I saw a lot of the Target Clone in my area, actually.  I got mine via DPCI prior to their release, but after their release I saw them at the 3 Target's I hit semi-routinely...  the highest volume store sold fastest, but the lowest volume store had them on the pegs for probably a month before they all finally sold through...  I was surprised.

These Lava figures are like fly dirt though if they're out on the pegs at all even (some still have TIE's in the stock room I see by checking the DPCI, and also are hoarding their Lava figs for some reason!).  The Lava figures I saw the other day though...  man, that was a lot, and they were there the next time I was down without even one selling.

I hope the Shadow Troop is htat easy to find.  I'd like 4 for a "team".

I'd consider the equal, however the "Heavy Gunner" (I still think Hasbro made a flub in production and either got their names wrong or the accessories are mismatched) is a great variant for army building at the very least.

I got the Commando, and while I like its coloring and the tri-pod gun, I'm still a HUUUUUUUGE detractor of that figure's overall execution.  Ditch the action feature though and add knee joints (hell just use the Preview's lower legs!) and you've got a pretty damn nice figure.  Even with just knee joints it'd be a much better figure, but the shoulders are a little broad.

Anyway the Preview sculpt's fantastic and I think it's a figure Hasbro should re-release with new headsculpts...  I still wouldn't turn my nose up at a new "medium" sized Wookiee to replace the #43, but the preview sculpt is good to re-release in some colors/paintjobs and maybe later do new heads for it.  It'd be great really.

I just wish they'd get that in-between size with a nicely articulated and proportioned sculpt.  The #43 would just be more appreciated actually for diversity then I think. 

BTW I like the loin cloth and tunic.  Funky stuff there, and a nice attempt at Hasbro to "change" these figures up some.

There's TONS of **** out right now...  It's unreal, but here's my best possible breakdown.

-Sahara Figures are OUT.  There's only two, but they make bitchin' modern "enemies" with a little work.  Very Arabic looking figures, just need maybe a paintjob.  The headsculpts look nice though for customizing so I'm all geared up to buy an army for the heads to use in customizing and the bodies and such I'm gonna build a nice insurgent force to counter my BBI figures.  May need to (hop0efully if I find them) get more 21st Arab figures then too.

-Merril's Marrauders Giftset is OUT NOW as well...  The set is a Dodge Truck, and COmmand Car, with I believe 4 or 5 figures (I forget total I think 5 though) which are just dark green cast Paratroopers with random heads.  I saw complaints about accuracy of the uniforms but I'm ok with this as-is given it's a mere $40 for the whole set, so you get two vehicles and like 5 figures for that low-ass price.  Nice.

-New RC Tanks in 1:18!  This is a first, but they're around $80 I've heard...  I saw them tonight but they were up high so I didn't get a good look nor buy any.  Too pricey this month, but maybe lay-away next time I'm down.  There's a Panzer and the armored Personnel Carrier that was out.  They look pretty nice to me though especially the Panzer.  I just got a Panzer but I'd take an RC one in a heartbeat.  I hope they make a different frequency Sherman to kick its ass!

-Battle of the Bulge figures...  Supposedly these are pegwarming for some people, but not me.  I saw the first sign of them recently around here but so far we only have Marines in droves.  There's also paint variants I hear.  Like one German has a black helmet, the German Tankers come in white, field green/grey, and autumn camo patterns...  Dunno if there's differences on the US guys or what.

-Japanes Infantry...  I'm hearing variants on these too!  Green and Brown uniforms.  DId the Japanese wear green AND brown?  I had no idea...  I'm less familiar with the PTO than ETO.

-BBI U.S. World War 2 figures OUT...  Dunno about availability Vator, but the Paras seemed a bit scarce.  I htink we'll see more but the pegs are just a bit full rather than these being "limited".  I think that's a rumor because they're just currently hard to find.  Those BBI repaint Marines were a bitch to find too at first but now they're like flyshit.

There's like 3 infantry and 2 Paratroopers (sans jump gear) all set to go for a nice heavy D-Day landing.  Look to be the best troops for "D-Day" fans, ever.  And BBI loads you with gear too sot hat rocks.

-BBI Para's w/Jump Gear...  These hit and went most places but I still see them some, sot hey're around too.

Lots of great stuff out there though right now...  I even see some of the fightersthat never showed up here because the shelves are clogged with OLD fighters like P-47's and choppers galore.  Like i saw a night fighter and tropical camo ME109 tonight for the first time.  Yay (I'm done with planes).

So there you go...  Tons of stuff, no $$$, and some of it's as big a bitch to find as Star Wars figures!  Oh yeah, and then there's Star Wars I can't afford and/or find.   Life's a bitch ain't it?

Well holy hell...

Sorry I didn't see your "Hello" post Ash, but I've not been home so my online time was short and sweet when I got in...  I missed a bit.

Welcome aboard...  Good collecting discussions, good customizing too of course, so there's a lot to like.  Laid back atmosphere, so if you've got anything you wanna ask you're welcome to hit one of us up with questions...  Jason's around here somewhere usually during the night too. 

Ryan...

Dude, you can't imagine how the Pens fans are feeling.  Watching some of the weekly sports shows tonight, all the reporters are BIGTIME down on the Pens because they've got such glaringly obvious problems they just didn't, or won't address.

-Goaltending was my prediction for the team's downfall prior to the season starting, and I fear it all came horribly true... 

-A close second is a Defense (and defensive mindset) that is just piss poor.  The Pens are playing like they thought D would go out the window, which they've done in the past but which they should've been smarter than this.

-Overall coaching/team management...  I love Eddie O as a coach because I think he's a good guy and could be a great coach, but he's got no control on this team I'm afraid.  I think they got guys like Gonchar in and they're being defiant on the ice as to what they NEED to be doing.  Eddie O's gotta take some blame for where they are right now.

Ironically they've made ok points by getting into OT (but never winning it), so they're not incapable of turning the season around being so early yet and still having SOMETHING to show for what they did do right...  But if they don't address some **** and do so right quickly they'll not make the playoffs.  Goaltending is my biggest gripe all around and I think the team is just floundering around trying to figure out what to do.  They don't have one solid goalie, and Fleury (my choice) is so rattled by being basically ousted for Thibault that I think he's not gonna come back the same guy from WIlkes Barre if/when they do move him up.  He's not shown that goaltending that kept them in the game some their last season.

The D's a very close second though and I'd be unloading Gonchar at this stage of the game for some people who actually play D...  he sure as hell is not doing so 99% of the time and he's the guy who I think is telling the coaches to go F themselves because he "plays his own way".  We rid ourselves of that attitude with Nedved and Jagr, it'd be nice NOT to bring it back to the lockerroom.

Eddie O just needs to grow nuts and stop being everyone's pal on the Ice...  He needs Herbie's ghost to come snap his ass in gear on that.

My Noderating skills have been lax lately.  I may need to step that up a bit...  ***passes out***

I like R5-D2 from the Star Tours line but not as a replacement R5-D4.

Given that the body's 100% unlike R5-D4 due to the HUGE gash on his left side, and that the eyes on his dome are too few and nothing like the film R5's, I think that makes some pretty big differences.  Not to say I wouldn't buy a re-release of R5-D2 painted differently or something (even if not in the film), but R5-D4 simply needs a new dome sculpted and slapped onto the Preview Astromech R4's body (or I'd even be happy with it being put onto R2-Q5's body sculpt since that would work).  This is a figure so long in the wait though that anything half-assed isn't going to cut it I'm afraid.

My only gripe with a Holo Vader is that he's tiny when he is holographic in the movies.  I actually am looking forward to, hopefully, his mini-holo figure.  I have a holo mini of him a buddy made for me and it's been alongside my POTF2 Veers for a while.   Pretty cool little guy.

A full size holo Vader I'd take though, but if I only ever got a mini holo one with Veers I'd be completely happy.

Hmmm, that makes me wonder...  If there is a mini-holo Vader amidst the mini holo figures, and if they're mixed in randomly, will Veers with Mini Holo Vader be the ultimate variation on that figure that people want?