AAT), so this is a welcome return. But it’s not the only one the set manages.

Earlier this year, the LEGO Group launched its second battle pack anchored around Vader’s Fist, better known as the 501st Legion, in 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack. The 119-piece set debuted on shelves almost immediately after 2020’s 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers retired, and includes four brand new blue-tinted soldiers, seemingly inspired by the designs in EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II: an officer, specialist and two heavy troopers.

What it doesn’t include is a standard 501st Legion Clone Trooper, so you’re all out of luck if you missed out on 75280. Or you were: with the arrival of 75359 332nd Ahsoka’s Clone Trooper Battle Pack in August, standard 501st troopers will technically be back on shelves once again.

The three regular 332nd Company soldiers in the set all use the same torso and legs as the stock 501st troopers, while you’ll find the necessary helmets in 75345 501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack – just leave off the accessories (visors, antennae, binoculars) and you’re good to go. Which means you can technically cobble together your own clones without resorting to the aftermarket, and so technically the LEGO Group will actually be selling everything you need to build your 501st army however you like.

Okay, so it’s a slightly roundabout way to amass standard troops, but this does highlight two of the biggest takeaways from 75359 332nd Ahsoka’s Clone Trooper Battle Pack: one, standardising the LEGO Group’s Clone Trooper designs over the past couple of years has allowed the Star Wars theme’s minifigures to become more versatile than ever; and two, this battle pack really does feel like a way to just clear out old parts and reuse previous designs.

Aside from applying the print of the previous 332nd Company trooper to the new-style helmet (with holes for accessories), nothing in this battle pack is revolutionary. The torsos and legs are lifted wholesale from 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers (beyond Captain Vaughn’s slightly-modified torso), while Vaughn’s orange visor is just borrowed from Commander Cody in 75337 AT-TE Walker.

But all of that is really secondary to the ability to finally bag big numbers of these relatively rare soldiers, the previous versions of which are still commanding upwards of £11 each on BrickLink. Being able to cobble together stock 501st troopers as a result is just a bonus.

You’ll be able to build your 332nd Company from August 1, when 75359 332nd Ahsoka’s Clone Trooper Battle Pack launches alongside a full wave of summer LEGO Star Wars sets.

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