Halo Toy Review: Mega Construx Desert Sniper Cyclops

mega-construx-logo

Mega Bloks Desert Sniper Cyclops

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 4 minutes sorting, 12 minutes building
Set Piece Count: 160
Minifigures: UNSC Marine (Hybrid explained below)
Weapons: Assault Rifle
Accessories: Figure Stand
Special Features: Cockpit opens/close, multi-jointed limbs on Cyclops
Cost: $16 US (Mass Retail)

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

As always the box art is fantastic and shows the Cyclops in a cool attacking pose. It should be noted that the box version here differs from the Strike Cyclops and the Incinerator Cyclops.Mega Desert Cyclops BOX

Here is what you get in this set. The instructions, the already built figure and four bags of parts.Mega Desert Cyclops contents

All the pieces sorted out ready to be constructed. I do highly recommend doing this. It makes the actual build go quicker, especially if you sort them by color to as I do.Mega Desert Cyclops sorted

The legs have been complete. No change here in the build, in comparison to the other two  Cyclops.Mega Desert Cyclops steps 1

The torso is built. This one is very much like the Strike Cyclops on the back, while the Incinerator Cyclops has added pieces for the gas tanks.Mega Desert Cyclops steps 2

Torso and Legs joined.
Mega Desert Cyclops steps 3

The arms are fully built. Once again, with exception to the Sniper itself, the arms are basically the same as the Strike Cyclops.Mega Desert Cyclops steps 4

And here the Mech is complete. I have to say, I REALLY like the desert camouflage pieces. Just so happens that the sniper side of my mech as “dirtier” camo than the other side. When building, I look to see which piece have darker camo than others. If I can I either try to make it so that the bottom or one side has the darker pieces. This eludes to either it being muddy (on the bottom), or in this case with one side, gun powder residue. Mega Desert Cyclops steps 5 complete

The Cyclops in orthogonal views.Mega Desert Cyclops ortho Cyclops

The Marine in orthogonal views. I want to note here that the torso armor is not standard for this marine. The rest of the Marine sports the Halo 4/5 style. So it may seem odd or a little out of place. However, I chalk that up to this being a highly specialized marine who can not only pilot a cyclops but also has precision fire with it’s cannon like Sniper rifle.Mega Desert Cyclops ortho Marine

Of course you can also put him in action poses and he looks just as cool!Mega Desert Cyclops action Marine

Even while falling back from, being shot! LOLMega Desert Cyclops action Marine 2

As you can see here, the Marine fits snugly in the cockpit.Mega Desert Cyclops cockpit

Both the Cyclops and Marine are ready to serve the UNSC or stand as part of your awesome collection!Mega Desert Cyclops FIN

Summary: This set is a quick easy build. It can be completed in just a few minutes. If you already have one of the previous Cyclops (Halo Wars 2 style), other than the sniper, the rest of the mech is nearly the exact same build as the others. A Marine with armor from both Halo 4/5 and Halo 3 adds to the allure of this set.

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

Why did I give it a 10 out of 10?
• First, I should say that I’m really a fan of the Halo Wars 2 version of the Cyclops. I like the color scheme of this one. The Marine is a little odd as the chest armor doesn’t match the rest of the figure compared to what’s in the games respectively. But that in itself makes it unique, which is pretty dang cool.

Let me break down my opinion of the value of this set. (In US dollars)
• The figure with it’s weapon and stand is $3.50.
• The Cyclops is easily worth $12-13, which makes up the remaining difference of the retail U.S. price.
TOTAL: $15.50-16.50 (before tax and in U.S. dollars)

Given that the set cost $16 U.S. before tax, this set is right on par with the piece count. So I find the value to be quite fair.

Do I recommend it?  Absolutely. If you don’t have either of the prior two Halo Wars 2 versions of the Cyclops, (first why not???) get this one. It’s a great start to collecting the version 2 Cyclops. Though I do highly recommend getting at least the Strike (Green) Cyclops that came before this one.

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]

If this review gives you an informed decision on whether to purchase the toy or not, please consider a small donation (50 cents) to the blog.You can donate via PayPal to [email protected]. Or just click the paypal link at the right on the main page of the site.  It’s much appreciated and helps ensure that HFFL stays registered/active on the internet. Thank You.

-Sal

This entry was posted in Halo Mega Bloks/Construx 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