Loose Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Miniatures

A few weeks ago I posted about a handful of projects I have planned for my set of Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Miniatures. Before I embark on these, however, I need to fill a few gaps in my collection. While I have a great selection of diverse characters, there are a few glaring omissions - including core characters like Han, Chewie, and the dynamic droid duo. Back when these miniatures were in stores I restricted myself to purchasing four blind-bagged blister packs from each new wave, but I now wished I'd picked up more - especially from the original Rebel Storm wave (containing a comprehensive range of characters from the Original Trilogy). Recently, however, I stumbled across TrollandToad.com - a curated marketplace of loose Star Wars Miniatures. After a few solid hours of research and browsing, I bit the bullet and placed an order - and was incredibly pleased with the outcome!

TrollandToad.com essentially works as a middleman between Miniatures collectors: buying loose miniatures from individuals, then on-selling these on their marketplace. The cost of most miniatures typically ranges from $2.00 - $5.00USD (around $3.00 - $8.00NZ) with certain rarer figures fetching a little more. These prices are pretty fair, given that at the time of their release the seven-miniature blind-bags retailed for $25.00NZ (or around $3.60 per miniature). Purchasing miniatures in this way also guarantees that you'll get the characters you're after, as opposed to paying for endless fillers or duplicates you have no real use for.

My one big issue with the Miniatures line has always been the card stock used for the character cards. It may sound like a minor gripe, but these cards form an integral part of the game and therefore need to be able to withstand an enormous amount of handling. Unfortunately the thin, matte stock used by Wizards simply isn't up to the task, and is prone to scuffs, creases, and delamination. It's a problem I've solved via the liberal use of card protectors, but it had me somewhat apprehensive about the condition of the cards I'd receive from TrollandToad. Fortunately, I needn't have worried. The cards accompanying the miniatures all arrived in phenomenal condition.

For now, the gaps in my collection have been nicely filled. But if at some point point in the future I want to expand my forces, I'll definitely be using TrollandToad.com again. If there's something missing from your Miniatures collection, I strongly recommend checking out their selection!

Pocketmodel TCG Imperial Power-Up Pack

Among the basket of Easter goodies given to me by my girlfriend was a real blast-from-the-past - an Imperial Power-Up Pack for the Star Wars Pocketmodel TCG game.

I first came across the Pocketmodel line back in 2012, when - only a couple of weeks after first moving to Houston - I found a number of the Order 66 and Ground Assault game packs on clearance at Target. Each pack contained 4 to 8 random vehicles that (along with the included micro dice and game cards) could be used to play a table-top strategy game.

Instead of containing a randomised assortment of miniatures, this Imperial Power-Up pack comes with a specific force comprising the Star Destroyer Executor; Darth Vader's Imperial Shuttle, four TIE Fighters, and - to ensure you have some foes for target practice - two X-Wing Starfighters. Also included are a pair of dice and 30 game cards. The vehicles come as sheets of punch-out plastic pieces that assemble much like those old glow-in-the-dark dinosaur skeletons we loved as kids. What's really impressive is how authentic these simply-constructed models end up looking on the table-top. Ships like the TIE fighter are relatively easy to portray in this medium, but it's clear that a lot of thought has gone into how to best represent more complex designs like the Imperial Shuttle (my favourite vehicle from this pack).

I've yet to give the game mechanics a try, but once I have I'll be sure to add my thoughts here - so stay tuned for updates!

The Force Awakens Monopoly Board Game

I've always been a huge fan of Star Wars-themed board games, so this The Force Awakens Monopoly set I received from my parents for my birthday will make a great addition to my collection. The basics of the game are more-or-less the same as the original Monopoly - with a few minor tweaks. The board is circular; the cash, 'Chance', and 'Community Chest' cards are all Star Wars-themed; and the players purchase planets, not streets.

The highlight of this set is definitely the player pieces. There's four in total - two of which are taken directly from The Force Awakens. There's Luke Skywalker and Finn on the light side, and Darth Vader and Kylo Ren on the dark side. The quality of the paint job on these pieces is impressive - almost on par with the old Wizards of the Coast miniatures that I obsessed over in the mid-2000s.

I haven't had a chance to give the game a run yet - but I'm hoping to do so during the Christmas break!

Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II

I've always found secondhand stores to be a great source of Star Wars bargains, and a couple of weeks ago I came across a particularly unique find at my local Mary Potter Hospice Store - a mint condition copy of Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II.

While it was Jedi Outcast that I obsessed over for the better part of 2002, Dark Forces II still holds a lot of fond memories for me. I'm yet to find out if it'll run on Window 7 - but here's hoping it does!

Pocketmodel TCG Ground Assault Game Packs

Today I found a pile of the Pocketmodel TCG Ground Assault Game Packs had been added to the stock of Order 66 packs at Super Target, Houston. These packs were also reduced to $0.99US ($1.23NZ) each, so I picked up ten to give me a variety of the models from this series.

Pocketmodel TCG Order 66 Game Packs

My hope had been to find Star Wars items in the US that were (1) unavailable back in New Zealand, and (2) easy to transport back. Yesterday I stumbled across an item that easily fit both of these criteria.

Super Target is currently selling Order 66 Game Packs from the Star Wars Pocketmodel TCG at a ridiculous $0.99US ($1.22NZ) each. These packs were released back in 2008, so I can only assume that this is a way to clear out old stock. Each pack contains four to eight styrene pocketmodel vehicles, six game cards, and two micro-dice. The models themselves are surprisingly robust and very cleverly designed. I bought four packs for starters, and was so impressed with the quality that I went back today and bought another six packs. This should give me most of the vehicles and cards from the series.