Acid Rain - by Ori Toy

[Jeff]

Two Bucks Team members up for pre-order:

Bucks Team Leader Bob - $28.99 @ Entertainment Earth or $27.99 @ BBTS

Bucks Team Member Steel - $27.99 @ Entertainment Earth or $27.99 @ BBTS

Late December/Early January expected shipping date.

[Jesse James]

Wooooot!

And given the picture to turn-around for release, I'm guessing Laurels aren't far behind then.

[Jeff]

Jesse - seen this one yet?

Acid Rain Red Face with Heavily Rusted Raptor Marine Version

If I wasn't wasting all my extra collector money on Japanese Mobile Suits, I would be all in on this awesome line.  The vehicle designs, the character designs, the decos - you can just feel the love these guys put into their work.

[Jesse James]

I've seen the teasers on social media but didn't know it would be a HK exclusive.  My heart sank!    I can only fathom cost.  I want one though.  Acid Rain and other stuff has me kinda glad Star Wars is dead slow. 

Once my Xmas bills are paid next month I'm actually eying a 2nd quad eyes and going all in and buying all the figures.  I'd backed off figs but they're really nice so I am wanting the Buck's Team, and now this exclusive fig and vehicle. 

[Jesse James]

Been tryin' every string I can pull and not getting anywhere.  Ugh.

[Jesse James]

Did you catch the new figure (new series perhaps?) in the coverage Jeff?

Winter setting but looked like just a more heavily armored infantryman for the setting they're in.  Makes sense given the "walker" technology they'd face...  There's a similar concept for the kits I've been buying where infantry are basically called "soft shells" and more mobile but easily cracked open.  Pretty slick.

[Jesse James]

Also noticing they had prototypes of the Laurel Worker, and the Stronghold Beaver, which are AWESOME little side vehicles.  I like the concept of support vehicles like that, and it looks like the Stronghold just requires a new upper body portion for variations.  The Laurel just seems to get new arms and attachments.  Slick little designs.

[Jesse James]

Interesting to see that apparently the Flak Bike is heading to production, if I'm guessing correctly.  A mix of a Kettenrad from World War 2 (think motorcycle and mini tankette have a baby), and a friggin' cannon, combined into a transforming vehicle...

This has been one of my top wants since they debuted prototypes a while back...  Artillery doesn't generally make for an exciting toy, but when it's a tank-ish motorcycle that transforms into artillery, how can you say no?

Jeff will cave.  He'll at least get a figure.  I can see it.

[Jesse James]

Another exclusive, this one for the Taiwan Toy Show... 

A Sol Commander Desserter, who sports a rifle w/sling, and a tattered cloak and stuff, and belt to hold it on.  An awesome little unique accessory set for an existing figure.  Like Red Face for the last show, I'm thoroughly bummed I can't own one. 

I wish I had better overseas contacts to pester for this. 

[Jesse James]

Acid Rain's revealing stuff in dribs and drabs.

There's been the Taiwan Show exclusive Sol Commander Desserter, which is just an SC with some very spiffy looking cloth accessories, more or less.

They've also introduced a couple cold weather looking decos on Bob and Sol Commander figures, again with unique softgoods.  Not sure if either are going to be more than just teases online though.

And today the Flak Bike prototype surfaced and was shown in "Flak" mode, which just looks like a beast!  Looks bigger than Quad Eyes even.

Also, a new figure was revealed, who looks to have some kind of "heads up display" visor on over his helmet.  No real clue on the figure's purpose.  Could be a Flak Bike pilot maybe?  Odd looking but cool.

Also the rest of Bucks team have been revealed.  Guess those will hit pre-order sooner than any of the rest.

[Jesse James]

The Ori Toys blog posted an update with a new item coming soon...


Clicky!

Looking as though the Laurel may have a pilot pack-in...  The figure in the suit just turned up recently in pictures, and features an enclosed "HUD" type helmet mask.  Deco suggestions were even being taken (I like shark-mouth, personally) for the pilot's helmet.  I'm easy when it comes to shark teeth on a vehicle or helmet.

If the Laurel is anything akin to the Quad Eyes or MkII SPeeder's quality, it has to be insanely well done!  The big ass hand cannon combined with a shoulder-mount weapon is neat, and harkens to quite a few different "Mech" designs from various other universes. 

It looks ready to march out with my Quad Eyes and MkI "Raptor" Speeder now... 

I really hope this line delves into some kind of flying vehicle.  Even something small, or a hover-tank type weapon would be neat. 

There is a "worker" variant of the Laurel that I pray they wind up doing because it'd look sweet as hell loading cargo in an Imperial or Rebel hangar dio!

[Greg]

Holy crap that's amazing! The only thing I'm not too keen on is the lack of a windshield/armor cover for the cockpit, but the overall design is cool enough to overlook that. Looks like a lot of articulation, and the cockpit interior is something else. I'm trying to get out of the line (again), but stuff like this and Bob's team make it really, really hard to do so.

[Jesse James]

DO NOT get out Greg!

Seriously, I'm going all in.  I ordered Bucks Team and the Argurts Infantry last night from EE here on the site because I got free shipping on the dealio too.  Is $83 cheap?  Nah, but look at Star Wars?  I've got two waves to buy, and the wave up for pre-order now is meh to me.  TFA stuff there will be sales, and a lot of it I'm sure will not appeal to me too, so I'm sure I'll be in the limited purchase category there too.

Looking at Acid Rain, this is the perfect place to spend my money...  I'll be getting two Laurels at least.  I am anxious to see if the array of variants to the suit will come too, like the airborne, the quad-legged one, the Worker...  I'm ok with import toys when import toys deliver something above/beyond in terms of quality.  These really, really do.

I mean, I swear that MkII Speeder Review is 100% truth...  I purchased it myself, full price, no gimmes there for an endorsement publicly...  I paid for it, and I wasn't even sure I wanted the MkII actually, and I 100% wish I'd just bought it sooner than I did.  I love it, and this line in general.

I actually wasn't going to buy figures, but I caved just this week, and bought the ones I didn't have.  They're not an articulation style I personally favor, as I prefer what Hasbro does with their TBS 4" figures, but the figures really grow on you and look 10x better than most GI Joes do IMO, despite having similar articulation styles.

I'm all in on this line...  I'm even in on multiples now of some vehicles.  Buying a 2nd Marine Quad Eyes soon, and then the Sand version as well.

[Jeff]

So... tempting... must... resist...   

[Jesse James]

Cowards!