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So I recently went to the Lego stor for free small pick a bricks! I actually got two, so it equals 1 large...in a way. So here's the stuff I got, and I also don't know what some of these pieces are, thought they were so cool I got them anyway! The pieces...in one gallon bag the pieces...outside one gallon bag 12 yellow...thingys! cool pieces I just had to get! 4 green droid bodies Transparent! Teal! I love grills! By the way, there were 42 of them! Other cool pieces! What is this piece? #1 What is this pieces? #2 And a thanks to Omi, Rayg, KIE, and Sajunk(sp, sorry) for their coupons, because we only got one, and they gave me theirs! -CF
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Just a quick thank you to ~KDT~. If you want to know what he did, look around in my blog a bit. Check it out. It's great. And then you'll find his post. Thanks ~KDT~! If you don't want to do that, then it was a good idea higlighting this. He did a little artistic work for me. Basically the Bionicle logo (or as I prefere to call it, "The Swirl") filled in all black. None of that silver or shaded stuff. -CF
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Hello, I need some help. In short, I need this logo (look familiar?) in one solid color. Say, for example, take the middle right logo, and color it completely black. Any takers? Please? It'd be a big help. -CF
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That's right! If you haven't already seen the topic here, then go to it. It needs support, because it's not top 10 for some reason. In there is everything you need for your viewing pleasure of the BF06 pix! please post, everyone should see these! -CF
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Yay! I got Legacy of Evil just recently and it is great! I put in a short review in the Forum, so I'll post that here as a teaser until I have more time for a real review. ------------------------------------------- Bionicle Legends#4: Legacy of Evil It's time for history class. But instead of 80 something, Mrs. what's-her-name, whak you with a stick and dronning on and on about something of history for whatever country you're in, it's GregF telling us the history of the Piraka from 7,000 years ago. The main plot of the book is telling about how the piraka came together, how they got (some) of their powers, and discussing the DH/BoM war. It gives some more information about "Birth of a DH" (from the Bio Encyclopedia) and details and personalities about some DH's. The book starts 7,000 years from the current storyline, and continues down the timeline a couple of thousand of years to present time. All of the piraka are mentioned, along with TSO, Roodaka, Lariska, Anchient, and other characters either known or not so well known. One point that might get you aroused is the origin of the Staff of Fusion (Vezon's staff) and how Vezon came to be. (Some guesses if you read "Power Play," another good book) Many questions are answered, as are more given. I'll be re-reading this just to make sure I didn't miss anything, but of course it's good enough for a second reading and no reason. Some mystery, some drama, lots of excitement (took me only 1 day, got it at 1:00 PM, read, stopped, quick glances, then picked it back up at 10:00 and finished at 11:30 in bed, oh the suspense!) and 100% Bionicle! Of course I recommend it to everybody, as do all of the other Bionicle books, and some others but that's off topic. It is a great book, detailing what the Piraka are and were, how they are together, and more notes of them hating each other. (When TSO asks if Hakaan should be killed, a Piraka doesn't even hesitate his answer ("Yes")) Various characters are around, and it is very exciting to see everything peice together for this year's storyline. So remember: get Bionicle Legends #4: Legacy of Evil, NOW! (Now, I'm off to finish some school summer reading...) -CF
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I browse Brickshelf almost every day, and I come across very cool stuff. So, to bring something fresh to this blog, I'm introducing a whole new type of entry, the 'Brickshelf Finds'. Well first up: The Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak by Brickshelf member arvo. When you just look at the thing it becomes clear why this is the first MOC chosen. It's just a beautiful representation of the car in Lego form. Perhaps the racing trim would make the red look less empty, but it's still a very nice and accurate piece of work. The front looks great with the giant air intake which can no doubt suck up cats and small children. Its signature spoiler is present ofcourse. Not too sure about the white area, as showh here. But overall, it's brilliant. -|IXI
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My brother was actually nice to me! He had gotten a bunch of Bionicle peices from one of his friends for his birthday. A tub with that friend's bionicle collection that he could find (mainly toa metru and rahkshi). This was in June. Now, August (or september as of date) my brother gives me everything because he's not a MOCer, and I am, and basically he can't make any actual set from these peices. So now I have a couple of toa metru bodies, armor, and various weapons, not to mention Guurahk, who I wouldn't mind having since I need more blue peices. So basically I have a bunch of peices I'm just dying to use, and I'm busy with school, cleaning/painting my room, and scouts. So it'll be a while before I use them. But...peices! (Oh, is there any interset for grey rahkshi peices, or would I be embarasing myself if I tried to trade them in a trade topic I might soon be making?) -CF
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I hate MOCist's Block :angry: . I have it all the time especially with this new MOC, I try to integrate a piece into it, but I have no clue on how to put it in. Well I wonder who else has as much problems as me? There has to be at least one person. Well I got a whole 'nother day ahead of me and one day closer to the beggining of the school year. Later. ~RK~
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Well, it started Friday, Aug 25. (maybe thursday night) Boy was it awesome. I got dropped off at 8:00 (even though it started at 9:00) My mom signed a paper because I'm under 18, and left. So I'm standing around watching people try to get registration started, in my hands my shoebox with 4 MOCs in it and a gift for "Dirty Brickster" I register at say...8:45. Get my brickbadge and have to make some of it. (It's a rule) My brickbadge says: -Benjamin P***** -ChocolateFrogs -BZPower -Brickfest 2006 They all say BF06, and you build the clapper shutter on top. This year's theme is showbiz. We also get a goodie bag/tote bag. It has the BF06 logo on it and is awsome. In it is free stuff like a magnet, custom guns by custom modelers, and a welcome booklet explaining BF. I also got my BF06 shirt but kept my BZPower one on. Thoughout the event I changed the decorations on my Brickbadge: Brutaka's mask, to... Spiderman, to... flames, to... visorak and a green Kakama, to... Visorak and a proto miru nuva So I get in, and people are all over the place setting up their own models. I find the Bionicle table but no Omicron. I walk around trying to find where everything is. That's outside the Grand Ballroom where most of the MOCs are. I'm trying to find the Bionicle Room to find Omi to set up my MOCs. In the end I walk around the GB and set up my two non-Bio MOCs. One of them being my friend's and is very delicate, and practically fell in half even with layers and layers of bubble wrap, the other classified wrong and had to be moved. But wait, there's more! I go to a talk on minifig customization. It's actually a class! We get to take the design off a minifig body and put on a BF06 logo. We are also taught how to take a stud off the top of a explorer hat, and drill holes for gogels. So I'm still looking around for Omi and in the end just set up my MOCs in the Bio room. Then I look around in the GB at everyone setting up their castles, towns, moonbases, big spaceships, etc. At about 12 o'clock I find Omi. And Rayg. We walk around together looking at everything. We also meet another BZPer (who's name I wrote down but is upstairs in my room and I don't feel like moving) and we basically hung around for the rest of the day. But wait, there's more! We go to the BrickBazaar and but things, like minifigs and peices. I got Spiderman $3), Doc Ock($3.50, but afterword found out he was $3 at another place), and some great peices: 56 flames ($1), 7 lightsaber blades blue and green ($1), 25 lightsaber handles and 1 curved Dooku and 1 grey ($1) The whole brickfest experience: priceless I went back later that weekend and got some sweet peices as well. At about 3 o'clock somebody mentions lunch and we decide it'd be a good idea to get some. We order pizza and eat it in the Bionicle room because a hotel guy said we couldn't eat in the hotel eating place we were at. But wait, there's more! We keep looking at models and then go to the opening ceremony. Pretty fun and I kinda forget some of it. Basically, welcome to Brickfest, highlights, and don't forget that judging will end tonight. I left at 10 o'clock. I also met Cajun on Friday and K.I.E...maybe Bionicle Rex. Either that or on saturday. But wait, there's more! I got to BF06 on Saturday at 8:30. Looked at some models. There is this one of a larger than life Battle Droid that when you push a button, it unfolds and stands up. At 10 o'clock, there was the Keynote speaker, who is a CEO of Lego. He was a great speaker talking about the hows and whys of Lego. He made it clear Lego focused on the target audience versus the large amount of AFOL's* there and around the globe. He also talked about the new Mindstorms NXT, and how there was a panel of 4 people, and then 11, and then a lot! But wait, there's more! Also in his talk was a film about AFOLs and how they enjoy their lives with Lego included. Best of all, it was narrated by Binkmeister, who sadly couldn't make it to BF this year. It was full of laughs. One of my favorites was a quick reference to imitators of Lego bricks, and he wouldn't say any names, but that he will refer to this as "Brand M" Before 12 o'clock I grabed some lunch and waited for my friends to show up for visiting hours. When they came I gave them a tour that they led also. A favorite was the Great Ball Contraption. This was a buncho of builders working together to connect all of their contraptions side by side, and using motors move Lego soccer and Backet balls from one thing to another. But wait, there's more! We also went to a talk about Lego Design. This was about things that stresses the Lego elements. Such as putting a click hinge halfway between two nobs. Also a cone in a brick, because it can break the brick like a wedge. And it's not the best idea to put a lightsaber blade in a transparent cone because they are made of the same plastic. At 10 o'clock was the Dirty Brickster. This is a white elephant game gift exchange. Basically, each person brings a gift. An order is decided and people choose gifts. The first gift is chosen and unwrapped. The next person can either choose another gift of steal the prevous one. I stole Krekka from someone, but that was stolen from me. I then stole a box of bionicle and roborider peices, which was good, because no AFOL* would want that right? Well, I was looking through it and I found a chrome Hau. I made the mistake of pulling it out and another person stole the whole collection just for that to sell on ebay. I stole krekka back and he is a great set. But wait, there's more! Sunday was great too. I got there at 10:30 and immediatly went to a talk about BrickJournal. There should be a paper issue coming out withing a year. This came from the discussion of perhaps making is paper media versus internet, and charging say...$50 for 6 issues in a one year subscription. An example was given that this was the Brickmaster of AFOL's* I then went to a talke about Mecha building and got some great ideas there to try out if I ever find enough time to break into my system box. My friends showed up again and we kept looking around. Later we went to see some brickfilms. There were some pretty good ones. My favorites were: The Lucky rejection (about the sad hobo) Blambo and the Time Traveling Janitors They left and I was on my own again. Closing ceremonies came and sadly, that meant BF06 was over. But wait, there's more! It was fun to go around the GB and see it as it was being taken down. And then I went to the Bionicle room with Omi and Rayg. But wait, there's more! Overall, this was a blast! I can't wait for next year, with the talks and everything else that makes this a great event recognized by Lego. I made some great friends and some awesome memories. I also got some great masks. 2 proto-silver Miru Nuva, 3 transparent Kaukau, and a red and green Matatu. That's right! Misprints! I also have "Free the Band" patches. I hope to be trading all this along with a signed comic 3 (volume 2) It was great meeting Omi, Rayg, K.I.E., and all the other BZPers. See everyone next year at BF07! -CF *Adult Fan Of Lego PS: Sorry I don't have pix yet. But it would be insane for me to load up 300 photos on dial-up. I'll do it at school one day soon and it will take almost no time at all!
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But wait there's more! That's right! There is more BF06 stuff. Just when you thought I couldn't talk about any more of my exciting time there, I can! First off, I'm about halfway through organizing my pix. Expect them sometime next week. Second, I have a list of BZPers there I met and took down their name: (In no particular order): Kopaka's Ice Engineering Omicron Rayg Roody LetoII (soon to be Sajuuk) Cajun Kaiapu Bionicle Rex BlackSix PoetryInMotion But wait there's more! Story time! So there's friendly (I hope) competition between themes. Basically when there is a large group, people start shouting out their favorite theme. Basically, you'll hear Town, Train, Castle, Space, and others shouted across the room during quiet moments. So, me being the smart one, shouted something out when it started to die down. What did I shout out? Well, I like to comprimise. So... LEGO! So, yeah. But wait there's more! I really like what Kelly/Bink said in the video he narrarated. Basically, he was about to make a comment about a competator of LEGO, but didn't/couldn't say the brand name. So, he called it "Brand M." We all know what this is refering to, and it got me thinking. BZPower has a rival site (not by a long run) that we could refer to as "Site M." Weird, huh. Well, with that, I just want everybody to know it'll be a while between posts now, with school started and all. Later, -CF
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So, for Brickfest, we get a cool “Brickbadge.” Perhaps you’ve seen them. A couple of 1X8 bricks, engraved and put together for a cool nametag. Brickfest is no different. It seems that everybody decorates the tops of them with minifigs or bricks or things. I once saw a couple of Kanohi on top, and this sounds like a good idea. But I’m still having troubles on deciding on what to put on top of mine. I have a couple of thoughts, with pros and cons: 1) Brutaka Mask. All I have to do is put it on a 1X2 brick with a plus rod hole in the middle. But, it juts out backward at the top and might get uncomfortable and/or lean my brickbadge down, limiting readability. 2) R2-D2 and a Devastator Robot. Simple, Star Wars and a popular Lego line, and a robot theme. Too bad a Kanohi won’t fit as well, there’s a good robot theme. Con: The Devastator robo is a little unstable. 3) Transparent neon green barrels. Eight studs, so six barrels in the middle and a cone on each end. Problem that arises is that the green might clash with whatever the colors on my badge are. 4) Find a good minifig that will look good in blue legs. Reason being is I have some crummy, loose blue legs that I wouldn’t mind gluing to my badge. I have more blue legs and I can get some at the Brickbazar. Con: I have to glue peices together so they won’t fall off. Only some legs, and can probably be taken off, but still... Another minifig problem: I’d like to use some Exoforce hair, but that’s kind of loose on the heads. So, any suggestions? -CF
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As some of you may have noticed by now, I'm very excited for the release of the Kardas Dragon boxed set. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I'm avoiding going near the LEGO section in fear that I'll pick up the components before I get the big guy himself. Now, you may be wondering why I'd do such a crazy thing. Surely instructions for Kardas will become readily available once the set is in the mainstream. And though it will most likely cost slightly less than the individual Titan sets, the offset would be having to wait until those same sets are proabably discounted anyway. Well, for some reason...I don't care. Part of what makes Kardas so cool is the fact he's going to come in this massive box marked Kardas. To me, it's the feeling of buying not just three smaller sets to make something larger, but buying one massive set who has the benefit of also having three alt-models that are really cool. However, I don't recall seeing word on an American release, and a search of eBay over the last few weeks had yielded only one result. And that one result wasn't too encouraging. I keep scanning sets and promotions for news, but I haven't seen anything on Kardas except that he's hit stores in the UK. So I'm getting to a point where I may just break and pick up his component sets. At this point it's not about Axonn or Brutaka...or even the stunning Vezon and Fenrahk. Kardas is the set of 2006, and he will be mine....someday.
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Well, I just got my Brickfest stuff today! Came in a tube too. Info on what is going on, and some randome peices for our use, somehow: *2 chairs *6 2X2 tiles *2 square studs *1 barrel *1 skid plate (Round 2X2 tile, flat bottom, studs on top) The Tube Bricks Papers Now, just awaiting the BrickBadge... -CF
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Well, I'm doing really well in the polls. 1 vote! Yay! I'm up against a nice looking dragon. Sadly the Poll or his entry pic don't say what he does. I'm guessing flap his wings, so I think my pincers can just snap them off of him and that will be the end of that. vote for entry one here! please oh, well, I can handle it, being 16 and all, I understand it. But I finally enter something good in my 2nd BBC and I don't even get too high. Well, look at it this way. There is still a chance that it can get to Brickfest! All I have to do is bring it for display! Haha, loophole, even if it isn't up for running. So, Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! Vote for Ambidextrous! whew... -CF
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so I've redone/repimp'd my blog. It's stayin like this and I hope ya like it, yo! And scroll down a bit. There's a special vending maching just waiting for your money. So, I hope you'll like it, and I hope you stick around a while before going to the other sites I've linked. And thank you to Omi and Tohru for their ideas with their blogs. They are inspriations for this. And on another note, here's another Brickfest Promo. Please go. It's a blast. Scroll down to get some details. Or click on the Lego button. Either way, it's awsome; and the MOCs that Lego builders make from all over the country. Adults. And these are pretty awsome cause some of them work for Lego. Go to Brickshelf.com to figure it all out. Infact, if you've been wanting a vacation to Washington, DC, now's the time to go! (or rather brickfest weekend) so, yeah, later. -CF
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Ambidextrous: Adjective: Able to use the left and right hands equally well this MOC is named so because he can use each leg equally well. Basically he doesn't have a front or back, left of right of his waist. He doesn't need to turn his legs, just his free-turning body and walk off in that direction. His function is that his claws snap together when "trigger" is pulled. (and he can use each claw equally well) So, here he is! (click for larger image) funtion image side back folder when public I hope you like it! so, vote ChocolateFrogs' Ambidextrous in BBCC 38! Topic here -CF
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image by Air-Master check it out. Links to places of mine in my blog or anywhere else. perhaps I'll put up a theme later, but I like it this way. And I'm even advertising for some of my favorite blogs. be sure to check them out once you're through with mine. Omi and T-Hybrid did a pretty good job on their stuff. And I just like their blogs. And I met Chriskopaka back when he was Bionicle Master the Mighty. Credit goes to Omi, T-H and anyone else with them for starting this. (And T-H put in a bouncer). So I hope you all can get into this for a customized blog! cheers! -CF
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So I'm online today doing my normal BZP stuff and I decide I'll take Omicron's challenge to pimp my blog. So to kill time waiting for the web pages to load up (stupid dial up) I start to make banners for this. I'll be putting up pictures up for different links. Each pic will lead somewhere special, either in the blog or on the web. Here is one banner I made for the Lego catagory of my blog: so the challenge is to make your blog unique, with a style that isn't normal. And, yes, this seems to be a new fad. -CF PS: If anyone is wondering why it isnt' pimp'd yet, it's because I'm still making banners.
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Apparently by July 5th, LEGO actually meant July 10th. But I can live with it, because those extra five days worth of reviews and information from other lucky buyers only helped build my excitement for these sets. And I'll begin by saying, they do not disappoint. Since reviewers for the last week or so have been pummeling you with the same photos over and over again, I won't bother with taking some of my own. The pictures do them justice, for the most part. So without further ado: my own opinion. I'll begin by saying that yes, the canister is huge. My first thought when I opened the box from S@H was that these weren't canisters anymore. The Inika come in plastic boxes with lids that are about the size of bricks. You're going to hear they are big, and you're going to see pictures that make them look big...but once you see them in person, you'll realize how big they are. But that doesn't really describe the sets, so let's forget the Ini-krates and move on to the meat of the whole lot. Let's talk sets. And what a set they are! Highly poseable, fully detailed, and with some excellent new innovations in set design (at least to me...I don't have many of the 06 or 05 sets). You've seen the pictures, and read the reviews...so I'll make it quick and break it down into the ups and downs. Pros: 13 points of articulationLight-up weapons6 new KanohiUnique pieces between ToaNew colors for Toa setsNuparu's shoulder mounted Zamor launcherCons:All weapons are "swords"Kanohi not compatible with previous setsOdd color selection for some charactersToo much silverHeadsI'll expand on a few of these. Nuparu needs some orange in him, instead...that goes to Hewkii. I would have preferred to see Macku and Onepu join the other McToran as Inika, but I guess that would not be the case. That's unfortunate both storywise and set wise...as we miss out on a chance to get some purple in our Toa. And looking at the all-black Nuparu, I can't help but think some purple in the under-armor would've really made the figure standout. I also wish that LEGO could've put some more effort into the weapons. Though the light-up feature is great, I would've liked to have seen the sets each get a more uniquely shaped weapon. As it is now, they're all very sword-like in appearance. Also, changing the colors between Toa would also set them apart. Jaller's the only one with an "off-color" weapon. What I do like though, is the detail that has been put into each set. The Kanohi look fantastic, and finally cross the boundary between toy and movie in appearance. The sets as a whole capture the look and feel of a Toa from the movies. LEGO's set the bar high for the next round of sets. I eagerly await the next evolution of the Inika. There's one thing I especially hope to see work on, and that's the new head. As many have said, they were originally supposed to glow somehow. The Inika are charged with some kind of mystical lightning, show it in their faces. They don't have to glow in the dark. But using that plastic type used for Matoro and Jaller's joints would be perfect. Also, make sure the next generation of Toa have different eye colors between them. Green eyes work on Nuparu, but they look out of place on Kongu and Matoro. The eyes are the windows to the soul, remember that when designing a set. Heck, I may take it upon myself to spruce up these on my own. I'm guessing a spray brush would accomplish that. My overall opinion. Awesome. I was questioning the price, but after getting my hands on them...these Inika are worth $9.99. Though I am cautious of accepting any more price increases for future sets. That is, unless, there are drastic changes made in both size and design.
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So, I went to the Lego store yesterday. The one near me, most likely not you. It is in Tyson’s Corner Center Mall, Virginia, USA, Milky Way Galaxy, this universe. PM me if you live close by. There I bought Toa Matoro, Brutaka, some Magnetic bricks, a Darth Vader Keychain, some peice bags, and some magnetic bricks. The two Bionicle sets are totally awesome! Perhaps I’ll post my own review on them... So, at the Lego store, there is a bunch of Bionicle displays. And around all of these are big glass cases of zamor spheres. But not the little green plastic marbles, but big, four inch diameter foam, plastic coated balls, in green and dark green. So I immediately start juggling them, then talk to the guy at the counter: Me: how much they are Him: They aren’t for sale Me: then why do you have so many? *I forgot to mention there were more than 350 of these* Him: that’s what Lego said. We can’t really sell them. Me: But you have so many! Him: Sorry Me: You could probably sell them for about $2.50 each! Him: yeah. Me: And Lego needs the money. Him: well... After that we get into a conversation about Lego’s money. Apparently they aren’t doing so bad financially wise. And Bionicle isn’t the biggest seller, it’s pretty much rounded out with everything. Oh, and more good news: Lego has extended their contract with Star Wars! It was going to expire in 2007, but now it's still going 'til at least 2011! I hope they make some new sets, and maybe some stuff from the books. Lego would do fine with an expanded universe series. Also, he is a member of WAMALUG, (WAshington Metro Area Lego User’s Group). He had a display of his latest work, just for the Lego store. It’s this factory, empty, (I guess night) and there is this janitor cleaning up. Behind him is this orange spider thing creeping up from under the grates. Really funny, but I didn’t bring a camera. We also get into a conversation about Brickfest, and he’s going to be there. Yay! Two years ago I saw his work of this cathedral. But what made this church stand out was that there were statues/saints lining it, like a real cathedral. But these saints were all grey minifigs! Pants, shirt, arms, hands, head, headgear, everything. Some had beards like the Dumbledor and other wizards. Some had spears. But remember: They were all grey! So, my experience was great there today. And I wore my BZPower shirt I made just an hour before. I’m going to wear it to BF this year. Of course I’ll post pictures after my vacation this weekend. -CF
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Yay! I'm going to Brickfest 2006! I'm entering in THIS MOC, to start. I'm working towards putting in my Fused Piraka, and a minifig sized lawn mower. Anyway, Brickfest is a big event that happens in Virginia, USA, Earth, Milky Way Galaxy; August 25, 26, 27, standard Earth timing. This year it is at the Sheraton Premier Hotel in Tysons Virginia. Visiting hours are on Saturday (26) and Sunday (27) from 12-4, PM. $10 for both days, $7 for one day. There is a ton of rooms for every theme. The Bionicle Room is organized this year by BZP's Omicron! It should be great. But that's not all. There is a Mecha room, Space, Star Wars, Town, Train, Castle, Mindstrom, FLL, and the newest: Dark Room. The Dark Room is a room that has its lights out. Then black lights are fitted in. The MOCs on display are planned for this, and contain transparent/luscent peices. This makes the MOCs glow eerily. This years theme is water/ocean/sea, etc... So, I hope to see you there! -CF
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Olda, Nuva, Metru, Hordika, Hagah... Since 2001, we Bionicle fans have been introduced to five generations of heroes. Each with their own quirks, designs, and stories. And now, in 2006, we're introduced to the future of Bionicle: The Inika. But with so many heroes, and so many designs, just where do the Inika fit into the grand history of the toyline? Well, many who have recieved their Inika over the past few weeks have taken to ranking, and though I usually don't like actually trying to rank my favorites of various things (just look over my posts in any "Top #" discussion to see what I'm talking about), I felt it would be a great blogging exercise to actually try and do a Countdown. So, without further ado, I present: Torhu's Toa Countdown #6: The Nuva If the Nuva had been introduced during the 2006 storyline, it's quite possible they'd have been built just like the Inika we have today. Instead, we saw the classic Olda sets transformed into these armored heros. But why would I rank the Nuva at the bottom, below even the designs they replaced? Because looking back, it was the Nuva that began the trend of reducing the unique elements between canister figures. The Nuva each had the same armor, and essentially identical designs. Yes, we had to suffer through the Bohrok, but it takes a second go to actually begin a trend. And that's why I put the Nuva at the bottom of the Toa hierarchy. #5: The Metru Holy cow, what a difference time makes! I remember seeing pictures of these and thinking LEGO had done it. They had brought Bionicle into the era of action figures. With articulation at every major joint (except the waist, but I'm not complaining), the Metru were able to stand in every pose I could think up. And with a variety of weapons (including a clever Kanoka launcher/jetpack), the characters promised a new direction in the storyline. However, they were about as identical as two sets could be. Take off the Kanohi and the weapons...and which Toa are you looking at? I had no idea, and it quickly turned me off of the sets. #4: The Hordika Okay, I have a feeling this one is going to draw some questions. When looking at people's rankings, I usually see the Hordika ranked dead last. I don't see them that way. The Hordika were an interesting experiement from the designers of LEGO. The first (and so far only) Toa to not wear Kanohi, the Hordika also incorporated the gear gimmick into the arm. Combined with the Rhotuka launcher, these were also the first Toa to boast two action features. However, the Hordika once again suffered from the lack of individuality that plauged both the Metru and Nuva. On top of that, the concept of being part-Animal was lost in the details. The Hordika had very mechanical looking feet, and their faces (though unusual) didn't draw any particular animals to mind. But I liked the action features enough to look past the similarities, and the posebility was on par with the Metru. This to me puts them above their predecessors. Well, except for one group. #3: The Olda With my comments regarding the Metru and Nuva, you must be curious why I'd rank the Olda over either of them. Let alone both... I'll admit when I started writing this, I had the Olda ranked dead last, with the Nuva up in this posistion. But as I wrote my explanations, I came to realize something about the Olda. As it stands, the original Toa were basic figures. Featuring no elbow, knee, or neck articulation, the Olda were more showy then functional. However, the upside of these sets were their indivduality. From Tahu's chest ball and Gali's little blue chest bump to Pohatu's upside-down torso. Every Toa had something unique about their design that helped them stand out when together on a shelf. This made the character's (and figures) memorable. And it's why I place them near the top, above even their evolved form. #2: The Inika This one took a lot of deliberation in my head before I was able to make an honest choice. I've already written a review of the sets, so hopefully that will help you get a feel for what I think of them on the whole. The Inika are a step back towards individuality that I hope to see continued as the generations of Toa continue to come forth from the LEGO creative team. Each Inika has the same 13 points of articulation that the Metru featured, while also going back to adding unique elements between sets. Nuparu's shoudler-mounted Zamor launcher and Hewkii's chain are the most prevalent. However, the Inika feature two different types of chest armor and two different foot designs. It's a small difference, but each Toa makes use of these pieces to bring their own style to the set. This was something that hadn't been seen in any of the regular Toa releases. It was, however, seen in a pair of very special Toa. #1: The Hagah Bionicle fans in the US were lucky to get their hands on both of these sets, and it's a shame that the full squad wasn't released. I have heard rumblings about the original intent for these two sets (Norik's resemblance to a certain Turaga of questionable allegiance should be mention enough of this) that explain why this was not the case, but I can't help but feel slighted. The Hagah had it all, poseability, playability, and personality. Using slightly modified Metru designs, the Hagah were also given the Rhotuka shield, which allowed the focus of the set to remain on the figure itself. Meanwhile, the two Toa were given distinct design differences. Iruini wore Metru shoulder pads and a Bohrok claw, while Norik sported a silver Dume chest plate and Nuva shoulder armor. With the clever use of previous sets to fill out the armor, I'm left wondering what LEGO designers could've done if given an opportunity to build the full team. It's this perfect blend of form and function that should earn the Hagah a special place in the collection of any Bionicle fan. And it's why they take home the #1 spot, only in my opinion of course. Though our opinions may differ when it comes to exact rankings, I'm sure one thing can be agreed upon. In the last few years, LEGO has taken big steps in the design of the Toa. With the release of the Inika behind us, and the initial feedback coming through...it's clear that they've struck gold with these new heroes. I can only look at the current generation of Toa and wonder what LEGO has in store for the future years. And I truthfully have no idea what to expect.
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Ah, BZPower. Home sweet home. My home in my home, or at school or a friend's house or the library. My point is, we all love it here. And because of that love, BZP is still up and running today. I love it enough to renew my premier membership each year. And I keep my posts spam-free, and be nice to everybody. I also see others doing the same. In hopes that nonpremiers are reading this, [Hapori Tohu/Uncle Sam pointing finger at you] Aparently BZP has it's history right after Bionicle started. The original site merged with others in the years to follow. And the result is what we have today. I came to BZPower over 3 years ago. It was totally awsome. Now, here I am blogging away. All because of BZP Because of BZP, I have learned to type better, write better, MOC better, surf the web better, and more. It is such an awesome place. Without BZP, either I would be going crazy about not knowing all I know now about Bionicle and upcoming info, I might have lost my interset in Lego. And then where would I be? This is pretty much my life. I've also met other BZPers: RC-1136 BionicleMasterTheMighty Kofan Skwidjm Omicron Binkmeiser TotalNut BionicleRex So, here's to another great year of Bionicle and BZPower
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Yay! I'm a POBZPC (which means Premier Outstranding BZP Citizen, full proto!)
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With all the talk about the Inika, many have started posting in various forums about their favorite Toa sets. Since I haven't seen a place for that topic to actually be discussed, I decided to take it to a blog...where if it you want to ignore it. You can. But without Inika in hand, it's tough to do any sort of fair review. So while I sit and wait for the next generation of Toa to arrive on my doorstop, I've been left to ponder something that's been bugging me since the "Top Toa" comments have started. Put simply, it doesn't sound like many people liked the Hordika. I see them consistantly ranked as the worst Toa behind the Olda and Nuva. And I'm somewhat surprised. The common complaints appear to be that they weren't unique enough, had awkward pieces, and a lousy action feature. This is unfortunate. LEGO had a great idea with the Hordika, they just apparently didn't execute. Half-Toa/half-Rahi...from a storyline approach they were set. The attempts to control their feral side, fears of being trapped that way, the new abilities that came with it...all seemed to work. So what went wrong? Well, for one....what kinds of Rahi were they? Each Toa is aligned with a certain element, which would lead one to believe that they'd each be likely to liken in appearance to some Rahi associated with the same element. Instead, they were just Toa with some different faces and various weapons. They looked feral, but they didn't look like anything else. They all had the same feet, the same torso, the same arms....their weapons and their face were all that set them apart. What could LEGO have done differently? Well, just as a suggestion, they could've made the various animal forms more noticeable in each Toa. This could be done with only minor changes to the Kanohi and possibly the feat. Vakama becomes a dragon. His Kanohi is modeled after the dragons of chinese lore. A more prevalent snout, perhaps fins behind the eyes. That sort of thing. He's given talons on his feet rather than just the standard design.Nokama takes on a form similar to a mermaid. Her face is moled to have scales, and perhaps gills near the base. The feet are modeled to look more like flippers or fins.Matau becomes an eagle. He's given a crest w/feathers and a beak in his design. His feet use the same talons as Vakama.Nuju becomes a bear. He's given a snout (similar but a little smalelr to the one he has now) He's given a similar pair of talons to Vakama and Matau (they could be molded in a way that they work as both talons and claws)Onewa becomes a boar, he's given the flippers of Nokama (which in a clever design job can resemble either hooves or flippers). His head is molded to contain a ridge of fur and tusks.Whenua is a mole. His head is made pointer...perhaps with molded whiskers and the two teeth we associate with rodents. He's given the claw mold used on Vakama for feet. The idea of half Toa/half Rahi creature is something I would like to see LEGO go back to. With the gusto in design that they've shown with the last few releases. I'd like to also see them take some lessons from the Inika and perhaps make the sets more unique as time goes on. Part of what made the Toa Olda interesting was the little odds n ends . Remember Tahu's chest ball? Gali's little pegs on her hips? The four pegs on Pohatu's legs? It's stuff like that which would add to the flavor of the newer sets, and make the Hordika idea work this time. A tail here, or a wing there....the little touches.
