Visorak-kal

If Johmak can be a she, so can Strakk! But then I guess Gorast already proved that. I liked this episode of DID. It had a nice bit of a suspense, told a few interesting stories, and set the layout for what looks to be an epic confrontation between the Tunnel Crowd and Makuta. For a second there, I thought Brutaka was dead, but then I was relieved to find this wasn't so. The Johmak thing was...strange. I guess they never heard of female names where Johmak came from. That finishes up the artists, though. Jerbraz was my favorite of those. Why do I get the feeling we'll have to deal with the Takanuva army next year? VK

Best new theme: I would say Agents, though Indiana Jones was close. I just didn't see much in the way of, "Oh, that's great" in Indiana Jones, I mean it was a great line but there wasn't anything that made me jump up and say, "Now THAT's neat." Agents, I thought, had really good potential, even though I"m not into that stuff. Most of the sets were styled nicely, and the Volcano Base managed to look menacing and crack you up at the same time. Plus, I"m sure the influx of silver pieces will not go unwanted in MOCs. I just think some original uses it had made it more innovative than Indiana Jones. Best theme overall: I was tempted to say BIONICLE (since that is usually my favorite) but I figured I had to sort of look at it the same way I looked at the best new theme, at how it ranks up this year without favoritism. And in that respect, I'd have to say Castle. This year's Castle line was one of the best in years. It sets had variety, style, plenty of minifigs (though dwarves were a little scarce) and were overall well-designed. Sets like the Troll Battle Wheel had a little original flair, while others like the Tower Raid were vast improvements over previous Castle lines (take the Troll siege tower versus the KKII siege towers and the improvement is clear). The whole line, I thought, was well done and a great addition to an already excellent Castle line that started last year. While I was glad to see the return of functions and large technic sets in BIONICLE, Castle really just blew away many other lines in terms of how great it was. Between my brothers and I, we have nearly every Castle set between last year and this, something that we rarely do, but just every Castle sets was appealing and had its own value. There wasn't a set that you could say you wanted to skip purchasing because another set was the same, only better. So, best new theme for me is Agents, best theme overall is Castle. City was close as well, though. I have never been a City fan until this new line, the sets just look so real and they seem to be including everything needed to create an entire city. (Although you'd need to buy tons of sets.) VK

EDIT: Refia, I laughed out loud when I saw your thoughts on Karda Nui. Take a look at this: This is your quote: And this is what Mutran says of Karda Nui: I actually thought BIONICLE 2008 was an excellent year, and an excellent way to end the past eight years. Of course, that is providing the Toa Nuva eventually wake up Mata Nui, contolled by Mata Nui. That would be a nice way to end the saga when it eventually does end. Set-wise, the Phantoka were a little more like the Inika than I would have liked; I was hoping for possibly the re-introduction of a new Nuva torso. Fortunately, though, the Phantoka did look like their old Nuva forms. All the Makuta were great sets this year, especially the Phantoka Makuta, I thought they were some of the most villainous sets we've had in a while. (The Piraka were sort of...smiley, the Barraki were mutants, and the Visorak and Vahki were swarms). The last sets to give me that same villain feel were the Rahkshi. So I did like the early sets, and the Titans and the vehicles were great (though Vultraz was a little puny). I was disappointed by the regression of the Matoran to mere 14-piece action figures with no construction, especially after what I thought were spectacular 2007 Matoran sets. The Mistika Toa, as has also been said here, were all disapointing. They looked too little like themselves, even though Tahu and Onua did have minor (MINOR) resemblance. I'm sure others echo me in saying, "GALI, what have they done to THEE!" I was very glad to have the most complex Titan humanoid we've seen in YEARS; Takanuva even manages to be more complex than 2004 sets, and that's saying a lot. The vehicles were also great, and of course the next step is Rahi with that kind of bulk and complexity. Story-wise, also great. I really enjoyed all three books this year, and I thought the characters as a whole were nice. Antroz, Chirox, and Vamprah were a little lacking in personality, especially Vamprah, but Mutran and Icarax were cool, and Bitil, Krika, and Gorast made up for it with a lot of personality insight during Bionicle Legends 10. There was even a whole section in which each Makuta explored their inner thoughts. And the end was very epic. The suspense, especially during the Icarax versus other Makuta fight, was intense. Just the thought of something bad if the Toa awaken Mata Nui versus Icarax destroying the Toa Nuva and thereby (probably) giving the Bionicle universe a better chance was interesting in and of itself. Krika had, IMO, by far the best character of the year, while I just HATED Gorast's character. I don't mean that her characterization was bad, she was just the most unlikeable character of all, especially since she killed Krika AND Icarax and then went mad. The serials, as Grievous said, were also a HUGE step up from 2007, where it took all of one second to read a serial. Now we have more to enjoy and to contemplate about. While many are disappointed by the ending of 2008, I thought it clearly necessary. I didn't want the original Toa and Matoran just dumped, I don't think any of us would have appreciated that 2001-2008 be forgotten completely, so something needed to be tied in. Makuta taking command just makes him more awesome, and though it stinks that some cool characters like Mutran and Antroz had to die, it was all to make Makuta Teridax THE Makuta again. And that's always a good thing. Plus, 2008 I think has really set up the story to go in a new direction, and 2009 looks to be even better. (Not to take anything away from 08.) On the subject of breaking pieces, I haven't had a single broken part in 2008. However, I do not MOC, nor do I take my sets apart at all. Several times one of the arms from Jetrax Antroz popped off (my own fault, I pulled too hard) and they did not break. For me, 2005 was the worst year in respect for breaking pieces, I had TONS of broken pieces from 2005, and later 2006. Things have improved for me since 2007, and here is to hoping that the hands and joints do not break for ANYONE in 2009! I remember when I felt like this before. I was somewhat young when I first saw the Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship, in theaters (the live-action movie). I think it came out in winter of 2001, and I went to go see it with my father. I remember how, when the movie ended (unbeknown to us) , we were both moving around in our seats, all pepped up, waiting for the next part to begin. (We had never heard of Lord of the Rings before that and had no idea it was a three-part series). That is how I feel now at the end of the 2008. It is the end, in a way, but now here I am moving around in my seat, hardly being able to wait for the next part to begin. VK

Well, you sort of have to look at it this way: right now, the entire world is entering an economic slowdown. Since North America is one of their major markets, I wouldn't be surprised if LEGO has kept their prices somewhat lower than possible. Now that the slowdown is here, LEGO is probably just equalizing their own prices around the world. A good place to start, if you are going to raise prices, is in big markets, if I am correct. For example, I know for a fact that the prices for BIONICLE canister sets were purposefully raised the most because it was believed that line could handle the increased prices the most. I don't know how that turned out. Now, since most of the plastic for these new 2009 sets was probably purchased in the summer of 2008 when oil was through the roof, it is likely their prices will be higher, and where best to raise prices except when they were low already? Plus, as Pencoin said, the Euro and GBP are worth more than the dollar, so at first glance the number should appear lower; I don't know what happens to prices when you take the exchange rate into account, I haven't had time to look into it. Plus, I'm not sure about the tax factor, it varies from state-to-state. As for me, I find no use in complaining about it. If I really wanted a set, I'd buy it, unless the price was ridiculously high. For stuff like BIONICLE, which I collect, I'll just lay off the small sets with their increased prices and buy the larger ones whose prices haven't gone up. Trying to send LEGO a message could be tricky, though. If you buy less, you could persuade LEGO these prices are too high, or LEGO could think your buying less is a result of slowdown and decide they need to raise prices more to stabilize their profit. Tricky business. VK

I don't think they will kill off the Toa Nuva, and I certainly hope they don't! We can't avoid the Matoran Universe, we have to come back to it eventually, and I am sincerely hoping that when BIONICLE does end, LEGO will give them one more year of free reign so we have can have Toa Nuva like the original Toa, Mata Nui as a Titan set, and Makuta as a new Titan set. After all, when BIONICLE ends, you don't need focus groups any more, do you? So, I hold out hope. I am looking forward to a refreshing new start, however, as it provides room for a lot more mystery. I like that it is still tied in to the whole saga of the last 8 years. These movies were a great way to end it, and while some may be upset that the Toa Nuva basically woke up Makuta, I'm actually convinced that somehow Mata Nui will put his body back to sleep and the Toa Nuva will at last go to awaken the real Mata Nui. VK

Personally, I don't see what difference it makes. The Kini-Nui always looked cool, and as the video showed us, there is no Kini-Nui anymore, but obviously there will be again once Mata Nui lands on some other place. I don't feel much disappointment at it being a sensor array, obviously the folks at BIONICLE decided they needed an explanation, so they gave one. I honestly don't see what other options there were. It isn't his nose, since the island isn't his face and the Kini-Nui was destroyed, and it doesn't make sense that Mata Nui's island builds temples and then destroys them, so we can just say it was retractable and he'll build a new one eventually. I'm more interested in the fact that the Matoran were shaped after people on Bara Magna, which I thought was neat and will hopefully manage to keep the Bara Magna inhabitants biomechanical. I wouldn't like it much if these characters in "BIONICLE" weren't biomechanical. VK

Definitely awesome; a great way to culminate the end of 8 whole years of BIONICLE. There have been ups and downs, I think, but this is certainly not one of them. I think 2008 as a whole has been one of my favorite years of BIONICLE. The return of functions, the great Makuta, the Phantoka (at least) and the culmination story are some of the best I think BIONICLE has seen. It is a shame the Toa Nuva could not have returned more like their old selves, but I hold out hope! One day Mata Nui will have to return to his universe to save it, and it is my great hope that the Toa Nuva will join in him that quest and return as sets. By then the focus groups will have changed and a new generation of kids will have taken their place; maybe these kids will like the old style of the Toa Mata. It certainly gives one hope. Other than that, though, I think 2008 is definitely up there, story-wise and set-wise, with 2001 and 2007. And Shakar-- I think the point is not yet to reveal on BIONICLE.com (obviously) that Makuta is controlling the body of Mata Nui. Hence, not yet revealing that his presence through red eyes. Also, are you sure that the eyes would be red anyway? I mean, this is Mata Nui's body, not Makuta's, so why would the eye color change with his presence, unless through choice of the story team or web team to make it clear that something is wrong with Mata Nui? Definitely looking forward to 2009 and what refreshing changes BIONICLE will enlist. VK

That is so weird...I haven't had a single broken part this year, whereas since 2004 I've had a few, with most of them in 2006 sets. That's the board game, right? I LOVE that board game, I'm so distressed I lost the instructions and am having to rely on foreign language versions and the BZPower review, neither of which makes playing the game easy. LEGO board games since then haven't been as good. I am liking the look of 2009 a lot, so far, seems to be very elemental, like 2001 was, and not very high tech. I am glad Zamor launchers are back, since they seem less like guns than the Midaks and Cordaks. I can easily picture Zamors in a low-tech setting like 2001, while Cordaks don't go in that setting too much. VK

Sorry for the delay in getting back--I've had a busy week. To answer some comments and questions... It really is a cool piece, what with the designs on the visor that give it a different appearance than teh old visor besides just the fins. I've tried it on a Pohatu Phantoka mask I have (to emulate the Rockoh Pohatu) and it really gives his mask a whole new look, even though the lower portion is exactly the same. It is a shame, though, that it only fits on certain masks, since the visors stick out. The Lewa Axalara mask and the Pohatu mask are the only ones I know of in which the visor fits. I am sure there will be other uses for it, though, in MOC world. Unfortunately, I don't have my Brutaka on hand, however to put it this way--I've got a shelf in which I store my BIONICLE sets. Brutaka fits in the shelf, Takanuva doesn't. I am positive he is quite a bit taller than Brutaka, but I am not positive by how much. Maybe 1-3 inches. Yeah, my favorite part of any set is always the build, and of course the playability and functions are always welcome additions. That is why I really like Axalara and why I intend to get Jetrax as well when I get the chance. But price-wise, Takanuva is easily the best deal, and his lower overall price just makes him my highest recommendation. I don't have Jetrax yet, though from what I have seen Axalara is about the same length as Jetrax, plus taller, but not as wide. It is overall bulkier, however, Jetrax is more thin from top to bottom. So, size-wise and build-wise (obviously) Axalara wins, however I'm not sure how this would translate into price. It depends on how highly you value build and size. As for price-per-part ratio, Jetrax is 422 for 50 USD, while Axalara is near 700 for 80 USD. So, Jetrax has more pieces for the price. The best price-per-part ratio is Rockoh, which has 390 for 40 USD. It depends on how you judge price, by better build, design, size, or price-per-part ratio. Yes, the back does have some issues, like most sets. I have found it hard to get a set with a fully armored back, though sets like Roodaka and Brutaka have been pleasing exceptions. Takanuva is like Hydraxon in that respect--he has no back detail purposefully, but certain aspects give a feel to the back. In Takanuva's case, it is the two Matoran arms that give him the muscled look, without which it would just be technic beams like on Sidorak from 05. Well, he is taller than Brutaka, and I know for a fact Brutaka is taller than Maxilos, so he is definitely a good few inches taller than Maxilos. Not to mention the fact that he's white, and I don't recall us ever getting a white Titan before--it is a nice new color scheme. His arms are flexible, though less so than normal arms due to the double-socket joints. They make the arms sturdier, like the pistons and double-hip joints aid the sturdiness of the legs. He can do a variety of normal poses, though he can't "reach for the sky", as his arms will not go up that far. Still, he can make any ordinary pose that a Toa or warrior would have, and I have really not found in my experience that his arms are lacking in that area, as I don't see reaching all the way up as any normal pose. You're all quite welcome for the reviews, I am glad you found them helpful! VK

No reviews here as of yet, so I thought you all would be interested in some pretty high-quality pictures I took of the Axalara and Takanuva I recently received. I've also got some pictures of the two Mistika, Tahu and Krika, that I purchased from Shop at Home. I will put them in review format, to give my thoughts and how the two sets stand up to some of my favorites such as Karzahni and the Bahrag. Now, I don't know how to resize pics, and these I'm betting are pretty large, so I'm going to give the link for each pic--by now the gallery should be public as well. AXALARA T9: Well, first off the box for the T9 is pretty large, though it is in fact the usual large boxed set size, it matches the size of my Troll Warship box if any of you have that for comparison. Box Pic Opening the box you find five numbered bags of pieces in addition to two non-numbered bags, one containing the larger BIONICLE pieces in the set and the other containing loads of size-15 technic beams! These beams are huge, and certainly a great MOC addition for those wishing to create larger structures. To be honest, I don't remember the last time I saw size-15 beams--certainly not in this quantity or in BIONICLE sets. There variety of BIONICLE parts is nice, includes three of those new Onua Mistika shields in red, three Bordakh staffs, two Lewa Nuva swords, some Nuparu Inika claws, Mahritoran blades, some Kopaka Phantoka wings, and the new little Mistika wings, which after looking closely I realized were exact miniature copies of the Kopaka. They've got the same design, except on a tiny scale. Another item of interest is that the set included not one, nor two, but three instruction manuals, which is more than I've ever seen. Most large-scale sets these days seem to include two, unless they are special-editions or Factory Exclusives. But Axalara has three. Instructions As usual, the instructions are split by bag, which does make things easier, as each bag has a lot of pieces and piling them all together would have taken a lot longer to build. Now, forgive me, but I was so excited I forgot to take pics of the building process, but I have tried to make up for it by including some pics of the interiors. Unfortunately, my digital camera does not seem to do well at close-range, so they are somewhat blurry but you can get the idea. Lewa Nuva The new Lewa Nuva figure, IMO, has a better mask than the Lewa Phantoka. I really like the overall shape and the spiked visor, I think it adds a neat touch. He is basically the same as introduces yet another way to attach the Inika armor of that type to the Inika body. Don't ask me why they don't just use the same way every time, I'm lost on it. This time he does not include the Matoran backpack and has silver Toa Metru feet-- this is so he can attach nicely to the vehicle as you'll see later. They could have used grey Metru feet which would have done better on the color scheme but I think the silver gives him a look of metal cleats so he can cling on to his vehicle, so I am okay with the differing colors. Entire Lewa Nuva Visor Close-Up Mask Close-Up As you can see by the visor close-up, the visor does have some markings on it unlike the non-spiked version. it has two eye markings, and a forward-symbol arrow marking, like those speedway arrows in racing video games. These are not visible on Lewa, though the eye markings do add an excellent dimension to his eyes. I assume these markings are more for the Pohatu that comes with Rockoh T3, since his lower mask part is the same as the old one. Axalara T9 For those interested in builds, the build of the T9 is probably one of the best, if not the best, BIONICLE build of all time. It easily joins the Bahrag and Kardas for its complexity and sheer size of build. It is very interesting to see how turning those small knobs on the back of the vehicle can open up the Midak compartment or unleash the tri-blades (the latter of which is more for show). Even the landing gear is more complex that I originally thought, moving in a couple different directions instead of just swinging outwards like I suspected. Another fun thing is how long it takes for you to realize what part of Axalara you are actually building, something I remember having loads of fun with in the old days with the more technic Rahi and Titans. For those longing for 2001 or having fond memories of it, this build really brings back the kid--I haven't felt this way about a BIONICLE in a long time. Even Kardas did not bring it back that much, great as he was. \ Axalara Now in the pic above you'll notice under Lewa there are two small wheel knobs. The forward one unleashes the Midaks, while the back one opens the tri-blade arms. The large wheels near the bottom open and close the landing gear. Closed Midak Partly Open Mostly Open Gears Now, I'm sorry that last pic is so blurry, but it is just to show the gears that open the Midaks. There are two gear areas, one that transforms the side-to-side energy of turning the knobs into a forward axle that extends the length of the machine, and another gear area in the Midak compartment that re-transforms the energy into side-to-side energy that opens up the compartments while extending the Midaks. Tri-Wing Closed Tri-Wing Open Now here you can see how the Tri-Wings open and close using the three-pronged beam. The Tri-Wings are like Nui-Jaga arms, that they open up when pulled downwards, here pulled downwards when the tri-prong beam turns and pulls in those black beams. The finished product is very large and very streamlined, though I think it is not as huge as Kardas--then again, Kardas has nothing in length against the Axalara. Here are some pics of the finished product: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Visorak-...ew/img_0988.jpg http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Visorak-...ew/img_1101.jpg http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Visorak-...ew/img_1107.jpg Tri-Wing Closed Tri-Wing Open Front Engines Lewa Off Vehicle Landing Gear Down Landing Gear Retracted All in all, I would highly reccomend Axalara T9 when you get the chance. The price at 80 USD is pretty heavy, though at near 700 pieces the set comes in at a price-per-part ratio similar to most BIONICLE sets. You may want to wait for a sale instead of spending the money to get it, but I would really not pass this one up. The design is nicely streamlined, the functions are neat and plentiful, and the parts included are fabulous. Though the Lewa figure himself is not anything special, his new mask and visor are neat and certainly add to the value of a great vehicle. Gallery TAKANUVA Box The box for the Takanuva set is the same size as its 30 dollar Castle counterpart, the Tower Raid, and the same size as Maxilos and Spinax of last year, I would guess from memory. The set includes only one instruction book, but it is a thick one. Book Takanuva also has a variety of new parts in three bags. Like Maxilos, his body is custom although the build includes an Inika body in there. Never fear, however, a good number of technic beams separates the Inika body from the lower waist, and two grey pieces are placed along the beams to keep Takanuva's lower body at near the same width as his upper Inika body. If I can say one thing in favor of this set, it is that the attention to detail is very nice. They could have left a gap between the upper and lower bodies as they did partly with Icarax, but they didn't. They included two pieces that widen the lower body and keep Takanuva in balance. See Here In the above pic you can see what I mean--I removed the armor front plate to show what is beneath. The build is also interesting of its own accord, though obviously nothing in comparison with Axalara. To pace myself I built this first, so that I would be able to judge it fairly and then afterwards build Axalara. The set is definitely worth 30 dollars, both for its size (later) and its piece count at around 270, more than Maxilos and Spinax at the same price point. The build of the body and the arms are interesting, and so is especially teh build for the legs, although both share the same build and the instructions just include a X2 at the end. Foot Leg Arm and Back Back Back of Leg As you can see by these pics, the legs are huge, as is the body. In fact, the entire Takanuva leg alone is about the size of Tahu Mistika, and larger than my brother's Bitil. Also, Takanuva's only downside is his back, a direction from which his interior build is easily visible. This weakness has been seen before, such as in Axonn and Sidorak. While the two Av-Matoran arms help with the appearance, giving a muscled look, it is still obvious that his back is lacking. Front Here you can see Takanuva's mask and upper body including armor. The armor goes well with him, and here you can also see how those two grey egg-shaped pieces help with the overall look of the upper and lower body parts. Still, each individual part of Takanuva is not as impressive as a whole. I must confess, I was actually more impressed with Takanuva's size than with Axalara's. The magazine said 12 inches, but he is actually closer towards 14 by my ruler. Magnificent in Size! There you can see him in all his glory, and below is a comparison pic to my Tahu Mistika. Comparison. There you go. So, as you can see, Takanuva is huge and IMO easily worth the 30 dollars. Most modern-day Toa are about half his height, maybe perhaps Lewa Phantoka due to his size and feet. I would also highly reccomend him, probably before Axalara due to the price of the vehicle. It is a lot easier to get Takanuva and display him, and he is really very impressive in his own right and easily dwarfs all my other Titans, save of course the giant Kardas. So, highly reccomend, he's got good piece count and great size and design. He is very streamlined, but still manages to say, "I pack a massive punch, kid!" Also, if you are interested, here are three pics of Tahu and Krika, also great sets. Though he is lacking in pieces and build, Krika is just so cool with his look. Tahu is also pretty neat, and the new Hau does bear some resemblance close-up of the old Hau. Tahu's build is nothing special despite his 70 piece count, the extra pieces are really just small pins. I would reccomend both these, but I suggest you wait for the sale as they are less worth it for 13 USD than for 10. My first reccomendation would be Takanuva, as he has no ill-effects from price increases and is way worth his price, moreso than any of the other sets I have reviewed here. Krika Pose Tahu Pose Swamp of Secrets Book Cover Pose I hope you've all enjoyed these two reviews and the pics I've supplied, and remember you can find all the pics here and a few more at the Gallery. Enjoy! VK

I am liking that witch figure--in fact, I think that her face is the same face from the new Agents Volcano Base--it is the face of what's-her-name, Claw-dette or something. At least, it looks very much the same. What do you think? I think it is a good evil-female face, it could be used in a variety of ways, actually. And luckily the Advent Calendar appears a cheap way to get that face and that witch! VK

I noticed this too while building my Troll Warship, and I think I know the reason. They've included the new dark brown, and if you look the shades of dark brown/ new brown are very close so would be hard to distinguish in instructional manuals. Therefore it looks like they made the new dark brown very blackish in the instructions, and made black more of a dull dark grey. It can be tricky until you figure out what is what by looking at a box picture or something like that. Once I figured it out, though, I was able to discern what color was what later on the building process. I am not sure if this color problem only happens with the new Castle sets that include the dark brown, or in all new sets even without dark brown. VK

I wanted to include a hammer like the one included in the Castle Dwarf Mine, but for some reason the program would not let me attach the top head of the hammer to the stick that enables the blacksmith to hold it. So I just left the top part of the hammer in without adding the bottom. As for the fireplace, that is something I am working on. As is, I haven't been able to find a place for the fireplace while also including a bed. The fireplace is there on the bottom floor, and reappears at the chimney on top, but in the middle I am looking for place to put the fireplace chute while keeping the bed on the loft. It is just some detail and effect for style. I got the idea from the Skeleton Ship Attack, the harbor part with the sloped roof. Yeah, the biggest limitation was putting the moss/greens on the side of the house. Normally, the connection brick can face outwards, you put a small 1x1 dot and voila, the greens attach. But for some reason in the designer the greens can only attach in one direction, so I had to put the connection bricks facing inwards, leaving some areas in the house where the furnace/fireplace wouldn't fit. Thanks! I was hoping for a rustic look, which is why I used two different colors of bricks, to give the impression that the blacksmith built this himself and did not have the advantage of having all his rocks be the same type. It is also why I used the sloping roof instead of a more impressive roof. VK

Well, my brothers and I created an entire world combining Vikings, Knight's Kingdom II, Fright Nights, Woodsmen, Crown Knights, Skeletons, etc. all in one world where mainly it is all good versus all evil. A few months ago, when we last paused our ongoing story (the outcome of which is decided by dice-rolled battles) the Crown Knights under the wise leadership of the KK1 King, used a stolen Skeleton Ship to capture the evil Viking Longship. (VIkings are evil.) I just received the Troll Warship from LEGO like two days ago (it is SUPERB, shame it was 80 USD though, my mother has the idea it is a gigantic set when it is not) so now, interestingly, the Crown Knights will have something to use against the Troll Warship. They are about the same size, although I think the Longship is slightly longer and slightly higher. Should be fun, if we get the chance to do it (it depends on my brother's whims, he owns the Longship.) VK

So it is. To tell the truth, I just assumed it was an Inika body. That wouldn't be a bad idea--I myself have plans for getting a lot of sets (5/6 Phantoka and 2/6 Mistika, plus most of the Titans and vehicles) but I am no genius when it comes to modification so I figured no amount of effort could save Gali. You might want to try it though. I have been thinking up ways to modify Kopaka Phantoka into a better version using mostly modern pieces and nothing that LEGO would never consider using. My first, easy step was to flip the Piraka legs that he uses as arms, which gives him a real neat "frosty" effect. So, it is perfectly possible to revamp them, though I haven't seen a reason to revamp the Makuta Phantoka yet. As for the Icarax arm, I'm positive there's a way to incorporate that gear and still have full poseability--I've just been afraid to take apart my arm for fear the brackets will snap. I've gotten paranoid since it started happening on my pre-2006 set as well as my post-2006 sets. I am wondering if it an overall bracket curse, cause I've heard it happening on 2008 set as well, despite the new brackets. First step for saving humanity--save Gali's face! Make her at least partly feminine! Interestingly, there are only five or six actual Chapters, the book is split between Chapters and Interludes. There are five chapters and five interludes, I think, with a prologue and epilogue featuring Takanuva. The Interludes are the flashbacks of the Toa Nuva, while the Chapters are in the present. The 50 Bitils appear in Chapter 2. Onua takes 'em on--he is easily the coolest Toa in the book, the way he uses the power of Earth is near Titan-like. VK

No, no, no! Reading BIONICLE text is an art--it is nothing to be ashamed of! Two bits of news: 1. According to the BZP OFficial Set Topic, Shop@Home cache has uploaded pictures of the new summer sets, so hopefully they will be available for order or pre-order soon. 2. Just got Swamp of Secrets, and I would definitely recommend it. The style and story is so reminiscent of the early days IMO. Not only are the characters of Krika and Bitil great (Gorast is unusually bloodthirsty for a villain) but Onua completely owns and the three Nuva are super true to themselves. (In story at least, we all know about the sets.) Plus the flashbacks are a great look into early Mata history, which is cool. And as for that prototype pictures, I really like the way the Matoran armor works on Kopaka Nuva prototype from that angle. The rest of the prototype is blah, it must be really early, but I wish they had kept that 04 Matoran armor-Inika body combo, I think it is much more befitting Kopaka than the armor he ended up with. As for the Matoran--lousy. I am for the new Solek, 14 pieces and all. Although my preferred Matoran style to-date is 2007 style. VK VK

Thanks for the comments so far, guys. I have been looking through my collection to see if I can build it too, because I think it would look better in person and would work well since I've already got the official Castle Harbor, Castle Siege, and Dwarf Mine for the layout. Unfortunately, it'll probably be lacking if I build it since I don't have a great collection, and I've gone none of those great white windows. And yes, I noticed the fireplace a while ago, and I am working on a way to extending it through--for the time being you can see how I am using a chimney at the top--my hitch is how to get the fireplace through without having it plow through the bed. It sure must be warm--my original idea was to have two stories, but in the end I went for a simple cottage layout with loft. As for the accessories, there actually is a hammer, shovel, and broom in the house attached to the walls using hooks and the other ends of the bricks used to hold the moss outside. I just can't seem to get a good screenshot of them--the ladder leading to the loft blocks the view. I tried to build a hammer as seen in Dwarf Mine but the factory wouldn't let me put the peg in the right way, so I just left the parts disconnected. Wagon wheel is a good idea, plus I actually have one in my real collection that I can use when I get a chance to build this thing for real. VK

Hello! I have only recently taken up building my own creations in a serious, modular manner. I have built small structures before, including a Roman town, but never any actual buildings. My collection of spare parts was inadequate to take up the project of a blacksmith cottage, so I built it up on Factory first to determine what pieces I might need and to see how it would look. I have noticed that Eurobricks has a lot of great LEGO builders, so I wanted to present my cottage to you to see what you think about it and if you have any critique or suggestions. Also, I'm not a computer whiz so I just used the Factory screenshot tool, saved the screens, and then uploaded them to my Brickshelf. Here's the whole cottage front: Link And the side: Link The back: Link A nice view of the sloping roof; I used a technique seen on the Harry Potter Shrieking Shack. The roof cannot flip open or closed, but its connection area is connected by studless flat bricks so that the loft/roof can be removed to reveal an interior. Link The front interior by the door--just a table. Link Here I removed the roof--you can see the pieces lying around--so that you can see the fireplace and anvil. For the fireplace and anvil, I got inspiration from the Castle Dwarf Mine which my brother owns. You can also see a small loft. Link Last look, in case you are interested: Link And the gallery (it is not public yet): Gallery So, there it is. I hope the pictures are visible and not too big--if either, you can click the link I included which deeplinks (I think) to the pictures directly. I incorporated a bunch of different techniques, including the moss etc, and I used the two different color varieties of grey to achieve the look that the blacksmith build this home himself. So, what do you all think? VK

Well, I am unsure the number of pieces but I think he will definitely be more than 30 USD, probably somewhere around 40 judging from the fact that he will be a store Exclusive. Mazeka himself is nothing special, just a complete Solek only with a Nuparu Mahri mask. The machine, though...interesting. It is definitely an innovative machine, and its design is not so bad--it is SUPER reminiscent of Boxor, Bahrag, and Ussanui days. It is overall a good set, though my getting it will depend on how much money I have leftover after my other buys. I like the turning plate, and the idea of a mega-Zamor launcher. I've got only one qualm, that my brother yesterday noticed. The extra Zamor pack holder, notice how it is really three Zamor magazines connected? Well, once the lower Zamor magazine runs out, then won't the Zamors get stuck in the intersection between the two higher Zamor magazines? VK

You're allowed to link to LEGO.com? I thought on other websites that was stealing bandwidth. Well, shows you how much I know about computers. Zip. I think I have been reading BZP's rule list too many times. VK

Forgive me for not understanding. What's gonzo?

I know where Binkmeister got that pic from... Here's a hint. Go to the Building Instruction section of the LEGO.com site, under Customer Service. Find BIONICLE, and scroll all the way to the bottom of the BIONICLE list. Under Makuta Icarax. VK

Yeah, but he's better than what I thought he'd be from ToyFair pictures in Feb. I didn't like the mask image there, or in the later-released pics (I don't know if those were still prototypes, maybe it was the angle.) But I think the mask is improved here, I like its style. Body-wise, he's nothing new, but I am pleased that they gave him a forward-facing Piraka body like Toa Ignika, which I think is better than backwards facing ones unless you add something to them. Plus I like his proportions. So, it is not that I think he's a great set or anything (heck, I wouldn't even consider buying him alone, even if he came with weapons, etc.) but as an accompaniment to Jetrax that obviously adds to the 50 dollar price tag, he's not bad. VK

That is the tough part about shorter stories like this that are really just bonuses. Great ideas don't really get full time to be fleshed out to their maximum because of time and size limitations. I bet you a great book or BZP Epic could be written about the subject of the Kingdom in a different style. I personally wouldn't even mind taking up a project like that myself, if I had the time. I must say, though, the idea of the Kingdom is a neat one. And so is the story behind that Power Lance--that is one sweet Toa tool! One question, though; Matoran of Iron are Fe-Matoran based on the initials for Iron on the periodic table. But if Matoran "iron" is just metallic protodermis, why would they name Matoran of Iron Fe-Matoran? I doubt they have a Periodic Table. So where did the Matoran get the Fe- from? VK

Nice new pictures, CGI and all. I am liking the look of the Antroz from Jetrax (although my main interest in those sets is for the vehicles themselves.) I also like the new mask for Lewa Nuva, it works better with the spiked visor than Pohatu's mask. I don't think the backwards Inika body is too bad, because the silver usage does make it appear like armor, but the choice of armor for his back is no good because it is the armor with the space between teh lower body and the armor. I think the other armor would have been a better choice if they were intent on making him backwards. Plus they should have used the shorter double-socket piece for his upper arms, and kept the longer for just his lower body. That would be more fitting of a shorter Pohatu and would prevent his arms being longer than his legs. Antroz works, good usage of Toa Metru legs as arms, that gives him good proportions I think. And Takanuva is EASILY the best set this year. I don't get the Hydraxon argument, when I bought Hydraxon I knew he was all black/silver except for his fingers. The only CGI problem with him is that central body piece ,the PIraka foot, I thought it was going to be a new style of Piraka foot (if you look, the webbed toes appear armored and no longer webbed) but the piece was the same. Oh, well. Oh, and actually, I think the order of Takanuva's journey is BL10, The Kingdom, The Journey of Takanuva, and then Dark Mirror. I recall Greg saying that Dark Mirror comes after the Journey of Takanuva. EDIT: Ack! Beaten while typing my post--that's what I get for typing a long post like this! Anyway, I read it, and I thought it ended well considering its length and the fact that it is a free bonus story. I really like this idea, however, though I had pictured it differently. My way would probably have resulted in a book, though. Just the thought of the Kingdom gave me the freaky idea of the Makuta controlling an underworld beneath the Kingdom, mutated into even more powerful dangers, threatening the sinking island... But to resolve that would take more time than Greg Farshtey has to spare on a bonus story, lol. VK