UNSC Desert Combat Unit: Set number 97027

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 1 minute sorting, 1 minutes build. Total 2 minutes.

Set Piece count: 53
Minifigs: EVA Spartan, Marine (blue eye plate), Marine (full gold goggles); extra CBQ helmet, torso; Scout helmet, arms.
Weapons: Sniper rifle, SMG, Assault Rifle, Battle Rifle
Accessories: 2 Marine backpacks
Special Features: N/A

Price/Value: $12 US

This is a good set to complement previous desert themed sets like the Wal*Mart exclusive Covenant Strike Playset. Or the recently released UNSC Armory Pack (set 97023). Knowing that this set was coming out, I bought two extra of the Armory set to make the other Spartans from this Desert Combat Unit set (you’ll see in the pics below). The detailing on these figures is fantastic. It’s a good army building set if you’re building a desert theme.  I happen to have something special planned for my UNSC Desert forces. You’ll see that in a few weeks.

Here are the pics.
Click on images to see a larger version.

And now for the variant Spartans. As you can see I left the original EVA Spartan intact and made the variants from the Armory base spartan.

Summary: These coupled with the Mk IV Spartan and the EOD Spartan from the Armory set make for a formidable squad of Desert Spartans. It’s a good set to get, especially if you want more marines. I really like that MEGA added backpacks to the set and love the 2×2 UNSC tile. That’s going to be used elsewhere.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 medals!

-HFFL

Covenant Silver Combat Unit: Set number 97002

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 1 minute sorting, 1 minutes build. Total 2 minutes.

Set Piece count: 42
Minifigs: Silver Combat Elite, 2 Silver Grunt Minors, extra Head and Arms of Silver Ascetic Elite.
Weapons: Plasma Rifle, Needler, Plasma Pistol, Focus Rifle, 2 Translucent blue sticky grenades.
Accessories: N/A
Special Features: N/A

Price/Value: $12 US

This is a good set for army building, though there really weren’t any silver grunts. Still, they look sharp! A nice assortment of weapons, though they are all purple with no extra detailing. The Ascetic Elite pieces are very well painted and have nice detailing.

Here are the pics.
Click on images to see a larger version.

Summary: I liked this set for a few reasons. Multiple Grunts, Ascetic Elite (my favorite Elite armor from Halo 3), and the Combat Elite can be used as Shipmaster R’tas Vadum. I bought two of this set so I could have both versions of the Elite and extra grunts.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 medals!

-HFFL

Covenant Crimson Combat Unit: Set number 97028

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 1 minute sorting, 1 minutes build. Total 2 minutes.

Set Piece count: 47
Minifigs: Crimson Combat Elite, Crimson Grunt Minor, Crimson Grunt Major (Reach style), extra Crimson Flight Elite head; Crimson Honor Guard Arms, legs, head.
Weapons: Plasma Pistol, Needle Rifle, Energy Sword, 2 Sticky grenades (translucent blue), Honor Guard Pike
Accessories: N/A
Special Features: N/A

Price/Value: $12 US

This is one set where I think you most definitely get what you pay for. TWO grunts in the larger size and different styles. And the best absolutely is the Honor Guard pieces. I can’t see how anyone would display the Flight Elite or Combat Elite variants of this set when you have the awesome Honor Guard right there at your hands. Detailing is amazing. Weapons are plain in color, but the addition of trans-blue sticky nades is a welcome touch.

Here are the pics.
Click on images to see a larger version.

A good looking set about with a nice rich color. My favorite set of the recent Armory/Weapons packs.

We had a similar Elite to the Flight Elite above come in a Banshee set. This color is better, but I can’t bring myself to use this head when the Honor Guard is SO much better.

Just look at that minifigs. It’s a masterpiece!

Look at that detailing. By far one of the best MEGA has ever made in the Halo line. It’s my favorite Covenant minifig, hands down.

Summary: This set just screams to be a multiple purchase and indeed I did get two sets of it. The Grunts are great for army building, while having a set of Honor Guards just makes sense. The fact that these are so well painted needs to be stated again. I put this one in the category of MUST HAVE!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 medals! SUPERB!!!!!

-HFFL

UNSC Cobalt Combat Unit: Set number 97001

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 1 minute sorting, 1 minutes build. Total 2 minutes.

Set Piece count: 48
Minifigs: Cobalt Spartan Mk V; Cobalt CQB Spartan; Cobalt Marine (Green eye display), extra Cobalt Scout Helmet and Arms.
Weapons: Shotgun, SMG, Silenced SMG, Rocket Launcher
Accessories: Trip Mine
Special Features: N/A

Price/Value: $12 US

This is a good set, though the color is a bit shiny for me. I like that we get a trip mine, though I’m a little perplexed that we didn’t get a backpack for the marine. The UNSC 2X2 tile is really nice and I’ll use that for other sets.

Here are the pics.
Click on images to see a larger version.

Summary: A good set, especially if you like the color. The figures are detailed nicely and you get a good little assortment of weapons. I’m not too keen on the color myself as I keep thinking it looks like a nail polish color.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 medals. (Only the color brought this down a little. Not bad, just not what I expected in “Cobalt” form.)

-HFFL

Covenant Armory Pack II: Set number 96997

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 1 minute sorting, 1 minutes build. Total 2 minutes.

Set Piece count: 22
Minifigs: Yellow Assault Elite with extra Combat Elite head.
Weapons: Plasma Rifle, needler, needle rifle
Accessories: N/A
Special Features: N/A

Price/Value: $6-7 US

We don’t really get Yellow Elites, so this was welcome. The weapons are painted well. Because of that they look much better than the normal all purple versions. Some purply bits to build and a green baseplate round out the set.

Here are the pics.
Click on images to see a larger version.

Summary: The painted weapons really help this set to shine. The Elite itself is good if not so detailed. Nice to have an Assault Elite though so I’m not knocking it.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 medals. Add a sticky grenade and a sword and I’d have bumped this up to 5 medals.

-HFFL

UNSC Armory Pack II: Set number 96996

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 1 minute sorting, 1 minutes build. Total 2 minutes.

Set Piece count: 22
Minifigs: White AA Spartan with extra HAZOP helmet.
Weapons: SMG, Assault Rifle, Battle Rifle
Accessories: N/A
Special Features: N/A

Price/Value: $6-7 US

FA nice little set for building up your Arctic Spartan ranks. The only minor issue is that I was surprised that the baseplate wasn’t white instead of the green that it is. The extra helmet looks a little out of place on the figure as it’s not as detailed in paint apps. Still, it’s nice to have options.

Here are the pics.
Click on images to see a larger version.

The AA Spartan looks good. I think this is the first “male” version of the AA Spartan.

Summary: A nice little set with virtually not build time. Worth the price.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 medals Add an extra weapon and a frag grenade and I’d have bumped this up to 5 medals.

-HFFL

Okay, I only have a pic of the back of the box, but it’s very cool.

Here’s a bit of a close-up of part of the back:

Photos courtesy of “Dielectic”

What’s great is the you get another look at the full model, as well as numerous other close-up shots showing detailed areas of the ship.

Note in the close-up pic the stocked armory. In it you have the following weapons (subject to change):

5 Assault Rifles
1 Battle Rifle
3 Frag Grenades
1 Radioman backpack
1 Sticky grenade Pistol
3 Magnums
3 SMGs

Not too shabby.

I’m really excited to get one of these!

-HFFL