G.I. Joe 30th Anniversary Steel Brigade

EDIT - Apparently my PoC Steel Brigade figure was an anomoly. I've gotten feedback that PoC Steel Brigade figures did come with the SCAR and with some paint wash on the arms. My bad. Hopefully you can still enjoy the somewhat inaccurate review below.

I have to admit, I'm going to be battling these reviews a little bit. These particular figures are in kind of a strange middle ground. They are definitely "new" and are launching the next new iteration of the G.I. Joe brand, yet many of the figures are carry overs from previous assortments, the Steel Brigade figure included.

Don't get me wrong, Hasbro chose some fantastic figures to carry over, bringing over the best troop builders from previous assortments, but the fact is, doing reviews for them can be a challenge, since many of them are very much the same as they were a couple of months ago.

Take Steel Brigade for instance. This figure, structure-wise is exactly the same as the Steel Brigade figure we got in Pursuit of Cobra Wave 5. Using a lot of parts from the Shock Trooper, he's a great addition to the G.I. Joe team, and actually convinced me to include troops within the G.I. Joe team dynamic. I was only ever able to find one through online retail, so part of me is happy to get a second, even if it is mostly the same.

Yes, I said "mostly" the same. It's not exactly.

The most striking difference is that this version of the Steel Brigade figure has a nicely detailed paint wash on his arms. I'm not sure why the wash is focused on his arms and nowhere else, but there it is.

Of course, up above you will immediately notice that my updated Steel Brigade figure only has one kneepad painted. That is not standard, it appears to be a factory error. Yes, I will take bids. ;)

The other minor difference is with the accessory compliment. The 30th Anniversary Steel Brigade figure comes with an additional SCAR machine gun that the previous version did not.

Essentially, the figure is the same. Cool packaging, an additional gun, and some minor detail on the arms would probably not warrant an additional purchase, but because this figure is so great and such a desirable troop builder, I have no hesitation telling you to pick it up if you see one, even with one version already out there.

If you want a more detailed look at how cool I think this figure is, check out my review from Pursuit of Cobra Wave 5. I don't feel a burning desire to recreate that review word-for-word, and any praise I use there can also be attributed here.

GRADE:

Buy this figure NOW at BigBadToyStore.com!