Reported by: Jay Jovellanos
JoeAttacktix managed to get one of the first Intergalactic Showdown sets. I picked it up for just under $20. Initially spotted in Orlando, I went to the Wal*Mart in North Tampa and they had eight sets on the shelf. These are the biggest boxes yet, 14x5x15 (inches) and you will see them as soon as you head down the toy aisle! The artwork is beautiful on the inside and out!
The first thing to shock me was the Gold-Based Megas! All the production photos, and Toy Fair teasers would have us believe the smaller figures had Gold Bases, but the Megas still had black. I must say that a Gold-Based AT-RT looks pretty sweet! All figures are marked with as SVT-01 to SVT-06 (SVT = Star Wars vs. Transformers).
The second observation was the color of the gold. It looked a bit darker in the store, but once I compared it to my Wal*Mart Exclusive figures I realized they were just missing the speckled casting powder... different, but not a big deal.
After I inspected the new gold, I saw one of the biggest changes to game play, the Tix Speed! Now, every figure will have their Tix movement value written inside the dial that you see through the upper window. Previously, this window was only used to choose who went first, now it has a very important role. As we have explained in the Spoilers, figures will have one or two windows with a Base Speed plus one, and one or two with minus one. The figures in the SVT packs vary, in future editions of the figure guide, we will also include this information.
What this ALSO means for game play, is that when your opponent stops on bonus movement, you may also know his Special Power window color. For instance, if SVT Darth Vader stops with a movement of 11, we know his Special Power is NOT White, and this is a great time to kill him. However, Darth Vader has two movements of 13, and not only that, but in both cases he also has a White underneath! This can add a whole new level of strategy.
This sculpt of Darth Vader is still one of the best Strikers in the game! Luke is worthy adversary, but seems dwarfed by the Omega Sentinel and Super Optimus Prime. Even the Heavy Energy Blast from Optimus' gun looks bigger than Luke, but that is no complaint.
The Omega Sentinel is a beast. He has all the fire power of the AT-RT with the aiming ability of the Super Battle Droid.
If the SVT sets start showing up in stores in your area, please leave a comment here so other fans can find them! If you would like to call your local retailer, ask for Product Code: 6 53569 15769 4.