REVIEW: 71311 Kopaka and Melum Unity Set

[VBBN]

Set name: Kopaka and Melum Unity Set

Set number: 71311

Pieces: 171

Price: $25.00 | £xx.xx | €xx.xx

Release date: 2016

In recent years, starting with Hero Factory's Invasion from Below, we have seen an increasing effort from LEGO to match Bionicle with it's other system themes by the way of creating a battle in a box. The highest price-pointed sets have even been a boxed set that contain two separate figures- this year is no different. Packaged into one is Kopaka and Melum, and while not enemies like the previous two sets of this style, this is a great way to advertise the unification feature of the Toa and Creatures. When you break it down, Melum would be the equivalent of a $10 creature, while Kopaka should make up a $15 Toa, similar to Pohatu, Lewa or Gali. Is the set worth the price tag? Lets find out.

Packaging

Front

The front of the box of course shows Kopaka and Melum standing next to each other, with a smaller frame showcasing the united form of the two. I do believe this is the European packaging, as most often my review copies are sent directly from Denmark- so I find it interesting that the piece count is now displayed on the box, something usually absent on European packaging. Also to note is that the boxes are a sturdier cardboard than last year. While we are on the subject of the box, let's address the elephant in the room- yes, Melum has no shadow trap. The sad thing about it is you can actually see an ice themed Shadow trap on the far right of the background, yet none can be found in this set.

Back

My box was a little messed up- In order for all of the sets to fit in a standard LEGO shipping box, this set's contents were pulled out of the box, and the box itself was flattened in the process to make room. Anyway, we do have a nice little comic, continuing the fantastic trend from 2015, and of course a wide plethora of set features is displayed at the top.

Size

I did receive a request pre-review to showcase the size of this box. This is the newest and largest size of hexagonal shaped box, and you can see that while it is the same height as that of a $20 figure (in this case, Umarak), it is much wider.

Contents

Stickers

Similar to last year, Kopaka comes with a small set of stickers. He is the only set of the first wave to include them, and they will be used on his gun later on. While I don't always like to use stickers, there is one reason why you might want to, as I will mention soon.

Torso

Kopaka includes the new turntable torso, like all of the other non-creature sets of this wave. Once the hips are plugged into the torso, the friction is similar to that of a friction extender. So, if you don't like or don't want the gear function, you can remove the gear and still have a moveable waist.

New bits

Among the new bits are a gear piece with an axle, the new "piece of unification' (you get three in this set, all in silver), a gold crystal add-on mixed with trans light blue, the shorter eyestalk in trans light blue, and the new sword piece, mixed with dark azure.

Mask

Of the new Toa masks, I think Kopaka's might be my favorite. It certainly takes on more of the Nuva's appearance, and has a generally angrier or colder exp<b></b>ression that I really enjoy. Also of interest is the Nuva symbol above the left eye, which has a strange trail behind it. Also take note that his telescopic eye is actually one stud in circumference, so anything with a stud can be connected to it.

Creature head

The new creature head is quite a large piece. In this set, we get it in gold mixed with trans light blue. The mask itself connects via a balljoint directly underneath the rearmost spike design, and the mask features three connection points for accessories- the nose and two clips near the "ears." The mask does have molded eyes, and similar to Rotor, they have no color or way to add color. It's a bit of a shame, and i wish they had found a way around this, but I don't think it ruins the mold.

Recolors

One of the more bizarre recolors in the set is this CCBS shell in dark blue. I'm glad to have a dark blue shell to match the dark blue skull spider of 2015, but... well, I wish it was a more versatile shell such as a 5m one, but here's hoping we see more sets with this color. Also we get the Vorox shell in silver- you can find it in silver in Lewa as well. Personally I'd like to get it in white, but silver helps balance the color scheme.

Torso shell

I'm not generally a fan of this new shell, but I have to admit that it doesn't look bad here. I usually find that black parts hide detail, while white parts so of smooth it out, and that works to an effect here- the detail isn't as jarring as some other colors make it out to be. Also, the dark blue printing is nice, again as I will describe momentarily.

Melum Build

Torso and mechanism

Melum's torso design starts with an XT4 torso and uses the piece of unification to begin the function, something that 5 of the 6 Creatures share. The function here is simple, when you pull up on that gunmetal piece with the white spike on it, the two gears near the balljoint will move up. This function is the exact same as the one found on both Ikir and Uxar- the difference being, that it moves wings on those two, while moving arms on Melum.

Limbs

Short, stubby legs are added as well as some large paws.

Melum Complete

Front

When Melum is complete, he actually looks quite cool. While I would have liked the unification piece to be in white, I think the color scheme is decent here, and proportions- for whatever sort of creature he is supposed to be- are fitting. One potential area for complaints here is the balljoints on the XT4 torso, however you can't cover those up with armor as the function would then be restricted.

Profile

By moving that lever up and down, his function is achieved. When you push it down...

Function

His claws move together. Either he is mauling you, or coming in for a hug. Either way, I really enjoy this, I think it's a great reuse of Ikir and Uxar's function in a different way, and it feels like a more streamlined version of Skull Basher's function.

Fight me

Articulation wise, he's got a decent amount in the arms and neck, though son't expect to get anything wild from his legs.

Bohrok?

In a way, his proportions with the tiny body, larger hands and extended neck, really evoke that of a Bohrok. And I love it.

BE STRONG CLARENCE

When images of these sets first popped up, Melum got blamed for being a clone build of Terak- or Terak as a clone of Melum, whatever. In reality, These two are about as different as Ikir and Uxar. Both have different builds to their limbs, and have completely different functions.

Kopaka Build

Torso

Since Kopaka is meant to evoke a $15 Toa, his torso brings about a similar level of complexity as Pohatu, Lewa and Gali.

Shoulders

Like Pohatu and Lewa, Kopaka has opted for a custom shoulder build. I...gues, I don't particularly like this build as the lower potion of it is much thinner than I'd like.

Frame

He does get a decently long set of legs, something that sets him apart from his fellow $15 companions.

Weapons

For weapons, Kopaka ditches the spear and shield for a gun and sword. The sword looks pretty decent, and I feel it's the best application of those new blade pieces. The gun isn't anything out-of-this-world, but it's not a bad design. Note the sticker is applied as seen above.

Kopaka Complete

Front

On to the finished Kopaka. Color wise, there's a few gripes to be had. Firstly, the gold thigh armor looks very random, and only really makes sense in United mode, or when a gold mask is on his face- otherwise it throws everything off balance for me. The dark blue was a random choice of shell, as it only exists in plastic on his arms. The only other applications of dark blue are on his chest print, and the sticker on the gun. It's not entirely well disbursed, and I wonder why they felt it was so necessary to include that here. Again, I won't argue with the piece being made, but I find myself asking "Why?" with these sets more than any sets before. As for set design, Kopaka has the best proportions of the $15 based Toa, thanks to his longer legs and arms that can properly accommodate the longer torso. Again the white shell doesn't look bad here- however I am not a fan of the silver armoring on his shins. It doesn't seem to flow with the rest of the armor textures on the figure, and paired with the much wider golden armor above it, well, I just don't like it.

Profile

Similar to Umarak and Onua, Kopaka gains a disk to mount 6 of his extra studs for his stud shooter.

I didn't slip

Once armed with his weapons, Kopaka gains some life. The dark azure isn't a perfect fit to the trans light blue, but it doesn't look completely out of place. The area between his shoulders and elbows does look quite awfully thin, though.

Netflix and....

Of course, a benefit to, eh, losing some weight since 2015 is that he has some more options as far as poseability is concerned.

No shield? I'll just hold this sword menacingly!

The sword is a really great design, and might possibly be my favorite weapon on the Toa this year.

Gold Mask

When the gold mask is added on, the gold thighs look less out of place. That, and gold works absolutely beautifully with white and dark blue.

Size Comparison

Thanks to the longer torso bone pared with a decently long set of legs, Kopaka is a respectable height, actually slightly beating out Tahu.

United Mode

Of course, the main draw here is that you get both sets in one go, so you can unite these two right away. In united mode, Melum serves the same purpose as Terak- he adds some shoulder armor and a helmet. Unlike some of the other unifications, this one doesn't add a grand amount to kopaka. Basically, it adds some more white and gold, and...well that's about it.

Profile

The back kibble isn't bad, and provides easy access to the waist gear. As you might expect, the function of the creature has no use here.

Back

You can move Melum's legs wherever you want, I find this to be my favorite configuration.

Overall

I like these two figures. Kopaka looks decent enough in both his unified and standalone form, and is without a doubt my favorite of the cheaper Toa of the wave. He has the best proportions, a decent color scheme (save for the two gold pieces), and really only suffers design wise from very thin portions above his elbows. He has good weapons, a nice mask, and even the torso shell doesn't look bad here. I do believe he does a good job making up $15 of the $25 set, and in fact is a representation of what a $15 set should be, moreso than Lewa, Pohatu and Gali.

However, what I don't agree with, is Melum being valued at $10. I have seen a few people try to justify his price based on what you get versus the Protectors of 2015- You get 4 new molds with Melum, and no recolors. With the protectors, they all had 5 new molds (this includes the skull spider. Had a Shadow trap been included, Melum would be at 5 as well.) and a variety of recolors. Melum has a very similar level of complexity to Terak, who is already less complex than the likes of Akida, Uxar and Ikir, and size wise Melum is tied with Terak as the smallest of the Creatures. A shadow trap was really needed here- at this current state, I don't really know that I would say Melum is worth the same amount as Terak + Shadow Trap. Additionally, I don't feel that the unified form of Kopaka and Melum is the greatest of the unifications, only beating out Pohatu and Ketar who is the weakest, so there isn't a specific draw that makes you think "Man, I really want both of those characters to combine them!" So I don't know that I can justify the price premium here. While the price might be in the air, I do think it's a good set and would be my second choice of Toa set to purchase after Onua.

[Dorek]

Apparently it's actually 25 USD, but yeah, this is definitely how I felt about the set. Melum is a great enhancement to Kopaka, but not a solid figure by itself. So it's a bit of a tossup on value

[Tarvaxx]

Is it possible to pose the paws OVER the shoulders like in some of the images that show him combined with Melum? I think the combiner would look pretty sweet with a small change like that. It's imperative that I find out. XD

Anyway, this review was pretty spot on with how I feel about the set, and the pistons really don't seem all that bad on the white torso. That blue can be obnoxious though, I might replace it with Kopaka 2015's thigh armor since it's the same piece.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Tarvaxx

[mediumsnowman]

Thanks for the review. I don't collect Bionicle, but I might have to go to Bricklink for the trans-blue stud shooter. I don't know why, it just seems really cool to me.

[xboxtravis7992]

Thanks for the review. I don't collect Bionicle, but I might have to go to Bricklink for the trans-blue stud shooter. I don't know why, it just seems really cool to me.

Good news is the trans blue shooter was introduced in the summer of 2015, so it should already be out in the wild by now.

Yeah Kopaka just won a spot as my favorite Toa for 2016. He looks very orderly and deadly, compared to the flashy and flamboyantly colored wanna-be Iron Man leading the team (Tahu...). So I guess Umarak and Kopaka are the sets to look for first for me, followed by Tahu/Ikir and Gali/Akida; and then the rest (yes I know Tahu and Gali aren't nearly as solid sets as Lewa or Onua, but favorite characters need to be prioritized!)...

[mediumsnowman]

Good news is the trans blue shooter was introduced in the summer of 2015, so it should already be out in the wild by now.

Hmm. I didn't know that, I thought it was new. Did it come with the ice Chima sets? I don't follow that theme either.

[xboxtravis7992]

Hmm. I didn't know that, I thought it was new. Did it come with the ice Chima sets? I don't follow that theme either.

No the Bionicle sets: Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder, and Skull Warrior. Bionicle 2016 will bring a few more trans blue stud shooters in the $10 set Akida, plus Kopaka here.

Edited December 15, 2015 by xboxtravis7992

[Dr_Chronos]

Good review. Is there a reason that this one doesn't include a poll?

Still not sold on the set. Kopaka just doesn't appeal to me as a whole. His color scheme is very poorly handled and I'm not a fan of how his arms and legs look. I totally agree about the broadsword, it looks absolutely fantastic. The gun-shield leaves something to be desired, I would have scrapped it in favor of an ice trap.

In my Toa ranking Kopaka is pretty low, I think I'll pass. The funny thing is if Melum was separate I would get him just because he's so cute.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Dr_Chronos

[CabooseBM]

The mask is pretty cool, and the dark blue shells are a lovely addition. The creature heads would make cool shoulder armor.

Otherwise, man, is this set a dire proposition at 25 dollars. Yikes.

[Ngoc Nguyen]

Hey VBBN,

Does the shooter's 1.5L axle handle go all the way into Kopaka's hand? Or does it just go 1L at most?

[Aethersprite]

Sans the gold on Kopaka's thighs, he looks perfect! My favourite of the 2016 sets. Thanks for the review!

EDIT: Oops, VBBN, I think you forgot the poll.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Lockon Stratos

[YellowCorvette]

Thanks for the review! I don't get why there's no poll with this review, but that's a minor thing.

This set looks nice, but I don't think this set is worth the price tag at all. Kopaka's upper arms looks ridiculously skinny when compared with the lower arms, the dark blue shell on Kopaka's lower arms and the gold add-on shell on Kopaka's upper leg looks out of place, and it's a shame that this set didn't come with any shadow traps.

[Shakar]

Good work as usual. Kopaka is still one of my favourite Uniters, even though he's not perfect. As much as I liked Master Kopaka, this one feels much closer to the spirit of Kopaka Mata (ironically, Master Kopaka was closer to Kopaka Nuva).

https://c2.staticfli...3d968db87_b.jpg

I really like his proportions, though I'm still not sure if I agree with that arm build (need to see/play around with it in person). But I know that I want to keep them.

However, it's the shells that are added that ruin his look for me. I actually quite like the dark blue on his arms, but I don't like the "bulky thighs, thin shins" look on a figure like him, a bell bottom look would've looked much better in my opinion.

The colour scheme (colour scheme, not colour distribution) is gorgeous. White and dark blue always look good together, the trans light blue completes the icy look and the Spring Yellowish Green, though unexcepted, is quite clever- someone elsewhere pointed out it's similar to that greenish tint on an aurora, and that made me instantly like it.

I think he looks better without the gold, since unlike Master Kopaka he already has a strong colour balancing things out (dark blue) but I do like it as a symbol of a temporary power up, so I plan to remove his crystal add-ons when he's alone and mount them when he's in Unity mode.

The weapons are mostly ok. The sword looks great, quite reminiscient of Kopaka Mata's Ice Sword, though the 4M axle as handle is a bit simplistic. Not sure if a gun fits him, but I really like the shield printing.

I like the Mask on its own, and the customizeable eyepiece is great, but I like Master Kopaka's Mask more as it was much closer to the original Akaku (I'm partial to the Toa Mata over the Toa Nuva, in case you couldn't tell ). I agree that this one is closer to the Akaku Nuva. I wonder how the two Kopaka would look if they swapped their Masks?

Melum is..pretty good I guess. The hug function is cute. Those black bones should've been trans light blue, otherwise his colours are ok.

As for the Unity mode, again the legs ruin it. Those huge shoulder pads don't look good coupled with his big thighs. Huge shoulders, skinny thighs and big shins is the way to go here.

(yes, alternating colours for easier reading)

Edited December 15, 2015 by Shakar

[VBBN]

Ah yes there's the magic of writing a review as you are falling asleep- poll is up, everyone please share your thoughts by voting.

Hey VBBN,

Does the shooter's 1.5L axle handle go all the way into Kopaka's hand? Or does it just go 1L at most?

No, the CCBS hands only allow for 1 module of an axle- there is a stop in the middle (so you couldn't put an axle all the way through)

[Tahu]

AMAZING!!!!!!

[Logan McOwen]

Eh...

Melum is adorable. I love him.

Kopaka is a mess. His colours are all over the place, the shoulder build is needlessly complex and suffers aesthetically for it, and his legs are really cluttered with those two addons. That said, his weapons and mask are fantastic.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Logan McOwen

[Front]

The mask was not supposed to have a round 1x1 plate fitting into the scope, but I had huge problems getting the mask pretty with just a hole, so designer Chrisian proposed the use of the plate just before we initiated mould construction. That simply enhanced the mask 100 % i my opinion.

Erland

Technical Element Design (TED)

[Ngoc Nguyen]

No, the CCBS hands only allow for 1 module of an axle- there is a stop in the middle (so you couldn't put an axle all the way through)

Thanks for the reply. I asked because, as you can see on the box's front cover, the 1.5L actually goes all inside.

[Lyichir]

Good review.

The Earth Blue shells also still bug me. Parts-wise, they're nice to have as a very rare color for CCBS, but I think I would've preferred white ones with stickers like he had this year, with the recolors going toward gold shoulders instead. As it is the gold parts on his legs feel slapped on, and the Earth Blue shells make his arms look very discontinuous.

[Fulcrumfan91]

I love Kopaka and Melum. I especially love the odd light green colours, it's reminiscent of northern lights. So Kopaka's glowing like northern lights. I think thats the same effect theyre going for with the transblue crystal shells in his legs, with white they look a tad green. Love this set, considering the price as well, I'm definitely making this one my first buy. Great review by the way! Thanks for the review!

Edited December 15, 2015 by lambda_cla3391

[santaends]

So we have 4 15USD toas this year.. nice. There's the difference in mechanism between this and the earth one too? Nice..

[arc]

Well, I'll start with what I like.

Kopaka's mask is great, the crystal look really works here and the stud part is a really nice touch.

The sword is pretty cool looking, better than this year's spear I think. The gun is ok, but I prefer my kopaka with a shield.

Melum is neat I guess.

The new torso function is cool, but the shell is just a little bit overkill. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against greebles, but damn. That's a lot.

The colors themselves are nice, but the actual distribution of colors...

Yeah so the bad stuff. The colors are just all over the place. Dark blue, white, and gold can look very good together, but the way it's done plus the silver it's just ugh. It really kills it for me.

And those wierd arm plus shoulder contraption, not a huge fan.

And the unity thing, I'm not really sold yet. It works great with tahu, lewa, and gali. However I don't think Kopaka, pohatu, and onua fare as well. But one thing goes for all of them, and that's I really don't like how the creature head looks on top of the mask. But this is all just my opinion of course.

I like kopaka more than some of the others, but it's just ehh.

[Dorek]

The mask was not supposed to have a round 1x1 plate fitting into the scope, but I had huge problems getting the mask pretty with just a hole, so designer Chrisian proposed the use of the plate just before we initiated mould construction. That simply enhanced the mask 100 % i my opinion.

Erland

Technical Element Design (TED)

Very interesting bit of trivia, thanks Front!

[Aanchir]

Good review. I feel like Kopaka's color scheme would've been more balanced if the Vorox/Skrall armor shells on his shoulders had been Warm Gold and the shells on his forearms had been Silver Metallic. I like how his shoulders somewhat echo his shoulder armor from the 2015 set, and it's nice that you can now more easily tell he's a fairly lean hero in bulky armor rather than a muscle-bound hero like Onua. However, the upper arms still feel rather piecemeal to me, rather than having a smooth, solid look like CCBS tends to provide. Lewa and Pohatu, to their credit, have much simpler arm construction that results in a less jumbled look.

Kopaka's sword is nice, but I'm not totally digging his new shield. I feel like the blaster feels tacked-on and just takes away from the shield's consistency. I'd rather if the set had skipped the blaster and maybe added two more Technic panels to help the shield more finished. The stickers do add to it quite nicely.

Melum looks alright and has a neat "bear hug" function, though its shoulders are kind of gappy.

Overall, I have really mixed feelings about this set, though its design doesn't bother me as much as the new Tahu.

[Aethersprite]

The mask was not supposed to have a round 1x1 plate fitting into the scope, but I had huge problems getting the mask pretty with just a hole, so designer Chrisian proposed the use of the plate just before we initiated mould construction. That simply enhanced the mask 100 % i my opinion.

Erland

Technical Element Design (TED)

Nice bit of information, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to what MOCists do with the mask - maybe a telescopic function of sorts.