@Joe: no, the official release date is the date that WizKids says it is officially released: I don't know how you can argue it is anything else. As Harpua pointed out, it doesn't matter when you have it in hand, that has no relevance to when it is officially released. And for that piece, apparently, that date is May 1st. I'm not sure why you want to argue this point: it's not as if you're going to present some argument that overrides what Wizkids says and suddenly Harpua (or whomever) is going to say "ya know what? Joe is right, screw what Wizkids says" and respond early. Chill, dude.

Where can one find this alleged 5/1/13 release date? Seriously, find me a link. If it's the official release date, than why aren't boxes marked "hold until 5/1/13"?

And again, that doesn't even jibe with the Comprehensive Tournament rules, which go by set with no allowances for piecemeal releases.

Let's not forget we went though this last year with IG and the decision that I remember and wasn't even questioned until Harpua decided to be lazy in this thread was that storyline event kits are released when they're released, and remember, that was when stores weren't even getting their IG kits simultaneously. I really wish the search function worked for more than the last couple of months...

As a final addendum, let's see what Nbperp had to say about Shuma-Not-Cthulhu:

Stores paid for their NML6 kits and received them on 4/24/13.

Harpua is telling you that he can't discuss this per the terms of his NDA and other agreements with WizKids, and that the date he can discuss it is May 1st. I think that's a more reliable indicator of when the official release date is than "if the figures have been shipped/received then they must be released." And we were told that NML6 was to be run in May, which I think is also a good indicator.
A figure sold retail is not in any way comparable to prize kits sold wholesale and not for resale, to be used for specific events. But what is really boggling is that you are choosing to argue with the RD about when he's allowed to discuss the figure. That's...quite a concept.

If you look on the insert sheet of the month 6 prize kit for No Man's Land it clearly states MAY, not April not a week before April, not June, Not even Second Seed! Simply MAY and April 24 does not occur in May.

I think you'll find plenty of threads here talking about how every other piece of info on those flyers (build, prize distribution) is optional and at the whim of the venue. So good try.

Maybe you should have your venue and such re read the WizKids Promotional Product Licensing Agreement. Yes, you can change the format of a tournament and not use the suggested scenario, but there is nothing there stating you can break street date.

<sigh>
Joe. Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe. Joebiddlybobiddlebiddleboropotatomaladyady-oh.

Look what you've done. Now Harpua has that much more scrolling to do, and he's soooo lazy. If you want to discuss the price of catfood in Milwaukee, that's cool, bit do it in your own thread, man! We're trying to find out if just dressing up like a flying mouse can get you into a Fast and the Furious movie (cuz you know they'll make more).

Let it go, bro.

They are making a new one should be out November¿

But back to the Cowl, it would work similar to the case with Nightwing. The Resource or Relic will

Characters that are removed from the battle map are not affected by any game effects and may not use their own game effects except as stipulated by the effect removing them from the map.

Have no effect on the character, so it cannot give him Batman Symbol.

Yeah, that makes sense according to the letter of the law, and I can accept it. I can't help but check, though, to see if there is an intended exception here, because of how articulately the cards state that the symbol is the key. It's not a matter of I don't want to be wrong (per se), but my gut tells me that the cowl is supposed to do this and that the clarification from the PG is not meant to override it. The words disagree, but words and intent sometimes fail to mesh.

If an Orange would but pose the query to Game Design on my behalf, I would be most graciously obliged. If it is what it is, case closed.

1. NML6 was solicited prior to the product licensing agreement.

2. Again, where is the street date to break? It shipped 4/24/13 with nothing indicating it needed to be held. Heck, when Diamond shipped the Superman Fast Forces early Diamond e-mailed and called to make sure it wasn't sold early. Nothing like that happened for any storyline event kits, ever, indicating again, that it was OK to give them out the day they were received.

As others have said, they have signed an NDA, (Non-Disclosure Agreement) which means they have signed something with Wizkids/NECA saying they will not disclose information before the date set in their terms. In this case, May 1st. Shipping, receiving in stores, stocking on shelves, doesn't change the fact that anyone releasing information before the agreed upon date runs the risk of losing their position (if any), and maybe even a lawsuit ending in some fines, depending on how Wizkids/NECA usually handles those sort of things.

I really don't think the risk is worth it for a RD to post information here and break their NDA just so we can get our answers a couple days earlier.

And still I don't understand the point of your argument.

If you're arguing that we have nothing telling us what the intent is, that's ridiculous. The event sheet says May, Wizkids told us they were shipping the prize kits the last week before the events were to be run, at least originally the window for scheduling the event in the official system began May 1st...the list goes on. It should be obvious that the intent is that these events aren't run until May, and so that the prize kits are not intended to be used until May.

If you're arguing that there is no readily available document on which it obviously says "the release date of the NML6 prizes is May 1st", then fine: if that is documented somewhere in clear language I haven't seen it either.

But your contention that the release date for prize kits is "when the stores get them" has no legs at all: that has never, in the 12 years I've been associated with WizKids, been how they defined release date. And in any case, the debate started with Harpua's assertion that he could not discuss the prize until the release date: I'm pretty sure the release date as he understands it from Wizkids is the one he's expected to use, not the release date as you want to argue it. So what exactly is the point of this?

To derail and pollute a perfectly good rule question thread. Ie., to derpo...

Batman Cowl
This character possesses "Batman Ally Team Ability Symbol". If the character already possesses "Batman Ally Team Ability Symbol" and is adjacent to a wall or square of higher elevated terrain, lines of fire drawn to it are blocked when it is not your turn.

Un-derpo, maybe¿

BATMAN COWL
Relic 4–6
This character possesses {Classic Bat Ally Symbol}. If character already possesses {Classic Bat Ally Symbol} and is adjacent to a wall or square of a higher elevated terrain, lines of fire drawn to it are blocked when it is not your turn.
POINT VALUE: 5
From the PG:
Nothing stipulates that the effect of the Cowl can be used when the figure to which it is attached is removed from the board, so the figure would not have the {Classic Bat Ally Symbol} once it has been removed from the map to become a pilot.