Leetgion Hellion Review

Brand: Leetgion
Model: Hellion
Website: http://www.leetgion.com/products.php
RRP: £47.99

The word Leetgion is composed of 2 words Leet and Legion. Leet is a commonly used internet term for “Elite” used to describe and individual in possession of superior skill or prowess. The companies self made description of the word Leetgion is “A group of elite individuals fighting alongside each other, conquering all that stands before them”. The company was founded in 2010 and originated from Thermalright, bringing over alot of experience into their product range. The Hellion is aimed at RTS players and has some interesting features including a blue MX switch and a dedicated “Attack key”. This review will find out how well this mouse performs and whether its a strong competitor in the market compared with other mice retailing in the same price bracket.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Avago 9500 Laser Mouse Sensor (100 to 5000DPI)
• Four Made in Japan Omron Micro Switches.
• Cherry MX Key Switch Attack Button.
• Six Fully Programmable Hotkeys.
• Four Custom Profiles sets.
• Four distinct LED lighting cues, for indication of the current profile.
• Customizable 16.8 million color LED taillight for each profile.
• On The Fly DPI Switching.
• Size: 123 mm / 4.84” (Length) x 73 mm / 2.87” (Wid

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• PC with USB port
• Windows 7 / Windows Vista / Windows XP
• Internet connection (for driver installation)

The Leetgion Hellion comes packaged in a black textured cardboard box with a small window on the side and an imprint of the word “Hellion” and the shape of the mouse on the top. After sliding off the exterior protection you are presented with 2 folding doors which open to present the mouse in a transparent plastic box. It’s very well made and certainly looks the part, while also offering great protection for the product ensuring that it doesn’t arrive damaged.

The packaging also features a small cut out window in which you can see the “Attack” button. Leetgion have clearly put a lot of effort into making sure their packaging not only looks great, but also offers incredibly good protection for the product. The only disadvantage  is that their is no “Try before you buy” option.

The first thing I noticed when removing the Hellion from its box is that it is very light, weighing in at just 148g. To some users this will be a welcome feature however personal preference will be key here as some users may prefer a heavier mouse when playing certain games. It would’ve been nice to see adjustable weights which would’ve certainly given it more appeal to a wider variety of users but in general I didn’t find the weight to be a significant issue.

The mouse’s shape is aimed at people who use a palm grip and I found it be be fairly comfortable during use. Although the front is fairly angular the back is smooothed off nicely making it comfortable to use for long sessions and doesn’t cause any strains in your hand. In total the mouse features 6 buttons including the “Attack” button on the side which uses a Cherry MX Blue switch. This was certainly an interesting feature and although it offered an extra button I did find it to feel fairly flimsy in comparison with the rest of the mouse. There are also 2 extra buttons on each side of the mouse as well as the standard left and right mouse button which can all be programmed in the Hellions’s software.

The mouse wheel had a good grip to it thanks to it being made out of rubber and its ribbed texture. You can also click the mouse wheel which makes it function as a 6th button.

Beneath the mouse we find that Leetgion have used a AVAGO 9500 laser which is positioned off centre to allow for the “Race Switch”. This switch allows the user to  chose any one of five pre-configured profiles on the go, including 3 pre-configured Starcraft settings as well as the default and custom setting.

The attack button is certainly a unique addition and one which demonstrates Leetgion’s willingness to try new things. The fact that it uses a Cherry MX Blue switch is certainly interesting and although initially an attractive feature, I found it fairly flimsy and not really suitable to its purpose. In comparison to the quality seen across the rest of the mouse I felt that the “Attack” button was out of place and didn’t really live up to the quality shown across the rest of the mouse.

Unfortunately I also found it to jam occasionally which is down to the way it’s positioned. If you hit the button on the side I found that is didn’t always click in; which can be a problem in gaming.

The back of the mouse features an LED which changes colour depending on the profile used. It can also be customized to your preference between16 million colours.

The Hellion’s software package is downloaded from their site as there is no disc included with the product. The software works well on Windows 8 and allows the programming of macros, changing of buttons, performance and light management.

The software has a consistent design throughout making it easy to use and very user friendly. The “Adjust Performance” tab includes options to change DPI, polling rate, pointer speed and scroll speed.

The macro tab is also very easy to use and features the option to loop macros as well as set delays.

Finally the light management tab allows you to change the colour of the back light  As I said before their is a choice of 16 million colours meaning you can customize the mouse to your pleasure and have it fit in well with your setup.

For general use the Hellion is a great mouse and I found it to perform well in every day tasks such as navigating Windows 8 and internet browsing. The two extra mouse buttons can be used for back and forward buttons on the internet and the adjustable DPI proved to be handy in applications like Adobe Photoshop. The “Attack” button reminded me of the sniper button featured on the Corsair M65 and would be a useful feature for gamers who play as a sniper in FPS games like Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty. The DPI has a range of 100-5000 which provides more than enough range for the average gamer and allows further customization to suit a wide variety of uses.

In FPS games the Hellion performs well and the adjustable buttons and macros come in very handy in games such as Battlefield 3 where I used it as my “Knife” button. It was also great in Shogun 2, which made full use of the extra buttons that the mouse offers. I was able to use the mouse for hours on end without and comfort issues meaning its great for both hardcore and casual gamers and provides the user with a comfortable and customisable experience.

The mouse is very well built and I found that although it is light, it does feel very sturdy, minus the “Attack” button which in my opinion was the only downside to the mouse’s quality.

In conclusion, I think the Leetgion Hellion is a great mouse for both casual and hardcore gamers and it benefits greatly from offering multiple customization options meaning it suits a wide variety of users. It has a lot of unique features which make it stand out from other mice at a similar price point and although some of these aren’t well implemented, there is a lot of potential here for improvements in the future. The design also allows it to be a great asset in many different genres of games. From FPS to strategy, the mouse performs well and its selection of available adjustments further adds to its appeal.

So although the Hellion isn’t perfect and does have its flaws, I think it shows a lot of potential for a company who are fairly new to the market and certainly looks to push boundaries in what can be done with reasonably priced gaming peripherals. I feel that Leetgion have done a very good job of this product and I look forward to seeing more from them in the future.