The whole "dot code" thing on the packaging is really difficult on my eyes, so I've gone back to the Mr. Whipple-ire-inducing method of squeezing the packaging (thanks for reminding me of that commercial, Jesse).  So far, I've been able to get all but one of the minifigures using the feel-around method.

The easiest ones for me to locate in this latest series are Cleopatra (due to the fact that her lower body is an angular brick as opposed to legs) and the Palace Guard (due to the big, textured hat).

Oh, and in case nobody's noticed it yet, the Boxer has a reversible head (the first for the minifigure series, I believe) with a "happy" side and an "I just got the brick kicked out of me" side with a bruised eye.

My TRU got the shipper thing as well.  Good thing, too, since otherwise I have no doubt they wouldn't have gotten any basic figure cases in otherwise.  Four-sided, with the Seripas wave of CW, the exclusive Stealth Ops Clone, and the "newest" wave of SL on one side; vintage (wave 6, complete with pale lightsaber Dagobah Luke and yellow helmeted 212th Clones and Stormtroopers) on another; lightsabers and vehicles on another.  So yeah.  It got put out Thursday, and all that was left by yesterday (in the CW figures) were multiples of Anakin, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Cody, and a single Saesee Tiin.  But hey, I guess Hasbro knows those case assortments better than anyone. 

So yeah, anyway, I picked up 1 each of Seripas (one of the best CW figures Hasbro has done), the new Rex (great update), the non-exclusive Stealth Ops Clone, Tiin, and Cold Weather Kit Fisto, along with another SL Stormtrooper, and the Republic Artillery Cannon thing (which is very cool).

Hi, just new to the forums. I guess the target  star wars displays are coming down in some stores to make way for nerf. And the clon wars sale ends this weekend.

And, as is the case with TRU's front of store display, my Target put absolutely nothing out on this special display for the entirety (3 weeks) of its existence.  They just moved a couple of Dengars over from the regular section to the four vintage pegs (1 on each peg) and called it a day.  So I can't say I'm disappointed that the display is disappearing so soon, since nothing was even done to it outside of some product relocation to begin with.

My local TRU reset last week, but essentially moved everything from the regular spot in the action figure aisle into the front of the store.  This means that there are still only about 8 vintage figures (3 of them ROTS Clones and 1 Sandtrooper), at least 8 each of both CW Obi-Wans, and about 12 total Saga Legends figures.  A lot of empty space to say the least, and given how infrequently they've been stocking over the last year, I can see the display coming and going with nothing new even being trotted out for the reset.

They did, however, check their computer to see if/when they would be getting the TFU/RC five packs, only to find that they weren't scheduled for their next truck and they still didn't know if/when they would be getting them in.  It turns out that another TRU about an hour away (which I was going to be driving by on a trip later in the week) had them on the shelves, so the manager at that TRU was kind enough to pull and hold one of each for me.  When I showed up at that TRU, they had the same abysmal basic figure selection, but they did have the Commander Blackout figure, so I grabbed him along with the two five packs.

On a final note, along this road trip, I stopped at:

-4 Wal-Marts
-2 Targets
-2 Toys R Uses
-2 K-Marts

The thing that I found fascinating was that ALL of these stores had essentially the same figures as the ones before it, and all of them were there in abundance.  Tons of SL Anakins, Obi-Wans, 501st Clones, ROTS Clones, AOTC Clones, and Hoth Hans; tons of CW Obi-Wans (both styles), ARF Troopers (white), Cody, and Rex; tons of vintage ROTS Clones, AOTC Obi-Wans, Sandtroopers, and the random yellow-helmeted Utapau Clone and DSE Luke.  All the pegs were jammed full of these figures to the point that the stores couldn't stock new waves if they wanted to, and many of those figures are STILL shipping in newer case assortments, thus adding to the glut. 

After that long trip, I walked into a local WM yesterday and found the first Savage Opress wave of CW on the pegs.  Proving once again that you can go a thousand miles and find what you're looking for right on your front door.

I'm kind of underwhelmed at this list, especially given how interesting this year's crop of SW stuff was.  Maybe they're holding back the really neat stuff for the mid-year release in 2012.  There doesn't seem to be any truly new ship/vehicle among this list (with maybe Anakin's green JSF being the exception), and that Geonosian Cannon looks like it might be the "isn't this way overpriced for the number of parts?" culprit of the wave.

I have to say, though, that depending on execution, the mini-vehicle/minifigure/mini-planet idea could be a really good way to get more cost-prohibitive minifigures into more people's hands.  I'm figuring the "new" TIE Fighter will be at least 50 bucks, and with Sebulba currently only available in a 90 dollar set and the Naboo Pilot only currently available in a "special edition" exclusive set for 50 bucks, this does seem like a good idea, if only for the economics of it.

I am curious as to where the Queen Amidala minifigure shown at SDCC is going to show up, since she's not included in any of the sets on this list.

A similar thing happened at my local WMs, E.  We got several cases (over a period of about 3 weeks) of the wave 5 figures (Cobra Trooper, Blowtorch, Hawk, etc), and they sold out quickly (with the exception of Blowtorch).  When the WMs restocked, it was with cases of either w1 (Beachhead, Snow Job, etc) or w2 (Recondo, Jungle Viper).  Which, sadly, meant there were even more Arctic Destros than before. 

I did, however, luck out at Target earlier this week, just prior to their reset, and got the 4 figures from w6 I wanted (first time I'd seen those at all).  When I got to the register, they didn't ring up, so they sold them to me for 3.99 apiece, which thrilled me to no end.  Kind of disappointed in the Rock Viper, but the others were pretty cool.  Now, if I could just find that Money Bag Destro figure, I'd be done with the POC stuff completely.

I'd be more than happy if Hasbro did another run of these in a regular, "Battle Pack" style box with all the accessories included.  The packaging, while neat, I guess, is pretty inconsequential to me, as they'd all get opened anyway. 

Two weeks gone, though, and that whole HTS fiasco is still pissing me off.