TVC Rogue One Imperial Assault Tank

[Jeff]

If they can deliver on what the panel was showing (and Steve Evans was saying), then I'm in for one at the $80 price.

There's not a lot left to love in the vehicle department.  Most vehicles these days make me go, "meh - that's not too bad, I guess" and I end up feeling like I'm settling - "it's better than nothing".  If $80 is what it takes to give me an incredible, close to scale vehicle with all the bells and whistles (like the kyber crystal crates) then I'll pay.

I'm happy to vote with my dollars and tell Hasbro that I'd rather have an amazing $80 vehicle than a $30 horribly under-sized, lightly detailed ship (like the Rebels Awing, the terrible tiny Slave I, etc).

If this thing comes with two SA Tank drivers, I'd pay $80 for it.

I believe it's already been confirmed in the panel that it's coming with zero pack-in figures.

[Dave]

I think its going to depend on the true scale of this.

Watching the SWAN broadcast of this the Hasbro reps said they were moving to a true scale (1:12) for these things.  I don't know if this means absolutely everything, or just where it makes sense.

I for one have always understood the tradeoffs on scale as you were trying to make an affordable toy vs. something cool vs. something true to scale.  I've generally been okay with that so long as the price reflected the differences.

If this is a true 1:12 scale and it turns out to be big (MTT / Clone Turbo Tank toy sized), then I can see $80 being fair and I might bite.  If this is a lot smaller without electronics, then I'm with Jman and I'll be waiting for the sale.

I think hitting a price point is important.  $80 is kind of an in between price point, so without seeing the specifics I'm not really ready to pass judgement.  I don't think this is going to fall in to one of the traditional Class I / II formats.

[Matt_Fury]

I agree with Dave.  If this is at a good scale for the 4" figures, I'll buy it.  Looking at the slide from the presentation, this thing has some amazing detail...a true scaled vehicle would be worth it.

[Nicklab]

$80?  And no pack-in figure?  OMG. 

The detail in the CAD drawing looks amazing.  And from what I could see it looks like there's a troop bay in the rear when the tank isn't being used to transport the cargo pods.  But $80 worth?

[Jesse James]

What Jeff said, except I'll buy more than one.  In all seriousness I am planning on getting 3 probably and hey if it's on sale, more.  But like Jeff said, what they do in this line hasn't been very good.  The TIE Striker has nice dimensions on the cockpit but once I got one on sale, I was glad I waited because the wings are quite stubby, it held only one figure, it lacked some detailing. 

The UWing was basically a 1/35-ish scale with unusable cargo bay and a single figure cockpit.  I've still yet to buy one.  I didn't expect a scale one of course, but I have a limit where the vehicle just looks sad next to the figure and the UWing went beyond that limit by far.

This is a to scale toy for 4" figures (1:12 is 6" figure scale, and their vehicles seem to be delivering on that to-scale promise).  This is a 1/18-1/20 scale "toy".  To put this in perspective you can buy 1/16 RC tanks for $100-$150-ish, and they're considered "cheap".  A finished one is well over $200 and these are sold kind of direct from china.

1/18 military "toys" which were much more a mass produced completed model than a toy...  they were selling for this price roughly 10 years ago or so.  By their line's end a cannon (not even a vehicle) was selling for more than this tank.  And that was some time ago.

I'm not gonna tell people how to spend their $ (unlike some other places might try) and I've always felt the market will dictate, but it's just kinda funny everyone complains about the line's quality then this.   Times have changed, and I guess I just prefer this quality at the higher price to complaining about not having anything to buy, and Hasbro disappointing me at the show because it was all 5POA and the ships were meh, and NERF and stuff...  ya know?

The 3D renders imply that they basically took the incredible cross sections and gave us a toy of that.   Opening hatches, moving treads, opening cargo pods...  I'm pretty happy.  They haven't done many toys this nice in the vehicle realm.  Most are underscaled, fudged proportions etc.  It's not 2008 anymore, and even if it were this still would've been more than $40 then I'd wager, considering the Snowspeeder and Cloud Car and all that fun was $30 iirc, smaller, and plenty of those wound up blown out in bundles.

It's like $13 SA figures, which have repacks helping their case out even...  this is a one-off type thing I'm assuming.  I consider the price reasonable to have something that looks as good as the SA figures surrounding it.  I can't say those cheap things from Rebels are what I want them to go with.  I'm glad this is expensive because I'd be disappointed in short cuts like double printed plastic with a hollow bottom to it.  That Stormtrooper Transport still disappoints on every level.  Yeah I'm bitter!

Again not saying you're a fool not to buy it because $80 is a lot for anyone.  Just saying I'd rather have cool things like this than things like the UWing or the concessions made on the $40 TIE Striker, which I didn't buy till it hit $20.

This also reminds me of the "Space Walls" thing...  they seem to be selling ok, but I think there are a lot of people balking at a section of Death Star walls for $55...  I think a lot ponied up to the challenge there, but I think a lot of people who liked that idea bailed on it at the price too.  I'm by no means some super collector financially.  I just look at this as one of the ever shrinking Hasbro Star Wars items I actually got excited about.  I'll budget it in.  Should be easy given the sheer lack of stuff I like to buy in the line every year.

[GrandMoffNick]

If this thing looks as pretty as a toy as it does in the slide then I'm fine with it being however much Hasbro needs to charge.

But the $80 is just so random compared to anything of late I get the "omg" reactions.

It can't be the size of a turbo tank/atte/etc. It's obviously nicer than the U Wing (though I still think you're way too hard on some of these vehicles Jesse). So does 80 right in the middle make sense? Sure. But still kinda out of the blue

[Jesse James]

Oh yeah I freely admit I am picky on vehicles.  But for me the UW was just so tiny, I just couldn't justify it.  In the same breath, I totally never expected anything but what they made, and would never imagine Hasbro doing the UW any different even if things were that 07/08/09 range of insanely awesome stuff.

I have the same leanings on vehicles as some guys have on "playsets", in that I want vehicles that are much less of a toy and much more of a model, haha.  Just like a hallway isn't a "playset".

I wasn't upset with a $20 TIE Striker but $40 and knowing I'd be "fixing" some of it, eh.   In a twist of irony I probably liked both TFA  Speeders far more than most seemed to like them.  Go figure.  But I wanted to like that ATAP from Rebels so much, and hated it so badly.   Ditto Stormie transport.

[Nicklab]

If this rendition of the Imperial Assault Tank has the level of detail that we've seen in vehicles like the TLC big Millenium Falcon, or the big AT-AT?  Then the higher price point is easier to swallow. 

I think the sticker shock reaction is due in large part to the quality of the vehicles we've gotten over the past two years.  The Resistance X-Wings and First Order TIE's were just okay.  And the same goes for the U-wing and TIE Striker.  They were serviceable, but ultimately a bit disappointing.

The ball is in Hasbro's court here.  If they can deliver something on par with the high end X-wings, the big Slave I and the like?  Then I would be far more accepting of the price point they proposed.

[JediJman]

No pack in figures is kind of a joke at this price.  Yes, buying one at $80 sends a message to Hasbro that people will pay more for higher quality stuff.  It also sends a message that they can charge absolutely absurd prices and we'll just pay anything.  I cannot believe that this tank cost them any more to develop or produce than the U-Wing and TIE Striker COMBINED, yet that's what they're expecting people to pay?  I really like this and I want more high quality stuff, but is the next similar vehicle $100 or $150?  If they had come out around $60 and included a figure, I'd have bought this up first day.  I will end up doing the same thing I do with all of their ships and just wait for a big sale or clearance to get it for a more reasonable price. 

[Darby]

The lack of a pack in figure is the real disappointment for me, especially as this is the sensible place to do the Tank Commander.

[Jeff]

I cannot believe that this tank cost them any more to develop or produce than the U-Wing and TIE Striker COMBINED, yet that's what they're expecting people to pay?

Justin, have you seen the detailed CAD drawing of the tank?  I wish we had a better pic:



Extra molded parts, extra detail, extra deco! Working treads! Opening kyber crystal container with removable kyber crystal tubes with removable kyber crystals!  True 1:18 scale!  They even put the easter egg coffee mug from the cross-sections book in the CAD drawing! If Hasbro delivers on everything they put in that slide and talked about in that panel, this will easily be the best vehicle in the past 5 years (probably longer).

Is $80 a lot for this?  Yes.  I guess it comes down to preference.  There are plenty of cases where I'd rather get one GREAT 3.75" scale vehicle for $80 than two underscaled vehicles with cheap deco for $80.  This tank fits the bill for me.  You could make the same argument for the SA figures.  Why should I pay $13 for a SA figure when I can get two 5POA figures for $15? Preference, that's why.

The great part about it is, like you said - there are always sales and clearances.  If $80 is too much, wait for a TRU BOGO50% off sale and split two for $120 with a buddy.  If $60 is too much, then wait for a 50% clearance deal or flash sale at Amazon and get it for $40.

The lack of a pack in figure is the real disappointment for me, especially as this is the sensible place to do the Tank Commander.

But then you'd have folks bitching about how they have to buy an $80 tank to get a new figure.  Hasbro can't win either way, I guess.

[Jesse James]

Again I won't tell collectors how they should spend their $.  I will say though that I think it's short sighted to just assume Hasbro can do this for less for everyone and they're just gouging.  Just looking around at "collector grade" stuff...  other toy lines and things focused more on adult collectors, that stuff is all pretty expensive. 

It's apples/oranges to compare the companies but like I've mentioned, Hiya is going a scale Aliens APC, which will be smaller than this tank, probably similar in part count though, and costs $250.  Small company, struggling to get the demand built up to do it but the prototype is simply gorgeous if you like Aliens stuff.  I'm willing to buy one because I love Aliens/Predatoe and the 4" scale.

And like in my previous post, this costs what 1/18 military tanks and things were costing 10 years ago at big box stores...  and they probably were of the level of quality we will get from Hasbro on this. 

While I personally like the idea of a tank commander, Jeff's point is a perfect example of where Hasbro cannot win.  Some inevitably will not want this tank because they don't buy vehicles or they can't afford it or they simply feel it's too much $.  They'll pitch an immense fit at an exclusive commander figure.  Or it'll get stolen and swapped with the 4 pack pilot or some other thing everyone hates Hasbro over. 

I just want everyone to look at the images of the toy and realize this isn't 2008, and toys like this are way more expensive now to produce than they used to be.  If it's just too much, that's up to everyone's personal budget.  But I think wanting more for less is fantasy thinking today.  And given how little they make for collectors in a year anyway I'm sure my budget is ok for 3 of this thing in a year.  Won't be many other Hasbro Star Wars items I'm clamoring to get, that's for sure.  And I don't want two grossly underscaled, underdetailes, and just underwhelming ships when I can get one thing I really love for the same price.  It's the kind of toy I love so I'm happy to support it.  I think the price is fair even, given the comparisons.

I drop $114 on an Acid Rain mech that is 1/3 the size though without much hesitation.  I just dig things when the quality is there.😕

I remember this same discussion happening when Hasbro put out the new Soeederbike...  I wish I could walk in and buy 20 of those things right now.

[Darby]

I appreciate the $$$ involved in realizing on the scale Jesse is talking about. Love the bells and whistles and Jeff is right this will be the highlight of a long, dry run for ships over the last few years now. Don't have a real issue with that. I'll end up buying it, as Jesse says, on sale, if I end up buying it at all. That's more to do with space/priorities than the price tag.

The lack of a figure and Hasbro not winning - Hasbro always wins. From day one, we've had to buy this set to get that figure or collect this wave to build that droid. 'Just different enough to make you mad,' as Adam Pawlus often says. Much of their multi-figure packs over the years, and vehicles, are built around a figure or two you can't get anywhere else. You don't have to buy it, and you can complain (I'm sure I have) but it's the game. So is waiting for this to hit clearance. The only difference is the market no longer pressures any of us to buy anything right now, outside I'd say of the 40th anniversary collection, and that's the exception.

[Matt_Fury]

The more I see, the more I like it.  I just hope that a SA Tank Driver is on the horizon.

All my displayed vehicles have a pilot/crew in them...I have to keep the trend going!

[Jeff]

I just hope that a SA Tank Driver is on the horizon.

Um, they already revealed him as one of the new Vintage Collection figures coming in 2018 -