Review & pics by: Fred Meyer

Marauder Gun-Runners Wave 3


  Review & pics by Fred Meyer
 

 

 

Grenade:

I’m just going to come out and say it—I’ve NEVER found a use for any 1:18 th scale grenades up. Previous offerings may have featured some nice detail but I’ve yet to find one that could easily be held by a 3.75” – 4” scale figure until now. The MGR grenade accessory features some truly terrific detail for an item that is smaller than most figure’s hands. The handle and pin are actually molded on these grenades! I’m almost beginning to beginning to believe that Marauder John’s last name is “Keebler”; only “Elfin magic” could explain this amount of detail on a mass-produced toy accessory. The grenades themselves are able to fit into both GvC and RAH era hands with very little effort. RAH era figures with the tighter “c-grip” hands will most likely hold the small explosives by the handle and cap. GvC era figures, molded from softer plastic, are able to hold the grenade in the palms of their hands for an even more solid grip. The result is a small accessory that is truly usable by figures of BOTH areas and that will add a great level of realism to many a diorama and battle scene!

Luger pistol:


Anyone who’s ever watched a World War 2 movie will immediately recognize the Luger. Used by Germany in both of the World Wars, the Luger is a pistol that has set quality standards around the world. It seems only fitting that MGR should produce a replica version of this pistol in the 1:18 scale. All of the mechanical details that make the Luger so distinctive are present on this tiny plastic replica-- including the signature toggle and breach assembly just above the hand grip. When I first saw this piece in early promotion pictures, I knew exactly where it was going to be used. The new sculpt Interrogator came equipped with a 9mm sidearm that fit securely into his molded shoulder holster. It was a perfectly serviceable weapon but it wasn’t really in keeping with the spirit or the design of the character. To my mind, the Cobra interrogation specialist conjured up images from the black and white war movies that my father and I watched when I was younger. It seemed only fitting that the MGR Luger should fit that very same molded shoulder holster like a glove. I’m sure that this pistol will work well with other figures in my collection—but somehow I don’t think the Interrogator is going to be giving it up any time soon.

Machete:

There’s not a lot to say about the machete that isn’t evident from the pictures. The scale and the fit with my RAH Muskrat is perfect—far better than the baby blue blade he was originally sold with. I realize that Hasbro produced a black machete which was included with the Battle Corps Stalker and with many of the Battle Force 2000 troops but, as always, I find myself drawn more to the Marauder version than to those produced by my favorite Pawtucket toy company. Plus, acquiring a vintage RAH-era machete isn’t quite as easy as you’d think—and requires sifting through vast parts pins or poring over pictures of “accessory lots’ online. It’s far easier to simply hit MGR and click “add to cart”. However, don’t take my word for it—just look at Muskrat and tell me that he doesn’t look happier.

 

 

Rifle Rack:

If there is one accessory that collectors cannot do without in this wave, it is the rifle rack. Molded in gray plastic but featuring a wonderfully detailed wood grain texture, this rack features three open “bays” with which to organize the piles of MGR rifles that are lying around your 1:18 scale barracks. Designed with generic proportions, it accommodates the NVR and AK-47’s perfectly as well as holding weapons produced by other larger toy companies. The gray color will blend in with most large play sets or even with homemade barracks dioramas without being obtrusive. Some collectors might be puzzled by the gray color— but I find it a perfect neutral shade. I predict that this is going to be one of the more popular items out of this entire wave and that many a rifle will be properly stored as a result!

Shotgun (double-barreled, sawed-off):

This is another one of those pieces in MGR Wave 3 that I was initially dubious about. Had the Gunner-Runner decided to produce a full-sized double-barrel shotgun I’d have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the manila envelope from Massachusetts almost immediately after placing my order. However, the smaller “sawed-off” version just didn’t hold a huge amount of appeal to me. Besides, there was already a small “hold out” shotgun produced in Wave 1, right? This opinion remained mine until I started opening up my Wave 3 set and realized that I’d found the perfect replacement weapon for my Headhunter figure that was purchased without gear. Small enough to be held one-handed, this piece can function as an over-sized pistol for characters like Major Barrage or a down and dirty weapon for personalities like Zartan. It features all of the detail that has become the signature of Marauder Gun-Runners and yet is missing one key detail. The shotgun has a trigger guard but oddly enough has no molded trigger! This is a completely minor detail as I’m not a fan of detailed triggers on weapons this small—which seem to be perpetually incompatible with the “c-grip” hands found on so many small toy lines. The weapon fits solidly in both GvC and RAH-era hands and should even prove ideal for lines like Zizzle’s “Pirates of the Caribbean”. If you’re looking to re-arm your Dreadnoks or Headhunters, look no further.

Beret:

One item in my Wave 3 set is a bit of a surprise and that’s the black beret that was originally slated for release. Held back due to scaling issues, Marauder John has said that he will put these up for order at a later date. Oddly enough, the beret, while out of scale with the larger RAH-era GIJoe heads, seems to fit just perfectly with the newer GvC era head sculpts. Admittedly, the newer heads are significantly smaller and thinner than their vintage counterparts but this actually works in beret’s favor. I’ve tried it on several heads including the Desert Strike Humvee driver Duke and the Spy Troops version of Wild Bill and the fit seems just about perfect. (Granted, I’m only half-French and therefore no expert on berets at all—in spite of my grandmother repeatedly purchasing them for me when I was five!) If there is enough interest, perhaps Marauder John will make these available as a new sculpt accessory. Otherwise, consider this a “coming attraction” of an accessory that will see release in the not too distant future.

Am I an employee of MGR or do I simply own stock in the company? Neither and if this review seems overly positive then there is a very good reason for it. Marauder Gun-Runners has once again raised the bar that they set so high with both series 1 and series 2. While not as large as wave 2 in both scale and number of items, wave 3 branches out to cover areas in which I’d never initially dreamed of. Who’d have thought it possible to produce a functional detailed hand grenade in this scale? Who’d have imagined giving Outback, Tunnel Rat, Flint, and Falcon usable military flashlights? If someone had told me that I’d be writing an short review of a 1:18 scale cellular phone a year ago, I’d have laughed and wondered how I’d get excited about something like that. Yet sitting here, with the weapons arranged on my desk in front of me I can only marvel at the inadequacies of my words to convey the degree of enthusiasm that I have for these items. Whereas I used to view the weapons and gear of my figures as mere “accessories” I now look at the MGR pieces as essentials. These pieces are so detailed and so well-crafted that I can’t simply view them as “includes” with my figures but rather key components of any diorama or display. However, enough of this rambling collector’s opinion—if you want to truly appreciate how great these items are, order a set as a “sampler”. Place the items in your figure’s hands, store their rifles in the gun rack, and issue them each a cellular phone. (Text messaging not included.) Before long, you’ll be replacing more and more of your figure’s gear with MGR pieces until you eventually find yourself wondering just how collector’s got by before that fateful 2005 convention debut.

 

 

 

 

 

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