Posted by: @docsilence

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@ru1977 I was looking at lore for Python Patrol trying to figure out where they belong in the hierarchy of Cobra and there's a bit of "We... think? Copperhead is in charge?" and I'm like yes definitely, put the smuggler with a gambling problem in charge of an entire paramilitary unit, great idea, Cobra.

First off, brilliant about the Fire Team. Also evil but I was JUST looking at that set on Pulse and weighing whether or not I want them, then come on here to see what's new and you've posted a damn scene about them!

I finally got a couple Vipers. I went into this line with a lot of rules and I broke pretty much all of them, and it didn't even take that long. But I'd told myself I wasn't army building, even just pairs. I resisted Vipers and CGs for that reason, but finally broke down and got a CG... but I can't have just one CG so I did get two. Then I got the two Vipers, and last night I decided the Vipers are the rank and file infantry while every trooper or officer or even Viper variant I have (since I haven't doubled on any version yet) is going to be a named individual, so kinda like what @aggroninja mentioned doing but further. I'm swiping some names from the Plague Troopers as well as the Red Shadows group, which I believe is the Action Force version of Cobra? So if I do get the retro trooper, he's gonna be a Cobra Sniper and I just have to figure out what his name is, then I gotta write his file card heh.

I also think it's kinda funny how I have allllll these Cobras on the shelf together, all masked up, and the only guy who isn't hiding his identity is Zartan.

But yeah, Copperhead in charge of a unit is so damned Sunbow. And that's another thing that's funny is how even the Joes have rank that doesn't apparently matter. Falcon is a Lieutenant who gets bossed around by all the Sergeants.

But yeah... hrm. Fireteam is real tempting. And I already named them, so... that was my downfall. "Body Bags" would make sense for the Range Viper since that's the Range Viper of the Plague Troopers, but I really kinda wanna name him "Lucifer".

Posted by: @docsilence

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Thanks about the dialogue - snappy patter is kind of my professional specialty. Before I got into writing superhero projects I was a screenwriter and aspired to Stoppard-style dialogue. Nothing brings me more joy than writing dialogue between two fools who are in over their heads trying to puzzle their way out. My first publisher was baffled by my dialogue style til someone in-house pointed out I'd just read too much Stoppard and Beckett. My interior monologue all day is really an interior dialogue between two idiots. 

Honestly, same as far as nothing bringing joy like writing banter, and I admit I'm the same way with my interior monologue. Once in a while a line will slip out verbally, but... and I know this makes me look utterly mad, but I apparently am usually acting out the facial expressions while these discussions play out in my head. But my editor is always inflating my ego about my banter every time I send her something so I excuse my process, heh.

Nobody's mentioning Starduster?  PayPal sent an email letting me know of the payment.  The $37 charge was a head scratcher at first.  I forgot he was a last second decision to add him to my order when I preordered Secret Wars and the next wave of Classifieds.  

He was one of the few figures I didn't have as a kid through '85.  I think I was only missing a handful of variations like red Tripwire, some swivel arm re-releases, and MM CC.  Not sure how he flew under my radar around the time of possibly my peak level of interest in GI Joe. 

@ru1977 This line is so tempting to army build. I actually accidentally did something that helped me NOT army build after the first wave or two (I usually like each figure to feel unique - even over in Star Wars land I never really wanted to go deep on uniform storm troopers and liked building units with clearly differentiated specialists, though I probably have a half-dozen basic troopers from different waves over the years... never army-built to clones because they deserve to be unique!). But with Cobra the figures were SO hard to find that first year and not everything was getting fulfilled even if you put in an order, so I just placed an order for one trooper from each of my favorite stores assuming some wouldn't get fulfilled but they all did. So I've got a squad of two troopers and four infantry who are basically the support team for everyone else who is a "named" unique specialist, basically. 

Actually that's a lie, I did nab a second set of the viper three-pack but only because Amazon has some WILD sale one day a few years back when it was like 60% off for ten minutes. But I have a vendetta against that three pack because all six vipers have a stuck hip joint. "I used to be a Viper like you until I took an arrow in the hip flexor." 

The horror writer in me wants to army build the Mole Rat and treat them like zombie hordes chasing the Joes, but that's neither convenient nor cost effective. 

@mrboshek OMG THAT Is what the charge from Pulse last night was! I was having a full Gandalf I have no memory of this place moment when the charge went through. 

He was an impulse buy for me as well, but he looks like a lot of fun. I didn't have him as a kid either. 

@docsilence man, I wish I had such extensive fun money to gamble on preorders with such gay abandon the way you do. I'm over here wondering if the Fire Team will go on sale in the next two months...

I definitely think if anyone beats me for back story effort on their figures, it's you though.

Another thing I just noticed... of the Cobra hierarchy, none of them (Firefly, Zartan, Destro, Baroness, Wild Weasel, etc) have snake related names... except Copperhead. Is he the biggest schmuck in Cobra because he's the only one who is genuinely downing Cobra Commander's kool-aid?

 I always pictured Python Patrol as being mostly recruited from Central and South America. You couldn't field an army as big as Cobra strictly with disillusioned Americans. I'm sure there are plenty of po'd Brazilians and Colombians out there that want to wreck some stuff.

I only got one retro Cobra Trooper to keep carded. Not gonna bother with troop building that one. I've got enough of the non-retro Troopers and Officers.

I did have Starduster as a kid, and I thought I was so special since I'd never heard of him, never saw him on cross sell material. I remember mailing away for it, receiving it, and seeing he only came with the visor helmet and grenade launcher. Didn't understand why this jet pack specialist didn't come with a jet pack. Still don't know if it was an error or if it was included in the package and I missed it. I remember even talking to a second hand toy shop much later (probably about 15 years after getting him as a kid), and bragging that I had one, and apparently he's not that rare at all. And certainly not worth much if incomplete.

I passed on Starduster. I never knew he existed back in the day and the design doesn't really speak to me the others new to me have. I did get pinged for Quarrel & Falcon today though, so looking forward to getting my gal Hedda paired up with her bike!

I love the idea that Python Patrol is some kind of international recruitment effort. That makes a lot of sense actually. In my head Copperhead was already calling himself Copperhead before he joined Cobra, like that's something his dad called him as a kid because he didn't like him or something, and he just happened to have built-in marketing. 

@ru1977 Part of me being preorder crazy is my partner has pointed out until the past few years (my action figure years, really) I would deny myself everything and anything. When we got together I didn't have enough stuff to fill a studio apartment, so my over-enthusiasm for collecting is kind of trying to learn how to do nice stuff for myself cos I was so stingy on myself for my whole life. Been intentionally intending to slow down though because I'd like to give up some of my freelancing work (I have a FT and two part-time contract gigs I'm eternally on call for, plus the books, and I don't want to be doing this when I'm 70). 

@docsilence I am very much the same way about being stingy for myself. Just  check the holes in my sock drawer. But yeah, the last few years I've been better at treating myself with the figures, and especially so this last month on the classified guys. I went to town, and finally committed to no more than one of everyone in my marvel collection to no only clear a shelf for Classified but also get some more scratch for Classified heh.

Also that is a great backstory for Copperhead and I'm swiping that

Posted by: @normdapito

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I only got one retro Cobra Trooper to keep carded. Not gonna bother with troop building that one. I've got enough of the non-retro Troopers and Officers.

I did have Starduster as a kid, and I thought I was so special since I'd never heard of him, never saw him on cross sell material. I remember mailing away for it, receiving it, and seeing he only came with the visor helmet and grenade launcher. Didn't understand why this jet pack specialist didn't come with a jet pack. Still don't know if it was an error or if it was included in the package and I missed it. I remember even talking to a second hand toy shop much later (probably about 15 years after getting him as a kid), and bragging that I had one, and apparently he's not that rare at all. And certainly not worth much if incomplete.

Same here.  I'll pick up more Troopers if they go on sale, but maybe not.  I didn't pick up any extra Retro Eels or Snow Serpents during Amazon's Prime Days sale last week.  So who knows.

I did end up with two retro Cobra Troops -  they arrived this afternoon from Amazon along side Road Pig.    I don't know that I needed two... but it felt like Cobra Commander needed two of them when I ordered and here they are.

Anyone else had a chance to crack open the Night Force two pack yet? Wondering if my bad luck with joints has struck again or if it's just the figure - Quarrel's shoulder pegs really don't want to provider up-down movement so it kinda looks like she's always flexing her delts. I can work with it since the they'll rotate and the butterfly joints offer motion, but kind of annoying. 

I ended up pulling the shoulder armor off both figures - Falcon looks less like a running back without them, a nice sleak profile, and the emblems hidden under Quarrel's pauldrons are way cooler than the pauldrons themselves. I love that she's got the British flag on her left shoulder. 

Road Pig showed up today too and Rawkis is a hoot, really the highlight of the set for me, though I do like the big guy as well. Hilariously I had Lockjaw and Rawkis arrive on the same day so I just had a weird action figure dog themed day. 

Got my Road Pig today also and I love Rawkus too.  I have a pit myself just without the cropped ears so it's kind of cool get a bit of Joe representation for him.  Since the vintage figure didn't have an animal companion I'm tempted to give him to the Joes.  He can hang out with Junkyard.  Got retro CC, the retro trooper and Raptor last week.  Also finally grabbed a Night Creeper since they are starting to dry up at local retail for me.  Figured I better get one while I have the chance.  All are solid but I do wish they could have done more creative parts reuse on the trooper.  It's basically a repaint of the Cobra Island trooper with the OG13 LBV isn't it?  I'm sure different arms and boots would have made him perfect for me, something just a tad closer to the vintage look.  I was thinking taking those from Dusty would work or maybe just do a full body from like Stalker/retro SEs with a tampo'd Cobra sigil and trooper head.