Wow. I can't believe that my last post was two long weeks ago. Well, we're really busy at work, and that's going to continue until the middle of next month. I usually go home very tired, and I can't seem to find the passion to write reviews anymore. I've been spending my spare time following my fave NBA team's playoff run, I've been watching games and those pre-game and post-game analysis shows, and I've been reading a lot of basketball-related materials from various sports websites. Honestly, I'm a Miami Heat geek as much as I'm a toy geek. Yup, I'm a big Miami Heat fan sine 2003, but may be we can talk about that some other time.
Today, let's talk about Destro's Iron Grenadiers. Yup, those minions with the weird-looking headgear. Well, they've really gone a long way, because I used to view them as wimpy then, but I feel like they're about to kick some serious butt now. No, I'm not saying that they weren't tough infantrymen before, It's just that I think they looked too "soft" with their outfits and weapons then that nobody would be scared upon crossing paths with them. In short, they didn't look intimidating or menacing at all back then, but things are vastly different now.
The POC Iron Grenadier is just another rehashed figure, but that fact shouldn't bother you that much because the combination works, and that's all that matters. The figure uses the old 25th Anniversary Iron Grenadier's head, and quite fittingly, the rest of the body parts come from previous Destro figures. The torso, upper arms, hands, upper legs, lower legs, and feet are all from the POC Arctic Threat Destro figure, while the lower arms are from the POC City Strike Destro figure.
Unlike the other Cobra army-builders from the POC line though, the Iron Grenadier figure isn't just a modernized rendition of the classic version. The head may be the same, but that's the only similarity the new Iron Grenadier figure shares with its older counterpart. This figure is bigger, bulkier, and nastier, any way you look at it. The armor this one is wearing looks more durable, while the weapons this one carries make the old figure's gears look amateurish.
Articulation is somehow limited due to the bulky armor, but the figure is still playable, just don't expect a great range of motion at the head, shoulders, and hips. It is also important to note that this figure doesn't sport the new wrist articulation that the likes of the Jungle Viper enjoyed.
The paint applications are quite good, but we've seen better. The head is molded in dark gray, with black and gold paint apps. That may sound minimal, but the color scheme works and it shows how intricate the actual sculpt is. The under-armor is molded in light gray, and since it will just be covered with another layer of removable armor, it doesn't get any paint applications. The arms and the legs get an urban camo design accomplished by putting dark gray and off-white paint apps over the light gray plastic. The handle bars on the calf are painted light red and are applied with silver paint wipes.
The POC Iron Grenadier is also loaded with several re-issued accessories and a smart gun that is technically new just because it hasn't been released before, though we've already seen it back in 2010 at JoeCon. The removable armor and shin guards are from the POC City Strike Destro figure, the 4-piece folding rifle is from the TFAC Para-Viper, the backpack which works like an ammo magazine is from the TFAC Roadblock, the other backpack is from the ROC Heavy Duty figure (retooled with a longer back peg and with the HD logo removed), while the ammo belt is from the ROC Troop-builder 5-Pack Repeater (later reused by Resolute Roadblock). Rounding off the accessories is a display stand which features two foot pegs.
Only the removable armor, shin guards, and ammo belt get paint applications, as the rest are just molded in color. The removable armor and the shin guards get amazing paint wipes that make the said accessories look battle-worn already.
The smart gun is a neat weapon, though it looks pretty tough to use due to its size. It was supposed to come with the POC City Strike Destro figure, but since that didn't happen, I guess this smart gun can be called the Iron Grenadiers' own.
The POC Iron Grenadier is another solid offering from Hasbro. The reused parts and accessories actually work in the figure's advantage, because as Destro's private soldiers, the Iron Grenadiers deserve to use what their boss uses. It's fun to know that Hasbro keeps on dishing out army-builders after army-builders in the POC line, all we have to do is get them, by any means necessary, any way we can. Thanks, Playkit!
Some parting shots:
Some parting shots:
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