· Blah as far as boxes go, but I had to destroy the thing to get him and all his stuff out. Not liking how he's posed (the other Spartans are like this, too), plus that articulated right hand looks quite vulnerable to toy aisle bumps and dings.

· Let's get this gripe out of the way: if you're adhering to Halo lore, the Master Chief is seven feet tall, making him fourteen inches tall at 1:6 scale. 12.5 inches puts him closer to 1:7 scale. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on McFarlane; nobody is doing him at true 1:6 scale.

· The head looks a bit small compared to the rest of the body. A little distracting, but not a deal-breaker.

· Nice and sturdy. And heavy! This is the first figure I've really played with after several years of collecting high-end fragile stuff.

· I like the assault rifle, but that's the only weapon he comes with. Personally, I'd like a Magnum at his hip.

· That gold visor is definitely a trip to get right, or close to right. It's suppose to have a mirror reflection, and paint alone doesn't quite do it. A good try here, though.

· Check out the paint job! McF could have gone all smooth and plastic-y, but they opted for a rough, metal-like finish. Go ahead, touch it!

· Check out the dents in the armor. You'd think he'd have more than a few dents, cracks and scratches after being shot by every conceivable kind of weapon, floating through the vacuum of space, and falling through Earth's atmosphere among other things. Tough suit!

· The undersuit has a lived-in look. He's been in it since Halo 2, so it's gonna look less than pristine.

· Work with the articulation, it's marvelous!

· I don't think I've ever had I figure that could balance on the balls of its feet with no help.

· If you build a base and try to pass him off as a statue, I wouldn't think any less of you. He's just that good!

· Nothing beats cool-looking armor. Ask Boba Fett.

More Master Chief pictures in my gallery.