Art Design: Straight forward economy sized window box for this 12" GI Joe action figure.
History: The S.A.S. stands for Special Air Service and was formed during World War Two. It is one of the most elite special forces unit in the world. The S.A.S. operate in much smaller units than commando units which generally operated in units of about 50. The small S.A.S. units are dropped by parachute or infiltrated by jeeps or small boats, deep behind enemy lines to carry out sabotage or reconnaissance missions. Infiltration using helicopters and submarines is also used.
The British S.A.S. is recruited from veterans from the Marines and Army. These troops must pass rigorous physical and mental tests in order to be considered for the S.A.S. They are then put through an extensive boot-camp training to hone their combat skills.
Headsculpt: This is the Normandy Ranger headsculpt on a Classic Collection muscle body with a molded-on SAS shirt and gung-ho grip.
Outfit: The black pants and boots look great with the molded-on black shirt. The shirt has a British Union Jack on the right sleeve and the Special Air Service SAS logo over the heart. The green plastic web-belt looks wrong on this figure. A black web-belt (or more gear) would have looked better.
Gear: The pistol included is a Browning 9mm. Goggles, black helmet, canteen, and what looks like it could be a Heckler & Koch G3 shorty (left) or an MP5 A5 High Grade (left, below the G3). Mlatch221 pointed out in The Trenches that SAS are usually issued MP5s. A H&K G3-MC51 and an MP5 A3 are also shown (left, 3rd and 4th from the top). This GI Joe SAS figure is not very well armed or outfitted, but in all fairness to Hasbro, this is the economy version of a British SAS.
Overall: A nice mass-market figure, but the British SAS deserved a better tribute. This Normandy Ranger headsculpt has been used for many GI Joe sets.
Price/Availability: This is one of the last sets Hasbro issued after cancelling the 12" GI Joe line. They have been sighted at Big Lots, KB Toys, and various regional discount stores at around $6.99.
Grade: B
