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"Design" Your dream Bionicle set wave


Pohaturon

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During the run of both generations of Bionicle, whenever a new wave of sets were released, they all had some kind of unifying theme. Either they were clone sets, or shared some kind of overarching design motif, parts and themes. The Bohrok were all, well, Bohrok, the Toa Mahri all had tubes and Cordak Blasters, and all the beasts and Umarak the Destroyer had those large jaw pieces (Ekimu is kind of an odd-one-out here). 

 

We all have our opinions on all the existing waves of Bionicle. Love some, dislike others, and so on. However, if you were given the opportunity to design a single wave of Bionicle sets, including the sets themselves and the story around them, what would it be like? Which gen would they be in? What unifying themes, motifs or gimmicks would they use? 

 

I always had this idea that, had G1 omitted the shift to Bara Magna and 2008 would end on a positive note with the success of the Toa Nuva's mission, the story could shift to an entirely new team of rookie Toa, down on the southern isles, dealing with a smaller scale problem - a group of dark hunters traipsing around their homes. 

 

Since the Southern Isles were a lot less organised and smaller than other areas, each Toa could be from a different island among a small archipelago, and this would be highlighted in their marketing/ character bios.

 

One of the unifying character gimmicks would be a launcher piece that shot nets, similar to the new piece used by City sets this year, in order to "catch" the Dark Hunters. Gear functions would make a return.

 

To signal a shift from the main storyline, none of the six Toa would be of the primary elements that comprised teams before. This wave of sets would have Plasma, Gravity, Psionics, Iron, Plantlife and Sonics. Masks would be two-toned, and would provide set forms of masks previously mentioned in-universe but never seen. 

 

In keeping with realism, I'd limit new parts to weapons, masks, the launcher piece, a small number of armor elements, and the required structural elements to incorporate the return of gear functions, similar to the 2015 gearbox piece. Due to the shift of the typical color palette, a large part of the budget would be consumed by recolors. 

 

While yet another wave of humanoid Toa characters isn't hugely deviant or original in light of the theme, the sets would seek to be more varied than in the past by not all using the same framework (like the inika build) but would strive for different body shapes, sizes and overall construction, similar to what G2 attempted. 

 

Small sets for this wave would be, surprise surprise, a group of Matoran for the Toa. The Matoran sets would draw from the same pool of new elements as the Toa except for their Masks, but would differentiate themselves from the Av-Matoran by focusing on more, smaller parts rather than fewer, bigger parts. They too wouldn't share a body shape, as seen with the Voyatoran and G2 protectors/creatures. Packaged with each Matoran would be an additional mask-like element that can be fitted over the existing masks of the Toa. Think of the windshield element for the Mahri/Phantoka masks, but the other way around - on the outside. In-story, these would 'power up' the masks. 

 

The wave would feature two titan sets, both enemies for the Toa (presumably the canister wave of dark hunters would be the next wave, but this thread is about just one wave). One would be a true titan character, while the other would be a small character riding an animal. They would incorporate play features linked to the net-shooters of the Toa. The large titan character would have a unique mask with a unique power up, with which it would be packaged by default.

 

Box-art and promotional images would have a unifying tropical island motif. All previous waves/years set on such islands still didn't focus exclusively on the island element (looking at Tahu Mata or Kopaka Mata's canister wouldn't tell you it's an island). So, this wave would up-play the tropical island thing with a more reserved touch of elemental identity on the images. 

 

I'm interested to hear the ideas of other BZP members regarding their "dream" wave of sets. Be as detailed or as vague/concise as you wish.

 

:kakama:

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:kakama: Stone rocks :kakama:

Model Designer at The LEGO Group. Former contributor at New Elementary. My MOCs can be found on Flickr and Instagram

:smilepohatunu: :smilehuki:

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My primary motive in designing this wave is having more masks in the metru-toran colour scheme. The story would be centered in the Toa-Dark hunter war and sets would consist of:

 

A wave of 6 matoran using the Tohunga design, (but uses this piece: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=140515#T=S&O={"iconly":0} to give them mata heads) from 2001, but in never before seen colours.

 

6 Toa some of from the Toa Mangai and a few from elsewhere, they would be similar to Lhikan but smaller and more to the scale of the Toa mata. Half of them will have recolours of fan favourite masks, and half will have entirely new masks.

 

6 Dark hunters, the set designer can get very creative with these as they don't even have to look vaguely alike, they could have "shattered" mask pieces which can still fit on a normal head.

 

3 titan sets, one is a huge Rahi, and two more huge dark hunters, these sets would use recoloured versions of masks in their armour and detailing, the Rahi would include a fleeing matoran in yet another new colour.

 

And their would be masks packs, with all 72 original masks to collect in metru colours, and 12 special edition purple masks, because we never had enough of those.

My Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClo2J14RKmVtcnoJTv7g6PA , Bionicle films coming soon!

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Well, I wouldn't exactly call it my "dream Bionicle wave," but I had an idea way back for how the tenth and final year of G1 could have been much better. Basically, it would expand the "nostalgia" premise to cover a full two waves of sets, rather than just six small figures. It would cram as many iconic characters from Bionicle into the wave as possible. This is how I envisioned it:

 

Winter Wave

 

 

Visorak (Vohtarak)

Maku

Nui-Rama

Bohrok Va (Kohrak Va)

Onepu

Ahkmou

 

Tahu

Piraka (Nektann)

Gresh

Takanuva

Skrall

Rahkshi

 

Wairuhua (Irrnakk style set with Gali, Lewa, and Kopaka and instructions to build a combined model)

 

Summer Wave

 

 

Makuta (Miserix)

Kiina

Barraki (Ehlek)

Bohrok (Kohrak)

Onua

Pohatu

 

Mata Nui, Spirit of Light

Terridax, Spirit of Darkness

 

So, a total of 21 sets, with the caveat of far less money spent on new molds still holding. Only three titans instead of the obscene number we were getting in the previous few waves. And overall a much wider celebration of Bionicle's first run, with at least one set representing every single year, and a full set of original Toa remade with modern molds.

I have slept for so long. My dreams have been dark ones. But now I am awakened. Now the scattered elements of my being are rejoined. Now I am whole. And the Darkness can not stand before me.

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Well, I would go with a two-wave year where there is a storyline about G1 characters and G2 characters having a crossover, and it would be similar to Sonic Generations in 2011. It would be used to celebrate Bionicle’s anniversary (20th I would say). I got the whole story here in the topic post: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/25028-your-dream-bionicle-video-game/?fromsearch=1

 

Now, for the sets, well, they would be modernized and remastered versions of old ones from the past because this story involves time travel and you would see them again. They all can have CCBS while keeping those gear functions from the past. Here’s a list of sets in my minds:

 

Winter sets:

6 small sets: Tapiu (2003), that Ta-Matoran in 2004, Tanma (2008), Berix (2009), Izotor the Protector of Ice (2015), and Terak the Creature of Earth (2016).

6 hero medium sets: Tahu (a mix of his 2008 and 2010 forms. In other words, Tahu Nuva wearing both his Adaptive Armor and Golden Armor), Nokama (2004), Matoro (2007), Gresh (2009), Pohatu (2016), and Onua (2016).

Titan sets: the Manas (2001), the Bahrag (2002), Roodaka (2005), Kulta (2015)

 

Summer sets:

6 villain medium sets: Nuvohk-Kal (2003), Zaktan (2006), Pridak (2007), Antroz (2008), Nektann (2010, and should look like a normal medium-sized set this time), Rahkshi of Heat Vision (same as Nektann).

Titan sets: Tuma (2009), Takanuva and Mata Nui vs. Teridax (2003 and 2009), Ekimu vs. Umarak the Destroyer (2016), G2 Makuta and Velika (2016 and 2006, respectively).

 

So yeah, and make all of them not overpriced, like in 2015 and 2016, too.:)

Edited by Lenny7092

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

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I would do a CCBS/G1 hybrid of the 2005 lineup.


  • Rhotuka launchers have new grip that ensures that the propellers won't fall during posing.
  • All Toa Hordika and Rahaga new jaws for talking/screaming poses.
  • The Titans get improved arms instead of open sockets like the originals.
  • Visorak Shells would be less floppy but they still have a jaw function and a gear system for aiming their shell before launching.
  • All Toa 6 Hagah get updated set forms.

 

qs3135.jpg

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