MODS: 2016 Bionicle Summer Wave "Canister" Sets

[Logan McOwen]

MODS

2016 Bionicle Summer Wave "Canister" Sets

It’s that time of year again! Here’s my first batch of modded 2016 summer Bionicle sets.

One more will be unveiled soon ;)

Ekimu the Mask Maker

Ekimu features a more streamlined gearbox build, more comfortably positioned shoulder pauldrons, and a port on his back to attach a clear stand for his trusty falcon. Oh, and toes. Gotta have toes.

Pose, Falcon Overhead

Front, Falcon perched

Back, Falcon perched

Pose, Falcon perched

Skeleton, Torso front

Skeleton, Torso back

Lava Beast

I loved this guy initially, but I was desperate to fill out his torso and improve his legs. He also gets a full Shadow Trap, much like his brothers.

Front

Back

Front, Stood straight

Detail, Lower legs

Skeleton, Torso Front

Skeleton, Torso back

Storm Beast

Not much has been altered aesthetically with this fella, but his mechanism has been modified slightly to accommodate some traditional friction gears.

Front

Back

Pose, Slashing

Skeleton, Torso back

Skeleton, Torso front

Quake Beast

Quake Beast received quite the aesthetic overhaul, along with a more standard gear function for his crystalline clubbing arm.

Front

Back

Detail, Crystal Club

Detail, Clawed hand

Detail, Shadow Trap

Detail, Bracing for attack

Skeleton, Torso front

Skeleton, Torso Back

Skeleton, Crystal Club

Edited July 6, 2016 by Logan McOwen

[MakutaDreadscythe]

I'm so jealous of your abilities to mod sets. They just inspire so much creativity and sorta show us a what-if of them. Marvelous!

[BrickJagger]

Nice mods! I think your most impressive changes were the ones to Lava Beast. Filling out the torso and adding a full trap is a great idea.

[Onepu the Protector]

I like your mods (and the fact you changed these horrid Technic lower legs in particular) but the custom gearboxes appear a bit wobbly. Also, is Quake Beast's clawed hand intended to hold some kind of tool? Because the axle sticking from its palm is just asking for connecting some sort of secondary weapon to it.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Onepu the Protector

[Logan McOwen]

Thanks guys!

I like your mods (and the fact you changed these horrid Technic lower legs in particular) but the custom gearboxes appear a bit wobbly. Also, is Quake Beast's clawed hand intended to hold some kind of tool? Because the axle sticking from its palm is just asking for connecting some sort of secondary weapon to it.

Firstly, there's no need to worry, the gearboxes are actually fairly solid. Storm Beast's is a little bit flexible, but no more so than the original design. As for the axle in Quake Beast's hand... In an ideal world, that wouldn't be there. It kinda helps keep the Mask of Earth in place in his hand when he's holding it though, so there's that.

[DraikNova]

Gorgeous, especially the use of Ben 10 spikes on Quake Beast to match the torso print. I've got just two pieces of advice: 1: maybe add some more normal, non-translucent purple to Quake Beast (I would suggest putting 4m shells at the heels) to make the head stand out less? 2: If you put the beast feet so that the surface they stand with is on the outside of the arm, Storm Beast's arms will have a much more natural flow, although you'd have to find a new way to attach the thumbs.

[TheOneVeyronian]

I've got to say, your modified Beasts are gorgeous, an improvement over the official sets in every way. Turns out I've got something to say about them all, so here goes with the feedback:

About Ekimu, to be absolutely honest (and given I managed to write 2,200 words about the pros and cons of the official set for Brickset so I am probably overanalysing this!), I don't really see the point of giving Ekimu a completely new shoulder gearbox. That combined with moving the shoulder pauldrons has sort of created a gap between chest and arm which wasn't present in the original set, which I feel could be more filled out. You could have also replaced the dark bluish gray bone in Ekimu's hammer-wielding arm with a trans-light blue one as the dark bluish gray bone is very noticeable. But I do like how you've sorted out Ekimu's leg proportions, and adding a port to attach his falcon to is simply genius!

Quake Beast, I do like what you've done here, and the magenta Ben 10 spikes complement the chest print really nicely as an accent colour. The clawed hand build is just pure genius, I can't believe I've never thought of it! I feel that the black shell on the clubbing arm should be a trans-purple shell or even a crystal shell, more in keeping with the original set. And I agree with DraikNova, a little more regular purple wouldn't go amiss. I do miss the sideways gearbox here, but I think the aesthetics more than make up for the lack of it here.

Kudos on keeping Storm Beast's function largely as is whilst dramatically improving the look of the set! Storm Beast's arms look miles better now the crystal add-ons are mounted on the shoulders and he has proper wrists. The solid lime claws look a little out of place, I personally would have used trans-neon green Skull Spider legs instead though that may be a little OTT.

Lava Beast is almost perfect. I would have personally changed his horns as well though. Dunno, not really a big fan of them on the set anyway.

Overall, some great mods here. Oh, and did you get the Beasts to close their mouths by pulling their faces down to attach slightly lower on the head? I might just have to try that myself, it looks surprisingly good. Guess I've been going about the whole jaw-closing mod all wrong by trying to get the bottom half to move without popping the "mask" off

[ShadowWolfHount]

Looking way better then the original (well, any revamp of the summer wave sets are better then the original).

Ekimu:

I wished LEGO did something like that with the knob function, instead of giving Ekimu a back tumor by slapping a knob box on. But is it necessary to put in 5 of those small gear piece, because it maybe the blue pin/axle that isn't holding the hammer up? I like that there a stud place to put in a transparent piece to have the bird to fly above him.

The shoulder armor are very nice, however I dislike the feet which I think the gold clown feet are much better. Also, are you planing to revamp the hammer anytime soon?

Lava Beast:

I like that this modded version have more trans-black instead of just those two crystal armor, I wish that LEGO didn't cut corners by using those trans-orange claws and recolored it, so I think using those other claw pieces that came in trans-neon orange would look much better.

The legs are very nice looking and it having a full bear trap instead half of one.

The wing... blade... thing, I'm pretty much never going to like those, I think having them for back wings (like what Trimondius did with his revision version of Lava Beast) would be much better.

Storm Beast:

This moded version looks... ew, but obviously still better then the original, having those crystal armor as shoulder armor look like a good idea, but the execution is poor with it noticeably sticking out.

I do like the hand fix and not having that socket sticking out like a eyesore and I think it would be better a bit more bulky, maybe just adding two more crystal armor and bigger armor to the legs.

Quake Beast:

I love that there are those pink crystal claw pieces to fit with the printing, but it would be good to have some solid purple as well, so the purple on the mask doesn't stick out. The right arm is very odd but already looking I guess.

Edited July 28, 2016 by ShadowWolfHount

[PicnicBasketSam]

I particularly like what you've done here with Ekimu and Lava Beast. Ekimu seems so much smoother, and the falcon post is ingenious... Lava Beast pulls off the "flaming death chicken" look much better that the official set, mostly around the lower legs. Also, I see you changed all the Shadow Traps to have friction pins... nice. I wonder why LEGO didn't do that... they're no stranger to sacrificing playability to stability. *cough*everyLEGOmechever*cough*

[Cyber Hand]

Wow you really have done a number on those sets and made them even better. I always had a problem with the way the beasts ankles were so thin. You improved every one I am very impressed.