Hero Factory 2013

[Phantoka_Chirox]

Yeah god damn it, use spoiler tags guys.

[Aanchir]

Dragon Bolt looks much bulkier. That's one point it scores over the animated version already. Secondly, the fact that it uses an XT4 torso gives it extra part value. I'm also warming up to it's head, with that cool thick bit at the end, which I have no idea how else to describe. The darker lower jaw works really well. I might actually skip customization, since I'm warming up to the wing design as well.

I'm starting to think Jet Rocka (can't wait until someone makes a silly abbreviation) could look pretty great with the wings spread.

Even though the shot is blurry, this video makes the Frost Beast look much better. Seems a little happy about being infected though.

Also, Aquagon's mouth doesn't look so glaringly huge now. Much better.

Surge has got to be one of my favorite medium-small size sets ever. Kind of disappointed that the shells on his lower arms are trans-neon instead of trans-dark green, but that was wishful thinking anyway. The back armor is practically double, using both my favorite method of the well-placed MTIS as well as wings.

Evo, while being sillily posed looks fantastic.

All the white on Stormer works really well with this new Hero Core, especially with the gunmetal armor to even it out a bit. His weapons and visor printing look awesome.

It seems LEGO is trying to give the pre-infection villains a very definite cute look. First the adorable Pyrox lava puppy, then this innocent looking humanoid creature that slightly reminds me of a husky.

Oh, and shouldn't all of the show discussion use spoiler tags?

It seems Breeze never actually got the Breakout upgrade in the canon. Well, at least that explains one thing.

I wouldn't call obvious animation shortcuts "canon", personally. She definitely got the Breakout upgrade, because her battle with Thornraxx is referenced in Collision Course.

Truth be told her failure to appear in her Breakout form is a huge disappointment, especially after new 2.0 forms (albeit very rudimentary ones) were used for Stringer and Bulk in "Ordeal of Fire", despite those forms not even appearing in the sets! And of course, every one of the parts she would have needed had already been rendered in either "Breakout" or a previous episode.

[Aethersprite]

While admiring Furno XL, I have to say the new blade piece is really awesome. Definitely my favourite new piece of the year. I'm actually happy Stormer will be getting it in silver, because it looks so good in that colour. Plus, we're already getting 2 each in blue in Laval and Aquagon!

[MakutaNocturn]

Omg... I have to say that... It's better than Bionicle. Finally. Beated.

EDIT: The only bad thing is that it seems we have one episode per year... GOD WHYYYY

Edited February 7, 2013 by MakutaNocturn

[Cirkit]

After seeing the Korean dub of the "Brain-Attack" episode, I have only one thing to say-

Surge has got some electrifying dance moves

[Omicron Squad Leader]

Omg... I have to say that... It's better than Bionicle. Finally. Beated.

EDIT: The only bad thing is that it seems we have one episode per year... GOD WHYYYY

Why is it compulsory to like one over the other? I like them both equally.

[Dorek]

It's not; he just thinks it's better now with the new wave. It's also not a requisite to HAVE to favor both equally, which is the rhetoric that sometimes appears. You can, in fact, like one more than the other.

[Jetrax99]

I'm quite surprised that ou of all the villains, aquagon undewent the most drastic color change, going from almost completely silver to blue and yellow.

[MakutaDreadscythe]

Honestly, though I hold Bionicle with high nostalgic esteem, I'd have to say Hero Factory is the better toy. They're sturdier and much more customizable out of the box...well...bag. The proportions are also much less awkward, not to mention the interesting character designs; most Bionicles were "Inika clones" with little variation between each wave, whilst Hero Factory (particularly with villains) isn't scared to try something different. Of course there are exceptions on both sides, for example Strakk from Bionicle and Bulk from Brain Attack, for being unique and boring respectively.

[Aanchir]

Honestly, though I hold Bionicle with high nostalgic esteem, I'd have to say Hero Factory is the better toy. They're sturdier and much more customizable out of the box...well...bag. The proportions are also much less awkward, not to mention the interesting character designs; most Bionicles were "Inika clones" with little variation between each wave, whilst Hero Factory (particularly with villains) isn't scared to try something different. Of course there are exceptions on both sides, for example Strakk from Bionicle and Bulk from Brain Attack, for being unique and boring respectively.

Well, I didn't have much against "Inika clones", at least compared to the alternative we had been presented previously (that is to say, a new, specialized torso piece every wave). Truly the Inika TORSO itself was not the problem with most sets to use that build, being one of the most versatile prefab torso designs in BIONICLE due to its copious connection points, and I thoroughly enjoyed designs like Ackar, Tarix, Malum, Gresh, etc, not to mention making my own MOCs based on that standard.

And sadly, a lot of people who criticized Inika clones over the years criticize Hero Factory for the same reason. To many, the problem with this design was that parts and building techniques being used over and over was a bad thing, and Hero Factory has its own share of that with its standardized torso beams and its tendency to revisit certain armor styles. But IMO, I'd much rather have a versatile standard maintained than witness the incessant introduction of new, specialized, soon-to-be-obsolete torso designs that some BIONICLE fans tended to crave. I see no reason for something DIFFERENT to replace the current Hero Factory figure design unless it is something genuinely BETTER (for instance, the introduction of waist articulation in a way that doesn't significantly reduce the skeleton's connection points, or at least the introduction of separate armor pieces for the upper and lower body).

[DraikNova]

Hero Factory's standard torso idea is pretty useful. There's no need for rare and otherwise useless parts and just using the basic armors and bone structure you can make completely unique and very different characters.

[Bigger Fish]

I watched a few bits of the Korean Hero Factory episode and I had this thought about it. Is it just me, or is Hero Factory slowly getting darker and darker as time progresses? I mean, the ordeal of fire had that kind of creepy anti drug message to it. Savage planet had some creepy box art (Hero heads on stakes, anyone?) breakout had some dark undertones about organized crime and from what I can gather, (Saving my full opinions for the English version.) Brain attack is headed down the route of survival hororr plus continuing the galactic conspiracy started in breakout. Anyone else agree with me?

[Jetrax99]

I watched a few bits of the Korean Hero Factory episode and I had this thought about it. Is it just me, or is Hero Factory slowly getting darker and darker as time progresses? I mean, the ordeal of fire had that kind of creepy anti drug message to it. Savage planet had some creepy box art (Hero heads on stakes, anyone?) breakout had some dark undertones about organized crime and from what I can gather, (Saving my full opinions for the English version.) Brain attack is headed down the route of survival hororr plus continuing the galactic conspiracy started in breakout. Anyone else agree with me?

Indeed. Next thing you know, when (and if) Von Nebula makes his return, several heroes will go offline for good.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Jetrax99

[Devorath]

Still waiting for the BA 'end of January' update. :/

Edited February 8, 2013 by Devorath

[Omicron Squad Leader]

After receiving the sets yesterday, I can say that I am impressed. Rocka, Breez and Bulk, while bland overall, just seem to work, the villains are visually pleasing and are all unique, and Furno XL is a vast improvement on Stormer.

It's not; he just thinks it's better now with the new wave. It's also not a requisite to HAVE to favor both equally, which is the rhetoric that sometimes appears. You can, in fact, like one more than the other.

Obviously; I was reassuring him, due to the phrasing of his post and his constant focus on the [now exorbitantly annoying] Bionicle vs. Hero Factory debate, that it isn't something that needs to be forever debated in his head.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Omicron Squad Leader

[Cahillrebel]

Has anyone figured out how to put those horns seen on then villain launching the attack in the episode attach to the BP helmet?

[DraikNova]

Well, the top ones are just attached to the same holes BP's horns were attached to, but the lower ones I have no idea.

EDIT: Wait, just use two beam pieces to attach the second set to the axle ends of the other set.

Edited February 8, 2013 by DraikNova

[Vinyl Scratch]

Take note, that the villain has that shoulder armour that are basically Black Phantom's shoulders with a silver Quaza Spike connected to each one of them.

Thing is, that spike has NO way to be connected in real life. I think the guys that do the show are trolling us after all.

[Aanchir]

Take note, that the villain has that shoulder armour that are basically Black Phantom's shoulders with a silver Quaza Spike connected to each one of them.

Thing is, that spike has NO way to be connected in real life. I think the guys that do the show are trolling us after all.

I wouldn't call it trolling. As I figure it, this is not meant as an indication that this villain is coming out as a set, any more than other things in the show like Makuro or the FEDs from Rise of the Rookies, the guard robots from this episode, etc. And furthermore (though I haven't seen the episode so can't be certain) do we even know that this guy is the main villain? Even if he initiated the attack, he still could be a mere underling (of course, if so, he'd probably insist on the term "chief scientist" or whatnot).

Overall, if this guy IS the mastermind behind the whole conspiracy connected with the Breakout and Brain Attack story arcs, and the design is a placeholder, then I'd say my disappointment isn't that he isn't shown in a buildable form but that the cinematography is astoundingly sloppy, since a placeholder design for a central character who's supposed to appear mysterious should be hidden from view more effectively, not shown clearly enough to be picked apart. As it is, if this character is supposed to keep to the shadows, he's doing a remarkably poor job of it.

[Vinyl Scratch]

I wouldn't call it trolling. As I figure it, this is not meant as an indication that this villain is coming out as a set, any more than other things in the show like Makuro or the FEDs from Rise of the Rookies, the guard robots from this episode, etc. And furthermore (though I haven't seen the episode so can't be certain) do we even know that this guy is the main villain? Even if he initiated the attack, he still could be a mere underling (of course, if so, he'd probably insist on the term "chief scientist" or whatnot).

Overall, if this guy IS the mastermind behind the whole conspiracy connected with the Breakout and Brain Attack story arcs, and the design is a placeholder, then I'd say my disappointment isn't that he isn't shown in a buildable form but that the cinematography is astoundingly sloppy, since a placeholder design for a central character who's supposed to appear mysterious should be hidden from view more effectively, not shown clearly enough to be picked apart. As it is, if this character is supposed to keep to the shadows, he's doing a remarkably poor job of it.

Well the guard robots from this episode can be created. The head is the most annoying part to do though. And after thinking what you said then I now think that the villain that released the Brains is just a servant (of Von Nebula?). But I hope everything gets clearer when the english version of the episode arrives.

[DraikNova]

To be honest, the only real (reasonable) disappointment that I have with the episode is that they didn't show more of Dragon Bolt's takeover process. If they had managed to make a "cute" version of the dragon, like they did with Pyrox and to a lesser degree Frost Beast, that would have been icing on the cake.

I'm not too annoyed at the placeholder villain. After all, the makers have a deadline.

[MakutaDreadscythe]

Honestly, the fact that the villain is a placeholder bugs me. Either have a shadowy character that we don't know about or if we have to see him, please don't make him a BP clone, we don't need a case of "Will the real Black Phantom please stand up?"

[xxlrocka]

I like how everyone is saying he's a placeholder when there is no proof he is. He could be a new villain that just came out of nowhere and decided to work for Von Nebula, for all I care. But honestly, where's the proof he is a placeholder?

[mrfang2]

I like how everyone is saying he's a placeholder when there is no proof he is. He could be a new villain that just came out of nowhere and decided to work for Von Nebula, for all I care. But honestly, where's the proof he is a placeholder?

its just because he is almost exactly the same as black phantom just with different spikes on his head and slightly changed shoulders that physicaly can not be built in set form.

[vexorian]

I like how everyone is saying he's a placeholder when there is no proof he is. He could be a new villain that just came out of nowhere and decided to work for Von Nebula, for all I care. But honestly, where's the proof he is a placeholder?

They can give him a backstory and whatever. But what makes it a place holder is that it has no own design. It is basically a Black Phantom palette swap. Doesn't help that there were already 50 villains with black phantom's face.