Category Archives: Toyguide Updates

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: 3.75″ Sgt. Jyn Erso (Eadu)

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The Yakface Toyguide updates continue with our first entry in the Rogue One 3.75″ basic figure assortment with Sergeant Jyn Erso (Eadu).

PROS:  First off, this isn’t your typical “5POA” figure as this version of Jyn has two additional points of articulation – swivel forearms -bringing the POA count up to 7 making for a slightly better figure. Sure, it’s not an elbow or knee joint, but it does allow for more variety in posing. Her overall aesthetic is good, with a lot of sculpting details in her outfit that is reminiscent of Princess Leia in Endor gear. Hasbro also sculpted a full outfit underneath the vinyl “poncho” – which is not really intended to be removable, but bonus points for their forward thinking. She includes a blaster pistol that can be stowed in her holster and a large rocket/projectile launcher for added play value.

CONS: The breathing mask/apparatus takes a bit of futzing to get situated on her face properly. Due to her small frame and higher center of gravity, it does take a bit of trial and error to get her to stand unassisted. It’s not impossible by any means but it could be a point of contention for kids with little patience or the heavy handed.

Head to the toyguide for our detailed image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

Product provided by Entertainment Earth.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: 6″ Black Series Imperial Hovertank Pilot (TRU)

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The Yakface Toyguide with our first Rogue One entry: the Toys”R”Us Exclusive 6″ Black Series Imperial Hovertank Pilot.

PROS:  Rogue One looks to have an extremely diverse range of Imperial troops in their ranks and Hasbro’s Hovertank Pilot an excellent interpretation of one of them. Unlike the lanky Deathtrooper, the Hovertank Pilot has a stockier build and a battle-warn appearance. Hasbro went above and beyond in giving this figure an in-universe look with a nice wash on the off-white armor complete with scuffs and scrapes. The articulation is what we’ve been accustomed to for this scale so the figure has no problem being posed in a wide and varying range of stances. He has no issue holding the new blaster with both hands in either a relaxed or aiming  posture.

CONS: The jury is still out whether or not the accuracy of the deco for this trooper is correct as we’ve only seen brief glimpses of the pilot in the trailers. If not, I suppose the door is left open for a screen accurate repaint in the future. This figure is exclusive to Toys”R”Us starting on Sept. 30 so he might be difficult to find initially.

Head to the toyguide for our detailed image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Disney Store Exclusive Limited Edition Boba Fett Figurine

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with our next entry in the series of Disney Store exclusives: the Limited Edition Boba Fett Figurine.

PROS:  The overall sculpt and size is good, making it manageable for most display applications and the pose is fitting for a bounty hunter in midst of battle. The carbon freezing chamber base gives it nice presentation while making it very stable for displaying. The best aspect of this piece is the addition of the light-up base – something that would have been great in the 2014 Darth Vader base. No assembly required.

CONS: Pricey for the size and its limited edition (750 piece) production run is driving up the secondary price on eBay with listings ranging from two to three times the retail price. Paint apps could be tighter, especially the silver weathering which borders on excessive.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and judge for yourself whether this piece is worth adding to your collection.

Collecting News, Sponsor/Affiliate News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Boba Fett (Prototype) Mini Bust (2015 Convention Exclusive)

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tg_proto_fett_bust_preview

The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today as we take a look at the 2015 Convention Exclusive Boba Fett (Prototype) Mini Bust from Gentle Giant.

PROS:  Thankfully, Gentle Giant chose to create an all-new mini bust for this release rather than do a simple repaint of an existing sculpt – a practice that so many manufacturers employ. Although this piece is stark in its colorization, there is a different hue for the armor to set it apart from the underlying light gray jump suit that conveys a subtle realism to the bust. There is a lot of detail overall, especially in the gauntlets, jet pack and blaster that are highlighted with minimal, yet effective, paint accents and washes. For any Boba Fett fan, this is a must have piece.

CONS: Like the previous Boba Fett (McQuarrie Concept) bust we covered yesterday,  the aftermarket/third party price on this piece is about double the original cost,  but playing the long game on this may yield a bounty for a better price.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this bust is worth adding to your collection.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Boba Fett (McQuarrie Concept) Mini Bust (SDCC 2009 Exclusive)

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TG_concept_fett_bust_preview

The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today as we take a look at the 2009 SDCC Exclusive Boba Fett (McQuarrie Concept) Mini Bust from Gentle Giant.

PROS:  As a huge fan of anything related to Ralph McQuarrie, this item struck a chord with me back in 2009 although I only just acquired it recently due to my new and expanding “Concept/Prototype Boba Fett” collection of items. The sculpt and details of this piece captures McQuarrie’s original concept masterfully and the inclusion of the swappable helmet is the perfect touch as it give collectors options for displaying. Paint is minimal, yet effective as the overall off-white, egg shell color gives it a used “in-universe” look.

CONS: Long since sold out, the aftermarket/third party prices on this piece are elevated but there are deals out there to be had from time to time. If you really want to add this piece to your collection, I suggest having a “saved search” on eBay.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this bust is worth adding to your collection.

Collecting News, Sponsor/Affiliate News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Emperor Palpatine Mini Bust (2015 PG Gift)

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today as we take a look at the Exclusive 2015 Premier Guild Gift Emperor Palpatine (The Empire Strikes Back) Mini Bust from Gentle Giant.

PROS:  Sculpt and paint is well done – especially the robes – with a lot of texture and simulated cloth conveyed through the polyresin material. There are no brittle/thin parts (canes/fingers) to risk damage.

CONS: It is the most basic of the 3 available gift busts available for 2015  PG members. The likeness (while good) is not nearly as definitive as the Darth Sidious but is better than the Return of the Jedi sculpt from 2012. The relaxed pose doesn’t seem fitting for Empire more like something you’d see from The Phantom Menace.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this bust is worth adding to your collection.

Collecting News, Sponsor/Affiliate News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Mei Sho Movie Realization Ronin Boba Fett

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today as we take a look at the Mei Sho Movie Realization Ronin Boba Fett figure* from Bandai/Tamashii Nations.

PROS: If you are looking for an ornately sculpted and painted piece in the 1:12/6″ scale line, you’d be hard pressed to find anything better than Bandai’s Mei Sho Movie Realization figures. The intricacy of the sculpts and precision in the articulation result in a truly museum-quality collectible that you can actually handle repeatedly without fear of breaking the figure (or wallet) as you might with Sideshow and/or Hot Toys products. The Ronin Boba Fett is a unique and “real world” interpretation of the iconic bounty hunter with a feudal Japanese/Samurai aesthetic. It is loaded not only with attitude, but accessories as well like throwing knives, a sword, and a re-imagined EE-3 rifle and jet pack. In total, this figure is a must-own for fans of the style, scale and Boba Fett alike.

CONS: These figures aren’t for your everyday collector due to the price and niche style. The various hands for the figure can be difficult to switch out, let alone be “massaged” enough to hold the weapons. As Obi-Wan said,  “patience” is the key here – don’t try to force anything.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection.

*Review sample provided by DorksideToys.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toys”R”Us Exclusive “Epic Battles” 6 Packs Hitting Stores

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No, it’s not as delicious as it sounds – actually it’s quite sad. As we discussed last night on The Realm Recap, Hasbro has repacked last year’s Digital Release Commemorative Collection sets into two exclusive “Epic Battles” six packs for Toys”R”Us.

This would have been a great opportunity to release a Ghost crew pack from Star Wars Rebels with an accompanying Empire set.

Nonetheless, it will make things easier for gift giving as there aren’t six individual sets to complete. These are hitting stores now at $40 each.

Click on through to check out larger boxed and loose images courtesy of Toys”R”Us.

Continue reading Toys”R”Us Exclusive “Epic Battles” 6 Packs Hitting Stores →

Collecting News, Games & Tech, Podcasts/Streaming, Reviews, Sponsor/Affiliate News, Toyguide Updates, TV / Movie / Book / Audio News

Episode #82: Thankful For Star Wars

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We are only a few days away from Thanksgiving and there isn’t a better time to be a Star Wars collector. On this episode of The Realm Recap, Flyguy and I discuss the latest in Star Wars collecting – everything from Hasbro, LEGO, Gentle Giant, Hot Toys, Funko and more! It’s all in the jammed-packed episode 82 of The Realm Recap

Click on through to check out the latest episode and feel free to subscribe to our channel. Also, if you prefer an audio-only version, a downloadable MP3 is available as well.

Continue reading Episode #82: Thankful For Star Wars →