30th Anniversary Variant Figures...

[Whitewolf]

Our Hasbro rep was in last week to check our inventory for Black Friday and in the course of idle chat, she pointed out the existence of two variant figures that collectors may be VERY interested in getting their sweaty palms onto. The first is the "Neatly Dressed Bespin Han" that is randomly packed on gold-coin cards, and the TIE Pilot with removable helmet that is randomly packed with the 181st TIE Interceptor. This isn't the first time that Hasbro has done this with Star Wars figures. The brown-robed Tuskens that come with the Bantha are another example of this "stealth variant" phenomenon.

 

So...I've been keeping an eye out for these figures, and hit paydirt today. Here they are:

 

 

Han looks like he's got the VTSC Han head and same belt holster used for Smuggler Lando. The untucked shirt portion is gone and the belt is snug against his waist. This is finally the perfect Bespin Han!

 

 

The TIE Pilot is a reuse of the Death Star Gunner body, but the chest armor and helmet are brand-new sculpts. The DS Gunner was a logical reuse since both pilots and gunners wear identical jumpsuits. Hopefully both of these figures are glimpses of what we may be seeing later on in 2008.

[JoeRhyno]

The 181st Tie pilot doesn't have the red stripes

 

I should be getting mine today(going by TRU's website) So I'll have to check mine.

 

EDIT: got my 2, and they were both the right 181st Pilots.. no offense Whitewolf.. but I'm calling BS on this one.. they just look like customs to me, any pic of the "gold carded" han or at least the package?

[Wheeljack35]

Whitewolf where have you been the last two months?

[SnTrooper]

Nice customs. Why make up a story about them being official variants though? You could have at least made up a plausible story.

1. Hasbro has never "randomly" packaged variants in the Star Wars line.

2. The TIE pilot is just a normal pilot and not a 181st.

3. There is no gold UGH Bespin Han.

[Wheeljack35]

The Tie Pilot Figures I have seen in the Interceptor boxes have white vests

 

Does this mean the black vested versions are the figures with the removable helmets?

[bluecyclone]

The 181st Tie pilot doesn't have the red stripes

 

I should be getting mine today(going by TRU's website) So I'll have to check mine.

 

EDIT: got my 2, and they were both the right 181st Pilots.. no offense Whitewolf.. but I'm calling BS on this one.. they just look like customs to me, any pic of the "gold carded" han or at least the package?

 

 

Yup, me too. That Tie Pilot is just a Gunner with Barron Fel's chest armor and helmet.

[Goldbug]

Nice customs. Why make up a story about them being official variants though? You could have at least made up a plausible story.

1. Hasbro has never "randomly" packaged variants in the Star Wars line.

2. The TIE pilot is just a normal pilot and not a 181st.

3. There is no gold UGH Bespin Han.

 

I like my Bespin Han best. Although I would like to have the brown pants.

Hasbro could easily use that idea for the TIE pilot. I wouldn't mind getting some of those then.

[MysterioMenace]

These aren't even customs per say. Anyone can make these with little to no effort, you just need to the figures.

[Black Zarak]

I would absolutely buy a TIE pilot made from that recipe, or perhaps several. You listening Hasbro?

[SaintDemon]

I call shenanigans on this.

[Whitewolf]

Shananigans indeed...

 

C'mon people! Of COURSE their fakes! Some may remember that I did the same thing a while back with the Luke and Han in Stormtrooper armor. The only difference in this case is that I didn't have a chance to get back online and say "GOTCHA!" until tonight. If they were real, I would have at least taken a pic of the alleged "gold coin" that came with Han. lol

 

I did this because I saw that someone had posted (in my absence) that things had become stale in this forum in my two month absence...so I thought I'd shake things up a bit without all the venom-spitting that was going on a few months ago. Apologies to all those who I sent scowering the internet for evidence of these "variants". However, the TIE Pilot IS feasible enough for Hasbro to make without having to resculpt anything at all. The Han figure took a bit of surgery with an Xacto blade to get the holster belt to fit.

 

So, to make this all up to you all...I'll do my first "return review" in a few minutes of a figure that only some have already gotten their hands on, but isn't available in most areas yet: The McQuarrie Rebel Trooper. My TRU got two cases of the final wave of 2007, so I snagged them.

[Blackmada]

I'm going to be keeping a close eye on you on April 1st.