It was totally inadvertent, but it seems that I have ended up saving the best 2013 Halo Mega Bloks review for last: the UNSC Mantis 97115! The ultra-popular UNSC Mantis battle mech debuted in the Halo 4 video game, and fans have been salivating at the prospect of a toy of the Mantis since well before Halo 4 even came out! Though it was the very first Halo Mega Bloks 2013 set that MEGA Brands showed off sneak previews of, it’s among the last of the sets to hit stores. The wait for the set was a little painful, but it was worth it: the Halo 4 Mega Bloks UNSC Mantis meets and exceeds all of my expectations…

The Right:

The UNSC Mantis is as close to a Gundam as we’re ever going to get in the Halo universe. The Mantis is the mobile tank that walks like a man, armed with a 5-tube missile launcher and a heavy machine gun. This heavily-armored battle mech is one of the coolest and most intimidating weapons in the UNSC’s arsenal. MEGA Brands has done a terrific job faithfully recreating the appearance of the UNSC Mantis in Mega Bloks form.

Since the Halo Mega Bloks UNSC Mantis is essentially a big, humanoid-shaped vehicle, it’d be disappointing if it wasn’t well-articulated. Luckily, it is. In fact, the Mega Bloks Mantis has even more points of articulation than the standard Halo Mega Bloks Spartan figures do!

The Mega Bloks Mantis has a swivel waist, ball-jointed arms, ball-jointed knees, ball-jointed feet, double-hinged knees, and even swivel elbows. Basically, it can move all over!Most of the joints on the Mantis are ratchet joints that click into place, so the Mega Bloks Mantis can easily support its own weight and hold up either of its arms in any position with no problems.

I’m not usually a sticker person–I think they’re a real pain to get perfectly aligned, and they set off my OCD something terrible. That said, having copious amounts of decals included with sets like the UNSC Mantis is a godsend. The Mantis is naturally such a dark green that before you add stickers to it, it ends up looking like a big, undetailed blob. But once you add on all of the various stickers (primarily red arrow details)–presto! The Mantis looks stylish and sensational. Thanks, MEGA Brands.

When I first saw the size of the Mega Bloks Halo 4 Mantis set (443 pieces including the UNSC Loading and Repair Bay), I thought the set was going to cost a fortune and cost at least $45-$50. I was totally wrong: MEGA Brands has set the MSRP on this set to right around $35–less than 8 cents per piece! I was stunned to see a set with so many pieces (many of which unique) for such a low price–this UNSC Mantis 97115 really is one of the best Halo Mega Bloks values ever.

Given how much great stuff you get for your money in this set already, I’m not surprised MEGA Brands could only afford to include one figure with the set. But the sole figures included with this set is a great selection: an all-new Mega Bloks Spartan Warrior figure, featuring the cool new Warrior armor permutation from Halo 4.

Furthermore, MEGA Brands put the Spartan Warrior figure into the well-loved Stealth grey color, and even gave him the first-release Mega Bloks Halo 4 Light Machine Gun! If you’re only going to include one figure in a set, this is the way to do it.

Finally, we come to the UNSC Loading & Repair Bay. This was a big surprise to me when it was revealed, but the execution is very nice, and I like having a place to dock the inactive Mantis when it’s not in use. The decals on the computer terminals make this look like a real mini-command center. I like the extendable ladder that can make for some nice dioramas with UNSC Marines or Spartans boarding the Mantis, and it’s overall a nice little accessory…

The Not-Quite-Wrong:

…I just don’t know that I like it in this particular set. I wouldn’t say that it’s “wrong”, per se, but I’m a little bit torn on the inclusion of the UNSC Loading and Repair Bay packed in with the Mantis. A lot of collectors are going to want more than one Halo Mega Bloks Mantis in their collection, and that means they’re going to end up with multiple loading bays–and I’m not sure that anyone (other than the absolute most hardcore) are going to want that. I would assume we’ll get another Mantis Mega Bloks set down the road, but it probably won’t be for a while, so I half-wish we had gotten one without the extra playset included.

“Where Can I Buy It?!”
The Halo Mega Bloks UNSC Mantis set has been extremely difficult to find thus far, as only small shipments have hit online stores and some local stores. This item should be produced in large numbers this year, but as of writing, your best chance of finding a Mega Bloks Halo UNSC Mantis is online. BA Toys will be receiving their next shipment of the Mantis in early February, so now’s the time to get in on a pre-order.

Overall: Though I don’t necessarily like it as much as the Promethean-filled Cauldron Clash set from a personal point-of-view, I have to say that I consider the Halo 4 Mega Bloks UNSC Mantis 97115 to be downright flawless. The Mega Bloks Mantis itself looks accurately scaled, has tons of aesthetically-pleasing decals, a plethora of articulation, and strong joints that work wonderfully. And while Halo Mega Bloks 97115 includes only one figure, that one figure is an all-new Spartan armor permutation in a popular cool–and with a brand-new Mega Bloks Light Machine Gun. I sort of wish there was a way to buy more Mantises without more Mega Bloks UNSC Repair Bays, but the bay is well-done and the set is still a great value even with the included UNSC Repair Bay. I don’t like to throw words like “perfect” around in my reviews, but the Halo Mega Bloks UNSC Mantis 97115 is about as close as you’re going to get in Halo Mega Bloks form.

GRADE: A+