Hero Factory Winter 2012 Discussion

[re:Twilite]

I was waiting for these. Black Phantom is so much better now . And the heroes are so-so. Evo and Breez look the best still. Toxic Reapa is stil Epi-Winning. As is Split-Face. And the teal! -Dies of nerdgasm-

[Protodite Karzahni]

I really don't want to say this. They look better than I expected. THERE, I SAID IT, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW PEOPLE WHO READ MY ANGRY COMMENTS?! I guess it just goes to show you what finalised pieces, lighting and a better camera angle can do to make a set look wantable, as Black Phantom is now on my Maybe list. (I only have a no list and a maybe list). The biggest complaint I have this year is colours. Something is just massively off here, especially in sets like Surge and that ugly Thornraxx thing.

[Nytrone]

And I thought they looked cool before! These are some great improvements! The new shoulder armor is incredible, and the sphere launchers are really cool as well! Black Phantom is ridiculously cool now! I was extremely worried about the prototype design for him, but I'm so glad to see that he's awesome now! He does suffer from all the same design flaws as Fire Lord though, but he makes them less profound. He is, like, one of the single best sets in this whole line! Breez looks pretty cool as well, but she's pretty plain compared to the other heroes. And I'm not a fan of the return of all the old helmets. Evo looks great! The helmet and armor/color scheme looks great in combination! Furno isn't my favorite of the heroes. The turbines are sweet-looking, and the armor scheme is decent, but Lego could've done better. Jawblade! Yeah, a legit shark! This guy is really cool, and the head design rocks! Rocka is definitely the coolest of the heroes! The armor combos work to the set's advantage, and you can't beat that color scheme! Gold, gunmetal and green rock together! Splitface, to be brutally honest, is rather lame. I appreciate that Lego gave us a two-face set, but this gut isn't too great. His head is basically a Thunder remake. Surge isn't the best hero set, but the color scheme works though. The armor could've been much better. Thornraxx? Where have I heard a name like that before? Anyways, is that TEAL that I see?! If so BOOYAH! THANK YOU LEGO! Color scheme and armor is awesome! Toxic Reapa is really cool! The armor, head, weapons, and color scheme are all fantastic! But the name is just plan cheesy! It's hilarious how corny it is! All in all, this is one of Lego's best HF lines so far! The villains are amazing, and the heroes aren't that bad either!

[penguin_poet]

I wish they'd just decide on masks or helmets.

[vastus9119]

These look really cool. I'm gonna collect them all this time.

[Kojol]

Well, here comes my twice-yearly overly harsh criticism of the sets which I know I'll buy anyway.Well, would buy if I had the budget, seeing as I'm now a poor college student.For starters, I don't like the new chest plate or the globular armor things. The hex-shields look cool but will probably end badly.Thornax guns cool, but Lego needs to get rid of their obsession with Zamor spheres. Furno: The worst of the lot. He's a cluttered mess. Don't like the wrist thing, jet pack is awkward, etc.Breez: Aargh, red and lime green! I thought you learned this lesson in 2008, Lego! Love the swords, they look very Exo-Force to me, why is there white, chest plate looks good on her. Shoulder pads make her look manly as usual. ... Holy Gadunka, they armored her back.Surge: I don't know about the lime green or the shoulder fins. Sword's an interesting concept, but not great, thornax gun remains awesome. New chest looks especially bad on him. Helmet does not go with rest of design.Evo: The best word for him would get censored, and "badbutt" sounds really silly, so I'll go with "awesome". A pity about the purple, but the thornax gun looks excellent on him, and the helmet almost works. Shoulder pad still bad, though.Rocka: GLORIOUS. He has more gold! The iron gray still bugs me, and I don't like the spike thing, or the shoulder pad, but he's so much better than 3.0, especially with the thornax/crossbow thing. No gold fists is bad, and his shin pads could be attached in a different position, and I don't know what to make of the helmet. White core actually works on him. Thornraxx: Teal. That is all.Also, the 5-length armor plate in orange will be nice for my Nex revamp.Toxic Reapa: Corroder 2.0 but bulbous! I like him.Two-Face: I have no idea.Jawblade: No, just no.Black Phantom: It's like the Fire Lord had a child with the Makuta, and they gave him a Kanohi Sanok. By far the best-executed Fire Lord build. Weapon is epic win. I wish that Fire Lord and Rocka XL didn't exist now, because this guy has to lose points for being identical to them.Of course, the refusal of that build to go away makes more sense now that it's Makuta. You cannot destroy it, for it is Nothing. All the pretty-colored limb parts and armor cladding are beautiful (Thornraxx!!!) and the under-armored set syndrome is going away. All in all, the most promising (not necessarily good) set line since either the Barraki, Glatorian, or HF 2.0.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Kojol

[Erebus]

My favorite set here would have to be Toxic Reapa. The trans-green looks pretty awesome. Looks kinda short though.

[LaputanMachine]

This is the best HF range so far. I might buy some of these.

[Liopleurodon]

I like Thornraxx. Toxic Reapa seems interesting too.

[Meiko]

I'm wondering how the sets will be packaged, because I've heard that the heroes won't be in canisters, but I've also heard that the villains are going to be a similar size to the Matoran. Does this mean that the villains—sans Black Phantom—will be packaged as canister sets?

[Surge 2.0]

Black Phantom is way better than before. I am so excited to get Breez, Surge, Thornraxx(He has teal Yessssssssssssss!), and Toxic Reapa.

[Zakann the Delirious]

My favorite set here would have to be Toxic Reapa. The trans-green looks pretty awesome. Looks kinda short though.

Yeah, he's gonna be really short. His legs are the same length as an average hero, AND he's a hunchback, so he'll probably be slightly taller than Raw-Jaw at most. Still looks pretty boss though. Edited October 15, 2011 by Zakann The Diabolical

[Aedai Rivin]

Trans-Lime is soooooooo good... Can't wait to grab 3 ToxicReapas and just make a huge monster/snake. Rivin

[Dark_Stranger]

Really? Already?I'm actually going to do my best not to look at these until closer to the release date, but the lineup looks...interesting. The size / price variation among the heroes and villains is intriguing. The villains' names sound pretty cool (esp. Black Phantom). However, I have some complaints, too. Why only preexisting heroes? Why only ten sets? And why, for the love of all that is holy, couldn't they have had Stormer instead of Surge?I will, of course, reserve final judgement until my resolve breaks down and I actually look at the pictures. "That is not dead which can eternal lie, / And with strange aeons even death may die."

[Obsessionist]

Hurrah, 1.0-style helmets! And do I see TEAL?! Another hurrah! The sets look awkward, with alot of less usefull pieces, but also some less common colors. I'm surprised there's now stormer, though.

[The Venom]

I'm loving the return of Teal on Thornraxx,and the looks of Toxic Reapa and Rocka. Definitely my favorites of them all.I'm disappointed Evo now lacks purple. :/And I actually don't like how the old heads look on the new bodies.They're a bit cringe-worthy for me.Black Phantom looks pretty decent,but a bit disappointing that he's slightly a step backward from the amazing Witch Doctor set.Considering the prices, and amount of new pieces,I'm definitely going to look into picking up a couple of these sets. -V-

[Meiko]

I'm surprised there's now stormer, though.

I'm assuming that Stormer may be playing a different sort of role next year; maybe something like a promotion or a similar concept.

[Mesonak]

Interesting to see the reactions here; glad to see that they're mainly positive. I came to the realization that I've yet to actually make a post giving my thoughts on them, so I guess I'll do that now. Furno - Bland. Aside from the turbines, I'm not really seeing anything that makes him stand out from any of the other heroes. I like the flame pattern on his chest and his launcher, however, as well as the lower legs. Breez - Some say they made her look more manly, but if anything this new version's very reminiscent of Samus Aran from the Metroid series of video games. The rockets on her lower legs look pretty good, and I enjoy the re-use of the 1.0 feet. I'm a bit concerned about the bendability of her arms, however, and the contrasting colors don't look all too great. But right now I'm cautiously optimistic about her. My third favorite. Surge - Uninteresting. Far too much lime green; it's meant to be a highlight, not a secondary color! The upper arms, while a nice idea, don't look too great in execution (I built them myself IRL), and the weapon is very nice, though there's only one of them which is a bummer. Glad to see that it's a recolor though. I loved that piece on the original Surge, I'm very glad to see it in a new color here. But as for the actual set, I think I'll pass. Evo - One of the most solid designs. While the only thing really interesting about him is his gun arm, it's so well designed that it won me over instantly. As far as the legs go, the color balance throws me off a bit. Yellow - Gunmetal - Gunmetal? It should be Gunmetal - Yellow - Gunmetal. But that's just me talking, who's always been concerned with proper color layering. While his purple will sorely be missed, I think the set has enough points that stem from its solid design to be my second favorite hero. (And that helmet rocks) Rocka - This guy's amazing. The head instantly won me over; looks like something that would fit right in if used in a BIONICLE MoC. The white core that all the heroes use actually works very well when used on Rocka, and that crossbow is to die for. The only thing that worries me about him in particular is that his lower legs may not look all too good, but I suppose we'll see. I love the ammo belt that he has (also used in Iron Man), and his overall design. A definite buy. Overall thoughts: The heroes of this line are pretty solid. Obviously there's a couple of design flaws (Glatorian heads, old helmets, some odd color choices, all white hero cores), but for the most part, I don't think they're detrimental to the sets themselves. I'd call this wave of heroes a success. Also handcuffs rock. Toxic Reapa - Interesting.. His overall stance and the vibe he gives off is cool, but the lack of armor on the lower legs bothers me, and the torso structure looks lackluster at best. His trans-green armor makes him worthwhile, however, and for only $7.99 it's a steal. The head and green fire pieces also add a couple of points in the set's favor. Jawblade - A similar case with Furno IMO. There's nothing really wrong with him (in fact I adore his design), but there's very little interesting about him that would warrant a purchase except the recolored Furno blades (speaking from a MoCing standpoint). Thornraxx - Name aside, I love this guy. His design looks interesting and innovative, and not only do I spy the new color Dark Azure used in both sockets and limbs, but there's also, unless my eyes are deceiving me, a new size of orange cladding used on his tail. That coupled with the awesome looking head and the Gorast wings (which I never acquired) makes this guy an instant purchase. Splitface - An interesting experiment, and it works very well. As a set, though, he just doesn't appeal to me. There's very few recolored pieces in his design, and those that are there look not too useful. The overall design looks cluttered and chaotic (which I know is what they were going for, but I'm a person that doesn't like assymetry. ) Likely won't be purchasing this guy, though as I look at more pictures, he's growing on me. Hm. I'll wait for reviews. Black Phantom - If you've been following the internet for the last month, you'd know that this guy has been... less than well received, by me especially. But luckily now that finalized pictures have came out and we can see the set better, his design looks to be a perfected version of Fire Lord's (though my opinions may change once more upon getting the set in hand). He looks fearsome and menacing, with a bulky torso and limb structure and an amazing shooter and weapon. The random appendages are odd, but the trans-green/yellow cladding is welcome. This guy looks better than Rocka XL, which cost $5 more. I will be purchasing him, and will hopefully enjoy him. Overall thoughts: Villains are a mixed bag. Several (Jawblade and Splitface) don't really strike a chord with me, but the others make me appreciate the versatility of the 2.0 build system more than I already did. This wave may not be of the same caliber as Savage Planet, but it's yet another solid wave for Hero Factory, and I'm very eager to see more pictures. -Mesonak

Edited October 15, 2011 by Mesonak

[Kojol]

Observation: It looks to me like some of the Heroes won't have proper arms. Rocka's thornax launcher, especially, looks too close to the upper arm, indicating a 1.0 villain-like stub.I might have to buy a flock of Rockas so that I can MOC a Rocka with better armor. ...Who can Rocka-rhyme like this? All of the helmets look like the Sanok to me, especially Makuta/Fire Lord/Black Phantom's mask. It's bothersome.

[Sumiki]

Thornraxx! You have an incredibly stupid name, you have TEAL. Possibly. Therefore I <3 you. I hope it's teal and not light blue.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Sumiki

[dotcom]

I am in love with Toxic Reapa. He is glorious.All of this line (Barring the Black Phantom) just looks really great. I will have to pick up a bunch of these.

[Mesonak]

Thornraxx! You have an incredibly stupid name, you have TEAL. Possibly. Therefore I <3 you. I hope it's teal and not light blue.

Teal's been discontinued for years now. It's a new color, Dark Azure. -Mesonak

[Kojol]

Thornraxx! You have an incredibly stupid name, you have TEAL. Possibly. Therefore I <3 you. I hope it's teal and not light blue.

Teal's been discontinued for years now. It's a new color, Dark Azure. -Mesonak

Out of curiosity, what, precisely, is "dark azure"? Is it to teal what Keetorange is to Yellow, or is it more like light blue? Are there any sets with it out yet? Also, is the Capitalization mandatory? Edited October 15, 2011 by Kojol

[Mesonak]

Thornraxx! You have an incredibly stupid name, you have TEAL. Possibly. Therefore I <3 you. I hope it's teal and not light blue.

Teal's been discontinued for years now. It's a new color, Dark Azure. -Mesonak

Out of curiosity, what, precisely, is "dark azure"? Is it to teal what Keetorange is to Yellow, or is it more like light blue? Are there any sets with it out yet? Also, is the Capitalization mandatory?

It's a relatively new color that was used in the Alien Conquest sets and will be used prominently in the new "Friends" theme next year. I don't own any sets with it, so I can't really tell you how exactly it looks, only what I can gleam through pictures. And no, it's not mandatory. Just me. -Mesonak

[King of the Madness Isles]

Wait did Stormer like die or something? I don't follow HF. Feel free to spam my inbox and comments now forever, as long as you give me a five star rating Anyways they do look cool, but I think I saw Splitface in...oh yeah...that little movie...THAT'S CALLED THE DARK KNIGHT! It's like Batman meets Bionicle-that's what HF is about.

[Trijhak]

These look extraordinarily like the first wave of HF. But that may have something to do with how each hero from the first wave has their original helmety-facey-masky thing. Looks like a pretty average wave to me. It might even be HF's last line, but I hope not. Black Phantom looks to be a repeat of Fire Lord/Witch Doctor/Rocka XL, so I'm not impressed. They've all used the same designs, mostly. All of the villains look pretty average. Splitface looks like an interesting idea, but executed poorly, the same with Jawblade. Toxicreapa is pretty much a 2.0/3.0 version of Meltdown, but nothing special asides from that. This whole wave of HF is probably the worst yet IMO.

[Meiko]

I'm overall interested in the villains. I'll be getting the heroes, because I want my collection to be complete, but I'd say that I like the villains because they are pretty unique in this wave, and I can see a lot of possibilities (not to mention the unique colors for these themes). Here are my thoughts on the villains:

• [*]Black Phantom – Much more complete than before (It was a preliminary image that we saw before, so we should always expect major changes and improvements). I really like the color scheme. I like how LEGO is using a lot of previously released part to build, because It makes it useful for anything just about. Those pieces that are new are unique, but also can serve for many purposes that I can picture, which is good, because they won't be one-time pieces. He looks as if he is designed to be a rogue Fire Lord.

• [*]Jawblade – Really cool. The silver and the red really symbolize a shark in that the silver is what some sharks appear as, and the red symbolizes a sort of dangerous accent with blood vaguely in mind. He's another small-sized masterpiece, as was Fangz. They use lots of cladding pieces to add a texture―in this case, scales (though most sharks don't have visible scales). His head piece is quite nice, and reminds me a bit of Drilldozer. This set will be a must-buy.

• [*]Thornraxx – Quite interesting to use turquoise (Dark Azure I believe) in a set like this. They used it well, for sure. I see many good uses for the wing pieces. They remind me of Insectoids, in a way. He looks like a pretty simple set, with not very much complex or unique characteristics, sans the complicated-looking body build. The colors in all are fairly interesting, but I'm not sure how much I like it. His head reminds me sort of a Jetbug/Scorpio/Waspix-like design.

• [*]Toxic Reapa – Yes, this is most certainly a great set. The colors go together perfectly, and the set looks as if it were a one-piece action figure (I say that because his pieces go together and fit so excellently). I like the use of SYSTEM pieces to act as tanks. He reminds me a lot of Corroder, but his weapons are a lot like Rotor's Biohazard Gas Shooter, if you have seen it in use in the Television Episodes. I'm most-certainly going to buy this set, and I will have a ball with it, I know.

I've noticed that all of these villains resemble previous villains that were locked up by the Hero Factory. If this is an intended characteristic, I can imagine that―going along the lines of a "Prison-break" wave―that these villains went rogue or got mutated at the Hero Factory, and these being the result of that mutation. I'll try to get to the Heroes, but I really can't keep typing after that.

[Zakann the Delirious]

Not sure if this has been brought up yet, but it seems that Spiltface's helmet/mask is actually two pieces, connected via the + holes in the sides of the Glatorian head.

[HordikaMode]

No one has mentioned this yet, so I guess it's up to me: THERE ARE NO MORE BOX/CANISTER SETS!!! THEY COME IN ZIP-LOCK BAGS!!! Bags with ZIPPERS, that is. Like "Horchata" bag crossed with a backpack zipper.

[Meiko]

No one has mentioned this yet, so I guess it's up to me: THERE ARE NO MORE BOX/CANISTER SETS!!! THEY COME IN ZIP-LOCK BAGS!!! Bags with ZIPPERS, that is. Like "Horchata" bag crossed with a backpack zipper.

I knew that they were no longer in canisters, but I didn't know that they were in zippered bags. Are they zippered bags similar to Zip-Lock, or are they just resealable bags? I've noticed that LEGO is carrying out their promise that they would be conserving trees, and so far what I have seen with that is working out quite fine. I'm not sure about zippered bags though. I'd think it'd have to be something more along the lines of a press-and-seal kind of bag, not a backpack zipper.

[Toa Genris]

holy moly, Rocka is awesome. definitely going to be a buy for me. Furno turned out pretty good I gotta say, but Breez is kinda eh to me, but that's just my opinion

[Black Six]

Please do not post or discuss set information that has not been officially announced.Thread closed.