The “battle in a box” concept is alive and well with Hasbro’s new G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary line, and that concept works really nicely with this large boxed set. One of the most anticipated entries in this year’s release, the Silent Strike set has something for everyone, featuring two timeless vehicles, army builders, a new character, and an interesting new twist with Wolf Squad.
I found myself really enjoying the G.I. Joe parts of Silent Strike…but the COBRA parts? Well, I wasn’t quite as fired up about those, for a variety of reasons.
COBRA HISS
When it comes to landmark COBRA vehicles, the HISS Tank leads the way as being one of the most identifiable. That makes it somewhat interesting that for this round of the 50th Anniversary, we were actually exposed to the G.I. Joe CHIMERA before we got our hands on the actual COBRA HISS. Though I think some folks would argue whether or not this version of the venerable COBRA High Speed Sentry really is the familiar, distinct HISS Tank. It does, after all, more resemble the Eco Warriors Septic Tank from a color scheme perspective.
I don’t have a huge issue with Hasbro going this way with the new HISS. After all, we’ve seen black HISS Tanks, blue HISS Tanks, red HISS Tanks, even brown and green HISS Tanks, pretty much all colors and styles over the past 7 or 8 years. We haven’t, however, seen an orange HISS since the 90s (well, unless you count the Collectors’ Club Convention exclusive from a couple of years ago). Considering many fans have latched onto the Hazard Vipers as a part of COBRA’s place in the Zombie apocalypse, perhaps it makes a certain amount of sense to work one of these new technically advanced HISS Tanks into the Hazard Viper corps.
The base vehicle is the same HISS as we’ve been seeing since 1984, which is fine, although not especially new or different. Like the CHIMERA, the turret is a nicely new tooled rail gun system, which manages to retain the classic look and feel, but add some new twists, something that HISS turret upgrades have pretty much failed to do since the 1989 HISS II. For that reason alone, this update to the timeless vehicle has something to appreciate. The rail gun system is extremely easy to detach and re-attach to a vintage or 25th Anniversary HISS as well, so you can equip your classic black tanks with these great gun upgrades whenever you want.
As mentioned the deco leans heavily towards the Eco Warrior orange template, with some nicely applied paint and decals bringing the vehicle to life. I’ve never been one to shrink away from bright colors, so the orange doesn’t bother me a whole lot (though I can’t help but think the vehicle might have looked better in a nice dark COBRA blue, a color I’m not sure the original HISS has ever appeared in).
COBRA HISS Driver & HISS Gunner
I’m not quite sure how to rationalize this pair, but I am reviewing them as a pair just because they’re so similar in design.
From a build standpoint, they’re both designed to mimic the Pursuit of Cobra rendition of the COBRA HISS Driver, only the gunner utilizes Night Viper’s legs rather than the Battle Armor COBRA Commander. And yes, I’m labelling him the gunner simply because if we look at the HISS Driver as a straight repaint of the existing HISS Driver, it only makes sense for the one that has a slightly different build to be the new Trooper character. Some confusion has been generated by press photos and such, but in my mind, it only makes sense to look at it this way. Not to mention the actual box itself as the name lined up with the figure build in a pretty clear way.
The figures use the 25th Anniversary HISS Driver head with the Battle Armor COBRA Commander torso and arms. As mentioned, the gunner has the Night Viper legs. The build is okay, I guess. To be honest I wasn’t a huge fan of it in the Pursuit of Cobra days (it seemed like one of the few design missteps in those formative years) and it doesn’t really light my fire here either. I mean, it’s okay, but in a set where I was heaping loads of praise on Ace for being able to exist as a vehicle pilot as well as an awesome individual figure, it’s only fair to point out that the HISS Driver and Gunner don’t really measure up the same way.
Both figures are mostly orange, and while I don’t mind the colors necessarily, I’m not a big fan of the way they’re applied. There aren’t many detail breaks here, just a huge swath of orange, with random bits of metallic gray/silver and black. No particular rhyme or reason to the way the colors are applied. That holds true for both figures, even with the different legs of the gunner. As I said previously, I don’t shy away from bright colors, I just want the colors to make sense, and in some places here they really don’t. Some additional paint apps on the armor pieces or in other trim locations would definitely help. I think we all realize much of the production here was on a shoestring budget, so it’s understandable that the paint applications suffer here and there…and frankly, if they’re going to cut paint apps anywhere, I’d prefer it’s on figures where they’re covered by armor, or where they’re going to be stuck in a vehicle anyway.
Accessories
Both the Driver and the Gunner come with mostly the same gear load out. The silver vest (that originally came with Pilot Destro), a pistol, and a laser-type weapon. The Gunner comes with a larger pulse rifle that originally came with Rise of COBRA Baroness while the Driver comes with the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Snake Eyes weapon.
The gear is fine, if somewhat unremarkable. I love the pistols, though the tight trigger guard prevents some really nice holding and trigger firing poses.
Out of the entire Silent Strike set, the two HISS Troopers are definitely the low light. I do like the fact that Hasbro has finally thought to provide us with an actual gunner for the HISS Tank, but the build is pretty blah and I’m not a fan of the color concepts or paint applications.
While I pretty much love the G.I. Joe side of this boxed set, the COBRA side overall leaves me somewhat cold. I enjoyed the G.I. Joe CHIMERA more than I thought I would, but it does make me feel a bit like the HISS here is a “been there, done that”. I think some more effective COBRA themed colors would have helped. The HISS Driver and Gunner also don’t do it any favors. The set overall is worth a purchase simply because of the great G.I. Joe gear (and folks who haven’t gotten the ComicCon set will get their first exposure to the great new rail guns for the HISS) but I could think of some changes on the COBRA side I would have much preferred.
50th Anniversary Silent Strike w/ HISS Driver & Gunner
Vehicle Design
Vehicle Paint Deco
Vehicle Play Features
HISS Driver Character
HISS Driver Sculpt
HISS Driver Articulation
HISS Driver Paint Deco
HISS Driver Accessories
HISS Gunner Character
HISS Gunner Sculpt
HISS Gunner Articulation
HISS Gunner Paint Deco
HISS Gunner Accessories
2.6
Summary
While I loved most of the G.I. Joe items in the Silent Strike boxed set, I wasn’t such a fan of the COBRA side. I really like the new turret for the COBRA HISS, but as much as I love an Eco Warriors homage when I see one, I can’t help but think that this first new “Rail Gun” HISS would have been better served in a more COBRA-type paint deco.
Pros
1 – New Rail Gun for the HISS for folks who couldn’t get the ComicCon set
2 – Included HISS Gunner is a nice touch
Cons
1 – Color pallet for the HISS Driver & Gunner is somewhat boring with an obvious lack of detail. Likely cost cut during production, but still quite evident
2 – Would have enjoyed a more general infantry color scheme for this new HISS. Something in COBRA blue maybe
3 – HISS Driver and Gunner use general helping of 25th Anniversary parts, which feel a bit dated (even if Battle Armor COBRA Commander is one of the better ones)
It was a moment at JoeCon that I’m not likely to forget any time soon. The Hasbro round table as regularly been the highlight of many a JoeCon, mostly due to the product reveals and exciting announcements, and while the 2015 G.I. Joe Convention was no different, it was the context of those announcements that really brought the good feelings to the surface.
While the 50th Anniversary product was a highlight, to be sure, the source of so much praise was the reveal of the new character Sightline and the fact that he was being developed as an homage to G.I. Joe fanatic Gary “Goggles” Head who passed away suddenly early this year. Using Gary Goggles as his file name, Sightline was slotted into the Silent Strike boxed set, working alongside Captain Ace as his forward observer and recon expert. As if that wasn’t enough, the figure design was slated to come with goggles. It all seemed to come together perfectly, and the raucus audience let Hasbro know how they felt during the reveal.
Like I said, a great moment.
(Video Courtesy of Dave and Duvall and Toy World Order)
The only thing left to see would be whether the execution of the Silent Strike boxed set would live up to its conceptual development, and I’m happy to say, I believe it does.
I had some mixed reactions with the Crimson Strike ComicCon set, but from end-to-end I find myself really enjoying Silent Strike.
SKYSTRIKER
I asked the question during the ComicCon version of this set review, about whether or not we really needed another Skystriker. The answer to that question is obviously a “no”, but it’s tough to argue that point when they execute it as well as the Crimson Scythe was executed, and frankly, the vehicle in this set is pretty darn nice as well.
Sure, there’s not a whole lot of outside the box thinking or ingenuity here, this is essentially a “stealth” Skystriker, the familiar F-14 Tomcat in a darker gray, almost black paint scheme. It’s the same version of the plane that we’ve gotten several times since its 2011 debut, and there’s not a whole lot to complain about, really. The newly tooled structure of the plane is great, the “swing-wings” work well, and the missiles have been greatly improved since it’s debut, staying hooked onto their mounts on the plane far better than they have previously.
I’m not sure exactly how they achieved the effect, but the gray on the Skystriker has an almost metallic or reflective quality, which is a pretty neat design aesthetic. I don’t know if it’s marblized or not, but it comes across looking really “shiney” which is a nice separation from just a traditional dark gray color.
Sure, the plane is still just a single seater, but I maintain that this isn’t a huge issue, as you can’t really clearly see inside when the vehicle is on display, and if you want to “play with it” as a double seater, just use a little imagination, it’s not a huge deal. This version of the famous assault plane is a lot more solid and durable feeling than its predecessor, and I must admit I really do like the darker color scheme here. The canopy is a very nice diversion from the original, too, with some great red highlights.
One of my favorite elements of the Skystriker is probably the great new Wolf themed logo on the rear fin. It also matches a patch that can be found on Ace’s arm as well.
As I said, this isn’t an extremely clever or unusual concept for a Skystriker update, but it looks very cool, which helps.
CAPTAIN ACE
One of the most unheralded figures in the Pursuit of Cobra/30th Anniversary line was the version of Ace that came with the original Skystriker. Using a fantastic mix of modern parts, that version of Ace existed as a great pilot figure, but also a very cool figure altogether. Both him and the ComicCon COBRA Commander based on him are great examples of how a vehicle driver can be designed as a great driver without sacrificing the basic qualities of a good figure.
The 50th Anniversary update to Captain Ace retains the same parts formula as that one, but done in the now well known “Wolf Squad” color scheme of dark gray with some subtle red highlights, which works really nicely as a flight suit, but also as part of the Wolf Squad ground team. It’s a combination of unusual individual parts that make up a really solid final figure that has great articulation as well as a fantastic looking somewhat futuristic flight suit. This version of Ace maintains all of that and I really love the colors as well. Interestingly, Hasbro balances the gray with a reflective “gun metal” type of paint scheme that just compliments each other so well and looks fantastic. It ties Ace into the Wolf Squad, but also gives him a very technical look, which works well. I love how the reflective gray colors on Ace’s uniform trim matches the same reflective gray look on the attack plane. It ties them both together really well and is a nice effect on its own to boot.
Another link to the aircraft is the Wolf Squad logo on Ace’s arm, which is pretty tiny, but it’s definitely there.
The Wolf Squad aesthetic has evolved into something very cool, and I hope Hasbro leverages that going forward.
Accessories
Captain Ace comes with some familiar gear, some of the same stuff as previous versions of the figure came with. He has the flight vest that the original figure came with, as well as the leg harness from Para-Viper. The flight helmet is straight from the Pursuit of COBRA Skydive, which is a change from the previous Ace figure, but still works nicely. He also has a small submachine gun and the pistol that slides neatly into his ankle holster.
I really love the evolution of some of these pilot figures. Both Ace and the G.I. Joe: Retaliation version of Lift Ticket have evolved past being drivers and into really excellent looking military themed updates, who can exist behind the control stick, or behind a machine gun. This new version of Ace is no different, and I’m excited to have him.
SIGHTLINE
For as much as G.I. Joe has been based off of existing vintage concepts for many of the modern releases, in my mind the bread and butter is with new characters. It’s what really helped the line push on through its original 12 year run, and for many folks, it’s what continues to interest long time fans. As a figure, Sightline works quite well. For the most part, he uses the G.I. Joe: Retaliation Ultimate Duke template (though the armored torso is from Retaliation Duke version 1, not the Ultimate version) only in a great digital camouflage urban deco instead of desert. He uses the alternate head that came with that figure, and even though, from the surface, the figure looks identical, the camouflage paint scheme does wonders to differentiate him. Heck, the Ultimate Duke figure is a fantastic figure anyway, so tough to complain about him being the base.
He’s one of those great toys that has a pretty bulky armored uniform, but still maintains significantly great articulation, with elbows and knees that move quite well. I’ll admit, though, as time goes on, I have less love for the rocker ankles, and they feel a little weird on this figure as well.
So, take one of the greatest figures from the G.I. Joe: Retaliation line, give it a terrific urban camouflage paint scheme, and base his new character identity on a good friend who passed away? Yeah, that’s a good formula for success in my eyes.
Accessories
Sightline comes with a sniper rifle, the Duke vest, a laptop, pistol, knife, and shovel. I’m going to assume the inclusion of the shovel wasn’t meant as an homage (Gary Head unfortunately passed away due to heart failure from shoveling snow) and was merely an accessory that made sense for the character’s specialty. The sniper rifle and laptop are both terrific accessories, and I love the idea of Gary Head’s character having a computer within reach at all times. The knife and pistol fit the holster and sheath and I really like those base weapons anyway.
Yes, this figure was a highlight for collectors, and in many ways the end result meets our lofty expectations. It’s a great figure based on a great friend, and I’m glad to have him in hand.
Looking at the G.I. Joe side of the Silent Strike set, I’m extremely happy with how this all came together. Although the Skystriker is on the verge of overuse (heck, some might argue it crossed that line a while ago), I do like this new paint scheme. Both Ace and Sightline are highlights of this second run of 50th Anniversary figures, and the core of the Wolf Squad concept is done amazingly well in this boxed set. Thumbs way up on this side of the fence.
50th Anniversary Silent Strike Skystriker w/ Ace and Sightline
Vehicle Design
Vehicle Paint Deco
Vehicle Play Features
Capt. Ace Character
Capt. Ace Sculpt
Capt. Ace Articulation
Capt. Ace Paint Deco
Capt. Ace Accessories
Sightline Character
Sightline Sculpt
Sightline Articulation
Sightline Paint Deco
Sightline Accessories
3.8
Summary
While one might question the need for another Skystriker, there is still plenty to love about this piece of the Silent Strike 50th Anniversary set, not the least of which is the inclusion of Sightline, a new character based off of good friend Gary “Goggles”. Ace is no slouch either, and the kickoff of Wolf Squad is great to see.
Pros
1 – Sightline character
2 – Metallic gray color scheme on Skystriker and Ace
3 – Great deco on Sightline figure
4 – Excellent base figure for both Sightline and Ace
5 – WOLF SQUAD!
Cons
1 – Another Skystriker feels redundant
2 – Would have loved to have seen 30th Anniversary Ace’s helmet
I feel safe in saying one of the most anticipated G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary sets for 2015 is the “Silent Strike” set which is slated to come with a stealth Skystriker, a COBRA HISS with their new rail gun system, as well as some great figures including Captain Ace and Sightline himself.
As many will recall, Sightline is named after Gary “Goggles” Head, the mouthpiece of our tight knit G.I. Joe community who unfortunately passed away far too young several months ago.
Along with this, Ace and Sightline are members of the “Wolf Squad” Hasbro’s new (somewhat informal) team concept.
Fans are rampaging Toys “R” Us stores across the country looking for this set, but Big Bad Toy Store has your hook up right now. Click the link below and grab it…save yourself some gas and some trouble.
Initially offered through San Diego ComicCon, and then available via ToysRUs.com, the “Desert Duel” set has a nice helping of some cool new stuff as well as repaints of existing figures.
I’ve broken the review up into two different parts, the G.I. Joe and the Cobra side. You can check out the 50th Anniversary Review Page, or click the direct links below.
The first AWE Striker was released in 1985, thirty full years ago, and heaven knows we’ve seen plenty of re-releases since. Since its first inception back in the hay day of G.I. Joe, it’s been released over half a dozen times under the same AWE Striker banner, not to mention in the Stargate line, the ECO Warriors line (both in the vintage days and as a recent Convention attendee exclusive), as well as for the G.I. Joe: Retaliation movie line. Fans of the AWE Striker have certainly had their opportunity to appreciate its greatness.
So, with tooling libraries running low, what options does someone like Hasbro have to continue releasing vehicles, especially one that has been at retail more often than not in the past three decades?
Simple… add some limited new tooling and give that vehicle some extra mileage.
At its core, the FOE Striker is essentially just a desert themed AWE Striker, done up in a light gray/tan. It even has a majority of the same decals as its had throughout the years. But this time around, Hasbro designers tooled up a few new pieces, including a rear stand, a front cage, gas cans, supports, and also a nice pseudo-fabric tarp. These few simple added pieces go a great deal towards reinventing the AWE Striker into a terrific new updated vehicle.
Along with the new parts, the same minigun that was released many times with the VAMP now gets a new articulated arm that plugs into the dune buggy’s roof. The rear stand adds some footpegs and a way to store the supports, while the front cage gives the driver some nice protection, holds the other side of the supports, and also provides two mounting points for machine guns (Chuckles and Night Fox both come with one, naturally). These small additions almost completely reinvent this vehicle and convert it from a tired rehash to an exciting new fast attack vehicle. But Hasbro even went a bit further. With some nice design nuances, they made the rear platform removable as well as the two supports and designed a tarp to be detached from their mounts and create a terrific little forward observation station. Just a small little twist to the vehicle, but it makes a world of difference.
Everything about the AWE Striker becomes exciting and new with these small key additions to the dune buggy, providing a lot more flexibility and a much cooler looking overall vehicle. The changes aren’t major, but they make a major difference.
CHUCKLES
Along with the FOE Striker, we get a somewhat desert themed version of Chuckles. His floral t-shirt are variations of brown, with a cool shirt pattern very closely matching how the character looked in certain images from the IDW Publishing COBRA comic book series. According to Mark Weber, G.I. Joe brand manager, Chuckles’ new head sculpt was also designed with the same idea in mind. As a character who was so crucial to that comic series, this is a pretty neat homage.
The overall Chuckles build is pretty good, though I would have much preferred the arms from the Night Force Convention version. These arms have somewhat restricted elbows and a lack of the multi-faceted wrist joints, but aesthetically they still look all right. Considering Chuckles comes with a great automatic machine gun it would have been nice if he could hold it better, but that’s unfortunately not the case.
He’s got the PoC Snake Eyes legs, which are great and work nicely for a combat oriented Chuckles, especially because it gives him a nice silenced pistol for him to use. The floral pattern on his shirt is interesting, a somewhat different take on his Hawaiian shirt pattern, in a more desert themed color pallet.
If I have any complaints about the paint work, it’s an issue that has become somewhat familiar in the 50th Anniversary line. Chuckles’ eyes really have some paint issues, with pupils that are a too tiny and look a bit squirrely. It’s a problem that has plagued some of the other 50th Anniversary figures, and unfortunately it looks to still be an issue.
Accessories
As mentioned, Chuckles comes with the familiar pistol with silencer and ankle combat knife. He also has a machine gun, shoulder hoster, and heavy machine gun, which can also plug into one of the mounts on the FOE Striker. He’s got a pretty great assortment of gear that allows him to go full on combat mode, or take things about quicker and quieter.
Ever since the COBRA series from IDW Publishing, Chuckles has gotten a big spotlight inside and outside the G.I. Joe community. Paying homage to how he appeared in that series makes a lot of sense, and Hasbro pulled it off fairly well. I would have loved some better arms and a bit more care to the paint work on the eyes, but beyond that, it’s a good figure.
NIGHT FOX
As the driver of the Pursuit of Cobra AWE Striker, it makes sense for the least well-known G.I. Joe Navy SEAL to make a re-appearance here in the 50th Anniversary line. Night Fox was one of my favorite new characters in the Pursuit of Cobra era, and I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure how important an update is, but I can see why they did it.
This version of Night Fox appears to use a similar build from the waist up, with what looks to be the Rise of Cobra Duke’s arms and a Beachhead head sculpt. Where Hasbro deviates here, though, is using the Wave 1 G.I. Joe: Retaliation Roadblock legs, which interestingly makes Night Fox a lot taller than his previous iteration. While it was mostly due to the parts combination, and not necessarily intrinsic to his character, Night Fox’s height nonetheless was an aspect of the original character and it seems weird to now see him so much taller. I suspect Hasbro made a conscious decision to try and avoid the short stature of the first figure, but I think I actually prefer the look of the PoC original.
Along with the height discrepency, Roadblock’s legs also have some articulation issues. These particular legs don’t have double jointed knees or ankle joints, which is kind of a shame.
Instead of going full on desert, Night Fox uses mostly selections of gray, with a base gray uniform and lighter tiger stripe camouflage throughout the upper body. The lighter camouflage stripes are pretty reminiscent of the FOE Striker colors, but overall he definitely looks a lot more gray than tan. Aside from the camouflage the gray color is somewhat monochromatic and bland.
Night Fox is unique in the fact that he’s only available in this ComicCon version of the Desert Duel set, but the overall execution doesn’t seem as high end as a ComicCon exclusive figure might seem to be. I love the character, but overall think I prefer the Pursuit of Cobra version.
Accessories
Night Fox comes with a wide array of cool accessories, from his automatic grenade launcher to the great web gear that originally came with Retaliation Snake Eyes. The same neck scarf that he came with originally, as well as the helmet and flip-down night vision goggles. He also has the large square ammo pack, Ma Deuce with ammo belt. Like Chuckles’ heavy machine gun, the Ma Deuce fits into the front mount on the FOE Strike and compliments the other heavy machine gun well.
Night Fox is a neat character and a serviceable update. Hasbro can put themselves in a Catch 22 because they want to provide an air of exclusivity when it comes to ComicCon exclusives, but if they do anything too critical, it can result in fandom backlash. I think Night Fox was a good addition with his connections to the AWE/FOE Striker, but the figure itself is a bit one-colored. I would have really enjoyed seeing some additional color applications here and there and the end result be less gray.
In spite of some of my issues with Night Fox and Chuckles, I find myself really loving the G.I. Joe side of this set. Heck, I enjoy the Cobra side of this set as well.
Far and away the most impressive aspect of the Desert Duel set is the FOE Striker, which takes the essence of G.I. Joe’s venerable dune buggy and adds a wealth of fantastic new elements to the vehicle really providing some additional mileage to the old classic. I love all of the additional tooling and ramped up capabilities, providing a nice amount of flexibility to the G.I. Joe vehicle underneath. Add to that the IDW accurate Chuckles, a ton of great gear, and you have a “Battle in a Box” that is exceptionally entertaining and fun.
ComicCon G.I. Joe FOE Striker w/ Chuckles & Night Fox
Vehicle Design
Vehicle Paint Deco
Vehicle Play Features
Chuckles Character
Chuckles Sculpt
Chuckles Articulation
Chuckles Paint Deco
Chuckles Accessories
Night Fox Character
Night Fox Sculpt
Night Fox Articulation
Night Fox Paint Deco
Night Fox Accessories
3.2
Summary
After 30+ years of countless AWE Striker re-releases, one wonders what new elements can possibly be added in order to make the vehicle desirable again. Hasbro answers that question in spades with this new Forward Observation Encampment version of the popular G.I. Joe dune buggy. Simply by adding a few newly tooled elements to the base vehicle, they’ve taken a potentially tired older vehicle and brought a whole new life to it. Chuckles is a great driver figure, too, with some intriguing aesthetic choices, and Night Fox, one of my favorite new characters from the Pursuit of Cobra angle joins him in the gunner seat.
I’ve never really been a big fan of the Snowcat, mostly because as an arctic vehicle, it was somewhat pigeon holed into a certain specialty. Even living in New England most of my life, I preferred my G.I. Joe adventures to be in the jungles or other land-based environments, aside from specific environmental concerns. For that reason, even though I loved Frostbite, I never gravitated towards the Snowcat a whole lot. Since its original release, the vehicle has been re-released many times, as a Tiger Force vehicle, as a Street Fighter vehicle, as updated arctic vehicles, and even as a refreshed G.I. Joe HAVOC, but this is the first time it’s been repurposed on the other side of the conflict. I find myself surprised to say it really works.
The shape and sculpt of the Snowcat certainly looks as if it could be a semi futuristic Cobra themed vehicle, with the halftrack build and ski-based torpedos. Unlike the vintage Snowcat, this newly tooled version (which on its own has been re-released a few times in the past several years) has a contained spring-loaded rocket launcher rather than the rockets sliding in and barely being held in by a narrow slot. I actually found the spring-loaded functionality to be a huge improvement and a ton of fun. Sliding the switch along the rocket launcher, you can either selectively launch one or two rockets, or blast all four of them out in a vicious barrage. Pretty neat idea.
One thing I really enjoy about this vehicle is the color scheme. The shade of blue is nice and rich, calling back to Cobra’s origins, but still being really vibrant, and offset nicely by the equally vibrant red and silver. I’m not sure what the key to good pantone color choices is, but whatever Hasbro designers used, it worked in this case as the colors balance really nicely and look bright and striking. I’m a bit unsure about the canopy and its lack of transparency (except where the windshield wiper sweeps, which is a bit more see-through than the rest). With the original Snowcat the “frosted glass” look worked really well, but in this case, the red is almost too opaque and one wonders how the driver can even really see his surroundings.
Curiously, some Basilisks made it out of China in a pre-production format, and it looked like at least some of those had some deco based wear or desert sand on the vehicle armor. I thought it was a great look, and unfortunately it doesn’t look like that technique was passed along to the final vehicle. Of course, it’s possible the retail release will have that wear and tear, I’m not sure. This interesting look appeared in press photos as well, and I was a bit surprised to not see it on the final product.
I would consider the Snowcat a pretty definitive G.I. Joe vehicle, yet this Basilisk repaint works remarkably well, and adds quite a bit of fun to the Cobra armory. I enjoy the rocket-launching functionality, and for some reason the vehicle appeals more to me as a basic Infantry support vehicle than it did in its arctic capacity.
COBRA ELITE HORSEMAN
I’ve been buying into the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero universe for over three decades now, and as such, I always welcome new ideas and new concepts. That was one thing I really enjoyed about the Pursuit of Cobra. They managed to produce some great updates to the vintage characters, but also brought some new characters to the table as well. One of those new characters was the Cobra Crimson Horseman. The design was really appealing to me back in the day, and the thought of a tank driver also being a highly trained foot soldier was pretty cool.
I never would have considered the fact that Hasbro would deem the Crimson Horsemen worthy of revisiting, but they did as a driver for the Basilisk, and he works nicely. The choice of blue as the color of an “Elite” branch is interesting, because in every other Cobra rank structure, the red colors are the “elite”. That being said, the blue on the Elite Horseman is the same vibrant, appealing shade of the Basilisk itself, which ties the figure in nicely and just manages to look really great. The blue is complimented nicely by black and silver throughout the figure (I’ll admit at least some hints of red would have really made the figure pop) and the overall structure of the figure is good. Using the Pursuit of Cobra Firefly figure as a base with the Arctic Snake Eyes vest gives us a slim base figure with good articulation, though the range of motion isn’t perfect. I do wish he could hold his weapon a bit better two-handed, but the somewhat restricted elbows and bulky armored vest both limit that ability.
Along with his base paint scheme, like the regular Crimson Horseman, the Elite version has painted “wear and tear” on the armor. The results are… well, a bit mixed. For whatever reason the effect on the Crimson Horseman looks pretty effective and subtle. This blue repaint ends up looking like some sort of strange tribal markings more than armor scuffs and scrapes, but that’s a minor complaint.
Accessories
The Elite Horseman doesn’t come with much for gear, unless you count the Basilisk itself. He has what looks to be a laser gun along with his vest, and the same backpack that came with Firefly, complete with four remote mines. It’s a fine assortment, though nothing particularly identifiable with the Elite Horseman’s specialty.
I had a pretty good idea that I’d like this figure considering how much I’d enjoyed Firefly and the Crimson Horsemen. The updated blue paint scheme is very nice and compliments the Basilisk well. Elite, indeed.
COBRA AIR TROOPER
The G.I. Joe “Desert Duel” set is an interesting one, as technically this version I’m reviewing is exclusive to San Diego ComicCon, though the majority of the set will be released to traditional retail via Toys “R” Us likely in the next few weeks. What separates this set with the retail version is the great deco box, the slipcase, as well as the addition of the Cobra Air Trooper, which doesn’t come in the retail release.
From a character choice perspective, I couldn’t be happier with the choice of an Air Trooper. As a huge fan of the G.I. Joe: Renegades, any time I get a figure even loosely affiliated with that terrific animated series, I get very happy. In my opinion, the more Hasbro revisits G.I. Joe: Renegades the better (how’s about a Roadblock, guys?!?! C’mon here!), although, I have to admit the execution for the Air Trooper leaves a lot to be desired.
All of the issues with this Air Trooper are carried forward from the previous version, and they mostly lie in the legs. This figure uses the 25th Anniversary Ace legs, but with the larger rectangular knee pads of the Cobra Para-Viper. Unfortunately, the top and bottom halves of the legs don’t fit real well together with the rectangular kneepads and not only can the Air Trooper not really straighten his legs, but he can barely stand. This is a pretty major issue to me, and a disappointment because the figure is pretty good beyond this drastic misstep. Hasbro went to great lengths to try and improve the overall look of the Air Trooper, coloring him in a lighter gray with some great hints of red and blue trim. The blue and red colors are good matches for the Basilisk, and manage to make the figure look more animated, as well, which is great for us Renegades fanatics.
Overall, this figure is better than the original, due to a much improved and more dynamic paint scheme, but the clunky leg construction is disappointing to say the least.
Accessories
Air Trooper doesn’t come with much, just a machine gun, pistol, and his removable flight vest. They’re fine, but nothing special.
I’m not entirely sure why the Air Trooper was chosen as a ComicCon exclusive figure for a set that includes no air vehicles. He’s a nice looking figure aesthetically, but has the same construction issues as the original, which detracts from the improved paint scheme.
Looking at the Cobra side of this boxed set as a whole, I find myself surprised with how much I can embrace and enjoy the Snowcat repurposed as a Cobra Basilisk. The colors are very nice, and I like the Elite Horseman quite a bit. While the Air Trooper does impact the set negatively, I think there’s still a lot to enjoy here.
ComicCon Cobra Basilisk w/ Elite Horseman & Air Trooper
Vehicle Design
Vehicle Paint Deco
Vehicle Play Features
Elite Horseman Character
Elite Horseman Sculpt
Elite Horseman Articulation
Elite Horseman Paint Deco
Elite Horseman Accessories
Air Trooper Character
Air Trooper Sculpt
Air Trooper Articulation
Air Trooper Paint Deco
Air Trooper Accessories
3
Summary
We’ve certainly seen plenty of versions of the G.I. Joe Snowcat in recent years, to the point where you wonder what new elements can be added. I have to admit, though, this Cobra version is actually pretty neat. The stark contrast in blue and red ties into the Cobra aesthetic nicely, and is actually a really great looking color scheme. Back in the Pursuit of Cobra era, I dug the Crimson Horseman that came with the Cobra HISS, and the Elite version is a nice repaint. Air Trooper, unfortunately, retains the same structural faults as the original, but the color scheme is a lot more interesting. Some neat stuff to offer on the Cobra side of this ComicCon exclusive set.
