This is the first Persuader I have ever had in hand. This tank never stood out to me when I was younger but I have been more interested in it as of late and thought it might fit good for my small mobile G.I.Joe team.
Looking at all the different vehicles in the old fold-out inserts back in the day, the Persuader never persuaded my interest. Between the 1986 and 1988 catalogs, the 1987 vehicle selection, save for the Defiant and Mobile Command Center, had overall less appeal to me. 1986 had that still green, tan, white look on the vehicles and Cobra had Serpentor with the Terrordrome and the black Night Raven and STUN. It seemed cohesive visually, I liked that uniformity. I just didn't get that sense with 1987 even though I totally dig all the toys.
The Persuader is green and that was cool but the less angled design, something that one would expect on an armored military machine is broken up by the more sleek and sloped upper body. And that is something that works really nice here on the Persuader, two elements that are blended.
The real turn off for me was the cannon. Back in the day and even now I want that smooth tank barrel look for a tank. And the square laser cannon really contrasted with previous years vehicles that had a much more traditional looking armament. The yellow missiles didn't increase my interest in the vehicle.
I thought I would give this tank a try, though, as it has a nice size to it. It's not an Equalizer size tank but it's not an Armadillo mini-tank either, and it transports more G.I.Joes than a M.O.B.A.T.. Plus I have been very intrigued about the independent suspension and wanted to play with this. If you've read along here for awhile you may know that I really dig vehicles that have real rubber wheels and wheels that steer. Suspension components on vehicles is another feature that I find to be an excellent detail that is often lost on toys. I think some of the most simple added play features can be ones that allow real vehicle movements. The Badger and A.W.E. Striker have these simple rear axle features, for example.
So when this particular Persuader came there was a little scent on it. I couldn't place what it was, but it had to go. I haven't given a G.I.Joe vehicle a bath in some time so disassembly was the first order of business.
The lower body is kind of neat, these are the things that I don't see on the internet when I'm attempting to investigate a vehicle I have never had. In some ways I want a sort of A.P.C. or transport truck for my G.I.Joe team and with the top off the Persuader it felt like I was holding a ten-wheel truck that might have some nice custom potential.
Proportion to the G.I.Joe figures is a key element for me to like a vehicle. The V.A.M.P., for instance may be a little under-scaled, but to me this vehicle is sort of like the standard for that vehicle to figure ergonomic relationship. Just comparing the width with the Persuader, makes the Persuader chassis seem like a very truck-like utility vehicle that doesn't out-size a regular vehicle (V.A.M.P.).
The vehicle seat heights are roughly the same height and so are the tow hooks.
With the body off the Persuader I can really start to see some proportional spread. What would you estimate, a full 8-foot section supported by a triple axle drive system? Depending on how you might imagine it, I see many possibilities of things being built on top of this frame.
The front section of the lower body really makes the Persuader much shorter, the front double axle supporting mostly the driver and taking some weight distribution from the rear half.
The seat has that tank-like tightness. In someways it is almost like a second layer of armored protection.
I have no plans to attempt a custom "truck" or A.P.C. build, but I have thought about doing this with the Eliminator, too. Each of these vehicles have that front and center driver position with the potential for the creation of something on the rear deck.
Just playing with potential of the bottom of the Persuader was fun on its own.
Reassembled without weapons it is a sleek tank.
The smaller gun is only a side to side swinging gun. I pretty much figured this from years of staring at pictures. I would have rather have had a swivel top hatch for the drivers seat, something similar to the Warthog/ Night Rhino or the Slugger. Maybe a potential custom thing in the future I can do.
The figure to vehicle relationship is an important thing to me but so is the inter-vehicle relationships. An Attack Cruiser would stick out something wild in this picture below, but the Persuader, save for the laser cannon, fits in well.
Height-wise the turret sits right above the V.A.M.P. and the A.W.E. Striker reaches just a little higher overall. Of course, I don't have the antenna on the A.W.E. Striker, and the Persuader would have some antenna apparently, if these were not cost cut from the original design. Yet another thing in the future I may be able to add on myself.
And you if you follow here you know I really like tow hooks. All these vehicles sit in somewhat similar widths. The Desert Fox tow hook sits really low, however. This low hook makes my G.I.Joe teams towing ability less... stay on and fun. Eventually I may remove the Eliminator and V.A.M.P. from my collection but I want the ability to tow G.I.Joe weapons systems effectively.
The Persuader has an excellent tow hook.
The Persuader wheels seem like they are on the small size, but next to a figure they stand at mid-thigh level, much like perhaps a real life pick up truck would.
For many G.I.Joe vehicles, there was an almost standard missile or rocket mounting tab. My 1983 Dragonfly rockets could somewhat fit on my 1991 Paralyzer's rocket box, for example. When the vehicles made a departure from that style, or reversed it completely like the 1986 H.A.V.O.C., it somewhat made that vehicle seem more separated from the rest for some reason.
Just from pictures I knew I wasn't going to be impressed by the rockets, although, the ability to stagger them just slightly to exaggerate the flowing motion of the Persuaders body was cool.
Until I turned the turret for the first time with the rockets on and "bump." I might be able to press the top rockets on tighter but the turret not clearing them was kind of surprising.
Just from pictures I knew I wasn't going to be impressed by the rockets, although, the ability to stagger them just slightly to exaggerate the flowing motion of the Persuaders body was cool.
Until I turned the turret for the first time with the rockets on and "bump." I might be able to press the top rockets on tighter but the turret not clearing them was kind of surprising.
Top two rockets on either side removed and I'm much happier, and I kind of like the look with just the two on each side. It visually lightens up the larger, wider section of the body .
Without any real figure-interactive controls on the back of the cannon or in the turret I just feel like I want to replace it with something.
Head on, I would like to see an armament coming straight out of the turret, sort of in line with where the lower gun barrel sits now.
Various images from the Marvel comic that will help the imagination work. Inspiration!