Hero Factory 2013

[Jetrax99]

Actually, in the 1.0 Surge I got, his core was trans-neon green.

Also, we still haven't had a MTIS in blue, lime green, gunmetal or gold, so that's what I'm hoping will be used in the summer.

On the subject of larger sets, I think making Surge's villain the main "enemy" would be nice. If it's dark blue, so much the better. And I expect that LEGO will make a new cladding add-on similar to the brain slugs to indicate the boss.

Your Surge had a trans-neon core? That's weird. Wonder how you came across such an oddball, or how even such an oddball came to exist.

[Aanchir]

Actually, in the 1.0 Surge I got, his core was trans-neon green.

Really? That's a real surprise to me. Most instances of two different colors appearing as variants within a single set involve a color being discontinued in between production runs of a set, such as how various 2010 sets including Dunkan Bulk and Mark Surge could have their silver elements either in the classic BIONICLE silver (131 Silver) or the new silver that became standard in 2011 (315 Silver Metallic).

Which isn't to say there aren't exceptions. In 2009, the initial variant of Fero & Skirmix had the quite common Transparent Fluorescent Green Bohrok eyes, but the variant released later in the year with different box art to promote the movie had the rarer Transparent Yellow Bohrok eyes.

Personally, I like how the 2.0 wave switched Furno and Surge's accent colors slightly, so that Furno's head became a purer yellow and Surge's became a yellowish-green. Certainly this lessened the contrast with the primary colors slightly, but every time I've tried switching Surge's head with Furno's I've recognized how garish that would have been on both sets.

Also, we still haven't had a MTIS in blue, lime green, gunmetal or gold, so that's what I'm hoping will be used in the summer.

Can't argue there. While I'm certainly not insistent that EVERY PART exist in EVERY COLOR, the MTIS is a quite nice piece for use as back armor, a weapon component, or any number of other things. So while I don't demand its existence in more colors, I certainly would be quite happy if it did start to show up in these colors.

On the subject of larger sets, I think making Surge's villain the main "enemy" would be nice. If it's dark blue, so much the better. And I expect that LEGO will make a new cladding add-on similar to the brain slugs to indicate the boss.

Hmmm, not sure how I'd feel about that. Not because I'd dislike a bright blue or earth blue main bad guy, but because story-wise, at least, Surge has actually taken down a major villain twice (Fire Lord in Ordeal of Fire and Core Hunter in The Doom Box). An organic brain-slug-like decoration piece could indeed be cool, though.

Edited October 26, 2012 by Aanchir

[Vinyl Scratch]

I'm assuming Brain Attack will continue for Summer 2013, for the sole reason that none of the current villains look like the "boss". I'm guessing Lego has learned with Breakout to release the final baddie in the Summer wave instead.

Not to mention that the Brain Attack was mentioned as being an outbreak (I think), and I don't think an epidemic outbreak would get "fixed" in one half of the year. :P

[Shakar]

I meant that I'd like Nex to have 5m shells included in his build.

Ah, I see now. Nex never used 5M shells in his build (not counting the name badges- BTW, I miss those, especially the 2.0 ones. They reminded me of some Beast Wars figures, the Transmetals 2 IIRC), except Nex 3.0 on his thighs..which were silver. If my theory is right (=all 5 Summer Heroes are going to be 12.99 Euro figures- a big if, since they haven't released more than 4 medium sized figures in one wave since Bionicle 2009), they won't have any excuse to not use 5M orange shells on him this time.

I agree- I'd love to see the 'Metru' blue make its return. I wonder what the villain would be like..

Maybe it too would be electric-themed villain? What do you think?

If he looks different enough from Voltix then sure, why not? For him and Surge, I can see the return of (likely recoloured versions of) Voltix's and Pyrox's weapons.

I wouldn't mind seeing more MTIS used. Perhaps the ice monster would be a good place to utilize those pieces..

I'm not sure of how MTIS would look on 2013 Villains. They have a really organic and rounded look, while the MTIS is the essence of the Heroes' aesthetics- smooth, clean, futuristic looking and angular.

But I'd definitely like to see it on Heroes, especially if it meant getting more recolours of it. Out of the Hero main colours, blue, lime and gold is all we're missing, right? I'm not sure about gold, but I can see at least one of the other 2 colours popping out, especially blue.

I would love to see a full dark green Hero, but I'm not sure if I'd have much use for olive. Perhaps it could be used on a villain?

I haven't laid my hands on Olive yet, maybe that's why I'm so curious about it. I can see it getting used on a swamp themed villain (Ogrum is more akin to jungle). I agree it's far less likely to appear on a Hero- none of them look like they'd incorporate it well, except maybe Bulk (the darkest coloured Hero along Stringer, already sported green highlights in Breakout).

I know the feeling, mate.

I do eet all the time

I feel relieved.

Light Stone Grey may not be listed as a color for any post-2010 parts on Bricklink, but several 2011 NXT sensors used that color, though since the individual components are preassembled electronic components they're not listed as those colors on Bricklink. On the other hand, this image of a 2013 palette doesn't seem to list it... a real surprise, and a real shame, since it gave the NXT sets such a nice appearance. I suppose it was too similar to white for most people to tell the difference, so I'm not too surprised if it's being discontinued.

The reason for the reddish-brown element in Vezon and Fenrakk may be related to that some preliminary image of Fenrakk show him using Reddish Brown in place of Dark Red. It's possible that when it was decided to change him to Dark Red (probably due to either the cost of so many parts in new colors or focus groups or retailers wanting a brighter-colored set), the one brown piece on the staff was kept.

I see it now, thanks!

I'm assuming Brain Attack will continue for Summer 2013, for the sole reason that none of the current villains look like the "boss". I'm guessing Lego has learned with Breakout to release the final baddie in the Summer wave instead.

This, pretty much. I didn't mind getting BP in Winter but we're getting quite the hype about the Villain Leader this way. I'm hoping for some horrific abomination that makes Scarox look like a kitty.

Personally, I like how the 2.0 wave switched Furno and Surge's accent colors slightly, so that Furno's head became a purer yellow and Surge's became a yellowish-green. Certainly this lessened the contrast with the primary colors slightly, but every time I've tried switching Surge's head with Furno's I've recognized how garish that would have been on both sets.

I think the reason comes from the difference between transparent and solid colours. The first ones can be easily used as accents since they're less noticeable at first glance, while the second ones feel more "heavy" and thus are immediately recognized as an integrant part of the colour scheme. Edited October 26, 2012 by Shakar

[DraikNova]

If we get a recolored Voltix weapon on Surge, it will probably be silver and (trans-)yellow.

[The Crazy One]

Well, I'm back. These sets have me unconvinced to be quite honest. I didn't continue with my breakout collection past Rocka sadly, and again to me he feels the only real set that works and is worth getting.

Furno XL looks like a nice set but on closer inspection it seems the designers have completely ignored the gaping hole there seems to be on his lower torso. Maybe it's just the perspective. Also I'm seeing possible mobility issues in the arms. Maybe just perspective again.

Breeze is just horrible. Silver helmet now, a flimsy bow-spear-staff-thing, poor armouring on the legs, and a buzz saw for a shield. Sounds like a moc I'd make...

Bulk hasn't been too badly designed but what is that in his right hand? A drill with a flick fire missile. It's almost embarrassing. I would have been happy with a mace or something, but just the head of a drill?!

Rocka = nailed. Coherent design, good colours, and a lovely sword.

Onto the villains, and Bruizer is a good set I can't deny that. New ideas, not seen before, very impressed. Shame I'm not a fan of his head.

Ogrum just looks like a product of food poisoning.

Waspix, sorry I mean Scarox has a cool head but yet again a highly uninspiring build. I can't believe we have yet another yellow multi limbed villain. Running out of ideas?

Pyrox is quite cool actually. Might pick him up as well. Solid build, helmet harkening back to the Piraka, though perhaps slightly large for the torso.

It's evident this line will have a summer wave as well, and I really hope it improves because the whole head crab idea thing is a great one, just poorly executed. Breakout (even though I only bought one set) was a really really great line, and I'm disappointed this is such a massive fall in quality. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but those are my thoughts so far. Legends of Chima for me.

[DraikNova]

Why is everyone hating on Breeze?

[Jetrax99]

And why is everyone comparing Scarox's head to that of Waspix? They look nothing alike.

[DraikNova]

I think it's just the fact that they're both insect-like four-armed creatures. And apparently gold and yellow seem similar to some people.

[Kalhiki]

Why is everyone hating on Breeze?

I have no idea. I feel all the Heroes are great. Even Furno and Bulk who are starting to warm up on me.

Kalhiki

[Aanchir]

Personally, I would probably appreciate Scarox more if he were more like Waspix and XT4. Both of those sets, after all, had great economy of design, using the new building system quite well to create uniquely non-humanoid villains with great articulation and well-organized motifs. Scarox, on the other hand, has awkward articulation (four arms but no elbows on any of them), an awkward Technic construction on his back where there probably could have been dozens of preferable alternatives based on the HF building system, topped off with lots of awkwardly-organized motifs (gold shells on his legs, black shells as his hands, black feet, gold claws, and a bunch of parts that simply fail to match one another stylistically). Did I mention that he lacks armor on many of his limbs? Waspix and XT4 had a similar trait, but they pulled it off a lot better, perhaps in part because it was clear that the budget for those shells went towards lengthening their legs and giving them multiple limbs. Here, Scarox is also cutting corners, but for what? That horrendous Technic construction? It's possible that he has some hidden brilliance-- perhaps somehow that Technic construction actually does something meaningful rather than being merely a clumsy way of connecting extra limbs while using the HF building system as little as possible. But I'm currently not seeing much he has to offer.

Breez is an OK design but nowhere near as brilliant as her Breakout depiction. Her skimpy leg armor and less coherent color scheme leave much to be desired. But I like most of the other aspects of her design. While she's alone in having a differently-colored mask than her classic incarnations, I think the silver-with-green-visor look works pretty well for her, and her weapons seem like they'd suit her fighting style. Additionally, the weapons have a very unified aesthetic. But the rest of the set's build isn't anything stunning-- neither extremely unique nor extremely consistent with her teammates, besides the single shoulder pad look which all of the smaller heroes share.

[The Crazy One]

I think it's just the fact that they're both insect-like four-armed creatures. And apparently gold and yellow seem similar to some people.

Ignoring the condescending nature of your post, that's probably because they are very similar colours, and frankly, there is nothing to suggest that Scarox isn't just a darker yellow.

I'm surprised people are so sympathetic with this wave to be honest, especially when compared to Breakout. I admit, I was harsh on it, but there is very little to excite me in any of the sets. I also think there needs to be some sort of variation in the plating on the figures in the next wave. I don't think a couple of new weapons and masks justifies the fact that every wave the figures have essentially been the same since Ordeal of Fire.

[Lyichir]

Ignoring the condescending nature of your post, that's probably because they are very similar colours, and frankly, there is nothing to suggest that Scarox isn't just a darker yellow.

I'm surprised people are so sympathetic with this wave to be honest, especially when compared to Breakout. I admit, I was harsh on it, but there is very little to excite me in any of the sets. I also think there needs to be some sort of variation in the plating on the figures in the next wave. I don't think a couple of new weapons and masks justifies the fact that every wave the figures have essentially been the same since Ordeal of Fire.

Scarox is definitely gold. The only darker yellows I can think of that Lego currently uses are Flame Yellowish Orange (Keetorange) and, to a lesser extent, Sand Yellow (Dark Tan). And Scarox doesn't really match either of those.

And personally, I'm quite happy with them including more recolors than new molds in terms of armor designs for the heroes. In Bionicle you could never really count on an armor piece ever appearing again after the year of its debut, let alone in a new color. With Hero Factory, whether parts will come out in a desired color has often been not a matter of if, but of when.

[Aanchir]

I'm surprised people are so sympathetic with this wave to be honest, especially when compared to Breakout. I admit, I was harsh on it, but there is very little to excite me in any of the sets. I also think there needs to be some sort of variation in the plating on the figures in the next wave. I don't think a couple of new weapons and masks justifies the fact that every wave the figures have essentially been the same since Ordeal of Fire.

The figures haven't been the same since Ordeal of Fire, that's the thing. I, for one, appreciate that unlike with BIONICLE, the set designs in Hero Factory can end up with very unique appearances by actually changing the build rather than just introducing lots of specialized new molds each year. The helmet molds are still very specialized, but as far as weapon molds are concerned the sets are definitely moving towards weapons with appearances derived from their build rather than just the molds they use. Similarly, with the figures, nobody would confuse Evo or Surge from the Breakout series with any of the 2.0 or 3.0 sets even if you gave them the same helmet-- the ways the color schemes and existing molds are organized gives each a unique look. XT4 also stands out significantly from Waspix in his proportions and industrial-looking design, even though they have near-identical color schemes and very similar anatomy. Likewise, this series' Bruizer and Ogrum are entirely unlike any figures that came before them, and the new molds are almost inconsequential in giving either set a unique look.

This isn't to say that BIONICLE sets were all repetitive. The Barraki may have had some of the most specialized armor molds of any series (what with their distinctive sea creature motifs), but their builds were wonderfully diverse and made them the first canister set series to eliminate clone builds entirely. Later, the Phantoka Toa Nuva, Glatorian, and Glatorian Legends made brilliant use of pre-existing elements to create unique character designs, which is quite a feat considering that the elements they were using were inherently far more specialized in their designs than the more minimalist designs of the various Hero Factory shells and beams.

If Hero Factory does introduce new parts, I don't want it to be just an excuse to stop using the older parts which work perfectly well at what they do. Rather, I want to see more new parts that expand the range of the building system, such as XT4's 5x6 torso beam, Bulk's rectangular shell detail elements, the Super Heroes chest element, and the 3M Hero Factory tri-hole beam element from Stormer XL and Speeda Demon. These don't radically depart from the smooth designs of the previous Hero Factory elements, but what they do is allow for more diverse armor configurations for future sets.

[DraikNova]

That "uniqueness through build"-factor is exactly why I liked the 2.0 helmets so much. If the Brain Attack sets have interchangeable visors, I'll be glad LEGO's realised that that's a good idea.

When it comes to new parts, I would like to see a dedicated add-on torso piece, like a smaller version of XT4's torso, but with one less hole and without the top balljoint. This would be perfect for say, a titan build or a spider.

[Aethersprite]

The 2013 sets aren't particularly bad. They seem to be, or rather, they're disappointing, simply because they pale in comparison to the Breakout sets. In Breakout, even the smaller sets (or should I say, especially the smaller sets) manage to pull off an outstanding and unique design with so few pieces. The Brain Attack sets, however, seem a little uninspired. It's probably got to do with the whole melee-weapon-and-shield combo that all the Heroes sport, giving them some uniformity and taking away some of the uniqueness their Breakout counterparts have. So while the Brain Attack sets aren't bad per se, we're probably downplaying their design more so because we're comparing them with Breakout.

[Dorek]

I dunno, the Breakout sets were pretty uniform, what with the launchers and Hero Cuffs and all. I think the problem is an emphasis on metallic colors again, as was occasionally an issue with BIONICLE. Although we do get some new colors introduced, they're primarily dark in nature, which is a definite shift away from the bright colors we're used to seeing in HF, even in the villains.

[Cirkit]

That reminds me- there haven't been any Hero Cuffs released with the sets this year! Are we supposed to assume that the way the Heroes take down the Villains is through the brain-slugs?

I'm glad the colors are getting.. darker.. but I think the villains should stay bright in color while the villains go dark. Just think that works best.

I wonder what the purpose of Bulk's weapon is? I've been thinking more and more, perhaps it shoots lazers?

[Kalhiki]

They probably take down villains the same way they did before the Breakout when they didn't have Hero Cuffs.

And I'm still saying Bulk's weapon is melee. I know it kinda goes against his character, but why does it have to be a gun?

Kalhiki

[Aanchir]

They probably take down villains the same way they did before the Breakout when they didn't have Hero Cuffs.

And I'm still saying Bulk's weapon is melee. I know it kinda goes against his character, but why does it have to be a gun?

Kalhiki

Why would it go against his character? He had melee weapons as a 3.0 hero that seemed even more incongruous with his traditional set depictions, and in the books at least he relies on his brawn just as much as he relies on projectile weapons. I think a drill seems perfectly suited to Bulk, even if a drill doesn't seem to be quite the same style of weapon as his teammates' melee weapons. The only problem I have with his drill is that it feels a bit tacked-on when it doesn't have anything built behind it other than a few small Technic connectors. At least Drilldozer had his "engine block" shell, even if that wasn't integrated that well with the drill itself.

[Kalhiki]

Why would it go against his character? He had melee weapons as a 3.0 hero that seemed even more incongruous with his traditional set depictions, and in the books at least he relies on his brawn just as much as he relies on projectile weapons. I think a drill seems perfectly suited to Bulk, even if a drill doesn't seem to be quite the same style of weapon as his teammates' melee weapons. The only problem I have with his drill is that it feels a bit tacked-on when it doesn't have anything built behind it other than a few small Technic connectors. At least Drilldozer had his "engine block" shell, even if that wasn't integrated that well with the drill itself.

Yeah I was talking about his lack of a ranged weapon. I don't know, I always push the SP Heroes out of my head since they just seem so different from what we usually get. They're cool, but I don't know. They just never seemed as prominent as the other wave Heroes.

And I agree, the drill is pretty nice. And the fact that it actually has a projectile gives him an advantage over the other Heroes (as none of them have ranged weapons of any kind). And yeah, that engine block would be very welcome and I can assure you I'll attempt to find a way to attach one onto the drill.

Kalhiki

[DraikNova]

It would have been a lot better if they had included a silver engine block instead of the flick fire missile.

[Aanchir]

It would have been a lot better if they had included a silver engine block instead of the flick fire missile.

Well, I doubt that would have fit within the budget. The drill is already a pretty sizeable tool on its own. The flick-fire missile was probably the most they could afford to add without raising the price point. With that said, that would have been cooler if it could have been managed.

[Cirkit]

Ah well, that's why we revamp things :3

I hope Scarox's jaw actually moves. It would be a bummer if it was just molded to look like it does.

Breez is slowly starting to grow on me. Perhaps it's the spear/bow thing, perhaps it's the helmet.

The green trans parts should be interesting..

If the Brain Attack story continues, I hope that the titan set has more than one Brain Slug. Wouldn't that be cool?

I hope someone who isn't Stormer, Furno, or Rocka get to battle the big leader baddie. It would be a nice change to see Stringer go crazy on a giant black monster titan's butt.

Not like that :P

[DraikNova]

Or Breeze for that matter.