Crimson Guard (2013)
Wow, it’s a tactical, battle ready version of Cobra’s elite troops. The Crimson Guard Immortal had a less decorative look than its predecessor, but having the basic Guardsman trooper in an assualt uniform is a nice addition to Cobra Commander’s scarlet hued operatives.
As a figure, Hasbro again comes through with an interesting modern take on a classic in the Pursuit of Cobra vein. The simple addition of a vest and some different arm and leg molds take the classic CG in a new direction. Some of the more decorative elements of the old figure are still apparent, like the shoulder braid and the sword. The vest helps to hide the thin torso underneath, and even offsets some of the thinness of the leg mold in comparison to the arms. Overall, the mish-mashing isn’t too bad this time around.
I didn’t think I’d care for it at first, but the figure has grown on me. Too bad the super duper Retaliation wave to which he belongs has shown up only sporadically around here so far. Seems like a reminder of the last days of the previous two GI Joe lines, doesn’t it?
Expect this guy and the Night Viper to sell out everywhere. I found most of the current wave on HTS but the army builders are consistently out of stock.
If this is the line’s last breath before their next incarnation, these figures will be impossible to get unless you buy a whole case online.
Hear hear!
Why can’t the rest of you guys leave some for your fellow collectors? I was never able to get them at retail either because the stores didn’t stock them, or because they were snatched up the minute they were stocked!
If only the shops in my area didnt overstock so much of the first wave of R.O.C figures.
Cool figure!! Love the parts, love the color! Great design!
The 13 W1 Dukes currently on the pegs ensure I’ll never get one!
YO JOE! 😉
@ Acer.I wouldn’t necessarily blame collectors or even scalpers for that matter. Stores just don’t order more than literally a case or two. I remember working at Hills department store in the early 90’s. You could find case upon case of Toy-Biz figures in the back of the warehouse. Ever since Pursuit of Cobra, collecting modern Joe has been an expensive nightmare. Too many exclusives, the clubs subscription service….no thanks. If there’s a figure I MUST have (Kwinn) I just pre-ordered from BBTS or other fine retailers. That’s the best way to get new stuff these days. This figure is really cool, I just won’t go out of my way to get it.
The grey knee pads seem out of place.
@Troublemagnet
I think the main reason Joe lines have done so badly over the past few years is down to the fact that kids just dont care about toy soldiers anymore, they would rather play Call of duty in their livingrooms then with action figures in the backyard.
Other toy lines are doing just as badly. I remeber back in ’07 when my Sisters husband was working at a BigW, he said that Transformers were almost flying off the shelves but by the time the third movie came out kids just didnt care.
@ Skymate
I agree wholeheartedly. Kids don’t like Joe. Ive been in the toy aisle and they don’t even look at Joes. Can you blame them? No media support, dull packaging and a lack of really cool vehicles and playsets, causing consumer apathy. As a result, retailer apathy. Wave one was really hit or miss. Hasbro always saves the figures that collectors really want ’til later waves when retailers won’t order much.
I wonder if that vest would fit an ’85 ARAH figure. This is a pretty cool version, and cost-effective remolding aside, it’s amazing the Siegie never got an update like this.
@ cyk09
It looks a bit too big. On a simmilar note, my little brother used to collect the Small soldiers figures from the movie of the same name. He used to always try and dress them in the 60’s Joe uniform i had.
@Troublemagnet
The main reason the ARAH brand [and other 80’s giants] did so well was because of the cartoon. Before 1983, kids programming consisted of nothing but reruns of scoobydoo. Kids had never seen such a cartoon before and the best thing about it was that 97% of what was shown was available, everywhere at a reasonable price.
I dont know why Hasbro doesnt make more Joe cartoons. You gotta spend money to make money
@Skymate
Well, that and ARAH was out in a time when Reagan-era America was in a very patriotic mood.
The Sunbow cartoon ended because Hasbro believed some study that said cartoon viewership didn’t necessarily equate to higher toy sales. And Dic offered to pay Hasbro make a Joe cartoon instead of Hasbro footing the bill. Greed overruled quality.
Cool action figure|
A really nice version of the Seigie imo. I like the mix of regal and battle ready. I agree that the current Hasbro staff are actually harming the brand than doing good. They simply need to plough headlong with the same marketing ideas the ARAH era did so well with: a cartoon series ONGOING, a comic book thats more accessible to kids as well as adult fans and most definitely STICK with core lines: a continuation of the modern era that ties into the comic and cartoon i.e. essentially new sculpts of classic versions of the figures; a separate ‘movie’ line to tie in with that section of the franchise instead of trying to flip from one to the other, or nixing a growing new iteration of the brand as they did with ‘Resolute’ – I mean, that was beginning to get fans and fans of the toys and then Hasbro forced the cartoon to end production as well as changing the toys from ‘Resolute’ to ‘Retaliation’ based things. It irks fans, it means kids get bored and then…low sales. I don’t like the films that have come out but they did financially very well proving the brand HAS life in it – essentially what I’m saying here is Hasbro need to apply its ‘Star Wars’ marketing to the Joe brand, the other brand has a classic series, the cartoon series, the cartoons etc, etc and it all works: I’m amazed Hasbro, a company that owes much of its wealth to ‘G.I.JOE’ can’t simply get their act together. I really think the brand needs someone in charge that really really understands the toys, in essence, a collector themselves who most certainly grew up with the ARAH toys – hell, I wish I could be that person as I most certainly would address all these issues, ESPECIALLY distribution to brick and mortar stores thereby ending all the scalping and extortionate over – pricing on the secondary, private market such as ebay for one thing!