I filled the exhaust trail rear end with lead weights, so along with the snug fit on the hard-point, it should be just fine balance-wise. The missiles themselves are not that heavy.
G.I. Joe Classified Series (1:12)
- Thread starter K-Tiger
- Start date
I'm sure! I like solving problems like this, but I hate repetitive work. Making more than 2-3 of anything becomes tedious. I like the instant gratification of seeing a finished project, and then my brain immediately moves on to the next thing.
That's part of the reason I haven't even taken pics of half the stuff I've made... I take one look at it, think, "wow, that's awesome!", and I'm already on to the next project. The list is long and life is short. But I should probably stop and appreciate some of this stuff... and actually take some cool pics... since that's presumably the whole point.
I apologize for this project taking so long... I meant to knock it out pretty quickly, but life happens. Hopefully I can get some painting done on the missiles and exhaust this weekend.
That's part of the reason I haven't even taken pics of half the stuff I've made... I take one look at it, think, "wow, that's awesome!", and I'm already on to the next project. The list is long and life is short. But I should probably stop and appreciate some of this stuff... and actually take some cool pics... since that's presumably the whole point.
I apologize for this project taking so long... I meant to knock it out pretty quickly, but life happens. Hopefully I can get some painting done on the missiles and exhaust this weekend.
Lol, please don't apologize for not having enough spare time to create and troubleshoot an "it would be really cool if we had a..." project like this. I'm probably actually even more excited to see some of your other vintage vehicles and such in dioramic pictures than I am for this one (remember, I have a workable jerry rig so I'm definitely not sweating it). And even with that, obviously real life and family will (and always should) come way ahead of our "play time."
3D Printing is an absolutely amazing technology to supplement this hobby, but, as you've explained previously, there's a lot of work on the front end to find the best models(?) to tweak and print that really capture the essence of the originals. Then there's the time and troubleshooting needed to get all the pieces and parts right. And then there's assembly and painting. While the final products are amazing, the time (that's not even to mention monetary) investment is substantial.
Remember, I'm just the guy in the forum that goes, "It would be cool if..." and "Is it possible to..?" That guy doesn't get to set schedules or fuss at all about prioritization.
That said, thank you for taking the time to work through a elegant yet practical solution on this. I hope you are able to apply it and similar ideas liberally to making amazing displays and ultimately to your diorama pics, for all that investment!
3D Printing is an absolutely amazing technology to supplement this hobby, but, as you've explained previously, there's a lot of work on the front end to find the best models(?) to tweak and print that really capture the essence of the originals. Then there's the time and troubleshooting needed to get all the pieces and parts right. And then there's assembly and painting. While the final products are amazing, the time (that's not even to mention monetary) investment is substantial.
Remember, I'm just the guy in the forum that goes, "It would be cool if..." and "Is it possible to..?" That guy doesn't get to set schedules or fuss at all about prioritization.
That said, thank you for taking the time to work through a elegant yet practical solution on this. I hope you are able to apply it and similar ideas liberally to making amazing displays and ultimately to your diorama pics, for all that investment!
My life is a hobby. I go to great lengths to make sure my business kind of runs itself, and only about 20% of my day is "work". The rest of the time, it's just fun projects.... to keep the mind and body busy. I do get interrupted more than I'd like, but hey, I can't complain. I get to be perpetually 10 years old for most of my day. That feels like a win.
It definitely is. I'm blessed to be able to do cool things in cool places from time to time, and most of the time without being overly pressed, thanks to a "work smarter, not harder" approach to production. But I would love to make the living I make and still have that much time (as well as motivation) available to be creative.
One thing about my career, it has taken away the motivation I used to have to draw/assemble/paint, etc. - like absolutely killed it. I suppose it has to do with having to use that part of my brain to develop solutions in my day job, so, by the end of the day, it's fully expended.
Now I depend on companies or other creative people to make my dream figs/vehicles/etc. I don't even look at "assembly and painting required" stuff. I just don't have the motivation. Honestly, I was very happy when I finally started getting CS vehicles that they came 90% assembled and fully decorated. I haven't added even one sticker. And I used to love assembling vehicles and applying the stickers back in the day.
Aside from the inevitable nostalgia buzz, maybe that's why I am also looking forward to seeing more of your work on display. A guy can live vicariously, right? Then maybe I can try to catch up a little after retirement.
One thing about my career, it has taken away the motivation I used to have to draw/assemble/paint, etc. - like absolutely killed it. I suppose it has to do with having to use that part of my brain to develop solutions in my day job, so, by the end of the day, it's fully expended.
Now I depend on companies or other creative people to make my dream figs/vehicles/etc. I don't even look at "assembly and painting required" stuff. I just don't have the motivation. Honestly, I was very happy when I finally started getting CS vehicles that they came 90% assembled and fully decorated. I haven't added even one sticker. And I used to love assembling vehicles and applying the stickers back in the day.
Aside from the inevitable nostalgia buzz, maybe that's why I am also looking forward to seeing more of your work on display. A guy can live vicariously, right? Then maybe I can try to catch up a little after retirement.
I completely understand. I dislike painting, but it's often a necessary evil to get where I'm going. Same with decals... I loathe waterslides, but that's often the only choice for whatever I'm building.
And yeah, I don't like assembly either (you'd never know it from all the things I print and build). It took me a year to unbox the haslab rattler just because the thought of all of those pieces made me put it off. I don't even like opening Joes, as cutting all of the tape, twist ties, and wrasslin' with the plastic clamshell feels like work. Definitely first world problems
And yeah, I don't like assembly either (you'd never know it from all the things I print and build). It took me a year to unbox the haslab rattler just because the thought of all of those pieces made me put it off. I don't even like opening Joes, as cutting all of the tape, twist ties, and wrasslin' with the plastic clamshell feels like work. Definitely first world problems
I want to know why it is that Super7 can create vintage-looking card art with seemingly little trouble, and yet hasbro retro card art looks like a toddler played with 2021 AI.
Right? How does that even happen? 
I'm telling you, somebody from the C suite's "so talented" niece or nephew got hired into the art department at Hasbro and wants to display his/her talents and seems to have little respect for the original artwork. And, due to their affiliation, the production folks can't tell them how awful their work actually is.
I'm telling you, somebody from the C suite's "so talented" niece or nephew got hired into the art department at Hasbro and wants to display his/her talents and seems to have little respect for the original artwork. And, due to their affiliation, the production folks can't tell them how awful their work actually is.
Stopped by a toy store last week & saw the HISS in person.
Really impressive looking almost wanted to convert it to 3.75”
Really impressive looking almost wanted to convert it to 3.75”
I watched the latest Viper Island video today... don't ask me why. I hate his weird AI-sounding, sing-song game-show-host voice overs - it's weirdly condescending, like he's talking to retarded children. However, it was full of info, rumors, speculation... all implying that he knows way more than you but he can't tell full details.
But he claims we're getting all kinds of vehicles in '27. SHARC, Devilfish, FANG, Dreadnok trike, Water Moccasin, etc., in addition to the already announced MTO Thundermachine. And apparently they're diving headfirst into the 90's with Headman and the Headhunters, and Cesspool vs the Ecowarriors... and doing more DIRE tech nonsense.
He also said that they are doing more Oktober Guard, which I would have guessed, as it's unlikely Daina would be a lone release. Voltar is in the pipeline (but still no classic IG trooper?!). Retro Jinx, General Hawk, and Chuckles, all in decos closer to the '87 movie.... because movie anniversary. The LRRP three-pack is still a go (I'm pretty stoked about that one). Also, solo Serpentor w/o the chariot is coming.
And there was a strong implication that they are replacing the Legacy generic figures with a Skybound/Energon subline to do all of those characters. Not sure if it's Classified style with Energon decos, or figures with a totally different comic-style vibe... probably the former. At the very least, we'll get some modern updates, maybe a better Mercer on a larger buck, and some of the new characters like Rook, this iteration of Chameleon, and pseudo-hero Baroness. And I suspect all of the heroes will look scruffy and war-torn because the action is so intense that it doesn't leave time for proper grooming.
Lots of stuff. I have heard several of those rumors from other sources, so I tend to believe those... and some of it feels like wishful thinking. But since no one ever goes back to watch old videos to see if he actually knows stuff or if he's just full of shit, I guess I'll assume most of it has a grain of truth to it.
But he claims we're getting all kinds of vehicles in '27. SHARC, Devilfish, FANG, Dreadnok trike, Water Moccasin, etc., in addition to the already announced MTO Thundermachine. And apparently they're diving headfirst into the 90's with Headman and the Headhunters, and Cesspool vs the Ecowarriors... and doing more DIRE tech nonsense.
He also said that they are doing more Oktober Guard, which I would have guessed, as it's unlikely Daina would be a lone release. Voltar is in the pipeline (but still no classic IG trooper?!). Retro Jinx, General Hawk, and Chuckles, all in decos closer to the '87 movie.... because movie anniversary. The LRRP three-pack is still a go (I'm pretty stoked about that one). Also, solo Serpentor w/o the chariot is coming.
And there was a strong implication that they are replacing the Legacy generic figures with a Skybound/Energon subline to do all of those characters. Not sure if it's Classified style with Energon decos, or figures with a totally different comic-style vibe... probably the former. At the very least, we'll get some modern updates, maybe a better Mercer on a larger buck, and some of the new characters like Rook, this iteration of Chameleon, and pseudo-hero Baroness. And I suspect all of the heroes will look scruffy and war-torn because the action is so intense that it doesn't leave time for proper grooming.
Lots of stuff. I have heard several of those rumors from other sources, so I tend to believe those... and some of it feels like wishful thinking. But since no one ever goes back to watch old videos to see if he actually knows stuff or if he's just full of shit, I guess I'll assume most of it has a grain of truth to it.
Yeah, his info is generally pretty good, but he can be annoying, and I typically tune out immediately when he unboxes and rates stuff with his kid. It was cute when the kid was young, but not so much with the sweaty teenager. I’m much more into the Full Force Podcast these days.
It is interesting to see all the recent reissues of figs and vehicles that were previously underproduced. I think it's a welcome development that should help to diffuse a lot of the scalping of the more rare "exclusive" figs/vehicles, and should allow folks who came into collecting the line later to gain access to what would otherwise be very cost prohibitive. Crazy that this is happening now, when even the original O-rings (aside from the conversion to swivel arm) never rereleased OG figs, even the popular ones, unless they were redeco'ed as TF/NF/whatever. I like it.
That said, at least with the Range-Viper reissue, it seems like maybe they have either underestimated the demand yet again or the scalpers have scooped the entire supply up very rapidly. Where other WM exclusives like NF Psych Out and 250th Duke have come back into stock a couple times (and remain so as of today), RV seems to be perpetually out of stock at WM since the (underpromoted) rerelease and immediately subsequent selling out. Seems this one may have the same unobtainium problem that the original release had.
It will also be interesting to see how the quality fares between the original Chinese produced products and the presumed Vietnam produced rereleases. I'd love to see a youtuber do a side by side comparison when they are supposed to be identical. I did see one do a comparison between Haslab Wild Bill and the recent, not exactly the same, Retro version. There was a significant apparent drop in quality with the Vietnam Retro version, and I expect that to be the trend, at least in the near term. I wouldn't expect the newer Vietnam factories to have all the kinks worked out that the long term Chinese ones had conquered.
That said, at least with the Range-Viper reissue, it seems like maybe they have either underestimated the demand yet again or the scalpers have scooped the entire supply up very rapidly. Where other WM exclusives like NF Psych Out and 250th Duke have come back into stock a couple times (and remain so as of today), RV seems to be perpetually out of stock at WM since the (underpromoted) rerelease and immediately subsequent selling out. Seems this one may have the same unobtainium problem that the original release had.
It will also be interesting to see how the quality fares between the original Chinese produced products and the presumed Vietnam produced rereleases. I'd love to see a youtuber do a side by side comparison when they are supposed to be identical. I did see one do a comparison between Haslab Wild Bill and the recent, not exactly the same, Retro version. There was a significant apparent drop in quality with the Vietnam Retro version, and I expect that to be the trend, at least in the near term. I wouldn't expect the newer Vietnam factories to have all the kinks worked out that the long term Chinese ones had conquered.
Mmmm, I have never seen 250th Duke for sale at MSRP since the original listing that got auto-canceled, nor have I ever seen one in the wild. If you are aware of a plethora of them, feel free to shoot me a link.
It's weird, as it seems that the original RV release was uber-plentiful in europe and went on clearance there. It's like they got all our stock. I managed to get 3-4 or them in the first go-round and haven't felt the need for more. He's a nice trooper, but not one that I need legions of. A small squad is sufficient.
But I agree, it's nice that they're addressing the excess demand. Nemesis Enforcer, Arctic BAT, etc are all getting reissues, and that's definitely a positive sign.
It's weird, as it seems that the original RV release was uber-plentiful in europe and went on clearance there. It's like they got all our stock. I managed to get 3-4 or them in the first go-round and haven't felt the need for more. He's a nice trooper, but not one that I need legions of. A small squad is sufficient.
But I agree, it's nice that they're addressing the excess demand. Nemesis Enforcer, Arctic BAT, etc are all getting reissues, and that's definitely a positive sign.
There's what I've been seeing. Says "Low Stock" but has shown available for a few days again.
As for RV, I wasn't super enthusiastic to try to chase him down in the original release, but do hope to pick one up given the second shot at it. It just seems odd that he has remained elusive like this while others have become reasonably obtainable.
Thanks! Weird... my bookmark for 250th Duke always takes me to the overpriced third party seller, despite bookmarking the original listing. I'll give that a shot, see if it pans out. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I did see that it went out of stock on their site by this morning. It has been bouncing back and forth, but you might have gotten in just under the wire!
Speaking of WM and GI Joe. I don't know why, but I was actually mildly miffed when I happened to notice that my local WM, which hasn't carried anything CS for years now, is stocking those ridiculous TNMT/Joe crossover toys in quantity. I do miss the thrill of seeing new CS/Retro stuff on pegs at B&M locations while on the hunt, so this is just a little salt in the wound.
And then there's Target, who has the exact opposite problem (at least for me). When I do happen to visit a Tarjay store, it's not uncommon to see some CS and Retro stuff on the shelves, but their website is absolute trash. I can't get anything Retro to show up in a search and only a few of the deluxe figs for CS. It's really no wonder that both of them are consistently losing ground to AMZ for toy (and probably plenty of other things) sales.
And, speaking of AMZ, I grabbed a discounted Lifeline and should receive him tomorrow. I plan to try to "make a man out of him" with some Vala kit. We'll see if I can pull that off. I also acquired a more battlefield worthy version I happened across on Mercari of another brightly colored favorite! Now I just need to find the time to get them put together and snap pics. Stay tuned!
Speaking of WM and GI Joe. I don't know why, but I was actually mildly miffed when I happened to notice that my local WM, which hasn't carried anything CS for years now, is stocking those ridiculous TNMT/Joe crossover toys in quantity. I do miss the thrill of seeing new CS/Retro stuff on pegs at B&M locations while on the hunt, so this is just a little salt in the wound.
And then there's Target, who has the exact opposite problem (at least for me). When I do happen to visit a Tarjay store, it's not uncommon to see some CS and Retro stuff on the shelves, but their website is absolute trash. I can't get anything Retro to show up in a search and only a few of the deluxe figs for CS. It's really no wonder that both of them are consistently losing ground to AMZ for toy (and probably plenty of other things) sales.
And, speaking of AMZ, I grabbed a discounted Lifeline and should receive him tomorrow. I plan to try to "make a man out of him" with some Vala kit. We'll see if I can pull that off. I also acquired a more battlefield worthy version I happened across on Mercari of another brightly colored favorite! Now I just need to find the time to get them put together and snap pics. Stay tuned!
Apparently I did get in just under the wire (in theory). I appreciate the tip.
I stopped into the WM near my kids' high school... which I haven't set foot in during the last 18mo b/c they drove themselves. It too had a ton of TMNT/Joe stuff, but they actually had some classified things too. Not a ton, but at least they had a few pegs and a little shelf space.
And speaking of AMZ, I got updated ship notices on all my POs last night. They're going to put a massive hurt on my AmEx at the end of this month. Between the next wave of figs, the next wave of retros, the VAMP mkII, HAL, Red Snake (I caved and ordered just one for my Red Shadows faction), Lara Croft, Deluxe Deep Six, etc... it's going to be an expensive september.
And I also ordered a couple of Red Shadows assault troopers and a Cyberia from Skeletron. Between them and Crimson Moon, the RS faction is growing rapidly, which is pretty fun. I like having op-forces that aren't just Cobra... even if the RS are pretty similar. Now if we can just get Vala or NPC to make some op-forces from 'Nam and the sandbox, we'd really be living large. Vala's already doing street thugs and planning a WWII line, so the opposition from the newer wars can't be that far behind... maybe?
I stopped into the WM near my kids' high school... which I haven't set foot in during the last 18mo b/c they drove themselves. It too had a ton of TMNT/Joe stuff, but they actually had some classified things too. Not a ton, but at least they had a few pegs and a little shelf space.
And speaking of AMZ, I got updated ship notices on all my POs last night. They're going to put a massive hurt on my AmEx at the end of this month. Between the next wave of figs, the next wave of retros, the VAMP mkII, HAL, Red Snake (I caved and ordered just one for my Red Shadows faction), Lara Croft, Deluxe Deep Six, etc... it's going to be an expensive september.
And I also ordered a couple of Red Shadows assault troopers and a Cyberia from Skeletron. Between them and Crimson Moon, the RS faction is growing rapidly, which is pretty fun. I like having op-forces that aren't just Cobra... even if the RS are pretty similar. Now if we can just get Vala or NPC to make some op-forces from 'Nam and the sandbox, we'd really be living large. Vala's already doing street thugs and planning a WWII line, so the opposition from the newer wars can't be that far behind... maybe?
Wow, you're right! I've been getting those notifications from AMZ as well. Looks like Sept 30 - Oct 1 is going to be fun, but expensive. Thankfully, the VAMP II is still supposed to come a month later from Pulse. I don't actually have a estimated delivery date for Deep Six as of now, but am not as concerned about him since he was purchased with a gift card anyway.
While most of the other purchases were also offset by selling off other collectibles or paid for with play money at the time, I'm not super jazzed that a lot of them will now be arriving and hitting the card at the same time. Despite some of them arriving earlier than originally estimated, I'd prefer that they stayed spread out more to keep my collecting as low profile as possible to keep any potential drama down.
Here's hoping they ultimately stagger a bit more by then so it's not so obvious how many were purchased around the same time.
While most of the other purchases were also offset by selling off other collectibles or paid for with play money at the time, I'm not super jazzed that a lot of them will now be arriving and hitting the card at the same time. Despite some of them arriving earlier than originally estimated, I'd prefer that they stayed spread out more to keep my collecting as low profile as possible to keep any potential drama down.
Here's hoping they ultimately stagger a bit more by then so it's not so obvious how many were purchased around the same time.
Agreed... and it doesn't help that I usually buy these things in duplicate or triplicate. I'm going to rack up a grand in classified in the next month if I'm not careful. Good thing I handle the cc statements 
Big news I know you will be very excited about:
Sgt. Slaughter Announces Live-Action Film Based on His Character
WWE Hall of Famer, and part-time G.I. Joe, Sgt. Slaughter has announced that a live-action film based on his fictional military persona is in development, sha
toynewsi.com
'da hell? hahahahahaha
He's too old to play himself, and any actor would have to have a 6-in prosthetic jaw.
I'm guessing this either never makes it out of development or goes straight to Tubi.
He's too old to play himself, and any actor would have to have a 6-in prosthetic jaw.
I'm guessing this either never makes it out of development or goes straight to Tubi.
Speaking of the Sarge, his other two renegades just went on sale on AMZ for $30 (half price! - to clarify it's for the "used - like new" ones, which is pretty much all I buy when I'm not POing something) in case you needed any for parts. I had to snatch mine up, so they should be arriving with LL tomorrow. Dang, that escalated quickly!
Ok, I bit for $30. We'll get a good look at what "used" Joes look like. Taking any bets on whether they're figure swaps or just missing half the accessories?
Nah, I’ve never had an issue with AMZ “resale” CS figs, and I’ve used them a lot.. Heck, pretty much every new fig from WM has arrived more banged up. (Now that I’ve said it though… ) Plus AMZ’s return policy is simply a stop at Whole Foods while you are out anyway.
) Plus AMZ’s return policy is simply a stop at Whole Foods while you are out anyway.
If it's just a beat-up box, that would be an upgrade over what I'm expecting. Anytime WM or AMZ ship in a bubble-mailer, the box gets destroyed anyway.
Now I have to care about getting the stupid sarge/mercer 2-pack. Maybe it'll show up "used" for half-price too... 'cuz I'm not paying $60 for that when only half of it is useful, and even then poor Mercer is undersized. For somebody that really doesn't like Sarge in my Joe lore, I have far too many of his figures.
Now I have to care about getting the stupid sarge/mercer 2-pack. Maybe it'll show up "used" for half-price too... 'cuz I'm not paying $60 for that when only half of it is useful, and even then poor Mercer is undersized. For somebody that really doesn't like Sarge in my Joe lore, I have far too many of his figures.
The Renegades showed up today, packaged with another AMZ item. The box was perfect and they had even wrapped it in plastic to protect it from the other food item in the package. No idea how it qualified as a resale item. 
As generally over the top as they are, Taurus and Red Dog are really well made. I checked and they were made in China. Maybe the last of those produced before the move to Vietnam?
As generally over the top as they are, Taurus and Red Dog are really well made. I checked and they were made in China. Maybe the last of those produced before the move to Vietnam?
Mine arrived too, and I also didn't see any discernible difference from the "new" items I normally get from AMZ. Maybe a little shelf wear on the corners, but even that was minor. Maybe someone returned them and AMZ was simply afraid to list them as new b/c they weren't sure? Definitely strange, but I'll take it. That level of discount was the only way I was buying Renegades.
Got a shipping notice on the snowcat, so I should have that behemoth by Tues or Wed.
Got a shipping notice on the snowcat, so I should have that behemoth by Tues or Wed.
Hey, 250th Duke arrived today, in tolerable shape too. You're batting 2-for-2 on the good deals this week!
Hey hey, always happy when things work out! Lifeline is supposedly on the way today, delayed from yesterday. He was discounted as well. And then they dropped retro Grunt down to $13. No way I was passing on that iconic card for wallpaper! He’s supposed to arrive tomorrow.
It’s always during the lulls that my attention turns to the lesser figs and retro duplicates for wallpaper, particularly as their prices get lowered. And the only potential PO that’s on my radar right now is if Range-Viper pops back up on WM. I‘m still holding out hope that he’ll come back around or just show up as available out of the blue like Psych-Out did. Their inventory is so weird..
It’s always during the lulls that my attention turns to the lesser figs and retro duplicates for wallpaper, particularly as their prices get lowered. And the only potential PO that’s on my radar right now is if Range-Viper pops back up on WM. I‘m still holding out hope that he’ll come back around or just show up as available out of the blue like Psych-Out did. Their inventory is so weird..
Retro Grunt's card is indeed iconic. However they screwed up the figure compared to the regular release. They switched to the shorter neck barbell, so he has no neck, so weird. And they didn't give him the Stalker webgear, opting for something less than OG. But in a display of big card art, he'll look great.
Yeah, I noticed that fig looked… stumpy in the promo pics. I guess it’s just the nature of coordinating so many figs and vehicles with production across the world. There’s bound to be errors occasionally.
It's not a big deal... if you open him, you probably have a parts bin where you can steal a longer one... and if you're not opening him, no one's going to be examining close enough to notice. But yeah, it's strange that they got it right the first time and then screwed it up on the retro.
With the long weekend I found a couple minutes to get a couple lower tier “problem children” unpacked, improved upon where possible, and set up. The first one I can take no credit for, besides stumbling onto him on Mercari, but if I had the time, materials and skill, this is just about exactly how I would make Blowtorch modern battlefield ready (assuming flamethrowers could find a place on the modern battlefield at all - anti-drone maybe?).
The guy I bought him from definitely spent a lot of time covering yellow and red with green(s) so poor BT doesn‘t have to stand directly in the middle of his fire stream to blend in. He looks even better in person, as the camera picks up way more of the inevitable little defects that blend in at scale.
I would have loved to have enough spare cash to pay his original asking price, but through patience, bundling and counteroffering, I was able to to get this BT for just a little over the current single fig retail price. I don’t think there are a ton of folks out there as interested as I am in making their CS figs more modern and practical, over just going with Hasbro’s reimagining. And the guy has made a lot of customs like this, so he must love the process, even if it’s hard to find buyers willing to pay for all the labor.
And then there’s our old buddy Lifeline:
He got what considered the least practical/effective colored kit I had from the Vala tin, but when you start with bright red and white, even mint green is an improvement. Honestly, it probably goes better with the remainder of his outfit than any of the OD, tan or gray/black kits would, and I do think it suits him. I’d never consider him for a corpsman role where he’s right there on patrol, trying to blend in, just more of a pararescue jumper type that repels in from a Tomahawk to administer emergency aid during and after things have already gone loud. At least now he has a chance to survive being shot at, since I don’t expect Cobra worries about Geneva convention rules about shooting medics, even if they are brightly identifiable.
I got rid of the rest of LL’s white webgear when I went with the matching battle belt, so his legs are much less busy now as well. I don’t have any matching drop leg gear that’s not rifle mag carriers so his legs are freed up for easier rappelling I suppose. I chose not to give him even a compact carbine since his hands are already pretty full with medical gear, and his focus is only self/patient defense anyway. His pistol fits perfectly in the holster on the belt so he’s pretty much set. I did have to use some tack to get his backpack to stay one. They royally flubbed the size of his peg hole.
Overall, for his role, I think it’s a big improvement and I’ve put him in the display… near the back… but ready to help!
Grunt also came in yesterday and took his place as wallpaper, thankfully also way in the back, as now I can’t unsee his lack of neck. Mine looks particularly stumpy because his LBE is hiked up in the package
. So glad that I caught a really good price for him. At least the card art is good. Even that requires picking and choosing these days.
Anyway, as you can tell, I’m pretty happy to have these guys added/upgraded, now let’s bring on the cool new stuff!
The guy I bought him from definitely spent a lot of time covering yellow and red with green(s) so poor BT doesn‘t have to stand directly in the middle of his fire stream to blend in. He looks even better in person, as the camera picks up way more of the inevitable little defects that blend in at scale.
I would have loved to have enough spare cash to pay his original asking price, but through patience, bundling and counteroffering, I was able to to get this BT for just a little over the current single fig retail price. I don’t think there are a ton of folks out there as interested as I am in making their CS figs more modern and practical, over just going with Hasbro’s reimagining. And the guy has made a lot of customs like this, so he must love the process, even if it’s hard to find buyers willing to pay for all the labor.
And then there’s our old buddy Lifeline:
He got what considered the least practical/effective colored kit I had from the Vala tin, but when you start with bright red and white, even mint green is an improvement. Honestly, it probably goes better with the remainder of his outfit than any of the OD, tan or gray/black kits would, and I do think it suits him. I’d never consider him for a corpsman role where he’s right there on patrol, trying to blend in, just more of a pararescue jumper type that repels in from a Tomahawk to administer emergency aid during and after things have already gone loud. At least now he has a chance to survive being shot at, since I don’t expect Cobra worries about Geneva convention rules about shooting medics, even if they are brightly identifiable.
I got rid of the rest of LL’s white webgear when I went with the matching battle belt, so his legs are much less busy now as well. I don’t have any matching drop leg gear that’s not rifle mag carriers so his legs are freed up for easier rappelling I suppose. I chose not to give him even a compact carbine since his hands are already pretty full with medical gear, and his focus is only self/patient defense anyway. His pistol fits perfectly in the holster on the belt so he’s pretty much set. I did have to use some tack to get his backpack to stay one. They royally flubbed the size of his peg hole.
Overall, for his role, I think it’s a big improvement and I’ve put him in the display… near the back… but ready to help!
Grunt also came in yesterday and took his place as wallpaper, thankfully also way in the back, as now I can’t unsee his lack of neck. Mine looks particularly stumpy because his LBE is hiked up in the package
. So glad that I caught a really good price for him. At least the card art is good. Even that requires picking and choosing these days.Anyway, as you can tell, I’m pretty happy to have these guys added/upgraded, now let’s bring on the cool new stuff!
I was working on a big project, running both printers at once... and I kept getting errors out of the older one. I started it back up this morning, only for it to fail again minutes later. So I started it one more time, and sparks, flames, and smoke started flying out. Apparently the main print head cable (that carries high voltage) shorted out to itself and caused a small electrical fire in the unit. Glad I was standing there!
After 14 months and 6k hours of print time, I would normally expect them to tell me to go fly a kite for support, but when the failure mode is "fire", I would expect them to take a more customer-friendly approach to resolving my issue. Fingers crossed they send me a new unit.
If not, I'll likely buy a new one, as I've gotten very used to having two printers. The next one doesn't need to be an expensive/fancy unit, but the old one was great for utility and support parts... i.e. the ones that aren't complicated or don't need to have a perfect finish. I have the new beast machine for that.
After 14 months and 6k hours of print time, I would normally expect them to tell me to go fly a kite for support, but when the failure mode is "fire", I would expect them to take a more customer-friendly approach to resolving my issue. Fingers crossed they send me a new unit.
If not, I'll likely buy a new one, as I've gotten very used to having two printers. The next one doesn't need to be an expensive/fancy unit, but the old one was great for utility and support parts... i.e. the ones that aren't complicated or don't need to have a perfect finish. I have the new beast machine for that.
Yeah, I’d think they’d want to bribe you to not post about it catching fire on more frequently visited websites by offering a replacement.
You must have quite a lot happening with the two printers rolling. Are you just doing toys or do you make other stuff as well?
You must have quite a lot happening with the two printers rolling. Are you just doing toys or do you make other stuff as well?
Just toys... But yeah, I'm working on some pretty sweet stuff. The new beast printer is allowing me to do things the older one simply could not. I've got about 3hrs left on a 42 hour print... fingers crossed.
Anycubic did not offer me a new unit, but they did offer free replacement parts despite being beyond the 1yr warranty. I suppose I'll rebuild it and let it run a while longer on less critical pieces and parts. It can still be useful if there aren't flames coming from it.
But yeah, I'm working on some pretty sweet stuff. The new beast printer is allowing me to do things the older one simply could not. I've got about 3hrs left on a 42 hour print... fingers crossed.Anycubic did not offer me a new unit, but they did offer free replacement parts despite being beyond the 1yr warranty. I suppose I'll rebuild it and let it run a while longer on less critical pieces and parts. It can still be useful if there aren't flames coming from it.
I had planned to skip Overkill... because 90's... but much like SAW Viper, I do remember him from the comic, and AMZ had him "used" for $19, so I took a gamble after the successful Renegades adventure last week. He arrived complete and unharmed. The box was all kinds of crushed, but as it was mailed in a brown envelope, I can't say if it was crushed before or after they shipped it to me. Either way, the box is unimportant, and I feel pretty good about getting him on the cheap.
Dan's rubbing off on me
Dan's rubbing off on me
Save for pure completism, it's the only way to justify getting some of those lesser/repeat versions of favorites as well as second and third tier offerings, amirite? That said, whenever there's a lull in new releases and discounts start appearing on the previous ones, I seem to end up with a lot more than I had planned to get... lower tiers, retros, project figs, etc.
It does become addictive after a while though. I might need an intervention if the Legacy SF troopers or any of the Cobra troop builders ever makes their way to Ollie's.
It does become addictive after a while though. I might need an intervention if the Legacy SF troopers or any of the Cobra troop builders ever makes their way to Ollie's.