the enigma that is badger

More info courtesy of Brickset: badger

Ah nuts, I was invited to that particular round of liver abuse but decided to call it a night since it'd been a long day already and I had a long drive home. Next year I get a hotel room! I had posted the "where there's smoke, there's fire" metaphor elsewhere regarding a new Pirate line, and at this point, we have something approaching a mushroom cloud worth of rumors, innuendo, and half-glimpses. I wouldn't be the farm, but I'd be willing to put a barn or two on the line we'll be splicing the main brace to celebrate new Pirate sets soon enough. badger

Yesterday, I tried two TLC stores (visiting one and calling another), and neither had the Republic Fighter Tank (#7679). With the rumors that it might be a Target exclusive, I tried a local Target, but they hadn't even unpacked the palette with the Clone Wars merchandise yet. Bottom line: has anyone in the US (or Europe for that matter) found the Fighter Tank at retail? If so, where did you find it? badger

While the age of the bag design doesn't make it as intriguing, the fact images of classic TLC Pirates keep appearing in official artwork in conjunction with numerous statements from TLC employees regarding the high esteem the company has for the Pirate line speaks volumes. It's nothing concrete, but where there's smoke, you only rarely find dry ice. Fingers crossed illustrations like this and those Arizona figs mean what we all want them to! badger

Has there been any word on 7679 as to if, when, and where it's going to be available? I've heard rumors it's suppose to be a store exclusive, but nothing conclusive about what store. badger

Of everything that's listed, the Clone Trooper Battle Pack and Shanghai Escape intrigue me the most. Fig battle packs are something I'll always welcome, and any source of new oriental elements is fantastic. Another qipao torso piece would be great as well, not to mention a new tuxedo torso. badger

My personal favorite take on European race relations: .In regards to the question at hand, frankly, you can do with your figs whatever you want. I might have an opinion, but then that would make them my MOCs, not yours. Frankly, I stick entirely to old school yellow, sending my fleshies to a friend who I know will use them, but then that's me. I've seen other builders mix every shade of minifig there is together in one large MOC. While it's never something I would do in my work, I completely and utterly respect that's the artistic decision of the builder. Do what thou wilt with your own figs! badger

Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend. However, BrickArms will be there in force with both Will Chapman and obxcrew (one of the BrickArms Forums moderators) attending. If you liked a lot of the neat surprises that popped up at BrickWord, expect more fun and exciting things from BrickArms at BrickFair including never before seen items and prototypes. badger

I don't know anything about street dates for the next Castle wave, but the unofficial word on the street is the elves are "very cool." Not much, but then the person I spoke to didn't seem to be easily impressed, and the ear-to-ear grin that he was sporting spoke volumes. badger

As what was included in the BrickArms Brickworld survey as well as the final scores for each item will have a direct effect on future BrickArms accessory, they are strictly for internal use only. If someone who took the survey can remember a few items, they're welcome to post them, but the complete list still stay confidential. badger

"Where am I?!" "In the Village." "What do you want?" "Information" "Who's side are you on?" "That would be telling. We want information." "You won't get it!" Nice work on a character of whom I'm exceptionally fond. Now how you handle #1, that I'd love to see! badger

I believe nearly all of the figs in that picture were created for sale at BrickWorld, where the Chief fig completely sold out (no surprise there!). This is probably going to be the only eBay auction for the Chief fig, although he MAY make a return at BrickFair. Will's working on a number of projects right now, and while experiments like the needle weapon are fun (especially as convention exclusives), ultimately he prefers to direct most of his efforts towards items that can be produced easily in large numbers so a wider audience can have access to them. The fig isn't so much the issue as is the needle weapon. It's made as a single, solid piece using multiple molds and overmolding, a very labor intensive and difficult process. For each successful piece created, many failures also result. It's for this reason the Chief fig won't likely ever be widely available as Will specifically created that fig to compliment the needle gun. No idea, but as far as I'm aware, Will never asks for more than what USPS charges. Best guess: given the high profile nature of the item, Will is including extra goodies (expedited shipping, insurance, tracking, delivery confirmation) that add to the cost of shipping. badger

"Now, what ever shall we talk about?" badger

Will has put one of his custom Chief minifigs on Ebay for auction: Included with the BA Chief: a silver MA5 Assault Rifle, a M6 Magnum pistol and a custom-injected, multi-colored Needle weapon. He also comes with silver frag grenades and a silver SMG Rifle. Here's a link to the auction This is likely the only time this fig and the needle-weapon are going to be publicly available. The fig may be also sold in limited quantities at BrickFair, but plans to do so are still very much in flux. badger

Extremely well-reasoned post, Shadows, and I certainly agree with your assessment. As far as I can tell, two possibilities are likely in terms of how these items ended up in this display: 1. Honest mistake - Like you said, some parts, possibility prototypes, got mixed into the batch used for this display. Considering that's a very high concentration of new product aside from the Pirate-related items (new Witch face, new City torso, new hairpieces and hairpieces in new colors), it's certainly possible someone dipped too deeply into the well of new minifig components to showcase. 2. Deliberate tease - After talking to several TLC reps at BrickWorld, I've learned one thing: they're much more hip to interwebs that I ever imagined, especially in regards to how fast any hint to new product spreads like wildfire. They also have a very precise what lines and accessories more hardcore fans are most desperate to see returned. Frankly, it's not too hard to believe that with such a large public event, someone at TLC might think it'd be clever to sneak in a small hint of something so craved by the fan base, knowing that at least one or two pictures of that display would undoubtedly be posted and proceed to set every Pirate fan's heart aglow. Option 1 is probably more likely, but part of me would love to find out it was the latter given how it worked perfectly (assuming we are looking at the return of Pirates). I've been learning a lot the past few months about how to announce new product in fun and exciting ways, and should this turn out to be true, it's pure gold in terms of exciting a fan base and priming them for more news regarding a new line of products. If Option 2 is the truth and the minds behind it read this, kudos to you, sirs and/or madams! badger

I can guarantee that everything Will produces is designed to be as poseable as possible. As someone who made certain that the M1 Garand could be shouldered comfortably, I can assure you that should Will design a musket, the accessory will be design so that a shouldered pose is possible and looks natural. I can tell you folks that with the new minifig pics that appear to signal the return of the TLC Pirate line, Will is taking a very, very close look at these types of items. If there's something you want to see produced to complement your high seas minifigs, now's the time to do it! badger

Naturally, this is huge. At BrickWorld this year, it was stressed by company reps that the focus of TLC in the past few years and with future plans has been to return the company to its core values. A revived Pirate line is perfectly in keep with this philosophy and is honestly something I'm thrilled to see is very, very likely to occur. As for the figs in this display, they both look great. The soldier captures the classic Imperial Soldier/Guard look beautifully but still has a more modern polish, and what can been seen of the pirate torso looks like it has a high level of detail and personality. TLC has really impressed me with the figs of the new Castle and Agents lines; Pirate sets really have the potential to really turn some heads, both in the builds and figs. Like many I'm sure, I'm going to be watching for more news on this like a (sea)hawk! badger

I honestly have no idea. I do know, however, that Will is very sensitive keeping the prices of his accessories as low as possible but still at a level that keeps BrickArms a solvent business. Still, the price of the KA-BAR will not likely differ extensively from those of current BrickArms accessories. badger

And so he shall! You're most likely thinking about this thread where I first mentioned that Will was exploring the idea of branching out into more historical weapons. However, at this time, Will has yet to design or prototype a musket rifle, although I can say the strong reaction to both the idea of a more accurate musket and the BrickArms M1 Garand has not be lost on Will. Also, as stash alluded to, at BrickWorld '08, I had a survey for attendees to fill out to rate several ideas Will has been thinking about to get fan reactions to them. Also important was the anecdotal reaction from fans of BrickArms (like stash!) to these ideas. Included in the list were several items Pirate fans would be very interested in. Still, if you Pirate fans want new BrickArms Pirate accessories, here's the place to make your voice heard! Don't think I'm above linking to a thread like this to show Will how much of an audience there is for a given idea for an accessory! badger

This was requested elsewhere, so I thought I'd share it here as well: a comparison between the upcoming BrickArms KA-BAR and the TLC Knife badger

Hey folks, Dunechaser of the Brothers-Brick just put up a nice showcase of a few of the BrickArms prototypes showcased at BrickWorld. Here's a link to the article, and here's a few shots from the article of the still in development BrickArms accessories : Lewis Gun and Brodie Helmet: M21 Sniper Rifle: Baseball Bat Enjoy! badger

A few great new prototypes that really BrickArms "the edge" at BrickWorld this year Cleaver With unparalleled power behind its slash and chop, the BrickArms Cleaver is deadly even in the hands of a novice. Able to cut through armor and bone with a single stroke, this imposing weapon was inspired by the legendary Chinese da dao, a design that saw use on the front lines of warfare all the way to World War II and was reputed to remove the heads of enemies with ease. The BrickArms cleaver is an excellent choice for any figure who wants an truly imposing blade by their side! Comparison of the BrickArms Cleaver with the TLC Scimitar: The KA-BAR Combat Knife Custom fig by Damien Because sometimes even modern combat is up-close and personal! The BrickArms KA-BAR was inspired by the legendary combat knife of WWII and is an excellent choice for any commando minifig looking for a silent but very effective alternative to a firing weapon. Honed to a razor sharp edge, the KA-BAR is ready for action! Machete As your figs works their way though an overgrown jungle, that’s when the BrickArms machete proves its worth! Able to hack through even the densest brush, the machete also makes an effective melee weapon should the need arise. Now that’s a multi-tasker! Currently, there are two version of the machete: one with a slight lip on the handle and one sans lip: As with all prototypes, the designs and colors of these items may not reflect the final accessory nor is there any set release date for these items as of yet. Enjoy! badger

Tedbeard is absolutely correct: the prototype for the BrickArms Brodie helmet was only revealed to the public at large at BrickWorld last weekend. Also, the idea for Will to try his hand at designing this item pre-dates the BrickArms forums themselves. That someone independently came to the same conclusion that it would make an excellent addition to the BrickArms line-up shows how useful and popular the idea is. badger

Thanks! Dick Miller is a famous character actor (part of the Roger Corman troop). In The Terminator, he played the ill-fated gunshop owner who provided the Terminator with his weaponry. The classic scene from the film badger

Because TLC pretty much mandated it with one of the new Agents minifig heads: Pistol is a silver BA M1911 with the scope from a silver Tactical M47 shotgun. Watch out, Dick Miller! badger