Most of my efforts in this hobby have been aimed towards broadening my collection of figures and vehicles. I have spent a lot of cash completing squads of the various and hard-to-find Cobra troops, filing rosters, and pursuing that rare 'must have' figure because I was so sure it would augment my collection. I haven't spent very much time and effort creating dioramas or environments for my figures to 'be' in and I don't think I'm all that different from most collectors in that. I'm beginning to see, however, that playsets provide an immersive element to a collection that vehicles and figures can't provide alone.
Continuing the focus on Power Team Elite's, World Peacekeeper line are two small playsets that I think augment a collection well. Both focus on a figure's sleeping quarters, one outside and one indoors.
I'm not going to have a lot to say about the figures since they are just slight variations of the figures that have been covered in previous reviews for PTE stuff, and the accessories are for the most part stuff we've seen before too. I wish they wouldn't have included the figs or other accessories hoping to save some of that $8 shown on the price tags. However such thinking is pipe-dreaming since PTE doesn't cater to Joe diorama builders, they sell playsets to kids.
The outdoor set features two figures, a tent consisting of a nylon canopy and several plastic struts that require assembly, two rifles, a radio backpack, a kettle, a pot, and a campfire. The Tent assembly is sort of tricky. The frame segments are a little difficult to fit together and the nylon canopy is a tight fit over the frame. Once put together, it looks like this on the inside:
And here is the frame that must be pieced together.
Outdoor Set. Tent and Campfire:
The outdoor set features two figures, a tent consisting of a nylon canopy and several plastic struts that require assembly, two rifles, a radio backpack, a kettle, a pot, and a campfire. The Tent assembly is sort of tricky. The frame segments are a little difficult to fit together and the nylon canopy is a tight fit over the frame. Once put together, it looks like this on the inside:
And here is the frame that must be pieced together.
The various segments of the frame are a very tight fit and it takes some muscle to get them together and it's easy to bend the plastic rods while doing so. After that's put together, the canopy is likewise a little bit of a challenge to fit over the frame, and it takes a little bending to get it on.
Indoor Set. Bunks and Locker:
The indoor set, of course, offers the same basic needs for the solider albeit from the comforts of a barracks or guardhouse rather than some remote mission area. Included are a bunk with two billets, a locker, and an assortment of the usual accessories (below)
The locker opens up allowing for store of all the gear that comes with the indoor set.
I think both sets offer about the same basic value. The accessories aren't that well suited for Joe, but you could make due with the rifles. With these offerings PTE continues to fill holes that Joe fans can use to build playsets and dioramas with.
Grade: B for both
Well, sorry for the lack of words in this. This was more like a 'review-ette' than a full-on analysis of these pieces. Personally I really would like to stock up on these for both a custom GI Joe barracks and field camp site, the downside is that at $8 a pop this gets a bit expensive, which is I think a tiny bit too much for what a diorama builder might find useful from these.
