Arctic vehicles played a part in the invasion of M.A.R.S.‘ arctic base in G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra, so it’s only fitting that arctic vehicles see release in the toyline. The bravo class Ice Dagger with Frostbite has been reviewed! Look familiar?
Well that’s because you’ve probably seen this particular vehicle before. First released in Valor VS Venom as the Ice Sabre, then rereleased in the Direct To Consumer(DTC) line, this is the 3rd release of this vehicle. This vehicle manages to combine unique gimmicks, non-obtrusive missle launchers, hidden compartments, and moving skis all in one bravo sized vehicle. It definitely holds its own amongst the other bravo vehicles in the movie line, but is it worth picking up? Click on the discuss button to find out!
vadersquest says
With any new action driven movie such as ROC, we the fans are sure to see some interesting toys and accessories which includes vehicles. Whether it is the Night Raven or the Cobra Gunship, vehicles are essential to help drive the line. This is one area collectors agree upon, vehicles rock and are needed for added play, display and collectability.
The one thing we all have to accept is the resurrection of old molds and reissued toys. Some of these items were ahead of their time and unfortunately, did not sell that well. The VvV era proved to be just that; ahead of its time and poor selling toys. Sure the figures were subpar but the vehicles were a new beast all together. I missed out on the initial release of the Ice Dagger, AKA Ice Saber and I for one hate that.
I had no idea this vehicle was this cool and I do consider it an update to the Snow Cat. It has the same type of operational functions and it serves a purpose in the G.I Joe forces. Any military outfit that operates world wide needs vehicles to use in all weather conditions. These vehicles can also serve as a mid level transport; the more combat support troops a side can get in, the higher the chance of winning the campaign.
The Ice Dagger can be used as a transport as it can hold up to 8 figures; 2 in the cockpit, 1 in the gunner station, 1 in the turret, 2 on the sides* and 2 in the back compartment.*
Once the turret is engaged, you could technically put 1 more troop in the empty slot on the side. This is great for display purposes but stinks at functionality.
With most ROC toys, you have the spring loaded missiles and his piece is no exception; they look and work perfectly. The funny thing is this feature was already integrated into the original release. I personally have no qualms with this and as long as the feature serves a purpose, I am happy.
You also have a machine gun right above the cockpit that can be removed if needed and the gun has full range motion. There is a button on the back you push to activate the turret and unfortunately, Hasbro did not fix the wobbly affect the original piece suffered from. This is not an overall deterrent but it does pose a problem for playability. For the collectors who plan to display this toy, he or she should be fine with this. I for one just hate the unneeded movement of this feature.
The figure pack in is lack luster and resembles nothing of the ARAH Frostbite. It is a basic rehash and nothing special and he comes minus a stand and weapon. The figure is good for a gunner and that’s about it. With that out of the way, lets move on to something else.
This vehicle has a few key parts that if not kept up with can be lost with ease. You have the four missiles, front machine gun, radar dish and an antenna. Truth be told, I am more worried about the potential breakage of the antenna than loosing it. Once in place, this accessory is secure and very difficult to remove. Trust me I tried a few times.
This toy was released a few weeks after launch and is still a tough find for many collectors. I know it is still shipping so if anyone needs or wants this vehicle, keep looking and do not pass it up. Overall, even with the few shortfalls, I am pleased with this toy and I have no regrets. My rating is a solid 8 and if the figure would have been better, it would have received a 9.
*I had o problem with the old pegs and new ROC figures. They seem to work just fine.
*Two figures can fit in the back compartment but not comfortably. I would advise placing smaller figures back here as the bulky ones tend to be too tight.
misfit1015 says
Great review! I just happened to finally see one of these in Target today, picked it up and it's already become one of my favorite ROC vehicles.
bigdaddyblue73 says
Well based on the photos I give it a five. The crappiness of the figure brings it down. I mean the figure looks like nothing more than a parts swap, like something my 7 year old would do.
FLATLINE says
The blue of the joe vehicles in the line is ridiculous. A repaint of rhino a blue snow vehicle wtf?
NoisyDvL5 says
I want this, but I'm not sure about it. If it's not white, then I wish they would winterize the vehicles. Some white spatter or something, y'know?
Remember the snow cat and how the windshield was frosted everywhere the wiper couldn't reach? That was cool.
snakeeyes22 says
finally! A real review of this thing.
Thanks a lot. It looks pretty large compared to some other vehicles in that class
I really like the ROC Rhino, and came across a Patriot Grizzly a while back, and I've got to agree that there were some great vehicle in that period that were overshadowed by the fact that I didn't like the figures at all.
The figure has kept this from being an impulse buy, because it is nothing new. Fortunately, he's cool looking and uses decent parts, but it's hard getting excited about it.
I may pick this up. I'd love to see a release as a HISS deco, since it looks like one to me.
Shin Densetsu says
VVV didn't start all that well but towards the end it had some great pieces with collector's appeal. By wave 4, Hasbro got a ton of things right and one of the best waves, wave 6, was in high demand but was scarce, same goes for the Ice Sabre.
While ARAH had great vehicles that sold well, the "new sculpt" vehicles from 2002-06 were a different story altogether. The Ice Sabre, and DTC vehicles were standouts, and possibly the Grizzly Tank. Arguably the best vehicle(and perhaps best modern gunship for the G.I. Joe line) from the "new sculpt" years was the Night Attack Chopper. THAT was a gunship ahead of it's time and fits in well with the movie verse. The Dragonhawk, cool as it looks, does not compare(Dragonhawk is cool but is not in the same league).
The Ice Sabre is pretty neat, I have the DTC version and always thought it could be repainted into an arctic HISS. As a matter of fact, I think this mold would be a better arctic HISS than the wave 5 ME version.
samantha says
I like this toy, heck I purchased 3 of them. Great review.
Big Daddy says
I want this as well, cannot find here in Ontario. Is it even in Canada? If so would somebody please tell me where?
Cdt Weasel says
I give it a 4. It looks neat and I bought one. But the modern figures are just too big for it. The drivers heads hit the top of the cockpit, same thing wit hthe missle gunner station. That and much like the other VvV rehashes there is a lack of interior detailing.
Keep reading: ROC Ice Dagger Review - Page 2
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