Thanks for clearing that up. I'm excited either way, just to be clear. I fully endorse V-sets assuming no one picks up the game and keeps the rules compatible.

My Guess would Be Nihilus and Malak from CotF. Currently, the only reason to play the old malak is if you don't have the new one (Sorry, LS Throw counts for nothing over lightning, I don't care even if I know I will be playing against vong).

We just have completely different opinions on this.

In my opinion, it is almost a 100% certainty that the design committee will create new ugnaught demolitionist and mouse droid pieces. They'll be called something else, they'll be different things, but there will be a Ugnaught Droid Destroyer(v) and a Human Scoundrel (v) "Messenger Boy" or something to that effect. Those pieces are necessary because the "ordinary" squad needs several of them and they are already quite difficult to find and relatively costly. I would not stock up on mouse droids, even though they are good, because I think the PC is guaranteed to create an alternative to them. UH Lobot is also an obvious candidate for this. He has become a staple in many squads but is old and kind of hard to find. CLobot(v) would be the most obvious solution.

On the other hand, in my opinion the PC is virtually guaranteed not to create a piece that is more or less Yobuck. The game does not need two pieces who do what Yobuck does. He is only played in squads that are more or less built around him. Now, there may well be pieces that zoom all over the board and pieces that get to attack multiple targets and pieces with 160 health and 20 defense that are swappable, but if you want all of those at once, you're going to have to play Yobuck.

In SWCCG, the scarcest cards are from the last few sets to be released because Decipher did not print as much of them. In SWM, however, the last few sets are the most plentiful, and the older stuff is the hardest to find. When was the last time you found a Champions of the Force case for sale anywhere? When my buddies and I realized that the store in Nashville had COTF boosters we were very surprised and bought every one that they had on the spot.

The prices for the last few sets of SWCCG remained high also because many of those cards were broken and because the game experienced significant power creep. CC Boba Fett is pathetic compared to Boba Fett, Bounty Hunter. Maul with Dual Saber is an obscene piece that makes mockery of almost every other main in the game. But in the case of minis, many of the best and most broken pieces are old. Yobuck, Lancer droid, A&E Leia, etc. So we have the same situation in both games -- there are pieces that are simultaneously relatively rare, and relatively superior in quality.

If you want to make a profit, I can't help you. But if you want to know what someone who already went through the discontinuation of one game thinks, my advice is to look at old pieces that are unlikely to be duplicated, either because they are very unique or just a hair too powerful, and make sure you grab them when the prices drop the furthest. If you disagree with the reasoning I have set forth here to try and explain why that is what I would do, then just do as you see fit. There will probably be more than enough product to go around for many years to come without worrying about it too much.

In other words: get'em all.

I'd say if you had to try to guess on what ones to buy, go for ones that don't have alternate versions (Bastila Shan) or are in unique outfits (Leia, Captive). Others can easily have alternate proxies (for instance, I'd say a new version of Luke, Jedi Knight could be proxied by Luke, Jedi just as well).

I'd also be willing to bet that members of the community will make sets of instructions of how to mod existing C/UCs into proxies for some of the rarer units (Take a Mandalorian Gunslinger, apply some breast reduction surgery, slap on a coat of paint, and you've got a Jango Fett.)

Some of the older unique pieces may not see new (V)ersions anytime soon, but that doesn't mean there couldn't be something else introduced that will make them more useful. Synergy/Rapport could be a great way to help specific pieces without breaking everything else.

Opinion:

As far as the competitive scene and v-sets, I'm all for having easily obtainable proxies and/or customs that can be made from cheap pieces, so everyone can play what is created without significant effort or expense. As it is, you can play anything you want on Vassal even if you don't own a single mini.

The scarcity of older pieces that get new cards I feel should only be a concern for collectors who want the actual plastic, and not be an obstacle to those who simply wish to play the game. I'm hoping that the PC keeps this in mind in the interest of keeping (or growing, if possible) the player base.

At the same time however, there is the issue of tournament sponsorship and prize support, which could to some extent necessitate maintaining some retail market demand for minis beyond only collectors.

I have everything shy of a couple pieces from Dark Times, and I view my collection as an (expensive) investment in fun, and nothing more. I have no interest in grabbing up minis (outside of trading for filler wants and non-uniques for my own customizing) that might end up being in more demand by players going forward. Minis dealers on the other hand are going to be looking to make as much $$ as possible (that is to be expected), so I could see v-sets having at least some effect on prices.

It will be interesting to see how all this is handled, and how it plays out in the end.

Nice to hear some optimism that the game may continue through another company. Who wouldn't want to have an official Lucasfilm licensing? It's Star Wars; the name itself is worth it's weight in gold. Wizards must have really screwed up to let something like a Star Wars license out of their grasp. Since when has Star Wars never pulled in a profit? I guess with Star Wars miniatures...apparently. Nonetheless, if handled properly, as many have suggested, there should be no reason for any quality Star Wars product line to end prematurely.