Arctic VAMP (Sigma 6)

The Sigma 6 small scale vehicles were at once amazing and frustrating. Most were great new designs, and far beyond the previous vehicle offerings of the new sculpt era. Which leads me to the frustration: the vehicles weren’t compatible with our favorite scale. Some could be (and were later officially) refitted to effectively accommodate 3 & 3/4 inch Joes, bit most were just a bit too small.

Modular weapon and accessory configurations were the order of the day for the small scale Sigma 6 line. Ports abound on the vehicle, and lent themselves to many of the snap on parts that turn the basic VAMP into an arctic vehicle. This modularity is something that I think could really be exploited in the regular scale. I suppose we’re seeing a bit of it in the refit of the most recent VAMP into the Retaliation Ninja Combat Cruiser. It would be nice to see the practice continue into environment specific variations.

Not content to simply paint the VAMP white and slap on some window coverings, the design incorporates a couple of useful and necessary snow based add-ons. When is the last time you saw a Joe arctic vehicle with a snow plow? I think it’s a brilliant touch, and I’m surprised we haven’t seen it before. The vehicle also gets a bit of a Snow Cat feel with the addition of treads in place of rear wheels. As much as I’m a fan of arctic vehicles, and though I would have picked up this one even if it had simply been the earlier version repainted in white, the treads are what really sell the vehicle for me.

The Arctic VAMP, like its earlier Sigma 6 release, can be modified to fit a larger figure. The interior seats sit on a plate that can be unscrewed. A figure will fit inside, but the scale is still obviously smaller.

Speaking of figures, the two included with the set were passable, if sad reminders that at the time our usual scale was on hiatus. The Duke figure is similar to his 8 inch version, while Long Range is a new design. I think I prefer the look of Long Range, though I don’t know why they didn’t use the opportunity to throw in a Snow Job or Frostbite homage. Both feature the limited articulation of the small series, and while Long Range gets a white version of his monstrous sniper rifle, Duke gets the shaft with just a pickaxe.