Action Figure Woes: 2014 and the missing paint applications

Well, Two-Bad lost some paint applications, so did Blade. (I will elaborate on their respective It Came from the Toy Chest Reviews) This has pissed off a segment of the Fandom, and rightfully so. We still remember the whole 2013 sub pledge and the "Dramatic Price increase to ensure that no accessories get cut and no reduction in deco for the figures for the next two years". We saw how that worked for Nettossa and Strobo in 2013. Now Blade and Two-Bad got paint applications cut from their weapons and people want Neitlich's head.

The issue is that prices are rising faster than we can compensate. Blade has a TON of deco on that outfit which is really expensove. The chain mail is pretty consistant over his body, so there isn't really a way to reduce that. Plus we can't cut an accessory because his name is Blade, and Blade not coming with a blade is wrong. Removing deco from the accessories therefore was the only option to keep him on cost.

We also told fans we would not raise prices in 2014. We had hoped that the 2013 price increase would hold for two years, but 2014 is already seeing higher production costs at locked in 2013 prices. Going forward we will likely raise prices a little bit each year starting in 2015.

The other item to note is that pretty much every figure we have produced has been cost reduced in some manner. Sometimes these reductions hit the boards big time, other times (most times) no one notices at all. Fisto for example had more deco reductions than almost any other figure, but I don't personally recall seeing this was an issue with fans.

He-Man.org Forums Mattel needs to stop cutting paint apps topic where I found this quote.

I'm not going to dwell on how Neitlich should or shouldn't do his job, since that's not related to the point I'm going to make.

Yes, prices do rise, but yes, Mattel should have seen it coming. It Royally sucks having to break out the paints and "fix" These figures especially after the infamous "Dramatic Price increase", but on the other hand, it could've been worse.

Cutting Accessories + LESS Paint Applications + "Blastic" Figures!! That could be worse...
No figures would be the worst.

Since we're not getting Weapon Paks, cut accessories would be lost "forever" (See Grizzlor and Buzz-Off's 200X Heads, Spector's whip)
Cutting off paint hits is the only viable alternative FOR MATTEL.  I HATE IT  but it's the lesser of the evils. No matter how much the fans (rightfully) complain, it will not give paint hits to Two-Bad or Blade's weapons... (I had to paint my Stinkor stuff, from all the way back to 2012, I had to paint most of WP#4, will have to paint Blade's weapons, Hydron's and Two-Bad's.)  Hopefully Mattel will not be as stingy with the paints for the second half of the year figures as they were with those early half figures.