In military terms it's highly inefficient to make special units to assault a planet that, as we see in the films, basically anyone can and does survive on...  It'd be like making specialized units now to go into Iraq or Afghanistan...  We don't have desert combat units because it's not essential, just as we don't have true "arctic assault" troopers like Snowtroopers but we have mountain troops as a special unit...  In Star Wars terms it's more believable that snow planets would need specialists over just a hot planet. 

The reasoning on the packs is that they're modular clearly in the films...  They're not all the same.  It's reasonable then to assume that the frame can be fitted with gear specific for any situation.  A desert trooper configuration may consist of cooling units, water/hydration or whatnot.  A jungle/swamp unit may consist of something to adjust for the comforts of the trooper in a humid situation.  Or if, for instance, it's winter on a planet with varying seasons there may be heating units and such fitted to the pack...  The Snowtrooper gear may then just be the uniform of a trooper needing to drop into a deep, inhospitable world like Hoth...  It's also my belief that "snowtroopers" don't exist either though, as like I said it makes more sense that they change clothes over the Imperial fleets just happening to have all these large units of specialized soldiers readily available for assault at a moment's notice.

In EU the pauldrons and packs are worn by soldiers on a number of planets though, not just deserts, and I have a hard time buying a need for desert specialists, though any troop stationed there on a permanent or long-term basis would of course have a greater adaptation to the environment, but deserts aren't wildly different environments like, say, an underwater stormtrooper may have to deal with.  That would be a trooper needing specialist training atop the standard routine. 

Sorry to take this a little off-topic, just covering some EU theoretical ground.

Troopers, classic trilogy, and SA?

You and I are just really being spoiled today. 

I'm surprised how much I like the black stormtrooper actually...  It looks like it's something better than just a black paintjob, I dig that, and while I prefer "Storm Commando" guys as seen in Rogue Squad (whole other uniform) I think these basically "Black Hole" Stormtroopers will be quite cool too.

I may be interested in one of each if you need to get rid of them Spectre, the sets were something I never got all of actually.  The parts would be helpful extras I think.

I'd rate it a 9.4-9.6, at least.

There's times this has made me want to just thud my head off a wall.

I agree about Jeff's point on EU and doing "one" here and maybe never another...  If you display like Jeff that's a solid reason for not liking those random EU figures.  Snowbi-Wan's a prime example as that figure really stands out as an oddball on the shelf.  Same with training Maul too (either of them).

I'm all for EU waves really but I'm not a big EU detractor.  I like most of it...  I think the McTrooper would look a lot better with other Concepts like Vader, and I'd love a Chewbacca at some point in that style.  Hell that's one I'd buy a couple of.

But like KOTOR is a good example of, if you don't have a number of figures from it then it displays poorly.  Especially the Sith.  It'd be a much cooler group of EU figures if there were a number of them.  The Solos Jeff pointed out are a good example too as it sucks if you only had Jaina and not Jacen or (to a lesser extent) Anakin Solo... 

Troopers I think are the only EU that "fit" better...  The black Stormtrooper, the Shadowtrooper Clone...  Those seem to fit better into just any old set up.

From a customizing standpoint I'm ok with most anything new, but from my collecting standpoint I loathe getting one here and there from various sources instead of doing waves.  I think the line has life enough to support waves of EU, but Hasbro fears any level of risk and they eat out of my butt.

I'd very much expect a SWS.com release of these too Paul so I'm not terribly worried about finding them, but affording them is scaring me somewhat.

A team sounds good though.  I managed a small Shadowtrooper team, and if you outfit them with different weaponry they just look sweet.  It's even inspired me to custom up a team leader for them and maybe a com guy too.

Well I'm gonna see about getting a few. 

I can hear PMundheim thinking like me in that he'll want a "team".  But probably can't justify buying a whole platoon.

I'd like 4 if I can get them...  one if that is all I can get though I guess.

Things like AT-AT's and Sandcrawlers are the exception to the rule...  For me, I'd just as soon they didn't make those at all actually, and that they focused on more feasible vehicles like fighters.

While people say they want those other things, it's like you said.  Everyone waits for clearance either because they know they can, or becuase they know they're not getting what they're paying for and vehicle prices are so prohibitive they are willing to NOT bite the bullet on them.

For an X-Wing can they make a scale one?  Without a doubt...  If these other companies can do an F-16 to-scale the X-Wing is smaller than that.  And given Hasbro's construction of vehicles it'd be much simpler, fewer parts, lower cost-to-sales overall (especially if more units are produced), repaint possibilities...  Price would vary but if Hasbro laid out the plans right like these other companies do, they'd know what they could price the early release of the ship at and still crank out repaints for online exclusives, store exclusives, etc. and they'd greatly reduce the costs by getting the most out of the mold toolings.

I think a lot of the reason the people don't want to pay the price for the product is because Hasbro doesn't deliver a high quality item for the collector.  It's been said that vehicles are mostly something collectors demand though...  Items like the Gunship and ARC-170 were great toys and still didn't sell though, which I found odd, but it's possible that kids simply just don't get the vehicles anymore, or not in the ways we did when we were young.  And if adults are getting them/wanting them made then quality becomes a big issue in what people are willing to buy for specific prices.

21st and BBI pay way more licensing fees than you'd ever imagine.  Almost every piece is licensed, and some are quite expensive, and all being paid for by companies a fraction of the size of Hasbro with a smaller buyer market than Hasbro has for Star Wars...  Hasbro just has to think like these companies to make profitable to-scale ships that will actually sell for the prices they want because the collector is buying something more than just a toy... 

The only unsure footing I see is them stepping into some grey area with the various licensees who actually do high-end collectibles...  Otherwise, if 21st can sell 10 paintjobs of a P-47 Thunderbolt for $50 each and they don't sit long and command high dollars on the secondary market, then I'm sure Hasbro can match that kind of quality with sales in their line.

Short of a movie year though, vehicles have slim pickings mostly and Hasbro's had no real reason to do more since people don't want them and they aren't willing to "do better" to make people want them more for that price Hasbro insists on.

We'll never get a scale Sandcrawler or Juggernaught of course, but Y-Wings, X-Wings, TIE Interceptors, and the like are all quite possible at some point...  I tend not to hold my breath though of course.

Yeah Hasbro busted the holster up pretty much.  Ironically, the Veers figure's holster is pretty much what you'd want... P roblem there is that they cheated with it, and it is hollow on the opposite side and the skirt covers it perfectly...  Can't do that on the Stormie.

Hasbro COULD do a better holster on Stormies...  I'm alright with the VOTC one but it's not really a holster like we'd all want.