i just managed to get some of my top priority target items in the local market..
i actually bought them at different dates this past December..
i asked some of my blood relatives to buy them for me..
and i just got them last New Year's day...
GALACTIC SENATE:
this is Senator Amidala's form in the Geonosian execution arena, after a Nexu slashed her from the back, thus ripping off parts of her nearly all-white outfit..
(the picture on the right shows the back view of Padme, with her lovely bun and that fresh Nexu-inflicted wound)...
i wanted this figure very much because it's highly articulated..
and the sculpt, especially the head, looks more realistic compared to earlier Padme Amidala sculpts..
also, this design of her is from an iconic scene in the movie, so it's really a 'must have' action figure for me (being a Natalie Portman fan ^_^)..
even though it's a pre-opened item, i immediately bought it upon seeing it on ebay..
i've been hunting for it for months, and it was a long and hard search because most dealers only sell it as part of a set..
luckily, i still managed to get a copy of her before the end of the year..
and now that i have this one..
i guess i'll just use my Padme Amidala in Naboo Pilot outfit as a decoy-bodyguard for her...
and at the bottom is Obi-Wan and Padme in their very cool and pleasant-looking white-based outfit...
IMPERIAL VEHICLES:
is a tripedal walker that evolved from the AT-PT (All Terrain Personal Transport) and AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer) walkers..
it is also called a Pod Attack Walker (PAW), and earned the nickname "sniper tank" due to its highly-advanced targeting systems..
considered as a two-legged walker, the AT-AP did have a third leg hanging from underneath the fuselage, that can convert it into a tripod..
it can be used during combat to provide stability to the walker, when overcoming rough terrain, and when firing its main gun...
this unit has been on my targets list ever since i've read about its 30th anniversary release online..
it's the very first AT-AP unit being sold (online) within the country for less than 2,000 Php, which i've spotted after a very long hunt (which actually lasted for years)..
i could have waited for the auction to end, and i might still get it for a much cheaper bidding price (Php 200 less)..
but i got too excited, and i just hit the 'Buy It Now' button after thinking it over for only a few minutes..
and so now i have my very first vehicle for my imperial army.. ^_^
i owe all of this great experience to ebay, because without it, my Star Wars collection will be doomed...
referring to the photo above..
at the top left is the AT-AP standing on two legs and in a much higher recon position (the other 3 photos showing the AT-AP on tripod mode and in a lower scouting position)..
at top right is a comparative view of the size of the vehicle compared to a Kashyyyk trooper..
at bottom left shows that a trooper can fit and ride its turret gun..
and at the bottom right shows that a trooper can fit inside its cockpit which actually has 2 seats...
one for the droids, one for the empire, and one for the Jedi Order..
here you can compare their overall sizes, and also their respective heights...
these 2 featured units are the best year end gift that i received for 2013..
but after buying the vehicle, i got more than Php 10 increase in my overall collection's price rate..
actually, it has increased due to my last 3 purchases..
and so, i'll have to work on my next purchase(s) to lower it again...
WOMEN OF STAR WARS 2013:
on the protagonists' side, my favorite unit is Jarael..
and for the antagonists' side, my favorite sculpt is that of the Nightsister...
