The Mikoyan Foxbat!

(Above) THE! MIKOYAN!... errr, Gurevich? Hmmm, let me check again...

First and foremost, this is not referring to the Mikoyan Gurevich, a Russian aircraft, but a gaming mouse from Armaggeddon. The Mikoyan Foxbat (Foxbat being the NATO reporting name of the aforementioned aircraft, "Hmmm, I see a connection") was actually the gaming mouse of my choice while I was picking a gaming mouse in the store but decided not to. Anyhow, my friend had recently purchased one, and taking the opportunity, I asked to borrow it for a while and review the mouse.

(Above) THE! MIKOYAN! FOXBAT!! *cheers and throws confetti*

And here we are, introduction aside, let's get to it. The mouse like most of Armaggeddon's medium and above price class is a nice matte black colour covered with a soft touch feel. As I had stated earlier, having the soft touch feel on a gaming mouse makes it many time more comfortable to hold and, well, it just feels premium, and you can't shrug the feeling of how sturdy the mouse is while you game for those long hours. The mouse features an ambidextrous design, well, almost ambidextrous, as there are two thumb buttons on the right side of the mouse, which would most likely be utilised by right handed gamers (or people who want to buy a gaming mouse but doesn't game, not judging). The Mikoyan Foxbat also has multiple LED lit areas on the sides of the mouse as well as a few accents on the top, making it really stand out. However, the LEDs are only available in the colours you purchase the mouse in, and the only customization you can do other than setting up macro profiles for each button would be changing the light intensity (a fancy term for making them bright or dim) and breathing effects (having them slow, medium, none existent, etc.) not really adding to the value.

(Above) Very nice LED lights on the mouse, helps it stand out amongst the others, or just mouse without LED lights.

But how does it handle gaming as its primary task, very well actually. A while ago I reviewed the Aquila-X entry-level gaming mouse from Armaggeddon as well. The Mikoyan Foxbat is, however, on a completely different level from the Aquila, the added thumb buttons as well as the smoothness and responsiveness of the mouse in game. I noticed this greatly when you play games like Counter Strike Global Offensive, were having that precision as well and smoothness is required. While not quite as noticeable in RTS game like Starcraft II or Dota 2, it is a better overall experience. The buttons are clicky, having a nice feel when mashing away on the buttons as you order your hero around in Dota 2. But having the thumb buttons means the mouse is aiming for more FPS players instead of the RTS players where you can simply macro the thumb buttons for grenade throws or quick knife switches, and this mouse excels just at that.

(Above) Left to right, top to bottom, lowest CPI setting to highest CPI setting (400, 800, 1600, 3200)

Another added feature this mouse brings with it is the capability to add or remove weights from the mouse. As it comes included with 9 weights and a small chamber at the back of the mouse accessible via turn to open cap which, although doesn't just pop off, is fairly easy to remove (thank gravity for that). The weights are inserted into a soft foam piece with the holes that fit the weights snugly.

(Above) Weights are adjustable for overall or more focus on back, left, right or front positioning as well.

The mouse comes with a CD to install the needed drivers as well as software to change lighting effects, intensity, CPI and macro, which is also available on their website for download.

(Above) The thumb buttons, very nicely placed as you can very easily press them if you want to but while moving the mouse for aiming or stuff like that, you don't accidentally press them.

(Above) A braided cable as well as gold plated USB connections are a must have, and this mouse like most other also has them.

What do I think of this mouse? Well, its hard to say as I clearly have a small bias (it was one of my picks), but I can clearly say this, it's one of the best choices for the asking price RM 130. But its not for those who want a more comfortable design. I'm not saying the mouse is uncomfortable, but there are other available most with a much better ergonomic structure (basically non-ambidextrous mice). However, if you're going for ergonomic designed gaming mice, consider this mouse as a viable option. If you're on a tight budget, and looking for a mid-range mouse, this is the mouse to go for.




Farid