VBBN

I'm actually not so much a fan of the wings because the friction pins can slip so the trans part of the wings can shift around too easily for my liking. Still better than the likes of Flyer beast, but not as good as Ikir in my opinion.

Set name: Uxar Creature of Jungle Set number: 71300 Pieces: 89 Price: $10.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 The Box Front Like most lego sets we have the CGI image of the set, some information, and the themes current header. Since I haven't mentioned it in a few review, these boxes remain to be the same hexagonal shaped ones for 2015, however they are now made of a noticeably sturdier cardboard. Back The back of the box shows the set features, as well as the unification feature between Uxar and Lewa. The buildable figures logo, which was a bit more prominent on the Star Wars sets, can also be seen here. New and Interesting parts Head Uxar has the new creature head in silver mixed with trans bright green, which looks quite nice. Although, like some of the creature, I think the head looks slightly strange on the type of creature that Uxar is mean to evoke, which is an insect of sorts. New parts We have a new gear piece, the piece of unification in silver, and the sword mixed with green. Interesting Colors/Recolors We have the Vorox armor in silver, the beast fin in dark gray, the second shortest M-F bone in trans bright green, and, like lewa, we see a rare yellow axle. I should mention that uxar also has recolored wings- I didn't realize they were new, but, the wings are in fact new in trans bright green. Some people were a bit unsure about this as they exist in trans neon green, but rest assured they are in a new color. Trap Halves Here we also have the identical halves of the shadow trap in dark pearl gray, which each feature axle, pin and clip points. The Build Shadow Trap This shadow trap uses the spine/vine pieces as legs, and has the longest tail of the traps. Like the other traps the hinge in the center allows the trap to open and close similar to a bear trap. Torso Here we start off Uxar's torso using an XT4 body and the piece of unification. Note also the yellow 5m axle and some yellow viking horns to add some color. Function The function is built similar to Melum and Ikir, in the sense that the one gear will move the other two as you lift up on the "tail" of the figure. Limbs We add the head and front legs of the figure. Finished Figure Buzz Buzz To finish off the look, we add the wings. These are more insect like than Ikir's of course, though they are not mounted on a balljoint. The main articulation to be seen here is a hinge on each trans piece and the blue pin. Dynamic Dynamite Uxar shares a similar function to Melum and Ikir, so naturally it works well. And, like Ikir, the flapping wings can still be used in united mode. Buzz Buzz Color wise, Uxar is fairly evenly distributed. He also has more yellow visible than Lewa, which really helps to make his color scheme more visually interesting. Proper Pose? On most art we see Uxar in this sort of pose. It doesn't work all too well because the back spike holding him up is part of the trigger function for the wings, but it is possible to get him like this. I would suggest making a stand if you plan to keep him like this in the long term, though. Overall I'm not a huge fan of Uxar. Yeah, he's a good set in the sense that he has a good color scheme, his function is the best of the wave (shared with Ikir since both can work in their united modes) and he has some great new and recolored parts. But visually I'm personally not fond of...whatever Uxar is supposed to be. I get that he's supposed to be an insect, but I don't really see it and would have preferred him to be a more organic bird as a contrast to Ikir, although I can't knock lego for going with creativity. If we are looking at the set purely based on function, Ikir not only does what Uxar does, he does it better- and personally I would lean toward Ikir over Uxar, unless you really want the trans bright green wings on the back of your Toa (or, Umarak, who Uxar is also marketing to uniting with.) Additionally he doesn't pose quite as well as, the other creatures do, save of course for Akida who couldn't do much either way. I think if Uxar had a pronounced abdomen he might look more insect-like to me, but he is definitely a strong set in united form.

The only part that looks blocky or odd to me is the mount for the stud shooters, it's really the part of the Technic build that looks quite unnatural.

Set name: Lewa Uniter of Jungle Set number: 71305 Pieces:79 Price: $15.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 As we come to the end of the winter 2016 review, we tackle the second to last Toa, Lewa, Uniter of Air Jungle. Is this fast-talking Toa worth your money? Read on to find out. Box Front The front of the box has the usual CGi of Lewa, set information, and the wave's current header. Back The back has the set's features, a mini comic, and of course the "Actual Size" diagram as to give consumers an idea of how large the set will be. I wonder if they will start doing this on bags of chips to show how much air is in the bag? New and Interesting parts New bits For new parts, we have the sword in silver mixed with bright green, the shorter eyestalk piece, and the new crystal add-ons. I have seen some confusion and will clarify that yes, these add-ons are different than the ones on pohatu, these are mixed with trans bright green, and Pohatu's are trans neon green, though with the silver mixed in they look slightly darker. The difference between the these ones and Pohatu's isn't super noticeable, but there is a difference. Turntable Torso Like the other Toa, Lewa has the turntable torso. With the use of a gear, the waist can be spun similar to the Rahkshi, and even without a gear the hip piece can rotate with a good amount of friction. Recolors We get the Vorox armor in silver, and... yellow axles? Of all the ways to shoehorn yellow into Lewa's color scheme, this is one of the most bizarre choices I've seen, Torso Shell We get the torso shell in silver with some green and black printing (with just a slight hint of yellow). Mask We also get the new Miru. I didn't really like his 2015 mask at all, and I do like the look of this one better personally. Torso Shins While some of the sets have custom shoulder, Lewa takes it a step further and has these custom shins. I mean, they don't look awful, though the bit on the kneecap is a bit of an odd look. Shoulders And, like Kopaka and Pohatu, Lewa has his own unique shoulder build. It's very similar to his shin build, and I can't for the life of me figure out how having the lower arm bone turned like this is supposed to benefit his articulation- but as the instructions say, I do. Frame As we add some more pieces to the torso to mount the shoulders, the limbs go on. I actually really like the look of the custom shoulders, but they are attached very close to his head and at a slight angle, which can make posability a little tricky and awkward. Again, the lower arm bones are turned like this on the both the instructions and official images, but it means his only elbow articulation is inward. Finished Set Front Color wise, lewa isn't bad, but he isn't entirely exciting either. Gone is the yellow of 2015, instead replaced by a few small glimpses of yellow axles and the little bit on the torso. This time around, lewa has a much stronger presence of silver, and in fact I would say silver is the dominant color here with bright green and trans bright green serving as the accent. Whether or not you are a fan of this scheme, it is fairly well distributed, and the silver chestplate looks less out of place than on Gali. Profile Note the odd protruding knees- which my least favorite aspect of the custom shins. Back Armoring is about the same as most figures, though since the armor is mostly all turned to the side there is some armor to be seen here. A real Toa-hero Lewa's weapons are a pair of sword things mounted to a pin so that they can spin. Lewa, mystery-king of know-nothingness Lewa doesn't look too bad proportion wise, though due to his shoulder placement the arms could be slightly longer. The arms can be tricky to pose in some instances, but I find that the custom shins don't interfere with articulation much. It's going to be this kind of day The weapons are alright and a bit easier to manage than the big cumbersome axes in 2015, but I don't really feel like the spinning ability has much of a point. Air>Jungle United When combined with Uxar, lewa gains a pair of wings and a helmet. The only unsightly thing here is that the beast fins around his hips don't have a whole lot of places to go. The wings look trans neon green due to my lighting, but they are in fact trans bright green and match Lewa well. Profile Like Ikir, Uxar doesn't form a huge backpack so he integrates well from a profile view. Back Also like Ikir, Uxar's flapping wings function can still be used when united. THe lever for this function, however, is the Vorox armor and the spike, which completely covers the gear to turn the waist, so it is difficult to turn the waist unless the wings are pulled back. Size Comp Overall Lewa isn't a bad figure. The custom limbs provide some interest to the build, the color scheme is well distributed, and the textures are decent with the obvious exception of the torso shell, though even that doesn't look entirely bad here. His weapons are simple but I've always like smaller, simpler sword-type weapons for Lewa and it's a nice change from the ridiculous axes. I like his new Miru, and in general the set does feel like Lewa, and I don't find myself wishing for as many changes with him as the other Toa. It's not to say he is flawless, but I do think he is one of the better Toa of the wave, and has grown to be my second favorite after Onua.

I prefer Terak's look because I like his colorscheme more and his function leaves him looking more armored overall 9and he has a slight bit of a height advantage which makes posing his legs easier.) Melum has a neater function, but other than that I think he falls short. Will take a photo soon (Only have Tahu built) but... not good. It looks even worse on a 2015 set because unlike the 2016 sets, the extremely smooth aesthetic of 2015 makes the chestplate stick out like a sore thumb. That and it's sort of a larger shell so it doesn't work as great with their masks.

I should mention that I didn't realize this part was new until after all of the review photos had been taken- it is in quite a few of these sets, actually.

Likely because Uxar uses five of them.

Set name: Akida Creature of Water Set number: 71302 Pieces: 120 Price: $10.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 Compared to other figures in the wave, Akida is, without a doubt, one of the most technic-heavy builds in it. Coming in at 120 pieces, she blows all of the creatures and even the $15 Toa out of the water in terms of her parts count. Of course, 25 of those pieces are studs, and when it comes down to it the price per piece ratio doesn't really work when you consider the price a stud costs versus that of the massive, dual-color creature head. Anyway, how does Akida stack up against the other creatures? Does she suffer the same issues that Lord of Skull Spiders and Skull Scorpio, last years more Technic oriented builds, suffered? Box and Contents Front The front of the box shows Akida swimming through the water with the Shadow trap approaching. Although, Akida is shooting the guns forward, not even remotely in the direction of the trap. (and it looks like one of those studs is about to hit her in the face.) Back The back shows off the set's features. Of the creature's, Akida has one of the strangest functions, which we will touch on soon. New/Recolored In terms of new and recolored parts, Akida definitely takes a step back from some of the other creatures. The new sword, new crystal armor piece and new gear are all absent here. instead we get the piece of unification in silver, and a recolor of the fin piece is a really nice dark azure; we get five of them. Head As with the other creatures, Akida has the standard head in silver mixed with trans dark blue. The Build Shadow Trap Of the shadow traps, Akida's is the largest, using the smaller bone-spikes as legs. Note that it also has a propellor on it's rear. Body Unlike the other 5 creatures, Akida's body isn't build around an XT4 torso, but rather a long CCBS bone. You can see there the more technic-heavy influence comes in to play in building this function. Tail The tail uses a bone and more of those fins. Also, it's nice to see some orange being thrown into the figure similar to Gali, which compliments the dark azure very well. Fins Some fins are added to the sides and we flesh out the function more. Stand The set also comes with a stand, which isn't anything special but it's nice to have it included since generally fish-like creatures can be difficult to display otherwise. Finished Set Front Color wise, Akida looks good. There are a bunch of blues to be seen here, but I feel like they tie well together and the silver on the head corresponds with the gray in the body and the silver unification piece. Back There is definitely noticeable Technic here, but I don't find it any more distracting than on the other creatures. Function So here's the function, you push up on the back of the tail and the guns and fins aim downward. I'm...not really sure why you would possibly want to do this if you are just playing around with Akida, but when combining with gali, this can serve as a way to raise and lower the cannons. So, the function seems to be based on the unification feature more than on the standalone set. Either way the feature itself is neat to construct. Posing So this is the only pose that I really came up with that didn't look completely forced and senseless. Some people will likely complain about this, but it's a fish. it has all the necessary articulation to be one, so I can't exactly say the poseability is limited here. In fact, it's perfect for what it needs to do. Overall I feel like Akida is an "acquired taste." As a standalone set, you are getting a good amount of pieces for your $10 and the build is somewhat interesting. The final product does have quite a lot of technic influences, but I think it was pulled off better here than a set like LoSS where articulation was severely lost to the function. With that said, you are getting less new pieces than the other creatures and the function itself seems a little silly unless you have Gali, but you do get two gatling guns to fire off, so not all features are lost here. It's not my favorite of the wave, but definitely not a bad set.

Set name: Pohatu Uniter of Stone Set number: 71306 Pieces: 90 Price: $15.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 What's that? You wanted brown to return to Bionicle? Fine you bipolar fandom, here's three browns! Well, something like that. Pohatu is back for his second round in Bionicle G2, and thankfully we still haven't resorted back to the awful idea of propellor arms. Right, well let's get on and see how Pohatu has turned out this go around. Box Front As usual we see Pohatu in his CGI pose, set information, and the newest Bionicle head at the top. Back The back features Pohatu as well as Ketar and their combination feature, and the now-standard mini comic. New and Interesting Pieces New parts In the way of new parts, we have the shorter eyestalk in trans light blue, the new "piece of unification" in silver, and the new sword in silver blended with lime. Now we do also have the crystal add ons, which are silver blended with.... well, in my extremely exposed photo you can tell it's blended with trans neon green. In hand, however, the blending with silver has created a very strange shade of green that lies between trans neon green and trans bright green. It does look a bit off. Torso Shell The new torso shell comes in dark tan, and as you can see the printing also brings in dark orange and brown in.. digital camo? Turntable Torso Like the other large sets, Pohatu includes the new turntable torso. With the new hip piece in place, you get a rotating hip with the same amount of friction that a friction bone adds. It is no necessary to use the gears if you don't want, you you just have to turn the waist by turning the figure itself instead of a gear. Recolors For interesting colors, we have Vorox armor recolored in silver, a dark orange glatorian neck, and a 4m shell in dark tan. Masks As per usual with this way, Pohatu comes with his mask in both his main color blended with silver, and gold mixed with his respective transparent color, in this case neon green. Now I don't mind the crystal-like top of the mask, but I do have to the say the silver limits re-use in MOCs to an extent, because you have to find a way to work with both the mask's main color and silver. The Build Torso His torso uses the new turntable frame, and while it's not an overly complicated build, it is a fun change from the usual torso beam we get with CCBS. Shoulders Like Lewa and Kopaka, Pohatu has a unique and custom shoulder build. I actually do like this build, even though it looks under-armored from the back. it looks visually more appealing than Kopaka's from the front, and doesn't create the strange articulation that Lewa's does. Frame Pohatu does stand taller than his 2015 frame, due to an extra module of length in his legs and the longer torso. Finished Build Front As far as his color scheme is concerned, there is of course three browns- as mentioned in Ketar's review, I don't entirely mind a bunch of brown colors. It makes me think of rust and carries a post-apocalyptic look to it. However I do feel that trans neon green is a bit overpowering here, the lower arms are just way too bright. I really think dark tan shells would have worked wonders here. Also notice that Pohatu keeps his "silver boots" look, which I guess is what we get now instead of his toe-kicks. Profile You know I must say, while my initial concern about these figures was the gear on their rear, it's really not very obtrusive at all. Back In general the back is very under-armored, and of course we see the fault with those custom shoulder pads. Toa! Hey, that's great. I always wanted to be a Toa. Just one question: what's a Toa? Pohatu's weapon is a two handed weapon, of course to fit with the spinning waist. He has a simple blade with a rock attached to the end (a nice nod to 2001). The blade is simple and I do prefer it to his boomerang-things from 2015. Although do be careful when using the waist function, that rock flings around wildly and will hurt if it hits your knuckles. I speak from experience. We're going to do a Pohatu on him Pohatu's articulation is, of course, great, one of the things this wave really has going for it. Even Pohatu's shoulders offer some of the most articulation of the custom shoulders, and they don't seem to hit his face as much as Lewa or Kopaka's. Oi! Pohatu has one of my favorite weapons of the wave, because it's quite simple and really works well. I mean really, my favorite weapons are simple ones that work. Not overly-complicated ones, or ones with silly functions. I'll hit 'im in the head with me rock, that's what I'll do! With his golden mask. Also I chose to use the weapon's handle and combine with the the rock to make a mace of sorts. United Well, here he is with Ketar on his back. Yikes. While the rest of the figures in the wave generally look better in united mode, I can't say the same here. Ketar really doesn't incorporate well with the larger figures. His legs are just sitting there, the blades sit at the characters sides and keep flopping wildly because of the function, and as you'll see below.. Profile He definitely makes the largest backpack of the creatures. Back Now I guess you could try to tuck the stinger down somewhat to lock the function and get rid of some of the back carriage, but then there really wouldn't be much of a point in uniting. Overall I do like pohatu as a standalone set. I think the trans neon green is a bit unnecessary and I would have liked to see the three browns play a more active role here, because I feel like too many colors are fighting to be that "dominant" color. Design wise, he's not too awful, I do like the shoulder build and range of articulation, though from a back view he suffers a bit. Proportions aren't bad, and I find that his extremely detailed torso looks somewhat acceptable in the dark tan, though I wish we had seen some more dark tan to serve as the primary color, possible use those dark tan Vorox armor shells from Ketar. Of the three $15 Toa I think he may be my favorite, though hopefully from review photos everyone will be able to decide if he is the right set for them or not.

I really wish Rey didn't have the mask on, I would have much preferred her face and hair unobstructed.

Tomorrow I'll be dropping his review as promised. I'll be seeing Star Wars tonight after work so it's doubtful I'll be getting anything up, but if I do it'll likely be Akida. And glad to see these are starting to show up in some places for people.

Set name: Ikir Creature of Fire Set number: 71303 Pieces: 77 Price: $10.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 What's cooler than a bird? A bird with flaming wings. If that interests you, then Ikir might just be the creature for you. But is he worth buying? Let's find out. Box Front The front of the box shows Ikir in his usual CGI pose, coming down to grab the Shadow trap. So let me get this straight- These shadow traps, assuming they would work like a bear trap, flatten themselves and et creature get caught in them, like, well, bears. But Ikir here has decided, "Nope! I'll have none of that!" and is diving feet first into one to give the trap a taste of it's own medicine. Ikir is pretty metal. Back We see Ikir as well as his unification feature (and Tahu always looks like he is prancing in that pose). Also to note is Ikir's function and the trap's function. New/Interesting Pieces Trap Halves Like the other 5 individual creatures, Ikir comes with a shadow trap, which means it comes with the new trap pieces. They are detailed to look like quite a rough metal trap, and have two clips as well as an axle connection on each halve. Both halves are identical. New/Recolored parts For other new and recolored parts, we have the new unification piece in gold, the new gear, the new sword in silver blended with orange, and a trans neon orange recolor of the second shortest M-F bone. Head Like all of the other creature's Ikir includes the same shared head mold, this time molded in gold and trans neon orange. In my opinion this is the best application of this head- while they kept it pretty generic, I see birdlike qualities in it more than any of the other creatures, and the crystal design near the back evokes fire, further building this whole phoenix motif. The Build Shadow Trap The build starts with the shadow trap. Build wise, he's not the most intriguing of the traps. He uses the same leg design as Umarak's and has no tail. However, he is the only trap to have a blue eye. I like to think of him as a trap that has been turned against his angry brothers. That, or he is Jaller's hannah crab reincarnated. Gotta say, a hairclip is a pretty big downgrade from having a massive explosive cannon mounted to your back. I should mention that the trap can be opened wider than seen in the picture above, to be like a flat bear trap waiting to snap closed. It can also close to the point of fully interlocking teeth. Torso Ikir shares a similar function to Uxar and Melum- three of these gears are placed in this pattern, and by moving the one of the back, the other two move up and down. Yes, there is plenty of friction to this function, even with wings attached. Legs While I do beg for some new feet for the Toa, I see that Lego hasn't run out of uses for these 2013 Beast feet. I love these little claws you build up, as there is a fair bit of articulation and he can get some grabbing action. Trust me, you'll see this in use soon. Wings The wings are a simple build, but at least we have come a long way from the likes of Batman or Flying beast's wings. Finished Set Front Color wise, Ikir looks pretty well balanced. He's got neon orange spread throughout, gold dominated his main body, tail and head, and silver is used sparingly and melds will with the gray technic. Design wise one area of annoyance is the exposed black balljoints, however putting anything on those joints may restrict the ability to unite with larger figures. Profile Again I do like those talons. The trigger for his function is the golden tail. Pull up on this and his wings will pull back. One issue though is that when combined with Tahu, the gears for the wings are pushed back, so while the tail is flat here, it can get forced outward when combined. Back The gear function is apparent, but not obtrusive. Function When you pull up on the tail, the wings will do this. There is a good amount of friction to the function, and of course the bonus here is that Ikir's wings are on balljoints, which can make posing a bit easier and they become less obtrusive in united mode, compared to Uxar. We didn't start the fire Ikir's articulation is, well, what you would expect from a bird. He has plenty of talon articulation, small little legs, ball jointed wings, and a huge amount of motion in the neck. I'm not sure there's really anything else he needs honestly. But it's always burnin Since the world's been turnin The only other complaint I have besides the balljoints is that his neck is maybe a bit long, though as you've seen in previous pictures it's easy enough to set his head in a pose that hides it. These are really just minor quibbles. "This isn't my parrot!" Since he has those articulated feet I really wanted to do this. Bit of a disclaimer, do note that I had to add a friction joint to Tahu's shoulder to make this work; Ikir is too heavy for Tahu to support him on his own. Overall If you only plan to pick up one creature from the wave, get Ikir. He is a wonderful little set, with a great look, the right amount of articulation, an effective function that is both fun to use and doesn't take away from the set, and the best unification mode of the wave. My only complaints are the exposed balljoints on the torso and the slightly long neck, but both are minor quibbles that are far overshadowed by the positives of this set.

Set name: Tahu Uniter of Fire Set number: 71308 Pieces:132 Price: $20.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 Tahu is the character many Bionicle fans think of when they hear the word Bionicle. As a major poster character, Tahu has a lot riding on him- but how does he compare to last year? Let's find out. Box The front of the box showcases Tahu, set information, and of course the golden mask spinning on a pedestal. Ikir and two of the fire-themed Shadow traps can also be seen in the background. Yes, this box does have a backside (who knew?) but for some reason I don't have a photo of it. This will be added Friday, however it isn't really anything new to take note of and I think what you all want to see right now is the photos below- so let's go! New and Interesting parts Turntable Torso Like the other non-creature sets, Tahu gets the new turntable torso. This torso does lend itself to creating longer bodies in the Toa, yet Tahu takes the sport as the tallest Toa in the wave, so it'll be interesting to see how it turns out. New bits For new bits, we get the new blade in silver mixed with bright orange. I'm not a huge fan of dual-colored weapons, though this coloring did remind me of a more crude version of Furno's dual colored blades from his 1.0 form. We also get the new armor unification piece in gold, and the new crystal add-on in gold mixed with orange. I do think this might be my favorite of the colors this piece is currently available in. Colors In terms of pieces in interesting and new colors, we have the first appearance of red 6m shells! Also, the Skull villain add-on from 2015 is brought back in a second color, gold. Also to note are beautiful dark azure Bohrok eyes, and a 3m axle with stopper in brown. I will also mention that Tahu's lower leg bones are in a new color in trans neon orange- though absent from this photo. Mask Last year, some people thought Tahu's Hau was a bit too wide or square. This year, we go the whole other extreme. In order to be universal with the Creature heads in unification mode, all of the Toa's masks have reduced in size, save for Onua's Pakari. Chest Plate Once again we have a look at the chestplate which is really a love/hate relationship. If there's anything great about the one included with tahu in particular, it's the beautiful dark azure mixed in to the printing here. The Build Torso Since Tahu a $20 figure, he uses a slightly more involved torso build than the likes of Gali, Kopaka, Lewa and Pohatu, with a larger shoulder build and a bit of extra back armoring. Frame Tahu gets a pretty tall frame, and the rear armoring sort of fleshes out the area beneath his armpits. Do note that there are some gray pins in the lower legs, likely to differentiate to younger builders the shorter trans neon bones from the longer ones. As I said earlier this is the first time we are seeing this bone length appear in this color. First layer of armor Most of the armor here is gold or trans neon orange- an problem to be discussed in a moment. Weapons Tahu has given up his sword/lavaboard combo for a set of technic-heavy blades. Note the use of that brown pin axle here. The function here is that you turn the gear to extend the sword, which we will look at. Completed Figure Front There are two very major criticisms I have seen about Tahu, so let's discuss them both now. First, his color scheme. He is mostly gold, with trans neon orange being the second-most dominating color, and lastly red is tied with dark azure. Yes, there's only three pieces of red on him- and two of them are completely covered from the front by the gold and trans neon orange mixed crystals. We will see how his color distribution compares to last year soon, but there is definitely a lack of red here. Personally, I would have preferred if the trans neon orange was red, and if there was more red to the torso shell. The dark azure is a great contrasting color and I really wish there was more of that here as well. The second complaint is the figure's textures. You have smooth CCBS, the crystal textures, the jagged Skull shoulder armor, the new super mechanical thighs and torso, and the 2015 armor add-on. Now I'll let everyone else argue whether they like the mixture or not, though I will say I despise the use of the unification piece on his thighs, it just looks way too small for it's application. I also don't like that the only red in his legs is hidden from the front, though I do like that those crystal pieces hug shells to tightly. Profile Back We are getting a bit spoiled by the back armoring of the Star Wars constraction figures, here we just have the bohrok eyes and the unification piece to offer some back protection. The gray pins look a bit out of place, but again they aren't anything needed for the build but rather for younger builders. Er, I guess anyway. Comparison Compared with his 2015 form, Tahu does gain some significant height. The other difference of course is the color distribution. Personally, I have never liked abundant applications of gold unless it was supposed to be a gold character like Takanuva or Rocka, so I really don't like that tahu has been reduced to gold and trans neon orange for the most part here. I do wish that this new torso shell was in two pieces like that of the old, I think the two different colors like 2015 could have done a lot of good for the part and set in general. Fire beats all With that said, there isn't much clutter in the way of articulation. Come, give in to the flame. The weapons can be put together by the use of the 4m axle. This is mostly to compliment the waist function, which seems to work best with staff-like weapons. To be honest I prefer the swords separated, this staff is quite long (this is with the blades not extended) and sort of unwieldy in his hands. What do you have in mind, and does it include explosions? Weapon function The weapon's function isn't terribly exciting, the lower half can extend a few modules. The function is tight enough, but I'm not really one for function weapons, i enjoy the sword/lavaboard combo of 2015 to something like this. Gold mask Due to the lack of red, Tahu actually looks better with this mask than his regular one in my opinion. Thought the crystal design at the back of the mask combined with the trans neon orange reminds me of Chima's laval. United Of the Creatures, Ikir has the best united mode. He creatures a set of wings for Tahu, and due to the balljoints in his wings, you can position them in a variety of poses. The wings help to complete tahu's look- not surprising, as the theme with these new Toa seems to be that they look better with the creatures for the most part. Side Ikir doesn't create much back kibble, so there isn't a huge change in the profile view here. Back You will, however, need to find a place to tuck those legs in. Seen above is where i usually place them. Hot Air, as they say. Overall Like most of this wave, Tahu is a mixed bag. He looks cool when combined, he can do about any pose you'd want him to do, and the new torso function works as well as every other figure. The weapon function works too, if you like that type of weapon of course. However, his colors are a mess, his textures are a mess, and he just lacks that sense of individuality when compared to his 2015 form. I do think he looks better than some of his fellow toa, certainly he more more armored than a character like Gali. When compared to the other $20 figures of the wave, I do think Tahu is the weakest. Onua manages to feel like you are getting your money's worth, and has a cleaner sense to his textures and color scheme than Tahu here. Umarak has a clearer direction to his design and color scheme. Of course, everyone will develop their own opinions on the set- my main goal here is to show him in a light where you can decide for yourself what you think of him.

Pohatu will come Friday. I will not have a chance to correct his photos until then. Expect the fiery duo tomorrow.

Set name: Ketar Creature of Stone Set number: 71301 Pieces: 80 Price: $10.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 Today we will be looking at Ketar, the stone-based creature that is loosely based on a scorpion. What's that, a constraction scorpion that's not named Skopio, Scorpio, or Skull Scorpio? I know, I'm in shock. His name is certainly a step forward in creativity, but is the set a step forward for Bionicle? Let's find out. Box Front Ketar's box is the standard hexagonal shaped box, though made of a sturdier material. There isn't anything of particular interest here from the set information, though I do like Pohatu and the golden mask set in the background. Back The back of the box showcases set features and his ability to unite with Pohatu. We will visit his unification feature in the Pohatu review, and look at this set as it would be if you purchased it without buying Pohatu. New and Interesting pieces Shadow Trap halves Like the other five individually packed creatures, Ketar comes with the shadow trap halves in a pearl dark gray. New bits For new pieces, we get the new blade piece in silver mixed with lime green, the new crystal add on silver with trans neon green, and a new gear piece. He also comes with the new armor piece, and is the only set besides Umarak to include it in pearl dark gray. Recolors For recolors, we get the Vorox armor in dark tan, a glatorian neck in dark orange, the beast fin in dark gray. The other fin is already available in reddish brown in two Chima sets- but, It's relatively rare still and new to Bionicle, so it's worthy of including in this section. Creature Head The new creature head is included in silver mixed with trans neon green. The mask has three connection points (one on the nose and two clips behind the "ears") and is actually quite large. Shadow Trap Build The new trap pieces work pretty well, they are connected by a system clip-hinge which allows for a decent range of motion for opening and closing. Completed trap The trap is finished with a red eye and a tail of sorts. Three traps use this chain tail, which I find a bit silly as it can't be posed in any way, but it does make these things look like literal walking traps, so that's cool. Also, each trap has a unique build, and this one in particular uses arms from the Hero Factory minifigures. Trap closed The trap can be opened and closed at varying degrees thanks to the hinge. Ketar Build Ketar's build starts with an XT4 and the new unification piece. Now we also begin to build his function, and to be honest, it's my least favorite of all the creatures. In general, Lego has been doing a great job at making functions that keep friction- in other words, the functions don't affect the set structurally This function, however, is loose and has no friction whatsoever. Legs The legs add a good amount of articulation, and also quite a bit of height to the figure. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of the creatures become quite large with their extremities and wings, even more so than some of the Toa. Tail He's a scorpion, so he needs a tail. I'm not entirely happy with the design, but we will get to that in a moment. Head added We also add on the glatorian necks. With the other figures that use these gears in such a way, they add a bushing so that the extra little bit of axle is covered, but not here. Pincers Err, well, not pincers. Ketar instead wields two swords with the crystal parts added on. Completed Build Finished Here we have Ketar completed. Color scheme wise, there's a lot going on here. We have three shades of brown (Dark orange, dark tan, and reddish brown), and while reddish brown takes over the legs, the other two browns aren't nearly as pronounced. I know some people think three browns is a bit much, but of all the colors, brown is my favorite one to mix as it creates a rusted or apocalyptic look. Profile Here we can observe the tail a bit better. Unfortunately, the tail can't really strike forward to 'sting', as the Vorox armor restricts forward movement quit a bit. Function Onto Ketar's function. When you move the tail from side to side, the swords move up and down. I would have preferred a stinging function, but this is interesting nonetheless. However, as I said previously, there is no friction at all in this function- his arms are difficult to keep in one place, the entire set always wants to teeter-totter. GET OVER HERE! Ketar is a bit tricky to pose, like most crawlers. It doesn't help that the arms are on one joint, so you really can't do a whole lot here. That's not to say you can't get him into some interesting poses though, certainly he is more dynamic than 2015's Skull Scorpio. My sting is sharper than yours It's quite impressive how large these creatures can get- In hand, Ketar and his Trap feel more substantial than Pohatu as a set. "Oi! I'll hit ya in the head with me rock, that's what I'll do!" I know a lot of people have been wanting a Pohatu review, so here's a quick look at him and his pet to show off Ketar's size. (Also take notice of my mistake on Pohatu's arm... the reason I have to reshoot his review.) Overall Ketar is a decent figure on his own. He's a good size, I like his colors, and he's got a good amount of new and recolored parts when compared to the other creatures in the wave. He could possibly be one of the best standalone creatures, I just wish that his function wasn't so floppy, and maybe if his tail could bend forward more it might help with creating some more dynamic poses. On the flip side, he has the weakest unification mode, as we will see in Pohatu's review- so if you get him, I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy Pohatu just for that reason. Like the rest of the creatures, I would recommend him.

I'm not sure why people keep putting Uxar's feet on Lewa's shoulders, they are supposed to fold down to become a fourth set of wings

Ah yes there's the magic of writing a review as you are falling asleep- poll is up, everyone please share your thoughts by voting. No, the CCBS hands only allow for 1 module of an axle- there is a stop in the middle (so you couldn't put an axle all the way through)

The Uniter armor is hardly a visible piece on any set other than Kopaka and Tahu. Vorox armor is quite smooth and generally blends better with CCBS than with this new shell, and the crystal add-ons look more like, well, crystals than mechanical parts. So no. The difference being it was quite clearly not mean to be an armor shell so much as an engine, weapon, etc. And I disagree entirely. You can say it matches all you want, and i can say it doesn't all I want. Targeting isn't going to get us anywhere. I'm going to backtrack completely here and this conversation will go around in circles which i don't have the time for- So while I find this a complete and utter blow to my very legitimate opinion, I will agree to disagree. Besides, I suggest you wait until I am done reviewing before attacking my logic- I don't hate the piece, I actually like it on Kopaka and Onua. I think it's application on Gali here is complete garbage, however.

Set name: Kopaka and Melum Unity Set Set number: 71311 Pieces: 171 Price: $25.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 In recent years, starting with Hero Factory's Invasion from Below, we have seen an increasing effort from LEGO to match Bionicle with it's other system themes by the way of creating a battle in a box. The highest price-pointed sets have even been a boxed set that contain two separate figures- this year is no different. Packaged into one is Kopaka and Melum, and while not enemies like the previous two sets of this style, this is a great way to advertise the unification feature of the Toa and Creatures. When you break it down, Melum would be the equivalent of a $10 creature, while Kopaka should make up a $15 Toa, similar to Pohatu, Lewa or Gali. Is the set worth the price tag? Lets find out. Packaging Front The front of the box of course shows Kopaka and Melum standing next to each other, with a smaller frame showcasing the united form of the two. I do believe this is the European packaging, as most often my review copies are sent directly from Denmark- so I find it interesting that the piece count is now displayed on the box, something usually absent on European packaging. Also to note is that the boxes are a sturdier cardboard than last year. While we are on the subject of the box, let's address the elephant in the room- yes, Melum has no shadow trap. The sad thing about it is you can actually see an ice themed Shadow trap on the far right of the background, yet none can be found in this set. Back My box was a little messed up- In order for all of the sets to fit in a standard LEGO shipping box, this set's contents were pulled out of the box, and the box itself was flattened in the process to make room. Anyway, we do have a nice little comic, continuing the fantastic trend from 2015, and of course a wide plethora of set features is displayed at the top. Size I did receive a request pre-review to showcase the size of this box. This is the newest and largest size of hexagonal shaped box, and you can see that while it is the same height as that of a $20 figure (in this case, Umarak), it is much wider. Contents Stickers Similar to last year, Kopaka comes with a small set of stickers. He is the only set of the first wave to include them, and they will be used on his gun later on. While I don't always like to use stickers, there is one reason why you might want to, as I will mention soon. Torso Kopaka includes the new turntable torso, like all of the other non-creature sets of this wave. Once the hips are plugged into the torso, the friction is similar to that of a friction extender. So, if you don't like or don't want the gear function, you can remove the gear and still have a moveable waist. New bits Among the new bits are a gear piece with an axle, the new "piece of unification' (you get three in this set, all in silver), a gold crystal add-on mixed with trans light blue, the shorter eyestalk in trans light blue, and the new sword piece, mixed with dark azure. Mask Of the new Toa masks, I think Kopaka's might be my favorite. It certainly takes on more of the Nuva's appearance, and has a generally angrier or colder exp<b></b>ression that I really enjoy. Also of interest is the Nuva symbol above the left eye, which has a strange trail behind it. Also take note that his telescopic eye is actually one stud in circumference, so anything with a stud can be connected to it. Creature head The new creature head is quite a large piece. In this set, we get it in gold mixed with trans light blue. The mask itself connects via a balljoint directly underneath the rearmost spike design, and the mask features three connection points for accessories- the nose and two clips near the "ears." The mask does have molded eyes, and similar to Rotor, they have no color or way to add color. It's a bit of a shame, and i wish they had found a way around this, but I don't think it ruins the mold. Recolors One of the more bizarre recolors in the set is this CCBS shell in dark blue. I'm glad to have a dark blue shell to match the dark blue skull spider of 2015, but... well, I wish it was a more versatile shell such as a 5m one, but here's hoping we see more sets with this color. Also we get the Vorox shell in silver- you can find it in silver in Lewa as well. Personally I'd like to get it in white, but silver helps balance the color scheme. Torso shell I'm not generally a fan of this new shell, but I have to admit that it doesn't look bad here. I usually find that black parts hide detail, while white parts so of smooth it out, and that works to an effect here- the detail isn't as jarring as some other colors make it out to be. Also, the dark blue printing is nice, again as I will describe momentarily. Melum Build Torso and mechanism Melum's torso design starts with an XT4 torso and uses the piece of unification to begin the function, something that 5 of the 6 Creatures share. The function here is simple, when you pull up on that gunmetal piece with the white spike on it, the two gears near the balljoint will move up. This function is the exact same as the one found on both Ikir and Uxar- the difference being, that it moves wings on those two, while moving arms on Melum. Limbs Short, stubby legs are added as well as some large paws. Melum Complete Front When Melum is complete, he actually looks quite cool. While I would have liked the unification piece to be in white, I think the color scheme is decent here, and proportions- for whatever sort of creature he is supposed to be- are fitting. One potential area for complaints here is the balljoints on the XT4 torso, however you can't cover those up with armor as the function would then be restricted. Profile By moving that lever up and down, his function is achieved. When you push it down... Function His claws move together. Either he is mauling you, or coming in for a hug. Either way, I really enjoy this, I think it's a great reuse of Ikir and Uxar's function in a different way, and it feels like a more streamlined version of Skull Basher's function. Fight me Articulation wise, he's got a decent amount in the arms and neck, though son't expect to get anything wild from his legs. Bohrok? In a way, his proportions with the tiny body, larger hands and extended neck, really evoke that of a Bohrok. And I love it. BE STRONG CLARENCE When images of these sets first popped up, Melum got blamed for being a clone build of Terak- or Terak as a clone of Melum, whatever. In reality, These two are about as different as Ikir and Uxar. Both have different builds to their limbs, and have completely different functions. Kopaka Build Torso Since Kopaka is meant to evoke a $15 Toa, his torso brings about a similar level of complexity as Pohatu, Lewa and Gali. Shoulders Like Pohatu and Lewa, Kopaka has opted for a custom shoulder build. I...gues, I don't particularly like this build as the lower potion of it is much thinner than I'd like. Frame He does get a decently long set of legs, something that sets him apart from his fellow $15 companions. Weapons For weapons, Kopaka ditches the spear and shield for a gun and sword. The sword looks pretty decent, and I feel it's the best application of those new blade pieces. The gun isn't anything out-of-this-world, but it's not a bad design. Note the sticker is applied as seen above. Kopaka Complete Front On to the finished Kopaka. Color wise, there's a few gripes to be had. Firstly, the gold thigh armor looks very random, and only really makes sense in United mode, or when a gold mask is on his face- otherwise it throws everything off balance for me. The dark blue was a random choice of shell, as it only exists in plastic on his arms. The only other applications of dark blue are on his chest print, and the sticker on the gun. It's not entirely well disbursed, and I wonder why they felt it was so necessary to include that here. Again, I won't argue with the piece being made, but I find myself asking "Why?" with these sets more than any sets before. As for set design, Kopaka has the best proportions of the $15 based Toa, thanks to his longer legs and arms that can properly accommodate the longer torso. Again the white shell doesn't look bad here- however I am not a fan of the silver armoring on his shins. It doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the armor textures on the figure, and paired with the much wider golden armor above it, well, I just don't like it. Profile Similar to Umarak and Onua, Kopaka gains a disk to mount 6 of his extra studs for his stud shooter. I didn't slip Once armed with his weapons, Kopaka gains some life. The dark azure isn't a perfect fit to the trans light blue, but it doesn't look completely out of place. The area between his shoulders and elbows does look quite awfully thin, though. Netflix and.... Of course, a benefit to, eh, losing some weight since 2015 is that he has some more options as far as poseability is concerned. No shield? I'll just hold this sword menacingly! The sword is a really great design, and might possibly be my favorite weapon on the Toa this year. Gold Mask When the gold mask is added on, the gold thighs look less out of place. That, and gold works absolutely beautifully with white and dark blue. Size Comparison Thanks to the longer torso bone pared with a decently long set of legs, Kopaka is a respectable height, actually slightly beating out Tahu. United Mode Of course, the main draw here is that you get both sets in one go, so you can unite these two right away. In united mode, Melum serves the same purpose as Terak- he adds some shoulder armor and a helmet. Unlike some of the other unifications, this one doesn't add a grand amount to kopaka. Basically, it adds some more white and gold, and...well that's about it. Profile The back kibble isn't bad, and provides easy access to the waist gear. As you might expect, the function of the creature has no use here. Back You can move Melum's legs wherever you want, I find this to be my favorite configuration. Overall I like these two figures. Kopaka looks decent enough in both his unified and standalone form, and is without a doubt my favorite of the cheaper Toa of the wave. He has the best proportions, a decent color scheme (save for the two gold pieces), and really only suffers design wise from very thin portions above his elbows. He has good weapons, a nice mask, and even the torso shell doesn't look bad here. I do believe he does a good job making up $15 of the $25 set, and in fact is a representation of what a $15 set should be, moreso than Lewa, Pohatu and Gali. However, what I don't agree with, is Melum being valued at $10. I have seen a few people try to justify his price based on what you get versus the Protectors of 2015- You get 4 new molds with Melum, and no recolors. With the protectors, they all had 5 new molds (this includes the skull spider. Had a Shadow trap been included, Melum would be at 5 as well.) and a variety of recolors. Melum has a very similar level of complexity to Terak, who is already less complex than the likes of Akida, Uxar and Ikir, and size wise Melum is tied with Terak as the smallest of the Creatures. A shadow trap was really needed here- at this current state, I don't really know that I would say Melum is worth the same amount as Terak + Shadow Trap. Additionally, I don't feel that the unified form of Kopaka and Melum is the greatest of the unifications, only beating out Pohatu and Ketar who is the weakest, so there isn't a specific draw that makes you think "Man, I really want both of those characters to combine them!" So I don't know that I can justify the price premium here. While the price might be in the air, I do think it's a good set and would be my second choice of Toa set to purchase after Onua.

Says proper set design and general cohesion. The thing about bionicle G1 was that every part was covered in pistons- when you introduced a new mold with a plethora of piston details on it, the purpose was to compliment the look of the other parts, and create a proper flow among the entire set. When a part was introduced that broke away from this (re: the kalmah armor) it served a purpose to be an organic texture. With this shell, it in no way compliments the look that CCBS has well-established, unlike the new piston add-on we saw in 2015. I can't find a rhyme or reason to why the torso would have this much detailing, while every other aspect of the set lacks this overabundance of detail. I'm not saying that I hate having a piece that is extremely detailed, i'm saying that it doesn't make sense when paired with literally every other aspect of this figure.

Looks like you guys will get hit with a double chill tonight, our icy duet is what I've gotten planned to release in a few hours too. If all goes well, I should be able to bring out Pohatu tomorrow. I actually love his mask, though. I'd have to say it's my favorite of the new Toa masks. He's also my second favorite Toa to Onua, which isn't saying a lot, but I'll explain more in the review.

Basically yes, I do have a bit of extra light in the winter (because weather in Michigan is can be so unpredictable) but for the most part I need a light box. Images in the winter are generally more exposed than I'd like, not everything comes out perfect However, I can say this might be the last round of reviews with my current set up. Provided I get the new wave of Star Wars sets, you can expect that everything will likely take on a gray backdrop, the white and black will be ditched, and overall color should look better as it'll be closer to a light box setup.

Actually, he's not. Basic anatomy rules that the human figure is, on average, 7.5-8 heads tall, which is exactly where both Tahu and Gali lie. From there, legs should be around 4.25 to 4.5 heads at the upper point of the hips, where they meet the waist. Again, Tahu is spot on. It might look strange, but this is because he lacks any material in the pelvic region- the hip joints are right. Gali, by comparison, has legs that are only three heads. With arms, the middle of the lower arm should fall dead center with a waist. Tahu has arms slightly longer than this, which is characteristic of a heroic figure. Gali's are hilariously off. As far as torso proportions go, technically They are both wrong. Both figures are the correct height, but Tahu's torso is about .5 shorter than it should be, and Gali's is .5 heads longer than it should be. However, Tahu's arms and legs are far more in accordance with rules for a figure anatomy than Gali's does.

Set name: Gali Uniter of Water Set number: 71307 Pieces:87 Price: $15.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx Release date: 2016 In 2015, Gali took the spot as my favorite set of the year. She had a great design, color scheme, and managed to evoke a feminine figure in a perfect way. Does 2016 hold a similar fate for Gali, or has she taken a turn for the worse? Read on to find out. Box Front Like all of the sets this year, she once again comes in a hexagonal shaped box, made of a sturdier cardboard than 2015. Gali herself is seen underwater, though I can't say it's the most thrilling of poses to the sell the set. Back The back of the box shows some of the more interesting aspects of the set, such as the spinning weapon, turntable waist, and mask. Note that the comics have once again returned to both the box and instructions. New and Interesting Parts Turntable Torso Since this piece is in 7 of the sets this wave, writing this portion will likely get redundant. As you can see, a new torso with a gear mounted to the bottom allows you to create a spinning waist, with the new hip piece. For the most detailed description of this, I would suggest reading my review of Umarak the Hunter. One interesting thing is that my waist piece on Gali and Lewa was extremely tight. Gali's has since gotten easier to move, but Lewa's is still difficult to move and I cannot separate the hips from the torso. New Parts In terms of some other new parts, we get the new generic sword piece in a silver mixed with dark azure. Of the color variations of this blade, I personally feel this color blend looks the best. We also have the new crystal add-on in silver with trans light blue, the unification piece in silver, and the new brain stalk in trans light blue. Recolors In terms of recolors, we have Vorox armor in orange, and a 3m armor shell in dark azure. Now obviously those two pins there are not new colors, but I want to make a comment about the color itself. One thing I've noticed with these sets is that Lego has been taking a seemingly random choice in colors of axles and pins. Gali here is the only set of the wave to have the 2m axle in black instead of red, and while other sets use that modified pin in gray, she has it in blue. You will see some other odd choices of color when we get to Tahu, Lewa, and Uxar's reviews. Torso Shell It's time to address the elephant in the room- this shell. In my opinion, you either love it or you hate it. Personally, I'm not at all a fan of this new shell. First, I love the printing on the upper chest, but unlike 2015, the printed piece is the entire torso, and to reuse this in a MOC means I have to use the entire torso shell. My other issue with it is the detailing itself. There are far too many pistons and greebles that are just unnecessary, that really serve no purpose in the overall design. Masks Gali's new mask has commonly been compared to that of Nokama Metru, and while I can see it due to it's overall shape and bumpy forehead, the mask design is very similar to the other masks in the wave. Basically, it's the 2015 mask made thinner and with crystals added on top. Something worth mentioning is that in 2015's summer wave, we only got 4 of the 6 Toa's masks in gold blended with their respective transparent color. THis year we get a full set, and I love how Gali's looks with trans dark blue. The Build Torso Like all of the larger sets, Gali's torso consists of constructing the waist gear function, adding on the piece of unification, and then building some sort of custom shoulders. Also note the little system wedge added in for detail. Bone Structure Like all of the other Toa, Gali has two friction joints in each leg to anticipate the added weight of the unification gimmick. Weapons Gone is the massive axe that could turn into flippers, and in comes... well, quite a busy weapon. You have a sword top with a random spinning blade of some sort, a rather elaborate handle, and a random chain bit that hangs off the back. THis is similar to Pohatu's ball-on-a-chain, but less effective I feel. Finished Set Front There is something off putting about Gali's proportions. I'm not sure how proper they actually are, but I can't help but think that her torso looks too long. Maybe that's the new torso shell to blame, as I feel this way about Lewa and Pohatu as well. I do think that the layering of trans light blue and trans dark blue was done in a better way on this set, as it looks less cluttered than on her 2015 form. Of course, the other major change color wise is that she now replaced bright yellow with orange. I really like this change, it brings about an atlantean vibe of sorts, and works with the asymmetric armor design she has developed. Profile Basically all of the sets this year are very, very flat from a profile view. This generic silhouette makes it easier for creatures to unify with them. Also, notice that the new eyestalk piece is a shorter version of the 2015 piece. So while the sets use the same head and mask connection, the eyestalk cannot be used to pop the mask off with just a weapon, you have to actually push it with your finger. This is helpful as the masks fall off far less, though i have had some trouble getting any of the figures eyes to glow in light. Trans light blue isn't the best choice of color for this, and Gali's mask has an odd angle for the eyes, so in order to see the eyes you would have to tilt the head up slightly. Back The back of the Vorox armor connection is rather unsightly. Again, mostly unarmored for the most part, although I do like how the shoulder armor carriers over to this side as well. Armed Most of the sets this year have some sort of long weapon or staff to accommodate the waist swivel. The weapon itself isn't too bad, and I think it's smaller size is more manageable than the gigantic axe she had previously. Long weapon is long The "gear function" in the weapon is basically when you spin the gear, the propellor blade spins. I guess it's a nifty feature, although I don't care much for weapon functions like this, I would rather have another round of dual-purpose weapons. "I wonder if this can work as a pizza cutter?" When posing her, I really don't have that sense of uniqueness and character that 2015 had. She just feels so static and uninteresting in comparison. Loss of Character I'll be honest, one of my favorite things about Gali in 2015 was the ability to easily evoke a feminine figure through posing. This set, however, is a complete loss of it. I tried, for an hour I sat there and came up with hundreds of poses, and honestly not a single one even came close to the sheer brilliance of her 2015 set. It also doesn't help that her thinner proportions don't work to set her apart from her very thin brothers Lewa and Kopaka. Gold Mask I was never a fan of how random the gold masks looked on the three smaller sets last year, and once again it sort of sticks out on Gali. I usually don't display my gold masks anyway, and in general even with sets like Tahu and Onua I have been preferring to use their normal colored masks even in united mode. UNITE So Gali's main companion is Akida, who forms a pair of over the shoulder stut shooters, and adds a fish tail to her rear. It's a neat look once they are combined and adds some purpose to Gali- she gets extra firepower, and the tail sort of evokes her mermaid-like 2015 qualities in a nice way. Profile Akida's function was honestly completely useless on it's own- you pull up on its rear fin, and the guns and side fins fold down to the position you see above. This function allows you to move the cannons from a forward position to aimed at the sky, which makes sense in united form, but not so much on Akida alone. Anyway, from a profile shot, the extra bulk isn't too bad, and I enjoy the added tail and the splash of extra orange that Akida brings to the table. Back You do have to move the tail out of the way to access the gear function, though. Also, the propellers on the back of the stud shooters offer a nice extra set of propulsion for Gali overall. Size Comparison As usual with our control group, Tahu. Here's where you can see a major issue with proportions. From hip to shoulder, her torso is much longer than Tahu's, and she has the same length of arms, paired with legs that are shorter than his. Granted this is partly due to the need for the geared waist, and of course the unification piece. Overall I struggle to like Gali. As a set, she's not the worst I've had. Her color scheme is great, her articulation is good (although if you move the foot forward very much you'll knock off the shin armor), she has a good variety of functions, and looks really cool once paired with Akida. With Akida, I think it's a worthy set to purchase, because Akida adds some much-needed qualities to the figure. However, as a standalone figure, Gali lacks the personality of her 2015 set. And yeah, I think the torso shell looks like absolute garbage on some of these figures, Gali being one of the worst offenders. Being completely silver, it sticks out far too much since the printing can only do so much to break up the monotony of the large piece, and given the overly-complicated piston greebles on it, the cohesion of the smooth CCBS shells mixed with the Vorox armor is completely ruined. In my opinion, the only reason to get her is if you plan to get Akida. Gali looks better with Akida united to her, and Akida is sort of built specifically to be mounted to a back, so the two really go hand-in-hand. Hopefully you all enjoyed the review, and as always be sure to vote in the poll (LEGO looks at it ) and leave your comments below about your opinions on the set.

Thanks everyone, glad you enjoyed the review and rest assured everyone else is on the way. Photo requests will be handled once all reviews are complete (In some cases your request might get answered in another review, so I hold off until the end for that). To answer a question, when you put figures onto Umarak when he has the trap pieces on, his actual arm articulation isn't limited, however not all of the creatures work very will with it. For example, Terak and melum's hands are supposed to rest on shoulder pieces, but with the trap pieces they don't sit all too well. Your best bet for creatures is to use either Uxar or Ikir. (Ikir works the best as his wings are bent back more than Uxar's are. Oh, and there is no storage for the extra shadow trap parts. Draik's suggestion is the best you can do. They are trans bright green. My reviews during the winter are generally slightly more exposed and given how thin those parts are they appear much brighter than they should.