2016 Toys R Us SDCC Exclusive 6" Astromech 3-Pack

[Nicklab]

Not so much a rumor since there are pics, but this morning I saw the post for an astromech 3-pack at Yakface.  Considering the lineup of droids?  I think this set might be linked to ROGUE ONE since at least one of them looks like it was in the hangar on Yavin IV in the first trailer.  Based on the packaging the droid lineup includes:

-R2-A3
-R5-K6
-R2-F2

[Dave]

I thought all the random droid repaints for 3.75" were cool and I was up for just about anything. 

I don't feel the same way about 6" figures though.  They're just too big to justify buying lots of random figures that have 0.38 seconds of screen time.

I'm also concerned about Hasbro's track record with this line in a price point above $20.  All of the larger 6" sets have been huge peg warmers, or barely even made it to market. 

I might bite if they manage to package the three of these for something like $35-40, but I'm not sold yet.  Hopefully these are an online exclusive (Amazon or EE) at a good price point.

[Nicklab]

Not so much a rumor since there are pics, but this morning I saw the post for an astromech 3-pack at Yakface.  Considering the lineup of droids?  I think this set might be linked to ROGUE ONE since at least one of them looks like it was in the hangar on Yavin IV in the first trailer.  Based on the packaging the droid lineup includes:

-R2-A3
-R5-K6
-R2-F2

I just saw a post from FlyGuy that this is going to be a shared convention exclusive available at both SDCC2016 and Celebration Europe.

[McMetal]

Interesting choice...pretty obscure character selection. Was hoping the Tudyk-droid would be the SDCC exclusive, but this is ok too I guess.

[Jeff]

I thought all the random droid repaints for 3.75" were cool and I was up for just about anything. 

I don't feel the same way about 6" figures though.  They're just too big to justify buying lots of random figures that have 0.38 seconds of screen time.

It is kinda funny how the endless droid/trooper repaints are tolerated in the 3.75" line but in the 6" line, it's a gut punch to a lot of folks that they have a made a 6" scale R5-K6, Constable Zuvio, and Crimson Stormtrooper figures, but no Old-Ben, Lando, etc yet.

Still seems amazing to me there is no Lando in the BS6" line yet.  I guess "WHERE ARE THE FEMALES?!?" anger has trumped "WHERE ARE THE MINORITIES?!?" these days. 

[Dave]

I'm sure these droids will be easy/cheap to make for Hasbro, but how about a three pack of Zeb, Chopper, and Hera?  Or three pack of recognizable droids from ANH - gonk, R5-D4, treadwell.  Cantina aliens?  Jabba's palace?  Heck, even Ewoks.

I'm sure we could all think of ten more interesting three packs.

I don't have every last droid memorized and had to look these up.  Pretty obscure, especially the last one R2-F2.  Looks like its based solely on the minuatures game?

This just feels too lazy and an overt money grab.

[Diddly]

That's why a lot of the troopers wind up pegwarming too... hard to justify army building at 1.5 times the size and at $20 a pop. Better to just leave them on the pegs and grab the main characters.

Personally I'll probably wind up passing on this since I'm not a fan of the Hasbro 6 inch Astromech sculpt. It's very undersized.

[Jesse James]

I think it's another instance of a no-win for Hasbro.  Make an exclusive a repaint and people complain. Make it new figures of unmade characters and people complain.

I think of the two evils they opt for the former due to cost and the hope it offends the least.  You make it all new stuff, they'll never hear the end of it from most.  I mean, people harped that Carbonite Jar Jar was exclusive haha. 

Hell, make no exclusive and people will still be angry.  *shrugs*

I read something recently about how they wish they'd make stuff like that exclusive snowspeeder with Zev again, and I distinctly recall people pissed at buying another ship they have to get a figure they don't.  I can't get behind that mentality, and I don't recall those things being a part of the "good old days" to most.  Anyway yeah, a repaint is cheap and the least anger-inducing, so I get it.

[Dave]

I kind of agree Jesse, but would feel differently if this was a retail product vs. exclusive.

I'm personally glad they made this a convention exclusive, although I think having this be an online exclusive would have been fine too.

I'm just glad they didn't stick this in stores to warm the pegs.

[Jeff]

I think it's another instance of a no-win for Hasbro.  Make an exclusive a repaint and people complain. Make it new figures of unmade characters and people complain.

I think of the two evils they opt for the former due to cost and the hope it offends the least.

Isn't the R5 technically a new figure?  They haven't made a 6" Black Series R5 unit yet have they?

Hell, make no exclusive and people will still be angry.  *shrugs*

It was going to anger people no matter what it was, for sure.  Didn't matter if it was all new, all repaints, all repacks in a new box/package, or some combination of those.

Track record for the last few SDCC exclusives has been anger inducing (not enough stock made available after the show, exclusive 6" Carbonite Block, exclusive 6" Crumb, etc).

[Rob]

I'm so glad I dumped this line.

[Dave]

Isn't the R5 technically a new figure?  They haven't made a 6" Black Series R5 unit yet have they?

Correct.  I think the only 6" astromech they've made is R2 which was in the first wave of figures when this line came out a few years ago.

[Jesse James]

I thought there was a black R5?

Yeah I think if it's like a Target thing a pack of repaints for an Arm and a leg would be twice as frustrating.

Here is where the 6" line hits it's biggest snag IMO.  It's going to hurt that much more when they really get into the mold tooling milking.  Overall it'll just sting knowing you're paying for paint.  3.75" may not be a lot less, but it's still less.

[Nicklab]

I thought there was a black R5?

There was the black R2 unit in the EE exclusive Imperial multi-pack.  But I think the R5 unit you're referencing might be the one that was offered up by Sideshow.

I'm not that concerned about repaints when it comes to exclusive sets.  I get more irritated when a completely new sculpt is made into an event exclusive.

[JediJman]

Cool looking set.  I'm game if it's around $40ish. I feel like I have a lot more freedom to pick and choose what I want from the 6" line, so if its easy to get and well priced, I'm game.  If not, no worries!