

Hey troopers! We have some exciting news that just came in from the front lines. Hasbro has responded back to us with answers to the questions that we recently gave them. Head on over to the forums to check out what questions they answered. |

“Happy summer to all the Troopers and hope all are preparing for a great 4th of July! Some good news in Central Texas today, to start of with, both the Killeen and Harker Heights Wal-Marts have tons of the Tatooine wave hitting with plenty of all figures on the pegs. The Unleashed have come and gone in the blink of an eye, except for Chewie, he is warming the pegs big time. Target is the one to look for, summer toy clearances are hitting now! Our store has the Grievous marked down to $11, VSTC are $10 and the Senate Skirmish battlepacks are $17. It's the start of something good; hopefully they will mark them down one more time before they are gone. Currently Kmart and KB Toys totally suck. Toys R Us still has plenty of Clone Gunships, but the Hunt for Grievous battlepacks came and gone in less than 3 hours. That's all from Central Texas, everyone have a safe and happy 4th! Starfox signing out...”starfox@hot.rr.com |
Do you like wearing Star Wars t-shirts? StarWarsShop.com now has another series of classic trilogy t-shirts and collector cards from The Empire Strikes Back for sale on their site. Nothing could be cooler that to be able to wear these shirts with an AT-AT on it, or to see a memorable moment from the Battle of Hoth involving AT-ATs and snowspeeders. Because these are supposed to look vintage the shirts will have that old and distressed look. Read the whole scoop about this here. |
Also available at StarWarsShop.com are some great items to liven up your summer festivities. Some of the items include the following: Star Wars coaster set, Yoda fireworks poster and a trooper and crossbones flag (this is a must-have item!). Other items include new iPod covers ("Stormtroopers" and "Star Wars Rocks"), and lots of different Star Wars t-shirts (the coolest one is the gray camouflage stormtrooper shirt). Read more about what SWS.com has to offer here. |
Over at the Official Site in their Hyperspace section known as "Secrets of Star Wars 07" is one incredible picture that will make your jaw drop to the floor. I won't give too much of it away but it is something that even Yoda would probably have a hard time doing. You have to be a Hyperspace member in order to view this section, and if you are you don't want to miss out on this. Check out this stunning image here. |
The Official Site has added more content to their Hyperspace section, by adding the "Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine #20 Online Supplement." This throwback is for those who want to go way back to the Fall of 1993. In this online issue you'll learn about the story behind the classic Star Wars newspaper comic strip, latest news from LucasArts Entertainment Co., Young Indy Emmy winners, special effects from Jurassic Park, and so much more. You have to be a Hyperspace member in order to view this section, and if you are you don't want to miss out on this. Check it out here. |


“Hey Troops I’ve discovered a clearance sale at Target you all should know about. It was pretty much everything that has been sitting there lately. That’s right. VTSC, Grievous, Skirmish all 30% off. It resets the week of July 30th. I will know two weeks before what exactly will be carried. So if you are still looking of have waited on these items now may be a good time to stay on Target.”kmclark14@comcast.net |
If you have to get your Star Wars video game fix while you're at work, on a train or bus, or even in your car (not that we advise you of doing that), you now have the opportunity of play the new Star Wars: Death Star Assault video game on your THQ Wireless cell phone. Levi Buchanan, who reviewed this game for IGN.com, stated that this is a great game with great graphics and is a lot of fun to play (especially for it being on a cell phone). You get to pilot an X-Wing fighter and the Millennium Falcon, and you have to face TIE fighters, Star Destroyers and of course the Death Star. So if you have a cell phone with THQ Wireless service, you might want to get this game because it does sound like Force is with it. Read more about this here. |
The folks at gameinfowire.com have some great looking screenshots on their site. They also mention that there are many different vehicles that you will be able to ride in, such as the Millennium Falcon, X-wings, AT-STs, speeder bikes and more. David Perkinson (producer at LucasArts) said, "Now you have a free range of movement in all directions, which enables you to fully explore a level and even come back to it later in Free Play mode with any of the vehicles you may have unlocked." I cannot wait to play this game! |
Over at StarWarsShop.com are four brand new Attakus statues that are now available for purchase. The four statues include the following: Luke Jedi Knight, Gamorrean Guard, Bib Fortuna and General Grievous. These statues are made from cold cast porcelain, and are a must-have item for any Star Wars collector who does collect the more high-end items. The detail on these are phenomenal, and they'll blow you away because how realistic they look. Check out the pictures of these and read the descriptions of them here. |

If you're a fan of Star Wars (which I'm sure you are) then you'll want to check out the new screen themes over at StarWars.com. There are two new screen theme sets which include images from Revenge of the Sith (Ground Battles) and The Phantom Menace (Special Effects). The resolution on these images are outstanding, and are a perfect addition to any Star Wars fan's computer. With the software installation it gives you screensavers and desktop wallpaper, and the screensaver supports sound and music, and has over 100 transitional effects. You can download these new screen themes here. |
Hyperspace members can now register at StarWarsShop.com to have breakfast at the San Diego Comic-Con convention on Saturday, July 22 at the Marriott Hotel & Marina. Of course you will be treated as a VIP, as you'll receive on Hasbro Comic-Con 2006 exclusive 501st stormtrooper action figure, you'll hear from Steve Sansweet (Head of Fan Relations at Lucasfilm), and prizes will be given away from Lucasfilm. Check out all the details of this breakfast here. |
The final Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith, was classified as the biggest box-office hit in the Spanish State's cinemas in 2005. Should that have come as a surprise? I think not. Read more about this here. |
Our Gentle Giant Busts visual guide that's handled by Boba Binks has been updated tonight with three new images. The three new busts that have been added to the page include the following: Entertainment Earth Exclusive Darth Vader / Anakin Reveal, Blackhole Stormtrooper and Holiday 2005 Salacious Crumb. What's unique about the Salacious Crumb bust is that only 200 units were made, and they were made for Gentle Giant's staff in 2005. I'm not sure how Boba Binks got a hold of one of these, but however he did it that is truly one great bust to have in your collection. |

Hey Troops sources at Sir Steves Guide.com have revealed a new Target Exclusive Snowspeeder. The exclusive pack-in figure is none other than Zev Seneska! Now you too can rescue Han and Luke from the cold of Hoth. For more check out the entire story with several photos at Sir Steves Guide. Look for this to ship in July and the price is still to be determined. |

The voting has ended for Trooper of the Month for May 2006. Forum member Gran3131 will be the recipient of a Gentle Giant Darth Vader mini-bust from Federation Toys. We would really like to thank the Troopers who took the time to vote. Be sure to check out next month, as the next Trooper that could need that vote someday might be YOU! We would like to thank our sponsor Federation Toys for such and outstanding reward for this month. UNITED WE FIND! |
Hey Troops, Sandtrooper Boba Binks has done it once again. This time our Sandwatch Update features Artoo Potatoo and Princess Tater. The Spud Heroes Collection continues as we get to see the latest and greatest for Padawan Collectors. For more check out the detailed photos and review. Make sure to sound off on this topic in our forums. |
UPDATE: More pictures have been transmitted to us, so be sure to check out the photos in the third gallery. |
| New Champions of the Force: Darth Malak #11 of 60 General Windu #26 of 60 Qui-Gon Jinn #32 of 60 Darth Sidious #41 of 60 New UGH Figures: Commander Cody– 024 Anakin Skywalker– 025 Obi-Wan Kenobi- 028 Han Solo– 002 Snowtrooper– 011 Boba Fett– 006 Darth Vader– 013 AT-AT Driver– 009 General Grievous– 030 | New Saga 2006: Momaw Nadon – 031 R5-D4 – 032 Hem Dazon – 033 Garindan – 034 Han Solo - 035 Luke Skywalker – 036 Sandtrooper – 037 Darth Vader – 038 Clone Trooper – 026 Commander Cody – 024 New Unleashed: Chewbacca Han Solo Stormtrooper Shock Trooper |


While the Diary of this Mad-Sand is usually restricted to Sandwatch Action Figure reviews, once in a while it is good to put things into a nice proper outline. Our S.C.A.L.P. Weapons Supplier has compiled quite an amazing read entitled What's Up with Hasbro. Is he right on target or did dustrho miss something? You can return fire in our forums and help join the movement! United We Find. |
The Official Site has just unveiled what should be quite a valuable tool for those attending the San Diego Comic-Con between July 20-23. The tool I am referring to is a detailed list of all the Star Wars exlusives that will be available during the convention. The only thing that it is lacking are prices, only because it would be nice to have the cash readily available to purchase all of these great items. One of the most exciting items that will be available has to be the Star Wars Chaykin Poster Mini Sculpture, which looks incredibly detailed and brings you back to 1976. Check out the full listing of exclusives here. |
Our S.C.A.L.P. inspection team has once again come through with visuals from the Obi-Wan Kenobi 1/4 Scale Premium Format figure from Sideshow Collectibles. The detail in these amazing works of art is simply incredible. The price tag is quite high on these massive pieces, however cash in exchange for quality is a trade I'll make any day of the week! Thanks to Sandtrooper Boba Binks for putting the frames together. For more check out the page. United We Find! |
It's official! Jar Jar Binks has been labeled as the most annoying film character of all time. Not that the news should be surprising to anyone but it's now factual as a poll was run by Lovefilm.com (a British online rental firm) asking fans who they hated the most. I only know one person that is a fan of Jar Jar Binks, and I'm sure he's just rolling his eyes when he reads this news post. There's no better picture out there that best shows what should happen to Jar Jar than this picture. |
Fans across the galaxy raced to stores earlier this year to purchase the highly anticipated PC video game titled "Star Wars: Empire at War." Some were thrilled with the game while others were not. Whatever the case may be, it's still another Star Wars game that should be worth giving at least a try. GameSpot.com recently added a new article to their site titled "Diary #1 - Underworld Faction," which goes into detail about the different groups who add some corruption to the game. If you hate the Rebels and don't want to join the Empire, then playing the role for the Underworld would be right up your alley. Read the whole diary entry for yourself here, and when you're done be sure to talk about it in our forums. |
One thing I have learned since I joined Sandtroopers is that the other members here truly care about each and every member of this board and others as well. That’s why I’m not shocked that we as a community are going to try and aid this auction by posting it and letting the Web know that another member needs help. Carol Gilbert (aka Jedi Mom) needs your help in the most urgent of ways. She has fallen on some hard times with some serious medical bills and is having to part with her Star Wars Collection. That’s why we are asking you to do what you can do and help this member and fan of Star Wars out when she needs it most. If you want to help Carol out please check out the auction the crew at Yodasnews has put together for her. For any that wish and can help, please do. United We Find! |

As many of you may already know, Tim Hildebrandt passed away on June 11 at the young age of 67. He was a resident of San Antonio, Texas, and had caught the flu while visiting in New Jersey. Hildebrandt was the artist who captured the story of Star Wars so well, by creating the original Star Wars movie theater poster. Every Star Wars fan in the entire Galaxy has seen that poster at least one time in their life. Read his full obituary here, and feel free to pay your respects in our forums. |


Our S.C.A.L.P. Troopers have confirmed a report of a Jedi Survivor, literally... Even though Kit Fisto lost in the lightsaber battle to the Emperor, he is still a survivor, but just behind the scenes. Zack Jensen is actually the art director for the CBS reality show Survivor. Please click here to see how things are put together in this detailed interview. It was good to catch up on Master Kit Fisto as we haven't heard from him since last year at CIII! Thanks to Jimsjedi for the tip! Discuss this with other Troopers in our Forums. |




If you're a fan of Timothy Zahn's writing you will surely be excited when you hear that he has a new book coming out titled "Star Wars: Allegiance." The book takes place between Episodes IV and V and involves a team of stormtroopers who decide to do things a little bit differently than the norm. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and even Mara Jade will all have a part in this book. What I like about this is the fact that it's going to be a transitional book, so maybe we'll learn more about how the Rebels re-grouped after destroying the first Death Star, and what would even be cooler is how they ended up choosing and settling down on Hoth. The book is scheduled to be released on January 30, 2007, and it will be initially produced in hardcover format. Read the full article here. |


The voting has begun for Trooper of the Month for May 2006. Some lucky Trooper will be the recipient of a Gentle Giant Darth Vader mini-bust from Federation Toys. We have narrowed down the nominees and need your help to decide who the winner will be. Be sure to cast your vote, the next Trooper that could need that vote someday might be YOU! We would like to thank our sponsor Federation Toys for such and outstanding reward for this month. UNITED WE FIND! |
Hey troopers! Fellow staff member Boba Binks has pumped out another Sandwatch update for us this evening, and his latest work has to do with the Hunt for Grievous Battle Pack. If you're a Star Wars collector you will have to add this set to your collection, because it's just that good! Too bad this didn't come with the Cartoon Network gunship, but at least that's available for these figures! Check out the full Sandwatch update here. |
The video gaming website, Gamespot.com, has recently announced additional games that will be coming soon to the Xbox 360 gaming console. The only Star Wars title that has been mentioned here is LEGO Star Wars. It's unclear at this time what other Star Wars games will be coming to the Xbox 360, but it's good to hear that something Star Wars related will be playable on it. Check out the entire updated list here. |
The Official Site has added more content to their Hyperspace section, by adding the "Lucasfilm Fan Club Magazine #19 Online Supplement." This throwback is for those who want to go way back to the Summer of 1993. In this online issue you'll learn more about David Prowse (Darth Vader), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), imagine how Star Wars would be if there were no pictures, and so much more. You have to be a Hyperspace member in order to view this section, and if you are you don't want to miss out on this. Check it out here. |


"Hey Troopers, The Hunt for Grievous has made it's way to the TRU in Killeen, TX, but they didn't hang around long as they all sold out in less than a day! TRU also has about 15 of the Clone Wars Cartoon Gunships on the shelves, several VTSC figures, the H & V wave of basic figures and the Titanium Bossk and Sandtrooper (which I bought). The Harker Heights Wal-Mart has the entire Tatooine wave plus H & V wave on the pegs as well as the newer Titanium ships with the EP3 Aluminum Falcon. The Killeen Wal-Mart is choking with Hoth wave pegwarmers and the big Bothan Jedi. Kmart is choking also with the H & V wave, same with KB Toys. That's all from Central Texas for now, starfox signing off."mailto:starfox@hot.rr.com |
Hasbro announced today a new line of basic action figures which will be called "The Episode III Greatest Battles Collection." The initial wave will include eight figures which are the following: Royal Guard, Padme (on Mustafar), R4-G9, Kit Fisto, 501st Legion Trooper, C-3PO, AT-TE Tank Gunner and Count Dooku. It's a shame that none of these figures are of new characters that haven't been done yet, but it's good to see that the 501st troopers will hit store shelves again since I never found one. Be sure to check out the pictures for yourself here, and be sure to share your opinions of this new wave our forums. |
| Restock Saga 2006: Momaw Nadon– 031 R5-D4– 032 Hem Dazon– 033 Garindan– 034 Han Solo- 035 Luke Skywalker– 036 Sandtrooper– 037 Darth Vader– 038 Clone Trooper (Utapau)- 026 Commander Cody– 024 New Battlepacks: The Hunt for Grievous Skirmish in the Senate | New UGH Figures: Commander Cody– 024 Anakin Skywalker– 025 Obi-Wan Kenobi- 028 Han Solo– 002 Snowtrooper– 011 Boba Fett– 006 Darth Vader– 013 AT-AT Driver– 009 General Grievous– 030 New Unleashed: Chewbacca Han Solo Stormtrooper Shock Trooper |




After a delicious meal at Red Robin for lunch, I decided to make a quick stop at the Target down on Route 59 in Plainfield, and I'm glad that I did. Hanging on the pegs were two of the Clone Trooper figures from the Heroes & Villains Collection, but after further inspection I thought these were supposed to be new or at least have a new paint job? Head on over to our forums to read my full report. |
Wizard World Chicago will soon be here upon us, and that means it's time we all start putting in our vacation requests at work so that we can all meet up at the show. It's been a long time coming and I'm very much looking forward to this year's Wizard World Chicago event. This year I will be suiting up in my sandtrooper armor for the first time, and will hopefully meet many people who I have become friends with in the forums. Be sure to read my latest article, Wizard World Chicago 2006, as I go into detail as to what may be in store for us, and more importantly if Hasbro will be present or not (their last appearance was in 2003). When you're done reading it be sure to share your thoughts over in our forums. |



“Trooper Jon reporting in from Ohio. Well, I have been back in Ohio this week visiting my family. I scored a few figures from the Tatooine wave last Saturday at Wal-Mart, and I was lucky enough to find the entire assortment tonight at another Wal-Mart in the outer-rim territories. These figures are just awesome! Otherwise Toledo has been very dry. Meijer and K-Mart are choking on the Carkoon wave. I think these are the same figures that were on the pegs two months ago when I was last here. The other stores in Toledo have the Heroes and Villains wave warming pegs. Well, I'm back to my East coast patrol tomorrow. Back to Boston. Blah. Talk to you troops later. Trooper Jon out.”KaperJB@aol.com |
Hey troopers! We have received several new high resolution images of Hasbro products that will be available soon, and some of the images include the following toys: Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter, Unleashed Battle Packs and more pictures of the Comic-Con 501st Legion Stormtrooper figure. I haven't collected all of the different Jedi Starfighters, only because they're all the same ship but with different paint jobs, but I do think I'm going to have to pick up Mace's Starfighter. It's not too often that you get to see a purple astromech droid. Check out all the images here. |
“Jimsjedi reporting in from a very wet and soggy state. The rain so far this year has been out of control. I managed to pick up the Hunt for Grievous Battle Pack today at the Bellingham TRU. These are ringing up at $24.99 and look very sweet. I was also able to find the new Darth Vader, R5-D4, and Han Solo. That’s all for now. Take care.”jimsjedi@aol.com |
“The Mos Eisley wave has finally hit the Soy Capital of the World! After three weeks of frustration and desperation, I was able to score some of this wave at our Target in Decatur, IL, today. Target also had four Titanium Figure Sandtroopers, but none of the all-metal variant. The Skirmish in the Senate Battlepack continues to be a pegwarmer here, with about 6-7 on the shelves; to keep it company, the Episode III vehicle re-releases are plentiful, as well. Looking over this store and both Wal-Mart stores (which are about a month behind our Target in getting new stuff), the new local pegwarmer is Luthros Dofine (I saw eight or nine of him at the stores today), and most of the Heroes & Villains first wave is hanging around (except for the Destroyer Droid and Mace Windu). Overall, it’s nice to see new figures, but we’ve got to get more new stuff on the shelves. I’m anxiously awaiting all of the new vehicle releases later this year. Take care, and happy hunting Troopers!”adayinthelife1979@insightbb.com |
Hasbro announced today what figures will be included in the final wave of the Saga Collection, and the ten new figures include the following: Rep Been, Naboo Soldier, Dud Bolt & Mars Guo, Gragra, Luke Skywalker (ROTJ, Endor), Darth Vader (ROTJ, Death Star), Rebel Troopers, Obi-Wan Kenobi and last but not least the holographic Darth Maul. Most of these are entirely new figures, so it's no wonder as to why this latest wave of figures would make Star Wars collectors excited. Read the figure descriptions and check out the images of them here, and be sure to speak your mind about them over in our forums. |
The Official Site has released some exciting news that is guaranteed to make any Star Wars LEGO fan cheer about. They are running a new poll to determine which Ultimate Collectors Set should be made next, and there are four sets you can choose from which include the following: R2-D2, FX-6, Vulter Droid Starfighter and an Electronic AT-AT walker. I had to go with the FX-6 medical droid, only because of the fact that he is one of a few droids that helped create Darth Vader. The other sets look good, but I had to choose the one that looked most original and one that hasn't been done before. The new set is scheduled to be released in 2007. Check out the full story here and be sure to cast your vote in our forums and on their site. Voting will be open from June 6th through June 13th to all registered (free and subscriber) members of starwars.com. |



Hey Troops, last week Celebration IV was announced and while the feelings still seem to be mixed, dustrho thought this would be a good topic to fire on. Will L.A. be just as explosive as Indy? How does the venue affect your Celebration IV plans? Will you be attending? Click the image to read the entire article. You can return fire in our forums. |
The only official retailer in the U.S. for Medicom's new Boba Fett super-deformed vinyl figure is StarWarsShop.com |
“Greetings Troopers! After wondering whether we were missing the Skiff here in northeast Illinois, I ended up heading way South of Heaven Saturday from Winthrop Harbor to work in LaGrange, with my trip on Highway 94 taking me to Docking Bay 94 with new figures Vader (two), R5-D4 (two), and Sandtrooper at Wal-Mart in Countryside, and Titanium Bossk (both trim) at Target. Again today, the same Wal-Mart had Garindan (two) and Hem Dazon, with what appeared to be the same case-pack reported by trooper Vlix (based on seeing Snowtrooper and Fire Pilot). This Wal-Mart has also restocked VSTC. On additional fronts, I found the Titanium Sandtrooper (regular) at Racine, Wisconsin Toys R Us and more Sandtroopers (both trim), again at Countryside Target. The Unleashed have been showing up here for a few weeks now and the Shock Trooper is definitely short-packed. Contact your local Imperial snitch and you may find the figures you are looking for. United We Find!”jason.meyers@emdiesels.com |
“Greetings from the heartland of Gods country. Cedar Rapids Iowa. The UGH and Saga figures are definitely warming the pegs around here. Wal-Mart continues to stock absolutely nothing. Excluding the Tatooine wave Target has received all of the waves but the hard to find figures are never on the pegs. TRU had at least a dozen Republic Gunships on the shelf. I'm still waiting for the new Unleashed to arrive. I have found 1 Sandtrooper and 1 Clonetrooper with dirty armor. Of coarse I snatched up both. Good hunting to all. If you spot any scalpers call my hotline. The hunter is always looking for his prey. United We Find.”rrl1125@ccr.net |
We update our Sandwatch Menu today with the 12-inch Exclusive Anakin Skywalker from Sideshow Collectibles. I warn you not to estimate their power, and let me just say this is quite a follow up to the smash hit that was the debut Luke Skywaker Jedi Knight. Staff members Boba Binks and jlcmsu code name Long-Shot have put together the visuals for your entertainment. What do you think about the first two Sideshow 12-inch figures? Let us know in our forums! |
