Gun Runners are great people. Need an automatic shotgun? No problem. Need a small armored transport vehicle to travel safely between your Secret Bases? They've got you covered! Marauder Gun Runners may not carry exotic items like Weather Dominators and Hydroplanes, but they carry everything your army needs to conquer the various rebellious countries constantly antagonizing you. Freedom? Right to exist? What are they talking about!? Their land is part of what you call your castle's backyard and M.G.N. is here to help squash them with their vast array of weaponry. Dealing in death isn't their only enterprise, they also sell ingenious display bases, called "I.D.S. Figure Stands" for your troops to firmly hold their ground. The I.D.S. of course stands for "Infinitely Double Sexy", because that's exactly what these stands are. Be sure to read the quick chat at the end of this review with Marauder Spokesperson "MJ". I'm pretty sure he works for Cobra too. Awesome!
UPDATE: Marauder has a FREE item to give readers of AD just for placing an order, see the details at the end of this review!
Name: I.D.S. Action Figure Stand
Manufacturer: Marauder Gun Runners
Released: 2009
Scale: 3.75 in.
Behold the object of your future desire! As smooth and solid as a brand new Lego piece, these feel good. There's no need to worry about breaking these bases, even stepping on them won't do a thing. Seemingly precision-made, every piece can "lock" into every other piece, with any edge, and stay connected snugly. I say "lock" because they don't really latch on to each other, rather, they stick together with friction. There's enough "stick" to make an entire floor and drag it around like a carpet, even pick it up entirely if you're careful.
The smallish size of the bases allows you to use them with minimal visibility, and more strategically than the bases supplied with many G.I. Joe figures. True, there's nothing elegant about these little black base-stands, they aren't as pretty to look at as the official semi-ornate base-plates, but these are discreet and much more effective.
Black is the only color these bases are made in, maybe someday a clear version will be released, go petition Marauder Inc. if you really want them! Imagine what you can do with a clear base and some double-sided tape, stick them on walls for Spiderman? For a ninja to scale a wall maybe? How about clear blue pieces for ice-environments? Remember all those old toy commercials where kids would throw their toys through blocks of clear plastic? Oh noes, Baron Blood has been shot! Watch him crash down through these conveniently-placed colored cubes! You could re-create those hilarious commercials with these bases and be the coolest kid man-child on the block.
Let's talk about the various ways these things can be used. Most importantly, they do a great job at stabilizing your figures. And...well, that's it, they do what they're supposed to, the end, now let's talk about Red Sonja some more. Lol, just kidding, the bases are effective whether used individually or as a mass unit. However, the more you link together, the wilder the poses your figures can achieve will be. Meaning, more of them linked together helps weigh them down enough that you can have troops taking a spill, or kicking someone in the face, or doing a handstand. Not that you can't also achieve these things using one unit alone, because you CAN, it just becomes more of an annoying blancing act.
These bases can't be stacked, but they can create stacks. The 3D jigsaw-puzzle nature of these doo-dads allows you to create boxes, as tall and wide as you want. You can make pillars, "broken walls", roads, use your imagination. You can also create a multi-level display with them, but that would require LOTS of them, and the structure wouldn't be stable past "2 units" tall anyway (because the pieces don't truly "lock"). But if you plan on leaving the display alone, there shouldn't be a problem.
Bought individually, these will run you 75 cents a pop. For 50 cents, you can get something neat, like a rub-on tattoo of a clown, out of a gumball-machine. For 25 cents more, you can get something that will actually be useful, not a bad deal. Of course, there are bulk lots available, in quantities of 10, 20, 50, and 100. The more you buy, the cheaper they become, plunking down to about 56 cents each when you buy 100 units. Shipping will always be only $1.45, anywhere in the world, so it's almost negligible.
At any of those rates, these little black gems are worth every ill-gotten penny. Most, if not all (with a little modifying to the foot-holes), of your 3.75 inch figures will benefit from them in some way. I tested them on several MU and DCIH figs, they fit but you may need a little more force to plug them in because the holes on them are slightly smaller than the thinner peg. It's okay though, the feet are made of soft plastic so they plug in anyway without breaking.
There are two pegs, one fits old Joes and one fits new Joes. Some Joes like Red Star can't use them because the foot is too thin, in that case either drill a little bit more into the foot or shave a little off the peg. The result is no more toppled figures, no more accessories lost to the vaccum as a result, no more bulky official G.I. Joe stands tripping up your troops as they try to stop Cobra from turning all the people in the world into turnips. Seriously? Turnips? What the hell, Commander?
85 / 100 - This is a Great Toy Accessory
It isn't often you see something cheap and useful. As inventions, these bases are right up there with matches and cheese-slicers.
Quick Chat with "MJ", Marauder Spokesperson
AD: Obviously it takes genius to produce something as brilliant as these doo-hickies, before anyone else, for a line that's been around for more than a quarter of a century. What was the creative process behind these stands? How many knuckle-heads got together before this thing was pumped-out?
MJ: The idea of the stands evolved from need. Just like with the idea of "in scale, replacement weapon upgrades", the stands came about from a way to display my figures. I like to build "HUGE" armies. Row, upon row, of figures in formation. Equal distance from the other figures in the formation. With a regular stand, you can spend a lot of time adjusting each figure, straightening up rows..then with one false move the "domino" effect will knock down the entire display. Also, once you set up the display, it is impossible to move it without doing all the work over again. So worked to come up with an "Interlocking Display System" that would allow stands to be connected for stability, have multiple ways to connect to each other AND have pegs that work with vintage style figures AND the modern era type figures (not just Joe, but Star Wars, Marvel, DC..even Ben 10..to name a few). So after over a year of trial and error, came up with the final design that hopefully addresses all the needs for the action figure collector. With the Marauder IDS stands, uniform formations are very easy AND the finished displays can easily be moved to a new location. The design of IDS stands also allow for "mini" action scenes and 3d multi-level displays. The IDS stands almost have a construction block feel to them, so the display setups are almost limitless. As you saw for yourself, once you get them in hand...you tend to keep "fiddling" with them and see what can be configured.
AD: What's your #1 most-requested accessory from fans? What are people demanding that you invent next? Any plans for making clear/colored versions of these stands?
MJ: We continue to get requests for more of our "modular" weapons & accessories. Our modular series of weapons allow for the end user to "configure" the weapon in almost any way they wish. Can add different scopes, clips, silencers, grenade launchers..even chainsaws. So we get LOTS of suggestions for more items in the series.
Yes, we're working on a "clear" version of the IDS stands. It just comes down to finding a clear material that is STRONG. Clear materials are more brittle than solid colors. So want to be sure there are no issues with the material AND the clear color is CRYSTAL clear (not foggy or will turn yellowish over time).
AD: If you could create your own line of action figures, what theme would it have? Redheads? That'd be awesome, right?
MJ: Luckily for us, there are some GREAT companies making LOTS of great figures. We think of the large action figure companies like car companies and we are the small local "custom" car shop. Get your top of line auto from the big company, but come to us to "customize" your interior or get some new rims for your tires. So thinking of action figures instead of cars, we try to provide a service to the collector that allows them to "customize" their figures & diorama displays as they see fit. Also, we are working on a "rubber" series so will look into a "redhead" wig as potential future accessory...so almost every figure could sport a redhead of hair! ;-)
FREE Promotional Offer for AD Readers! (A message from MJ)
"Thanks for telling people about our "flat rate" $1.45 shipping...we don't EVER want anyone to miss out on our items over a shipping concern. Please let your site readers know to mention they are from "articulated-discussion" and they can pick out an additional FREE weapon of their CHOICE to add to their order!"
There you go folks, a free rocket-launcher or Auto-9 or whatever with any purchase, your Robocop will appreciate it!
-DrNightmare
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