Bionicle 2016 Sets Discussion

[Dr_Chronos]

My favourite would have to be Lewa for custom arm build, even though they are a bit awkward at certain angles they pose miles better than Kopaka's or Pohatu's. I just can't get behind those builds. When you're not trying to get Kopaka's very restricted arms in a good pose you're worrying about the sketchey connection to the torso which makes him feel delicate. Pohatu's arms are better, but like others have said they only really look good from the front.

[Tazakk]

Lewa's arm build is probably the most fun, but I can't get over how Pohatu's pays homage to the original model with the horizontal shoulder connection. So it wins, for me.

[TwistLaw]

About the whole "G2 is doomed" topic I have some interesting information to share.

Last week I went to Italy's recently opened biggest mall, near Milan, that amongst other things contains the only official LEGO store in my country. So I went there and noticing the ridiculously small area dedicated to BIONICLE (in an already small shop) I asked a clerk about the state of the theme. Naive question, since of course she wasn't able to answer. But when I went to the Toys 'R Us store, I realized BIONICLE was nowhere to be found! The area dedicated to LEGO actually had more sets than in the official store, but BIONICLE literally wasn't there. CCBS Star Wars, last year's Technic, even a niche theme like Architecture had a place on the shelves.

So I asked the guy whose job was being in contact with LEGO, and he flat out told me the line wasn't selling enough to earn a spot on there. To be more precise, it was a choice from Toys 'R Us and not from LEGO (of course) to forgo the purchase of BIONICLE sets.

Take all of this with a grain of salt: we're talking about Italy, a secondary market for LEGO, but it's still something worth thinking about.

[Chilly_Productions]

he flat out told me the line wasn't selling enough to earn a spot on there.

When I go to the Lego store next month I will ask the staff about Bionicle's sales.

[Junior Shark]

*cynical picture*

Keep in mind the caveat TwistLaw mentioned:

Take all of this with a grain of salt: we're talking about Italy, a secondary market for LEGO, but it's still something worth thinking about.

[xboxtravis7992]

*SNIP*

When I go to the Lego store next month I will ask the staff about Bionicle's sales.

Contrasting this with the image of Bionicle stock emptied out at a Target post Christmas last year. It's even getting hard to find freakin' Skull Scorpio now here to, he is starting to sell out! Seems like Bionicle is doing fine here in "Desseret." I wonder how regional preferences and interests affect sales of Lego sets. I really wonder how different Lego sets sell in different countries/states/cities/provinces etc.

Still if sales are bad in one country (Italy) it makes me wonder what's happening world wide.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Leewan
No need to quote a picture in a post just above yours

[Leewan]

Last week I went to Italy's recently opened biggest mall, near Milan, that amongst other things contains the only official LEGO store in my country.

According to the list of Lego Stores and this Brickset article, it's not an official Lego Store, so I don't think anyone there could have told you about the state of the theme, unless there was someone from Lego at the opening.

[TwistLaw]

Still if sales are bad in one country (Italy) it makes me wonder what's happening world wide.

Italy, while being a relatively small market compared to Germany and the US, is a very conservative one. Constraction in general has really never been popular here, being actually shunned and despised in a far harsher way than it happened (and happens) in the anglophone community. So if BIONICLE flopped here, I'm not surprised at all.

According to the list of Lego Stores and this Brickset article, it's not an official Lego Store, so I don't think anyone there could have told you about the state of the theme, unless there was someone from Lego at the opening.

Sadly I know that, living in LEGO's third world is a harsh reality but I said that for the sake of clarity.

[xboxtravis7992]

Sadly I know that, living in LEGO's third world is a harsh reality but I said that for the sake of clarity.

Yeah that sucks. I never bought Lego when I was in Argentina; besides I only knew of a total of TWO places I saw real Lego being sold in a store. Most of the construction toys I saw were Chinese knockoff sets.

Despite that knockoff pre-assembled Hero Factory sets were actually pretty common in Argentina; I wouldn't be surprised if the markets down there are full of knockoff Toa now!

[Chilly_Productions]

"Cynical picture"

It's this new thing called a joke.

[Junior Shark]

It's this new thing called a joke.

What? Yeah, I probably could've afforded to be less literal.

Anyway, I just purchased my first 2016 set with the crystal blades, and Noooooo! I though the colored portions on the crystal blades were trans colors! What a bummer. They're still cool, just not as cool as they could have been. This won't deter me from getting others.

Edited April 19, 2016 by Junior Shark

[MrHerofan]

I got Umarak last week, and he is an alright set. I like the way he moves, but his arrow hinders his possibility on my shelves so I can't get a good pose out of him. The mask of control looks okay its just not as impressive as The Mask of Creation was. Overall though I don't know if I want the other sets. The combination gimmick seems cool, but considering how scarce the sets are and need money for other hobbies, the hunt just doesn't seem worth it. The creatures as individual sets do not seem that cool to me unless they have a toa to combine to. Its unfortunate of how most of these sets seem incomplete unless you buy another to combine them with and have a complete looking figure.

[Lyichir]

I got Umarak last week, and he is an alright set. I like the way he moves, but his arrow hinders his possibility on my shelves so I can't get a good pose out of him. The mask of control looks okay its just not as impressive as The Mask of Creation was. Overall though I don't know if I want the other sets. The combination gimmick seems cool, but considering how scarce the sets are and need money for other hobbies, the hunt just doesn't seem worth it. The creatures as individual sets do not seem that cool to me unless they have a toa to combine to. Its unfortunate of how most of these sets seem incomplete unless you buy another to combine them with and have a complete looking figure.

My suggestion? Get Uxar. He's a great figure in his own right and even if you don't get any Toa, he pairs pretty well with Umarak.

I personally don't think Lewa feels "incomplete" at all, either... but that's just me.

[Aanchir]

Anyway, I just purchased my first 2016 set with the crystal blades, and Noooooo! I though the colored portions on the crystal blades were trans colors!

Even if they were transparent colors, they'd really only have the sort of milky translucency as Toa Hordika Vakama's blazer claws and the Brain Attack/Legends of Chima swords, since they're made of that same sort of plastic. So they wouldn't have been a perfect match color-wise either way.

I think LEGO did a good job in most cases selecting solid colors that closely resembled the sets' transparent colors, the exception being Ikir/Tahu. The Bright Orange tip of their crystal blade pieces isn't nearly reddish enough to match the Tr. Flu. Reddish-Orange parts those sets use so extensively, and they don't use Bright Orange or Tr. Bright Orange anywhere else on their designs. I actually think it might've been better if they'd just used Bright Red for their crystal blade pieces, same as how the skull creatures used Bright Red on their chest prints and on the tip of Skull Grinder's staff.

[Junior Shark]

Even if they were transparent colors, they'd really only have the sort of milky translucency as Toa Hordika Vakama's blazer claws and the Brain Attack/Legends of Chima swords, since they're made of that same sort of plastic.

Shhh... Let me have my fantasy! And how was I supposed to know what plastic they're made of? They totally could have been the classic trans plastic.

But I agree that the color is matched pretty well- looking at Ketar, the blades mesh really well with the rest of the color scheme.

And my mood's cooled a bit since last night- the solid plastic's starting to grow on me!

Edited April 20, 2016 by Junior Shark

[Dorek]

Nothing in the June calendar about the polybag either... hopefully not another Russian/Eastern European only thing.

[JekPorkchops]

I can't wait for that polybag to come out. The cloth piece may seem a bit random on Tahu but it could be useful (well, not to me as I'm not really a MOC'er, but I'd like to see what other people can use it for. I'm just randomly going to slap it onto one of the existing characters I guess).

[Leewan]

The cloth piece may seem a bit random on Tahu but it could be useful (well, not to me as I'm not really a MOC'er, but I'd like to see what other people can use it for.

Depending on its size and the fabric used, I would try to use it to make a bowtie. Would that count as a MOC ?

[Junior Shark]

Would that count as a MOC ?

Absolutely.

[TheDesuComplex]

I was thinking that it could look good draped over Pohatu. I am not banking on it coming out now though.

[PicnicBasketSam]

Well, I'm going against the crowd here... but I don't mind Tahu very much at all. The clashing textures everyone complains about are not that bad, and the color scheme actually works pretty well. He looks good, he's playable (those swords are pretty neat) and he has good pieces. Something doesn't quite work right, I can't tell what... but he's not a bad set at all.

Anyway... I think that none of the summer sets are any good.

[Junior Shark]

Anyway... I think that none of the summer sets are any good.

Not even Umarak the Destroyer? I'm with you on the rest of the sets- I'm a little lukewarm towards them at this point. But who am I kidding- I'll probably end up with most of 'em.

[JekPorkchops]

I like Lava and Storm Beast. Storm is a little awkward in some places, but his color scheme and function make up for it. Not too fond of their lower leg designs. Ekimu's growing on me. He's kinda simple, but doesn't do anything wrong either. I like that he has both 2015 and 2016 gear functions. His back coverage is terrific. Umarak's not that bad, but he's kinda disappointing. His back and his neck are very empty. I don't really like Quake Beast, but I think I'm going to buy him anyway.

My main problem with the summer wave is that it doesn't solve last year's summer wave problems. It actually does it worse. There were only four villains and a 'big bad' last year, now there are only three because the new Ekimu takes up a slot. Again, there are too few villains to fight the Toa, and all of the villains are only 15 dollar/euro sets. Not only that, but just like last year, the 15 dollar sets are way smaller than the 15 dollar Toa sets.

You could argue that although there is one less villain, you're getting a huge über-villain in return in the form of Umarak the Destroyer. But he can't coexist with his Hunter form from the winter wave, while all of the Skull Creatures could coexist with Lord of Skull Spiders.

Edited April 28, 2016 by JekPorkchops

[Fulcrumfan91]

Ok can someone please explain this to me? I went to a local Lego store, they had only two Bionicle sets and told me they would not be getting anymore, using the word 'discontinued' when I asked why this was...this was the same place I asked a few months ago and they said exactly the same thing then. Today, I visited yet another lego store, which only had protectors and scorpios available on sale. I asked about them having more of the sets, they said that Bionicle has become online purchase only to make room for other themes....they did not confirm that the theme would be discontinued however. What does all this mean? I get that Bionicle is likely not continuing beyond 2017, but Im puzzled by the remarks made by different Lego approved stores.

[Junior Shark]

I was thinking that it could look good draped over Pohatu.

Ooh, that does sound like it would look cool!

Ok can someone please explain this to me? I went to a local Lego store, they had only two Bionicle sets and told me they would not be getting anymore, using the word 'discontinued' when I asked why this was...this was the same place I asked a few months ago and they said exactly the same thing then. Today, I visited yet another lego store, which only had protectors and scorpios available on sale. I asked about them having more of the sets, they said that Bionicle has become online purchase only to make room for other themes....they did not confirm that the theme would be discontinued however. What does all this mean? I get that Bionicle is likely not continuing beyond 2017, but Im puzzled by the remarks made by different Lego approved stores.

Before giving my 2 cents: where are you located?