C&C Renegade Vehicles

Flame Tank

Mammoth Tank (tan version reviewed)

For starters, a great action figure injustice has been addressed.  The lack of Command & Conquer action figures is a plastic tragedy.  It’s a good first step that Joyride has taken with the Mammoth and Flame Tanks, but I’m still hankering for an Agent Tanya figure.

Both the Flame and Mammoth Tank are to scale with each other and the ten rubber figures packed with each.  The Mammoth Tank really is mammoth – you’d rather be in one than in front of one.

The detail is actually pretty good – not so much with the small figures but with the vehicles.  The Flame Tank has a gritty, scratched-metallic look, while the Mammoth Tank is the kind of spic and span piece of equipment that the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) always manages to produce.  The guns on each have full 360° horizontal movement and can be swiveled upward slightly.  The tank treads are made of rubber adding that extra bit of authenticity and 

providing a great deal of traction (which helps a lot when arranging dioramas).  The paintjobs are very good and the decals are applied in the correct places.

The little rubber men are kind of blobby up close, but from a distance they actually look good.  But I’ve got to hand it to Joyride, the NOD and GDI decals on the soldiers are clear and sharp.  They didn’t need to add them – the figures being so small – but again, it adds that extra bit of authenticity.  However, it’s a detail you’re likely to miss as you plow through and over them with the tanks.

If GI Joe taught us only one thing, it’s that war toys get played with.  Both the Flame and Mammoth Tanks will be played with, especially if you have both of them in your toy box.  Overall, they, and the soldiers, can withstand some punishment; however, the real treads can be torn or ripped under rough play.  That risk is slightly less with the Mammoth Tank as it has four individual treads, but it’s still there.  Outside play is definitely an option but dirt can get compacted in the tread wells.  The Flame Tank is also at higher risk of snapping off either flamethrower arm.  Obviously, the soldiers can be lost quite easily.  Counter balancing this is the shear number of figures – 20 if you get both the tanks. (Really only 10 different figures, as the same figures are packaged with both.)  If Joyride produces a few more vehicles, you could have some truly epic battles – especially if they delve deeper into the C&C franchise. (I want a Prism Tank!)

While the C&C fan is sure to get more out the Flame and Mammoth Tanks, their high playability make them good purchases for kids 8+.  And as I’ve said, these vehicles are just the start of addressing an action figure injustice.

- Omni

(February 20, 2003)