3.75" Black Series Rumors

[Greedo The Green Menace]

About halfway decent a list. This line has quite a lot of re sculpts though which is a shame. If the stuff like new head hoth Luke and Vader is what brings costs down enough to get stuff like Doallyn and Ree Yees then it's worth it. R5 droid is cool too. If Hasbro wants to reduce costs, just throw a random repaint astromech in every wave, i doubt many would object to that. Really hoping we get some more Cantina guys this year though, Hasbros been cranking out the odd Jabba goons pretty steadily, but we haven't seen a new Cantina guy since Evazan.

[Jeff]

According to Rebelscum and the UK TRU computer system, looks like there may be some kind of Cantina and Jabba's Palace/Rancor Battle Packs coming this Fall to go along with the Battle on Endor set revealed the other day...

[P-Siddy]

Cantina and Jabba's Palace sound very interesting.  Surprised that Hasbro doesn't do a BP similar to the Battle of Endor one, except do the Scout in Hoth colors and throw in snowtroopers, AT-AT Commanders, some rebels troops and commanders.

[Paul]

Ok so using the Formula that Hasbro often employs (and basically mimicking the Endor Set) we can expect:

Vechicle/Large Piece
8 re-packed Figures or so.

For Jabba's Rancor that seems easy enough
Vehicle = Rancor
8 figures could be anybody but my thought/(wish):

Jedi Luke from the Saber building scene
C-3P0
Lando Skiff Disguise
Slave Leia
Gammorean Guard
Boba Fett
Bib Fortuna (if the mold still exists)
Rancor Keeper

For the Cantina SHOWDOWN, I am scratching my head what the Vehicle/Large Piece would be....
My thought:
Landspeeder?
8 Sandtroopers (cuz somebody at the Big-H loves Sandtroopers, the figures)
 

[Nicklab]

The RS posting had some prices attached to it.  Mind you, all of the prices were in GBP.  Here are the prices for each set:

Battle on Endor:  £99.99 price tag ($168 USD) - AT-ST + 8 figures (7 if you consider the 2 Ewoks as being the equivalent of one basic figure)

Cantina Showdown:  £39.99 ($67 USD)

Jabba's Rancor Pit:  £129.99 ($220 USD)


I think the lineups are likely going to be somewhat proportional to the price points.

CANTINA SHOWDOWN - Maybe 4 - 6 figures, tops.  I think it's probably going to include:  Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ponda Baba, Dr. Evazan and perhaps one or two other Cantina patrons

JABBA'S RANCOR PIT:  The last Rancor set with Luke retailed for $50.  With the rise in prices I think it would probably sell for $70 - $80 now.  At this price, I'm thinking we get the following:  Rancor, Jedi Luke (hopefully the sandstorm version), Gamorrean Guard, Malakili, Giran, Bib Fortuna, Slave Leia

[Jesse James]

I'm kind of hoping it is all old stuff...  If they sneak one or two "new" things into a big box of rehash, for a high price, that just sucks.  I didn't really get people's excitement over that Endor set unless you didn't have a significant portion of what it contains...  If these other sets are like one or two new guys and a whole lotta old, I'm a bit miffed.

Now if they're like past TRU sets with reused parts but lots of "new" sucj as the rebel pilots or arena Jedi, I'm giddy to speculate.  That Endor set was beyond uninteresting to me though.

[Nicklab]

Same here.  I think Hasbro has pretty much been keeping to their word about these multipacks.  Either they're all re-issues, or all/mostly new.  And I'm with you on this point Jesse:  if they start sneaking in 1 or 2 new figures in a set of 6 or 8 with a rehashed vehicle or creature?  That's just uncool and manipulative.

Clearly, the Battle on Endor pack appears to be all repacks.  Just running through what's in there:
-AT-ST - I'm thinking that this is the 4th offering, correct?  There was the SOTDS Target exclusive, the K-Mart exclusive TVC version and the WalMart exclusive TLC version
-Stormtrooper (uncertain of the version)
-AT-ST Driver - from the K-Mart exclusive set
-Imperial Officer - from the K-Mart exclusive Death Star Scanning Crew set
-Ewoks - from the TRU exclusive Movie Heroes Ewok set
-Chewbacca - Early Bird version
-Han Solo (Endor) - VTSC version
-Leia (Endor - minus helmet & poncho) - VTAC version

Now if we're looking at all new for the other sets?  I'd definitely be happy.  But I get the feeling that Hasbro may want to get more mileage out of that Rancor they put together for the Target exclusive.  And the other potential figures that would likely fill out that pack have all been made within the past few years:  Malakili, Giran, Oola, the Gamorrean Guards, etc.  Taking that into consideration, I think that the Rancor set is almost certainly going to be all reissues.  To do otherwise would be bizarre.

As for the Cantina Showdown?  I'm hopeful here that maybe Hasbro can surprise me.  When I saw the name, I instantly thought of the old POTF2 Cinema Scene with Dr. Evazan, Ponda Baba and Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Hence my previous post.  I hope Hasbro has a sense of history though, and recognizes that particular scene has been done before.  Sure, the new sculpts are infinitely better than their POTF2 predecessors.  But what about something new? 

Personally, I'm hoping for a booth with Han Solo and Greedo.  If Hasbro was feeling daring, I think they should call it "Han shot first".  I don't know if they're prepared to go out on a limb like that, though.  I would be okay with re-worked versions of Han Solo and Greedo for this set.  And maybe have a nearby table of 2 Cantina patrons that haven't been done before.  THAT is a Cantina Showdown set that I'd like to see.

[Jeff]

if they start sneaking in 1 or 2 new figures in a set of 6 or 8 with a rehashed vehicle or creature?  That's just uncool and manipulative.

And yet, I see countless posts at other places where people are begging for "at least one new figure" in these sets.   

I don't get the complaining about these sets being all repacks.  To me it's great - I can skip it, save the $75-125 and move on with my life. 

[Greg]

Hopefully the Cantina Showdown is actually an assortment of 2 multipacks (4- or 5-packs), similar to the Geonosis and Pilot sets in years past. Maybe some boring humans, random aliens, Mos Eisly droids, and/or a Sandtrooper or two.

As for the Rancor set, since it is more expensive I'm hoping it is all straight repacks like the Endor set. More articulation is the only way they could improve the existing Rancor, and that might not be enough to get me to buy. Unless it's bigger of course... like AT-AT size.

[P-Siddy]

I wonder with Disney's purchase if we can finally get the Tonnika Sisters.  I mean, they can't complain that they are "Star Whores"... they made a movie called "Pretty Woman" under one of their studios.

[McMetal]

If they're all just repacks, why would anyone need to "change their underwear" at SDCC? 

[Nicklab]

If they're all just repacks, why would anyone need to "change their underwear" at SDCC? 

You should know by now that some sites (with staffers who have an overinflated sense of self-importance) just live to blow things out of proportion. Or they just have no sense of what's new and what's rehashed.

[JediJman]

I wonder with Disney's purchase if we can finally get the Tonnika Sisters.  I mean, they can't complain that they are "Star Whores"... they made a movie called "Pretty Woman" under one of their studios.

Yeah, but the movie wasn't called Pretty Whore.   

[Jesse James]

if they start sneaking in 1 or 2 new figures in a set of 6 or 8 with a rehashed vehicle or creature?  That's just uncool and manipulative.

And yet, I see countless posts at other places where people are begging for "at least one new figure" in these sets.   

I don't get the complaining about these sets being all repacks.  To me it's great - I can skip it, save the $75-125 and move on with my life.

EXACTLY!

How insanely desperate to buy a Star Wars toy do you have to be, to want to buy a $100 box of stuff you have to get one or two new figures in it!?  Holy moly people are irrational in this hobby.

I've enjoyed lulls in the line because I've delved into other things I wanted to, but budget didn't allow. 

I liked the Arena Jedi...  Some didn't, but I did.  Re-using GOOD Jedi sculpts with new heads and decos...  I'll pay $40 for that.

That Endor set?  I honestly have no clue why anyone would be "excited" about that aside from someone who doesn't have most of it.  I got AT-ST's as low as $7-ish, and I have all the figures in the set two or more times over...  And I think Han looks like dick, personally.

I don't expect all new with any of these, but I mean if the Cantina set were like the Arena or Pilot set with some new heads on existing bodies redecoed, and maybe Ponda and the Doc, eh...  I could be into it.  I'm still hardly "excited" though because the name alone suggests you won't be getting everything new, and you're going to get some stuff you may not want.

Are people still popping a chub over the prospect of getting a Gammorrean Guard that much, that that Rancor set (which has to be expensive, and of which I already own a dandy Rancor) is appealing?  I mean, I know the Gammie is a cool figure and was tough to get, but...  come on!  You know you probably already have the Rancor, so can your juices really flow for that set knowing that you have the thing that's going to cost you the most with it?

I don't get it, seriously...  Some people have no self control, nor logic.

Now, if you don't have that stuff, I more than get why you like it...  But even the packaging isn't nice, really, so even packaged guys don't have reason to be joyous.

[Nicklab]

So something related to this rumored Rancor Pit TRU exclusive wound up in my Facebook feed recently.  I follow a number of sites on FB (I'll refrain from identifying the particular site), and all of a sudden I saw in my news feed an image of a Rancor, Oola and some scenery including the gate to the Rancor's pen.  Instantly, my interest was piqued.  Was this an actual image of the Jabba's Rancor set that we had been told would make us "wet our pants"?  Was it actually something new instead of what we've been discussing here in this thread?

And then I read more of that Facebook posting.  And sure enough, this was NOT something newsworthy.  Not at all.  But it was actually an attempt by a collecting site to use some of the hype surrounding these new rumors and revelations to do a couple of things:
1 - To promote the customs section of their forums and...
2 - To beg Hasbro for playsets.  Again.

Frankly, I found this both deceitful and annoying.  Deceitful because it was a blatant attempt to cash in on some excitement regarding new product announcements to promote customs and dioramas.  And while both of those things can be cool to look at, they aren't news.  It diminishes the value of a website whose stock and trade with their readers is supposed to be NEWS.

As for it being annoying?  I stand by that assessment.  Hasbro conducted the Star Wars Q&A's for several years.  Time and time again the subjects of dioramas and playsets came up.  And like clockwork Hasbro had to state categorically that in the current non-movie year model, playsets were not viable from a business standpoint.  This continued harping on the subject has grown tiresome.  Especially when Hasbro has offered up a clear answer.  It reminds me of an old adage:  the definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing over and over, but expect a different result.