Highdancer, right on target. Few, if any, of the "key" pieces people want/need to play a Cheese-Army-of-Doom these days come from the early expansions, particularly with the incremental lowering of power of many of these units due to the FAQ changes. Much of the loss will likely be units with more sentimental value than 'playability.'

Now, here's a thought. Assume that the release after FP is the new "Base" set that activates the 'retirement' policy. If instead of the sudden block obsolescence of three sets simultaneously (DA, FFE and DFA), what if WK decided to phase in the retirement of those figures on a one-for-one basis with new releases? In other words, when the new "Base" set is released, only those figues from the DA set were retired, and then when the next expansion were released the FFE units would be retired, and so on... Would this mitigate some of the the hate & discontent over the 'retirement plan'?

Not for me. While i could live with (and grumble over) a banned list, once you tell me that I cant play with my Viktor Hanan he's too old, Im out. What goes into my army or not is and should remain MY choice.
Just like supporting this game or not is my choice.


And it should be pointed out that if two magic cards per pack were reprints thats 40cents. IF one of your "new" pieces in a booster is a reprint thats $2.50

Yeah, I know set retiring is at least a year off. This is sorta me coming down with a bad case of CLS (Chicken Little Syndrome), but, still, it's scary, pieces we've paid buckets of money into suddenly becoming useless in official tournaments. That's what scares me the most.

Still, when Caden and Joel leave the 'Mech bay (AKA The Box) for the last time, and my faithful twin Long Toms fire their last battery, and my stalwart Peasants stand their looking imposing and stopping rampaging charging 'Mechs and dudes on ATVs, I'll be sad. :(

I'm betting that there will be a poll for favorite pieces, and the highest-ranked ones will be re-released at sometime, maybe with updated stats or a new paintjob, or even a new 'Mech (In the dossiers of some Mechwarriors, ie Cytnthia Kelly, it says they'll take any 'Mech). Wouldn't it be cool to see, say, Tara Bishop in a larger 'Mech?

In my case no not really since this will include LE units and I still really enjoy fielding Sariah Nova Cat the first LE I ever won in a tournyment. I worked really hard to win her and have no wish to see her sit on my shelf guarding Cpl. Ceasar Spano (an LE I would not mind seeing fased out though). Unless WizKids reverses there current treand in supported events it will be a long time before we see a unlimited event. Anybody remember when it was 4 story line events plus 1 or 2 HTH events know were at 1 story line and 1 Sealed event a month. Here is the problom new players have in playing the game competitvly. They simply do not have the same number of events we older players had to learn how to play a tournyment style game.

If WK is serious about helping the new play learn how to play competitvely they should bring back send in LE's and plan more supported events to engourage them to play and to help rid venues of LE hunters looking for thiere next E-Bay unit. I have seen this to many times. The new player playing in is first few tourny's getting creamend by some heartless headhunter using the latest cheese de jer army just so he can have something to E-Bay for 20 dollars is just getting out of hand. After a few events like that most new players quite in disgust all together or start to play only in friendly pick up games.