Might As Well
Current thoughts and impressions:
I mostly like the Makuta Mistika. They're original, have mostly good designs, and the Avotoran limbs don't bother me much, but I know that's one of my eccentricities. Aside from Gorast's incongruous dark grey body (silver would make slightly more sense, to match his her claws, but black would really be best...), and Bitil's red spikes (which look fine but are odd as the only red he has), they look good overall... Krika is both an awesome new design and actually looks frightening – I was sort of disappointed when she he didn't have the four legs his leaked picture made it look like he had, but even so he still looks great. Aside from that extra limb, which I won't even bother attaching.
And yes, I too think Krika ought to have been the female Makuta. Something about her…him just looks more villainously female – maybe it's his vague resemblance to a Stilken. That and his name. Gorast both looks more masculine and certainly has a masculine-sounding name... though her being a female mosquito makes sense enough.
Now, as to the Toa, you can probably imagine what I'm going to say. I think they're absolutely dreadful as Toa Nuva, and unlike the Phantoka aren't acually good designs on their own. Gali and Tahu have no color at all from their Nuva forms (unless you count the silver), and of the three only Tahu's mask looks anything like a prior form – but it just doesn't look like a Hau to me. None of the fiercity of the Hau and Hau Nuva's eyes, or even the Hau's trademark mouth... And I agree with Janus and Toro that Gali's mask would be great on a Dark Hunter, but as Gali... *shudder* If she only had chest armor (the Phantoka, at least, had chest armor) and the shoulder armor covered her shoulders better, she might look cool as something other than Gali, but... oh, and especially because she has dark blue. Nice to have the pieces, but why in Mata Nui's name make Tahu and Gali so dark?
Then Onua I think just looks terrible. He's strongest and bulkiest of the Toa – so why does he have the spindliest limbs available, and a straight-backed, tall, thin body? The mask might have been good as a remade Kraahkan, but certainly not as a Pakari. And the boosters on his legs look... awkward. They stick out too much. Wouldn't be as bad if they were right against his legs. As to colors, he at least has his proper color scheme (THANK THE GODS), but I think it's arranged terribly and that the whole spindly look just doesn't work on Onua.
... I'm ranting again. I hadn't planned to, really. So, let's move on from the Toa (anyone notice that none of them actually has a tool except Tahu's shield-like shuriken-thing?).
The vehicles evoke nothing in me, except confusion as to why they would essentially stick Lewa and Pohatu into a larger set. Seems counter-profitable. And I find Vultraz the epitome of boring, both in vehicle and in rider.
Takanuva... Well, I hate that he became a titan – and one who looks to be $30 all on his own, to boot – but I have to give some credit: he looks like Takanuva. The mask, little though I like it, is clearly an Avohkii, and he has Takanuva's color distribution (added thigh armor) even if he doesn't have any gold. And green eyes. Not a bad set, okay as Takanuva, but that doesn't mean I like him.
So, there we are. I'll probably go into the Makuta more thoroughly later. And if anyone was wondering, yes, I am going to draw up my designs for all six other Toa Nuva – counting Takanuva among them, for whom I'm inventing a canister set form.
~ ToM
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