Micro Machines Action Fleet Millennium Falcon

Regular readers will know that I have a real soft spot for Galoob's old Micro Machines Action Fleet line. Sure, there's the sentimental attraction of these being the very toys I played with as kid. But I also believe that these were - and still are - the best line of Star Wars toys ever made available. Nowhere else have we ever seen a line that provides us with such a phenomenally diverse line of articulated figures and feature-packed vehicles and displayable environments and playsets. I was heartbroken when the line came to an end in 2002, and have spent the intervening years filling the many gaps in my childhood collection. One of the most glaring of these omissions was the Millennium Falcon. While two iterations of this vehicle were released (one single-packed, and one packed in a Toys'R'Us "Classic Duels" two-pack with a TIE-Interceptor) I'd never come across either in a brick-and-mortar store. My soon-to-be brother-in-law recently discovered this, and surprised me last weekend with a Falcon he had going spare!

Pulled from the Toys'R'Us two-pack, this version of the Falcon comes with Lando Calrissian and an Endor Rebel Commando instead of the usual pairing of Han and Chewie. I'm particularly rapt with this, as - while I already have a surplus of Han and Chewies in my Action Fleet collection - I can never have too many troopers. This particular trooper also happens to be the notorious bearded fellow who dons Scout Trooper armour during the Rebels' assault on the Endor bunker - and who also makes a perfect stand-in for a particular clone trooper captain from a certain animated Star Wars series.

A quick perusal of the images above should give you a clear indication of why I place this line of toys on such a pedestal. As well as the included display stand and two minifigures (both of which have articulated arms and legs), the Falcon itself comes with no less than eight action features: a firing missile between the forward mandibles, retractable landing gear, rotating laser cannons, a rotating and tilting communication dish, an opening cockpit that seats one minifigure, a retractable gunwell that seats another minifigure, an opening rear cargo bay, and an opening floor concealing a hidden 'smuggler's compartment'. All of this in a toy that, at its time of release, retailed for a mere $29.99NZ (or about twice the price of a Hasbro action figure). It might be a tired cliché to say "they don't make toys like they used to" - but in truth, they really don't...

Micro Machines R2-D2 Playset

The return of Micro Machines in 2015 was - for me - the most exciting part of the onslaught of new Star Wars merchandise under the Disney banner. Alongside their line of miniature vehicles (which I allowed myself to collect with a completionist's compulsion), Hasbro also released a pair of transforming head playsets reminiscent of those we saw back in the '90s. Unfortunately, they were branded with a ridiculously high MSRP of $49.99NZ - putting them well outside my collecting budget. It seems this price discouraged a lot of other buyers too, as the sets soon found their way to clearance bins. I picked up the Stormtrooper playset for $15.00 back in 2016, but a couple of weeks ago I did one better - finding the R2-D2 set on clearance at Toys'r'Us for only $4.98US ($6.84NZ).

R2 opens up to reveal a Starkiller Base diorama, and comes with a Chewbacca microfigure and an exclusive 'dirty' variant of the First Order Snowspeeder. Also included is a single play feature - a rotating flight wand upon which a vehicle can be mounted.

Once again, however, this set is only a shadow of the transforming Micro Machines playsets of the '90s - each of which would come with around half a dozen micro figures and a raft of features. Once you've opened R2 up and spun your Snowspeeder around a couple of times, there isn't a lot more to do. And just how many iconic Force Awakens scenes can kids recreate with a single Chewbacca microfigure? In order to get the most out of this playset you'll need to supplement it with other vehicles and figures from your collection (as pictured above). Doing so turns this into a really nice display piece: one that justifies the $5.00 - but certainly not the original $50.00 - price tag.

The Hunt Is On - Rogue One Micro Machines Found

It's no secret that my favourite part of collecting in recent times has been the triumphant return of Micro Machines. Given this, it's been particularly frustrating having to deal with the poor distribution of the line. It was a good two months after Force Friday before I saw any of the Force Awakens Micro Machines in my local stores - and as at the time of writing, the new Rogue One sets are still entirely absent in New Zealand. Things haven't been much better here in the US. The 3-packs are still nowhere to be seen, and the deluxe packs only just started trickling into stores this week. Before they turned up in brick-and-mortar stores, however, I managed to snag the three deluxe packs on my huntlist from Force Friday last year from HasbroToyShop.com for $9.99US ($13.95NZ) each, and the single 3-pack from Amazon.com for $9.93US ($14.27). 

The first deluxe pack - "Assault on Scariff" - contains an Imperial AT-ACT Cargo Walker, the Imperial Cargo Shuttle SW-0608, a Partisan X-Wing Fighter, Rebel Y-Wing Fighter, and a TIE Striker, as well as Moroff and Scarif Stormtrooper Captain micro figures. The second - "Fight the Imperial Might" - contains an Imperial Assault Hovertank, an Imperial AT-ACT Cargo Walker, an Imperial AT-ST Walker, a Rebel U-Wing Fighter, and a Partisan X-Wing Fighter, as well as Baze Malbus and Director Krennic micro figures. The third - "Mandalorian Melee" - instead features vehicles and characters from Star Wars Rebels, and includes the Ghost, Hera Syndulla’s A-Wing, the Interdictor, a Mandalorian Fighter, and a TIE Bomber, as well as Hera Syndulla and Fenn Rau micro figures. The 3-pack - "High Speed Rebel Raid" - contains a Rebel U-Wing Fighter, TIE Striker (Battle Damage), and Krennic’s Imperial Shuttle

Insofar as the quality of these sets goes, my sentiment towards Micro Machines remains the same as always: these are phenomenally well sculpted and painted miniatures for an excellent price. There's also the occasional bonus feature that you're not expecting, like a pivoting head on the AT-ST. Insofar as selection goes, the two Rogue One packs provide us with a fantastic assortment of vehicles from the film. It's also nice that instead of giving us the same AT-ACT twice over, they opted for both cargo-laden and non-laden versions. The same goes for the Partisan X-Wings (one coming with its wings open, and the other with its wings closed) and the TIE Strikers (one with wings in the 'down' position, and the other with battle damage and wings in the 'up' position). There is one straight duplicate, however - the Rebel U-Wing. Though given the fact that multiple of these ships appear in the film, it's a double-up that can be made use of.

The Y-wing and AT-ST will be fairly uninteresting additions for long-time Micro Machines collectors (though the aforementioned articulation in the AT-ST may see it usurping the classic sculpt). The same can be said of the TIE-bomber and Ghost in the Rebels pack, but the real attraction in that set is the three other completely new vehicles. Most exciting is the Interdictor - a fan-favourite ship from the now non-canon 'Legends' expanded universe. Like many collectors, I'd spent years wanting a version of that ship at this scale, so it's great to finally have our wishes granted!

Micro Machines Kylo Ren Playcase

For me, the best part of Star Wars collecting over the past year has been the resurrection of the old Micro Machines line of vehicles and characters. But with so many new miniatures being released, its been difficult to work out where to store them all. Fortunately, Hasbro has us covered with their new Kylo Ren playcase.

The case usually retails for $54.99 in most stores, but is regularly reduced to significantly less than this (at the time of writing, Mighty Ape has it on discount for $41.00). It comes with two Star Wars Micro Machines vehicles - a First Order Star Destroyer (which features a clean deco, unlike its earlier release in the "First Order Attacks" pack) and a 'Gold Series' repaint of the First Order Troop Transport. Also included is a removable cannon that fires a single spring-loaded missile. The case itself features dividers that separate the tray into 23 compartments of varying sizes - each of which is capable of storing several Micro Machine vehicles and characters. These dividers can then be removed and attached to the lid as display stands.

For its size, the case can fit a surprising number of miniatures. I currently have all of the vehicles and characters from the new line stored in there, with room left to spare. It's a sturdy construction, and the versatility of the removable dividers gives a number of different options for play and storage. If you're avidly collecting this line like I am, then I definitely recommend picking one of these up!

Micro Machines Clone Clash and Resistance Base Packs

While the distribution of the resurrected Star Wars Micro Machines line has been good so far, it's looking more and more likely that later releases may not make their way down here to New Zealand. For that reason, I was lucky to have my buddy Daniel source the latest "Clone Clash" and "Resistance Base" packs from the US for me.

Both packs feature entirely new sculpts for the line - the AT-TE and Hailfire Droid in the "Clone Clash" pack, and the Resistance Landspeeder in the "Resistance Base" pack. While the Resistance Troop Transport is technically a repack (being contained in the earlier "Space Pursuit" Deluxe Pack), this is its first appearance in a fully polychromatic (not gold) paint scheme. Likewise, while the Republic Gunship and Poe's X-Wing Fighter are both repacks (appearing in the "Clone Army Raid" and "First Order Attacks" packs respectively), they now appear in the new 'Gold Series' deco.

Like all of the miniatures in this line so far, the sculpting and paintwork continues to be of an exceedingly high quality. While a little warping can occur, this is easily remedied with the old hot water / cold water trick. There have been a glut of earlier packs on store shelves, however - so I only hope that the line is patronised enough to convince Hasbro to keep up production as we head into the future.

Micro Machines Blind Bags Waves 2, 3, 4, and 5 Miniatures

The release of later waves of the Micro Machines blind bags has been somewhat sporadic here in New Zealand. Fortunately, my buddy Daniel helped me nab a few of the miniatures from Waves 4 and 5 - including Jabba the Hutt, Grumgarr, Anakin Skywalker's Clone Wars Jedi Starfighter, and Kanan's Speederbike - from overseas. I also recently managed to find the wampa from Wave 2 and the rancor from wave 3 that I'd spent a long while trying to hunt down.

Both Anakin's Jedi Starfighter and Kanan's Speederbike make great additions to the growing line of miniatures from the Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows. And while my Micro Machines focus is usually on vehicles, this particular selection of characters and creatures was far too interesting to pass up. We've seen various Micro Machines versions of Jabba, the rancor, and the wampa before, but these are brand new (and, arguably, far more screen-accurate) sculpts of each. The same is true of Grumgarr, who hasn't yet seen a release in any other set. All six miniatures are sculpted and painted to the same high quality that we've come to expect from the Micro Machines line, and Jabba and the rancor are even loaded with a couple of points of articulation.

Micro Machines Battle for Jakku and Space Pursuit Deluxe Packs

New Star Wars Micro Machines have been a little thin on the ground lately, but now we've finally seen two new deluxe packs hitting stores here in New Zealand - "Battle for Jakku" and "Space Pursuit". The two packs are in plentiful supply at most Warehouse stores for $22.99 each.

Both of these sets are heavy on repacks, but fortunately a number of these (including the FO Special Force TIE Fighter, FO Transport, and T-70 X-Wing) work well as army-builders. The big attraction of these new sets is the handful of new vehicles, however - the battle-damaged Star Destroyer (the Inflictor) in the "Battle for Jakku" pack, and the Resistance Troop Transport and Quadjumper in the "Space Pursuit" pack. The minifigures (Kylo Ren and FN-2187 in the former pack, and Han Solo and the First Order Stormtrooper in the latter) are all debuts too.

These two sets are part of the new 'Gold Series' line, with one vehicle in each set being painted in a metallic gold finish. I'll be honest, I'm not 100% happy with this particular gimmick. Call me old-fashioned, but my preference is for a polychromatic screen-accurate version of each vehicle. The gold Falcon is tolerable, as we've already had multiple chances at picking this one up. The Resistance Troop Transport is a different story, however. This is the first time we've seen a Micro Machines incarnation of this ship, and sadly, it comes in a gaudy gold. Those of us wanting the polychromatic version will have to wait for Wave 4 of the blind bags (the release of which are highly sporadic here) or the upcoming Resistance Base 3-Pack (which, thanks to my buddy Daniel, is currently winging its way here from the US).

Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer Playset

Along with the First Order Stormtrooper set, Whitcoulls recently also reduced their Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer playset from $89.99 to a very reasonable $40.00. This is another set I'd had my eye on for some time, but had been put off by the price. I'm happy to finally have one in my collection now, though!

This set comes with twice as many vehicles as the smaller character playsets, and includes Finn, Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron's X-Wing, and a First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter. The set opens up to reveal a miniaturised version of the Star Destroyer's hangar, including a flight wand, rotating cannons, and a spring-loaded missile launcher. Perhaps coolest of all, however, is the central rack that can store up to three TIE Fighters ready for flight.

As with the Stormtrooper set - if you've been tempted by one of these in the past, now is the time to scoop one up!

Micro Machines First Order Stormtrooper Playset

It's now almost eight months since merchandise for The Force Awakens first hit stores, and we're now starting to see some great discounts on remaining stock. There were a couple of Micro Machines playsets that caught my eye back in September, but their high price kept them off my hunt list. One of these was the First Order Stormtrooper Playset. Originally retailing for up to $49.99, Whitcoulls recently put these on clearance for only $15.00.

The set opens up to reveal a miniaturised version of the Jakku village that features in the opening scenes of The Force Awakens. Also included are a Poe Dameron micro figure and an exclusive 'dirty' First Order troop transport. It's a fantastic set - but it's a little hard to justify the original price tag of almost $50.00. Compared to the similar Micro Machines Star Wars playsets of the late '90s, this one is definitely found wanting. Whereas older sets would come with a handful of action features, this one only comes with one: a spinning 'flight wand'. The inclusion of only a single figure (compared to the usual five or six of older sets) is also a little disappointing.

That being said, it's excellent value for the clearance price of $15.00. If you've been tempted by one of these in past, I strongly recommend dropping by your nearest Whitcoulls and nabbing one while they last!

Micro Machines Rebellion Rising Deluxe Pack

For me, the most exciting part of collecting in 2015 wasn't the release of the Force Awakens range. It was the return of Star Wars Micro Machines. This is the line that (along with the scaled-up Action Fleet) began my collecting obsession back in the '90s. Given this, it was fitting that my final purchase for the year was the Rebellion Rising Deluxe Pack.

This pack comes as part of the second wave of Star Wars Micro Machines sets. Most of this wave is dedicated to rereleases of Original Trilogy vehicles, but this pack (along with the Clone Fighter Strike 3-Pack) sees the introduction of a number of new prequel-era vehicles to the line. Two of the ships in this set - the Ghost and the Phantom - are repacks from the Inquisitor's Hunt 3-Pack, but everything else is completely new. The Wookiee Gunship is a great little craft with an excellent paintjob, and the the Imperial Troop Transport is a fantastically-detailed rendition of the vehicle based on the '70s vintage toy. The real star of this set, however, is the AT-DP.

A long time ago, I raved about the AT-DP design and it's role as a direct homage to an unused walker design produced by Joe Johnston for The Empire Strikes Back. I never got my hands on the 3 3/4" sculpt of this vehicle, so I'm rapt to finally have another version in my collection. The real surprise with the AT-DP is that the head actually swivels. Articulation is super-rare at this scale (the only other example I can think of is in the neck-joint of the '90s Micro Machine AT-AT), so it's a great extra feature - and one that adds an extra bit of playability / poseability to an already fantastic piece.

The pack also include minifigures of both Kanan Jarrus and the Imperial Inquisitor - making it a great little set for $24.99.

Micro Machines Blind Bag Wave 2 Miniatures

A short while ago I wrote of my love for "blind-bag" collectibles. Well, it turns out my Dad was paying attention to this - as my parents picked up a couple of the new Micro Machines blind bags for my Christmas stocking this year.

It's no secret that the return of Star Wars Micro Machines was - for me - the most exciting part of last year's Force Awakens merchandise line. Since they've hit the stores, I simply haven't been able to get enough of them. These blind bags just so happened to contain a couple of my favourite vehicles from the line - the First Order Snowspeeder and Special Forces TIE Fighter. Both designs have been rendered in incredible detail at this scale - right down to the miniature snowtrooper figures in the speeder, and the splash of red paint across the TIE. They'll make fine additions to my growing First Order army!

Micro Machines Clone Fighter Strike 3-Pack

Ever since Force Friday, details have been sketchy about when and where certain products are expected to hit. As a result, new items seem to be popping up with little warning. A perfect example of this happened last week when I spotted the second wave of the new Micro Machines 3-packs at the Porirua K-Mart. This wave is mostly re-issues of vehicles from the 90s - but I did nab the "Clone Fighter Strike" pack for $12.99.

The ARC-170 starfighter and Jedi Interceptor are re-packs from the "Droid Army Ambush" deluxe pack. Both are great minis in their own right (and useful double-ups for squadron-building purposes), but what really sold me on this set was the debut of the Droid Tri-Fighter in this scale. It's a phenomenal sculpt with some fantastic detailing - right down to the two tiny Buzz Droid missiles mounted on the undercarriage. The paint job is even more impressive. Each arm features tiny Separatist markings, and the red on the droid's eyes is an especially nice touch.

I've only got one (very minor) issue with this set. The cardback lists one of the vehicles as "Anakin Skywalker's Jedi Interceptor", correctly depicted on the packaging with a yellow and grey deco. But the included Interceptor is instead painted in Obi-Wan's red and grey livery - the very same design that appeared on the Interceptor in the "Droid Army Ambush" set mentioned above. Given that it's a repack, it would've been great to see a quick repaint to add some variety to this release. As it stands, it looks as though we'll have to wait a little longer to have the proper pair of Interceptors from the opening scene of Revenge of the Sith.

The Hunt Is On - Micro Machines First Order TIE Fighter Attack 3-Pack Found

For me, the most exciting part of the new The Force Awakens line has been the triumphant return of Micro Machines. Hasbro's stock shortage problems meant that we only started seeing the multi-packs arrive in New Zealand stores last week - but In the interim I'd managed to pick up most of what I was after during a brief trip to Houston last month. The one set that had proved frustratingly elusive was the First Order TIE Fighter Attack 3-Pack. Fortunately, I happened to spot one at my local Warehouse store last week for a reduced price of $10.39.

The pack contains a First Order TIE Fighter, a crashed First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter, and the Millennium Falcon. Only two of these sculpts are unique to the pack, as the First Order TIE Fighter also comes in the Galactic Showdown Deluxe Pack. That version of the TIE features an annoying spray of white 'snow' however - so it's nice to have a second version with a clean deco. While it doesn't allow for a lot of play possibilities, the crashed TIE is also a nice addition to the set, especially since the latest trailer seems to suggest that it'll play a large role in the film's story.

Of course the real highlight of this 3-pack is the Falcon. It might seem that the only difference between this version of the ship and its 90s Micro Machines predecessor is the shape of the dish - but it's actually an all-new sculpt. The original MM Falcon - while incredibly detailed - was always a little too chunky at the front. This new version features a pair of nicely tapered mandibles that gives the ship a much more screen-accurate profile. My only gripe with the vehicle is that the non-rotatable dish is skewed slightly to one side. It's not a make-or-break - but the stickler in me wishes it had been glued on in a forward-facing position.

All up, this is a fantastic little pack - and, at roughly $3.50 a vehicle, great value too. Having picked it up, I can also officially close-off my Force Friday wishlist.

B-Wing, A-Wing, and Escort Frigate Micro Machines

If you've visited the Buy, Sell, and Trade section of this blog, you'll have seen that I'm currently trying to complete my collection of original trilogy Micro Machines vehicles from the 1990s. Last week, Dawfydd from the SWNZ Message Boards came to my aid with three more that I was missing: the B-Wing Starfighter, A-Wing Starfighter, and Escort Frigate.

With these, my set is almost complete. Now I'm just after the Cargo Skiff, Imperial Lander, and Mon Calamari Star Cruiser. If you're looking to trade or sell one of these vehicles, be sure to drop me a message at relicsoftheforce@gmail.com.

A huge thank you also goes to Dawfydd for his generous help!

The Hunt Is On - The Force Awakens Micro Machines Found

Sadly, New Zealand is yet to see a full release of the new Star Wars Micro Machines sets. This is the line I was most excited about post-Force Friday, so was top of my shopping list when I visited Houston last week. Despite a severe stock shortage State-side, there were still a few of these packs on shelves - and I was able to track down all but one of the sets on my wishlist.

I'm thoroughly impressed with every one of these sets. The molding and paint-apps are true to the old Micro Machine aesthetic (i.e., simple and robust) and are dripping with nostalgia. It's also great to see non-The Force Awakens gaps in the line (especially from Episodes II and III) being filled. I'm no expert on plastics - but it seems that there are two different materials being used in producing these. One is the sturdier substance we saw in old Micro Machines (used for most of the 'blockier' vehicles - like the various speeders, and Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle), and the other is a slightly more rubbery materials used for thinner detailing such as the X-Wing and TIE Fighter wings. The latter seems prone to a small amount of warping, but so far the old hot water / cold water trick seems to fix up these imperfections just fine.

My one piece advice for other Micro Machines collectors is to pick your packs carefully. It seems the vehicles aren't being inserted into the blisters with great care, and I spotted a few X-Wings which had had their cannons bent back a full 180 degrees by the way they'd been packaged. It's most likely fixable, but better if avoided.

Words cannot describe how excited I am to see this line back on shelves - and I hope it performs well enough to justify Hasbro continuing to produce Star Wars Micro Machines for a long while yet!