JoeCanuck

Review – Pursuit of Cobra Wolf Hound
& Vintage 1985 Snow Cat


Ah yes, it’s amazing how events work themselves out sometimes.  Earlier this week, I finally got my repro stickers for my original ’85 Snow Cat.  I happily stickered it up while looking longingly at the online pics of the Pursuit of Cobra Wolf Hound.  Then lo and behold, today I had to drop off one of my employees at his house because his truck broke down.  He lives very near Toys R Us, so I stopped in to have a look.  They didn’t have a whole lot of Joe stuff…but they DID have four Wolf Hounds sitting on the shelf!

I quickly grabbed it up, checked out, and came home with visions of this review dancing in my head.  Due to the overwhelming similarities between the two vehicles, this will be a two-for-one review of both the original Snow Cat and the brand-new Pursuit of Cobra Wolf Hound.  The Wolf Hound is the fourth version of the Snow Cat.  1988 saw the release of the tiger-striped Tiger Cat, part of the Tiger Force line of repaints.  The mold was reused again in 2003 in the Spy Troops line, this time with a camo color scheme and “Sound Attack” features.  Anyway, ever since getting an original Tiger Cat back in the day, the Snow Cat and its variants have been some of my favorite vehicles…so here goes my review.

The Snow Cat (and thus, its variants including the Wolf Hound) is an Arctic assault vehicle.  It’s a half-track, with regular wheels up front for steering and tank tracks at the rear.  This arrangement gives the Snow Cat superior traction over all sorts of nasty terrain with better speed and maneuverability than a completely tracked vehicle.  Excluding the Tiger Cat, all of the Snow Cat variants are white on top with a dark underbody.  The Snow Cat has seating for two Joes up front under its tinted canopy.  The cockpit is very well detailed, with various buttons, switches, and levers molded into its center console.    To maintain visibility in white out conditions, the canopy has a large, single-bladed windshield wiper.  There is also what appears to be a light bar above and behind the canopy, as well as headlights up front for those endless Arctic nights.  One more neat feature is the large removable panel

For armament, there are two large torpedoes, one on each side, that are mounted on skis.  There is also a turret mounted in the middle of the rear of the vehicle.  The turret is topped with a box that holds four medium-sized missiles.  The turret can rotate 360 degrees, and can elevate until the missiles are pointed almost straight up.  With the skipedoes removed, the Snow Cat can haul a decent amount of troops, too.  There’s room for four Joes on the running boards with the skipedoes removed.  There are also steps on either side in between the front tire and the rear tread, which can hold two Joes.  There are two more steps on the rear of the vehicle, on either side of the trailer hitch.  So total counting the driver and passenger up front, and with the skipedoes removed, the Snow Cat can haul a whopping 10 Joes!

While I love the Snow Cat, it is of course not perfect.  The most glaring military fault is that the Snow Cat has no backup weapon once the skipedoes and missiles are fired.  The lack of so much as a machine gun anywhere also means that the Snow Cat would either have to rely on other vehicles in its force, or on its mounted infantry to protect it from infantry assault.  As a toy, the most glaring fault with the Snow Cat lies in its turret.  The clips that snap the missile box onto its turret are pretty easy to break off.  Fortunately, the missile box will usually still stay on the turret tightly enough to display well, even if the clips break on both sides (I know this from experience from my Tiger Cat).  

Now, onto what separates the Wolf Hound from the Snow Cat.  I have to make mention of the artwork on the Wolf Hound’s box first though.  It’s WONDERFUL!  This is the best Joe artwork on packaging since the iconic artwork of the A Real American Hero line, and that’s saying something.  It’s wonderful looking and realistic all at the same time, with excellent attention to detail (stickers on the vehicle in their proper places on the artwork etc).  Also, I celebrate the return of the original style “GI Joe” on both the artwork and the vehicle itself…to me, it beats the crap out of the Rise of Cobra eagle head anyday!

As for the actual vehicle, the lower section of the Wolf Hound’s body is a dark gray instead of the Snow Cat’s black.  The other aesthetic differences are the slightly more subdued orange on the skipedoes and missiles, the darker tint on the canopy and lights, a sort of camo “wash” effect on the main body, and white coloring on the tracks’ bogey wheels.  The Wolf Hound comes with a ton of stickers too.  Some of them are obvious homages and duplications of the Snow Cat’s stickers, while some of them add detail…including some very welcome (by me anyway) stickers added to the cockpit. The other changes are that the skipedoes sit just a tad higher on the Wolf Hound than they do on the Snow Cat, and of course the missile box.  The missile box on the Wolf Hound is an actual complete box, instead of the half-box on the original Snow Cat.  The new missile box is spring loaded, and pushing a slider across the top rear of the box will fire the missiles in succession.  The springs in the box have some power too, as the Wolf Hound’s missiles will easily fly 2.5 to 3 feet.   The major physical complaint with the Snow Cat is fixed too, as the Wolf Hound’s missile box snaps onto its turret with much thicker, more durable claws…though I can still see them getting broken if the toy is handled too roughly.  

Comparing the Wolf Hound to the Snow Cat, I like all the Wolf Hound’s extra stickers, especially the ones in the cockpit.  I also like most of the new aesthetic touches, like the darker tint on the canopy and lights and the white coloring on the bogey wheels.  The new missile box is of course an improvement, as well.  

As for my dislikes, my biggest complaint is with the camo “wash” effect.  I don’t know if it’s just on my Wolf Hound or not, but on my vehicle the effect is applied very unevenly.  The left rear corner of my WH got a heavy dose of the wash effect, while the rest of the vehicle is almost bare.  Uh, I’d really like a much more even application, Hasbro.  My other big complaint is with a few of the stickers…why oh why if this vehicle is the “Wolf Hound” does it still have the big blue “Snow Cat” sticker on the side?  Sure, the words “Snow Cat” aren’t there anymore, but a vehicle named after a canine should not have an obviously feline head emblazoned on its side.  Also, while I celebrate the return of the old-style “GI Joe” logo, I still miss the red, white, and blue emblazoned logo…even if the PoC style logo is much more military looking, as well as better at camouflage.  My final complaint is that one of my stickers was missing off the factory sheet…fortunately it was one of the unimportant, easily disguised stickers…but it still annoyed me greatly.

I should also mention that the Wolf Hound does come with a figure, named White Out.  White Out is just as boring of a figure as his namesake office correction liquid.  White Out is a repaint and headswap of the 25th Anniversary Snow Job figure.  He’s not a bad looking figure, but we’ve gotten this mold quite a few times now and I’m pretty tired of it.  (I will say that he would make a nice Moose Jaw, Canucklehead fans).  Even worse, he comes with zero accessories.  C’mon Hasbro, we went through this with the first wave of RoC vehicles, and I thought you had learned your lesson by now!!!!  I’m not even asking for 25th Snow Job’s backpack, skis, and ski poles…I just want a measly gun!  Considering that this vehicle is a mildly modified classic mold with a many-times reissued figure, I don’t think a gun is too much to ask…especially when I see how much freaking gear the PoC single-card figs come with!

If you have and love the original Snow Cat and are pleased with it, or if it’s not your fave vehicle, you might want to give the Wolf Hound a pass.  It’s a neat vehicle, but neither it nor the figure included are different enough to warrant a purchase if you have a Snow Cat.  But if you don’t have a Snow Cat, you really like the Snow Cat, or if you just want to expand your Arctic Joe forces, give the Wolf Hound a look.

Pics:

Ahhhh yes, the ‘80s.  GI Joe, Transformers, and He-Man were all going strong both in the stores and on TV.  Also, there was an unprecedented run of iconic vehicles in prime time.  The Dukes had the General Lee, Michael Knight of course had KITT, Hardcastle & McCormick had the Coyote, Airwolf prowled the skies…and a black, dark metallic gray, and red GMC van carried the A-Team on their adventures.

Only during the ‘80s could something like a full-size van (normally the transportation of choice for plumbers, painters, and the like) be considered the “thing to have.”  Particularly popular were the big full-size conversion vans, which featured such creature comforts as fold out gaming tables, plush velour bucket seats, shag carpeting, and a rear seat that could be folded into a bed.  I know that for a fact.  My parents had an ’83 Ford E-150 Anaheim conversion van, cream, black and brown with a tan and brown interior, that I traveled many a mile in the back of.  There was even an episode of Full House where the guys freaked out because DJ had a date with a guy who had a tricked out van.  So anyway, though you may laugh at the sheer absurdity of a full-size van being the hot ticket, remember it…because people in 2023 will probably laugh at your Tahoe.

But I digress.  The A-Team tooled around in their big, black, tricked out GMC Vandura van.  The van had mag wheels, fender flares, running boards, a grill guard, driving lights on top, a sunroof, and a big red spoiler on the back.  Why a van needs something that normally is used to keep sportscars stable at high speeds on its roof I don’t know, especially considering the abysmal horsepower ratings of the day, but man did it look cool in ’83.  With the current summer movie theme of “everything old is new again” continuing into 2010, of COURSE we would receive an updated A-Team movie.  Which of course requires the release of a line of action figures in the good ol’ 3 ¾ inch size, as well as a compatible van…because what else would your A-Team figures tool around in?

The toy A-Team van (manufactured by a company called Jazwares) closely mimics its 1983 predecessor.  The only major external cosmetic changes I can see are that the wheels are now black instead of bright red, and this van has side pipes instead of running boards.  Everything else though, from the spoiler to the black and dark metallic gray color scheme (with separating red stripe) is consistent with the old van.  The front has a grille guard, which itself is further accessorized with driving lights, eyelets for towing, and a small, non-functioning winch.  The headlights and parking lights in the actual grille are blacked out, though the big red “GMC” is still emblazoned across the grille’s middle.  Just above the windshield sits a sun shade, which has driving lights mounted on top of it.  Above the front seats is a sunroof, which is actually tinted translucent plastic.  I should note here that the windshield, driver and passenger windows, and sunroof ALL share the same tinted translucent plastic.  A nice touch, even if a fully tinted windshield is pretty illegal (the rear windows have louvers on them, preventing Jazwares from having to spring for more of that tinted plastic).   Continuing along the van’s roof, the roof features the ridges in it that all those old vans had, another nice touch that pleases me.  At the rear of the roof sits that big red spoiler.  It’s not TOO obnoxious, only sticking up slightly above the roof…but it’s still a spoiler on a freaking VAN.

The van’s sides are dominated by the fender flares and side pipes. One nice touch, which often gets overlooked on vehicles like this, is that both doors actually have mirrors on them.  The passenger side of the van features a sliding rear door that opens and slides back realistically.  I really dig this feature, because it allows for easy access to the interior and looks pretty cool.  The rear of the van has those louvered windows I mentioned earlier, as well as non-functioning rear doors and taillights with louvers over them. 

The van’s interior is black and gray…the dash, steering wheel, and seats are all molded in gray, while the floor and center console are black.  There’s a mixture of good detail and BAD detail here.  The good is in the center console.  The A-Team is apparently pimping a 4x4 Vandura, because the center console has two sticks protruding from it.  One would logically be the shifter, while the other one would have to be the 4 wheel drive selector.  There’s even cupholders molded into the center console between the front seats.  The bad detail is the dash…there are a few vents and buttons molded into it, but there’s not a lot of detail here.  There are no stickers or anything of that sort for the speedo and other instruments.  And the steering wheel is both huge, molded with almost no detail, and sits way too close to the dash.  The other bad detail is in the seats themselves.  They’re molded like the same big, cushy buckets I remember from our conversion van…but they just flat look CHEAP.  The sides and base are all squared off with no detail, and while there are a few lines molded into the cushion and the seatbacks, they still look cheap.  Even the plastic on them feels cheap.

There is one more feature…the van has some electronic features.  A small button molded flush into the driver’s side activates the headlights (which flash) and quotes and sound effects from the movie.  There’s not a whole lot of variety here…the sound effects range from BA Baracus/Rampage Jackson saying, “Sup girl?  You miss me?  Cause I missed YOUUU!” to an explosion to someone saying “We’ll need a plan” to a machine gun firing (which also kind of sounds like a helicopter) to a rowdy burnout/blaring exhaust sound effect.  And that’s it!  I will say that the sound effects are pretty clear and also pretty loud.  There is a switch on the bottom, so you can turn the sound effects off in case you’re worried about the button on the side getting accidentally held down during storage and draining your batteries. 

The highs?  I love the tinted “glass,” the sliding rear door, the (mostly) solid construction of the thing, it’s size, the exterior detailing, the paint (especially the metallic above the stripe) and how loud the sound effects are.  Plus, even though it’s a tricked out GMC Vandura, it’s still kind of cool in an ‘80s kind of way.  It will easily hold four figures in the seats, and several more can be stuffed in the back.  I can see customizers running wild with this thing…stripping off the side pipes and giving it an all-black paint job would make it a nice SWAT van, AND I can just see the Dreadnoks doing something evil with a van like this. 

The lows?  The grille guard and mirrors are surprisingly made of some soft plastic, which makes it very easy for them to get bent out of shape…even if they are more durable and less likely to break that way.  The interior detail is pretty crappy, ESPECIALLY the seats.  They look like something that belongs in one of those crappy dollar store plastic cars, not a detailed 1/18th scale vehicle like this. Plus, Joes don’t sit in them too well, and even if you can get them to sit halfway right it’s almost impossible to make them stay.  The rear door does not sit flush when closed, and can be prone to flopping around, which is pretty annoying at times.  It can also fall off easily, though I suspect this was done more in the interest of durability (less likely to break off the door if you drop it or play rough with it) than being a design flaw.  The sound effects aren’t very varied or memorable, though I did kinda like the burnout.  I don’t like the way the headlights flash when sound effects are played…if anything they should just come on and stay on.  Though the button to activate the effects on the side is small and not too noticeable, I still wish they could have put it somewhere else…you know, like maybe making the SPOILER the button?  And finally, in a move that I just freaking HATE and that screams CHEAP, especially considering what this costs, Jazwares does not see fit to send the required two AA batteries with your A-Team van.  I HATE electronic toys that don’t include batteries, especially when it’s something measly like AA s. 

The A-Team van is currently selling for $25-40 bucks.  Your feelings of nostalgia will probably help you decide on how much to spend.  Is it worth $25 bucks?  Yeah, I’ll give it that.  Is it worth $35-40?  I don’t think so, considering the very crappy interior and the lack of frigging batteries.  Buy it if you must, but after getting my hands on it, I wish I had waited for the inevitable movie merchandise clearance sales.  And I can’t WAIT to see what the customizers do with this thing!

Pics:

OlYeller hasn't been on the site that much in the past few weeks, but that doesn't mean I haven't been Joeccupied.  Besides procuring more vehicles etc, I've also done a few customs over the past few weeks.

First up is my first ever custom, Joe Canuck.  I posted pics of him on here before and got both props and some criticism.  Initially, he was a repainted TRU RoC Firefly, with a white and gray color scheme.  His critics said that (and I admit) he needed the beanie to complete the Joe Canuck look, and that Joe Canuck uses brown as his secondary color.  Well, a simple repaint to his accents and taking a razorknife to both his head and a RoC Shipwreck's head yielded THIS:






Admittedly, he could use a touch-up on his goggles and I didn't get the head cut quite perfect, but I'm still pretty pleased with him.

What do you think of when you think of GI Joe vehicles?  For planes, I think of the SkyStriker.  For choppers, I think of the Tomahawk.  For tanks, I think of the Mauler.  And for speedy, just-the-right-size, go-anywhere vehicles, I think of the VAMP (and its many variations).  I’m going to review the VAMP, its variants (the VAMP Mk II, Cobra Stinger, Tiger Sting, the later TRU exclusive VAMPs, and the 25th VAMP/Stinger) and point out the differences between them.  Unfortunately, I’m missing the 2001 TRU Desert Striker (it’s on my want list) so I won’t be reviewing it…but it is actually a heavily reworked VAMP, and shares its rollcage with the 2004 TRU VAMP.

VAMP’s acronym is perfectly fitting, and gives it a name that is easily recognizable.  There have been a few other utility vehicles whose Army names have become iconic…think the HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) better known as the Humvee, and the Ford Model GPW, also known as the Jeep.  Well the VAMP is a Vehicle, Attack, Multi-Purpose, and no acronym fits a vehicle better.  The VAMP is small enough to go just about anywhere, appears to have all the off-road prowess of a Jeep or Hummer, and can be set up as anything from a fast-attack vehicle armed with a laser gun on a turret to a fast, mobile SAM platform, as you shall see.

The original ’82 VAMP consisted of a green body and wheels with black chassis and interior.  The front of the vehicle features a winch on the front bumper and molded-into-the-hood machine gun, positioned directly in front of the driver.  This arrangement makes it easy for the driver to aim the weapon.  Moving rearward, the VAMP features an open, two-person cockpit.  The occupants are protected only by a rollcage, no doors or roof to see here.  Behind and above the occupants in the center of the vehicle’s rear deck is a turret.  This turret features a black, double-barreled laser blaster/machine gun.  The gun can traverse 360 degrees and elevate and depress.  The rear of the VAMP features a rack that holds two removable gas cans and the standard GI Joe hitch. 

The ’84 Mark II VAMP changed its colors from green to brown, with off-white wheels.  The main differences between it and the original VAMP are a small bumper guard with off-road lights on top in front of the winch, a molded-in shovel on the top of the passenger side fender, the deletion of the coax machine gun, the addition of a cargo pack in the machine gun’s place, “canvas” doors that opened like regular doors, and a “canvas” roof with a “folded back” opening so the driver could look at the sky.  For armament, the Mark II features a four-missile box turret instead of a double-barreled cannon.  The rear of the Mark II also features two gas cans, but they attach directly to the vehicle instead of being held in a rack, and they feature posts that allow them to be plugged into backpack holes on vintage ARAH figures.  The Mark II VAMP looks well suited to desert duty…besides the brown color scheme and scorpion logo on the side, those large rear canisters are labeled as “water” instead of fuel.

The ’84 Cobra Stinger 4WD makes the VAMP bad in black and gray.  Key differences here are a different front bumper, a large canister where the Mark II’s cargo pack is, a solid roof, doors that open “gullwing” style, a rear turret featuring four very large missiles, a slightly different rear deck design, and a troop-carrying platform with a grab bar on the back instead of gas cans.  The biggest difference, the troop platform, is kind of questionable…because any Cobras standing on back of the Stinger are going to get a face full of missile exhaust if the driver decides to fire his weapons!  This exact same mold was used to create the ’98 TRU exclusive Rattler 4WD, which featured a dark blue and white camo scheme.

The 1989 Tiger Sting features a parts combination.  It combines the original VAMP’s body (with machine gun on the hood and rear gas can rack) with the Mark II’s push bar with off road lights, roof, doors, and missile box turret.  This vehicle is of course painted in the Tiger Force scheme, featuring a white, tan, and yellow-with-black-stripes body with red missiles. 

The 2004 TRU-exclusive VAMP (which came packaged with a Whirlwind Battle Gun) is molded in dark green with silver wheels.  It’s another open-cockpit vehicle, returning the VAMP to its roots.  The main differences here are a new, raisable hood that extends over the old VAMP’s hood and partially covers the winch (the original hood can be seen when the new one is raised) and a different rollcage that sits much higher than the original.  The hood features a small hole that allows the passenger to mount a combat shotgun on a secure, rotating mount.  Also above the passenger, strapped to the front rollbar, is a missile launcher with a cannon attached to its left side.  This is all of this VAMP’s firepower, as it does NOT have a rear turret.  The section where the rear turret is normally placed is covered by a removable flat panel (though when removed, there’s nothing underneath except a hole where the regular turret attached).  The rear of this VAMP features no gas cans or racks, simply the hitch…though the slots where the gas can rack goes are clearly visible.   

The 25th Anniversary VAMP improves on the original design in several ways.  The tires have much larger treads, are slightly wider, and sit out further from the body, giving the VAMP a widened stance and aggressive look.  The head and taillights are now simulated with plastic instead of stickers.  A push bar with driving lights similar to the Mark II’s is added to the front.  The hood can now be raised, revealing an engine underneath.  Also, the cargo pack the Mark II’s hood featured has been added offset to the right of the coax gun, and can be removed.  Instead of a barren passenger fender, the 25th VAMP features a removable gray shovel on its fender.  The seats inside now have a tan paint app instead of boring black.  And the rear gun turret has been reworked, featuring a beefier looking gun with attached hoses.  Those hoses really make the 25th VAMP’s rear gun look like a true laser cannon.

The 25th Cobra Stinger features the same upgrades to the lights as the 25th VAMP, it has slightly different paint apps on the front (more silver), and instead of a molded-in shovel the Stinger has a spot where an AK-47 can be snapped on.  The face-roasting troop platform remains unchanged however. 

I have almost no complaints with the VAMP.  The only complaints I have are the aforementioned poorly placed platform on the Stinger, the easily lost gas cans on the Mark I, Mark II, and the Tiger Sting, and the bright red missile and lack of detail on the rear of the 2004 TRU VAMP.  Also, when storing VAMPs, you have to be very careful so that the turret doesn’t get broken off.  This is especially true on the Mark II and Tiger Sting. 

I love ALL of these VAMP variations.  My two favorites are the 25th VAMP because of its updated, extra-beefy looks and neat features, and the Tiger Sting.  I love the Tiger Sting not only because it is a great mix of the Mark I and II VAMPs, but because my grandmother bought it for me.  I spent many an hour rolling the Tiger Sting around on the floor in my grandmother’s den, so it holds a special place in my heart. The VAMP is a truly great vehicle.  It’s one of those “just the right size” vehicles that can be taken anywhere, and made to do almost anything.  And each and every one of its variations works in its own right, and makes a great vehicle on its own.  If you want a VAMP or variant, expect to pay $20-50 depending on model, seller, and condition (the exception is the rare 25th Cobra Stinger, which goes for ridiculous amounts).  If you don’t have one…well, what are you waiting for?  Go buy a version of one of the most iconic Joe vehicles out there!  I promise, you won’t be disappointed!

Pics:

Though the early years of 3 ¾” GI Joe vehicles were pretty much all based on real and/or very realistic vehicles, the mid-80s started to see a departure from this.  There were several vehicles released in these years that were perhaps based in reality but were mostly fantasy.  The HAVOC (Heavy Articulated Vehicle Ordnance Carrier) falls into this category.  Though based in reality, this vehicle has far too many military flaws to be practical…but Joe vehicles aren’t perfect, and that’s part of the fun!  The HAVOC was also heavily featured in the Joe cartoon and in GI Joe: The Movie, as well as a particular issue in the comics (#51, where it took on the Thunder Machine carrying none other than Sgt. Slaughter!)  Anyways, on to the review.

The HAVOC is one of the larger mid-sized Joe vehicles, about twice as long as a VAMP.  The main colors at work are the familiar Joe green, a few shades of gray, and…bright orange/red?  It has two sets of tracks, a small set up front and a larger set under the rear.  The front tracks can rotate a full 360 degrees, while the rear tracks can rotate about 30 degrees.  This means that the HAVOC would be quite maneuverable for a vehicle its size, if it were real.  The tracks have green covers on them that can be removed, revealing the machinery and detail underneath. 

A large glass canopy dominates the front of the vehicle, and there is a cannon underneath each headlight that can pivot in about a 45-degree arc independently.  The canopy is raised by tilting back the gunner’s seat (behind the canopy) and raising the glass from the front.  One would think that all the glass would offer excellent visibility to the two occupants, but a closer look at the controls reveals that the glass is not really necessary.  The occupants control the HAVOC laying on their stomachs and looking into a box that contains both various instruments and a viewscreen.  There are control levers on either side of the instrument boxes.  There are a few nice details molded into the cockpit, including the aforementioned instrument boxes and a few other canisters and other unidentifiable objects. 

Behind the canopy sits a single gunner’s seat, right smack dab in the top middle of the vehicle.  This seat pretty much dominates the whole HAVOC.  There is a joystick for control on the seat’s left side, and there are two very large cannons attached to the seat.  When the seat is in “locked in” position, its bottom sits flush with the top of the canopy, and the cannons flank either side.  There are two arms that attach to the HAVOC’s body low and just behind the canopy.  These arms allow the gunner’s seat to tilt backwards.  Also, tilting the seat gives the arms more travel room, and can allow the gunner’s seat to sit directly above the canopy. 

Moving the gunner’s seat forward reveals an angular box beneath it.  The cover on the box can be removed, revealing a pretty nice-sized V-type engine.  Moving to the rear, there is a rear-facing seat just aft of the engine.  Also facing to the rear are two small guns that can rotate a full 360, as well as four large missiles, two on each side.  Small running boards on either side of the rear have pegs for three figures each.  The HAVOC’s rear contains two small steps on either side of a wedge shaped protrusion, as well as the standard Joe hitch for towing other vehicles and weapons like the HAL and Mountain Howitzer.

But wait…there’s more!  The HAVOC has a surprise in store!  Flip that gunner’s seat all the way forward above the canopy, and both sides of the HAVOC’s body open up, clamshell-style.  This reveals none other than a small, one-man hovercraft.  The hovercraft is armed with two machine guns, one on each side.  An engine and exhaust system take up the rear of the hovercraft, just behind the seat.  The underside of the hovercraft features two large fans for propulsion.  The fans can tilt in tandem to the left and right side of the vehicle for better control, and they have two circular pads in the HAVOC’s rear to land on.  The hovercraft isn’t large or very heavily armed, but it LOOKS like a quick little bugger that would be perfect for recon duty (in fact, a sticker just in front of the cockpit says “recon lift instr”).  It would be the perfect thing to lure Cobras back to the HAVOC’s heavy firepower.

Ok, so we’ve established that the HAVOC is a big, heavily armed Joe vehicle with weapons front and rear and its own recon hovercraft.  So what holds it back from being perfect?  Well, I for one question the choice of bright red on all the weapons.  Yes, I know the weapons would be dangerous…and that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?  But I can see the HAVOC sitting in a swamp while unsuspecting Cobras walk by…until the notice the bright red cannons on the front and missiles on the side.  Eeek.  Also, the bright red has a tendency to fade badly, leaving you with orangey-pink weapons (as you can see in my photos).  Plus, that glass canopy had better be bulletproof glass if the drivers want any protection.  Even if it was bulletproof, that much glass would still offer minimal protection from heavy weapons and explosives.  I’m not too fond of the “lying on the belly” position of the drivers, either. Also, the Joe sitting in the gunner’s seat had better have his life insurance paid up, because he’s sitting on top of a large, heavily armed vehicle, controlling the vehicle’s heaviest weapons…and he’s completely exposed!  No cockpit or bulletproof glass here…it’s just open to the elements, leaving the occupant susceptible from everything from small arms and sniper fire to shrapnel from near misses to even jetwash from the hovercraft if its pilot is careless during takeoff and landing.

The HAVOC isn’t perfect, but it is unique, as well as heavily armed.  It’s a nicely sized vehicle, too, especially for the money.  Figure on paying $20-40 for a complete one, and repro stickers and parts are readily available and easy to find.  Despite its flaws, I really like the HAVOC, and it was one of my first pickups when I started collecting Joes again (I had the Sky Patrol HAVOC back in the day, so I was familiar with it, but I never had the original).  Considering all the vehicle you get for the price, I advise looking into one if you are interested.

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The initial Bravo wave of Rise of Cobra vehicles was pretty memorable, much more memorable than the Alpha wave…in my humble opinion, anyway.  We got the pretty decent Cobra Gunship and the excellent Steel Crusher.  GI Joe got a vehicle as well, but unlike the other two, it wasn’t exactly new.  Instead, GI Joe got a blast from the (recent) past, the Ice Dagger. 

The Ice Dagger is a repaint of the Ice Sabre, which was originally released in 2004 as part of the Valor vs Venom line and again in 2006 as a Direct To Consumer vehicle.  (Side note: want to name your Arctic vehicle?  Simply name it “Ice” followed by some type of cutlery).  The Ice Sabre/Dagger can best be described as a halftrack on skis.  There are two large skis under the front of the vehicle with tank treads under the rear for propulsion.  For the RoC line, Hasbro ditched the white and camo scheme of the previous two vehicles in favor of a light ice blue on the front section, and a slightly darker shade on the rear panels. 

The Ice Dagger’s front section is dominated by a two-seater cockpit up top and the skis underneath.  The entire section that the skis attach to on the underside can be shifted forward, which allows the skis to turn left and right for steering.  Shifting them to the rear pretty much locks them in place.  Why this vehicle would have this arrangement for the skis is kinda beyond me…perhaps the Ice Dagger could go a lot faster in a straight line with the skis tucked underneath?  I know nothing about snowmobiles and skis, because there’s not a whole lotta market for ‘em in South Texas, so if any of you Canucks or fellow Americans from the northern states want to fill me in, feel free.  Anyway, the skis can also be tilted up and down individually to cope with changes in terrain or terrain elevation.

Above the skis is the aforementioned cockpit.  Grab the rear of the canopy and flip it up and forward to reveal the ID’s command center.  There’re two seats here…which one is the driver and which one is the passenger is kind of up to you, as there’s really no discernment.  There’s not a whole lot of detail in the cockpit, but there are a few buttons and switches, as well as some stickers for gauges.  Just aft of the cockpit on the passenger side, there is a tub built in the vehicle, and a machine gun is mounted on the left half of the tub, directly in the middle of the ID.  The machine gun can elevate and rotate from side to side.  Two very thin rails run down the sides of the vehicle towards the rear, and both sides feature a 25th/RoC-sized footpeg at the front of them.  There doesn’t appear to be too much more to the Ice Dagger, other than a seat in the top rear with a cage around it.  The rear of the ID features a black flip-down door, revealing a compartment.  There’s not much to the compartment, but there is a seat molded into the right side, facing towards the left.  One figure could sit back there.

But wait, there IS more.  Push a button on the top rear of the Ice Dagger (just above the rear hatch) and the side panels flip down and that aforementioned caged seat pops up, revealing a turret.  The turret can rotate a full 360 degrees, and features a gun offset to the right, just in front of the seat’s occupant, as well as four missiles (2 per side).  Buttons on the rear of the turret fire both missiles per side simultaneously.  There’s also a communications antenna and a radar dish at the rear of the turret.  The radar dish can rotate. 

The Ice Dagger’s a pretty neat vehicle, but there are some flaws and interesting design choices.  First, 25th/RoC figures don’t fit in it too well…though of course, the original design was made for O-ring figures, not 25th/RoC style.  I don’t like the offset of the machine gun above the canopy…it makes it difficult for a figure to hold it, and they have to be turned to their left.  Plus, that same machine gun can be turned almost a full 90 degrees to the right of the ID, but can only turn about 45 degrees to the left.  Better hope all the threats are on the right!  Also, the Joe manning the machine gun tub had darn well better hope the guy in the rear turret doesn’t hit the wrong button with the turret lowered, because the gun on the turret would shoot the Joe in the machine gun tub right in the back.  The section behind the fold-down rear door was neat, but I wish it was large enough to hold several figures instead of just one…it seems kind of tacked on.  In yet another odd design choice, with the turret raised it can only rotate 45 degrees to the right before it hits a stop.  To face the turret 90 degrees to the right, you have to spin it back around counter-clockwise.  This arrangement just seems flat weird to me, and it may be unique to or an error in my particular vehicle, because it seems like it would make a LOT more sense to have the stop when the turret turns directly to the rear. 

The Ice Dagger does come with a driver, a new version of Frostbite.  This was a give-up figure if ever there was one, as all he is is 25th Arctic Snake Eyes with an off-white parka and Para-Viper’s head, with a black balaclava.  He comes with no weapon, and is pretty difficult to get in the cockpit. 

I do like the Ice Dagger, but it’s not in my top pantheon of Arctic Joe vehicles.  The design quirks just kind of annoy me.  If you can find one on clearance or really like its design, by all means pick one up.  But if you already have an Ice Sabre, give the Ice Dagger a pass.

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