Mega Construx Banished Banshee Brawl

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 5 minutes to sort, 10-15 minutes to build
Set Piece Count: 219
Minifigures: Elite Minor, Spartan Mark IV
Weapons: Plasma Rifle, Spartan Laser
Accessories: x2 figure stands, laser bolt for Spartan Laser, buildable stand for Banshee
Special Features: Cockpit opens/closes; wings pivot down/up
Cost: $20 US (Mass Retail)

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

The box art has a cool action shot on the front, while the back shows the figures and weapons included.

You get several bags of parts and an instruction manual.

The largest bag has a few smaller bags within and the Banshee’s top armor.

Here the pieces are all sorted out. All the pieces are ones we’ve seen before. However, some are in a new color or have printing on them. I’ll go over those further in the review.

Okay, let’s get into the build!

From the onset, this build of the Banshee is unlike any we’ve had before. Mega really is expanding on their designs and I’m all for that! I like that I don’t feel like this is a repetitive build just in new colors. The back fins are now buildable pieces whereas in Banshees past, they’ve been solid pieces attached by pins. Note the two translucent blue pieces used as readout and control displays.

There is a third trans-blue piece. The one in the center front of the cockpit. It has an added distinction in that it’s graphics come DIRECTLY from Halo Wars 2! Note the “D” pad bottom left, the map bottom right and the selection wheel in the center! It’s details like this that really bring a set to life for me!!

There are also a few printed on pieces that show paint scarring/battle damage. These definitely help to make the Banshee look like it’s seen more than it’s share of aerial battles.

The top half of this graphic shows how the wings are attached by clips. I kinda like that they are alternated from clip to rod, front to back. I think that helps keep the wings clipped on better. The bottom half of the graphic below shows where the plasma bolt is stored.

As with the wings, so to is the top armor piece connected with a clip.

Several views of the Banshee show off it’s detail. Lots of angles and curves here. Not blok-ish at all, which is fantastic!

The buildable display stand has a rod that’s inserted into a piece on the bottom of the Banshee. That piece on the bottom of the Banshee can be removed easily if you choose to display your Banshee otherwise.

A nice profile shot of the Banshee. This does show that there is a gap between the top armor and the body of the Banshee. Added to the engines are purple flares that jet from the back.

Here we see the completed Banshee, sans the extra plasma bolts attached below the wings. (I think they distract from the model. That’s why I took them off.) Surprisingly, the slender plastic rod, in the display stand, holds the Banshee up quite well.

The Elite fits into the Cockpit snugly. You can even have it hold the red handles as shown below.

Ugh, the laser rod in my set was slightly bent. I’m going to ask Mega for a new one. Still, the effect of this is pretty cool!

Here I show where I store the extra plasma rods. Allows for me to keep the set together without losing pieces.

I had these few pieces extra. Always happy to have extras, especially when there are some “L” pins.

And the whole set with figures. Who’s going to win, the Spartan with his laser or the Elite with his plasma rifle and Banshee?

Summary: New design techniques applied to this model add up for a quick and fun build. Printed pieces add to the realism of the set. Always great to have more army builders. In this case, the Elite Minor.

Overall Rating: I give this set 9.5 out for 10 medals.
Why did I give it a 9.5 out of 10?
• The only knock I give this is that the cockpit does not completely close. It stays shut well, it’s just that there is a noticeable gap. Still a very stellar set!!

Here’s my opinion on the break down of the value of this set. (In US dollars)
• Figures with one weapon and figure stand equates to $3.50 each. Total $7
• Banshee $12
• Buildable Banshee display stand $1
TOTAL: $20 (before tax and in U.S. dollars) 

Given that the set costs $20 US before tax, this is a good value and right on par with the piece count.

Do I recommend it?  YES. This is a modern take on the classic design of the Banshee. The added Banished pieces and paint applications give it a battle hardened look! Also, I’m always happy to add more Elites to my collection. Here’s hoping this isn’t the last we’ve seen of that figure!

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].

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-Sal