Brickthing

There are slight variations, like the non-fleshy skin. I also doubt there would be a problem of using a LEGO-made interpretation of a non-distinctive jacket and top that probably weren't copyrighted by Lucsarts anyway.

That's the strange thing, because there hasn't been any mention about other winter sets at all, despite hearing information about other LEGO lines that launch a few months later in the year. Keeping in mind that the 12, 6 thing is currently just a rumor, it would make more sense that the rumor applies for the entire year, where there are only the Stars sets in the winter, with the new impulses and canisters coming out halfway through the year, followed by the bigger vehicle/titan sets.

Is the Kongu image one overexposed picture, or did you combine separate shots later? Regardless though, it's a great closeup shot, although Kongu's black right eye in the mirages is a bit distracting. Have you tried doing the same thing, only with all the mirages close-together around the main Kongu? It could make a cool mental effect to suggest that he's using his Mask of Telepathy. I like what you've done with Umbra, because the flaws of the set are well hid, although his pose looks a bit awkward. Jaller looks great, but he could probably look better if you light up the transparent joints, to make him look more fiery and powerful.

However, this situation is more plausible, because there's the biggest declination in the set quantity, not just due to the storyline wrapping itself up. BIONICLE can continue when it's story 'ends', but not when the sets do. I don't believe that BIONICLE is going to end though, they'll just resolve and reboot the story completely like they should've at the end of 2008. The sets issue is just a temporary one to accommodate the Ben 10 sets, which I doubt will last for too long anyway.

Ben-10 is a licenced line, so LEGO can only continue making Ben 10 sets with Cartoon Network's approval. They're not going to irresponsibly risk their share in the action figure market by axing BIONICLE in favour of Ben 10, which isn't an indefinite theme like BIONICLE. So Ben 10 isn't going to replace BIONICLE like Greg said, but it is putting BIONICLE on 'standby' until the summer, because the short run of Ben 10 sets will make LEGO more money than one wave of BIONICLE canisters. What Greg said about the target audience seems wrong though - it may be catering for a slightly younger audience, but the majority of the audience will be action-figure-loving 7-10 year olds, who are the main buyers of BIONICLE, hence the current lack of big canister sets.

I highly doubt it would be, the only change that we have evidence of is that the story team wanted to finish the MU saga for good. It just seems that the deal that LEGO made with Cartoon Network included temporarily removing the BIONICLE canisters to prevent competition in the easily-buildable-action figure department of LEGO. Ben 10 ony has so many buildable characters, and the license won't last for ever, so I doubt proper BIONICLE canisters will be gone for long.

I think this means we've been replaced. Con: The sets aren't entirely BIONICLE, so there are a lot of parts in there that wouldn't be that useful for BIONICLE Mocing Pro: There's definitely a new limb piece, thigh armour and claw hand that's BIONICLE compatible. And the sets come in colours that we'd normally never/hardly ever get in BIONICLE, such as Sand Green, Sand Blue, Dark Orange and Pink!

Is that a girl Power Miner? I like what they've done with the BIONICLE claws, and I might get this set, if only for the Lava Monster and the recoloured BIONICLE claws.

No, conclusion of the 2001-2010 saga. Why else would you have remakes of sets from as far back as 2001?

It's most likely only the MU saga that is concluding, as there's no reason for BIONICLE as a whole to stop. And even if BIONICLE does stop, there will be a new line extremely similar to replace it, like what happened just before BIONICLE with Throwbots and Roboriders.

It would be amazing to see a set list for that kind of number.

Meh, it's just a suggestion, as it's unlikely that it'll be one of the more obscure kraata powers unless Greg is fully in charge of the nature of the Rahkshi. Most likely the colour to power relationship will be retconned, but I jsut hope that it's not to retcon Panrahk.

As Omi kindly pointed out, that's the power for yellow - yellow-orange doesn't have a power assigned to it yet. Nah, they're all watching as guests, but they're too afraid to join.

Get the real question - are the BIONICLE Stars canon.

Anyway... I never extremely disliked the Av-matoran system, just it's price and it's original boring colours. Albeit simple, the system makes generally good looking, posable and simple figures that are the perfect size to make a vehicle or accessory to use without depleting your entire MOC collection. With 2009 and the Stars, we're starting to get so many colours of the same pieces, that there even more limitless combinations of parts and colour schemes, that you can make limitless clearly unique characters that all have a consistent style. It's like the Tohunga all over again, which is why I like this system. As for why I like the Stars, there's the above, the new and recoloured pieces, and the fact that they look like Chibi versions of old characters. I've accepted that BIONICLE doesn't do complicated builds anymore, but if I want one, that's what TECHNIC is for. The Stars are nostalgic and cute, and will look great on my shelf.

There has to be some story, and that's just one of the possibilities for featuring such a wide array of characters. I agree that it's a pretty pointless one, especially because aside from Gresh and Skrall, none of the Stars have ever come into contact with each other in their portrayed forms, and the characters that they do come into contact with aren't sets, so LEGO probably wouldn't show them. It's just a possibility though, but the only other storyline option that I can think of would be that Makuta turns Tahu back into his Mata form, demutates Vezok, and then somehow Gresh and a Skrall come into the MU and are involved in story as well. No matter what happens, it's going to be hard to take seriously because they're all chibi. In other news, Tahu's mask being longer is probably to prevent him looking horrible with his Av-head. If it does, it might almost make the use of an Av-head excusable. The Ben 10 sets have new claw hands, and one comes in brown, which means awesome new brown BIONICLE pieces.

Or maybe no story at all. ;) Ever think of that? -Omi BIONICLE story is the reason why BIONICLE wasn't the next Roborider or Throwbot. They're not going to drop it, but like Ikki said, flash-backs are possible, although I can't really see how Takanuva or Vezok would fit into a flash-back, or the point of a Gresh + Skrall flashback. The Rahkshi could be a flashback retconning the colour of Pahnrahk, but would fit better into the current storyline where Rahkshi are abundant in the MU.

It's not Lhikan - It's Tahu, with a gold mask on plus some gold armour. It's not like Tahu hasn't done that before. The Ben 10 sets are bigger than BIONICLE canisters, so they'd cost more. They're also licensed sets, so LEGO makes less money on the sets, so it is strange that they'd replace BIONICLE with Ben 10. Unless Ben 10 is actually that popular with the target audience and LEGO reckons that BIONICLE + Ben 10 will makea killing. Probably will actually...and we haven't seen any other BIONICLE sets yet, despite the other sets shown ranging from January releases to at least March/April, so it's unlikely that the main wave of BIONICLE sets hasn't been shown if it exists. I don't care really, because I'll most likely get the Ben 10 sets to scrap for the awesome BIONICLE-compatible parts, so my wallet won't be better off from only 1 small wave of BIONICLE sets. In fact, the Stars are now of a reasonably detailed level for what BIONICLE has become these days, and the normal canister sets were becoming too expensive for birthday presents and the like, so maybe this is a switch to return BIONICLE to it's original price range? The Stars have fully fledged canisters too, so it's possible. The best part though - if the Stars are the only BIONICLE sets for winter 2010, there's no way the story will skip half a year, with means that the Stars will be in the main storyline.

Some kind of Russian Festival/Toyfair yes. ShaddowCroc, you're confused - that's a normal Skrall helmet on a normal Glatorian head. I that Rahkshi. Vezok looks too stylized though, but that could be excused to Chibi-ness. He lost a toe on each foot though. Edit: Vezok's head is a Glatorian helmet though.

They're probably Stars in a sense of how iconic the sets were. Tahu, Takanuva, Rahkshi and debatably the Piraka fir the bill, and Gresh and the Skrall were portrayed as the main two sets of early 2009. I wish they had done a Chibi Krika or Bitil, because those could've worked really well in this style. If the rumour for 12 small sets is true, there could still be a chance. I can't wait to see the Rahkshi and Piraka, because the Piraka should be able to confirm whether the sets will have any storyline merit. Currently Tahu is in his Mata form, but Takanuva is in a form that we've never seen before, so surely there would be a storyline reason for dual swords and silver armour. Gresh could've switched his weapon, and the Skrall could have different armour or be a different class, but if the Piraka Star portrays Avak or Vezok, then it's likely that the Stars won't be involved in 2010 story, because the current Piraka are either sea-snakes or dead.

@ The Alchemyst - We currently don't know anything about what storyline purpose the Stars will serve. The only stuff about them not having a storyline and them being purely promotional sets is from other members theorizing that.

There's a difference between inconsistent plastic quality and a colour that's changed slighty and has stayed changed. But seeing as this debate isn't going anywhere, I guess the best thing to do will be to wait until the set comes out, then get comparison photos. Darn LEGO and they're misleadingly shiny box-art. I think you're right there, and now there's just one more reason for me to get the Skrall. I'm really pleased if that's a black Kopaka blade - All I need now is some black Pohatu feet and Lewa's Ax in black and then I'll finally be able to MOC the Toa Mata vs. their shadow selves.

So the Kopaka blade is technically new, but I'm dropping the silver argument for now. It's hard to tell with the Ackar blade though, because LEGO likes to stylize the colours of the box art to make the product look cooler. Would be good if it is though.

I'm sure LEGO considers all purple Krana as the same colour. There might not be a difference in the records, but the difference is clearly visible. @ The Alchemyst - Take any 2003 weapon and compare it to a 2008 one - The 2008 ones are clearly a different silver, with a softer colour and a more greenish tinge. Also, Bricklink is generally more accurate than Peeron, and Bricklink acknowledges plenty of different silvers.