Scorpion’s Sting is a hefty set of 616 pieces that lists for around $55 US. That is a very nice parts-to-dollars ratio, especially when you consider that it comes with three figures. I have seen the set online and at Wal-Mart for $50, so shop around. Also, Wal-Mart still had the set’s “Scylla” code-name on the shelf tag. Since the name Scylla has absolutely nothing to do with a Scorpion tank, nor does it even hint to that fact that it is referring to a tank also tells me that Mega Brands understands how codenames work, but all that is beside the point.
Upon opening the box and spreading the parts out, I started to become concerned that I wasn’t finding the sticker sheet. I flipped through both instruction books looking, but still couldn’t find it. I then had a crazy though and began sifting through the parts and, SWEET CRACKERS!, all the would-be sticker details were printed right onto the bricks!
I’ve never been one of those builders who are hugely anti-sticker, but this is a very pleasing development. My issues with stickers don’t come from applying them, but more with their irregular nature. I have several models on display in my den that look pretty raggedy due to peeling, curling, cracking, or fading stickers. It’s across all brands and never consistent. Removing the unreliability of stickers is a boon to those of us who like to permanently display our finished models. I’m sure the printing adds to the price of the set, and I know there are a few people who would prefer non-printed bricks, but these are small considerations when weighed against the benefits.
There are three figures in the set and they’re all of the newer style with modular armor. First off is a Sangheili in standard blue Minor armor. The Elites were always great Microfigs, but the new articulation and armor make them so cool that even the rank-and-file like this guy seem more imposing. On the UNSC side we’ve got a SPARTAN in a striking red version of the Protector armor and the newly minted SPARTAN Buck decked out in the exceedingly swanky new MJOLNIR GEN2 Helljumper armor. The weapons for the figures to swap amongst themselves are an Assault Rifle, an SMG, a Covenant Storm Rifle, and a tripod-mounted Plasma Cannon. The fact that the Covie gets a rifle and a tripod-mounted weapon is good, since sometimes figures that are tasked as heavy gunners don’t get a personal weapon in sets like this.
Construction of the set is what we’ve come to expect from the MEGA’s Collectors offerings as of late, with many small parts building up well-conceived shapes and angles alongside plenty of robust bricks lending stability to the form. I also discovered what I’m pretty sure is a new element. It’s a little hybrid piece that’s half axle-peg and half small post. Here it’s used to connect your typical wheel piece to a side-studded brick. This is cool by itself and will be a great addition to building possibilities for vehicles, but the other potential uses for this are endless, especially in very small-scale building. Also you can now easily connect pretty much anything to the peg hole in a Microfig’s back.
After a couple of hours you get a very mean looking tank. Pushing it along the floor or table, it rolls fairly well on its rubber treads with the minimum of slippage over smooth terrain. I’ve personally become partial to tread systems made up of individual plastic links, so I’m not too crazy about the rubber treads, but they work very well as far as play-value goes and the armored outriggers obscure them from view almost completely, so they’re more than acceptable.
Another nice thing about the drive system is that the fit on the hull attachments is a little tighter, and there are small pegs built into the hull which keep the pods roughly horizontal when the tank is picked up. This is a welcome little bit of engineering since the one thing I hate about the previous Scorpions is their tendency to turn into quadrupedal walkers whenever you pick them up. Now the tank behaves a little more like the in-game version does (especially when being delivered by a Pelican) and it’s a lot easier to move from place to place.
The hull of the machine itself is robust without being a chunk of solid stacked bricks. The aft end actually opens up and can function as a troop compartment, although I’m not sure that this is possible with the in-universe Scorpion. I suspect the engine should reside back there, but it is a nice play-feature.
The driver’s compartment is fully armored with no “windows” like previous MEGA models, but gone is the generic tank hatch, replaced with an opaque canopy piece that works extraordinarily well.
Just forward of the driver position is the pintle-mounted machine gun position in the hull. This is a feature I’ve always wanted to see in a brick Scorpion and it’s great to finally get it. The box art makes the gun position look as if it rises to an excessive height above the top of the hull. It does seem to be a bit taller than it should be, but the picture on the box makes it look way worse than it actually is.
The main turret is quite a bit chunkier, and seems to sit lower on the hull than previous Scorpion designs while still retaining the tank’s iconic look. It rotates freely in a 360 degree arc and does need to be turned slightly to allow access to the driver’s hatch. There is a pair of round structures on the right side that I’m not sure of the function of, but that I suspect may be ammunition magazines. The turret features a wicked looking cannon that seems as if it might make this tank upgunned from what we’ve seen previously. The cannon is primarily constructed from a trio of thick silver rods, forgoing the one-piece molded barrel MEGA has utilized so well in past tanks. Next to the cannon, on a mount independent of the gun’s vertical movement is a coaxial machine gun with its own movable attachment point. This, along with the pintle-mounted gun on the hull, fully armored driver’s compartment, and overall tank design lead me to believe that the Halo 5 Scorpion is a brand new model or variant from the M808 and M808B Scorpions we’ve seen previously. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.
Looking at all the tanks together, it’s apparent that each Scorpion iteration has tried to improve on the last. It also speaks to the solid design of the first Scorpion that it still looks pretty darn good even when compared to the newest design. Out of the three, I think I still like the ODST Covenant Invasion power turret version the best, but it’s a close contest.
""Look lady, I couldn't see your car. I can barely see YOU! Get some safety reflectors or something!"
I’ve built A LOT of block tanks over the past couple of years, and the Scorpion’s Sting strikes a nice balance between being an intricate and detailed design while remaining a fun build without excessive small-piece tediousness. It’s also a fantastic display piece without being a hideous space-hog like the UNSC Rhino is. This is a great set for any Halo or block military fan. Younger builders might be turned-off by the small parts and detailing work (nearly on-par with the best Call of Duty sets), but with a little perseverance they’ll be rewarded with an exceptional tank toy.
I’m going to have to give this set’s perfect 5* out of 5 rating that asterisk because I can only judge it by the success of the set itself and not against what it is trying to represent. But, I do have a measure of faith that Mega Bloks made the Scorpion’s Sting as close to the in-game Halo 5 Scorpion as they could. So please, if you would be so kind, have a measure of faith in my opinion that it is indeed that good.
