Target "Battle of Felucia" Battle Pack

[DoctorPadawan]

You know Doc, just because they say they can't look up the DCPI doesn't mean it's true.

Oh, I know for a fact that the woman was lying about the DCPI "not help(ing)" her.  When I called about the Mace Windu BP a few months back, they had no problem with the DCPI I gave them until they realized what it was.  I think that Target employees are on to the idea that collectors know their "secret code number" and the ones at my local store, at the very least, know when a customer mentions "DCPI", they're probably out to do something horrible like, you know, try to buy a product the store is supposed to be selling but won't.   

I would imagine it's only a matter of time before Target puts a fence up around the toy section and denies its existence completely.   

Oh, and for the sake of my earlier mention of it, here's the text of the post concerning a November 6, 2006 conversation with the same Target (different employee, though) about the Mace BP:

TARGET PERSON:  Thank you for calling Target, can I help you find anything?

ME:  Yes, I was wondering if you could tell me the stock status of a particular item using the DPCI number?

TARGET PERSON:  Yes sir, what is the number?

ME: (repeats the number of the Mace BP)

TARGET PERSON:  Hold please.

(30 seconds or so pass)

TARGET PERSON:  Sir, where did you get this DPCI number?

ME (lying slightly):  I have a friend in Minnesota who works for Target corporate.

TARGET PERSON (lying blatantly):  We have no record of this item.  Goodbye.

*Target Person  hangs up on me*

[Kit]

I have come to the conclusion that some people just hate their jobs.  I actually asked some individuals if that was the case on a few occasions when these people were being really rude and condescending for no apparent reason.

[Dressel Rebel]

Found an endcap at Target full of battle packs today, there were a ton of Ilums which was a solid brick (none sold) and about a dozen Felucias left (highly picked over but still plentiful) .  The 3 other Targets that I frequent have not put them out to date.  I really like this set, and love the value at 19.99.  I dig how half the pauldrons are turned the other way like in the flick.  The back of the box shows that it's all evolutions clones even though only one of the figures is, obviously.

[Jesse James]

Yeah I'm ok with the Evo figure and 2 Bly repaints to get the reverse pauldron since that's the way they were in the film.  That works for me despite wanting more Evo Clones since they weren't OVERLY common, for my area at least.

[Nirvana]

I'm still debating on whether or not to get this pack...$4 a figure is pretty appealing. But I know that if I don't use the DCPI trick I'm never going to see these. The only problem is that I've had a hard time using it. The only time it worked was for the Mace pack, and I went to Customer Service.

[Darth_Anton]

But I know that if I don't use the DCPI trick I'm never going to see these.

Has that been the case with all of the other Target Exlusive BP's for you?

[Nirvana]

The only time I've ever found a Target Exclusive BP is when I used the DCPI.

I'm going today for some other things, and I'll swing by Target. If they have these on the shelf (it's only a day before the reset date), I'll pick one up. I'm still not sure if I want to go through the whole DCPI thing.

EDIT- I was pleasantly suprised. As soon as I got in the store I plugged in the DCPI and it said it wasn't in the stockroom. A little bummed, I went to the toys just to check they weren't on the shelf. I was even more discouraged when I found two in the main shelf where the 327th grunts had been switched out for Clone Commanders and ROTS #6 clones. Finally, I checked the rear endcaps, and lo and behold, there were 5 BOF packs and like ten Ambush on Ilum packs. Picked one up, and I was not let down. Easily the best battle pack to date.

[Jesse James]

But I know that if I don't use the DCPI trick I'm never going to see these.

Has that been the case with all of the other Target Exlusive BP's for you?

I can't speak for DN but I can speak for the area some...  We seem to get substantially less than you guys out west do, Anton.  I don't know why...  Now these sound as though they're abundant enough, and I still need to get out to get mine, but I know the Mace packs were scarce on the shelves.  YOu either DPCI'd it or you ran a big risk of missing it.  I never saw that on shelves.

To go back further, the Target clones weren't overly common the shelves, yet the Coruscant pack was...  We had tons of B-Wings but the Y-Wing was non-existant and never saw a clearance here (first years we had target).  The accessory pack sets were around I recall, as were Obi/Ani Lava and Grievous.  Certain stuff seems to come and go, other stuff not so much.

I know I was happy I got my couple Mace packs when I got them though because I never saw it again.  Disappointed too because I'd have stocked up on them if I could have.

[Dressel Rebel]

I can't speak for DN but I can speak for the area some...  We seem to get substantially less than you guys out west do, Anton.  I don't know why... 

Personally I've noticed here in upstate NY that stuff shows up anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks after people in California pick it up.  There's a wealth of Walmarts and Targets where I live, and I've never seen any less than 30 of any given figure or battle pack that I wanted to buy, including exclusives.  And I've never used a DCPI number either, that's just what I've seen from what was naturally stocked by employees.  Always see 30 of everything in total, and pretty commonly up to 100 of any given figure or item.  I've lived all over NY state, downstate, slightly upstate, very upstate, central NY, and this has always been the case since the inception of the line in 1995.

I do read on the forums that people never see an item on the shelf, and I wonder if it's due to employees shipping stuff out "the back door", a low number of Targets and Walmarts in that area, stores that just don't get figures (unlikely), or just infrequent toy runs or at the wrong time.  Possibly local scalpers who know exactly when to hit your store or pay someone to hold stuff for them? (I know Kevin confirmed the rogue employee problem at his Walmart). Maybe a combination?

[Jesse James]

Pittsburgh has a pretty tight connection around town...  I wouldn't say stores are uncommon, just uncommon out in my area.  But going by what our local boards say...  Our stores sometimes just don't get as much.  Our scalper-issues are really fairly small.  You run into them, you know them to see them (usually know them from the Toy Show or "events" like Midnight Madness where you get to know them on some level), but they're really not a huge issue here like the LA area (ask Matt about that one sometime).

I don't think we have much of an employee backdoor problem...  The one Target seems to have a LITTLE of that (I only know that since it was said right in front of me by an employee who I was trying to get me something from the back room), but I'd say on the whole it's not a common issue...  If it is, it's a problem at every Target because when one doesn't have much to put out none have much to put out it seems.  Like I said though, sometimes exclusives are very abundant, but sometimes they're not and it seems simply a low number of product is all...  Nothing more.  Mace's battlepack seemed to be that way, or it sold oddly well via the DPCI around here.

Now, WM distributes 100% different...  Any given store can get any given number of items in be they exclusive or not.  There's no pattern.  Right now my area's getting lots of the WM 5 in it seems but not all of them got H&V/Epic Battles stuff for instance while other ones are pounded with them.  In general though I'd say we are lucky around here (from my observations at from 8 to 10 WM's I can visit) to have been spared the repack deluge you other guys got.  WE have very few of those, and the clones are long gone for us while some of you say they're peg warming.  Army builders in general are tough finds around here unless repacks from a case get out.

[Ook]

Do we have any idea what rank the reverse pauldron guys are?

[Nirvana]

If there's any still around I'll try to pick up a second set...this really is a great battlepack.

[Darth_Anton]

Do we have any idea what rank the reverse pauldron guys are?

If I was taking a page (or scene) from M*A*S*H, I'd say, Corporal Captain.

[Jesse James]

Just something they're testing out for the war department. 

To answer the question, I don't think those troopers are any different rank than any of the others (Bly excluded) in that scene...  They're just regular grunts.

[Ook]

Just something they're testing out for the war department. 

To answer the question, I don't think those troopers are any different rank than any of the others (Bly excluded) in that scene...  They're just regular grunts.

What's a "grunt" though? Isn't it a generic term to refer to combat soldiers who hold no command rank? They'd still have different ranks like private, etc, I would think. Maybe Anton's on to something.

If I was taking a page (or scene) from M*A*S*H, I'd say, Corporal Captain.

Anyway, this SW continuity **** is clearly no science. I'll just use my imagination. Before, I was thinking lower rank, but now I'm imagining them to be some sort of specialists; sharpshooters or demolitions or something. I stuck my two in with the three Evo guys I have, and so far I have one of them using the pistols where most of the others carry their rifles. Since I've had them, I've had one of the Evos (who I think of as the captain under Bly ) carrying the short rifle. I have him posed holding his helmet under his arm.

I really like that they made these reverse pauldron guys. Bly and the Star Corp are my favorite clone troopers. As inane and continuity-defying as GAR military business is, I like the variety these figures lend my little Felucia display. Bly and his command markings, plus macros; helmets on, helmets off; different pauldrons; 3 different gun choices. They look neat displayed together.


BTW, they do stand out with that clean, undamaged armor, though, don't they?