Official 2012 Set Discussion

[Meiko]

I think too many people expect some sort of pattern among numbered versions-- for instance, each time a version goes up in number, it has to have the same amount of changes to the Hero build. I don't think that really makes sense overall. Consider that between LEGO Digital Designer 2.0 and 3.0, the data structure of LXF files changed entirely. But between LDD 3.0 and 4.0, the changes were much more subtle (even though the interface was still improved).

My only complaint is that, build-wise, there was no difference between 2 and 3.0. And, I'm assuming only Alpha Team got the animal upgrade, so since it was exclusive to them, it doesn't seem like it should be considered an upgrade (unless I'm mistaken and the whole Factory got the animal upgrade). Kalhiki

That's because it wasn't an upgrade. All that happened was that they got refitted with new armor and weapons.

[Aanchir]

I think too many people expect some sort of pattern among numbered versions-- for instance, each time a version goes up in number, it has to have the same amount of changes to the Hero build. I don't think that really makes sense overall. Consider that between LEGO Digital Designer 2.0 and 3.0, the data structure of LXF files changed entirely. But between LDD 3.0 and 4.0, the changes were much more subtle (even though the interface was still improved).

My only complaint is that, build-wise, there was no difference between 2 and 3.0. And, I'm assuming only Alpha Team got the animal upgrade, so since it was exclusive to them, it doesn't seem like it should be considered an upgrade (unless I'm mistaken and the whole Factory got the animal upgrade). Kalhiki

That's because it wasn't an upgrade. All that happened was that they got refitted with new armor and weapons.

I'm fairly sure it was more than just a typical refitting. Even if it wasn't a huge upgrade, they were given new hardware that granted them "animal powers", just like how in the 2.0 upgrade they were given heat-resistant Hero Cores and more advanced motors in their joint areas.

[avak3]

I can not wait for these sets personaly i think the hand cuffs are a awsome adittion to the heros the villians are a inturesting assortment I liked the themeing of the villains in the 2.0 and 3.0, i guess Toxic Reapa and Thornraxx could be minons for corroder and rotor from the 1.0 series. I wound what the story will be?

[Dorek]

I think too many people expect some sort of pattern among numbered versions-- for instance, each time a version goes up in number, it has to have the same amount of changes to the Hero build. I don't think that really makes sense overall. Consider that between LEGO Digital Designer 2.0 and 3.0, the data structure of LXF files changed entirely. But between LDD 3.0 and 4.0, the changes were much more subtle (even though the interface was still improved).

My only complaint is that, build-wise, there was no difference between 2 and 3.0. And, I'm assuming only Alpha Team got the animal upgrade, so since it was exclusive to them, it doesn't seem like it should be considered an upgrade (unless I'm mistaken and the whole Factory got the animal upgrade). Kalhiki

That's because it wasn't an upgrade. All that happened was that they got refitted with new armor and weapons.

I'm fairly sure it was more than just a typical refitting. Even if it wasn't a huge upgrade, they were given new hardware that granted them "animal powers", just like how in the 2.0 upgrade they were given heat-resistant Hero Cores and more advanced motors in their joint areas.

I've already given my thoughts on why 3.0 isn't an upgrade in the same sense as 2.0, but I digress =P. It does raise an interesting point on how this will be treated in the story; another montage of refits, presumably. I wonder if they'll use Evo's 2.0 model, as well as Surge and Breez? It would make it easier to connect the similarities between Evo's helmet. You gotta wonder how intentional were those similarities; did it just look cool, or was it a deliberate homage? If the latter, where the heck did Rocka's helmet come from?

[Aedai Rivin]

I think too many people expect some sort of pattern among numbered versions-- for instance, each time a version goes up in number, it has to have the same amount of changes to the Hero build. I don't think that really makes sense overall. Consider that between LEGO Digital Designer 2.0 and 3.0, the data structure of LXF files changed entirely. But between LDD 3.0 and 4.0, the changes were much more subtle (even though the interface was still improved).

My only complaint is that, build-wise, there was no difference between 2 and 3.0. And, I'm assuming only Alpha Team got the animal upgrade, so since it was exclusive to them, it doesn't seem like it should be considered an upgrade (unless I'm mistaken and the whole Factory got the animal upgrade). Kalhiki

That's because it wasn't an upgrade. All that happened was that they got refitted with new armor and weapons.

I'm fairly sure it was more than just a typical refitting. Even if it wasn't a huge upgrade, they were given new hardware that granted them "animal powers", just like how in the 2.0 upgrade they were given heat-resistant Hero Cores and more advanced motors in their joint areas.

I've already given my thoughts on why 3.0 isn't an upgrade in the same sense as 2.0, but I digress =P. It does raise an interesting point on how this will be treated in the story; another montage of refits, presumably. I wonder if they'll use Evo's 2.0 model, as well as Surge and Breez? It would make it easier to connect the similarities between Evo's helmet. You gotta wonder how intentional were those similarities; did it just look cool, or was it a deliberate homage? If the latter, where the heck did Rocka's helmet come from?

Although Rocka's 2.0 helmet didn't have a scope, (and he didn't exist as a 1.0 and his 3.0 doesn't have one) Then the scope is purely a design that would be beneficial. (and seeing that helmet SO wants me to make a clockworking dude with it.) Rivin

[Aanchir]

I think too many people expect some sort of pattern among numbered versions-- for instance, each time a version goes up in number, it has to have the same amount of changes to the Hero build. I don't think that really makes sense overall. Consider that between LEGO Digital Designer 2.0 and 3.0, the data structure of LXF files changed entirely. But between LDD 3.0 and 4.0, the changes were much more subtle (even though the interface was still improved).

My only complaint is that, build-wise, there was no difference between 2 and 3.0. And, I'm assuming only Alpha Team got the animal upgrade, so since it was exclusive to them, it doesn't seem like it should be considered an upgrade (unless I'm mistaken and the whole Factory got the animal upgrade). Kalhiki

That's because it wasn't an upgrade. All that happened was that they got refitted with new armor and weapons.

I'm fairly sure it was more than just a typical refitting. Even if it wasn't a huge upgrade, they were given new hardware that granted them "animal powers", just like how in the 2.0 upgrade they were given heat-resistant Hero Cores and more advanced motors in their joint areas.

I've already given my thoughts on why 3.0 isn't an upgrade in the same sense as 2.0, but I digress =P. It does raise an interesting point on how this will be treated in the story; another montage of refits, presumably. I wonder if they'll use Evo's 2.0 model, as well as Surge and Breez? It would make it easier to connect the similarities between Evo's helmet. You gotta wonder how intentional were those similarities; did it just look cool, or was it a deliberate homage? If the latter, where the heck did Rocka's helmet come from?

No, 3.0 wasn't an upgrade in the same sense as 2.0, but mainly because 2.0 was the upgrade that made all other upgrades possible. It was the first time existing Heroes had been upgraded to a new version; before that there were only mere refittings. And after the 2.0 upgrade it became a lot more systematic and less risky to contiune upgrading heroes. I imagine Rocka's helmet was changed more dramatically than Evo's just because the 3.0 helmets had more mission-specific designs in general than the 2.0 helmets, and the set designers themselves probably never had any say in any of Rocka 2.0's portrayals. So they figured they'd just work from scratch with the new helmet for Rocka, whereas for Evo they drew from the design they themselves had chosen for him in his original appearance. As for the portrayal of the next upgrade in the TV series, I've thought of a few ways it could be done. One way is just to say that Breez, Evo, and Surge have already been upgraded to "test the new system" or what have you, possibly while Furno and Rocka were on Quatros. This shortens the upgrade montage considerably. Of course, it's not as though it would be too far-fetched for a character to "skip a version", any more than it would be for a company to upgrade their computers to Windows 7 without ever having used Vista. Since the differences between the 2.0 heroes and the new model are about as great as the differences between the 3.0 heroes and the new model, it wouldn't cause any real problems to upgrade both versions to this new, non-numbered version.

[Ultimate StarsSaberBee 823]

When I said 3.5, I meant kind of like an upgrade that wasn't official and not applied to all heroes, well then of course I wouldn't think 3.0 was applied to all heroes.The rumors for the 5.0 linePossible Spoiler Alert, i miss the spoiler bar.....were not that they would be, i.e. Furno 5.0, there names would be, i.e. Ulti-Furno

[Aanchir]

When I said 3.5, I meant kind of like an upgrade that wasn't official and not applied to all heroes, well then of course I wouldn't think 3.0 was applied to all heroes.The rumors for the 5.0 linePossible Spoiler Alert, i miss the spoiler bar.....were not that they would be, i.e. Furno 5.0, there names would be, i.e. Ulti-Furno

That rumor was attached to a list of "4.0" sets that had NOTHING in common with the now-known 1H 2012 wave besides obvious things like Furno's inclusion. So it can pretty much be agreed that that those "rumors" were nothing but lies from someone desperate for attention.

[Mesonak]

Basically what Aanchir said. The names were lacking somewhat anyways, so I'm not too disappointed that they turned out to be fake. -Mesonak

Edited October 24, 2011 by Mesonak

[Kojol]

I will definitely not be getting all of these. I am severely disappointed with this wave of sets. See, LEGO set standards for a shark-villain many years ago with Pridak. Jawblade is such a horrid failure that it doesn't even deserve to be called a set. Sure, it has some nice parts, but Pridak left a legacy, and this thing does not live up to it. Black Phantom is just Fire Lord, and nothing, not even a better colour scheme or armour or weapons, can hide that ugly, horrible, worthless skeleton underneath. Witch Doctor left a lot to live up to, given his amazing articulation in places that had always been severely lacking in BIONICLE and Hero Factory. Phantom is just a painted-over Fire Lord, and retains the worst build ever. All the other villains actually have some degree of coolness, so I'll leave it to you guys to identify their good points.Rocka, now, looked great as a lion-Hero, but this thing makes me sick. the only good thing is the trans-lime launcher and the shield, and maybe the amount of gold parts. Other than that, I hate this one. Breez is okay, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to buy her. Evo is great. The only thing I don't like about him is his lack of purple and another weapon, but that massive arm makes up for it. Furno is good, too, but that helmet doesn't belong on a 2.0 build. Surge is a nice set, but he has way too much lime green, and I'm not even sure I like the weapon, though a blue recolour of his old tool is nice. Basically, this line of HF sets is the worst ever, since the others were actually good. 1.0 was a fresh start, and it worked quite well. 2.0 gave us a new build and greater building possibilities. 3.0 enhanced the 2.0 design, and the villains were well-built, and I liked them all. This one, is more than just a step down--this is a 1000 mile drop off a cliff into the burning core of the earth from which there is no return. LEGO, you have failed, and I expected so much more from you. This doesn't mean I won't buy the sets, I'm just gonna buy the precious few good ones.

I'd have to disagree with the strength of your hatred. 1. How the karzahni did Pridak set the standard for shark villains? He had a horribly floppy torso, was anorexic, had ridiculously huge feet and spikes/fins, and the lower arms looked terrible and were poorly poseable. 2. Black Phantom has a good color scheme, one which does not draw hate when the set is called "Makuta", and unlike Rocka XL and Fire Lord, he isn't a poorly designed wreck. I will admit that another Witch Doctor-like set would have been vastly better than this one, however. 3. While I disagree with your assessment of Rocka, I feel that this is a matter of personal taste more than anything else. 4. 1.0 was terrible. The absolute nadir of the Bionicle-style sets. Beyond that, it was more or less a heavily armored redesign of the three year old Avotoran build. The sets were all bloated, unposable wrecks which a five-year old could build without even knowing what the set's supposed to look like, much less having instructions. The villains were all clones with unposable limbs and clunky parts. 2.0 and 3.0 were both good, but I think that this is a huge step up, especially in the villains - Thornraxx has a unique build which looks enjoyable, and Toxic and Jawblade both have interesting quirks to theirs. The heroes have not improved, I will admit, but neither have they become much worse. I consider this line to be one of the best in a long time, and Thornraxx and Toxic Reapa are two of my favorite villain sets ever. Jawblade and Rocka are both excellent despite a few flaws, and all of the other sets are at least passable.

[Mesonak]

@1st Shadow: You may be the only person I've ever seen that thinks Pridak left a legacy. Last I checked he was widely hated for his many flaws and his horrible design. The only thing even remotely shark-like about him was his head (barely), and possibly the "fins". Jawblade is the true definition of a shark, moreso than Pridak ever was, and has a better design IMO. Plus, sharks aren't bipeds Black Phantom has perfected the design of Fire Lord and Rocka XL, which I thought were solid to begin with, though each set had their own flaws, none of which return in Black Phantom. As far as Rocka goes, when I look at him I see an amazing set, one of the best heroes that Lego's designed yet. What's wrong with him? Really, what's wrong with him? You didn't elaborate. And I love how you say it's the worst wave of sets when you dislike three, enjoy four, and don't give your opinions on the remaining three. -Mesonak

[Aanchir]

@1st Shadow: You may be the only person I've ever seen that thinks Pridak left a legacy. Last I checked he was widely hated for his many flaws and his horrible design. The only thing even remotely shark-like about him was his head (barely), and possibly the "fins". Jawblade is the true definition of a shark, moreso than Pridak ever was, and has a better design IMO. Plus, sharks aren't bipeds Black Phantom has perfected the design of Fire Lord and Rocka XL, which I thought were solid to begin with, though each set had their own flaws, none of which return in Black Phantom. As far as Rocka goes, when I look at him I see an amazing set, one of the best heroes that Lego's designed yet. What's wrong with him? Really, what's wrong with him? You didn't elaborate. And I love how you say it's the worst wave of sets when you dislike three, enjoy four, and don't give your opinions on the remaining three. -Mesonak

Well, while my reactions to the upcoming wave are positive, let me point out that I'm not a huge fan of the new Rocka. I love his weapon concept, I'm not too bothered by his color scheme, and obviously if the proportions bothered me they'd be just as bothersome with Breez and Furno. I think it's his mask that I don't like... it doesn't feel like I can identify with him as a character through it the same way I can through the older helmets or through Evo's. Then again, looking at it in the high-res image, I can see a lot more detail than I remembered, and I'm beginning to like its uniqueness. Still, I can see many ways the set could be ugly to someone only giving it a passing glance, and so I can understand Rocka being a particular disappointment for some. Others have considered him one of their favorites, so I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

[Mesonak]

I can see why that would be a problem for some. One thing I didn't like about the animal designs was that Rocka was introduced as a Lion, and that's all we've ever known him as, unlike Evo, which was in the story before and we were able to see his character (despite him not appearing often). We really don't have a character for Rocka yet, except that he's "the new hotshot". I'm hoping his character's a bit more flushed out, because you're right, his helmet doesn't really feel like it fits. The helmet is one of the things I dislike about him even now, moreso when the original pictures surfaced, but over time I'm warming up to it just as I am with the rest of him. I guess time will tell whether he lives up to expectations or falls short. -Mesonak

Edited October 25, 2011 by Mesonak

[Studs Not On Top]

So is anyone terribly sad about the final death of canisters? Maybe they were getting too expensive to make. Personally, I'm fine with no more canisters. Rivin

I'm not too sad about it. It is disappointing that the heroes won't get their own hero pods anymore, but I have plenty of spare canisters to use anyway. And it seems like by using the bags, we get more plastic in the sets. And for the record, Pridak is awesome. Edited October 25, 2011 by Nuju's Translator

[Meiko]

The only problem that I face with Rocka's new helmet, is that it doesn't resemble his 2.0 helmet, which a lot of these characters' helmets do.

[Aanchir]

The only problem that I face with Rocka's new helmet, is that it doesn't resemble his 2.0 helmet, which a lot of these characters' helmets do.

That's true, but given that the 2.0 helmet looked different in different media, I don't think the set design team ever had any part in its designs. So it's not really their concern what he looked like in his 2.0 version, and I doubt they'd be happy with the Transformers-ish comic illustration or the thrown-together (though tastefully, I might add) TV episode depiction.

[Waaja]

Looks like breez's going to have a third 1.0 leg behind her to cover her back up...Evo reminds me of Bionicle's Skorpio driverRocka's shooter has a trans-green lower half?! O.oSliptface's head armour should be two parts; so they'd connect from the side rather than the top.. Seems like the heroes are fighting the villians at different places :X

[Aanchir]

Looks like breez's going to have a third 1.0 leg behind her to cover her back up...Evo reminds me of Bionicle's Skorpio driverRocka's shooter has a trans-green lower half?! O.oSliptface's head armour should be two parts; so they'd connect from the side rather than the top.. Seems like the heroes are fighting the villians at different places :X

Great observation about Splitface's helmet! I had not considered how it would attach-- personally, I was most suspecting it would be a two-color painted piece like the System jester cap or various Ninjago parts. Your explanation makes a lot more sense, especially as this upcoming wave brings back the Glatorian head with its multiple connection points!

[Astrotorical]

Thornraxx? seriously? they are seriously using that name... really... the other sets are all fine, but take out the second R you get Thornaxx

[Plague]

I was thinking that it might be two pieces too, seeing as how the line between the two colors is so sharp.

[Aanchir]

Thornraxx? seriously? they are seriously using that name... really... the other sets are all fine, but take out the second R you get Thornaxx

I believe you mean that if you take out the second R and either X you get Thornax. Only one X was used in the BIONICLE term. The name bothers me too, not because of being similar to BIONICLE, but rather because it's pretty much meaningless compared to most other Hero Factory villain names that at least relate to the character's appearance. All Thornraxx has is the word "thorn", which I think is a real stretch to connect to the stingers of a bug-like character. That, and the "rnr" in the middle of the name is somewhat cumbersome to pronounce.

[Dorek]

Looks like breez's going to have a third 1.0 leg behind her to cover her back up...Evo reminds me of Bionicle's Skorpio driverRocka's shooter has a trans-green lower half?! O.oSliptface's head armour should be two parts; so they'd connect from the side rather than the top.. Seems like the heroes are fighting the villians at different places :X

Great observation about Splitface's helmet! I had not considered how it would attach-- personally, I was most suspecting it would be a two-color painted piece like the System jester cap or various Ninjago parts. Your explanation makes a lot more sense, especially as this upcoming wave brings back the Glatorian head with its multiple connection points!

[I think somebody else pointed that out in this topic =P. Or maybe it was a different forum. Anyway, that's the speculation, though the hi-res makes it look a lot more likely. But yeah, I hope that Rocka's lower Thornax launcher half (gonna call it that until we get a proper name for whatever launcher they have) is trans green; I'd love to see what people can do with that.

[Tenebrae Invictus]

The only problem that I face with Rocka's new helmet, is that it doesn't resemble his 2.0 helmet, which a lot of these characters' helmets do.

The 2.0 helmet wasn't the same in the comic and in Savage Planet. Plus, there was barely any face time in either of those that the 4.0 should really resemble that. Plus, 2.0 helmets are composed of two pieces. I don't think the others' helmets are 2 pieces.

[Meiko]

The only problem that I face with Rocka's new helmet, is that it doesn't resemble his 2.0 helmet, which a lot of these characters' helmets do.

The 2.0 helmet wasn't the same in the comic and in Savage Planet. Plus, there was barely any face time in either of those that the 4.0 should really resemble that. Plus, 2.0 helmets are composed of two pieces. I don't think the others' helmets are 2 pieces.

None of those statements was really what I was talking about. I thought that they should use the rough concept behind theTV Rocka 2.0, because the TV Episodes tend to be more canon than the comics. Also, I know that the 2.0 helmets are 2 pieces, and that the others aren't. That is nothing even related to my point, sorry.

[Waaja]

Looks like breez's going to have a third 1.0 leg behind her to cover her back up... Evo reminds me of Bionicle's Skorpio driver Rocka's shooter has a trans-green lower half?! O.o Sliptface's head armour should be two parts; so they'd connect from the side rather than the top.. Seems like the heroes are fighting the villians at different places :X

Great observation about Splitface's helmet! I had not considered how it would attach-- personally, I was most suspecting it would be a two-color painted piece like the System jester cap or various Ninjago parts. Your explanation makes a lot more sense, especially as this upcoming wave brings back the Glatorian head with its multiple connection points!

[I think somebody else pointed that out in this topic =P. Or maybe it was a different forum. Anyway, that's the speculation, though the hi-res makes it look a lot more likely. But yeah, I hope that Rocka's lower Thornax launcher half (gonna call it that until we get a proper name for whatever launcher they have) is trans green; I'd love to see what people can do with that.

Coupled with toxic reapa's trans lime parts, probably make a hero/ villian/ whatchamacallit thingie with all trans green parts :DD would be a sight to beholdI'm thinking XD

[Aanchir]

Looks like breez's going to have a third 1.0 leg behind her to cover her back up... Evo reminds me of Bionicle's Skorpio driver Rocka's shooter has a trans-green lower half?! O.o Sliptface's head armour should be two parts; so they'd connect from the side rather than the top.. Seems like the heroes are fighting the villians at different places :X

Great observation about Splitface's helmet! I had not considered how it would attach-- personally, I was most suspecting it would be a two-color painted piece like the System jester cap or various Ninjago parts. Your explanation makes a lot more sense, especially as this upcoming wave brings back the Glatorian head with its multiple connection points!

[I think somebody else pointed that out in this topic =P. Or maybe it was a different forum. Anyway, that's the speculation, though the hi-res makes it look a lot more likely. But yeah, I hope that Rocka's lower Thornax launcher half (gonna call it that until we get a proper name for whatever launcher they have) is trans green; I'd love to see what people can do with that.

Coupled with toxic reapa's trans lime parts, probably make a hero/ villian/ whatchamacallit thingie with all trans green parts :DD would be a sight to beholdI'm thinking XD

Well, that all depends on whether Rocka and Toxic Reapa's transparent parts are the same color. Rocka's launcher and shield pieces seem more to me like Transparent Bright Green (new color introduced in the 2010 Atlantis sets) while Toxic Reapa and Black Phantom's shell pieces seem like Transparent Fluorescent Green (a classic color that's been around since the early 90s if not earlier). If that's the case, then they might not go together too well.

[Daiker]

Looks like breez's going to have a third 1.0 leg behind her to cover her back up... Evo reminds me of Bionicle's Skorpio driver Rocka's shooter has a trans-green lower half?! O.o Sliptface's head armour should be two parts; so they'd connect from the side rather than the top.. Seems like the heroes are fighting the villians at different places :X

Great observation about Splitface's helmet! I had not considered how it would attach-- personally, I was most suspecting it would be a two-color painted piece like the System jester cap or various Ninjago parts. Your explanation makes a lot more sense, especially as this upcoming wave brings back the Glatorian head with its multiple connection points!

[I think somebody else pointed that out in this topic =P. Or maybe it was a different forum. Anyway, that's the speculation, though the hi-res makes it look a lot more likely. But yeah, I hope that Rocka's lower Thornax launcher half (gonna call it that until we get a proper name for whatever launcher they have) is trans green; I'd love to see what people can do with that.

Coupled with toxic reapa's trans lime parts, probably make a hero/ villian/ whatchamacallit thingie with all trans green parts :DD would be a sight to beholdI'm thinking XD

Well, that all depends on whether Rocka and Toxic Reapa's transparent parts are the same color. Rocka's launcher and shield pieces seem more to me like Transparent Bright Green (new color introduced in the 2010 Atlantis sets) while Toxic Reapa and Black Phantom's shell pieces seem like Transparent Fluorescent Green (a classic color that's been around since the early 90s if not earlier). If that's the case, then they might not go together too well.

I wouldn't imagine they're different. And having a combiner using only one thornax piece doesn't sound too good anyway :S

[DeLaSouth]

LIME BONES. TEEL BONES. YELLOW BONES. OTHER LIGHT-GREY BONES. OTHER RED BONES. hurray for coloured bone pieces.

[Dark_Stranger]

Well, early this morning my resolve broke down and I took a good look at the new sets:EVO--Possibly the best of the new heroes. His left arm is somewhat underarmored, he has no purple, and he lacks a melee weapon, but the cool helmet, well-managed color scheme and amazing cannon-arm more than make up for these slight deficiencies.ROCKA--My other candidate for Best Winter 2012 Hero. Very nice colors, another wonderful new helmet, and the crossbow / blade configuration is genius. I am, however, worried (as I am with Furno and Breez) that the longer legs might make his arms seem too short.BREEZ--Not quite so outstanding, and the color scheme, especially, isn't nearly as neat, but she manages to pull it off with some help from the cool swords and the fact that the new semi-Thornax launcher looks really good in red.FURNO--Basically the same faults as Breez, but he doesn't overcome them quite as successfully. Also, he lacks a real melee weapon and, unlike Evo, isn't quite cool enough to fully make up for it.SURGE--Definitely the worst of the new Heroes. Odd color scheme, he looks rather flimsy, and his new weapon is nothing but a partial recolor of his 1.0 weapon. Not a bad set by any means, but certainly not a good set. Of course the fact that Surge is my least-favorite HF character of all time probably doesn't help his case at all... BLACK PHANTOM--I'll get what everyone else has said out of the way first: his helmet looks like a cross between a Sanok and Satan. (Nostalgia Critic--Who are you? Hewkii Inika--I'm the Devil! Nostalgia Critic-- )Ahem...now that I've gotten that out of my system... he's definitely the best of our new villains. The helmet is wonderfully menacing, the mace is a bit clunky-looking but is effective nonetheless, and that little spider-add-on-thing takes the old Thornax launcher to new levels of awesome. The color scheme is especially worthy of praise--the all-black armor over his dark red skeleton gives him the all-black look a Black Phantom should have, while keeping him from blurring into a featureless mess. Truly ingenious. TOXIC REAPA--A shoe-in for second-place villain, Reapa's excellent colors, creative torso armoring and cool head piece combine into instant awesomeness, and the lack of armor on the shins actually works well on him. My sole complaint is once again, a complete lack of melee weaponry.SPLITFACE--"It's time, Harvey...it's time..."Not the most original villain concept, but he pulls it off fairly well. Nothing really extraordinary, but he has no major flaws either."It's not about what I want...it's about what's FAIR!"Okay I proise I'm done this time. JAWBLADE--Pretty cool, but he doesn't have much going for him other than a cool concept and a very fun helmet. Although, really, I guess that's actually quite a bit.THORNRAXX--As others have said, quite Nui-Rama-esque. The color scheme of orange, black, and pseudo-teal is interesting, but this guy really doesn't catch my eye much. I suppose it's because I already have Jetbug and Waspix and would rather get some villains without an insect motif now... Overall, very impressive. "That is not dead which can eternal lie / And with strange aeons even death may die."

Edited October 29, 2011 by Great Cthulhu

[Dorek]

Evo's helmet makes him look like he's puckering his lips. You cannot unsee this.

[Meiko]

Evo's helmet makes him look like he's puckering his lips. You cannot unsee this.

You are right―it does look that way. It could just be the lighting in this rendering though. \

[Zok: Insane Math Wizard]

These heroes and villains look especially interesting, and Rocka is a major improvement, but I don't understand why the prices are so mixed up. Of course, for piece reasons, but it just doesn't add up. That's my main complaint.

[kalhiki]

Evo's helmet makes him look like he's puckering his lips. You cannot unsee this.

Nah, I can't unsee his gorilla nostrils. Kalhiki

[Daiker]

I wonder if those torsos are going to have stickers. I mean, on Iron Man, you can see Furno's without any specia details, so my guess is that they're stickers. But then again, I'm not really to fond of stickers :S

[The Invisible Handman]

/\ Yeah stickers suck, but it does mean that you don't have to have a patterned piece if you want armour with a single colour. Thus I hope those are stickers on the sets.

[Zakann the Delirious]

I'm hoping they're stickers. Printing is nicer, but the thing is it completely ruins the piece's possibility of being used in anything other than its original purpose.

Edited October 29, 2011 by Zakann The Diabolical

[Daiker]

/\ Yeah stickers suck, but it does mean that you don't have to have a patterned piece if you want armour with a single colour. Thus I hope those are stickers on the sets.

Agreed. It's kind of a win lose situation imo

I'm hoping they're stickers. Printing is nicer, but the thing is it completely ruins the piece's possibility of being used in anything other than its original purpose.

Yeah, but there is one exception by Deevee. It uses the red stripe on one of Corroder's stickers, but it's the only time I've seen something like this done. Also, anyone else notice the size 5 orange piece on Thornraxx's back? O:

[Meiko]

Evo's helmet makes him look like he's puckering his lips. You cannot unsee this.

Nah, I can't unsee his gorilla nostrils. Kalhiki

It's not that bad. I like that they kept the same style that his previous helmet had. I've seen that LEGO is keeping consistency between the heroes' forms. If you notice, Stringer's helmet has similar things on the top as his 3.0 helmet's bear ears. I hope that the new piece for the launchers works well, unlike the first few factory runs of the Ninjago Dragons (Thankfully they fixed the problem before they shipped the Lightning Dragon set).

[Dorek]

Evo's helmet makes him look like he's puckering his lips. You cannot unsee this.

Nah, I can't unsee his gorilla nostrils. Kalhiki

Hah. And people say they like the helmet. The vents are a cool throwback to his previous design, but that face... yuck.

/\ Yeah stickers suck, but it does mean that you don't have to have a patterned piece if you want armour with a single colour. Thus I hope those are stickers on the sets.

Agreed. It's kind of a win lose situation imo

I'm hoping they're stickers. Printing is nicer, but the thing is it completely ruins the piece's possibility of being used in anything other than its original purpose.

Yeah, but there is one exception by Deevee. It uses the red stripe on one of Corroder's stickers, but it's the only time I've seen something like this done. Also, anyone else notice the size 5 orange piece on Thornraxx's back? O:

And really, even that was cut from the actual sticker, so it's not like too much creativity is involved there =P. I was initially hoping that maybe the Hero Core was inlaid on a small piece of armor that had the printing, but now that we've seen the Hero Core (and it was kinda obvious even before then) no such luck. I'd be okay with stickers, really. First wave had em, so why not? Definitely works with Splitface. And yeah, I did notice the size five orange. I always thought that piece existed (never got any of the Nex sets) until I was messing around on the Recon Creator, when I realized that it didn't.

[Bfahome]

I wonder if those torsos are going to have stickers. I mean, on Iron Man, you can see Furno's without any specia details, so my guess is that they're stickers. But then again, I'm not really to fond of stickers :S

A non-detailed version doesn't discount the possibility of printing. The OoF and Savage Planet sets had both printed and non-printed armor pieces.