The Skystriker that is coming out

I'm just not excited about the Skystriker that is coming out.

I don't think I've every really, really, really wanted a Skystriker that badly at any point in my collecting, though.
It was more where I would have liked one, but at the same time, that "would have like to have" feeling really applies to almost everything. I would have liked, and would still like, to have everything.

On YOJOE.com, there was a thread where before we knew of the possibility of a new Skystriker, it was essentially asked how much would one pay to get them out on the shelf.

In it, at much higher price points, I said I was interested in it. But what would have garnered my interest in a higher-price-point Skystriker would be in the extras that would really add to the plane.

Now, the F-14 Tomcat is very much the basis for the Skystriker. And while the new on is nice, I'm not big on the single-seater. I would have preferred the twin-seater. But then the modern figures would get cramped, so I totally understand that. And the cockpit details look pretty good on this new Skystriker, too.

What would have really sold me on the Skystriker, though?

Getting all the little parts that interacted with the plane from the U.S.S. Flagg, that's what!

I'm talking the tow bar, the fuel car and tanker.

I'm thinking tail-hook.

I'm thinking boarding ladder.

All the things that would compliment a Skystriker on the ground being added into the package would have really been the kicker that would have sold me on this new one.

The optional stickers that are present are nice, though.



What else would have sold me?

Well, on top of a unique night interceptor/ fighter paint job, and everything else I mentioned above...

TWO pilot figures and at least one ground crew figure (to move the fuel, the bomb/ missile rack trailer, etc., etc.


But with everything I would want in a Skystriker, well, I would have essentially ended up with something between what we have now, and this. Or even this at BBTS.

I would guess what I would have done would have pushed the new Skystriker into the $100-plus range.




And I don't want to be a complainer, but I was hoping that there might be a "new" mutli-role aircraft that would be put out. Maybe not an F-22, or F-35, but something fairly accurately scaled that might reflect what our global pilots are flying these days.

But, it's all good. There's a lot of people that won't have to pay an arm and leg to get a Skystriker now.

That's where the fun is, we get to play, just like back in the day!!!

Is there a doctor in the house?

Rice Krispies Lifeline was my first medical professional on my team.
I would almost say that this was the best "prize" in a cereal box ever, but a Transformer cereal mail-in was so much better. Even though I'm a much bigger Joe fan, getting Jazz from a cereal I can't recall the name to, well, that was simply awesome.

It wasn't too long after that in about 1992 or 1993, that a friend gave me an '83 Doc figure. The medical team was set! A doctor and a paramedic.

In my more recent task of possibly trimming down my personnel roster, I just asked myself now how important a medical specialist would be? Would I need a dedicated medical character/ figure on my small team?

Or would a medical specialist simply become another "static" figure, like Lift-Ticket, or '86 Wet-suit..., a figure that has one real strong purpose, but doesn't feel like they "fit" in other roles. '86 Wet suit is a Navy SEAL, however, the guy is in his wetsuit with dive gear, and he's never felt right running around in an imaginary mountain or city setting in my mind. Would a future medical specialist figure simply just end up staying in whatever storage box 95% of the time?


When looking at the future, I am finding I should consider the past.

I've put this picture up before, it's a small set up of a small skirmish. In it one can see how my Cobra Viper team looked for many years.

Lifeline made it into this battle. And while pulling Low Light to safety is huge, I have to wonder, why was Lifeline there in the first place? What does Lifeline bring along on a mission that adds to the mission, other than simply being a guy that pulls his buddies to safety?
For most of my imaginary adventures that I can recall, I think Doc pretty much stood around in the HQ with Lifeline and Stretcher, and even a more recent added figure, Sideswipe.
I'm not sure if I felt like I needed a dedicated medical professional to march around with every little squad of Joes I mixed up for adventures or what.

For a character/ figure that is often in one spot, like the HQ, or in the pilot seat of the Tomahawk, or in a Dive Suit in the SHARC...., I wonder if their roles are too limited for maximum play adventures?

And it's not that I dislike any of the medical figures, or any of the firefighter/ flamethrower types. When I consider the future, though, how much "pull time" will they get, or will they simply stay in a bag in a box 95% of the rest of the time I have them?

I wasn't going to give away too many names for who I was going to pick to keep on my small team. For those readers who might have interest in my "small team" thing I have going as of late, I wanted to make my "final team" picks a bit more of a surprise. That's why I broke it down by year in prior posts.

In previous posts, I've mentioned how I had a quick pick and got some 80 figures as a result, and then I got it down to 60, and then to 50. Well, I have it down in the mid-30's, believe it or not.
I've almost been forcing myself to a point where it's turning into work on seeing where I might want a potential small force to go.

But, the figure that inspired me to consider whether or not I "need" a medical specialist figure is Stretcher. (yes, I chose Stretcher over the others as the "keeper.") Check out the file card, which is the base from which I add to a figure's character. Medical Specialist and troop transportation.

The actual figure really stands out to me more than Doc or Lifeline. And Sideswipe just swiped his outfit. But really, it's a nice touch looking figure mold-wise and all. And he's not dressed in red. (not that I dislike red...) I like that he's not stated as an avowed pacifist, too. While he's only got the flare gun, maybe Stretcher could do more in my possible small force?

I've got vehicle drivers, but with his troop transportation SMOS (and no, I don't use his flying stand thing...), I wonder if he would make a great driver? This way, he can contribute to more missions, even if he would only be out when the vehicles are. With that huge backpack, and I think RTO gear, Stretcher could also contribute in the communications arena.

I guess I'm 50/50 on keeping Stretcher in right now.

Swivel head figures

When it comes to the "original 13," I still don't really have them. In the above picture is the extent of my classic o-ring style GIJOE figures from 1982 and 1983. The two straight arm figures up there, Breaker and Short fuze, were more purchases where I wanted to bring the original Marvel GIJOE characters into my GIJOE collection.
And for the "original 13," those comic characters were, and are, so much more interesting to me than the figures themselves. I didn't get into the comic, especially back-issues, until 1992 or 1993. So, with that in mind, the really classic 1982-1983 green team wasn't really a part of my collection from the beginning at all.

It was about 1993 that a friend gave me that Zap, Flash, and Doc one day. While Doc was a nice unique addition to my force (helping Lifeline), Zap and Flash spent most of the time operating the APC I had; they just fit in that vehicle so much better than later '80's into the '90's figures.
And I traded more recently in the past few years for Cover Girl and Airborne, but as far as "action" goes on all these figures, they seen much.

And this non-use of figures kind of follows that pattern into 1984. Below, the only figure that is my original figure is Cutter. He came with my WHALE and shows the wear of a figure that has been around for awhile.
For the rest of the figures, I think I got them more within just the last few years. Thunder has been part field artilleryman, and Tollbooth was the engineer for my 1983 HQ.
Blowtorch has sort of melded into my environmental department, and hasn't seen much expanded use past that. Ripcord, looks pretty cool, and seems to have a big fan base, hasn't really gotten much use, either. And Recondo, who simply has not had a decent update that I like, is part of the Jungle squad, but really he hasn't seen a lot of use, either.

When it comes to the 1982-1983-1984 figures, right now anyway, they really seem to fit within their own time frame. And I say it in a good way, but these figures and the corresponding years vehicles really make a great stand-alone set in a lot of ways. Sure, 1985 fits in just as well, but the only difference is the neck joint. And that's about where the topic of swivel head figures begins, especially as you might know from previous posts that I am considering trimming my figure roster significantly.

I've already trimmed "sub teams," for the most part, as well as my dedicated arctic/ cold weather operations team. I'm now considering trimming ALL swivel head figures, as well.

One might think, why? I really only have a few figures compared to ball-jointed neck figures that area swivel head, but really, when I have a figure like Flash in the mix with even figures from 1985, the guy seems antique. Don't get me wrong, the figure is still cool, but in the mix with figures from 1989, or 1990, the detail level is more interesting to me in the later years.
So, ultimately, should I keep all these old swivel head figures when I prefer the later ball-joint neck figures, or even when there are more detailed "updated" versions of these figures?

I can't forget to chat about Cobra, here, too.
When it comes to iconic, these Cobras are right on top for me. I'm a fan that is more interested in the individual bad guys. The Enemy, with a name. And this is where I think if I made a "rule" to trim out all swivel head figures, I might lose quite a few iconic characters.
Cobra Commander and Major Bludd, I have newer versions of these guys that I like so much more, but from there, the rest are hard to find a nice newer version of.

My "default" Firefly is actually just a repaint of the 1984 figure (picture below). And Scrap Irons modern o-ring issues have left me wanting more, so I just used an original body with the modern head (the original was worn). So, would I "have" to get rid of these figures if I trimmed out all my swivel head figures?
As far as Copperhead and Wild Weasel go, I did buy the 25th versions of these guys, and the detail and articulation is really kind of nice.

And while I have the more modern comic pack o-ring figures and other re-issues sort of set aside as the "junior joes" toys that can be played with, without any fear from me as a 'collector,' would I have to discard these, too? I most likely wouldn't, but would I allow myself to put "my" swivel head figures into this area in a way to skirt around my own potential rule of no swivel heads? Perhaps I need to go through the "junior joes" collection as well, perhaps only allowing swivel heads of the modern years? Or perhaps only comic-pack styled figures?


And that's not a life-ending question at all, that of, what to trim out.

The ultimate goal for me would be to get nice sized GIJOE forces that make being a collector/ fan fun. It would all give me a way to interject my favorites, preferences, ... perhaps aesthetics, and essentially make my GIJOE a very used bunch of toys. I'm not a museum, as much as I would like to have it all, the reality is, I really should not have it all. Right now, anyway.

If the no swivel head rule is applied, and my collection weeded straight-through in this manner, I might lose all trace of some characters, and even later classic run figures would be discarded. Like Skystriker above, but I don't know if I trust him since he seems to have the same mission as Wild Weasel if one looks close enough at those maps...

So, what do you think? In the modern-era with the 2011 Joes out on the shelf, are swivel heads simply antique? Should I chuck all the o-rings and just get a handful of modern era things to make it all really simple?
Am I simply over thinking it all?

1983 HQ

The 1983 HQ.
A picture taken today:


Below here is in what must be 1996. Except for the WHALE and the HQ, all the other vehicles have been traded and sold away. Interesting in that I did not place the L.A.W. in this picture? But one can see my make-do Stargate All-terrain Cruiser taking the place if the AWE striker. On the couch, though, the HQ has a decent sized foot print.




Just typing the title in makes me feel this thing is old...1983, wow! The above picture is from maybe 1994 or 1995, I think. I used a cardboard poster backer underneath and balanced it on the shelf top.

Of my G.I.Joe collection, this is one of my oldest things, an original item that has been in my possession since as long as I can remember!

Back in the day of true play, I used the WHALE hovercraft as an HQ about as much as the HQ itself. The HQ took up a good amount of space, and set up time, at least it seemed like it. The L.A.W. often became a bit of a base at times, too. Of course, with only about a dozen good guys and bad guys, the weapons trays were utilized; still have the code-names on the side on masking tape labels from around 1988-89 or so.

As the force grew, the HQ became a little more crowded. It's never been on a shelf-set-up long, like most all the vehicles I've had, although, I sort of would have liked to. I think having it set up I wanted to have good access to all the playing points, like, I could put it on a big shelf, but, driving a vehicle in wouldn't work. Turning it around, well, then Cobra wouldn't be able to front assault it.

It's really a floor-playing item. Of course, being the older person I am, leaving it on the floor I'm not comfortable with. Not in the open floor of a house with many people. I'm too afraid of it getting stepped on or tripped over.

Plus it is getting old. The jail cell front wall sections have had broken slider tabs for as long as I can remember, and some tabs are showing wear on other sections. I don't think it's a fragile-delicate piece where it's gotta be packed in bubble wrap, but it won't stand up to "rugged play." at least I don't think so.

This base could use a back wall, too, in my opinion. I think I, like many other fans, have used the Mobile Command Center or a '92/'00 HQ, or something similar, as a back wall. A 360* perimeter of action, essentially.

Nowadays, I have a deep enough figure pool where I can really afford to have the HQ manned by its own team. However, as far as stations of action go, the 1983 HQ was really built as an action outpost. With 2 seats at the computer station, and room for a few Joes to stand in that area, that area fills up quick. The main cannon and upper deck fills up fast, too, and the jail only needs a couple guards at most. I like the generator, too, many sabotage missions attempted...

Past that, it's a real come and go base of action. The vehicles can hunker down in the bays and get repaired while being used to fight back! And if no vehicles, all the rifles can be hanging on the walls. I've only really used these because they were there, just to see the rifles hanging there...only to get knocked down when a vehicle is placed in there.

The file card holder bay was more a storage area for weapons, or for hiding all smuggler-style in the event of emergency invasion-assault. The jail bunks were also used as a medical bay, and r-n-r room; hot-racking indeed.

I have this all packed up right now. I would like to have it out, and I did for a short while on a board, but, it just sat there. I would like to set it up on a HUGE board where I can have access all around it and have room for all the various battle stations to be placed in proximity. Of course I would like to have the Terrordrome in my possession in a similar arrangement someday, too.

Edit, new development! Well, more like I wanted to bust this thing out since it was in a box right next to me. It's been packed up since the past February, essentially. I set it up, and snapped some pictures, which I'm not the happiest with. I was thinking I should make a header with my HQ, as my blog is titled, "Icebreaker's HQ." I then thought I should put in some of my "command staff." I may re-think this whole idea.

A youtube HQ '83 review

There's this YOUTUBE review of the '83 HQ.

It covers the lift section, and, wow...I'm blown away. I've had an '83 HQ since so far back in the day it seems like forever, but, WOW... I never knew that the old tow-able weapons fit in the bay like this!!!!

Of course, I only more recently acquired the tow-able weapons themselves in the last couple years, so in some ways I never had the obvious sitting right in front of me. With all I've read on the 'HQ, too, I cannot recall seeing this information listed.


Kind of figures, I did sell off the H.A.L. not too long ago. In my quest for reduction, as nice as the H.A.L. was in styling, I very much disliked it when it was being towed by a vehicle and the turret turned too stiff-like/ snappy for my tastes. My thoughts were that the F.L.A.K. could do just as well of a job at my HQ which wasn't requiring wheels on it. Oh well on the H.A.L., though... I always thought of those leg supports (as it turns out) as not-so-detailed gas pumps!

NOW I KNOW!

FANG series

The FANG series of choppers is as big a staple to me as the HISS is when it comes to Cobra. Much like the real world, air power for any force is simply a modern idea, and gives greater strike capability.

The 1983 F.A.N.G. is actually my very first GIJOE anything, that's what is pictured above, and that's why it looks so rough. This first F.A.N.G. got it done, simply put. Four good sized rockets, an very simply ball-mounted nose gun, and one rather good sized bomb. It could even carry two extra troops with all that under a VERY small frame with small engine. This toy is a work horse! Even in my imagination, though, more as an adult, too, is that I don't see this F.A.N.G. being super-agile in the sky. I does one thing in my mind, get the ordnance up with very little effort on a short distance in support of ground forces. The small size helps a lot of these swarm together for effect, and also for easy transportation and hiding; not to mention inexpensive.

The next hop into the sky was either in the Rattler, the Flight Pod, the CLAW, and even the MAMBA. Or even the Jet Pack. So, small things or big things.

FANG II came out in 1989. I found this one at a Ben Franklin in about 1993, though. I think it is a great little chopper, er, airplane,...er... tilt-rotor. An advanced idea in helicopter, the tilt-rotor. I think it is great. 6 rockets, much more stylized than the rather straight tubes off the F.A.N.G. and a much longer cannon on a rather interesting chin mount.
The tilt-rotor is where it's at for me, combining vertical helicopter capability with the speed and agility of a twin-rotor fighter plane! But, they kept it simple, too. Skids replaced with a landing wing, which adds to performance. Also, no need for a tail-rotor. The overall length compares similar to the F.A.N.G., too, as does the open weight and cost saving feature of NO CANOPY. In actual construction, I think the absence or the "control stick" really worked against the toy, as did no "figure clip," or at least a back peg, to keep the figure steady. The actual front fuselage is great in that any figure will fit, but I think it could have been more narrow than is really is.
The FANG II is my favorite small air vehicle, too. It really works for my covert Cobra forces with small size, but unlike the F.A.N.G., I would put this one up against a Dragonfly.

With the FANG III, I don't think "year" matters when the themed years started. It was full of a lot of stuff, and repaints followed closely behind. It's GvC if I remember that the III came out. Unlike the Strike HISS, I don't think this one got much forum chat. I think both staple incarnations equally weren't popular, though. Although, one should admit, this one came WITH A PILOT. T-Crotch or not, that was nice, even though the pilot isn't super-memorable to me, I did hang on to two of them, un-used though.
I think the FANG III was a step back in the FANG series. Sure, it was heavily snake-looking, but really it was just a blobby-bodied mini-copter with sort of less than the 18-year-old original. I totally appreciate the handles for control, and the rather nice snake head on the front, but from there it is kind of down hill for me. The one missile on the belly was nice, but the small skids that balanced back on the tail felt cheap. The twin mini-guns, while possible more useful than the previous models cannons, didn't blend into the body design-wise, and the switchable sound attack weapons also lacked design refinement that made them look cheap. The rotor head was thick, too. As a toy, pretty decent little helicopter. I don't like the sound attack ported weapons, and really felt let-down by this FANG incarnation.


I missed the 25th Anniversary F.A.N.G. I saw one box with it at a time when I was not as well-employed, so I passed, and didn't get one.... now I would kind of like a couple, rather than eventually finding some old '83 models. Anyone have one or more to spare? No pilot required!

On pilots, I dig the Gyro-Vipers for my FANG II's. I had one MAMBA that I found used, but it had a cracked wing at the back. The MAMBA is kind of neat, too. Inter-meshing rotor blades is another neat advanced helicopter design on top of tilt-rotor. Cobra was really on top of things when it came to vertical deployment back in the day (don't forget the Rattler and Hurricane VTOL!!). With the large size, my MAMBA left years ago. The Gyro vipers are suited up well for open cockpit flight, though, and the helmets and purple-ish should pads help them visually fit into the FANG II for me. I think the name fits, too, unlike a simple helicopter, the Gyro Viper would have to be a very skilled pilot to fly any non-standard craft. Especially one that will have blades spinning just a short ways from their pilots body, not to mention four close rocket launches!

I was hoping to see some kind of new FANG coming out at some point, but what would be the "next thing?"

I was thinking an inter-meshing single-seater, myself.

That one isn't too bad, this one is more mechanical looking.

The HISS tank

Hiss Tanks are pretty recognizable by most as a staple vehicle of Cobra. I think more-so because of the old cartoon, and comic to a point.

The actual vehicle-toy to me has represented those venues of use. As a toy, though, it's been feeling a little under-whelming to me lately. The tread and chassis "block" are just that, a big block that has nice side-facing details in the treads, but the frontal view with it's ground dragging bottom isn't as appealing to me.

Twin battle cannons are all it offers for real offense, and on the toy they seem less than dominating, and a high-center of gravity doesn't say all-terrain high-speed to me anymore... I think it will tip over.

Perhaps it is because I've been watching monster trucks lately and as an old guy I'm starting to take notice on how those machines react to obstacles. I just don't feel the HISS anymore.

The HISS II and DTC Hiss are nice little tankettes/ APC's/ IFV's/ what-have-you, but I just don't dig them that much.

I think the 1991 Paralyzer is sadly forgotten. The orange color helps it be forgotten, but this is a nice low profile tankette that has a really go-anywhere feel to me. The recoiling twin cannons easily match what the HISS originally brought to the table and the triple missile mount ups the ante so that I can see this paralyzer doing it's thing against heavy armored targets, like GIJOE Maulers!

Price is deterring me currently, but I am heavily interested in the new upcoming 2010 HISS.