Unleashed figures

[DSJ™]

Yep, they sure look sweet. I'll be getting them for sure. 

[Morgbug]

I was hoping to pass on this line for ROTS but those are pretty darn amazing  

Anakin seems to have a bit of Crow going on there, not sure I like how they executed that part with the paint app. 

Grievous' description suggests he wears light saber hilts as trophies, yet I see none in the pictures?

I wasn't wanting an Obi again, but maybe I'll sell off my old Obi and Anakin and keep these two new ones.  Hmm.

[JediMAC]

I WILL NOT collect Prequel Unleashed (male) figures.

I WILL NOT collect Prequel Unleashed (male) figures.

I WILL NOT collect Prequel Unleashed (male) figures.

I WILL NOT collect Prequel Unleashed (male) figures.

I WILL NOT collect Prequel Unleashed (male) figures.

I WILL NOT collect Prequel Unleashed (male) figures.

Seriously.

[DoctorPadawan]

I guess I'll be the first to request this: can someone confirm (either by photos or by actual possession of the items which obviously fell off the back of a truck in China, ahem) whether or not the Obi-Wan and Anakin bases interconnect?  If they were able to do this, it could make two already amazing looking pieces into one big incredible piece that would have a place of honor on my shelf for years and years to come.

I couldn't tell from a lot of the angles on GH whether or not the lava had a kind of "lock" with one another the way that the flames on Mace Windu's cloak/based did.  It certainly looks as if the lightsabers are positioned in such a way that they "clash" but I really want these to be connected in a concrete way.  Anybody know?

[JediMAC]

I'm pretty sure I heard they connect, DP.  I think it may have been GH who said that at one point.  Granted, that's not the official confirmation you're looking for, but I think there's a pretty good chance that they will.

So has anyone found the Stormtrooper wave yet?

[Nicklab]

Got Aurra Sing.  Haven't seen the others yet, but I'm not in that much of a hurry.

[DoctorPadawan]

I found Aurra Sing and IG-88 at an out of the way Wal-Mart on the east coast earlier this morning.  They had one of each (no sign of the Stormie anywhere, dammit) alongside the usual complement of 100 Obi-Wans that aren't being clearanced for some strange reason.

Both of the figures look really nice (although I think IG-88 looks as if he's been hanging out with Bender, if you get my drift*), particularly Aurra Sing's "base" which is fairly involved.  I'm not a big fan of the character, myself, but the figure looked nice enough for me to pick it up.

Okay, but here's my gripe: Hasbro is letting the Unleashed line fall prey to the same problems that plague the regular action figure line, namely rubbery plastic.  The thing that I liked about the earlier figures I have is that they are sturdy.  IG-88 and Aurra Sing are anything but.  The plastic they used on IG-88's base in particular is so rubbery that it took me nearly 20 minutes to fit all the pieces together to where they would stay put.  Even now the stand is a bit wobbly if I try to move it.  Aurra Sing's base is sturdier, but she is made out of that same rubbery plastic they've been using on the action figures for the longest time and they seem to have abandoned the sole sturdy element (those silver metal bars) completely for her, meaning she probably will start to droop over time, as the only thing holding her on the base is a plastic peg that fits in her knee and a small loop that her other shoe fits into.

My biggest problem is this: for the longest time, the "Assemble as shown" notation on the backs of the packages was enough.  Sure, it took a little bit of guess work with the more involved bases (Mace and Boba come to mind), but it was doable.  Not with these guys.  It took me about 20 minutes to put IG-88 together and another 30 to get Aurra together.  And she even comes with instructions inside that don't make things easier.  I don't want to toot my own horn, but I'm a fairly well-educated guy, and her base in particular was giving me fits.  It makes those POTF2 sticker sheet instructions with no actual art and just the outline of the sticker look like they are detailed and written out phonetically.

Still, despite IG-88's penchant for bending and the horribly rubber plastic, this has been yet another wave of great looking figures (still no Stormtrooper, and this just wasn't my day for finding the Clone Army of the Republic/Empire all around) that makes me regret collecting this line.

*yes, it's an alcoholism joke

[Morgbug]

Hokay, found the Stormtrooper at a collectible shop for $4 more than TRU and still bought it.  Why?  Well, it's a piece I wanted, didn't feel like waiting to get and I've pretty much decided to scale back on this line now. 

The really confusing part is how to do it and what to keep?   I've often said I really like the PT stuff, and I do.  But what do I get rid of?  Well, Anakin and Obi probably.  I'll give them to a buddies kid who really likes star wars.  I had to find something to give him anyway, because I'm giving his brother a McFarlane Patrick Roy figure, so this should even it out.  I think I have a buyer for Yoda at regular retail price, so he'll likely go.  I like Dooku, Mace and Padme and I may pick up the Obi/Ani with interlocking bases.  I want to keep a clone, but red or white?  Ballet Maul will stay but Jango will go and what to do with Aayla?

OT I'm not at all sure what to do with.  Leia will be kept, in part for fanboy aspects, in part because my daughter likes it (really).  I'll keep Chewie and Han, because they go well together.  Sidious/Emperor will be kept, it's just too cool.  Vader duh.  I think the only one's I'm leaning on not keeping are the Boba, Luke snowspeeder and possibly the Tusken, though I really like the latter.

[DoctorPadawan]

Okay, a couple of questions for the Unleashed collectors out there about some things that I'm confused on right now:

1-What are the differences between the first and current Darth Vader UL and the Removable Helmet version?  Is it just the head and the base that has changed, or are there any other differences in the figures?

2-Has Hasbro said if they will be rereleasing some of the other more difficult to find (and ridiculously priced on Ebay) UL figures in the future?  I'd really like to get a Yoda, and I'm sure a lot of other people would love to have a Boba Fett or one of the other more difficult figures, but it would be nice to not have to sell my kidney to get one.

3-Have the rumored UL for this year (Ventress, Palpatine vs. Yoda, Chewbacca, Clone Trooper, Han Stormtrooper) been confirmed or photographed anywhere?  I know they were not on display at Toy Fair, but I didn't know if Hasbro had said anything in any of the Q and A's about them.

Still on the lookout for that Stormtrooper...and still feeling like a huge hypocrite for my interest in this line.   

[Nicklab]

Okay, a couple of questions for the Unleashed collectors out there about some things that I'm confused on right now:

1-What are the differences between the first and current Darth Vader UL and the Removable Helmet version?  Is it just the head and the base that has changed, or are there any other differences in the figures?

The current Unleashed Darth Vader that is in stores is a reissue of the first Unleashed Darth Vader, not the removable helmet version.  This one just has a redesigned cardback.

2-Has Hasbro said if they will be rereleasing some of the other more difficult to find (and ridiculously priced on Ebay) UL figures in the future?  I'd really like to get a Yoda, and I'm sure a lot of other people would love to have a Boba Fett or one of the other more difficult figures, but it would be nice to not have to sell my kidney to get one.

Send me a PM regarding the Yoda.

3-Have the rumored UL for this year (Ventress, Palpatine vs. Yoda, Chewbacca, Clone Trooper, Han Stormtrooper) been confirmed or photographed anywhere?  I know they were not on display at Toy Fair, but I didn't know if Hasbro had said anything in any of the Q and A's about them.

Still on the lookout for that Stormtrooper...and still feeling like a huge hypocrite for my interest in this line.   

No confirmations or photos.  Hasbro would not even confirm General Grievous at Toy Fair, despite the fact that images had been leaked and he's currently listed on the Cargo Bay at the official site.  The remaining pieces probably won't be confirmed until June or July.

I feel your pain on the Stormtrooper.  It's been "evasive".

[DoctorPadawan]

No confirmations or photos.  Hasbro would not even confirm General Grievous at Toy Fair, despite the fact that images had been leaked and he's currently listed on the Cargo Bay at the official site.  The remaining pieces probably won't be confirmed until June or July.

Cool, thanks for the information; I was beginning to think that I had missed something.  I'm still trying to keep from having multiples of a single character (Vader, Luke, Obi-Wan, Anakin), but with the Vader I didn't know if it was just the same figure with a new head slapped on a different base for the "Unmasked" version or not.  I think I'll stick with just the Cloud City one and save myself some time, money and hassle.

The Chewbacca is the one that I'm wondering about.  I wasn't that fond of the current one (and hence why I've not gotten it), and I was hoping there had been some word about how the rumored ROTS version differed.  I don't know much about his role in the film (other than being part of a battle with Yoda, Clones, and the Separatist on Kashyyk), but I'd love to see an UL Chewie "ripping droids' arms out of their sockets."   

I feel your pain on the Stormtrooper.  It's been "evasive".

This whole wave would have been a pain to find if I hadn't essentially tripped over the sole IG-88 and Sing at an out of the way WM on the way to work one morning.  Target near me is still stocked full of Dookus and Maces, and each WM has only one UL figure on the pegs: Tusken at one, Secura at another, and Obi-Wan at the third.  I'm hoping that the Stormie will keep showing up in greater numbers even after the ROTS 04/02/2005 trio comes out, because these trips to WM and Target on a regular basis are wearing me out.

[Brian]

No signs of the Stormtrooper wave here yet either, really hoping to find the trooper and IG-88 before the April onslaught of ROTS merchandise begins.  We stopped to pick up a few things at Wal-Mart yesterday, and I saw they had their Unleashed in the clearance aisle.  I finally picked up a Dooku.  I always thought it looked like a pretty cool figure, and at $5 I couldn't pass it up.  Now after saying I was "OT only" with these, I have Mace, Yoda, Jango, and Dooku from the PT .  I plan on picking up the Anakin and Obi ones from ROTS as well, and maybe Grievous.

[DSJ™]

Hasbro gives us a new update today on the new assortment of Unleashed EP III.

Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.  These can be joined together to form one dramatic scene. 

[Brian]

Hasbro has their preview up of the upcoming ROTS Unleashed figures.  Clicky Here.  These look pretty cool, I know I'll be picking them up if I see them .

Also came across the Unleashed IG-88 at TRU yesterday.  They had 1 Aurra Sing as well, but no Stormtroopers.  Just on the lookout for that one now until ROTS.  I really like this line, but I'm running out of room fast (ok, I'm basically out of room where I was displaying these ).

[Brian]

Oops...what Dale said .