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Review: 2236 Scorpio

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Set name: Scorpio

Set Number: 2236

Price: $24.99USD , 19.99 Euro

Pieces: 104

Year of release: 2011

Peeron

Bricklink

Brickset

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Come in heroes! We don’t want to alarm you but a huge scorpion is headed your way!

With heavy spike-plate armour covering its body, power pincers, tail shooter and corrupted Quaza, this beast is going to make stopping Witch Doctor a little bit harder!

A little bit harder? :sceptic: I’m paying $25USD for this thing! (Well… this particular Scorpio set was generously given to me for reviewing purposes, thanks to the wonderful LEGO Hero Factory team! :wub:)

Scorpio is probably the least anticipated set of the Summer wave, but at the same time it is also the most interesting. Instead of being a Titan or a Vehicled-Matoran, Scorpio is built like the smaller $13 villains, but with more limbs, spikes and mass. There are roughly 20% less pieces than previous sets of the same price, but will the set design and selection of pieces make up the price?

The Box

Front

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Due to his lower scorpion stature, Scorpio fills his box proportions well as he launches an attack on an unseen target. The artwork here is no exception to the wonderful Jungle box art of this wave, with this box including Venus Waspix Traps and three more Scorpios assembling in the background. Due to the lighting, one Scorpio appears to have a Yellow and Orange colour-scheme. I’m being taunted with unfulfilled dreams. :cry_sad:

Scorpio is the only set of this wave that has some appropriate jungle colours of Lime green, but the bright Red prevents him from blending into his box. And prevents camoflague like a Scorpion probably would find useful in a jungle, but that’s a discussion point for later. :wink:

Back

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The back of the box has the same comic of all the box sets this wave, although in higher clarity than found on the smaller Villain boxes. After seeing the same comic over and over I slightly wish that the comic was varied between each box by being more specific to the different sets, but this comic gets it’s job done of explaining the Savage Planet premise. I think Scorpio and Stormer both look good in the picture, although Stormer is jumping in a very “un-Rhino-like” fashion…

On a non-specific note, those punch-out tabs bother me. They often don’t suit the design style of boxes, especially for Hero Factory, and nobody has thumbs like those.

Side

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The top of the box has production details, distribution information and an actual size diagram that isn’t actual size. The proportions look a bit of as well, but the best way to check that is to open the box and find the actual piece for comparison!

Contents

(The actual piece is in there somewhere)

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Immediately after opening the box, I’m already starting to feel better about the low piece count – Scorpio’s box is filled nicely with poly-bagged parts, showing that there could be more large pieces than there usually are in Titan sets. Along with the instructions, there is a small bag full of armour detail parts, a very large bag of bones and shells, and a Fire Lord sized torso piece in Black. :wub: This piece is also included in Rocka XL, and I’m sure it will be very useful for creating larger Heroes/Villain MOCs of any colour.

Instructions

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A carefully selected building page showing the new convention of showing which shell size to use. Shell sizes are to Hero Factory as Axle lengths were to BIONICLE.

The lime backgrounds work well, although the clean Hero Factory logo doesn’t project a jungle atmosphere that would be appropriate for building a dangerous forest scorpion.

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As you could probably predict, the sets displayed at the back of Scorpio’s manual are the only two more expensive sets than him, and they look darn good in their action poses. I hope the giant ruins/temples in the background of this image get explored in the TV movie.

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The inventory looks surprisingly short, but let me reassure you that most of these pieces come in quantities greater than four pieces per entry. But rather than making you squint at the figures here, I’ll show you all the pieces included below!

The Swarm of Pieces

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If you didn’t know there were fewer pieces than usual for a titan set, you probably wouldn’t suspect it. This is mainly because there are only 9 Technic pieces – the rest are Hero Factory bones, shells or weapons. :thumbup: There are also a lot less weapons than Rocka XL (7 compared to 17), so the majority of the pieces are bones and shells. There are a lot of bones and shells:

Shells

4 Silver Size 3 Shell

14 Black Size 4 Shell

3 Recoloured Lime Size 5 Shell

3 Recoloured Black Size 6 Shell (One with printing)

1 Black Torso Shell

1 Gunmetal Machinery Shell

1 New Black Shield Shell

Bones

4 Black Bone A 3M

4 Black Bone A 4M

7 Dark Grey Bone A 5M

1 Red Bone A 6M

17 Black Bone B 5M

6 Red Bone C 5M

For bones and shells, Scorpio offers a solid range and generous quantities, compared to similar sets Fire Lord and Rocka XL that offer specialized/larger bones and shells. For MOCing, Scorpio is a valuable set for strengthening your collection, although it won’t stretch it in new directions with new pieces.

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Along with the aforementioned recoloured pieces, these are the only new pieces in Scorpio, 4 of which are exclusive colours to this set, but none are exclusive moulds. I don’t like that Waspix’s eyehole-less head out of all the new heads was the one to be recoloured, but I think it looks better in Lime because the shadows are darker on Lime plastic than Yellow plastic. The headpiece’s shape reminds me of Gelu’s helmet, albeit a buggy and cartoonish version of it.

The Quaza spike, tusks and shield shell are available in other sets as well, but they’re good pieces to have more of. There are five Lime spine pieces and six Lime armour plating pieces, which I’m sure will be useful in a Lime titan that I intend to make. It’s nice to have both pieces in good quantities and the same colour, but I think the widely available Black and Gunmetal alternatives will be more useful due to their less specific colours.

The printed armour of this set is similar to Waspix’s bug printed, except it is on a Size 6 shell and it is less obviously “buggy”. Scorpio only has one of these pieces compared to Fire Lord’s 4, Rocka’s 2 and some of the cheaper villain’s 3/4, but conversely the biggest set, Witch Doctor, has none.

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Undersides, and a clearer shot of the printed shell. There’s a nice silver detail by the rod holes that matches the pattern of the headpiece that will cover it. Despite the same connection, Scorpio’s headpiece does not fit on Hero heads, and is too big to look good even if you used a clever combination of pieces to attach the helmet to the head.

Build

Scorpio’s build is different to any set that you’ve ever built before, because it uses smaller HF ball joint pieces to build a bigger creature. It reminds me of MOC experiments with 2.0 pieces, only you have enough C-bones to do what you were trying to do.

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You begin with the torso, and that TECHNIC piece and the blue pin attaching it that are the only TECHNIC pieces used in the torso, are mainly there to provide guidance for the next step.

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Which is folding the torso over itself to thicken the body. Using ball joints for body geometry rather than articulation reminds me of Gadunka’s body, which was another unconventional but enjoyable design.

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At this stage Scorpio shows off how robotic the new system can look, even without pistons and gears. Because of his eight limbs, all of the exposed ball joints down the sides of the body will be used. :thumbup: The most ingenious feature of the set has also been completed in the above set, which is adding the Red C Bone to the tail base. This re-enforces the tail so that it can stand upright, and forms a ring of bones with the lower tail and body, which can be squeezed to cause the tail to swing forwards – it’s an action feature made out of ball joints! This tail swing isn’t enough to strike a victim in front of Scorpio, but it allows a fun flick from idle-Zamor launcher mode to targeted-and-ready-Zamor Launcher mode.

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Each limb is different, so that they are the correct length to reach the ground from different starting heights on the torso. I really like the front and back legs, which tie together with a Quaza spike and a diminutive “Quaza” spike. It’s a real shame that the red spikes didn’t have black blended into the base, instead of being standard red spikes that we received so many of in the previous wave.

The middle legs annoy me, because they use Lime shells and Dark Grey bones instead of matching the other two leg types. They have a purpose though, because the Dark Grey bones make contact with the ground to improve stability, and the Lime shells spread colour a bit more evenly around the model. Plus, they’re Lime size 5 shells. :wub:

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By now it is clear what Scorpio is going to look like, but the instructions are having trouble clearly showing Scorpio in a fixed isometric view. It’s still easy to follow along and build though. Up until this point I think Scorpio is looking pretty awesome.

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The arms and head of Scorpio are then built, to be added to the body. The arms are double jointed thanks to small 3M A bones, which makes the much easier to pose and move.

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Almost there…

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Done!

Completed Set

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As I’ve said many a time before, Scorpio isn’t your average titan set. Instead of a taller-than-usual biped armed with thematic weapons, this set is an eight limbed creature with an energy ball tail. Scorpio isn’t a true scorpion either, because it has fingered hands instead of pincers and a protruding neck and head; a scorpion-man, in a fashion similar to BIONICLE Rahi.

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While making this review, I found Scorpio a lot more difficult to photograph than normal Hero Factory sets, because of his size and clutter of limbs. His scorpion-like form is easier to see in person, but the tail looks very good everywhere, with segmented sections that make the Hero Factory shells look like they were designed to make scorpion tails. The “stinger” shooter is exactly the same as used on Jetbug, and it’s a bit big, but it serves its purpose with a menacing vibe.

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From most angles the torso construction is obstructed by legs and armour, but from a side profile view you can see straight through the body, as a result of being made out of bone pieces. There are plenty of TECHNIC holes on the torso bones, so you could fix this problem with TECHNIC pieces, but that defeats the set’s efforts to get away from TECHNIC/BIONICLE.

In this image you can also see why the legs are different lengths, so that they all reach the ground easily from their respective positions on the body. None of the legs are re-enforced, but with six legs they don’t need to be, as they hold up Scorpio’s weight very well, with strength to spare for if not all the legs are making contact with the ground. The two shorter legs in the middle only have two points of articulation each, which makes it easier to touch the ground and support Scorpio, despite their inconsistent appearance.

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I’m not sure why I included this photo, but it’s here. :classic: From this angle you can see the Gunmetal machinery shell, which is one of two Gunmetal pieces in the set and introduces mechanical panel motives to an otherwise tribal-aesthetic set. :sceptic: It’s out of the way though, and will bring you one piece closer to that Hero Factory spaceship you’re planning on making.

ROOOAAAR!!!® (Scorpions don’t roar even at this size, but I feel like Scorpio should…:look:)

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Closeups of Scorpio’s head

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There’s no proper mouth function, but you can squeeze the outer mandibles like Barraki jaws. The head also moves independently of the outer mandibles, by rotating on the printed armour cup.

Beware, my stinger tail!!

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Final Thoughts

Colour Scheme - 7/10 – Scorpio uses the same Lime, Red and Black colour scheme as Breez 2.0, which I appreciate for the useful Lime pieces, but not so much for the Red pieces. All of the Lime pieces are new or recoloured, while all of the Red pieces are reused from the previous wave, aside from the Red Zamor sphere. The colour distribution of Limes and Reds isn’t very consistent on the body and tail, but the end effect of colour spread throughout the model works reasonably well. It’s a shame that the 5M A Bones are all unconditionally Dark Grey for this wave, because Scorpio would’ve looked better using Black versions instead. I’m glad that Scorpio uses a more “Jungle” colour than other 3.0 sets, even if Lime and Red aren’t the most accurate colours for a scorpion. Whether that matters in a Hero Factory set is the larger question.

Parts - 8/10 – Scorpio is a parts pack, and doesn’t waste any time with TECHNIC connectors that you already have so many of. If you’re looking for Lime pieces, Black size 4 shells or standard bones, Scorpio beats any other Villain or Hero set for value for money. However, aside from Lime, Scorpio lacks special bones, pretty colours or massive weapon arsenals, so if any of those items interest you more, you’d probably prefer to pay the little bit extra for the Golden Scissor-handed Rocka XL.

Design - 8/10 – As with the smaller Savage Planet villains, I enjoy Scorpio’s departure from the usual humanoids, and Scorpio is the best example of exclusively using the Hero Factory building system to create other types of creatures. In certain areas such as the back, Scorpio seems more like a MOC than a set, but overall Scorpio is structurally sound, easy to balance, and fits right into the Savage Planet jungle. I wish the massive hole in the torso wasn’t there, but I’m not sure if the existing pieces of the HF building system allow a better solution.

Articulation - 10/10 – Does Scorpio have sufficient articulation points? I don’t have anything to compare to aside from the Nui-Jaga of 2001, and Scorpio has at least 37 which is clear over twice the amount of both the Nui-Jaga combined. The tail supports its weight well, while the legs are easy to manage and don’t collapse under Scorpio’s weight. The tail “action feature” is also a lot of fun, coupled with the waning but still enjoyable launcher. Scorpio is able to articulate in all the ways I’d expect whatever Scorpio is to articulate, and compared to the limited articulation of regular Titans, this set does very well

Quality - 10/10 – There are no issues with the quality or colour of Scorpio’s pieces, at least in my copy of the set. As a ball-joint heavy set, Scorpio reminds me how pleasant it is to connect sockets that don’t run the risk of breaking, as a set like Scorpion simply wouldn’t have been possible with the sockets of a few years ago, or even the original socket style from before and during BIONICLE.

Overall - 43/50 – Scorpio is a solid set, both for the creature you receive and the parts included within. I’m certainly more pleased with Scorpio than Fire Lord, although Scorpio can’t be fairly compared against other titan sized sets because it isn’t a titan. My main concern for Scorpio is that it hasn’t been portrayed nearly as important as other titan sets such as arch villains Von Nebula and Fire Lord, and “arch Hero” Rocka XL. I suspect that in the upcoming TV episode(s), Scorpio will be dispatched by a single Hero just as easily as the smaller villains, which is a shame when you paid two or three times as much for this villain. Still, I welcome Scorpio’s style of being a “canister” villain using twice the number of pieces, which is a field that has never been explored much by Hero Factory or BIONICLE sets. If you haven’t bought (m)any Hero Factory sets and would like to experience and test the new building system, I strongly recommend buying a Scorpio set or two. Here’s proof in a combiner!

Red Lightning Hero and Red Bubble Shark!

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Scorpio’s scare is met by indifferent snores.

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Heellooo? Maybe his Quaza ran out. Oh, I see; he activated his bear power…

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High-Res Photo Gallery! :sweet:

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Great review! I have to say I'm not a fan of Scorpio particularly because of the inconsistent leg designs, and after reading this review I'm even less of a fan due to so many gappy areas in the body and neck. Seeing all the way through a set doesn't usually bother me tremendously, but it does when the gaps are large enough that the structure feels more like a slightly-armored wireframe than a solid body with occasional holes. :sceptic:

And just to reiterate, it's those middle legs that bother me most. Inconsistent length and inconsistent color scheme organization together ruin the near-perfect matching of the rear and front legs.

It's a shame this set has so many great parts and such a disappointing design. It's the only set this wave to use a cool color (cool as in non-warm and non-neutral, not cool as in "awesome") as its primary color. And it includes numerous parts in that color—lime—which can't be gotten in any other set. I may end up buying him for the parts, but he's not as high a priority as sets with more appealing designs like Bulk 3.0 or Raw-Jaw.

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I must say that I'm amazed by the new system. Because here we have a perfect example of a "titanic" building. About its legs, they are not the best option for this set. They are very different and I think that is stupid to put those green pieces upside down, they should put the pointed part down like an arachnid creature. This review is better. I alwasys appreciate de HQ pictures and close shots, so, thanks for that. I like the colors here, they are the perfect for this wild beast, they show that is very impressive and dangerous. LEGO YOU MUST CHANGE THE SHOOTERS PLEASE.

Edited by Zwen

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An excellent review, thank you.

I built the set before going on holiday, and was quite positive surprised due to the build of the torso, but also the posing abilities of the set. The number of limbs requires a higher educational degree from the child trying to pose it. But it works at least.

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It's so dang messy looking, which is dissapointing, because it could of been so awsome. (I love the pieces though!)

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I already said it multiple times, and I'll say it again... due to his ridiculous amount of bone pieces, Scorpio is a must-buy for me (though I'm not much into lime, but I'll find a use for it anyway).

Besides, his head looks a lot like Waspinator. Odds are really high that I'll build a Waspinator MOC.

Thank you for the great review! I'm really curious about Scorpio's poseability.

Edited by ZORK64

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The set definitely does not look worthy of a $20 purchase; I think I'll wait for a sale before I pick him up. The gappy torso and unneeded variety in the legs overshadow the creativity of him as a whole. While great for a parts pack, I'm not too pleased with him as a set.

Excellent review as always, however; and I enjoyed the MoCs at the end.

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Nice review, like always! I was really thinking about buying this set the last, or not at all. But you have encouraged me to buy it!

By the way, lovin' your MOC! :laugh:

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hmnn, it really seems not worth it for 24.99, I wouldn't get it for 16.99 even. It just looks a little messy. If less expensive at least it would have been a good piece pack.

Great review though.

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Just bought Scorpio yesterday and built him today. I'm very pleased with his design and articulatione, though I found some poses which are hard to pull of with him (like rising his front body up - of course, not a scorpionesque pose, but hey...).

And I still can't believe his insane amount of bone pieces! :wub:

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I like him. He's pretty complex and his parts are great additional fodder for custom building. I love how you did with the Red Bubble Shark, I know it might be easy but I would appreciate it if you show me how you built him. I trying to do the same but I can't figure out how you did with the fish torso. Btw, robot sharks are cool too. :)

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