jimmybob83

Update! After a very long wait, finally got my latest shipment. Pretty happy with some, some need tweaked. Images up. And shapeways actually didn't even send me one of the masks I ordered, oopsie on them.

The night I uploaded the Krodan, the website malfunctioned, and so I tried again and the same thing happened - there was a forum topic about it, everything anyone uploaded at that time was frozen in limbo. So I tried again the next day and the third attempt was the one that went up. The other old ones must finally be unfreezing is all, I'll edit it. I figured any Karzahni MOC would be big so I made the mask large, yeah. I suppose I could shrink a version down but that would mean a lot of tweaking to make the horns thicker for printing purposes.

Wow, that's a lot of replies, thanks everyone. 1) Sorry to disappoint but, I'm one of those old purist curmudgeons, I really don't have much interest in Bionicle 2015. 2) It's a possibility for the future, it wouldn't be very hard, actually. 3) That is actually a really good idea, I hadn't considered that. You're right, of course, but you're also right that it's nitpicky I'll see what I can do but no promises. In order for that to happen completely, we'd have to rewrite and delete most of the fanon-canon masks of strange weirdness, I think some people would dig their heels in against that, sadly. I really don't think so, sorry. I can't think of any, really, aside from maybe the Noble Hau. Like mentioned above, someone already made an awesome Mask of Shadows, and I just noticed yesterday that the dude who made the movie edition Mask of Light finally put his up for sale, I just bought one in my latest batch. Hey, someone should contact both of them and have them collaborate to make that Mask of Light-and-Shadow.

The Mask of Elemental Energy is out of Beta, and images of it and the Mask of Life, and the updated Blocko mask are up, along with a rendering of an improved version of the second Blocko mask. Thanks! I'd seen that Blocko set before, actually, but to me it just looked like a bad imitation of an Akaku... Not sure if I'll get to that one. I might be tweaking some of the ones already uploaded but I think that for now, I'll be stopping. There are definitely some more things I'd like to make but I think I need to practice and improve to do the things in my head any justice. Check the front post. Updated in what way? As for the Mask of Mechanics, like I said before: that's how I interpreted it looking, and I can only model what I see. It's my limitation. I'm the least artistic person on the planet - I don't have the ability to "make it swoopier" unless I can see it and copy it. I toootally cannot "envision the statue within the marble." So if you want to make a series of awesome sketches, I can copy them. But I can't just invent a wooshier version of it. And honestly, when I made it, (I think it was the third one I made,) I didn't have any idea I'd like the process so much and improve and do all the rest of these, I just did it because I thought it would be easy and fun. As for the Krodan, I'm copying a piece of plastic that already exists in the real world. I'm very happy with the accuracy of it, http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=6210755 especially, the bottom half that you're talking about. While we're on the subject, just because this issue's been brought up a dozen times, we've all seen the Pakari, yes? And Great Matatu, and Great Komau...? Plenty of masks are lacking in side-lower-face cover. And, as far as I know, I haven't had any "buyer" complaints, just vague criticisms from non-buyers.

I'm glad that the masks are working out, and thanks for sharing the MOC picture! I'll keep working until I run out of options, or hit a brick wall as far as skill is concerned. Case in point: for anyone who was hoping for a Mask of Possibilities... well... I tried, but... it really looks horrid. So that one won't be happening, most likely. That really only leaves the Mask of Clairvoyance (which I'm working on but I'm having trouble with the forehead ridge) and possibly one other mask, then I'm pretty sure I'll be "done."

Exactly, shapeways bases their price on volume total, volume of plastic, etc. So since my huuuge titan-sized Olisi cost $15 before markup... how do smaller masks cost $17-$27 before markup...? Your feedback isn't nearly detailed enough to be constructive. The MoL's shape is "off"... how? In what way? Where? To what degree? The Mask of Healing has "weird bends"... where? What makes you think they're weird? How would you have it differently? How do you feel about the Masks of Sensory Aptitude, or Weight Increase? How do you define a bad "hard edge"? How do you feel about the hard edges of the Kakama? About polycounts, as has been discussed before, your printed product is limited in detail by accuracy of the printer and polishing. The one several people have pointed to is the Olisi, saying they see the squares on the surface in the 3D preview. But at least to me, those are completely invisible in the actual finished product that I put up pictures of. I can't see any of those things on the one in my hands. So I stand by the fact that the models are just as detailed as they need to be. To me, working with smaller, more numerous polys is much more difficult, so I don't start out with a high-def object for simplicity's sake.

Thanks for the kind comments. No one particular template, but I find it easiest by far to start off with some sort of geometric shape, usually a sphere or "capsule" and then modify from there. As for the connector, I found some measurements online for that. If I remember correctly, (I'm not home atm,) for the wide bit I use 4.85mm and the narrow bit 1.25mm. Like I said before, some come out quite snug, while others of the exact same starting size come out loose, I assume due to polishing. I would honestly love to see these people that are selling masks for cheaper on shapeways that you're talking about, because I can't seem ot find them. I'm going to have to disagree with you on your opinion that they lack in quality or look unprofessional as well, because I think these are pretty fantastic. I can't wait to see more work like this! You can simply search "Bionicle" on Shapeways and you get bunch of results. While some of the masks might not be cheaper than this, they're deffinitly not adding their own markup to them, and even if they would, it would make more sense because they're a lot better quality. While you might disagree about the quality all you want, they just aren't good. I don't mind so much that you don't think the masks are the best, but stop lying about pricing. Without naming names, the only other Kanohi I found on Shapeways by searching for "Kanohi" and "Binoicle" are roughly: $11.50, $16, $17, $25, and $27. The average price of my masks is $10.34. (If you take the deluxe-sized Olisi out of that, the average is just $9.39.) As you can tell, if you can count, is that $10.34 is less than $11.50. So... A) They are not overly expensive and B) I guarantee that most of those masks have a higher markup than I do - which is their prerogative. But don't sit there and tell me the $27 mask isn't marked up higher than mine... But while we're on the subject, for my personal growth, I'd like a point-by-point breakdown of what specifically is "a lot better quality" on which specific masks, etc.

It's possible, maybe even probable, but honestly, the Krodan scares me... I don't think so, sorry, I do like having some ownership. No, like someone mentioned above, it takes up to two weeks for Shapeways to work through their backlog and ship something out. I'll update when I do. For designing, it all depends on complexity; a couple days at least, possibly quite a bit more. Your personal cannon is your business, of course, but I don't believe Great and Noble versions typically bear any similarity to each other. The only exception is the Hau, but that was either do to ignorance of the LoMN animators, or just their desire to keep things simple for the audience. (And of course there are the Makuta/Matoran Phantoa mask pairs, but that was a fan-to-Greg-approved-cannon thing, and a particularly illogical and stupid one, IMHO.) As we see from the Toa Metru's/Turaga's masks, the Great and Noble versions can be entirely unrelated. I also wouldn't say noble masks are smaller or simpler, the Noble Matatu and Hau in particular are pretty huge.

Hey dude, I'm certain you read the last part of my original post, yes?

Funny story actually; I'd just put this topic up, and I decided I wanted to re-read my Bionicle comics because I hadn't done that in forever. Then I came to this panel, which I'd completely forgotten about, and went "Oh *bleeep*!" I wish I could have reproduced those two spines in detail. Maybe someone with more artistic skill than myself could 3D print those two in the style of the legit Rahkshi spines.

.... What? 1) It's not an "entirely different idea." You want maximum customization in a MMO because you're going to be staring at your character for 1000 hours and you want to be looking at something pretty. These sets are going to be on my shelf for the rest of eternity; why would I do anything less then make them as appealing as possible? You're not making sense... 2) But... I didn't take someone else's thing, paint it, and call it new... I put a lot of thought into picking the pieces I did while consciously staying within the Iruini/Norik guidelines. So again... not really making any sense. But then I wouldn't have the official Norik and Iruini on my shelf. They wouldn't be genuine. Why would I ruin the integrity of my collection like that? Seriously, we're speaking different languages here. I'm also a collector too, so don't be on a high horse about that, it doesn't make you anything special, and yes you are taking an existing thing since it's part of the actual Bionicle lore, which last time I checked you didn't create. I'm baffled that you think painting and gluing parts is superior to actual imagination and effort of building something. Ok, let's break this down one final time. 1) "Existing thing." When you first said that, you were talking about sets. You were referring to taking a set, painting it blue, then calling it "new." You can't just change what you were referring to in the middle of an argument. 2) "Imagination." If you'd bothered to read or study my topics in any detail, you'd have noticed that in my Rahkshi topic I talked about the spine design for the light blue one. See, for 10 years I always considered the notion of making the Rahkshi an impossible task, because they never made any different spines. Then one day I was INSPIRED by that spine design. There's nothing you can complain about in that particular design, because there is no cutting or painting involved in it. It's just a number of minifig weapons arranged cleverly in an alternating, interlocking manner. After ten years, realizing I could make my OWN spines, THAT way... It was an enormous inspiration that required a lot of imagination. So again... claiming that putting thought into customization lacks "imagination" doesn't make any sense. 3) "Effort." Do I really need to explain the effort of Bricklink buying from dozens of shops, comparing pieces, painting, and getting a hold of the Block parts? I don't enjoy nitpicking over vocabulary and semantics but, you opened the can of worms, which I am now closing. You have your opinion. We all now know what it is, congratulations. You'll never change my opinion. So, that's the end of it.

That would be awesommmmme.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Maybe this is our problem: we're speaking two different languages. I'm not a MOCer who lives for tinkering with Lego. I'm a COLLECTOR who lives to display full and beautiful collections. My Rahkshi and Hagah are going to be on my shelf FOR LIFE. To do anything other than that would be.... unthinkable. What kind of monster are you, dismantling your perfectly pretty and displayable Lego sets?? What he said. What he said, too. It's ground my gears since 2000 that we couldn't actually make most of the old "Tohunga" Matoran. .... What? 1) It's not an "entirely different idea." You want maximum customization in a MMO because you're going to be staring at your character for 1000 hours and you want to be looking at something pretty. These sets are going to be on my shelf for the rest of eternity; why would I do anything less then make them as appealing as possible? You're not making sense... 2) But... I didn't take someone else's thing, paint it, and call it new... I put a lot of thought into picking the pieces I did while consciously staying within the Iruini/Norik guidelines. So again... not really making any sense. But then I wouldn't have the official Norik and Iruini on my shelf. They wouldn't be genuine. Why would I ruin the integrity of my collection like that? Seriously, we're speaking different languages here. Thanks very much

To the last two sentences first, just describing things in those two different ways doesn't make that accurate. Some "I want this" things were canonized in the "good old days", and surely some thought is going into the new ones (not always the best thought though.. .Cordak...)... and more importantly, how do you know there's no substance behind them? Generally Greg will have reasons for accepting what he does... To the first questions, Greg's in charge, and it can vary depending on what's called for. Yeah, these recent decisions by Greg are brimming with substance and reason... Which is why he confused the Rode with the Olmak, and nearly contradicted himself on the Naho/Kakama thing. Bionicle hasn't been Greg's focus for years, so I highly doubt he's doing heavy soul-searching when approving these poll results.

You know, I consider myself to be fairly smart, but you just made me feel like a complete idiot for overlooking the Pehkui in my Fanon Kanohi list there. Actually when I was deciding on the other shapes, this was the next one in line in my head, it's from the 2015 concept art.

It's Pungao, actually. Yeah that font didn't translate well, going from Powerpoint to a jpg, but there are a lot of o's and a's in my names. And I did just like you said, I used a Maori translator on the words like "energy" and "premonition," etc, and tweaked them by ear. The only colors I've ordered in have been white, green, and "metallic" as seen above so I can't really comment. But Shapeways should have sample images of their various colors if you look hard enough thru the site. Oh good gravy, that'd be tough. Maybe someday See first post: "Note: The axle-connectors are adequate, but imperfect. I used the exact same dimensions for all of my masks, but some of them ended up fitting quite snugly, while others are pretty loose/wobbly. It probably has something to do with the polishing processes and the difference between different colored plastics. But with a little modeling putty or hot-glue they stay in place fine. "

Thanks for the further encouragement, seven masks sold so far. Very happy to be expanding people's collections. I was tired of reading, so I spent most of today working on the VNOLG-Ignika, but progress is slowww... It would be so much easier if the guy who 3D-printed one before would, you know, make it for sale... Maybe someday. At the moment, my skill level is limited to making an underlying shape and then adding/subtracting things. The Mask of Possibilities doesn't really have one underlying shape, what with all of the protrusions and indentations at odd angles... Maybe it will be my ultimate achievement someday. I tried stretching the previous model on and off for several hours... gave it up as a lost cause and started from scratch.

There are a great many painted sockets. Purple (I could never match the Lego purple,) gold, aquamarine, lavender, and pink sockets are all painted. I had the same concerns about them flaking but they've all held up so far - although I'm not exactly re-positioning them all the time.

Who exactly gets to decide what gets cannonized, and who does the cannonizing, and how many people have to have a say in it before it's final, exactly? This isn't the good old days where someone would present Greg with some idea that needed a little thought and consideration, and if he thought it fit and made sense, he said "OK." This is a couple dozen people saying "I want this because, reasons," about something extremely inconsequential, and Greg saying "OK whatever." There's no substance behind it.

Thanks for the comments and support. The Mask of Possibilities is way too intricate for me right now. Besides, it looks a lot more like a Transformer face than it does a Kanohi, to me... Round things are hard. Like I said, I'm pretty much stumbling though without any real skill, and I do know the limitations of the models, thanks. And you really need to be more thoughtful and diplomatic in what you say. Try, "Have you considered increasing the polygon count, it might make you end result look better." Even though the statement is false, because combined with the limited detail capabilities of a 3D printer and the polishing process, the end results are smooth enough. What you see in shapeways high-def previews is not what you get.

3D-Printable Kanohi Updated 2-25-15 Full Gallery (High Res) (when public) http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=410271 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope this is an OK forum for this topic. These "creations" are certainly "Bionicle-based." Let me start by saying that I am an extremely n00b-ish, amateur 3D modeler. I do not claim nor guarantee that these are of amazing quality. But I was really bored and if you've read my Toa Hagah topic (see sig), it's obvious how much I want the impossible-to-find Blocko knock-off Kanohi. So I decided to try my best to make them myself, and that spiraled into all the stuff you see below. These are all for sale on Shapeways. My shop is at https://www.shapeways.com/shops/masksforall I'm not selling these to get rich, (my markup on each is only $3,) I'm selling them so that anyone who wants them can have them! Again, I'm a verrrryyy new 3D modeler, and these are not of jaw-dropping quality. But it realllllyyyy grinds my gears that there are at least 3 people I've seen online who have made awesome Boinicle stuff via 3D printing.... aaand then never offered them up for public sale. So that's why I'm doing it. Note: The axle-connectors are adequate, but imperfect. I used the exact same dimensions for all of my masks, but some of them ended up fitting quite snugly, while others are pretty loose/wobbly. It probably has something to do with the polishing processes and the difference between different colored plastics. But with a little modeling putty or hot-glue they stay in place fine. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mask of Alternate Futures (Olisi) Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/model/2999647/kanohi-olisi-mask-of-alternate-futures-bionicle.html?li=shop-results&materialId=94 Wiki: http://bionicle.wikia.com/wiki/Olisi This one was pretty straightforward, actually. I made it larger because Karzahni's a bigger dude. The smaller "teeth" on the right side of his face were supposed to be more pronounced, but evidently the polishing process wore them down to teeny-tiny. (You can tell how sooper-awesome I am at making curvy 3D things by looking at his eyebrow *sarcasm*.) I'm trying to paint it at the moment, with blue and silver. I'll let you know how it turns out. Update I am a much worse painter than 3D-modeler But here's an idea of what's possible. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-2-15 Mask of Elemental Energy Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/model/2997158/kanohi-pungao-mask-of-elemental-energy-bionicle.html?li=shop-results&materialId=62 Wiki: http://bionicle.wikia.com/wiki/Mask_of_Elemental_Energy I used the actual model from the PC game for reference on this one. I'm happy to announce that version-2 fits a Toa head very well! It's a tiiiny snug so I'll do a very minor tweak and feel safe taking it off Beta. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mask of Healing Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/model/3001876/kanohi-blocko-1-bionicle.html?li=shop-results&materialId=62 This is a recreation, to the best of my ability, of one of the bootleg Blocko Kanohi that I've never managed to get my hands on. I'm actually pretty happy with how it came out. It's not perfect, but considering that the real thing is next to impossible to find... Update 2-25-15 Eeeeveryone wanted it bigger and swoopier. Result? A mask that is WAY too big and swoopy. Seriously, it is huge. And the connector was placed too high. I accept 10% of the blame. I'll try to scale it down. Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/PB6NQ6FNL?li=shop-results&optionId=55196985 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-2-15 Mask of Emulation Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/LMTXDZYMG?li=shop-results&optionId=43310525 This is the other Blocko mask. This is the updated version. Works equally well with the Metru head. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mask of Mechanics Update 2-25-15 Everybody thought that v1 was too flat, so I give you v2. You're welcome. Wiki: http://bionicle.wikia.com/wiki/Mask_of_Fusion Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/8JRAPM766/kanohi-taputu-mask-of-mechanics-bionicle-v2?key=a816cfb777d760331c83bda04ba9099b ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mask of Sensory Aptitude Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/model/2995010/kanohi-tikanka-mask-of-sensory-aptitude-bionic.html?li=shop-results&materialId=62 Wiki: http://bionicle.wikia.com/wiki/Mask_of_Sensory_Aptitude No offence to the other guy who's made one of these in 3D, but his... looks nothing like the image. I'm happy with my rendition. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mask of Elasticity Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/model/3001749/kanohi-rapa-mask-of-elasticity-bionicle.html?li=shop-results&materialId=62 Wiki: http://biosector01.com/wiki/index.php/File:Comic_Toa_Mahri_Leading_Matoran_to_Safety.png I wasn't happy with the side-cover on this, and the bottom was too narrow to fit on a Toa head. I've widened it and extended the sides back for more cover, but until I have the new version in my hands this is also beta. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-2-15 Mask of Life This took soooo long. It's kind of rough around the edges but if I spend any more time on this, I'll go insane. (For those who don't know, this was our first glimpse at the MoL from the VNOLG. Then the Toa Ignika set was revealed and everyone was all, "Whaaaat?" And they had to invent some story about how the mask can change shape because reasons.) I'm happy with how it turned out, although I may spend some time thickening the protrusions for durability's sake. Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/UASSTX527?li=shop-results&optionId=55082122 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-25-15 Mask of Diminishment This is based on 2015 concept art. When I first saw it in person I thought, "aww, it's too big." But actually, it's only slightly larger than Toa Nuju's Kanohi Matatu. So I don't feel so bad. I might try and make it slightly smaller. The eyes are a bit far apart (ironic, since a couple of people thought that they'd be too close together - save your judgments, people,) so I might tweak that, but it wouldn't be simple. Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/8S8EVNCCN/kanohi-pehkui-mask-of-diminishment-kanohi?li=shop-results&optionId=55100092 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-25-15 Mask of Weight Increase I'm very happy with how this came out! This is based on a tumblr drawing by just-a-drawing cat. (Link http://bionicle-art-squad.tumblr.com/post/100331847523/challenge-week-4-kanohi-angaru-fan-created-mask) This took a very long time because I made at least three bone-head decisions that made me waste a bunch of time and go back to the drawing board. Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/7JPT3KTEX/kanohi-himata-mask-of-weight-increase-bionicle?key=f66e1a122580413de8cee894f46490e4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-25-15 Mask of Psychometry Not much to say here except this is based on art by GarryTheSkrall from http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/10901-the-first-toa/ I'm happy with the finished product! The eyes could be brought in a bit, I'll see what I can do. Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/ATV76NDNZ?li=shop-results&optionId=55135452 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-25-15 Mask of Growth Even though I own the real version of this Blocko mask, some people wanted their own after they saw mine in my Toa Hagah topic. I'm very happy with how it looks - I know the forehead looks a little weird but trust me, most of the weirdness is from the oddities of the renderer and once it's printed and polished it should all be one nice smooth surface. My only concern is the size. I've done my best to make it able to fit an old fashioned Toa head but since the Blocko mask is too small to fit one, I had to increase the size on this model. So we'll see how it turns out. Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/V3UNJVVS2?li=shop-results&optionId=55150502 Update: OR, holy cow, you could just buy one directly: http://www.toysrus.com/buy/lite-brix/cra-z-art-lite-brix-building-system-blaster-bot-35800-52102146 Update2: Shapeways made a mistake! They forgot to send me this one for some reason! So, still waiting! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 2-25-15 Mask of Clairvoyance Even though I own the real version of this Blocko mask, some people wanted their own after they saw mine in my Toa Hagah topic. What you might not realize about the Blocko masks is that they are designed to be used with the Blocko head, which is much skinnier than the Bionicle heads, so I had to widen this out a bit while trying to keep as much of the "feel" as I could. Update: The mask is actually too big. I'll see about narrowing it and shrinking it a bit. I was concerned about the old Mata head being compatible but I think I'll focus on the Metru head here. Shop: https://www.shapeways.com/product/KRT94AHAB?li=shop-results&optionId=55158167 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In case you were curious about the names I assigned them above. (I hope you notice that almost all of the fanon-canon weirdo masks of strangeness do not exist for me. I hope you are the same.)

Perhaps I'll list the paints I used sometime for anyone who wants to recreate them. Although they weren't that hard to find, though.

Wow, we really love our semantics here on BZP, don't we? Firstly, of COURSE they're just Toa Metru builds. They're Toa HAGAH. Munty's been pretty much entirely civil, but I find the above post kind of rude. "Cheap way to build MOCs"? In my mind, you are missing the point entirely. Like, you're in another time zone entirely. Have you ever played an MMO? You ever notice in EVERY MMO in existence, there's a dying system for your armor? That's because everyone likes different things in different colors. Any MMO that doesn't have a good dying system is always criticized harshly for it. People don't want to "work within" the confines of pre-selected options when it comes to visual aspects of their model, people like variety! Nobody has ever thought, while looking at their MMO character: "Gee, I wish I could make those shoulder pads silver... but oh well, I respect the designers limitations forced upon me." No, we think, "Gee, I wish I could make those shoulder pads silver... and I will!" In my aesthetic personal opinion, Gaaki's current shoulder armor (for example,) was the best fit, as far as shape is concerned. I looked through all the available pieces, ordered a lot, tried on several, and thought they blended best. But they weren't the right color. Sooo I overcame the obstacle. If I did what you advocate, and used only pieces that Lego made silver, I'd be stuck with a shape that I liked less. Just tell me in what version of reality is it better to make a model of any kind that has less-visually-appealing pieces just for the sake of staying with Lego authenticity? I don't comprehend it. Trying to put myself into that limited shortsighted mindset makes my brain ooze out of my ears. Note: It's perfectly reasonable to not like a MOC because you don't like the look of it, or the pieces used. I'm just taking issue with the "painting is evil" mentality. And a lot of people apparently didn't know about the 42 Rahkshi being a thing, either. I guess I rank pretty high in Bionicle knowledge.

If I got the two other Blocko masks I probably would swap them out, yes, assuming they look as good in real life as they do in the two or three grainy images that exist of them. The teams from the Inika onward had non-uniform feet, so I can't see how it's all that odd, exactly. Being already locked into the Metru body design, which as we all know isn't very adaptable or innovative, I wanted to branch out anywhere I could. I also find the use of non-bionicle parts very jarring and frankly damaging to the overall aesthetic of the team. This is probably partly down to my inner purist (but that guy loved your rahkshi!) and partly down to the fact that you've taken such a different rout to how I imagine my team (one day) which is obviously down to bias. Toa Matoro Mahri had a toa-foot on his chest and one of the red Glatorian had feet for shoulders so, again, I don't see the strangeness. To me, the BEST thing about Lego is using pieces in unexpected ways. No disrespect to any Toa-MOCers intended, but, I see all these hyper-detailed models with custom built torsos and limbs, and they're cool and all, but they don't get my blood pumping the same way as when I see something and think "Huh, I would never have thought to use that piece that way." But like you said earlier... Iruini and Norik had different chests, shoulders, shins, spears, and masks. So I gave them different chests, shoulders, shins, spears, and masks. And feet. And I'll again draw parallels to the Mahri and Ignika/Phantoka: pretty much no similarity between Toa, yet they were teams. I also have to strenuously disagree there. Count up the pieces released in Iruini-gold some time, it's depressingly low. Plenty of Brutaka-gold! But not this variety. Come to think of it, are there ANY other masks in that particular gold? I don't think the original 2001/2002 gold masks are quite the same... I know it's all opinion but, I'm completely opposite. I'm curious what Kanohi you'd use in your Hagah set. I get the feeling you'd re-use already-released Kanohi, since you don't like my unofficial ones. But if you did that, you'd have to do the lame excuse, "I know he wears the mask of growth, BUT, he just molded it into the shape of a mask of strength, because... reasons..." and I don't like that at all. And the other great thing, imo, about using the Blocko parts, and about using parts in unexpected ways, is that it sets them apart from the crowd. A Hagah set (or any Toa, really,) made of completely predictable parts doesn't even come close to sticking in my mind when I see it. It's in one ear, out the other. You call it a shortcut... I'll call it unique and distinctive flare. And I know a LOT of people are "purists," but again, I've never seen the logic in it. If Lego released the piece in that color, then it's cool, but if I paint it that color instead, it's evil? I don't get it. To me, as long as it's purdy, it's coo'. For example, if you look at my Bionicle collection on Brickshelf, what you don't see is what's dominating the other 50% of that room: my Star Wars collection. Do you know how many 100's of awesome figures Hasbro could make if they wanted, but never have? With the advent of 3d printing, and with it getting better and better, let's say someone comes out with a very very nice action figure of a person that Hasbro never made. Am I going to refuse to put it on my shelf because it's "unofficial" and therefore "unclean"? No, I'd love to have it. In fact I have an unofficial Transformers Quintesson about 4 feet from me. So again, I know it's personal opinion, but I've just never understood the "purist" viewpoint.

Thanks for the replies. I considered using the other knock-off armor pieces, Shadow, but I didn't want these to be clones of the knockoffs. I didn't originally intend to use the Blue Toa's chest piece but I felt it represented a slim female Toa better than my other options. I quite like the Star feet, about ten times better than most of the later-year Toa feet. And I'd argue that Pouks' mask only ranks in at about a 3 on the "Bucket-helmet-ness" scale, whereas Matau Metru's mask scores at least an 8. I also put a lot of thought into who would be gold and who would be silver. In my head, having the dark gold on top of the fleshy brown just didn't mix well, so Pouks got silver, leaving Kualus with gold. I actually didn't consider people's foreknowledge about Hero Factory as a factor that would influence their feelings about those two masks. Probably because I never got into Hero Factory. Kinda took one look at it and went "Nope." So in my head, those masks don't belong to anybody else. Apologies again for never tracking down the two other knockoff masks. *sad face*