Quest For The Best Set: 2010 - The Brown Dwarfs

[Toa Malachives]

Hello BZPower! I'm on holiday and bored so I decided to make a poll that I hope will make clear the most popular Bionicle set.

 

How it works: I am going to be going year by year making a poll on which there is an option for every set of that year and when I close them (probably in 1st January 2015) I will make a new poll consisting of the winners of each one which people vote on. PLEASE DO NOT VOTE TWICE ON A SINGLE POLL! Thank you !

 

I will not be counting: anything that isn't Lego, the Turaga Kabaya, any combiners that were not released by themselves (e.g. I will count Kardas but not the Toa Kaita), super rare things like the Piraka Kaita or Sand Tarakava and things like mask packs or Krana.

 

I will be counting: any standard sets in canisters or boxes, promotional (good/bad guy sets, click, ect), special editions (including combiners like Irnakk) and play-sets.

 

Keep in mind that these sets are in the forms they are in in that year.

 

Bionicle 2015: this will be only Gen 1 unless I decide otherwise.

 

Links to other years (will be updated as uploaded):

 

2001: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16148-quest-for-the-most-popular-bionicle-set-of-all-time-2001-the-beginning/

2002: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16163-quest-for-the-popular-set-2002-the-swarms/?p=796972

2003: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16164-quest-for-the-most-popular-set-2003-the-challenge-to-the-nuva/?p=797011

2004:http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16170-quest-for-the-most-popular-bionicle-set-2004-metru-nui-and-silver/

2005: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16171-quest-for-the-most-popular-set-2005-darker-tones-and-the-visorak/?p=797330

2006: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16173-quest-for-the-most-popular-set-2006-yo-yo-piraka-and-old-matoran-given-new-life/?p=797400

2007: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16174-quest-for-the-most-popular-set-2007-into-the-darkness/

2008: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16184-quest-for-the-most-popular-set-2008-the-beginng-of-the-end/

2009: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/16187-quest-for-the-most-popular-set-2009-bara-magna/

2010: On it now!

 

Feel free to point out anything I've missed or argue with what I will and will not be counting (and anything I've missed in those!).

 

Nektann: My set's name is Piraka because I'm better than all of the Piraka combined.

 

Zaktan accompanied by the rest of the Piraka: Let's test your theory.

 

Nektann: Wait! No!

 

Vezon: Sorry I'm late, I bought Kardas with me!

 

*ten brutal seconds later*

 

*Zaktann stabs Nektann*

 

Random BZPower Member: Wow, that was short and lame. What's with the title anyway? "Brown Dwarfs"? What does that even mean?!

 

Toa Malachives: It's a play on words, a brown dwarf is a forming star that never became one and is sad and alone. It's because that Bionicle Stars were bad sets.

 

Matau: NERD!!!!

 

RBM (Random BZPower Memeber): Wow, that was a bad pun and another Ask Matau reference. Wow.

 

Toa Malachives: Well, thank you BZPower for all the votes and (perhaps) reading these bad skit things.

 

RBM: Wow, not even a link to Ask Matau?

 

Toa Malachives: The reference hardly did anything, anyway it's in the 2004 and 2005 polls.

 

RBM: Wow, your advertising now?!

Edited December 8, 2014 by Toa Malachives

[Voltex]

The Rahkshi actually hold a little more nostalgia for me than the Toa Mata do, and that's partially because 2003 was when I got into Bionicle (it's a miracle that I somehow got my hands on so many pre-2003 sets like I did), and it's for that reason that the Rahkshi Stars is my favorite of the 2010 sets, since it represents the point in time where I first got into Bionicle. 

 

Plus, much like my love for Hewkii Inika's color scheme, I really liked the Rahkshi Stars color scheme as well.

[Ektris]

Not that I found any of them all that great, but if we must...

 

Yellow Rahkshi for what I sincerely hope are obvious reasons.

 

(Also was at least somewhat unique amongst all the humanoids, so points for that.)

 

~|ET|~

[fishers64]

I voted Takanuva because I thought everyone would vote for Tahu. 

 

Also he's a plain flat good character and I disliked that Tahu was devolved to a Mata, so yeah. 

[Rooster Nui]

I voted for Tahu because... well, he looks awesome with the Golden Armor on. That is all I can really say as to why I voted for him, I mean there isn't really that much to the Stars, but I don't think they're terrible. 

[Ballom Nom Nom]

The head pieces for the Rahkshi and Piraka were both pretty neat as single mold heads go. Out of those two, my favorite was probably the Rahkshi.

 

Of course, we can't forget that the Skrall had a black Kopaka sword.

 

~B~

[Irrie]

Gresh. He had a really cool lime green color scheme. One of my favorite shades, probably. 

[Toa Smoke Monster]

Out of these six sets, I only got Tahu. He was one of my favorite characters and he had the Hau in its original shape. (Red and gold, to boot.) So that is why he got my vote.

[Archon~]

They were all awful unposeable shrimps.

 

Tahu got my vote only because of the 2 Hau with axels.

[dotcom]

Team Nektann all the way.

 

I like Skakdi.

[Nescent]

Gresh.

 

Tahu: Gresh? Seriously?

Dark Blue: Well yeah, he had silver weapon recolors, mask recolor, awesome new armor piece - 

Tahu: Dude I'm Tahu and I had all that stuff too

Skrall: What about my awesome sword recolor?

Nektann: Hey but I'm a Skakdi

Tahu: Oh please Piraka you had like nothing new

Gresh: Guys shut up he already chose me

[xccj]

Eh, I thought these were all pretty awful, and the only one who's design was moderately good IMO was the Rahkshi because it was trying to do something a little different. Still, not exactly a high note for the theme to have ended with set-wise.

 

[Iku]

I'm surprised so few picked the Skrall - those green skrall swords are so cool, and brilliant for MOCing black/green characters.

[bioniclepluslotr]

*Dwarves

[Cheatster9000x]

Literally everyone who isn't Nektann.

Nektann just looks off for a Skakdi.

 

Skrall has those cool blades,and looks all around.

Gresh has some kickin weapons and an amazing colour scheme.

Takanuva... He's cool, but the lack of gold. I suppose people didn't want to confuse him with golden tahu...

Tahu is my favourite character, so I'm kind of biased. The huge sword is amazing, and the two hau's are cool.

Rahkshi is just... oh my god I can't even. It's just so cool.

[Nescent]

I'm surprised so few picked the Skrall - those green skrall swords are so cool, and brilliant for MOCing black/green characters.

 

The green swords were nice, but they weren't new - Tuma came with four of them. The black Kopaka sword was the real treasure with that set in my opinion, and a single recolor doesn't really compare to some of the other sets like Tahu and Gresh which came with lots of new pieces and colors.

[Toa Malachives]

*Dwarves

Sorry, I can't change it now though

[Adventurer]

Initial/default vote for me would have been Takanuva since he's my fav character basically, but went with the Rahkshi because it was really cool to have a Rahkshi I'd heard about years ago finally in set form (and I'm highly biased towards the colour too ).

[ToaDraco]

Takanuva, nuff said.

[Sir Kohran]

Tahu, for unashamed nostalgia. Takanuva and the Rahkshi are also ahead in the poll; the older figures are definitely doing well on the back of being 'classic'.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Being the immense Tahu fan I am, the answer to this is obvious.

 

I didn't mind the Stars - they weren't what Bionicle should have got for their last line-up certainly, but they had charm to them. Some original designs were present that experimented with the very VERY limiting Av-Matoran design and at least the sets actually looked like what they were trying to represent.

 

For me, the combination of the bright red and old iconic Hau sells Tahu as the best set out of this very poor final line.

 

-NotS

Edited December 10, 2014 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[Boidoh]

Stars were great... I don't get the excessive hate.

[Toa of Gallifrey]

I liked the Stars because they did the best with the awful Av-Matoran build. My favorite is either Gresh or Rahkshi (voted for Gresh).

Edited December 13, 2014 by Toa of Gallifrey

[Zeb]

I voted Tahu because of the axle-version of the Hau, the golden Hau, and because it's Tahu.  

[Reya]

The Rahkshi.

[fishers64]

Malachives, silly question, but are you going to take the top sets from each of these polls at some point and put them all in one poll? That way we could know what the true top set is. 

 

Might be a dumb idea, but wondering.

[Toa Malachives]

Yes! That is what I planned to do all along! I will keep these up a bit longer then do that!

[Xabla]

Takanuva, just… just… I DON'T KNOW! 2010 wasn't extravagant so I just liked the remake of the set I had gotten first for Bionicle.

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

Stars were great... I don't get the excessive hate.

Well, after 10 years of sets that had increasing amounts of articulation I don't think people were too pleased that the final line consisted of unposable, smaller sets that consisted of around only 20 pieces each.

 

-NotS

Edited December 14, 2014 by Nidhiki of the Shadows

[randomreviewerbros]

Takanuva gets my vote immediately!

[Toarobot18]

 

Stars were great... I don't get the excessive hate.

Well, after 10 years of sets that had increasing amounts of articulation I don't think people were too pleased that the final line consisted of unposable, smaller sets that consisted of around only 20 pieces each.

 

-NotS

 

I think this is a bit of an unfair comparison, though. For what they were, smaller sets, I think they were pretty good compared to other sets in their class such as the Av-Matoran, Shadow Matoran, and the Agori. Certainly it would have been better if we also had bigger sets and not just Matoran-sized ones in the final line-up, but when assessing the quality of the Stars sets, I don't think we should be any harsher toward their design because of their small size than we would be toward other sets of that size.

[Iblis]

I think this is a bit of an unfair comparison, though. For what they were, smaller sets, I think they were pretty good compared to other sets in their class such as the Av-Matoran, Shadow Matoran, and the Agori. Certainly it would have been better if we also had bigger sets and not just Matoran-sized ones in the final line-up, but when assessing the quality of the Stars sets, I don't think we should be any harsher toward their design because of their small size than we would be toward other sets of that size.

 

Eh, some people really don't like the 2008 Matoran ... and well 2009...

The STARS were basically priced as medium sized sets, so whilst some of you don't take that into account; if there is a set which I think is alright, but they're asking for about 1 piece per dollar (in Australia), and most of the pieces are big and awkward...

 

The appeal somewhat goes away; they're the last chance at a Bionicle set for a while ^{(yay we have a reboot coming in a few weeks!)}, & whilst they're better than the 2008 Matoran, or most 'normal' (not Titan or vehicle) sets in 2009; they still have very little use for MOCing, nor do they have great possibility, those arms and legs (and body piece) really aren't very useful & they aren't very different to pieces we've seen before them.

 

The sets did look kind of cool, but only in a few positions... and MOC use? Not much compared to most years.

 

I understand why they had all these limitations because of previous years, & I'm grateful that they (tried_ to give Bionicle a proper send off, even if it wasn't the greatest, they did put effort into it. But it still felt like the culmination of the failings of 20008 & 2009 rather than the culmination of the whole series.

[Toarobot18]

Those are fair criticisms, especially since you obviously aren't much of a fan of the Av-Matoran design in general. However, I think that some people, who have no particular beef with say, Tanma, let their disappointment at only having small sets to close off the line color their assessment of the Stars sets themselves. And I don't think the price per piece was worse than the Agori, at least in the United States. Of course, the Agori may have been overpriced as well.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Toarobot18

[Nidhiki of the Shadows]

I think if we had gone into Bionicle's final line knowing that it would only consist of smaller-level sets, peoples expectations would have been lower and we would have been pleased with how creative some of the Stars designs were.
 

But of course, there were leaked pics and that really made people skeptical. At that point many people were not sure what would happen to Bionicle, and upon learning that this would indeed be the last wave for who-knows how long, they were inevitably disappointed in the showing.

 

-NotS

[Volitak_Boxor]

Tahu.  I didn't really like grey/white/silver Takanuva, and Nektann/Piraka didn't really stand out.  Gresh wasn't bad.  Skrall had some neat pieces, and the Rahkshi had a neat build, but I didn't like their overall builds in the end.  Tahu looked pretty cool with the golden armor on, and I liked the new, huge, blended flame sword piece.

[Mr. Cup of Fail]

My vote go to Tahu because him and Takanuva are the only one to be close of good.

[Jobber]

I picked Takanuva because of a number of reasons: cool color scheme, new Avokii (yay!), white Nuva armor, and I guess he just radiated pure nostalgia.