My old Mobile Battle Bunker is long gone. Above is how it looked sometime between late 2003 and early 2005. If I remember right, this is one of those vehicles that was sent away in what was a second round of a big bulk vehicle collection trimming/ sale in 2008.
The Mobile Battle Bunker was a Christmas present in 1991 for me. This bulky mass of armor was the "heaviest tank" in my collection up to that point. When I assembled this vehicle, I recall that the tread assembly snapped together very strongly.
Thinking back, I can't remember what I made of it then, and in some ways, I'm not sure what to make of it now. It is a very unique vehicle, either way.
The sliding/ lowering tread system was very appealing to me. I would have the Mobile Battle Bunker squaring off against my (mail-in) HISS tank and 1990 Cobra Rage. The part where things seemed maybe awkward in some ways is that the Mobile Battle Bunker (MBB) isn't really a main battle tank, and maybe not even a front line combat vehicle, to an extent. Against the '83 HISS, the MBB with its size just seemed like it could bowl that little Cobra sentry right over, and if the MBB wasn't so low to the ground, it could've rolled right over the Rage.
As the name implies, it is a mobile battle bunker. I wonder if the original design intent was almost like it was supposed to be just that: a big armored shell that could set up almost anywhere, rapidly providing shelter for 'Joes where there was none before? (Compare this notion to the Fort America)
How the MBB was technically driven was something I had to imagine, I wonder how other fans situate the vehicle operators on this thing? In my view as time went on, I would have the "inside" seat as the drivers seat. The only time the MBB was really "driven" was when the shell was closed and treads were down. The Mobile Battle Bunker could (in imagination) push aside most obstacles with its battering ram. Although, in closed form, the entire front and sides could probably push through just about anything without the ram! I will say that the little spongy effect that could be felt on the battering ram was a different and unique feature, as unobtrusive as it is.
Past the mobile maneuvering, the two top seats always seemed really open, which is why as time has gone by, it doesn't seem like an on-the-move combat vehicle. Even though the seat clips firmly hold figures in place excellently, I really didn't care for these much, it took some finagling to snap guys in there. I often left all seat clips off my vehicles in whatever box my accessories were in at that time. I can definitely see why these clips can be lost if 'Joe fans chose not to keep these on vehicles and in active use.
In "bunker mode" the MBB became a sort of artillery pill box. Again, what seat station did what was really up to the imagination as I see it. I left the "inside" driver where he was, and he became the guy firing those missiles and artillery cannons. The guys on top switched between operating that twin gun on the turret on top and operating the radio/radar/what-have-you. And that scenario switched around, too, where no one was on the "inside" seat, since it was too dangerous with the missile back-blasts when the shell is open. Sometimes, the two guys on the top seats were tasked with the artillery control supporting troops as they moved forward in the action. The open-shelled top provided instant cover for any troops on foot in case they had to fall back, too. Underneath, there were controls near that troop board on back.
The MBB could close and advance fairly quickly, too, as troops on foot gained more ground. And that's about the role that the MBB played as the years went by.
However, when I added the Equalizer to my arsenal, the MBB really became a shelf model. As things have evolved, my desire to simply have tanks pushed more fantastic designs to the side in favor of a more "real life" flavor.
With a little hindsight, now that the big armor is all gone here, the Mobile Battle Bunker could really add to a full GIJoe assault force. Where I limited myself to my Equalizer and Night Rhino recently, the Mobile Battle Bunker, along with other appropriate vehicles, could make for a very solid and fun armored motor pool.
I never got to see the cartoon that featured the MBB, but it seemed like it was used as the main battle tank against the Cobra Rage from the little I've seen.
The Mobile Battle Bunker is also deploy-able by shuttle, in case you were wondering.
I think there was a forum thread somewhere that we figured that the mortar cannons were the exact same for both sides, and not mirror images as the instructions might have suggested.
