G.I. Joe Classified Series Heavy Artillery Roadblock review

Hasbro clearly took to heart the feedback from collectors after the reveal of the first GI Joe Classified Series. Gradually over later waves, the bright colors and overly complex outfits have been phased out for looks more in keeping with the Real American Hero designs. Roadblock got two figures before Hasbro could implement those changes.

Now with Heavy Artillery Roadblock, Joe collectors have the classic version of the team’s heavy machine gunner they’ve wanted. Enough buildup, it’s time to rock with this figure review of Roadblock. Sometimes these bad pun openings come too easily.

Package:  Hasbro keeps the packaging simple for the line — Joes get blue and Cobra gets red. The side art isn’t as intricate as most with just the same drawing enlarged. On the back it’s the updated collage. It would’ve been cool to see the new Roadblock in place of the Ver. 2 one.

Naturally his skill set remains the same with 4s for vanguard, strength and artillery with the lone 3 coming for heavy weapons, which was odd. Even more so after reading the bio, which you can read on gijoe.hasbro.com:

A one-man wrecking crew, Roadblock lives up to his codename with exceptional strength and the courage to stand and face any threat. Loves massive weapons with awesome stopping power and is the foremost expert in heavy weaponry. A gentle giant and a foodie at heart, with a passion for fine meals and culinary arts.

Likeness: Roadblock’s original head sculpt was a little soft and didn’t convey that Joe enforcer tag at all. This one definitely gives more of a rough and rugged portrayal. And there’s just something cooler about Roadblock having a soul patch instead of a full beard.

 

The torso is all new with the tank top sections with texturing. Roadblock has the classic style Joe web gear, which is authentic to the original Roadblock right down to the grenades on either side. This is a piece very easy to see being reused at least for the Original 13 figures like Grunt and Hawk (ver. 1).

Roadblock’s original figure had a holster on the left leg and a knife with sheath on the right leg. I guess if you really cared, you could switch the removable holster to the left leg seeing as how it’s not sculpted on. Hasbro ditched the left kneepad, but the shin guards along the boots are still included.

Paint:  All of the random colors thrown on the first figure don’t carry over here. Heavy Artillery Roadblock features most of the color scheme of the RAH figure.

The biggest difference is the gloves and holster, which are black instead of green. The shin guards are drab green as well.

I definitely appreciate the application of the camouflage as it’s large and consistent throughout the tank top.  The black for the mustache and eyebrows is a little faint, but this is a thankfully easy fix.

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Scale:  Hopefully Hasbro fixes another early Classified Series mistake and releases a scaled down version of Gung-Ho. Roadblock should be the tallest/broadest member of the team and looking down on his Marine counterpart.

Articulation: The articulation is a step up from the original Roadblock as it doesn’t have the restrictive vest limiting the torso joint. This is a big improvement and allows Roadblock to pull off a variety of poses.

 

Heavy Artillery Roadblock has:

• head
• neck
• shoulders (butterfly)
• elbow (double-jointed)
• wrist
• wrist hinge
• mid-torso
• torso
• waist
• hips (ball-jointed)
• drop down hips
• knees (double-jointed)
• ankles

Accessories: Roadblock gets a helmet for those who want to go full vintage and add the helmet his RAH figure included. It’s nicely detailed with a potential port for night vision attachments.

Additionally, he has a huge Desert Eagle. This fits in the holster with no issue. He has a huge Vulcan cannon with drum ammo attachment. This is also cast in the drab military green.

It’s a nice heavy artillery piece and looks more formidable than Roadblock’s vintage heavy machine gun.

Worth It?  I was able to get Roadblock for $20. That’s definitely a workable price point for this 6-inch translation of one of my favorite Joes.

Rating: 9.8 out of 10

When the facial hair is the biggest issue with a figure that’s a winner. If I could have picked one at retail with a tighter paint job this would easily be a 10, but I’ve gotta take a few points for making me do some paint fix-ups.  

Where to Get It? Heavy Artillery Roadblock was an Amazon exclusive. In most instances, Amazon will get a restock so hopefully that will be the case here. Longtime fans shouldn’t be deprived of getting this guy for their collection.