Yeah that's a funny picture, not quite sure how it got through, I guess the work experience kid was setting up the figures that day!
I like the alternate (presumably Finecast) Fili too, I also prefer the other Kili and Thorin (nice to have him in his coat and he looks just like Richard Armitage). I think, from what I can see, I prefer the plastic versions of the other dwarves or at least aren't impressed enough by the new ones to pick up the alternates.
As to why they haven't been released, the photography for the book was done before the Hobbit became three films so at that stage GW only had 2 years of releases. They were probably planning on bringing that finecast set out mid 2013 at that point, followed by the company in Laketown gear and Battle of Five Armies armour for the second film throughout 2014. Now they have three films, I guess they've kept those alternate figures back to have a new set of dwarves to release with the Desolation of Smaug alongside (again I'm guessing) an elves V Spiders start set that does not include the dwarves.
Guess we'll find out in 3 months!
