[Jmacq1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLASSIFIED

I think Dice is going to be offered if you continue the sub.

Given the reaction to Big Boa, I think they really need to hit a homerun with the 13th figure.

A lot of Joe fans wouldn't be able to not get the sub if Kwinn were the 13th figure.

Except that they're NOT revealing who the 13th figure is, so once again they're leaving "would be buyers" on the table if Kwinn were the 13th figure. You don't make the 13th figure the "absolute best" out of the set, because you want to use your "best" figure to sell subscriptions in the first place (in this case, probably Big Boa). Otherwise you risk not getting enough subscriptions in the first place, making the whole project a failure.

The 13th figure will be "good" but it will also be in keeping with the rest of the offerings: A repaint/kitbash with maybe a few new parts (particularly the head) but not much. It hopefully/probably will be up there with the "better" figures from the subscription but it's not going to be something that will completely and utterly blow people away.

Some of the possibilities are:

1. Slice - I tend to agree that Slice would be a better "hook" for a second subscription or as a membership figure next year, but he is also a solid possibility for the 13th figure, since two of the other figures in the collection have ties to him (Dice and Sure-Fire). Either way, the indications are very strong that we'll be getting Slice one way or another...the question is how/when at this point.

2. Cobra Mortal - You could substitute almost any number of foreign repaints into this slot, but Cobra Mortal is one of the most prominent and a figure the Club has done before. Either way, he's an easy figure to put together, especially with the club already using most of the tooling that would be needed for Tan Grunt. Plus he's different and well-known enough among hardcore fans that most probably wouldn't be disappointed by having him, but also wouldn't consider him "absolutely critical" to their collection.

3. Slaughter's Marauders Footloose - He'd fit in with the upcoming 7-pack, and is a simple repaint of a figure they're already making. You could also substitute almost any character that's a member of a sub-team that hasn't been made in sub-team form yet (Tiger Force Tripwire, Roadblock, Bazooka, etc...), with the caveat that I (and others) suspect that Tiger Force will be getting updated in a Con set.

4. Crimson Shadow Guard - I've seen this brought up on other forums as an easily-made figure that Hasbro had planned but got canceled. A possibility, but I don't think the 13th figure will be a troop builder. More likely the Club would crank out a squad or so and include them as part of a con set.

5. Night Force Falcon - One of the few canceled figures that hasn't seen the light of day yet. Another reasonably good possibility, though hopefully they'll piggyback with Hasbro and use the Slaughter's Marauders pack headsculpt with the removable beret if they go this route.

6. A "miscellaneous" repaint - Something like Tan Clutch or Red-Pads Grand Slam. Easily made, but probably not quite "good" enough for the 13th slot. These would be a major letdown. The same could be said of "corrected" versions of some of the characters that were put out in the 25th (particularly "O13" characters that had notable inaccuracies or didn't get unique headsculpts).

7. An unmade comic character that's NOT Kwinn - Someone like Ninja Apprentice Billy (yes, the Club has said he's not coming this go-round, but that could be a smokescreen), or "Shooter" who could likely be made with a new headsculpt and otherwise existing parts. Billy would be borderline, simply because he'd be another "subscription seller" if the figure was done well, but someone like Shooter with a much smaller "cult following" would be appropriate while still likely providing a cool figure for those that subscribed.

8. Crimson Twins in Business Suits - Someone on another site pointed out that those fancy new mailer-boxes the Club has are designed for two figures, and that may indicate that the "13th figure" could end up being a "13th and 14th figure." Admittedly it's flimsy circumstantial evidence, but putting out the Crimson Twins with the SDCC Destro body mold would be an easy kitbash and a long-desired look for those two characters. Again, though, I think this pair would better serve as "Subscription sellers" for next year's go-round if it should happen.

I'd rate all of these possibilities as far more likely than Kwinn (though the good news is that Hasbro has confirmed that tooling was made for Kwinn, unlike the Data Viper, so Kwinn almost certainly WILL come out at some point...Hasbro will want a return on their investment).