M12 LRV Warthog

When I first started building my original Halo LEGO creations, the Warthog was the obvious vehicle to make. So on October 30, 2003, I posted this:

This is actually the second version I posted, sporting new "tusks" and other details. Still, definitely not a masterpiece of LEGO... but it was enough to get me some attention on several websites and magazines. However, as Halo became more popular with the online LEGO building community, many Warthogs started popping up that were unquestionably better than mine. But I can deal with a little competition. So, more than a year later, I finally completed and posted my new version on December 21, 2004.

This new 'hog combines many of my own original ideas with some new ones I came up with, while also borrowing a bit from other builders online, including these two Warthogs by a guy called Streak: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=23338 Those little Explorien and Magnetron themed Warthogs remain some of my favorite LEGO Warthogs to this day.

One of the main things I "borrowed" from Streak was his rubber band method of vehicle suspension. When your LEGO bounces on its wheels, it just adds a whole new level of coolness and realism to the model.

One thing LEGO purists will immediately notice is the strange windshield. No, it's not a LEGO piece - it's just a shape I cut out of some plastic packaging and attached to the vehicle. Now, I know this could be considered cheating, but let's face it: if LEGO ever made an official Warthog set, the first thing they'd do is make a new windshield piece, because they have none that fit the design well! Also, the plastic I used is technically still a LEGO product - because it's actually cut out of the packaging to a pair of LEGO Star Wars Minis.

But if you LEGO purists are still going "hrmph!" then just keep scrolling - I have a version with an all-LEGO-elements windshield further down. Not nearly as good, I think, but it works.

The LAAG (Light Anti-Aircraft Gun) turret on my old Warthog looked like crap. I think the new one is much better. Some people still complain things... for example, the about the barrels being too far apart. However, you have to understand the way I build: I like to include play features. To me, a LEGO rotary cannon that doesn't bloody rotate isn't accomplishing the play value that a LEGO should aim for. Hey, it's just my opinion. It's a toy, so I like to give it play features.

One strange feature of multiplayer Halo 2 over Halo 1 is that you can board an enemy-controlled Warthog. It can make for some decidedly funny situations... if you're crazy enough to actually try driving a Warthog in multiplayer at all, that is. It's rarely a successful tactic.

Here is the LEGO purist windshield, o ye of little faith! As I said, it's not great - especially not with those huge gaps there. But it's still better than my original design. I tried and tried to find a good all-LEGO part solution to the problem, and this was the best I could come up with. I prefer my custom shield myself.

I never found the vehicles in Halo 2 as fun as the original, personally. They have much better traction now... which makes them much less fun. I want to bounce, dangit! And is it just me, or does the Warthog in Halo 2 suddenly sound like some kind of battery-powered remote-control toy? It's got no ROAR to it. It just sort of buzzes.

One thing I DID like in Halo 2, however, is the Gauss Cannon version of the Warthog. It's even more fun than the rocket-launcher version that was added for multiplayer in the PC version of Halo 1!

I think my Gauss Cannon turned out perfectly on the LEGO version. In fact, I'm pretty darn satisfied with the whole thing. I don't know if its awesomeness carries over through the pictures quite as well as in real life. When I first showed the real thing to Ryan, his response was "It's perfect, isn't it?" I'm not saying it IS perfect, no, but... it's pretty dang cool.

If you ever got the ODSTs that land with you on Delta Halo to survive long enough to actually join you in riding the Warthog... then you are much better at babysitting your Marines than I am. Of course, the only difficulties Ryan and I would ever even consider playing on are Heroic or Legendary, so maybe that has something to do with it.

"What? Who the heck are you?!"

Please note that I enjoy playing the Half-Life games as well... too bad THEIR drivable vehicles are just welded-together piles of scrap.

If you wanted to build the Warthog yourself, here are a few images of my model somewhat disassembled that should help you. Good luck!

The Warthog... it shall forever be remembered as perhaps the most fun to drive vehicle in the history of gaming.

"See that pedal on the left? That's the BRAKE!" - Marine (Halo 1)