Halo Toy Review: Mega Bloks UNSC JackRabbit Blitz

MB grey logo  

Mega Bloks UNSC JackRabbit Blitz

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: less than 20 minutes (sorting and building)
Set Piece Count: 91
Minifigures: Spartan Douglas-042 (Part of Red Team!)
Weapons: 2X Pistol
Accessories: N/A
Special Features: Wheels spin, roll cage lowers and raises, mini turret pivots/turns
Cost: $10-12 Depending on where you buy it from. I got mine from Amazon.com

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

Ah, finally my first Halo Wars 2 Mega Bloks set to review! The package art features Atriox, the leader of the Banished on the left hand side of the front of the box. On the back of the box we see the Jackrabbit built and it shows a little of the articulation that is built into it. Douglas-042 is featured prominently. It’s AWESOME to have another named figure!MB Jackrabbit Blitz BOX

Here are the box.MB Jackrabbit Blitz contents

All of the pieces sorted out and ready to build. There are a few pieces that need mentioning. First, at top left is the roll cage. This is a NEW piece for Mega. I’m glad they chose to make the cage like this and not with smaller pin and rod pieces. The cage is sturdy. Next are the two types of wheels. The tread on the tires is unlike anything we’ve had in the Halo Mega Bloks line before and it’s great! The rear tire is twice as wide as the two forward tires. That definitely helps with stability. Next to the tires is a large green ‘wrap around’ piece with the UNSC logo on it. It’s quite a unique piece. I hope it finds it’s way into other sets in the future. To the right of that is a HUGE grey seat. This is the biggest seat for a mini-figure in the Halo line that we’ve ever had (not including the buildable Prophet’s chair). Also, near top left is a sloping piece with pins on either side of it. Below that are two mud-flaps. I’ll talk about those mud-flaps a little bit later. MB Jackrabbit Blitz sorted

Okay, let’s get started with the build.

It’s safe to say that the large seat is the central focus of the build as practically everything is built around it. Going in a “Z” motion looking at the pic below: Chair with ports under to attach front wheel prongs; the wheel prongs assembled; the wheel prongs attached to the chair; the rear wheel prong assembled. MB Jackrabbit Blitz steps 1Now briefly regarding the mud-flaps. These pieces fit it ever so slightly different than normal blok pieces as their ‘studs’ are not as tall. This leaves them prone to popping off the prongs. It only happened to me twice during the build, but I wanted to mention that, so you’d be prepared for it.

The rear wheel prong is attached and a smaller assembly is placed. Not really sure what that rear assembly is supposed to be above the wheel, other than it looks to help to keep the big wheel in place.MB Jackrabbit Blitz steps 2

The mini turret is built and attached. (In the distance you can see an unattached small clip. That becomes important later.MB Jackrabbit Blitz steps 3

The finished set without and with the figure.MB Jackrabbit Blitz steps 4
Now, there are a couple of points I need to make here. Getting Douglas into the seated position is easy. However, getting him to hold the handles can be a little bit tough. In large part to a slightly unstable build which makes the from windshield assembly pop off the rest of the model. Just be patient and you’ll be fine. It’s not really a flaw so much with Mega. It is a small model after all. Barring pin and lock pieces, this was the best way it could have been designed.
Also note that Douglas’ pistols are neatly secured to pins on the side of the Jackrabbit.

Okay, so that clip. It was included in the set as an extra piece and not accounted for in the piece count. I’m not sure if it’s that way with all sets, so just be aware of that. Now, I put that piece to good use. Using the hole on one of the back pieces, I inserted the clip. That snapped the roll cage down on to it. This makes that part of the assembly more sturdy and when rolling the Jackrabbit, the roll cage won’t flip up. It’s a nice little solution. If you’re set doesn’t come with the extra pin, I suggest finding one if you have spare parts elsewhere and using it as I’ve done.MB Jackrabbit Blitz added clip

Let’s take a look at the model from all sides.MB Jackrabbit Blitz Vehicle Ortho
What I like about this is that I get a feeling of the Batman tumbler cycle from the movies.

Following are some shots of Douglas.MB Jackrabbit Blitz Fig Ortho

I like that Mega was able to get the symbol and 042 printed on to the pieces. What’s better, is that I actually like the speckled green armor. It makes it look battle worn and not factory fresh. I wouldn’t mind if Mega went this direction with all of their Spartan figures in the future. MB Jackrabbit Blitz Fig Detail

Lastly, there is a 6×2 angled plate that you can use to display your figure on. Below I show one place you can attach and store in on the Jackrabbit. It’s high enough up off the ground that it doesn’t impede on the Jackrabbit rolling.MB Jackrabbit Blitz Vehicle Underside

Summary: This is a quick build. Several unique parts make the set stand out from many other UNSC related sets. Slight unstable build near the middle where the roll cage attaches to the body of the Jackrabbit.

Overall Rating: I give this set 9 out for 10 medals.

Why did I give it a 9 out of 10?
• The only issue I had was with trying to get the figure into the seated position while holding the steering handles. As mentioned above, parts popped off when trying to do so. It’s very easy to snap them back into place, so it’s not a big deal.

Value: The price of $10 (which is what I paid), is a good value. With 91 parts it’s barely over the normal 10 cents per piece guideline. However, given the several unique parts that come with the set, it makes sense.

Do I recommend it?  Yes! It’s an easy build and fun to roll around….er um, display, yeah that’s it. LOL Having a named figure adds that much more appeal to it!

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