Bionicle 2015 Discussion

[Kalhiki]

a really cool takanuva vs teridax MOC shown in a Lego store.

Where/when was this?

Also, I'm not looking too deep into the "baby Protector". I guarantee he/she won't play any large role in the future. I just don't see it happening.

[Mandate]

Makes sense. He could be controlling LOSS and the spiders with his connection with the golden spider mask (which I'm pretty sure he forged). So he's sending the spiders out to search for all the golden masks of power. It's possible LOSS may return to stop grinder as grinder's box art suggests he is trying to melt the MOC which is one of the masks Makuta wants

Eh... not really.

If Makuta is directly (or indirectly) commanding the Skull Spiders to find the Golden Masks, they're doing a terrible job of it. The Skull Spiders at Gali's shrine were practically protecting the gold Kaukau, and the spiders were incredibly close to many of the other shrines, and if I recall correctly the narrator said something about them lying in the shadows (presumably for ambush?) meaning they knew exactly where the Masks were.

No offense, but the idea of Grinder being a villain with different goals to Makuta is ludicrous at this point. We don't even know what the MoCR is capable of, and how it relates to Ekimu and his abilities. Its clear that the masks Ekimu made (presumably the main 6 Golden Masks) were of high quality, and could result in Ekimu himself creating Toa's "upgrades" and whatnot. Is the MoCR even essential to whatever-the-heck Makuta's plan is? Probably not. Grinder could have even been trying to reforge the mask with Makuta's essence or something, we really don't know at this point how the infected masks will play out.

Not to mention that having LOSS come in and bash up Grinder after being decimated by the Toa is a really lame plot twist.

Where/when was this?

Also, I'm not looking too deep into the "baby Protector". I guarantee he/she won't play any large role in the future. I just don't see it happening.

Just make it an April Fools joke. Baby Protector, Protector of Cuteness!

/s

Edited April 13, 2015 by Mandate

[Bigger Fish]

I just noticed something, Lewa hasn't been possessed by a Skull Spider and then got the sense beaten back into him by Onua yet.

[Dr_Chronos]

Where/when was this?

Also, I'm not looking too deep into the "baby Protector". I guarantee he/she won't play any large role in the future. I just don't see it happening.

Here ya go

Together: http://images.mocpages.com/user_images/118822/1421696753m_DISPLAY.jpg

Takanuva: http://images.mocpages.com/user_images/118822/14216967531_DISPLAY.jpg

Teridax: http://images.mocpages.com/user_images/118822/14216967542_DISPLAY.jpg

The author says it was at the Lego store in the Fairview Mall in Toronto last January

Edited April 13, 2015 by Dr_Chronos

[mysteriouspi]

I just noticed something, Lewa hasn't been possessed by a Skull Spider and then got the sense beaten back into him by Onua yet.

This makes me disappointed.

Also, I'm not looking too deep into the "baby Protector". I guarantee he/she won't play any large role in the future. I just don't see it happening.

You're probably right. But it does make me wonder if we will ever see named villagers at some point down the road, characters who become important to the story (more so than the protectors, anyway). Seems doubtful since TLG is focusing almost exclusively on the Toa, but who knows?

[Shakar]

That is roughly how I'd do a G2 Takanuva. There are a number of elements the MOCer (intentionally or not) wisely used to prevent him from being a Kopaka clone. I reckon the ideal secondary colour on an official set would be tr. yellow, which I hope we can get in the future- tr. neon green doesn't always cut it, as this MOC shows.

Teridax is impressive at first glance and I agree with the colours and the wings, but he seems a bit weak around the torso, as if it were too small for his limbs.

Still I like the MOCs overall, and I think they're fairly good updates of the original sets and characters. I wonder if the treatment they got (being displayed in a Lego store! Wow!) means anything. Surely Lego must have an idea of how iconic the final battle is (I'd argue they tried to redo it during Ninjago 2013, but I'm venturing into speculation).

[DraikNova]

That seems rather beautiful as far as MOCs go, although the modifications feel somewhat distasteful. Anyway, I kind of hope they manage to include the Ussanui into any Takanuva set they may make. For Takanuva's color scheme I'd go for gold and tr. yellow, perhaps with some dashes of tr. blue or other energetic colors as accents, although I imagine tr. clear could also work if used correctly. Then again, yellow, azure and red would also look great on a full-fledged toa.

Edited April 13, 2015 by DraikNova

[Kalhiki]

Hm. Interesting. The MoC looks pretty cool. Love how they used capes for Makuta's wings.

As much as I'd love a G2 Takanuva, I can't help but shake the feeling that Ekimu will fill that role. Yeah, he seems like he's already the "Mata Nui" of G2, but being a physical character that can interact with the team and potentially be the 7th member sorta gives me Takanuva vibes.

[GK733]

Those are not only Bionicle themed MOCs by "masterbuilders" as stated in these two dA pics: http://brutechieftan.deviantart.com/art/Pohatu-s-Desert-Duster-523647682 http://brutechieftan.deviantart.com/art/Onua-the-Crusher-523887048

Damn I miss vehicles.

[Dr_Chronos]

@Mandate

You make a good point, I'm only really basing Grinder's motives on his name and box art. Regard the rest below as another theory.

We do know Makuta needs the MoCr, the MoCon, and the MOUP from a promotional poster put out at NYCC.

So assuming Makuta needs the MoCr for his grand plan and seeing that Grinder looks like he's melting the MoCr it seems they have different motives.

So why would Grinder want to destroy the MoCr?

Well, remember how the Barakii's plan was to destroy the Inigka, bathe in the energy and become normal again? I think that's Grinder's plan.

As for the "infected" masks I think those are partly melted versions of the toa masks. Judging from the forge in MMVSG box art you can see 2 streams of red (tahu's mask) and blue energy (gali's mask) flowing into the forge. I think the only way to melt the MoCr is to combine all the elemental forces to create a powerful enough forge to melt the mask. Or, like you said he could be trying to reforge it for evil.

[dviddy]

The models on display at a LEGO store mean absolutely nothing. Until this year LBRs had a policy allowing one window to be relegated to a rotating fan display, usually in conjunction with a local lug. For half of December to mid-January the Tigard store in Oregon had a Tahu model I built amongst other BIONICLE MOCs I had built on display. The stores don't police the models that go in, outside if making sure they are appropriate and don't contain adult content. Having a Takanuva and Makuta battle on display literally means nothing for the line.

[Scarilian]

The Takanuva is impressive, but i feel the Makuta figure would need a little more if it ever became a set as it has really long arms and legs but a thin short middle.

[GK733]

I'm surprised these are community made and not by some employees, but

these have nothing to do with the ideas of the Bionicle design team. If we do get sets that have some similarities to these then these have inspired the designers to make them so, or are pure coincidence.

I think vehicles are out of the question for a long while. We have yet to see any proper titans.

[Clone 01354 Productions]

I'm calling it now. I bet the central area of the MoUP resembles Teridax's mask.

HEY! I called that, like, two months ago, so.... (But I really did, so I deserve credit).

[MakutaOfWar]

HEY! I called that, like, two months ago, so.... (But I really did, so I deserve credit).

This Koro ain't big enough for the two of us...

[Clone 01354 Productions]

As much as I'd love a G2 Takanuva, I can't help but shake the feeling that Ekimu will fill that role. Yeah, he seems like he's already the "Mata Nui" of G2, but being a physical character that can interact with the team and potentially be the 7th member sorta gives me Takanuva vibes.

I wouldn't say Ekimu is like Mata Nui, since one of them is a mask maker, and the other is a giant robot with a living universe inside of him.

But I do hold out hope that maybe Makuta and Ekimu's father might be named Mata Nui.....

This Koro ain't big enough for the two of us...

Come at me, bro.

[DraikNova]

You call that a shark? THIS is a shark.

[Logan McOwen]

Here ya go

Together: http://images.mocpag...53m_DISPLAY.jpg

Takanuva: http://images.mocpag...531_DISPLAY.jpg

Teridax: http://images.mocpag...542_DISPLAY.jpg

The author says it was at the Lego store in the Fairview Mall in Toronto last January

God damn.

[Mandate]

As for the "infected" masks I think those are partly melted versions of the toa masks. Judging from the forge in MMVSG box art you can see 2 streams of red (tahu's mask) and blue energy (gali's mask) flowing into the forge. I think the only way to melt the MoCr is to combine all the elemental forces to create a powerful enough forge to melt the mask. Or, like you said he could be trying to reforge it for evil.

Uh... what?

2 streams of red? Where? The finalized concept art has no red streams, only molten liquid flowing from the forge. The original artwork only had one stream of red energy, and besides, considering Tahu and Gali are the only Toa at this point not to have infected masks, it begs the question of "where are the other elements?" And even so, if they're a force separate to Makuta, for exactly what reason? Why are they guarding the Ancient City? How did they end up the way they are? And, of course, if they can smack down the Toa like they're seemingly going to do exactly what would make Makuta think LOSS would have any chance against them?

[Dr_Chronos]

Uh... what?

2 streams of red? Where? The finalized concept art has no red streams, only molten liquid flowing from the forge. The original artwork only had one stream of red energy, and besides, considering Tahu and Gali are the only Toa at this point not to have infected masks, it begs the question of "where are the other elements?" And even so, if they're a force separate to Makuta, for exactly what reason? Why are they guarding the Ancient City? How did they end up the way they are? And, of course, if they can smack down the Toa like they're seemingly going to do exactly what would make Makuta think LOSS would have any chance against them?

My bad, I meant that line to be read as "two streams of red and blue energy" as in one stream of red and one stream of blue. The red stream is closed and mostly obscured by grinder's left calf but still visible. I tried to get a closer photo of the forge, but all the clear pictures have a lego display tag in front of the bottom left of the forge. The only picture I could find without the tag was blurry, I thought I saw some niches for streams and small glow of energy but it could very well be shadows or my imagination. The forge has these kind of valves that regulate the energy, the blue one is open but the red is closed. As for the skull squad, I have absoluty no idea of how they got the way they are, and its very possible they are or were in cahoots with Makuta. If they are against him, LOSS could stand a chance if he uses the element of surprise (Stealth hug of doom!) with an army of skull spiders or even better an army of mind controlled protectors.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Dr_Chronos

[Scarilian]

As shown by this image the stream of blue energy is still on the box art;

(Linked due to size)

[Shakar]

That seems rather beautiful as far as MOCs go, although the modifications feel somewhat distasteful. Anyway, I kind of hope they manage to include the Ussanui into any Takanuva set they may make. For Takanuva's color scheme I'd go for gold and tr. yellow, perhaps with some dashes of tr. blue or other energetic colors as accents, although I imagine tr. clear could also work if used correctly. Then again, yellow, azure and red would also look great on a full-fledged toa.

If I designed Takanuva as a set, I'd try to homage Takua the Matoran too, so I agree with your idea in bold, but those are a lot of colours. I think the best way would be keeping it simple (white, gold and a trans colour- maybe even skipping white?) and using Takua's classic colours on his "tribal chest decoration" (sic).

That's not an idea I came up with on my own: the Toa Okoto have some colours on their chests that are mostly or entirely missing from the rest of their body (Tahu's orange and metallic pink, Pohatu's tan, gold and dark red, Lewa's lime, etc), some of which are actually neat homages to their previous forms.

Hm. Interesting. The MoC looks pretty cool. Love how they used capes for Makuta's wings.

As much as I'd love a G2 Takanuva, I can't help but shake the feeling that Ekimu will fill that role. Yeah, he seems like he's already the "Mata Nui" of G2, but being a physical character that can interact with the team and potentially be the 7th member sorta gives me Takanuva vibes.

Only problem I can see with this, from a story perspective, is that Takanuva followed the widely used "young character (audience surrogate) turning into a great hero" like Lloyd from the insanely popular Ninjago; while Ekimu is more akin to a mentor/big good character like Sensei Wu, and those rarely get the protagonist treament. Mata Nui in 2009 is arguably an exception, but he himself was a "newbie" when he landed in Bara Magna, only later gaining respect and leadership like Takua/Takanuva did.

If he stays in the story, I can definitely see him and Makuta getting a rematch, but I don't see that as the final fight. It'd be like ending Ninjago 2013 with a Wu vs Garmadon and/or Overlord battle, or like ending Bleach with Yamamoto defeating Yhwach (or whoever the final villain is).

Mind you, the idea of Ekimu's design cues (tr. blue/gold colour scheme, regal looking armour, hammer..) getting translated into a larger figure sounds very cool to me, and Lego is perfectly capable of releasing such a set. But sets and story are separate things- a large and/or heavily marketed set doesn't always get a matching role in story media.

[Kalhiki]

I wouldn't say Ekimu is like Mata Nui, since one of them is a mask maker, and the other is a giant robot with a living universe inside of him.

But I do hold out hope that maybe Makuta and Ekimu's father might be named Mata Nui.....

From a story perspective, Ekimu is quite similar to Mata Nui. Ekimu is the important good guy and a big part of the Okotan society. His brother is Makuta (who later betrayed him). And then he was knocked out and put into a coma.

Mata Nui: also an important good guy in Matoran society who had a (sort of?) brother named Makuta who betrayed him. And then he was knocked out and put into a coma.

The basics are the same, and Ekimu is much more like Mata Nui than Takanuva. And that Mata Nui comparison seems to be what Lego was going for with G2.

Only problem I can see with this, from a story perspective, is that Takanuva followed the widely used "young character (audience surrogate) turning into a great hero" like Lloyd from the insanely popular Ninjago; while Ekimu is more akin to a mentor/big good character like Sensei Wu, and those rarely get the protagonist treament. Mata Nui in 2009 is arguably an exception, but he himself was a "newbie" when he landed in Bara Magna, only later gaining respect and leadership like Takua/Takanuva did.

I was more thinking Ekimu would act as the character who has a lot of power and will join the team as a seventh member. Not necessarily going through the "young character becoming the hero" arc.

Which I guess isn't very Takanuva-y at all, is it? :P

[Lord-Vorahk]

Ekimu strikes me as a mix of Mata Nui and Artahka. He's the series' Big Good, but he's not a deity of any kind, or even revered as such. People just like his masks more than his brother's, because he's a highly-skilled mask maker.

[dviddy]

If I designed Takanuva as a set, I'd try to homage Takua the Matoran too, so I agree with your idea in bold, but those are a lot of colours. I think the best way would be keeping it simple (white, gold and a trans colour- maybe even skipping white?) and using Takua's classic colours on his "tribal chest decoration" (sic).

That's not an idea I came up with on my own: the Toa Okoto have some colours on their chests that are mostly or entirely missing from the rest of their body (Tahu's orange and metallic pink, Pohatu's tan, gold and dark red, Lewa's lime, etc), some of which are actually neat homages to their previous forms.

If the story team decides to add a Takanuva at some point (and twelve years later and I still hate how awkward that name sounds, required to protect the "twist" in the story or not), this is exactly how I hope they do it. Homaging his Takua colours on his chest print is brilliant.

That said, I'm not sure if conceptually Takanuva works in the new story, at least not yet, for the reasons you've also stated. We're missing the thematic resonance, and it's hard to see that being added yet.