Review – G.I. Joe (2008) Extreme Conditions Crimson Guard (Desert Infantry)

From the 2008 Extreme Conditions Desert Assault Squad* box set comes this Crimson Guard action figure that’s almost like the basic Crimson Guard figure I reviewed last year (review posted here). I say almost, because besides the paintwork and accessories there’s one more significant difference between this and the basic Crimson Guard action figure.

Removable Helmet!

Using the head and helmet from the 25th Anniversary Comic Pack*, this desert version of the Crimson Guard action figure has a removable helmet so that we can see the Fred character beneath the visored helmet. The hair color is different, but other than that this is basically the comic pack action figure dressed for desert warfare. Yeah, it’s the little changes that make some of us excited. Hey, we take our fun where we can get it!

That Rifle Sucks!

Sorry, but as cool as the Extreme Conditions Desert Assault Squad* is I take serious issue with the rifle Hasbro selected for the Crimson Guard figure. There’s no really good way for the figure to hold the rifle, so the best he can do is kinda carry it around and wish that he had a better weapon. A better weapon isn’t tough to find, but this rifle is so pitiful it makes me wonder why Hasbro would even go to the bother of creating the weapon.

Another Opinion

My own thoughts on this figure is that it’s okay. I couldn’t quite say why I didn’t like it as much as the basic Crimson Guard toy (review here), but once I read the review at yojoe.com I figured out what was bothering me: The figure just doesn’t make a lot of sense.

“While I’m a huge Crimson Guard fan and I’m all for seeing them included in as much as possible, I have absolutely no idea why covert undercover elite agents (who are mostly lawyers and accountants) are dressed up in desert gear and part of a special operations squad…especially equipped with those dress uniform rifles.”

Yeah, that is really weird. At least the Extreme Conditions Desert Assault Squad* has other figures inside that are far cooler — for example, using the Cobra Air Trooper (review here) to create a desert soldier was sheer genius — so even with the weak Crimson Guard design the box set is incredible and recommended.

Closing Thoughts

The Desert Infantry Crimson Guard action figure isn’t one of the best of the 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe toys that Hasbro released in the late aughts, but it’s decent enough and as part of a fun box set it’s one of those toys we just have to accept to get to the even better stuff. I did a little digging and these figures aren’t too tough to come across loose, so if you really like what you see here get out there and look around the web; I bet you’ll find one soon enough.