Hasbro Announces Black Series 6" Centerpiece Line

[Diddly]

When I first glanced over the press release, I thought they were maybe venturing back into 12" figures, since they started that in the Marvel line last year, and those were originally priced at $50. I might be more interested in that case.

I think I read somewhere recently that that line is dead due to low sales. Plus Sideshow might have the 12" license for SA figures, I'm not sure.

[Darby]

They actually just revealed a Thor and Hulk for this year, so it's continuing. Blows my mind, because they did not move here.

[JediJman]

I'm actually interested in picking up a few of those MArvel figures, but can't seem to find them at much of a discount.  Walmart had them down to $35 last time I checked, but I'd be looking for $20ish or less as they are a noticeable downgrade from something like Sideshow.  I just have one Marvel 12" figure shelf and its a mix of Sideshow and Icons - I do think they are an upgrade from the Icons stuff of years past.

[Darby]

Yeah $35 is the lowest I've seen them too. I think the Spidey is pretty cool, the others ok. The Hulk looks good. As far as the SW figs, I was expecting to see the two pack/creature/vehicle segment come back (i.e. Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike). I guess those really didn't do well because they've had the cover to try with two movies now.

[Brian]

I sort of thought (and was hoping), we would see more of the deluxe type stuff as well. I really like the Taun Taun and Wampa sets, and had hoped we would see more of those types of things. The big TIE sure seemed to be a flop, but mid-sized stuff would be cool. I'd love to see Luke's Landspeeder, possibly a Dewback, Probe Droid, a Falcon cockpit, or even more environmental type stuff.

[JediJman]

I thought I heard somewhere that Luke's Landspeeder was on the way.  A Dewback would be awesome and another way to get their favorite Sandtrooper in the mix again.  Jabba would be cool in this scale as well. 

[Jesse James]

Jabba would be cool in this scale as well.

Hasbro agrees!

[JediJman]

Jabba would be cool in this scale as well.

Hasbro agrees!

So, I completely spaced that one.  That about sums up how my week is going.   

[Jeff]

Looks like the second piece in this line will be Vader storming a rebel ship... not sure if it's supposed to be ANH Tantive or the end of Rogue One.

These are pretty neat and I can see what they're going for here (it's essentially a playset/diorama piece for your 6" Black Series), but that $50 price is going to keep so many people away.

[Brian]

Kind of neat, but another example where price and space will likely keep me away.

[Nicklab]

I get the concept a bit more after seeing how Hasbro intends to integrate the Centerpiece collection with existing 6" Black Series figures.  I definitely like the Darth Vader in the hatchway of the Tantive IV.

But it also gets me wondering if we're going to get figures like Rebel Fleet Troopers or Hoth Rebel Troopers to integrate into pieces like this?

[Jeff]

Toy Fair Press Pics - click on the thumbnails for a better look:

 

[Jesse James]

I gotta say, the centerpiece line isn't my cup of tea really but the Vader one, I could see getting that and using Bandai Kit figures with it as that's a gorgeous looking piece of work.  I may buy that.

Sooooo I guess in a way they know how to appeal to even the most staunch 3.75"SA collectors. :x

I like that and I can see better figures in it.

The Hoth one I'm curious to see a 3.75" figure near that foot too.  Could make a cool dio for smaller figures as that foot isn't 6" scaled by far.

These have potentially grown on me.  The light effects though, they really help sell them.  I'd not get the Hoth set at full price but the Vader one I would consider.

[Jesse James]

We don't do a lot of opinion pieces here at JD, but hey, we did one...  or I did anyway.

https://www.jedidefender.com/index.php?id=2345

It sums up what we're discussing here mostly, I believe, but I think it's something the broader Star Wars collecting audience is turning its nose up at, maybe a tad too quickly?  For my $, and at $50 a pop it's a lot of my $, I think these at least have potential to work for OTHER scales as well as they are ultimately designed for 6" scale...  Stick with me on this.

In the past several years I've found other scaled "things" actually look pretty damn good with 3.75" figures running around in them...  Various displays and such, but even cargo boxes and gear made for larger figures can find a home in a 3.75" diorama.  So why can't a 6" Diorama look good with 3.75" figures in it?  That Vader display, it could be really any ship...  It's a basic grey/gunmetal color, very simplistic styling...  Nothing to say some 3.75" Stormies rushing through a larger blast door isn't as possible as Vader leading troops through a 6" man-door.

Same on the Hoth set, and maybe even more so.  That AT-AT foot isn't scaled to 6" figures.  If it were, it'd be significantly larger than it appears to be.  The foot of an AT-AT covers a Snowspeeder...  but through some 3.75" Rebel Troopers rushing over it?  Suddenly it looks a hell of a lot cooler to me.  Fill the "foot prints" with a chunk of debris (or even leave them empty, it's just a snow blob) and that set may work pretty nice too.

The light effect on the ship hallway looks really well done, the detail on both looks impressive...  $50 sucks, but similar pricing sucked for the Lars Homestead too.  I'm not expecting these to be a great success, but I am looking at them as something I can see displaying 3.75" figures around, and not the instant throw-away I'm seeing around the collecting world.

Hell I really could see the Vader one for my Bandai kit figures too, I like it a lot.  But I seriously think a cargo hold door being blasted open by 3.75" Stormies would look neat there.  Don't even need Vader, just a Stormtrooper with a torch who cut it open and a bunch more to bust through.

The hobby isn't wow'ing me these days, but there are still things I see that appeal to my collecting senses.

[Darby]

Well said. Maybe if it does well it will lead to 3.75" environment pieces.