Taipu

[Jacks]

Ever since I first played MNOG ten years ago, Taipu has been by far my favorite character in the entire Bionicle universe. Here he is now in all his glory.

For years I've been messing about with Matoran-size mocs, trying to find a design that is compact but not stumpy, posable while still durable, and simple enough that I can build a village's worth if I so desire. I think I've achieved a pretty good balance here.

Front

Back

Torso design

And all you canon enthusiasts can complain all you like, but there's no way in Karzahni I'll ever replace that Ruru with a Pakari

See ya later

Edited October 19, 2014 by Jacks

[Taipu1]

Why would Taipu be your favourite character?Because Taipu is awesome. Glad somebody else realises that.That MOC is also very good. The pieces inside the feet give the feet a resemblance to the matoran feet in MoL. It would've been good to have had the arms in tan or black instead of dark bley, it's annoying Lego never made those arm pieces in any other colour. The additions you've made to the arms though cover up the grey fairly well. Would the same technique work on the legs? Torso build looks fairly unique, and solid.It's pretty nifty, pretty cool and its Taipu (What more could you want ).

[Jacks]

Aha, a kindred spirit! I did try putting those additions on the legs, but it just limited the range of motion for the feet too much for my liking. The tires on the arms were actually a last-minute thing and I'm already having some second thoughts about them anyway.

[joev14]

And all you canon enthusiasts can complain all you like, but there's no way in Karzahni I'll ever replace that Ruru with a Pakari

What if you were on Artakha, then would you do it?All joking aside, fantastic build. I love the way you made him look so...unique. and yet he's still the same height as a normal Matoran. Edited July 24, 2012 by joev14

[xccj]

Taipu's mask should've always been the Ruru. The official story just got it wrong. ;)I love the build; the torso design is very interesting, and I like where you used tubes to hold in the technic beams on the back. Overall, it does look posable and recognizable as a Matoran.One quick question; what's up with the feet? It's not the standard Bohrok foot pieces, from what I can tell.

[FrozenFlash]

Nice! The colors are spot on and the torso is nicely designed. The Matoran build is also really cool. Also, the back looks really filled up, which is great. Nice job on this!

[Jacks]

joev14 -- If I were in Artahka? Hmm...Maybe if...Wait, never mind, no I wouldn't xccj -- He should've been the Chronicler, too. Kopeke's way too grumpy for a job like that. And those are Bohrok feet. I just sawed the heels off FF Ice Master -- Thanks much!

Edited July 25, 2012 by Jackson Lake

[PutYaGunsOn]

Love it. 'Nuff said. Honestly, I was never one to condone cutting pieces, but I'll let that slide here. 'Tis all good.Also, I agree about the mask. In my mind, Taipu will always have a Ruru and Hafu will always have a Pakari.

[BioGio]

Honestly, I don't have too much to say. The build is really compact, with just enough attention to detail: You make it seem very complete without overwhelming us with unnecessary bells and whistles. It's hard to build something this small without reverting to an extremely simplistic style that stops at the basic and doesn't develop "outward."Let's see if I can say anything specific. Pretty good job sawing off the backs of the Bohrok feet--you had me fooled into thinking those were actual pieces at first. The torso is very well done and obviously the highlight of the MOC. The "armor" piece gives it a great flow. As others have said, the legs need more black. If you wanted to make this a bit more realistic (and allow for more black), you could increase the size of the legs, perhaps using a custom design rather than a single piece.~ BioGio

[Jacks]

Shinken Green -- It's been over four years since I decided I had no problem with chopping pieces up; now almost no part is 100% safe from the blade Glad that didn't deter you too much.BioGio -- Thanks for the detailed feedback. I did try making custom arms and legs as a way of avoiding the Permanent Crouch that results from those 90-degree limbs, but I could not devise a design that did not violate my desire to keep things simple. To be perfectly honest, I don't really mind the bley, since the Matoran in MoL also appear to have plenty of bley on their arms and legs anyway.

[Toa Turing]

This is really good! The design is the best Matoran design I've seen in a while. The color scheme is nice too. Also, I like that you kept his REAL MASK Ruru. I always thought of Taipu as having a Ruru, and I switching them was incredibly pointless.

[Onewa7]

Very nice MOC, I like the build and colors. I think it's a great Matoran design. Just wondering, why don't you give him a Pakari? Would it get in the way for moving the head?

[The Swimming Beard]

Nice small build. I really like the body, and the things used to cover the arms do the job nicely. However, why doesn't it have a Pakari?

Edited July 30, 2012 by Toa of Smooth Jazz

[Jacks]

Toa of Geek -- Thanks! I'm quite flattered.

 

Onewa7 and Toa of Smooth Jazz -- The reason I did not use a Pakari can be summarized in just three words: Templar Animation Studios.

 

That, however, might not make sense without an explanation. Now, I'm going to hazard a guess that your first contact with Bionicle was something other than the first MNOG, because if you had you would probably understand where I and the others in this thread who have expressed pro-Ruru sentiments are coming from, and you might even be saying similar things yourself. This, I should note, is by no means a slight or an accusation against your devotion to the constraction toys we all hold so dear, but rather a hypothesis which is as neutral as someone like myself can manage.

 

The thing is, we understand that the character of Hafu was created to explain the misprint black Ruru. We know that the Official Story has had the cocky Po-Matoran carver in a Ruru since 2001. We realize that Templar mixed the two characters up by mistake. But we still don't care, and to understand why you'll have to bear with me, and imagine what it was like for us eleven years ago: clicking through a brightly-animated rendition of Mata Nui, with no idea at all what was in the next screen.

 

You reach the end of a tunnel where a troop of indignant workers are on strike...and off in the corner, by a single smoking torch, is one lone miner steadily swinging a pick. Now, every other Matoran you've encountered so far has been preoccupied, or wanted a favor, or spent the whole conversation warning you of imminent death. But Taipu? He's just happy to talk to someone. And as you converse with him through the translucent boxes of scrolling text, you can't help but find the little guy's slow-witted but earnest and cheerful nature endearing. He's not digging during the strike to spite his fellow workers or suck up to the Turaga, he's digging because he just enjoys digging. And the road's gotta go through.

 

Fast forward a bit. You've stopped the lava flow in the lightstone mine and you're back at the construction site. And there's Taipu again, this time leading the charge through the solid rock. His joy when they break through into daylight is so infectious that you can't help but say yes when he asks to travel to Le-Koro with you. You can't help but smile as he dashes every which way along the path, commenting gleefully on the natural beauty of the forest. You can't help but share a rush of excitement when he shouts from atop a rock that he can see Le-Koro up ahead. And so, of course, you can't help but feel guilty when a Nui-Rama swoops in out of nowhere and snatches him away. Of course you should have told him to stay back at the cave mouth where it was safe. Your ensuing efforts to liberate the village are just as much about that one Onu-Matoran as the dozens of Le-Matoran imprisoned in the hive.

 

I rather doubt I would have connected with the character on such a level if he hadn't been wearing a Ruru.

 

See, the Ruru shows an expression that combines tough determination with pure cheerfulness, with a slight undertone of innocence. It matches Taipu's disposition perfectly. Add to that the fact that the Pakari is the perfect match to Hafu's arrogant, self-assured swagger (a metaphorical swagger, of course, since the Matoran in MNOG can't do much other than waddle or hop) and one can easily see that Templar's mix-up is a mistake that works. Personally, I cannot understand why the story team didn't just roll with it.I hope that answers your question.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Jacks

[Toa Turing]

Toa of Geek -- Thanks! I'm quite flattered.Onewa7 and Toa of Smooth Jazz -- The reason I did not use a Pakari can be summarized in just three words: Templar Animation Studios.That, however, might not make sense without an explanation. Now, I'm going to hazard a guess that your first contact with Bionicle was something other than the first MNOG, because if you had you would probably understand where I and the others in this thread who have expressed pro-Ruru sentiments are coming from, and you might even be saying similar things yourself. This, I should note, is by no means a slight or an accusation against your devotion to the constraction toys we all hold so dear, but rather a hypothesis which is as neutral as someone like myself can manage.The thing is, we understand that the character of Hafu was created to explain the misprint black Ruru. We know that the Official Story has had the cocky Po-Matoran carver in a Ruru since 2001. We realize that Templar mixed the two characters up by mistake. But we still don't care, and to understand why you'll have to bear with me, and imagine what it was like for us eleven years ago: clicking through a brightly-animated rendition of Mata Nui, with no idea at all what was in the next screen.You reach the end of a tunnel where a troop of indignant workers are on strike...and off in the corner, by a single smoking torch, is one lone miner steadily swinging a pick. Now, every other Matoran you've encountered so far has been preoccupied, or wanted a favor, or spent the whole conversation warning you of imminent death. But Taipu? He's just happy to talk to someone. And as you converse with him through the translucent boxes of scrolling text, you can't help but find the little guy's slow-witted but earnest and cheerful nature endearing. He's not digging during the strike to spite his fellow workers or suck up to the Turaga, he's digging because he just enjoys digging. And the road's gotta go through.Fast forward a bit. You've stopped the lava flow in the lightstone mine and you're back at the construction site. And there's Taipu again, this time leading the charge through the solid rock. His joy when they break through into daylight is so infectious that you can't help but say yes when he asks to travel to Le-Koro with you. You can't help but smile as he dashes every which way along the path, commenting gleefully on the natural beauty of the forest. You can't help but share a rush of excitement when he shouts from atop a rock that he can see Le-Koro up ahead. And so, of course, you can't help but feel guilty when a Nui-Rama swoops in out of nowhere and snatches him away. Of course you should have told him to stay back at the cave mouth where it was safe. Your ensuing efforts to liberate the village are just as much about that one Onu-Matoran as the dozens of Le-Matoran imprisoned in the hive.I rather doubt I would have connected with the character on such a level if he hadn't been wearing a Ruru.See, the Ruru shows an expression that combines tough determination with pure cheerfulness, with a slight undertone of innocence. It matches Taipu's disposition perfectly. Add to that the fact that the Pakari is the perfect match to Hafu's arrogant, self-assured swagger (a metaphorical swagger, of course, since the Matoran in MNOG can't do much other than waddle or hop) and one can easily see that Templar's mix-up is a mistake that works. Personally, I cannot understand why the story team didn't just roll with it.I hope that answers your question.

I know this explanation wasn't directed at me, but i couldn't help but comment. This is the best argument for Taipu's Ruru that I have eveer seen, and I feel the exact same way. Bravo!

[Obsessionist]

Toa of Geek -- Thanks! I'm quite flattered.Onewa7 and Toa of Smooth Jazz -- The reason I did not use a Pakari can be summarized in just three words: Templar Animation Studios.<cut for length's sake>

I give this post two thumbs up.About the MOC, I love how the design looks so much like the McToran we know and love without being goofy or disproportionate, as so many custom matoran builds are. I'm a purist, of course, so the cut feet make me sad, but nicely done anyway. I also think it's a pity you had to cut flexi tubing, although I'm OK with it, just because it's expensive to buy enough to make a village worth of these guys.This also avoids so many of the downfalls of most custom matoran, beyond those already mentioned- large size, gaps, bulkeyness, etc. Well done, if it weren't for the cut parts this would be the best matoran build I've yet seen.

[BioGio]

BioGio -- Thanks for the detailed feedback. I did try making custom arms and legs as a way of avoiding the Permanent Crouch that results from those 90-degree limbs, but I could not devise a design that did not violate my desire to keep things simple. To be perfectly honest, I don't really mind the bley, since the Matoran in MoL also appear to have plenty of bley on their arms and legs anyway.

Perhaps you could use two of those "Hordika necks" connected at a 90-degree angle, perhaps joining them with this part. It would, of course, result in PermaCrouch, but that's somewhat desirable and fits with the arms' position. I don't know how that would really work, but it might be an interesting concept to pursue and could cut down on the excessive bley in the legs.

[Jacks]

Lego Obsessionist -- I'll just go ahead and ignore all of the last sentence of your post except for the first two and final six words, and say thank you very much. :PBioGio -- That would make the limbs too long, though. and like I said I don't object to the bley.

[The Other Kholin]

Instructions?Please leave something a little more constructive next time. Thanks.~Makaru

Edited August 13, 2012 by Makaru

[Jacks]

It's quite simple, actually -- just study the pictures marked "Back" and "Torso construction" and the design should become clear.

[Chro]

Wow, this is certainly one of the best compact, complex, coherent Matoran designs I've seen. Nice work all around.

[KZN02]

I like the body design, and especially the pickaxe.

[flameman]

this thing is awesome, that's it, this got to be the neatest matoran build i've ever seen, and can still be easily recognized as taipu,very nice

[Jacks]

Chro -- Complex? I sure hope not :PKZN02 -- Interesting. The pickaxe was my least favorite part, but I'm glad someone liked it.flameman -- Thanks!

[Chro]

Well, when I said complex, I specifically meant the torso design. Oftentimes Matoran torsos of this size that I see are, well, pretty poor. Anyways, I've built my own Taipu (along with Kopeke and Takua, but who cares) which I may upload soon.

[Nuparu1995]

Sweet! Definitely matches the MNOLG design, and I'm diggin' the Kolhii Staff!