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Set Review: 71309 Onua - Uniter of Earth


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The 2016 Bionicle reviews are continuing today with a look at one of the Toa: 71309 Onua - Uniter of Earth. Once again, Onua is one of the larger sets in the winter wave, and he certainly looks like an imposing figure. Is he a worthy successor to his 2015 incarnation, or is he better off buried among the rubble? You'll have to read on to find out!

 

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Again, another great an in-depth review. Onua was and still is my favorite of the larger Toa. He's a little skinny for my tastes but I'm sure its nothing a little modding can't fix. Him and Terak are definate buys for me.

 

Still would like to see how that golden technic shell looks with armor addons attached, but otherwise every question I had about Onua has been answered.Thanks for the review.

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Who touched Sasha! WHO TOUCHED MY GUN!

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It actually doesn't bother me at all that the Toa don't include Shadow Traps. From the Umarak-Tahu magazine spread, we know that the Shadow Traps are specifically targeted at the Creatures, and to be honest, 12 Skull Spiders was way overkill.

 

The asymmetry is the only thing that bothers me about Onua. It really doesn't look good at all. :/

 

Still, I think Onya is one of my favorites, and probably one of the first sets that I will buy.

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I was thinking to myself that there's no way they could top the 2015 Toa, but somehow they did. Not only are the new Toa awesome but they actually combine the small sets with the big ones in a way that doesn't feel too tacked on. This is how you get us to buy all of your stuff. Even the creatures alone are worth buying for unique builds. I'd love to see full sized sets for the creatures like back in 01 but I'm just glad we're getting more non-humanoid builds.

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I'm very impressed by Onua.  I hadn't noticed the arm asymmetry, and it bothers me a bit, but I do understand why it exists; the upper arms are different pieces, the right arm using the "single-axis" ball joint for stability and the left arm using the "free" ball joint for mobility.  Neat mask, cool hammer, decent function, nice combiner.

 

Question: can you actually separate the torso and hip pieces easily, or are they meant to be permanently attached?  Also, is there any sort of axle or pin connection that can be made in the clip at the top?

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I honestly do not like this set. I don't like the weird shoulder armor (the skeleton shell looks too flat to really do anything there). I don't like how the gap between the chest and the arms with the glatorian neck looks. I don't like the huge mechanical off-color feet. Besides the fact that they share some colors and a similar mask, I really can't see much continuity between this and the 2015 version. This one is just too lanky (and frankly I feel he could use some solid purple). Seeing better pictures of it makes me like the mask more, but that's about it. This definitely isn't a set I'm going to be getting. In any case, very nice and thorough review, though I do wish we had some mid-build pictures in the text review, or at least one shot of the set built without the armor shells.

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My opinion hasn't changed much about him. I like him a bit more now, though. The design of his weapon and how it spins with the half-axle/pin pieces is just great, especially when you consider the potential for so many great poses with CCBS. Also, the fact that the drill can only be turned at the cost of firing the purple studs doesn't bother me; probably because I won't place the studs in the shooter in fear of losing them. 

 

Even the asymmetry in the arms doesn't bother me. As Bfahome said, the grey piece used for his right arm is there to add stability when holding the weapon, that way, his arm/s won't swing down like 2015 Gali's when she is holding her Elemental Trident.

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While the hammer looks cool, I can't help but feel like the designers were trying a little too hard with it. In 2015 Onua just had a hammer, but in 2016 he's going to have this oversized, swiveling drill-hammer-buzzsaw-minigun thing. 

Edited by Nato Greavesy
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I believe that the masters were the best set versions of the characters that they represent, but I may like Uniter Onua a bit better than the master version. I thought the master was too broad (I did not like how he couldn't even touch his other hand because of his massive body and short arms). This version looks like an updated version of the master that gave him a much needed slimming down.

 

Though I may do some modding to fix the out of place asymmetry. 

 

I also enjoy the new mask. It works better as an evolution of the Mask of Earth than a Pakari, though.

 

I also like how these sets are clearly new versions of the Masters. I disliked it in Gen 1 where I wouldn't be able to tell that 2 sets were the same character without being told their names. The only sets that did this well in G1 were the Nuva, Kal, MoLtoran, '08 Takanuva, and Stars. But most of the time, new forms would be like the Phantoka/Mistika, where there were next to no details in common. 

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Just wanted to point something out I noticed in the video:

 

yuEZF1d.png

 

I think that is actually a Nuva-style symbol for the Creatures. Haven't seen that before!

I noticed that in the review for Terak. I'd say it's likely the Nuva Symbol-equivalent for all of the creatures, considering they share the same head mold.

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Will Lego make a variation of the torso piece without the gear at the bottom?

 

Anyway, I find the mask to be... Unsatisfactory. The Nuva symbol on the mask ruins its symmetry & it looks too chunky compared to the original Pakari from 2001 or Onua's 2015 mask. It's nice to get more transparent ribcages, but they look flat in comparison to the digging claws on his previous set form. I also dislike unnecessary asymmetry, why couldn't the set design team use another transparent bone?

The weapon is fine, but I guess having a gun and drill hybrid makes no sense and can detract from the set's value. It's not as bad as Lewa's weapons, though.

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Good review. Onua is generally a good-looking set, but I still can't bring myself to like many of the changes from the previous version. I wish his height and the width of his chest had been kept more similar to the previous version, and I'm not a fan of the new feet. I will say that the color scheme is executed brilliantly, the new mask is a great upgrade of the 2015 one (which somehow manages to also echo both forms of the Pakari Nuva), and the sheer size of the armor on his shoulders does give him some nice continuity with last year's Onua, even if the shoulder joints themselves are not quite as wide.

 

The weapon seems a bit clumsy, and not as effective as Ekimu's hammer. Unlike a hammer, a drill has to spin in order to really function. Can it not do that without also firing studs back at Onua? Not very effective as a drill, then, is it? I also think it's a shame the weapon doesn't really share the crystal motif from the other Toa's weapons. Some people are bound to gripe about so many of the Toa's weapons using the same piece, but most of them use it in different ways and I feel like it's very nice to have that crystal texture present on all the Toa's masks, armor, and weapons.

 

The new torso patterns are nice but I don't like them quite as much as the more painted-looking patterns on the 2015 Toa. I do, however, like the colors. Does the new torso shell fit on a regular 7x9, 9x9, or 9x11 CCBS torso beam? This would be useful to know for MOCing purposes.

 

Looking at this set and Terak, I'm not as bothered as I was at first by the crystal add-ons being warm gold and transparent instead of warm gold and tr. bright bluish violet, but it still strikes me as an odd choice. Maybe they're planning to use the same color combination on a future set where tr. bright bluish violet would not have fit.

 

The asymmetry of Onua's arms is almost certainly to give the arm that's carrying more of the weapon's weight more stability, while letting the other move more freely so he's not locked into holding the drill at such a specific angle. It would've been nice if both arms had been fully Tr. Bright Bluish Violet (since that 5M "B" beam does exist in that color from last year's Onua and Protector of Earth), but LEGO generally tries to avoid including two parts that are so similar in size and shape in the same color.

 

The new eyestalk is a nice piece, but I think it's a shame that it's in Tr. Light Blue, an eye color I didn't particularly like from the 2015 sets. A fluorescent color like Tr. Flu. Green or Tr. Flu. Blue would have made the eyes glow a lot better. The new torso beam is nice too, but I wish it were smaller so the Toa wouldn't all have such long torsos.

 

The Onua and Terak "power up" mode looks quite nice, but doesn't really add any new functionality like Tahu, Gali, and Lewa's "power up" modes, which give them wings or shooters. All this one really does is bulk up his armor.

 

Overall, Onua is a nice set, but far from my favorite of the new Toa, and if I get him I'll probably want to revamp him to try and restore more of what I liked about the 2015 version.

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(reads other posts) Geez, guys. I like symmetry too, but... I don't NEED it.

 

Anyway, things I like about this set. Well, I like his shape. I know, I know, it's not the same as last year's set, but I think it feels like a substantial upgrade. Look at our technology, look at all the smartphones and tvs an' whatnot we've made. They all started out kind of big and bulky, but they SHRINK over time and less and less room is needed to accomplish the same power or they can squeeze even more in there. That's the feel this Onua gives me. We have no reason to think this version of Onua isn't AT LEAST as strong as he was last year, but now he doesn't have to be as huge to accomplish that, and his streamlined new look probably frees him up to be a lot faster and more agile, too. Overall, I think he makes the new torso build work the best out of any of this years sets, some of the others looking just a little too short-limbed for it. He's big, but not "just big." I think he looks much more well-rounded now. As much as I love his previous look, I find this one acceptable, too.

 

A few, in the past, have questioned the huge emphasis on transparent pieces in these sets. Personally, I think this Onua pulls it off better than most Toa. In his case, it looks like crystals, especially in more jagged areas like the shoulders, as if entire chunks of his body are comprised of some purple, crystaline form of Protodermis. I LOVE THAT. The trans purple adds so much life and a more elemental feel to this set. I just wish the shin armor add-on had more of the color. As for the grey upper arm... I just took that as him wearing a sleeve over his arm and under his armor plating, like last year's Pohatu. I know people think it's silly, but I don't mind if when looking at it that way.

 

Anyway, I think this is a GREAT set overall and it really feels like an upgrade from the old set. Upgrades don't always mean bigger, heavier, more cumbersome, they're the opposite. I'll probably revamp him slightly, but I think he's pretty darn good as is.

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The weapon seems a bit clumsy, and not as effective as Ekimu's hammer. Unlike a hammer, a drill has to spin in order to really function. Can it not do that without also firing studs back at Onua? Not very effective as a drill, then, is it?

I doubt it's a function that informs how it works in the story. If it was, then all the Protectors from last year would need to keep a hand free to spin the big gear on the back of their blasters. The Protectors of Fire and Earth would have extra trouble with it, too. Not to mention the drill functions from Power Miners, which, while pretty awesome, would amount to basically a battering ram if they were driven by the wheel speed like that.

 

In terms of play, personally, I'd just go with a "BRRRZZZZZKKKKHT" sound, which in this context is the sound of a drill. Don't necessarily need to spin it to pretend, and if I wanted to spin it I'd just remove the studs (or shoot them first).

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I'm so glad you started with my favorite of the Toa. He looks incredible! I will most definitely be displaying all the Toa and creatures in their powered up forms, for one, to save space, for another they just look insanely awesome that way. It still baffles me that the designers chose to give him clear crystal add-ons as opposed to trans purple ones and I have no clue why they gave Onua a grey upper arm piece when that piece exists in trans purple. I totally get why they used that piece though, it gives his arm extra stability to raise the head of the hammer, had they done it the same as the other, the arm might droop after awhile. Maybe their budget on trans purple ran out and that's why they couldn't use it on those pieces, heck I don't know. His mask is easily one of my favorites and it's a WAY better evolution from the 2015 Pakari than the 2002 one was from the 2001 version. I never liked that one even though I've always favored Onua. 

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I don't understand why so many people are complaining so much; I find this set exciting. Clearly, LEGO has been listening and learning. We now have gear functions, extremely solid builds, great color schemes, wonderful evolutions, extra playability (conflict-in-a-box, combiners), complex set and piece designs.... And lots of other nice little details too!

I noticed that the combiner attachment armor piece on his back helps hide Onua's otherwise thin neck. A clever orientation, as is the apparently useless little technic assembly jutting out to his sides from around his back. These, however, help to make Onua thicker up to his shoulders. Some say the skeleton ribcage is too flat for his shoulders; some say the combiner makes his shoulders too bulky; I say either way looks great, giving him width and bulk without being cumbersome. I also love that LEGO discarded the "action feature here!" colours for the gears, helping it blend more easily. I did think his feet were large, but that probably helps balance his large hammer-drill, which, by the way, seems like a perfect weapon for Onua.

Even though I still don't consider Onua my favorite, he is clearly an excellent set through-and-through, and that just makes me more excited for the other ones!

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The weapon seems a bit clumsy, and not as effective as Ekimu's hammer. Unlike a hammer, a drill has to spin in order to really function. Can it not do that without also firing studs back at Onua? Not very effective as a drill, then, is it?

I doubt it's a function that informs how it works in the story. If it was, then all the Protectors from last year would need to keep a hand free to spin the big gear on the back of their blasters. The Protectors of Fire and Earth would have extra trouble with it, too. Not to mention the drill functions from Power Miners, which, while pretty awesome, would amount to basically a battering ram if they were driven by the wheel speed like that.

 

In terms of play, personally, I'd just go with a "BRRRZZZZZKKKKHT" sound, which in this context is the sound of a drill. Don't necessarily need to spin it to pretend, and if I wanted to spin it I'd just remove the studs (or shoot them first).

 

I know its story function isn't the same as its set function, but even as a toy, I feel like a lot of the fun of drills in past sets has been the ability to actually spin them. Having to empty the ammo each time you do that in this set is a little inconvenient, in my eyes. I suppose Onua's ability to smash it into his enemies with his gear function helps make up for the lack of actual spinning, though. Still, between the lack of spinning and the lack of the crystal motif from the other Toa weapons, I don't like this one nearly as much.

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Seeing that picture of Master Onua and Uniter Onua side by side brought one thought to me head: Onua has lost some weight. :P

 

Joking aside, I do think that its cool for this set to have some nods to the previous version of Onua but still be unique enough to stand on its own. The new gold, trans purple, and trans clear pieces look really neat too. I'm still undecided if I'm going to get this set though.

 

Thanks for the review!

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 I really do love the overall design of this set, so much so that I'd say Onua's new 2016 form has definitely replaced Ekimu as my new favorite constraction set to come out since Gen 1 Bionicle.

 

 The color scheme seems much cleaner than his 2015 form now that he isn't decked out in multiple types of purple, and deciding to go with just metallic gold instead of both gold and silver completely eliminates the main problem I had with his prior form. (which was otherwise my favorite of the 2015 Toa sets) The trans purple really does look beautiful now that it's displayed more prominently than it used to be, and I like how even the studs are cast in it now compared to the solid purple ones that came with the Protector of Earth. Although as much as I love his colors, I will admit that there are some choices made about them that I can't help but raise an eyebrow at. The most obvious of which, as noted by others, would be the asymmetric colors for his upper arms. I do understand why they went with having different connectors for each arm, (stability and all that) but if they weren't going to use another trans purple connector, then couldn't they have chosen a less obvious color to use than bluish grey? The other two problems, the use of trans clear for the crystal armor instead of trans purple and the silver color of his feet, are relatively minor nitpicks to me so I don't really mind them very much.

 

 I think they really nailed it with his overall build. Onua seems to have just the right amount of 'lean, but sturdy' compared to the other Uniters, with Tahu being (ironically enough) too bulky because of the new gold armor he's sporting, and the three smaller Uniters all either look too oddly proportioned or too skinny for the new torso piece. I think Kopaka looks fine) Onua's new form might not have the squat and sturdy look I liked so much about his Master form, but because of the Bohrok eyes that help fill in his torso and his having larger feet compared to the other Toa, I think he still looks every bit as strong as his 2015 self did. Now for his new mask, at first glance I'd say it isn't recognizable as being an upgrade to the Gen 2 Pakari he sported in his last form, but once you take a moment to really compare the two side by side you'll begin to notice that the similarities are indeed there. So once you throw that nice metallic silver into the mix, I'd say it's a fine evolution to his old mask. (although I can't say I care much for the way the trans purple and gold version looks)

 

 Now I especially love his new drill hammer, as it really reminds me of the trick weapons from Bloodborne. I like to imagine that the trans purple studs are actually a special type of explosive charge that Onua can set off to give extra force to his drill swings and to make his hammer swings have an explosive impact against whatever unfortunate bad guy happens to be near him at the time. It's like someone took a warhammer, a giant drill, and a revolver, threw them all into a blender, and served it with a bit of pile bunker sprinkled on top for good measure, everything about that result screams 'ludicrously implausible videogame/anime weapon' and I absolutely love it! However, there are some definite problems I have with it, such as how I don't care for the way that the head swivels at the point where it connects to Onua's hand and how you can't spin the drill without firing the stud launcher.

 

 Now for the main problem I have with this set, the Unite Mode. I'm really disappointed to learn that Terak's head just kind of hovers over Onua's with no way to lock it in place, and the added bulk Terak's claws and feet give to Onua's shoulders and waist make the whole thing look like a mess to me. Luckily I like Terak enough as his own set to get him regardless, but after seeing how the Unite Mode gimmick actually works in practice, I don't think I'm going to be getting any of the other Creatures with the exception of Ikir. (he's just such a cute little lava falcon that I can't not get)

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But wasn't there only the one Skull Basher? 

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I find it kind of funny that everyone in this topic is either "Onua is my favorite constraction set of all time!" or "Onua... what have they done to you?" (with a bit of hyperbole, of course) Unfortunately, I'm part of the latter.

 

Ever since the first leaks came out, I've thought Onua's proportions were ungainly, his shoulders gappy, his color scheme scattered, and he was in every way inferior to his 2015 form (which... admittedly, I didn't like much either). Actually seeing the review doesn't change my opinion much. I'm still trying to figure out just what Lego was thinking when they designed his mask.

 

...not that my disapproval matters much, because I'm going to buy him anyway for the trans-purple. Maybe I'll do my best to revamp him.

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Onua...certainly knows how to grab attention. Love 'em or hate him, love him or hate him...

 

I'd have to go with a strong "like". I like the hammer/drill/gun. The color scheme of this set is definately better than the previous Onua incarnation, and I complement the tasteful arrangement of purple and gold. Fit for a royal monarch, indeed.

 

And that hammer makes it a rebellious prince's son. With his bear buddy. Such character.

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I think it's intended to look like jagged crystals growing over his shoulders. Isn't it kind of obvious?

 

They also do a really good job of echoing the overall shape of the shoulder pads from this year's sets, which pulls a lot of weight in terms of keeping the character's design continuous even though his proportions have changed so dramatically.

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I think it's intended to look like jagged crystals growing over his shoulders. Isn't it kind of obvious?

 

They also do a really good job of echoing the overall shape of the shoulder pads from this year's sets, which pulls a lot of weight in terms of keeping the character's design continuous even though his proportions have changed so dramatically.

 

 

Yeah. He just has a more elemental (and streamlined) feel, now.

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I dunno, the turning of the drill to fire the studs seems like a bit of a design flaw to me, even as an action feature.

 

Like every set I buy, I won't be getting my hands on the Uniter sets until May 2016 unless I can get a good shipping deal online. Onua though, I don't think he'll be among my purchases. Terak looks cool but Onua just kinda seems like all the other Uniters, so I'll probably just get Kopaka and his new buddy. Surprised at the use of the skeleton plates as shoulder armour, I think the old claws (but in trans purple or gold) from last time would have been better.

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I find it kind of funny that everyone in this topic is either "Onua is my favorite constraction set of all time!" or "Onua... what have they done to you?" (with a bit of hyperbole, of course) Unfortunately, I'm part of the latter.

 

Ever since the first leaks came out, I've thought Onua's proportions were ungainly, his shoulders gappy, his color scheme scattered, and he was in every way inferior to his 2015 form (which... admittedly, I didn't like much either). Actually seeing the review doesn't change my opinion much. I'm still trying to figure out just what Lego was thinking when they designed his mask.

 

...not that my disapproval matters much, because I'm going to buy him anyway for the trans-purple. Maybe I'll do my best to revamp him.

While I have a LOT of issues with the new Onua, the shoulders and mask are not among them. The mask very strongly echoes the 2015 Mask of Earth, much more than how the 2002 Pakari Nuva echoed the 2001 Pakari (which is to say, hardly at all). The vents adjacent to the eyes are still there, the vents in the forehead are still there, and even the shape and texture of the mouth are similar. And yet, at the same time, the new mask also brings in some traits of Onua's other masks over the years, like the 2002 Pakari Nuva's characteristic wideness and even the 2008 Pakari Nuva's angular contours and narrow triangular side-fins (very apparent in this picture).

 

As for the shoulders, like Lyi said, they're the part of the build that most strongly echoes Onua's 2015 design. They're very similar in shape and size to the 2015 Onua's shoulders, just with a more jagged, crystalline look.

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How easy is it to remove the hip piece from the torso? If it's anything like the six-shooters then I'm kinda bummed out by the lack of ease of customisation (assuming the hips and torsos come in different colours across the different Toa.

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How easy is it to remove the hip piece from the torso? If it's anything like the six-shooters then I'm kinda bummed out by the lack of ease of customisation (assuming the hips and torsos come in different colours across the different Toa.

I think the hips and torsos are the same color across all six Toa and Umarak (Black torsos, Titanium Metallic hips). According to DeeVee, though, they CAN be separated more easily than the six-shooters.

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