his ability to effectively moderate these forums has been compromised.

Uh oh...

Well we know what this means then.  Matt's going to randomly shut threads down at his own discretion, berate any new members at the site, and start a torant of "official" threads.

Starting with:

The Official I love Mathew Illard Thread!  

Maybe all Illard needs is support?  He could be so much more!

Great photos Paul.  Nice to see a figure with ball/socket hips.

Onto the Stormtrooper...  Some interesting text over yonder at Hasbro about the articulation.

His elbows aren't being described as ball/socket if I'm not mistaken.

Considered the best 3 ¾” stormtrooper ever, the new stormtrooper was created from scratch with incredible attention to achieving the right head proportions.

OK, good news there...  The head does look spot-on, and that shouold mean a hollowable helmet that'll fit well on lots of headsculpts I'd think.

With 13 total points of articulation, this stormtrooper has ball-sockets at the neck, shoulders, and waist. He has insert-molded elbow joints, knees, and ankles, in addition to standard articulation at the wrist and hips.

13 points?  Hmmm, interesting...  Super Articulated Clone has 14.  What's the Stormtrooper missing though?  The count seems to encompass all the Clone has.

-2 standard wrist
-2 ball/socket elbows (Hasbro lists "insert-molded", which is a new term to me.  I'm curious to see what this is, but till then we'll say ball/socket)
-2 ball/socket shoulder
-2 ball/socket ankle
-2 ball/socket knee
-2 standard hip
-1 ball/socket waist (assuming like the SA Clone's double-jointed torso)
-1 ball/socket neck

This is strange because that comes to 14, not 13, unless Hasbro's cut articulation on a wrist or something?  

Plus, some of the joints, in blown up photos, are clearly the same ball/socket joints (though they're using this new term of "insert-molded", whatever that means) used on VOTC Han, or the SA Clone.  Very strange wording there, and the totals aren't jiving to me.

Could it be the Stormtrooper's  NOT perfect, and that it's something less than the Clone?  Interesting...  

Definitely the best to-date, but I wonder what the deal is here now.  Hasbro's image isn't the swiftest either...  The figure looks like he's falling apart, so hopefully that's just not the final result, haha.



Anyway...

Stormtrooper comes with a standard issue blaster that fits in a holster.

I dunno about you guys, but the holster is a cool feature to me.  It works too, finally!  

I've heard a couple gripes that a ROTJ Stormie has a holster, but in actuality they did have them in many scenes, namely on the Death Star.  It was on Endor where they seemed to not have them as much, for whatever reason.  Production issue perhaps (different filming local...  Maybe forgot to have them on-hand or whatnot).

The holster rocks to me...  Was good news.

I'm curious on the articulation now however.    Wondering what we're gonna get in the end.  Blowing up the image from Hasbro, it looks just like ball/socket joints...  I'd hate for them to have gotten all creative  this figure, trying out some new "style" of articulation when they've mastered it on other figures.

"if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and the SA Clone and VOTC Han sure as hell ain't broke.  That's perfect in my book!

I 100% do NOT recognize Jeremy London, but that's quite a photo collage the guy's mustered there, huh?

The other guy...  Lillard.  I didn't recognize him a lot till Virex mentioned Shaggy, then it hit me.  If he were to branch out on his own, could he possibly improve his standing?  Perhaps it is Freddie Prinze Jr. (or however it is spelled) who is holding him back?  

He seems like a bit of a knob, and possibly an anchor around many-a-person's neck.

Tack onto the list the "Death Squad Commander".

The figure's been made if you **** the Death STar Trooper as him, but many still count the grey-suited "Death Squad" guy as a unique figure.

I'd like one myself...  Maybe a color variant of a new DST someday (Super articulated, PLEASE!), but that's me.

Have a good one Matt.  Tell us what all ya got!

Yeah, SirSteve was cool about it.  Kidhuman though...  Yeesh.

BTW I think I'm funny...

Sometimes.  

Thanks Virex...  I think.    

If you nabbed a VOTC Luke Matt, Hit me up...  I'd sooner buy an extra you've got lying about than deal with finding one.  Sounds like he's hitting KB of all places though.  Ugh I hate going IN the mall.  

I've seen it blurbed a couple places, but it's good news (and maybe new to some) here Paul, so cool beans.

First Hasbro SW figure with ball/socket hips, ever.

Perhaps signs of a Biker Scout, Endor Luke, and Endor Leia to come?

One can dream, right?