Bionicle 2016 Sets Discussion

[Darking]

Beasts skipped leg day.

I really hope LEGO improves those designs. I have really never said of a LEGO set design to be 'lazy' before, but this may be my first time if these stay the same...

[Bigger Fish]

Thought on prototypes:

I honestly really like them, they all look really menacing in my opinion. (Especially Umarak.) Sure, the beasts do need a decent amount of improvement before they can genuinely look good, but they have a good start. I also really like all the trans blue on Ekimu, it gives him this really nice "powered-up and flowing with pure energy" look that's perfect for taking on those beasts. Also, I'm getting really strong Dragon Bolt (my fave HF set) vibes from Storm Beast, which is a goos thing. Also Quake Beast has a nice color scheme as well.

[Timeline15]

I'm getting really strong Dragon Bolt (my fave HF set) vibes from Storm Beast, which is a goos thing. Also Quake Beast has a nice color scheme as well.

Actually, that reminds me, you know what I was really reminded of by Umarak the destroyer's box pic? Rocka XL. God, that takes me back.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Timeline15

[Tarvaxx]

It's impossible for Ekimu's shield to be attached to the arm the way it is. It's literally sitting on top of a shell.

[Vinyl Scratch]

Hoho Umarak what happened to you. He has... Gears on his hands? Huh. He really reminds me of Ganondorf. The Hunter is better for me though, but so far liking Destroyer.

Ekimu looks sweet. A trans Mask of Creation yes please. But it's a but too much transparent colours.

The Beasts, Storm looks sweet. Quake too. Lava Beast, god, looks bad.

Looks sweet overall sans Lava Beast. But what happened storyline wise for this to happen? If I had to take a guess, Umarak manages to captures the elemental creatures, drains their power and he turns into this... Hulk beast thing. Still can't imagine what the Beasts are though.

[MakutaDreadscythe]

Still looking over them myself. Very initial thoughts.

Ekimu sucks. He is the definition of generic. He does absolutely nothing intersting, his colour scheme reminds us that translucent rave parties do not make for an appealing colour scheme, and is boring. Beyond belief.

Umarak is...well okay. I don't know why I expected something civilised from something called "the Destroyer". He at least fulfils that. Again though he just looks sort of bland, especially compared to his Winter counterpart. Also for the love of god that had better be trans yellow.

Lava Beast is the blurriest so I can't really judge things like the colours and function. Those legs though. Oh man. If you thought the custom limbs were obtrusive on the first wave, you haven't seen this. No coverage, the balls aren't aligned properly, every advantage of CCBS gone. It's not even an interesting custom build. Just...I don't know.

Something to note on the beasts is that they have corrupted versions of the largest toa masks (Tahu - Lava, Onua - Quake, Kopaka - Storm).

Quake shows off the new parts better. Face piece looks neat. Colours aren't total megabloks. Etc.

Storm is still in progress.

[Toa of Gallifrey]

Yeesh that's a lot of trans blue on Ekimu. Others look ok but nothing really stands out to me like with the previous waves.

[VBBN]

So the beasts come with Tahu, Kopaka, and Onua's masks in black/trans bright green, once again we don't get a full set because of the amount of villains. Umarak doesn't seem to come with one- any ideas what mask Ekimu is standing on?

[DuckBricks]

Just noticed the lower legs on all the beasts... Yuck. I get underarm prong for skellies, but these big, bulky monsters should have waaaaaay thicker lower legs.

[Ikaatril]

So, Ekimu's basically another Toa in terms of build. But trans-blue Mask of Creation? Yes, please! I'm assuming Ekimu has a build similar to Tahu given the armour on his shoulders. Also - he has no friction extenders on his feet! I think Ekimu makes a better Toa set than some of the Toa. His hammer seems to be very similar to Onua's, except witha crystal thing on the front instead of a gatling gun. He appears to have retained last year's shield, except it's turned trans-blue. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say he could probably combine with the creatures, either... although I doubt the MoCr would allow for that. So maybe not? His shoulders seem to be a bit further back and there's something filling in the space between the torso and his upper arms - I'm assuming Ekimu has last year's gearbox as well as this year's geared torso, so he has two gear functions.

I know this is a weird thing to say, but Umarak (Destroyer) doesn't really convince me that it's the same being as Umarak (Hunter). Everything's... too different? The trans-green looks to be trans-neon instead, the antlers have become horns and look less impressive IMO. The only thing Destroyer and Hunter share seems to be the lower legs + feet and trap halves on their shoulders. But that Mask of Control isn't the same as it was. Nice claws, though. Also, on the box art of Umarak, you can see Ekimu kneeling with his shield and hammer, using his hammer almost like a third leg. It's a very... knight-like pose? At least, a pose that you'd expect a medieval knight to do.

Beasts: Uh. What? What are they supposed to be? I'm getting MAJOR HF Brain Attack vibes from these guys. Is anyone else getting major Brain Attack vibes from these guys? I know I am. It also looks like we're getting silver/trans-green versions of the larger Toa's masks...??? But none of the larger Toa have trans-green???? Onua has no silver???? What is the reasoning behind this...??? Their upper heads are reminding me of the Creature heads, but not by much. So far, I think these guys are a bit of a wasted opportunity. Look at the creatures - mostly all based on existing or mythological creatures. These beasts would have been great to do some larger sets based on mythological creatures, IMO, but right now they resemble Brain Attack 2.0. I can't say I'm impressed by any of the beasts. Maybe that'll change in time, what with the cycle of leaks and all.

Ekimu, to me, is the stand-out. Hunter Umarak is more distinctive and more impressive than Destroyer, much in the same way that many of the 2015 Toa are more distinctive than the 2016 Toa.

[The_Fiery_Rooster]

Overall, none of the sets look too bad to me... but they're not perfect.

The beast lower legs don't look good to me. They're trying to get a similar effect to Umarak the hunters legs, but it doesn't work well. The corrupted masks look good though, better than last years years, because they actually look corrupted, not drained.

Ekimu needs more gold, I was hoping for a dual molded MoCo with trans light blue at the top and gold for the bottom. Still looks okay though. I hope the mask he includes isn't the MoUP.

I was really surprised by Umarak the destroyer. I was expecting a warlord type figure; big stance, big weapon, tattered look and cape, but I still like this, it's like he became a beast himself. I would just prefer to not be as bulky, though. Still going to get him.

Edited January 15, 2016 by NetherCreeper

[DOTM Shockwave]

The only one that looks decent is Ekimu, the rest don't look good at all, IMO. Umarak the destroyer is ...disappointing, compared to his Hunter form. I'll wait for better images before commenting on the beast, but so far, I don't like what I'm seeing.

[Quisoves Pugnat]

While these are rather too indistinct to properly judge, they look rather more confident, overall, than the winter wave.

The two most promising ones for me, right now, are Quake and Storm Beast.

Lava Beast has weird legs, but it's hard to make out too much about him.

Ekimu looks pretty cool, if somewhat generic and derivative of his previous form. The amount of trans blue is unexpected, but not necessarily bad.

I don't see what the deal with Umarak the Destroyer is. Sure, he's not quite as striking as his Hunter form, but he looks rather promising to me.

EDIT: Also, the leaks keep coming earlier and earlier, don't they?

Edited January 15, 2016 by Quisoves Pugnat

[The_Fiery_Rooster]

While these are rather too indistinct to properly judge, they look rather more confident, overall, than the winter wave.

The two most promising ones for me, right now, are Quake and Storm Beast.

Lava Beast has weird legs, but it's hard to make out too much about him.

Ekimu looks pretty cool, if somewhat generic and derivative of his previous form. The amount of trans blue is unexpected, but not necessarily bad.

I don't see what the deal with Umarak the Destroyer is. Sure, he's not quite as striking as his Hunter form, but he looks rather promising to me.

EDIT: Also, the leaks keep coming earlier and earlier, don't they?

I think the same. The wave is still pretty good overall.

As for Umarak the destroyer, it wasn't what I expected, but I still like it. Going to pick it up.

[CabooseBM]

I am very happy to see that the grievous misstep of the Uniters was indeed a Misstep and that the Winter 2016 wave is a return to form in comparison.

I absolutely love Umarak the Destroyer, looking either charged with energy or wilted by corruption, and avoiding the red/orange/black cliche for villains handily. He also has a gear function in his claws, swank!

Moe trans yellow and dark blue are very, very welcome additions to CCBS's color pallete, and I like the new spiky shell parts.

Edited January 15, 2016 by CabooseBM

[The_Fiery_Rooster]

The mask Ekimu's set comes with is Umarak's (the hunter's) mask in black/gunmetal mixed with trans red! I really liked Umarak's mask, so it's nice to have it in another color.

[Kalhiki]

Well Ekimu's... Different. I kinda figured he'd be Toa-sized, but I hoped he wouldn't have been. Least not titan-sized, which seems to be the case.

The upper halves of the Beasts look cool, but then you get to the lower legs. Makes the 2016 Toa look like gold.

And then there's Umarak. I can get behind this. He looks terrifyingly awesome. Like he's entered his final form. There's enough hits of his Hunter form, but he's grown with the power of pure evil. And that mask is the face of Satan. I love it.

He may be the only purchase I make of this wave. It all depends on if the Beasts get their legs fixed. Seriously. Who thought Lava Beast's legs were a good idea?

Oh man. Umarak's Satan Mask... Plus the horns... Looks like a seriously messed up version of the Mask of Control... Oh sh*t...

[MakutaOfWar]

Leaks already? *sips coffee*

Umarak Teh Destroyer- Wasn't sure what I expected, possibly a huge mutated guy. Seems about right. Could have been larger but it's nice to see more Titan-esque builds at the 24.99 pricepoint(judging by the box size and slightly more pieces).

Ekimu- Too. Much. Trans. Period.

Storm- Shadow Trap tail?

Quake- Asymmetry, Check. Trans Purple, Check. Shadow Trap shoulder, I'd recommend a doctor but Check.

Lava- You should eat something and trim your nails or whatever those are.

Overall, meh. The whole Ekimu vs Umarak idea will probably be epic, though.

[arc]

I was really surprised by Umarak the destroyer. I was expecting a warlord type figure; big stance, big weapon, tattered look and cape

that's exactly what I wanted, but with more antlers, unfortunately it seems like he's just devolved into a beast himself. I'm very disappointed to say the least, seeing as umarak the hunter is one of my favorite g2 sets, I was looking forward to an upgrade. Oh well, I could always moc one up.

Then again I really should wait until the toy fair for better and more final pictures. We'll see.

[DuplexBeGreat]

Wow, these came way sooner than I expected.

Ekimu: I'm hoping that this amount of trans-blue is very, very preliminary. The image quality makes it hard to tell how that color distribution will look as a real set, but so far I'm not impressed. I like the build, even if it is simple. Also--- does anyone else see this? He seems to have a sort of Splitface-esque aesthetic going on, where his right arm is black-accented and his left arm is gold-accented. Interesting story ramifications--- Ekimu has been corrupted?! And I really want to know what the Mask under his foot is. The fact that he's standing on it implies it's not something that belongs to him, or to another hero. There's an ominous volcano in the background of his box art.

Umarak: Um. I was really hoping that "the Destroyer" would become more grand, more regal, more... I don't know. This design isn't inherently bad, it's just not what I was hoping for--- even if my hope was completely unsubstantiated. I do like the build for what it is, though, and the head design with the corrupted MoCo and giant, er, mouth? seems pretty interesting.

I can't see the Beasts' images very well in this quality, but for the most part they don't seem too bad to me, despite what others have said. I'm glad that Storm Beast mixes in some darker blue instead of just being Kopaka's trans-blue. Thoughts on the Corrupted Masks will have to wait for clearer images. And yes, I'm getting MAJOR Brain Attack vibes from these guys.

EDIT: Tumblr page on which I found the images claims that the Mask under Ekimu's foot is a full-black Umarak the Hunter mask. That's certainly plausible from these images, and if that is the case, I really hope this leads to some sort of "redemption" story where the heroes must calm the rampaging Umarak the Destroyer by returning his Mask to him, turning him "good" and thus giving him our first complex villain story arc of G2!

Edited January 15, 2016 by DuplexBeGreat

[Dorek]

Interesting. Obviously hard to see some things, but not terrible from what I can make out.

Destroyer's claws are probably the worst aspect about him; other than that, I like the primal reversion concept, slightly more interesting than just a powered up Umarak (and makes his Hunter form that much cooler).

I love Ekimu's color distribution (and thank god the mask is a recolor and not a redesign), but the final build seems a little generic, so I'll reserve judgment on that.

Was hoping the beasts would be at least mildly quadrupedal, but oh well. Storm beast looks the best, but they all have interesting elements to them.

[Aethersprite]

Wow, Umarak looks absolutely monstrous. I think he even has geared fingers as well.

Loving the recoloured Toa masks.

I'm disappointed the Beasts are all bipedal; I was hoping for greater variety like the Creatures are. Perhaps it's linked to their uniting function somewhat.

Not digging Ekimu.

Overall - of course, these are prelims. I think they have the potential to be great sets! More promising than the Skull sets were last year, at least. Looking forward to Toy Fair!

EDIT: Metru blue 4M shells on Storm Beast!! Rejoice! I'm glad the return of the colour wasn't one-off with the Skull Spiders and then Kopaka.

EDIT 2: Ekimu is stepping on an all-black Umarak mask (does this mean his mask has a power, since it's of some significance?) and the Beasts have silver/trans green recolours of Tahu, Kopaka and Onua's masks. One might infer that Umarak will probably get a recoloured mask as well (trans yellow Mask of Control maybe, to match Ekimu's trans blue Mask of Creation?), but there's no sign of any mask on his box art.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Lockon Stratos

[Iben]

By the way, do you refer to prices in the LEGO Shop or in any other retailer?

The Lego shop indeed ! It's strange, the 14$ sets are €14 in France and Germany, whilst being €17 in Belgium and the Netherlands. It's a bit strange, and even the guys who answered couldn't say more than " we alter prices depending on the market, but this is strange".

But yeah, it's unbelievably kind of Lego; they already had a fan for life but this makes it even better !

-Iben

[geezerman402]

First thoughts!

Ekimu: as someone who loves trans blue more than should be allowed, I hope the final set has less of it or looks more varied in better pictures. Too much! Though I bet the good Mask from 2015 would balance things nicely.

Storm Beast: Yesyesyesyesyes

Umurak: As someone said before me, he looks a lot like Ganon from the Legend of Zelda.

No real interest in the other two...

[Aethersprite]

Read this theory on Reddit that the Beasts might be corrupted versions of the 3 larger Toa, hence their elemental themes and their slinging of their respective Toa masks. Hence Ekimu coming in to save the day!

I hope the Beast heads are proper IFB-like heads, and not masks. I can't imagine having the upper half flop around on the face while you move their jaws...

Edited January 15, 2016 by Lockon Stratos