Acid Rain - by Ori Toy

[Jesse James]

The line's creator is a tease by posting this...  Hopefully means the Chapel, something that's been seen only as a prototype since the very first pictures of the line surfaced, is now moving into the production phase.



Also, it appears there's a unique Quad Eyes mech in the background...  Unique deco and it looks to me like the cockpit section is different.  Someone said it looks camo but I think it just looks like a different weathering style.  The cockpit is definitely different though for some reason.

That Chapel though.  Good lord I have wanted that since this line was announced.  It begs for a sharkmouth paintjob on the front there.  The idea of it as a command vehicle is just incredible.  I want more than a few of them too.  It just looks awesome.

[Jesse James]

Acid Rain exclusive Laurel "Hiroshima" Worker Mech w/exclusive figure...

Love this thing.  LE to 400 it seems, which is pretty low # for a toy so I got one early.  Would like two, but the $119.99 price will probably keep me at one. 



http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=ORI10019&mode=retail

Absolutely love the deco and the figure is cool as hell.  $99.99 would've been an easier price to choke down, but this'll look slick on the shelf, or in a Star Wars diorama doin a little manual labor. 

[Jesse James]

Big Bad Toy Store has 3 other pre-orders for Acid Rain Laurel's up now, and I think this one may be up the Star Wars faithful's alley more!

There is a regular release Laurel Worker (black/yellow hazard markings...  Kind of like the load lifter in Aliens), a "Ghost" all clear version Laurel (meh, not as cool to me but I may get one someday), and a "Dead" Laurel, rusted and with a corpse pilot to boot.  Interesting on the last one...  No hint of that being a regular release product, yet here it is.  Also it has an arm-built cannon instead of a hand, which was only seen on other variant prototypes of this set.

Kind of bummed to see the prices are up/down on some of these.  Considering first Laurel's price, I'd have appreciated seeing these come in a little cheaper.  But such is life on import stuff.  And these things are worth the price.

BBTS has pre-orders...  Hoping EE puts up their own soon though!


http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=ORI10022&mode=retail


http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=ORI10020&mode=retail


http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=ORI10021&mode=retail

The "worker" has been on my must have list since it was first teased eons ago.  A basic, heavy construction mech.  It fits in with Star Wars perfectly, to me.  I could see the Empire having these in Kessel doing mining work, or on a Star Destroyer doing heavy lifting when needed.  Just seems perfect.  Star Wars figures do fit these well too, actually.

I've wanted something like that for a while now, and so I'm picking up two of that right out of the gate.  The Ghost, meh...  And while I like the idea of the "dead" one, the price may make me hesitant at that time of year.  Knowing me though I'll probably still buy one.  Love the line too much not to.

The Hiroshima Worker doesn't fit into Star Wars as well, but the colors are perfect if you can get past the font.  :x  Stuff like that just looks like the used "industrial" Star Wars look to it, and that it belongs in a different galaxy.

[Jesse James]

EE's Pre-order for the Acid Rain Laurel Worker Mech is a better deal for sure.  Free shipping on it...  I ordered two immediately!

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=TNAR1540S&id=JE-405087801

I honestly think this suit crosses over so well to Star Wars...  Could see these in a hangar for the Empire, or Alliance, or even just walking around loading cargo behind your Disney Starspeeder...  Love this thing.



Cheap?  No.  Good toys aren't "cheap" these days though, and I'm (semi) happy to pay for quality at this stage of collecting.

[Jesse James]

Some backlogged Ori Toys/Acid Rain World news...  Which comes out in dribs and drabs on social media by the line's creator.  It's kinda fun that way.

New figure pictured...



Forseti - Viking Shield soldier...  Bulkier armor, snowy deco, redesigned weapon, new visor on the Laurel Pilot's bucket...  Also looks to feature the new style articulation, which appears to enhance poseability and hide joints better.  I'm anxious to get some of the figures featuring this innovation.  Also, looks to be a nifty box/cargo crate the troopers come in.  Army building time!    I'm sure those bitchin' crates will find their way into my goofy background diorama that's ever-changing.

Also a variant of this basic figure planned as a con-exclusive...



AMM Soldier's...  They're a security force for "Beehive", a company that sort of has some monopoly on the honey trade in this dystopian future where bee populations are critically low and honey is an incredibly valuable resource.  I dig the deco on these more honestly.  They feature the Laurel Pilot's bucket and visor though.  And they also appear to get packaged in a special cargo crate for the AMM force.  Kinda neat.



Better pic of the Hiroshima Laurel Worker, and he comes with blueprints.   I hope the regular Laurel Worker comes with them as well.  Not known yet, but there is often some little extra paper freebies packed in with the vehicles in some way or another.

Oddly, the Hiroshima Worker figure is a bit more "generic" looking to the regular Laurel Worker pack-in figure.  Kind of meh, but I'm sure I'll manage some cool headswaps on them regardless.

Lastly and not leastly, a tease... 



The Laurel Arachnid Model... Looks like a prototype or test shot of some sort.  Heavily armed.  Reminds me very much of a model I just got in the same-ish scale.  The Arachnid is creepy...  I'm hoping the final product is changed some, as while I like the shoulder cannon on the Laurel Mech itself, I'm kinda thinking some big missle pods up on the shoulder would be way cooler than the cannon we already have.  Either way, it's kinda creepy looking and I dig it.

[Jesse James]

http://www.jedidefender.com/index.php?id=2123

ARW's Con Exclusive AMM Security Trooper has officially been announced via the line's Twitter Feed...  His packaging is one of the new "cargo pod" boxes the figures come in, making it basically a big ass accessory.  The AMM Security was revealed earlier, and it was expected to be a show exclusive.  It combines a new figure sculpt (Forseti, who will be a general release figure) + the head/helmet from the Laurel Pilot and an exclusive Black/Yellow deco.  The cargo pod packaging also features an exclusive deco with the AMM logo on it...  Guess he's transporting Honey for Beehive?  Kit Lau has an interesting vision for this line and the universe the figures come from that's for sure.

Anyway, he's retailing for $30...  That's about in line with Acid Rain World figure prices in general so it's nice to see there isn't really a price spike due to exclusivity (And hopefully no spikes from the cargo box packaging either).

I'm hoping I can get a few of these guys...  I dig the deco.  Maybe it's the Black & Gold coloring though?

[Jesse James]

My CC just took a swift kick in the applebag as EE hit my card for the Laurel Worker, and BBTS hit my card for the Exclusive Laurel Worker Hiroshima Edition....

Good lord.  I need to start scrounging for extra work I think.

[Jesse James]

I'm like spazzing waiting on SDCC to get here and find out if I'm getting the AMM Trooper!?  Ugh!

[Jesse James]

Our initial Acid Rain gallery is up and they didn't bring nearly as many prototypes with them this year.  They brought some samples of the new figures though...  Droids and other stuff.  They have a prototype of a variant of the MkI Speeder too which would probably be lower on my personal priority list.  They also have the Rescue Laurel variant pegged for next year which is kinda cool.

And the AMM exclusive figure is selling out every day and I'd say quantities are limited at this point for each day, which totally blows goats.

[Jesse James]

Been busy of late, but noticed tonight that Entertainment Earth has put up their pre-order for the Forsetti Viking Shield figure...  Basically it's a new trooper type for Acid Rain, new armor (heavy armor) and he comes in the new packaging style that is a cargo pod/container that is scaled to the figures for the "Laurel" suits to heft around and load/stack.

Re-usable packaging that's part of the toy?  Pretty goddam innovative!



The kicker is that it didn't jack prices either...  $27.99 at site sponsor EE, which is on par with the previous wave of figures that chime in around $27-$29 each.  There was a fear there'd be a further price spike for ARW figures.  They're already obviously high-end toys (quality and price) so a further spike had a lot of people fearful for that cargo pod packaging.

Fear not though, EE came to the rescue on price, plus buy enough and free shipping.  I'm buying a pile of figures to get the free shipping ultimately.

Forsetti Viking Shield Iinfantry
Use the link and order up!

Alas I didn't get the SDCC exclusive AMM figure.   Anton tried for me, but they sold out every day, and since the show they've skyrocketed on Ebay.  Blows knowing there is a figure I don't have, but not the first time.  The desserter figure also was exclusive but overseas only, and I don't have that either.

In other news though, ARW's creator has revealed a new "Marine Infantry" figure to go with, well, all the myriad of Marine vehicles they've made...  Quad Eyes, MkI Seeder, Laurel, etc.  Glad to have some infantry for them finally!  Guys besides Bucks Team anyway.  The new Marine has an opening backpack with some supplies, a couple weapons...  Sculpt wise he looks to be a variation on the Agurts Infantry figure from a while back (one of my favorites).  I'm hoping he too will come in the kick ass cargo pod packaging. 

And in other other news, there's also a new boxed set comparable in design to the Wings of Samothrace set that started the line.  It's based on this art by Kit Lau:



It'll come with a chunk of bombed out building, two figures, and extra parts for head/gear customizing as well as a set of "wounded" body parts and a corpse headsculpt...  So you can basically have a guy lying about in pieces.

The Wings of Samothrace set has, as well, skyrocketed on the secondary market.  I almost didn't order one back in the day and now wish I'd bought a dozen because those sell for insane $.  Go figure.  I'm not sure if this new set will be resin cast base hand painted by Kit Lau and autographed by him like the Samothrace set was or not.  If it is, I imagine it'll cost a lot.  If it's injection molded plastic it may cost less I'd guess.

And I got my exclusive "Uncle Kunio" version of the Laurel mech from BBTS... 



$120 is steep for it, but the figure's unique, it's very limited (400) and I dug (no pun intended since it's got a shovel tool) its blue deco and the Hiroshima/Japanese text on it.  I like these emergency/Worker Laurels.  I'm planning to nab 2-3 more of the basic Worker yellow at some point.  I just love it so much.  It looks equally at home in a Star Wars hangar hefting a badly damaged A-Wing out of the way as it does in its natural ARW setting.

Good times to be a collector really!  I know it's all doom and gloom for people with Star Wars these days...  Not me, personally, but I find something to enjoy a little easier I guess (who'd have thought), but I also have these other lines which deliver a LOT.  They cost.  Quality in life tends to not come cheap though, so I'm ok with that for an import line I really have grown to love and cross over into Star Wars. 

Gotta find the joy in life and in collecting.  Otherwise, not a lot of point.

[CHEWIE]

Jesse, I totally agree... cool toy line... (I don't purchase these but I always enjoy the eye candy).

And it's important to find fun and joy in what we can. 

Life is too short and difficult, so try and find things that do make oneself happy.

[Jesse James]

This is where my mind and $ has drifted since SA Star Wars is in short(er) supply at the moment...  I've been focused on stuff like this.  There's a lot of avenues to take that blend in with Star Wars and it fills that void, at least for me anyway.

Now if SA or just simply 07 articulation returns I'm gonna be in a world of hurt financially I suppose. 

These are a blast though.  Really mix and match well.  The price sucks, but imports + small line...  at least they don't have 3 billion releases in a year, so picking things up isn't that difficult financially.  I've managed to get 4 and 5 of some vehicles even.

[Jesse James]

EE has pre-orders up for the Marine Infantry as well as the Taste of Coffee set now...  Cheaper Prices than BBTS, plus when in stock they'll qualify for free shipping if you order enough so there's that too.

Acid Rain World Marine Infantry





Clicky on either to pre-order though...

$74.99 for the Taste of Coffee set, but basically you get 2 figures that usually run around $30 or slightly less, then you get all the extra parts, and the dio pieces, so it's a pretty good price for those.  I'm gonna get 3 I think.  Plus I like their looks infantry-wise so I want to have a nice little squad of those guys.

The Marine, same dealio...  I'm going to get more than 3 of these over time though.  I just hope they come with the cargo box packaging that the Viking Shield figure comes with but in Marine deco...  So far no packaged shot of the Marine soldier yet. 

[Jesse James]

I was hoping this would be the case, and it seems to be via Instagram confirmed that the Marines come with their own green Marine cargo pod/box packaging like the Viking Shield figures (which sold out...  more to come, I hope).

It's funny people poo poo the prices, but the fact is this is about the only way to go to get "good stuff" these days.  ARW's an import so it's even a tad higher priced, but with Star Wars, look where we are and Hasbro's basically saying it isn't ever going to change at this point.  Comparable US lines like HACKS and Marauder Task Force...  It sucks, but at least cool stuff is still available to purchase.  You just have to decide if toys are in the budget for you at this point or not.

For me, I figure with the limited release schedules as they are, it's not too hard to swing it.

Now if Hasbro were cranking out 60 figures a year (like the "good old days") at $11-$14 each...  holy ****.  I used to think back in 07 that it was hellacious at the prices we got it at then.  I can only imagine if they'd stayed in that scale and production style but just kept spiking prices.  Yeesh.

[Jesse James]

And just like that the Forsetti Viking Shield figure is in stock.



I ordered 3 so I got the free shipping deal at EE...  Can't wait!  New trooper type, cargo box, snow gear...  Dig it.