Set Review: 70783 Protector of Fire

[Hapori Tohu]

Here it is, the moment we've all been dreading. Today marks our last review of the 2015 Bionicle sets (those that we know about, at least). Blog Leader DeeVee has taken a look at 70783 Protector of Fire and is ready to share his thoughts on the set. Will this set make use of the cash burning a hole in your pocket or will you pass on it like a hot potato? Continue on, dear readers, if you'd like to find out!

 

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[Toa Green Ninja]

What an odd way to end a series of superb reviews... with a disappointing set!

[Rooster Nui]

I actually don't think the set is bad, but with no elbows, the Protector of Fire and Protector of Ice look really weird compared to the other Protectors. However, I do like the amount of articulation that the shoulder mounted gattling gun has.

[Bambi]

What cash burning a hole in my pocket?

Anyway, not sure about this one... I like him, but he's a little too bulky. That seems to be a problem with the Protectors.

Overall he looks good enough, but will probably be one of the last Protectors I get (if I even decide to buy him).

Thanks for the review!

Edited December 10, 2014 by Bambi

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

He has short arms

He has no thighs,

 

this protector is the last to buy.

[Nescent]

Thanks for the review DeeVee!

 

I didn't expect much at all from the Protector of Fire, but at least he has knees - I thought he didn't have knees or elbows. The broad shoulders are also interesting, and I love the way the chest armor attaches to the ball joints (but he's not the only Protector with that design). To be honest I'm okay with the weapons, they don't look like fun to play with but they look okay in the default "back" position.

 

Even with knees, though, I still think he's the least interesting of the thirteen sets. The broad shoulders and shoulder-mounted gun are the only things he's got going for him, and neither look too great in my opinion (the shoulder mount has been done before so it doesn't seem that outstanding, the shoulders would be cool if they didn't create that gap). This will be the last set I pick up for sure.

[Saint-14]

The design is awkward, but at least we are getting individual and unique protectors for each element. This one reminds me of Garan a little bit, too

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

I assume those weapons are supposed to be like flaming tonfas or something, which is actually nice. I think they look pretty cool and its something Bionicle has never explored. 

 

Overall, the Protector of Fire looks alright. I do like the chest as detailed in the review, but it does not compliment the shortness of the limbs (the lack of knees is disturbing). 

 

Also yeah, the CGI makes it look great but that trans orange looks weird in contrast to the trans yellow on the mask. The colour distribution is definitely strange.

 

Not the worst set but not my favourite protector. Thanks for the review DeeVee! 

 

Also that Super-Omega Tahu looks pretty awesome

 

-NotS

Edited December 10, 2014 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)]

Flaming tonfas alone make this set worth a buy to me. 

[ToaDraco]

I like the attempt at Tonfas but it didn't work out too well. Overall the set looks cool but the poseability is a huge problem.

[Aanchir]

Good review. To be honest, I don't mind the lack of forearms on the Protector of Ice, since the length of the arms in that case is still reasonable. But in the Protector of Fire's case, the fact that his shoulders are raised means the arms really need one or two more modules in length. In the very least, adding forearms is an incredibly easy fix.

 

As far as the legs are concerned, I'm not tremendously bothered by them aesthetically, but I really do wonder why the longer beams with armor shells were used for the lower legs rather than the upper legs as on all the other Protectors. Perhaps that would limit the articulation even more? Hard to say.

 

This Protector's torso build definitely gets high marks, and I'm hoping we'll see a similar torso build for a future Ekimu set (since it bears a close likeness to Ekimu's torso construction in the "Legend" video).

 

I don't mind the weapons, to be honest, and they give you some useful parts should you choose to mod them into more traditional swords.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Aanchir

[I Exist]

I actually think this set is real great. Looks better than most protectors to date, but still not as great as The Protector of Stone and Jungle. I think he is my number 3 for now.

[Rooster Nui]

Good review. To be honest, I don't mind the lack of forearms on the Protector of Ice, since the length of the arms in that case is still reasonable. But in the Protector of Fire's case, the fact that his shoulders are raised means the arms really need one or two more modules in length. In the very least, adding forearms is an incredibly easy fix.

Ahh, that'd be why I like the Protector of Ice more than the Protector of Fire. I like the construction of the upper body part of the Protector of Fire, but it really does make it seem he has T-Rex arms, at least in my opinion.  

 

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Removed297]

With but a few extra Constraction frame pieces, I suspect POF might be my favorite Protector, though Protector of Ice is my favorite without mods.

 

To those with small Constraction collections, I'd agree with the review's summation, but for anyone with enough parts to properly extend his pitifully short & unarticulated arms, and perhaps switch out the grey bones for black, I would think him a wonderful pickup.

Edited December 11, 2014 by The Kumquat Alchemist

[nescover]

What in the world were they thinking when they designed those awkward handheld weapons? Sooo bad.

 

The terrible color scheme, horrendous weapon design, and the lackluster poseability make this my least favorite 2015 set (next to Lord of Skull Spiders).

[fishers64]

Can't see that I'm a fan of this set. I just plain flat thought he was lame until I saw the mask in the review, though. That color scheme is bleh. No takers here. 

[Cyrix]

From first glance, I thought that the Protector of Fire would be one of my favorite Protector sets because of the well-armored torso construction, but I neglected to notice how his shoulders stuck out. Still, I think that it's not a bad set; it just has a few more flaws than I was expecting.

 

Would using the Hordika head/neck piece instead of the Glatorian neck piece slightly remedy the shoulders? It might limit mobility on the arms, but I'm not sure as I'm not really an expert at this.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Cyrix

[Meiko]

Nice review. Very straightforward. The set's alright as far as parts go but design-wise is nothing spectacular. I have a question unrelated to this review though but the photos inspire me to ask what camera lens and settings you use for your reviews DeeVee. I've been doing f/8 ISO-400 with 1/20 exposure with spot lighting and a 28mm lens on the current review I'm working on and I'm not entirely satisfied with how some of them come out, especially as far as details go (it works well on minifigure close-ups but not for pictures of the full set). I've also tried using my 50mm lens and am more satisfied with the results with that but any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Edit: Not that it makes much of a difference but I have polarizing filters on both lenses. I don't really prioritize using them in the photos for a review but I mainly just leave them on my camera for automotive photography or portraits.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Meiko

[Toa Smoke Monster]

He may not be the best Protector set, but I still might get him. If only to power up Tahu.

 

Thanks for the review!

[Lenny7092]

The set looks awesome! I like the flame-like weapons and blaster. They are a great mix on that guy! He also remind me of Jaller. Ah, great times.

Anyway, since we reviewed all of the 2015 Bionicle sets, I wonder what else are we going to review in 2015? Hmm... Well, just asking. I said that because we could have review the Bioncile sets in 2015 because they are meant to be released next year. Just saying my opinion, too.

[dviddy]

Nice review. Very straightforward. The set's alright as far as parts go but design-wise is nothing spectacular. I have a question unrelated to this review though but the photos inspire me to ask what camera lens and settings you use for your reviews DeeVee. I've been doing f/8 ISO-400 with 1/20 exposure with spot lighting and a 28mm lens on the current review I'm working on and I'm not entirely satisfied with how some of them come out, especially as far as details go (it works well on minifigure close-ups but not for pictures of the full set). I've also tried using my 50mm lens and am more satisfied with the results with that but any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Edit: Not that it makes much of a difference but I have polarizing filters on both lenses. I don't really prioritize using them in the photos for a review but I mainly just leave them on my camera for automotive photography or portraits.

I shoot on f/22 at like 22 seconds for these photos, with a tripod, a timer, and a ten-second delay. I'm shooting with a 50mm prime lens. Professional collapsible studio with aluminum lighting fixtures (like the kind for outdoor construction work with clamps) with slightly cooler than sunlight high-intensity LED bulbs.

[Tahtorak ate my house!]

It's been quite a while since the previous Bionicle 2015 set review!

 

Upon first glance at the Protector of Fire, I thought he looks muscular/beefed up, which is interesting for a Fire-element set. Me like the way this muscular upper torso-look is achieved by those silver HF shells. Shoulder-mounted blaster is back (it looks great!), and the color scheme is nothing special but surely works nonetheless (red and even trans-orange seem to always work well with yellow).

 

But the downsides of this set are apparent, as pointed out in this insightful review (thanks DeeVee!  ). Among those downsides, I find the lack of elbow-articulation the biggest issue. However, I am quite happy with the Fire Swords/Tonfas. They look slightly odd at first (swords with weird handle designs ), but at least that distinguishes the weapon from the other Protectors' weapons. Not to mention they work really well as Fire Tonka or Flaming Punch!

 

Nothing outstandingly innovative, but Power-Up Tahu looks quite decent with the shoulder-mounted blaster and Flame Punch  .

 

Aaaaand this conclude our Bionicle 2015 set reviews!     Thank you BZPower for your insightful and humorous reviews, and thank you LEGO for bringing Bionicle back in a way that more than met our expectations.

Edited December 11, 2014 by Tahtorak ate my house!

[masterchirox580]

Yeah not as good as I expected, I mean I always thought the weapons looked kinda weird but I didn't realize he had those problems with the arms, I'll still buy it though. 

[Pohatu: Uniter of Stone]

I think with a bit of tweaking on the limbs, this Protector will be looking good! For example, I'd remove the shorter CCBS bones on the legs and put them on his arms. The body is designed nicely, but the lack of elbows- which actually worked on the Protector of Ice- and strange legs are quite odd. The hand weapons are... umm... confusing, to say the least. I think when I get him, I'll only use the 90 degree axle to connect the hands to the flames, making tonfas of a sort. 

[LN.01354]

For me, the biggest problem with all of the Protectors is that they use Trans-color shells. It makes them look strange and cheap. :/

Edited December 11, 2014 by LN.01354

[Aanchir]

For me, the biggest problem with all of the Protectors is that they use Trans-color shells. It makes them look strange and cheap. :/

What's cheap-looking about transparent parts? Transparent CCBS may not cost any more than opaque CCBS, since it's generally all made out of polycarbonate either way, but it seems to me that the transparent parts of the Protectors are a "special effect" that adds a lot of excitement and energy to the designs. It's the same reason the LEGO Group often uses transparent parts for magical treasures in various LEGO themes, such as the elemental blades of the 2013 Ninjago sets, the energy crystals of the Power Miners sets, or the treasure rings of the Atlantis sets. Or why Toa Inika Jaller and Matoro both used transparent ball cups and double ball cups.

 

If the designers had simply used opaque parts, it would have probably actually been cheaper in some cases. For instance, Lewa uses Bright Green 4M shells already, so it would have been cheaper to use those for the Protector of Jungle as well than to produce Transparent Bright Green shells at the same time. It's not just a case of the LEGO Group "overstock" Transparent Bright Green shells from the 2013 Brain Attack sets, either, because the mold for the 4M shell has actually changed since 2013, so you can tell the ones on the Protector of Jungle are newly produced for that set.

[Meiko]

 

Nice review. Very straightforward. The set's alright as far as parts go but design-wise is nothing spectacular. I have a question unrelated to this review though but the photos inspire me to ask what camera lens and settings you use for your reviews DeeVee. I've been doing f/8 ISO-400 with 1/20 exposure with spot lighting and a 28mm lens on the current review I'm working on and I'm not entirely satisfied with how some of them come out, especially as far as details go (it works well on minifigure close-ups but not for pictures of the full set). I've also tried using my 50mm lens and am more satisfied with the results with that but any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Edit: Not that it makes much of a difference but I have polarizing filters on both lenses. I don't really prioritize using them in the photos for a review but I mainly just leave them on my camera for automotive photography or portraits.

I shoot on f/22 at like 22 seconds for these photos, with a tripod, a timer, and a ten-second delay. I'm shooting with a 50mm prime lens. Professional collapsible studio with aluminum lighting fixtures (like the kind for outdoor construction work with clamps) with slightly cooler than sunlight high-intensity LED bulbs.

 

Neat, thanks for letting me know

[Katanga]

At least I wasn't the only one thinking tonfa when I saw those weapons. I honestly don't think they could have been implemented better than what they were, and I don't mean that in a good way either. But hey, at least it adds a little flavor to the usual stock of weapons which are typically swords.

[Zeb]

While the lack of elbows and somewhat awkard shoulders is disapointing, I still think this set is pretty cool. (Or rather, hot.) The shoulder-mounted stud-launcher and nice selection of parts are enough to make me want to buy the set as one of my first Protectors. I might make some arm modifications, though.

[abstractAgamid]

 

the mold for the 4M shell has actually changed since 2013

 

Really? When?

 

 

Any links?

[Lyichir]

 

the mold for the 4M shell has actually changed since 2013

Really? When?

 

 

Any links?

 

Aanchir addresses it in his latest review on The New Elementary.

[dotcom]

 

 

the mold for the 4M shell has actually changed since 2013

Really? When?

 

 

Any links?

 

Aanchir addresses it in his latest review on The New Elementary.

 

Did. Did that guy in the comments just call Bionicle "Diabolical?" Like. Seriously? For reals? That's...something people do? That's some yahoo comments stuff right there, and. It's. Ridiculous.

But the change in molds is certainly pretty interesting. Wonder if those are the only shells they'll do it to.

[Aanchir]

Did. Did that guy in the comments just call Bionicle "Diabolical?" Like. Seriously? For reals? That's...something people do? That's some yahoo comments stuff right there, and. It's. Ridiculous.

But the change in molds is certainly pretty interesting. Wonder if those are the only shells they'll do it to.

I figured it was meant as a bit of a pun, since it has a lot of the same vowel and consonant sounds as BIONICLE and sums up the negativity the commenter feels about BIONICLE sets.

 

Truth be told, I sort of expected a negative reaction from some of the blog's regular readers, and that's part of why I covered the sets I received in three reviews instead of six. I wanted my articles to help people understand and appreciate the appeal of the new BIONICLE sets, and I knew I wouldn't do that if regular LEGO fans were sick and tired of BIONICLE by the time I was all finished!

 

I think the 3M shells and 4M shells are probably the only ones that will be remolded that way, since they had some of the sharpest corners to begin with. Flattening out the corners of the 5M, 6M, and 8M shells wouldn't make nearly as much of a difference because the slope of those parts is already a lot more gradual.

[dotcom]

 

Did. Did that guy in the comments just call Bionicle "Diabolical?" Like. Seriously? For reals? That's...something people do? That's some yahoo comments stuff right there, and. It's. Ridiculous.

But the change in molds is certainly pretty interesting. Wonder if those are the only shells they'll do it to.

I figured it was meant as a bit of a pun, since it has a lot of the same vowel and consonant sounds as BIONICLE and sums up the negativity the commenter feels about BIONICLE sets.

 

Truth be told, I sort of expected a negative reaction from some of the blog's regular readers, and that's part of why I covered the sets I received in three reviews instead of six. I wanted my articles to help people understand and appreciate the appeal of the new BIONICLE sets, and I knew I wouldn't do that if regular LEGO fans were sick and tired of BIONICLE by the time I was all finished!

 

I think the 3M shells and 4M shells are probably the only ones that will be remolded that way, since they had some of the sharpest corners to begin with. Flattening out the corners of the 5M, 6M, and 8M shells wouldn't make nearly as much of a difference because the slope of those parts is already a lot more gradual.

 

Yeah, that's why I meant about it being a "yahoo comments" kind of thing--people making disparaging puns about things they don't like. (usually it's political stuff) I mean, I know there are people who hate constraction, but going to that level, usually reserved for childish political digs, is kinda baffling to me. :/ But yeah, ultimately nothing unexpected, I guess.

[Lyichir]

 

 

Did. Did that guy in the comments just call Bionicle "Diabolical?" Like. Seriously? For reals? That's...something people do? That's some yahoo comments stuff right there, and. It's. Ridiculous.

But the change in molds is certainly pretty interesting. Wonder if those are the only shells they'll do it to.

I figured it was meant as a bit of a pun, since it has a lot of the same vowel and consonant sounds as BIONICLE and sums up the negativity the commenter feels about BIONICLE sets.

 

Truth be told, I sort of expected a negative reaction from some of the blog's regular readers, and that's part of why I covered the sets I received in three reviews instead of six. I wanted my articles to help people understand and appreciate the appeal of the new BIONICLE sets, and I knew I wouldn't do that if regular LEGO fans were sick and tired of BIONICLE by the time I was all finished!

 

I think the 3M shells and 4M shells are probably the only ones that will be remolded that way, since they had some of the sharpest corners to begin with. Flattening out the corners of the 5M, 6M, and 8M shells wouldn't make nearly as much of a difference because the slope of those parts is already a lot more gradual.

 

Yeah, that's why I meant about it being a "yahoo comments" kind of thing--people making disparaging puns about things they don't like. (usually it's political stuff) I mean, I know there are people who hate constraction, but going to that level, usually reserved for childish political digs, is kinda baffling to me. :/ But yeah, ultimately nothing unexpected, I guess.

 

Now, let's be fair. BZPower isn't immune to that sort of thing either ("Skeleball" ring a bell?). It's easy to maintain a hatred of something by renaming it to something disparaging in your head, like a sort of self-imposed Newspeak. Usually when I see a comment like that, it's a cue to disengage from the argument—people like that are so deep in their own rabbit hole that reasoning with them is usually impossible.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Lyichir

[Boidoh]

I'll get this set just because he seems to be the most important Protector in story.

[Iblis]

I kind of want to go and make a little cloak and see if I can fold the launcher back right to look like a hunch...

Also tempted to try and make a lil'Protector maybe Bohrok feet?

He wasn't going to be my first Protector to buy, but he's growing on me.

 

("Skeleball" ring a bell?)

 

Eh, I'm looking forward to all the G2 sets I've seen, PoF seems to have some odd proportions & whilst he also looks somewhat gap-y to me from behind; it really does make "Skeleball" seem a very descriptive term... Diabolical has the insult, but Skeleball? Skeleton + ball? seems very accurate & whilst it has been used as an insult it seems very descriptive; it's hard to notice the shells, where as on many CCBS sets one could have looked at a picture & not realized that the torso is mostly just a skeletonish piece with ball joints with a massive shell or two clicked on; whether one thinks that is a bad thing or not isn't as strongly implied as it is with Diabolical... Some people use insults affectionately, & Skeleball could pretty easily be used that way IMO...

[Triple]

Probably going to get him first just to mod him into the adorable mini POF

[Jayk]

The exposed jawline still throws me off, as gorgeous as those masks are...

[Hakann-The Bully]

Thanks for the great review! If I had to take a stab at what the weapons are, perhaps they're some form of tonfas (Admittedly, they're still awkward...)?