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G.I. Joe 50th Anniversary Dusty

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First and foremost, I have to admit that it’s not often that I see a desert trooper decked out in blue and white camouflage.

That being said, that is really my only complaint about this figure, I find myself strangely loving almost every other single part of it.  It certainly helps that the base figure is one of my favorite G.I. Joe action figures of all time, the Pursuit of Cobra Jungle Duke.  I’ve loved that figure since the first time I ever set fingers on it, and this version of Dusty mimics it in all the best ways, and in fact, some might say improves on it with updated arms that include expanded wrist articulation, while maintaining the same range of motion.

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For some reason I just love that combination of reactive armor and baggier jungle ops combat pants, and it helps that the articulation of the figure is spectacular.  Elbows and knees both have great range of motion, and simply by adding Dusty’s head on there, you can establish a whole new character.  No, it doesn’t make much sense to have Dusty in blue and white, but I’ve been pretty vocal in the past that I’m not huge on narrow-fit environmental operatives, so having a great character like Dusty available in color schemes beyond the traditional brown and tan of desert operations is totally cool with me.

Hasbro continues to do great with the “battle worn” Reactive Armor, showing streaks and worn metal throughout the torso in a pretty effective manor.  Dusty’s dark blue mixed with white/light blue camouflage does look a little strange and doesn’t fit much preconceived notions for me, but I find myself more than willing to overlook it because the figure is so good.

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I will say from a structure/plastic quality perspective, the right knee of my figure is exceptionally loose, which is a bummer.  I’m looking into buying a second, though, because I love the figure that much.  I have no idea if the loose knee is unique to mine, or if it’s a common theme.  Also, my Dusty had a nasty smudge of paint on his face, which I was able to scrape off, but it still didn’t look real good.

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Beyond those issues (which may be widespread QC related, or may just be specific to this particular figure) I love this figure a lot more than I ever envisioned.  Whether he’s fully equipped or just partially equipped, he is truly fantastic and a lot of fun to play with…errr… I mean display.

Accessories

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Really, really great accessories here, too.  He’s got the helmet/goggles and collar with cape from his Pursuit of Cobra version, which layer on some great detail and character work to a desert operative who may find himself exposed in the wilderness for a long period of time.  He also comes with the two machine guns from the Retaliation G.I. Joe Trooper, one of my favorite figures in recent memory, though I wish the weapons weren’t blue.  He can hold them fairly well, but not perfectly, especially the sniper rifle.

Dusty also comes with the great webgear from the PoC Duke figure, along with the pistol and machete.

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This figure is great.  Upon first glance I had no idea why they had chosen the paint scheme they did (and truthfully, I still don’t) but I can’t get over how much I love the figure formula underneath.  Sure, much of that credit should be given to previous sculptors and designers, but the choice to carry it forward was really good, and I’m surprised at how nicely it meshes with the PoC Dusty gear as well.  The result is a really great figure version of a good character that I’m happy to have in a non-desert specific paint scheme.

50th Anniversary Dusty
  • Character
  • Sculpt
  • Articulation
  • Paint Deco
  • Accessories
4.1

Summary

Even with an unusual paint scheme, this version of Dusty is a surprisingly fun entry into my G.I. Joe mythology. The Pursuit of Cobra Duke figure base is top shelf, and the combination of accessories from that figure and the PoC Dusty works remarkably well. Other accessories add to the fun factor, and the end result is one of my favorite versions of the Dusty character ever produced.

Pros

1 – Pursuit of Cobra Duke base figure is one of my favorites of all time
2 – Added wrist articulation and new arms makes it even better
3 – Tons of great accessories combined from different figures for an excellent end result

Cons

1 – Still not sold on the blue paint scheme, though glad to see a lack of desert colors
2 – Some QC issues with loose knee joint and paint slop on the face

G.I. Joe Convention 2015 Tiger Shark w/ Felino

Big BrawlerDial ToneLifelineRecondoSgt. Stalker
WreckageGeneral MayhemIron AnvilMetalheadUndertow Officer
UndertowIron Anvil OfficerAnnihilatorAlpineFrostbite
SkystrikerTiger Sting w/ BazookaTiger Shark w/ FelinoTigerhawkMantis
Con Set RecapKre-O Six Pack

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I’ve never been a huge fan of the Water Moccasin in general, though I know it’s considered by many to be a vintage classic Cobra vehicle. For my money, I’ll take the Moray Hydrofoil over the Water Moccasin every day, and yes I realize they perform different functions, but the Moccasin was just never real high on my “must play with” list, even as a kid. In fact, I never even bought the 25th Anniversary re-tool, nor did I buy the Rise of Cobra update, OR the Convention exclusive from 2011. Weird. I don’t think it was even by design, it’s just kind of worked out that way.

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So, even though they started re-releasing Water Moccasins like 6 or 7 years ago, this is the first one I’ve really gotten my hands on. I think Hasbro did a great job on the retool for this vehicle, giving it a bit more bulk and more functional rear wind vanes, as well as a larger cockpit and the general modern robustness that you can expect with these newly tooled vintage inspired vehicles.

Honestly, I like this vehicle more than I thought I might. It feels larger, heavier, and more solid in my hands, especially compared to the old school Water Moccasin, and there is a sense of feel component to toys that is important.

The deco is inspired by the vintage Tiger Shark, which was a repainted Water Moccasin, something that both Tiger Force and Python Patrol were known for. While they didn’t exist purely on vehicles from the other side, they certainly made liberal use of them. Tiger Force had the Tiger Rat, Tiger Shark, and Tiger Paw, while Python Patrol had the Conquest. In that frame of reference it’s not too difficult to see where this updated Tiger Shark fits in.

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Looking immaculately like its vintage counterpart (for better or worse) the Collectors Club translated the retooled vehicle for Tiger Force quite well, honestly.

FELINO

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As for the driver… the Club has said many times that they try and squeeze in some foreign characters whenever they can, and instead of giving us Dusty, they gave us Felino, who is a South American repaint. Unlike Dusty, Felino has the unique green Tiger Force pattern from neck to ankle (kind of like the Toys “R” Us Jinx) instead of the plain green pants. The result is a figure that could pass for Tiger Force Dusty in a display if you wanted to, or you can just use him as Felino, however you so choose.

It’s an interesting choice, and honestly, part of me wonders if they went this route because of the fabric on the helmet. I can imagine that might be a difficult manufacturing technique, and while Tiger Force Dusty has it, Felino does not, so maybe that played into their decision to go with Felino instead? Who knows, but ultimately I don’t think it’s a huge deal either way.

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The figure is fine overall. Dusty is a decent 25th Anniversary figure, though the lack of range of motion in the arms has always bugged me. Felino’s legs are not the same legs as traditional Dusty, instead looking to be Ace’s legs, which is okay, they still match fine and don’t stand out too much.

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As mentioned, Felino has the full uniform deco, which works fine for me as well, an appealing green and yellow triped Tiger Force look that is a nice departure from the more traditional vintage deco. It’s funny, but the similarity between this figure and Jinx never really resonated before, and now that I see this I can get a much better idea of Jinx’s place on the team as well. Nice touch.

Accessories

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Felino comes with many of the typical Dusty accessories, including the harness, machine gun with bipod, and removable helmet. Nothing staggering, but a nice group of functional weapons that suit the character well.

Listen, I’m not a huge fan of the Water Moccasin, and I’m not a huge fan of Tiger Force, so I think folks can understand if I’m not a huge fan of the Tiger Shark. You can buy a vintage one on eBay for a fraction of the price.

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That being said, I cannot argue with the execution, and the Club did what they set out to do. Their mission was to make a new version of the classic Tiger Shark, and they did that well. Spicing up the driver by making it a foreign character was icing on the cake. I’m not sure it’s a Convention item I feel like I have to have, but for those folks who are into it, they did a nice job and I can see it drawing some after market interest.

Tiger Shark w/ Felino
  • Vehicle Design
  • Vehicle Paint Deco
  • Vehicle Play Features
  • Character
  • Figure Sculpt
  • Figure Articulation
  • Figure Paint Deco
  • Figure Accessories
3.3

Summary

Pulling from some South American inspiration, the Collectors Club revisits the Tiger Force Dusty, but through the Brazilian lens of Felino, a foreign repaint of Dusty, adding some spice to the Convention releases. Along with Felino, we get the Tiger Shark, a Tiger Force themed repaint of the Sting Raider, which is a pretty great modern retooling of the Water Moccasin.


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G.I. Joe: Battleground Event “Snakes in the Sea Grass” is now live!

Throughout the lifecycle of the G.I. Joe: Battleground collectible game, they’ve pulled many storylines from the Sunbow era, and they are doing it again this time around.  Using the events of arguably the highlight of the Sunbow series, “The Traitor”, the next Battleground event is live, and looks like a whole lot of fun.

After many costly defeats at the hands of the Joes, the Crimson Twins approach a worry-stricken Joe hero with a proposition he can’t refuse. This slippery slope culminates in G.I.JOE being lured to a deep-sea platform with an explosive surprise! The Joe leadership is dealt a terrible blow, but things go from bad to worse as Cobra launches an all-out attack to free their newest, most promising, most traitorous lieutenant! Can the fight for freedom survive the Snake in the Sea Grass? Find out in this week’s exciting Capture event, starting today!

Check out the screen caps below.  I am loving the Crimson Twins, and really dig how they used the PoC Dusty to be a Cobra version of the character.  Pretty sweet.

Download G.I.JOE BATTLEGROUND for your Android or iOS device for free at G.I.JOE BATTLEGROUND

Sigma 6 Adventure Team Dusty pre-production item hits eBay

This may very well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any Sigma 6 collectors out there.  As Sigma 6 aficionados know, the Adventure Team series of figures was canceled after the first wave, but some very low quantities of the Dusty pre-production sample have been found in the wild.  By “very low”, I mean three.  Out of those three, one of them has been listed on eBay.

Check out the auction right here.  This is a great, very rare and limited pre-production item.  Check it out.

This is not my auction, by the way, just bringing some attention to a great Sigma 6 historical item that might appeal to some folks out there.