HALO Mantis - Megabloks

Presenting a HALO UNSC Mantis power-armor from Megabloks!

We at the Dungeon first piloted a UNSC Mantis Exo-Skeleton in HALO 4. We have to say that we totally did not expect to find Power-Armor in that game - I mean isn't the Mjolnir armor enough? So when this bad boy showed up BOY DID WE PUSH IT TO THE MAX!!!!

We loved it! mini-guns, missiles, stomp here, stomp there. You have to love the UNSC Mantis!!!

We're frankly disappointed that McFarlane has yet to produce one yet, but then a full sized UNSC Mantis capable of let's say being driven by any of the members of Noble Team, would be huge (And incredibly expensive)!

Till then, this will have to do. When we saw the Megabloks UNSC Mantis, we just had to have it.

The Megablok's UNSC Mantis' blister card reads: " The UNSC Mantis is the new multi-purpose battle mech that can turn anyone into an unstoppable one-man army. It's reinforced front facing armor help protect of the UNSC Spartan Warrior inside, while the heavy machine gun and 5-tube missile launcher makes short work of enemy units.

The HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Armor of Mantis comes armed with:

• One M655 Anti-Material Heavy Machine Gun
• A five-tube M5920 Surface-to-Ground Anti-Material Missile Launcher/Anti-Matériel

And is defended by heavy armor under the same shield system used to defend the Mjolnir armor.

What's to love about the Megabloks HALO Mantis?

Well to begin with, we at the Dungeon are not really LEGO, Megabloks or KRE-O fans. We only got into them because they went on sale over Christmas, we were bored, and quite frankly, assembling KRE-O's is therapeutic - they create a meditative zen state.

We don't like them because frankly they look like legos. But seriously, this Megabloks HALO Mantis does not look too much like a lego creation, especially from afar.

So we really like it.

It also helps that these Megabloks seem to lock better than my Kre-Os. It's actually makes for a very playable highly articulated figure.

Here's the Megabloks Halo UNSC Mantis all folded up, and fully extended:

From the side and from behind:

Don't you love the weathering patterns that come built in with Megablok's Mantis? I have to point out that only the ammo-belts and the M655 Machine Gun kept popping out when I did the next examples of the UNSC Mantis' flexibility. 

And if he has to the UNSC Mantis exoskeleton can perform a retrograde action:

We at the Dungeon are particularly fond of those poseable exhaust vents at the back of his knees.

The Halo Megabloks Mantis also comes a very nicely detailed and very poseable Spartan in Olive Drab Mjolnir armor armed with an M739 Light Machine gun.

Cute little guy. He doesn't quite fit snugly inside the exoskeleton, but that will do.

But what we really, really love about the Megabloks HALO UNSC Mantis is that Megabloks bothered to give the exoskeleton a docking station! The station appears to be no more than a simple communications hub - probably a command station, combined with a quick means to get into the Mantis. It is not a repair bay.

I like to fold the comm station and ladder down when the Mantis is not present.

\Then raise them when the UNSC Mantis approaches:

The UNSC Mantis literally docks by keeling over forwards:

The ladder folds nicely on the Mantis' shoulder, the hatch pops open and the Spartan steps out:

We love how you could combine the HALO Mantis set with other HALO Megablok sets:

What's NOT to love about the Megabloks HALO Mantis?

Honestly? Nothing much. The Megabloks HALO UNSC Mantis comes with great detailing, wonderful articulation and is quite playable despite being made out of "bloks"

We would have loved to have seen perhaps custom stickers or even modular arms for the Mantis, but you can make those on your own.

The only other drawback we see is that the Mantis does not really have an allocated space for the Spartan's  M739 Light Machine gun. I just slid it in there.

This particular Megabloks HALO UNSC Mantis Exoskeleton and Docking Station was purchased in Toys R'US Megamall here in the Philippines for PhP 2, 499.00 (Roughly US$ 55.53). It is available on Amazon for US$ 27.99 - yeah half the price. DON'T buy Megabloks, Lego or Kre-Os here in the Philippines. They double the price for some strange reason.

Good thing it's worth it though.