Cost is what has kept we away.  I bought an auction many years ago that got me an almost complete run of everything except last 17, droids, and ewoks with several variants.   Several figures could probably use upgrades for better paint and such.  Also missing a few accessories.  In the more recent, I picked up a complete Falcon and some micro collection stuff.  Perhaps once I finish paring down my existing collection, I might get back into looking at vintage again.  I do like the thought of collecting a line that has actually ended and doesn't take up a ton of space.  I already have the vintage 12" line.  I also have a Death Star playset, so with the falcon that is two of the bigger items.  I also have a vintage AT-AT that is missing one of the jaw guns.  Never had a vintage shuttle.  I have been looking through some vehicles on ebay and FB.  I have come to realize that vintage is what I prefer at this point.  Hence why I have been buying retro collection stuff even though I quit buying Hasbro stuff a while ago.

WHERE IS JORUS C'BOATH!

Apparently, after yesterday, it is Gideon.

I'm interested to see where this will go.  In the old EU, Wayland was where the Emperor set up his secret stash of weapons and technology, including what were called "Spartii" cloning cylinders - as a note anything related to the prequels and the Clone Wars were off limits to Star Wars authors at the time.  Said facility was guarded by a mad clone of Jorus C'Baoth.  We also ended up with a clone of Luke from his severed hand.  The crux was that the Emperor was trying to figure out how to make Force sensitive clones that weren't subject to madness.  The other major plot point was that Thrawn thought he needed a Force wielder in order to re-establish the Empire.

In the current continuity, we have the return of Thrawn from parts unknown.  When he was removed from the storyline, he was with Ezra.  Ezra had the upper hand it seemed.  In all these years, did Thrawn persuade Ezra to join his cause?  Did he somehow over power him?  Will he be used as a clone template?  We have two dark side Force wielders that we know little about at this time.  We also have Gideon, who may have been successful in creating a Force sensitive clone from a non-Force sensitive template.  My thought is that while Gideon prime may have bit the dust, I bet there is a surviving clone somewhere.  I don't see the actor going away quite yet.

Ahsoka is in a much different head space than where Luke was in Heir to the Empire.  I don't see how they can go with the "join me" plot with Ahsoka.  Luke was looking for anything from the Jedi's past, while Ahsoka is very aware of the dark side and evil intentions.  She certainly wouldn't entertain joining a Force sensitive Gideon unless there is going to be some sort of Gideon vs Thrawn battle.

At this point, I think they are building towards some version of Heir to the Empire.  I'm sure it will be another thing for the fan boys to have fits over.  While a great set of novels, I don't think direct adaptations would have made great movies.

From what we have seen in post Disney Star Wars media, we have several elements from the original Thrawn trilogy:  Wayland has been shown in Bad Batch, and there is an emphasis on cloning, the Client wanted Grogu for his blood for Pershings/Gideon's midichlorian cloning experiments, Thrawn is returning from points unknown (in the original EU Palpatine sent him to the unknown regions to identify a threat, in the Disney cannon he was removed to points unknown with Ezra in Rebels), former Imperials are being referred to as Warlords, much like in many of the early EU novels, Pelleaon shows up and his a Thrawn fan boy, Thrawn had Ruhk as an assassin/tracker/assistant in Rebels.

With the announcement of the Filoni movie pulling all his shows together, Heir is the logical choice.  We have seen two force sensitive adversaries for the Ahsoka series.  The male character could serve as a possible C'Baoth stand in.  I think Ahsoka may fill in a Mara Jade role, minus the love interest part.  Gideon will be a "rebel" Imperial presence for Thrawn to either bring in-line or destroy.

https://www.target.com/p/star-wars-the-mandalorian-retro-collection-prototype-edition-action-figure/-/A-87046825

Finally in stock for ordering.  Limit of 2 again.  Glad they got them.

Target has changed things up in my area.  They have a Disney section at the end of the toy aisle with all of their properties so finding Star Wars wasn't easy.  They had a single empty peg for the Retro Mando figure but it was labeled something different, can't quite recall what it said, but had the Mando DPCI.

If you go on the SS FB group, someone made a visual guide for the figures.  Like you noted, you didn't get 000, but there is also a Glasslite C-3PO.  Essentially flat gold paint and not vac metal in appearance.  You have all the unique astromechs.  He did make a Yavin version of R2 which looks very close to a vintage R2.  Not sure if the only difference is dome paint colors.  There is also an R5-D4 which looks identical to vintage.  Others are pop-up saber R2 which looks like the vintage counter part.  Droids R2 which I'm not as familiar with in the vintage realm, but his version has a pop up saber, glasslite R2 with pop up saber, and R2 Uzay version.  There are also three death star droids, silver (which looks like the vintage version), black, and gold.

I would think so.  I had DM'ed the owner on facebook and he indicated that had plans for both an ESB and a ROTJ wave after the first 13 wave was completed.  I have my doubts at this point that any other product will come out.

I think their main focus is actually producing something that will actually get funded.  If they have another failure, then the whole program becomes a joke.

I still can't understand why they aren't pushing for either a Death Star playset or a Star Destroyer.

https://www.target.com/p/star-wars-the-mandalorian-retro-collection-prototype-edition-action-figure/-/A-87046825

None in my area, and it is saying sold out for shipped orders, but hopefully they show up on-line here soon.