Cobra Trooper Upgrades

While the standard Cobra Trooper is quite awesome, I thought that there could still be room for improvement.

Straight from the package, the Cobra trooper is an amazing figure. The only change to this trooper is a change of weapon. Sorry, Hasbro, I'm tired of the Dragunov sniper rifle. 

I replaced this trooper's weapon with an AK-47 from the Dollar General black uniform Cobra Trooper. (More on them in a later post!)

While the web gear is very reminiscent of the original o-ring figure, it really doesn't work for me. It's too loose on the figure's torso. Upgrades were needed!

For this trooper, I had a set of officer web gear left over from those horrid 25th Anniversary Cobra troopers. A painful, but necessary step to figure greatness.

I have also added goggles of some sort to each of my Cobra troopers with the exception of the newest recruit. I need to find a set for him.

I think the goggles add a little extra to the troopers, they seem to be a little more combat ready.

This trooper has been re-outfitted with web gear from the wretched MARS trooper from the Rise of Cobra "exclusive" MARS trooper 3-pack. Rise of Cobra figures were decent enough and a good step in the evolution of the figures, but they suck compared to these newer figures.

One sample test fit and I was hooked. All of my MARS troopers surrendered their web gear to Cobra's troopers!

I even found a badly damaged set of figures that was missing the officer on sale really cheap. Bought it and stole their gear! One complaint is that the gear is a bit too shiny, but I can live with it.

This gear swap may be a bit controversial to some GI Joe collectors. I used the amazing vest from the Cobra Shock Troopers for these troopers. The Shock Trooper is an exceptional figure, but I just really didn't like whole pin-head, long-neck look of them. Their bodies are exceptional and are great for custom Cobra troops. Stay tuned for a look at what I did with them.

Sorry, hardcore collectors, my troops, my gear swaps! I really think that is one of my favorite elements of collecting these figures, even at my "advanced" age. They are just so damned fun to do simple customs!

This trooper is the team's sapper or explosives expert. I'm using a slightly modified Alley Viper vest from the figure that came with that Cobra Fury vehicle release. Sorry, I think the Fury stinks.

With an added explosives satchel and an extra Firefly backpack, he's ready to blow stuff up!

Goggles used for most of my troopers have come from the Para-Viper, the Shock Trooper, and the RoC Desert Viper.

My Resolute Cobra Troopers use Alley Viper goggles. The Desert Viper and Alley Viper goggles are pretty tight and compress the helmets a little, allowing the helmets to stay on the trooper's head a little more securely.

Just a minor change here. A trooper with MARS gear has been outfitted with a Cobra jet-pack. I've got a couple of the jet packs, so that allows my team of troopers to have a couple air recon operatives. 

Proof that I am a bit nuts about these Cobra Blueshirts. Here is all 17 of my figures in their various load outs.
I really need at least one more. I can't stand prime numbers.

One last tease. This is what I did with the Shock Trooper bodies. I used the Renegades Cobra Trooper helmets and vests for an improved look. The Renegades Cobra Troopers were pretty cool, but I really think that using the Shock Trooper body just makes them a little more bad-ass.