I was a completionist collector up until 1988 when I missed that damn wind up scuba backpack! I still kept going until 1991, the tapered off. When I first started collecting, my friends and I made a pact that if they tried to take Joe into space, we were getting out. As soon as I saw Star Brigade I did just that. I got most of the sub teams, but mainly the ones from the early years were just "repaints". NightForce and TigerForce had almost NO new Characters (ok, theunderwing, or whatever the tiger rat's pilot's name was) but the rest were all just repaints of classics like Tunnel Rat, Recondo, Repeater, Shockwave, LifeLine, etc. The first "original" (meaning it had NEW characters) sub-team I got was BattleForce 2000. What a disappointment they were!

The next ones I got were "Sky Patrol" I hated their vehicles, though and only got the SkyRaven. The rest of the "Sub Teams" were after I quit collecting. The only one I really REGRET not buying was the D.E.F. BadGuys, the Headhunters and Headhunter StormTroopers.

As for Eco Squad, they can go play with Captain Planet! And the Dino Hunters! I would only get for the sake of having them, the concept WREAKS of Jurrassic Park. I liked the Mega Marines, but again, their enemies were delving too much into "Aliens " Niche! (love their APC, though!!Too bad they didn't make a DropShip!)

I got most of the "new" subteams because of the six packs (Desert Patrol, Anti Venom Force, Winter Ops) But I don't use them as "Sub Teams" I just use them when I need the Characters dressed for that climate. The Anti-Venom force I use as Steel Brigade "Greenshirts"!

I have a question, does anyone consider the 1985 "Special Missions Brazil" 5 pack a "sub-team" ?

Star Brigade never got it for me, probably because I know in reality, the government only choose Officers to go into space, like enlisted aren't worthy enough. (but it's the same way with Flying!) So to me, the Whole "Star Brigade" thing was whack! Like Sending Flash into space in issue #8!