Skylanders Battlecast Quick Start Guide & What You Need to Know

So, this just showed up at work this afternoon:

Yup...Skylanders Battlecast is here!  Technically, it was out a day early in the app store, but the cards hit retailers today, Tuesday, May 24th, 2016.  If Battlecast sounds familiar, it should...each Starter Pack for Skylanders SuperChargers included (2) Battlecast Cards, Spitfire and Stealth Elf.

You probably remember the cards now, but might still be wondering just what Battlecast is...hopefully this will help you!

Skylanders Battlecast is a free-to-play mobile game that you can download from Amazon, the Google Play Store, or the App Store for Apple people.  Unlike recent entries that are full games on-par with the consoles, this is different.  That said, it isn't like Battle Grounds, Cloud Patrol, or Lost Islands either.  Skylanders Battlecast is a stand-alone card battling game...yeah, like the super popular entries you watch on Twitch, but with your favorite Skylanders and similarly themed attributes!  Got your attention now?  Good!

Let's keep this simple and run down the basics...you know, the stuff other people overlook that makes you continually rely on me to provide you with the pertinent and thorough details you crave...

Battlecast: The Game

Q: Where Do I Get Skylanders Battlecast?  
A: Amazon (Fire Tablets etc.), Android=Google Play Store, Apple=App Store.

Q: What does Skylanders Battlecast cost?
A: It is free to download and free-to-play, but will offer in-app and external purchases.

Q: Okay, I want the cards...what do the cards cost?
A: While I am unsure of in-app pricing, I can tell you retail pricing...we will cover that soon!

Q: Battlecast is a mobile game...so I can play online with my friend, right?
A: You bet!  Let's take a look at the game modes.

Battlecast: Game Modes

Solo
-Player vs CPU in a Single Player Campaign

Multiplayer
-Casual PvP: Just for fun...play your friends, test decks, hone your skills...no loss in rank points.
-Friends List: Same as above, but ranked play...bring your best deck and A-Game!

Battlecast Cards

So, you are a completionist...a Portal Master supreme...a collector of the rare and exotic...a person with more Skylanders than square footage.  You might be asking yourself, "Well, I've never played a card battling game...might not like it, but the cards are cool and I want to collect them...is there a point?"  Why yes there is!  Similarly, you should give the game a shot too, but let's break down the cards.

There are Four Card Groups

-Character Cards
There are currently 24 Character Cards (Spitfire, Stealth Elf, etc.), that include an assortment of characters from all the games installments.  I have no info on if the game will expand to gradually include more (ie everyone), but I certainly hope so.

Current Roster: 
Air: Stormblade, Jet-Vac, and Whirlwind
Earth: Smash Hit, Crusher, and Flashwing
Fire: Spitfire, Hot Head, and Eruptor
Life: Stealth Elf, Food Fight, and Tree Rex
Magic: Spyro, Pop Fizz, and Ninjini
Tech: Trigger Happy, Jawbreaker, and Countdown
Undead: Hex, Roller Brawl, and Krypt King
Water: Snap Shot, Rip Tide, and Wash Buckler

-Spell Cards
Cast spells, attack enemies, heal, and more.

-Gear Cards
Boost stats or add effects.

-Relic Cards
Can change battle dynamics

Now some of you are thinking, "Cool!" and other are more on the lines of, "Hmm, idk...I really wish there were super rare cards I could try to track down."  Well you are in luck!

Rare, Collectible Cards

You had be expecting this, right?  Well here is what I know so far...

There are Four types of cards

-Common
-Rare
-Epic
-Ultimate

As best I can tell, these are identified by a colored key on the card:
Common=Gray, Rare=Blue, Epic=Purple, and Ultimate=Gold

This likely also corresponds to the Gold and Silver Foil Variants.  I will update as I learn which is which.

Skylanders Battlecast Retail Cards and Pricing

This takes us back to an early question...here is what I can tell you.  The common way to acquire cards will be as follows:

Battle Packs $9.99 
-Two versions are available and each contains 22 cards, including 3 specific character cards
--Battle Pack 1: Spyro, Stormblade, and Snap Shot
--Battle Pack 2: Trigger Happy, Hex, and Smash Hit
---These are can't miss...you literally see a box that has Spyro, or Trigger Happy front and center.  The (3) Skylanders featured are given...the rest of the cards will be random.

Each Battle Pack will include:
-A Deck Box
-22 Cards
-A Trading Shield
-Collection Poster & Beginner's Guide

Battle Pack-Spyro

Battle Pack-Trigger Happy

Once you have made your selection, or OP Battlecastered (is that a word?  It is now!) and acquired both Battle Packs, you can expand your deck by way of Booster Packs.

Booster Packs $4.99-$5.99

Each Booster Pack will contain (8) random cards and a chance to collect the Rare Gold and Silver Foil Variants you will likely seek.  Right now, I only know of (3) different character fronts: Jet-Vac, Eruptor, and Pop Fizz.

Other Options

So, both Battle Packs and Booster Packs aren't enough to satisfy your completionist side?  Here are some other options I have found online:

Ultimate Starter Pack $59.99

The Ultimate Stater Pack is actually a pretty sweet deal if you plan to go all-in on collecting, or get addicted to the gameplay...or both.

Aside from my ultra swanky, hand signed screen-grab, here is a text run down of what you get:
-(2) Battle Packs (Spyro and Trigger Happy)
-(9) Booster Packs
-(1) Sweet Carrying Case

Doing the math you'd have $9.99x2 for the Battle Packs and $4.99 for the Booster Packs.  Simple rounding and quick math dictates these items wound run you $20+$45=$65, so you save around $5 by getting it as a package deal AND you get the sweet carrying case!

Master Box $169.99

So, you sprung for the Ultimate Starter Pack, but you want more...more Booster Packs, more foils, more Spell, Gear, and Relic cards...what is a Portal Master to do?  Well, you could spring for the "Master Box" that consists of 36 Booster Packs!

Simple math of $5x36=$180 so you're saving about $10 right off the bat...and building a ridiculous collection to slaughter your opponents and trade for more!

Initial Impressions

Concept and Packaging

I have to say, I love the packaging!  It is simple, sleek, and enticing.  The prices really aren't that bad either given the fact that the game is free and any add-ons are optional.  I think this hits a nice niche in the Skylanders community that ties in a new game mode that will expose young players and other series veterans to the card based battling games that are quite popular and catchy AND allow those with zero interest in the card game side to collect something else that is easy to display.

Gameplay

Unlike some YouTube personalities, I work a day job totally unrelated to gaming...and this is the busy season.  As such, I have yet to play the game.  I'm seriously typing out this review at 2:15 AM...for me it is more a labor of love than anything.  I will, however, say that I am very excited to give Battlecast a go!  I have never really played the online card battling games and always wanted to see what the buzz was about...this makes that very easy.

Hopes for the Future of Battlecast

I know, it just came out...and I haven't played it...or unboxed anything, but I feel my sentiments will be shared by the hardcore Skylander fans.

PC and Console Presence

First off, and this might be more of a personal desire...I really wish Battlecast was on console and PC, especially PC.  I would love to play it with keyboard and mouse and would not at all mind entering a code, or scanning a card in thru a Portal, or other alternate means.  I get the target audience and the desire to have something mobile, but I'm a bit old school and think that Battlecast on the monitor I'm working from right now would be killer.
Plus, I have no space on my iPad for Battlecast right now...and I will have to update the software.  I will reference this that I am far more of an Android person, but I my tablet is an iPad.  The easiest remedy here would be if Apple wasn't bent on proprietary grounds and would allow for expandable storage.  Case in point, if I had an Android tablet I'd be streaming Battlecast right now.  My phone is maxed out as well, but my reason for not installing there is that I have a new S7 sitting in the box...it has been there like 3 weeks now...as mentioned, work is busy.  The other side of the phone vs tablet is that I have big hands and prefer a tablet, although a smart phone will be ideal for younger hands.

Expanded Roster

Keep in mind, I've yet to open the cards, or play the game, but as I understand it from the Battlecast website there are 24 Skylanders available.  I would really like to see the full roster (past, present, and future games) brought in...even if it is slowly.  An expansion here and there would be awesome and keep the buzz rolling...These updates can also be strategically positioned to help Portal Masters deal with the infamous summer lull between completing last fall's game and waiting for the next main installment.

Frequent Updates

This ties in with the roster expansion, but I feel like a steady stream of updates, even if they are just simple bug fixes, or the like would go a long way towards making the player base feel well taken care of...Small things like throwing in a 4th of July themed battle, or loading message is a nice touch.

Including Cards with Skylanders

This kind of boggled my mind a bit with SuperChagers.  The Starter Packs had Spitfire and Stealth Elf cards...nothing else.  If you bought Smash Hit, no card.  Sky Race Action pack, no card.  And it wasn't just no Battlecast card, but rather no stat card like fans grew accustomed to...

Again, maybe it is more my audience of hardcore players and collectors, but this was a big disappointment...to have a staple, and something people archived in binders and made their own card games to utilize was disheartening.

My hope moving forward is that new Skylanders (ie Single Pack Air Element New Character for Skylanders 6) have cards back...but as Battlecast Cards!  This just makes sense.  Players get their beloved card back with the figure AND have more incentive to download Battlecast and give it a go...You could even put the old fashioned stats on the Battlecast Cards.  It is, in my opinion, a practical choice to further advance Battlecast and satisfy veterans of the series and collectors.

Conclusion

I am VERY excited to open the cards up and play Skylanders Battlecast!  Any videos I do will likely be streamed on Twitch and then exported over to YouTube.  It is my way of getting around having to render out a recording from the iPad...those file sizes are MASSIVE.  Plus, this will let y'all check the game out, see it first hand, provide real time feedback, and to be honest...games like Hearthstone just seem better when they are streamed...I hope Battlecast takes off and becomes a year round staple for the franchise...stay tuned for more coverage!

Update: Unboxing Breakdown

Battle Pack #1 (Spyro)
-Spyro, Snap Shot, and Stormblade (Face up and in-order)
-1 Additional Character Card: Smash Hit
-4 Gear Cards: Ampli-flier, Chromatic Bauble, Magma Core, and Ten Gallon Hat
-1 Relic Card: Noxious Firebrand
-14 Spell Cards: About to Blow, Abra-Kaboom, Beam Barrage, Eon's Might, Growth Spurt, Hoot Shot, Jinxed, Leafy Greens, Melt Down, Rock Roll'd, Snow Blind, Tidal Wave, Trial by Fire
--16 Commons
--4 Rares: Ten Gallon Hat, About to Blow, Melt Down, Tidal Wave
--2 Epics: Growth Spurt, Rock Roll'd
--0 Ultimate
--0 Foils

Booster Pack #1 (Jet-Vac External Art, Eruptor on the Pack)
-4 Character Cards: Food Fight, Jet-Vac, Smash Hit, and Stealth Elf
-1 Relic Card: Ageless Bonsai
-3 Spell Cards: Buurrrp!, Raise Your Hands, Snow Blind
--5 Commons
--2 Rare (Blue): Food Fight and Jet-Vac
--1 Epic (Purple): Relic-Ageless Bonsai
--0 Ultimate
--0 Foils

Battle Pack #2 (Trigger Happy)
Trigger Happy, Hex, and Smash Hit
-0 Additional Character Cards
-2 Gear Cards: Ampli-Flier and Titan's Hilt
-1 Relic Card: Prophetic Pick
-16 Spell Cards: Abra-Kaboom, All You Can Eat, Back to Your Roots, Beam Barrage, Bloom, Boo!, Concussion, Flame Wave, Impending Doom, Jellyfish Squall, Rummage, Slice of Life, Too Hot to Handle, Torchnado, Whirl and Swirl, and Wishful Thinking
--16 Commons
--4 Rare (Blue): Titan's Hilt, Prophetic Pick, All You Can Eat, and Whirl and Swirl
--2 Epic (Purple): Back to Your Roots and Slice of Life
--0 Ultimate
--0 Foils

Booster Pack #2: (Pop Fizz External Art, Eruptor on the Pack)
-1 Character Card: Jawbreaker
-1 Gear Card: Ampli-Flier
-0 Relic Cards
-6 Spell Cards: Chuggernaut, Fireball, Fire Hose, Fuel for the Fire, Rock Solid, and Wishful Thinking
--5 Commons
--2 Rare (Blue): Jawbreaker and Chuggernaut
--1 Epic (Purple): Fire Hose
--0 Ultimate
--0 Foils

Skylanders Trap Team Demo and Q&A with Jin, Senior Producer

Well, my strategy for E3 was simple this year...use the limited time to get in as much info and gameplay on Trap Team as possible.  wdrumz, CrystalBlazier, pdiddysportscards, and myself quickly realized we had no chance of getting thru the Trap Team lines at the official Skylanders booth before we'd go up for the screening...

Thus, I went with backup plan and pdiddysportscards (Paul) was smart, or dumb enough to think it sounded like a good idea too...Luckily, the plan worked out flawlessly and we not only got some early hands-on with the game, we wound up with a Senior Producer for the game that really knew his stuff!

As such, not only was I able to capture some gameplay via Paul's work on the Wii U, but we got some early answers and a reality check into how much was going to remain withheld.  Jin did an awesome job with the demo and the rather intense Q&A given he probably didn't have dedicated Portal Masters like us too often.  Had I have known what all was off limits I wouldn't have hit him up with so many questions, lol...He is literally the first person we had the chance to talk to...

Skylanders Trap Team Q&A with Jin, Senior Producer

Skylanders Trap Team Gameplay, Questions, and More with Jin, Senior Producer 

and Paul, pdiddysportcards, on the Controls

Here is a text summary of the Q&A Session with Jin:

Q&A with Jin: When you don't hear me asking a question, the voice you hear is Paul (pdiddysportscards)

Pricing (Yes, Pricing)

-Traps $5.99

-Skylanders $9.99

-Trap Masters $14.99

-3DS Starter Pack $64.99 (everything online is $74.99, he may know something we don't, or it may have been an honest mistake...I could not get verification on 3DS stuff from anyone...it is basically 100% off limits at this point)

-Console Starter Pack $74.99

--Portal, Game, 2 Figures, and 2 Traps in Console Starter Pack

--Traptanium Portal, Snapshot, Food Fight,  Life Trap, Water Trap

Favorite SP Character: Snap Shot vs Foodfight

-Gameplay: Snapshot

-Aesthetics: Foodfight

 Favorite Trapped Villain

-Painyatta

Portal

-Wired

-Volume Control

Chopper has heat sinking missiles and has been a fan favorite

Portal Backward Compatibility

-Better for PR (got confirmation it will work)

Traps Forward Compatibility

-Can’t Talk About, but every year they want to bring innovation every year

--They want giant leaps, not small steps…biggest innovation and best games

Villains from Trap Team potential to Return in Future Games as Standard Figures

-Anything is possible

-Not ready to talk about next year’s game

--As a fan and toy geek, he would love to see the villains in collections

Receptions and Impressions

-Everyone has been enjoyed it, folks love Chopper

-Everyone impressed with trappable villains

Repose Giants or Swap Force

-Can’t speak on reposes, but there will be some

Activision PR

-Always in touch with fan base, searching internet: videos, forums, and blogs

--Want to make as many happy as possible

Trap Master Count

-Can’t talk about it

-40 Total Villains

--Wants to give us more, but can’t just yet

-Repeat on the Pricing

-Outlaw Brawl and Chain $11.99

--Suggest we talk to PR about it

Text Notes for Gameplay with Jin (Paul was playing, I was filming)

Gameplay with Jin and Paul (pdiddysportscards)

-Portal: Wired with Volume Control

-Traps: 1 Villain per Trap, only need 1 Trap per Element, switch villains in the hub

--Villains on Timer, recharges when depleted

--Timer won’t refill by way of XP, Food, or similar means

--Timer should be the same for all the villains

--40 Playable Villains

--Do Villains take damage and loose time? Can they die?

---Ask PR

-Jump Attacks for everyone: Trap Masters, Newlanders, Reposes, and Original Cast

Trapmasters

-More powerful vs Skylands Most Wanted

-Have access to special areas via Traptanium Crystals

-Heights of Trap Master vs Giants: Giants slightly taller

-Wii U Gamepad: Stats or Gameplay, Off Screen?  User Selectable?

--Better for PR, will for sure utilize tilt controls

-TFB vs Beenox: Can’t talk about differences yet

-Sewer Level

--Better for PR

-Trap Designs: Can’t talk about them yet

-3DS Starter Pack Contents

--Can’t talk about it yet

Skylanders Swap Force E3 2013: Inside the Booth Highlights

This video is a compilation of the highlights from inside the official Activision Skylanders Swap Force Booth.

It is a collection of character shots, looks at the intro screens, and discussion with developers and staffers revealing cool information.

The intro covers things VERY well, subsequently it is quite long...So, I have provided the Time Chart to help you skip to where you want to be in the video:

Pre-Intro: Start - 2:52
Introduction 2:52 - 13:52
Activision Screen: 13:53 - 14:52
Swap Force Booth Wii U Character Intro Screens: 14:53 - 18:37
Quick Look at Characters: 18:38 - 21:30
Discussion with Karthik, CEO of Vicarious Visions: 21:31 - 26:44
Skimming for Characters: 26:45 - 29:17
Conclusion: 29:18 - 37:52

Hopefully you enjoy the video and first hand look.  E3 was an awesome experience and a great time...

The lighting and background commotion conspire to make clear shots a little tough to come by, but you get the feel for everything...I have a few still images I'll get up on the blog (or maybe even a video) soon...

E3 Skylanders Swap Force: Notes from the Backroom and Private Game Play Screening Session!

This is just a record of what I wrote shorthand from our ultra cool trip backstage with Activision!

If you prefer video formats, here you go...be warned, it is long:

Going Backstage

We were taken from the E3 floor of the Swap Force booth to a hallway that led to a backroom filled with an assortment of media insiders, high profile figures, Activision staff, and more...It was absolutely bustling and just as crowded as the main floor.  The only difference was the area was like a large oasis (see lounge setup) and had food and water on hand.

Entering the Private Screening Room: No Cameras!

All along the back hall of this room were separate, smaller rooms.  These rooms are the private screening rooms.  Close doors, seats 10-12 comfortably (stadium style for optimal viewing) and no cameras or recording.  Lucky for you, I took short hand notes of the entire thing!

Why so tight?  Quite simply put it is because they are gracious enough to show us (myself and some other Skylander fans) never before seen gameplay elements that are still in what they called an "alpha build."  To put that in laymen's terms, the game will look great, but it could have a few issues etc.

Potential Level Settings and Environments

They covered a few basics and actually began with Crusher.  Giants work just fine in Swap Force.  They mentioned a few locations like the Old West, a snowland, and Lush Jungles (which you will see some gameplay of from others).

Legacy Skylanders: Activision is Honoring Your Past Collection

One of the first things mentioned was how they plan to honor existing collections.  Every Skylander you currently own will work in Swap Force.  It is that simple.  Nothing to argue, no ifs, ands, or butts...they will just work.  Take it for what it is, don't argue with common sense, and accept it.  This is great for fans and collectors of the series and Activision is 100% committed to maintaining this attribute.  They realize we have put in a lot of time and money into acquiring the different characters and upgrading them and they appreciate that.  To prove it, they refer to all returning characters as "Legacy Skylanders."  This is not to be confused with Legendary Skylanders, but is a stand alone term.  If the character has previously existed it has a legacy they are going to preserve.  I know a lot of people will aruge this and mention Activision is a huge company, and makes tons of money.  I will counter that is true, and they have the business sense to know it is smart to keep previous figures active.

Vicarious Visions: New Graphics Engine and Game Play Elements

The next topic was Vicarous Visions and how they created a brand new graphics engine...It truly looks amazing.  If you have followed along on the blog or my YouTube Channel, you know I play games for the gameplay itself, not the graphics.  Great graphics are a bonus to me...Swap Force looked incredible...I've said it many times and I can not stress it enough...I may finally buy an HD TV just to fully enjoy the depth of the scenes.

New Game Element: Jumping--Hey, It Solved a Glitch in the Alpha Build!

What was hilarious and awesome at the same time was a glitch that popped up...keep in mind this is the alpha build.  I've actually had it happen in SSA and Giants.  It is basically where a move (Crusher's Rock Slide in this case) netted the player outside a fence at the edge.  They tried pulling him and placing him back on (ha, same things we do!), but it worked to no avail.  As a last ditch attempt to keep from resetting, they jumped...It worked.  I don't know if they planned this (I truly believe it just happened), but the biggest and most flaunted core improvement (Jumping) saved the day!  After this the Alpha Build performed flawless.

Why Are We Just Now Jumping?

As far as why jumping wasn't included in the first few titles there response was they "wanted each character to feel different."  I assume this means they wanted players to use other moves to get to bounce pads.  For example all characters can walk to the bounce pad, but they each have unique abilities.  Terrafin can burrow, Warnado has the tornado to get around, Stelth Elf has her tertiary move...Zap can slide, Thumpback can slide, Sunburn can teleport etc...You get the general idea.  They really wanted players to USE THE ABILITIES to navigate Skylands, not just walk.

Swap Force Alert!  Undead Element Night Shift: The Vampire Boxer

After this, they pulled Crusher and put on a new Undead Element Swap Force Character named Night Shift.  He was acclaimed as a Vampire Boxer with a killer upper cut (I saw it...I think it must have been fully upgraded..it was along the lines of a Soul Gem to me...just like a charged up attack that released a giant glove cutting up through the screen...very cool!).  I believe it was also mentioned he could teleport, which makes sense given the "Shift" part of his name.

New In-Game Character: Willowbark

We then saw a nice, vivid cut scene where a guy I dubbed Tree Ranger, although I think his name was Willowbark, (just an in-game character, think Arbo) approached and mentioned some crystals had been stolen.  He had  great personality....He is like a Stump Smash looking guy with facial hair and what I equate to a Canadian Royal Mounted Police Officer...very official and a distinct voice.  He has the prototypical army/cop vibe going on...

Drop-In, Drop-Out Coop Game Play

They then highlighted the Drop-In, Drop-Out Gameplay Mechanic...It worked flawlessly and the two helped clear the area...Naturally, to finish the demo the main speaker dropped out.  While in he used the new Air Element Swap Force Skylander Free Ranger...he kind of had lasers that he shot out and got around by way of tornado...looked really good.

Swap Force Alert!  Air Element Free Ranger: Jet-Vac Meet Warnado

Shortly after, Freeze Blade, the new Water Element Swap Force Skylander was introduced.  He has great projectile attacks.

Swap Force Alert!  Water Element: Freeze Blade

To highlight to us the "Swapability" we saw them mention a scenario where you would want Freeze Blade ranged attack coupled with the speed and mobility of Free Ranger's tornado lower half...So, a quick press and the figures are apart....We now were introduced to Freeze Ranger.  They used this swap combo to make quick work of the enemy at hand.

We were then reminded that 16x16=256...As the slogan goes, our new power is choice definitely rings true!

Dual Element Zones: Twice as Nice

The next portion of the level highlighted a brand new game component: Dual Element Zones.  This is NOT YOUR SWAP FORCE AREA.  The Dual Element Zone is basically your garden variety Elemental Gate, but with two elements.  The one we saw was Fire and Magic.

So how do you get in this Dual Element Zone?  There are two ways...First, if you have a SwapForce Character say like Hoot Loop (Magic) and Blast Zone (Fire) you can option them out together and the gate will open.  If you are playing coop you could enter in as one player being Ignitor and the other being Spyro.

The coolest thing to me is not the method of opening the gate, but the look inside.  It is a very visually stimulating look that equally divides the path through conceivably the entire area.  One half looks like your Fire Zone and the other looks like the Magic Zone...just in stunning HD thanks to Vicarious Visions' new graphics engine.

Character Brief

We then got briefed on the 16 Core Characters and 32 New Characters (no names or details, just the numbers).  They again stressed how the 100+ Legacy Toys would all work.

Magic Element LightCore Star Strike: LightCore AND Regular Pose?

We had all seen Star Strike, the highly questioned mystery Magic Element character.  The packaging at the Power A booth indicated her as LightCore.  Someone asked if she would have a regular pose and the answer was something along the lines of "I believe so."  Assuming that is correct, we will likely see the same set up as Giants where the 8 LightCore are reposed characters with light up effects.  I also heard Star Strike will be very cool (more on that later).

The Fate of the 8 Castaways from Spyro's Adventure

While we had some down time, we got to ask some very quick questions.  I jumped at the chance and asked, "Will any of the 8 original Castaways (Warndo, Boomer, Camo, etc) be back for Swap Force.  The answer was YES!!  I didn't get details on which ones, all, 1, 2, 4, 6, etc, but at least "some" should be back...This is big news for a lot of folks, myself included...Many of my favorite characters are amongst the 8 Castaways!!

Swap Force Alert!  Life Element Stink Bomb, The Ninja Skunk

They then got back into the demo and talked about Stink Bomb.  He is basically a Ninja Skunk who will use his musk to hide himself (think along the lines of Steath Elf's Scarecrows).  They said his bottom half combines very well with some of the other characters!

Willowbark and Evilized Sugarbats: New Enemies, New Kaos Plot

The next portion saw Willowbark (think that is his name...the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Stump Smash like character) introduce us to Sugarbats and Evilized Sugarbats...a product of Kaos Magic and attempts to take over the Cloud Break Islands.  You basically have to battle them to break the spell and return them to normal.  The character who took on this task was Stink Shift...and yes, it made for interesting gameplay!

Swap Force Introduces New Game Play Mechanics

We then caught the drill of the 8 New Gameplay Mechanics via the Swap Force bottom ends.  This led us to a very cool demo with Wash Buckler.  His bottom half has the Ladder Image to indicate he can climb.  This opened up the Swap Force area and what we saw was a long, chaotic wall you had to ascend...It reminded me a lot of some of the Super Mario Galaxy upward areas...You climb up while dodging obstacles, navigating blocked paths, and of course dealing with enemy items etc.

Puzzles, Mini Games, Bonus Missons, and More Platforming!

This led into the mention of new Puzzles and Mini Games and the chance to use the jumping ability to make use of more platforming.  They also mentioned the 20 Bonus Missions you can unlock.  They also verified there will be the Individual Screen for objectives to clear and review etc...basically the same thing you are used to seeing after clearing a level.

Battle Packs and Adventure Packs

As we got a little downtime before leaving, I was able to inquire about Battle Packs and Adventure Packs.  There will be two of each.  One is said to involve Cali if I understood correctly.

The End of Our Private Demo: The Fun Was Over All to Soon

This was pretty much it for the "behind closed doors, private screening of gameplay" end of things.  It was a blast and with the low number of people we had a great setting to see and experience the new mechanics and visuals from the team at Vicarious Visions!

E3 Exclusive Copper Metallic Hot Dog

Last but not least, before exiting we were all given the E3 Exclusive Copper Metallic Hot Dog!

Exiting the Screening Room and Private Back Room

I actually got to stay in the doorway a little while longer for my Portal question you wanted to be asked...They made every effort to find out, and they just couldn't confirm anything...Luckily, I got answers later in the evening...And yes, it should work with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure and Skylanders Giants.

Private Viewing of the E3 Exclusive Swap Force Trailer

At that point I exited the screening room after chatting with the game player a bit, left the backroom, and returned to the main floor for our private screening of the E3 trailer, which you can watch here: http://www.1ofwiisdom.blogspot.com/2013/06/skylanders-swap-force-exclusive-e3.html

Conclusion

It was a killer experience and as much as I wish we could have filmed, all you really need to know is things looked great and there is going to be a lot to like about Swap Force!

More Swap Force Info to Come

Stay tuned for the next post as I'll highlight your questions and their respective answers in greater detail!

Skylanders: Giants Information, Characters, Powers, Compatibility

This post will remain a work in progress as new information is released and/or I have time to update the post...feel free to comment with what you know...Again, I will update as time allows.  I will also stick to posting only things that are confirmed or very likely to be true.  The original draft was composed Monday, June 18th, 2012 and published Tuesday, June 19th, 2012.  The latest revision is Feburary, 26th, 2013.

About the Game

-Release Date & Pre-Order

Skylanders: Giants will be the follow-up game to the smash-hit, and 1ofWiisdom staple, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.  The game is available for pre-order now at various places (Amazon, GameStop, Toys'R'Us, etc) and is slated for release on Sunday, October 21st, 2012 just ahead of Thanksgiving and the impending holiday rush where us veteran Skylanders really saw things get crazy.

Background Story

I heard this in an August 4th, 2012 interview with Alex Ness...here is the recap:

Kaos is on earth in a toy store trying to get back to Skylands and something he does with a portal sends him way back, literally, in Skylands. He finds and figures out how to activate an ancient Arkeyan robot and then learns that if he controls the "Iron Fist of Arkus" he will be in control of the entire ancient army of Arkeyans and can then proceed to defeat the Skylanders and rule all of Skylands.

-Game Engine

Giants will run on the same engine as Spyro's Adventure.  All console versions will be developed, once again, by Toys for Bob.  The 3DS Version, which should again be unique, will be switched from Vicarious Visions to n-Space...Here is an easy to read breakdown:

-Plartforms

Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Wii U (Developed by Toys for Bob)
Nintendo 3DS (Developed by n-Space (Spyro's Adventure was done by Vicarious Visions))
Microsoft Xbox 360 (Developed by Toys for Bob)
Microsoft Windows (Developed by Toys for Bob)
Sony Playstation 3 (Developed by Toys for Bob)

-Packaging

Skylanders: Giansts will come in two flavors: Starter Pack (with Portal) and Portal Owner's Pack (no Portal).  It is unknown if different versions will have different characters (ie Console=Jet-Vac, 3DS=Pop Fizz).  We will just have to wait and see at this point.  Update: It actually looks like my sample was correct...Jet Vac goes to Console Packs and Pop Fizz goes to the 3DS Packs!

--Starter Pack
Each Skylanders: Giants Starter Pack will include: Portal of Power, Game Disc/Cartridge, Poster, 1 Giant (Tree Rex), 1 New Skylander (Jet Vac), and 1 Re-Released Skylander (Cynder), as well as the matching Trading Cards and Stickers.

--Portal Owner's Pack
This is designed for people who already own a portal and want to take advantage of the savings.  It will feature the Game Disc/Cartridge, Poster, 1 Giant (Tree Rex), 1 New Skylander (Jet Vac), and the matching Trading Cards and Stickers.

Compatibility

--Forward Compatibility 

The Skylanders you know and love from Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure will transfer right across to Giants AND they can join the new releases in being able to upgrade to Level 15.  That said, they will not be able to have any other perks you see with the Giants based Skylanders as they can not have multiple upgrade paths or capitalize on the "Wow Pow" Powers.

--Backwards Compatibility

I did not expect this, but according the official Giants website, Series 2 (ie what will come out with Giants) will actually be able to play in Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.  The answer doesn't explicitly mention Giants, but the question does...I will have a screen grab below.

New Skylanders

This is probably what most of you, at least at this point, want to know the most about...I will do my best to keep you up to date.  As I've said for quite some time, our best bet for info was E3, and it delivered.

-Giant Skylanders
--8 New, 1 per Element

There will be 1 Giant per Element and they will truly be "giant" when compared to their counterparts.  They should be just a shade over 2 times the height of a regular Skylander.

-Air Giant: Swarm
-Earth Giant: Crusher
-Fire Giant: Hot Head
-Life Giant: Tree Rex
-Magic Giant: Ninjini
-Tech Giant: Bouncer
-Undead Giant: Eye Brawl
-Water Giant: Thumpback

-LightCore Skylanders
--8 Total, 4 Brand New, 4 Previously Released (ie from the original 32)

These Skylanders light up when placed on the portal of power and have special "LightCore" powers.  In addition to that, whatever that may be anyway lol, they will reportedly light up in the game.  So unlike the current variants (Gold, Silver, Glow-in-the-Dark etc) these will not only look special in real life and on the portal, but also in the game...Well played Activsion, well played.

-New LightCore, Air: Jet-Vac
-New LightCore, Life: Shroomboom
-New LightCore, Magic: Pop-Fizz
-New LightCore, Water: Chill
-Old LighCore, Earth: PrismBreak 
-Old LightCore, Fire: Eruptor 
-Old LightCore, Tech: Drobot
-Old LightCore, Undead: Hex 


-New Regular Sized Skylanders
--8 Total, 1 per Element: 4 Regular, 4 LightCore

-New Regular, Air: Jet-Vac (Lightcore)
-New Regular, Earth: Flashwing
-New Regular, Fire: Hot Dog
-New Regular, Life: Shroomboom (Light Core)
-New Regular, Magic: Pop Fizz (Light Core)
-New Regular, Tech: Sprocket
-New Regular, Undead: Fright Rider
-New Regular, Water: Chill (Light Core)


-New LightCore, Air: Jet-Vac
-New LightCore, Life: Shroomboom
-New LightCore, Magic: Pop-Fizz
-New LightCore, Water: Chill
--New LightCore, Water: Legendary Chill


-New "Re-Released" Skylanders
--24 of the 32 will be coming back in regular form, but in a different pose...3 from each element.
--4 of these 24 "Re-Released" Skylanders will be LightCore (see above: Eruptor, Prism Break etc).


-Air: Lightning Rod
-Air: Sonic Boom
-Air: Whirlwind
-Earth: Bash
-Earth: Prism Break (LightCore)
-Earth: Terrafin
-Fire: Eruptor (LightCore)
-Fire: Flameslinger
-Fire: Ignitor, Legendary Ignitor
-Life: Stealth Elf
-Life: Stump Smash
-Life: Zook
-Magic: Double Trouble
-Magic: Spyro
-Magic: Wrecking Ball
-Tech: Drill Sergeant
-Tech: Drobot (Light Core)
-Tech: Trigger Happy
-Undead: Chop Chop
-Undead: Cynder
-Undead: Hex (Light Core)
-Water: Slam Bam, Legendary Slam Bam
-Water: Gill Grunt 
-Water: Zap 

-Legendaries

-Legendary Slam Bam
-Legendary Ignitor
-Legendary Stealth Elf
-Legendary Jet-Vac
-Legendary Bouncer
-Legendary LightCore Chill


There have been rumors and even a few decent pics or screen grabs of what looks like a maxed out Legendary Slam Bam and Legendary Ignitor.  If I had to guess, I would think we might see 8 of them total...That would allow for 3 from each Element to be released in a new pose, and 1 from each Element to be released as a legendary, thus making all 32 available in some form or another for another purchase.
*Again, this is just my speculation on June 18th, 2012, but I have heard crazier things...This just seems too likely to me...Activision can congratulate me for a correct prediction by sending new characters to demo :D

 Variants 

Potential Variants:

--Nothing at this time has been made official, but you can bank on some "chase" Skylanders.  I heard Alex Ness mention in an August 4th, 2012 interview they had some cool stuff planned in regards to variants.

I would think we might see more of the translucents, but in different shades...or metallic/pearl/dark variants.  I would bank that they will be like the past set-up...Hard to find, loaded with cash/partially levelled up etc, but probably look the same in the game.

Store Exclusives

-Amazon.com
--Gold Flameslinger (Single Pack)

-GameStop
--Golden Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack
--Royal Double Trouble (Battle Ground Starter Pack for Apple)

-Target
--Granite Crusher
--Jade Flashwing
--LightCore Triple Pack (Prism Break, Eruptor, Drobot)

Toys'R'Us
--Legendaries
---Triple Pack: Slam Bam, Jet-Vac, Ignitor
---Single Pack: Bouncer
---Single Pack: Stealth Elf
---Single Pack: LightCore Chill


-Walmart
--Glow in the Dark Cynder (Starter Packs)
--Glow in the Dark Sonic Boom (Single Pack)
--Molten Hot Dog (Single Pack)


Glow-in-the-Dark

Cynder: Walmart Starter Pack
Fright Rider: Europe Single Pack
-Sonic Boom: Walmart Exclusive

Rock/Stone

-Zook
-Whirlwind

Sparkle/Glitter

-Sonic Boom
-Sprocket
-Hot Head

Flocked White (Snow)

-Eruptor
-LightCore Prism Break
-Stump Smash

TBA

-Scarlet Ninjini
-Polar Whirlwind

Console/Starter Pack Exclusives

Punch Pop Fizz: 3DS Stater Pack

Gnarly Tree Rex: Wii with Starter Pack

Translucent Green Gill Grunt: Skylanders Spyro's Adventure XBox Starter Pack
--Really bad timing on this one

Employee Exclusive (Christmas 2012)

-LightCore Prism Break

Toy Fair Exclusive (2013)

-Metallic Blue Chop Chop


Releases: Single Pack, Triple Pack, Battle Pack etc.

I will indicate "New" behind brand-new Skylanders.  Your old favorites listed out can be assumed to be their reposed "Series 2" releases.

Adventure Packs

Skylanders: Giants will have no new Adventure Packs.  The old APs however will work, which I assume means they'll unlock new chapters just as they did previously.

Battle Packs

In place of the Adventure Packs, Giants will feature Battle Packs.  Basically 2 characters packaged with an item that unlocks a new Battle Arena.  It is my hope, especially since there has been no confirmation of a Single Player Battle Mode, that they will also function as a "magic item" in Giants gameplay.

-Golden Dragonfire Cannon BP: Chop Chop, Golden Dragonfire Cannon, Shroomboom (New) ((GameStop Exclusive))
-Dragonfire Cannon Battle Pack: Chop Chop, Shroombooom, and Dragonfire Cannon
-Scorpion Striker Battle Pack: Zap, Hot Dog, and Scorpion Striker

Triple Packs

-Triple Pack A-1: Pop Fizz, Whirlwind, Trigger Happy
-Triple Pack B:-2 Ignitor, Chill, and Zook
-Triple Pack C-3: Sonic Boom, Sprocket, Stump Smash
-Triple Pack D-4: Gill Grunt, Flashwing, Double Trouble
-Triple Pack E:-5 Prism Break, Lightning Rod, Drill Sergeant
-Triple Pack F-6: Eruptor, Stealth Elf, Terrafin
-Triple Pack G-7: Fright Rider, Wrecking Ball, Flameslinger
-Triple Pack H-8: Spyro, Bash, Hot Dog
-Triple Pack I-9: Slam Bam, Shroomboom, Hex

LightCore Triple Pack (Target Exclusive): Prism Break, Drobot, Eruptor

Legendary Triple Pack (Toys'R'Us Exclusive): Slam Bam, Jet-Vac, Ignitor

Single Packs

LightCore

-Drobot-Light Core
-Eruptor-Light Core
-Prism Break-Light Core
-Jet-Vac-Light Core
-Shroomboom-Light Core
-Chill-Light Core
-Legendary Chill-Light Core
-Pop Fizz-Light Core
-Hex-Light Core

Series 2

-Terrafin-Series 2
-Slam Bam-Series 2
-Ignitor-Series 2
-Trigger Happy-Series 2
-Zook-Series 2
-Flameslinger-Series 2
-Double Trouble-Series 2
-Drill Sergeant-Series 2
-Stump Smash-Series 2
-Sonic Boom-Series 2
-Whirlwind-Series 2
-Gill Grunt-Series 2
-Bash-Series 2
-Hex-Series 2
-Prism Break-Series 2
-Stealth Elf-Series 2
-Eruptor-Series 2
-Lightning Rod-Series 2
-Cynder-Series 2
-Spyro-Series 2
-Wrecking Ball-Series 2
-Zap-Series 2
-Drobot-Series 2
-Chop Chop-Series 2

Newlanders

-Pop Fizz-New-Fright Rider-New
-Chill-New
-Flashwing-New
-Sprocket-New
-Shroomboom-New
-Hot Dog-New

Giants

-Swarm-Giant
-Crusher-Giant
-Bouncer-Giant
-Hot Head-Giant
-Thumpback-Giant
-Eye-Brawl-Giant
-Ninjini-Giant

Pricing

-Portal Owner's Pack (minus Portal $59.99):
-Starter Pack (with Portal): $74.99
-Single Packs: $9.99
-Light Core Singles: $11.99
-Giant Singles: $14.99
-Triple Packs: $24.99
-Battle Packs: $24.99 (as per August 2012 GameStop Exclusive)

Castaways (Added 8/7/2012)

I thought it only fitting to make note of the Skylanders from Series 1 which are not going to be treated to a repose.  I think Part of this is based on sales, and part is based on release date.  Warnado, Camo, and Wham-Shell are all insanely popular, and a lot of people still don't have them...With people getting them May-September, it makes sense to not crank out another...With others like Boomer, Voodood and Ghost Roaster, I think it is simply based on sales.  They just didn't move as much as the others.   I am really sad not to see a Dino-Rang repose, primarly due to the fact we had so much Bash in SSA (Regular, Legendary, Blue Bash at TRU etc).  Either way, Dino-Rang will remain a favorite of mine as will Ghost Roaster!

Here is the current list of "castaways:"

-Booomer (the more people hate on him, the more I like him)
-Camo 
-Dino-Rang (A favorite of mine, hard to repose though)
-Ghost Roaster (Metal Head had WIN written all over it)
-Sunburn
-Voodood 
-Warnado
-Wham-Shell

Powers

-The Original 32 (Green Base=Skylanders Spyro's Adventure)

The good news here is that your favorites from SSA can play in Giants AND upgrade to Level 15.  They will not have any new powers, but will supposedly enter just as you have them.  So if Terrafin is your favorite, he is maxed out with a SoulGem and down Sandhog, he should enter Chapter 1 of Giants in his killer form!


-Series 2: 8 New and 24 Re-Released from SSA's Roster (Orange Base)

Not only will all Series 2 Skylanders have the ability to upgrade to Level 15, but they will have what is known as "Wow Pow" Powers, basically something above and beyond the regular upgrade paths and Soul Gem seen with "Series 1" Skylanders.  Perhaps the best feature is that Series 2 Skylanders can switch paths.

-Giants

Each of the 8 Giants will have some massive powers to match their impressive stature.

You will see Giants able to walk on enemies and over treasure etc...They will also be able to bash (ie gain entry to areas regular Skylanders can not) and throw items (like boulders, not natural powers).  As you have seen in the trailer there is also "Feats of Strength" where you have to perform a certain action to advance through the level (think Elemental Gate from SSA, but on a larger scale).

Skylanders: Giants: In Game Features

There is not going to be online play at this point.

There has still yet to be confirmation of a SINGLE PLAYER BATTLE MODE, which is what I would like to see the most in Giants. 

An August 4th, 2012 interview with Alex Ness revealed that there was a game called Sky Stones

Skylanders: Spyro Universe

This will still be around and will be adapted to accommodate new Series 2, Light Core, and Giant figures...It is also believed they  will contnue to add games etc.


What I Would Like to See

-Pre-Order

It is nice to see the game is already up for pre-order, but is that to accommodate us die-hards, or is it because they are planning to make the game a nightmare to obtain?  You know, where it comes out mid-October and you can not find it until January, or nearly get killed and/or pay 3x the retail price to land one prior to Christmas.  I would really like to see the pre-order go for us die-hards and then have it function because it lets Activision estimate interest and quantity and then work to fulfill those orders and ramp up production to match etc.

I would obviously like to see this with the game and characters.  So if someone wants to order all the new Skylanders, they can fork over the cash in December and know they will see them the same day the local stores get 2 cases to sell out in an hour.

-Release Schedule

I realize these are made overseas and stuff happens, but it would be great (once the game is out and we know the character roster) that you will land X, Y, and Z Skylander at Q, W, and E Dates.  Even if you just announce that December 1st is when you can pre-order Wave 3 Skylanders that will ship mid-January it would be huge.

The rush to hit the store and time things with trucks is fun...about once every 3 months when you actually have the stars line-up.  The scalpers need to be put at bay...Activision and their retailers are not the ones profiting it is greedy individuals who likely don't even care about the game...Just eliminate it...we will gladly pay retail, in advance of the product, to avoid hassles...

-Bigger Challenge

The game is sort of geared towards a younger audience and I understand wanting to keep it accessible, but having some way of adjusting the difficulty would be great.  A few ideas would be having something unlock after defeating Kaos for the first time, or simply having the option to select it at the title screen, or per chapter etc.

-Single Player Battle Mode**

I have still not heard if it will feature SINGLE PLAYER BATTLE MODES, but it if does not, it is a HUGE BLUNDER.  Imagine a Madden Game where you can not play a practice game without having a friend.  I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume this is a no-brainer.

Conclusion

Skylanders: Giants is shaping up to be a great follow-up.  We don't have a lot of information just yet, but we should see more with trailers and screen caps released along the way.

I know I am looking forward to it and to answer a very popular question: "Yes, I plan to do unboxings and a blind playthrough of the game...much like you saw with Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure."

Again, as of right now (June 18th, 2012) there is more we don't know than we do know.  I will update this as time allows, or more likely, as info is released.

**Updated August 6th, 2012.  Added a few confirmed names...Some info from an August 4th, 2012 Interview with Alex Ness, the just confirmed GameStop Battle Pack, and pricing and release dates etc (which I should have already done, just got too focused on the "cool" stuff).

**Updated August 13th, 2012.  I saw this yesterday morning, but am just now getting to post about it...Ther was another leak via an online vendor creating place holder pages (ie all the info, price etc, just waiting on image sets).  Luckily someone caught it, took screen caps, and shared with everyone.  This, for better or worse, revealed all the remaining characters OFFICIAL NAMES.  We still don't have all the info (release dates, waves, single/triple/battle pack configurations etc).  Nonetheless, this is a big deal!

Updated February 26th, 2013.  I decided to finally take the time to add in the variants and update the single pack and triple pack listings with what is currently known.

The Ultimate Skylanders Info Page: Starter Kits, Elements, Skylanders, & Adventure Packs

Ok, so the questions I get on a daily basis are a bit overwhelming, this is my attempt to answer the most commonly asked and hopefully save everyone some time.

Basics

A few basics: I am in North America.  Anytime I list prices or say a Skylander is "exclusive" it applies only to the North American, and particularly the U.S. Market. 

Also, a good source for general info and where to buy Skylanders in your country is the website:
http://www.skylanders.com/

About the Game

First off, Skylanders: Spyro's Universe is a game from Activision, developed by Toys for Bob, that is available on every major system.

Starter Kit

The "Starter Kit" is a box that includes: the game, the Portal of Power, a Master Sheet, and 3 Skylanders.
-The Wii, PS3, XBOX, and MAC/PC Starter Kits all feature Spyro, Gill Grunt, and Trigger Happy
-The 3DS Starter Kit features Dark Spyro (exclusive), Ignitor, and Stealth Elf
--Also note the story line is different for the 3DS Version.  The others are the same.

Elements and Skylanders

There are 8 Elements.  Each of the 8 Elements has 4 Skylanders.  That means there is a rough total of 32 Skylanders to collect.  That said, there are actually more, 37 to be exact when you include: Dark Spyro, Legendary Spyro, Legendary Bash, Legendary Chop Chop, and Legendary Trigger Happy.  There are also collectible Skylanders in Silver, Gold, Translucent Blue, Crystal/Clear, and Glow-in-the-Dark (all of which you have a legitimate chance of finding...Toy Fair stuff is listed later on).

Each Skylander will come with a card, sticker sheet, and web code.

Elements

There are a total of 8 Elements, as mentioned...here they are:

-Air
-Earth
-Fire
-Life
-Magic
-Tech
-Undead
-Water

Skylanders by Element with Slogan

Air
-Lightning Rod (One Strike and You're Out!)
-Sonic Boom (Full Scream Ahead!)
-Warnado (For the Wind!)
-Whirlwind (Twists of Fury!)

Earth
-Bash (Rock and Roll!)
-Dino-Rang (Come Rang, or Shine!)
-Prism Break (The Beam is Supreme)
-Terrafin (It's Feeding Time)

Fire
-Eruptor (Born to Burn!)
-Flameslinger (Let the Flame's Begin!)
-Ignitor (Slash and Burn!)
-Sunburn (Roast and Toast!)

Life
-Camo (Fruit Punch!)
-Stealth Elf (Silent But Deadly!)
-Stump Smash (Drop the Hammer!)
-Zook (Locked and Loaded!)-Changed to (Bamboo-Yah!)

Magic
-Double Trouble (Boom Shock-A-Laka!)
-Spyro (All Fired Up!)
-Voodood (Axe First, Questions Later!)
-Wrecking Ball (Wreck-N-Roll!)

Tech
-Boomer (Bring the Boom!)
-Drill Sergeant (Licensed to Drill!)
-Drobot (Blink and Destroy!)
-Trigger Happy (No Gold, No Glory!)

Undead
-Chop Chop (Slice and Dice!)
-Cynder (Volts and Lightning!)
-Ghost Roaster (No Chain, No Gain!)
-Hex (Fear the Dark!)

Water
-Gill Grunt (Fear the Fish!)
-Slam Bam (Armed and Dangerous!)
-Wham-Shell (Brace for the Mace!)
-Zap (Ride the Lightning!)

Regular Skylanders by Element with Availability

Air
-Lightning Rod (Single Pack and Triple Pack G)
-Sonic Boom (Single Pack, Triple Pack D )
-Warnado (Single Pack and Triple Pack H, Glow-in-the-Dark)
-Whirlwind (US Single Pack aTarget Exclusive...Thanks to false advertising by activision, Whirlwind was released in Triple Pack F, AND Single Packs elsewhere)

Earth
-Bash (Single Pack, Triple Pack C, Legendary Triple Pack, Translucent Blue Single Pack)
-Dino-Rang (Single Pack, Triple Pack E, Silver)
-Prism Break (Single Pack, Triple Pack B)
-Terrafin (Pirate Seas Adventure Pack Only)

Fire
-Eruptor (Single Pack, Triple Pack C, Silver)
-Flameslinger (Single Pack, Triple Pack A, Gold)
-Ignitor (3DS Starter Pack, Single Pack, Triple Pack H)
-Sunburn (Dragon's Peak Adventure Pack Only)

Life
-Camo (Single Pack and Triple Pack H)
-Stealth Elf (3DS Starter Pack, Single Pack, Triple Pack D, Crystal Clear)
-Stump Smash (Single Pack, Triple Pack A, Frito's Flocked Stump Smash)
-Zook (Single Pack and Triple Pack G)

Magic
-Dark Spyro (3DS Starter Pack Exclusive, Possible Later Single Pack)
-Double Trouble (Single Pack and Triple Pack F)
-Spyro (All Starter Kits except 3DS, Dark Spyro=3DS Only, Legendary Triple Pack)
-Voodood (Single Pack, Triple Pack B)
-Wrecking Ball (Single Pack, Triple Pack D, Glow-in-the-Dark)

Tech
-Boomer (Single Pack, Triple Pack B, Silver)
-Drill Sergeant (Single Pack Only-Walmart/Sam's Club Exclusive and thanks to activision false advertising and deceptive practices Single Packs Elsewhere and Triple Pack F)
-Drobot (Single Pack, Triple Pack A)
-Trigger Happy (All Starter Packs, except 3DS, Legendary Single Pack a Toys'R'Us Exclusive)

Undead
-Chop Chop (Single Pack, Triple Pack C, Legendary Triple Pack, Gold)
-Cynder (Single Pack, Triple Pack G, Crystal Clear, Metallic Purple)
-Ghost Roaster (Dark Light Crypt Adventure Pack)
-Hex (Single Pack, Triple Pack E, Pearl)

Water
-Gill Grunt (All Starter Kits except 3DS)
-Slam Bam (Empire of Ice Adventure Pack)
-Wham-Shell (Single Pack, Crystal Clear)
-Zap (Single Pack and Triple Pack E, Glow-in-the-Dark)

Legendary Skylanders


-Bash (Legendary Triple Pack, Toys'R'Us Exclusive)
-Chop Chop (Legendary Triple Pack, Toys'R'Us Exclusive)
-Spyro (Legendary Triple Pack, Toys'R'Us Exclusive)
-Trigger Happy (Legendary Single Pack, Toys'R'Us Exclusive)

Regular Skylanders by Triple Pack

Triple Pack A-1: Drobot, Flameslinger, Stump Smash
Triple Pack B-2: Prism Break, Voodood, Boomer
Triple Pack C-3: Eruptor, Chop Chop, Bash
Triple Pack D-4: Wrecking Ball, Stealth Elf, Sonic Boom
Triple Pack E-5: Zap, Hex, Dino-Rang
Triple Pack F-6: Whirlwind, Double Trouble, Drill Sergeant
Triple Pack G-7: Lightning Rod, Cynder, Zook
Triple Pack H-8: Camo, Ignitor, Warnado
Legendary Triple Pack: Bash, Spyro, Chop Chop

Regular Skylanders by Single Pack

Everyone with the exception of: Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, Terrafin, Ghost Roaster, Slam Bam, Sunburn, and currently Dark Spyro are available in Single Pack offerings.  I would expect that those of us in the US and Canada will see Dark Spyro singles some time before Giants comes out.  Keep in mind, the Legendary Triple Pack Skylanders are not available as singles at this time either.


Adventure Packs (The Only Retail Way to Land These 4 Skylanders)

-Darklight Crypt: Ghost Roaster, Darklight Crypt, Healing Elixir, Time Twist Hourglass (Chapter 25)
-Dragon's Peak: Sunburn, Dragon Peak, Sparx the Dragonfly, Winged Boots (Chapter 26)
-Empire of Ice: Slam Bam, Ice Cave, Anvil Rain, Sky-Iron Shield (Chapter 23)
-Pirate Seas: Terrafin, Pirate Ship, Ghost Pirate Swords, Hidden Treasure (Chapter 24)

Skylanders by Wave

It is often asked, "What is a Wave?" or "What do you mean by Wave __?"  Here is the answer.  A "wave" simply refers to the staggered release order.  In October, at the launch of the game, you had access to quite a few Skylanders, but not all.  Later in the fall Wave 2 came out...You still couldn't get Lightning Rod (Wave 4)...Here is the complete breakdown for your convenience:

Wave 1 (20 Base Skylanders, Dark Spyro, and Legendary Triple Pack): Spyro, Gill Grunt, Trigger Happy, Dark Spyro, Ignitor, Stealth Elf, Voodood, Drobot, Booomer, Drill Sergeant, Eruptor, Flameslinger, Stump Smash, Bash, Prism Break, Terrafin, Chop Chop, Ghost Roaster, Sonic Boom, Whirlwind, Zap, Legendary Spyro, Legendary Bash, Legendary Chop Chop.

Wave 2: Wrecking Ball, Dino-Rang, Hex
Wave 3: Double Trouble, Cynder, Slam Bam
Wave 4: Lightning Rod, Zook, Sunburn
Wave 5: Camo, Warnado, Wham-Shell


Collectible Skylanders: Rare, Not Part of the 37


Silver Skylanders


-Boomer
-Dino-Rang
-Eruptor

Gold Skylanders


-Chop Chop
-Drill Sergeant
-Flameslinger

Translucent Blue Skylanders

-Bash (Toys'R'Us Exclusive)

Cystal "Clear" Skylanders

-Wham-Shell (First seen in Australia)
-Cynder
-Stealth Elf

Glow-in-the-Dark Skylanders

-Warnado
-Wrecking Ball
-Zap

Translucent Red Skylanders

-Drill Sergeant (Walmart Exclusive)

Exclusive Skylanders (Toy Fairs, E3 etc)

-Single Pack Trigger Happy (E3 2011)
-Metallic Purple Cynder (Nurumberg Toy Fair 2011)
-Chrome Spyro (E3 2012)



Promotional Skylanders

Frito Lay

-Spring of 2012 (Promotion April-May)

--Flocked Stump Smash

-Summer of 2012 (June 18th-July 13th estimated run time)

--Skylander Sidekicks

Shown with Frito Lay Promo Sheet Name and (Coded Game Names)

---Mega Stealth (Whisper Elf)
---Super Trigger (Trigger Snappy)
---Big Grunt (Gill Runt)
---Mighty Fin (Terrabite)

We now know that the promotion runs July 8th, 2012 through November 2nd, 2012.  The names are the "Coded Game Names" from above

-Terrabite (Terrafin)
-Trigger Snappy (Trigger Happy)
-Whisper Elf (Stealth Elf)
-Gil Run (Gill Grunt)

Wii: Weapon Master Glitch

I strongly suggest you ready my blog post regarding this aggravating issue:

Weapon Master Glitch Blog Post
 

Skylanders Rankings

You can check out various Skylander Ranks in one of my other blog posts:

Skylanders Overall Ranks

Skylanders: Elemental Ranks by Trading Cards

My Complete Collection


Some of you may enjoy this video showcasing the complete collection (32/32 and 37/37) as well as touching on most of the major information contained here.  All info in the video was accurate as of the recording date (May 21st, 2012):

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure Complete Collection


Conclusion

That basically wraps it up.  There are still a few uncertainties and unknowns, but you can get the geneal idea here.

Enjoy, hope this helps a lot of ya'll out.
 
-1ofWiisdom