Halo Toy Review: Bandai Sprukits Commander Palmer

BANDAI logo

This review is the second of the four currently at retail as of this posting. It’s Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer.

Okay, without further ado, let’s get to the review.

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 45 minutes building, Your time will vary as I was taking pictures along the way for this review.
Set Piece Count: 113
Weapons: Two Magnums
Accessories: Figure Stand
Special Features: Fully articulated at the following:
• Ball Joint Head,
• Ball Joint Shoulders
• Double hinge jointed Elbows
• Ball Jointed Wrists
• Ball Jointed Waist
• Ball Jointed Hips
• Double Hinge Jointed Knees
• Ball Jointed Ankles
As well, the model includes a set of fisted hands, a set of ‘trigger’ hands, plus a third left hand that is open. This can be used to help hold and assault rifle (not included with this set).

Cost: $20 at retail

And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)

Since this is the second set I’ve reviewed for Halo Sprukits, please refer to my first review for comments on the box art. (Link at bottom)SK Palmer BOX

You get two packets of parts on spurs. The larger packet has the instructions as well.SK Palmer contents

Here are the different sprue sections. As well there is a small sticker sheet included.SK Palmer parts

Here’s a better pic of the sticker sheet. These stickers are tiny, so I’d suggest using magnifying glasses to see these when attaching them, for better placement.SK Palmer stickers

The instruction manual is one large sheet that is folded over a few times.SK Palmer instructions

This portion is sort of like a poster of Palmer. I don’t know about you folks, but I’m keeping my instruction sheets!
SK Palmer instructions2

Here you can see the color coded sprue instructions. Each color represents a portion of the body. Blue-Helmet; Red-Hip and Legs; Orange-Arms; Green-Torso; and Yellow-Weapons and trigger set of hands.SK Palmer instructions4

This is the instruction sheet completely unfolded on one side. Don’t worry, the directions are NOT daunting. They are actually quite easy to read. With them being color coded, it makes the build so much more easy.SK Palmer instructions5

Alright, let’s get on with the building of the model itself.

Below are the 5 pieces you need for the helmet. All pieces snap together nicely.SK Palmer Helmet parts

Once assembled, you add one wrap-around sticker across the ‘jaw’ line.
SK Palmer Helmet complete

Here are the torso parts. the dark grey ‘skeletal’ structure is similar in design to the one the parts that came with the Master Chief model. So, once you get one of these level 2 models, the subsequent builds should go even faster.SK Palmer Torso pieces

The ‘skeleton’ or undercarriage if you prefer shown as sections, then snapped together.SK Palmer Torso under steps

Finally for this portion, the armor is snapped on the front and back. There are 4 small stickers here as well. Again, take you time with placing stickers as they should be a one-time only kind of thing. I’m personally not a fan of stickers. This goes all the way back to my childhood though, so it’s nothing new for me. You long time readers already know this though.SK Palmer Torso complete

These parts are for the arms, one set of hands and the extra left open hand.SK Palmer Arm pieces

The two arms. One assembled, the other in ‘exploded view’ to show the separate sections of the arm.
SK Palmer Arm assembly

The right arm has an additional sticker on it. BTW, I should note that I go back over the stickers on the model when I’m done, to make sure they are better stuck on the model. I had toyed (no pun intended) with painting the markings on. I’ll likely do that later, but for the review, I always show you what the product looks like as it comes from the manufacturer, not as I might accent it.SK Palmer Arm complete

Here are the parts for the hips and legs. Once again, most of the grey parts are the same as with Master Chief. Not all, but most. This makes it so much easier to build, if you’ve built another one of the models. You’ll already be familiar with how the joint sections are built. I was and this section was built very quickly.SK Palmer Hip-Leg pieces

As with the arms, here is a pic of the legs, one built, one in sections. In the pic, you can see the one leg has a sticker on it.SK Palmer Leg assembly

Both legs built and ready to be put on the body.SK Palmer Leg complete

Speaking of which, here are the different sections of the body.SK Palmer ready to fit

The model is now assembled. Forgive the slight color change. It was early in the day when I took the photos up to this point. Starting from here, I took the photos at night. SO the natural sunlight that came through the windows into the early pics isn’t here for the latter pics.SK Palmer ortho

Okay, wait, these two were taken earlier…LOL. In this graphic, on the left you see the gun ‘holsters’, on the right, the magnums clipped on to them.SK Palmer weapon clips

This graphic is the same pose from two slightly different angles. I wanted to show more of the versatility of the articulation of the model. As well, you can see it can hold up it’s entire weight on just one leg!SK Palmer pummel

Two cool poses. Is Palmer shooting herself? What? LOL. The stand that comes with the set can be used however you want. I thought it would be great to show that the stand can really help with when you’re trying to get the figure into very dynamic action poses.SK Palmer shooting-shot

Finally, Commander Palmer says thanks for checking out the review. Continue reading for my summary, rating, and recommendation.SK Palmer FIN

Summary: The set is a quick build.Roughly 30 minutes to 45 for this as well (compared to the Master Chief model).

The model is for ages 8 and up. I agree with that, so long as the young ones are patient. I do suggest adult supervision. Besides, it’s fun to build with your kids. A great bonding experience!

With a fantastic amount of articulation, the model can be posed in many positions, as evidence by the pics above.

Overall Rating: I give this set 9.0 out for 10 medals. This set has great value for the price.

So why did I give this a 9.0 instead of a 10?
• Take one guess… yep, the stickers. The big reason I’m not fond of them is that inevitably over time, they always peel off. I’d rather pieces be printed with the markings. I know that makes the models more expensive though. If the markings were perhaps bigger, they could have been done as pieces. This ones were definitely way to small for that though.
• The other point is that the torso armor seems a bit small. Yes, I know this is a female character. However, if you have seen her in the campaign, her armor torso arms is bulky. It seems nearly every licensee does this though with Palmer, so I’m not entirely faulting anyone on this. Just a little nagging point for me. Also, I think the shoulder armor should have been bigger and higher placed on the model. That’s less of a concern that the torso armor to me though.

Do I recommend it?  Absolutely! Since I had already built the Master Chief model, building Palmer was quicker. It’s a good representation of Palmer in plastic model form. If you’re buying this for a child, I again recommend you build it with them.

Other Halo Sprukit reviews:
Halo Toy Review: Bandai Sprukits Master Chief – https://halofanforlife.com/?p=20399

If you have any questions about this set that I didn’t cover in the review, please do not hesitate to ask me. Either reply below or e-mail me at [email protected]

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of the review. If you get this set yourself, please let me know your thoughts on it too!

If this review gives you an informed decision on whether to purchase the set or not, please consider a small donation (50 cents) maybe. It’s much appreciated and helps ensure that HFFL stays active on the internet. Thank You.

-Sal

This entry was posted in Misc toys, posters, etc. by Sal. Bookmark the permalink.

About Sal

I’ve got tons of experience with Halo gaming and collecting. I feel I have something to offer to the greater Halo fan community. Posts along the way will be about tips and tricks in the games as well as collecting and many more Halo related things. I’ll also repost interesting articles from the official site, Halowaypoint.com, or from fellow Halo fan sites. As I continue this blog, I hope to help gamers who want advice on the games, as well as any collectors with regards to where to find collectibles as well as deals, coupons and so on. You can also follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/HaloFanForLife or Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/halofanforlife11. Welcome to my blog and I hope you’ll come back again and again. -Sal

One thought on “Halo Toy Review: Bandai Sprukits Commander Palmer

  1. Once again Sal, bravo on the review.

    It looks pretty good! Its a very nice representation of palmer.

    But stickers can definitely be annoying. O.O

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