Power Team Elite Lookout Tower
Available as always through G.I. Joe HQ
The minute I heard about the Power Team Elite stuff and got an eye on this lookout tower, I knew I would own at least two, if not many more. These things are just absolutely essential to dio folks like me, and with one as nicely crafted and well made as this are very tough to find.
I had a plan in mind for my upcoming dio-story...a plan involving a compound getting combat-assaulted by a team of Joes. Now what self-respecting compound would exist without some watchtowers to guard over it? At first I started hunting down some of the G.I. Joe Watchtowers, but quickly learned that not only were they a little pricey, but they weren't very useful...they're not nearly tall enough to effectively "look out" for anything!
Then I saw this beauty coming from PTE and I knew my problems were solved...but only if I could find it. Luckily, Power Team USA came around and I was able to pick one up and see first-hand exactly how useful this would be to me.
It's amazing, though. In my rush to make sure I had one of these things to use as a lookout tower for my dio, the concept of the included figures that came with it never really occurred to me. They seemed much more like just an added bonus. Well, I quickly discovered, like with my other sets, that the figures are a pretty essential componant of the entire package, and I really find myself having fun playing with these things. This fact is evident by the insane number of pictures I took of this set with the figures set up...I only planned on taking a few, since I didn't figure folks would be checking out the review for the figures...but I couldn't help myself. Soon I had over a dozen pictures of just the figures in various postions on and around the watchtower. Of course I couldn't use all of them in the review, but I tried to grab some of the nicer ones to showcase the other part of this set that people might be missing...the cool figures.
As I've said in other reviews, M&C Toys does some crazy things with the detail in their face sculpts. What could normally be just generic troops that serve little purpose other than background fodder really have some character with the facial sculpts and details practically carved into their faces. On the figure below notice the 5 o'clock shadow that is actually SCULPTED on to his chin. Little touches like that make what should be no-name knockoffs really have some life and come into their own as their own toyline.
And that's another thing that makes this set cool, too. It doesn't just come with one or two figures...it comes with three nicely detailed different figures and more than enough accessories to gear them all up for combat. From machine guns to oil drums to a spyglass, not to mention the tower and rope ladder...this set is crammed full of stuff you can use either with this set or in other aspects of your collection. It'll integrate seamlessly. I especially love the communication backpack with the real elastic straps and the SAW machine gun with gunbelt. However all of the accessories are notable and terrific to equip your PTE guys OR your G.I. Joes with.
But what about the tower itself? Well, it's darn near perfect for what it is.
The structure is nice and tall, providing ample viewing space for whatever guards are up there, and it also gives them quite a weapon to stand guard with. Equipped with the same heavy weapon that the Military Buggy comes with, this tower can easily guard a compound and create some nasty crossfire for any poor souls who want to try and sneak in. But if this heavily armed tower looks a little too over-the-top, the large gun is easily removable and you can make it a sniper's perch as well, which is probably the route I'll take.
The construction is sound and nicely done, with a realistic looking metal thatched roof and solid supports both for the roof and for the tower itself. The cross-pattern i-beams look terrific as well, and add some strength to the tower, keeping it straight and standing tall with no fear of collapse. Everything about the lookout tower looks as real as it can get, while fitting into a fantasty-oriented military line to near perfection. There are no real paint apps to speak of, just what appears to be a molded green base and some dry-brush weathering, which, as with everything else on this tower, looks great.
And of course there's the way cool rope ladder which will come in more handy than I can say. What a cool, cool feature, and one that fits in perfectly with the lookout tower, yet is removable and flexible to use in pretty much any application.
From the plain facade of the tower's paint job to the great array of weapons that come with this set...and from the trio of different figures to the pile of supplemental accessories, everything about this particular set is a home run from my point of view, and at a more than reasonable price point. If you're a dio fan looking for some guard towers for the perfect scene, this is the way to go...even if your just a Joefan looking to supplement your collection or display with some great authentic pieces, I recommend this set highly. It's not expensive, and it comes with a wealth of cool accessories for whatever you might want to use it for.
