JediDefender.com Forums
Collectibles => Other Collectibles => Topic started by: Brian on January 19, 2005, 08:55 AM
-
First off, minor SPOILERS because this is technically an Episode 3 line, although the pics at the following link aren't necessarily anything monumental. Anyways, ToyNewsI.com has a couple of pics up of some figures from the upcoming "Force Battlers" assortment. Apparently they are 7 inches tall, and to me look somewhat similar to the Jedi Force figures, although not quite the same. I wonder if this means the end of Jedi Force, or this is the new direction they are going, or what? If not, Hasbro is starting to over-do it a bit with the different action figure lines :). You can see pics of two fo the figures HERE. (http://www.toynewsi.com/index.php?catid=8&itemid=5764) What do you think?
-
They sort of look like Stylized Unleashed
Yawn...I wonder if that is what these figures are as well:
Action Figures - Wave 2 - July
- Clone Trooper
- Mace Windu
- Chewbacca
Action Figures - Wave 3 - July
- Luke Skywalker
- Han Solo
- Darth Vader
Action figures - Wave 4 - August
- Yoda
- Emperor
-
I think they look kinda nifty, almost in a Japanese/anime kinda way. I might pick them up. Definitely like them better than the Jedi Force line, so hopefully these will keep me away from those monstrous ugly beasts...
(http://i4.ebayimg.com/03/i/03/3e/a0/d2_1_b.JPG) (http://i21.ebayimg.com/01/i/03/3e/71/3f_1_b.JPG)
-
If they replace the Jedi Force line, good riddance -- I hate those things. Even though these are highly stylized, they have a contemporary feel to them that is probably more in tune with what younger kids would like. They look aimed at kids but still "cool".
Jedi Force is just lame in every way.
-
In case anyone is interested, theJawa.com has pictures up of a couple more "Force Battlers":
General Grievous (http://www.thejawa.com/nuke/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10003/general.jpg)
and...
Obi-Wan Kenobi (http://www.thejawa.com/nuke/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/10003/obi.jpg)
-
I like that Obi-Wan, it has the "rugged" look like Anakin. However, the Grievous just looks bad.
-
Those look 'teh suck'.
I might pick up Vader, but that Anakin has a jawline fit for He-Man. Not to mention it looks like that bionic arm has seen too much Playboy action. And Grevious is a double helping of suck. Obi-Wan doesn't look too bad.
They're nothing I would spend my money on.
-
Well, now that we've seen a few more looks at this via Toy Fair, what do you think of this line? I personally don't understand why it is coming out. If Hasbro would like to have something in the Rescue Heroes size/style of figure "for the kids", that's fine, but I don't get why they have both the Jedi Force and Force Battlers line out at the same time, seems like the same basic concept twice. Also, if they are incorporating "lightsaber attack" and other action features into these Force Battlers "cause the kids like them", then they could leave them out of the regular figure line I would think. Not that the ROTS action features are nearly as bad/intrusive as the AOTC ones, but it would still be nice to just not have them at all for the most part. Plus, I see that these Force Battlers figures are priced at $9.99. Good luck selling them at that price I would think, but I guess you never know.
-
Today, Hasbro updates there site with Star Wars Force Battlers Action Figures (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/id.1152/dn/default.cfm)
First up are Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader and General Grievous.
Not sure about these figures that look like there on roids. Darth Vader looks like an imitation of Captain America with that shield! :D
-
I like the stylized anime-esque look of these toys.
Vader looks great; I want him.
I'm not really a fan of Grievous, however I have a severe dearth of Separatist figures (in all scales) so I may get this GG simply to balance the scale with my Republic armies.
Anakin looks pretty good. I may get him later on after higher-priority items.
Obi-Wan is all right but I don't like the facial expression and his hair is too bright orange.
Several of the later ones--Yoda, Chewie, Clone Trooper, Mace, Palpy--sound quite promising.
-
Saw these everywhere this weekend, as I'm sure everyone else did too. They didn't seem to be selling though, aside from the Vader. I saw several people (and lots of kids) with one of the Vaders in their hand. I'd be tempted just to get the Vader, but I'm holding off. I'll probably get the Chewie one if/when it comes out though. I don't see these being very big with collectors (as seen by people's opinions), and it does seem like Hasbro is spreading themselves somewhat thin. If you had the choice of which line they would keep going, regardless of if you bought them, would it be Force Battlers or Jedi Force? Same scale basically, and same type of idea.
-
To answer your question, I like the Jedi Force better. They appeal to the younger kids - 3 years and under.
But then again, my son who is two, loves to play with the regular 3 3/4 figures because I think the Jedi Force ones are too kiddy for him OR he knows that since they are out reach he can't have them!
The Force Battlers seem to be targeted towards the older kids, but that seems kind of redundant as the 3 3/4 line already fills that need.
With that being said, I don't care for the Force Battlers - looks like somebody sketched out a concept and it transpired to plastic overnight.
I like the Vader though! ;)
-
Looks like Hasbro has an update (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsID.22D04EDF-D56F-E112-4893A8FCE7F57F48/default.cfm) featuring the next wave of Force Battlers. Looks like it is Clonetrooper, Chewie, and Mace Windu. I know most everyone here isn't interested in these, but I'll probably pick up the Chewbacca if I see it. I've been slightly tempted by the Vader too, just for something "different", but the $10 has kept me away so far.
-
The Clone looks pretty good. Mace ain't bad. But Chewie's kinda underwhelming somehow.
-
Quite an interesting line of "action" figures. I don't know if I'd buy them at their regular price, maybe around $5.
-
I LOVE the figures, but I HATE the accessories. I'd rather see movie authentic stuff, or at least closely inspired.
-
You seem to be the first, care to elaborate on why you like them?
Just curious, I've been eyeballing the Vader if and when I see him on the pegs...
-
Yeah, I was wondering if anyone here is picking them up or not. I've been considering the Vader as well, and that figure does seem to be selling pretty well around here. Anakin, Obi, and Grievous are in droves everywhere I've seen though. I've considered picking up ones like Vader...as well as the upcoming Chewie and Clone. For those who have picked up any of these, what do you think of them?
-
I've only seen pictures of these, but I actually like them too. I don't like the EU accessories, but the stylized scults and aggressive facial expressions are what draw my attention. My favourites so far are actually Anakin and Obi-Wan, which I haven't said very often about the other lines. :)
I think they're $15 CDN up here, so that might prevent me from grabbing them (assuming I even see them). :-\
-
I didn't think much of these except Vader. But then I saw him on 4/2 and noticed that his left shoulder does not have as much articulation as his right one.
Right shoulder articulation is like that of the CommTech Stormtrooper......
Left Shoulder articulation is kind of like the vintage figures....and due to the weird angle of his left arm, it swivels way too close to his body.....kind of "weird".
I liked tha anime style of these figures but now will only get them if on sale for my upcoming kids. (Gotta get them some toys to tear into when they get big enough).
The Clone Trooper is a definite....I gotta satisfy my Clone obsession.
-
Despite my belief that this line is going to flop bigger than Rosie O'Donnell on a Miami beach, I picked up the Vader at a local WM yesterday. It has its good points (it's Vader and it's kind of neat looking, I suppose), but it also has its bad points (that shield and some very strange articulation choices between the arms).
Quick review (I guess):
-THE GOOD: The sculpt is nice, very anime and stylized. He stands on his own reasonably well and that's always a plus. He can hold his lightsaber with both hands, and the shield can be taken off and thrown into a box, never to see the light of day again. There is some really interesting articulation that you can't really see in the package on his arms. Basically, if this makes sense, he has two cut joints in his lower arm: one is the usual at the elbow, and the next is less than a half inch away where his gloves meet the forearms. He's also got cut wrist articulation, so that's three points on each arm from the elbow down, which I hadn't seen before. The lightsaber is nice, and is more along the lines of the 12" dolls in terms of appearance and quality, if a bit smaller.
-THE BAD: The cloth cape (the outer one) doesn't have the same care and quality in its stitching that other Vaders at this scale or smaller (Jedi Force Vader and the GH Vader) have had over the past few years. Why they chose to do a plastic inner cape and a cloth outer cape is beyond me, but it's there. There is no articulation in his right leg at all (other than the squeeze thing), and his left leg only has a hip joint (but this is good since he can stand on his own).
-THE WTF?: The shield is ridiculous. The action feature is silly, and pointless (although I guess that's the point of these figures). The biggest WTF? moment is the lack of a ball jointed shoulder on the left arm while the right arm has a ball joint. I can't figure this one out at all, especially since the Jedi Force Vader had this on both shoulders. Plus there's the overall pointless nature of these figures ever being made, so there you go.
Overall, it's a fairly cool piece as far as just looking at it and saying, "Hey, that's an interesting looking Vader" on your shelf, but as far as "This makes me want to collect this whole line, how awesome!", it scores a big fat zero. If you've got 10 bucks to burn and you like Vader, go ahead and pick it up. If you're wavering, go to the next aisle and pick up the Jedi Force Vader, which is a much cooler toy overall and a lot more fun. Just be sure to buy it before clearances, because I doubt this one will be sticking around in the mess of Obi-Wans, Grievii, and Anakins (I had to dig through eight pegs to find one Vader).
As incoherent and Burroughs-esque as this post has been, it's my thoughts on this figure.
-
Taking a look at some of the preview pics over at RS of the next wave of "Force Battlers", the more they really remind me of the "Sigma Six" line coming from G.I. Joe later this year. Especially when you look at the Mace Windu figure, the style and look are almost exactly the same. I just don't know how these things are going to do. I'd really like to pick up the Chewie, and the Vader that is out now looks kind of neat, but something about the human figures looks a bit off to me.
-
The latest word in fashion: 7 is the new 3 3/4 (http://hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsid.D6BA24B8-D56F-E112-4B1F1B49BEE6EE52/dn/default.cfm)
I still think this line is Hasbro trying to convince us that Larger figures are "awesome". ::)
Anyway...
Han Solo w/Stormtrooper Disguise:
(http://hasbro.com/common/images/news/starwars/85671.jpg)
Luke Skywalker w/Backpack Skiff:
(http://hasbro.com/common/images/news/starwars/85670.jpg)
And the first re-hash, Darth Vader w/Cape Glider:
(http://hasbro.com/common/images/news/starwars/85672.jpg)
-
The new figures are interesting, and to be honest, I've been tempted to pick up the first Vader a couple of times. I'll likely get the Chewie if/when it is released, so that makes the Han a tempting buy as well. I don't like their tagline "7 is the new 3 3/4". That makes me have nightmares of the way the Sigma Six line in the Joe World will be the focal point later this year. I would think that Hasbro would leave 3 3/4" as the "staple" line of Star Wars though....they go hand in hand so much at this point...but you just never know.
-
I don't know if anyone actually cares about this line but...
The Emperor:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/news/images/2-05/l_fbemperor.jpg)
Yoda:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/news/images/2-05/l_fbyoda.jpg)
-
I kind of like to keep up on this line, although I haven't bought any of them. Has anyone here been picking them up or even thinking about it? I had the Vader in my hands a couple of times, before putting it back, but it is somewhat scarce around here anymore. The others from that first wave (Anakin, Obi-Wan, Grievous) are piled up pretty much everywhere. I'll admit that I'm somewhat tempted by the Chewbacca we have seen pics of, and will likely pick that one up. If I do that, I might get the Han too, but we'll see. They are kind of neat in a "kitschy" sort of way, but it seems that they are overall disliked pretty strongly. Seems like they are doubling up with Jedi Force and Force Battlers in a way, and it also seems like Hasbro is testing the "larger figure size" market with these. They just look so much like that GI Joe "Sigma Six" line that is coming later this year, at least from the pics I've seen. Thanks for the pics Jeff. I sometimes pick up Yoda things for myself or my brother, so that one might be a little bit tempting too. At $9-10 each, these are easier to pass up it seems.
-
I think I'm one of the few people originally interested in this line -- I've got Vader, Anakin, Obi-Wan & Grievous. I've really liked their anime-like facial sculpts, but I'm beginning to lose interest. I may grab Luke and Han simply because of their OT appeal, but the Emperor and Yoda don't do much for me yet.
-
Hasbro now has an official update (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsID.60F8C813-D56F-E112-430F75D4C57EFFB0/default.cfm) featuring the next wave of the Force Battlers, consisting of Yoda and Palpatine. Nothing incredibly new, since we've seen some pics of these before...but a little more info and different pics available at the link...if anyone is interested :).
-
Yoda and Palpy are the next wave? Did they just skip Chewy and Mace (which were on display at C3)? I only see Obi1 out here with the occassional Anakin. Wanted to grab a Grievous for my nephew so I'll have to hunt around.
-
I'm sorry, I don't think the Yoda/Sidious wave is technically the "next" wave in the line...just the next one they have announced. I personally am not sure of the order, but beyond the four that are on the pegs now (Obi/Anakin/Grievous/Vader), we've seen upcoming figures of Chewbacca/Mace/Clonetrooper, Han/Luke/2nd Vader, and now Yoda/Sidious if I am remembering correctly. I'm not sure if that is the order they are going to be released or not.
As far as these figures, they actually seem to be dwindling a little bit at least around here. You can basically only find Anakin and Obi in town now, and I'm afraid I might have missed the boat on the Vader. I wasn't sure if I wanted it that bad or not, but I'm thinking I might pick up the Han and Chewie that are coming up...and that might lead to the Luke as well, and if that happens, I know I'll regret skipping Vader. I should probably skip them altogether, but I wouldn't mind having just a few for something "different". We'll see.
-
I'm sorry, I don't think the Yoda/Sidious wave is technically the "next" wave in the line...just the next one they have announced. I personally am not sure of the order, but beyond the four that are on the pegs now (Obi/Anakin/Grievous/Vader), we've seen upcoming figures of Chewbacca/Mace/Clonetrooper, Han/Luke/2nd Vader, and now Yoda/Sidious if I am remembering correctly. I'm not sure if that is the order they are going to be released or not.
Yeah, Brian that is still the planned order:
Wave 1:
Ben / Anakin / Grievous / Vader
Wave 2:
Mace / Chewie / Clone
Wave 3:
Luke / Han / Vader (#2)
Wave 4:
Yoda / Emperor
I think so many places are swimming in Wave 1 that the rest haven't had much chance to get out yet...
Jeff
-
edit... You beat me to the bunch, Brian, but I've basically got the same info as you: :)
edit #2... And now Jeff beat me too. ;)
As near as I can figure, Yoda and Palpatine should be wave 4:
Wave 1 - April 2005
Anakin Skywalker
Darth Vader
General Grievous
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Wave 2 - date?
Chewbacca
Clone Trooper
Mace Windu
Wave 3 - date?
Darth Vader II
Han Solo (Stormtrooper Disguise)
Luke Skywalker
Wave 4 - Fall 2005
Emperor Palpatine
Yoda
Hasbro's official updates mention Palpatine and Yoda (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsID.60F8C813-D56F-E112-430F75D4C57EFFB0/default.cfm) being released in the fall, but they don't list any dates on wave 2 (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsID.22D04EDF-D56F-E112-4893A8FCE7F57F48/default.cfm) and wave 3 (http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsID.D6BA24B8-D56F-E112-4B1F1B49BEE6EE52/default.cfm). I'm just assuming each update is a new wave.
-
Will the last waves be released? Just speculatin', of course.
-
Miracles of miracles - NEW Force Battlers.
At no less than TWO Target Stores I stopped at tonight, I stumbled across Mace Windu, Clone Trooper and Chewbacca Force Battlers from wave 2.
Maybe there is hope that wave 4 will eventually get released. I was starting to think all I'd ever see hanging hopelessly on the pegs was the April 2nd stuff.
So, to all of you out there collecting this line (all 3 or 4 of you), new stuff is hitting now! :P
-
Yeah, I've been seeing the Mace and Chewie everywhere for the past week or so. Only seen 2 Clones so far, so that's definitely the toughest of the bunch, as you'd expect.
Still not biting on this line though.
-
Ran across Mace, Clone, and Chewie at WM last night. Didn't even realize there was a second wave coming.
-
Nothing but seas of Anakins and Obi-Wans here right now. I've been checking for the new wave, because I'd like to pick up the Chewbacca, but no signs here at Target or Wal-Mart. I have a feeling this line won't be around for too long though, it seems like collector interest is next to zero and I don't think the kiddies are too psyched about it either. I have seen a lot more kids in the Star Wars aisle this year, but its always been to look at the basic figure or role play items, and to mess with the talking Vader helmet :). I am hoping that the new waves make their way through the system, I'd like to get the Han and Chewie at least. Kind of wish I would have picked up the Vader too, but missed out on him around here. Probably for the best, because then I'd feel more compelled to get more of them (specifically OT ones).
-
I ran across the new wave of these at Target yesterday, and they had 2 each of Mace and Chewie, and 1 of the Clones. I picked up the Chewie...and will likely pick up the Han in the future (I always like to try to get the Han and Chewie from each line at least). Part of me had considered getting some of the other OT characters, but I'm not so sure if I will or not. The Chewie is nice, but it isn't anything spectacular, and probably not worth $9.99 necessarily. Maybe there is just too much "similar" stuff out there competing, with this and Jedi Force (as well as Galactic Heroes, which are different...but still sort of the same market). Another nice "odd ball" part of the collection I guess, but I don't know if it is a line I would extend to collecting further. Surprisingly, the wave 1 Obis and Anakins that have been rotting since they were released were gone for some reason. I suspect that they were taken back to the stockroom and replaced with the new wave, as I have a hard time believing they sold all of a sudden now. Can't find a Vader (or Grievous, really) in town anywhere.
-
Force Battlers' pics from SDCC:
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/JayDouble/Internet/FB1.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/JayDouble/Internet/FB2.jpg)
-
I have not collected this line, but I might pick up that yoda because it just looks cool.
-
I think it is funny that this line seems to be the only one that actually got "new" sculpts for the Comic-Con display. I really don't think this line will last, as collector interest seems close to zero and kids just won't be buying this stuff after the movie hype dies down. I have picked up the Chewie and Vader figures, and might get the Han, but other than that I will likely be staying clear of these.
-
I never thought it would be possible due to the sheer volume of Wave 1 figures still around, but somehow, over the last 8 weeks I've seen each of the subsequent waves turn up at Target.
So, in case anyone out there still cares about this line, The wave 4 figures, Yoda & Emperor, are now shipping and have been spotted in a few Targets around town here in MN.
-
I was kind of surprised at that too Jeff. Although you can still find plenty of Obis and Anakins around, we've started seeing quite a few of the others around as well. Specifically, I can remember seeing Chewie, Mace, Clonetrooper, Luke, Han, and the "new" Vader. Although I did pick up the Vader, as well as Han and Chewie, I think this line can go away as far as I care. At least this or Jedi Force, we don't need both. I won't be getting any more of these, unless I pick up the Yoda for my brother (he collects only Yoda stuff). Not a big fan of them, and the price is plenty high too.
-
By the sounds of it, I'm the only one interested in this line - I think they're great! I think the reason I like them is because of their radically different styling, almost in a Japanese anime-like fashion. Thanks to Matt, I've gotten all of them!
-
I dig them too, though I don't collect them. The Target I'm training at has them coming out of their ass right now, so maybe they will go clearance. There are plenty of Yodas and Emperors in back.
-
Force Battlers Wave 5 at Hasbro (http://hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsid.24686671-D56F-E112-4ABE4AEC90AF5148/dn/default.cfm)
Wow. Take a look at this guy:
(http://hasbro.com/common/images/news/starwars//85856.jpg)
Obi-Wan Kenobi with samurai armor? Huh? ???
Does Japanese Anime have to permeate EVERY kid's toy line these days? Might as well just call him Super-Hyper-Mega-Obi-Wan-Ranger-Mon! ::)
-
I actually like the Force Battlers line, and even I think the Samurai Obi-Wan looks ridiculous. Hasbro sure is making an effort to jump on the various "cool" bandwagons, between this figure and the Choppers. ::)
-
Although I did pick up the Han and Chewie from this line, I wasn't so sure about the overall line. There are some that translate well (Vader), and more that don't (any humans). After seeing where things might be headed with Samurai Obi-Wan, these can just go away. Go away Force Battlers, go away. Like Jesse mentioned, it seems like Hasbro is really trying to be trendy with Star Wars this year/next. I hope that they realize what their core really is, and adjusts their lines accordingly.
-
Preamble ... I still haven't bought any FBs yet, though I'd like to pick up a few of the prequel ones. :( On most of the figures the stylized sculpts appeal to me. And I even like most of the accessories--a lot of them are silly, but I enjoy seeing new and original accessories instead of boring old guns and such. I think FB is interesting as a "side line" but I definitely wouldn't want them to replace 3.75". Also, they really aren't pegwarming nearly as much as I'd feared. Maybe kids and parents are turning to FB when they can't find 3.75" figures they wanted.
On to Samurobi-Wan ... looks like I'm doubly swimming against the current here (even FB fans hate this guy!). Sure the concept is pretty asinine, but I think he turned out looking cool. :) (Please don't kill me. :-\)
-
Has anyone seen wave 5 of these hit stores? It's the one that includes Samurai Obi-Wan, Grievous, Jango and Chewbacca. I've kinda had a soft spot for this line and am curious if it ever made it to retail, and if so, how long ago.
-
I saw Samurai Obi-Wan yesterday.
I thought it was a GI-Joe at first.:-X
Kevin
-
We got a case during Christmas time, Jesse. The last case we got was awful though: 2 Samurai Obi-Wan, 3 Vader, 3 Palpatine.
-
I don't check these every time I'm out, but I have seen the Samurai Obi-Wan about every time at Target, as well as the "new" Chewbacca. The Grievous and Jango I think I've seen once, and that was at TRU a month or so back.
-
Thanks for the info guys. For those of you that have seen the last series, do you know if the Chewie and Grievous are just repacks? I'm pretty sure Hasbro had an update about them, but I can't seem to track it down on their website.
-
Thanks for the info guys. For those of you that have seen the last series, do you know if the Chewie and Grievous are just repacks? I'm pretty sure Hasbro had an update about them, but I can't seem to track it down on their website.
Force Battlers Wave 5 at Hasbro (http://hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsid.24686671-D56F-E112-4ABE4AEC90AF5148/dn/default.cfm)
On Grievous and Chewie, I think the figures were the same but they came with new doo-dads/accessories. That was my understanding anyway... :-\
-
Force Battlers Wave 5 at Hasbro (http://hasbro.com/starwars/pl/page.news/newsid.24686671-D56F-E112-4ABE4AEC90AF5148/dn/default.cfm)
On Grievous and Chewie, I think the figures were the same but they came with new doo-dads/accessories. That was my understanding anyway... :-\
OK, kinda like the second Vader that came out... Thanks Jeff.
-
Ah yes, the Force Battlers. This is one of those lines that I really wish I had never started. I now have the entire 18 figure set sitting on my shelf collecting dust which is currently for sale. The Force Battlers, not the shelf. :P I bought the first four on April 2nd and I never thought that many would be released.
I thought the Grievous and the Jango Fett were cool, but that was about it. The Vader looks more like a concept Vader which is nice, but if I had to do it all over again, I would have left them on the shelf.