Mnemosis

since nimrod is in the now standard army builder spot in this wave does that mean that nimrod actually is the army builder?

i've not the x-books in a few years, but when i did i'm sure that there was only one nimrod a sort of super sentinel.

just wondering is there more than one now, is there an alternative look underneath the chest piece.

i'v been buying custom or full cases from Luke for the past few waves, but don't want to put the extra money out if its just for extra superfluous mates.

This one's tricky. There IS a new Nimrod that was Bastion's foot-soldier of sorts during Second Coming. BUT... it's CONSIDERABLY different looking from classic Nimrod, to the point I can't imagine this one would be able to convert for either look. So, I guess my answer is "No. This Nimrod is NOT technically a troop builder."

http://panelsonpages.com/?p=26455

The synopsis is spoilery, but if you're just curious about the general details, it breaks it down pretty cleanly.

I've yet to see these ONCE at my TRU, but I'm thinking maybe all of these restocks for everyone else means I might finally be seeing them. Too little, too late... friend found em for me already. Still, it'll be nice to actually have a Toys R Us exclusive IN the damned store.

I would totally buy that box set for a Conan O'Brien Minimate. I just hope the beard is a removable piece and not a tampo

Hey Jason!

Can I just point out that when you say 'my TRU' that you say that not as someone who just goes in one on occassion (and might have missed somethings), but as someone who is employed there? I've been in your store on several occassions and felt like there was never anything ever there, but thanks for confirming it. The store used to be pretty good about stuff, but I've given up on it since the end of last year.

Hey GH! Yeah... that stuff literally never came in. It's INFURIATING to have no control over that at a store level.

what exactly are holocaust and mr sinisters powers?

Nemesis had Carol Danvers-like powers; he was able to generate energy blasts. He used them to kill the AoA Scarlet Witch, so Magneto tore his body to shreds. Beast created the armor to contain his energetic form, and now - as Holocaust - he can fire his own bio-energy from his arm cannon.

Mr Sinister has a wide range of powers directly derived from Apocalypse himself including healing, shape shifting, and telepathy, as well as a variety of powers that develop at the speed of plot.

ok so that must not have been ironman and is spiderman a mutant?

No, it was Iron Man and Spider-Man. They sometimes play a little fast and loose with the "rules" and so for the purposes of that story, Apocalypse had 4 Avengers turned into Horsemen.

As much as I try not to bitch about it, I find it dubious that my TRU has never received a single pack of Wave 9, Cap Through the Ages, or Wave 10 as of yet. While that last one may be on the horizon, the fact that neither of the others ever hit our store certainly doesn't make it look good.

This place is like a sitcom.

Act 1: I hate how DST does X! It would be a lot better if they did Y.

Act 2: You guys are assholes. DST are doing the best they can, and having X is better than nothing at all!

Act 3: I think we've learned a valuable lesson. I love you guys.

Next week on The Multiverse: I hate how DST does X!

*What would we do baby, without usssss?*

Shananana

CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT THIS!

Team X: Logan, Creed, North, Omega Red

This would go nicely with a '90s X-Men booster pack of: Maverick, Business suit Sabertooth, Shinobi Shaw, Ponytail Psylocke (since they LOVE making Betsy Braddocks)

We also need:

Shades of Grey: Nate Grey, Battle Damaged Cable, Stryfe, Mother Askani Rachel

Modern X-Force: Elixir, Domino, Wolfsbane, Vanisher

Humanati: Stryker (w/Nimrod hand), Graydon Creed (w/reversible TO face), Leper Queen (w/reversible TO face), Cameron Hodge

These would require Bastion/Modern Nimrod and Bastion Evolved/Modern Nimrod for support

'90s X-Factor 1: Polaris, Wolfsbane, Val Cooper, Random

'90s X-Factor 2: Quicksilver, Strong Guy, Wild Child, Dark Beast

These would require Regular Havok/Multiple Man (in costume) and Brotherhood Havok/Multiple Man (in costume) for support

Muir Island X-Men: Blue and Yellow Banshee, Forge, and Wolverine and Moira MacTaggert

New X-Men Villain Pack: John Sublime, Cassandra Nova, Xorn, Wild Sentinel

New X-Men-Here Comes Tomorrow:

Cowboy Wolverine w/ torn costume, Rover(damaged modern Sentinel), Cassandra Nova, Phoenix in clear plastic

DESTROY!

I kind of like that Hulk. Don't love it. But I like it. I LOVE the bulked up Thing.

Very well put, Mnemosis. I'd add that rolling out minor variations of characters representing anything less then a big line-wide event is the very definition of the "scraping the barrel" those retailers are complaining about.

Thank you, and exactly my point.

Really? Planning a box set so it actually hits shelves when people are at the store buying the comic and thinking about it is absurd? Frankly, I think that's about the only strategy left for DST as far as selling Marvel mates in LCSs goes. I've talked to several owners who are dropping (or have already) dropped Marvel waves because of the "scraping the barrel" (their words) character selections. I know it's hard to believe, but not every person who has bought or will by Minimates is a die-hard completist looking to get every single unique character in the Marvel library before anyone is duplicated.

I actually give DST props for getting the info early enough to actually catch this train. When Age of X is running this summer and you can have your mates to play with sorry pose on your shelf and look at at the same time as you're reading the book, I'm sure everyone will be quite excited.

When DC got Blackest Night figures to come out alongside the book, I was impressed. That was a MAJOR event for the publisher, and they had some intense in-continuity redesigns (even if they were temporary) to work with.

Age of X is a VERY minor story; only affecting TWO of the X-titles. It is an alternate reality story, as well. Given those facts, I just think that DST is jumping the gun here, because I SERIOUSLY doubt there will be much demand for figures of this story.

While I totally see your point about being able to buy the figures concurrently with the story, I also don't think that's going to happen. AoX has started. I think it will be over by the time these figures come out (November looks to be the scheduled release date). So, you don't actually get to have the figures WHILE you read the story, and what happens if the whole story is met with lukewarm reception?

Yes, if the figures could have come out alongside the books, that might have been awesome. Otherwise, I think any toy company is better off waiting to gauge the success of their story before selling toys based on it.

I'm about as big of a mark for X-Men as you can get, but I have to agree with the overkill and poor choices in character selection.

Everyone (including myself) have already posted lists of what X-Men OUGHT to get made. The fact that Modern X-Force and Age of X both get box sets planned before even really hitting the shelves? That's absurd, especially given the first includes Wolverine and Deadpool who are getting done to death, and the second includes alternate reality Cyclops, Rogue, and Magneto... which we just got in the far superior AOA boxed sets.

Hell, even the AOA boxed sets didn't move me, and that's one of my favorite stories of all time!

If you're going to give us some X-characters, I'd like a Stryfe and a Bastion, a Pyro and a Blob, 90s X-Factor, and once again, a Blue and Yellow Forge and Banshee.

I know I've in the past been the first to argue AGAINST bashing DST and the Asylum, BUT... if even your X-Family fans are looking at you and saying "Enough X-crement," it's maybe time to back off and reconsider your battle strategy.

age of x is an alternate future (i think) that i havnt got around to reading yet.

the characters around wolvie are part of the curse of the mutants story

from left to right:

blade, wolverine (vampire), son of dracula, jubilee (vampire)

Close: AOX is an alternate PRESENT and that's Dracula, not his son.

The nice thing is, we'll be able to behead him.

Would anyone else love to see more Age of Apocalypse characters as the variant? Imagine a bulked up Colossus with an AoA Colossus as the variant...

Right on! Of course, then we might get some Generation X box sets:

Banshee

Sabertooth

Jubilee

Harvest

TRU 2-Pack

Emma w/ Phalanx drone

Modern Emma w/Phalanx drone

Emplate

Mondo

Synch

Black Tom

TRU 2-Pack

M w/Penance

Modern M w/Penance

(This way, when you removed the Penance armor, you'd have M's twin sisters)

Generation Next (AOA)

Shadowcat

Illyana

Skin

Sugarman

Husk w/Infinite

616 Husk w/Infinite

Not that I PARTICULARLY want any of these, but a modern M for Jamie to bedevil would be great, a Black Tom for Juggernaut would be awesome, and a Sugarman would be insane.

Really, the four pack I'd most like to see right now?

Blue and Yellow Forge

Blue and Yellow Banshee

Moira MacTaggert

Blue and Yellow Wolverine (just cause I know it would happen anyways)

LMAO!

I can attest to this. A few months ago I was in your store and asked someone if they had Minimates. Instead of checking the store computer, she looked on-line at tru.com instead.

Actually... fun fact: Our in-store inventory system has one of the most precise search features I've ever seen. Couple that with the fact that many items are listed under strange names (or simple variations/abbreviations/whatever) and it's VERY difficult to search. Marvel Universe figures, for instance, are listed as "Marvel Univer Se." Type it without the space between the "r" and the "s" and you'll get zero hits returned. But... why would you EVER think to try spelling it like that.

SO... we often use the website to do a search, then get the item number from the web page, then enter that item number into SIS to check current store inventory.

ASGARD is the old program that will show us a snapshot of the district. It's usually less accurate than SIS when it comes to actual store inventories, but... if it shows zero in a store, that's usually a safe bet, and ASGARD will show you warehouse inventory, so you know if there's even any product for the store to receive.

Hear endeth the lesson

Or, if you're smart, get to know someone at your local TRU. There'll usually be at least one person at any given store who will know EXACTLY what you're talking about.

Mind you, they might also be the one snapping it up before you get there, but this is the trade off for good info.

If you're around the Indianapolis area, I recommend the Castleton store. Ask for Jason. If it's articulated, he probably knows more than he should about it, even if he doesn't collect it himself. All he ever asks in return is that you fill out the little survey online and tell them he did a good job.

I highly recommend this advice. Particularly the part about asking for Jason. Every TRU needs a Jason.

GROUNDHOG!

Same here, it's funny since I can usually find the stuff quicker if they just log in and let me go through the SIS and ASGARD system.

It's amazing how many people I work with who don't know ASGARD exists.

SKU is a TRU item number so we ask a TRU worker either in-person or on the phone to check their computer system if they have it in stock (either on the floor or on the back). It's easier than asking "do you have minimates?" and then getting a blank stare. Having the item number gets to the point quicker and them coming back with "ah, minimates, yeah we have some". You can do it with the UPC number but it's longer. Also, they can't check to see if a specific figure is available since it is part of an assortment regardless if you have the UPC or SKU. If they are nice, they may try to look for you but don't always count on them finding it and don't always believe the numbers in the computer.

Or, if you're smart, get to know someone at your local TRU. There'll usually be at least one person at any given store who will know EXACTLY what you're talking about.

Mind you, they might also be the one snapping it up before you get there, but this is the trade off for good info.

If you're around the Indianapolis area, I recommend the Castleton store. Ask for Jason. If it's articulated, he probably knows more than he should about it, even if he doesn't collect it himself. All he ever asks in return is that you fill out the little survey online and tell them he did a good job.

I think you guys are missing the sales strategy here. If they do a box set with a complete team,

1) you are completely satisfied, with no need to buy any other extraneous sets.

2) DST has no potential cross-promotional pieces to offer TRU, Previews, LCSs, or whoever as incentives to get them to carry the line.

In nearly all of the four-character box sets we've seen, you've gotten a fairly well-rounded lineup, then been able to (slash been compelled to) get the missing puzzle pieces from an LCS or TRU wave you might not otherwise have been so excited for. It's all about making sure you buy multiple Minimate products from multiple retail venues. It's not at all about creating the fully-self-contained and unassailably complete holy grail box set for any team.

For example, I wouldn't be surprised to see a TRU wave 12 or 13 with, say, Kylun/Pete Wisdom and Fantomex/Elixir to round out the Excalibur and X-Force sets we're getting.

THIS!

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it's in some way a mandate from Toys R Us, just as with chase figures. Toys R Us wants a reason for people to come in their store, repeatedly. DST wants Toys R Us to carry their product, thereby exposing it to a larger market than just the direct LCS market - i.e. kids/parents.

I can't tell you, as a TRU employee, how many parents/kids I've turned on to Minimates, who had no idea what they were prior to talking to me. Now, if Toys R Us, didn't carry them, these people never would've started buying this product. It behooves DST to do whatever TRU says, just to make sure that product is on those pegs.

Now, maybe no one at TRU is savvy enough to say "Break up that five man team and give us the fifth figure as an exclusive," but they ARE savvy enough to say "We'll continue to carry your product as long as it performs at (insert value)" which leads DST to try to come up with a way to guarantee performance. What better way than making TRU your only option for completing line-ups?

None of these businesses are out to make you happy. That's just a side effect of their pursuit to make themselves rich. The fact that they give us as much of what we want should be considered gift enough.

HOPING that Holocaust and Blink are packed together, though I'm doubting it. I figure she'll be with Morph and he'll be with Sabertooth. Simply put? I didn't get the boxed sets, but I want Holocaust vs. Blink.

I'll get that Wolverine for Omega Red.

AND I'm thrilled that the only Shadowland set I was considering getting will be available at my place of work, so I won't have to sweat it.

I thought his hands were like hot knives or something and grew and glowed, the Washington square ghosts hand are pretty good for that effect

Same hands, just translucent yellow. Neither are perfect... too big, and only three figures... but either work in a pinch

f we got a Shard or Wild Child figure I would hope that Val Cooper wouldn't be far behind.

In her pant-suit? or her X-Factor field uniform?

EDIT: I know this is hardly the right thread for it - but since we are on an X-Factor tangent, i'd really like to see a Random figure in there somewhere too!

Be careful what you wish for, or you'll get Upside Down Spider-Man, which is just a regular Spider-Man figure packed upside down..

What?

In an X-Factor wave, he'd be a pretty random figure.

At least I get to skip a wave!

Funny thing is, I think Juggernaut's gritting his teeth. It just looks like a big toothy smile in the mask.

This set is awesome, and the reason I ordered my Excalibur Kitty.

I really wanted the ice piece and was looking forward to this set as a whole. Now that I see it, though? Meh.

Well, it's about TIME we got a William H Macy figure!

I dont kno much about Excaliber but..between that juggernaught & nightcrawler, i want this set yesterday!

Same here. I already have Rachel and if I'm going to have Megan and Capt. B. I may as well go back and eBay Shadowcat since I passed on her at retail. Should have just grabbed her at NYCC when I had her in hand... Grrrrrr...

This is what I JUST did the other day, for the same reason. LMAO!

The recent glut of early '90s X-Men, X-Force, and Excalibur 'mates also led me to get the Jim Lee wall poster featuring EVERYONE. For about 20 bucks, it was a steal. But now it'll cost 200 to frame it.

Hmmm... time to look into less expensive options...

Honestly?

I seriously doubt these price changes will affect much of anything. Moreover, I'd bet good money that most people SAYING they're going to change their buying habits won't actually do it. Why?

We have a sickness.

Some of us, to much greater degrees than others, sure. But we DO have a sickness. Think of anytime one of us has actually used the phrase "I need" when referring to a toy. On a subconscious level, we believe that. Sure, if you sat us down with food on one plate and minimates on another and starved us for a week, we'd go for the food. We're not zombies. But, by and large, we don't consider what we're theoretically passing up when we make our toy purchases.

Nessex, I can't so much speak for you or other foreigners, I only know from the American experience. Simply put, we don't have the good sense to prioritize and budget. And as long as someone will give us a piece of plastic, regardless of the interest we're paying, we'll gladly add to our debt just to make sure we have the things we want.

To anyone who deposits a pay check, takes out spending cash, and makes their purchases based on the money in their wallets? Sure. I'll believe you'll cut back on spending now. But to anyone with a line of credit and a plastic crack habit? Face it, Tiger... Diamond just hit the jackpot.

Personally, though, I'm not even going to try to make any such claims. Minimates are priced according to the market and their some of the best product out there at said prices. There's a reason I gave up MU in favor of completing my teams via MMs... they're better. Better toys, better value. So they go up a bit. I can live with that, so long as it stays within reason.