Halo Toy Review: Mega Bloks Phaeton Gunship

Okay, , first I need to say that I’ve written this review twice before and both times it didn’t save…so hopefully third times a charm. On with the review.

MB grey logo 

Mega Bloks Phaeton Gunship

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 30 minutes sorting, 1 hour 30  minutes building.
Set Piece Count: 455
Minifigs: Halo 5 Promethean Soldier X2, Oribtal Spartan (Green)
Weapons: Boltshot, Binary Rifle, Halo 5 style Rocket Launcher
Accessories: N/A
Special Features: Open/Close front hatch, cockpit, swivel guns, open/close rear hatch
Cost: $45

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

The box art is well done as usual. Great action shot on the front with a decent descriptive shot on the back of some of the moveable features of the Phaeton.MB Phaeton BOX

Here is what you get in the box. Yep, that’s a REQ pack code card too!MB Phaeton contents

And the pieces sorted out. Really happy to see the translucent pieces. You longer time readers know I LOVE see-through pieces!MB Phaeton sorted

Okay, let’s get into the build. This is the lower front half of the Phaeton. I like the section that looks like the 6-cylinder engine.MB Phaeton steps 1

This next section is the top front part of the Pheaton. Not the hatch pieces for the forward hold.MB Phaeton steps 2

Here are both the front upper and lower sections put together. Nothing hard about the build so far. Heh, this kind of reminds me of the Geonosion fighters from Star Wars Attack of the Clones.MB Phaeton steps 3

See the similarities?NantexCCSkinned.1

Now we move on to the rear section. The two round parts are for hinges to be attached to. You’ll see those in a minute.MB Phaeton steps 5

Just a little further along.MB Phaeton steps 4

Here the rear section is completed. On top right, you see the pilot hold. At bottom left is one area where instead of the grey dish, there should have been an orange translucent piece (to match the in-game model). I suppose that was done though as often, when models are on display, you don’t see the bottom. It’s a minor thing to me, but would have made this set just a bit better.MB Phaeton steps 7

Here shows the rear hatch as it can close and open.MB Phaeton steps 8

At top you see two pins on the rear section. Those were the parts inserted into those holes I mentioned earlier. These are also inserted into two holes in the front section. This is done to create an angled shape. It’s a good solution. At middle, you see there are two small clear stand sections. Those are a bit flimsy. At bottom the model rests on those stands. At this point the ship can easily be knocked over. So I suggest to not put those stands on for the moment. It will save you a little frustration. MB Phaeton steps 9

Here the wing sections are built. They are the same, just inverted, so I only showed one of them in this pic.MB Phaeton steps 10

Those wings are added on as are mid-ship guns. At top left you see where clear hinge pins are locked into the body from the wings. Bottom left shows one clear tube that goes over a pin on the body. And the completed ship at bottom right.MB Phaeton steps 11

This photo shows both hatches in the open position. As you can see, you can store a figure into each area. The forward hatch isn’t actually game accurate, but it’s nice that it’s there. The rear hatch (I have the figure backwards…) is where a Pilot goes. This could have bene built a little more snug for the figure to fit in. You will find that a fig may move around a little if you are ‘whooshing’ it about, LOL. (Not that I do that…and not that there is anything wrong with that….HA HA!)MB Phaeton steps 12

Here are the pieces left over.MB Phaeton leftovers 0

Thankfully, those 4 clear ‘L’ shape pieces work perfectly in helping to stabilize the stands. Now, I’m not sure if those will be included in each set, so YMMV.MB Phaeton steps 13

A WAY to close up of the other left over pieces. MB Phaeton leftovers

Here is the Promethean Soldier. As there are two of the same in this set, I’m only showing one of them. This is a FANTASTIC figure. The sculpt is GREAT! The only small drawback is that there is no hip articulation. It’s not a detractor for me. Though, I do hope that’s NOT a precursor of things to come with future Halo Mega Bloks figures.MB Phaeton ortho fig Promethean

The Orbital Spartan is an odd choice for me. It’s not a character in the game. But I suppose a generic spartan is fine. I DO like that it’s the green color. That’s my preferred choice for generic spartan figures.MB Phaeton ortho fig Spartan

The weapons included are the new Halo 5 one-tube rocket launcher, a Binary Rifle and a Boltshot.MB Phaeton weapons

Here’s the Phaeton from the front, slight top. It’s a good looking model. The front hatch could have bee slightly better here, as you can see there is a gap.MB Phaeton Front view

The rear view.  Looks good!MB Phaeton Rear view

And a side view. MB Phaeton Side view

The Spartan is being attacked by both Promethean Soldiers! Who will prevail?!?MB Phaeton Action

Summary: The build time is reasonable and can be done in one sitting. Figure choice is good, especially that we get TWO of the Promethean soldiers. The price of $45 (US) is spot on for the unofficial 10 cents per piece rule. The model itself looks pretty good. Just a couple of in-game inaccuracies. But again, those are deal breakers.

Overall Rating: I give this set 9 out for 10 medals. The little inaccuracies to the in-game model take half a point off, as does the stands for the ship. Otherwise, this set is STELLAR!

Why did I give it a 9 out of 10?
• Just slightly inaccurate to the in-game model. Not much, but I’m a being a bit nit-picky here.
• Those flimsy stands are the only real drawback. I’d have much preferred clear bloks than the thin pieces we got.

Do I recommend it?  Absolutely! As the only Forerunner ship to date as well as the first set to give us Promethean Soldiers and two of them at that, it’s a great set to add to your collection!

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

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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