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Set Review: 71311 Kopaka and Melum Unity Set


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Buddy team-ups are the best, right? Jaller and Takua. Norik and Iruini. Vakama and Roodaka? And now we have Kopaka and Melum, who apparently as so good bros they must come in a single set together. Ice and more ice, ready to save the day. Today's set review is Kopaka, Uniter of Ice, and Melum, Creature of Ice, who of course unite for more epic team-ups. Read, and watch, on for the full review.

 

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Thanks for the review! I'm very excited to pick up Kopaka & Melum, right now they are #1 on my wishlist for 2016.

 

Melum is okay. I wish he was not so similar to Terak, as I've expressed in the Bionicle 2016 Topic, but he's not a bad set at all. I just wish that he included a Shadow Trap. The function is kinda cute, and he looks like a lot of fun to pose - I love how much poseability there is in the head. It can stoop way down, or sit back on his shoulders, and it looks good both ways.

 

I love Kopaka, I just wish that he didn't use gold at all. I haven't really wished that about any of the other Toa (2015 or 2016), but on Kopaka, it really seems like they forced gold onto the set even though it does not complement him at all.

 

But I really do love the set in spite of that. Cool weapons - I really like his shielded blaster - and absolutely my favorite mask, perhaps my favorite mask in all of G2. Also, am I the only one who is glad the new swords don't use transparent colors? The opaque colors are really nice, and makes them look more solid.

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I really wish they had picked a metal color and stuck with it. I mean, the sword being silver would be fine either way, because weapons are weapons, not part of the character, but geez, using mostly silver and then slapping two gold pieces on because Big Toa Are Gold is not a good look. Either make the silver gold, or the gold silver. Pick a side, or at the very least, don't neglect the more vivid one, because the fact that it's lacking is exceedingly more obvious than if he was mostly gold with a bit of silver.

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I really wish they had picked a metal color and stuck with it. I mean, the sword being silver would be fine either way, because weapons are weapons, not part of the character, but geez, using mostly silver and then slapping two gold pieces on because Big Toa Are Gold is not a good look. Either make the silver gold, or the gold silver. Pick a side, or at the very least, don't neglect the more vivid one, because the fact that it's lacking is exceedingly more obvious than if he was mostly gold with a bit of silver.

I have no problem with the use of both gold and silver in a set, especially since this year's version of Kopaka managed to make the two work great together. But he's definitely lacking in the gold department—those two shell details alone don't cut it. I kind of wish his shoulders were gold instead of silver, and am holding out hope that maybe one of the summer sets will include Vorox armor in gold so that I can make that change myself. Maybe it would be best to change the Piece of Unification on his back and legs to gold as well, since otherwise you'd then have the opposite problem with the silver.

Also, the Earth Blue shells on the arms just don't work that well for me—I'd rather he included the same white shells this year's Kopaka used on his legs, maybe even stickering them to have similar designs to the torso shell and shield. At least that change is one that's easy to make with current parts, and the debut of Earth Blue CCBS shells is appreciated solely from a parts perspective.

Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence

Aanchir's and Meiko's brother

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I just don't get it why those wrist armor pieces on kopaka are dark blue, gold or white would work a lot better on his arms since the dark blue on his chest is enough. Personally i refuse to forgive lego for this decision since it looks very out of place, i just knew it that they would find away to do a big mistake decision design by assigning him into the titan (enhanced toa build) category.

Edited by ---Kopaka Nuva---

 

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Yeah...I think this is probably my least favorite set of 2016. Maybe my least favorite set of the reboot so far period? I just don't really like anything about it aside from Kopaka's cool weapons. I hate his mask, his color scheme is a mess, there just isn't anything going on with him that is appealing. Melum is...well, Melum is. He's not particularly bad or anything, just a creature, but a pretty hollow feeling one for whatever reason. I wish at least the "unity piece" was gold to give him a more consistent color scheme. He's so small that the silver does stand out quite a bit and it feels rather out of place. The combined form doesn't do anything for me at all. Just...this set. Meeeeehhhhhh.

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Compared to this year's Kopaka, this new one is frankly quite disappointing.

 

While I appreciate that he does have a different gear function, Melum still looks an awful lot like a Terak clone with less parts, and the lack of a shadow trap - or even the parts to make one, like Umarak had - makes that even worse. 

 

Kopaka himself... is a bit of a hodgepodge. The sword does look quite nice, but the sticker-ed gun/shield thing isn't all that appealing, and the random inclusion of two gold and two metru blue parts is more confusing that anything else. 

 

Even as someone who mostly buys sets for parts, this set has very little appeal to me. 

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The Kopaka + Melum set is now available at the gift shop of the LEGOLAND Discovery Center Atlanta, just so you know.

 


23140996134_3d68506291_b.jpg
23660685402_efaf2cb819_b.jpg
^ At home and opened, with Melum built and some of the exclusive pieces that I didn't use. You're only seeing Kopaka's legs because I built him differently as opposed to the model within. You'll see how he looks later. :D

It may be possible that one or more of the Bionicle 2016 sets are at your nearest LEGOLAND gift shop (probably depends on the Stocking and Retail crew at each LEGOLAND park.) Have a look and see, but do so quickly.

The Night King's BIONICLE 2.0 Collection
Toa Masters: [IIIIII] Toa Uniters: [IIIIII] Protectors: [IIIIII] Creatures: [IIIIII] Mask Maker: [II] Shadow Spawn: [III] Umarak: [II]
Kulta's Horde: [II]
 

"...The cold winds shall rise, and the dead shall rise with them..."

 

"And all the world shall feel... our... FREEZE!"

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I would've preffered an actual shield instead of the blaster thing, but the set still manages to look good. This is probably the set that I am looking forward to the least though. I think the other toa look better (despite some of them having bizarre weapons), and have better color schemes.

 

They should have given him gold shoulders like they did last year. Then the gold on his legs would not stick out so much.

 

The mask is a bit weird to me. It looks like a G2 version of the Akaku Nuva, which is fine and looks good, but all the rest of the team's masks look like advanced versions of their Master masks. It is just kind of weird that his mask is a much bigger departure from his previous one than what is seen with the rest of the team.

 

I'm not saying that I don't want it, or that I think it looks bad, but it is the lowest on my set purchasing priorities.

Edited by J46 Nui

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The mask is a bit weird to me. It looks like a G2 version of the Akaku Nuva, which is fine and looks good, but all the rest of the team's masks look like advanced versions of their Master masks. It is just kind of weird that his mask is a much bigger departure from his previous one than what is seen with the rest of the team.

 

I think the problem is that the beast head needs to be able to slot over the top of the mask. For most of them, this didn't require major changes, because the upper part of the mask was already fairly workable. Lewa needed to abandon the third vent (which helps make it look more like the miru, actually), but that was pretty much it for the others.

 

But Kopaka's eye piece is so big that to make it look like it did in 2015 would interfere with the beast head. As such, it became necessary to radically change the eyepiece. Since the eyepiece is a big part of the mask's recognizability, it winds up severely impacting its resemblance. I mean, besides the eye piece and the vents at the side of the mouth, the features of this mask mostly find their place in the previous incarnation, just like the others. But man, that eye piece changes a lot.

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Kopaka isn't left handed, he is ambidextrous!! 

 

 

I agree. Either Kopaka is ambidextrous, or he is just right-handed.  Besides, I am right-handed and I would hold my gun in my right hand and my sword in my left.

Not to mention, he is right-eyed, so he needs to hold it in his right hand.

 

As far as his design, the gold thighs vs silver accents doesn't work unless you have the creature on.

His build is complex(ish) and makes for a more interesting assembly. Unfortunately, he has lost a lot of his uniqueness as most of the others have.  Still, it beats the out of the Nuva version from 2002.

Edited by Mish
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                                                    :m_p:  :i:  :s:  :h:  Kopaka.png  :i:  :s:  :s:  :e:  :l:

                                                                            

"INTJ PROUD;" 80788-81311-MI

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With Melum attached to him, Kopaka looks really good, color scheme wise. But without the creature, the gold on Kopaka's legs just stands out too much. It just looks awkward to me with Melum with him, and that hurts this version of Kopaka IMO. But that's really my only complaint about him, as he looks good overall with the exception of the gold on his legs. 

 

Thanks for the review!

Everyone is one choice away from being the bad guy in another person's story.


 


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This will be one of the sets that I'll get when I make my LEGO Shop order on the 31st/1st. Apart from the price, I quite like it. The color-scheme doesn't bother me as I like the Earth-Blue details on his chest and shield stickers, as well as the Earth-Blue shells on his arms. Also, I'm a big fan of his weapons and mask. It's also nice knowing that his shoulder armor doesn't bump into his mask as some people initially thought. 

 

Melum is cool, I guess. In terms of appearance, he's nothing special, though his function is neat. I like how with his two claws on each arm, they can interlock when the function is activated.

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I must say! This set of two characters is very cool! (Get it, because they are based on ice?:P ) Anyway, I like Kopaka's new shoulder joints. They look realistic and interesting. I love his double-bladed sword and his blaster-shield combo weapon! They look epic! Neat idea that that he can use a transparent stud for the eyepiece.:)

 

Melum looks cool. He looks very much like Terak the Creature of Earth, but uses less pieces and has a hugging function. Kopaka has less gold pieces, but Melum can make up for it, which I find pretty sweet.:)

 

Too bad the set doesn't have its own Shadow Trap. I can see on the front right of the box, there are like two Shadow Traps with blue legs, but this seems to be deceiving. How sad. I was looking forward for it.:( Hopefully, Umarak's own Shadow Trap will make up for it. It's legs are not blue, but their shape will do, according to Kopaka's box art. Or, I could replace the legs with Frost Beast's claws from Hero Factory or blue claw pieces from Lego Legends of Chima: Fire and Ice sets. Either way, it would look like that Melum has his own Shadow Trap based on his element perfectly.

 

I don't know why the Ice Duo are in one set, which might be a reason why there is no Shadow Trap, why Melum seems to have the least build from other Creatures, and Kopaka being Toa-sized instead of Titan-sized this winter wave, but I appreciate the variety and hown they team up Bamtan-and-Robin style in one set. Reminds me of the Mutran and Vican duo set back in 2008.:)

I like Lego, Bionicle, and Hero Factory!:)

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I am surprised about the overall positivity toward Kopaka's new look, especially since I do not see it the same way at all. He has always been my favorite Toa, but this one doesn't seem to meet past standards.

 

It is good that the telescopic feature of his mask was kept, but I wonder why this Kopaka has gold armor only on the legs?? It seems like just too much is going on with his look - in the past, Kopaka has always had a simple, elegant asymmetry - but not so much this time.

 

To me so far, next year's Onua is the coolest looking!   :akakunu:

                 pirate wreck  

 

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I am surprised about the overall positivity toward Kopaka's new look, especially since I do not see it the same way at all. He has always been my favorite Toa, but this one doesn't seem to meet past standards.

 

It is good that the telescopic feature of his mask was kept, but I wonder why this Kopaka has gold armor only on the legs?? It seems like just too much is going on with his look - in the past, Kopaka has always had a simple, elegant asymmetry - but not so much this time.

 

To me so far, next year's Onua is the coolest looking!   :akakunu:

I've noticed that too. As a set, he's pretty okay. I don't like the mismatched colors, and now he has silver as a Secondary color. And the Metru blue is a little meh. Shield is kinda underwhelming.

​I'm mostly hyped for the parts. I'll definitely revamp it :akakunu:

 

​Still loving the Nuva symbols though


I'm currently in the process of rewriting G2. PM me if interested.

Feel free to follow the blog! (https://spiritofokoto.tumblr.com/)

 

 

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1: "No bad guy"

Yeah, we only get five of the Shadow Traps this year, which sucks.

 

2: "Doesn't feel like a $30 set"

I know others have already set this, but it's a $25 set.

 

3: "Some odd color choices"

I honestly feel that all the colors are cohesive.

 

4: "Uses stickers"

I'm not a MOCist, so this doesn't bother me all that much.

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

I wonder why this Kopaka has gold armor only on the legs??

 

To match the gold parts on Melum when they combine.

 

I think they were asking why he didn't have MORE gold armor. I kind of agree—while his color scheme isn't awful, I wish he had used gold Vorox armor for his shoulders (perhaps in the place of the Earth Blue shells on his arms, which could've been silver or something and stuck out less).

Formerly Lyichir: Rachira of Influence

Aanchir's and Meiko's brother

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I wonder why this Kopaka has gold armor only on the legs??

 

To match the gold parts on Melum when they combine.

 

I think they were asking why he didn't have MORE gold armor. I kind of agree—while his color scheme isn't awful, I wish he had used gold Vorox armor for his shoulders (perhaps in the place of the Earth Blue shells on his arms, which could've been silver or something and stuck out less).

 

They probably did it like that because they wanted to make him have the gold of a larger set, but wanted to please those who griped about it on the master version.

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                                                    :m_p:  :i:  :s:  :h:  Kopaka.png  :i:  :s:  :s:  :e:  :l:

                                                                            

"INTJ PROUD;" 80788-81311-MI

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I wonder why this Kopaka has gold armor only on the legs??

 

To match the gold parts on Melum when they combine.

 

I think they were asking why he didn't have MORE gold armor. I kind of agree—while his color scheme isn't awful, I wish he had used gold Vorox armor for his shoulders (perhaps in the place of the Earth Blue shells on his arms, which could've been silver or something and stuck out less).

 

They probably did it like that because they wanted to make him have the gold of a larger set, but wanted to please those who griped about it on the master version.

 

Is there no happy medium?

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I just don't get it why those wrist armor pieces on kopaka are dark blue, gold or white would work a lot better on his arms since the dark blue on his chest is enough. Personally i refuse to forgive lego for this decision since it looks very out of place, i just knew it that they would find away to do a big mistake decision design by assigning him into the titan (enhanced toa build) category.

 

I switched his dark blue pieces for the white ones he had last year. Weirdly enough, it made him look kinda bland. I ended up switching it back so he'd have more character.

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The Toa- A Bionicle Retelling by NickonAquaMagna http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/25275-the-toa-a-retelling-of-bionicle/

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I didn't know robots had dominant hands.  :tounge:

Toa are not robots, they are biomechanical life forms.

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                                                    :m_p:  :i:  :s:  :h:  Kopaka.png  :i:  :s:  :s:  :e:  :l:

                                                                            

"INTJ PROUD;" 80788-81311-MI

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