1. So I am in the market for a tauntaun and I know it has been a while since they have released one (even with that Giant freaking Playset - man Hasbro is sure picky with their beast love - only feast or famine), I have been waiting for a loose tauntaun from the old Battle of Hoth Set on ebay and they do pop up on occassion but then they just get ridiculous in price so I say "next time." Now though, I am wondering how different the modern sculpts of the tauntauns are. Are the two original beast packs (the one with Han and the one with luke from the POTF days) so different from the Battle of Hoth one cuz maybe I am just being too picky. I know the version I want has to have the gut-warming feature though for my needs, that Battle of Hoth Luke I just picked up looks a mighty chilly.... Thanks and keep on keeping on.
--shawn

Er... giant playset with Tauntaun? I don't follow. So let's back up a bit and let me go through all the Tauntauns you can buy today in the 3 3/4-inch scale.

In the 1980s, there were two. Kenner's first model, and a retooled version with a rubbery split-open belly. Both were virtually identical except for the belly.

In the modern line, there are (technically) four so far with a fifth on the way. #1 was in early 1998: Luke Skywalker's Tauntaun. It featured a cracked horn, "walking" action, and a Luke figure. #2 came a few months later and was much harder to get-- it's Han Solo's Tauntaun. It featured two fully formed horns and the first modern Hoth Han Solo figure to have his hood up. A few years later, Toys "R" Us put out an exclusive Battle of Hoth gift set featuring Luke, Leia, R3-A2, Chewbacca, and a Tauntaun. The Tauntaun came in two variants-- either with two perfect horns, or one "cracked" horn. As far as I know neither is more common, but I'm still looking to buy a "perfect" horn version. Both gift pack Tauntauns featured split-open bellies and fake guts you could stuff inside or pull out, and the "stuff Luke inside" feature you crave. Very creative/gross! Also, the gift set Tauntaun has no "running" action. I should also note that the split-open belly is somewhat stiff-- at least mine is-- so you might not be satisfied with it as far as gut storage goes.

#5 is coming... eventually. A new Hoth Battle Pack is on the way with Hoth Luke, a Wampa, and a Tauntaun. Hasbro pulled it from release after initially announcing it as a wide release, meaning it's either simply delayed, cancelled, or somebody's exclusive-- I currently do not know which. The features, deco, and other parameters of this new Tauntaun are all TBD-- but it should be in a $20-$25 gift set, which, considering it has a Wampa and Luke with it, is a most excellent price. (This is my nice way of saying "if you can't scrape up $25 perhaps you should consider shoplifting.")

2. I'm a big Star Wars fan and collector from Honduras and have been doing this since my parents bought me my first vintage figure and vehicle (Luke & Land Speeder) in 1978. I have also enjoyed reading your Q&A column. So this brings me to my questions:

Will Hasbro fix Darth Malak? I received both Malak and Revan from HasbroToyShop. Revan is a great figure but Malak is a complete disappointment. I mean he is too short, in the game, he clearly is taller than Revan. The articulation is not that good and the face, though is better than the prototype, is still not right. He should be a more menacing figure.

Will there be more KOTOR figures? This is a segment of the EU that has not been exploited by Hasbro. The game is still very popular and the characters are cool. I want to see figures of HK-47, Canderous, the Sith Soldiers, etc.

To finish, collecting Star Wars figures is very frustrating in my country, since we don't have retail stores that bring these figures regularly. The last wave of figures that I saw was the Battle of Endor wave from the 2006 Saga Collection. The majority of my collection has been bought on line from various sources. Thanks for having an outlet for fans to voice their opinions and concerns.
--Norman

Darth Malak: Unlikely. Technically, there's nothing "wrong" with it-- it may not be as authentic as you wish, but I've got a Wicket figure that's too tall, Leia figures that are too mannish, and a General Grievous' Wheel Bike that's been sculpted to look like a mirror image of how it appeared in the movie. With hundreds of figures made every year, Hasbro can (and will) flub a detail or two here and there-- between communications with the factories in Asia, approvals by Lucasfilm, and human error, these sort of things happen. I'd say "I'm sorry you don't like the figure," but I'm not-- it is what it is, and it's selling very well. As such, I think it did very well.

It's my understanding there will be more figures from the KOTOR era-- if not from the games proper. Mandalore from the Tales of the Jedi comic series is coming next year, and Darth Nihilus from KOTOR II is on the way as well. I disagree that this is the best game for Hasbro to explore, as they're very separate from the other stories out there. Many fans would much rather see figures that could easily go along with the eight hundred other figures out there. Yes, KOTOR is popular-- and the first two figures were a huge hit so far. But it's seriously unlikely that you'll see more than a handful of figures based on the game per year. (Which is more than most other, more successful video games will ever see as toys.)

As far as your country goes? Join the club. I live in the USA, and there are Zoids I had to trade with people in Japan and the UK to get. There are video games I like that will never be released here. It's just the luck of the draw-- thankfully you live in the age of the Internet where you can buy anything online, from eBay, online toy stores, or trading with people you meet on forums. It isn't always a sound business decision for someone to open up shop and localize figures for a market, but there's nothing preventing you from getting all the figures you want-- with the cost of shipping of course-- online today. It's inconvenient, but I got some other news for you-- most American collectors also have to do a lot of their buying online. You can't just go into any store in the USA and find everything you want in one or two stores, most fans go to multiple stores and rarely find everything they want in one location. As such, buying everything online is probably a much less stressful way to collect than driving around, depending on the depth of toy stores in your area. (Me, I love hunting, but I'm stupid like that.)

3. I read some where that there will be a second version of the SL 5-1st Legion Clone Trooper. Is this true? What is the difference and when will it be released?
--Jeremiah

Hasbro has indeed expressed the desire to do a new 501st Clone Trooper using the "Super Articulated" mold from Episode III. Rebelscum posted a packaged sample this week, and based on some assortment info you can find online it looks like it will be available next year.

4. I have a couple questions about Jedi action figures. I have read that there is talk of a new Stass Allie might be getting a new figure next year, have you heard anything about this? My other question is about the Order 66 figures they plan to release next year. I have read the figures they plan to put in the pack but I am not sure who Master Sev is. Since they are calling him master is this a Jedi? Can you shed any light on who this is.
--Dave

As of now, I have heard no information leading me to believe I should expect a Stass Allie in 2008. This doesn't mean there won't be one, I've just never heard it.

As far as Master Sev goes, when in doubt, check your good friends Google and/or Wookieepedia. If you visit this link you'll find that Master Sev is a Weequay Jedi and he looks like he might be based on the same mold as Sora Bulq. Keep in mind that while this list seems plausible, nothing has been confirmed for this new line of Order 66 packs yet-- stay tuned for more images and information because plans change and any or all of these might just be preliminary concepts.

5.I have a question about Darth Vader and Obi from wave 1. We can see on Vader, he obviously has a new torso, but it looks like in the various pictures we have seen of him, that he has ball jointed hips. In each picture, his legs are farther apart, or closer together. I might just be seeing things I wish are true, but who knows. I see it's similar with Obi wan, plus his hips seem to be wider, indicating ball jointed hips. Your thoughts?
--Armen

Hasbro's comments indicate that neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin/Vader have been retooled to have new articulation. Some changes were made to the heads and other small details, but it's my understanding neither figure should have new hips.

6. Has there been any news on the force unleashed stuff beyond the 8 or so figures revealed almost a year ago? i ask this as it is a 'multimedia event' and we have had no news on further figures, vechicles or any deluxe sets. Although i did hear a rumour about some rancor with rider, we still dont have a secret apprentice to battle with it! Are we all out of luck, have we seen all we are getting, have things been cancelled or are we in the dark?
--StarWarsSims101

Hasbro hasn't confirmed much of anything for the 2008 line yet, and the only confirmed "Force Unleashed" toys so far are some LEGO sets, a lightsaber, several action figures, and three 4-packs of "Unleashed Battle Packs." And that's it.

Now, the rumor mill is a bit more talky. One tasty morsel going around is that Hasbro plans to expand Battle Packs big time in 2008 and two of the gift sets will focus on the game, including figures like the Apprentice (supposedly based on the Darth Revan mold) and the blue Felucia Stormtrooper Commanders. Another says that Target will have an exclusive "Rancor with Rider" but there aren't any other details beyond the entry in Target's computer to confirm this-- and even the entry isn't a confirmation, as these have been wrong in the past. It's pretty likely we'll see a few other surprise items as well, but you have to remember that Hasbro is big on holding back items for announcement at Toy Fair in February even if the item is going to be released in March. Which is very, very annoying.

7. Did we make a mistake by asking Hasbro for a head swap of Zev Senesca to make Luke in Hoth gear? The repaint is ok but this scene specific Luke should be a more articulated , detailed and scaled fig. Is there any chance they will make a better one in the basic line or is this it for a while?
--JB

Well, as I often say, I'm fine with Hasbro taking their time to do a figure these days-- as time goes on, toy technology gets better and the action figures look better as we go. Last year fans demanded a "Hoth" Pilot Luke and here you go-- we have one. Sure, his hair is colored funny, and his helmet is too big, and he has Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber from Revenge of the Sith... but we have one.

There are countless rumors floating around right now, including one that hints that such a new figure might be in the works for 2008 or 2009. But without pictures or proof, there's no way to know for sure. My advice to you? One, buy the Ultimate Hoth Battle Pack anyway because it's really cool and you probably won't regret it. Two, watch eBay-- people are going to buy these sets and sell them piece-by-piece because a lot of other fans are just going to want one or two figures, and you can make a nice profit by buying a big set and selling them bit by bit. ($15-$20 for the AT-ST, $5-$7 per figure, etc.) Because of how Hasbro treats Star Wars it's very likely that any main character figure they produce will be revisited in the future. But the last Hoth Pilot Luke was in 2002, and that was based on the 1995 sculpt-- so it could be a while. I'm still waiting for an all-new, more cuddly Wicket for example.

8. I was wondering if you might discuss the dirt applications on Snowtroopers. It seems to have been present on all modern-era snowtroopers, and I'm not sure why. Were the snowtroopers in the movie especially dirty, and I missed it? Is there a reason that the Hoth Imperials seem to collect more dirt than the Hoth Rebels? It would seem to me that as a cost saving measure, Hasbro wouldn't want to do the extra brown paint application on a figure that doesn't seem to merit it. Have you ever talked to Hasbro about this?
--Rob

I did ask Hasbro about this in the past and the answer I got was something between a shrug, a smirk, and them walking away to go do something else. I think they do it just to make the figures look more interesting visually but I don't really get why they do it either, especially given that they never get all that filthy in the movies. (I'd be happy to buy an all-blue repaint, though. Cough, cough, cough.) I wouldn't doubt that the most recent release-- the one with Target's exclusive sets-- was dirtied just to give fans a reason to buy yet another version of the figure.

9. Why does it seem that more and more figures have one leg significantly longer than the other? The new 4-LOM suffers from this defect, as does the two repaint clones from last year's Saga collection, the Ewok C-3PO, and now I just got a Saga Legends Shock Trooper with this problem. I'm really tired of wasting my money on figures that Hasbro can't seem to get the basic anatomy correct on. All of the articulation in the world won't help this situation. Some other figures lean to one side to an extreme degree as well. I think the way they pose the figures in the package contribute to warping of the plastic, and I wish they'd go to a simpler bubble, a la the 25th GI Joes or the VOTC to prevent this. I think the difference in leg length is a manufacturing problem. Is Hasbro aware of this? Do any other collectors encounter these problems? I don't want to customize every figure I get, or spend extra time with a hair dryer trying to correct warpage. Truthfully, this lack of attention makes me wary of what I buy and effects by spending habits to a great deal. I use to feel confident in Hasbro's ability to make a good toy, but now I'm beginning to distrust them. Any thoughts?
--Matt

The hip alignment issue or leg length tends to vary from figure to figure-- sometimes I buy two of a figure, and some are OK and some aren't. When you mass-produce thousands of figures, you're going to see a fair amount of variation from one to another, and some times they just aren't perfect. At this size, a millimeter or two is enough to throw a figure out of alignment, and it's the nature of the beast. Given that these are toys and not high-end collectibles, it's a safe bet it's going to keep happening, so if you really feel you're wasting your money you might want to shift your focus to another kind of collectible. That, or collect loose figures you can inspect before purchase. (This might be a good idea if you can swing it.)

As far as the simpler bubbles, that shouldn't have much to do with it-- I agree that the "classic" packaging is better overall (less materials = less waste) but leg length probably comes mostly from material shrinkage, assembly issues, and other minor things that can add up during production. It happens-- just like figures with joints that snap, figures packaged without weapons, and so on.

10. Looking at your thoughts on what I think is an amazing bunch of releases over the years in the 3 3/4" line with regards to "sculpted violence" (I think I just made that term up. Look out, "truthiness.").

The figures and toys in this line are stamped with "Ages 4 and up." Also, Although ROTS was PG-13, Lucas's stories have always had the feel of a fairy tale. Most of these figures are ones that I thought wouldn't have a chance in hell of being made, and yet here they are:

Koffi Arana with Vader's severed hand plunging a giant blade into his chest
Mustafar Anakin with horribly disfigured burns and melted skin
Darth Maul Sliced in Half
Jango Fett with decapitation feature
Tusken Raider with decapitation feature
Amanaman with almost full (human?) skeleton accessory (Owen or Beru!)
Exploding Grevious with removeable organs
Taun Taun with Sliced open belly and spilled organs
Acklay with Sliced open belly and spilled organs
Not to mention:
various Vaders with removeable body parts
varous Anakin with remoeveable arms
Ponda Baba with removeable arm
Bespin Luke with removeable hand - didn't this even come in a bloody stump variation?

To be clear, I'm certainly no activist, and I have no kids. I'm in no way hoping that Hasbro stops this trend, because most of these figures are all kinds of awesome.

Just curious as to what you think of this, and are you surprised that these figures are being made in the Star Wars line at all?

I for one would LOVE to see a 501st Clone with Yoda 2-pack...
--nomadscout

The violence in the saga is nothing short of legendary. In just six movies, you get beheadings, patricide, domestic violence, near-incest, implied slug-on-princess action, and much more. Oh yeah, and Anakin gets dismembered and then burned alive. BURNED ALIVE. Yet, it's considered a family-friendly franchise. Interesting, no?

Another great one is the "Spirit" Darth Vader from Dagobah-- specifically, the first release where you could cut off his head and Luke's face was underneath. It's one of Hasbro's finest figures, and you should all go run out and get one now.

Some figures are more surprising than others, but it is very interesting to see that violence doesn't seem to be something that anyone shies away from when making toys. Or for that matter, drinking. I wish I could say that any of this surprised me, but really, it doesn't. The Yoda figure stabbing a Clone Trooper would be awesome but I do seem to remember someone from Hasbro telling a fan at Comic-Con that this was unlikely due to how it portrayed Yoda. I vaguely also recall Lucas saying he wasn't sure if he should have left that shot in the movie. Frankly, I think it's a great idea. There aren't many new ways to do Yoda, and if that wouldn't make the world's most awesome Order 66 pack, I don't know what would.

I personally don't think we'll see dead Owen and Beru in the short term, not because they're violent, but because they wouldn't be much fun. I know a lot of fans have asked for them, but really, why? We never saw the scene with them fighting Sandtroopers, we just saw a couple of burnt husks in the sand. Most figures exist to expand the story, fill a need in play, or just look cool. A charred skeleton, I think, is one of the few things Hasbro would really never do just because it's a weak toy. (Although as an exclusive, or as a bonus build-a-figure or accessory, anything goes.) It's just this-- after you get past the ha-ha factor, would a skeleton be a good toy for seven bucks? I really don't think it would be.

Aside from that, I don't think there's anything Hasbro wouldn't make as a toy if they thought it'd sell well. It's really all about sales anyway.

FIN

Found the latest Target exclusives in the wild over the weekend (TIE Bomber, ARC-170, AT-RT Battle Pack) and I keep seeing the other ones around, too. Haven't seen the Galactic Heroes sets yet.

The TIE Bomber is both really cool and really dull all at once. It's the same exact mold we saw in 2002 and 2003, but it's grey and has blue bombs. It's the same TIE Pilot we usually get-- the one with the knees-- and is otherwise OK. If you don't have a TIE Bomber, get this one-- it's easily the best. If you do have one, well, everybody needs a fleet right? It's $24.99.

Based on the Clone Wars design for a different vehicle, the ARC-170 fighter is pretty nice. For $29.99, you get a big ship that drops bombs. There's no sticker sheet (everything is pre-applied), and it goes well with the companion battle pack. If you don't have any ARC-170 fighters, for $30, this is worth getting. If you have the original, well, it's up to you-- I liked it enough. Very colorful.

The ARC-170 Elite Squad comes with 2 pilots, 2 troopers, and "astromech droid" for $19.99. Some names would have been nice, but no, no names. The set comes with four of the smaller clone blaster and is generally worth getting as it's pretty cool, and it has a great box. The background for the set is a bombed-out Trade Federation Tank toy!

While not thrilling, the AT-RT Assault Squad gives you yet more Kashyyyk-themed troopers. You get two AT-RT vehicles, two super-articulated AT-RT drivers with rifles, and a repaint of Commander Bacara to match. The Clone Commander has a firing blaster (ala AT-RT Driver and Commander Gree from 2005) and, like the Elite Squad, is not based on anything from the movies as far as I can tell.

The two Ultimate Battle Packs are both totally cool. Get them. Each set is $49, but you get about $56 worth of figures, an AT-ST, and other goodies in each one. If you have the money, get them.

Got questions? I bet you do. Email me with "Q&A" somewhere in the subject line and hopefully I'll get to yours in the next column!

Click here to read the previous installment of Galactic Hunter Q&A!