Steel Brigade has reviewed two figures that were planned for
Modern Era wave 16,
Red Star &
Scrap Iron! In addition to the review, he has also compared these figure with the existing
comic pack versions, as well as provided images!
Background:I'll be the 1st to admit that I was a big fan of the figures rumored to
be in the wave 16 singles lineup as it featured a few of my favorites.
But much to my dismay, as with the rumored waves 14-15, wave 16 had been canceled by Hasbro on the single card format...
the wave consisted of:
WAVE 16
37440 Alley Viper
37441 Scarlett (Resolute)
37442 Scrap Iron '84 (version 2)
37443 Red Star '91 Now as we've seen, there is a good possibility that these figures will be
allocated to other venues for the ROC line,
as shown with Alley Viper being put in the new Cobra 7-pack...
And I am sure Resolute Scarlett will come out (some where down the
line) as we have seen (what is most likely) her newly tooled legs on
Helix, & with the positive response to Resolute, & adding the
fact that Hasbro possibly paid for a
mostly newly tooled
Resolute Scarlett figure, that they will find a way for said figure to
eventually see a release within the next year.
So what about the other 2 Wave 16 figures? Well, after further speculation, I was not entirely sure that these versions of
Red Star &
Scrap Iron would see a release later on, as they are new constructions but not newly tooled figures.
And with Red Star being one of my favorites of the 25th line,
you can bet when "Test Shots" of both rumored wave 16 Red Star &
Scrap Iron popped up on ebay from Black Sheep Toys, I couldn't take a
chance on passing, as these 2 figures may not see a general release, as
they don't fit with the ROC line aesthetic & may be
to similar to the original Modern Era versions in these decos, to warrant being repacked later on.
That's my theory anyways, but let's get to the figures.
RED STAR '91: ***** (5 out of 5)Red Star is the exact same construction as the original except this
time he comes with the new & improved/updated "Duke arms", rather
than the original slash wrists versions. He includes all the same fully
loaded gear as the original 25th release (hat, backpack, satchel, gun
w/clip, knife, & a pistol), but the coloration on the figure is
meant to match that of the original '91 ARAH Red Star & features
everything from the vintage painted t-shirt to the (very) faint camo on
his jacket. His weapons are gray & his outer gear is brown. There
are some paint app differences like the backpack no longer says OKTABPR
but has the snaps painted instead, & the shirt no longer has the
left shoulder insignia but now has the oldskool faint camo painted on,
the satchel also does not feature the red star on it, & the hat rim
is not black but blue. So even though there are some nice drab paint
apps & changes made on the original 25th release, I still think
through the other various improvements (like the more accurate/warmer
'91 colors & improved arms), that this test-shot version of Red
Star will hold some pride in my collection...
as it may possibly go unproduced for retail & is more of a definitive-classically-inspired Red Star for me..
It's through these subtle changes that Scrap Iron
becomes more accurate to his original ARAH expression, & I can tell
you the construction is more solid & makes him slightly bigger in
height. The upcoming ROC Scrap Iron (with ATV) does not offer this
construction either, so it is truly unique (so far) to this wave 16
unproduced version. He comes with the same pistol as the comic pack
release & the control/tube to his missile guidance system. The
colors are nearly identical with a few color swaps due to the new
construction, most notably the unpainted knee pads, the "dead" colored
skin, & the MUCH clearer dark visor. He also has a nice working
holster on the right "Airborne" leg that is much better than the
"Arctic" version or the empy knife slot on the Comic Pack version, as
it holds his pistol snug This test-shot figure sold very quickly out of
the 12 offered on Black Sheep Toys... So far there hasn't been a better
Scrap Iron offered to retail imho.