MakutaDreadscythe

Finally ordered my sets from S@H, very curious how they are in person. Can't wait to see how people alter and mod their sets, the beasts in particular.

For sake of generating conversation and having given the Uniters time to settle, modify, etc I can give more complete thoughts on the group as a whole, as well as what-ifs for the line. Firstly the Uniters feel more refined compared to the Masters in the sense that the ball joints are no longer exposed or an issue, and generally assume a sleeker appearance, for better or worse. The masks are a mixed bag. By lower halves alone, as well as scale, I'd say the Uniter masks are superior in shape and style, and the Nuva symbols are a nice touch. The silver crystal section however is mixed, looking better on some characters than others, particularly the smaller toa. Perhaps if the crystals/spikes were fewer but more defined, but with the current moulds the easiest solution would be to replace the silver with their respective elemental colour, for example Tahu/Trans-Orange, Gali/Trans-Dark Blue, Onua/Trans-Purple, etc. This would slightly diminish the value of the gold masks, but I feel it would be a sacrifice worth making. The weapons are a bit disappointing, mostly due to the reuse of the crystal blade piece on all of them sans-Onua. The weapons on the Masters were much more defined and helped give them a better silhouette. They sorta blend together, however I will commend the utility of the piece, used as swords, tonfas, spears, glaives, wings, etc. Pohatu's weapon IMO is somewhat underrated, using a system boulder as a flail, which goes hand-in-hand with the waist function. The chestpiece is a big point of contention, which has me somewhat torn. The main issue for me isn't the detail, but the fact that it is only one piece, so you miss out on the colour distribution like on Lewa and Tahu Masters. It would have been really cool to have new colours for the superhero chestplates (Dark Azure and Bright Green comes to mind). At the very least it would allow for more options. I can't go on without discussing the waist function. On the one hand it gives the toa waist articulation and allows for more shoulder/weapon options that couldn't be achieved with a regular gearbox (staffs and flails). On the other hand QA is an issue as the piece sometimes sqeaks and screeches obnoxiously, putting you off any sort of play, or being completely fine. It all depends on your luck and whether or not you get a good quality piece. Overall I like the direction they've taken with the Uniters. They certainly aren't perfect and the Masters definitely have advantages over them, but there's a lot of potential here and I'm eager to see how they improve or change the system as time goes on.

We're not blinded by nostalgia as a whole and we understand that neither gen is perfect. G1 was still amazing pre-2004 and certainly had it's moments, that's why it stuck around so long in the first place. Both the Mata and Masters are great in their own right but if I had to pick between them, I'd probably choose a Master as there's more you can do with the parts due to the building system being an actual system. There's just more options now. One last point regarding parts is the quality is just better in G2. Disregarding part design entirely I can put together and take apart the sets knowing full well they won't warp, snap or break. I can't say the same for G1, not even the earlier parts, though they have been aged for a good few years so time will tell the durability of CCBS long term.

Somewhat off-topic as a not for naysayers of G2's building system. Recently dug up some of the G1 sets I kept in storage and even just having the pieces still in a box a lot of the joints have cracks and snaps ranging from mild to severe, even the pre-2007 joints. More a point of long-term durability than anything, though G2 isn't off the hook completely, those SP paws are cursed I swear, particularly in gold.

I agree, sets are fantastic in my opinion, retaining a mix of functionality and articulation while still looking good for the most part. Issue is there's no real advertising and the story is bare bones. I've said it before, I'm glad they scrapped the overly complicated vortex that was the later years of G1, but you need some substance to keep people interested, especially kids. What I find interesting is that they take the original G1 approach or something similar with other themes like Nexo Knights, Ninjago and Chima, yet not with Constraction as a whole, which is a little disheartening. Something I find really troubling is the severe lack of presence the line has, which extends into the lore and MAIN story, which is dangerous. I didn't even realise they'd introduced the Mask of Time in G2 until it was mentioned in a random YouTube podcast. I think that's a pretty important detail to miss considering their main source of story is JtO.

Colour distribution maybe but I prefer sets with more eclectic colour schemes because they're more interesting. The worst thing a set can do IMO is be boring, which is why sets like Gelu and Bulk (Brain Attack) are kinda bad to me. Likewise I appreciate Pohatu '16 and Quake Beast for being daring and more chaotic.

I really don't see how anyone can say Bruizer is a better set with a straight face. His entire right side was a J-Technic liftarm held on by a lightsaber rod and a ball joint, he has shoes and the head has more goof than the goofiest goof. Is there something with Quake Beast I'm just not seeing?

As much as I enjoy G2 for it's willingness to go a little bonkers with it's design and functions I feel discussion over the story is worth mentioning as it sort of goes into why G2 seems to be less successful than the early days of G1.Personally the lack of substance is why I feel it hasn't been a big hit. G1 for all it's confusing side-stories and unanswered questions at least gave substance to characters where necessary, particularly the Heroes who are the main selling point. I don't feel the story should be complex but the world should be fleshed out enough that we care what happens in it. Even Hero Factory understood this to some degree.

Like the other two beasts, above average. Say what you will, they're damn good at subverting expectations and why I personally enjoy them more than the skellies. They're clumsy and messy in some places but they really go out the box in terms of functionality, which I believe carries more merit.

Voting above-average for this one as well. Not my personal favourite but I admire the consistency of Lava Beast, and those trans-black shells are something else. He definitely exudes evil very clearly, however his hand-blades look a bit unwieldy IMO.

Voted above average for this guy from what I've seen. He is somewhat gappy but I feel like he's an evolution of Bruizer and the function appeals to me. That and I'm a big fan of asymmetry.

Umarak the Destroyer and Quake Beast are now available on Lego S@H. Very nice!

I dunno, as much as the techniques are weird in some spots the potential is definitely there and they did introduce waist articulation as a sort of standard which I find significant, even if the execution is dependant on part quality. Then again it has it's fixes.

I'd have to agree, despite their purpose as a trophy for the beasts it would be nice seeing as the current combinations look kinda meh. Either regular/gold or regular/trans-orange/purple/light blue for their respective masks. Kopaka's is the worst culprit looking a lot like spoilt milk.

The idea that it's selling badly really confuses me. I'm not entirely opposed to a return to HF but it is odd considering how the designs in G2 are focused on a mix between functions and articulation. I personally think the sets are great as a whole but hey, that's my opinion.

Oops. Sorry bout that, EB been playing up recently so I couldn't see posts for like 3 days. Got none local so kinda waiting on S@H or Amazon, especially for Quake Beast (which is my favourite by miles, mostly cos he's like an upgraded Bruizer who I also enjoyed).

Anyone seen Umarak the Destroyer or Quake Beast in the UK yet? Only Lava, Storm and Ekimu have shown up on S@H.

I personally feel it's a tie between Summer 2015 and Summer 2016. The beasts are a bit more interesting in functions and I think they have a potentially neat aesthetic but they have even less mask variety than the skellies, their jaws are weirdly disconnected and Lava Beasts custom shins make them even. The skellies have a more consistent theme and introduced some neat parts and colours, but they looked really weaksauce compared to the toa, the bones are situational and nothing really stands out like Umarak or Quake Beast (yes I think Quake Beast is a good set).

Gotta say I'm really impressed by JtO! The animation is wonderfully stylised and theres a nice chunk of action involving all the toa, and some decent character arcs, esp Pohatu and Ketar. Not perfect though, as nice as the action was, it did feel just a smidge rushed, and the voice acting's good but the modulation is just a bit much. Something interesting to note IMO is the depiction of the PoU, which is depicted more like an add-on for CCBS shells. Not sure if the shaping would be possible but it's an interesting idea.

I think the beasts and Umarak are a definite purchase for their originality and functions. I feel that in some cases functionality is a bigger factor than aesthetics due to the intrigue of what the function does. Ekimu while he uses the waist and gearbox at once looks awkward and has even worse legs than Gali. I like trans colours as much as the next guy but this guy is like Epic Meal Time if the bacon was trans-blue. It's too much to be appreciated properly.

I'm not definite but something tells me Storm Beast uses those old rubber (++) connectors for the function.

To be honest a lot of the pros to you were cons to me. The build came off as boring compared to the other masters, the colours were bland and the boomerangs were annoying to pose and too big. But hey to each their own.Oh, and he costs £3 more than the Uniter with 30 less pieces. EDIT: Also apologies for the Scorpio mistake, kinda forgot Umarak the Destroyer was a thing.

Depends what you're after. I'd get some '15 Toa for the pieces, except Pohatu seeing at his '16 version is the best '16 Toa IMO, Mask Maker vs Skull Grinder is a must, some Protectors are cool (Jungle, Stone and Earth are standouts) and one or two Skull Villains. Skull Villains depends what you're after. Warrior is a safe bet, good parts, though the mask is the same as Grinder. Slicer has a skull spider mask, but 4 arms and looks gnarly, though that part's subjective. Basher is the most solid, though he has a love/hate gimmick with his arms. Also not many unique pieces due to Onua '16. Scorpio sacrifices articulation for an awesome function and has rare pieces like the Bull Skull mask and the ripcage in trans-neon green which hasn't shown up in 2016.

Just curious to see your perspective on the Uniters individually compared to the Masters. I personally think it's mixed, some are improved and some leave something to be desired. Pohatu for instance is my favourite due to the addition of dark tan giving him a less bland colour scheme, whereas Gali comes off as boring and sloppy.As many have said earlier, great ideas, mixed execution.

Not minding the lack of jaw articulation, assuming it's a feature where hitting it upwards launches the head which works in line with the swivel gimmick somewhat.