Category Archives: Halo Collecting

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Review: Warthog Resistance via MEGA Bloks blog

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The review comes from the offiicial MEGA Bloks blog: Review: Warthog Resistance

Or just read it here:

 

Our Fall 2012 collection will be dropping soon, so we figured it’s as good a time as any to start throwing stuff up for you guys to check out. This time around it’s the Halo Warthog Resistance, an item that’s been getting a lot of hype and is sure to be a new flagship piece in every Halo fan’s collection. So let’s dig into it.

The NEW Warthog

Perhaps the most iconic vehicle in all of Halo (that isn’t the size of a small city), this is our latest revision of the Warthog. We’ve never been content to leave designs in the past, and this time around the Warthog has been updated with a more subdued color palette and an even more extreme attention to detail.

The typical Warthog mainstays are all here (independent suspension for each wheel, of course!), but everything has been made better. For example, a much sleeker, sturdier footstep and the bars around the hood.

The Turret has been given a whole new level of realism with a bullet chain and an improved handle.

The rear contains a functional tailgate with attached nitrogen fuel canisters.

Also included: a matching weapons container!

The best Warthog we’ve ever made. But that’s not the end of this set. It’s actually just the beginning.

Forerunner Structure

So the story of this set is that a UNSC Recon team has discovered this ancient Forerunner Structure — and so has an Elite Zealot. We’ll get to those guys later, but let’s take a look at this thing.

What is it? A canon? A beacon? Who knows … whatever it is, it’s definitely important to understand it before the enemy does.

The flaps around the perimeter open up, likely to facilitate in doing something horrible.

New Spartans!

These new Spartans have been upgraded with the latest in MJOLNIR technology! This set comes with a Spartan Laser and the NEW Sticky Detonator, which shoots sticky explosives and then detonates them remotely!

There’s also a black Assault Rifle included.



The new armor design (left) is a bit bulkier than the older design (right), but has more details and produces an overall more powerful silhouette.

New Elite Zealot

So the new Zealot is … monstrous. I’m not sure what other word to use. It’s huge, it’s vicious. With Carbine in hand, it’s our Spartans’ worst nightmare.

We’ve packed an insane amount of detail onto such a small figure. The manually-sculpted design has a very organic texture. A combination of matte paint and the metallic red plastic accentuates the armor. There are even impossibly-small painted details on the forehead.


The new Zealot is very, very different from the old design. It’s bigger both in terms of bulk and height. It has a much more animalistic appearance. And as I had mentioned, the addition of matte paint really adds a whole new level of depth.

So that’s the Warthog Resistance. We’re not done with this set entirely, and you’ll see exactly what we mean pretty soon. But even without anything else, this is an amazing set. The latest and greatest Warthog. The return of Forerunner architecture. New Spartans and a new Elite Zealot. A new weapon — the Sticky Detonator. And this is just the tip of the iceberg for our Fall 2012 collection.

Hope you’re as excited as we are!

End Copy/Paste…

This is a great looking set. I saw the prototype at New York Toy Fair this year and it looked great then. Now seeing it in finished shots it looks fantastic. I love that MEGA has included Forerunner parts as those are littered through the Halo saga. The Spartans are AWESOME. Finally Master Chief in a truer sense. That Elite is amazing, I can’t wait to get several of them.

The updated details of the Warthog as originally designed by 343i for Halo 4 just look spectacular. This is a beefier looking warthog in all aspects. Hand rails, new turret, foot steps and those fuel canisters! Woot.

Not to mention the weapons pod too.

This is a MUST BUY for all Halo MEGA Bloks enthusiasts.

-HFFL

New pics of McFarlane Micro Ops revealed.

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The official blurb from HaloWaypoint:

MCFARLANE TOYS IS BRINGING THE ENTIRE HALO UNIVERSE HOME WITH HALO MICRO OPS!

McFarlane Toys expands its long-running, best-selling line of Halo collectibles this fall, with the addition of Halo Micro Ops. This all-new series consists of miniature figures, vehicles, and locations from the entire Halo universe, at roughly 1:100/15mm scale.

With such a wide range of product sizes to cover, Micro Ops is available in three different packages. Small carded sets include vehicles like the Warthog and Ghost. Larger carded sets offer bigger vehicles such as the Falcon, or smaller buildings like the bunker from the Halo 3 multiplayer map High Ground. Larger buildings, including the tower or gate sections of High Ground, are packaged in a Micro Ops small box.

Halo Micro Ops delivers the whole package, with all of the amazing detail and game accuracy that McFarlane Toys is famous for. Take a look for yourself!

And now my take on the pics…

Hello folks, I’m back from my gaming group’s LAN party in Houston and raring to blog. First up are some new images that have surfaced, showing the McFarlane Micro Ops line, due out later this summer.

I’ve already shown my own pics of these from New York Toy Fair this year. However, these new shots are clearer and closer and “official,” form McFarlane Toys themselves.

First up is the ODST Drop Pod.

As you can see by the Quarter next to it, it’s quite small, hence the “Micro” part. It looks good. Lots of detail. The only thing I’m left to wonder about is why a seating ODST wasn’t included? Beyond that though, it’s cool to see the braking antenna is removable as well as the front door plate.

Up next is the Banshee.

A nice little set, it comes with an Elite. It’s such a shame though that the full size action figure version of this was never mass produced. It was outstanding to see at Toy Fair. Alas, we’ll have to live with having it’s much smaller cousin. (Which is quite nice in it’s own right)

Ah, the iconic Warthog and mongoose.

A really good looking set. A Spartan Driver each for the vehicles, with an ODST at the gun mount. This set looks to be a multiple purchase! Now I wonder just how long it will be before we get the Gauss and Rocket versions of the Warthog?

It’s not Millennium, but it is the Falcon!

With spinning blades, opening cockpit to reveal a pilot as well as a marine and another Spartan, this set is well done. This could potentially be a multiple purchase.

I see dead vehicles, er it’s just a Ghost, oh and a Wolf Spider Turret!

This set comes with the Ghost, and Elite driver, the Spider Turret, and…EMILE! Woot! Not sure if anything is articulated on the Ghost, however, as you can see the turret at least opens and closes.

Next are two High Ground related sets. The lower portion is the Bunker with a Shade Turret.

The Shade turret looks fantastic. I hope we see this again in another set. The Bunker however? Well from the angle of the shots it’s hard to tell if there are the appropriate “windows” on the front side. Though it does look like it in the lower right portion of the right pic. This does show that the trap door is facing the wrong direction though. It should be 180° turned around so that the door opens away from the corner, rather than to it.

The High Ground Gate.

A big set for the Micro Ops, this set also includes a Warthog from the looks of it. The Gate opens and closes, though it doesn’t look as impressive from the other side (I know as I saw it at Toy Fair). Still, if you want to build a scene of High Ground, this is a great place to start.

All in all, I’m looking forward to this series. I hope it does well enough so that I can get certain vehicles. If you check my post about Micro Ops from Toy Fair, you’ll see a LOT more upcoming sets!

-Sal

McFarlane Halo 4 box set pics.

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We’ve seen the single carded figures from this series so far. Now we have the boxed set. This set is exactly the same as the single carded figures, with the notable exception that the red spartan is now blue. Same armor, just different color.

The good thing about this is that if you just want to get one of each, you can get this handy box set and then buy one of the red spartans.

I’ll likely do that. However, being that I like multiples of enemies, I’ll get an extra Elite and a few grunts. The blue Spartan looks just as good as his single carded colleague.

I can’t wait to see this hit store shelves.

-HFFL

New views of McFarlane Series 1 Halo 4 figures.

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McFarlane has released different views of the figures I posted previously. CHeck them out (as always click to make bigger):

First up is our main hero: Master Chief

This armor has really grown on me. He’s svelte, yet still looks like he could kick your ass. The packaging really highlights him too.

Next we have this AWESOME Elite Zealot.

Just check out the detailing here. Spikey thorns coming from his back, horns from the back of his helmet. The Elite looks MUCH more like a Demon. Odd, since that’s the name Elites have for Master Chief. I LOVE this new look. They look badder, meaner, more terrifying.

Our loveable Grunts all grown up and MEAN:

This look is a bit different from what we know as typical grunts. While the methane tank on the back is close to some of the grunts in Reach, it’s the delivery system to the grunt itself that is different. Gone is the mouth mask, replaced with a nose hose. Also, the skin has certainly change. I think for the better. I like the enemies mean. Though I’ll miss some of the goofy stuff the grunts have said in past Halo games.

Now we have our first multiplayer “War Games” Spartan. It’s the Red Warrior class Spartan. There is also a Blue one in this wave, however McFarlane Toys have not yet released photos of that figure.

I like this armor. New, yet somewhat reminiscent of the typical Mjolnir armor we know.

Finally the first boxed set of this new series of Halo figs. Master Chief and his Cryo tube.

Looks like the same Master Chief as in the single carded figure. However notice this one has the new Sticky grenade pistol, while the carded one has an Assault Rifle.

I think the packaging for the box set looks a little bland, but I’ll for sure get one. (I open almost everything anyway, so packaging almost never matters to me.)

These are due in August, 2012. MSRP is around $12-13. Check your local retailers and e-tailers for prices.

-HFFL

Wow, yet more pics of upcoming Mega Bloks sets!

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Yet more pics of upcoming sets, both Boxed and opened are out. I got these following a link from bloks.hyperboards.com then to a retailer sit.

Really good shots here.

I’m looking forward to this set. While I want the Banshee, it’s really the Turret that is the draw for me. Hmm, maybe I’ll have a contest for a Space Banshee in the future?

Text from retailer website: Sounding just as frightening as its land counterpart, the Orbital Banshee is a one-man space craft of the Covenant. The Orbital Banshee is armed with twin Heavy Plasma Cannons and the devastating Fuel Rod Cannon for ship-to-ship dogfights. A singleAutomated Point-Defence Turret is the UNSC#s only hope in defending against this enemy. Features UNSC defence Turret included along with two micro action figures: Elite Pilot and EVA Spartan. Features Buildable Banshee including a display stand.

A new color Prowler and it comes with SIX figures. I like this wine color.

Text from retailer website: Establish your army, build and expand your units with the Halo Brute Prowler Attack! Three Crimson Brutes converge on UNSC forces in their Brute Prowler, a heavily armoured ground support unit with a turret capable of a 360-degree field of fire. Organising a counter-attack, a UNSC Spartan leads two Marines on a mission to take the Prowler and trap their Covenant enemies. Features buildable Brute Prowler, 3 Brute Crimson figurines, 2 UNSC figurines and accessories and weapons. For Ages 8+

This beast of a tank (Rhino) looks awesome. Mega Bloks did a wonderful job interpreting it. Also, I’m really glad they are including Forerunner structures with some of their sets. It really adds to the feeling of “Halo.” Only thing I’m not so fond of is the Yellow color on the grunts. I wish they’d stick to Campaign accurate colors for them.

Text from retailer website: The M145D Rhino is a UNSC artillery tank and is meant to be a building destroyer! As the Covenant hide out in an old Forerunner structure, the massive UNSC Rhino tank is called in to eliminate the base and keep the ancient technology out of enemy hands. The UNSC Rhino is a massive 6-tread artillery tank armed with the prototype Zeus 320mm Cannon that rotates a full 360 degrees, and capable of a lock-down mode to aid in long range bombardment. Features The UNSC Rhino has six independent treads, rotating cannon and two functional hatches. Comes complete with UNSC Scout in red armour, UNSC Marine, and two Special Ops Grunts and weaponry. Includes buildable terrain with Forerunner structure. Approx 800pces. For Ages 8+

While the build itself looks great, I’ve said this before that the color isn’t right. Almost all of it should be in the wine color. Look at the cockpit top and those other color pieces on the side of it. The whole Seraph should be in that color. I’m happy with the choices of minifigs. Oh and the base of the set looks pretty sturdy.

Text from retailer website: The Covenant Seraph is the multi-role fighter of the Covenant and is a highly maneouverable ship that goes head to head with the Sabre. Armed with a pair of Heavy Plasma Cannons and protected by an Energy Shield, this superior craft is incredibly versatile. The Seraph comes complete with buildable display stand, opening cockpit and all NEW indigo colour. This set includes the Covenant General in gold armour, Elite Pilot and Combat Elite micro action figures. For Ages 8+

Finally, we have a new Wraith. This one’s build is slightly better. However, it’s the color that is much more improved. It’s much closer to the game accurate color. Again, I’m very happy with the additional Forerunner structure. The color choice for the elites are perplexing though.

Text from retailer website: Introducing the Anti-Air Covenant Wraith. New design with new armaments, plasma mortar and a brand new colour! Includes 3 figures and battle damage terrain. Approx 350pcs. For Ages 8+

All in all, these are great looking sets and I highly recommend getting them all. They will vastly expand your collection. They bring quite a boost to your Covenant army as well as a powerful punch in the Rhino.

-HFFL

Halo 4 Swag.

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Spartan Ops designer on Halo 4, David Ellis tweeted the following pic of some new Halo 4 swag:

It’s not yet known if these will be available on the official HaloWaypoint.com store, though it’s very likely.

I especially like the water bottle.

More sneak peeks of Mega Bloks Halo sets!

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Community manager at Mega Brands, Brendan Sera-Shriar posts the following on their blog:

Hey guys we just finished shooting a video of some really cool new stuff from our Fall 2012 collection – hosted by the amazing digibomb – me :) I’m pretty stoked about these new sets so I thought I would give you a sneak peek.

The video will air soon here on the blog, the Mega Bloks Halo blog, andWaypoint.

If you follow us on Twitter and Facebook you’ve probably already seen some of the leaks from this week as we prepped for this shoot – if you not a fan yet make sure you like and follow, or signup for the Bloks Brigade to stay in loop.

Enjoy!

(There are a few more shots at their blog)

Suffice to say we have some really good stuff coming up. That first pic shows the Snowbound tower set nicely. It’s TALL. Likewise we get a little better shot of the Battlescape III set. The Sabre set’s box looks HUGE!

I’m excited to see these sets for real!!

McFarlane Halo Universe Series 1 pics!

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HaloWaypoint.com has posted new pics of the first series of Halo 4 figures!

Text from HaloWaypoint.com:

MCFARLANE TOYS BRINGS THE NEXT HALO GAME TO LIFE WITH HALO 4 ACTION FIGURES!

This fall, McFarlane Toys is offering brand new products based on the highly-anticipated video game, Halo 4, created by Microsoft Studios & 343 Industries. The Halo 4 action figures lines will bring all-new, never-before-seen characters, weapons, accessories, and vehicles from Halo 4 sure to excite video game fans and action figure collectors worldwide.

Releasing before the game launches, Halo 4 Series 1 will offer fans a look at some of the characters from the new game. Halo 4 marks the return of the most popular character of the Halo universe, the Master Chief! He was last seen at the end of Halo 3 entering into a cryonic sleep and telling Cortana to “wake me, when you need me.” Halo 4 begins with the Master Chief waking up ready to face new threats and mysteries.

Additional characters releasing in Halo 4 Series 1 include Elite Zealot, Storm Grunt, Spartan Warrior (Red), and Spartan Warrior (Blue). This first series also includes a Deluxe Figure box featuring Master Chief in his UNSC Cryotube (as seen in the initial Halo 4 trailer). These figures will all hit stores in August 2012.

Sneak peek at Mega Bloks Snowbound set.

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Brendon Sera-Shriar, Senior Community Manager, Mega Brands Inc. tweeted the following two photos of an upcoming Red Vs Blue Set. Traditionally these have been Target exclusives.

This is the tower from the Halo 3 map, “Snowbound.”

Given that there has been a new set of RvB found at a Target just a day or two ago, this set also makes sense as part of that line-up.

Two for me please! (Well, there were two on the Halo 3 map Snowbound, so it makes sense.)

-HFFL

McFarlane Halo Avatar figure due in July!

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Just release final product shots of the McFarlane Halo Avatar figure line have surfaced. Here they are in compilation shots for ease of viewing:

Each come prepackaging blindly one in a tube, seen at the bottom right of the following image:

These should retail for around $3-4 depending on where bought.

So that brings up the question. Where can you buy these? Well here you go my fine readers:
• Blockbuster Mexico
• Fred Meyer
• FYE
• GameStop
• HEB
• Kroger
• Target
• Toys ‘R’ Us
• Toys ‘R’ Us Canada
• Walmart Canada

Credit to Spawn.com for the original pics for which I photoshopped together.

-HFFL