Best Combiner/Alternate Model of 2001?

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

What is your favorite combiner model or alternate model from 2001?

 

Pictures, for reference:

 

Akamai

Wairuha

Turaga Nui

Turaga Kabaya Combiner #1

Turaga Kabaya Combiner #2

Turaga Kabaya Combiner #3

Matoran Kaita #1

Matoran Kaita #2

Matoran Nui

Mata Nui Cow

Dikapi

Fikou

Nui-Kopen

Kahu

Tarakava Nui

Kuma-Nui

Mana Ko

 

EDIT: I thought I was making a poll...

Edited May 24, 2015 by Cheesy Mac n Cheese

[Arcee]

Fikou and Mukau are probably the cutest, most streamlined, and use pieces most efficiently.

 

That said, though, if we're not talking small alternate models, the Mana Ko is a genuinely good full-size combiner IMO. That really can't be said for many official combiners from any year.

[Takama Metru]

Yeah I think both Toa Kaita are the best combiners in '01.

 

I don't like the cause of the way they look or their weapons, I liked them cause of their gear functions (Which moved both armms and legs) and their articulating necks.

[The Skakdi Chronicler]

My personal favorite is the fikou, but mana ko is certainly second for me.

[Reya]

I preferred both Toa Kaita the most.

[sydorack]

While the Akita were very awesome, I always thought the cow was so sick. Like, it's a cow, with gali hooks on its head.

[UnderscoreChronix]

Fikou is the best combo model in all of Bionicle.

[Skrade]

I loved Wairuha out of the two Kaita, in general I always thought the combined consciousness of the Toa was a cool concept that would've been fun to explore more. The Kuma-Nui is definitely my favorite set though, it was super fun to play with as well as intimidating in its stature.

[Petewa]

Mukau.

[MrSciFiGuy]

I love the Fikou. It had neck articulation in 01 lol

[Xabla]

Fikou

[Volitak_Boxor]

My vote goes to Wairuha (couldn't have guessed that, huh?  ).  It's just a classic for me.   I enjoyed building the Rahi alternate models, too, but none of them particularly stood out to me.

[Pranciblad]

I'm somewhat surprised no-one else has mentioned the Kahu yet. Not only is it one of the more aesthetically pleasing of the combiners, it's interesting in how distinct it is from it's component Rahi.

[Aanchir]

Hmmm, tough call. One of my personal benchmarks for the quality of a combi model is "is it worth taking apart the original sets to build it?" That is to say, some combi models will have considerably less play value and display value than their component sets.

 

By this measure, even the best Rahi combi models aesthetically tend to be somewhat weak. The Kahu, for instance, has very few functions, and none as dynamic as the tail-swinging function of the two Nui-Jaga used to build it (although for what it's worth, it is "swooshable"). And Kuma Nui has basically the same functionality as either of its component sets, without adding much more besides height, a tail, and a second tread. Tarakava Nui is a similar case — its biggest change is switching the punching movement from a vertical to a horizontal one, which ironically gives it fewer opponents it can effectively fight (since most foes will be too short for its arms to reach them). Mana-Ko was just weird, and again, its greatest advantage over the individual Manas was simply its height. Ironically, Nui-Kopen, the smallest Rahi combi model, was one of the biggest improvements on its component models, doubling the number of wings and posable arms and adding a stinger in addition to the handle.

 

The Matoran Kaita, Matoran Nui, and Turaga Nui are a mixed bag. Matoran Kaita add a second set of arms, one of which is a throwing arm, but the way they are mounted the second set of arms can't really be used for throwing, and mostly just adds to the strangeness of the combi model. The Matoran Nui adds no new functionality, aside from greater movement in the neck and legs, but does get points for more than doubling the height of an individual Matoran. Turaga Nui adds a second arm function and is one of the only combi models to use every mask from its component sets. Again, it is more than twice the height of an average Turaga, and slightly taller than an average Toa. But overall, I don't know that it's worth taking apart all six Turaga for more than a short time.

 

The Toa Kaita fare best of the 2001 combi models in terms of functionality, with each having three separate gear functions: one for each arm and one for the two legs. The Toa Kaita also have a very imposing size (around one and a half times the height and nearly twice the width of an individual Toa) and reasonable posability compared to the sets used to make them. They were a bit silly-looking, but very fun to play with (the running function alone added a great deal of play value). I haven't built them recently enough to know for sure whether I prefer Akamai or Wairuha. Probably Akamai, on account of his more powerful-looking feet, chest, and shoulders. Though from a practical standpoint, Wairuha's arms seem like they might not flop around as much.

 

Also, for people who want more pictures, I've always found this Brickshelf gallery really useful.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Aanchir

[Cheesy Mac n Cheese]

I'm actually surprised to see so much love for the Fikou. I'm aware it's a popular Rahi, but it's so small and barely uses any parts. There were also two other versions of the Fikou, one in the 2002 Master Builder set and another slightly-different stand-alone promotional release in 2003, though they were orange rather than black. So you could argue that they were better ways of getting the Fikou.

 

I must confess that I myself have probably only ever built 5 of these, due to not owning some of the sets. The only one currently intact is Matoran Kaita #1. The others I've built are Akamai, Wairuha, Nui-Kopen, and Kahu. I never built the Turaga Nui partially due to lack of instructions. And I never owned (and still don't own) Muaka & Kane-Ra or Manas, so I couldn't build Kuma-Nui or Mana Ko. I'm currently working on my Tohunga collection, but the only one I ever owned until recently was Maku (who was also my second set ever).

 

Personally, I think Akamai and Wairuha probably do the best. In-story, they're actually combinations of their component sets' characters, so they're like "canonical combiners," so to speak, whereas a Nui-Kopen is not a combination of two Nui-Rama in-story. They also use a great deal of their component sets' parts, including tools, and as previously stated, pretty much double/triple in size from an individual Toa.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Cheesy Mac n Cheese