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

ThunderDan19

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You are 100% right about the Flash oversight. Hopefully they will serve both crowds by releasing the Retro Flash at/about the same time as CS Sci-Fi.

As for the big vehicles, yeah, besides the obvious large investment, the size was a significant hinderance for me as well. While I liked them both (particularly the Rattler), I knew that I would ultimately have to supplant one of my hanging 1:18 vehicles for each Haslab aircraft I'd purchase, because I have nowhere else to put them and could never leave those in their boxes. The idea of turning what is a pretty consistent (and a bit more grown up) ceiling display into a hodgepodge of 12 & 18 scale real world and fictional vehicles ultimately didn't really appeal to me.

I'd been down the its-way-too-big road many years ago with 1:6 scale vehicles, which together literally took up a bedroom (floor and ceiling) in our first townhouse. I came across some good deals and got way too many of those figs and YUGE vehicles. They ultimately ended up in storage rooms and attics when our kids began to come along and stayed stored at our next two houses before ultimately the figs and some of the smaller vehicles were sold off and the larger ones got taken to the landfill.

I feel like I could maybe do a Vamp MK II and a Stinger, but they would be the absolute largest vehicles I could find a place for (I say that until they drop a proper Snow Cat or a MOBAT :rolleyes:). And, even those would require me to clean out the one cluttered corner of my office and likely dispose of a legacy entertainment center in exchange for something better suited to display them on.

Will I ever go large? That'll likely come down to what Hasbro produces and how good it actually is. So far, I've been able to resist all by the cool but very manageable RAM v.3.
 
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nacho

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Yeah, I can't decide whether to display the Dragonfly or bring it to the office studio where there is more shelf space and more opportunity to photography it. But if I display it, what comes down? MP TFs? Bowen X-Men statues? Haslab Skystriker? Black Series Snowspeeder? The Rattler is going to be an even larger problem. At least jeeps and tanks fit on shelves better.

Oh, and Pulse sent me a notice last night that Dial-Tone is shipping soon... so he's not just a myth. Still odd that he wasn't packaged with the rest of the wave, but maybe Hasbro's shipping them in solid case batches or something. Different factories? It's odd, but at least we're not waiting until Forevertober.
 
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ThunderDan19

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I had to go to the ceiling for aircraft. There was no chance any of the BBI planes or helos were fitting on a shelf.

Speaking of Dial-Tone, I'm slightly miffed that WM and AMZ have hiked the prices on everybody from this recent wave now. Not sure if they are trying to make up for the discounts they had on some of the in-stock figs back around the holidays now or if that is the way things will be going forward. Seems really weird having just gotten some good sales prices recently.
 

ThunderDan19

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Truly. If I haven't pre-ordered it for full price, I'm certainly not paying +$5 to pick it up later.
 

ThunderDan19

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I'm sure I'm probably late to this, but if money and space were infinite, holy cow, these look cool!
 

nacho

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Yeah, Gridiron is doing some really neat stuff. I would have 100% bought some of their rim/tire replacements for the vamp and stinger, maybe some of the smaller add-ons.... except the tires are 3d printed hard plastic, not any kind of rubber or silicone. That was a deal-breaker for me. And while the mods like above are really creative, there is zero nostalgia for those inventions, and I couldn't possibly justify their prices for tacti-cool. Same reason I skipped the Vala Vanguard attack SUV.
 
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nacho

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1738427231648.png

snake.jpgslice.jpg


Seriously, WTF are they thinking?! I was under the impression that the Joe designers had gotten off the heavy Classified-ification of everything. That AWE Striker is a f#$%ing travesty. The gimpy tiny front wheels and the stupid modern top-heavy gunner seat... That piece of shit of not going in my collection. And don't get me started on the SNAKE. Glad I got a deal on the 11" S7 version... you know, that looks like SNAKE armor. And more 90's ninjas.

Gonna save a lot of money this year. AWE is one of my favorite ARAH vehicles, and this abomination isn't going to cut it.
 

nacho

"Big Guns"
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More pics...

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Now these... I I'm down for these. That Flint looks great. The whole line just needs to go retro, ditch the horrible modernization attempts.

EDIT: Out of spite, I canceled my Outhouse Vipers. If this is the game they're playing, I'm not buying jack shit unless it's sufficiently ARAH-looking. Some are saying that the AWE third seat and upper roll cage are removable for a more classic look, but unless they do something about the go-cart wheels, it's still a hard pass. Crank Case is a zero-burger character, so it's not like they even have figure FOMO to push people into buying a questionable design.

I shouldn't get worked up over toys at my advanced age, but i'm just so profoundly disappointed. I thought the line had turned a corner, and now it feels like 2021 all over again. What a bummer.
 
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ThunderDan19

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First impressions: Meh to yuck on most. I’ll weigh in a little more specifically later when I have a minute.
 

nacho

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An enterprising individual used the SNAKE's flame effect to determine scale since it's an effect borrowed from Torch. This thing is massive (probably 10-11" tall) and confirmed to hold a classified trooper. I'm still fond of the S7 11" figure, and I hope it goes on sale for cheap after this releases. That being said, I recognize that this is a neat design and might consider one for an "advanced" model down the road, probably not at full retail.

But that AWE striker... F'ing A, that thing is u-g-l-y.

However that Flint is sublime. Probably my favorite Joe character that's not from the O13, that is the figure we should have gotten from the jump.

1000023994.jpg
 

ThunderDan19

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Ok, with a little more time to mull over my impressions of each:

”AWE Striker”: like you said, it ain’t. It’s a poor attempt as this (AT4s go on those roof racks): 1738441892808.jpeg
I had this Chenowyth at 1:6 and this offering is a weird hybrid of it and the AWE. As you mentioned the tiny front wheels are just dumb and really make it even that much less of an AWE. If they did want to make it truly backward convertible they would have included proper front wheels and a roof mounted recoilless gun.

This? This isn’t even really a modernization, as these buggies went out of fashion way back in the 90’s. Modern would be something closer to a Polaris ATV. If they made a cool take on that, maybe. Especially with this pretty cool looking Crankcase, who is worthless without a cool vehicle. This thing? No thanks.

SNAKE: Not sure why they went the YUGE route with this either. I do remember some rumors about mechs or something a while back, but why take an existing property that you could make much cheaper at the appropriate scale and make it into a Cobra Sentinel? Again, no idea what H’bro is thinking going so far from the original IP. No thanks.

More ninjas: like you, hard pass. I won’t waste any time or money on these.

Breaker: looks pretty cool, and has already grown on me a little since first look. But cool enough to replace the original? Probably not for full price.* Deeply discounted, maybe.

Brightly colored divers: I like nostalgia as much as the next guy, but two no-name dude repaints in bright diving suits for what they’re sure to cost, they‘d have done better to do cartoon accurate-ish retro Scarlett and Baroness in diving suits in those colors. Even then, just maybe. These guys, nah.

Darklon: big nope. Don‘t care. The only IG I am that interested in is Destro and maybe a more combat-ready looking IG trooper/officer as the equivalent of Destro’s Crimson Guard, instead of the formal-dining-dress-suit-wearing current version.

Retro Flint: I will likely have him at some point, probably not for retail price, just like with BH. And he will likely linger on his card, also just like my retro BH is, because of all that delicious nostalgia. Not better enough to replace what I have made and displayed from the original*. Will likely at least get the improved head aftermarket to give mine the Falcon treatment.

Retro Cover Girl: Head is a huge improvement, but CG is a redhead to me. And, I really don’t see the muted uniform colors as an improvement (I know, cartoon accurate). No chance I get her for retail price. I don’t even see any parts to use for an improved version of my CG. Cute as she might be, I just don’t see a place for this one.

Tele-Viper: better than the TB version all except for the vest, which has lost the body armor element (of all the things to spend the resources to redo to be more retro accurate :rolleyes:). I’ll still likely end up with one, for the right price, as I always need Cobras. I might look to improve his kit though, with a proper back up weapon and the other vest if I can somehow get one.

*Subject to change when I see the actual project.
 

nacho

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Breaker is a yuge improvement in my eyes. Grey cartoon accurate uniform, correct short sleeves, close-enough comms gear, and a portrait that clearly isn't Bradley Cooper. He's not perfect, but he's waaaaaay closer than the RAM version.

CG... she's a blonde in my world, and I like the toon deco. I actually prefer the DCD supergirl head I have on my v1 CG, but I'll make that call when I have the retro in hand. The toy-deco CG... I might go back to having her be a redhead with a black widow noggin like I have on my office studio copy. That alone looks way better than the first release. When I see that original release, all I can think of is this episode of the simpsons where homer invents a make-up gun:

makeup-gun.gif

Flint... I really like the version I heavily customized from the first version to get rid of the vest, shin guards and all that early classified nonsense. But the portrait on the retro is much improved, and he's a fav, so he's an insta-buy.

Tele-Viper... I'm a sucker for the classic look. And the extra heads with the exclamations on the visors really push that one into the buy category.

Darklon... I'm torn. Never had the original, not much nostalgia pull... but he's prominent in the later part of the Marvel run, so I feel like I might regret skipping him. But he's definitely not essential.

Divers... again, I'm a sucker for those decos from the early miniseries. And the fact that they come with a MASS element makes buying one set almost a must. Not gonna army build them or anything, but a couple of Joes in yellow and a couple of red divers to use as Eel officers or something isn't the worst idea.

Some tool on TFW got after me for "not liking military accuracy" when I expressed my dislike of the AWE design. Yeah, tell me all about the military accuracy of the franchise's other equipment. Sky Hawk, Sharc, HISS, FANG, CLAW, Trubble Bubble... and that's just through '85. It only gets wackier. Laser guns, teleportation devices, weather control, Pogo, Buzz-boar, Cobra La?! WTF Mattel.
 
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ThunderDan19

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Lol, yeah. You know I love me some grounded military accuracy, but it’s GI Joe. While it has always had a high level of “real” military influence, primarily with future concepts brought to life, it is ultimately a toy line. A toy line has to be brighter, flashier, more fantastic and more reality bending than a line of true to life miniatures, and GI Joe embraced that fantasy more and more as the line went along.

Like I said before, if they wanted true military modernization of the vehicle, they’d have gone to the Polaris ATVs that the modern special forces use for that application. What they did was to butcher a perfectly serviceable vehicle in its original form and hybridize it with a real world vehicle that went obsolete more than 20 years ago. The result was neither accurate, true to original or attractive, in my opinion.
 
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HUNMARINE

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My 2 cents:

AWE Striker - make all the wheels the same size!!!! I can live with the 3rd seat and even with the over used weapons instead of the classic canon...but those freakin tiny little itty ditty wheels....oh maaaann....

SNAKE armor - Still dont believe that it could fit in a 6 inch figure. If so - it will look like trouble bubble with big hands and legs.....Who even designed it???...

Slice and Dice - Well..Dice is great...Slice - where is his iconic "X"-es from the suit?...and his iconic "webbed" mask????

Diver set - no freaking way....

Breaker - I know many love him...but this is the new thing? I mean..we had Classified and Retro...now we gonna get the "Cartoon" look figures...all of them...again???

Cover Girl - her face is the main thing. That render shows her really "ugly"....

Tele-Viper - nothing new to me to be honest.

Flint - I really waited for him. That face....ugh....

Darklon - its the only figure with a few accessories and still looks "okay".


This whole reveal - its just "meh..." Its like they run out of ideas...or just out of luck to do so much awful decisions...
All in all - at least I wont spend so much on this plastic crack :D
For me its gonna be: Dice and Slice duo, Darklon, Flint...and probably AWE Striker if they manage to change at least the front wheels....
 

nacho

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Just watched a review of the new CG, and I didn't realize that every part except the torso is completely new. I just assumed it was a cost-saving repaint with a new head. I have to give them props for not just doing an LBC release.

Also, the face and hair are swappable (like LJ and Shippy), so you can put the normal hair on the smiling face and the cap on the normal face.

Lastly, the head is compatible with the first release in case anyone wanted to put one of the new noggins on the brown outfit. This is never a guarantee with hasbro, so it's nice they didn't goof it up.
 
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ThunderDan19

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That's good news on GG, though I don't really get why they'd go to the trouble. Seems like a lot of redevelopment cost for a marginal character at best (someone's pet project?). 🤷‍♂️

This whole batch almost feels like the Retro/CS suddenly rose to the top of the favor scale for Hasbro, with Marvel and SW BS shelf warming hard lately, was granted a big bump of funding for the line, and decided to spend it reinventing the wheel where it didn't need to be. Seems like they could have made much better choices on where/how to use the added resources. More figs that hadn't been released before? Simple upscaling of vehicles with minor tweaks vs. nearly new designs? Heck, how about a Wolverine for CG instead of not-AWE and not-SNAKE?

After a couple days of seeing videos and reading a little of the feedback, it seems the not-really-an-AWE Striker is definitely a "love it or hate it" divider of the fandom. To get a proper retro version looks like it will probably be a matter of buying an expensive after market fix. That's gotta be hard to swallow after already having to drop a hundy for the flawed release.
 

nacho

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That's where I am. I know I can make it into something acceptable-looking, but I don't want to go to the time and exorbitant expense. And knowing I'll need 3d printed hard plastic tires just kills my soul. Having rubber tires is what makes stuff like this feel premium and worth it. Otherwise I'll just play with my '85 AWE and call it a day.
 
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ThunderDan19

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Just watched a review of the new CG, and I didn't realize that every part except the torso is completely new. I just assumed it was a cost-saving repaint with a new head. I have to give them props for not just doing an LBC release.

Also, the face and hair are swappable (like LJ and Shippy), so you can put the normal hair on the smiling face and the cap on the normal face.

Lastly, the head is compatible with the first release in case anyone wanted to put one of the new noggins on the brown outfit. This is never a guarantee with hasbro, so it's nice they didn't goof it up.
Not sure if this is what you saw, but it's crazy that somebody has a fully outfitted and painted version of this already. I can't get a handle on how production must be over there in Chi-Na. Is the factory or assembly line making this one just miles ahead of the one making say Footloose or Blowtorch? Maybe it's just that there's that much less involved in producing this one?

Anyway, the colors on her outfit are actually richer than I had expected and the unhatted smiling version looks pretty good, but I still don't know where I'd use her. As a younger protégé/sidekick to Cover Girl? Code name: (VS) Angel?

Clutch (if I had one) would never leave the motor pool. :LOL:
 

nacho

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Hasbro convinced me that they're not interested in making good looking (i.e. better proportions, higher detail) versions of classic vehicles. They'd rather faux-modernize to tacti-cool. As such, they pushed me to order the FansHobby Sky Hawk. It's not going to take a lot of space, and when hasbro introduces their crappy version with Osprey propellers and Halo rail guns or whatever, I won't have to care.

I already have the Ramen MOBAT w/ bridgelayer attachment on order too. If Hasbro wants to go a different direction, so be it.
 

ThunderDan19

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Here's a complete alternative to the AWE Striker that also just dropped apparently:
Costs twice as much, doesn't include a fig and likely has the hard tires like you said, but does look a bit more like an actual modernized, uparmed AWE Striker. I see they also have replacement tires for the VAMPs and the Ferret. I wouldn't be surprised if they ultimately released a full tire replacement and roof weapon mount option for the CS not-AWE.

Edit: Holy cow! All their add-on kits, mounted weapons, towed equipment and improved JUMP sets though... 🤯
 
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HUNMARINE

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I still wonder - many said their complaints about the AWE Striker. Do you guys think they"ll listen and do "changes" to it? Or am I just too naive as usual? :)

Honestly - thats the thing that made me to change the course of my collecting and take a turn to minimize it as hard as I can and get so close to STOP as possible. I"m tired to wait, fight and spend all of my money - for sh*t that I have to "repair" to make it good, work or just give it an appropriate look.
Thats why I didnt even considered to collect the Hiya Joe line - I wont running up and down to find correct head models for their tall 4 inch figures, that is impossible to put in vehicles....
Same thing with that 6 inch AWE Striker - of course I can go to my model shop nearby and find appropriate 4x R/C wheels that will look nice on it - but no. I"m tired of this cr@p.
Hasbro has to do a good job....or no job at all.
 

nacho

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Hard tires aside, Gridiron gets it. They make stuff that is classic looking AND the modern, tacti-cool, or sci-fi look that appeals to others. They have stuff that looks great and some stuff that looks absurd. But at least there are options.

The big drawback is their prices. I get it, if I were running a garage-shop operation, I'd probably charge that much too, but that doesn't change the value proposition... or lack thereof in many cases. But for must-have items, I'm glad they exist.

-------------

I was listening to a comic podcast this morning, and the topic came around to comic original artwork, commissions, etc... and a couple of the guys talked about simply being "retired". They weren't selling off any artwork or minimizing what they had... they were simply no longer adding to it. I thought to myself that I want to get there with toys, hopefully in the next decade. I'm currently still in acquisition-mode, but I look forward to feeling like my sets of whatever are sufficiently complete.

I'd like to finish a few collections for once and not be chasing down some damned Target exclusive when I'm 60. At some point I want to call it "done" and spend a decade or two just enjoying what I've worked hard to amass. And if I end up whittling it down to my favorites at that point, so be it. Not going to intentionally go scorched earth on all my toys, but I know I own a lot of stuff that I've replaced with better versions or collections that are no longer a priority. That stuff can go whenever, but I know I don't want to be growing things forever.

However, today is not that day ;)
 
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ThunderDan19

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I can't speak to the other lines you collect, but timing-wise, 10 years should allow the Classified Series to fully run its course for sure. We're about 5 years in now, and we are beginning to scrape bottom at times on new figures. I think they have kept a pretty good pace on getting the essentials out, while padding with new versions, repaints, mediocre figs and originals.

Does it make me happy to see Twilight :laugh: Guard before Flash? Absolutely not. But I see them doing stuff like this strategically, knowing that there are a fair number of OG collectors that will completely jump off as soon as they have a satisfactory OG13 in hand. They've even teased with including his weapon with whatsherface from the Dragonfly, just to make sure people know it's just a matter of time, time they can use to try to sell you on other shiny things.

I do see this latest vehicle drop as a bit of a misstep though. Are they trying the approach of releasing a "modernized" version first and then a retro? Only time will tell, but the investment level on vehicles is quite a bit more than the $25 for a fig, only to have to replace it with a more true to original version down the road. It'll be very interesting to see how well these are received when collectors actually have to pony up to own them. All it takes is a couple mistakes to change the trajectory of the line, much like Marvel and SW has made of late.
 
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HUNMARINE

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According to the latest articles - Hasbro turning to PC/console games and put all their money and effort into it.
I"m afraid that we already on the dead end route for Classified.
Of course the new preorders will have a pretty neat figures...Blowtorch, Law and Order, Footloose and etc....but the renders above....if they continue like that - it wont end pretty.
And there are no guarantee that they will finish any "group" of figures. I mean you wont know for sure - will they complete the OG13 or not.
Knowing Hasbro they will delay the "completion" to the last...
 

nacho

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At this point, I refuse to worry about it. There is enough fodder between Classified, Vala, and ML to make darn near any character. With ebay, Ali, etsy, 3d printing... you'll be able to obtain any head, weapon, or accessory you need.

Do I hope they continue giving us good versions of classic characters? Sure, but I refuse to get worked up over things I can't control. Hasbro is just in survival mode, and toys are both falling out of favor with kids AND becoming expensive to produce, even in asia. Can't blame them for trying to go where the customers are. But I also think Joe will be the last to go, being one of their two best in-house properties that don't require license fees. I expect SW and Marvel to get the axe before Classified disappears. And none of that is happening in the next 24-36 months. By then, Classified will be trying to figure out which ECO warrior to produce and we won't care anyway.
 
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ThunderDan19

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If the CS was to end today with just the remaining reveals, it would still be a heck of a run, figure-wise. And with the prohibitive size of vehicles at this scale, that's pretty much the best we could hope for. I can probably count on two hands the remaining "must have" figs for me. Heck, I'll go ahead and list the remaining ones I really want that haven't been at least name dropped yet (by original wave):

1. Flash - he's the only remaining non-driver from wave 1/1.5 I'd consider a must. Just so iconic from the cartoon intro. Would like to have Steeler as well, but assume he'd only come with an expensive ginormous Haslab MOBAT so I'll probably never have him. He was a fave back in the day though.
2. Tan Clutch - (not an absolute must have, but do want) mainly because I think I'd drop the cash for a good VAMP Mk. 2. I'd love to have a Clutch in the collection, but the VAMP 1 just never looked complete to me once the 2 dropped, even back in the day, and not worth it to me now.
3. Battle Armor CC - definite must have for me. I mentioned before how much I loved my big bad CC as a kid. Kind of excited to see how they handle him - full retro copy or modernized in some way?
4. Hit & Run - I'd really like to see a modernized version. Must have? Would depend fully on how well he turned out.
5. Gold/IG Destro - like CC, I feel like Destro was kind of thrown out there early with CS, eventually retro'ed but never taken to full potential. A good version of this could be one of the coolest figs in the line in my opinion. He should be designed by the same person who did Major Bludd.
6. HEAT Viper - a good, toned down version much like what they have previewed for Blowtorch and he could be a great addition to the Cobra hordes.

That's surprisingly it for the must haves (that haven't at least been name dropped or more) for me. I'll throw in some "do wants" that I'd buy if they are well made enough:

1. Iceberg - he'd have to be a really good version and offer something to help build the arctic environment. One gun (like originally) probably wouldn't do it for me. I always loved Frostbite too, but imagine he'll probably come out with a Haslab Snow Cat if that ever happens, perhaps with Blizzard as well. If they all come out together in a set like that, it's highly unlikely I'd be willing to drop the coin it would take to have them.
2. Crazylegs - I really like the NF version from the DF, but can't justify what people are asking to get him. Would like to see a regular version. Not sure how they'd handle the colors to make him less conspicuous as an airborne trooper though.
3. Mercer - he was the only Renegade with an interesting backstory. Would like to see a cool take on him in the CS.
4. Ice Viper - Cobra needs additional artic troops. Would we ever get a Wolf? I think that might be too deep a cut, but if they can make Copperhead... Maybe as a kind of a Snow Serpent officer?
5. Hardball - it would be interesting to see how they treated this one. I think, had he come into the line earlier originally, he might have been a fan favorite. Who doesn't want a cool rapid fire grenadier?
6. Repeater - another big dude with a big gun. Would like to see it.
7. Deep Six - it might be interesting to see what they could do with a SHARC, which would hopefully come with something of a hybridized version of DS. Maybe v.1 colors with v.2 functionality.

And that's about it. Strangely few all things considered. I suppose the rest of what I might be interested in are improved versions of previous releases or particularly cool original characters, though those might be a pretty hard sell. Crazy how much they have actually already covered when I stopped to really look at it.
 
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Videoviper

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It amazes me the output GI Joe has had in what really is a short period of time compared to Star Wars Black Series.

I have no clue what the numbers are. But ‘m more likely to see Joe on shelf than new products in other lines.

Even with diminishing retail presence in both lines. (I haven’t seen a marvel character outside a comic shop)

Makes me think what the output would be like if
1: They had little to no licensing fees
2: They never split the scales which only split the customer base.
 

nacho

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Agreed, the output has been pretty impressive, even if I'm not crazy about many of their character and design choices.

My must-haves:

-Flash
-GrandSlam (preferably silver, but any will do)
-Short-Fuse
-Zap
-Steeler (no MOBAT required, but it would be nice)
-Hawk (Colonel, preferably with MMS since they tooled 90% of it already)
-Ripcord (green camo, non-NF)
-Ace (I don't want or need a giant jet, but I'd still like to have the #1 pilot)
-Lady Jaye (new sculpt, burn the Chris Kattan one with fire)

The nice-to-haves:

-Oktober Guard (the main five plus Dragonsky at least)
-Monkeywrench
-Armored CoCo (with Fred head)
-Clutch (tan - for those "Worlds Without End" recreations)
-Cutter (only if they do a Haslab WHALE)
-Wetsuit (torpedo needs a friend; Leatherneck needs a frenemy)
-Hit & Run
-Blizzard
-Muskrat
-Skidmark (because he looks cool ;) )
-Star Viper (the singular Star Viper from the comic who wore an AC/DC shirt when not in uniform)

And just for kicks, a few ME characters:
-Stall trio (Bombstrike, Barrel Roll, & Blackout)
-CrossHair
-Mediviper (or named character "Scalpel")
-Wide Scope (Shockwave's brother from another mother)
 
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ThunderDan19

Here Comes the Boom!!!
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That was a pretty epic issue. I had him and the Stiletto as a kid and, while he was obviously OP in the comic (I know, electrical impulses), it made that set more of a must have back then. I believe he, Astro Viper and I suppose TARGAT were the only space figs I had as a kid. The space Joes only came with really expensive big stuff.

I purposely stayed away from anything space, eco, toxo, etc. for my list. I concluded there's really no way I could branch out beyond the already broached mountain, air (HALO), arctic, desert and sea environments. I really can't even do justice to those.

You do bring up a good potential direction for them: release figs or versions of figs that specifically represent iconic moments in the comic, the cartoon or (barf) the movie. That would make it a bit more of a nostalgic collector line, but I would imagine that's most of the people buying these already.
 
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ThunderDan19

Here Comes the Boom!!!
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Regarding that weird naming: I wonder if that was part of the problem where that wave showed up as unavailable on AMZ for literal weeks of time, maybe months, starting not long after the PO's dropped.

Crazy that he is listed for $50 😳 there now and SAW Viper at $30. Who needs DT so badly they'd pay $50 for him? Yeesh. I'll wait until the next big sale or holiday price drops to get both of them less than the normal $25 retail, or I'll buy them elsewhere, eventually.

It's actually a little tough just sitting still right now though, with so little actually hitting. It drives me to want to pick up the peripheral ones that weren't must haves (those two for a start), but there's no chance I pick them up at those prices.

Isn't there supposed to be another event soon where more PO's should come available?
 

nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
The naming came from hasbro's internal codenames. That whole wave had Simpsons code names. One of the upcoming waves has names of characters from The Tick. It's just weird that AMZ didn't update the listing to the actual product name like they do every other figure. That's why he was impossible to find when searching because "G.I. Joe", "Dial-Tone" and "Classified" were nowhere in the product listing, just "Hasbro GIJ CS SS Lisa".

Yeah, AMZ pricing is all over the map. But it always seems to be temporary until stock comes back. Unless production numbers have changed and they're scaling back, he'll be in stock at MSRP or lower within a month.

Of course, the trade war and tariffs (whether real or merely a threat) might also play into things. Hasbro has moved a lot of production to other places in SE Asia, but my Joes all still say made-in-china. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

ThunderDan19

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Yeah, while I know the tariffs are designed to bring fairness in trade over the long term, as well as to encourage industry and production to return to the US, I'm a little concerned that the short term might be a little painful.

Maybe, just maybe, the delay stuff they predicted for this year's releases might be due to H'bro moving production to calmer waters. Ha! Who am I kidding? I don't think H'bro would be that forward thinking, unless those other countries' facilities promised they could make an extra nickel on each piece made there. Even then H'bro will cry poverty and blame the tariffs and plastic prices, just like they always have. Too bad they wasted so much plastic on all that crap still gathering dust at Ollie's...
 

nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
Oh, I fully expect the tariffs to make the short-term somewhat painful for traditionally cheap chinese plastic. But I'm more than willing to pay that price for the benefit it should bring to the economy/manufacturing/job-market. Any kind of sudden market changes will have some growing pains. Dems will squeal, but if not that, they'd squeal about something else they didn't give two shakes about the last four years.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the '25 Joe delay was due to shifting factories (I'm not sure, but I may have heard rumors to that fact back when the delays first came up). Hasbro brand teams are sometimes clueless, but from an upper management standpoint, I think it wasn't hard to see the writing on the wall last fall.... or even since the plandemic. Every company likely had thoughts about divesting/diversifying from Chi-NA to one degree or another.
 
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