G.I. Joe Classified Series (1:12)

[nacho]

I like Stalker, but I wish there was more contrast in his camo. His original deco used a light base (nearly as light as Zap) and put a dark green pattern on it. This one is more dark green on dark grey or something (hard to tell from the pics). I definitely expect him to get a more ARAH look when he gets the inevitable retro reissue.

-Tomax/Xamot - insta-buys, c'mon man.
-Zarana looks awesome.
-CG looks awesome.
-Dusty is a little plain, but I like him a lot. Might have to add some extra camo blotches.

-Viper Pack - The officer looks dumb with the grey/gold like he was a leftover PP figure that just didn't get any yellow paint. I ordered one set, and I'll repaint him to look better and use him as a heavy gunner or something. I have plans for at least one of the regular vipers to make him into a proper "officer" type.

-Mindbender looks just like he should, thank goodness. All attempts to modernize him lose too much wacky-crazy and just make him a boring evil scientist. He needs to be shirtless and fabulous.

-Kamakura... I'm torn, as I have zero love for extraneous ninjas in my Joe lore, but I do have fond memories of the old Image/DDP comics where he had a relatively prominent role. I'll likely get one, but if I miss out somehow, I won't be too fussed about it.

-TF Recondo - I don't like TF, but I do like those short sleeves and brown boots. If I can figure out how to disassemble these things properly with minimal damage, those are some useful parts.
-TF Bazooka - I don't like TF, and I don't like Bazooka (because moron), yet I find this deco to be less obnoxious than the classic red version... Might get one to use like I did back in '85. Someone's gotta be cobra fodder, and no use in anyone important getting killed.

-Retro Officer/Trooper 2-pack... I ordered one, just to keep MOC, but I don't need any to open, as I have plenty of o-ring officers and troopers from back in the day.

-Baroness/Megatron mashup - ordered one just for the carded baroness and the fact that HISSatron looks like a functional HISS. I can't imagine I'll ever make him into a robot. Might even sell the TF outright, but if I'm all in on the retro carded o-ring figures, then this is required.

Overall, there's a lot to be excited about, even if everyone is just cherry-picking the stuff they like best.

 

[nacho]

Found the dreaded gung-ho that is the tell-tale sign of a case of BAT/AV's that is long gone, like some kind of taunting FOMO ghost. Damn.

I'm tired of waiting for BBTS and Dorkside. They claim their stock isn't due until June, but it seems like every source except the ones I ordered from have long gone through their supplies.

 

[pcsguy88]

I was in the same BBTS BAT boat until my trailer trash country Walmart had 2 BATS and an Alley Viper. No Gung Ho though.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Always a treat when you find you’re the lucky one that stumbled across something like that! Distribution has been really weird on this wave, that’s for sure!

 

[pcsguy88]

It’s a little reminder of the good old days of 25th when they stayed fairly stocked.

 

[ThunderDan19]

There‘ve been plenty of Snake Eyes movie, Lady Jaye and Cobra Commander figs around.

 

[nacho]

Mindbender revealed. Good news is he comes with a lot of goodies. Bad news is that those goodies push him into "deluxe" territory, so we'll likely be paying an extra $10-12 for them. He looks pretty badass though, not sure anyone could ask for him to be more "classic" in design.

Also note on the back artwork, they clearly have serpentor in mind with all the skeletons in tubes... but also note the top right showing Mindbender in the brainwave scanner, a nice nod to the Hama comics. That being said, I would take a deluxe Dr Venom with the funky helmet, or some kind of BAF with a whole wave containing parts of a buildable brainwave scanner.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Cool fig, but an easy pass for me. He would look a little odd on my desk shelf at work. Never cared for the figure even back in the day.

 

[nacho]

I just like that cobra's scientific mastermind is a deranged dentist. I never liked that he took over Destro's role in the cartoon as the #2 baddie, but in the comic, his role was a bit more differentiated, as was Destro's.

While never my favorite character, I feel he's essential in a world that contains BATs and the inevitable Serpentor. Then again, I don't keep my figs on my desk at work. If I did, I'd probably have more reservations...

 

[pcsguy88]

Serpentor is the reason I checked out on Joes and into Transformers.

 

[nacho]

I didn't like serpentor - or the bulk of the '86 class - as much as the earlier characters, but as toys, I still liked Joe the best. I still hate Sgt Slaughter and the way he dominated the toon making all the cool Joes look like lazy chumps. WTF mattel!

I loved TFs from the beginning, and they were a ton of fun to mess with, but objectively speaking, as toys they were bricks. The play pattern was generally setting them up, making up some backstory, and finding a reason for them to transform a lot. As "action figures" they were pretty lame. I owned, loved, and absolutely wore out practically every TF from '84-86, but if forced to choose, I would have taken Joe every time, including Mindbender and Serpentor.

I came to appreciate Serpentor in the Marvel run, as his creation in 48-50 and the cobra civil war in the 70's were some of the best issues Hama ever wrote. That whole power struggle dynamic presented a new angle to the bedroom floor battles, assuming you had enough bad guys to split them into 2-3 warring factions. It made Cobra far less 2-dimensional than the cartoon version with all the "This I command!" screaming (lame).

Later, in the DDP comics, Serpentor got a revival that was also interesting, so I found a new level of appreciation for him as an adult. However, if my only exposure to him was S2 of the sunbow toon, I would likely despise the character.

 

[nacho]

Note the top left background of the second page... serpentor with the arrow still sticking out of his face...

 

[nacho]

Today, I got to be the jerk who left nothing but Gung-Ho on the pegs!

Got to WM early after dropping off the kids at school and found them restocking the blue isles, laid claim to 2x AV and 2x BAT. The cherry on top is that they all rung up at $17.00..... no doubt WMs attempt to get rid of the SE movie figs but catching new stock instead. WTF Mattel, they can't even clearance properly.

Still keeping my POs at BBTS and Dorkside, but at least the fomo anxiety is tamped down.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Dude! That's awesome! Nice that it finally got to happen to one of the good guys!

Those are two of the best figs yet, and shouldn't require much modification to look full retro. Enjoy!

EE ran a special for free shipping on the full next wave, so now I've got my preorders for all the figs I want from the next few waves (no Croc Master or funky colored repaints, thanks) so I'm just hanging out, waiting for July for the first batch to ship and some time next year for the next one. Glad I'm not in a hurry for any of them. At least may wallet is getting a rest.

It will be interesting to see when the 6" retros start to show up for real. I've heard that September is the predicted shelf date. Yeesh. I wonder if people will really be willing to pay $23 for repaints. In a way, I wish they would so that that line would pick up steam and run concurrently as a truly retro option with Classified returning to a more modernized feel. But I think that ship already sailed so I'm ready for them to go right to clearance so I can cherry pick anything I do want from it. I can't see replacing any of the figs I've got with any of those at full price.

 

[nacho]

A lot of people will pick up baroness b/c she was so hard to get originally... or the people who really didn't want to pay for the goofy bike, and this version doesn't have the gold accents. So I can see her being popular *enough*. And the GH retro repaint will be super popular, IMO. Anyone with the nostalgia bug likely hates the first release and can't wait to replace him with the sky-blue deco. Destro will sell just because he's been out of production since the first wave, so no doubt some late adopters are waiting on that one... and he has cartoon accurate eyebrows (that make zero sense yet look better, IMO ). He won't fly off the shelves, but I don't think he'll pegwarm either.

Lady Jaye is the real dud of the retro wave. She was arguably overproduced in her original wave and is still easy to find, the face sculpt looks like Chris Kattan, and they didn't even give her a toon repaint, merely choosing to change the color of her hat from blue to black. Some people will buy one just to have a full set MOC, but I don't see many people needing another to open. She'll be the new harbinger of being too late to the store like GH is for the BAT wave.

Yeah, I think now that the video game is long past us and the classified management team has changed to a more traditional ARAH-centered group of designers, I think there is little chance of getting many redesigns that stray too far from 80's decos. Sure, some added details or more modern weapons, but I think they're largely sticking to what makes the characters recognizable. It seems they're leaving "full retro" in the hands of Super7, but I don't think hasbro will get too far off in the weeds.

 

[ThunderDan19]

I completely agree. The Baroness is the only retro I am even seriously considering so far, for the reasons you mentioned. I had thought LJ was a decent fig, but now that you've said it, I cannot unsee Chris Kattan, so thanks for that. But yes, they way overproduced LJ's wave, as evidenced by the fact that she and CC are almost as prevalent at WM as the SE movie girl figs (even Flint hung around for a while). And she will undoubtedly peg warm again as a retro fig with even less to offer and a higher price.

I also agree that the Classified team has decidedly moved toward the retro style (along with the gimmicky TF/PP stuff). It's not my favorite, as I have mentioned, but it beats loosing the line altogether, so I'm not gonna complain too much. I think the real issue with the line now is just how long it is taking to get figures across the pond and onto the shelves. That is besides those cheesy 5 POA cartoon figs .

As I mentioned, I've got everything I want on pre-order, so it just comes down to being patient for a good... long... while. If my wallet starts to get a little too thick while I wait, there are always new guns and ammo to buy to smack it right back down to size.

 

[nacho]

Sorry about Chris Kattan... I assumed I wasn't the only one that saw it . Someone else pointed out to me that the sculpt was an homage to the original LJ voice actress (and I see the resemblance when looking at her photo), but when I see the toy by itself, all I get is "Peepers" the monkey-boy.

Agreed on the guns and ammo too. What are you eyeballing?

 

[ThunderDan19]

Currently watching this guy: https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-jakl-5-56-pistol.html

They are at the end of the development of this, but I have yet to see them come into stock. It's kind of a "poor man's" ACR. Since I have a "rich man's" ACR already and like it a lot, I'm certainly interested in a new, less expensive version to add to the collection. And, since I have a few PSA products that I am fully satisfied with, I figure it's a pretty good bet I'll like this one too.

 

[nacho]

Nice. I've never bought any PSA pieces, but I hear they're pretty good bang for the buck.

I'm currently looking for a Sig Tread Snakebite SE... last year I upgraded the pistol and shotgun portions of the armory, so I figure a rifle is in the works next.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Wow, that's a pretty rifle! Sig makes a very nice firearm, so you should be golden with that one. Just make sure you can put a rail section on the front of that handguard to mount your front back up sight. Even the fanciest optics have a bad habit of getting damaged or failing at the least opportune times, so you need those low tech fold down BUIS for just in case. A pair of super low profile BUIS on that would look super sleek.

 

[nacho]

I love the Sig pistols I bought last year, and the reviews on the Snakebite are really good, definitely a high bang for the buck. The only knock was the heavy trigger, and the SE version subs in a lightweight two-stage trigger... problem solved. I put a bug in the ear of my local dealer, so hopefully I'll hear something back in the not-too-distant-future.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Nice! My son (I) recently bought a P365 on special at our local gun megastore. It's a beautiful weapon, even to this hopeless Glock fan.

 

[nacho]

Very cool, excellent choice. He has good taste! I bought a P320 full size and liked it so well, I also grabbed a P320 compact. They're about as impressive as I could imagine. Even the compact isn't as small as the P365, but I liked the hand-feel so well, I couldn't make myself go smaller. If I start feeling the need to carry daily (hopefully never), the P365 will certainly be on my short list.

Also, I couldn't resist the super-easy-to-swap optional P320 compact frame with the built-in green laser. You could successfully argue such a thing is obsolete in the modern era of red-dot optics, but it's a friggin' green laser in-line with the bore without having to hang a crimson trace from the bottom. If I were a competition shooter, it would matter, and a modern optic would be required. For river pirates, I think it'll do nicely.

 

[nacho]

After opening them, I'm of two minds about AV and BAT.

The AV is... fine. He has lots of gear and looks sufficiently vintage, but for some reason, I find him only marginally exciting. One of mine has very loose ankles, making him a colossal PITA to keep standing. He'll have to perpetually lean on something, while the other one is noticeably better. His gear is great, but out of the box, the configuration is baffling. He has the knife sheath on the right wrist, making the shield need to go on the left. But his submachine gun has an ammo clip that is completely in the way if you put it in his right hand, and thus it really needs to go on the left also. And the backpacks stay on as well as most every other classified figures'... which is to say poorly. I don't feel like Hasbro even tried to gear him up prior to release. Sure, I'll make it all work somehow, but...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Conversely, the BAT is 100% worthy of the hype. He's pretty badass all the way around. Joints are all super tight yet not stuck, his gear makes sense, the gear all works like it's supposed to, and the backpack stays on. Is it me or is the BAT plastic harder and far less gummy than on most other classified figs? Either way, I like it. I wish he came with a handheld weapon besides the sidearm, but I guess all his other attachments are supposed to fill that bill. The battle damage is just icing on the cake. I hope we get "alternate" battle damage parts with other subsequent releases (or even in some kind of special gear pack) just so it won't look like they're all damaged the exact same way.

I'll definitely be keeping all my BAT POs, but I might have to scale back on the AVs. Sure, I'll need a couple more, but compared to blueshirts and '86 vipers, I'm not sure I need THAT many day-glow urban shock troops who can barely stand.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Very cool, excellent choice. He has good taste! I bought a P320 full size and liked it so well, I also grabbed a P320 compact. They're about as impressive as I could imagine. Even the compact isn't as small as the P365, but I liked the hand-feel so well, I couldn't make myself go smaller. If I start feeling the need to carry daily (hopefully never), the P365 will certainly be on my short list.

Also, I couldn't resist the super-easy-to-swap optional P320 compact frame with the built-in green laser. You could successfully argue such a thing is obsolete in the modern era of red-dot optics, but it's a friggin' green laser in-line with the bore without having to hang a crimson trace from the bottom. If I were a competition shooter, it would matter, and a modern optic would be required. For river pirates, I think it'll do nicely.

Lol, yes! My son has better taste than I do in his weapons, and he's way ahead of where I was at his age. When he turns 21, he will own (so far) four guns - a Beretta, a PSA Dagger, a S&W M&P15-22 and the Sig (and likely one of my ARs that's already "his" if we ever need it). That's at least four more than I had at that age, and a pretty darn good mix of weapons! It's good to have a part time job and few expenses at 17 (and good for me when he pitches in to help pay for ammo!). He's also a more disciplined pistol shooter than I am and thus more accurate with his pistols that I am. Can you tell I'm proud?

I'm all about the projecting lasers, and lights for that matter. I have the Streamlight TLR laser light combos on both my everyday carry pistols. In a pinch, in the dark, nothing beats putting that laser on an illuminated target to give you confidence you are aiming in the right spot. This is coming from a guy that had a pistol with an RMR dot sight atop my full sized field pistol. I consider them clunky and a little overrated. I think they're just the "cool thing" right now and will pass once people get poked enough in the belly trying to concealed carry with one on top.

If anything I think Sig might be onto something with the cool sights they have on the P365 SAS. That sleek, built in FT Bullseye sighting system is really optimized for concealed carry. We were looking in that direction, but ended up going the more conventional route due to the special they were running, the fact that the system currently depends on a depletable tritium that thus far Sig hasn't revealed their recharge/replacement method for and the fact that the pistol is so sleeked out that engaging the slide release (particularly before the gun is fully broken in) is all but impossible without jeopardizing your thumbnails. That said, I don't really use the slide release on my pistols, but I get why he wasn't sold on it. But, as it gets refined, I can see that sighting system as a standard option on future CC pistols. It's really cool!

 

[ThunderDan19]

After opening them, I'm of two minds about AV and BAT.

The AV is... fine. He has lots of gear and looks sufficiently vintage, but for some reason, I find him only marginally exciting. One of mine has very loose ankles, making him a colossal PITA to keep standing. He'll have to perpetually lean on something, while the other one is noticeably better. His gear is great, but out of the box, the configuration is baffling. He has the knife sheath on the right wrist, making the shield need to go on the left. But his submachine gun has an ammo clip that is completely in the way if you put it in his right hand, and thus it really needs to go on the left also. And the backpacks stay on as well as most every other classified figures'... which is to say poorly. I don't feel like Hasbro even tried to gear him up prior to release. Sure, I'll make it all work somehow, but...¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Conversely, the BAT is 100% worthy of the hype. He's pretty badass all the way around. Joints are all super tight yet not stuck, his gear makes sense, the gear all works like it's supposed to, and the backpack stays on. Is it me or is the BAT plastic harder and far less gummy than on most other classified figs? Either way, I like it. I wish he came with a handheld weapon besides the sidearm, but I guess all his other attachments are supposed to fill that bill. The battle damage is just icing on the cake. I hope we get "alternate" battle damage parts with other subsequent releases (or even in some kind of special gear pack) just so it won't look like they're all damaged the exact same way.

I'll definitely be keeping all my BAT POs, but I might have to scale back on the AVs. Sure, I'll need a couple more, but compared to blueshirts and '86 vipers, I'm not sure I need THAT many day-glow urban shock troops who can barely stand.

So I read you on the AV gun. I was able to make it work in his right hand, but it is unnecessarily difficult. I hate to be that guy, but that weapon is retro accurate, too retro accurate in my opinion. Things like this are why I don't especially love that they are becoming so married to retro in this line. I want them to be fully retro recognizable with all the coolness of the original look (maybe minus the super bright colors and outlandish stuff), but with the freedom to improve where improvement is needed. Like I would have been okay with toning down the AV's colors a bit as well, but I have always chalked the orange up to, "We're unstoppable masses of shock troopers, invading your city. You cannot resist us, so why should we care about blending in?"

I don't recall if my AV's ankles are particularly loose, but I have him squatting behind the shield with the sub machine gun peering over the right side. It was a chore to get him set up like that, but he is stable and looks really good right at the front of my Cobra display. I also picked up some ML peg stands, which help all my figs with stability.

The AV also comes with that short AK type carbine, which you could substitute if the retro one is too much of a pain. If you don't use it for the AV, it might be a good option for your BAT (or maybe the AV's lefty sub gun). I just have mine aiming his blaster hand with the other cool hand replacements protruding atop the backpack in epic retro fashion. He certainly seems threatening enough with just that, but the carbine is another option.

As for the damaged parts, I agree that more variety would be better. I didn't notice anything different in the preview of the PP BAT so I doubt they have anything in the works, unless someday they do a BAT pack like the Viper one. You might check the secondary market to see if anyone has made 3D printed offerings on that front. I know I have already seen some clear chest covers that people have made, so there may be some more stuff out there. I just laid my damaged parts around the BAT's feet to give the appearance that his BAT buddy didn't fare so well after getting hit by Gung Ho's thumper.

As for the plastic, I have not noticed significant variations in the hardness. I am very thankful that the hands are generally rubbery though. I couldn't imagine the carnage if they were at all brittle, trying to seat some of the weapons. I was holding my breath a few times even with the flexibility they do have. I totally get now why a lot of the early weapons from this line have very small handles. I hope the current design team are still thinking about stuff like this.

 

[nacho]

Agreed, the hands need some flexibility, but I want the rest of the plastic to be pretty solid. I intensely dislike rubbery/gummy figures.

 

[nacho]

Sweet baby jeebus, when will it end?!

Hasbro Toy Prices Going Up Again (marvelousnews.com)

Hasbro Inc said on Tuesday it would have to raise prices further to cope with soaring costs and warned of a potential revenue hit of about $100 million this year due to its decision to pause toy shipments to Russia.
[...]
"To improve product in stocks this holiday season versus last, we're advancing deliveries of key items so that we can ensure they're on hand," said Chief Financial Officer Deborah Thomas on an analyst call.

 

[ThunderDan19]

You’d think they’d have a surplus with the reduction of product to Russia. While it will hurt H’bro’s bottom line, it should actually make prices reduce from what they’d be with full demand. I see some clearance items coming if things remain as staged, particularly if they start out extra expensive.

 

[nacho]

Yeah, I bristle at the notion that prices need to increase just because they lost access to a small communist market. I know they don't want revenue to decline, but does gouging your most loyal customers to make up for it seem like the best long term strategy? It's not like losing the tiny russian market dramatically altered their efficiencies of scale to the point that their unit costs increased in any meaningful way. If they just said "inflation" I think most of us would shrug and accept it, but blaming it on the inconsequential (to the toy biz) war seems like a really lame deflection.

Speaking of clearance, Deepdiscount has a lot of ML and SW stuff on heavy clearance. I bought several scrub/pegwarmer ML figures just for parts for $6, and they have a lot of 4" SW figures for super cheap. I ordered 3x of the Tantive IV hallway for $15 each. DD has a reputation for not always coming through, randomly cancelling orders, but I'm not ordering anything I *have* to have, so anything that ships is gravy.

 

[nacho]

They also have Mega MOTU Point Dread for $15, MSRP $49.99... snagged a couple of those too. With a little paint, the canopy on that thing will be perfect for a MegaJoe Snowcat cockpit.

 

[nacho]

Fan First Tuesday recap:

Six new reveals with no PO announcement at this time:
- Snake-Eyes & Timer - green and black deco, white wolf - nice I guess, but not blowing anyone's doors off
- Zartan (sunbow) (WM retro line) - looks good, not sure if it's really any better than previous releases
- Storm Shadow (classic) (WM retro line) - looks good, more classic arm wraps, might get one depending on how other release comes out
- Duke w/ RAM (both in Tiger Force deco) - kept blonde hair, looks better than I imagined but I don't really need it
- Sgt Slaughter (in '86 TTT deco) - looks better than the Valaverse figures, so I'll get one to die on the battlefield
- Blue Ninja 2-pack (male & female, repaints of red ninja and girl from movie line) - hard pass, dumbest repaints yet

POs coming today, 1pm EDT:
- TF Bazooka (Target & limited on Pulse) - maybe, just because I hate his regular red deco
- TF Recondo (Target & limited on Pulse) - maybe because he has black short sleeves that I can swap with Flint
- PP Officer (Target & limited on Pulse) - hard pass
- Zarana (everywhere) - very nice
- Dusty (everywhere) - great figure
- Crimson Guard (everywhere) - looks fabulous, will buy several - only downside is no alt Fred head

 

[ThunderDan19]

Nice run down! I went and watched the reveal at 2x speed, skipping to the good parts (I kind of can't really deal with the chunky girl who hosts it). I think you are spot on. I'll be pre-ordering the Dusty, Zarana & CG on Amazon and will hop by the Tarjay website to see if I can get free shipping if I order Recondo (who looks pretty good actually, and not that over the top with the tiger business) and Bazooka, who I wouldn't go out of my way for in any of his OG decos, but might pick up if I can get the two of them w/o paying for shipping. I don't know that his TF deco is any better or worse than his regular one.

I think I'll be passing on all of the new reveals (mostly repaints) and all the PP figs. The only way I ever get Slaughter (who I'll give a little credit for doing the video for the reveal) is if I somehow get overcome with nostalgia seeing him on a peg in a store. I'm assuming he'll probably be in the same wave/case with Mindbender. Makes me wonder if maybe Serpentor will be the other fig in that wave... Hard pass on the retro SS and Zartan. I like the figs I have or have pre-ordered of those two just fine, thanks.

GI June better be something really special with all the hype they are generating.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Ok, so I've got a buttload of pre-orders now. I've got (this is more to help me keep track than anything else):

• Spirit, Storm Shadow and Cobra Officer - due in July according to EE
• Dusty, Crimson Guard and Zarana - due next March '23 according to Amazon
• Stalker, Tomax and Xamot - due in May '23 from Amazon
• Outback, Recondo and Bazooka - due whenever Target decides to send them...

I was very surprised that the Dusty wave hopped ahead of the Stalker wave. I wonder if (hope maybe) the Stalker wave might jump back ahead to something at the end of this year. As of now there seems to be a significant gap there, unless that's something that will be filled by whatever supposed awesomeness is yet to be revealed.

 

[ThunderDan19]

My first impressions of the newest pre-orders (with the boxes and weapons):

Dusty - looks pretty good. Very true to the original. Honestly, a little plain and armor deficient by todays standards. I might look to see if I can armor him up a bit after he comes in, if I can find an appropriately colored vest/plate carrier that fits. That would modernize him well enough.

Crimson Guard - looks great! My only gripe is that they outfitted him with a very basic M4 with a bayonet attached. It's not terrible, but the original was more akin to a fancy FAL. With recent updates, I feel like his weapon is rather antique compared to those of the Viper and Troopers. It'd be better even with something as simple as a cool optic on top. That's a very minor gripe though, as the rest is excellent.

Zarana - She looks very true to the original, with a nice upgrade of a ranged weapon, rather than just the spinny blade thingy she had originally. I notice also that some of the photos had her sporting her original punk feathered hair. Definitely not for mine, but it is kind of a nice nod for those who really want that OG look.

All in all, a pretty good wave! I am a little surprised there's still so much plastic on the boxes. I thought H'bro was getting rid of that.

 

[nacho]

I don't think the Dusty wave is actually in front of the Stalker wave. In all likelihood, they just put a ridiculously long lead time on that wave because it was announced in the height of the supply chain issues. I think they have a better handle on it and can predict times a little more accurately. I'll be surprised if the Stalker wave doesn't hit before the end of the year, around the time the rest of my BATs and AVs show up

Dusty... I plan on adding some more brown camo, as he seems a bit sparse, almost as if they used the sunbow model for simplified camo. Still, I love how he turned out, as he was always a fav, and I'm glad they didn't modern him up too much.

CG - I know we'll eventually get a re-release down the road with a Fred head in it, but in the meantime, I have enough various Steve Rogers heads that I can almost certainly find one that looks like a Fred series. They made a point of saying that the CG red color is an exact match to the red on the twins, which is a cool detail to pay attention to.

Zarana, definitely going for the standard mullet, not the OG punk swoop-do. And I like the addition of her odd little hot-blade. It's new but seems completely in character for her.

If you're jonsing for more modernization, I just got w2-A of the Valaverse figures, and they're solid. They look far more like modern military than anything in the classified line. They all come with helmets, at least 3 sets of hands, blades, sidearm, and rifle. Some even come with an alternate head. They're also just a tiny hair bigger and feel more sturdy. I'm definitely going to find a way to integrate them into my Joe ranks, especially the upcoming Night Ops Steel Brigade. Plus, the next wave is supposed to be all female, IIRC, and they make the Classified females look... spindly.

 

[ThunderDan19]

So far I've been doing okay using spares of or picking up loose items on Mercari to kind of "finish" fitting out some of the figs - Joes particularly - to a modernized version. I'm already eyeballing another Flint vest for Outback to cover up that tiger on his shirt and to give him a fighting chance in a firefight. That said, I'm not 100% consistent on having all my figs running body armor. I think it just seems more obvious on Dusty because he is otherwise kitted out for infantry, albeit infantry in the early 1980s. I guess I'll have to see how he looks in person. Maybe with the right pose he can look less exposed.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for loose Valaverse vests and such too, as they might be helpful to mix it up and not be using the same one too often. It'd be nice if Marauder got into more than just guns for 1:12 scale too.

 

[nacho]

I don't view Dusty as "exposed"... in my head, he's running light/lean. Can't be wandering the desert with all that heavy stuff on, he'd die. He survives on savvy, not head-on taking rounds to the chest.

 

[ThunderDan19]

Well... I agree with you in principle. He came out right as the "light infantry" was hitting its stride back in the 1980s. However, the "you'll die in the desert if you have too much armor/gear" argument died in Desert Storm when body armor truly became the standard, and then again in OIF, when it was body armor and MOPP gear, at least during the initial rush. It really comes down to replacing water and electrolytes, and the invention of heat shedding "combat shirts," lighter weight armor plates and the like.

I'll just need to make sure 'Ol Dusty has a Camelbak hanging on the back of his body armor!

 

[nacho]

Those conflicts didn't have a proliferation of red/blue lasers. Who knows what the optimal gear is for desert laser combat?! All your heavy armor might be useless!