I managed to get the re-color Scarlet and Roadblock fairly easily in stores. As you say, I can't recall finding Duke on the pegs. By the time the re-color wave came and went from stores I ended up ordering it from BBTS when all the other places seemed to be sold out.
I believe D&D is currently run by the G.I. Joe folks, yes. Not sure who ran it when Drizzt was developed. But, like you say, Hasbro owns it outright. And it's pretty clear that the Drizzt 2 pack was budgeted similarly to Classified figure/vehicle, figure/animal deluxe assortments because the price was the same. (Drizzt's price has just never gone up because it stayed in stock.) I would assume Drizzt's panther is a similar cost to produce as a pack-in with a $40-something Joe figure/animal. It is a little BIG compared to Timber and the initial mold might have cost more to make but that's a sunk cost now. Now all that matters is the paint and plastic and the alternate head.
Part of why I think (and suggested the same to Vala) that the forward thinking way to approach large 6 inch vehicles is as customization platforms. Part of how you can keep selling a large vehicle as an evergreen release at full price is by selling smaller customization kits and designing part of the construction to be modular. Think of it this way: Video game systems don't typically get clearanced while they're in an active part of their lifecycle. They stay in demand at full price. Which is good because systems historically had low or even negative profits. Part of the reason why consoles are a cheap source of chips for various militaries. The value for the base offering is maintained by cheaper add-ons (ie. games) that modify or create the base package experience. I think the smart thing would be to approach Classified vehicles as a construction system. Design a lot of parts to be easily replaced. Sell bundles of those parts. Sell more base package vehicles.
I really, truly agree with the concept. In fact, have seen this as an approach for the different smaller Joe tanks, but you run into the financial and vocal majority wanting ARAH accuracy. (The VAMP could be possible, but, the number of parts to change from green to tan to black would basically mean scrapping all but the wheels and floorboards unless color consistency is scrapped, like all having gray roll cages and black steering wheels, etc.)
Tomax: Who'd he say he was again?? Xamot: I HEARD him say his name but it EASILY... Both: Escapes my head.
It's a bit sad how loony pricing is now that we can not even imagine getting a vehicle for a 6" toy when Action Man used to get great big SUV's. Even more so when you consider that it's in terms of foot print not going to be much bigger than the original and if they pick a vamp it doesn't even have to have doors or a roof. I would of course prefer the vehicles were a little nicer than the 3.75" inch originals, little things like rubber like tires, moving steering wheels and front wheels, maybe a removable inspection pannel or opening hood. clip on shovel that sort of thing. To be honest if they went the Hasbro Pulse store exclusive route that wouldn't be to horrible but the Haslab problem is that some will be irked even if they make a Vamp into a Stinger and really do you want to pay $180 or more for a Vamp ? I know I don't. But considering how little plastic there is a Leader Class Transformer these days... I wonder if we need to think bigger.... "Much Bigger" and instead be thinking what would the Gi Joe Vehicle be that could be the equivellent of a Titan Class Transformers toy ? I can't see them doing a 6" scale Skystriker for less tha $400 (unfortunately) and where would you even put it anyway ? & an APC might make a lot of sense even it if is a tiny bit unexciting I guess. I would suggest a HAVOC but people seem to get tetchy about anything to Sci Fi. It really is kinda nuts that we see something as simple as a 6" Scale AWE Striker to be an "unatainable dream"... that is kinda silly to me looking at all my toys from the past. I actually have one of these it kinda feels like it's made up of old washing up bowls... which actually isn't as daft of an idea as it seems as that kinda plastic with a bit of flex to it is suitable to something like this I feel. That Multi Terrain Vehicle would adapt down very well to 6" scale I'd say... It's just a bit of fun though to show what used to be possible. Action Man I mentioned as he has more stuff in terms of sheer volume : There is a few things in here that might work for 6" scale perhaps :
Only had a little bit of time to mess with my Haslab Skystriker but here’s my initial thoughts: The price tag seemed high but the initial unboxing is a little overwhelming in a good way. If you wanted a Skystriker toy during the 1980’s and the original left you wanting a more, this new one makes up for all its shortcomings. There’s a lot in the box, seeing the renders and videos didn’t give replicate the awe I experienced when I saw the box. It’s like Christmas 1 month late but I’m glad Hasbro still had folks pushing to make this a reality. Overall it’s much sturdier than the 1983 version and a little sturdier than the 2011 in most areas. The plastic has a gloss finish and doesn’t feel as prone to snapping as the 1983. The 2011 matte finish plastic feels a little more rugged. The vertical stabilizers can detach without snapping the tabs off. The 2011 eradicated that problem and I’m glad to see it not being an issue on this either. This seems made to survive upside down drop tests. The wings are a little tricky to attach since you have tabs facing opposite directions and initially it may not feel like they’re sliding into place properly since they look like they’re inserting at an angle(you’ll see what I mean when you try attaching the wings). The canopy can stay open all the way and at an angle due to a detent that neither previous version had. It’s secure. Not much room for modern joes. I will try later but do not think a modern Joe will fit without removing parts of the seats and/or the cockpit console for the pilot. The engines when removed, now have molded/raised details/wiring that weren’t on the original at all. They also now have. Tab to stay in place more securely(this wasn’t needed but it’s a nice touch and given the price, might as well). The TCS/IRST chin pod and end of the central section behind the airbrakes(which are functional both above AND beneath the Skystriker this time!) are made of a dense PVC; same with the tip of the nose. Definitely meant to survive. The Star and bar roundels are too small for my tastes since this has the high visibility deco of the 1983 Skystriker. Seems like they’re smaller due to possibly being difficult to print onto the now removable panels on the sides beneath the canopy. Unfortunate and wish this could’ve been foreseen with the initial renders(they weren’t, they were bigger on the renders). 1 thing I definitely didn’t foresee was the front landing gear door hitting the ground moreso than the front wheels. You can alleviate this a bit by making sure the tailhook base lever is slid all the way(despite hitting the stopping point, you can press a bit further to stabilize). I’m surprised this wasn’t caught before final production as it’s not an issue on previous Skystrikers. This could’ve been alleviated by making sure the cut out beneath the fuselage for the front door was cut a bit further at the tip by a few centimeters to let the landing gear rotate a bit further. I’d heard some reports that the landing gear could retract by rolling the wheels with just a little pressure. I managed to replicate it. To prevent it, slide the tailhook lever all the way, then pull/push it a bit further. You’ll feel a bit of give and it does stabilize the landing gear. This is another issue that I’m surprised wasn’t caught before final production as it’s another that wasn’t present on previous Skystrikers. The front landing gear, when in the retracted position, also sometimes lowers a few centimeters on its own at a very slight angle. The tailhook is on a detent with a lot of resistance. Since it’s attached to the landing gear lever, brace the lever while rotating the hook to prevent damage. The hook is tight enough to maintain position surprisingly. The clip for it has enough clearance to let it slide when retracting or putting the gear down so it doesn’t add further resistance. The landing gear are new with struts added, they’re not the basic ones used for the previous versions. This was something I didn’t notice until very recently. I was able to plug the new dual hardpoint dogbone clips into the stand connectors beneath the fuselage. Not sure yet if they can stay attached with a missle attached as it’s a friction connection. Hopefully they can so I can have 4 Phoenix missles mounted between the intakes. I think the horizontal stabilizers are the only reused parts from the 2011 figure. Even so it’s a different plastic, different texture, still prone to slight bending but not cracking. The panels above the glove areas above the intakes now have more raised detail and are in black with raises grey details, unlike the previous versions. Engine turbine is molded in each intake but they’re too far forward. Just slight criticism, not a dealbreaker to me. I wish Failsafe instead used the 1992 Ace mold and also wish that mold was used for this release as an extra Ace in cartoon colors too, especially since the black vertical stabilizers are included for the cartoon look. Overall, amazed. Accurate General Electric F110-GE400 engines would’ve been cool as those and the combined TCS/IRST chinpod were on the F-14D Super Tomcat. The engine nozzles on this seem to have the nozzle contour of the Pratt and Whitney TF30 engines but with the nozzle panels of the F110-GE400 engines. Not a dealbreaker but can’t help but notice(same thing happened with the 2011 nozzles). Also wish the chin pod was made out of hard plastic, same with the nose tip. Even initially this is still at the very least, an 8/10 for me.
Nice! I've got all the custom parts for a Darklon and been messing around with various Joe part configurations. I have been hamstrung a bit by the Tomax/Xamot lower legs not being a joint match for the Crimson Guard upper legs as I'd initially hoped which would have resulted in a very close approximation of the v1 legs. Still working on modifying them to connect to one another. Might just permanently set them, though that means he'll lose the lower leg swivel.
Speaking of Action Force and the Palitoy toyline, there is a Kickstarter going on for a softcover copy of this guide from a year or so ago: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brianthehick/total-action-force-the-battle-years-soft-cover About $85 for a 196 page book, but there is talk of adding stretchgoals to add a few more pages is if the crowdfunding does well. I passed on the hardcover Kickstarter last time, but the softcover version is much cheaper and may very well tempt me. Lots of photos of the original toys. Bonus: Tiger Force Recondo arrived today! Now I'm trying to figure out if his mustache is meant to be crooked because of his wry smile, or the paint stencil was off. I think I can take care of the spots on his nose and cheek. There is still a little extra paint above his mustache, but pretty close.
I've noticed something strange, and I am unsure if it's a moulding or assembly error, a quirk of the mould or if it's intended to be like that but for example on my Alley Viper and on Flint the shin pad they have isn't central on the left leg. The right leg the top of the foot and the curve of the bottom of the shin guards match up. but on the other foot on both of them it's out of line by a couple of mm. I wondered if it might be caused by them supposed to have a left and a right shin guard and them having two left ones. It means on the Alley viper when both his feet are facing parallel his left shin guard is on the inner part of his leg not the front. Are they supposed to be like that ? Is this something to do with stance or is there something wrong with them ?
Spent more time swooshing, applying stickers and testing out my Haslab Skystriker. Noticed more things. Sidewinder missles attach loosely to the outer hard points of the new dual hardpoint pylons that plug in beneath the gloves. Phoenix missles aren’t as easy to detach as the 2011 version but still not as secure as I’d like. Oh and if you use the detachable single hardpoint dogbone connectors, you can attach them to the outer stand hardpoints with missles attached: 2 modern joes can fit in the cockpit IF you remove the front seat. They don’t wabble out of place either but it looks weird if you open the canopy since the pilot will look like it’s sitting on the RIO’s feet. For some, the functionality will overshadow the awkwardness(you can barely tell with the canopy closed since it’s molded in translucent grey). Even if you don’t have a 2nd modern joe in the cockpit as a RIO and even with the front seat removed, a modern joe can sit up front further than it could in the 2011 Skystriker. Not sure if this was intentional but it works out! You can’t have modern joe figure sit that far up in the 2011 Skystriker without removing a lot of internal plastic! Also, pilot figure in the pics below is 30th anniversary Ace, which is 1 of the bigger modern joes to put into a cockpit. Used as an example here since it’s Ace and because it Ace can fit, most other modern joes with bulky sculpts should be able to fit too. With o ring figures inside, the new o ring joes have resistance raising the hips to 90 degrees so they can be tricky to attach to the seat. I found it was actually easier to place Failsafe in the backseat by not plugging the seat peg into the back. It does seem like the wings are able to sweep a bit more forward than the previous Skystrikers. Landing gear were able to stay retracted with more resistance the more I tested out the retraction and extraction mechanism. If you’re having trouble lowering the bottom airbrakes, press inwards on the ridged areas to push the airbrakes open. The new stand isn’t compatible with the 2011 Skystriker unfortunately. The stand is cool but I don’t think it’ll be tight enough to hold the Skystriker at all angles over time, time will tell. The ammo cart and tow trailer are made of a coarse grey plastic that feels sturdy but isn’t the same kind of plastic as the Skystriker itself. Scarlett’s bow has no handle, I think this is a common issue. Maybe she can stab people with it. Ripcord’s helmet is very rubbery and difficult to attach since it’s flimsy. The plastic for Ace and Scarlett’s helmet visors feels a bit more brittle than the 1998 Ace that I have.
You weren't the only one asking! This was the furthest back I could find, but there was definitely even earlier discussion about weird shin guards on the Alley Viper mold.
Thanks to @Wheeljoker I have a Skystriker. This was a lot of fun to open up and play with. Stickers seem to be high quality. The jet itself is made of some sturdy plastic. I can't wait until Spring to come so I can retake these photos outside!
Alright, easiest way to get Failsafe into the backseat of the Skystriker is to put the seat in 1st. Then bend Failsafe’s knees less than 90 degrees, then place in the seat as if leaning back at an angle, then try to connect the seat peg to the back. The other method I tried was connecting the seat to Failsafe outside of the cockpit, then trying to place the seat inside and that wasn’t as successful.
I guess I'm all in on the TigerForce. Bring on Tripwire, Dusty,Roadblock etc. I still want a more Toon duke but this set isn't bad.
I'm so picky about decals. I put the stickers on one wing of the Skystriker perfectly and the other one is slightly off and it is bothering the heck out of me now. I don't know why they broke it up into 2 parts? It should have been one long sticker.
Applied more stickers to my Haslab Skystriker last night and did more testing: Turns out the base ball joint can be tightened/loosened via a ring beneath it. Would’ve been cool if the gaps in the stand had hinged covers The ammo cart and tow trailer are both hollow underneath. Since these were unlocked tier items, this may or may not disappoint out. I’m okay with them being like that given their purpose. Seems like Ripcord and the Cobra Pit Crew figure share the same lower legs. The lower legs look very similar on both sides yet the seam line to make them isn’t on the same area, neither are the foot peg holes. I was starting to think each figure had 2 of the same lower left or right legs but now I can’t tell(the feet don’t have a readily identifiable contour to determine if they’re left or right). EDIT: the lower legs were like this in the render and I didn’t notice until now:G.I. Joe Skystriker – Hasbro Pulse The 2011 and 1983 Skystrikers feel lighter all around than the Haslab one. The canopy can be easier to detach than reattach, be careful since the outer socket is translucent plastic. It stays on more securely than the 2011 version, it won’t come off unintentionally unless you have the canopy open and it runs into something. The 2 piece canopy isn’t difficult to open since there’s 2 tabs molded on the bottom to aid in opening it. The best way I can describe the Haslab Skystriker is this: Imagine Hasbro had the idea to make the best Skystriker they could, based on the 1983 mold. However, imagine everything that would’ve been cut to stay under budget and cut costs, wasn’t cut at all. That’s pretty much how this Haslab Skystriker seems to me. Even without all the extras like the stand and unlocked tier additions, it’s a very substantial redo of the 1983 version. I’m not quite sure what it would’ve costed at retail as a retailer exclusive just released as the Skystriker with 6 missles and 1 figure. Size-wise, it’s very close to the 1983 mold but internally and externally it’s got way more going on. The differences go beyond just cosmetics. I thought $45 was reasonable for the 2011 version but this one I could easily see for more than $60(with none of the extras, just 1 pilot and 6 missles like the original). With the Haslab Skystriker, to judge it just based on looks is misleading. I was expecting this to feel like the 1983 or 2011 mold, but those feel more basic by comparison(not that the Haslab Skystriker feels complex, it doesn’t, just feels like a lot more went into it by comparison). It feels much more substantial and different when handling(for the better) when compared to the previous Skystrikers. To say “this is not your father’s Skystriker” would actually be accurate given how different it handles(again in a good way). It’s heavier than the previous Skystrikers but still easy to swoosh around. You can be a bit more carefree since the tab connections for the stabilizers are very dense and tough to break(to make it easier to apply stickers to them, I detached them last night and those tabs are nothing to worry about, whereas on the 1983 once they’re snapped off, they’re very hard to repair). I also do wish that the design team would’ve taken pictures showing 2 modern joes in the cockpit with the front seat removed before the crowdfunding campaign ended. I’m actually surprised no plastic needed to be cut, as there’s a lot of plastic that needs to be removed from the 2011 version to even enable this. Bonus that a modern Joe in the front sits more realistically forward in the Haslab Skystriker. If it’s the wing stripe stickers you’re referring to, I think it’s because the base of the wing is molded separately and the rest isn’t attached initially. They probably thought it would be easier to apply the stickers before connecting the wings. May also be in case the wing detaches during play, if it does, it won’t tear the sticker. The 2011 version was the same way. Speaking of the wings, the right wing on mine isn’t completely even on 1 end. Not sure if 1 screw wasn’t level compared to the rest. Visually there’s a thin gap where the right wing connects compared to the left on my copy. I’m not a fan of how the wings, seats and missles aren’t in the Skystriker box, it’s weird to me as there’s definitely space for them inside.
