Toy Review: Mega Bloks UNSC Cryo Bay

Posted on 04/05/2013 by Sal

UNSC Cyro Bay: Set # 97088

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 5 minutes

Set Piece Count: 72
Minifigs: Master Chief (Halo 4 version), micro Cortana
Weapons: Assault Rifle, Battle Rifle, Sticky Detonator
Accessories: None
Special Features: Flip up door
Price: $11-13 depending on where you buy it from.

And on with the pics!

The graphics on the box are nice as always.

Below are the contents of the box.

The following shows the contents of the big bag in the upper left of the preceding pic.

All the pieces sorted out.

And now on with the easy build.

This really is such a simple build. The only thing to watch out for is dropping some of those little parts and having the roll away under furniture.

The Cryo Tube takes shape above. This cryo tube is essentially the same as the one in the Forward unto Dawn set. Though we add a hinge piece to this one (seen at far right above).

It’s a simple hinge design that is hidden for the most part in the final build.

So there it is. Nice and compact. The only thing i would have changed with this set is the baseplate. I do like that it is black. However, it’s strange shape doesn’t make it easy to connect additional cryo tube sets easily without having raised and lower portions as well as angles sticking out. That’s fairly minor though as I see this as mostly a one-purchase buy and not a multi purchase.

Above are the few extra pieces and below is the set with those pieces added and a slight reconfiguration. (Sorry it’s a bit fuzzy of a pic)

Summary: The set is quick to build and can be displayed nearly anywhere. It’s an inexpensive alternative to getting the cryo bay if you don’t want to get the full Forward unto Dawn set.

Overall Rating: I give this set 9 out of 10 medals. For the price, you’re getting a nice set. I’d say the micro Cortana is the gem piece in this set. I definitely recommend getting it.

-Sal

Toy Review: Jada Toys Banshee

Posted on 04/05/2013 by 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

Halo 4 – Hiding Spots on Exile

Posted on 04/05/2013 by Sal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTLG4Y3JP6U&feature=player_embedded

Hmm, I’m going to have to try some of these just for fun.

Thanks to Addict3d Cha0s for linking to this and HGLA for posting the vid on Youtube.

-Sal

A good day for commendation progress.

Posted on 04/05/2013 by Sal

Yesterday, I had a pretty good day when it came to commendation progression.

I either completed some or moved a couple up to higher levels.With this one mastered, I also completed my UNSC Loadout Mastery! Got a new emblem!!!Woot, I had been wanting to get Mounted Turret done. With it’s completion I got a new set of armor!YES! Getting Spartan Spree commendation mastered fairly early on shows I’m not a complete noob, LOL.I moved Warthog kills into the Master level. It will be a little bit of a trek to complete it. Hmm, guess I’m going to have to play some more BTB. (I need to any way if I’m going to get more Scorpion kills)In the ones above, I moved Crawler Slayer to over 2K kills and finally moved Crawler Sniper to the next level. Gawd, it’s going to take forever to master the Sniper one. I figure I’ll go for at least 50 Crawler Sniper kills a day. It’s still going to take me a few weeks to completely master this one, but I’m not in that much of a hurry to do so.

Not shown is Storm Rifle of which I took form the “zero” level to the level 2 in just a few games. Two games of which I had more than 10 kills with that weapon in the matches.

Another one I moved up today was Regicide victories. This one I REALLY want to get completed. The result of Regicide Mastery is an emblem. Not just any old emblem though. Rather the very cool KingSlayer emblem. The very same one that Fireteam Majestic wears in Spartan Ops. On that note, anyone wanting to help me out here or wouldn’t mind playing a butt load of Regicide, hti me up on XBOX. GT: HaloFanForLife1

-Sal

Halo 4 Castle Map Pack Strategy: Daybreak

Posted on 04/04/2013 by Sal

Get another look at “Daybreak” one of the Castle map pack maps.

For additional info on the map, check out HaloWaypoint’s write up and an additional graphic that shows power weapon and vehicle placement.

-Sal

Toy Review: Jada Toys Ghost

Posted on 04/04/2013 by 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

The Halo Bulletin 4.3.13

Posted on 04/04/2013 by Sal

Here’s the schedule of events leading up to the release of the Castle Map pack on Monday, April 8.Being that the bulletin came out last night, we’re already halfway into the events. I can’t wait to see the Perdition video. That’s the map I’m looking forward to the most. The live-stream on Sunday sounds like a very good opportunity to get acquainted with the maps before the release.

Next up, something that MANY people have been salivating for…Competitive Skill Rank or CSR.

First off, one cool little note, if you reach level 35 or higher between 4/8 through 4/22 you’ll be awarded an exclusive Avatar t-shirt.

Now getting to the meat of the bulletin. I’m going to repost the text from this portion as it’s important to note.

CSR, or Competitive Skill Rank, launches on all screens of Halo Waypoint (web, console and mobile) next Monday. You will be given a unique rank for each playlist within Halo 4, and the system will use the familiar 1-50 scale. We have been closely monitoring the match results and progression of players behind the scenes to ensure that this new system presents a challenge while still providing an optimal Matchmaking experience. As this is a brand new feature, everyone’s CSR will be set to 0 when it launches. This will allow all players to start on equal footing and enjoy the progression of the 1-50 system.
There are two different ways we calculate your CSR. CSR is closely based on your TrueSkill rank, which ensures that you’ll be ranked – and matched – against opponents of comparable skill. Your CSR is dependent upon your personal performance as well as the rank of those you play with. While several playlists will use a win/loss system to determine whether or not you rank up, others will use individual scoring, which will rank you based on your performance against everyone in the match, teammates included. In some playlists, you’ll rank up faster than others – these vary in order to create the most optimal experience for each playlist.

HFFL: Hmm, this is interesting. I can’t wait to see how this plays out. I just hope that I don’t get rank locked like I did in Halo 3… Below is a look at how CSR will look in your online profile on HaloWaypoint.com.

The following playlists will use individual scoring and measure your performance against all others in the game. This ensures that the players who play the best in each match will have their CSR adjusted accordingly. Players who win consistently in these playlists will rank up faster than they will in the playlists that use team scoring.

Playlists that use individual scoring:
• Infinity Slayer
• Big Team Infinity Slayer
• Rumble Pit
• Multi-Team
• Team Action Sack
• Flood
• Team Snipers
• Regicide
• SWAT

The following playlists will use team scoring, and your CSR will be based off wins and losses. This system rewards players who work towards the objective and win the match. It will take longer to rank up in these playlists.

Playlists that will use team scoring:
• Castle Team DLC
• Team Objective
• Capture the Flag
• Dominion
• Team Throwdown
• Team Doubles
• Grifball

HFFL: Okay, I like the idea of the two systems. Hopefully with objective matches, actually performing the objective is taken into account, ala holding the ball, flag running time, capturing bases, etc. I doubt it though as it hasn’t happened in previous Halo titles. Also, yes, there will be those who will seek to take advantage of the system there…

Here is additional information about these two systems:

In the mainstream playlists, we sort players by their performance (score) after every match, regardless of whether their team won or lost. The system will expect the players with the highest CSR values to rank consistently higher in the match. So if you bring all your awesome friends into those playlists and they dominate while you end up at the bottom of the scoreboard, your rating will NOT be carried by them; it will decrease instead. Your friends’ CSRs won’t change much since the system already expects them to do well. For these playlists, it will be very hard for friends to carry another player without bringing down their own CSRs and risking losing a lot of matches.

We use this in the mainstream playlists because it is incomparably faster at finding the skill of the players and making sure better players get into challenging matches in a timely fashion (and newer players get into fun matches in a reasonable timeframe as well). Our priority on these main playlists is on fast, fair Matchmaking instead of having a pure skill measure. It is also for this reason that we would not consider these playlists as competitive, and the resulting CSRs more of a fun, skill-related value than a pure skill measure.

In select playlists, instead of updating CSR based on the rank of every player, we will update based on the total skill in each team and who won the match. This makes teamwork as important as your solo play. The CSR on these playlists will be technically more pure from a competitive point of view. It will also take longer for these CSRs to converge but when they do, they will more accurately represent a player’s ability to help their team win. To get a 50 in the more prestigious playlists will require players skilled enough to consistently bring the win to their entire team so that they can be matched against better and better players.

Now, can you then carry a worse player? In a sense, yes, but only as high as the average skill of the group. Two 40s won’t bring a 10 up to a 40, but instead they will all end up around 30. Does that accurately represent that 10’s skill? Well, if that 10 plays alone, then no, it is grossly overestimating that player’s skill. However, if that player ALWAYS plays with two 40 CSR friends, then 20 of that player’s skill is playing with the right friends.

HFFL: This nest part is extremely important to those who QUIT games:

If you leave early once a match has started, it treats it as if you were the lowest rank in the match for the individual-scored playlists and as a loss on the team-scored playlists. Players that join in progress are currently treated as if they had played the entire match. That said, in our selected, more competitive playlists, there will be rules in place to mitigate the effect. Namely:

You can only join in progress during a small window of time in the beginning of the match, so those players will still have time to contribute meaningfully to the match.
Friends are not allowed to join a game in progress. Only random players searching through Matchmaking can join during that 60-second window.

The rules for these playlists restrict the amount of noise from Join-in-Progress since that feature is only possible during the first few moments of the match. They also help improve the purity of CSR in these playlists. We plan on putting in these Join-in-Progress parameters as close to CSR launch as possible.

HFFL: Ouch, so as much as I hate Join In Progress, not allowing friends to join in after 60 seconds kind of sucks… But at least there won’t be any more JIPs during late portions of the game (if I’m reading this correctly).

We are actively investigating occasional CSR resets, both globally and for certain playlists. Reasons for resetting ranks include overhauls to CSR calculation, Halo 4 game updates, and events and promotions centered on CSR. Resetting CSR is not something we’re taking lightly so when we do reset it, we’ll be sure to provide ample messaging describing the reasons for doing so.

When we listed the playlists above, you might have noticed a few of them are not currently available in Matchmaking. Here to talk about their impending arrival, along with a few other changes that are coming on Monday, is Bravo.

With the Castle Map Pack comes a brand new playlist: Castle Team DLC. This 6 vs. 6 playlist will feature the following:

Map	Game Type
Daybreak
	Infinity Slayer
	Capture the Flag
	King of the Hill
	Extraction – 1 Plot
	SWAT
	Snipers
Outcast
	Infinity Slayer
	Capture the Flag
	King of the Hill
	Oddball
	SWAT
	Team Regicide
Perdition
	Infinity Slayer
	Capture the Flag
	King of the Hill
	Extraction – 1 Plot
	SWAT
	Snipers

Also, these maps will be integrated into many of our existing playlists. DLC maps will appear in a playlist if all players in the match have downloaded the content.

Playlist	Map
Capture the Flag
	Daybreak
	Outcast
	Perdition
Infinity Slayer
	Daybreak
Multi-Team
	Daybreak
	Outcast
	Perdition
Action Sack
	Daybreak
	Outcast
	Perdition
Dominion
	Outcast
Flood
	Daybreak
	Perdition
SWAT
	Daybreak

If the words “Multi-Team” got your attention, read on. Monday will also feature the premiere of the aforementioned popular playlist, which pits 6 teams of 2 against one another. We are still finalizing the specific maps and game types that will be offered in this playlist at launch – be on the lookout for Monday’s Matchmaking update for the full details of this playlist.

Also, as if the above wasn’t enough to keep you busy for the next two weeks, Rumble Pit will be replacing the temporary Community Forge FFA playlist on Monday and will premiere with both Infinity Rumble and Rumble Pro in the voting options. Here are the maps that the playlist will launch with:

• Skyline
• Landfall
• Monolith
• Haven
• Solace
• Adrift
• Abandon
• Shutout
• Simplex
• Dispatch

Team Objective will be transitioning to a 6 vs. 6 playlist come Monday, mainly in part to address the community’s desire for objective game types with larger team sizes and also to accommodate the Castle Maps, which are built for these team sizes. We’ll continue to monitor your feedback regarding Team Objective in the future as we look to optimize the experience it offers by possibly changing the team maps, team sizes and game types that are offered. The playlist will feature on-disc maps, as well as Crimson and Castle maps, and Extraction will transition from being its own playlist to being included in this one. The map/game type selection will be posted in Monday’s Matchmaking update, as we are still finalizing the layout of the new Team Objective.

HFFL: Of the above paragraph…WTF? Really? Um, hey there Bravo, why not just make um, you know, a BTB Objective playlist? Damn, they are farking up the playlists always changing them. At least Extraction is getting rolled into Objective now. It’s got such a low population count that is makes sense to put it here. What of Dominion though? That might as well go into Objective too…

Announcing the winners of the latest Halo 4 Forge Contest. These 3 maps were shown off in the Community Forge FFA playlist and are still available to play (and save) until Monday’s update – if you haven’t played them yet, head into the playlist to check ‘em out.

FIRST PLACE: Edifice by Redemption1272
SECOND PLACE: Opus by SHIFTY time
THIRD PLACE: Plaza by Smexi Bilzo

HFFL: Whoo boy, and now for some GDC feedback…

We had numerous 343ers in attendance at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) last week. While there, we presented a total of six different panels. “Halo Reborn: A Postmortem on the Creation of Halo 4” sparked a significant amount of feedback on our forums. I’ll let you check out what Josh has to say in his own words:

The goal of my presentation was to discuss the many challenges that we faced when building a new team and taking on such a massive and high profile project, specifically for an audience of developers and creators going through similar situations. In preparing my talk, I was trying to encapsulate three years of development into a 45-minute presentation.

One of the things that I talked about was the desire to make Halo more accessible to players of all skill levels. What I did a poor job of articulating because of the nature of the intended audience is the importance of balancing the needs and desires of a hardcore Halo population that was born, bred and breathes prior Multiplayer philosophies, with an approachable and open-to-all design style. It’s been a delicate balance and one that we haven’t necessarily succeeded with but continue to work on. CSR, our partnership with top competitive players to build and refine Team Throwdown, adding pro options and arena-style maps to select playlists and our upcoming sandbox balances are a few of the things that we are working on for that particular part of our community on this title.

Since my GDC talk, I’ve received a ton of feedback from the competitive community. I want you to know that we hear you, we value you and we are going to continue to listen to your feedback and suggestions. We won’t be able to implement all of them; it’s just not possible with the given resources and time. But we are in this for the long haul, and you’ll see our continued commitment to this aspect of our experience reflected in future projects as well as in our sustain efforts for Halo 4.

/Josh

HFFL: So does that appease everyone? No? I thought not. I’m certainly not trying to trash Josh here. Hell, I want to work for 343. However, he could have done a much better job in his presentation. One thing he didn’t address above was his message during the GDC panel that players wanted a progressive system (read perks). Um, no Josh, we didn’t want that. Halo needs to be Halo, COD and other games with those attributes need to stay in that realm. While I LOVE Halo 4 War Games, it’s gotten further away from the core of what Halo multiplayer really is. Like it or no, it’s a skill based competitive FPS. Not something someone new to the franchise should be able to come into and kill skilled players with seemingly ease. Hopefully CSR will address this. If not, the Halo multiplayer population is in for yet another huge decline. One that we as players and you (343) can not afford to have happen.

Finally the bulletin ends with a nice gallery of Screenshots featuring Vehicles.

To read the full bulletin and check out the gallery go here.

-Sal

Toy Review: Jada Toys Mongoose

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Sal

For Easter, my wife got me nearly the whole line of Jada Toys Halo line. Only one I didn’t get was the Hornet (and it’s variant).

Here are the four sets she got for me:
First, let me state that I hadn’t intended to buy this line. I didn’t want to start collecting yet another line. However having finally seen these in person, I was excited to open these up and see what the sets had to offer.

Below is my review of the Mongoose set.

This set comes on a small card and costs $8 (price may vary depending on store).

There is also a variant of this set that has Blue Spartans instead of Red. Also, of not, on Jada’s website, it say that the red set is a “gloss” finish, while the blue set is a “matte” finish.

Once I removed the bubble from the cardback, I was greeted to this nice graphic:

Now that I had the outer packaging removed, I found this:

Turns out the base is screwed in. In order to remove it from the cardboard, without destroying the cardboard you have to unscrew it.

Okay then… I did find this step unnecessary. I understand this was likely done to keep the toy in place in the packaging. A good thing for those who collect stuff and keep it mint in package, but I’m not one of those folks, normally.

After fumbling with the figures a bit to try and make them fit on the mongoose, I finally got this pose:

And here are the minifigs themselves:

Now, I want to make note of several things here that will resonate among my forthcoming other Jada Toys reviews. Do NOT buy these for the minifigures. While their sculpt is decent for their size, and even the articulation is ok. The joints used are either flimsy or too tight. Not uniform at all.

Be very careful when trying to articulate these minifigs. I had a heck of a time trying to get the hips to bend. In the case of the figs above, I didn’t get it to work and didn’t want to break them, so I stopped trying to force the issue. Hence why the driver is off the seat.

The rider couldn’t hold the crossbar and I had to kind of squeeze him into place.

The vehicle itself is nice, though the handlebars and rear view mirrors are a flimsy plastic.

That brings me to another point. When a toy is touted as die cast metal, I kind of expect the whole thing to be so, or the overwhelming majority of it. That wasn’t the case here. I’d say it was about 50/50 metal/plastic.

I’m trying not to be overly critical here, so let me end this review on a positive note. The paint is good on the vehicle. The size makes it easy to display anywhere. Great for your desktops at work. For the price of about $8 I think it’s worth it. Though I’d have designed the figs a bit differently.

Toy Review: McFarlane Gamestop exclusive Spartan Warrior

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Sal

I had the fortune of getting this figure from eBay for a reasonable price. It sucks that Gamestop “charges” so many PowerUps points for their promotions. I had almost nearly enough to get one on my own (as I rarely turn in my PowerUp points). However, this one eluded me by about 2K points. No way I was going to be able to get that quickly, so I turned to eBay.

After bidding on several (I always try to get a deal and not bid too high), I managed to get this fig for $25 shipped. Considering McFarlane figs normally cost between $12-15, the fact that this is an exclusive and NOT available at the store level, I think I got a pretty good deal (even though there is a noticeable bend near the top of the cardback).

Normally I take figures out of the packaging. However, until/unless I can get a second one of these, this pup is staying put on the card. It’s a fantastic sculpt. The color is rich.

If you’ve got the PowerUp points, I highly recommend getting this fig.

-Sal

Toy Review: Halo minimates Elites/Multiplayer Spartans

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Sal

I have a wonderful wife. She got me these two Halo MiniMates sets. As you can see from the first photo, the one on the left is a Toys R Us exclusive. 2013-04-03 14.45.37 The packaging is quite simple and I like it like that. You can see the product with no fluff. The Elites are a light Violet color. Not really game accurate, but a decent color none the less. It is a smidge irritating that a Brute weapon was included instead of some other Elite weapon. With exception of the heads and shoulders, these figures are the same. Still, that’s just enough to make them different.Gahhh, I wish I’d have read the packaging….I didn’t realize there were three sets of heads in this set. Hmm, now to convince my wife to get me two more sets of these…

-Sal

Early Requiem Concept art by Sparth of 343.

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Sal

Sparth tweeted a link to yet more of his fantastic Halo 4 concept art.

And here is another piece of concept art. Not Requiem though. tumblr_mkp09e3dDY1r5ajivo1_1280 I love the simplicity of the first piece. BLUE! Hmm, just in time for Autism Month. The Hexagonal Requim is very interesting. Those are in line with both the Covenant’s use of Hexagons on the vehicle hulls as well as the Bubble Shield.

-Sal

Update on McFarlane series 2 Halo 4 figures.

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Sal

I’m pretty sure I mentioned this before about series 2, but just in case, there will be DLC codes associated with these figures for Halo 4. What that DLC is, hasn’t been made public yet.

In the meantime, here is some additional info on the figures for the upcoming wave. (Text from McFarlane.com)

NEW UPDATES ON THE SECOND SERIES OF ‘HALO 4’ ACTION FIGURES!
Figures To Include New Unlockable ‘Halo 4’ Content

You’ve waited and waited…Now your patience shall be rewarded.

The second series of action figures based on Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries latest major game title – Halo 4®will be hitting stores this fall! Just like Halo 4 Series 1, this line brings fans all-new, never-before-seen characters, weapons, accessories, and vehicles from Halo 4 to your figure collection. Each highly detailed figure will stand approximately six inches tall and include an average of 25 points of articulation.

As an added bonus, each figure will also include a unique code that unlocks exclusive Halo 4 video game content…More information coming soon!

No needed to pull out your replica Plasma Rifle…Here is the official line up for the second series of Halo 4 action figures!

MASTER CHIEF
Our latest action figure of John-117, the Master Chief, features an all-new weapon, debuting for the first time in Halo 4: the Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-920; better known as the Railgun. The ARC-920 Railgun is a compact-channel linear accelerator that fires a high-explosive round at incredible speed, delivering both kinetic and explosive force to hard and soft targets alike.

As an added bonus, the Master Chief also comes with a free Micro Ops figure of Cortana. Perfectly in scale with our other Micro Ops figures, Cortana also works as an accessory to our standard six-inch figures. Cortana can be removed from her base and held in a figure’s hand, just as she’s often seen throughout the Halovideo game series!

ELITE RANGER
The Elites are back in Halo 4, including the popular Ranger variant as depicted inHalo: Reach. Elite Rangers feature a fully-sealed environment suit and an airtight helmet with clear visor; perfect for extra-vehicular activity in the vacuum of space. Our Elite Ranger figure comes with the redesigned, Halo 4 version of the Beam Rifle.

STORM JACKAL
The Kig-Yar, commonly known as Jackals, return in Halo 4 as part of the alien Covenant that continues to threaten humanity and the UNSC. The Storm Jackal features the new, more sinister look seen in Halo 4. Figure includes the redesigned version of the Covenant Carbine weapon.

SPARTAN SCOUT (RUST)
The fan-favorite Scout armor, previously seen in both Halo 3 and Halo: Reach,, returns in an updated, yet instantly recognizable form for the Spartan-IVs of the UNSC Infinity in Halo 4. Our Spartan Scout figure features a rust paint scheme, and comes equipped with the new Sticky Detonator weapon; previously only available with the Master Chief in the UNSC Cryotube boxed set.

SPARTAN C.I.O. (VIOLET)
An all-new Spartan armor type making its debut in Halo 4, the Spartan C.I.O. is distinguishable by its unique helmet with three optical sensors. This brand-new Spartan figure is clad in violet armor and comes with the latest version of the Designated Marksman Rifle, a popular mid-range UNSC weapon first introduced inHalo: Reach.

All of these new Halo 4 figures will hit stores in October.

Halo 4 Castle Map Pack Achievements

Posted on 04/03/2013 by Sal

So you want to know what the “cheevos” are for Castle? Well, here you go!

Most of these seem pretty straight forward. The “Hello Nurse!” cheevo might take a few games to get (barring anyone boosting cheevos).

For me, the “Beating up the Beat” (5 melee kills in one match) is going to be tough as I’m not one who goes for beat downs.

The “Outta My Way!” cheevo is going to be difficult for most I’d suspect. I think in all my Halo 4 games thus far I have a handful of games where I’ve had 5 splatters in a single match.

Still, these aren’t all that hard. I think most of you might agree that they won’t be as hard to get as some of Majestic’s were.

-Sal

Why aren’t video game actors treated like stars?

Posted on 04/02/2013 by Sal

In the following article from polygon.com, voice actor powerhouses like Jen Taylor (Cortana from our beloved Halo franchise) and Jen Hale of Mass Effect (and now Halo 4) fame talk about the ins and out of being a voice actor for the video game industry, what the pay is like and how they often go about their daily lives not being recognized by the general public.

http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/4/2/4104160/why-arent-video-game-actors-treated-like-stars

Take a gander at that article, it’s a good read, even if it’s not all about Halo.
-Sal

Fathead Trivia Contest #1 (of 4)

Posted on 04/02/2013 by Sal

Here we go folks, the first of four trivia contest questions. Be the first to answer correctly and you will be the winner of the following Fatheads “Junior” set:

How many different types of Promethean Knights are encountered in Halo 4? AND name the classes.
Remember, you have to be registered on the blog and reply on the blog to have an eligible answer.

Don’t forget folks that coming April 13, I’ll have a 30% off code good for all Halo Fathead products. So even if you dont’ win this one, it can still be yours and for a great discount!

-Sal