Halo Toy Review: Mattel Halo 12 inch Atriox

Technical Specifications:
Articulation:
• Ball Joint Head
• Ball Joint Shoulders
• Jointed shoulder armor (right only)
• Hinge/Swivel Joint Elbows
• Swivel Joint Wrists
• Ball Joint Hips
• Ball Joint Knees
Accessories: “Chainbreaker” Gravity Mace
Cost: $15 (US)
Availability: Mass Retail (I got mine at Kmart)

On with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)
Atriox comes is a much wider box than the standard 12 inch Mattel figures. Several of the other figures are shown on the back of the box. The gravity mace is being held in his left hand and is slightly obscured by the packaging.

Here’s Atriox with his gravity mace. These are all the contents of the box.

Sculpt details of Atriox’s head are good. I’m glad Mattel got the face paint on the figure. My slight disappointment here is how the eyes were done. Instead of orange, they should be red. I’m going to go back and repaint much of this figure. When I do, I’ll add in proper eye color as well as darken the recesses around the eye to aid in depth perception, while looking at the figure.

Here we see Atriox in orthogonal views. Other than the Arbiter, Atriox is very close to correct proportion when compared to all the other Mattel 12 inch figures. The back should have a more bulk, while his left shoulder armor should not be as flat. Still, the proportion as stated is much better than all but the 12 inch Arbiter from Mattel’s line.

Atriox’s mace, Chainbreaker, is very well done. I especially like that the blades are translucent. (But you long time readers already knew I would say that, huh? LOL) I’d have liked the straps to have been painted correctly. However, as this figure is only $15, I’m fine with less paint application to keep the toy affordable. I also would have liked to have seen the mace have a hole for a pin, instead of the rod sticking out of it. That’s a minor issue though and can easily be overlooked.

Views from a couple of sides of the top of the mace. Lots of great detail going on there.

A view of the top of the mace reflects the Banished logo (as seen below)!

Atriox has the standard articulation that all (save the Arbiter) 12 inch Mattel figures have. Additionally, his right shoulder armor is able to pivot up and down.

Atriox can hold his mace quite easily in one or two hands.

The rod that protrudes from the mace allows it to be inserted into a hole in Atriox’s back for storage. As you can see, you can put it into a couple different positions.

Here we see a comparison of the 12 inch Atriox and 6 inch Jerome. The large ODST chest plate at Atriox’s waist is a give away that the scaling isn’t in proportion. Still, I wanted to show this as I thought it was a cool comparison.

Here’s a comparison of the 12 inch Arbiter and Atriox. I’m glad that Mattel got the scale height correct here. Atriox is indeed an imposing character!

Evaluation
Sculpt: Good, though the figure is compressed at the torso to be thinner than it’s in-game model. 8.5 of 10 medals
Articulation: Somewhat limited, though there’s enough to get the figure into some cool poses. Articulated ankles would have really helped with this (and all of the other Mattel 12 inch figures). Again, I’m keenly aware that the point of these figs is to put affordable toys into the hands of kids and collectors alike. 8 out of 10 medals
Paint Application: Atriox has more paint applications than the standard Mattel 12 inch Halo figures. However, unlike the deluxe Arbiter figure, Atriox’s paint apps are dull finishes. The silver armor and face paint are where this figure shines though. 8 of 10 medals
Accessories: Atriox comes with his signature gravity mace, Chainbreaker, which is well done. 9 out of 10 medals
Playability: This is marked 4 years and older. However, given the large size of the figure and accessory, I feel it is better suited for older children. I suggest 8 years minimum. For kids it definitely makes for a fun toy. If you’re an adult collector, it looks great on display, whether in or out of the box. 8.5 of 10 medals
Overall: 42 medals out of a total 50 medals. Affordability here is KEY.

Do I recommend this product? Yes. Atriox is a great named villain in Halo. The sheer size of the toy and that it’s only $15 makes this a purchase well worth it!

The photo collage below is from @JoeGoodberry. I wanted share this to show just how much better the figures can be with a full on paint job. And yes, it’s the same figure!

Again, keep in mind that if we got THIS kind of detailed paint application, the figure wouldn’t cost just $15. It would definitely be more in the $40-60 range. (And IMO, would be worth it!) Problem is, big box brick and mortar stores rarely carry higher end/priced collectibles these days. Not saying they don’t but it’s much more rare than it used to be, especially with Toy R Us being closed down.

If you have any questions about this figure 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

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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