HasLab Skystriker

I will preface with the fact that I am not a big fan of HasLab.  In general, it's a way for Hasbro to overcharge for a toy and assume absolutely minimal risk.  They take our money, sit on it for a year or more and then ship out an overpriced toy.  The upside to it is that you do get some offerings that would never be supported at retail.  But, paying $250 for an item that would sell for under $100 at a retail store is a tough pill to swallow.  The collectible toy market, though, is in a place where people are both willing and able to overspend for items that they want.  Hasbro realized this and is capitalizing on it.  I can't blame them.  I don't like it.  Yet, I'm about to drop $230 for the latest HasLab offering, the Skystriker.

I'm not a huge Skystriker fan.  While the plane looks great, the reality is that it's large, difficult to play with and takes up a huge footprint on display.  Despite all that, it does look amazing on display.  And, this new version (to ship in 2023!!!!) is only meant as a display piece.  It includes a stand.  But, everything about it is meant not as a toy but a piece of decor for an office, rec room or other such place in a collector's home.  Again, I'm not big on that.  I love Joe because they are toys.  

For me, though, the real value is in the figures.  The initial backing includes two figures: a rehash of the 1983 Ace and an all new co-pilot figure.

Ace figures are neither hard to find nor expensive.  So, I would have liked something on his paint apps to set him apart from the original.  But, as an homage piece, anything other than the original Ace coloring would have seemed out of place.  It's certain that these figures will be all new sculpts, likely based on the originals.  The real gem, though, is the co-pilot figure.  Not yet named, this mold is light years ahead of the new ARAH-style pieces Hasbro tried to scupt in the 2000's.  He has Ripcord's head.  So, it's tough to see him as anyone except Ripcord.  But, the chest looks pretty good.  I do not like the painted faces.  They look weird and are easy to chip and rub, even just in storage.  And, helmets, like the co-pilots, wreak havoc on painted faces.  So, I do hope that's something that changes prior to production.

Hasbro has to sell 10,000 of these for the Skystriker and the 2 figures to happen.  That is all but a certainty to happen.  Beyond that, though, Hasbro went ahead and revealed three other tiers right off the bat.  And, I will say that it's good that they did.  With just the plane and 2 figures, I would have been hesitant.  But, the possibility of 6 figures makes me all in.

The first tier figure is a flight suit Scarlett.  Coming available at 13,000 units, she is also all but guaranteed to be released.  It's an odd figure, Scarlett in Ace's flightsuit.  But, it's something different and the coloring isn't something you've really seen in the Joe line.  And, she'll be $80+ within a year of this thing's release.

The next tier brings us Ripcord.  At 16,000 backers, I'd put Ripcord at about 90% certainty to happen.  This is supposed to be a "Night Force" Ripcord.  As my friend RTG said, this figure looks like an early 2000's custom figure.  But, it is Ripcord.  And, fans have been clamoring for a new Ripcord since the early 2000's.  The figure is relatively bland.  But, the parachute rig really helps him.  Not being Duke also really helps him.  And, again, this is going to be an expensive aftermarket purchase.

The final tier brings us the army builders of this project.  For the first time ever, Hasbro is making flight crew.  The yellow and red figures are nothing special.  But, also something that every USS Flagg owner will love.  You see the re-use of the Ripcord legs and arms.  But, they appear to have new chests and heads.  The digital renderings kind of make them look like CORPS! figures.  But, I suspect they'll be decent enough.  And, considering their role, will fit perfectly for their intended purpose.

The Skystriker also includes a re-fueling and ammo vehicle.  Again, this is a little something extra that's sure to spur rumours of a HasLab Flagg is the Skystriker does well.  The vehicles are pretty cool.  Joe has always needed a missile rack to carry around re-loads for aircraft.  And the fuel vehicle is also something that's useful outside of the deck of an aircraft carrier.  For the money, that's a nice add on.

Below are more pictures of the Skystriker from the Hasbro promo images.  For $230, this thing is expensive.  But, it's also a reseller's dream.  The vehicles will recoup some money.  But, the figures alone are guaranteed to be at least $300 or more on the aftermarket.  And, the plane itself will sell for a premium.  That's why I think this will reach the 18,000 backers without issue.  While there aren't a ton of Joe fans, there are enough.  And, many people will buy two of these.  The resellers will pounce, too.  And, speculators know that HasLab's like this tend to appreciate pretty well.

In the end, this Skystriker was a surprise.  It's a low risk offering that's sure to find a market.  While not my choice, it's also fine and something I'm going to buy.  That's the first time I've said that about a high dollar Hasbro item in decades.  Let me know your thoughts on the Skystriker in the comments.