Proving once again that even knock-off 1:18 scale military toy companies have more sense than Hasbro...

This is a neat little playset that retails for $15, has 4 remvable helmet figures, and I think 150+ pieces total or some such (I have one on the way, I'll pimp it when I get it).

The company's small and does knock-offs.

Imagine this format/concept in Star Wars terms?

Interlocking Hoth sets like Trench pieces, gun towers, or even cave halls and such?

Interlocking Death Star sets?  Maybe even stackable like we've seen in the Diorama section of our site?

Interlocking Bespin Set?

Interlocking Jabba's Palace or Cantina?

Interlocking Theed set?

Interlocking Coruscant set?

If this is what a knock-off company can do, Hasbro can do better still.  I'd love any of the above if Hasbro took this idea and made it quality.  

Oh well.

A bit too much...  

In my stupidity, I bought extra POTF2 stuff at times that really had no value or need.  Some was for my vague attempt at a carded collection, and some for trading/selling to friends, but friends usually didn't need it by the time I got it.

Silly me.

I have a 12" collection taking up space I've tried to sell off here and there, but people often only want a piece or two, and don't buy enough for me to justify breaking things up a lot.  

My dream would be finding smeone whoo'd buy the whle thing for my cost or slightly less and just being rid of them.  Hasbro 12" figures are just not my bag anymore.

All in good time perhaps.

Duh, didn't even see Matt's post, so I removed mine.

Anyway, I don't jump into these too often but just this past year Rick James was on Chapelle Show looking good, getting back in the limelight some, and bam...  Weird.

As he said...  "Cocaine's a hell of a drug..."

I still ain't gonna stop laughing at that Chapelle Show though.  Still the funniest one ever.

Yeah, HOlo Leia's solid for a "I haven't been cleaned since back on Alderaan" figure prior to having his bolt removed.  Bar2 fills any void in the films beyond that point that an R2 would be needed that isn't filthy or have his "tools" out.

If one were ambitious, and didn't mind little holes in his sides, you could make him adaptable to the removable tools from the R2 w/Sensor scope too.  I've thought about this just so I have a nice R2 w/tools myself.

Hit a big OTC pile at the local Target.  They moved toys to the baack of the store now for some reason.

They had the entire Dagobah Wave, but only one Luke.  I had them all already so left them...  I nabbed a 2nd VOTC Han Solo, and debated on a Leia.  SHoulda gotten one, but I held off.  I'm more intent on extra Fett's, Chewies, a Vader, a Lando, and extra Stormies.

I saw a few repacks...  They had some Yavin wave remnants that snuck out too, like a TIE Pilot and Antilles.  I nabbed an OTC Greedo...  I have to say, he's really nice.

Greedo, it's funny.  You line up CT then Cantina Set, and this one.  Together they're really like looking at an evolutionary chart.  Like it should have a piece of brocoli first, then like a piece of brocoli with legs and arms, then a sorta hybrid brocoli/Greedo, then Greedo CT, Cantina, and finally OTC.

(BTW I don't know why Greedo reminds me of Brocoli)

They had others...  Luke X-Wing noteably.  I hacked the teeth out of my POTJ figure (see Hasbro, I was thinking faster than you   ), so I'm not picking the OTC up.

Not a wasted day today, but no VOTC Luke, and no VOTC Empire wave which is reportedly showing up too.    Kinda bummed, mostly on the Luke.

Nice.  You sir are an incredible Star Trek Geek.  I thought I was bad that I'll fight with my friends about ging out on Fridays because of Bonus Treks, but you're a billion times worse than me Dale.    You pull that stuff outta thin air.  I can't even vaguely recall episode titles.  I bow to your powers on this.

That is awesome, and her pic in her starfleet uni's a hot one...  I remember Worf kinda let Data know he'd be PO'd if he hurt her.  haha  Good episode.

Here's something I've thought about since a while back when I first mentioned the idea of a "collector's line" of more expensive, but super posoeable figures and then the basic $5 figure line.

My concept was that the basic figures could still sell in pre-posed fashion if there were to be a SA version of the figure.

For instance, Han Solo in ANH.  You give that SA version (preferably with all the accessories he'd need), and then at the same time in the basic line a figure like Death Star Escape Han sneaks in...

I for one am happy to see pre-posed ANH Han's now that they've made the VOTC Han ANH...  So long as they're really well sculpted, detailed, and accessories should make them more appealing.

So I think there is a market for arguably lesser figures now.  There is no market for the CT Han though, short of the carded collectors.  To me VOTC Han should be the recarded figure then.  Whether Hasbro says "no!" or not.  They can kiss off.

As far as whether they CAN be better than what they are?

-SA Clone...  Easily could use feet holes of course, but also, who would argue with ball/socket hips like the VOTC Luke figure?  I doubt I would, especially if it's well hidden (Luke's seems ok from what Paul showed us).

-VOTC Han...  Same could be said of Han, with the ball/socket hip, but also I think the holster's unsightly.  It's the figure's biggest drawback to me.  The way it "hovers" from the legstrap on his thigh.  Very odd.  I actually think a molded on holster (maybe not the belt, just the holster) would be better, but that's me...  Or connecting it to the thigh and using a much more flexible plastic than the stuff they used?  

Removable Stormie belt wouldn't have hurt either.  He's pretty shy on accessories really.

-VOTC Ben Kenobi...  Well, what COULDN'T be improved?

First, the arm articulation's attrocious.  Angle joints suck to me...  21st Century Toys was the innovator of this articulation style, and they subsequently QUIT doing it.  Why Hasbro would pick up the proverbial "other man's trash" and run with it, I don't know.  Ball/socket elbows on Jedi are doable (Screen Scene Mace Windu for instance), and Obi should've had the same.  

The fact his legs have ZERO articulation beyond the basic hips, I think it's safe to say he could use ball/socket knees, ankles, and the hip splits articulation like Luke wouldn't hurt either.  He was kinda "extreme" posed when fighting Vader after all.

I think his soft-goods skirt is sorta cool, but it's not accurate.  Had it had the layered effect with the ties and straps that hung down, I think it'd be 10x better.  

His outer cloak is a nice pattern, but poor fabric.  Easily they could've used the SAME material they used on Total Control Mace Windu, and that cloak would've looked awesome.  Why they opted not to, one will never know.  It's the perfect fabric for this scale.

No saber hilt or way to clip it on his belt?  Also a let-down to me.  Obi spents most of his time that way, so that's disappointing to me.

-VOTC Leia...  I kind of like her as she is, but she too is missing ball/socket knee articulation as she just sports hinges.  I can see how doing her ankles would be tough, but part of me thinks it is possible still.  

Beyond that thugh, I like Leia's arm articulation well enough, and the only real flaws she has are no feet holes and no sporting blaster.  

I like her headsculpt, though I see others say she's still not close to Fisher.  I think she is.  

Anyway, that's my take on the SA/VOTC figures I have thus far...  Nothing's perfect, and everything's fixable, but Han's damn close, and so's the Clone.  I think even Leia's pretty great.  Only Obi disappoints me.

I also notice a lot of general gripes about the new ball/scket heads.  Honestly, I think it's just cheaper for Hasbro.

They've taken their construction of figures down a notch...  Before they used a more expensive plastic on figure torsos (more rigid) that required 2 torso halves to be fused together.  They've changed that now to a single-piece torso made out of the same pliable plastics used throughout the modern line on heads/limbs.  The old-style ball/socket joints appear to have gone the way of the do-do (though "Dutch" had one, so who knows).

I think they do this now though because it limits construction on the figure while maintaining the greatest range of motion.  Arguably better than figures like the CT Stormtrooper.

I agree it turns out odd sometimes, but I think it's good on VOTC Han and Leia.  Ozzel though...  Definitely odd looking.  That's the sculptor's fault though, not the articulation style.

Look at Antilles...  He looks great I think.

It could definitely be just as you mentioned though Jared, as I was thinking something similar.  

I'm hoping removable.  Wookie Fodder's in need.