HALO: Combat Evolved by Hot Wheels

Mike Pigott looks at the Hot Wheels models based on the futuristic Halo video game series.One of the most successful video game franchises of the past two decades has been the Halo series, which involves a future Earth army battling mysterious aliens known as The Covenant. The games were very well designed and featured a number of realistic, futuristic military vehicles. In 2017, Hot Wheels produced diecast models of several vehicles seen in the games, including both Earth and Covenant types.

The year is 2552. For over 25 years the forces of Earth have been at war with an alliance of hostile aliens known as the Covenant, and things are not going well. In an attempt to turn things around, the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) sends a group of genetically engineered super soldiers called ‘Spartans’ to defend one of Earth’s outpost colony planets. While battling the Covenant, the Spartans travel to a ring-shaped world known as a ‘Halo’. The theocratic Covenant believes this is a religious artefact that can take them to heaven, although the Spartans discover the Halo is actually a doomsday weapon created by an alien race that has the potential to destroy the entire galaxy.So goes the storyline of the popular video game Halo: Combat Evolved. The original game was released in 2001 by a subsidiary of multinational tech giant Microsoft. The game proved incredibly successful, and over the intervening years several sequel and spin-off games have been produced, with Halo Infinite being the latest instalment. There have even been several novels based on the game series, with many explaining the complex back-story of the franchise, and a number of comic-book adaptations.

UNITED NATIONS SPACE COMMAND

Halo: Combat Evolved and its sequels are first-person shooter games, with the player in the role of the Spartan super soldier’s leader, John-117. After a Covenant attack on the Earth colony planet, the Spartans are wiped out except for John-117 and another soldier, who are listed as Missing In Action. However, they manage to commandeer a ship and escape to a Halo array, and have to fight the pursuing Covenant and prevent them from detonating it.

The United Nations Space Command Defence Force (UNSCDF) is the Earth’s military wing in the 26th Century, and includes the UNSC Navy, which by this time consists of a fleet of faster-than-light spacecraft. The UNSC Marines are the ground troops used on the Earth Colonies, and are very similar to United States marines in the present day.

The UNSCDF deploy a wide range of military vehicles on Earth and throughout the Earth colonies. The most commonly used is the M12 all-terrain light ground vehicle, known as the ‘Warthog’; a futuristic type of Jeep. The Force also operates a wide range of tanks, half-tracks and other military vehicles, all of which have animal names.

HOT WHEELS

Hot Wheels currently holds the licenses to most popular entertainment franchises from TV, film, comic books, and – increasingly – video games. In 2017, a model of the UNSC Warthog was introduced as a new model in that year’s ‘Mainline’ series. Presumably, this proved popular, as later that year a Halo sub-series was released as part of the more prestigious ‘Replica Entertainment’ range. This series was a range of character models that sold at a higher price than standard Hot Wheels vehicles, most having metal bases, upgraded wheels and extra decoration. Many were based on existing Hot Wheels castings, but several were completely new. The Halo range consisted of five models: an upgraded Warthog, two new UNSC military vehicles, and two alien Covenant craft. In 2018, two versions of the Warthog in different liveries were added; one in the deluxe Entertainment range, and another in the basic Mainline, plus an additional model in 2020. The Halo vehicles were so well designed that they could easily make the jump from being video game images to being three-dimensional diecast models.

UNSC WARTHOGThe M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle, known as the Warthog, is the backbone of UNSC forces. The successor to Jeeps and Hummers, it is a versatile, all-purpose 4×4 that is produced in a number of variants. Warthogs used by the Marines are painted olive green, and have powerful chain-guns mounted in the rear. They have hydrogen-powered engines, and are able to run for several hundred kilometres on even poor-quality water. Warthogs have thick armour, but the open cockpit makes the driver and gunner vulnerable to enemy fire.

The Hot Wheels model is very accurate to the Warthog from the video game, particularly for a budget-priced toy. The body is diecast, while the chassis and interior component is dark grey plastic. A third piece incorporates the windshield frame, roll bar, machine gun and suspension. A steeply raked windscreen is in clear plastic. The wheels are off-road types with grey hubs. The body is painted olive green with insignias and warning labels pad-printed in white.

REPLICA ENTERTAINMENT SERIESThe Replica Entertainment range is a series of deluxe Hot Wheels models which are sold at a higher price – around five times a standard Hot Wheels car – and in upgraded packaging. This series is released in different ‘waves’ of five or six items; most waves consist of an assortment of vehicles from different franchises, but occasionally there are waves containing related models. The Halo wave consisted of five models, four of which were original castings. They were packaged in large blister cards showing a screen-shot from the video game.

UNSC WARTHOGThis was an upgraded version of the previous model. It was now fitted with a diecast base, which made it noticeably heavier than the Mainline version. The wheels were also superior, being deep-dished slotted types with separate rubber tyres. The windscreen was now of smoked grey plastic. The body was still painted olive green, but with much more detailing, including extra red and black trim on the bonnet, and front and rear rails touched up in silver. The jerry cans mounted on the rear were now painted red. The metal base and interior were painted satin black.

USNC GUNGOOSEAnother type of vehicle used by the UNSC is the M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle, known as the Mongoose. The Mongoose is basically a futuristic quad-bike, and its speed and manoeuvrability make it ideal for fast transport and reconnaissance. The M274-M version, nicknamed the Gungoose, is a Mongoose with two powerful anti-infantry guns mounted on the front fenders.

The Hot Wheels Gungoose is obviously out of scale with the Warthog but uses the same type of wheels. It is a solid little model with a lot of metal; the chassis and the front wings are diecast. Fixed on top is a grey plastic component comprising the machine guns, handlebars, seat and pillion seat. The front bumpers are a separate grey plastic part. The chassis is painted light grey, and the ATV bodywork is olive green with white markings.

UNSC SCORPIOThe UNSC Forces are vulnerable to attack when travelling through space, as their spacecraft are not as advanced as those used by the Covenant. However, in land battles the Earth forces are far superior, and can easily overcome the alien alliance with superior firepower. The M808 Main Battle Tank, known as the Scorpion, is the most numerous tank in the UNSC fleet, and has been in production for over 200 years. The Scorpion has ceramic-titanium armour, and is almost invulnerable to ballistic weapons, lasers and mines. It is armed with a high velocity cannon that fires tungsten shells, which can destroy most opponents with a single shot. The most distinctive feature of the Scorpion is its two pairs of tracks on each side. The centre section can raise and lower independently of the tracks. Despite its massive size, this tank can be operated by a crew of two.

The Hot Wheels Scorpion is a very wide model, measuring 4.5 cm across. It has a one-piece diecast upper body, which includes the four armoured skirts and road wheels. It is painted olive green with white and red markings, while the skirts are finished in silver. The base is matt black diecast and includes the tracks. The tracks do not work, and the model rolls along on four concealed wheels. The huge turret is in olive plastic and can rotate in a full circle. It is fitted with a silver-grey cannon that can raise and lower to a small degree. There is a separate machine gun turret that also rotates. The Scorpion is quite an impressive and unique model.

COVENANT GHOSTThe Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle, which is nicknamed ‘Ghost’ by the UNSC Forces, is the main rapid-attack vehicle used by the Covenant. It is a bizarre-looking vehicle, being a type of flying motorcycle. It is extremely fast and manoeuvrable, and the anti-gravity propulsion system it uses is almost silent, hence the name ‘Ghost’. The Ghost has a large shielded area at the front which gives no forward vision; the pilot has a video display screen instead. There are two plasma cannons mounted at the front, flanked by two steerable wings. Ghosts are fast and powerful, but the open cockpit leaves the pilot vulnerable.

The model Ghost is certainly one of the most unusual diecast models ever made. It has a diecast lower fuselage, and the upper body which incorporates the wings and tail is also metal. The cockpit shield is a separate metal part. A silver-grey plastic piece includes the console, seat and control arms for the wings. The model is painted in metallic blue shading to purple, with alien lettering printed in red. There are no wheels, but transparent legs are fitted to allow the model to stand up.

BANISHED WRAITHThe Wraith is another weapon used by the Covenant, which is formally known as the Type-26 Assault Gun Carriage. It is the Covenant’s main ground attack weapon, and is actually a type of hover-tank. Wraiths are heavily armoured, and fitted with heavy plasma mortars. However, they are extremely heavy and this makes them very slow and cumbersome. Covenant Wraiths are painted purple, like the Ghost.

The version modelled by Hot Wheels is not a Covenant Wraith, but a Banished Wraith. The Banished are a mysterious breakaway group of the Covenant which first appeared in the spin-off game Halo Wars 2. Banished Wraiths are silver with red detailing, and have additional armoured panels, plus a row of spikes protruding from the front.

Wraiths are bizarre looking vehicles, but Hot Wheels has captured the shape well. The central section of the upper fuselage comprises one diecast part, while the outer front sections and the lower rear section comprise the other. The base is dark grey plastic and includes the front spines. There two rear rudders are separate parts and can swivel. The finish on this model is very impressive. The diecast sections have been left unpainted, and the red markings have been applied using clear red varnish. This model also rests on three clear ‘feet’.

URBAN WARTHOGAnother deluxe version of the Warthog was released in 2018. This was not part of the Halo wave of Entertainment models, but was included in a mixed wave of assorted models. It is based on an ‘Urban’ Warthog, which is a heavily armoured variant used for combat in urban areas. These types of vehicles have camouflage markings. The model is identical to the previous Warthog, but the body and wheels are painted in flat beige. The camouflage patterns are in metallic copper, while other markings are printed in red and black. The base and interior are in matt black. The roll bar is grey, with the machine gun stand touched up in brown, and the windscreen is clear.

ONI WARTHOGThe next Halo model was another Warthog, and this time it was another basic model from the budget-priced Mainline range. This one represents a vehicle used by the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), a shady espionage department of dubious morality. Warthogs used by ONI are very heavily armoured and can fire high-explosive rounds. They are painted black and have ONI insignias rather than UNSC markings.

The model ONI Warthog is painted black, but a far too glossy shade. It has small white ONI shields on the front wings and red warning markings. The base, interior roll cage and gun are in silver grey plastic, and the windshield is clear. The wheels are off-road types with grey hubs.

SWORD WARTHOGThe final model from the franchise is another Warthog, released in 2020. This represents a vehicle used by an alien faction known as the Swords of Sanghelios, a breakaway group that was betrayed by the Covenant and has formed an alliance with the Earth forces, as seen in the spin-off game Halo 5: Guardians. Warthogs used by the Swords of Sanghelios are painted red, and have modified machine guns that fire explosive crystals.

The Hot Wheels model is another budget Mainline release, and is simply titled ‘Sword Warthog’. It is painted metallic red with orange and white markings. The base and interior are dark grey plastic, while the roll bar and machine gun are in black plastic. It rolls on off-road wheels with grey hubs.

The Hot Wheels Replica Entertainment series was not sold in the UK and may be hard to find. The basic models, including the ONI Warthog, were available in all markets. However, for fans of the game, or sci-fi fans in general, they are worth tracking down.

 

This article first appeared in the October 2022 issue of Diecast Collector Magazine.

HALO TM and (C) the respective license holder.

Text and model photos (C) Mike Pigott 2023.