TRU Attack on the Pit Headquarters GI Joe Battle Pack (Part 3)
Finally, part three of three of my review of this “Attack on the Pit” battle pack. And I have saved the best, or at least the more unique pieces for last. The first is the main piece of the set, the molepod. The set is built on the movie scene where Cobra uses molepods to attack the GI Joe base. The second item is a figure that is so deep in the package, it’s easy to over look the Pit Trooper.
Pit Trooper:
This figure is something we just don’t see enough of in the GI Joe line, a generic good guy. I nice match for the Pit Commando, this is more of a Sargent type soldier.
The head of this guy reminds me a bit of young Clancy Brown. He’s got one of those drill instructor type hats permanently attached to his head. I think it’s mainly the square chin. The dude definitely has a no nonsense look about him.
The second most noticeable thing about this guy? That has to be his arms. They are huge. Most of the Joe figures aren’t quite as ripped as this guy. They did a nice job of making the rolled up shirt sleeves look like they were straining to contain his guns. The massive arms are finished off in a pair of black work type gloves.
Speaking of guns, sarge here has a holster molded to the bottom of his shirt. The holster is a non working one with a gun in it. It looks okay, but it is a little soft on detail, and the paint is marginal.
Speaking of paint, the camo here is of the green variety similar to Heavy Duty. I’m not a huge fan of it, but it makes more sense to me than the urban most of the team is wearing.
The only other gripe I have is his neck. It is too far forward and long, especially looking at it from behind. Also, the paint is a thin with a tiny bit of green showing through.
I really wish that this set had been three of these guys instead of one and Ripcord and Duke. Like I said above, there just aren’t enough generic troops in the line for the Joe team.
Molepod:
This is the real reason I got this set. At the price I got the set for, It wasn’t much more than a single molepod at regular price. Even without their appearance in the film, a self drilling underground vehicle has been a main stay of comics and animation.
The drill on this one differs from the finish on the standard version. Where that one is vac metal chrome, this one is molded in a solid color. I really think it makes a bit more sense.
The canopy has clear plastic for glass and opens on a hinge. The seat is basically a vague piece in the bottom of the cockpit. There are no decals for the interior, just some vague controls. There is an oddly placed steering wheel, to one side that is a separate piece. I almost wonder if this vehicle was originally intended to be a two seater and scaled back in size to fit a price point.
Speaking of decals, the ones show applied here come already stuck on in the package. There’s a small sheet with other decals in with the instructions. I haven’t put mine on yet, I just have decided if there needs to be some paint first.
The one thing that could have used some detail or a decal is the red “engine” in the back. It just looks like a big red button
Being a vehicle, there has to be some action features. The red button in front of the canopy shoots out the missile in the front of the drilling. The sad thing is that really breaks up the detail of the drill. The drill it self turns when the vehicle is pushed forward. The gears on mine seem a little loose, and it doesn’t turn real well.
I think they missed an opportunity to make the pod better. If the pod had pivoted at the front so you could point it down so the drill was ready to go, it would have been a much more practical transport piece, and made for a better way to display it.
Overall:
These are the pieces I bought this set for. The molepod is a great thing to build a diorama around, and there’s a generic soldier to boot. For 5 figures and vehicle, I feel that I got a decent enough value. None of the figures are exceptional, but none are horrid either. The molepod has that classic zany Cobra look. In general, if you get the chance to get this set for $15-20, pick it up to fill in your displays.
Engineernerd Score: Pit Trooper 85/100 Molepod 88/100 Overall Set: 80/100
Category: Featured, GI Joe, Toy Reviews
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Definitely digging that Pit Trooper. He’s pretty much Zartan with alternate head, and the arms from Sgt. Stone, but the result looks good enough to sell on a single card.
The Mole Pod looks much better than the regular release. Never really liked the chrome look on those.
Ironically, the Zartan is in the grey urban camo. If not, this could have been who he was disguised as.