Summer of MOCs 2019

[xccj]

I ended up doing a lot of building leading up to BrickFair VA this summer, but alas the forums were down so it was hard to share.  I've posted these on Instagram and in a few Discord chats, but I might as well practice making topics on BZP again, so here I go!

Glossophobia - The Fear of Public Speaking (What People Fear More Than Death)

I entered the BioCup this year, and did just as well as I did last year... got through the prelims but was knocked out in the first round.  The first theme was fears... I tried to go for a non-conventional approach with public speaking, and tried to make the speaker very expressive.  But in general, the crowd was Matoran MOCs that ranged from mediocre to basic, so it wasn't well received and just barely squeaked through... mostly based on the cowboy design.  (Fun fact was that these were based on characters from the BZPGOT RPG.)

Old Man Saturn

The second theme was solar system, and I was assigned Saturn.  There were some really clever entries, but I went with the basics and focused on the Roman god.  I was particularly happy with the face.  This ended up quite tall too.

Drought Conditions

I didn't make it to the real third round, but I participated in the redemption round, which was based on disasters, and I got Meteorological (Dry/Hot).  I tried to convey a thirsty traveler in the desert; I used my supply of red piping to convey a skeletal torso.  But the thing everybody liked the most was the most basic design of the cactus.

Azari Firedancer

I also entered BBC Contest 77, although the contest ended just as the forums went down.  In one of the concept arts links there was a cool drawing of the Elves character, so I tried to base my design on that.  I was relatively happy with how the torso and dress came out, and even the hair, although it was fragile as heck to the point where I couldn't get it to stay rebuilt at BrickFair.  I don't think the vote tallies have been posted yet, but the general consensus I got was that it was the worst of the batch that made it to BrickFair.  Oh well.

CCBS X-Wing

I guess one of my things is building Star Wars ships out of Bionicle elements.  I've been toying around with the idea of making an X-Wing for a while, finally cranked it out a week before the convention.  The blade pieces were an impulsive try, but it actually worked out better than the technic stick I was planning.  Also snuck on a Kakama and a legit base to keep it hovering.  Next I need to figure out just how to make a same-scale TIE Fighter.

Lava Surfing

I wanted to make little micro-scenes to show off my Toa figs.  (They use masks from the old pen sets, and custom stickered torsos, although said stickers are starting to show some wear.)  I had just got a big batch of the round 1x2 plates and tweaked them around to make a lava wave, which I think works out modestly well.  (A legit surfboard would've been preferred, but I couldn't find the one I have in my collection and I was running out of time, so a generic custom design had to be used instead.)  Most complex part of this little model was actually getting the lettering on the front to line up.  (Psst, don't tell anybody, but it's actually off by 1/2 plate width, so each side has a 1/4 plate width gap.  The math just didn't work out.)

That's all I got for cool new MOCs from this summer.  Comments / criticism appreciated, I guess.

[Eyru]

You've got some great stuff here, but my absolute favourite is the X-Wing! It actually took me a moment to recognize that it was built with CCBS pieces. I like the streamlined look, and using fists holding swords as the "wings" was an ingenious move. It looks really good.

[That Matoran with a Vahi]

Oh wow, you've got some really clever and inventive part usage in here! I think the thing I like most is the use of Solek's mask for Saturn's beard; the effect it gives, particularly when coupled with the rest of his face, is perfect!