Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Ka-Boom

What: Ka-Boom, Fire Element Trap Master

Where Did You Get It: Special Delivery

What Does It Cost: $14.99 plus tax

What is Included: Ka-Boom, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Ka-Boom

Ka-Boom

Fire Element, Trap Master

Slogan: “Boom Time!”

Card Stats

 Power: 240/250

Armor: 50/250

Agility: 90/250

Luck: 160/250

Totals: 540/1000

In-Game Stats

Maximum Health: 250

Speed: 60

Armor: 12

Critical Hit: 80

Elemental Power: 25

Total: 427

Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Trail Blazer

What: Trail Blazer, Fire Element, Newlander

Where Did You Get It: Special Delivery

What Does It Cost: $9.99 plus tax

What is Included: Trail Blazer, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Trail Blazer

Trail Blazer

Fire Element, Newlander

Slogan: “The Mane Event!”

Card Stats

Power: 100/250

Armor: 100/250

Agility: 140/250

Luck: 40/250

Totals: 380/1000

In-Game Stats

Maximum Health: 270

Speed: 85

Armor: 18

Critical Hit: 30

Elemental Power: 25

Total: 428

Skylanders Trap Team Unboxing Torch

What: Torch, Fire Element Newlander
What Does She Cost: $9.99 plus tax
What is Included: Torch, Stat Card, Sticker Sheet with Special Code

More Picture and Info coming soon!

Fire Kraken Upgrade Paths Skylanders SWAP Force

Fire Kraken Base Upgrades

Jade Fire Kraken Base Upgrades

Fire Kraken Attack Damage Numbers

Jade Fire Kraken The Showcase (Top) Upgrade Path

Fire Kraken Magnificent Parade (Top) Upgrade Path

Fire Kraken Stunning Sparker (Bottom) Upgrade Path

Jade Fire Kraken Booming Bouncer (Bottom) Upgrade Path

I didn't put Fire Kraken off, I just wanted to wait for Jade Fire Kraken, and then things got busy...That said, I will admit he probably appeals to me the least from all the SWAP Force Skylanders.  I say that very much aware of the potential backlash due to the extreme number of dragon people out there that love everything regardless...

Fire Kraken's primary attack, Sparking Strikes is actually pretty good.  I was afraid it was so good it would be one of those times all the ugprades are a disappointment...I was wrong.  Glow Stick offered a nice increase, but where the big pay came is with Rising Fountain.  This is roughly a 2 Second charge to deliver 85-128 Damage!  Take "The Showcase" Path and you get it further enhanced both with additional damage and aesthetics.

The Showcase Path is hands down my recommendation up top.  It isn't exactly great, but it looks cool, adds a powerful 50-75 via projectile after you execute Rising Fountain and the firwork ring after the fact is just neat looking...the 12 damage is negligible imo.

The Magnificent Dragon Parade is what everyone raves about...It is literally I ever heard about Fire Kraken.  I am not a fan and I don't think that will change.  The initial run time was a joke, so I figured the upgrade path would extend it like crazy and amp up the damage.  It lasts all of 5 seconds for me.  That isn't much of a parade.  I did realize the Armor jumped +25 which would be a saving grace, but my Jade Fire Kraken that has "The Showcase" also has the +25 so I am not sure what the deal is.  I might appreciate this one slightly more after using it in game, but I will still prefer The Showcase.

Fire Kraken's bottom end is more flash to me, but it is pretty unique and colorful, which I will count as pros in this case.  The damage on the 3rd Hit is very respectable and coupled with Show-Off you get a pretty solid set-up, it is just slow and cumbersome to execute.  Speaking of slow to execute, The Big One needs about 12 seconds to charge!  That is nuts!  However, it is cool, unique, and delivers a crazy 120-180 Damage!  That makes up for the 12 seconds, especially when you consider that you can Primary, Secondary, and I assume Tertiary (although I didn't try it...see, not a fan of Dragon Parade) while the count goes down.

Stunning Sparker allots a temporary (see 12 seconds) speed boost while The Big One lingers...I love speed and this does help you control the setup nicely.  Sizzling Sparkler is, in my opinion, negligible.  

Booming Bouncer is one I had high (ha, punny) hopes for...sadly, they were dashed.  I assumed Bigbadaboom would address the super useful Kraken Up that deals 25-38 when simply jumping.  Sadly, it was tied in with the secondary attack instead and while it is cool, doesn't do much for me damage wise.  Strike the Foes will clear the area out and do decent damage, but any repeated use of it will restart the already long 12 second timer.

The top end Soul Gem, Dance of  Dragons is pretty lackluster, mainly due to Rising Fountain.  I would never release Attack 3 to do it as you will automatically engage it after the 5 second run time.  The bottom end Soul Gem, The Bigger One ups the damage to an amazing 150-225 and adds some more color and a bigger radius...it totally makes up for the top end SG.

My preferred combo would be The Showcase and Stunning Sparker.

For veterans I would suggest The Showcase and Stunning Sparker.  For rookies I would suggest The Showcase and Stunning Sparker.  As you can see, this is one of those cases where my opinion is of the variety that two paths are really better than their counterparts.  The bottom end is really a catch 22.  If you want Speed go with Stunning Sparker, if you want the clearout, go with Booming Bouncer.

Fire Kraken is one of those characters that has base upgrades that really outshine the Upgrade Paths.  That isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just kind of dampens the appeal of the paths since most tie in a perceived increase of epicness.  While it may sound like I am being harsh, I really like Rising Fountain and Sparking Strikes is enhanced very well by the base attacks and The Showcase Path.  It is, in my opinion, his clear strength.  Similarly, on the bottom end, The Big One (and subsequent Soul Gem The Bigger One) totally outshines either path.  In all honesty, I like the base upgrade Kraken Up better than either path combined.

All-in-all Fire Kraken to me is a heavy primary hitter.  The way he is structured I would set up "The Big One" and go to town with the staff until it launches.  He should be quite formidable in this fashion.  Magnificent Parade just does nothing for me personally.  I will give it every chance to win me over, but I can't see it happening.

That said, this guy is very colorful, unique, and will be quite powerful with the play style I described above!

I will work towards trying to figure out if there is a glitch on my end and the parade should last longer and how Jade, not down the Parade Path, got the same Armor increase by checking in on my other JFK.

Blast Zone & Dark Blast Zone Upgrade Paths Skylanders SWAP Force

Blast Zone Base Upgrades (Top and Bottom)

Blast Zone Attack Damage Numbers

Blast Zone Ignition Upgrade Path (Top)

Blast Zone Reaction Satisfaction Upgrade Path (Top)

Blast Zone Fuel Injected Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Blast Zone Temperatures Rising Upgrade Path (Bottom)

Dark Blast Zone Fully Upgraded 

Blast Zone is an absolute beast in box stock form.  My Nephew loved being him in our Battle Tournaments because he could almost always win with just Bomb Throw, unless of course he was facing Dark Blast Zone!

I never understood why I didn't hear more chatter about him...I figured the Upgrade Paths must have been lackluster for him to be that ignored in chatter amongst Portal Masters.

However, after upgrading him I know that can not be the case.  Blast Zone has some great Upgrade Paths.

Up top, I think the obvious choice for most people is the Ignition Path.  This takes the already potent Bomb Throw and further enhances it.  Only catch is you have to have a fire wall to throw through.  This is the best choice for most people.

I prefer Reaction Satisfaction.  It might actually  be easier for rookie players to master as well.  Flame Breath, his tertiary attack, was left untouched in the base upgrades.  Reaction Satisfaction allows you to complete a circle and be rewarded with an explosion.  Phase 2 of the path increases both damage and area.  This to me is the best option not only because it does great damage, but because I felt it balanced him given how potent Bomb Throw was with just Power Bombs factored in...

On the bottom end I prefer Temperatures Rising.  It is a path that generates a fiery aura after dashing that allows you to drift towards enemies you want to target and do additional damage past your other attacks.  In other words, I feel it is a bit more precise than Fuel Injected.

Fuel Injected, however, hits much harder on the face value than Temperatures Rising.  At the end of  a dash you shoot off a fireball that does big damage to enemies.  The only issue is the lack of control.  You may want it to cascade towards a geargolem, but if a Greeble sneaks up from the side, it can auto-lock on the less than formidable enemy and fail to deliver like you had hoped.  That said, it is a minor issue and I think most will prefer Fuel Injected.

That said, any upgrade path for Blast Zone is well done and easy to follow, I just personally prefer Reaction Satisfaction for the balance and Temperatures Rising for the control.

Smolderdash Upgrade Paths with Damage Numbers Skylanders SWAP Force

Smolderdash Base Upgrades

Smolderdash Attack Damage Numbers

^Click the Spreadsheet to make it Larger^

Smolderdash Sun Forger Path

Smolderdash Sun Forged Path

Smolderdash upgraded very well.  I am surprised I haven't heard more people taking about her.

Sun Forger is going to be the path of choice for those who really like the concept of her flame whip and dividing up the Super Giant sun.  You also get a bump in Critical Hit.  I think this might be slightly better for PVP.

Sun Forged is my path of choice.  As always, when Speed or Armor is tied into a path, 95% of the time I will prefer it for that reason.  That said, Solar Blast is more effective to me and despite not being a fan of Sun's Core overall, it is a nice aura ability that you can control more precisely.  I think this path would be better for story mode than Sun Forger.

Ultimately, Smolderdash upgrades very well with just the base enhancements.  You can't go wrong with either path...You ultimately need to pick if you want Critical Hit or Armor and if you like Super Giant or Solar Blast better.

Unboxing Fryno Skylanders SWAP Force

What? Fryno, Fire Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? Walmart
What Did It Cost? $9.96 plus tax
What Was Stock Like?  Last one, intentionally hidden.
What is Included? Fryno, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Fryno

Fryno
Fire Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "Crash and Burn!"

Card Stats
Power: 130/200
Armor: 105/200
Agility: 80/200
Luck: 25/200
Totals: 340/800

Unboxing Fire Bone Hot Dog

What? Fire Bone Hot Dog, Fire Element, Series 2 Skylander
Where Did You Get It? Walmart
What Did It Cost? $9.96 plus tax
What Was Stock Like? Two total, both hidden.
What is Included? Fire Bone Hot Dog, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Fire Bone Hot Dog

Fire Bone Hot Dog
Fire Element, Series 2

Slogan: "See Spot Burn!"

Card Stats
Power: 100/200
Armor: 60/200
Agility: 70/200
Luck: 80/200
Totals: 310/800

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Smolderdash

What? Smolderdash, Fire Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost? $10.99 plus tax, BOGO40%
What Was Stock Like? Moderate Stock
What is Included? Smolderdash, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Smolderdash

Smolderdash
Fire Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "A Blaze of Glory!"

Card Stats
Power: 135/200
Armor: 50/200
Agility: 85/200
Luck: 60/200
Totals: 330/800

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing LightCore Smolderdash

What: LightCore Smolderdash, Fire Element, SWAP Force Newlander
Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost? $13.99 plus tax (BOGO40%)
What Was Stock Like? Very hard to find in my area for some reason...launch day included!
What is Included: LC Smolderdash, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing LightCore Smolderdash

LightCore Smolderdash
Fire Element, SF Newlander

Slogan: "A Blaze of Glory!"

Card Stats
Power: 140/200
Armor: 50/200
Agility: 85/200
Luck: 60/200
Totals: 335/800

LC Smolderdash on the Portal, Front View

LC Smolderdash on the Portal, Rear View

LC Star Strike, LC Smolderdash, and LC Grim Creeper

Skylanders SWAP Force Unboxing Fire Kraken

What: Fire Kraken, Fire Element, SWAP Force, Bounce
Where Did You Get It? Toys'R'Us
What Did It Cost? $16.99 plus tax (BOGO40%)
What Was Stock Like? Very Limited. I've only seen this one.
What is Included: Fire Kraken, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet

Unboxing Fire Kraken

Fire Kraken

Fire Element, SWAP Force, Bounce

Slogan: "Burn to be Wild!"

Card Stats:

Power: 170/200

Armor: 70/200

Agility: 170/200

Luck: 60/200

Totals: 470/800

Fire Kraken, Front

Fire Kraken, Rear

Fire Element SWAPPERS as of Wave 2 Release

Skylanders Giants: Series 2 Fire Element Upgrade Paths

Here is the Video Set for the Series 2 Fire Element Skylanders Upgrade Paths:

Skylanders Giants Part 148: LightCore Eruptor Volcanor Upgrade Path

Skylanders Giants Part 149: Series 2 Eruptor Magmantor Upgrade Path

Skylanders Giants Part 150: Series 2 Flameslinger Pyromancer Upgrade Path

Skylanders Giants Part 151: Series 2 Ignitor Lord of the Flame Upgrade Path 

and Legendary Ignitor Blade Master Upgrade Path

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Molten Hot Dog

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Walmart Exclusive Molten Hot Dog

What?  Molten Hot Dog, Fire Element, Newlander, Walmart Exclusive

Where Did You Get It?  Walmart.com via Site-to-Store

What Did It Cost?  $9.96 plus tax, free shipping

What is Included?  Molten Hot Dog, Sticker Sheet, Web Code for Skylanders Universe

What Was Stock Like?  Should be very easy to land MHD...don't pay more than retail!

Quick Character Info:

Slogan: "See Spot Burn!"

Card Stats:

Power/Strength: 85/1580
Defense/Armor: 50/150
Speed/Agility: 70/150
Luck: 80/150
Totals: 285/600

Molten Hot Dog, Walmart Exclusive, Introduction

Stats, Upgrades, Powers, Quests, and Heroic Challenge

Conclusion

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Eruptor

Skylanders Giants Unboxing Series 2 Eruptor

What?  Series 2 Eruptor, Fire Element Skylander

Where Did You Get It?  Amazon.com

What Did It Cost?  $9.96 plus tax (Free Shipping)

What Is Included?  S2 Eruptor, Sticker Sheet, and Web Code for Skylanders Universe

What Was Stock Like?  I've only seen one single pack in person at TRU.  Online he is pretty easy to find and I would suggest Amazon.com, GameStop.com, or Walmart.com as your best bets.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Born to Burn!"

Stats

Power/Strength: 95/150
Defense/Armor: 95/150
Speed/Agility: 35/150
Luck: 60/150
Totals: 285/600

Conclusion

Eruptor's S2 pose is decent, but not one of the most impressive.  He is also accompanied in the Giants lineup with his LightCore counterpart.  It is currently tough for me to find him locally, but online he has readily been available.

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing and Overview of Series 2 Flameslinger

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Flameslinger

What?  Series 2 Flameslinger, Fire Element Repose

Where Did You Get It?  Santa!  Not really, but it was a Christmas present from my sister.

What Did It Cost?  $9.99 plus tax

What is Included?  Flameslinger figure, Stat Card, Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Was Stock Like?  I have never had trouble finding S2 Flameslinger around my local stores.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Let the Flames Begin!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 60/150
Defense/Armor: 40/150
Agility/Speed: 100/150
Luck: 80/150
Totals: 280/600

Conclusion

Flameslinger is back with a very nice repose and ready to battle Kaos yet again.  This repose is nice, but isn't much of a departure from his original SSA pose.  The most obvioius addition is the crouch for the three-arrow volley shot.  Nonetheless it is a good repose.  In my dreams I would like to see a blaze behind him, but that probably wouldn't be durable.

Anyway, Flameslinger is a nice addition to the arsenal thanks to his long range attacks and the incredible FlameDash based Supernova!  The other big perk to Flameslinger is his speed...I recall him being much more agile than his Fire Element brethren.

Scorpion Striker Battle Pack with Zap and Hot Dog

A few days ago GameStop announced that they would be getting the highly anticipated Scorpion Striker Battle Pack as a timed exclusive...

Basically what that means to you is that GameStop will be your only option for picking up the Battle Pack for the first 30 days or so.

The Battle Pack, as with the previous, will retail for $24.99...don't pay more than that!

I know the screen grab below is small, but if you click on it you can see the release date of New Years Day and their bragging rights of having it a full month before anyone else.

Check it out:

This shouldn't be too big of a surprise given that they had (and still have) the "Golden" Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack (other stores have the standard issue, or non-"golden" Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack).

Several people across the net picked this combo of Zap and Hot Dog out as the previous battle pack featured contrasting elements (ie Undead and Life by way of Chop Chop and Shroomboom).

Why were so many able to predict this combo?  Simple.

We already have the other 7 new Skylanders out, so only Hot Dog remained.  Similarly, we already have Slam Bam and Gill Grunt from the reposed Water Element so that left Zap (Wham-Shell is not getting a repose).

That said, still cool to predict it.

And just fyi, the way we knew of the "catapult" ahead of time was a few pictures from a tour of the Toys for Bob studio where it was sitting next to both the standard issue Dragonfire Cannon and GameStop Exclusive Golden Dragonfire Cannon!

The Scorpion Striker should unlock a new arena and possibly some re-skins AND serve as a magic item for gameplay.

The big draw is of course going to be Hot Dog as this will be our first chance to play the new Fire Element Skylander!

I have to be honest and say that I am very excited to obtain the S2 Zap.  If you recall from my SSA Upgrade vids, Zap is one of the Skylanders I was very torn on picking an upgrade path.  This time around I can take the other path first and then decide which I truly like better.  The coolest thing about S2 Zap will of course be his Wow Pow Power AND the ability to switch upgrade paths...

I nearly ordered this when the link went live, BUT that would mean I had to pay freight and wait on it.  That is probably not a horrible set up given the unknown of winter weather (ie will it be 60 and clear 1-1-13, or will it be 25 and icy).

That said, I will probably run by my favorite GameStop later tonight and pre-order there.  I don't think it will be hard to come by...I've yet to see the Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack out-of-stock at any GameStop or their website.

I guess if bad weather prevents me from getting it on release day, it will be paid for and awaiting my arrival to join the Skylander force!

If you want to pre-order the Scorpion Striker Battle Pack from GameStop, you can click here.

I hope to do the Weekly Update and I'll let you know if I get the pre-order tonight!

UPDATE 12/6/2012

I went in to GameStop tonight and locked up the Scorpion Striker Battle Pack.  The big news is I got a 100% Confirmation on the 1/1/13 Street Date!

Sadly, I also got 100% confirmation that they know nothing on when Wave 3 might hit.

UPDATE 1/9/2013

As many have said/reported across the net, GameStop.com changed the release date on their place holder for the Scorpion Striker Battle Pack to 1/10/2013.

You can see a screen grab here:

Perhaps the bigger story than the one-day push back is that you can't pre-order the item anymore!  What this means for those who did not pre-order remains to be seen...That said, if you want it and planned to pick it up without a pre-order I would advise you to act fast.  With this one getting pushed back 3 times now, it could very easily be an item we see stocked and then exhausted.  That said, it could also be sold out Day 1 and then GameStops everywhere could get a full stock within a week...the bottom line is we just don't know at this point.

The BIGGER NEWS, however, came to me at 12:25 PM via text message.

It says:

"GameStop: Your Skylanders Giants order avail Fri PM.  Bring your trades to reduce price.  Info# xxx-xxx-xxxx. End txt msgs reply STOP"

That is the exact transmission, minus me omitting the number with x's.  And that is straight from the source, to someone who pre-ordered.  I now have no reason to believe the Battle Pack will be there today (as expected), tomorrow (as the website indicates), but rather FRIDAY, JANUARY, 11TH, 2013 as their text message and direct communication indicates.

That is a bit of a bummer, but I will try to get up there Friday.  I usually make my rounds in the evening the night before, so it is kind of throwing me for a loop...Sad thing is, with the stock possibly being very limited I don't want to wait and find that my pre-order was accidentally sold...crazier things happen.

Anyway, my best guess right now is straight from GameStop...we can all expect to get our hands on the Scorpion Striker Battle Pack this Friday.

If more dealys or bad news arise I will post it here...if Friday holds true I will have an unboxing up to end the vicious cycle!  Stay tuned!

Skylanders Giants: Unboxing Hot Head

Unboxing Hot Head

What?  Hot Head, Fire Element Giant

Where Did You Get It?  Local Store, Not Sold Online

What Did It Cost?  $14.99 plus tax

What is Included?  Hot Head, Stat Card, and Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Lights Up?  The flame plume on his head...sadly that is it.

What Was Stock Like?  Incredibly hard to find, at least as of me writing this 11/15/12...I got the only one in the store.

Quick Character Info

Slogan: "Hey!  I'm on fire!"

Stats:  

Power/Strength: 150/150

Defense/Armor: 120/150

Agility/Speed: 60/150

Luck: 80/150

Totals:  410/600

Conclusion

Hot Head is currently the hardest Skylander to come by...The last 2-3 weeks I have seen plenty of Sprocket and Flashwing and that even includes their respective Triple Packs.  Tonight was the first time I have ever seen Hot Head in person.

I am looking forward to playing Hot Head and seeing how he stacks up...That said, while he isn't too bad aesthetically the light up display garners him no additional points.  While Drobot was disappointing, Hot Head's light up effect is extremely disappointing.  With Hot Head hailing from the FIRE ELEMENT and his hands serving for what looks like 2 eternal torches it blows my mind that they do not illuminate.  His head fire (not sure how to describe it still) casts a nice, red glow (in person it really is red...not an amber color like we saw with Drobot) but it seems lost in the massive expanse that is his hands-up pose.  Lighting up both the hands AND his head would have been great, but if I had to pick either/or I'd have gone with the hands, "hands down."  Not only would that spread the light up effect, it would have put out a lot more, and I believe served to radiate some to his face anyway.

I want to stress that the light up effect has no impact on the actual game play, but there was once again a lot of potential that was missed here.  And no, I'm not bashing him...I haven't played Hot Head and I am genuinely excited to have found him...it is just a true disappointment things weren't better executed...that said if he conveys that short fuse and infinite supply of fuel and fire in the game I might just reserve a warm place in my portal master heart for him.

The main thing I want to stress with Hot Head (aside from the lackluster lighting) is that you do not need to go overboard and spring $35-$100 for him.  Just be patient and snag him for retail, or better yet...catch him in stock during a sale!  

I am hopeful that stock will hit before Black Friday and if not then, hopefully a nice stock prior to Christmas...That said, here are some useful links (my way of thanking you for reading the blog!)...

Bonus Content for Blog Readers!

Amazon: I'm kind of getting tired of their lackluster shipping efforts, but they have honestly been the best best for finding Hot Head for the last 2 weeks or so.  When they do get stock it tends to go very fast...I would order it immediately.  And just a tip, to get free shipping you can have a few other items (another Skylander perhaps?), or a CD, DS game, etc to push you over the $25 threshold.  That said, if you want it fast it might be smart to pay for shipping.  I've waited 6 days for my Hot Head to leave their warehouse and it has yet to happen...not impressed:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/188-9399385-2628929?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=hot+head

Best Buy:  I am not a fan of this store at all.  That said, I've had several people tell me their local stores have been getting in 3-6 Hot Heads...Might try your luck there or keep refreshing the link:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Skylanders%3A+Giants+Character+Pack+(Hot+Head)+-+Xbox+360%2C+PlayStation+3%2C+Nintendo+Wii%2C+Nintendo+3DS/6925153.p?id=1218814317341&skuId=6925153

GameStop: First off, check with your local store...if they don't have a big demand the associates may very well offer to hold one for you, or put you on a list!  They are almost always the most in-tune to Skylanders and more willing to work with you.  

http://www.gamestop.com/toys/skylanders-giants-hot-head-individual-character-pack/106001

Target: I've yet to see Hot Head there and the person who works in electronics has told me she has yet to see him, and she does seem to keep up with who they've had etc.

http://www.target.com/p/skylander-giants-character-pack-hot-head/-/A-14261779#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=hot head skylander

Toys'R'Us: You might ask associates here too.  If you are nice and they know you are looking many will alert you to shipments, hold one, or try their best to help you out.  If you've got someone really good they will be on par with GameStop employees.  Their website just had a nice stock of Hot Head (which is now gone), BUT they tend to sell out and then restock as I've seen it since SSA and as recently as Sprocket and Flaswhing...just keep checking their website:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=15854546

Walmart: I have never seen Hot Head here either, but they have actually had the best continual stock of new Skylanders, Giants, and the harder to come by Sprocket and Flashwing, particularly the Triple Packs.  

Skylanders Giants Unboxing LightCore Eruptor

Unboxing LightCore Eruptor

What?  LightCore Eruptor, Fire Element

Where Did You Get It?  Toys'R'Us.com

What Did It Cost?  $11.99 plus tax, free shipping

What is Included?  LC Eruptor, Stat Card, and a Sticker Sheet with Web Code

What Lights Up?  Eruptor's Mouth

What Was Stock Like?  I have yet to enter a store that did NOT have LC Eruptor.

Quick Character Info:

Slogan: "Born to Burn!"

Stats:

Power/Strength: 90/150
Defense/Armor: 90/150
Agility/Speed: 35/150
Luck: 65/150
Totals: 280/600


Conclusion

LightCore Eruptor is a pretty solid LightCore character.  While I personally wish they would have also had his fists light up as if he was preparing to throw a magma ball, he is still fairly well executed and puts out a nice amount of light.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Unboxing Triple Pack H: Camo, Ignitor, Warnado

Having waited on the Amazon.com pre-order, I had a hard time passing up the instant gratitude of ordering the Camo, Ignitor, Warnado Triple Pack from GameStop.com I pulled the trigger and got it in Thursday, May 3rd, 2012.  Here is the unboxing:

I have to say, it is only fitting I got "notice of pending shipment" from Amazon the next day, but hey, what can you do?  Wham-Shell is all I lack at this point and I am hoping Amazon gets him out pretty soon.  In the mean time I will definitely enjoy having Camo and Warnado around.

As many of you know, I have been waiting for Warnado to come out since debut week.  I picked up those large posters they had at the game demo during launch week and nailed Warnado down as a potential favorite...I can finally see if he delivers.

This video will cover the background story on the Skylanders, their card stats, their in-game stats, and even their upgrade paths.

To recap the basics, and most asked parts, here you go:

Where Did You Get It?
-GameStop.com

How Much Did You Pay?
-$19.99

How Long Did It Take to Get It?
-3 Days

Which Shipping Method Did you Pick?
-Standard, I'm cheap.

Will you record gameplay of Camo and Warnado?
-Uh, yes.  I hope to have their Heroic Challenges up by early Monday morning.

Is Your Collection Complete?
-No, I still lack Wham-Shell.

Has Amaon Shipped Your Pre-Order Yet?
-No, I have a "soon to ship" notice on Camo and Warnado ( I wanted two Warnados, one for each path) and the other Camo and Warnado will be going to my friend.  I have no notice on Wham-Shell, but despite breaking the shipment up, both are slated for the sweet, "Super Saver Shipping" which is FREE.

All that aside, here is what you probably really want to see in text format if you are reading, the stats:

Camo "Fruit Punch"
#7 in Skylanders Overall Rankings

In-Game
-Health: 300/600
-Speed: 50/98
-Armor: 34/64
-Critical Hit: 30/80
-Elemental Power: 25/100

Card
-Strength: 70
-Agility: 45
-Defense: 70
-Luck: 70

Ignitor "Slash and Burn"
#30 in Skylanders Overall Rankings

In-Game
-Health: 240/480
-Speed: 43/91
-Armor: 12/82
-Critical Hit: 30/80
-Elemental Power: 25/100

Card
-Strength: 100
-Agility: 40
-Defense: 65
-Luck: 50

Warnado "For the Wind"
#5 in Skylanders Overall Rankings

In-Game
-Health: 310/620
-Speed: 35/83
-Armor: 30/100
-Critical Hit: 10/60
-Elemental Power: 25/100

Card
-Strenght: 50
-Agility: 70
-Defense: 90
-Luck: 45

Conclusion

It is now 4 AM.  The unboxing has just uploaded and is almost fully processed on YouTube.  I am going to get some sleep, but will try to try out Camo and Warnado tonight...if all goes well their Heroic Challenges should be up before sun rise on Monday, lol.

The "Skylanders Overall Rankings" are determined by in-game power stats and health totals.  You can find the complete breakdown by selecting the "Skylanders Overall Rankings" tab on the right hand side bar.

This brings the count to 31/32...all that is missing is Wham-Shell.

Keep in mind that Wave 5 consists of the following:

Triple Pack H
-Camo, Ignitor, and Warnado

Single Packs
-Camo
-Ignitor
-Warnado
-Wham-Shell

Good luck tracking them down!  Walmart is your best bet locally...they have the best price and seem to always have the most regular delivery.  If your store is raided by a scalper, you might have to resort to buying online.  I would suggest Amazon or GameStop.

Hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful!

-1ofWiisdom