I just got a Piett via trade, and while he's pretty good, he's nothing to pay $20 for IMO.

Now that I have him, I have to say I like him, but many people wouldn't. He's got this walking leg stance- it's not overdone like General Gear Lando or anything, but it does border on preposed a bit more than the other POTF2 Imperial officers do (Tarkin and Thrawn, anyway).

His uniform is in fact a unique sculpt but very similar to Tarkin's in proportions and design- they matched up the tunic bottom a little better but it's still not quite right, I think Thrawn is the only time Kenner/Hasbro got that right while they were still doing "skirts" that way. The paint job is mostly okay but mine has this weird black spot on his left hip- it's scratching off by hand with some work, but it's something to consider.

As for the likeness, he looks a bit like the actor but not as skinny or aged. He looks like perhaps a younger Piett than what we see in ESB and ROTJ. He also doesn't have quite as many wrinkles as he should, I think.

Overall, a good figure, especially among POTF2s, but... it's a POTF2. And it's not really a masterpiece at that.

*shrugs*

The order 66 montage just sort of makes you stop and say "Wow, the clone wars, everything the people thought they were fighting about in episodes 1 and 2, was fake." I mean, you figure out a good bit earlier how everything's been orchestrated and such, but it just really emotionally hits you in that scene as you see so many of the Jedi effectively (and literally) shot in the back by their supposed allies.

It really struck me the way Palpatine raised his hands after announcing his New Order, and the applause got louder in sync with it, like he was turning a volume knob! That just sort of creeped me out.

I honestly have no idea why critics complain about Padme and Anakin's dialogue in this movie, because I thought every bit of it was appropriate. Even the infamous "nooooooooooooo!" I think, is exactly what he would say at that moment- it's a very emotionally powerful scene, in my opinion. The way his anger tears apart the room, and Palpatine just kind of chuckles...

I agree that the entirety of what happened on Mustafar pretty much qualifies, as well.

And I kind of shuddered a bit to seeing Vader and Palpatine looking out on the Death Star prototype/frame, and Tarkin sort of hovering off to the side...

I don't know if this really is on-topic with the shuddering, but I find this movie more than the first two somehow makes me really, absolutely feel like I'm watching something tied to the original trilogy. I mean, mentally I make all the connections with the other two movies... but here it all just kind of clicked and made me say "oh, crap!" And then a few well-placed scenes of familiarity only helped to bolster it- the Tantive IV for example. I also really liked the scenes at the end with Luke and Leia- very cool.

I really don't think they could've done much better with this movie The acting was all very, very good, as well. The only thing that really irks me is the ill-explained business with Qui-Gon. They should've completed a scene, or skipped it altogether- although the thought that Obi Wan got to talk to Qui Gon every now and then on Tatooine is cool.

I saw this figure at Wal Mart and grabbed him, knowing that a lot of people seemed to be looking for this figure- so I kinda bought him specifically to trade with somebody. Ideally I'd like to trade him for one or more figures off my want-to-buy list. I'd rather not sell him because I'm not sure how well I could recieve payments, especially with no access to a credit card much less paypal account.

I'm not sure where to find any price guides, but this figure cost me about $7 w/tax new in store.

The figure is an Ultimate Galactic Hunt variation figure, with a silver Padme Amidala hologram figure. The Card is in okay shape but there's some kind of smeary lines on part of the bubble- they might be removeable, I'm not sure. The figure should look okay for wall displaying and is straight off the pegs at Wal Mart, and would also be perfect opened. I can ship the figure loose with all included items upon your request.

I have three feedback trading/buying here so far- not great, I know, but I figure anyone interested would also want some kind of credentials. If you'd like I could try to take a photograph of hte figure but I probably won't be able to do so in under a week partially due to a lack of any digital cameras around the house.

The rules I want to lay down for a trade from my end is this- I would like a figure off my want list for this, but two are preferred if it's a cheaper figure such as most POTF2s. Alternatively you could also offer some kitbash fodder that I'm looking for- but you must state exactly what it is you're trading.

If you have a figure you would be willing to trade that's on my want list, but it is more valuable than Scorch, I can include a money order worth the difference.

I also need some kind of credentials on your part- reputation around the forums, past feedback, or at the very least good eBay feedback. I'm pretty new at trading so far so I can understand perfectly what it's like being new, but all the more I also feel I need to be cautious. If you cannot supply any credentials, I will have to ask you to send your item(s) first and I will send the Scorch figure after I receive what you send- sorry.

I also retain the right to deny any trade offers I feel uncomfortable about for any reason. Sorry, I hope to take somebody up on an offer, but I need to point this out just in case.

As a bonus for the trade, I can include any two of these items upon request:

TSC Hologram figure Yoda (1 available)
TSC Hologram Figure Han Solo (1 available)

C3PO Pez Dispenser loose (2 available)
Chewbacca Pez Dispenser loose (2 available- these are the '90s type, not the newer ROTS ones with the better scultping)
Yoda Pez Dispenser new on damaged card- ROTS version (1 available)

GI Joe 2004 Sand Scorpion action figure from Valor vs. Venom 2-pack, loose with some accessories from the pack including all that were clearly his (the scorpion has a small superglue spot on the bottom; also, the head has been removed and reinserted via boil-and-pop, in an experiment to see how Joe head joints worked)

If this goes a few weeks without response I might withdraw it and just keep the figure, I guess, but I'd be a lot happier to have an item or two off my list instead.

Also, if this post doesn't comply with the rules of this forum, somebody tell me- I read the guide but I might've missed/forgotten something.

Jedi Defender Image Database- TSC 013 Darth Vader
(As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words)

Ahh, I seem to be developing a habit of reviewing these figures which are often heralded by yawns and grumbles from all you real collectors What can I say, I buy them because of my mostly wimpy POTF2-era collection, and since no one else seems to review such things I figure why not.

So, without further ado (except this paragraph), the perhaps biggest repack monster this year with the Saga Collection, a figure abounding in seemingly every case of figures since the Hoth Wave first appeared, and one which is planned to reappear in at least one more wave in the near future- and on top of that, one of the biggest main characters ever likely to become a pegwarmer!

Sculpt: 4.5/5
This figure, originally released as 500th Figure Darth Vader, is perhaps one of the best-looking Vaders I've ever seen, challenged only by Evolutions Darth Vader. In this incarnation Vader has lost his breathing chamber set/diorama/whatever you call it, and his second right hand which I believe was in a more open position so he could rest it on his knee.

Vader looks darned good- the texturing on his suit is all highly detailed, with wrinkes in all the right places and his chest tunic piece "droops" very nicely. Everything seems to be in the right proportions and is very crisp and cool-looking. Especially great is Vader's helmet, which is about as close to the real thing as a figure on this scale can get.

But Vader loses a half a point- which most readers familiar with the figure are probably thinking is darned generous- for some play flaws that stick out. For one thing, Vader's helmet is even worse than POTF2 "Escape the Death Star" Vader's removeable helmet in the way it doesn't stay on his head at all. Basically, all that holds it there is the clear plastic, and once you take him out the only thing keeping it on is gravity.

This can be fixed by a number of customizer-ish methods- in my case, I used a small lump of this product called "tacky stuff", which is easily attached/removed to things without permanent damage and is relatively sticky, placing the lump right in the center of the top of the helmet. This holds it on very nicely and all my complaints were gone, but some collectors might not want to risk sticking such foreign substances to their figure. *shrugs*

The other problem is Vader's right hand- it looks good and is sort of in a grip, but it's very loose and tends to drop the included lightsaber quite easily. I haven't found any really good trick for this; I just try to squeeze his hand shut (it's very soft plastic, almost rubbery)  when nothing's in it, then stick the saber in carefully and have him grip the bottom half. With a little care he can hold it okay, but it's still a noticeable flaw.

Articulation: 4/5
When I saw pictures of this guy I thought he looked okay in this department, but not great. Upon closer inspection I discovered ball-jointed knees, and once I got him out of the package I'm really kinda impressed. Vader has 14 articulation points: standard neck, shouders, angle-cut elbows, turning gloves, standard waist, hips, ball-jointed knees, and swivel boots. The points are all somewhat easy-to-use and well-placed, so this means a great poseable Vader.

He's not super-articulated or anything, but the articulation is a lot better than many of the new figures in The Saga Collection, and the fact that they reprinted him directly and so largely is both kind of nice, and at the same time makes you question any excuses about why figures like Carbonite Han are as articulation-challenged as they are.

Paint: 3.5/5
Vader is one of those characters who doesn't need a lot of paint, and as such he looks pretty good here. I don't know if it counts under paint or not, but the gloss on the boots and helmet is very nice as is the dullness of the libs. However, Vader's facemask seems a bit too dull next to his helmet for some reason, and I'm no sure if it's really accurate. It's not very noticeable unless you look at him in really good lighting though. Vader's chest panel and belt are also pretty nicely painted, with light colors and silver applied in the right places.

So what am I complaining about here to give the paint an average score? The chest armor and "shoulderpads." I'm not 100% sure it's inaccurate, but it doesn't really look quite right here- the left shoulderpad is completely black, the right one has a strange streaky silver paintjob, and the chestpiece is a lighter, solid dark silver. Isn't this thing supposed to be all one color, and- while it would cripple the figure's poseability- technically, isn't it supposed to be one piece?? I believe 500th Vader also had a different paintjob here, with a slightly lighter shade. I'm not sure rather the darker or lighter shade is more accurate, but the shade this Vader has isn't bad- it's just the way the shoulders don't match up.

Accessories: 3.5/5
Vader doesn't have too much in the way of accessories: his removeable helmet and his lightsaber. I think they've used an older sculpt of Vader's saber here, though it might be the same one that was used on 500th Vader; but's definately different than ROTS Vader's. It looks pretty good and accurate, but the handle seems a little short and makes two-handed lightsaber poses that much trickier with this figure, which was already a little tedious with his loose right hand grip and his open left hand. It's not bad enough for me to really chastise though, just something of note.

The removeable helmet is always fun, but as I noted under sculpt, this one is kinda lame straight out of the package because of the way it doesn't stay on Vader's head.

And then we have our old TSC pals, the stand and the hologram figure. My Vader came with a stormtrooper Holo, and I have to say that while I'm not much of an armybuilder, this is my favorite of the holos I've gotten so far. The details are pretty good, the pose is accurate, and overall he's pretty nice... although I'd still like him better if he were painted.

The stand is great, and compatable with this Vader! It has a nice ESB Logo embossed on it, an simply reads "Darth Vader" on the front (as it should). This makes it nice and versatile at the same time- if you wanted you could stick nearly any Vader (not Death Star Clash Vader or a ROTJ removeable helmet Vader, but others) on here and it'd look fine standing there. Handy

Packaging: 3.5/5
I'm pretty fond of the TSC packaging, and Vacer's is as good as any, and I really like his backdrop- though it's sadly a little hard to see thanks to the way his cape is placed- of Snowtroopers. Vader looks great on-card, in each variation I've seen (mine was in the action-pose).

But for openers, Vader's packaging is somehow a huge pain that most figures aren't. For starters, they've taped his cape to the plastic in four places to make it furl out a lot- it's amazing that it hangs okay on him once you get it out, isntead of being stuck in a Batman-esque posture like ROTS Vader's had. There's also a clear rubber band around Vader's ankle for no reason I could figure out except, I think, to further hold and manipulate the cape. The cape is also fed from Vader's neck through a hole in the back of the plastic, and it's a little small and so you kind of feel like you might rip it as you try to pull it out.

My Vader was also packaged pretty dynamically in the plastic, and that can't be good because it means he's all the harder to push out. The combination of these issues makes Vader very hard to pull out of his case, and is why he loses half a point next to other Saga packaging I've reviewed.

Overall: 4/5
I don't think most people would agree here, but I think this  Vader is a pretty good figure. He's full of poseability and with a little loving handling, he can look pretty darn good. He's not awesome for a lot of playing with, especially with that right hand grip and the helmet, but with "TLC" he can be messed around with and displayed a number of ways very nicely.

He's definately satisfied what I was wanting: a not quite ultimate (that's what Evolutions Vader is for), but very good Vader to have in my collection and eventually have as a second Vader, so I can put my coolest one with my ROTJ stuff and this one with my ESB stuff

Is he worth your $6-$7? It depends what you want. If you want an ultimate Darth Vader figure, ignore this and get an  Evolutions set or at the least the real 500th Vader. If you want a Vader for kids to play with, also pass over this one. But if you want a pretty nice-looking Vader to fill in displays/dioramas, or a Vader to primp and pose and carefully play with and display at your own musing, or perhaps a Vader to customize with, this guy can be great.

For me, he's good, I think.

Carbonite Han x2 (the second was a gift though, but among the first thoughts when getting him was, ahh, a Han Custom!)
Boussh Leia x1
Hoth R2D2 x1
AOTC Yoda x1
UGH Vader x1 (traded off, but I'm also quasi-pending to buy a normal one, so I count it here as "1" because two halves make one )

I would totally own a Boba Fett except I haven't seen a bloody one of them! Chewbacca I nearly bought a couple times, but better sense kicked in and I wound up with a Falcon Mechanic Chewie off eBay for $4 and was much happier (and richer), especially once I repainted him. Now to get a chain for him, and he'll be complete-er.

Yes, I passed up about 6 opportunities to buy both an AT-AT driver and Veers because I'm stingy.

And Bib and Major Bren Derlin sit in droves at Wal Mart right now, mocking that same stinginess and getting revenge on it by preventing the employees from restocking. *sigh*

Well, the one time our store has gotten the Coruscant wave it was half-full of UGHs but I was actually happy to see most of them because I was looking for repacks- ironically I was (and still am) looking for a Boba Fett, but the store was alack for one.

I'd say these didn't sell out too quickly since I went mid-afternoon, but in a small city and for all the figures to be gone in a couple days.... I mean, the Hoth Wave stuck around for ages and Derlin is still pegwarming at that.

I actually bought a UGH Vader, but I've traded him to another forum member for two figures I was looking for, so good deal there IMO. You might consider doing that.

...actually, I'd buy that Fett off you at store price if he's still hanging in your store for some reason... and I'd definately be willing to pay shipping and such.

It took a while to tell, but four Major Bren Derlins and four Bib Fortunas say it all.

Sadly, I'd actually buy one each of those figures as I'd like them, but I haven't quite brought myself to paying $6 for either- they're $5 quality and worth $3-$4 to me specifically, and those numbers don't add up.