So I got my Christmas presents yesterday, I pre-ordered a whole bunch of things that weren't available last xmas, so in the last two days I collected:

Water Moccassin(Sting Raider?) w/Copperhead
Sky Hawk (Ghost Hawk?) w/Lift Ticket
Blowtorch
Torch
Copperhead/Shipwreck CP (so that I have an original-coloured Coppearhead)
2 x Cobra 5-pack #3
1 x G.I. Joe 5-pack #2

And I'm loving the new designs, the vehicles look incredible, chrome-plated Vipers with fixed wrists are the best thing since the BAT, just a great time with my new stuff.

Then I tried loading up my vehicles...

Copperhead is so bloody big he barely fits in the retooled Moccassin. I almost lost it when my EELs just wouldn't stay on the foot pegs on the sides and when I did get them to stick (somewhat) they're feet/legs are so contorted it looks ridiculous. Then I'm trying to twist their upper bodies to face the same direction as the boat's stern(? whatever is the "front" in nautical terms) and the stupid mid-section joint just makes them look bad, the silver Cobra logo is in one direction and their stomaches are in another ugh!

Let's see, would the Sky Hawk be better? Lift Ticket also barely fits in here, his head is so far back and up the body of the cockpit that you can't see his face when you close the canopy! It was a joke if I thought Airborne could hang on on the side because again the narrow foot peg and softer plastic just doesn't mix!

Disappointing to say the least, it really had me appreciating how great the play value was with my ARAH collection. You could stick a Joe on the side of the Dragonfly and turn that sucker upside down and he wouldn't budge!

The 25th's display really nice on their own, I just wish they were more compatible with these awesomely updated vehicles.

Oh and before the Hall of Heroes, I had it in mind to make that perfect cartoon accurate Storm Shadow and Flint. My customizing skills are next to nil, no wood block, no rubber mallet, but I had an xacto knife, a hair dryer, and a disassembly guide from Joecustoms to follow and I went to work. A few appendages later, let's just say I'll be buying the Hall of Heroes Storm Shadow and Flint to replace my stuff. Oh how i miss the backscrew!

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Yeah that chest joint is still something I don't like. If nothing else, I'd rather see the old Marvel Legends style joint with the forward and back chest and side to side waist. I'm just not a big fan of the chest and stomach going 2 different directions. It works on a couple figures, but most of them it still doesn't look great.

The foot peg is a thing of it's self. I've had trouble with the EEL standing on his stand. I'm guessing it's the plastic. After they have stood on their stand too long it's like the hole warps. Then unless you let them lay for a while you can't get them back up. Even new sculpt didn't really have that issue.

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But their pelvis and stomach can not go in different directions. The midtorso joint has been a complaint since the 25th line debuted. Some people have embraced it but I think for the most part fans have accepted it. What bugs me most recently about a midtorso joint instead of a waist joint is when you have figures like Shockblast who have body armour that prevents the torso from moving but would allow a waist joint to function if there was one. So you either get figures with a weird visible division on their chest, or you get figures that cover it up but then have limited articulation.

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Well that's what I meant about 2 different directions. When you move the chest, the lower half is another direction from the top half. It's like with the HISS driver. His armor is split and would look better if that joint wasn't there. I'd prefer all figures to be like Resolute Duke or no chest joint at all if that's the best they're going to do. Some of the figures it looks fine on and works well. It just doesn't with a majority of others. People say the waist joint isn't anatomically correct and all that, but unless they're going to make the chest to the waist out of rubber with a hidden joint inside, I'd rather see a waist joint.

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What about the foot peg holes and the softer plastic? I know J_Man presented his theory about the warping, but I can't be the only one having problems getting non-drivers mounted on the 25th vehicles. It's almost ridiculous, if I had an inclining to scrap my entire 25th collection it would have been after the 15th time of watching my EELs fall off the side of the Moccassin.

I've since used this blue sticky putty tack thing to hold them in place but trying to hide the blue colour is a feat in and of itself. I now basically display the vehcile with the driver and that's it, the foot pegs are worthless.

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The Problem you're having with the Eels I think is because of the flippers.

On 25th figs the flippers plug into the foot holes, and then the pegs have only the flipper hole to peg into. I have the problem with a lot of my divers that they fall off their stand..leaving the flipper still on the peg.

Overall I think the problem comes from the peg hole being in the middle of the foot as opposed to the back. When they added ankle articulation they had to move the peg hole in the foot forward...that made the peg hole more shallow because you don't want the hole going all the way through the foot.

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Airborne is a jerk to me, too. No worries, it isn't just you. On the Skyhawk (whatever it is), Snake Eyes from the original five pack stands perfectly fine. Airborne just can't handle it and is wobbly. I have the same problem with the DVD pack BAT and any stand. Though, Airborne has all sorts of problems, like that backpack and his vest not staying latched.

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I haven't had any problems with the figures falling off the sides of vehicles. Mine stay pretty well put.

Then again, I don't leave them like that long term, so it's not much of an issue for me.

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