Jedi High Council 3+4...circle...complete....yeah.

[Darth Alex]

I stopped by the TRU in WB, PA today after seeing these two sets for sale and...pause...actually in stock at Amazon.
I can't resist typing it...ready?....the circle is now complete. My wallet is now complete. Uhhh...feel completely ripped off?
Folks, why why why do we do this? I paid $39.98 plus our fine Keystone(tm) 6% sales tax to garner a complete floor and more CHAIRS for a council scene.
Let's go back to the summer of 2000. I ranted in these very forum pages about how the Episode one line messed up....didn't make this...screwed up that...and DIDN'T MAKE A JEDI COUNCIL. I figured(hah! bad pun!) I would see a TRU exclusive that very Christmas! A boxed set with all chairs and the floor, wrap around cardboard(Hey, Hasbro, ever try a plastic laminated thin cardboard backdrop? Better idea than the bound to be broken ones we got now, huh?), and all 12 members. Price the set at $75 bucks, include repacks to save on the cost(SAD, but true), and even make a point of cross selling the Naboo Qui amd Naboo Obi as well as an Anakin for placement in the Council. Steep price, but hey, I thought it could happen.
Well, now. I've paid $19.99 times SIX plus tax to get these, roughly $120 plus tax for resculpts I don't need etc, etc.

However, being the SW geek I am, it's still nice to have all 6 sets together now. For all my JUSTIFIED complaining, it's still kinda nice.

Scene 3- Anakin has the right look of "you're really getting me NEGATIVE WIZARD with these questions, ya shriveled up MUPPEt" on his face. The kid looks like he's so dirty, he's an extra from the Mary poppins Chimney scene! His hands turn, and he's got knee articulation...however, the clean spots facing out on his knees look STUPID, HASBRO. As a company, you really have a problem painting those peg joints, don't ya? Saesee is a kit bash of the Ep2 figure with some soft goods cloth....ok, ok. Then there's the whole Adi controversy...

Scene 4- Stass from this scene and Adi from the above scene are the..wait for it...exact same figure. Stass is darker skinned ever so slightly and Adi has a gold "line" around her ?headpiece? ?earmuffs?, but that's the ONLY difference. Shaaka Khan...oops, mean TI...nice two part, darker waistcoat, lighter dress soft goods "bottom part". Her hands are obviously different from the Ep2 figure, different arm stance, but she looks like she should be reading a newspaper in that pose, and I mean really reading it.
Then we have Eeth Koth.
THIS SINGLE FIGURE is what's wrong with these Council packs. This is the same figure we've gotten before, again, except this is the only figure in the Council packs to have a lightsaber HILT on his body. It comes off, too, and will actually stay in his hand. Wheh, for that! For all my poor attempts at humor and sarcasm, is Agen....wait I just noticed this on the side & back of the box....this isn't Eeth. This guy is called Agen, Agen Kolar. What is with these names? Eeth, Agen, blah, blah, just because Hasbro/Lucas has RENAMED a character, it's still a re-sell of a Jedi we ALREADY HAVE.
And is Agen that special to be the ONLY member of the Jedi Council to have an accessory. Will he bust chops in ROTS because he has a saber in DA COUNCIL CHAMBER? No, no...not that...it's just manufacturing lazyness, just like the EXclusion of Boba's sidearm and backpack rocket tip in this fall's blink and you'll miss it Slave 1 reissue.

So, having the council assembled....very nice...very nice. THIS is the payoff after 5 years of waiting(I am SAD for admitting that, but it's true).
I'll level with ya all...having the council is pretty cool and makes a nice part of any table devoted to "Coruscant Dioramas".
I want to see what happens, if anything, in council chambers in ROTS. Having a completed High Council chamber might make eventually for a better ROTS diorama base in 05...

Anyway, the search is over. Hit Amazon, hit TRU, hit yerself in the head for spending $120 + tax for a nice base, the same chairs(mostly) and a LOT fo repacks(although, not all, I did get my cool Stalk-headed Jedi Guy ). You can finally get the council.

Now, onto lunch...

[dindae]

It is sad with as strong as these started they ended as they did. I really liked the first two sets. We got never before made characters that were very unique and a start of a playset. Then the second sets came out. They were nothing special as far as I'm concerned but we got soft goods versions of a few character that we didn't have before. But these last two are crap. The fact that the only two new characters we have are repacked figure is too lame for $20 a set they could throw in one completely new sculpt!!! Darth Alex you think 6% sales tax is bad try 10%.

[plasticfetish]

I want to see what happens, if anything, in council chambers in ROTS.

Hmmm, the urge to make spoiler filled jokes is intense.

It'd be cool if they did a playset that could link up to this council chambers thing in some way. I doubt it'll happen, because they seem to be so "playset shy" now, but who knows?

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I'll be honest, I've avoided all of these sets. The first two looked decent enough, but there's still such a glut of them out there that I figure I'll score them for like $3 each soon enough. I've never considered these things to be worth $20, especially not the last few. There is always that stupid voice in my head that's saying, "Hey, you've gotta get all of these right now!" I can wait though. They'll all be $3 soon enough.

[Darth Alex]

Dindae, 4% more sales tax is very bad.
I have relatives up in New England, I hear what you're laying down.

[Darth Alex]

Hmmm, the urge to make spoiler filled jokes is intense.

Not what I meant, but I get ya.

The idea that this playsey could hook into or fit into some sort of Ep3 playset thing is great, but too many people passed on all 6 of these to make it worth Hasbro's while.
Now, if they reissue the council chambers as a action packed set if a big battle or something goes down in it, I could be compelled to buy one. Not if I have to spend $120 again, though....