Author Topic: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs  (Read 67454 times)

Offline Diddly

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #90 on: July 20, 2013, 08:26 AM »
That Maul is awful.

I might have to pick up the 3PO/R2 set though. That 3PO looks like one of the best versions of him we've ever gotten, at least as good as the ROTS version. And since we'll likely never get a BAD version, it'll have to do.
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Online McMetal

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #91 on: July 20, 2013, 11:31 AM »
Thanks for posting that pic. Yeah, those are pretty weak. Tell me the lightsabers aren't sculpted to their hands...ugh.

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Offline EpicGon

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #92 on: July 20, 2013, 04:48 PM »
han and chewie death star :

the han solo anh is the best of this line overall
his sculpt and painting is decent.

this figure is the first 3 3/4 blue eyes Han in HASBRO kenner history.
Also the first 3 3/4 Han which spots the knife cut on the chin.

Looks as the long seeked evolution of Han from vintage kenner articulation.

The chewie figure dimishes the improvements of this set, poor paint job.

Offline Nicklab

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #93 on: July 21, 2013, 09:32 AM »
Can't say that I care for the way these figure look.  I think the second wave at least has some cool character choices to suit the concept.  The Obi-Wan & Darth Maul set is cool from a lineup perspective.  But the execution is in line with everything else in the 2013 Legacy Collection:  it's disposable. 

That's the mantra for the whole Legacy Collection.  I don't know where the disconnect is between Hasbro's message and collector perception.  They've been saying they want to do a kids line.  THIS IS IT.  THIS IS THE KIDS LINE.  IT'S NOT MEANT TO PLEASE COLLECTORS.

As for this Clone Wars Darth Maul being in the mix?  It's definitely disappointing to see that figure dumbed down to the 5 points of articulation level.  But if you're a student of action figure history, this is the way things have been done.  Just look back to 1999/2000 and the EPISODE I line that accompanied the release of THE PHANTOM MENACE.  A lot of collectors were taken aback by the poor quality of the main Jedi figures in that line.  The first few Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn figures were pretty dreadful.  Lo and behold, several months down the line Hasbro comes around and offers much better sculpted and articulated versions of both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon towards the end of that line.  And guess what?  Hasbro has done the exact same thing in other years, too.  They did it in the SAGA line for AOTC, and they did it in 2005 for the ROTS line, too. 

This playbook has been around for a while:  Get the inferior figures out there first and sell them because it's the only version of a character that people want.  Leave it out there for a while, and leave people thinking that this might be the only version they're going to get.  Then wait 6 / 9 / 12 months, etc.  THEN offer an improved version of the character.  What then?  Wait another 2 years, and offer the ULTIMATE version of the same character.  Hasbro is banking on the desirability of a character to support sales of the low grade figure, and over time they're going to cash in on the improved versions.  We've seen it too many times before to ignore the pattern.  And I think that's probably what we're in store for with Darth Maul from this final season of Clone Wars.


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Offline Scott

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #94 on: July 21, 2013, 10:31 AM »
That is a great point Nick and one I hadn't thought of, there is a lot of history to back you up.  I just don't get why they need 2 or 3 different lines.  I don't think anyone here would be harping about rereleasing Early Bird Chewie with a new improved VOTC Han.  Or why they couldn't rerelease the just released Cody, Luke and Clone.  This whole kids hate articulation is a crap argument. If tooling dollars rule your budget why keep reinventing wheel. 

Offline Nicklab

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #95 on: July 21, 2013, 10:54 AM »
I think the articulation issue with kids is part of the overall "disposable" theme.  Case in point?  Some family members of mine gave their kids the BMF Falcon as a Christmas gift.  IMHO, that's an AMAZING gift.  And those same kids?  They got an AT-TE as a gift, too.  What did the kids do with them?  They played with both vehicles for a few months, but that was it.  The last time I can recall seeing them play with either vehicle was only a few months after they'd received them, and after that the Falcon and AT-TE both just sat, unplayed with and in pieces.

Is this indicative of how every kid is playing with their Star Wars toys?  I can't say for certain.  But there does seem to be a much shorter attention span with this new generation of kids.  And I think that what we're seeing from Hasbro as well as other manufacturers are less intricate offerings, since the current crop of kids doesn't seem to appreciate the more elaborate items.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #96 on: July 21, 2013, 05:16 PM »
Kids have had shorter attention spans since Nintendo...  I'm not sure that's a factor that's changed in a while, but I think it is or at least can be a factor.

I think kids not wanting articulation IS BS...  My gf's kids preferred the stuff I was buying compared to POTF2 extras I threw their way when they got into Star Wars...  Kids when we were younger gravitated largely to BETTER toy lines like GI Joe.  Star Wars didn't die a quick death after ROTJ because attention spans in 85 were short...  They left SW for better new toy lines.  I know I did.  Star Wars figures became more arms dealers for Joes I liked, and their vehicles got mixed in as well, as cool clearance buys.

I'm ok with Hasbro doing what it thinks it needs to do to make a cheap line for kids, if they think that's the way to go, but I just hope the line I like isn't ignored completely.  I'm hoping future TBS (and beyond) waves start to show the OT love.
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Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #97 on: July 22, 2013, 11:45 AM »
As for the video game chat - I can say that my 6 year old son and 5 year old neighbor played with their action figures 90% of the time until back in May when they discovered Skylanders on XBOX.  Now they spend at least 75% of their play time together in front of a video game.  We have to restrict their XBOX time...

Maybe Hasbro needs to work out a deal for a new Battlefront game with a similar concept - you buy the figure that comes with a stand - put the stand onto a portal and you can be that character for the game. 

Offline Brian

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #98 on: July 22, 2013, 08:56 PM »
Honestly, I think I'll probably pick up the OT offerings from this line (and the Legends line, or whatever its called now).  I kind of like the Han/Chewie and droids 2 packs, although it makes it much easier to appreciate stuff like this because we already have near perfect versions of all of these already.  I do agree with the point of just re-releasing something like an EB Chewie and Han 2 pack though (or other examples of great figures they already have).  I do appreciate the pricepoint of these things though, although we are losing a lot of quality.

I just wish the SW line itself wasn't so segmented, I miss the days of "one line", even if it was just collection 1 and 2 like the POTJ days.  I think they've hurt themselves with that strategy a lot as well, having so many different lines vying for basically the same peg space since the stores largely don't care.  It may improve since the Black Series stuff is so different than these, but I still think that the line in general could use some simplification.

Offline CHEWIE

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #99 on: July 24, 2013, 05:07 PM »
but I still think that the line in general could use some simplification.

I think we are getting that some with the drop of Clone Wars... seemed to me that THREE lines was too aggressive... going back to two lines should help things quite a bit.  Now you won't have all those different segments competing quite as much.  In the end, that might help the Black Series even more.

With the coming "Rebels" series, I am kind of hoping that Hasbro doesn't launch another whole new mainstream line again.  I'd rather see a wave of Black Series figures into the mix instead... others may disagree but I like how they had a wave of TFU figures mixed into the TAC line, personally and would like to see that again... but of course with their distribution woes the past couple years, that could be hard to achieve... I think TWO lines would be easier to manage though and estimate demand for Hasbro.

Offline Scockery

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #100 on: July 24, 2013, 05:15 PM »
I saw they can all the line come fall 2014 and make everything in REBELS packaging, even it's not in the show. The sheer cross promotion will propel the series to mega ratings.  ;D

Offline Greg

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #101 on: July 27, 2013, 10:33 PM »
I found the Mission Series sets at TRU today. I was surprised to see that they were only $9.99, and they qualified for the BOGO half off sale, so I picked up the full wave of four plus a couple extra Utapau Clone sets. I am not disappointed one bit. I find the 5poa figures to be a lot of fun, well-made, and they look good on display. I will always prefer the full articulation, but I don't mind adding a few cheaper and simpler toys to my collection.

Offline speedermike

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #102 on: July 30, 2013, 09:09 PM »
I found these tonight as well in a TRU.. (No BOGO...)  I really, really like them.  Anikin, Jango, and the Clones are fantastic, and I swear these are some of the most crisp paint jobs I've seen in a while.

The Battle Droids are, well Battle Droids.  I wish the had sculpted them a bit bulkier.

Anyway, I'm totally into these, as I think they will be the closest we ever come to true "vintage" type prequel figures.  Yes, I like articulation, and I like having the characters be able to hold their weapons with 2 hands, but these are aesthetically very pleasing.  I can't wait until the OT guys hit in the winter.
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Offline Scockery

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #103 on: July 30, 2013, 09:23 PM »
Battle Droids are just 2002 leftovers, over the years they've been consistently terrible (due to their inability to stand). It's strange they ran with a ten+ year old mold instead of the MTT "pilot" droids (used in the class 1 sets), which have newer aesthetics.

Offline Darby

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Re: Saga Legends "Mission Series" Figure 2-Packs
« Reply #104 on: August 1, 2013, 12:44 AM »
Found these at tru tonight and love them.  Four figures for $20?  Always. Love the Vader and jango sets. This line will only get better.