I'll play along some Jack and see what I'd like... Especially with it being a non-movie year and the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, there's a lot I'd like... I'm really hoping to see Hasbro step things up a notch in quality that trailed off in 2006 as compared to 2005...
-Articulation minimums increase on ALL figures (save for those where a "skirt" piece prohibits leg articulation or whatnot) to a minimum of 12 points at least... (ball/socket knees & elbows, wrists, hips, shoulders, neck, waist).
-More "set-pieces" as accessories... Small bits, nothing huge, just little stuff really. Dropping stands and "holographic minis" for something the character USES and is from his/her scene. Not all figures need this too btw, just certain ones, but I'd prefer this stuff sporatically than stands and minis all the time... I don't know about you.
-Evolutions returns for a brief assortment... Hasbro's answer last week was COMPLETE bull**** since no figure has rivaled the Evolutions levels of articulation in 2006, so it's really frustrating, but I'd love more Evolutions that I'll list. Evolutions is an amazing vessel for army builders (GREAT for main characters too but I think a 3-pack for $20 of SA figures is a better suited format for army building).
-VOTC/VTSC Returns half the year but "Deluxe" also comes back into the scene in the second half.
-Re-releases use only the best of the best, and Hasbro tries to change things up and make it appealing for collectors too... If they're going to be out in DROVES like the H&V collection has been, I think then that the figures need to appeal to more than people who just missed out in 2005... The collector needs incentive to buy here too so we're not running into the problems with H&V we're seeing. Smart choices and paint variances where it would "help".
So with that, here's some things I'd love to see...
Basic Figures (ANH Focus for my wants right now):
-SA Rebel Fleet Trooper... My signature says it all, this figure needs redone in 2007 and the rebels need to get their due in plastic.
-SA Death Star Trooper... Again, army builders need the articulation galore, and this figure is in desperate need of an ultimate resculpt.
-Chief Bast... Imperials are cool, but Bast is the man with his big sideburns.
-Biggs Darklighter Resculpt... Luke's got his ultimate X-WIng look, I need Biggs now to chill with him prior to take off.
-Bom Vimdin... The last Cantina Alien I am truly desperate to get, I'd love to see this freak put out with perhaps 2 other aliens from the bar... One of the ones I'm thinking of just below.
-Dr. Evazan... Momaw Nadon didn't REALLY need the resculpt like this key Cantina freak did. He nees poseability and a holster for certain.
-Han Stormtrooper
-Luke Stormtrooper
Re-Releases:
-Saga '06 Sandtrooper (flavored Pauldrons)
-VOTC STormtrooper
-VOTC Han Solo (Repainted) w/Stormtrooper Belt Accessory
-VOTC Leia w/"hood up" headsculpt
-Early Bird Chewbacca
-R2-D2 (repaint of the ROTS Preview Astromech Sculpt) w/pop-off restraining bolt
-ROTS C-3PO w/silver shin & dirty paintjob
-Dianoga Monster from Cinema Scene (I'd buy it in a heartbeat)
-Astromech Repaint (Light Blue R3 Unit on Death Star)
I'd also dig seeing non-ANH stuff like Evolutions Anakin E3 released with Sith Eyes clean and a "mustafar" battledamaged version too... I'd dig the Pilot Obi-Wan with Mustafar battledamage released too, to accompany the Anakin. A VOTC Stormtrooper released with Endor damage would be cool (brownish mud on the feet and lower legs, some scuff marks on the armor from melee damage).
Vehicles:
-T-16 Re-release w/new paintjob... I'd dig a Biggs Yellow/black checkerboard one too maybe as an exclusive, but Luke's should be general release I think. Include a Womprat.
-New Swoop w/Rider from the Special Edition (I'd love an accurate swoop w/rider)
-Target TIE FIghter in light grey deco (Death Star Squadron) w/OTC TIE Pilot
-Vader's TIE Fighter in light grey deco w/500th Vader pack-in pilot figure & Damaged 3rd wing
-Bantha w/Rider re-release.
Evolutions Assortment:
-Rebel Soldier: RFT, Hoth, Endor... All "ultimate" versions... If the RFT is resculpted in the basic line, a head variant in the Evo set would be great. This thing is a dream but man it'd be a great set.
-Imperial Soldier: VOTC Stormtrooper, new Snowtrooper, VTSC Biker Scout... Straight forward and I'd buy it in bulk.
-Luke Skywalker: Tatooine Luke, Bespin Luke, and Jedi Duel Luke all ultimate versions... Fantastic.
-Jedi Order: Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Padawan).
I could think of these all day.
Other non-ANH stuff would come out in the year but there has to be some kind of ANH focus to me at least for a small portion of the year, or the beginning half of the year or something.
Of course, a year's worth of stuff can be a lot or a little... I'm just thinking sort of unbridled with that list. Lots of stuff would get cut. For me my biggest wants are the army builder resculpts... Especially the rebels. They get the shaft tremendously.
I try to kee optomistic for upcoming years on stuff, and I really hope things improve back to levels like 2005. I really was loving Hasbro's work for MOST of 2005... They trailed off towards the end some (Antilles comes to mind as them dropping the ball badly), but at the same time 2005 had amazing stuff throughout most of it... Evne the waves leading INTO it had really good stuff for the most part (Cantina Wave still goes down as one of the greatest single waves of basic figures to me).
I hope 2007's a big hit for collectors though and that either prices go down and figures stay the same, or prices stay the same and we see the standards upped a bit... $7 is a bit for a little action figure who has legs that move like a figure from 1983.
