Oritoy: Acid Rain Bucks Team Bob

In stunning and shocking Fwoosh news, DisThunder bought a 4-inch figure. It didn’t come with a mech. He was not under the influence of any mind-altering substances, and he was not being held at gunpoint.

Or, if you saw my last two looks at some Acid Rain figures, you probably saw this coming a mile away.

Now, it’s not like I don’t ever buy 1/18 figures. It’s just not very often. I did buy some anniversary Joes, and before that, I had a substantial collection of the 21st Century Toys figures and vehicles, and, of course, other Joes as a kid.  But I haven’t picked up a new figure in the scale in some time, other than a gift or two I received from well-intentioned friends and family.

But Bob here called my name. And since the Laurel driver had already impressed me, he was an easy sell, even if I had already snagged a Sol Commander (thanks Adrien!) to pilot my Stronghold. He looked so good, I didn’t have to justify him with a vehicle.

Bob is the senior member of Bucks Team, a special forces-type branch-off of the Agurts infantry. Little is known about him, other than his approximate age (50), and he may have been setup, possibly even fragged and then claimed as a casualty of crossfire. He had warned his Bucks teammates about his impending death and may have chosen to face this fate as a means of protecting other Bucks members from the same fate. The Bucks Team had grown powerful enough to cause concern in the chain of command. I’m not sure, but it reads to me like Bucks Team may have been disbanded in the early 2000s, hence why Bob was stationed at guard duty in his last years. Fascinating stuff, even if at this point we’re just collecting pieces of the puzzle.

Bob looks like a man who has packed on the years and more than enough mileage to go with them. His face sculpt shows roughness, a lot of gray hair, and a grim sort of determination. His gear is similar to that of the other Bucks Team members, but his orange shemagh and dropped hood help him stand out.

Like with everything else in this line, the articulation and detailing are excellent. Bob has a cloth poncho-like element over his torso that hides his articulation and helps keep it free-moving. The articulation breakdown is the same as the other figures, think Anniversary Joes plus a couple, and everything works on him well. His belt stays in place nicely and comes with an optional back-pouch, a big drop pouch, or a smaller magazine one, presumably to help him fit into vehicles.

Bob also comes with a gas-masked head and two helmets — a kevlar-styled one with goggles on top, or a more old school steel “Fritz” helmet. These are nice extras and would actually make Bob a smart army builder, thanks to the variety.  But I love his standard head, so much so that my only gripe is that neither helmet will quite fit it — I get that they’re intended for the masked head, but still.

For armament, Bob ships with a single rifle, which looks like a carbine or SBR version of the one the other infantry and Sol Commanders use. This would also make Bob a good candidate for vehicles — often carbine versions like the M4 or AK-74SU are issued to mounted troops, and before those the M1 Carbine or sub-machine guns like PPS-43or M3 Grease gun because getting in and out of vehicles with a full-size rifle can be cumbersome. Anyway, it’s a clean little piece with an optic or red-dot on top, and a box magazine, likely being the same caliber and size as the big rifles.

So, if you’ve read this far, I’ve got another shocking revelation for you: I think I’m gonna need a few more of these bastards. This is excellent stuff.