Tag Archives: exclusives

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Ewok Scouts (Kmart)

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of the Kmart Exclusive Ewok Scouts from The Vintage Collection.

PROS: For lovers of Ewoks (or Imperial cannon fodder), 2012 has been awesome for collectors as we’ve received nearly a dozen (counting accessory variants) of these little furballs this year. Also, Vintage packaging fans get an introduction to a new way to deliver figures in a nostalglic way. Hasbro is really excited about this packaging form factor and promises that it will lend itself to offering more that just figures in the future. Shipping along side it, this set is complemented by the Endor AT-ST Crew and both sets together, combined with the Kmart Exclusive AT-ST Walker, offer an instant battle scenario that we all recreated as kids.

CONS: Again, like much of 2012 it comes down to availability as there are not a lot of Kmart stores around anymore, hopefully these will turn up on their website soon.

Head to the toyguide for the full image gallery and to judge for yourself whether this latest 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.

Collecting News, Podcasts/Streaming

Episode 363: Pablo Hidalgo’s Essential Companion

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On October 6, 2012 is the first Star Wars Reads day. Across the country bookstores will be hosting events celebrating Star Wars books, both fiction and nonfiction. Many stores are having Star Wars authors speak and autograph books, including the Barnes & Noble in Roseville, MN where Star Wars Action News hosts Marjorie and Arnie will be going to see authors Troy Denning, Daniel Wallace, and John Jackson Miller.

With Star Wars Reads day being the biggest thing for Star Wars fans since Celebration VI, it is the perfect time for the release of Pablo Hidalgo’s Star Wars: The Essential Reader’s Companion. With Star Wars fiction predating the Star Wars films themselves, and with a constant stream of expanded universe novels coming for over twenty years, The Essential Reader’s Companion provides summaries, trivia, and artwork for over 100 Star Wars adult novels, plus many more junior novels and comics besides!

On this week’s Star Wars Action News podcast, Arnie sits down with Pablo to discuss the inception of this new book and how it can be used by Star Wars readers of all experience levels–from those who’ve just read their first novel to the experienced reader who’s consumed every book released!

And also on this week’s show, Star Wars fans and Disney fans alike go crazy for Disney’s Vinylmation figures. Exclusive to the Disney theme parks, the second series of Vinylmations was released in August, simultaneous with Star Wars Celebration VI. Events were held on both coasts, at Disney World in Orlando, and Disneyland in California, and Podcast Enhancer Berent’s significant other Carmilla attended Disneyland to get a set of these figures! On this week’s podcast, listen to hear their impressions of this new series, and how you can win a full set of these figures from Star Wars Action News!

Download the Regular Version or Enhanced Version

Collecting News

UPDATE: Fighter Pods Series 3 Hitting Stores

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For fans of the Fighter Pods out there (all 1% of you), I found the blind “Mystery” bags for Series 3 at my local Target this morning. Collectors of this line will want to be on the hunt for these 5 exclusive Fighter Pods Rampage figures (only found in Series 3 bags): Super Battle Droid, Luke Skywalker (Endor Gear)*,  Wicket W. Warrick, Scout Trooper and Jawa.

UPDATE: The packaging for the Fighter Pods is incorrect as it shows the X-Wing Luke Skywalker (with blaster) as exclusive for these bags, that figure is actually exclusive to the Series 3 X-Wing Vs TIE Fighter set.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update 2: Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper

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After my suggestion via twitter that Hasbro should have included an alternate display arm for the Speeder Bike to pose them at varying heights, I realized they inadvertently did! If you assemble the cannon base in its tripod configuration, you can mount the speeders right on top. I’ve added 3 more images to the toyguide entry to showcase this discovery.

Collecting News, Toyguide Updates

Toyguide Update: Darth Maul Returns Battle Pack

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The Yakface Toyguide updates resume today with the addition of the Target Exclusive Darth Maul Returns Battle Pack from 2012 “Darth Maul” Collection and The Clone Wars.

PROS: This set is a bit of an anomaly but a welcome change from Hasbro as this set not only includes 2 all-new figures but a repack of a hard-to-find figure as well in the armored Savage Opress. Couple that with the fact that this set is (currently) only $19.99 make for a lot of happy collectors. The designs of the new “cyborg” Darth Maul and Nightsister are excellent in both articulation and deco – areas that have been points of consternation with fans of Clone Wars line. On an accessory note, the lightsabers can be removed from the red “spinning force attack” accessory and assembled into Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber. If you’d like to see how the spinning accessory works, check out our YouTube page.

CONS: There are very few issues will this set but there are 2 that are pretty obvious and consistently noted among collectors of this line. The first is the fact that we aren’t given a proper Mother Talzin, which is surprising considering her importance to this story arc. Hasbro explained this as not having enough lead time to develop a proper figure given the fluidity of the design changes for the show. The second is that collectors have wanted another chance at the armored Savage and thankfully we got it, but sadly without his signature lightsaber from his earlier basic card release.

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.