Okay, yes, I’m being slightly cryptic there with the title of the article. If you haven’t already guessed it, check out these articles I wrote, regarding a certain Mega Bloks Promethean Knight…

Mega Bloks HUGE Promethean Knight head!

Mega Bloks Full size Promethean Knight – follow up!

More Life-size Mega Bloks Promethean Knight!

I will have more to reveal tomorrow…so stay tuned.

And for more Halo Mega Bloks, please check out HFFL’s Halo Mega Bloks section here. And all Halo collectibles here!

-Sal

So there are actually TWO new Falcons coming from Mega Bloks. We already knew about the steel version. That’s news that’s been around for a good month or so now.

However, I just found out about this BLUE version.

I must say, the Falcon looks AWESOME in Blue. It kind of reminds me more of a Police Chopper. Hmm, I wonder if there is a Red one to follow sometime down the line?

Here is the official text from Mega Bloks about this set:

Blue Series Falcon
97204
Establish your army, build and expand your units with the Blue Series Falcon by Mega Bloks Halo! The Falcon is a troop transport aircraft that is also used in support of ground forces. It is armed with side-mounted heavy machine guns and a chin-mounted autocannon. The Blue Series Falcon features a Spartan Air Assault and Spartan Grenadier in new cobalt blue armor, ready to defend UNSC strongholds against Covenant invaders!

Ideal for children ages 8 and up!

Features:
• Buildable UNSC Falcon in blue
• UNSC Spartan in Air Assault and Grenadier blue armor
• Weapons: M247 Machine Gun, M6C SOCOM

Besides a Team Red version, I’d LOVE to see an Arctic (White) version of this too.

News about this set should be forthcoming during San Diego Comicon this week. I’ll be covering that, so stayed tuned to HaloFanForLife.com for more on Mega Bloks and Halo in general.

-Sal 

Once again I tackle another custom building bloks ship. This time the Covenant Super Cruiser, also known as the CSO Covenant Assault Carrier.

First here are two of the images I used as reference:

Now, as always, I ONLY used ONE set to make this. So while I tried for accuracy, it can be very tough given the limited amount and type of parts used. However, I think in this case, I did a pretty darn good job.

In this case I used a Halo Mega Bloks Phantom set. I had bought this from a friend of mine some time ago. He sent it in a box semi completed (as the Phantom). There it sat for I’d guess at least a year to a year and a half??? Just guessing that though. So anyway, I had recently completed the CCS Cruiser and wanted to make this one. I knew I had those parts, so I dug them out of storage and proceeded. I had to disassemble the Phantom my friend had started, to start this from scratch.

Let me say this, there were several times were I had to completely tear down a section I built to rebuild it. I either wasn’t satisfied with how it looked or it wasn’t sturdy enough. Along the way, my friend and fellow Halo Mega Bloks customizer, Goodwill Hunter, made his version of a CCS cruiser. I looked at what he did to see if I could utilize some of his design in my build. Turns out I could to a point. The top neck portion of this custom build I relatively patterned from his. Though it is different.

The custom measures:
26 inches long
8.5 inches wide
4.5 inches high (not including stands) 5 inches high with stands

You’re probably saying, WHY IS HE STILL TALKING….Okay, I heard you loud and clear. Here are the pics starting with the finished product, then going back through the building stage and finally some comparison shots. As always, click to make BIGGER.

So first as with any set, custom or otherwise, I separate my parts by kind into a brickyard:

As you can see above, I taped my reference pics onto the table. This made it immensely easier to build.
The next several shots were of the body being built:

Next, I decided to start planning out the neck and head placement.

The neck ultimately was moved higher and further back.The head saw some MAJOR redesign. Especially the back lower angled part. I redid that section at least 4 times until I was happy with the result.

This next shot is MUCH further along. As you can see, I’ve completed most of the neck portion.

Here again is the completed ship. Yes, it’s not 100% accurate, but again given the fact that its from only ONE set, and I’m therefore limiting myself on piece count and type, I’d say it’s pretty darn good.

Top view:

Bottom View:

Oh of note above: The black pieces you see toward the front of the ship are the stand and can easily be removed. The blue cylinder actually twist clicks into place and can also be easily removed. I deliberately designed the blue area to be exactly where the glassing plasma port is located. So when display it looks like it’s glassing something. Yes, I know wrong color, but you do with what you have.

Next up are comparison shots between my two other Covenant Cruiser. Both of those are CCS Cruiser, but in different scale.

Now a comparison to the official Mega Bloks Forward Unto Dawn set:

And finally, for some play factor, I did indeed build this with a flip open cockpit that fits an Elite!

So what do you think? Like I said, I’m pretty dang happy with this.

All told I’d say I spent a good 25-30 hours on this between redesigns and such.

For more customs, toy reviews, previews and pics of Halo Mega Bloks, click HFFL’s Mega Blok Section. (Scroll down to see more articles in that link)

-Sal

Mega Bloks is holding a photo contest on their Facebook page. You only have a couple of days left to enter (sorry, I’m a little late in posting this).

Folks the signatures alone make this totally worth submitting a photo for. I have both the Wraith and Phantom sets and have to say they are among the BEST that Mega has made for the Halo line. I’ll definitely be submitting a photo.

NOTE: You may only enter the contest ONCE. (part of the official rules)

To enter, start HERE.

Here is the info on how to enter, prizes and rules.

HOW TO ENTER

1. Take a picture of your Mega Bloks Halo figurines and/or sets in a scene that fits the theme “Covenant Attack!”
2. Submit your photo – make sure you add a caption!
3. Share your entry with friends!
4. Vote on other cool entries! (You can vote once per day per entry)

The top 10 entries by number of votes will then be anonymously judged by a panel of three (3) Mega Bloks employees according to how well the entry matches the following criteria:
a) Fits the theme “Covenant Attack!”
b) Quality of the Photo (framing, focus, etc)
c) Creativity (original, great caption, story told through photo, etc)

PRIZES

The Top 5 Entries (anonymously selected from amongst the Top 10 by a panel of judges) will be awarded the following based on their placement:

Winners 1-3: Mega Bloks Halo Phantom playset (#96941), box signed by the development team at 343 Industries
Winners 4-5: Mega Bloks Halo Wraith playset (#97014), box signed by the development team at 343 Industries

RULES

Entries will be accepted from July 1st, 2013 at 11:00am EST through July 7th, 2013, 2013 at 11:59pm EST. One entry per person.
Votes will be accepted from July 1st, 2013 11:00am EST through July 10th 11:59am EST. You can vote once per day per entry)
Winners will be announced on July 12th 11:00am EST.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. You must be 13+ and in the US, Canada, or the UK to be eligible to win.
Users will vote on their favourite entries to determine the Top 10. Those entries will be anonymously shared with a panel of judges who will award the Top 5 winners.

You must use a MINIMUM of five Mega Bloks pieces (blocks, figures, or weapons) – note that a vehicle is made of multiple blocks so easily covers your five pieces. There is NO MAXIMUM number of pieces you can use. You may also use non-Mega Bloks accessories as you see fit.
DO NOT submit entries that show real people’s faces.
DO NOT submit entries that feature trademarks or recognizable characters from other licenses (eg. Hello Kitty, Spiderman, Barbie, Star Wars, etc.)

Mega Bloks reserves the right to remove entries that:
a) Do not follow the rules in the preceding paragraphs;
b) Are reposts of a previous entrant’s photo; and/or
c) Have created multiple accounts by the same user for vote-spamming purposes.

You may only enter this contest ONCE, so make sure your photo and caption are awesome! Focus, lighting, background, angle, etc will be all important if you want to get votes! Make it eye-catching and make it memorable!  

(And if you enter and win, PLEASE let me know and I’ll write an article on you! (With your permission of course) Good luck! 

-Sal

This is the fourth of four sets my wife bought me for Father’s Day. I’m not a dad in the sense of having a human child. But we treat our dog as our “daughter.” So my wife took a little liberty there with calling these Father’s Day presents…

Mega Bloks UNSC Cyclops Jungle Strike: Set # 97006

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 3 minutes
Set Piece Count: 47
Minifig: Green Marine w/full goggle face and facemask
Weapons: Assault Rifle
Accessories: Backpack
Special Features: Cyclops has 13 points of articulation, including opening cockpit
Price: $15-17 depending on where you buy it from.

And on with the pics!

As with the Desert Cyclops this one comes in a nicely carded package that shows off the cyclops and marine nicely.

Once you remove the bubble this graphic is there to greet you. I like that Mega did this. They didn’t have to, but again it makes for a nice backdrop.

Here is what you get in the package. It is the exact same, with exception to the minifig and weapon, that you get in the Desert version of the Cyclops. Of course the color of the parts is different.

Since I didn’t show the back of the cyclops in the previous review, here it is now.

This marine is raring to go! They do fit snugly in the cockpit with their weapon and backpack (putting the backpack in their left hand). I’m glad for this as they won’t clink around within and you won’t lose the weapon and backpack if you’re playing with this.

Finally, here are all four of the reviewed toys over the past couple of days together:

Summary: As with the Desert Cyclops, this is a fast build and easy to display. Good articulation. I prefer this one’s color over the desert version, but that’s just me. Only the price again is my sticking point with the set. The toy itself is GREAT! As I mentioned in the other review another minifig would have helped me deal with the higher cost.

Overall Rating: I give this set 8.5 out for 10 medals (for the toy), 5 out of 10 for the price.

If you wanted a cyclops, then get the set. If you’re on the fence, then (and this is something I rarely suggest) wait for it to go on sale.

-Sal

This is the third of four sets my wife bought me for Father’s Day. I’m not a dad in the sense of having a human child. But we treat our dog as our “daughter.” So my wife took a little liberty there with calling these Father’s Day presents…

Mega Bloks UNSC Cyclops Desert Strike: Set # 97007

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 3 minutes
Set Piece Count: 47
Minifig: Marine Tan/grey w/full goggle face
Weapons: SMG
Accessories: Backpack
Special Features: Cyclops has 13 points of articulation, including opening cockpit
Price: $15-17 depending on where you buy it from.

And on with the pics!

This packaging is all new. I really like how it shows off the cyclops as well as the window for the minifig, weapon and accessories.

Here’s the card once the plastic bubble is removed. This is a nice little bonus if you’re careful with removing the bubble. Nice backdrop.

The contents of the package. If you keep this carded, the cyclops looks like it’s built. But when you remove the bubble, you find it’s actually just sitting in the try not connected.

The above pieces are from the bag in the previous shot. Note the four pins in the upper right corner. Those are use to put the elbow and knee joints together. Most of the rest of these pieces are for the gun.

And the cyclops fully built. I like the deco on the marine. The hip joints on the cyclops aren’t wide ranging, so you’re a little limited on how you can pose the legs. However, by bending the knees and making use of the “toe” joints you can get the cyclops into some good poses.

Summary: As a toy the cyclops is a fun little set. Articulation is decent and the deco is fine. The only issue I have is the cost of the set. $15-17 is in my opinion too much. I get that Mega had to make up for all new molds for this set. (yet they used them for four versions of the cyclops) I have to wonder what Mega’s MSRP was on this and if the retailers all jacked up the price. Given the number of pieces, even if unique I feel the set should be no more than $12.

So, in this case, I suggest unless you really want this, to wait for it to go on sale. It’s a GREAT set mind you. Again, I’m not knocking the toy at all. It’s the price. When you compare this to the Mantis which sells for around $30, well, I just feel a little underwhelmed with what you get. There is one thing I think that would have made this worth the extra cost. That being a technician minifig. Adding that to the marine pilot the extra $5 for a tech would have been agreeable to me.

Overall Rating: I give this set 8.5 out of 10 medals (for the toy). Yes, I think it’s THAT good! 5 out of 10 for the price. The toy itself would have had a higher rating if the articulation was better and the hands could hold things.

-Sal

This is the second of four sets my wife bought me for Father’s Day. I’m not a dad in the sense of having a human child. But we treat our dog as our “daughter.” So my wife took a little liberty there with calling these Father’s Day presents…

Mega Bloks ODST Recon Specialist (Drop Pod): Set # 97105

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 2 minutes
Set Piece Count: 31
Minifig: Recon ODST (Dare from Halo 3: ODST though not named as such)
Weapons: Rocket Launcher, Silenced SMG, SOCOM Pistol
Accessories: None
Special Features: Flip out side doors, removable front door, deployable flaps, short and tall antennae
Price: $11-13 depending on where you buy it from.

And on with the pics!

Well packaged as all of Mega’s drop pods are.

Above shows the contents of his set. Note the weapons.

The pod with it’s doors unattached, attached with flaps deployed, and flaps resting.

The minifigure is cool. While you could make this from other figures, the fact that Mega took the time to make this specifically shows they want to make named characters. I can only guess that there is some kind of licensing thing that does not allow them to name the minifigs as such. Still this IS Dare from Halo3: ODST.

The full set, this pic shows the pod with the tall antennae attached.

Summary: I have to say that this is probably my favorite UNSC Drop Pod. Sure, it’s not game-accurate colors, but wow that black looks awesome and the bronze windows really “POP.” I definitely recommend getting it.

Overall Rating: I give this set 10 out of 10 medals. Yes, I think it’s THAT good!

-Sal

This is the first of four sets my wife bought me for Father’s Day. I’m not a dad in the sense of having a human child. But we treat our dog as our “daughter.” So my wife took a little liberty there with calling these Father’s Day presents…

Covenant Drop Pod-Elite General: Set # 97106

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 2 minutes
Set Piece Count: 20
Minifig: Elite General (Reach style)
Weapons: Plasma Launcher, Needler, Plasma Rifle
Accessories: None
Special Features: Flip down door
Price: $11-13 depending on where you buy it from.

And on with the pics!

Mega Bloks certainly has the packaging down for the Drop Pods. A nice tall and slim box, it shows off the drop pod, minifig and some of the weapons nicely. You KNOW what you’re getting!

Here are the contents of the box. Pretty straight forward.

The minifig is nice. All white with some detailing in gold. I like the sculpt and hope Mega offers it in some other colors in the future.

The weapons are molds that have been used before. However, it’s the fantastic paint job on these that really makes these the gem in this set. That “Blueberry” gun (Plasma Launcher) is awesome. Not to mention a game accurate needler and Plasma Rifle!

The completed set.

Summary: The set is quick to build and can be displayed nearly anywhere. It’s compact, and stores the minifig and weapons nicely. The paint deco of this whole set is fantastic. I wish ALL Halo Mega Bloks had this level of paint application to them.

Overall Rating: I give this set 9.5 out of 10 medals. I definitely recommend getting it.

-Sal