2017 Winter Sets Speculation

[Rakrondewl]

I would love a plot twist besides "We got the masks. Oh no we lost."

Say the Toa defeat the main baddie of 2017, (whoever it is) by a long shot. They're all happy and confident and they think that they are one step closer to Makuta. Then, one of two plot twists could happen

 

 

 

 

Or it turns out that Ekimu twisted the tale of him and Makuta, and Makuta is actually the good guy.

 

Ekimu actually turns out to be evil, and just wanted the Masks of Creation, Control, and Ultimate Power for his own personal gain. The Toa have to fight their old mentor, yada yada

.

Or the whole "defeating said villain" was just a distraction. By directing their attention to just one villain, Makuta uses it to his advantage by escaping his prison or whatever, making a physical form and making six new villains.

So the sets would be

Winter

-Toa Nuva

-Named Villagers

-Ekimu Nuva

 

Summer

-Makuta's Physical Form(Similar to 03 Makuta, or Protector sized character) w/ MoUP

-Six Villains(Hoping for Rahkshi types)

 

That's just my hopes

 

 

Ekimu being a bad guy doesn't sound that far fetched to me and has the penitential for a very interesting story.

Weren't this year's Toa sets supposed to be the equivalent of the g1 Toa Nuva?  So what exactly do you mean when you say that the Toa will be Nuva?

[Lenny7092]

 

 

I would love a plot twist besides "We got the masks. Oh no we lost."

Say the Toa defeat the main baddie of 2017, (whoever it is) by a long shot. They're all happy and confident and they think that they are one step closer to Makuta. Then, one of two plot twists could happen

 

 

 

 

 

Or it turns out that Ekimu twisted the tale of him and Makuta, and Makuta is actually the good guy.

 

Ekimu actually turns out to be evil, and just wanted the Masks of Creation, Control, and Ultimate Power for his own personal gain. The Toa have to fight their old mentor, yada yada

.

Or the whole "defeating said villain" was just a distraction. By directing their attention to just one villain, Makuta uses it to his advantage by escaping his prison or whatever, making a physical form and making six new villains.

So the sets would be

Winter

-Toa Nuva

-Named Villagers

-Ekimu Nuva

 

Summer

-Makuta's Physical Form(Similar to 03 Makuta, or Protector sized character) w/ MoUP

-Six Villains(Hoping for Rahkshi types)

 

That's just my hopes

 

Ekimu being a bad guy doesn't sound that far fetched to me and has the penitential for a very interesting story.

Weren't this year's Toa sets supposed to be the equivalent of the g1 Toa Nuva? So what exactly do you mean when you say that the Toa will be Nuva?

This year, I have a feeling that the Toa is equivalent to the 2008 Toa, where they only got new armor. Their power weren't enhanced, despite having Nuva symbols on their armor and masks. Perhaps they will become G2's own real Toa Nuva in 2017.

[Virid]

Set wise we'll no doubt get new versions of the Toa once again, which wouldn't be too bad, though hopefully they won't have to and get more gold masks... I'm hoping that, if we do get new versions of the Toa, they take what was started in 2016 and refine it to leave us with sets that have a good integration of CCBS and technic, I thought some of what we saw this year was great, but there's still room for improvement.

 

As far as the small sets go I've no clue what we'll get, though some new Okotans (preferably not the younger generation) would be nice, as would a wave of small villains instead. Makuta and the MoUP will no doubt be in the summer wave, so presumably will get another skull villain type character, though a more unique villain would be nice. So far the villains in G2 haven't had a whole lot of character and most don't even have names, so something that breaks that trend would be nice. The Mask of Time could appear in the winter wave, though if Bionicle is successful enough and Lego extends its run then I can see that being the focus of 2018.

 

With luck we'll get a good summer wave in 2017, the 2015 summer sets were not as good as the winter sets and this year's summer wave looks awful (though that might change). The only explanation I can think to be the cause of this is a low budget and/or most of that being spent on the winter wave. If next year is the big showdown and Makuta is a summer set, I'd be pretty disappointed if we got another unspectacular wave of sets. If Bionicle is doing well enough to continue in 2018 then hopefully the budget will be raised to allow better summer sets, but if Bionicle does end next year the chances of the last wave being as good as the winter waves is pretty low.

 

I don't know what we can hope for storywise, but hopefully we'll get at least one big twist that will catch people of guard. I'd also like to see more exploration into the Toa themselves and a defeat on their part, or at least a victory that doesn't come easily.

[ToaTImeLord]

I see that we will see one huge twist before the end of 2017.

Either a Takanuva appears, the Toa are defeated, or a good guy Makuta.

Maybe a combination of all of them.

 

What ever the case we'll see something big.

[Zidonaro]

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

[Lyichir]

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

 

I just hope they will.

[Zidonaro]

 

 

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

I just hope they will.

Aaah yes, cant wait for them to get ANOTHER update from Ekimu, so they can start ANOTHER quest to find ANOTHER set of identical golden masks(because apperently, two werent enough). This is definetly not getting repetitive and predictable at all :'D

[Aanchir]

 

 

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

I just hope they will.

 

Aaah yes, cant wait for them to get ANOTHER update from Ekimu, so they can start ANOTHER quest to find ANOTHER set of identical golden masks(because apperently, two werent enough). This is definetly not getting repetitive and predictable at all :'D

 

Regardless of how it's handled in the story, releasing new versions of the Toa is simply the smart thing to do as far as sets are concerned. Why shove the main characters to the sidelines and introduce replacements for them before they've even completed their quest? Plus, it's not like new Toa's quest would be inherently less repetitive, if they still have golden masks to promote.

 

Story-wise, it's just a choice between giving the existing main characters a new costume for the new story arc (something TV shows, movies, and toy lines routinely do to freshen up their characters' appearances) or writing them out of the spotlight entirely. Needless to say, it'd be extremely bizarre if a person's reaction to new costumes in any other series (or, for that matter, real life) were "ugh, I wish they'd just get rid of these people instead of letting them change clothes a second time".

Edited March 28, 2016 by Aanchir

[Dallior]

I'd say finish up with the main three in 2017 with the whole "Unity, Duty, Destiny" theme and the main Toa, and if LEGO can get another few years, then go into the Protectors or other character.s

[Clyce]

I recently finished listening to the TTV Talks interview with Ryder Windham (Bionicle books author) and he said that in one of the two book (don't remember which one he said) it was mentioned that Ekimu has a giant airship. He said he got permission from Lego to put it in the lore, but that would be interesting if that played a role in 2017. It could also be a plot element in traveling to other islands and planets if Lego is indeed continuing Bionicle. Another interesting tid bit, if you notice that Lego keeps three common settings/themes among all of their story arcs: jungle, castle, metropolis. Now jungle and metropolis have been seen quite often in the Bionicle universe, but I would be interested in seeing a castle theme in Bionicle (which probably will never happen). Maybe something like a fortress city on another island that has a much more developed society and political structure. I don't know, that's just me, and it wouldn't really make too much sense in the plot, but I think might be cool.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Azon

[ToaTImeLord]

Air ships you say.

This could get interesting.

Here's an idea on how that could work.

The Toa have been defeated by Makuta!!

Ekimu or Takanuva get some protectors into the airship and must abandon Okoto to hunt down the mask of time so they can reture and defeat Makuta once and for all.

Edited March 29, 2016 by ToaTimeLord

[Clyce]

Air ships you say.

This could get interesting.

Here's an idea on how that could work.

The Toa have been defeated by Makuta!!

Ekimu or Takanuva get some protectors into the airship and must abandon Okoto to hunt down the mask of time so they can reture and defeat Makuta once and for all.

Lol everyone wants to see the G2 Toa defeated huh?

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

 

• There will be masks.
• BZP will have an intense discussion about gears.
• Something, having changed, will be awful now and ruined forever.
• The question of something being a rehashed will be brought up.
• The brown set will get the short end of the stick.
• People will buy 'em anyway.

 

I think this is as accurate as we can get right now. xD

 

-NotS

[Clyce]

 

 

• There will be masks.
• BZP will have an intense discussion about gears.
• Something, having changed, will be awful now and ruined forever.
• The question of something being a rehashed will be brought up.
• The brown set will get the short end of the stick.
• People will buy 'em anyway.

 

I think this is as accurate as we can get right now. xD

 

-NotS

 

Couldn't agree more NotS.

[Pohaturon]

Where is this Takanuva idea coming from? I'm guessing taller Ekimu sort of already fits that bill.

 

But think about it. So far, pretty much the only thing going for Ekimu's talk of Makuta being evil is literally just his word. The current generation of protectors and villagers weren't around back when all that happened, so technically only Ekimu and Makuta know what actually transpired (except for Umarak, on account of him being ancient)

 

So what if there was no sacred law forbidding the combining of elements, Ekimu was just not creative enough to come up with it? 

Two brothers start a business together. One of them is more successful than the other. The less successful brother discovers a new revolutionary method which in turn makes his product superior. Formerly-more-successful brother gets angry and jealous, so he bashes newly-more-successful brother's face off with a hammer, and the resulting magical explosion and puts them both into a coma. 

 

The original six protectors were corrupt business partners of Ekimu, so they made up the prophecy to hand down from generation to generation to make it seem as if Ekimu was the good guy all along.

 

Six Toa arrive with no clue what's up, they wake up who's all like

"I need my mask of creation."

and

"go find the mask of control and ultimate power and bring them back to me in my forge so I can... destroy them. Yes, that's what I wanted to say"

 

Because, you know, reasons.

So what if the Toa succeed and give Ekimu the MoC and MoUP, which he then combines with the MoCr using Makuta's element combining technique and goes all evil.

 

I know this veered away from set speculation, but what if the final final villain is a true titan evil Ekimu which incorporates the colors of all the elements and has a mask that is a mix between the three legendary masks of G2?

 

If this happens in winter 2017, that would set up summer 2017 as a hunt for the mask of time's second half to use the complete mask to time to turn the whole mess back to the beginning of 2015, except the Toa know that Ekimu is lying and never awaken him.

 

We could even get six villains in Winter 2017 who combine to form über-evil-Ekimu as a combiner set.

 

 

 

As for serious speculation, solid color shells will be done away with entirely. We'll only get trans shells with solid-color and blended armor.

 

Edited April 4, 2016 by Pohaturon

[CupHead5998]

I personally think that the toa need to get better masks! i mean come on these kanohi look like rahi dung..

 

the feathers look weird but i can get over it they're not rubber at least but ECH those faces and size of the masks are really bad! i hope whatever they do they upscale and add more nuva look to masks.

"

Winter
-Toa Nuva
-Named Villagers
-Ekimu Nuva

"

i agree with this

"and this Summer
-Makuta's Physical Form(Similar to 03 Makuta, or Protector sized character) w/ MoUP
-Six Villains(Hoping for Rahkshi types)"

 

 

Btw i am new here

 

give us villagers lego! maybe this could be part of the story the village masks all get upgraded and so new different kanohi for all villagers!

[Clyce]

I personally think that the toa need to get better masks! i mean come on these kanohi look like rahi dung..

 

the feathers look weird but i can get over it they're not rubber at least but ECH those faces and size of the masks are really bad! i hope whatever they do they upscale and add more nuva look to masks.

"

Winter

-Toa Nuva

-Named Villagers

-Ekimu Nuva

"

i agree with this

"and this Summer

-Makuta's Physical Form(Similar to 03 Makuta, or Protector sized character) w/ MoUP

-Six Villains(Hoping for Rahkshi types)"

 

 

Btw i am new here

 

give us villagers lego! maybe this could be part of the story the village masks all get upgraded and so new different kanohi for all villagers!

Oh I hope we get some villager sets!

[Rakrondewl]

I personally think that the toa need to get better masks! i mean come on these kanohi look like rahi dung..

 

the feathers look weird but i can get over it they're not rubber at least but ECH those faces and size of the masks are really bad! i hope whatever they do they upscale and add more nuva look to masks.

"

Winter

-Toa Nuva

-Named Villagers

-Ekimu Nuva

"

i agree with this

"and this Summer

-Makuta's Physical Form(Similar to 03 Makuta, or Protector sized character) w/ MoUP

-Six Villains(Hoping for Rahkshi types)"

 

Btw i am new here

 

give us villagers lego! maybe this could be part of the story the village masks all get upgraded and so new different kanohi for all villagers!

Welcome to BZPower!

 

I personally Like Tahu and Lewa's masks better this year and find the heads/Masks more proportional.

 

Named villagers sound cool, maybe they could each have an occupation associated with them, such as Narmotho the Craftsman (name randomly made up).  I really want more unique masks too, the Toas' are cool but I would like to see some different designs.

 

Rahkshi would be great, but I would much prefer some villains with more personality instead of more instinct driven minions.

Where is this Takanuva idea coming from? I'm guessing taller Ekimu sort of already fits that bill.

 

But think about it. So far, pretty much the only thing going for Ekimu's talk of Makuta being evil is literally just his word. The current generation of protectors and villagers weren't around back when all that happened, so technically only Ekimu and Makuta know what actually transpired (except for Umarak, on account of him being ancient)

 

So what if there was no sacred law forbidding the combining of elements, Ekimu was just not creative enough to come up with it? 

Two brothers start a business together. One of them is more successful than the other. The less successful brother discovers a new revolutionary method which in turn makes his product superior. Formerly-more-successful brother gets angry and jealous, so he bashes newly-more-successful brother's face off with a hammer, and the resulting magical explosion and puts them both into a coma. 

 

The original six protectors were corrupt business partners of Ekimu, so they made up the prophecy to hand down from generation to generation to make it seem as if Ekimu was the good guy all along.

 

Six Toa arrive with no clue what's up, they wake up who's all like

"I need my mask of creation."

and

"go find the mask of control and ultimate power and bring them back to me in my forge so I can... destroy them. Yes, that's what I wanted to say"

 

Because, you know, reasons.

So what if the Toa succeed and give Ekimu the MoC and MoUP, which he then combines with the MoCr using Makuta's element combining technique and goes all evil.

 

I know this veered away from set speculation, but what if the final final villain is a true titan evil Ekimu which incorporates the colors of all the elements and has a mask that is a mix between the three legendary masks of G2?

 

If this happens in winter 2017, that would set up summer 2017 as a hunt for the mask of time's second half to use the complete mask to time to turn the whole mess back to the beginning of 2015, except the Toa know that Ekimu is lying and never awaken him.

 

We could even get six villains in Winter 2017 who combine to form über-evil-Ekimu as a combiner set.

 

 

 

As for serious speculation, solid color shells will be done away with entirely. We'll only get trans shells with solid-color and blended armor.

 

Over powered evil Ekimu combiner set sounds very interesting but unless the villains all share the same primary color, this could look very silly.  That said I imagine the villains all being gold with their respective elemental trans. color.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Rakrondewl

[Junior Shark]

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

Sorry, but Bionicle's always been like that. 

[Clyce]

 

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

Sorry, but Bionicle's always been like that. 

 

I wonder how they will "off" the creatures. I doubt they'll all die sacrificing themselves for the island, but I don't really see them fusing with the toa. Lol, maybe that's how they'll get their third forms.

[ToaTImeLord]

 

 

 

 

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

Sorry, but Bionicle's always been like that.

I wonder how they will "off" the creatures. I doubt they'll all die sacrificing themselves for the island, but I don't really see them fusing with the toa. Lol, maybe that's how they'll get their third forms.

I thought the villain beast for the summer wave the mutated versions of the elemental creatures. Edited April 8, 2016 by ToaTimeLord

[Lyichir]

 

 

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

Sorry, but Bionicle's always been like that. 

 

I wonder how they will "off" the creatures. I doubt they'll all die sacrificing themselves for the island, but I don't really see them fusing with the toa. Lol, maybe that's how they'll get their third forms.

 

They don't need to "off" the creatures just to remove them from the main story. Perhaps the creatures will be given some new role that requires them to leave the Toa (sealing away the Mask of Control again, or guarding the villages, or some sort of similar mission). They could possibly even get captured by next year's villain, giving the Toa one more motivation for their next quest, whatever that might be.

[Rakrondewl]

 

 

 

I just hope they will not be a third, updated version of the Toa.

Sorry, but Bionicle's always been like that. 

 

I wonder how they will "off" the creatures. I doubt they'll all die sacrificing themselves for the island, but I don't really see them fusing with the toa. Lol, maybe that's how they'll get their third forms.

 

They don't need to "off" the creatures just to remove them from the main story. Perhaps the creatures will be given some new role that requires them to leave the Toa (sealing away the Mask of Control again, or guarding the villages, or some sort of similar mission). They could possibly even get captured by next year's villain, giving the Toa one more motivation for their next quest, whatever that might be.

 

What if the creatures merge with some villagers to give us the new smaller sets next year, that would be interesting.

[The Hordika]

Welcome to BZP, CupHead!

So, new idea revolving around the Elemental Beasts.
They fulfill their purpose to help the Toa, and the get a Nuva-Type upgrade. Like, not just shiny armor but their bodies change to do their new mission, protecting the Okotans. Say Melum becomes a four legged mount(Look up "Play Stippling" on YT. My idea of what it would be like) with a new gearbox and has the ability to clip a Okotan to his back using pinaxles to hands and feet.

And going off the Toa Nuva debate, a Nuva type upgrade would be nice instead of Ekimu making new armor. In G1, the Inika were struck by lightning. Manufactured armor is a step down to me

[Tahu3.0]

I have a theory that we will NEVER have a protector sized Makuta.......

 

But we will have maybe the EKIMU AIR SHIP set as one of those minifigure scale sets like the ones of 2005-2007.

 

When i think about it maybe next year it will be of Villains and Villains and maybe 1 hero for the 2 waves and the hero could be something like Takanuva a villager in the first wave and in the second he is a Toa.

 

Sorry if its not that creative i seriously have no IDEA what it could be.

[The Hordika]

I would love that minifigure airship. It would be so cool

[Clyce]

I have a theory that we will NEVER have a protector sized Makuta.......

 

But we will have maybe the EKIMU AIR SHIP set as one of those minifigure scale sets like the ones of 2005-2007.

 

When i think about it maybe next year it will be of Villains and Villains and maybe 1 hero for the 2 waves and the hero could be something like Takanuva a villager in the first wave and in the second he is a Toa.

 

Sorry if its not that creative i seriously have no IDEA what it could be.

Actually, that would make a lot of sense. It was mentioned in one of the books that Ekimu had an airship and if they were going to sell it as a set it most likely would be a mini figure set to give it a larger scale.

[Rakrondewl]

I wounder what Ekimu's airship looks like.  Just the idea that we will be getting sets with minifigure scale Toa is interesting to think about.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Rakrondewl

[Lyichir]

Unfortunately, we'll probably never get Ekimu's airship as a set, and definitely won't be getting it in Winter 2017. The idea of an airship for Ekimu was invented by Ryder Windham for the graphic novels and approved by Lego, but it was not based on a set design or anything from the actual story bible, and as such it would take multiple years for such a set to be developed if it was considered at all. And as much as I would love minifigures of the new Bionicle characters, minifigure-based Bionicle playsets have historically performed poorly, and I can't imagine Lego is eager to repeat that (though I'd love to be proven wrong). Ultimately even if we did get minifigure-based playsets I imagine that they'd be based on significant locations from the actual story bible like the Temple of Time, Ancient City, or Labyrinth of Control, rather than something invented out of whole cloth for the graphic novels.

[Toa of Ice - 1987]

Unfortunately, we'll probably never get Ekimu's airship as a set, and definitely won't be getting it in Winter 2017. The idea of an airship for Ekimu was invented by Ryder Windham for the graphic novels and approved by Lego, but it was not based on a set design or anything from the actual story bible, and as such it would take multiple years for such a set to be developed if it was considered at all. And as much as I would love minifigures of the new Bionicle characters, minifigure-based Bionicle playsets have historically performed poorly, and I can't imagine Lego is eager to repeat that (though I'd love to be proven wrong). Ultimately even if we did get minifigure-based playsets I imagine that they'd be based on significant locations from the actual story bible like the Temple of Time, Ancient City, or Labyrinth of Control, rather than something invented out of whole cloth for the graphic novels.

 

And if it was in ccbs, it would probably have to be really big perhaps bigger than the Axalara T9, just to even fit a single Protector size Ekimu as a pilot.

[Clyce]

 

Unfortunately, we'll probably never get Ekimu's airship as a set, and definitely won't be getting it in Winter 2017. The idea of an airship for Ekimu was invented by Ryder Windham for the graphic novels and approved by Lego, but it was not based on a set design or anything from the actual story bible, and as such it would take multiple years for such a set to be developed if it was considered at all. And as much as I would love minifigures of the new Bionicle characters, minifigure-based Bionicle playsets have historically performed poorly, and I can't imagine Lego is eager to repeat that (though I'd love to be proven wrong). Ultimately even if we did get minifigure-based playsets I imagine that they'd be based on significant locations from the actual story bible like the Temple of Time, Ancient City, or Labyrinth of Control, rather than something invented out of whole cloth for the graphic novels.

 

And if it was in ccbs, it would probably have to be really big perhaps bigger than the Axalara T9, just to even fit a single Protector size Ekimu as a pilot.

 

That's if it uses regular sized sets and not minifigures. Since it's a big airship I would assume it's minifigures then.

[Arcee]

It'd be pretty rad to see completely new colorschemes for the characters, the Uniters did sorta touch on this by reducing the abundance of the mask color but I'd like to see it taken further. Gali having blue take a backseat to her orange, or a primarily yellow Lewa with green accents. Unlikely, I know, but I can dream.

 

Realistically, 2017's heroes will probably be a new power-up for the six Toa we have, and I'm expecting Ekimu to have some sort of role in the main hero roster now. It's really too early to start thinking of specific design predictions tbh because stuff really can just happen. If we're going by current trends the heroes might have a lot of metallic and transparent elements. I hope not because that seems to be the Uniters' thing so making a wave where it's even more prominent would underwhelm the Uniters' aesthetic theme and just look plain silly.

[The Hordika]

I'm hoping for less metallic colors. It's not really fitting. A solid orange on Tahu I wouuld love

[Clyce]

I'm hoping for less metallic colors. It's not really fitting. A solid orange on Tahu I wouuld love

Tbh I would rather have more solid colored sets in general. I mean the individual sets look amazing, but I find it a lot harder MOC when there's hardly enough of a particular colored CCBS pieces to make what I want. Now of course that's just me and probably wouldn't bring in the $$$.

[The Hordika]

Same. It's very hard to MOC, with the sets I have, I have a over-abundance of transparent shells and limbs, but not any flat red, azure, or solid colored limbs and armor. It would be helpful to have those without having to back-order Hero Factory. I still don't own a Hero Factory set

[NickonAquaMagna]

Let me guess, TTV Released the leaked pictures now did they? (the low down, greed filled snakes that they are.)

 

They swore off doing that a while ago. They don't report on leaks anymore since it hurts lego, and they've come to know several people within the company.

 

 

 

On another note...

I'm still struggling to figure out why people dislike trans pieces so much. As long as the colors make sense and they're mostly used for bones, it can pretty effectively make it look like entire portions of their bodies are literally MADE out of their element.

 

Trans orange makes Tahu look like his body is actually on fire. Lava Beast pulls this off even better, I think, with the solid black parts looking like coal and the trans-black shoulder bits looking like smoke billowing from a firey body.

 

Kopaka's light trans blue looks like ice. Gali's darker trans blue looks like water. Pohatu's neon green looks like sulfur. Onua's purple looks like some crystaline form of a protodermis-like substance growing around his body. Even Lewa's trans green bits could be seen as solidified tree sap or something like that. And... I love this. I love the way these trans pieces can be used to make it look like the Toa are a personification of their element, it makes them feel like the Element Lords from G1 or something, a more mystical take on the Toa.

 

Sure, if they all looked like Ekimu does right now, okay, that would be overdoing it. I'll except it in his case, though, since his current body looks like someone pried his smaller body open like a flower and stretched it all out to make a sort of empty robot skeleton with a few golden armor bits hanging off here and there, and Ekimu as we know him now is this blue astral essence filling the empty spaces of his stretched out frame. He has a very spiritual vibe that I just find cool, like he's ascended and part of his mind is in some other world we can't see. I think the intent behind the use of trans pieces is important to consider before critiquing any set that uses them.

Edited June 2, 2016 by NickonAquaMagna

[Lyichir]

 

Let me guess, TTV Released the leaked pictures now did they? (the low down, greed filled snakes that they are.)

 

They swore off doing that a while ago. They don't report on leaks anymore since it hurts lego, and they've come to know several people within the company.

 

 

 

On another note...

 

I'm still struggling to figure out why people dislike trans pieces so much. As long as the colors make sense and they're mostly used for bones, it can pretty effectively make it look like entire portions of their bodies are literally MADE out of their element.

 

Trans orange makes Tahu look like his body is actually on fire. Lava Beast pulls this off even better, I think, with the solid black parts looking like coal and the trans-black shoulder bits looking like smoke billowing from a firey body.

 

Kopaka's light trans blue looks like ice. Gali's darker trans blue looks like water. Pohatu's neon green looks like sulfur. Onua's purple looks like some crystaline form of a protodermis-like substance growing around his body. Even Lewa's trans green bits could be seen as solidified tree sap or something like that. And... I love this. I love the way these trans pieces can be used to make it look like the Toa are a personification of their element, it makes them feel like the Element Lords from G1 or something, a more mystical take on the Toa.

 

Sure, if they all looked like Ekimu does right now, okay, that would be overdoing it. I'll except it in his case, though, since his current body looks like someone pried his smaller body open like a flower and stretched it all out to make a sort of empty robot skeleton with a few golden armor bits hanging off here and there, and Ekimu as we know him now is this blue astral essence filling the empty spaces of his stretched out frame. He has a very spiritual vibe that I just find cool, like he's ascended and part of his mind is in some other world we can't see. I think the intent behind the use of trans pieces is important to consider before critiquing any set that uses them.

 

Personally, I love all the Trans. colors. It's great that every single element has a distinct transparent secondary color in addition to their solid primary colors, and both last year's and this year's villain sets do a great job of using an additional transparent accent color to denote their alignment and make the rest of their color schemes "pop" (if anything, I'm disappointed that Lava Beast hardly uses any of the Trans. Fluor. Green used by the other Beasts).

 

In the case of this year's Tahu, I think the main reason his use of Trans. Fluor. Reddish Orange has been criticized is that it and the gold largely come at the expense of his primary color (Bright Red), which is barely featured in his color scheme. But that doesn't bother me all that much. I appreciate when sets experiment with different sorts of color schemes.

[The Hordika]

I like experimenting as well, but there is an overabundance of gold on Tahu, and I would fix it if I had the red shells for it. Pohatu is a good example, but a little brown would go great with the tan and florescent yellow

[Arcee]

Re:recolors 

 

Personally, I like the thought of gold Tahu or orange Tahu, but I think the Uniters didn't do recoloring very well. Keeping the mask colors for characters (e.g. Tahu, Pohatu) who had little of that color elsewhere was a move that was a little too "safe" IMO. Recolors are a nice way to avoid the "why are we just getting the same heroes over and over?" complaint. It's seen with alt modes/redecoes in Transformers sometimes and is even reflected in the story occasionally (e.g. Prime Beast Hunters Bumblebee). So, a predominantly gold or orange Tahu would've been cool I thnk, but they played it so safe that it didn't work (that is, a red mask, an orange body, an overabundance of gold).

 

Assuming we get the same old Toa next year, I'm really hoping for some experimentation that's a bit more bold than this year's was.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Arcee

[NickonAquaMagna]

I like experimenting as well, but there is an overabundance of gold on Tahu, and I would fix it if I had the red shells for it. Pohatu is a good example, but a little brown would go great with the tan and florescent yellow

 

I dunno, I get kind of a similar vibe from Tahu to the one I just described for Ekimu. He looks sort of like living fire inside a golden mechanical frame.

Re:recolors 

 

Personally, I like the thought of gold Tahu or orange Tahu, but I think the Uniters didn't do recoloring very well. Keeping the mask colors for characters (e.g. Tahu, Pohatu) who had little of that color elsewhere was a move that was a little too "safe" IMO. Recolors are a nice way to avoid the "why are we just getting the same heroes over and over?" complaint. It's seen with alt modes/redecoes in Transformers sometimes and is even reflected in the story occasionally (e.g. Prime Beast Hunters Bumblebee). So, a predominantly gold or orange Tahu would've been cool I thnk, but they played it so safe that it didn't work (that is, a red mask, an orange body, an overabundance of gold).

 

 

In the case of Pohatu, I ended up warming up to the look pretty quickly, since the burnt orange bits in his arms make it look sort of like those parts are a more natural color for him, and those are the areas most exposed... like the dark beige elements are an extra layer he's wearing over those parts, sort of like a poncho or something.

 

Tahu is a little weirder, I think. I swear, he was designed entirely around his golden mask. Put that on, and he looks amazing. It's like he was meant to wear it all the time.