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 With convention season in full swing it appears Wizard World Chicago is in the process of setting up their guest list as Mary Oyaya (Luminara Unduli) has been added to the list with Lou Ferrigno and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. We are looking forward to invading the show again this year and hopefully they will do what they can to increase the Star Wars presence at this event. I am told but it is yet to be confirmed Doug Wangler (Quinlan Vos) & Dean Mitchell (Cellheim Anujo) will also be appearing in Chicago as well. Stay tuned to Sandtroopers.com for further information on this event. |
 We thank all of our loyal members and new recruits for all of their support the past few weeks. The second and final winner of our Celebration IV giveaway is Sandtrooper and forum member tk118. He is the lucky winner of the McQuarrie Luke Skywalker. For those of you who were so looking forward to winning but didn't, remember party time is just around the corner. Until then lock and load and keep your ears plugged for the Sandblast announcements coming in from Sandtrooper HQ in the very near future. United We Find! |
 One of the many 2007 San Diego Comic-Con Exclusives are now up for order. If you will be attending the show in July get over to StarWarsShop.com and get your order in for the Shadow Scout trooper with speeder. This trooper only has a limit of 3 per person and priced at twenty-five bucks. This EU character will make a great addition to any collection so head over to StarWarsShop.com before it's too late! |
 Incase you missed it the first time around you've now gotten a second chance. That's right folks the Concept Luke Skywalker is back up for sale at Hasbro's Toy Shop. Having this in person I can assure you this is a must have figure so don't waste time thinking order it today!! Luke can be had for a great price of $14.99 so make sure you get him before he's gone. You better get to Hasbrotoyshop.com before it's too late! |
 30 years after Star Wars was produced, Steven Spielberg is still collecting money from Lucas' hit film. How you ask? It appears that Steve and George had a running bet of trading 2.5% from the movie gross on Close Encounters vs. Star Wars, because George was convinced that Close Encounters was going to be the biggest hit ever and his own film Star Wars was going to be a bust. Steve, being a gracious friend, took that bet and is still running all the way to the bank. It seems even with nothing to do with a movie Spielberg seems to find a way to make some money... Too bad he didn't bet George to win an Oscar! To read the whole story, just check out Star Pulse for all the details. |
 The EntertainmentEarth.com |
 He's the one Jedi we all wished we could have seen more of through the prequel films, but unfortunately the most amount of screen time was during his final flight to his death in ROTS. Jedi Master Plo Koon was beautifully made into the 12" format from Sideshow Collectibles, and we have just finished adding it to our Sandwatch Guides. You'll have to check it out for yourself, because this is truly one amazing piece that should be added to anyone's Star Wars collection! |
 Once a major holding of the Commerce Guild, Felucia was a world teeming with fungal life-forms and immense primitive plants. Near the end of the Clone Wars, Felucia was one of the key contested worlds during the Outer Rim Sieges. The LEGO diorama master himself, ACPin, has done an outstanding job bringing this scene to life. Check it out for yourself here. |
 We all loved the video game Star Wars: Battlefront II by LucasArts, primarily because we got to play the roles of so many different clone troopers. Forum member RC 1976 has brought these characters to life with his latest custom work, which include the infantry clone, clone engineer, clone jet trooper, clone heavy trooper and the clone sniper. Not only did he customize these well, but he also put them together in what he calls the "merry-go-round" as they're shown in the game. His work has amazed thousands of ST.com members, so be sure to check out his work over in the forums. |
 One of the best known Star Wars artists is set to cross the pond and set up shop at Celebration Europe. Dave Dorman's latest print titled "Juntland Wastes" features the second in command of Santroopers.com, Chris (dustrho) Rhoads. Chris was the Sandtrooper model for Dave, and the print shows the aftermath of the Sandtrooper assault on the Jawas. This is sure to be another must have for the Star Wars art collector. If you're attending Celebration Europe, be sure to stop in, see Dave, and check out his amazing work for yourself. Read about more artists scheduled to appear at the official site. |
 Get ready Lego lovers for a Star Wars related weekend at Legoland in Carlsbad, CA. This weekend, Legoland will be celebrating Star Wars 30th Anniversary where guests can participate in all sorts of fun activities. Members of the local 501st will also be there to "storm" the compound and add lots of fun for all involved with their "Droid Hunt" contest. There will also be a daily costume contest for those interested in showing off their uniques costume interpretations. A special contest set for this weekend, Legoland's "MiniLand" will stage a hunt for never-before-produced, special-edition metallic gold C-3PO mini figures. Only 10,000 of them have been produced, 30 of which will be given away throughout the weekend. All guests this weekend will receive a commemorative "Star Wars" Lego brick. You can check out Press Enterprise for more details on this Star Wars weekend extravaganza. |
 “Hey Troops, here's the latest from northeast Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The past few days have seen the following: 2007 Wave 3 at Kenosha, WI Target, Zion K-mart and Countryside Target; Saga Legends at LaGrange (Hodgkins/Countryside) Wal-Mart and Target; Vintage figures at Downers Grove Target and Lombard Toys R Us; and AT-ATs, Dagobah X-Wings, and Banthas at Lombard TRU. The vintage figures were all available except Snowtrooper and Bossk. I did feel a disturbance in the Force however. Anyone who remembers some of my articles at Sandtroopers a few years back will remember my ongoing battles with S.C.A.L.P. enemies like Dr. Cardbender. I can't imagine that ole' Doc would follow me from the Empire State to the East Coast to the Windy City, but he has been putting a bend on the cards with a vengeance. His latest scheme is slitting openings in the Vintage figures' clamshell cases and removing the mail-away stickers. Even after Hasbro lost the scotch tape and went with the sealed cases, and then made it easier to do the mail-away this year by taking away the restriction of adding each individual figure's sticker, we have this way shady activity. Will my Apprentice and I be forced to track down this agent of Evil? I will ponder this question as I listen for pockets rattling with the sound of many coins. Until next time Troops, United We Find!” |
 George Lucas had a vision thirty years ago, to make a film that would entertain children and adults for generations. To bring Lucas' vision to reality, he asked Ralph McQuarrie to help put those visions onto paper. That way, Lucas had something to go by when making the films. Hasbro has made five McQuarrie figures so far which include the following: Boba Fett, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2 & C-3PO and Stormtrooper. More are in the works, but for the time being check out the entire visual guide here. |
 A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Darth Vader and his stormtroopers took control of the Tantive IV above the desert planet of Tatooine. In 2007, Hasbro decided to recreate this scene by putting together a 3.75" Battle Pack set which includes two Stormtroopers, two Rebel Fleet Troopers and Darth Vader. Did Hasbro capture the moment? Is it worth the $20 dollars most retailers are asking for? Four soldiers and a Dark Lord of the Sith sounds like a pretty good deal to me, but check out the visual guide for yourself. |
| We have received our latest barrage a little bit ahead of schedule. This week we focus on strength of demand, Titanium Vehicles and why do some figures appear to have that funky stance? Take cover and head for the forums and take a look at what they had to say. Do you have a question for the Hasbro Q & A Team? Login and leave your question in the forums. United We Find! |
 Trooper Shade has successfully infiltrated Wizard World Philadephia this weekend, and has made it back to headquarters with a very detailed mission report with some photos of the event. It seems like Wizard World is desperately trying to steer clear of anything relating to Star Wars, as this one simply didn't have Force flowing through it. Buckets off to Shade for completing his mission without any casualties. |
 “Here's my store report for June. TRU (Gurnee, IL) has all Wave 3 figures in stock. They also have the Vintage figures & the Wave 2 Comic packs. The Target (Gurnee, IL) also has the Vintage figures but for $11.99 compared to Toys R Us price of $9.99. No sign of the Father's Day set at Wal-Mart (Gurnee, IL). They also lack new items due to the Transformers push. That's all for now. United We Find!” |
 The Collection Gallery has just been updated with 37 new photos of Iggy Wan Kenobi's collection. With the update to his collection page, we get to have a tour of his recently re-designed collection room, complete with a life-size Yoda sporting a really great-looking shirt. His collection covers all films, from the vintage days through all three prequels, but most amazing is the new stormtrooper helmet he's recently put together. All he needs is the armor to glo with it! Check it out for yourself, and give your feedback over in the the forums. |
 Looks like ACME is going to continue with some more Original Trilogy characters in the character key line. Up next is the TIE Fighter Pilot. Set to debut at Celebration Europe, and limited to 1000 total pieces. This piece is not exclusive and will be available to purchase as well on our website beginning July 9th. There will be a limit of 1 per customer. More details will be released later, so keep checking www.characterkey.com for more information as it becomes available. |
| The first winner of our Celebration IV giveaway is Sandtrooper and forum member JediMCor. He is the lucky winner of the R2-D2 & C-3PO set. We look forward to selecting the winner for the Luke Skywalker figure in just two short weeks. Until then lock and load and keep your ears plugged for the Sandblast announcements coming in from Sandtrooper HQ. United We Find! |
 “Greetings from the heartland of God's country. Cedar Rapids Iowa. Target has a few of the wave 4 figures but not much else. All of their shelf space is filled with the new Transformers stuff. Wal-Mart is the place to be. They have all of the wave 5 figures. First time I've ever seen wally have an entire wave. What I found surprising was in the clearance aisle. While Target had a few of the ESB Saga figures Wal-Mart has the entire line on clearance for $7.00. Bossk, IG-88, Han, Leia, Luke, Snowtrooper, the entire wave. I haven't picked up any of them yet. Didn't have any cash at the time. They also had 1 of the white Tie Fighters on clearance for $15.00. As usual, zip, zero, nada at Toys Aint Us. That's all for now. United We Find.” |
 “I don't know how many other collectors in here are aware of this brand-new development in local Family Dollar stores or not, but on Monday (June 11th) I made a quick pit stop at the closest Family Dollar just down the road from my house and was very surprised to see Galactic Heroes single packs with one figurine apiece on a lower shelf in white shipping containers marked with the Star Wars and Galactic Heroes logos. There seemed to be the following: Bossk, red Battle Droid, Darth Vader, Luke (not sure which, seemed to be the ROTJ Luke in black outfit but not certain), C-3PO, a green Episode II/AOTC Clone Trooper and a few others, one of which may or may not have been the Chewbacca with the Imperial Blaster rifle. They go for only $2.00 a pop before sales tax so that's a really, really good buy considering a regular two-pack sells from $5 - $7 depending where you get yours.” |
 “If you ordered a C4 Luke through Hasbro don't be surprised if your order shows up canceled. I called today and they said it was a computer "glitch" and they would be contacting everyone. We’ll see, this is the second time I have had a problem and the second time I have used their online service. Between this and the discount screw up you wonder who is running things there. You should contact Customer Service at 1-800-408-0052 with your order number if you still have questions or concerns.” |
| New Vintage 2007: Bossk - Bounty Hunters IG-88 - Bounty Hunters Luke Skywalker - Bespin Fatigues Leia Organa in Combat Poncho Imperial Stormtrooper - Hoth Battle Gear Han Solo - Hoth Outfit | New T.A.C. Wave 3: Concept Chewbacca #21 Stormtrooper #20 Jawa & LIN Droid #19 Luke Skywalker #18 Biggs Darklighter #17 Darth Vader #16 |
| We have managed to gather a brand new assault of questions in the aftermath of Celebration IV. For the answers to how many rings will we have for a Jedi Stafighter and more, take cover and head for the forums and take a look at what they had to say. Do you have a question for the Hasbro Q & A Team? Log-in and leave your question in the forums. United We Find! |
 “Hey, folks. Young George Lucas reporting from the Kansas City area. To be honest, I've been bored with what Hasbro has been putting out for a long time...a long time. Seems like most of what they having putting out since '05 has been repaints, reissues and rehashed figures. Lately I've had a change of heart, mostly because of the new McQuarrie figures, which not only add something totally new, but also are really well done-and extremely cool. The concept Chewbacca, Boba, 3PO, R2, Stormtrooper and Luke figures are amazing! Ralph McQuarrie has (I believe) never really received due credit for his incredible work in the original trilogy. Also, I believe the new Sith Infiltrator is pretty cool, however the new wave of Vintage figures is pretty lame. I at least look forward to more McQuarrie figures like McVader and McLeia. Have a quality day.” |
 Gentle Giant today sent out notices to all Premiere Guild Members that they where starting the raffles for the extra Celebration IV items. They are holding back 200 of Commander Gree and Darth Malak while they are raffling off 400 of the Spirit Yoda bust. If you're a member and did not Pre-Order them for Celebration IV then make sure you enter. The raffles will end on June 12 at 11:59 PST. Check out the Gentle Giant Blog to make sure you get your entry in! |
| “Wave 3 has hit New Jersey. Taking a tip from other sites I stopped at the Kmart in Burlington and picked up a Vader. I am not sure when the "Bulls Eye" that I work at will get them as we are swimming in wave 2. Although the legends came and went. Now it's Mc Vader and Holiday Boba next on my list. Also I am looking to recoup the money I shelled out for the C4 Luke. So I have the First fan choice Trooper, Com Tech Trooper, and POJ Sandtrooper for sale.” |
 “Hey Troops! I am back in the saddle after returning from C4 in LA. I got to run into Darth Spice and he hooked me up with a Sandtroopers T-shirt. Thanks Spice! It was great to run into you! I managed to sport it around on Sunday. I had an excellent time at C4. It's always fun to get together with lots of fans. If you made it out, I hope you enjoyed your time. Lots of news coming out during C4 so that was cool too. Now for local reports...not much in the way of new stuff here in Central TX. My Targets put out some of the Legends Wave 1 this week, but no signs of Wave 3 and barely any Wave 2 to speak of. Still lots and I mean LOTS of Saga2 (TSC) on the pegs in all locations. I really hope they decide to clear that stuff out here pretty soon. But then I guess it would be only empty pegs. So only time will tell. Not much else to report. Hunt'em Down Troops.” |
 “DarthPharaoh reporting in. Still recovering from C-IV, which was absolutely incredible, I’ve managed to find VTAC and wave 3 in the Atlanta area. Haven’t seen Legends wave 1 myself yet but some other locals here have. Not that I really care about it. I fear another GB virus type situation. The V-wing wave of Titanium ships is also around. On a side note, I have an extra Yoda mini-bust from C-IV if anyone is interested. Cost plus shipping or trade (which I would prefer). Stay strong troops!” |
 “Freshly back from the City of Angels and it's time for the hunt to resume. Since my flight from Houston to Killeen was cancelled, I had to rent a car to get back home. During my ride home, I stopped by some small town Wal-Marts and scored wave 3 TAC figures. Once I was back in Killeen, the Harker Heights Wal-Mart was flooded with VTAC figures in abundance, plus the 2nd wave of comic 2-packs. The Killeen Wal-Mart has the same VTAC in large supplies plus they also have the Father's Day 2-pack of Luke & Vader. Target is getting ready for a big Transformers push, so Star Wars is getting a smaller area, and it's all old stuff. That's all for now in central Texas, starfox signing off.” |
 Attack Frigate In Felucia: Battlefront Felucia is a Gossam-settled planet dominated by multi-colored fungi looking plants. The Republic sends troops to deploy and capture the Separatists under the able leadership of the Jedi masters.Click the thumbnails to enter. |
