Set Review! 8699 Takanuva
Entry posted by ~ShadowBolt~
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Yep, it's finally here. I present you my review of 8699 Takanuva at a whopping 2,000 words. XD
Set Review: 8699 Takanuva
By: ~ShadowBolt~
Welcome one and all! Today, I bring you a review of everyone’s favorite Toa of Light, Takanuva! Is he as good as everyone says? Are his little issues as bad as everyone says? Well, read on and find out!
Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
If you’re an unsuspecting buyer who just happened to be walking down the Lego isle, you have a really good chance of noticing Takanuva’s box. It’s sheer size and the imposing figure looming out of the box is just about the only thing that’ll attract buyers. The box isn’t brightly colored, and nor is it fancy, but it gets the job done with a simple and elegant design.
In the center, you see Takanuva in a defensive stance and firing his Midak Skyblaster at some unknown target. (You never see the target in the packaging do you?
) Also, his mask is quite large and he looks like he could fall down with that blockhead of his… In the background, you can see the familiar blue/green background of the Swamp of Secrets and the stalactites of Karda Nui high in the sky.
I personally have a little problem with this, from reading Bionicle Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets, my mental picture of the swamp is entirely different from the box. The swamp is personally a little too bright for my tastes and it doesn’t even resemble a swamp at all at a first glance. However, if you look closer, you can make out logs covered in green plant growth sticking out of the water, muddy islets and the greenish swamp water. It could be darker, but I don’t think it’s half-bad at all.
Surrounding this is a mechanical design with a circular design carved into it and it’s all in dark blue, which I find pleasant since blue is my favorite color. On the top are the words “Bionicle” and “Takanuva” in all caps. I don’t know why they didn’t give Takanuva the Toa title. It might have boosted sales since a Toa on steroids might appeal to younger fans.
On the bottom is the standard age range, piece count, set number section, the address of the official Bionicle website and The Lego Company’s logo.
Front of Box
The sides have the same boring text, legal information, etc… However, they added a life-size image of Takanuva’s mask. I don’t know why they did that, but it was a nice touch.
The back is far more interesting… You see Takanuva in a similar pose, with his action functions below him along with his “amazing” B.I.O. CODE that only leads to a disappointing rotational view of him; basically Takanuva spins around in a circle. On the right, there is an entire column devoted to decent sized pictures of Rockoh T3, Jetrax T6, and Axalara T9. Below them is a group shout of the Mistika.
Back of Box
Finally we crack open the box, but I want to tell you how you should open it. Even though the directions say to use the tabs, don’t use them. You’ll end up tearing the whole box open that way. Instead, think of the back flap as a door. Try to open it from one of the corners as neat as possible and if you do it right, it should open very neatly and from the front and sometimes the back, you can’t even tell that it was opened. It works that well.
Smart Way to Open Box
Anyways, the pieces pour out (which I’ll cover in a later section) in neat baggies numbered 1, 2, and 3 along with his blades and Midak separate. Along side all these pieces, is the ever so crucial instruction booklet.
Pieces and Booklet
This year, the instruction booklet is a little bit different. It tells you to pour out your pieces on a table, not the carpet and it tells you that you should keep pieces from each bag separate. Not pouring them into one big pile. Also, it tells you that which bag makes which part on Takanvua – bag one makes his body, bag two makes his legs, while bag three makes his arms and weapons.
It’s not a bad idea, but since I really didn’t need it, I really can’t say anything about it…
Instruction Booklet 1
Instruction Booklet 2
Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
Finally, we start the build. This build has to be one of the most interesting and fun builds I’ve ever encountered in my life. It’s so complex that I have to break this up into three sections.
Torso:
The design of the torso was a pleasant combination of the old and the new. It uses the familiar Inika torso, but that’s where the old basically ends. Everything else is basically building elongations to the torso and supports for the various limbs on Takanuva. It’s quite fun and interesting.
My favorite part would have to be Takanuva’s neck. Surprisingly, it is actually double jointed very much the way Maxilo’s was. That allows him some more poseability and it just makes him even cooler.
Torso Pieces
Built Torso
Legs:
I have to admit this, building the legs is my least favorite part of building a Bionicle warrior set, but I enjoyed building his legs more than previous years. I dunno why… probably because they were extremely customized and extremely interesting for me to build. However, building the exact same leg the second time around is a bit boring, but what’cha going to do?
The double-jointed design of the knees are pretty clever and I’m sure that would come in handy of one of the sockets in the knees were to crack. Then, the knee could still support the weight of Takanuva fairly well.
Another thing about his feet is that when you hold the first Technic beam in your hand, you think, “His feet are going to be way too big…” But guess what? They don’t look bad at all.
Large Leg Pieces
Small Leg Pieces
Front of Leg
Side of Leg
Back of Leg
Takanuva w/ Legs
Arms:
These were a little more fun for me to build. The design was fairly custom and simple at the same time ( try doing that MOCers!
) Also, another odd thing about the arms is that the shoulder and elbow are not aligned with each other on the arms. It’s not a big deal and it doesn’t bother me at all.
Arm Pieces
Lance Arm
Midak Arm
Weapons:
The Power Lance is a weapon that is both complex and simple at the same and it was a fun weapon to build and the result is nice.
The Midak on Takanuva is just a small upgrade from your standard everyday version meaning that unlike other sets, there is an attachment on Takanuva's that allows it to be attached to his arm. I see it as a better version of my Midak attachment to my Makuta Spiriah MOC from a few months ago.
Power Lance
~~~~~~
When you’re done building each limb, it’s a simple matter of snapping them onto the basic joint and attaching the support too. The weapons are just placed onto Takanuva and you’re finished.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
Now that you have finished him, Takanuva looks stunning! His sheer height and armored build look incredibly intimidating and cool. Please allow me to go over every part in his body in detail.
Takanuva Complete
Torso:
It looks incredibly well designed from the front. The gunmetal Bitil wing does its job well, and you really can’t tell that it really wasn’t designed to be torso armor at all. Also, thanks to the armor and Takanuva’s large mask, the neck fortunately doesn’t stick out very much, so that’s great.
The back is honestly a little rough, but it doesn’t look all that bad and if you decide not to buy Takanuva because of the back, I’ll just have to call you dumb.
I remember reading another member saying that Takanuva’s Matoran arm supports can be considered as shoulder blades and I have to agree with him.
The last thing about this torso is that the hip supports don’t stick out on him like they do on Icarax. That’s due to his large design.
Front of Takanuva
Side of Takanuva
Back of Takanuva
Legs:
These legs happen to be designed incredibly well and I really have no complaints about them. The gunmetal thigh pads are a nice touch and they don’t protrude awkwardly at all. The gaps on the shins can bother some people but they don’t on me and they really aren’t that big at all in the first place. One odd thing I noticed was that his thighs and shins were exactly the same width, so if you think about it, it’s kind of odd. Usually, thighs are larger and they narrow down to the shins.
Arms:
They look great and there really isn’t anything bad to say about them. I quite like the Takadox heads, but they’re pretty freaky at the same time too. The claws are a bit awkward for me, but if I keep his hand pieces at a angle, they look much better.
Umm... Takadox? You don't mind getting off of my shoulders, do you?
Weapons:
The Power Lance is a very interesting weapon that looks powerful and elegant at the same time. Surprisingly, the blades are very sturdy on the lance and they don’t seem to move about very much.
The Midak Skyblaster attachment is really clever because it allows Takanuva one free hand and thanks to the supports, they don’t weigh down the sets at all. Best of all, it looks great!
~~~~~~
Before we move on, allow me to describe Takanuva’s new and interesting pieces in detail. The new pieces include: the new Avohkii, the gunmetal Bitil wing, and the white claws on his hands.
The recolored pieces include his white socket joints (not pictured), two white Hordika feet, the two gunmetal Pohatu propeller arms, and the large white piece that makes up the bulk of his legs.
New Pieces
You know, Takanuva really doesn’t have that many new pieces, regardless, it really doesn’t give him the “feel” that he is old, but he doesn’t give the feel that he is “brand-spanking new”. You know what I mean?
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?
I haven’t played with Takanuva yet, but I have posed him quite often. From what I can tell, he is incredibly poseable, but the supporting joints tend to limit his movement in some ways.
The one think I really look forward to with Takanuva is the knowledge that when I play with him he won’t fall down like Maxilos would and that his joints won’t loosen like mine Brutaka did…
Unlike most sets, Takanuva boasts a total of 16 points of articulation including his double-jointed neck and claws. That’s an incredible number for any Bionicle set and it makes Takanuva even more fun to play with.
I could blab on and on, but I think this review is long enough and I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.
Smackdown
Against the Wall
Piggyback
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Pros
What's to like?
What’s not to like?
There you go! Hoped that review helped you decide whether to get Takanuva or not and I hoped you enjoyed reading it.
~SB~
Set Review: 8699 Takanuva
By: ~ShadowBolt~
Welcome one and all! Today, I bring you a review of everyone’s favorite Toa of Light, Takanuva! Is he as good as everyone says? Are his little issues as bad as everyone says? Well, read on and find out!
Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
If you’re an unsuspecting buyer who just happened to be walking down the Lego isle, you have a really good chance of noticing Takanuva’s box. It’s sheer size and the imposing figure looming out of the box is just about the only thing that’ll attract buyers. The box isn’t brightly colored, and nor is it fancy, but it gets the job done with a simple and elegant design.
In the center, you see Takanuva in a defensive stance and firing his Midak Skyblaster at some unknown target. (You never see the target in the packaging do you?
) Also, his mask is quite large and he looks like he could fall down with that blockhead of his… In the background, you can see the familiar blue/green background of the Swamp of Secrets and the stalactites of Karda Nui high in the sky. I personally have a little problem with this, from reading Bionicle Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets, my mental picture of the swamp is entirely different from the box. The swamp is personally a little too bright for my tastes and it doesn’t even resemble a swamp at all at a first glance. However, if you look closer, you can make out logs covered in green plant growth sticking out of the water, muddy islets and the greenish swamp water. It could be darker, but I don’t think it’s half-bad at all.
Surrounding this is a mechanical design with a circular design carved into it and it’s all in dark blue, which I find pleasant since blue is my favorite color. On the top are the words “Bionicle” and “Takanuva” in all caps. I don’t know why they didn’t give Takanuva the Toa title. It might have boosted sales since a Toa on steroids might appeal to younger fans.
On the bottom is the standard age range, piece count, set number section, the address of the official Bionicle website and The Lego Company’s logo.Front of Box
The sides have the same boring text, legal information, etc… However, they added a life-size image of Takanuva’s mask. I don’t know why they did that, but it was a nice touch.
The back is far more interesting… You see Takanuva in a similar pose, with his action functions below him along with his “amazing” B.I.O. CODE that only leads to a disappointing rotational view of him; basically Takanuva spins around in a circle. On the right, there is an entire column devoted to decent sized pictures of Rockoh T3, Jetrax T6, and Axalara T9. Below them is a group shout of the Mistika.
Back of Box
Finally we crack open the box, but I want to tell you how you should open it. Even though the directions say to use the tabs, don’t use them. You’ll end up tearing the whole box open that way. Instead, think of the back flap as a door. Try to open it from one of the corners as neat as possible and if you do it right, it should open very neatly and from the front and sometimes the back, you can’t even tell that it was opened. It works that well.
Smart Way to Open Box
Anyways, the pieces pour out (which I’ll cover in a later section) in neat baggies numbered 1, 2, and 3 along with his blades and Midak separate. Along side all these pieces, is the ever so crucial instruction booklet.
Pieces and Booklet
This year, the instruction booklet is a little bit different. It tells you to pour out your pieces on a table, not the carpet and it tells you that you should keep pieces from each bag separate. Not pouring them into one big pile. Also, it tells you that which bag makes which part on Takanvua – bag one makes his body, bag two makes his legs, while bag three makes his arms and weapons.
It’s not a bad idea, but since I really didn’t need it, I really can’t say anything about it…
Instruction Booklet 1
Instruction Booklet 2
Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
Finally, we start the build. This build has to be one of the most interesting and fun builds I’ve ever encountered in my life. It’s so complex that I have to break this up into three sections.
Torso:
The design of the torso was a pleasant combination of the old and the new. It uses the familiar Inika torso, but that’s where the old basically ends. Everything else is basically building elongations to the torso and supports for the various limbs on Takanuva. It’s quite fun and interesting.
My favorite part would have to be Takanuva’s neck. Surprisingly, it is actually double jointed very much the way Maxilo’s was. That allows him some more poseability and it just makes him even cooler.
Torso Pieces
Built Torso
Legs:
I have to admit this, building the legs is my least favorite part of building a Bionicle warrior set, but I enjoyed building his legs more than previous years. I dunno why… probably because they were extremely customized and extremely interesting for me to build. However, building the exact same leg the second time around is a bit boring, but what’cha going to do?
The double-jointed design of the knees are pretty clever and I’m sure that would come in handy of one of the sockets in the knees were to crack. Then, the knee could still support the weight of Takanuva fairly well.
Another thing about his feet is that when you hold the first Technic beam in your hand, you think, “His feet are going to be way too big…” But guess what? They don’t look bad at all.
Large Leg Pieces
Small Leg Pieces
Front of Leg
Side of Leg
Back of Leg
Takanuva w/ Legs
Arms:
These were a little more fun for me to build. The design was fairly custom and simple at the same time ( try doing that MOCers!
) Also, another odd thing about the arms is that the shoulder and elbow are not aligned with each other on the arms. It’s not a big deal and it doesn’t bother me at all.Arm Pieces
Lance Arm
Midak Arm
Weapons:
The Power Lance is a weapon that is both complex and simple at the same and it was a fun weapon to build and the result is nice.
The Midak on Takanuva is just a small upgrade from your standard everyday version meaning that unlike other sets, there is an attachment on Takanuva's that allows it to be attached to his arm. I see it as a better version of my Midak attachment to my Makuta Spiriah MOC from a few months ago.
Power Lance
~~~~~~
When you’re done building each limb, it’s a simple matter of snapping them onto the basic joint and attaching the support too. The weapons are just placed onto Takanuva and you’re finished.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
Now that you have finished him, Takanuva looks stunning! His sheer height and armored build look incredibly intimidating and cool. Please allow me to go over every part in his body in detail.
Takanuva Complete
Torso:
It looks incredibly well designed from the front. The gunmetal Bitil wing does its job well, and you really can’t tell that it really wasn’t designed to be torso armor at all. Also, thanks to the armor and Takanuva’s large mask, the neck fortunately doesn’t stick out very much, so that’s great.
The back is honestly a little rough, but it doesn’t look all that bad and if you decide not to buy Takanuva because of the back, I’ll just have to call you dumb.
I remember reading another member saying that Takanuva’s Matoran arm supports can be considered as shoulder blades and I have to agree with him.The last thing about this torso is that the hip supports don’t stick out on him like they do on Icarax. That’s due to his large design.
Front of Takanuva
Side of Takanuva
Back of Takanuva
Legs:
These legs happen to be designed incredibly well and I really have no complaints about them. The gunmetal thigh pads are a nice touch and they don’t protrude awkwardly at all. The gaps on the shins can bother some people but they don’t on me and they really aren’t that big at all in the first place. One odd thing I noticed was that his thighs and shins were exactly the same width, so if you think about it, it’s kind of odd. Usually, thighs are larger and they narrow down to the shins.
Arms:
They look great and there really isn’t anything bad to say about them. I quite like the Takadox heads, but they’re pretty freaky at the same time too. The claws are a bit awkward for me, but if I keep his hand pieces at a angle, they look much better.
Umm... Takadox? You don't mind getting off of my shoulders, do you?
Weapons:
The Power Lance is a very interesting weapon that looks powerful and elegant at the same time. Surprisingly, the blades are very sturdy on the lance and they don’t seem to move about very much.
The Midak Skyblaster attachment is really clever because it allows Takanuva one free hand and thanks to the supports, they don’t weigh down the sets at all. Best of all, it looks great!
~~~~~~
Before we move on, allow me to describe Takanuva’s new and interesting pieces in detail. The new pieces include: the new Avohkii, the gunmetal Bitil wing, and the white claws on his hands.
The recolored pieces include his white socket joints (not pictured), two white Hordika feet, the two gunmetal Pohatu propeller arms, and the large white piece that makes up the bulk of his legs.
New Pieces
You know, Takanuva really doesn’t have that many new pieces, regardless, it really doesn’t give him the “feel” that he is old, but he doesn’t give the feel that he is “brand-spanking new”. You know what I mean?
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?
I haven’t played with Takanuva yet, but I have posed him quite often. From what I can tell, he is incredibly poseable, but the supporting joints tend to limit his movement in some ways.
The one think I really look forward to with Takanuva is the knowledge that when I play with him he won’t fall down like Maxilos would and that his joints won’t loosen like mine Brutaka did…
Unlike most sets, Takanuva boasts a total of 16 points of articulation including his double-jointed neck and claws. That’s an incredible number for any Bionicle set and it makes Takanuva even more fun to play with.
I could blab on and on, but I think this review is long enough and I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.
Smackdown
Against the Wall
Piggyback
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Pros
What's to like?
- It's Takanuva.
- Avohkii resembles old version.
- The design is great and he is heavily armored.
- Weapons are stunning.
- Color scheme pattern is very similar to his old version.
- Is incredibly stable.
- Is incredibly stable.
- Still has white.
What’s not to like?
- His back is a little rough.
- Might seem too big for a Toa for some people.
- Some people may not like the blue and red pins (I don’t mind them)
- The lack of gold may irk people (Again, I don’t mind it)
There you go! Hoped that review helped you decide whether to get Takanuva or not and I hoped you enjoyed reading it.
~SB~
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