With Christmas upon us, there have been some images that are starting to appear of both Hasbro and Lego's offering for 2013. Hasbro: Currently in Australia we can purchase the new Class 2 vehicles for around $50 from Toys R Us. In the last week the class 1 vehicles images have started to appear on the internet and one of the things instantly recognisable is the inclusion of 2 figures differing from the traditional 1:
I like the small fighter and a non CW Yoda is always nice, this set seems to have the EP 2 release in mind.
Not a fan of this set perhaps its the fact that I could never envisage a set like this existing in the SW landscape after episode 1.
I like both of these sets and for collectors this year the Dropship was incredibly hard to find, so another set that brings the vehicle back is welcome. I think the AT-RT has been used frequently, however, it is still a great set and a new paint scheme always helps. The addition of the TK tactical droid is a good addition also.
Lego:
Recently Lego also showed an upcoming set for 2013 being the Battle of Hoth. This has the appearance of a giant battle pack with some nice inclusions:
General Riekan.
Snowspeeder.
Snowtroopers with another E-Web.
Trenches.
Imperial Probe Droid.
Perhaps one day we can get a set that includes an Ion Cannon as previous sets have not included any...
After Months of waiting to see the 2013 sets after the list was revealed a European Website has pictures of the box art available to see, the images below are from their website (wog.ch).
In no particular order the images are: AT-RT:
This set seems a little disproportional to me, a newly updated CW style Yoda is long overdue and a 501st Trooper will be a welcome addition to most. The AT-RT seems a great update on the CW one from 2008 or the one as shown in Episode 3, however, it is still too big in my eyes.
A-Wing:
The A-Wing is a nice looking craft although there is little of it seen in the Return of the Jedi, making it a somewhat unusual choice, the more so seeing as it was included in the Fan's choice Home One set a few years back. A puzzling component of this set is the minifigures, Admiral Ackbar and Han Solo, sure they are in ROTJ do they need to be in this set? I am pretty sure that Lego could've chosen other characters to go in this set that would make more sense. I do like the fact that the helmet for the A-Wing Pilot has printing on it, Han's vest seems an update with pockets and the shirt a little more tan,
Barc Speeder:
A Clone Wars styled set which provides and update of Obi-Wan and Rex, see below. This set seems to be nothing more than the addition of a side car pod, visually there does not appear to be any improvement on the Barc itself.
Rex looks good with the coloured neck piece, while Obi-Wan appears to have lost the White armoured look and has what appears to be a new hair piece as well, more Commando droids (x2) are handy, especially for those army builders.
Clone Troopers & Droidakeas:
I like this set as it gives us a few Phase 1 Clones and is a movie based set from a movie that gets very little Lego love 'Attack of the Clones'.
First Impressions, the Droidakeas look pretty ordinary while the clones are nice, not too sure on the vehicle, it looks like a mini command centre and not something that would hover in my opinion, clearly another battle pack aimed at the army builder.
Rancor Pit:
This set was previewed back in July at San Diego Comic Con, this set is supposed to fit underneath Jabba's Palace set released mid year. Aside from the Rancor there isn't too much that excites me about this set although the scene build with the throne over the top will be interesting to see how it works.
What does have me pleased is Lego have given us another set and not a ship, these are few and far between, however lately we are seeing more present typified by Jabba's palace and Palpatine's arrest from mid year.
Republic Troopers vs Sith Troopers:
I should probably declare my bias right from the start, I am a huge fan of Expanded Universe so anything said in the lines below is probably tinged with a small amount of bias, although I will try to remain objective.
I like this set for numerous reasons, firstly it corrects the mistake Lego made in the Republic Striker Class Starfighter by not including a clone trooper helmet. this set does this in spades, there are 2 clones with helmets and distinct weapons, although I'm not a fan of the two handled built weapon when compared to the 3 moulded weapons you get in this set.
The hover vehicle makes little sense possibly just for pieces stacking? it has flick missles it reminds me of the Green Goblin's craft from Spiderman.
Umbaran Mobile Heavy Cannon (MHC):
I quite like this set, although there is some conjecture as to whether this set will be an exclusive set or part of the main line. I am not sold on the helmets for the Umbaran's although I shall wait until I have a set to see, its good to get another clone (212th) trooper but I have to say that I am impressed with the MHC itself.
The cannon looks quite good, it looks as if it belongs in a CW episode. Flick missiles seem to be creeping back into SW sets, sometimes unnecessarily although completely understandable in this set.
Z-95 Headhunter:
I like this ship, which is also part of the Umbaran Arc in CW season 4, not only does it come with General Krell (with 4 arms) I also like the cockpit arrangement where both components open out from the centre. A criticism that I have is that the ship itself looks a little bland, too clean (like the dagger squadron B-wing that hasbro released in the legacy collection (2008)), a feww more decals or some battle damage may have given it a fight ready appeal. Possibly the least liked set in the wave for me. Planets: Some good some bad, some weird pretty much sums up the 6 below:
At the recently run Star Wars Celebration, there was an unveiling of the breakdown for Lego's sets at the beginning of 2013. The sets to be released are: Buildable galaxy series 3: Kamino w/ R4-P17 droid and Jedi Starfighter Coruscant w/ Clone Pilot and Republic Assault Striker Asteroid Filed w/ Tie Bomber and Tie Pilot
Regular Sets: The Old Republic Battle Pack (2x Sith Troopers + 2x Republic Troopers) Clone Troopers vs Droidekas Battle Pack (sniper droideka) A Wing w/ Ackbar, Han and A Wing pilot AT-RT w/ Yoda, Clone trooper and Assassin Droid Z-95 Headhunter w/ 2xclone troopers, General Krell The Rancor Pit (as revealed at SDCC) with Luke, Malakili and Gammorean Guard
Must say I am pleased with the varied nature of the release, the breakdown is possibly its most balanced yet with: 1 - OR Set. 1 - OT Sets. 1 - PT Set. 2 -CW Sets. I think the 3 sets I am most looking forward to are the Z-95, with a 4 armed Krell, no SW minifigure has been done this way (no mentions of Grevious as a droid really doesn't count for a torso piece), the Rancor Pit cause it comes with a Rancor (Ranka as Jimmy Mac from the Forceast has called it).
Lastly I am looking forward to the Old Republic battle pack as some troop building could be done here!
Currently there is a murmur of discontent amongst collectors with regards to Hasbro's handling of the Vintage Collection Line (TVC - as it is more affectionately referred too).
In Australia we have been plagued by poor distribution and numerous carry over figures from what now shapes as the ill fated Episode 1 'Phantom Menace Wave'
The problem is that TVC has been what collectors have been after in a collection (apart from its size well over 100 figures in the collection now), it has Prequel Trilogy figures, Expanded Universe figures and Original Trilogy figures, it should be a hit and for the most part it is...
Only recently on another forum which I am a member of Mousedroid one of the main retail chains (Big W) have told a member that TVC will not be carried anymore, is this the beginning of the end with etrade becomming the norm for collectors?
I must confess that I am an OS collector, it suits my lifestyle, however I acknowledge that while there are considerable numbers of OS collectors the bulk are still 'hunters' (no disrespect - store based collectors who only pick up from stores). With less locations to collect from and more people filtering into those stores must at least mean statistically less chance of obtaining full collections?
It seems a shame that since the Episode 1 wave there have been few sightings of future waves, this is not restricted to Australia wholly, it is a trend that is occurring globally.
Perhaps it is time for Hasbro to downsize the collections I mean the way that the CW line has been treated this year is appalling. The latest wave features one new character (Clone Commander fox x 2) and a number of peg warming carry overs from previous waves see link.
If variety is the spice of life, Hasbro are ever so slowly choking the life out of their various collections...
With the San Diego Comic Con next week I hope SW and the Vintage line get a reboot heading towards the end of the year.
This the season for previews for shows that will be released later in the year. This year Star Wars the Clone Wars is in to its fifth season (a long time since the cringe worthy 'Skyguy" comments).
Currently the trailer has been posted on a number of sites so I thought I'd post it and talk about a few of my observations.
As a fan of the EU I like the fact that we see some Falleen, with some suspicion that it may include Prince Xizor, leader of the Black Sun Criminal Organisation appearing in this series. If this is true it would be a great addition to the Clone Wars while bringing in some fans who liked the earlier Expanded Universe introduction in Shadows Of The Empire.
Another grab from the clip appears to be a young General Kota, if it is in fact General Kota (another character that has a strong EU presence) it would be interesting to see how it were to be sold as from the computer game The Force Unleashed I and II we know that he escaped the ensuing Order 66 from Revenge Of The Sith.
I like that Hondo Ohnaka is included, I think he is a little underused in the series as a whole, he has a level of wit that is reminiscent of Han or Lando in the original movies.
A list of the first few Episode Titles are also out as shown below:
For a number of years Lucasarts have not produced a game, sure there was The Force Unleashed II (TFU2) really that was a massive let down considering the first and that developed.
Prior to E3 this year Lucasarts announced a new project called Starwars 1313.
The screen clips look quite amazing and as seen on IGN's E3 coverage it becomes increasingly hard to separate cinematic from live play...
So whats it about?
an interview on IGN during E3 explains that it is a bounty hunter travelling into the criminal underworld of Coruscant and playing as that character. Force abilities have been dropped for this game (about time as it was just being exploited in TFU2) for a more Uncharted feel.
Not too much more is known at this point but there is an aim to push this as a mature content game.
It all sounds promising at this stage, hopefully its a multi platform release too.
Initially I liked the look of this set, I think its a fair representation of the craft from the game and should have mass market appeal with the children even if they do not know much about the game.
The 3 minifigures are a fine selection as the trooper and Jedi Shan are featured in the following clip
The droid is a standard style from that era as portrayed in TOR and features heavily in Bioware's original release of the Kinghts of the Old Republic I and II.
The design from first inspection seems to reflect the style of this ship quite well, it features flick missiles which are always a hit with the kids and the canopy looks like it would sufficiently hold Satele or the trooper quite comfortably.
My only concern is the fact that the republic trooper appears with no helmet in any of the pics nor preliminaries. It would've been nice if you opened up the set and received one inside for a different appearance, more generic trooper as opposed to the trooper shown above, as iconic as he is.
The next set is the Sith Fury, also from TOR.
Sith Fury
Being Sith it features only Sith along with the more iconic figure in the game Darth Malgus (features in all of the trailers and appears as the Sith lord in the clip above).
Pieces: 748
Minifgures: Darth Malgus & 2 Sith
Price: $139 AUD
My first impression of this set is the size of the Fury, it looks significantly bigger than the Republic Striker shown above. I like that the fins can fan out at the back, giving it a cross between the tie look and the sith infiltrator that we have come to know in the movies.
The 2 types of minifigures are good, one Sith Lord (Malgus) and 2 troopers, these troopers look like they would in the game and as have been shown on various comics and associated texts relating to the Old Republic game.
Personally looking forward to this set to see what surprises or details that Lego have designed with this set.
I would say two strong debut sets from 'The Old Republic' hopefully we can get a few more of these in the future.
Clone Wars sets:
Saesee Tiin's Jedi Starfighter:
We have had a few of these over the last few years, there has been Plo Koon's, Mace Windu's Anakin Skywalker's and Obi-Wan Kenobi's (featuring the Hyperspace booster ring) and not that much has changed apart from the colour or character.
Pieces: 244
Minifigures: Saesee Tiin, R4-C9 & Even Piell.
Price: $60
The minifigure contained in this set look good firstly, however the seem an odd assortment. Piell was in the Citadel trilogy of the Clone Wars Season 3 and as he was killed within that story arc it makes no sense to include him in this set. Lego being Lego they tend to do that (similar scenario for the Gungan Sub).
Saesee Tinn appears to be the same minifigure from the T-6 Jedi Shuttle from 2010, with R4 being a new colour droid and Even Piell being an all new minifigure.
Flick missiles on the front seem to be one of the few subtle changes that have been made to this set.
Overall, not too impressed with this set, not saying its a bad set, just doesn't make me want to rush out and add it to my collection straight away either.
The Malevolence:
An unusual selection this set, being its inclusion was part of a 3 story arc early in season 1. The ship itself looks great in the cartoon show not too sure here though...
I'm not sure why, but this Seperatist ship doesn't grab me, perhaps we could've seen Grevious' flagship the 'Invisible Hand' may have been a more appropriate choice.
The scale of the ship looks impressive and the Ion electronic weapon is reasonable created using the lego diodes.
Minifgures in this set are what you would expect from the story arc, Dooku, being the leader of the Seperatists, Padme and Anakin who has to rescue the former and Grevious as he was in command of the ship throughout its brief tenure on the show.
It is good to see another Count Dooku minifigure included, I cannot remember the last set that he was in...
Perhaps a more iconic ship from this canon could've been selected? there are a number out there as the Clone Wars is continually pushing the realms of the Star Wars EU.
The last addition to the Clone Wars sets for this mid year release is Pre Vizsla's Starfighter.
Pre Vizsla's Mandalorian Starfighter:
Pieces: TBC
Minifigures: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pre Vizsla & Mandalorian.
Price: TBC
I'm excited for this set, I don't think that there is enough Mandalorian influence in Lego as a generalisation. The inclusion of Pre Vizsla is a good idea and an additional Mandalorian trooper to accompany the 4 in last years battle pack gives a healthy number of Mandalorians.
The ship takes its origins from the Season 2 Death Watch arc whereby these ships have featured, also re-emerged in season 4.
The minifigs accompanying this set deal with the confrontation between Pre Vizsla and Obi-Wan and make sense to include them both.
I am disappointed with the weapon given to Vizsla, the sword looks cheap and nasty, perhaps a ninjago sword could've been used?
I can see that it has the same rotational element as the T-6 Jedi Shuttle however, I wonder if the wings will invert as they do in the show? if they do I would be completely sold on this set being the pick of the bunch for the Clone Wars sets.
The movie sets from are only 3 however we get an update on all 3 previous releases:
Gungan Sub.
Jabba's Palace.
Desert Skiff.
The Gungan Sub is another set updated from the original release in 1999 when the movie came out.
Pieces: TBC
Minifigures: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pre Vizsla & Mandalorian.
Price: $100 AUD
The deficiencies in the first where more cosmetic than anything else as it was more movie accurate than some of the others released back then. One of the few issues back then was the fact that the set couldn't accomodate all 3 of Qui-Gon, Jar Jar and Obi-Wan. The 2012 version has fixed this and I think its a nicer set because of it.
It holds the shape of the Gungan sub rather well and the inclusion of flick missiles gives it an added level of playability although they resemble no relevance to the movie.
the minifigures are great, a more orange haired Obi-Wan than the original and the updated Qui-Gon and Jar Jar from last year.
The shining light in this set is the new Queen Amidala and her red flowing gown which seems iconic for very little reason but is. When this minfigure was unveiled at SDCCC last year I was excited to see how they would add her to the line, putting her in this set makes no real sense, but I couldn't think of another way to include her with any of the vehicles save from creating the Naboo Royal Starship...
A solid set, made the more so by the Queen's inclusion.
The last 2 sets that have been included in the mid year release are the Desert Skiff and Jabba's Palace.
The Desert Skiff:
Pieces: 213
Minifigures: Kithaba, Land (Skiff Disguise), Luke Skywalker & Boba Fett.
Price: $50 AUD
I like this set as it is an update on the original we received almost 10 years ago. although the original wasn't a bad set, probably more detailed than most of that era, this set is an upgrade that brings the ship closer to the movie.
The minifigures aren't bad, Luke has a a greyer tunic than before and adding Kithaba was a nice touch considering he has just featured in Hasbro's Vintage collection for action figures. Boba Fett is the modern version with an upgrade and the Lando figure looks quite nice too.
The Sarlac actually looks more
All in all not a bad mid sized set.
The last set to be brought out this year is Jabba's Palace... and what a might set it is.
Jabba's Palace:
Pieces: 717
Minifigures: 9 (see below)
Price: $200 AUD
The minifigures are solid, we get a new Jabba (with painted eyes and body), a Salacious Crumb, painted Gammorean Guard, Han Solo in Carbonite, Boussh with the Leia Hair piece as an option, Oola, an updated Bib Fortuna, Chewie and a B'Omar Monk.
I like play sets from Lego for Star Wars, we have had a few more of them in the last couple of years with last year's Echo base, the Battle of Endor 2 years before that, the Death Star and now we get a better version of the original release of Jabba's Palace.
I don't want to build this set up too much but I think this set has me most excited as I missed out on the original release back in 2002...
Palpatine's arrest has a few pictures up now but no confirmation as to who will ship this and if in 2012
