Toys Of The Jedi

For the most part, I’m sticking to the unreleased stuff here, and assuming everyone has seen images (or even sets) for most of the January models. Of the new stuff, first up is the AT-AT, since this is probably going to be the most drool-inducing set on the average retail store shelf this year. Part of that has to do with the fact that SW fans have been eagerly anticipating an AT-AT since the SW license was first announced, and part of that has to do with the two new mini-figs that are being introduced. The AT-AT driver is essentially the same as the older TIE Fighter pilot and Stormtrooper, but with different colors. The Snowtrooper, on the other hand, is so new that the showroom copies were wearing very rough looking helmets that betrayed their rapid-prototype history (notice the rings formed into the top of the helmet in the far right pic). They had a very rough grainy look to them that I’m sure will be cleaned up considerably before they start production.

Next is the pilot’s cockpit. Shrunken down to an affordable price-point, the cockpit is too small to fit more than one mini-fig, but for one guy it’s a pretty posh setup. The top flips straight up, the front viewport flips down flat, and the sides straighten out both vertically and horizontally (note that in the right photo the starboard cockpit hull plate is pulled out as far as it will go, which isn’t much).

On both sides there is a troop bay access door, which conceals a removable two-seat trooper bench.


The aft cargo bay opens much like the cockpit…only bigger. Of course, it has to be large enough to fit a Speederbike. The steering vanes end up firmly planted between the two removable trooper benches. Also, just because I know a few people were interested, I included a shot of the AT-AT Speederbike next to the AT-TE Speederbike.

The second most drool-inducing as-yet-unreleased SW set is the Hailfire Droid. Built more in the TECHNIC® style, it still looks as if it’s designed to fit in nicely with the mini-fig line. One odd little detail that was probably overlooked on this model is that the belly gun can be extended a bit, as shown between the two images on the left above. This model does a fair job of balancing itself on two gigantic hubs, though it does rock back and forth a bit when you disturb its rest.

These pics show some of the intricate detail seen all over this model, and the last image shows a box mock-up that includes the brown BOHROK faceplate on the front of each wheel mount, instead of the silver GAHLOK-KAL handshields that were seen on the showroom model (BIONICLE™ fans should note the two protodermic silver KOHROK handshields).


And while we’ve all had plenty of chances to see official images of this beastie (if not actually build one), I couldn’t resist popping off a few shots of the largest official set ever sold at retail…

Four more additions to the minivehicle line, we have the Republic Gunship, the MTT, the infamous Millennium Falcon, and the AT-AT. The ships in this wave are considerably larger than the ones in the original four two-packs, with the Falcon approaching the size of the vintage die-cast metal ones sold by Kenner.

And, to finish with, we’ve got shots of the three basic sections of shelving set up for the SW line so you can see generally how everything was laid out.

0 Comments

Reply