Topic: GI-Joe Retaliation Tread Ripper & Clutch Review

[Clonehead]

I picked this up yesterday at a walmart for $16.50, I believe.

I remember seeing pics of this one from last year's toy fair and thought that the paint apps looked wonky but that it might be fun to repaint.

upon opening the box, I was at first excited thinking that the treads were not static but alas, that is one of the very few paint apps on this vehicle and there are a couple of tiny wheels on the underside of each tread piece. Not many pieces to this one. Six, I think, not including the missile. A small set of instructions and a decent little decal sheet are included.
  About the gun and missile launcher. These are too big and bulky for my tastes and I would rather have a nice 50Cal or something mounted at the top. There is a little platform with a foot peg at the back, for a gunner, i would guess, whose position is hindered by a cross bar that is in the way of where the figure would stand. Interior detailing could have been worse but the hole in front of the drivers feet bugs me a bit although i'm not sure that the driver could see without the hole being there. Not much in the way of armor to protect the driver on this one. I would consider this to be more of a utility vehicle for towing of ordinance or perhaps for the extraction of mired down vehicles in the field. It needs a winch on it somewhere. I may have to add one and ditch the guns when I do a repaint to tone down those glowing mall-type cartoon colors.

The sculpt on the clutch figure is interesting, at least for the upper torso and head but he might as well have been left unpainted as little color as they added to him. In typical new style joe vehicle driver fashion, he only has 5 points of articulation, has no weapon, or even a file card for that matter. not sure what the point was here. Remember the cool exclusive figures we used to get with the vehicles, like, Steel brigade delta, the crimson horseman, or even ace from the sky striker? I miss pack-in figures like that which were the selling point in a lot of previous vehicles as would easily be seen by their resale values in the past.
  I dont know, guys. With tax, this one was like $18 but certainly doesn't pack the punch that earlier vehicle releases did.
  I will try to sell off the exclusive figure to cover my costs and will alter the vehicle to my tastes.

[zedhatch]

I'm just going to be blunt about it, this has to be one of the stupidest looking vehicles in years.  From the side it looks like the driver can't see anything.  From the front it just a mess of treads and rollbars, I hate it, and the clutch fig makes it worse, easy pass. 

[Tamer]

Well, that one wasn't as glowing as a few of the previous ones. You just might save folks some deniro here Clint. Off to the front page.

[DocOutlands]

Clint, I'll take the guns off your hands when you get ready.  I'm thinking a winch and one or two crane or remote-manipulator arms in their place.  Definitely a utility vehicle rather than a combat vehicle.

[The Spectre]

If you decide to ditch the guns, LMK

[Clonehead]

If you decide to ditch the guns, LMK

I have indeed decided that, Dan. You might still have that backpack from the brain worms dvd pack, I would wager, although docs offer sounds pretty tempting if not even more so.
There is the grappling hook gun from the ninja 4x4 that i havent reviewed yet that will probably share the same fate.

[Clonehead]

Clint, I'll take the guns off your hands when you get ready.  I'm thinking a winch and one or two crane or remote-manipulator arms in their place.  Definitely a utility vehicle rather than a combat vehicle.

crane or remote manipulator arms? what would those look like? I actually have something that might serve as a wench, donated from that 88MM flak model kit that i needed to replace, Doc. Some Cable lengths with eye connection ends to drape along the sides may be cool, as would some additional armor plating to protect the driver a bit more.

[DocOutlands]

I'm still working on some design options - think large Probot arm & a rough-terrain forklift style arm w/ lift apparatus for the looks I'm going for.  I've got a project of my own that I'm designing these for, so they'll happen.  Just a matter of when.  Don't hold up a trade waiting on them, tho!!  We can always cut a deal on them when I have them ready to go.