ADVANCE REVIEW: McFarlane's HALO 3 Deluxe HUNTER

Todd brings out the big guns...

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You don't get more advance than this... Slated to ship in February 2009, the HALO 3 Deluxe Hunter is the latest - and largest - release in McFarlane's extensive 5" scale HALO 3 action figure line. Measuring close to 8 inches in its often seen combat crouch (around 9" if standing fully erect), the Covenant creature towers over opposing UNSC forces with a killer sculpt and battle-ready articulation. While feared in the game, the formidable foe is a favorite with fans; collectors eager to add the beast to their HALO toy collections. As an avid fan of the game and toys, I too was excited to get my hands on the Hunter. Lucky for us all, it does not disappoint...

Packaging for the Hunter is similar to the theme used on HALO 3 Series 4 - clean whites and baby blues offset by a brilliant orange background. It's a very eye-pleasing and professional look; McFarlane's best HALO packaging design yet. The Hunter arrives in a large closed window box, the clearly visible figure tempting buyers with its dangerous sculpt. The sides sport photos of the figure, as does the back, in addition to a brief bio on the unusal monster:

"Hunters are heavily armored collectives of wormlike organisms united under a common consciousness. They wear nearly impenetrable armor made of an unknown substance and are feared for their speed and incredible strength. These living tanks are frequently deployed as shock troops to scatter opposing forces."

Found on the bottom of the box is the proof of purchase seal, aka the HALO Points. The Hunter is worth 25.

As mentioned earlier, the Hunter is big, dwarfing the other HALO action figures, just like in the game. After JoyRide's disappointingly small (albeit, nicely sculpted) HALO 2 Hunters (pictured below battling McFarlane's Hunter), this dedication to scale arrives much appreciated. Not only does it make for a more diverse figure display, but it allows for more realistic battles for those that play with their toys or enjoy creating dioramas.

Size aside, what sells the Hunter is its cool design, flawlessly captured by McFarlane's talented sculptors. "Living tank" indeed, the Hunter is like a giant beetle fused with a mutant porcupine. The bug-like appearance comes from the Hunter's chitinous looking armor and pincers; curved swooping plates that breath organic life into the design. Long protruding "quills" on the Hunter's back lend it that Sonic the Hedgehog vibe, though in this case the quills are more akin to lethal blades - in-game and literally.

While a fully poseable action figure, fans are required to put the Hunter's spines on, and let me tell you, be VERY careful doing so. Each ball-jointed quill plugs into a corresponding socket on the creature's back, but to do so, some force must be applied to pop it in. This is where my caution comes in: Those spines are SHARP and can easily impale your hand if not inserted properly. There is a reward for potential harm, however, the ability to rotate and adjust each individual spine for varied looks.

Further articulation is located on each clawed hand. I found this a very pleasant, unsuspected surprise. The shield-bearing left arm talons don't move a whole lot, but do allow the Hunter to grip other action figures as illustrated above. The right hand pincers are the real highlight for me. Folded down they give the appearance of the Hunter's arm-mounted fuel rod gun powered down, but with a simple flip, the Hunter is ready to blast fiery plasma death. Other points include: ball shoulders, hinged/swivel elbows, slight ball waist, cut thighs, hinged/swivel knees and a slight rotation on his heels. Unfortuantely the Hunter's head does not retract, though it does move left to right.

Overall, the articulation is extremely nice for such a large figure. Combined with a meaty construction (this isn't some hollow vinyl toy), fans will be able to strike some sweet, solid poses. When I released images of this figure earlier this month, a few fans wondered if you could crouch the Hunter down even further. While I could bend him down a tad lower, with such weighty arms, balancing him then becomes tricky. My photos show the Hunter in the most stable crouched position I could get without him toppling over. That is not to say there is a balancing issue with the Hunter. There ONLY is if you go with an extreme squat. As it stands (no pun intended), the Hunter looks great in a variety of poses, even with him raising his shield to defend his body, like in the game.

If I had one bone to pick with the Hunter, it would be his mediocre paint applications. Where the prototype photos depicted the Hunter a metallic denim blue, the production Hunter came out a much darker navy with no metallic detailing, except for some brushed on patches of gray that appear to simulate weathering. But that's really me being overly nit picky, the Hunter is an amazing figure for what it is: a large mass market toy priced at $19.99. In that regard, the Hunter is painted just fine, the "worm" oranges, light grey armor sections and fuel-rod greens contrasting well against the blue body armor. What you get is far above average.

McFarlane has to be commended for bringing fans this popular Covenant creature. Priced at only $19.99, the Hunter packs tons of value with an intricate sculpt, great articulation and amazing in-scale size. Fans are in for a real treat come February. While I was extremely lucky scoring this advance review copy, I can assure you that I will be buying another. Because just like in the game, you can't just have one Hunter. You must have TWO.

Follow the link below for over 80 new photos of the Hunter!

Review Sample Courtesy of McFarlane Toys

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Deluxe HALO 3 Hunter Photo Gallery