Halo Micro Ops Series 1 Review McFarlane Toys

Today I’ve got a first for Halo Toy News: a guest review! I purchase so many Halo toys and review them so rapidly that there hasn’t really been a need for a guest reviewer before. But with the onslaught of Halo toys being released to precede the imminent arrival of Halo 4, the time has come to welcome our first guest reviewer: Todd! Frequent reader and now-contributor Todd has written up a terrific review of the entirety of Halo Micro Ops Series 1 by McFarlane Toys! Take it away, Todd!

Halo Micro Ops: Series 1

I spent the last two weeks building this diorama, so I thought I might share my work, and give a detailed review of the first series of McFarlane’s Halo: Micro Ops line. I will give a review of the series overall, then a break down of the individual sets. Micro is the best term to use for these toys, yet there is no lack of detail. The Spartan figures are about 1” tall, with Elites a little taller and UNSC soldiers running more like 7/8”. The vehicles are the stars of this series. The Warthog is 3” long 1.5” tall and 1.75” wide. For comparison, the mini Warthog from McFarlane’s Halo 3, series 1 is 4.25” long, 2.5” tall and 2” wide. The level of detail is almost the same. I have the size listings for all of the different vehicles under their individual reviews.

To follow in Dabid’s style:

The Right:

McFarlane is known for their detail, and they have definitely brought the detail to the micro level. The vehicles have sharp, crisp lines and are well painted and weathered. I am also very impressed with the variety of this first series. I would have liked a little more Covenant representation, but I feel they really hit on some the more important vehicles in this first wave. Built mostly for display, there is still a lot of play value in the vehicles.

The Wrong:

While the figures have lots of detail for such tiny little statues, the paint apps are hit or miss, mostly miss. I have actually repainted most of the figures to highlight more of the detail. I will cover other “wrongs” in the individual reviews. The biggest disappointment for me is that series 2 isn’t due until January!

Small Carded Sets:

Warthog and Mongoose:

This set includes:

1 Warthog vehicle

1 Mongoose vehicle

1 Spartan Mongoose driver

1 Spartan Warthog driver

1 UNSC Marine Warthog gunner

The Right:

The Warthog (my favorite) is highly detailed and well sculpted. The wheels spin freely and the turret spins around but is not loose. There is a lot of detail in the figures, and they fit well on the vehicles themselves. The Mongoose is the version from Reach, and even includes the detailing for the rear cargo flap, although it does not fold down. The vehicles have some weathering paint apps that give a more realistic feel to them.

The Wrong:

There is very little wrong with this set. The wheels on the Mongoose are just rubber on plastic hubs, and thus don’t spin freely, so no Mongoose vs. Warthog races down the kitchen floor! The paint app of the Mongoose is also less detailed than the Warthog. I really wish they would have included a passenger figure for either vehicle. The biggest frustration is that the turret on the Warthog only rotates, and cannot pivot up or down, so you can only shoot at enemies that are at an even level with you. The marine gunner takes an act of Congress to get into position correctly. When you turn the Warthog over, there are three bright silver screws that are glaringly obvious. Black screws would have been a better choice.

Overall: I would give this set a B, mostly docking points for figure paint apps and lack of articulation in the Warthog turret.

The Warthog is 3” long 1.5” tall and 1.75” wide. The Mongoose is 1.6” long, 0.75” tall and 1” wide.

Covenant Banshee:

This set includes:

1 Banshee vehicle

1 Elite Driver

1 Elite Trooper

The Right:

The Banshee is HUGE, comparatively. It’s really hard to notice the scale “in-game” because the Banshee is almost always in the air, but the Banshee is almost twice as big as the Warthog. The coloring is very smooth, and has the nice purple tones that you would expect from a Covenant vehicle. The Banshee is also very heavy. It is almost all one piece of molded plastic, except for the top hatch which opens and closes. The wings also rotate independently. The Elite driver fits in the slot very cleanly. The Elite trooper has waist articulation, which was unexpected.

The Wrong:

Not much here other than the overall paint app issues with the figures. The Elite driver that I received was just a light gray blob (he is now red!). The pivoting wings on the Banshee feel like they could be damaged if forced to rotate too far. It would have been nice to have a display stand for the Banshee.

Overall: It is SO GOOD to finally have a Banshee vehicle from McFarlane! I would rate this set a solid A.

The Banshee is 4” long, 4.75’ wide and 2.75” tall.

Covenant Ghost vs. UNSC Wolf Spider:

This set includes:

1 Emile Spartan Figure

1 Wolf Spider Turret

1 Ghost vehicle

1 Elite driver

The Right:

The paint apps on both the Ghost and the Wolf Spider are fantastic. The details on the Ghost are clean and well defined. The coloring is a lighter purple than the Banshee, but fits with other versions of the Ghost we have seen before. The Ghost can pivot both forward guns up or down, to adjust the level of aim. The driver seat can be pulled out to fit the Elite driver in easier. The Wolf Spider was a surprise to see in the first wave. The detail is clean and seems to be game accurate, and the yellow and black hazard paint on the lower edge is a nice touch. The gun itself has some articulation, but the molding gives the appearance of much more movement. The Wolf Spider can be converted into its resting position by pulling the gun off the base and placing an extra cap inside, which allows the two rotating cover sections to close up smoothly.

The Emile figure in my set was surprisingly well painted. You can even make out his skull paint on his helmet.

The Wrong:

The Elite driver was poorly painted. I would have liked for the Wolf Spider turret to have a little more articulation so it could shoot upwards. The stand for the Ghost is light gray, and takes away from the overall appearance (should have just been black).

Overall: I liked this set more than I thought I would. It’s great to have Emile and the Ghost, and the Wolf Spider Turret was more detailed and interesting than I would have ever expected. It’s nice to see such a variety of the Halo universe being created in toy form. I give this set a B+.

The Ghost is 2.25” long, 1” tall and 1.8” wide.

The Wolf Spider is 1.5” wide, tall and long.

ODST Drop Pods

This set includes:

2- ODST Drop Pods

1- Drop Pod drag chute

1- crash display base

1- Rookie ODST figure

1- Dare ODST figure

1- Buck ODST figure

1- display stand

The Right:

It appears that McFarlane Toys has listened to the fans outcry for more ODST figures, and for the ODST Drop Pod. While in no way as detailed as its $50 behemoth from the 6” figure line, the Micro Ops Drop Pod is nicely detailed. Both Pods in this set are identical, with a removable front hatch and side hatches that pull out and pivot. The interior has a detailed seat. There isn’t much in the way of paint apps on the Pods themselves, but the black-wash helps all the details to pop. The crash base and drag chute are interchangeable between the two pods.

The Wrong:

I really wish they would have included an ODST figure that could be placed in the seat inside the pod. I think that would have really completed the look with the crash base. The figure of Buck has no discernable features from any regular ODST. The display stand for the Pod with the drag chute is only 0.25” off the ground!? Why not taller?

Overall: A good set with lots of details that could have been a great set with just a few minor changes. I give it B.

The ODST drop pods are 2.1” tall, 1’ wide and 1” long.

The crash display base is 2.2” wide, 0.65” tall and 1.8” long.

Large Carded Sets

UNSC Falcon

This set includes:

1- Falcon Aircraft vehicle

1- Spartan Pilot figure

1- UNSC Marine figure

1- Carter Spartan figure

The Right:

The Falcon is the jewel of series 1. The detail of the Falcon is tremendous, even if it lacks a lot of paint apps. You can tell by its structure and weight that there are a lot of parts that were assembled to make this vehicle, as opposed to the solid hunk of plastic of the Banshee. The rotors rotate and twirl, the canopy opens to insert the pilot, and the two side guns have multiple points of articulation. There are a few UNSC logos and lettering on the sides to give it an authentic feel. The UNSC marine is in a squatting position with rifle shouldered, and is a nice change of pace from all the other troops in series 1 who are either standing tall or piloting.

The Wrong:

The Falcon could have used a little weathering to tone down the drab green. It’s actually surprising that there is none, since the Warthogs are heavily weathered, yet the Falcon looks freshly cleaned. The Pilot Spartan had terrible paint apps, and was almost all white. When compared to the Banshee, the Falcon feels a little light and cheap, although it has survived several drops from 3 to 4 feet with no breakage.

Overall: A spectacular addition to the McFarlane Halo Toys Universe, and a must buy for everyone! A+.

The Falcon is 6” long, 6” wide and 2.25” tall.

High Ground Bunker

This set includes:

1- Bunker with removable parts

1- Shade turret

1- Grunt gunner figure

1- Spartan figure

1- UNSC marine figure

The Right:

The detail on the Shade Turret is clean and the coppery paint really sets its apart from the rest of the series. The Turret can rotate 360 degrees and pivot a fair amount up and down. It’s nice to have the grunts represented in the series, even if we only get one.

The Wrong:

If the Falcon is the jewel of the series, then the High Ground Bunker is the creepy uncle in the family that nobody ever talks about. The Bunker can split into pieces nicely, but when you try to display it in one piece the sections gap rather obviously. The hatch on top opens and closes, however its made of cheap rubbery plastic, and mine almost tore off the first time I tried to open it. The Bunker CAN look good when displayed with the other High Ground pieces, but on its own it’s just not all that impressive.

Overall: I would rate the overall set a C, but the Bunker I would give a D. The Shade Turret and Grunt are the redeeming qualities of this set. Unless you are a completist, I would recommend you skip this set.

The Bunker is 5” wide, 4” long and 1.6” tall.

The Shade Turret is 2.1” long, 1.6” wide and 1.9” tall.

Small Boxed Sets:

High Ground Gate

This set includes:

1- High Ground Gate Playset

1- Warthog vehicle

1- Machine gun turret

1- Spartan gunner figure

1 – Spartan figure

The Right:

This set is the reason to love the Micro Ops line! How else would we ever get iconic pieces of the Halo universe like the High Ground Gate? The detail is fantastic, from the metallic paint apps for the walk-ways to the cracks in the stone work. The Gates can be positioned anywhere from wide open to fully closed, and each door is independently adjusted. According to the box, the High Ground Tower playset, available mid September 2012, can attach to the High Ground Gate playset in multiple ways. This means you can recreate High Ground as we all know and love, or change it up and get creative. The fact that they took the extra effort to have multiple attachment points leads me to believe they have many great plans for the future of this series!

The Wrong:

There is an action feature for the turret, which has you place the turret on a circular area that can then be rotated from below. It was a nice idea, but just falls short and seems unnecessary. I like the two Spartans included, but there is no figure included that fits in the Warthog! There are lots of unmanned vehicles in the Halo universe, but it would have been nice to have the option. The opening gates are well done, but when fully opened, they stick out from the sides in an awkward manner.

Overall: A great playset, and hopefully the first in many of the iconic Halo universe. This set is not cheap, but it is the perfect base to have the rest of your Halo Micro Ops collection displayed around. I give it an A.

The High Ground Gate is 9.25” long, 4’ wide and 4.5” tall.