When I ran a poll a couple weeks ago to determine what Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2012 set collectors were anticipating most, the answer was a blowout: the Halo Mega Bloks Warthog Resistance 97011 set earned nearly 50% of all the votes cast. As soon as I saw how much Halo fans were looking forward to the set, I knew it had to be the next summer set I’d acquire and review. I came up short finding the Warthog Resistance 97011 set at local retail, so I had it shipped in from BAToys–and I sure am glad I didn’t have to wait any longer to find it. I personally hadn’t been tingling with excitement at the thought of yet another Warthog, but MEGA Brands blew me away with their efforts again. All the diehard fans eagerly awaiting this Halo 4 Mega Bloks set will not be disappointed…

The Right:

At first glance, this Halo 4 Warthog doesn’t look all that different from the old-build of the Halo Mega Bloks Warthog that we’ve all grown to know and love. Even side by side, it’s pretty evident that there are numerous reused pieces from the original-style Warthog. However, once you start to really touch and move the Halo 4 Warthog, you’ll see that it is absolutely loaded with features that make it not only different from, but superior to, all previous Halo Mega Bloks Warthogs.

The first thing you’ll notice when comparing the new and old Warthogs up-close is an obvious difference in color. The plastic colors chosen for this iteration of the Warthog are not as dark as prior Warthogs, which facilitates seeing all of the fine details of the vehicle much more easily. I love the past Mega Bloks Warthogs (particularly the Arctic and Missile Launcher variations), but there’s no doubt that this Halo 4 version’s color palette is the most aesthetically-pleasing to the eyes.

The vehicle itself is full of clever new design elements as well. The Warthog is now longer and more accurately-scaled than earlier versions of the toy. There are bars now around the front and back of the Warthog that weren’t there in past models, and instead the footstep itself is now a bar instead of being just another green block. There’s a light attached to the roof of this Warthog that can be posed and revolved to face whatever direction you please, and the machine gun turret is easily the best ever. There’s a bullet chain attached to the turret, and the turret itself is far more flexible and better to pose than even the turret on the 6″-scale McFarlane Toys Warthog.

Another cool feature this Halo 4 Mega Bloks Warthog has is a brand-new, working tailgate! You can really raise and lower the tailgate, which is a lot more fun than you might expect. Further increasing the play factor is the fact that there are four nitrogen fuel containers that attach to the tailgate and are easy for Spartans to remove and hold. Yes, you too can now fuel the Warthog! Serious, though–details like this are what really make the Warthog Resistance set phenomenal.

And like the many Mega Bloks Warthogs that have come before it, the Warthog Resistance Warthog has individual suspensions for each of its tires, so you can freely rotate all four wheels whenever you wish. If it’s not broke there’s no need to fix it, so I’m pleased to see this often taken-for-granted feature of the Warthog return again.

Like many of the ~$30-$35 sets, the Halo Mega Bloks Warthog Resistance set includes a second, supplementary piece in addition to the Halo 4 Warthog itself. Whereas the Covenant Revenant Attack set earlier in the year included the incredible Bubble-Shield, the Warthog Resistance 97011 gives us our very first Forerunner Structure. This adds a ton of story elements to the set, and really brings the plot of the whole set together.

While I think the Forerunner Structure is sort of plain in and of itself, MEGA Brands has planned something truly awesome with regard to it. While this Forerunner Structure is somewhat small, the pieces of it will be able to be added to the pieces of the 97029 Battlescape III to create a gigantic Forerunner tower! I absolutely cannot wait for the Halo Mega Bloks Battlescape III to be released later this summer so I can combine the pieces and build a truly huge and impressive Forerunner tower!

I feel like I’ve written half a novel here already, and I haven’t even mentioned the figures in this set yet! The Halo Mega Bloks Warthog Resistance set includes three figures, and all three figures are brand-new molds. The first two are identical Spartan-IV figures wearing the all-new MJOLNIR Armor from Halo 4. Both Spartans are the same dark green as the Master Chief but are identified as just being generic Spartans on the package, so fans will need to wait a bit longer for a Spartan that’s officially the Master Chief.

The other new figure included in the set is a brand-new Elite Zealot. Unlike the first Elite Zealot we got earlier this year in the Covenant Drop Pod assortment, this is no repainted Elite Combat figure–it’s a 100% newly-tooled figure that is indubitably the largest and most threatening Elite we’ve seen yet in the Halo Mega Bloks line. The new Elite Zealot is one of the most intricately-sculpted and highly-detailed figures that MEGA Brands has ever produced, and is a thing of true beauty. The mix of metallic and matte red paint makes the Elite Zealot figure look satisfactorily otherworldly, although I think I’d like this Zealot mold better and be able to see more of the fantastic details in a different color (like silver or white).

You get four weapons with this set, as well as a special bonus. The Elite Zealot has an always-welcome Covenant Carbine (although he may be outmatched given what the Spartans are packing). For the Spartans, you get a rare Spartan Laser, a not-so-rare Assault Rifle, and the fresh and new Sticky Detonator. A weapon introduced in Halo 4, the Sticky Detonator is a crazy new gun that can launch sticky explosives, attach them to the enemy, and then detonate them remotely from a safe distance! I can already see the Sticky Detonator as being one of the most unique and exciting additions to the gameplay in Halo 4, and I am psyched that I’ll be able to simulate the action with my Mega Bloks Halo figures as soon as the game arrives.

But wait–there’s more! As I mentioned, this set includes a special treat: a brand-new resupply canister that you can use to store the Assault Rifle or another weapon! You can click the ordnance canister shut, or open it up to reveal a weapon of your choosing. This is a first for the Halo line, and I’m really impressed that MEGA Brands went above and beyond the call of duty to include another new item in a set that was already overflowing with newness.

It took me about an hour to completely the Warthog Resistance set, and you can see some of my in-progress build photos here. It would probably take a lot of fast builders closer to 30-40 minutes, but I am not and likely never will be all that speedy at building Mega Bloks sets. There’s nothing especially complicated or tricky involved, so you should be able to build this set fairly easily and without hitting any major snags A nice and easy, relaxing build.

The Wrong:

I momentarily considering griping about the price-tag on this set ($30-$35) being high for a set that only contains 285 pieces, but that was a fleeting thought. There are so many all-new pieces and great features to this set that it is well worth its cost. I honestly can’t complain about a thing about Warthog Resistance 97011–it’s just that good.

“Where Can I Buy It?!”

The Summer 2012 Halo Mega Bloks wave hasn’t hit retail in force yet, so I ended up getting this set from BAToys. Various online retailers also have the Warthog Resistance available right now. I’ve heard reports of this set being sighted at some Target store locations, but I personally have not been able to find it in any physical retail store myself. It should start to become more prevalent in stores around August-September as chains load up on Halo product in anticipation of the Halo 4 video game’s launch.

Overall: What I am about to say I don’t mean loosely, but am quite literal about: This set is flawless all-around. MEGA Brands clearly put a ton of creative thought and energy into making this Warthog an unparalleled success and one of the high-points of their entire Halo Mega Bloks line. The colors are perfect, the new tooling and features are excellent, the figure are all-new and fantastic, and there are even thrilling new items like the resupply canister and Sticky Detonator included. The only thing that really bothers me is that I’m going to have to wait another six months or more to see this Halo 4 Warthog made into my favorite version of the Warthog, the Missile Launcher ‘Hog! If you’re a Halo fan, you love the Warthog, and this is the best Warthog ever put out by any toy company (yes, even McFarlane Toys’ Warthog isn’t this good). If you like Halo Mega Bloks sets at all, then you must have this set: the Halo Mega Bloks Warthog Resistance 97011 set receives the highest-possible recommendation and a rare perfect grade.

GRADE: A+