August 2014 Update - The Black Series Trio

so what can i say..?
well, this latest transaction is another dream come true for me..
i have been eyeing on the Bastila Shan figure ever since it made its The Vintage Collection debut..
but unfortunately, it was often sold as part of the set during those times, and as 'single' it was sold at a very high price..
thanks to Hasbro for releasing it again as part of the Black Series..
and also, thanks to Kramer for offering it in their store and for selling 'single' copies of it...

it was another brilliant and excellent deal with Kramer..
after they announced that they'll be selling copies of the Bastila Shan unit from the Black Series, i immediately inquired about that offer..
during that time, i was also interested in purchasing a copy of both Mara Jade and Luminara Unduli, also from the Black Series..
i asked them if they can reserve both units for me while we wait for the arrival of Bastila Shan, and they kindly did..
it took sometime before the Bastila Shan set finally arrived at their store, but it was worth waiting for...

we completed the entire transaction only through text (with some help via Facebook)..
and that's just a proof that Kramer is still very considerate and trustworthy as usual..
i think they're getting better and better with their work..
and now they even have their own website where you can preorder stuff, make reservation(s), and which accepts online payment through credit cards and more (kindly checkout the links in their Facebook page)...

and so i should say, thank you so much Kramer Toy Warden for fulfilling my Bastila Shan dream... ^_^
keep up the good work!
and i look forward to more interesting transactions with you in the future..
here's a related review about them: Kramer Toy Warden

this bunch of Black Series was delivered to me by LBC..
and i believe this is the first time that i and Kramer asked for their service..
i think a lot has changed now regarding their system..
and i believe it's all for the better..
it only took them more than 12 hours to deliver my package to me..
their website's tracking system seems to be more accurate and dependable based on my recent purchases..
and now, they are using some sort of electronic scanner device where the consignee of the package can directly input their signature...



JEDI ORDER:

Bastila Shan..
a Human female who served as a Jedi Padawan, from the planet Talravin..
she also briefly became an apprentice to the Sith Master, Darth Malak..
despite her youth, she was found to have an exceptional gift with the Force power known as battle meditation; which increased her allies' morale while demoralizing her enemies..
in addition, her allies would be granted perfect coordination and the ability to respond instantly and perfectly to the enemy's every change in formation and strategy..
so with this power she could affect the outcome of a battle by thought alone..
she wields a yellow double-bladed lightsaber...

she's my very first action figure who makes use of a double-bladed lightsaber..
and on the picture on the right, you can see her beautiful ponytail... :)

well, this version seems less-polished compared to it's debut version..
based on some review websites, this release seems to have a lighter and less-skillful paint job..
but i'm totally fine with that - as long as i can have a copy of Bastila Shan at an affordable price... ^_^

Luminara Unduli (new & better Black Series' sculpt)..
a Mirialan Jedi Master and an adviser to the Jedi High Council, from Mirial..
she is the master of Barriss Offee...

on the picture on the right, you can see that this sculpt of her is equipped with a removable headdress..
despite being a 'better sculpt', this version's boots lack in design and paint job unlike the previous version..
i still have the old sculpt of her..
but because of this new purchase, i might include that action figure of her in my For Sale list..
refer to this previous entry about her...

above is a comparative view of the new and the old version of Luminara Unduli..
and below is a comparative view of their respective boots...

above and below are comparative images of both new and old Luminara Unduli sculpt and Barriss Offee...

Mara Jade Skywalker..
a Human female..
during different times in her life, she bacame an Emperor's Hand, a smuggler, and later a Jedi Master who sat upon the Jedi High Council..
she was raised as a servant to Emperor Palpatine and became a high-level Force-using operative who carried out the Emperor's bidding; killing Rebels and corrupt Imperials alike with cold professionalism, even as a young woman..
later she served as Jedi Master to both Jaina Solo and Anakin Solo, children of Han Solo and Leia Organa...

though she's a Jedi Master, she'll probably spend most of the time with the Rebels, just like Luke Skywalker..
at first, i thought that i'd only have this unit just so i can have a partner/wife for Luke Skywalker (once i've decided on what version of him to buy)..
but after i have opened and inspected this Mara Jade figure, i'm just amazed on how good she looks..
she may look a bit of a retro, but this particular unit looks hot and will definitely make it to my Women of Star Wars list...

the above photos show the different holster options for this Mara Jade figure..
the top photo features her removable holster positioned at her right side..
while the photo below features her holster attached to the back of her belt...

October 2013 Update - Infiltration Units, Etc.

sorry for the late update..
my very own computer went down even before I could post this particular collection update a few months ago..
but anyway, here's what's new back then...



REBEL ALLIANCE:

Mouse (in Stormtrooper disguise)..
a Duros agent in the Rebel Alliance..
a specialist for demolition and sabotage...

Duros (or occasionally Durosians) are humanoid species native to the planet Duro..
years before the formation of the Republic, the Duros colonized the planet Neimoidia, giving rise to a genetically distinct "newer version" of Duros called the Neimoidians..
the Neimoidians retained many similarities to their Duros cousins including basic form, noseless faces, and green skin (though Neimoidians tended to be grayer)..
however, in contrast to their ancestors, Neimoidians possessed pupils that split horizontally, lumpy foreheads, and perpetually frowning mouths..
in addition, Neimoidians tended to be cowardly, greedy and fearful of death, whereas the average Duro was adventurous, gregarious and peaceful..
not surprisingly, one of the most powerful insults among the Duros was to be called a 'Neimoidian'...

here's a comparative view of a Duros and a Neimoidian..
the noticeable difference being on their facial or head structure...

Basso (in Stormtrooper disguise)..
a member of the Rebel Alliance from the planet of Ralltiir...

originally, i bought the Comic Pack in which these first 2 units are included..
first, because of the Neimoidian-like protagonist, Mouse (coz i've always thought that Neimoidians are bad species, without knowing about the Duros specie before)..
and second, because this is the Comic Pack variation where Basso gets a Sandtrooper pauldron...



JEDI ORDER:

Barriss Offee..
a Mirialan Jedi Knight, from the planet of Mirial..
she trained as a padawan under Jedi Master Luminara Unduli..
she's a skilled Jedi Healer..
and a practitioner of Form III: Soresu, also known as the Way of the Mynock, or The Resilience Form, which is the third of the seven classic forms of lightsaber combat that was recognized by the Jedi Council prior to and during the Clone Wars..
Soresu was developed during the widespread emergence of blasters as an offensive weapon..
essentially a development on Form I blast-deflect training, Soresu relied on tight bladework and subtle dodges to provide maximum defensive coverage, minimizing exposure to ranged weaponry..
over time, Soresu transcended this basic origin, and came to be considered the ultimate expression of non-aggressive Jedi philosophy...

Barriss Offee actually had a bad record as a Jedi..
so i'll just use her as a Jedi Padawan like Ahsoka Tano...

here's a comparative view between Barriss Offee and an old sculpt of her master Luminara Unduli...



IMPERIAL TROOPERS:

Clone Trooper Officer (Captain)..
this is a First Generation Clone Trooper..
there are clone trooper armors which are marked with color-coded flashes..
at the beginning of the Clone Wars, the colors signify rank (yellow for commanders, red for captains, blue for lieutenants, and green for sergeants)..
by the end of the war, the flashes come to identify specialized units such as the Galactic Marines and Shock Troopers...



NEUTRAL GROUNDS:

Lt. Dannyl Faytonni..
a con artist from the planet of Corellia, and friend of Achk Med-Beq..
he originally aspired to serve the Republic as an officer, but was conned into fronting a phony spice mine by a changeling..
on the run from the law, he decided to make a living as a con artist and teamed up with his inventive friend Achk Med-Beq..
they set off across the galaxy, gambling and conning their way to Coruscant..
upon reaching the galactic capital, the partners in crime were arrested and detained at CoCo Penitentiary, but not for long..
they made a newsworthy escape from the prison, and set up shop in the Outlander Club, where they constantly hunted and pecked for "marks"...

December 2012 Update - The Vintage Collection Wave 16

finally done with the low quality photoshoot..
so this is my good news before the end of 2012..
i got myself a Vintage Collection Wave 16, consisting of 12 action figures - my most expensive transaction for the year..
i already added 8 units to my official collection..
and the remaining 4, well i'm planning to sell them but unfortunately i still can't use the selling feature on ebay coz for some reason i just can't complete the registration process using my mobile number...



REBEL ALLIANCE:

Republic Trooper..
this particular armor design was that of the Havoc Squad...

although the action figure wasn't named after Jace Malcolm, it's armor and head sculpt looks exactly like him, thus this figure can already play his role..
it seems to me that this armor design (particularly the helmet and the color scheme) is based on Commander Cody of the Clone Troopers..
this particular sculpt has a noticeably small head compared to other figures..
but a good thing about it is that you can also turn it into an ordinary Havoc Trooper by removing the bandolier..
i'll be assigning this unit together with the rebels, and i think they'll look great battling against the Imperial Troopers...

here's a comparative view of Commander Thire (a Phase II-based Clone Trooper armor) and the Republic Trooper..
not much difference in terms of size (height), except for the helmet - the Republic Trooper's helmet is a bit smaller..
i would like to do the comparison with Commander Cody so we can see the resemblance, but unfortunately i still don't have that unit coz i can't find any copy on the local ebay...



ROYAL GUARD:

Emperor's Royal Guard..
the Royal Guards are Emperor Palpatine's elite security force..
they are respected and feared throughout the galaxy for their elegant and deadly fighting skills..
candidates are chosen from the ranks of the Imperial squads and are trained on the barren world of Yinchorr..
they work hard to master the lessons being taught to them, for their very lives are at stake..
the basic royal guard usually wear red themed masks and robes, while some special units may wear a black themed outfit or a combination of black and red...

like the Republic Trooper, this one is also an interesting figure..
aside from being a Royal Guard, an alternate helmet and accessories are available so you can convert it to Crucible attire..
actually its head sculpt looks somewhat similar to a unit featured in the Legacy Collection's Crimson Empire (Crucible Arena) set, but this action figure was not named after him...

here's a comparative view of a Senate Guard and the Royal Guard...



JEDI ORDER:

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Knight version)..
this armor is based on the animated series, but was provided with a non-animated head sculpt...

i really like that Jedi emblem on his left shoulder armor - makes him look more legitimate as a Jedi..
and i prefer this armor compared to his Clone Trooper Phase I-based armor..
he is my third and probably the last Obi-Wan figure that i'll ever need..
here are related articles to Obi-Wan: Jedi General version and Old version...

here's a comparative view of the Jedi General version and the Jedi Knight version..
the Jedi Knight's armor has dirt on it and the color is more of cream already and it's lightsaber is a darker shade of blue compared to the Jedi General version..
and in the picture below, i equipped it with the Jedi General's big Clone Trooper helmet...

Ahsoka Tano..
a female Togruta from the planet of Shili..
a Jedi padawan assigned under Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker..
she is nicknamed 'Snips' by her master..
an interesting aspect about her is that she wields two lightsabers - one with the usual length and a shorter blade called a shoto...

like Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Knight version, she's also a crossover figure from the animated series..
she's my very first Jedi padawan unit (i mean every Jedi started out as being padawans, but there are some like her who never made it to being full pledged Jedi or Jedi Master)...



NEUTRAL GROUNDS:

Aurra Sing..
she looks like she's near-human, but is actually an unknown hybrid from the planet of Nar Shaddaa..
also known as Nashtah..
she's a bounty hunter specializing in Jedi and political assassinations, once a Jedi padawan under An'ya Kuro or Dark Woman..
she has worked as a commander in the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars and has also served as an imperial agent under Darth Vader..
she has an antenna implant and a Rhen-Orm biocomputer on her head...

due to multiple affiliations i'd put her under neutral grounds, serving as bounty hunter to anyone who would ask for her service except for the Jedi Order...



NABOO:

Naboo Pilot..

this figure has an interesting headgear, particularly the helmet with the goggles up in the cap..
i noticed that the glasses of the goggles was made transparent, but the cap underneath it is still painted with red - excellent effect...



TATOOINE:

Weequay..
a skiff guard working for Jabba the Hutt...



EWOKS:

Lumat..
an Ewok..
he is the chief woodcutter of his tribe..
husband of Zephee and father to Latara, Nippet and Wiley...



LIGHTSABER COLLECTION:

and just an update to my lightsaber collection..
i included Jarael's staff coz it has a lightsaber look, not to mention the fact that i like Jarael a lot..
this is as of December 2012...

October & November 2012 Update - Army Builder

so yesterday my second batch of orders from the local ebay finally arrived..
like i said in my previous text update, it was handled by Air21..
now i know that they don't deliver on a day-to-day basis, but operates according to a certain schedule..
actually the second batch is still composed of two different packages from a single seller and were sent on two consecutive days, but due to the scheduled delivery of the courier both packages were delivered to me at the same time..
the good thing is that they may not be very quick in terms of delivery, but they are organized..
in addition, the text update from their company is once again available...


now here's the actual update for my collection..
the first batch:


JEDI ORDER:

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi General version)..
this is the Jedi Master during the time of the Clone Wars..
click here for a related entry...

this version goes with a full Clone Trooper Phase I armor mixed with some Jedi cape/clothing and equipment that makes him look like a medieval knight...



IMPERIAL TROOPERS:

ARC Trooper Commander (Red variant)..

actually the color coded ranking of ARC Troopers as well as other military forces is as follows: yellow for commander, red for captain, blue for lieutenant, and green sergeant..
so i'm still confused why this one is denoted as a commander...

Clone Trooper (Heavy Gunner) (Clone Trooper Squad version)..
they are armed with reciprocating quad blaster also called by names such as cip quad and heavy quad cannon...

i only realized recently that their armor is almost similar to the basic AT-RT Driver's armor..
you can view some AT-RT Driver design here..
the major differences are: the helmet's antenna or optical instrument (in it's case) being on the right side instead of the left, the paint pattern, the backpack, and the belt and kama...

Clone Scuba Trooper (Clone Trooper Squad Version)..
this form of imperial trooper is deployed in aquatic environments or planets, the most common being the planet of Dac or Mon Calamari...


and the second batch:

GUNGAN:

Gungan Warrior..
this version of Gungan warrior goes with a cesta (the long staff-like weapon) and a farseein which serves like a huge binocular for them...



IMPERIAL TROOPER:

Shock Trooper (Movie Heroes version)..
also known as Coruscant Guards, they serve as the private army and bodyguards of Emperor Palpatine..
they serve the emperor under the leadership of Commander Thire...

this one has a quick-draw feature for the right arm, which is done by pressing the right leg or specifically the thigh inward..
this is also my very first imperial trooper that goes with a black DC-15 blaster rifle with a shoulder stock painted with brown...



DROID ARMY:

Destroyer Droid..
also known as Droideka which is a compound word composed of the basic term 'droid' and the Colicoid suffix 'eka' meaning 'hireling' or 'drone'..
considered the strongest among the basic droid infantry units, they are armed with powerful weapons and are also capable of deploying force-like, semi-transparent shields..
in addition, they can also round themselves up like a wheel for faster movement...

this type has a firing-projectile feature for both arms, which is done by pressing the rear end of the missile-like red projectiles downward...



and after these recent transactions, i was able to reduce my Estimated Rate per unit from 460.45 to 452.80 Php..
plus i also got a new storage box which is the Clone Trooper Squad (Legacy Collection) packaging..
Great Deal...^_^

July 2012 Update - Jedi Order

so the following are the new Star Wars units that i just received last week..


JEDI ORDER:

A'Sharad Hett (Jedi)..
he is the son of Sharad Hett and was raised within the Tusken Raider culture in Tatooine..
he'll later become Darth Krayt...

the image on the left shows his Tusken Raider form - not so good-looking, but still cool!
i really like this sculpt even though he looks short when placed next to other figures..
i'm planning to use his character as one of my main protagonists...

Dark Woman..
born An'ya Kuro..
a mysterious jedi who gave up her name in service of the Force..
she served as Jedi Master to Ki-Adi-Mundi, A'Sharad Hett, and Aurra Sing..
but due to her failure in training and guiding Sing to the right path, she exiled herself to the planet of Cophrigin V..
she later returned to the Jedi Order to work as a spy during the Clone Wars...

Aayla Secura (The Vintage Collection version)..
born as Aaylas'ecura..
she is a Rutian Twilek and a Jedi Master, from Ryloth..
she was a padawan to Quinlan Vos and under Vos' very own master, Tholme..
she was briefly influenced into the darkside by Master Volfe Karkko, but chose to stay in the Jedi Order...

i say i'm very impressed and at the same time, very satisfied with this latest sculpt..
although it's mass-produced, her color and the paint job is very clean, unlike some figures from recent lines..
i'm not really sure how tall she should stand, but this new figure is quite long-legged, i say she's even taller than Deliah Blue..
anyway, i really looked forward into acquiring an action figure of her because she's my favorite Twilek from the movie series..♥_♥
she's the very first unit that i managed to take out from my WishList Page since i started this blog..^_^
and i'm very glad that GreatToysOnline from the Philippines sold a copy to me..
now i finally have someone to pilot her very own Jedi Starfighter...^_^

and here are photos of her to show that she does fit inside her Jedi Starfighter's cockpit..^_^


i'm sorry for all the low quality images..
i'm currently using my low tech cellphone camera (and an A4 Tech pc camera before), so that's why most of my images are of low quality..
anyway, i just have these pictures for record keeping...^_^

Star Wars Action Figures - Set 08

JEDI ORDER:
here are the members of the Jedi Order..

Mace Windu..
a human or Korun Jedi Master, from the planet of Haruun Kal..
he has also served as Grand Master of the Jedi High Council...

Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi (old version)..
a well-known Jedi Master who handled both Anakin and Luke Skywalker..
he is a member of the Jedi High Council...

Ki-Adi-Mundi..
a Cerean Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council, from Cerea..
he served as master to A'Sharad Hett and also temporarily handled Anakin Skywalker...

Kit Fisto..
a Nautolan Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council, from Glee Anselm...

Stass Allie..
a Tholothian Jedi Master and member of the Jedi High Council, from Tholoth...

Luminara Unduli..
a Mirialan Jedi Master and an adviser to the Jedi High Council, from Mirial..
she is the master of Barriss Offee...

Sev..
a Weequay Jedi Master from Sriluur...



JEDI VEHICLES:
these are vehicles used by the Jedi Order...

Aayla Secura's Jedi Starfighter..
this is an Eta-2 Actis-class Jedi interceptor..
Aayla's model is designated by blue markings, which is dominant compared to the white..
and, R4-G9 is the astromech droid assigned to her along with this starfighter...

i like the color pattern of this jedi starfighter as well as the blue one of Obi-wan..
it's my one and only starfighter as of the moment, and unfortunately i still don't have a pilot for it...T,T



IMPERIAL KNIGHTS:
there are also other powerful lightsaber-wielding characters in my collection..
i'm not sure if they can come up with a large group, so for the meantime i'm going to put them together with my Jedi Order..

Sigel Dare..
is an Imperial Knight serving Emperor Roan Fel...

i really like the Imperial Knights white/clear lightsabers...♥_♥