No really, the AT-DP Pilot is new, I swear!  It looks just like the figure you bought  a couple of years ago, but it's a different tool - the foot copyrights are different, the textures are different, he's a tiny bit shorter, and the deco and paint masks are changed a bit.  The tint is different, too.   It's packed with the just-released Imperial Speeder vehicle - a worthwhile purchase - but it's almost the very definition of a "just different enough to make you mad" figure.  You might not even realize it's different without a side-by-side comparison, but don't worry - you've got one when you read on.

Hot Wheels! Walmart in the USA has a new exclusive assortment of cars for $0.97 a pop.  This batch is based on planets.   It’s the third “$1″ car batch, the previous two focused on episodes and factions.

These are quite nice - while Rogue One iconography is nowhere to be seen, you’ll see some retro graphics on the side with touristy vistas, Tusken Raiders, AT-ATs, lightsaber duels, Cloud City, and more.   You’ll even notice Rey on her speeder on the Jakku one.  If you ever bought the old Burger King glasses, the art style is similar to those.

So far Walmart’s have been the only Hot Wheels sets I’ve been all-in on, thanks to the lower price point and the creative designs.    As a bonus, they all have distinctive card art.   Get ‘em if you can find them!  Designs include Kamino, Mustafar, Tatooine, Hoth, Dagobah, Bespin, Endor, and Jakku - and are numbered sequentially in order of appearance in the saga.   At this time I know of no Rogue One tie-in assortment, but we've still got a few more months.

He's new!  The 3 3/4-inch K-2SO (Rogue One) has a cool grappling hook accessory, but no blaster like his 6-inch counterpart.   What does he have in the movie?  I have no idea, I haven't seen it.  But I have seen the figure, and the figure's ball-and-socket joints give him a good range of motion.  And less stability.  But he looks cool.  Read on!

Hey, it's a new Imperial Stormtrooper!  He has 5 points of articulation, blast-off armor, and one of the better sculpts we've seen in recent memory.   The blaster is new and different, but the figure looks like a classic.  Do you need to army-build this one?  (Well, you would if there was a big playset to go with it.)  Read on!

This week in Q&A - Droids. What did Disney put out - and did you miss their special event robots? Exclusive pack-in figures used to be a pain in the neck, because you used to buy an expensive vehicle to get them. They still are, but they used to, too. And HD versus the Original Trilogy - what new figures are you finding you want now that you can actually see them?

And send in your questions for next week. Read on!

In the first teaser we briefly see what appears to be Jyn Erso wearing the Imperial Ground Crew outfit, and that's about all that we know about these guys.  They look cool, and fit in with the existing Empire aesthetic.  And they're in stores.  Should you get one?  Read on!

This Captain Cassian Andor comes with the new U-Wing Fighter, which may or may not be at a store near you - it would seem the Rogue One roll-out is something many retailers have almost started.   The figure ain't bad, the ship is better than you might think, but it's not cheap - thanks, inflation.   Want to know more?  Read on!

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Hey, something new!  It's a big day for new Star Wars, and Hasbro PR just sent us the skinny on a new boxed set.  It is as follows:

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY 3.75-INCH JEDHA REVOLT 4-PACK

(Ages 4 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $24.99/Available: Spring 2017)

Create epic adventures with the ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY JEDHA REVOLT 4-PACK! Each 3.75-inch figure features movie-accurate detail and multiple points of articulation. Characters include JYN ERSO, SAW GERRERA, IMPERIAL HOVERTANK PILOT, and EDRIO TWO TUBES. Includes 4 figures and 5 accessories. Available at most major retailers and on HasbroToyShop.com.

Let's kick off this weekend - yes, we're gonna do a bunch of these - with the character whose last name is almost the German word for "first."  The first release of 3 (or more) known 3 3/4-inch releases of our new Rebel hero is Sergeant Jyn Erso, now showing up carded with 7 points of articulation, a working holster, a movable breathing mask, and a non-removable helmet.  And if you pull off her arms, you can see under the poncho.  Don't do that.  But you can see how it looks - just read on!

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If you're planning on being at Disneyland or Disneyworld soon, a whole slate of Rogue One theme park products have been announced for September 30!  The pricing is unknown, but click here to see everything.   A new Droid Factory 4-pack brings you C2-B5 (new), R2-BHO (new), R2-M2 (new), and R5-SK1 - which looks a lot like R5-D4.  I'll have the skinny for you when I (hopefully) pick up my set in October along with (hopefully) R2-B00.

It's the Captain Phasma 3 3/4-inch super-articulated figure from Walmart?  Have you found one yet?  Probably not - usually the waves hit, but don't saturate for a few months.   Vigilance!   It pays off - it's a good figure if you can find one.  Read on!

I'm seeing more of the Han Solo in his Starkiller base jacket around, but not a ton of it.   This is a shame, because it's a great figure.  There's fine printing on his blaster, exceptional articulation, and a pretty good head sculpt.  Should you grab one before the Rogue One crowds start?  Read on!

This week in Q&A - Hera's new helmet - is it removable? Is Captain Rex going to get a bigger figure? Well, Hasbro hasn't shown it to us yet.

And send in your questions for next week. Read on!