| A few weeks ago I delved into the world of Acid Rain, a heavily polluted world at war where men fight on foot on in mechs... who doesn't love mechs? Well I was so impressed with the offerings from this 1:18 action figure line that I took the plunge and bought one of their mechs - the Speeder !!. As a fan of GIJoe, the 1:18 scale is a favourite, so to have this kind of cool product out there is just a brilliant opportunity - but with the Speeder II running at $200 once you factor in postage, it's not cheap! So - was it worth it? More after the jump... |
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The first thing you notice from Robotica Toys is when you unwrap the parcel is the note taped to the top. They certainly seem to take their customer service seriously which is a nice change!
Under the bubble wrap is the Acid World box which, in a nice touch, is covered in the same imaging as the rest of the Acid World products.
Under the bubble wrap is the Acid World box which, in a nice touch, is covered in the same imaging as the rest of the Acid World products.
Inside the outer box is the product which is covered in a slipcase on strong card. | 
The back of the box is cool - there's a hole in the box so you can see what paint deco you're getting! |
Like the rest of the Acid World products, it's quality from the box all the way in!
The polystyrene packaging is solid and includes the Sol Commander in a poly bag. He doesn't come with a weapon - a PDW of some description would have been nice.
The figure itself is the same as the ones you buy loose,but mine had joints that were a lot less stiff.
He moves beautifully and is highly articulated!
The figure itself is the same as the ones you buy loose,but mine had joints that were a lot less stiff.
He moves beautifully and is highly articulated!
The Speeder is covered in a plastic bag and is - frankly - a joy to behold!
As I said earlier, this is an expensive toy, but the build quality and paint applications really are first class!
I was wrapped to get the vehicle deco I wanted, purely by fluke BTW!
As I said earlier, this is an expensive toy, but the build quality and paint applications really are first class!
I was wrapped to get the vehicle deco I wanted, purely by fluke BTW!
The vehicle, as you can see, is just too cool and matches the figure perfectly.
Went for an arty shot on this one - kind of works...
Went for an arty shot on this one - kind of works...
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The weathering and paint deco on this are just superb!
The badges are clear and well applied with the weathering integrated naturally.
The badges are clear and well applied with the weathering integrated naturally.
A clearer view of the Speeder MK II with the added gear on the front/ feet.
Every section of this is well detailed and when it comes to transformation time, it moves freely and at no point did it feel like it was about to snap.
Every section of this is well detailed and when it comes to transformation time, it moves freely and at no point did it feel like it was about to snap.
The colour poster/ instructions are on glossy stock, but to be honest - not entirely clear.
It's nice to have the photos, but it did take a bit of fiddling to work out what they meant.
It's nice to have the photos, but it did take a bit of fiddling to work out what they meant.
A scale shot of the mech with the Sol Commander with a shot of the feet, which don't sit that steadily and if not posed properly does have a habit of toppling over. But once posed and played with, the Speeder MK II does move well and pose fairly well too! | 
The pilot sits quite high in the seat, but due to the brilliant articulation of the figure, he looks fine! Thankfully his hand reach the instruments well and thanks to his rubbery hands he is able to grip them easily. There is also a platform at the back for an extra Sol Commander to ride shotgun! |
Verdict
The paint applications are really really nice. If you're used to the usual 1:18 paint applications - this will blow your mind! This isn't some mass produced plastic thing you have to imagine looking real - it really does look real! It's painted and detailed and is so much more than a 'toy', more a scale model - and for the price you would expect so. This isn't cheap. It's not for everyone, but if you can afford it, then I can highly recommend it! There are more vehicles on the way, including a smaller Speeder, more soldiers and a dedicated non-transforming mech. If I can afford them, I won't hesitate! - So what do you think? Tempted by this new generation of GIJoe? | From the very first time I saw the Acid World figures they rocked my world! I love the look of the figures, the detail on the vehicles and the passion of this small group to bring out a toy line - it's every geeks dream! The availability in Australia isn't great, so it wasn't until I joined the Facebook group that I saw more of the products and the cool way people use them - then I KNEW I had to get some! The Speeder MKII is the cheapest and smallest of their vehicles and a perfect entry point for the hobbyist and toy enthusiast. The vehicle is perfect for any 1:18 toy enthusiast and looks great with GIJoe or other scale figures. 
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