Minimates Central

2014
19.06

M12 LAAV Warthog 3-Pack – HALO: TRU Exclusive

Category: Halo / Tag: halov, vehicle / Add Comment

You guessed it; I grabbed the other HALO vehicle with 3 figure set from Toys R Us.In this set we have the M12 Light Anti-Aircraft Warthog with Jorge, Emile and Noble 6.

Packaging

This is very unique packaging for this set. Instead of going with the standard large blister pack as used with other vehicle sets this is a large box. From the top/bottom it’s in an irregular hexagon shape. There’s a large window in front so you can see the figures/vehicle straight forward and even from the side. Inside they’ve packaged one figure already in the vehicle on the passenger side and another standing on the back with the large mounted weapon. The third is displayed to the front of the vehicle with the set of weapons beside it. On the front is a group shot of the HALO characters from the game, the HALO and Minimates logos along with the silver TRU Exclusive foil sticker. On top the HALO logo is etched out of the packaging so you can see some of the set below. The back has pictures of the figures and vehicle along with a bio of the full team.

The Figures

Jorge

I know very little about the characters from this game. But here’s the bio from Jorge (he was in a 2-pack in TRU w1): Jorge was born on Reach and he’ll fight to the death to defend it from the invading Covenant hordes. With Noble Team and his heavy weapons expertise ready to help him, any alien who tries to get in his way is going to have a very, very bad day.

Like we’ve seen before there are a lot of sculpted pieces and great looking helmets. Paint apps are still very high quality. Underneath his helmet is Jorge’s face with wonderful facial details and cool looking scar. There’s not an extra hairpiece but instead painted on crew cut hair around the head. He does have a hole in the top of his head.

His full torso cover armor is really interesting. You can see all the extra packs and compartments and it has attached shoulder pads along with a raised red collar. He has large gloves and his waist-piece is I shaped rather than the standard T shape. This is done to accommodate the added thigh covers but still allow the figure to get in a seated position. There’s a torso riser to add height. He also has large boots that do not have C3 holes in the bottom.

The base figure (besides his head) does not have any added detail but rather is a base black color. The large amount of armor makes him look rather impressive but also causes a hindrance to movement. The shoulder-pads keep him from raising his arms past shoulder height. You can still position him in a seated position for the Warthog but the shoulder bulk doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.

For an accessory he comes with a big bad M247H HMG Heavy Machine Gun from the game. This is one impressive looking weapon. Only downside is its bulk makes it kinda hard for the minimate to balance. Thank goodness for those big boots.

Overall a good looking figure but like the rest of the Halo figures it can be a bit difficult to work with.

MMC Score – 7 out of 10

Emile

Here’s Emile’s bio: Emile was born on Luixor and later dies defending the Pillar of Autumn on Reach. Emile began as a part of Alpha Company but was pulled out of the unit and made a member of Noble Team, fighting alongside the other members during the Fall of Reach.

The same figure was also released in TRU wave 2. Emile has one of the best looking helmets of the bunch. He has a white skull showing on his yellow visor; I’m guessing because he’s dead?! There’s nothing underneath on the base figure, just a black blank and similar ‘I’ setup with his waist-piece.

His arms have sculpted shoulders and on his left is a large knife (not-removable). His torso cover is impressive with lots of compartments/packs. He too has knee high boots with no C3 holes in the bottom.

For an accessory he comes with a shiny M45 tactical shotgun.

Very impressive but still a few of the movement restrictions.

MMC Score – 8 out of 10

Noble 6

Here’s Noble 6’s bio: Noble 6 might be the latest addition to Noble Team but he’s no stranger to combat… this veteran has seen more than his share of the war against the Convenant and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to defend the planet Reach.

Compared to the other characters this one seems rather bland. All the sculpted details are still well done. Nice helmet, torso cover, gloves, boots, etc. His shoulders are a sculpted part of his arms. Underneath is a basic black blank.

Noble 6 comes with a black MA37 assault rifle.

In conclusion a decent looking generic fighter.

MMC Score – 6 out of 10

M12 Warthog LAAV

Again the Warthog is the main draw for me from this pack. Here’s the info on this vehicle: The M12 Light Anti-Aircraft Vehicle with 4-wheel steering and enhanced suspension is veratile in terms of maneuverability and offensive functionality. When outfitted with an M68 ALIM Gauss Cannon mounted on its 360 degree hydraulic-powered swivel-mount, it becomes capable of firing high density slugs at heavy armor and hypersonic speeds approaching Mach 40.

This vehicle is very sturdy and I would imagine it stands up well to heavy play. It looks like it rolled right out of the game. The winch with curved hooks in the front give it that warthog look. It has massive wheels that rotate easily on its axles. The windshield is tinted translucent plastic. I love the details all around: seats, steering wheel, headlights, spotlights and more.

Yes, two of the HALO figures can fit in the seats; although it is a snug fit. Other minimates without a lot of added sculpted pieces fit really well (Spidey in the driver’s seat is an awesome sight). Also one figure can stand on the back to work the mounted gun. The gun itself looks amazing and swivels up and down along with the mount moving around the full 360 degree. The barrel of the cannon does detach from the mount.

The Warthogs are my favorite minimate vehicles to date. It has such great playability, it’s very sturdy and so much fun to have random minimate characters driving it around. I was fortunate to grab a few of these sets while on sale at TRU and I highly recommend if you see them grab them. Even if not for yourself, they make excellent gifts for HALO fans. I still need to track down an Arctic Warthog for winter!

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