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07-10-2016, 09:13 PM | #1 |
Soldier of Misfortune
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Out of direct sunlight
Posts: 4,028
|
Hey all,
Not sure if this particular beauty has been reported yet, so I had to share it with you. I was at Walmart earlier today, and I was browsing through the toys section, and I decided to take a look at the super-budget military figure section (y'know, the dollar-store-grade stuff that makes The Corps! look like 2003-era BBi) just for kicks. Behold my amazement when I saw this: This thing is a dead-ringer for the V.A.M.P./Stinger vehicle chassis, and the missile rack is obviously inspired by the Mk.II's missile rack. It's not an *exact* clone--the interior is a single-seater, and portions of the exterior are slightly different--but if this thing wasn't reverse-engineered from an official G.I. Joe chassis, then I'll buy a hat just to eat it. Oh, and it makes a sound effect, too, when you press the red button. (I honestly don't remember what the sound effect was; probably an engine sound. I just remember that it wasn't the infamous "FIRE! FIRE! PUT DOWN THE GUN!" chip found on some other budget/knockoff toys, so my brain kinda stopped caring at that point.) The best part is? The thing comes as part of a set--along with a tiny helicopter (even smaller than the BBi Littlebird, or the Corps! helicopter with Plague) and a cheap, cheap action figure with guns--for only $4.97. For that price, it may be worth picking up the set for the V.A.M.P. clone alone, especially if you're into customizing and repainting. (Obviously, what you do with the remainder of the set is up to you, but if you find it's not even worthwhile as fodder, then please donate it to Goodwill or something, rather than just throwing it away.) |
07-10-2016, 09:34 PM | #2 |
A Makeupless Clown
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5,271
|
Nice find. That missile rack looks dead on the 50th VAMP's rack to me. Maybe people who only got half of the rack in their box (or doubles of one half) can use one of these instead.
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Torso Adapters and Alternate Neck Pegs for MTF and BFS Figures Reproduction Vehicle Parts 3d-Printed Parts Gallery My BST Thread | My Feedback Thread | My Shapeways 3d Print Shop (1/18 scale creations) |
07-10-2016, 10:19 PM | #3 |
Soldier of Misfortune
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Out of direct sunlight
Posts: 4,028
|
Quote:
But yes, the missile rack does look VERY similar, though I didn't actually purchase it to find out if it's the same. (I'll let someone else do that.) The mount is definitely different, but the rack itself looks like it could be compatible. |
07-10-2016, 11:04 PM | #4 |
A Makeupless Clown
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5,271
|
Quote:
And yeah, I read a couple of posts here where people were trying to find someone with doubles of whichever half of the missile rack they were missing so they could swap. I don't know how large of a problem it was globally but it hit at least a few 'Tankers. I love the set, too, and I still have a couple of them sealed that I am a bit scared of what I will find when I open it up. QC was apparently pretty slack for that set.
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Torso Adapters and Alternate Neck Pegs for MTF and BFS Figures Reproduction Vehicle Parts 3d-Printed Parts Gallery My BST Thread | My Feedback Thread | My Shapeways 3d Print Shop (1/18 scale creations) |
07-11-2016, 01:59 AM | #5 |
Soldier of Misfortune
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Out of direct sunlight
Posts: 4,028
|
Replace "that set" with "most of the 50th line" and you're on the right track. I went through EIGHT of the damned Chase for the M.A.S.S. Device set because every time, without fail, one or more of the figures (always Duke or Cobra Commander, but usually Cobra Commander) would physically break on me. CC's elbows and ankles were always so stiff that no amount of heat could get them to break free, so the pegs would snap before the joint moved. And Duke's right forearm was frequently messed up at either the elbow or the "wrist". I still don't have that set, and it burns me up a little bit, because I REALLY wanted Angry Duke. I emailed Hasbro every damn time I got a defective set, but it wasn't util the 7th or 8th that someone contacted me to start any kind of "investigation"; by then, TRU had already put the sets on clearance, so it's obvious that Hasbro didn't give an ish about fixing the problem.
Even my SDCC version of the Desert Duel set had a defect. Chuckles came with 2 right feet. QA on an SDCC-exclusive set? Hilarious! I waited until the regular set hit retail, bought it, switched out the figure, and returned the regular set. Luckily, TRU is fairly sympathetic when it comes to refunds. (If I had known the SDCC set would hit retail too, I could have waited and done the swap with that set instead.) I also sent an angry email to Hasbro, since, holy crap, this is a limited-run exclusive product; how could you F it up? (Luckily my Crimson Strike set had no problems, nor did my Silent Strike set.) ...Sorry, I'm still a little butt-hurt about the 50th Anniversary edition in general. I tend to vent when the opportunity arises. Anyways, back to the original topic. Someone with $5 to spare, please go pick one of these up and see if the missile rack is compatible with the V.A.M.P. Mk. II. (I'd do it myself, but I'm not a customizer, and I don't want to be stuck with the set since I'd otherwise have no use for it.) Oh, and back off-topic, if you have any mismatched folding flippers for your Eel, PLEASE PM me, and maybe we can arrange a trade. Last edited by MagicWazard; 07-11-2016 at 02:14 AM.. |
07-31-2016, 12:31 AM | #6 |
Soldier of Misfortune
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Out of direct sunlight
Posts: 4,028
|
Went back today, and got a picture of the whole package:
In the interest of fairness, I have to give the figures a bit more credit than I did originally. Although you can't tell from the picture, most of them (if not all) have bendable elbows and knees. They're still not collector-quality, and have minimal paint jobs and oversized guns, but customizers might be able to have some fun repainting them. Or, if you want something similar in GREEN, it comes with a dinosaur instead of a copter. It's not as flagrant a clone of the VAMP/Stinger as the tan one, but it's similar enough I thought it worth showing. I didn't "try" the dinosaur out to see what it did. Appearance-wise, it doesn't look much worse than Hasbro's somewhat anemic 2013-2014 TRU exclusive 1/18 Jurassic Park set's dinosaurs.
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"Wazard" with an "A" Currently trying to sell off a ton of my Joe collection, across all eras, and some other odds and ends. Please take a look! B/S/T B/S/T Feedback My 3D-printed battlefield props and dio accessories thread (mostly on hiatus) Photo albums on Flickr: Battlefield/Diorama/Scenery Accessories Weapons Restoration & mod parts "WHY is HissTank?" Last edited by MagicWazard; 07-31-2016 at 06:18 AM.. |
08-03-2016, 09:15 PM | #7 |
"The" Flint
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Northeast PA
Posts: 139
|
Very cool. I've looked at the closest 3 walmarts to me and nada. The search will continue....
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"Let's Roll."- George W. Bush |
08-04-2016, 08:49 AM | #8 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Wichita, KS
Posts: 44
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I saw one of these sets with what looked to be a smaller version of a C-130. Doesn't look like it would hold much but could be some sort of custom for a QRF. I will try to get a photo. It had the hull and you snapped on the wings and tail much like the true heroes C-130.
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08-15-2016, 05:20 PM | #9 |
"The" Flint
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Northeast PA
Posts: 139
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Ok I found these. Now for a review...
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"Let's Roll."- George W. Bush |
08-16-2016, 01:34 AM | #10 |
Soldier of Misfortune
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Out of direct sunlight
Posts: 4,028
|
Thanks for taking one for the team and posting a review, Flint! In case anyone hasn't seen it, he's posted it here:
__________________
"Wazard" with an "A" Currently trying to sell off a ton of my Joe collection, across all eras, and some other odds and ends. Please take a look! B/S/T B/S/T Feedback My 3D-printed battlefield props and dio accessories thread (mostly on hiatus) Photo albums on Flickr: Battlefield/Diorama/Scenery Accessories Weapons Restoration & mod parts "WHY is HissTank?" |
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