And possibly playsetic, too, but that would look odd in a title. Continuing the last entry, because I have nothing else to blog about...

Gadunka :: YARGH. It's a walking, eating, giant head with limbs. My immediate reaction was, and remains, dislike. Intriguing though his body construction is, I just don't like how he looks, at all. I would like him better in the tiny size he was before his encounter with the Mask of Life... As he is, the only appeal he has to me is his plethora of dark blue. If I found him at a very low price, I might get him just for that. But that's the only condition under which and reason why I would buy him.

Hydraxon :: My favorite of this year's titans (or warriors, as they're being called). Like Hewkii Mahri, he has potential, but some design flaws. Skinny legs with wide shoulders (even wider than usual, thanks to his shoulder-mounted blades), messy upper legs, and as a matter of personal taste I just don't like the blades behind his head or his "mask." It's too small, too thin, too rectangular for me. Overall, he has a very thin, sleek appearance and a very simple design, which makes me think he ought to have been a $15 set like Nocturn, who was similarly simple and slim. I have full intentions of getting and revamping him. Plus, he has a variety of useful pieces – black and silver Piraka feet, a silver Pridak blade, silver Kalmah armor, and a slew of for some reason iron grey robot arms.

Maxilos and Spinax :: His box art makes him look the best (that is, in my opinion, some of the best box art Bionicle has seen in years), but other pictures reveal otherwise. Admittedly, being full of holes is understandable for a robot and useful underwater, but that doesn't make it look good. I've resolved not to get him, but Maxilos has one particular very nice bit about him – his shoulders. They have full realistic articulation: up and down, front to back, thanks to the Throwbot limbs in there. If his holes were filled in, he would be a perfect new body for Makuta in my eyes, and does look rather cool as it is, just too holey and blocky for me. The iron grey, dark grey, and red color scheme is, of course, a perfect match with 2003 Makuta. And I still don't like his "mask" much. Spinax neither interests nor appeals to me aside from the silver Piraka armor and Ehlek spines.

Karzahni :: Oh, the temptation! Dark green Mantax and Pridak feet. Blended lime/dark green Mantax armor. Dark green Vakama Hordika heads I could care less about, as I neither have a use for them nor like how they look on this set (but a recolored old piece is good on principle). I really dislike Karzahni himself, but he has some very nice pieces. I could use the Takadox blades, too. Bow-legged, rather bulbous in shape, and Karzahni is supposed to be tall, black and gold, and imposing. This looks more silly than intimidating to me. But I may yet get the set...

Idris :: If she were sold by herself, I would buy her instantly. Dark blue Ruru, dark blue Bohrok limbs (I still don't have any), and the Hewkii shoulder spike is very good as a blade. Plus she has Kongu Mahri's new eyepiece. She, combined with Karzahni's pieces, may persuade me to get the set – if I can find it on sale. Sarda is not worthy of note. (Idris, by contrast, is so cool that she gets her own listing.)

Lesovikk :: Lime green Faxon. Lime Piraka body. Awesome. He has a very nice appearance, the silver of his feet working with his chest and shoulder pads – if Kongu Mahri had been built this way, he would have been glorious. I like the bike, too, using Nidhiki's leg construction; with a bit of refinement and covering up gaps, it would be perfect. Having looked at the instructions, I like the use of Mantax's armor – it gives a nice slope down to Lesovikk's seat. It also has the best attachment for the Cordak blaster after Maxilos.

... Maybe I'll do the playsets another entry. Maybe not. For now I'll say that I like the Toa Terrain Crawler the best, as it is very clearly an undersea machine (despite being made a Rahi in the story). The portals on the middle section, the presense of a claw arm, the various steering wheels and air tubes, and the Faxon-shaped visor all lend to the aquatic appearance, which is good. I also like the Carapar-headed beastie, for some reason. It embodies the strangeness of the deep sea creatures one finds in the pit – four arms and two tails...

And as it stands once again... Hydraxon, Lesovikk – definitely getting. Karzahni and Maxilos – possible. The former more than the latter. Gadunka – more or less utterly no.

~ ToM