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Toa Vakau (team)


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Having recently gotten back into MOCing (to a limited extent) I decided I'd make some Metru-build Toa. Of all the Toa builds, the Metru were by far my favourite, and I find them the best for animation (mostly). Now I understand that looking at Metru-builds on their own isn't very interesting, so my challenge was to build three Toa who each had a different type of shield, and the Toa Vakau were the result. I might have got a bit carried away with their backstories...I may try this challenge again sometime but with a different theme. Any suggestions?

 

The Toa of Vakau Nui

Originally a team of six, three of the Toa Vakau were killed during the Reign of Shadows. The three that remain…well, it might be a stretch to call them a team. Though they hold the Three Virtues in high regard, as all Toa do, Unity is not something that comes naturally to them. Now that they have joined the rest of the Matoran Universe in moving to Spherus Magna, they must lead their Turaga-less Matoran to find a new home on this new world, and hope they can unite long enough to repel any obstacles in their path. With the prototype of a deadly Kanohi - the Thanicrosis, the Great Mask of Death - in Ponos’ custody, they are unknowingly the target of a team of Skakdi who would like nothing better than to possess the mask’s necromantic powers.

 

Each of them has a Suva, which the Matoran of Vakau Nui have carried with them onto Spherus Magna.

 

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Toa Ponos
Toa of Iron
Hard-working Toa of Iron, and leader of the current Toa Vakau, Ponos struggles to keep Xyleke and Kolasi from clashing, especially since he finds them both frustrating at the best of times. Ponos is a technological genius, able to build fine weapons out of virtually nothing, and rarely sticks to one Toa tool before building another.
His current (and longest-standing) weapon is a cannon arm that doubles as a shield. The cannon fires bolts of pure elemental Iron energy powerful enough to tear through thick Protosteel, but he has to use these bolts wisely, as it is quite draining for him and takes him a moment to recharge. He also carries his multi-purpose shockwrench into battle, since that has the potential to be used as a weapon too.
Ponos’ main mask is a Kanohi Voxon, the Mask of Lightning. His Suva also contains a Kernayn, a Tychon,  a Ruru, an Arthron, and a Komata, the Mask of Ice. He has not yet collected his Golden Kanohi, as his Suva has space for a seventh mask.
With the Thanicrosis. The Kanohi Thanicrosis, the Prototype Mask of Death, is a shapeshifting mask. In order to keep its true nature hidden, Ponos has managed to lock it in the shape of a noble Matatu. It does not have the power to instantly kill a target, but has a wide array of smaller necromantic abilities: decay, undeath, reanimation (like the Tryna), black lightning, and pain inducement are just a handful. It was entrusted to Ponos by Helryx in the thick of the Reign of Shadows; use of the mask by any being or any purpose has always been a one-way ticket to the Pit, and Ponos is well aware of the burden. He cannot allow it to fall into the wrong hands, whether they be Makuta, Skakdi, or even the other Toa Vakau.
(building note: if you want to build the Thanicrosis' true form, it's Witch Doctor's helmet from HF, a piece which I currently don't own.)
 
Toa Xyleke
Toa of Jungle
Xyleke is sombre and often quiet, which Kolasi finds irritating. He is a skilled hunter who is known for holding grudges. He is instantly distrusting of anyone who is or has ever been affiliated with the Makuta or any of the other threats to the Matoran of Vakau Nui, and has a paranoid obsession that the Makuta of Metru Nui is not dead.
Toa Xyleke carries a Biter Blade, as well as a sheild made from the hide of the Visorak that claimed one of his teammates.
Xyleke’s main mask is a Kanohi Kernayn, the Mask of Forest Rahi. It gives him an affinity with forest Rahi, allowing him to communicate with forest Rahi and use a variety of minor powers based on their attributes. His Suva also contains a Voxon, a Tychon, a Ruru, an Arthron, and a Komata, the Mask of Ice. He has not yet collected his Golden Kanohi, as his Suva has space for a seventh mask.

 

Toa Kolasi
Toa of Psionics
Short-tempered, foul-mouthed and thoroughly antisocial, Kolasi has always lacked the calmness and precision that comes naturally to most Ce-Matoran. She is argumentative and constantly testing Ponos’ leadership. Part of her antisocial behaviour can be attributed to her frustration at not being able to access her telepathic powers; though she is a skilled telekinetic, she cannot enter the minds of others or project her own thoughts. She cannot even read basic emotions.
She carries a Cerebax Sword, capable of channeling sizzling bolts of psionic energy, and though she bears a lightweight shield on her back, she rarely uses it, confident in her skill at deflecting attacks telekinetically.
Kolasi’s main mask is a Kanohi Tychon, the Mask of Possbilities. Her Suva also contains a Voxon, a Kernayn (which she refuses to use, simply because it’s Xyleke’s main mask), a Ruru, an Arthron, and a Komata, the Mask of Ice. She has not yet collected her Golden Kanohi (though her Tychon is gold in colour), as her Suva has space for a seventh mask.
 
Whaddaya think? I'm especially pleased with Xyleke and Ponos' shields, though Kolasi in general was a bit lazy. I might write a short story for these guys considering that I came up with so much backstory for them (though I already had the new mask ideas written down). Now that shields are done, any ideas for what my next Metru-build team challenge could be?
 
Also, I made a nostalgia-fueled Toa Nuva stop-motion, so please check that out if you have a minute to spare.
 
-Jam Pot

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With all due respect but these are just 5 minute creations, a simple Metru built with slight alteration, and the shield are barely have more than 2 pieces... Only Ponos got a somewhat decent shield

 

I get it. The idea behind these weren't really the whole builds, more the united theme and the general aesthetics. I'm not a particularly skilled MOCer, but I like to think I can still create something that looks good, and not every good MOC necessarily needs to be something big or complex. I did also put a disclaimer at the top that they were essentially Metru builds. I know they're not for everyone.

 

(they also took longer than 5 minutes, since I wrote their characters first and spent a while deciding which masks, tools and armour fitted them best)

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I think these models shine most in their personality. By your own admission, there's no mind-blowing part usage here, but they look like the character you're describing. Most of the shields look too bulky for my taste, while their melee weapons (except for Ponos', which I like very much) are too simple. I personally never cared for the Metru build, but I like how you added a level of posability to the shoulders (my main complaint with the Metru build). I think they do, however, have a great team aesthetic. I appreciate how they all have the same color distribution, much like actual sets did. I also find it interesting what aspects of the Metru, Hagah, and Toa Lhikan you chose to integrate into these models, and the end result looks very authentic. Overall, I rank them collectively at 7.5/10. I'm hoping you write your short story about them, because they definitely have potential. You mention the Metru build being ideal for animation, have you considered brickfilms or comics?

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I'm hoping you write your short story about them, because they definitely have potential. You mention the Metru build being ideal for animation, have you considered brickfilms or comics?

 

Funnily enough, I'm constantly making brickfilms. My most recent one was a Pohatu Nuva short (which seems to be going down quite well). As for whether I'll animate these guys, it's certainly a possibility, though I'm currently stuck into a bunch of other projects (one of which sort of has a deadline) and about to go to uni. If I were to animate the Vakau, it'd be some time next year, after I've finished Nuva.

 

As for a short story, I might be able to get onto that more quickly, given enough interest. I have a few ideas, and I've wanted to write something post-Stars for a while now, so I may give that a go.

Making brickfilms since 2007.

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Wow, amazing job my good sir, my favorite out of the bunch would be Ponos the cannon is simply amazing! the arm design as well!

 

On a side note i have about fifthteen Witch Doctor heads, DM if you would like one.

 

-Tahukan

Edited by BlueFire

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I've always loved seeing Toa Team MOCs, especially the really coordinated, set-like ones.  The subtle variations in the characters' limbs and heights, as well as the larger distinctions created by their tools, really make the team come together without being identical.  Pomos's tool is particularly neat.

 

I wonder whether you should have used something other than grey for the joints (e.g., perhaps light blue on Xyleke) to add a bit more visual interest.  You wouldn't have even needed to add a tertiary color and could have used black/dark blue for the joints.  I was just never one for excessive grey in sets.  Then again, the use of grey joints is a unifying feature here, so it doesn't hurt much.

 

An idea that would similarly cause a bit more individuality:  All of the Toa have very wide shoulders, so perhaps a different build could give Kolasi a more feminine and distinct appearance.  (This could be accomplished either by using different armor on her shoulders to shrink the "deltoids" or--more radically--by attaching the arm in a different fashion.)  I only bring this up because you already have some diversity in the chests' appearances, and the shoulders are basically most easily modified part of the team's shared build.

 

Ultimately, though, that's just me tinkering with your designs via text.  The team already clearly fulfills its aesthetic goals, so I can't really see any reason for a change.

 

By the way, did you build the Suva for them?

 

-BioGio

 

"You're a scientist? The proposal you make violates parsimony; it introduces extra unknowns without proof for them. One might as well say unicorns power it."

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I've always loved seeing Toa Team MOCs, especially the really coordinated, set-like ones.  The subtle variations in the characters' limbs and heights, as well as the larger distinctions created by their tools, really make the team come together without being identical.  Pomos's tool is particularly neat.

 

I wonder whether you should have used something other than grey for the joints (e.g., perhaps light blue on Xyleke) to add a bit more visual interest.  You wouldn't have even needed to add a tertiary color and could have used black/dark blue for the joints.  I was just never one for excessive grey in sets.  Then again, the use of grey joints is a unifying feature here, so it doesn't hurt much.

 

An idea that would similarly cause a bit more individuality:  All of the Toa have very wide shoulders, so perhaps a different build could give Kolasi a more feminine and distinct appearance.  (This could be accomplished either by using different armor on her shoulders to shrink the "deltoids" or--more radically--by attaching the arm in a different fashion.)  I only bring this up because you already have some diversity in the chests' appearances, and the shoulders are basically most easily modified part of the team's shared build.

 

Ultimately, though, that's just me tinkering with your designs via text.  The team already clearly fulfills its aesthetic goals, so I can't really see any reason for a change.

 

By the way, did you build the Suva for them?

 

-BioGio

 

Regarding the shoulders, that's actually a really good idea. I'll be sure to give it a go when I get around to my next team.

 

As much as I would love to use different colours other than grey, they're the only colour I have in bulk. I missed out on most sets from 05 right through to the end thanks to strict parents, but I'm slowly clawing back and getting some sets. I might have enough yellow and light blue to give those a try.

 

No Suva, I'm afraid. I came up with all that as backstory. Then again, if at some point in the future I do get around to animating (which seems unlikely at the moment) I'd build them some Suvas.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

Making brickfilms since 2007.

Check out my latest animations:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't mind the simple builds, because the thought you put into their backstories more than makes up for it.  

 

If you mission was for the general aesthetics and unified theme I think you achieved your goal.

 

The nice photography helps a lot too in giving it a more professional feel. 

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I don't mind the simple builds, because the thought you put into their backstories more than makes up for it.  

 

If you mission was for the general aesthetics and unified theme I think you achieved your goal.

 

The nice photography helps a lot too in giving it a more professional feel. 

 

Thanks! I may do more.

Making brickfilms since 2007.

Check out my latest animations:

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The first episode of Nuva,

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  • 1 month later...

Together as a whole all of these go together pretty well. The builds aren't to complicated but there is a nice consistency between each member of the team because of that simplicity.

 

I think I like Kolasi the best, but that might just be because you used gold colored pieces. Xyleke is my least favorite. I'm not sure if I like the dark blue along with the green. The blue matches Kolasi, it just seems like it's out of place. Ponos is good too, I don't like him as much as I like Kolasi, but his color scheme works.

 

Very nice job on these.

 

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Together as a whole all of these go together pretty well. The builds aren't to complicated but there is a nice consistency between each member of the team because of that simplicity.I think I like Kolasi the best, but that might just be because you used gold colored pieces. Xyleke is my least favorite. I'm not sure if I like the dark blue along with the green. The blue matches Kolasi, it just seems like it's out of place. Ponos is good too, I don't like him as much as I like Kolasi, but his color scheme works.Very nice job on these.signoff2.png

I know what you mean about the dark blue. I initially wanted to make Xyleke green and brown (the colours I always thought Bo- should be) but the only Metru brown pieces I own are from Onewa and Ahkmou, and Ponos used the best of those. Next time, I'll be trying some different elements, which should bring more colour variation.

 

Thanks for commenting!

Making brickfilms since 2007.

Check out my latest animations:

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