Tag Archives: 2013 Yoda Collection

Toyguide Update: Obi-Wan Kenobi (CW01) (Yakface & JTA Collaboration)

2013_CW01_preview

The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with a special series covering the 2013 “foreign exclusive” assortment of Clone Wars figures. At first blush, you may think that we were only missing out on some simple repacks and repaints, but that is not the case – there is a fair amount of “new” to be had. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Jedi Temple Archives to run down the details and minutia of this final wave of animated series-style figures.

We continue on with the addition of Obi-Wan Kenobi (CW01) which gets a much-welcomed articulation upgrade for 2013.

PROS: Hasbro has taken the 2012 figure and improved on it greatly by way of a revised deco from top to bottom and, most importantly, the addition of swivel wrists – a must for most Jedi figures. They went so far as to retool the forearms and hands making this figure markedly better than the previous version.

CONS:  It appears that the addition of the POA (points of articulation) and revised paint apps has eaten into the accessory allotment for this release as Obi-Wan only includes his ignited lightsaber. I, for one, would have loved the inclusion of his Rako Hardeen helmet or how cool would an Obi-Wan in Mandalorian Super Commando armor figure have been. Missed opportunities all around. Due to the figure’s exclusivity (i.e. not available in the US) tracking one down may required a bit more effort and be prepared to pay twice the MSRP when all is said and done.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection and be sure to check out JTA’s full Research Droids Review for this figure as well.

You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.

Toyguide Update: 501st Legion Clone Trooper (Yakface & JTA Collaboration)

2013CW06_preview

The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today kicking off a special series covering the 2013 “foreign exclusive” assortment of Clone Wars figures. At first blush, you may think that we were only missing out on some simple repacks and repaints, but that is not the case – there is a fair amount of “new” to be had. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Jedi Temple Archives to run down the details and minutia of the final wave of animated series-style figures.

We start things off with the addition of the 501st Legion Clone Trooper (CW06) – a character design that debuted during the final arc in Season 5 of The Clone Wars.

PROS: Hasbro has taken the opportunity to give us one new character offering for the sub-line’s swan song. The deco for the 501st “Jet Pack” Trooper (as I call him) is very distinctive with its vibrant blue unit flashes as well as red accents that truly set this figure apart from prior 501st Legion clones. Don’t be surprised if you see of few of these costumes make their way into the 501st Legion.

CONS: Availability. Availability. Availability. You’ll have to call in a favor to a friend from The Great White North (Canada) or across the pond (Europe) to obtain this figure unless you want to pay double (or triple in some cases) on eBay.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this figure is worth adding to your collection and be sure to check out JTA’s full Research Droids Review for this figure as well.

You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.

Toyguide Update: Jango Fett’s Slave I

The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of Jango Fett’s Slave I from the revamped Class II assortment of vehicles in the 2013 Yoda line look.

PROS: This is a toy – plain and simple. It’s meant to cater to the young collector while offering a signature in-universe vehicle at an attractive pricepoint for parents and kids with an allowance. Slave I holds one figure/pilot well (Hasbro even took into consideration Jango’s jetpack when designing the cockpit) and the deco, while minimal is accurate in terms of color. It features manually pivoting wings (just like the super-sized “collector” version), cannons and a launching missile/projectile. I can totally appreciate what Hasbro has attempted here and it easily meets their goal of being a ship scaled down for smaller hands while maintaining the fun of a larger collector-target product. If Hasbro can produce this type of product to pave the way for more collector-targeted releases, then I’m all for it.

CONS: If you’re a stickler for accurate scale, realistic deco or a moderate number of features, there is obviously nothing for you here.

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

You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.

Toyguide Update: Yoda’s Jedi Attack Fighter

The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of Yoda’s Jedi Attack Fighter from the 2013 Yoda line look.

PROS: Hasbro has revised the Class I assortment for 2013 – now including 2 figures as pack-ins. This is not only a great value in terms of price but offers great play value right out of the box. The vehicle itself is an all-new design and it’s fantastic as it’s very true to the mini rig concept from the vintage days. The fighter has a removable “booster seat” that allows for figures larger than Yoda fit in the cockpit and in an ingenious move, Hasbro’s design team built into the ship the ability to switchout the astromech domes with others from the build-a-droid/Droidfactory line. The feature affords collectors customizing opportunities as well as the possibility of redecos of this set in the future. Yoda is an all-new figure as well and it has a headsculpt with incorporated communication headset.

CONS: The deco for Yoda’s face is a little wonky, especially the eyes. Hopefully this will be cleaned up as more of these hit the market.

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

You can also weigh in with your impressions on the figures we add to our toyguide on facebook and in our forums.