By Loran
As my love for Power Core Combiners probably showed, I have a soft spot for toys with parts-swapping gimmicks. I can’t explain it, really! It just gives me so many hours of fun. It’s like having two (or more!) toys in one. When I heard McFarlane was doing this for the Halo figures, I thought it was one of the best ideas ever. I’m sure most players of the game would like to make the Spartans (or Elites) they use in the games, even if some custom painting is needed.
I needed a Spartan fix, so I grabbed the rust-colored Spartan CQB Custom. This figure includes armor and helmets for the Operator, Mark V, and Security Spartans, plus a bonus head for a pilot. I guess the pilot doesn’t have any distinctive armor to speak of. It is a nice bonus, however, and gives people an incentive to buy these sets. Note that this set comes in two colors, rust and steel. I might purchase the steel one to combine it with the Grungnir set to make the Spartan one of my friends uses in Reach.
Since the base body is identical to the one I covered in the “Caboose” review (save for the kneepads), refer back to that one for my opinions on the articulation and whatnot, as this will focus mainly on the armor.
The main armor set is the Spartan CQB. For whatever reason the CQB helmet never really did it for me. It looks like a Jegan from Gundam, just kind of… squashed and round. The torso armor isn’t very exciting either, just the standard Mark V with an extra piece of armor on the front. Even the shoulders aren’t anything special. I do like the addition of the ammo belt, however, though he’s not the only variant in this set that uses it. I’ll probably display mine with this armor the least.
Next is the Security Spartan. The helmet on this doesn’t excite me much either, but he has a few more assets. He also uses the ammo belt, but for whatever reason McFarlane decided to include a second one instead of just sharing it. However, it does look pretty cool with the two shells on the chest. My favorite part of this armor set is the asymmetrical shoulders. They look great, although mine don’t like to stay on very well.
Next, the good old Mark V. Nothing needs to be said about the helmet here, really, and the shoulders are the same as the regular Mark V. The chest is different, and one of my two favorites. I love the extra armor and two ammo clips really add to the look. This figure is overall one of my favorites, but since I already have a Mark V in my collection, he won’t get any use in this form.
My favorite is the Operator. I love the little goggles on the helmet. Sure, they seem pointless, but damn they look cool. The chest is my favorite as well, even if the placement of the knife looks like it’ll be kinda hard for him to get out. The shoulders are the only weak spot. This’ll be the default Spartan until I get myself a stand-alone Operator in different colors.
Lastly, the pilot helmet. It’s pretty neat, too, and I’m going to use it for the customized Spartan until I get the two Steel sets to make my friend’s Spartan.
Unfortunately, the set has no guns or grenades. I guess the pilot helmet and the second ammo belt ate up the rest of the accessory budget. At least you can get a weapons pack to fix this, but still, it’s irritating.
He’s far from my favorite Spartan so far, but this one’s pretty neat, and I’ve been having a lot of fun switching the armor around. I’d recommend him for people who want to make some customs, for sure, as he is cheaper than buying a regular Spartan and a matching armor set. If you want a uniquely-colored Spartan and aren’t bothered by the lack of weapons, go to FPNYC to get yours!
