Your favourite Bionicle launcher

[arc]

That's a tough question, I liked all the launchers made, (yes, even the squid launcher) so if I had to pick one it would be the zamor launcher. I remember connecting a bunch of those extentions included with the inika and firing dozens of zamors everywhere. Good times.

But the rhotuka were fun to. I'm pretty sure there's one on top of my shed somewhere.

[Chimaninja454]

My favorite launcher could be the Thornax Launcher...

[SpiderSpaceman]

Here's another vote for helicopter wheels!

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

How would I judge this? I don't have much time to post, but I can sort the launchers quickly by appearance, versatility, and function.

1. On the top of my list would be the Zamor Launcher. Though sometimes difficult to integrate into MOCs, it is a beautiful weapon that functions well, allowing me to reliably pelt my cats with a multitude of colored plastic spheres.

2. After that comes the Thornaxx Launcher. Though I've tired of seeing it so much during the last three years, its simple yet effective design is easier to MOC with than the Zamor Launcher, and propels Thornaxxes and Zamors well.

3. The Kanoka Disk launcher is third, shooting its plastic disks surprisingly well. It looks great, but is hard to use as anything other than a hand-held weapon, due to its asymmetrical design and type of firing mechanism.

4. Just one spot away from the top three is the Cordak Blaster, a neat concept that often falls on its face. It's beautiful but very bulky, looking out-of-place even on the sets it originally came with. If you get lucky with your ammo, it'll fire well, but the slightest dent or scratch in a Cordak bullet will turn it into a dud.

5. McToran arms. These things fire well and look great when on a Happy Meal Matoran, but they lack a lot of versatility: their asymmetrical design means they can only fire forward when placed on the right, otherwise, the disk they hold will be upside-down.

6. I wish I could put this higher up the list, but the coolness of Shadow Leech launchers is outweighed by how difficult it is to put them in anything other than a 2008 Makuta torso. Perhaps I haven't tried hard enough.

7. Below their wave-mates at #7 come the Midak Skyblasters! Though there is appeal to a 4-shot clip of Zamor Spheres, that appeal is lost when confronted with its bulky and utilitarian design. It is nice that the ammo can't fall out of the clip as they can in unmodified Zamor Sphere Launchers, but other than that I find the Zamor Launchers far superior.

8. Rhotuka Spinners, oh, Rhotuka Spinners! These things are fun for the first few minutes, but hard to use on MOCs and harder to aim.

I also think they were the most absurd and obviously shoehorned-in launcher to be included in BIONICLE's story, but that is a rant for another day.

9. Nynrah Ghost Blasters. Though similar to the Cordak, they boast more versatility thanks to additional connection points, but lack the interesting Gatling-gun function, making them finicky one-shot wet noodle launchers.

10. The infamous Squid Launcher is by far the worst to ever grace the hands of canister figures. This odd, rubbery launcher lacked aesthetic appeal, among other, more important things, such as the ability to launch stuff. A "successful" launch might propel your squid three feet, and a failed squid will limply drop from the launcher's mouth, begging to be put out of its misery. At least the aforementioned ammunition is adorable. Just toss out the launcher and make a family of Squids, you and the ammo will be happier about the decision.

Edit: Huh. Putting this together over time instead of all-at-once turned it into something far larger than I ever would have thought.

Edited September 25, 2014 by The Kumquat Alchemist

[Lord-Vorahk]

I'm torn between the Zamor and the Thornax.

[Matsuoka Nui]

I liked the Midak Skyblasters and the Nynrah Ghost Blasters but the Rhotuka Spinners were really epic though. Cordak blasters were "okay" (I like the design but it sometimes hard to make a good shot) and the Thornax is creative though too.

I'd say the Midak would be my first choice.

[Jetrax99]

Definitely the Midak Skyblaster, if only for the design.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Jetrax99

[Logan McOwen]

Fun Fact: Cordak Blasters work better underwater than they do in air.

[Mandate]

Fun Fact: Cordak Blasters work better underwater than they do in air.

Makes a lot of sense, plot-wise

[Chro]

Makes a lot of sense, plot-wise

But it was a neat twist that they did that IRL too.

10. The infamous Squid Launcher is by far the worst to ever grace the hands of canister figures. This odd, rubbery launcher lacked aesthetic appeal, among other, more important things, such as the ability to launch stuff. A "successful" launch might propel your squid three feet, and a failed squid will limply drop from the launcher's mouth, begging to be put out of its misery. At least the aforementioned ammunition is adorable. Just toss out the launcher and make a family of Squids, you and the ammo will be happier about the decision.

I actually liked how it looked. Pretty cool crossbow-ish thing, even if it didn't work at all. Edited September 26, 2014 by Chro

[Still Raindrop]

Looks like I'm in the minority, but I like the Thornax launcher best--although this may be because I missed 2005-2008. Still, I like that it was small, unobtrusive, easy to leave out without ruining the aesthetics, and effective.

[Jared]

Definitely Zamour sphere launcher. I blasted a bully's eye out with it when he made fun of me for still playing with bionicle. Got sent to the principal's office, but was definitely worth it. Never got teased again. ^_^

[DuckBricks]

Definitely Zamour sphere launcher. I blasted a bully's eye out with it when he made fun of me for still playing with bionicle. Got sent to the principal's office, but was definitely worth it. Never got teased again. ^_^

Hahahaha!!! That was probably the best Zamor Sphere story ever! He should have paid attention to that little "don't shoot in eye" warning!

[LegoPanda]

the Rotuka, it was very entertaining to do

[Sir Walter Maugham]

I'd say that I like the Zamor Sphere Launchers the best. Multiple shots, good range, accurate, and not too terribly bulky. Rhotuka Spinners are a ton of fun, but difficult to incorporate into MOCs and very, very, very inaccurate.

Definitely Zamour sphere launcher. I blasted a bully's eye out with it when he made fun of me for still playing with bionicle. Got sent to the principal's office, but was definitely worth it. Never got teased again. ^_^

Beautiful.

[Agent Fusion]

Am I the only one that liked how the Squid Crossbows looked? Sure, it was the only good thing about them, but it's something.

[arc]

Am I the only one that liked how the Squid Crossbows looked? Sure, it was the only good thing about them, but it's something.

nope, I actually kinda liked the squid launcher AS a launcher. Yeah, it fired with very little power, and my cats tended to chew on my squids if left out, but it was kinda fun.

[DuckBricks]

nope, I actually kinda liked the squid launcher AS a launcher. Yeah, it fired with very little power, and my cats tended to chew on my squids if left out, but it was kinda fun.

I could never really get those to work though... Although I probably was just afraid of damaging the squids and didn't pull them too hard. They always ended up firing straight join the ground anyways...

[Agent Fusion]

I could get the squids to shoot occasionally, and they worked well when they did. But like I said, when they worked.

[arc]

I guess lego noticed there mistake at some point, because they actually made an instructional video. :P

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

I guess lego noticed there mistake at some point, because they actually made an instructional video. :P

I suppose I give the Squid Launchers too much flak when I say this, but

I'd love to see all the outtakes.

Really, Squid Launchers are an acceptable target to me, no hard feelings intended when I bash on them constantly, I mean it half-jokingly.

Edited September 29, 2014 by The Kumquat Alchemist

[InfurnallDragon]

I don't know the name of it, but the kind of blasters that were on the Exo-Toa. I didn't have an Exo-Toa, but I believe I got mine with a green projectile from one of the infamous Metru play sets. It had a lot of connection possibilities for axles and parts with axle components. It also fires reliably, projectiles have good distance, and the projectile itself is large enough that its arguably harder to lose than a zamor or a rohtuka.

I just recently used it to make a heavy crossbow for my sorta self-moc as I waited for my first CCBS sets to arrive.

Contrasting with what is apparently popular opinion, I did not like Zamors much. It was difficult for me when I was younger to fire them. When I did manage to fire them, they were really chaotic and could ricochet or roll anywhere in my room and get lost. The Inika team's clip addons where pretty cool,but they had no way to resist gravity and they often just spilled out everywhere.

But it was a neat twist that they did that IRL too.

I actually liked how it looked. Pretty cool crossbow-ish thing, even if it didn't work at all.

Also I share this opinion on the Squid Launcher. The launcher itself was one of 2 crossbows we ever had, the other being Kongu's. I'd like to see more in constraction, but unless we get a Wookie Ultrabuild I doubt itll happen.

Edited September 30, 2014 by InfurnallDragon

[DuckBricks]

I don't know the name of it, but the kind of blasters that were on the Exo-Toa. I didn't have an Exo-Toa, but I believe I got mine with a green projectile from one of the infamous Metru play sets. It had a lot of connection possibilities for axles and parts with axle components. It also fires reliably, projectiles have good distance, and the projectile itself is large enough that its arguably harder to lose than a zamor or a rohtuka.

I just recently used it to make a heavy crossbow for my sorta self-moc as I waited for my first CCBS sets to arrive.

Those are one of the best blasters, but they weren't exactly specific to Bionicle and were used in a lot of System sets

[Toa Lahka]

I think I'd have to go with Midak Skyblaster. I really like the name (as cheesy as it may be, it made me think of Star Wars), and how powerfully it shot out the Zamors.

[The Kumquat Alchemist]

This thread inspired me to create awful things.

A horribly generic Inika build, outfitted with every projectile weapon introduced in BIONICLE.

Why pick a favorite?