LDD Matoran Collection with HF "Masks"

[bonesiii]

So, I thought of this long ago but only recently decided to try it -- experimenting with the HF helmets to see how many can work as masks for Matoran, in LDD. It's surprising how many work. Some are flipped upside-down so actually connect like a mask. Others are connected as helmets but you really can't tell just looking at them once they're on, so use da imagination.

 

Since there would canonically be thousands of mask powers/shapes so far unrevealed in canon, these are very valid.

 

Along with doing this, I tried coming up with both a Metruan (Matoran Universe standard, rather) body and a shrunken Mata form made with pieces available in LDD (mostly HF), and made at least one for every element. I doubt I will actually use any of these images for characters in my retelling, but I might include them in the appendix guide to elements, since they do show the color schemes well. Some of the colors are my interpretation, which could be seen as an improved "most common", or just possible exceptions within canon ranges.

 

If I don't state how a mask is connected, it is the HF helmet type. Not all connect to the same head piece.

 

Matoran Universe:

Fire:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a1_taia_ta-matoran_--_fire.png

That's an upside-down HF helmet. Interestingly it actually looks very similar to the Pakari, like a mix between the original Great form and Onua Mistika's mask.

 

Water:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a2_taia_ga-matoran_--_water.png

 

Stone:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a3_taia_po-matoran_--_stone.png

That's Hydraxon's "mask" -- the only Bionicle face currently available in LDD other than the Hau. I would suggest interpreting this as the Great version of the Kiril (Turaga Dume wears the Noble version). Interprets stone as Pohatu original brown plus Pohatu 2009 orange.

 

Earth:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a4_taia_onu-matoran_--_earth.png

One of the villain masks, which IMO look great as more tribal-style masks which need not have "evil" connotations. (Or, if you want it to, you could see this as a slave of the Brotherhood, but not actually a Shadow Matoran, forced to wear the shape of an immoral mask.) I go with a dark brown for Earth generally, to help differentiate from the purple that's in the range of Earth color schemes canonically and Gravity's purple (relevant in one of the Mata forms later but not here per se). Connects like mask naturally.

 

Ice:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a5_taia_ko-matoran_--_ice.png

That is a two-part helmet.

 

Air:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a6_taia_le-matoran_--_air.png

 

Light:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a7_taia_av-matoran_--_light.png

Another upside-down; connects like mask.

 

Shadow:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a8_taia_kra-matoran_--_shadow.png

Included just to show off a Shadow-associated color scheme, though the Kra-Matoran seen in canon had a variety of color schemes. That is a two-parter; the front is connected like a mask, the top like a helmet.

 

Lightning:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a9_taia_vo-matoran_--_lightning.png

The only actual Bionicle mask.

 

Magnetism:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a10_taia_fa-matoran_--_magnetism.png

 

Plasma:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a11_taia_su-matoran_--_plasma.png

Two-parter helmet.

 

Gravity:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a12_taia_ba-matoran_gravity.png

This villain mask connects to the front but it's a socket instead of pin, so you have to supply a plus-rod.

 

Sonics:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a13_taia_de-matoran_sonics_--_edited_version.png

Upside-down. This image is color-edited to make it clearer that I intend it to be a visor-style mask (like the Kaukau) without making the mask actually translucent. Original image is here.

 

Plants:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a14_taia_bo-matoran_--_jungle.png

Villain natural mask. Looks "leafy" IMO.

 

Iron:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a15_taia_fe-matoran_--_iron.png

Another natural villain mask.

 

Psionics:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/a16_taia_ce-matoran_--_psionics.png

 

 

Mata Nui:

Light:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b1_mata_av-matoran_takua_interpretation_--_light.png

An interpretation of Takua using more subtle colors and the "Pakari" approximation (same as the above Ta-Matoran).

 

Fire:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b2_mata_ta-matoran_jaller_interpretation_--_fire.png

Interpretation of Jaller (canon mask, but I went with darker red for both him and Takua, as I never liked all bright colors generally on them, but would be easy to recolor).

 

Water:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b3_mata_ga-matoran_--_water.png

 

Stone:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b4_mata_po-matoran_--_stone.png

Upside-down (same one as MU Ko above).

 

Another Po:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b5_mata_po-matoran_2_--_stone.png

Same mask as MU Le above; made more than one to show more of the color range, this one being like Carapar (Pohatu original brown plus Hewkii Inika yellow).

 

Earth:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b6_mata_onu-matoran_--_earth.png

Here's what I mean showing a purple mask (like Onepu), but with dark brown, indicating that it isn't a Ba-Matoran. Yes, dark brown isn't really confirmed as far as I know as being in the Earth range, but it happens to be the one color most consistent with dirt, and there's Taipu with tan, so browns are evidently valid.

 

Another Onu:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b7_mata_onu-matoran_2_--_earth.png

This one shows the more traditional black and gray.

 

Ice:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b8_mata_ko-matoran_--_ice.png

 

Another Ko:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b9_mata_ko-matoran_2_--_ice.png

 

Air:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b10_mata_le-matoran_--_air.png

Showing teal. This helmet also looks very similar to the Noble Miru of Tanma, could be seen as an interpretation of it.

 

Another Le:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/b11_mata_le-matoran_2_--_air.png

Connects front naturally.

 

Crocotoran:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/c_crocotoran.png

Okay yes this is just fer the lulz. Although perhaps they could have unusual-shaped masks worn just for purposes of dramatic reenactments, say of momentous battles against Rahi (like swamp Rahi, including perhaps something crocodilian). Nobody would normally wear such an inefficient shape, though, methinks. Requires some extra pieces to connect at that angle.

 

Makuta:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/d1_makuta_teridax_in_matoran_form_--_mata_version.png

 

And a MU version of Makuta:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/d2_makuta_teridax_in_matoran_form_--_taia_version.png

 

Enjoy!

 

Edit: Oh yeah. LDD file download:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/bonesiii/LDD/Bionicle/matoran.lxf

Edited February 17, 2014 by bonesiii

[TLhikan]

I like the colour schemes. Some of these work as masks, but a few (like the one with the rhino horn) don't work as well in my opinion. Still, cool project . I hope they put more older Bionicle pieces in LDD soon.

[BrickPharaoh]

To be honest, some of the more feral-looking masks don't make much sense, especially Corroder's, WD's, Pyrox's, Scarox's, and Thunder's to name a few. Plus, some of the masks have certain motifs more suitable for other things. However, thanks for the collection which has inspired me to produce some LDD Makuta at some point.

[bonesiii]

Note that the masks on the Mata Matoran aren't meant to necessarily be plausible ones they would wear; the "rhino" horn could be seen as an evil mask, which wouldn't actually be worn on Mata Nui, but that MOC is just "holding" it. Although I have invented a mask with a rhino horn back in 2001, so I've always seen it as a valid feature. To MM, wouldn't you say those masks do fit with evil masks at least? For example, Vamprah's. If not "tribal" style too. After all, for thousands of powers, you need thousands of shapes and to make each distinctive, it seems to me that "weird" styles are inevitable.

 

In regards to 'other motifs' -- just for sake of curiosity and discussion, could you be more specific? The only major thing I can think of is the "radio antennae" (which can easily just be ignored). Nearly everything else has a parallel somewhere in Bionicle. (Even those could be seen as addons like the visor on Nuju's mask.)

 

 

BTW, I forgot to add that I intend the mask for Sonics to have addon "earmuffs". Due to their oversensitivity to loud noises. Might as well just add that here rather than an edit, while I'm posting anyways...

[Chro]

I'm personally not a fan of the builds (gorilla arm syndrome, which only really works on a few of the Mata Nui Matoran, and just looks bad on the Taians), but I do like your interpretations of helmets as masks and the like, plus the color scheme on some of them (such as the Onu-Matoran) are well done.

Edited February 17, 2014 by Chro

[BrickPharaoh]

Yeah, the evil makes sense now. And as for some of the motifs I was talking about, I'll try to compile a collage of pics and label therm.

Would I be able to make some suggestions of my own btw? I thought about it and it seems quite fun what you're doing

[bonesiii]

FTR, the gorilla-arm thing is intentional. To me that was "Matoran" since I was a fan in 2001, and I never liked how the Metruan had short arms. (Also doesn't make much canonical sense, because the 2001 Matoran were said to have "shrunken" -- but if the Metruan form is right, the arms actually grew.) They're alien (artificial) beings, after all -- who says they wouldn't have bodies like gorillas? But to each his own, of course.

 

MM, absolutely -- go ahead.

[JAG18]

bonesiii, you are a flipping genius!

And while I know you only wanted to show how the HF helmets double as mask (which they do really well), it's the actual Matoran that I think are really amazing.