Well, it's not a very popular opinion, but I'm sorry, but I love the COBRA Treadfire. When I first saw it, the slim, sleek design really caught my eye, and the odd design and functionality held my attention fast.G.I. Joe Spy Troops Vehicles - COBRA Treadfire (Crimson Repaint)
Well, it's not a very popular opinion, but I'm sorry, but I love the COBRA Treadfire. When I first saw it, the slim, sleek design really caught my eye, and the odd design and functionality held my attention fast.
This is a smaller vehicle designed like a tank, but with a large, almost hovercraft-like fan on the back. The shape of the armor and design of the rollbar/treads and fan just really make this thing look fast, yet it still quite obviously has some armored capabilities and some armament as well.
As I said in my earlier review, this little vehicle looks like it can serve multiple purposes: a frontal attack craft, with sloped armor and heavy guns; a smaller recon vehicle, low profile, quick and agile w/ spy drone. Even an urban vehicle, capable of whipping down alleys and striking at the streets. Very cool different purposes for this little misunderstood COBRA mini-tank.
Personally, I use it as a multi-purpose fast attack vehicle. The large fan acts like a pseudo-parachute that can drop the vehicle from the sky, where it lands and launches it's attack. Or, it can also dispatch its drone to monitor nearby activity, and then attack as necessary...but this is all the same stuff I said about the last Treadfire...what's the big deal about this one? Is it worth buying?
Short answer, is yeah, I definitely think so.
First of all, yes, everything is apparently being repainted crimson for whatever reason. Yes, it takes away from the elite of the Crimson Guard and makes red not such a dangerous regal color in the COBRA hierarchy. But, to me, red is still a great COBRA color, and this vehicle is no exception whatsoever. Where the last Treadfire was an odd blue/gray shade (odd, yet very cool), this new version is a very neat deep red base color with some very, VERY cool dark tiger-stripe pattern camouflage. Or is it a dark/black base with the crimson pattern camouflage? Whatever the color scheme is, it ROCKS. I really, REALLY like this pattern of camouflage and the colors chosen to exemplify it. The color scheme screams COBRA, but is dark and designed well-enough to be able to conceal this vehicle in a dark environment. Combine this with the bronze/gold metal trim, and the vehicle all comes together terrifically. It helps that I like the Treadfire anyway, but in this application, I really dig this thing.
Then we come to the driver. The Coils figure is one of my favorite new sculpt army-builders, and I love the fact that they come with a very cool COBRA mini-tank. Their purpose of fast attack specialists fit their place among the elite Treadfire squad, and I hope to have a nice assortment of these. This figure is pretty monochromatic, but the color design is nice. He's a very deep, dark red, almost beyond a "Crimson Guard" type color, which separates him from that force, which is great for me. With simple black trim and gold adornments, this version of the COBRA Coils is a nice addition to the Coils squad, and while I'm not sure if my budget will allow me to purchase a bunch of these, he'll make a great Coils leader, red in color just like the Neo-Viper and CLAWS Commander. This color compliments his leather, muscle-bound mold well and it really fits him.
All in all, I'm not really a fan of pointless repaints, and I don't honestly see much of a point to this one, but the color is very appealing, the figure is cool and the overall package just looks great. If you're like me and like the Treadfire, definitely snag this one. Even if you just like the Coils figure, this could be a good one. If you can't stand either, well, you wouldn't be interested I'm sure. :) Out of all the repaint mini-vehicles hitting the shelves now, this one is definitely a can't miss (and I think the only can't miss one of the wave...)
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