Halo Product Review: Sandboxr 3D Printed Large Spartan

Sandboxr-Logo_DarkBG

Technical Specs:
Size:
Height: This will vary between 6-7 inches depending on the stance you choose. It appears that the stance with the Railgun pointed in the air is the tallest, adding another half inch or more to the total height.
Width: The base is 3.5 inches wide. However, the overall statue will be slightly wider, again, depending on stance chosen. It appears the stance with the sword drawn is the widest, adding another half inch or more to the total width.
Cost: $89.99 U.S. dollar

Okay on with the pics! (As always, click to make bigger)

This is the box the statue came in. The black band slips off fairly easily and can be put back on if you choose to store your statue back in the box.Sandboxr lg-BOX

This is how the statue comes packed inside. Foam layers with an instruction sheet included on top, then the plastic is shrink wrapped around this to make it more secure.Sandboxr foam packing

Here is the unpacking slip. I highly recommend you follow this to the letter folks.Sandboxr unpacking instructions

While this next pic isn’t the model itself (it’s the small one), it shows you how the layers separate. If you want to put the statue back in to box with the styrofoam, I suggest numbering the styrofoam pieces as you take them off, so you know how they go back together again. Each styrofoam piece is laser cut to fit the statue snugly between them. That’s very good packing on the part of Sandboxr!Sandboxr unpacking foam parts

Here’s the model itself. This Spartan measures 6.25 inches tall by 3.75 inches wide. If you’re wondering which armor/helmet I chose, the armor is Hellcat armor, while the helmet is the Cypher Voynich helmet. I used Coal as the primary color and the darkest yellow (apologies that I can’t remember the actual color name of that ATM). The black color you see is part of the default pattern for the Hellcat armor.
Sandboxr LG model
As you can see, the Halo 5 Guardians banner is prominently display at the front of the base.

Here are four shots of the model from approximate front, sides and back views.Sandboxr LG model ortho

You have the option to include text within the block as shown. I imagine most will use their gamertag, as I have here.Sandboxr LG nameplate

Now let’s look at closer up shots!

As you can see, the model has a bit of a shine to it. This is actually part of the binding chemical used to help fuse the model together. So the shine is a cool by-product of the chemical.
Sandboxr LG detail 1
If you look close enough, you can see the layers here. The material used is a form of polystone. While plastic could have been used, I was told by the owner himself that the current available plastic doesn’t have enough of the vibrancy of color that they wanted to use, so they went with polystone instead.

This shot shows the layers a bit better. There is a TON of detail here folks. Oh, I should point out that the layers are not that noticeable when viewed at arm’s length, which is about the minimum one would likely display their model.Sandboxr LG detail 2
The texture you may be noticing is from the polystone.Plastic may have been smoother, but again, wouldn’t have the vibrant colors. It was a decision that Sandboxr had to really consider.

This view shows just how much more detail really is in the model. Sandboxr LG detail 3

Overall evaluation: The amount of detail overall is great. The shine to the model does not detract from it. You may find the shine to not be as even throughout on your model, so keep that in mind. The only thing I’m a little disappointed with is the texture. I would have liked a smoother model. But again, since Sandboxr is using polystone in 3-D printing, this is the best that can be achieved with this material at this point in the technology.

Value: At $89.99 this may seem a little pricey with the model being only 6-7 inches tall. One thing I want you to consider though is that there is no other company out there producing individual Spartans. You can choose from ANY of the armor and helmets you have unlocked as well as ANY of the primary and secondary colors, not to mention visor color as well. That is something truly remarkable. As a one-off in this case, you are likely to have the ONLY version of this spartan to ever be made. Let that sink in… It is one-of-a-kind. So for that, as well as the great detail and color, I think this is a good value.

Rating: I give this 9 out of 10 stars. The reason for the point off is just for the texture. Again though, at normal display distances, you won’t notice this as much, if at all.

If you have any questions about this model 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 this review gives you an informed decision on whether to purchase a Sandboxr 3D Spartan, 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

4 thoughts on “Halo Product Review: Sandboxr 3D Printed Large Spartan

  1. This are really cool. I wonder if in the future they could make a un-helmeted Spartan with your own head. The helmet of your choice could be in the spartan’so hand or secured to the base.

    • That would require getting your head 3-d scanned to get proportions correct. It would cost a lot more to do. I do not see this as part of their offering in the foreseeable future.

  2. That looks really good! I have been tempted to get one but have not gone through with it yet.

    • I was fortunate enough to get these for free from Sandboxr. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have them at all. I’ve got the medium and small size reviews coming too, so be on the lookout for them. Oh and a quick comparison of all three after that.

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