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CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery Rewind to Force Friday, 4th September 2015, and an absolute avalanche of Star Wars 6" Black Series exclusives were revealed. One that stood out was the Entertainment Earth Imperial Forces 4-pack, and after a couple of months wait - this has finally arrived at Mephitsu Towers for review and entry into our Archives. The first thing that will frustrate Mint in Box collectors is that this is yet another size and type of box to fit into your collection. The nearest comparison to this box would be the Amazon Exclusive Evolution of the Stormtroopers - but where as the Amazon box folds in on itself with 2 figures per side, this one is simply a flat box with four windows and in my opinion would display much better. The box itself is the same height as a single boxed figure, but it is not quite the same length as four boxes together. Again this means it won't stack or line up with a collection of other MIB Black Series figures. The design principle remains the same as the other releases, with a black box and overlaid with grey lined artwork of each character cut into a triangular section under each window. The character name is picked out in bold red text, and in dual language. The top of the box front also holds the Star Wars logo. One interesting point is that each window seems to be printed with some black hatching around the guns - this is something we haven't seen (or I haven't noticed) on other releases, and am not sure why it is there or what value it adds? The exclusive nature of the box is marked with a simple yellow Entertainment Earth sticker in the top right corner. The right hand side of the box follows the red side panel theme. It is unnumbered, and instead of naming the set it lists the four figures the box contains. Round the back and the rear is split into four panels, one for each figure, which contains a brief sentence or two about each character in four languages. Underneath each of these is another very feint grey lined drawing of the character. The box opens at either side, and the whole inner tray slides out as one piece of perspex and behind this is a full length red background cardboard piece. Like the Amazon 4-pack, there is nothing new in this box in terms of figure sculpt and articulation. The only differences are in paint applications. I am therefore not going to full review each figure, but rather link you into to the initial release review and then talk a little about the differences and my impression of each figure. Sandtrooper, White Pauldron (Sergeant) Personally, I was a little disappointed when I saw the White pauldron Sandtrooper was part of this set. I was kind of hoping we would see this in a deluxe box with a Dewback at some point. That being said, it does nicely wrap up the Sandtrooper variants from A New Hope and uses what is still arguably the best figure sculpt we have had in the series to date. By using the 2013 Santrooper sculpt, you do get the double articulated elbows which have been dropped on the later 2015 Force Awakens figures. You also get the backpack and all three weapons that have been packed with the Orange & Black versions. The weathering is just as strong on this figure although there seems to be some odd orange eye liner under each eye of the helmet which I think is meant to be a build up of sand. My one gripe is that the white paint on the Pauldron isn't overly crisp at the edges, but you can probably put that down to the harsh Tatooine sand-storms. All in all, this figure is really good and a worthy inclusion. Crimson Stormtrooper OK, so I admit I had to go and have a look round Google to understand the origin of this figure. On the rear of the box it talks about these being Special Forces troopers who are trained to work in Volcanic areas, and my Google searches turned these up as more commonly known as Magma Troopers and possibly drafted from the Emperor's Royal Guard, hence the Red Armour. The Magma Troopers were taken from the Expanded Universe - the same EU that has apparently been turned to Legends by Disney? So all that aside, this is still a nice figure - utilising the Wave 3 Stormtrooper sculpt and again retaining that double elbow articulation. He comes with a standard issue blaster and rifle and with a working holster for the blaster. The red is really well done, and is much nicer and deeper in tone when you have it in hand vs any photo you may have seen of this figure, including mine. It is also neatly applied without any discolouration between armour and joints that we have seen on the white troopers. I do like this figure. In fact I like it much more in hand than I did when I originally saw the set. I do however think I need more than one to display to distinguish them as a Special Forces squad. As much as I am liking the Magma Trooper, I do still believe there were better options to fill this slot in the box. A tweaked Shadow Trooper for example would have fit really well on display with the previous Shadow Squadron release, or perhaps even a tweaked White Stormtrooper with 501st blue markings - that would have been brilliant. Lieutenant Oxixo Now, I think Oxixo is the biggest let down in this set. Again, I had to Google who Oxixo actually was and it turned out he is a creation of Hasbro, originally used in the 3.75" Star Wars line in a Battle over Endor set. Oxixo was meant to be a pilot who fought in the Battle of Endor. Oxixo is a very simple variation of the original Tie Fighter Pilot. And to be fair, there is very little variation to speak of. The key difference is a silver panel on the helmet into which is a series of zero's. There is also one extra silver line on the chest box. This is too lazy for my liking. Collectors are paying a lot of money for this set, more so in most cases than 4 single figures due to the premium most retailers are putting on this to make a profit after ordering from EE. For this investment I want a better figure than a Tie Fighter Pilot and a silver stripe. If a Tie Fighter Pilot was the direction, why not go for something more EU like Baron Fel with his white vest and straps, and red piping to the uniform? Or even a Rebels Baron Valon Rudor with his greyer uniform and red pin striping. Oxixo is supplied with his E11 blaster, and that annoying holster that doesn't look right unless you hide it round the back. Articulation is identical, and the figure still suffers from a lack of stability and is very difficult to stand naturally. R2-Q5 I am really surprised it has taken so long for Hasbro to give us another R2 unit having had the R2 sculpt since 2013. R2-Q5 is an Imperial R2 unit, and appeared briefly in Return of the Jedi aboard the 2nd Death Star. Like many fleeting characters in the Star Wars films, he was given a bigger role in a number of Expanded Universe publications including thwarting IG88A's infiltration of the 2nd Death Star, and acting as a messenger for the Emperor himself. R2-Q5 is presented in this box set in a sleek black finish, with orange panels and details. Sadly, most of these panels are not crisply painted and there is a soft look to the edges. There is also lots of detail missing which could have been brought out with some subtle dry-brushing in a gun metal paint. The big miss is to not include all the accessories (except maybe the lightsaber) that came with the original R2-D2 release. Granted R2-Q5 was never seen using rocket boosters or the scanner attachments, but am sure he has them and it would have been nice to give fans the option. All the panels on the dome open, but are useless without anything to slot into them. The panels do also open on the front, and within each of these is the laser welder and computer connection. Like it's wave 1 counterpart, this R2 unit retains the two or three logged stance - the third leg being wound down using the dome. I have absolutely no problem with multiple R2 units, it's par for the course with any Star Wars line. But when we get them, they should be crisper in the finish and be stacked with either accessories or some other feature to make up for their dimunitive size. In a box set of this type and price, R2-Q2 unfortunately doesn't offer good value and is a bit of a let down. In Summary Now I have this set in hand, it is definitely a box of two distinct halves. The Sandtrooper is the stand out figure, even though his inclusion feels like we may ave lost an opportunity somewhere down the line for a Dewback. The Magma Trooper looks awesome, and I assume was chosen for his looks. As pretty as he is, he is still very niche and I have the niggle that there were better options. The Tie Pilot Oxixo is a lazy repaint, and could and should have been so much more... Baron Fel for example. And the R2-Q5 is quite poorly executed close up and let down with a lack of all those awesome R2 unit accessories we originally saw in wave with R2-D2. All in all this will come down to cost, and if you can get this set for sub £70 then you will be happy to have some niche variants to expand your Imperial forces. Anything over £70-£75 and it doesn't feel like value for money, considering for the same price you could buy four new single figures. I have no idea if EE wanted a 4-pack, or even specifically asked for the format and the figures included. You have to feel like they got the raw deal vs the Amazon 4-pack and may have been better going down the route of a single figure like Kmart, Walmart and Walgreens. Considering everything, and assuming that the price on this should sit around £75, then I score this set a 3 out of 5. It has merits, but on the whole feels like a wasted opportunity for what could have been some awesome EU based figures.

On behalf of me, and my family, I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. And I hope Santa brings you all the Toys you asked for, no matter how old you are!

Hasbro released a Star Wars The Force Awakens Poster with a difference this week via their Hasbro Pulse site. The poster, was made using their Black Series figures - and we assume diecast model ships. And not only that, it was animated using Stop Motion technology Within the poster were, we assume intentional, images of a new TFA General Leia Organa and a Maz Kanata. There has been no other confirmation on these, but we would assume they would be fully unveiled at Toy Fair in February 2016 CLICK HERE to visit the fully animated poster CLICK HERE to visit our Black Series "coming next" page to see what is on its way in the 6" Black Series scale

This weeks Action Figure News that caught my eye is now live and it is our Christmas Special In this week's edition we look at the Action Figure news that has been announced following the premiere of Star Wars, The Force Awakens There is also news from Diamond with new product revealed from X-Files and Captain America : Civil War. Disney have added more Star Wars Elite Figures to their range, and Bandai are gearing up for another TFA 1/12 kit figure release in 2016 On behalf of me and my family can I take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support this year, and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Sat-TOY-Day news takes a break next week, returning 2nd January with our End of Year special CLICK HERE to read Issue 05 and to access back issues and if you wish, sign up to receive the Sat-TOY-Day news direct to your inbox each week in PDF format. Thanks for reading

Underground Toys has been distributing the Character Options 5 inch Doctor Who figures in the US for a number of years now, even commissioning plenty of sets of their own to sell in the US market. In early 2015 Underground announced that they would be enhancing their 5 inch scale range by bringing figures based on BBC Sherlock's to market. Rather than release in waves, the intention is to bring us one figure at a time in collector's packaging via both the BBC shop in the UK and then UT's own distribution set-up in the US. The first figure, the titular Sherlock, was scheduled for a December 2015 release and actually arrived a few weeks early - an unusual situation in Action Figure distribution. Sherlock arrives in a pretty smart looking box which is a cross between the current Doctor Who figures we are seeing at Toys R Us and the Velcro closed outer flap boxes that have been used on some Dr Who figures, and may be more familiar to anyone who is picking up the NECA Ultimate figures. As I have said previously if I was a Mint In Box collector, these outer flaps - which hide the figure - would frustrate the hell out of me. This flap on Sherlock is done a little differently however, which is an improvement on some others we have seen. The design is that of the front door of 221b Baker Street, and the flap is actually a double opening, so the centre can be opened to reveal the figure within. The front door flaps have an insert of the actual figure itself, and the rather odd statement "Poseable Arms". Does that mean the legs and head aren't? Both side spines carry a picture of Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock and with two inserts advertising that the figure comes with a Violin and a Skull and Mobile Phone. The rear of the box is another larger image of Cumberbatch and a number of legal and safety text - interestingly there is no mention of future releases or other figures in the range. Once the front doors are opened the left has a picture again of Cumberbatch with a Sherlock quote. The right shows Dr Watson. The Velcro fasteners are circular and black and sadly stand out like a sore thumb against the white background. The window around the figure features another Cumberbatch image - by this time I think we have seen him 5 times. Behind the perspex is the figure, surrounded by the various accessories. And there again is this odd "Poseable Arms" quote in the bottom right. Now if you stopped this review now and never opened the box, you will probably be happy with your new Sherlock figure. I am a loose collector and open everything, and this is one of the few figures I have put back in the box as the packaging is sadly much more impressive than the figure. Underground have been involved, to some degree, with 5 inch figures for some time. But Sherlock is actually a huge step backwards in this scale to what we were seeing 10 years ago in the very early days of Doctor Who. Sculpt wise, it's not too bad. It certainly has a good likeness of Cumberbatch and the body shape and scarf are reasonably well done. The issue's then start. The paint across the whole figure is thick! Any likeness in the sculpt is already spoiled by the thick skin colour and the giant brown eye brows and oversized eyes. And don't get me started on the rubbed hair paint which was already showing a skin tone underneath straight out of the box. The head doesn't move at all, so you can cross off that possible point of articulation. The arms are really loose at the shoulders and there is a substantial gap between the shoulder and the coat which just looks odd. There is only a very old school rotating peg joint on the shoulder so there is no outward movement. The bicep is cut and can swivel, but again the gap is big and ugly and on my figure I am convinced that they have simply re-used the same shoulder on both right and left. I need another figure to confirm if this is an error at factory, or a cost saving exercise. Either way, on the figure I am looking at right now the right arm as I look at him is just not lining up at all. The elbows do bend and there is some swivel in the wrists although they are very tight. The legs are articulated, phew! So at this point I still have no idea why "Poseable Arms" is branded all over the box. The leg joints start at the hip and with a thigh swivel. I then struggle to call the next bit a knee joint, as it's actually half way up his thigh so any bend in the leg looks like he has broken his femur. The leg joints are also restricted by the coat, so there isn't much you can do with the legs other than that neutral pose that he arrives in. he coat is the next gripe. Its a decent sculpt, but doesn't sit on the figure round the back. It looks like he has a giant rear end, and if you push the coat there is a good 1/4 inch gap between coat and the back of the figure - this looks bizarre. And finally, the accessories. They just about go in the hands, but there is no way you will have Sherlock remotely looking like he is playing that Violin. Also on mine the bow of the Violin was already violently bent when it came out of the sleeve and is too flexible to ever hold a straight shape. This is sadly a very poorly executed release and that is such a shame. Sherlock is a bit of a cult show and ripe for collector grade figures at a smaller scale than the 1/6 versions from Big Chief Studio's. With the BBC licence not an easy thing to get, this feels like it has been wasted. The only positive is the price, which at £12.99 is cheaper than the current same scale Dr Who figures - although these Who offerings are 10 years ahead of this figure. I have no idea if this range will even hit figure number 2, which was scheduled to be Moriaty. I score this figure, even at it's low RRP, a lowly 1 out of 5, and at this stage won't be opening up a Sherlock Archive until I can see some evidence of future figures and a step up in execution. If you are still interested in buying this figure, then he can be bought from the BBC STORE

CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery The First Order Tie Fighter Pilot, in it's basic version, is number 11 in Phase 3 of the Star Wars Black Series 6 inch range. It is also packed in with the 6" scale Tie Fighter, albeit the Special Forces version with his red helmet markings. The Tie Pilot is part of Wave 3 of Phase 3, arriving with the Resistance Trooper and then repacks of Rey/BB8, Finn, Stormtrooper and Kylo Ren. We have looked at enough of the Red & Black Phase 3 boxes to know them inside out, so let's get straight to the figure. The new First Order Tie Pilot design hasn't grabbed me as much as the Original version, and in the box and in most images he doesn't show off all the little details in his costume & armour. It is only in hand and close up that you appreciate the figure and it's intricate design. Starting with the helmet, and like the OT version this draws a lot from the standard Storm Trooper helmet. Onto this are bolted some kind of visor, which is sculpted onto the forehead, as well as the breathing pipe at one side of the mask which snakes down into the chest unit. The chest armour and shoulder armour are directly taken from the First Order Trooper whilst everything else in the torso is a more lightweight flight suit. This is all painted in black, but there is a clear definition from the armour parts and the helmet to the flight suit, and it is this change in texture and shade that adds a real visual distinction to an otherwise all black figure. The chest box sits neatly on top of the chest armour, and as mentioned connects with the breathing pipe that comes from the helmet. It is quite clever that Hasbro have made the pipe flexible to a degree so you can still rotate the head of the figure and the pipe bends with it. Reports are that the paint on the Special Forces version may have made this feature a tad more brittle - so do move the head with caution. The chest box is painted "OK" but a couple of the buttons are a bit sloppy. It is also interesting that the blue & grey buttons are in a different combination on the Special Forces version - this could be deliberate, but you would assume it's more likely a factory error. The Pilot is equipped with a utility belt and then with flight straps hanging to either side similar to what we saw on the X-Wing suits from the Original Trilogy. The flight trousers are sculpted as cloth and are the duller shade and they finish in a set of boots which return to the high gloss finish. Outside of the chest box, the only other paint applications are the decals on either shoulder depicting the First Order logo. Of course the Special Forces Pilot also comes with the red striped helmet and some extra silver trims, sadly this is all a tad messy to be honest and doesn't seem to sit well on a high gloss finish. Articulation was better on the standard version to the one packed with the Tie Fighter. The shoulder armour withdraws nicely under the chest piece and allows the arms to get out to say 70 degrees, and coupled with the elbow bend you can get him into a firing position or into a piloting position with hands on the controls. The head, as we mention, does move but is held back by how far that breathing pipe will bend and I certainly worry about the longevity of the pipe itself. The lower half is made up of hip joints, thigh swivels, double jointed knees and an ankle rocker. This does allow the Pilot to get into sitting positions and of course then fit into the 6" Tie Fighter itself, either front or rear seat. As I say, the Special Forces version was a little stiffer but just needs working around and perhaps a little heating. Sadly both figures suffer from being very difficult to stand. The feet don't seem to be right and I almost thought they were the wrong way round at first. The ankle joints are also quite loose and therefore the figure does have a tendency to flop forward. You can solve this with a wider stance and a twist of the thigh swivel outwards, or just drop them on a stand. Only one accessory is included - and with this figure I am not sure what else could be packed in, so this is fine. The pistol is small and fits in the hand perfectly well and even has some paint application with silver trim either side. I kind of wanted a holster, even though I have no idea if they have them in the film, but then again the holster on the OT version did spoil the look - so I guess Hasbro can't win. When it comes to scoring, I am going to score this as the standard release only. I think the paint variations on an all black figure are very clever, and in the main any decals and trim is neatly done. The helmet articulation worries me, so am not sure if a more flexible pipe was possible. I am glad he can sit well enough, but it is a shame that there seems to be an inherent issue with standing naturally which is plaguing a number of the more recent figures. All of this adds up to a 4 out of 5 for me with just a couple of niggles vs otherwise a very solid figure, and one that I think will do well in terms of Army Building and of course to fill that 2nd seat in the Tie Fighter PLEASE CLICK HERE to read the Tie Fighter review

CLICK HERE for the FULL Archive Review and Gallery The Resistance Trooper is the 10th single release in the new phase 3 Black Series packaging, and as with all the Phase 3 releases to date is taken from The Force Awakens. He forms part of Wave 3 alongside the First Order Tie Fighter Pilot, and then re-packs of Rey/BB8, Finn, Stormtrooper and Kylo Ren. The box is the standard fare or Black with grey lined artwork, and some short wording on the rear explaining the Troopers role within the Resistance and their struggle against the First Order. The irony here is the wording that states that the Resistance Trooper is "well equipped" yet out of the box he comes with a rifle only - no other accessories or equipment. The design of the trooper is pretty basic and therefore he isn't the most dynamic of figures. Starting at the boots, these are nicely detailed with four individual straps. The trousers are plain and without any detail save a sculpted seam down the outer side of the leg. The overcoat is a similar design to those we have seen on Finn and the exclusive Poe Dameron, although this version is a little longer and is fastened on the figure. The coat is nicely sculpted with some decent folds of the cloth and various seams and pockets. The coat is then overlaid with a kind of double side ammo strap, and you kind of expect to turn the figure round to find a backpack - but there isn't one. The crowning glory is the helmet, which at first I didn't like as it was all a bit "Halo". However the helmet is made so that the bottom half of the face plate lifts up to show the face of the trooper within. The look of the figure switches so much when the face-plate is raised and all of a sudden you can see loads of elements of the old Rebel Endor troopers in the helmet design. Beneath the face-plate is a human face, complete with mustache and his eyes are protected by a pair of opaque eye shields. I have said for some time now that the paint applications do seem to be improving slowly the more we get into Phase 3. On the Trooper the boots and trousers are quite plain, but when we get to the jacket there is obviously some level of wash applied to bring out the detail and to weather it and "dirty it up". The helmet has a couple of decals like the white strips on the forehead area, and the circular decals in both grey, and one in a olive green, to the sides. The helmet is a green base colour, but with a browner dry-brush on top that stops it looking too new. The skin tones are a little shiny for my liking, not sure if this intentional to make the trooper look sweaty? My big concern on painting is that on my figure one leg is a glossy brown and the other dull? Am not sure which of these is meant to be the actual factory finish - either would have done as long as they matched. Articulation is a tail of two halves. The head is really well done and can range up down and left and right. The arms move directly out to a 90 degree angle and can rotate up above the figures head - I even got him in a "captured" pose by using the elbow bend and rotation to get the hands behind his head. The elbow joints also allow the figure to hold his rifle easily in a two handed pose. The legs on the other hand are a frustration. The first issue is that the skirt is not flexible enough to get the figure into a seated or one knee kneeling position. Even with the double jointed knee, the skirt leaves you able to do a weird kind of sliding kneel or a double kneed kneel. The other issue is stability - with the figure really difficult to stand due to rather odd feet position. I have noticed on the last few figure's I have received that the ankle and feet position haven't been great and are quite loose. Unlike the first two waves, that makes these new figures relatively hard to stand unless you move to a wider stance or drop them onto a supporting stand of some kind. The final gripe on the Resistance Trooper is the accessory. As I mentioned at the top I kind of think one gun is a bit of a cheat for a "well equipped" Resistance Fighter - but when that gun is so cheap looking it could have come out of a £1 shop soldier figure you kind of feel cheated. The gun sculpt is too soft, lacks any detail and definition and isn't even painted in any way - even a black wash would have made it look much better. The Resistance Trooper is a safe release. It isn't spectacular, but is interesting enough and with an Army Build option to stop it warming pegs too much - although if they repack it any time soon that may change. It will be interesting to see if the demand for him increases or reduces when collectors have seen the film? The figure has issues. The gun looks rubbish, the figure can't stand too well and can't kneel in an all action pose due to the skirt. My figure also has issues with factory paint applications and that is worrying when I though Hasbro had tightened up on this. All of that considered and the Resistance Trooper is a 2 out of 5 for me.

CLICK HERE for the full archive review and gallery NECA have always been very slick in their promotional photography and convention booth displays, with professional looking backdrops and diorama's in which they showcase their figures. Now, we as fans can get a little bit of this with the release of the Alien Xenomorph eggs. The eggs arrive in a very "tongue in cheek" cardboard egg box. On the front of the package is a Weyland-Yutani logo in what looks to be a thick black factory stamp. To the side is an expiry date of 3rd June 2122, which fans may know is the date the Nostromo first encountered the Alien Eggs on LV-426. On the top label is the text ALIEN and the subtitle of LV-426 FREE RANGE EGGS. There is a hazard panel showing a human silhouette looking into an Alien Egg, and then series of consequences of this with the final silhouette being an Alien Big Chap. The final panel is some nutrition facts, which are smeared with what looks like slime. The one thing to say is that if you saw these in a store and weren't a big Alien fan then you would overlook these and have no idea what they are - they could, to certain people, look like those cheap Alien Eggs you find in the £1 stores. Only when you peel back the label as directed do we find the image of the actual eggs themselves, as well as an advertisement of other NECA Alien figures - including the soon to be released Alien Isolation figures. The pack should be sealed with a strip of plastic, and once opened you should find 6 eggs in the pack. On the inner lid you will also find some handy safety instructions, including the brilliant line "Discard broken, cracked or open eggs & run far,far away". Of the six eggs packed into the box. three of these are unopened. The other three are open and inside should be a small baggie in which you will find a Facehugger. Putting the Facehuggers aside, the eggs themselves are nicely sculpted with a flat bottom that means they sit fine on a flat surface display. The egg is textured with what I can best described as a dried riverbed cracked surface and this is then painted in varying shades of green and brown. On the open eggs the pink egg flaps are peeled back, and between each flap on the outside are strings of goo which are painted in a creamier colour. The inside of the egg is decorated in a "brain" texture which is painted pink with a cream wash Onto the Facehuggers, of which you get 3, and these are sculpted really well and in scale with the 7" figures. From the 8 spider like legs, to the two air sacks, they are really well done and then painted in a brown with a darker wash to bring out the details on the spinal tail. Articulation, as such it is, is delivered by a flexible tail which is achieved by the plastic being sculpted over a metal bendable armature. The Facehuggers all come out of their eggs with their tails bent under themselves. Be careful when straightening them as one of mine simply saw the plastic break when put back into a flat shape - this is unfortunate that they are so brittle. This weakness in the tail without similar pose-ability in the legs will leave fans who want to display these attached to their figures disappointed. Once you over that disappointment then there isn't much issue in getting these to look like they are crawling, or even jumping, out of their eggs. Once lined up in a display alongside the NECA Alien figures, then this is where these items come alive. They look brilliant alongside the Alien Queen, or perhaps in a diorama with the Alien crew in spacesuits - for example having Kane, who already comes with Facehugger attached, posed above an open egg looks awesome. Cost wise these vary between £22 and £25 which I know will be down to the cost to bring this to market as a niche item. It does feel a bit too much for what you get, but then again this is almost a unique release in terms of a diorama item rather than a figure and for those not skilful enough to make their own diorama effects then these fill that hole really well. If you don't fancy investing in the full 6 eggs, then bear in mind you can get one opened egg and one Facehugger with the Queen Attack Bishop figure that has also just come to market. I am hoping that NECA may consider throwing a few more of these eggs into Alien releases going forward, and I also hope that this is a sucess for them and that they can give us more diorama packs for their Alien range and beyond. Rating wise, this is a difficult item to score as there is simply nothing else to compare them against. The packaging is great in terms of a sense of humour, the items are solid and decent enough in terms of sculpt and paint. The Facehuggers are well done, but it is a pity the flexible tails seem to be so fragile. I am still also not sure that paying £25 for 6 static eggs is good value for money in today's toy market. All that being said I am going to come in for now on a 4 out of 5 scoring.

CLICK HERE for the full Archive Review and Gallery of Images Hasbro's 6" 1/12 scale First Order Tie Fighter is likely to be one of those products that we as fans may end up wishing we'd never asked for. The Tie Fighter arrives in a giant box which mirrors the black and red design of the current phase 3 product for the Black Series. The front of the box has the Star Wars Black Series logo in the top left, and the grey-scale image of the Tie Fighter in the top right flashed with some red highlighting. The lower left and centre shows images of the product itself and to the right is a window in which sits the Special Forces Tie Fighter Pilot that is packed with the ship. The right side of the box is a block red colour, again mirroring the single figures. And it is stamped with an ominous 01 in black text, indicating Hasbro potentially have a series of larger vehicles planned for the Black Series line. Under the numbering is the First Order Tie Fighter wording, replicated in 3 other languages. The top panel of the box repeats the Black Series logo and then has an insert showing the inner cockpit of the fighter. The whole left side of the box is a grey scale line drawing of the Tie Pilot, again with the very subtle but effective use of red highlighting down the helmet. Round the back there is a panel to the left (as you look) that repeats the 01 numbering in bright red and then has a four language bio of the ship. The rest of the rear is made up of varying panels illustrating the ship from various angles. So let's crack the box open, and once inside you suddenly appreciate the size of the thing in front of you. The two wings are supplied separate and are in relation to the box are on their side. Under these you will find the cockpit wrapped in cardboard. Be careful not to discard the cockpit door or the two clip on aerial / gun arrays. The wings simply clip to either side of the cockpit, while the top aerial and lower gun also click into place. Finally the cockpit door needs to be clicked on - and that's it, your Tie Fighter is assembled. So how does it look? Well the detail is superb, none more so than in the cockpit itself which is filled with two seats and an array of gizmo's and controls. The whole thing feels and looks solid, and is a fair weight when held (flown round the room going nnnnnnnnnrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaw). The downside is that the wings are slightly misshapen, a common issue reported on most models. It's not massively noticeable, but up close you can see the warping. The paint is also a tad disappointing. In fact there isn't any as such just the red paint down the cockpit that identifies it as a Special Forces Tie Fighter. I would have loved to see some weathering and washes to bring out more detail but I appreciate that this thing was already a £170 RRP and more paint would equal more costs. The only other downside, and this may be only for fat handed people like me, is that it is really difficult to get the pilot - or indeed any figure - into the seats. The opening of the cockpit means that if you have larger hands you can't get your hand in to slot the pilot in place. Not sure how this could have been resolved, but it has caused me a degree of frustration and so far my pilot still hasn't got into his seat. The figure is a lot nicer in hand than I expected having not been a huge fan of the new Tie Fighter Pilot design from what I had seen on the 3.75" figure. I am not going to do a full review of the figure here, that will be done via the base version that is landing in wave 3. The pilot is essentially all black, but there is some variation in shading and finish from the armour vs the flight-suit. The First Order decals are nicely applied, but sadly on my version the red stripes on the helmet were a little rubbed. Articulation is OK, but the head is held in place by the stiff breathing pipe. The legs are also difficult to get into the seated position to get him into the seat. The pilot comes with one small gun, and unlike his Original Trilogy counterpart there is no holster to hold it in. The biggest (pun intended) issue anyone will have with this is the size. Even if you see the box you will ultimately be surprised at how big this thing is. And there is the problem, once you have it what do you do with it? Yes, lucky collectors with larger houses and dedicated collection rooms will be ok - but what about the rest of us who may be limited to a couple of Ikea cabinets? Don't get me wrong, I stood (virtually) alongside all those fans clamoring for bigger and better product for the Black Series and for those vehicles, but like many I am now sat here with a huge Tie Fighter sat next to me really wondering what to do now. If you haven't bought this yet, then I suggest you take a real good look at the full size of this beast before committing. Even the box, if you were going to keep it packaged, will take up a good 2ft x 2ft x 1ft and I doubt would even go through a lot of loft hatches. I was fine with the Speeder Bikes, Jabba, Tauntauns etc and would love Hasbro to go bigger from these to say the Sandspeeder or the Snowspeeder. Sadly I think that this scale has its restrictions and the larger ships like the Tie or indeed an X-Wing or AT-ST need to be for the super collectors only. Space is often more of a commodity than cash to collectors. £170 (or cheaper if you shop around) isn't a massive amount of money but the space that this Tie Fighter will take up in your collection room / house is massive and needs careful consideration. All that being said I am not going to let the size issue impact the scoring. Providing collectors are clear on the size then as a package, and at the £170 shelf price, I am going to score this a 4 out of 5. The only downsides to the model is the warped wings and the lack of paint applications.

This weeks Action Figure News that caught my eye is now live. There are more Star Wars Black Series reveals this week as a cryptic listing for another 2016 wave is leaked, we also get a look at Jango Fett and Han Solo courtesy of Jedi Temple Archives. Over in NECA news we are treated to some more work in progress for Predator, and a big reveal for Series 8 of Aliens. CLICK HERE to read Issue 05 and to access back issues and if you wish, sign up to receive the Sat-TOY-Day news direct to your inbox each week in PDF format. Thanks for reading

This weeks Action Figure News that caught my eye is now live. This week we look at an avalanche of information relating to Star Wars Black Series 6 inch figures. A whole page dedicated to NECA's Alien & Predator ranges. And loads of info from the Far East from Tamashii Nations - notably Bandai & SH Figuarts Star Wars figures. CLICK HERE to read Issue 05 and to access back issues and if you wish, sign up to receive the Sat-TOY-Day news direct to your inbox each week in PDF format. Thanks for reading

The last couple of days have seen retailers reveal the line ups of wave 4, 5 and 6 of the Star Wars Black Series 6 inch line. Although it looks like we may only just see wave 3 before Xmas (it was down for a November release) we have plenty to look forward to in the first quarter of 2016. As we broke the news earlier this week, wave 5 will include the Flametrooper as well as Jango Fett. And now Dorkside Toys have revealed wave 6 will include the other figures we saw revealed - Luke Farmboy, Ahsoka Tano and Kanun Jarrus - as well as the Force Awakens Han Solo I have updated the Black Series COMING SOON page with full details, and images where they exist