HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck

HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck

Presenting Spartan IV Edward "Eddie" Buck former ODST and member of Team Osiris from the HALO 5 Guardians video-game and McFarlane Toys.

Click here to read about the other HALO 5 Guardians action figures in our collection. 

This is the character based upon the looks and personality of Nathan Fillon, the lead of the much loved and missed Firefly TV series and current lead of the detective rom/com Castle - though I hear his partner, Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) has left the series.

Nathan also provides the voice for Spartan Buck and has been providing his voice since Buck appeared as an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) in Halo 3 ODST.

The writers behind HALO 5 Guardians also have Spartan Buck screaming "Gorram!" and "Bam, said the lady!" which are quotes from Firefly and Castle respectively.


HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck's blister card doesn't mention anything about the character. Spartan Buck bears the Helljumper variant of the Mjolnir Gen 2 armor  because it's the closest in appearance and function to his former ODST armor -but much, much better.

He comes armed with a M6H Personal Defense Weapon System (pistol) and a brand new Multiple Launch Rocket System-1 Hydra Gyroc Launcher (MLRS-1 HGL). Developed by Chalybs Defense Solutions, the Hydra MLRS is the United Nations Space Command's response to the Covenant's Type-52 Plasma launcher. Both weapons come with mounting pegs allowing you to clip them to the hard points on Spartan Buck's back and thighs. Of particular note is that the Helljumper Mjonir armor mounts the M6H lower down the thigh than you'll find it on the other Spartans we've reviewed.

HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck

What's to like about McFarlane's HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck?

FIRST: The detailing. We're really fond of those small little details that McFarlane has thrown into these new figures, such as the braille written on the chestplate of Spartan Kelly

Read about Spartan Kelly here.

In the case of Spartan Buck, not only are we treated to a nicely weathered new set of armor, we have these small details such as:

• SPARTAN Buck's name is stenciled on his chestplate. He's the first Spartan in the Dungeon with his name written on his chestplate. 
• You can just barely make out the ODST crest on the lower left side of his breastplate
• Underneath his knife, you can see that he carved a pierced heart on his chestplate with the letter "V" inside it. This symbol represents his wife Victoria Dare an intelligence officer in Section One of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). She commanded Alpha-Nine, an ODST team that was then led by Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck. 
• The bright new Team Osiris crests on both shoulders.

Clearly Spartan Buck believes in advertising who he is and who he's affiliated with. 

There's also a pair of pouches on his right calf.

HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck

What's NOT to like about McFarlane's HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck?

FIRST: Lets start with something simple. His height. Spartan Buck is relatively a short guy, standing 6'9" when he became a Spartan. John-117, the Master Chief is 7'2" tall. However when you put the two together - even if it's not obvious in the picture we have here - Spartan Buck edged just a smidge over the Master Chief.

Happily it's not as glaring as the height difference between John 117 and Kelly-087.

SECOND: Spartan Buck is known for owing and using a personalized pistol: The Whispered Truth - a simplified M6H2 Magnum. Spartan Buck dropped the M6H2's smartscope, trigger guard and flashlight, customized the slide and allowed for a suppressor. He engraved the Latin phrase "Semper Vigilans" (Always Vigilant) on both sides of the weapon. Instead of firing single rounds, the Whispered Truth fired three rounds per trigger pull - like a battle rifle.

Where is it?

Sad.

THIRD: The low articulation. Spartan Buck's chest piece tends to keep his arms apart, and the higher you raise his arms, the further apart they are pulled. There was no way that we could bring the Hydra MLRS's scope close to his head.

It also does seem unlikely that the Hydra MRLS would be a single hand wielded weapon.

Spartan Buck also lacks the trigger finger. We cut his finger free thinking that he would better be able to wield the Hydra MLRS. Unfortunately the trigger "hole" of the Hydra is too small, so it was a struggle to try to keep him properly grasping the Hydra's handle and forward grip.

Lastly, this is our first Spartan that cannot kneel - not counting the clunky Jorge-052, Noble 5.

Read about Spartan Jorge-052 here.

What you see here is the extent of Spartan Buck's articulation:

HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck

Here is Spartan Buck with his M6H2 Magnum - We're not quite sure what to make of how it hangs lower down his thigh than normal. He would have to reach for it to draw it. No Spartan Buck cannot dual wield the pistol unlike other Spartans.

Finally here he is with John 117's  MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System.

FOURTH: This supposedly marks the end of the McFarlane line of Spartans, but we still do not have Spartan Linda - the Blue Team Sniper, and Spartan Olympia, the team Osiris intelligence officer.

Sad.

The HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck is available on Amazon for US$ 15.99 (Roughly PhP 751.53 plus shipping). Worth it if you love Halo: Guardians and are a fan of Nathan Fillon.

HALO 5 Guardians Spartan Buck