Sideshow Collectibles Desert Weapons Cache - A Guest Review by Chris "Mysterious Stranger" Polansky

Sideshow Collectibles has been turning out some fantastic 12” scale G.I. Joe figures which I’ve reviewed here at GeneralsJoes.  They’ve also done some really amazing 12” scale environments.  Recon at Waypoint 12 with Timber. The Cobra Throne.  And now the Desert Environment with Sandstorm which I’m looking at today.

 

The first thing you’ll notice when this arrives at your doorstep is the size of the box.  It is HUGE.  The reason for this is simple. The environment comes in two pieces, the stairs and the doorway and are packaged in a styrofoam tray on their sides.  The upside of this large box is that the photos on the front and back are stunning and really show off the product inside.  As with the other environments there is a mission briefing printed on the back that tells the “story” of this piece.  The Desert Weapons Cache is limited to 275 pieces.

The Desert Weapons Cache with Sandstorm as I said comes in two pieces.  The stairs are held magnetically to the doorway the same way the Cobra Throne attached to the base. 

It comes with two small vases, a large urn, a clay pitcher, a missile with crate and Sandstorm, Dusty’s sometimes animal companion.

The sculpting and detail is amazing.  It has the appearance of a section of bombed out middle eastern building.  There are areas where the brick shows through the cracked stucco and there are alcove shelves for the pottery.  The bottom is skirted with sand as though it has drifted up against the structure.  It is a nice attempt but something about it feels off.  I think it’s the somewhat glossy paint finish that hurts the otherwise well sculpted sand.  A flat or even textured finish on the sand would really help this part a lot but as is it’s not too noticeable.

The rest of the paint work really makes the details of the sculpt pop.  The detail is brought out by the weathering and it also adds some realism to the piece.

Sandstorm is a great addition to this set.  He’s a solid piece but the detailing and paint makes of up the lack of articulation.  He has two small patches of sand under his feet to act as a figure stand and allow him to stand.  While I’m not familiar with Sandstorm’s place in the G.I. Joe universe I do appreciate his inclusion as it makes gives the set some life.

The Desert Weapons Cache with Sandstorm has been available for a while now and I finally decided to pick it up.  I’m really glad I did as it’s a great piece that adds some diversity to my display.  It’s a nice sized piece with a few different display options.  It’s a bit pricey for basically being two cast resin pieces but the details and addition of Sandstorm offset that cost.  If you’re into the desert themed figures or just want a cool piece for your Joes to pose against I highly recommend this piece. 

Three and a half stars.

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