Halo Avatar items on sale 50% off!

You can find them all below or through the Marketplace on XBOX Live.

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Search?downloadtype=AvatarItem&query=halo%20avatar&PageSize=90&Page=1

Here is a RARE chance to own one of the “Holy Grails” of Halo collecting. It’s the WETA Cortana Statue.

I rarely promote eBay auctions here. This is one exception. Though the asking price is WAY over-inflated, the seller does allow for a “make an offer” bid.

Here are pics of it, taken straight from the auction:

Again, that initial asking price of $1200 is WAY overinflated. However, the rarity of this, being only 1000 pieces made is saying something. Oh if I had the money, I’d make an offer. Not $1200 mind you. For those wondering, what would a reasonable offer be? Given it’s rarity, I definitely can see this going for $300-450. The seller however may not want it to go for so low. So if you make an offer, keep that in mind.

If you bid on this, best of luck attaining it. If you do get it, PLEASE let me know and send pics. I’d love to showcase this better than just the auction pics on HFFL.

I’d like to thank Cody JR Smith for posting the link to this on Facebook.

-Sal

Got a spare $3,000? Then head on over to eBay where you can find this 6 foot tall custom blue painted Master Chief statue.

Link to auction: Rare 6ft Tall Master Chief Halo Statue

Whew, WAY to rich for my blood. Besides, I have the 3ft version of this and am pretty content. No way I’d pay $3k for this.

I’d like to thank Tom Garrett of HaloCollector on facebook for posting this.

-Sal

Okay first, let me state that this review should have never even happened. I had this on pre-order from back in December and completely forgot about it as I meant to cancel the pre-order some time ago. Well, lo’ and behold it came in and WHAM my bank account got nailed for it. I really can’t afford this, so it’s going to go up for sale for the price I paid w/shipping. In the meantime, I figured I might as well review it while I do have it.

So here goes:

The box is nicely done. Clean graphics that wrap around the sides. The back of the box  shows Palmer in some good action poses. The front flap opens to reveal the figure and accessories in the tray below. (Sorry no pic of that)

So here’s what you get in the box. In the tray you have Palmer, an extra set of hands, a Magnum and a Railgun. Packaged behind this hidden from view is a plastic stand that you can assemble (at right).

Here’s a better shot of the accessories. The railgun is very nicely detailed as is the Magnum. Oh and that little piece below the magnum is a kind of “extender” to put in the hole in the back to allow for weapons to be attached there. Though you’ll see in a minute that it’s not needed for the railgun.

Orthogonal views of Palmer. Now, here is where I need to break some things down. The figure’s wrist joints are SMALL. Be very careful with them as I think it could be possible to break them if you’re not careful. Also, the waist armor is a separate piece that “floats” in position. It hides (somewhat) a horrible joint system in the hips. I mean horrible not in that it doesn’t work but that it’s easily seen and with that huge gaps in what should be a more solid looking figure.

Other than those two ares, the rest of the sculpt is fantastic.

The paint application overall is good, however I noticed that some of the red markings on mine look a slight bit off. Also, the silver paint feels “sticky.” (No jokes please…) Seriously it’s like there is a slight film of stickiness on this.

The figure is chock full of articulation as shown by the action poses here. Though again, be careful with the hands/wrist. It took me a couple of minutes to get the railgun to hold and pose right. With regards to the magnum, I suggest you have the hand OFF of the wrist joint first. Put the magnum in the hand, THEN put the hand into the wrist joint.

Finally some detail shots. Again as you can see the detail of the sculpt is fantastic. The railgun in the middle is NOT using the extension piece I mentioned earlier, though if you have other Halo Play Arts figures, you may have to use it for weapons from those figures.

All in all it is a great figure. Considering the news of the new Halo game “Spartan Assault” and Palmer being the key character in it, and if you want a little bit of the Halo virtual world brought to life so to speak, then this figure is a good start.

With McFarlane Toys and Mega Bloks not coming out with a named Sarah Palmer figure any time soon, this may be the only way for you to get her.

-Sal

First I want to say thank goodness for tax refunds. I ordered this back in February and it finally got to me yesterday. I have the Sarah Palmer one paid for and waiting for it to arrive too, again paid for with part of the tax refund.

Okay now that that’s done, let’s get on to the review:

I want to be straight up here and say that initially I had no desire to collect this line. There are a few reasons.
1. Fairly expensive: In comparison to McFarlane Halo figures these are about 5X as much. On average McFarlane Halo figures cost $13-15. This Kai Arts (also referred to as Play Arts) figure was a whopping $65 (not including shipping).
2. Not a fan of the slim waistline: It’s one of the biggest reasons I didn’t go for the other figures. I don’t like it when companies choose to use their interpretation when they can easily recreate the character exactly as it is. (Mega Bloks does not count here for instance as they have to really size down their figures.)
3. Exclusivity: There aren’t many figures to this line as it is and several of them were exclusives. I really REALLY hate toy lines that do that. Exclusives to stores, fine. That may make it a little hard for some collectors, but certainly not as hard as trying to get Convention exclusives.

So then, you’re probably asking me, “Why the hell did you get this then?”

I had to really consider buying any from this line. Knowing I’d never have one of each, I had to draw the line somewhere. So I decided to get ONLY Halo 4 Campaign/Spartan Ops figures. I had seen pics of the Halo 4 Master Chief and it actually looked pretty darn good even with the slimmer waistline. Palmer I wasn’t so concerned about since she’s a female character and I can tolerate the slimmer waistline on her due to that.

So yeah, that means I had to pass on the Halo CE Master Chief, the Gold MC, and pretty much all the rest. I had thought about Noble team, but again, these figs are expensive. The waistlines on those characters really take away from them, with exception to Kat, again with her being a female character.

Okay, enough justification, let’s move on to the actual toy review…The box this comes in is very nice. Some great graphics and they all make sense.Take a look at these shots put side by side. You can see that the sides wrap around with the front to make a larger image. The back of the box depicts Master Chief in certain poses with weapons. What’s great about the box is that if you keep your stuff in the box, there is this nice flap that is velcroed on that you can open to show the figure, yet keep it minty fresh inside.

Of course, I’m not a mint in box kind of guy (though this one I did put back in the box for the time being). So here are some shots of the contents and the figure and weapons outside of the box.When you slide out the contents, you get this. It’s a clear tray over a black tray that holds the figure, weapons, and extra pair of hands in place. It’s a nice way to have them displayed inside the box.

Behind that you find what’s below. It’s a cardboard sleeve that also has a bubble glued onto it that holds the figure’s stand in place.As you can see by the pic (and yes, I photoshopped the hell out of the background), the directions are easy to see and follow. I have NO plans on using this stand. Though I won’t get rid of it either, as you never know… For now it’s back in the box with the figure.

But before I put it back in there, here’s the figure as promised (click to make pic bigger): Sorry about the high contrast/flash here.

The figure has some pretty good articulation. Ball joints abound everywhere. One thing to note is that the cod piece and hip area is actually a separate piece that sits in place. It’s moveable, but not particularly positionable. The detail on this figure is amazing as is the paint job. The only issue I really have here is that the ball joints aren’t hidden as well as they could have been. It can be distracting specifically at the shoulder area.

In the shot above you see how the pistol can attach to the leg. There is also a peg hole in the back for the Assault Rifle. Note the pegs sticking out of the weapons in the bottom right of the above pic. Also, this set comes with another set of hands.

The figure as it is in the package has the more open hands attached to it. This makes it easy to have Chief hold the AR. The extra hands are for holding the Plasma Pistol. Technically you could have Chief dual wield the weapons with the AR in his right hand and the Plasma Pistol in his right. I do think that a frag and/or plasma grenade should have been included with this set. Either to have chief hold in his left hand or to clip onto the left leg. Opportunity missed. Perhaps I’ll custom one…. (likely not).

Okay so there you have it.

What are my final observations on this?

It’s a good figure with superb articulation, excellent sculpting and paint application. It’s presented VERY well in the box. The slimmer waist isn’t as noticeable on this figure as it was in earlier figures from this toy line, so that is a plus in my book. The only thing that detracts from this then is the price. While I do appreciate the extra set of hands, a grenade or two would have helped give more of the appearance of worth. When you compare this to the McFarlane figure, visually it’s better, though only marginally. So again the price is the real issue here. Is it really worth $65 (plus shipping)?

Unfortunately, I have to say no. However, given the rather exclusivity of these figs and that they aren’t as easy to find at brick and mortar stores, therefore making it more of a collectible piece, the price is slightly more justified. Personally, I think the price of this line of figures should be at $35-40 and no more.

So should YOU buy it? Well that’s going to depend on a few things.
Do you mind the slimmer, somewhat out of proportion waist?
Do you mind paying 5X as much for this than say a McFarlane Halo figure?
Are you buying this to keep in package or will you have your kids play with it?

Answer those questions and I think you can come to your own conclusion. Am I happy with the purchase? Well, I don’t have buyers remorse. So that’s a good thing. Though I do think it’s priced more than it’s worth. I can only hope these figures gain value. Though, I’m not in this to resell figures later. I collect to collect.

Articulation: 9 of 10 medals
Paint Application: 9 of 10 medals
Sculpt: 8.5 of 10 medals
Accessories: 8 of 10 medals (include more please  if you’re going to ask that much for these sets)
Overall rating: 8.5 medals of 10

UPDATE

I figured since I mentioned the McFarlane figure a few times within this review that I should show a comparison shot of it and the Kai Arts figure. Click to make bigger.

Okay, so now seeing the two side by side, you’d think I’d change my position on the cost issue. Well, partially. See, this isn’t quite 12 inches tall. I can get a fully articulated Star Wars figure from Sideshow collectibles for around $50-55 (yes more for certain characters). Anyway, those figures come LOADED with extras. Their sculpt is great as is the articulation and paint application. So adding this comparison as well and the Kai fig not having a bunch of extras, I’ll place it’s worth at $45. Better than the $35-40 I said above.

McFarlane had a 12 inch figure of Master Chief a few years back. Sadly it didn’t sell well at retail. It was VERY well priced at IIRC $30. That was much bigger than this figure and had decent sculpting, though not as great articulation.

So take all this updated info for what it’s worth to help you determine if you are considering buying this figure.

Oh! And if you do, PLEASE send me a photo. I’ll be more than happy to post it up on the blog!

-Sal

As I’ve been promoting on the blog for a little more than a week, Fathead.com will be having a promotional 30% code for all of their Halo products through the use of a special code exclusive to this blog. In the meantime, they were gracious enough to send along four of their “Junior” sets as prizes. I got a large Master Chief set which I’ll show also.

First things first, the shipping package. These can come in a large triangular box with a corresponding tube as sen below. The box is about 4ft tall.

The Junior sets come in a square box about half the height that have a tube inside that holds the wall graphics.

Here are the four prize sets (held by my wife):

The Promethean Knight Junior set: The Elite Junior set:
Next the Crawler Junior set:and the last of the junior sets to be given away, Master Chief:

Finally, here’s the set I got for myself, the FULL sized Master Chief:

Sorry for the camera flash. But WOW, this is HUGE! Master Chief stands about 6’5″ tall in this wall graphic. Darn near actual size.

All of the graphics are “kiss cut.” This means that the graphic part is cut while the sheet they are attached to is not cut. This makes it easy for peeling off AND reapplying back to the sheet, if you so desire.

One thing I HIGHLY recommend with these is that you be certain to clean off the places on your walls that you want to stick these onto. You don’t want dirt/dust, etc. to affect the graphic’s application to the wall. Don’t forget these are removable and you can reposition. So it’s thankfully not a once placed, always stays kind of a thing.

The discount code will be revealed Saturday, April 13. It will be good to use starting Sunday, April 14 through Saturday, April 20.

-Sal

Here’s the fourth of my four part reviews of Jada Die-cast toys.

The Warthog. An Iconic, no, THE iconic vehicle of the Halo franchise.

As I’ve said before regarding packaging, Jada does a really good job of showcasing their product within. Front and center is the Master Chief, along with a UNSC Marine.With the outer box removed, you can see the set has a backdrop to it, upon which the machine gun turret sits. I’m going to take an educated guess here, that given the design of the toy, it’s likely Jada will rerelease this, but with a Gauss cannon turret or Rocket Launcher turret instead of the machine gun turret.As with previous sets, this one also comes with a base screwed into the bottom of the inner packaging through to the toy.
You’ll note in the pic above that again the underside of the vehicle is well detailed. Though again is made of plastic.

A close-up of the turret still on the backdrop of the inner packaging.


Apologies for the slightly fuzzy pic above. This is what you get in the set. The minifigs are well sculpted, however lack definition in the paint applications. Perhaps some weathering or shading would have helped to greatly accentuate them. I may just do that myself and revisit these articles at another time.

Finally, as seen above, the set with the turret attached and the minifigs in place.

The wheels move and the turret rotates. No other moving parts. I was a little disappointed with the position of the top mounted light (the black square along the windshield). I tried to reposition it, but it wouldn’t budge and I didn’t want to break it, so I let it be. Again, just a minor disappointment though.

The detailing on this set is fantastic. Mine is the “matte” version. I see by Jada’s website that there is a “glossy” version too. I’d rather have had that, but am not sure if that was an exclusive or just along side the other warthogs. Again, my wife got these for me though, so I’m happy to have them, regardless of what version I got. She’s a dear.

This set costs around $20 and I’m happy to say, it’s worth it. While I’ve expressed previously that you shouldn’t expect the minifigs to “make” the set and I agree with that here too, since this set includes Master Chief, it makes it all the better.

One thing to note from the above pic. The minifigs can’t actually hold onto the turret. I had to reposition this a few times to get it to stand properly for the shot. So in that respect, I have to say this is a display piece rather than a “play” piece (or toy).

-Sal

And now for the third of four toy reviews for Jada Toys Die-Cast Halo vehicles.

One thing I can say for Jada is they have a nice packaging display. The toys are clearly seen as evidenced by this shot of the front of the Banshee box.I mentioned before how I thought it was a little strange to have a mounted post within the packaging. I did come to the conclusion that it was to keep the toys intact and it certainly helps with the Banshee set. There are some innner plastic bubbles that help to keep it in place too, but given the weight of the toy, a mounted post was definitely needed.Unlike the post for the mongoose which can easily be hidden, the post for the Banshee doesn’t really serve any additional purpose once the toy is outside of the box.

Now on to the cockpit area.

In the above pic you can see that the hinge joint for opening/closing the cockpit is made of plastic. Due to the weight of the upper piece which seems to be made mostly of metal, this hinge is a bit weak. Mine started swiveling slightly from just the very first use of it to insert the Elite pilot.
Also, note that the inner cockpit is a dull plastic. Not what I expected in a Die-Cast metal toy.
I will say that the paint job on the Banshee is exquisite. Very glossy, great color. Unfortunately, there were several small nicks in the paint, mostly around the upper rear cockpit area that are visible. That detracts slightly from an otherwise fantastic paint application. So before just picking one off the shelf, inspect the toy through the large clear bubble to check for nicks.

One thing that really bothered me most though was that there was a bend in one of the tail fins. I’m going to guess that this was done due to the way it was packed. The tail fins are plastic, as they should be for safety. However, that also means you might get one with this defect.
Also note that while the underside is detailed, it too is made of plastic, not metal.
For a set that costs between $18-$20, I would expect a little more metal in a die-cast toy.
Another VERY disappointing thing is that the wings do not rotate what-so-ever. If they do, then mine are stuck in place and I dare not try to force it, less I break the toy.
Now to the minifigs.

Once again we have a Grunt and Elite. No difference with this Elite compared to the one with the Ghost. The only change to the grunt is the weapon. From a Plasma Pistol with the Ghost set to a Fuel Rod Gun in the Banshee set. Problem is…

As you can see in this shot, the Fuel Rod Gun is grossly underscaled. That weapon should be nearly as big as the whole grunt itself. I can only guess that Jada made it so small so that the figure would still be able to stand upright as it might tip over if made in scale.

Okay, so what are my final thoughts on this set? Well, if you are a fan who likes to keep stuff in the package, then I highly recommend getting this set. However, if you’re a fan like me who likes to open just about everything, well you need to consider what you’re going to do with it once it’s open.
Given the plastic underside you are limited in displaying this, unless you don’t mind the plastic side being shown. Personally, I think the glossy metal needs to be the showcase here. With mine, I’m also forced to display it as shown in the pic above with the bent tail fin away from view.
So use your own discretion, certainly look it over first before buying it then decide. Is it worth $20? I have to say no. While it’s big and does have weight to it, it’s lack of articulation as well as a higher use of plastic compared to the other sets makes this set feel a little cheap in comparison. This especially when you compare it to the smaller sets in the line.

-Sal

Here is the second of four toy reviews of Jada Toys Die Cast line. The Ghost.

The presentation of the set is nicely done. The minifigs are cleary visible and the ghost is on full display. Even the background image can be seen.Below you can see how the seat is extendable for larger sized minifigs.The minifigs as seen below are well sculpted for their size. However they are rather plain in paint application. The grunt is a matte finish and makes it look dull and not exciting.Here is an example of how each of the two figs can fit in the seat. It did take some finagling to get them into position. The Grunt easier for me than the Elite.In fact as you can see from the below pic, I couldn’t get the Elite to sit right and it hovered over the seat. I know the joints for the hips are supposed to bend to allow for the fig to sit right, but they were so tight on my fig that I didn’t want to push it further less I break the minifig. The elbow joints wouldn’t properly articulate either. Shame. Still, it’s nice to have some form of articulation in such small figures.One thing I can definitely applaud JADA for is it’s attention to detail on the WHOLE vehicle. To often toy manfacturers skimp on the underside of vehicles thinking that people won’t look there. Or the majority of the time it’s not going to be seen so why bother. I’m glad JADA took the time to make the underside. Yeah, it might not be seen much, but when I want to show this to someone else, they can turn it over and be blown away by the detail.This set retails for about $11. It’s slightly larger than the mongoose set as it should be. Is it worth it? Well, that’s slightly debatable. The figs are comparable with one being larger than the spartans of the mongoose set and the other being smaller. So that leaves the vehicle. With not as many moving parts (4 wheels on the mongoose, versus the sliding seat) the only thing I can look to is the metal used and the paint job. Metal is about the same. While the paint job is fantastic, overall coverage is comparable to the mongoose. So I would have to say this is slightly overpriced. It could have easily been packaged in the same sized container as the Mongoose. Still, I recommend getting the set.

-Sal