(Want to make your own custom minifigs? Don't forget to visit
my decal shop, where you can
buy the stickers I use to make mine!)

My newest "Halo 3 version" of the Warthog is not all that different from
my Halo 2 version (scroll to the bottom of the page to see that one), but
here's a list of the minor improvements I've made in case you can't find
them:

1. It's now sand green instead of bright green (you probably spotted that
one). Sadly the 2x3 wedge plates that I had on the hood next to the
windshield are not available in sand green, so the shape around the
windshield doesn't look as good anymore...

2. The chaingun is now vastly improved, made from the one I built for my
Spartan minifigs. I meant to take off that decal around the end, but I
forgot. *smacks forehead*

3. The "tusks" are now silver and the hubcaps are grey instead of white.

4. More coloration cleanups, and a few enhancements to the sturdiness that
you can't really see.

A lot of people were probably hoping for a complete redesign of the
vehicle, but hey, I'm still satisfied with this one myself. So uh, sorry.

Oh, and I flattened the lights out a bit so they'd look better. The chain
on the chaingun is made from those mini-tread pieces. The handles are made
that way so that the Elite can hold onto them (they're needed for him to
stand upright there, unlike the Spartan figs).

You know, despite the popularity of these faded-looking colors right now,
I still prefer the old bright colors myself... Call it the purist in me.
Regardless, I hope you guys like it!

Old Versions

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)

(Want to make your own custom minifigs? Don't forget to visit
my decal shop, where you
can buy the stickers I use to make mine!)