Aanchir

Yes, but nobody's insisting "original Bionicle" means "no Technic", so why do they insist CCBS means "no Technic"? Both categories of parts are in the Technic family, and both categories of parts are DESIGNED for compatibility with other Technic parts. So needing to use Technic to do certain things is not a failing of either system. It's very difficult to make a larger model exclusively from EITHER category of parts. CCBS does give you more freedom to make smaller and simpler models without basic (non-constraction) Technic elements, whereas Bionicle models that didn't use basic Technic were mostly limited to small and repetitive villager-sized builds (like McToran or Av-Matoran). But a lot of people seem to be assuming that means CCBS should be able to do ANYTHING without basic Technic or it will have failed as a system, which is just silly. From the beginning, larger CCBS sets have used basic Technic to add structure and functionality to models, just like System sets do all the time. That's the reason all the beams 6M or larger have pin holes in the first place.

Just out of current (non-discontinued) colors, there's also Transparent Fluorescent Blue (Trans-Medium Blue on Bricklink), Transparent Medium Reddish Violet (Trans-Dark Pink on Bricklink), and Transparent Green. I feel like Transparent Medium Reddish-Violet would probably be the most accurate match for the glowy limb color of Makuta as he appeared in "The Legend", though I'm not sure how likely it would be for it to actually appear in sets. To be honest I'm more than a little disappointed that CCBS sets nowadays pretty consistently use Transparent Light Blue instead of Transparent Fluorescent Blue. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE how well Transparent Light Blue goes with Dark and Medium Azur, which really makes it a great fit for sets like Jaw Beast, Gali, and Kopaka. But Transparent Fluorescent Blue is a great color in its own right, especially under a blacklight. I particularly miss having it as an eye color, since masks generally cast shadows on character's faces, so that extra "glowiness" of fluorescent colors really makes a big difference.

You know, that's one of the things that the animations frustratingly didn't cover. Even though they were an improvement on some of the old Bionicle movies, which never even showed the characters taking OFF their masks and instead had them place one mask over the other, they still didn't show what the Toa did with the old masks afterwards. Maybe they did like the characters in the first three Bionicle movies did with their tools, and stuck them into the mysterious hammerspace in their backs.

I still think a short and stocky character generally looks more powerful than a taller but leaner character. Comparing Onua with Tahu, it definitely feels like the former has more brute strength, despite the latter being a full four modules taller. I wholeheartedly disagree. Onua's proportions are anything but realistic, but I definitely think they suit him. And considering his shortness has generally been his defining physical trait in previous set depictions (the 2008 Mistika version notwithstanding), I think it would make far more sense to make his chest and shoulders narrower than it would to stretch him out to Tahu's height or taller, as I've seen some revamps do. Besides, I can't help feeling that a Toa who is both super-tall and super-brawny makes the team feel much less balanced. It's one of the things that frustrates me about the animations, which make Onua the tallest of the Toa (though they at least keep his unique proportions intact, unlike many revamps).

I honestly wish more constraction MOCs incorporated functions (whether they're particularly creative ones or ones borrowed from official sets). With the amount of praise Bionicle sets (both G1 and G2) get for their action features, you'd expect the fan community would be seeking to emulate that in their own creations. And because so few MOCists did, a lot of the nostalgic yearning for action features in the later years of Bionicle and the earlier years of Hero Factory ended up feeling a bit like "do as I say, not as I do". I will admit that I'm often as guilty of not pushing myself to include action features in my MOCs as anybody. I'm much better at design than I am at engineering, so the few functions in my own MOCs are usually copied from existing sets. The new sets (which incorporate dynamic action features without sacrificing articulation) have definitely given me something to strive for! But I'm still a long way from being able to design an action feature of my own, particularly one as unique as the action features of Lord of Skull Spiders or many G1 creatures and vehicles. I was really impressed when I attended BrickUniverse in Raleigh, North Carolina this year when I got to meet Imatron (the admin of Mask of Destiny). I'd never seen most of his MOCs before, but while their shaping and textures weren't always the most refined, he's the first builder I've ever met who incorporates creative action features into nearly all of his models. He even had some remote-control models which he happily let other attendees try out for themselves. He's a really friendly guy and I hope to see him and his MOCs again at future conventions.

Actually, it doesn't look like the Star Wars license has anything to do with it. Vader is priced the same as Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder, and Luke, Cody, and Jango are priced the same as the larger Toa, just like they are in the United States. Sets in general seem to cost more in Scandinavia than in most of Europe. It's really weird, especially since LEGO is based in a Scandinavian country. But the actual Danish prices generally aren't too great either!

Not counting his horns, he's exactly the same height as Onua or Pohatu. Not as bulky as Onua, of course, but if he were he'd no longer look like a skeleton. Considering he's being set up as Onua's adversary, I think these proportions suit him just fine. It's not like height is a measure of a character's physical power, and with his wide shoulders and copious armor, Skull Basher definitely looks as stocky and "muscular" as a skeleton really can. Now I'm afraid I'm going to see a bunch of Skull Basher revamps that stretch him out awkwardly, much like many of the Onua revamps I've seen that try and "correct" his shortness...

I think the first wave of 2016 will probably be around as substantial as either of this year's waves. Unless, of course, pushing the Ninjago movie to 2016 also meant delaying the planned sets to that point, and they have to settle for a smaller wave as "filler". But after already having one "filler wave" in 2013 and finally getting the theme back to near the popularity it had before that (observe the search interest on Google Trends), I doubt LEGO would be in any hurry to do that to the theme a second time.

His weapon is identified as a "freeze bow", so I'm guessing that yeah, the studs are supposed to be snow or ice. Perhaps the reason they're Tr. Light Blue is that unlike Ekimu (whose launcher doubles as a melee weapon), they didn't want the ammo to blend in with the shooter.

Just out of curiosity, how are Fire Lord and Black Phantom "pseudo-titans"? They're considerably taller than any Bionicle "canister sets" as well as several titans, at 32–34 modules in height each, and they each have more pieces than Nocturn. They also each have a custom leg construction. Tahu's obviously a different case — he stands just 27 modules tall (slightly shorter than a Toa Inika), has just 87 pieces, and has a price per piece more consistent with G1 canister sets than G1 titans. But I think Fire Lord, Black Phantom, and Rocka XL all manage to meet any reasonable criteria for titan sets. The obvious reason CCBS beams use ball joints to attach the armor is because it lets you attach pretty much any armor shell to pretty much any beam in pretty much any orientation. If they had used pin holes like this G1 beam, you would only be able to attach basic armor shells to one of two sides (the front or the back), and you'd need either additional Technic connectors or an entirely different beam like this one if you wanted to attach a basic shell to the left or right sides. Because of this, even if your parts are limited to a single CCBS set, you can rearrange the armor in far more ways than you could with any G1 Bionicle set that had a similar piece count. Also, the ability to attach armor shells to the ends of a beam rather than just to points along the center is actually very useful, as can be seen in sets like Toxic Reapa, XT4, Furno Jet Machine, CHI Cragger, Protector of Fire, and Kopaka: Master of Ice. Not to mention MOCs! Some of my own MOCs like Caitlyn Gauss XL, Koboldon, and Wairuha Master of Wisdom use techniques that would not have been possible if the attachment point of a CCBS shell could not function as a hinge. Call it "adaptation to a system" if you must, but I assure you that there is no way nearly so simple to attach G1 shells to a model at an irregular angle. I've never really been bothered by shells not hugging the beams, honestly. It doesn't seem any more obtrusive to me than exposed pin and axle holes. Besides, one of the only reasons so many Bionicle shells DID hug the beams like they did is because if they were only attached by a single pin, they had to hug the beams at some point along their length so they wouldn't pivot. Besides that, there were plenty of G1 shells that did NOT hug the beams, like this, this, this, this, and this. Many CCBS shells and beams result in limbs and torsos a LOT less gappy than some of those examples! As for beams and shells being in contrasting colors, as a Bionicle fan that layered look is just something I got used to YEARS before CCBS, and eventually learned to love.

It's interesting that in that screenshot his eyes are yellow rather than blue, just like the set. Perhaps his eyes only turn blue when he puts on the Mask of Creation? Or maybe it's just that these animations were made more recently and so they were able to get it closer to his appearance in the set, despite creating a minor inconsistency with the earlier webisodes.

Vader may not be too much larger than Luke, but Luke is actually pretty big himself, all things considered. Note that he uses 9M beams for his lower legs, rather than 7M beams like most of the other $20 figures like Cody and Jango. All in all, Luke stands around 32 modules tall, taller than many Bionicle G1 titans, and Vader seems to stand about 36 modules tall — taller than a Toa Kaita, and nearly as tall as Brutaka!

Never did I say G1 Bionicle sets weren't creative. And I admire all those part uses you mention. Though Bitil's neck joint is not a good comparison with Cragger's at all, because my point about Cragger was that his neck was custom-built from four limb beams, not just extended by a single limb beam — I should have made that clearer in my post. Overall, though, I was just commenting on the weirdness of defining figures like Lesovikk and Toa Ignika as titans because they had "non-standard" designs when in fact their builds were way more "standard" than the canister sets themselves, and CCBS designs of all sizes are regularly less "standard" than either of those two figures. They did come with vehicles, but those vehicles too were rather simplistic even for their time — though to be fair, they were at a lower price point than ANY Hero Factory vehicle sets, which were all at least $35 instead of $20, Invasion from Below "battle machines" notwithstanding. In short, I was just explaining why I stand by my definition of a titan as a figure larger than a "canister set", and my assertion that the term "titan" really has little meaning when talking about CCBS. Defining the term according to some abstract notion of "non-standard designs" just opens a whole other can of worms Fair assertion. I can't argue with that. Though I do think, building value aside, CCBS has greater aesthetic versatility since most of the parts lack specialized textures that immediately single them out as mechanical or organic parts. Can we agree on that much, at least? You have a point that both systems probably have room for improvement. However, this topic isn't about comparing CCBS and G1 Bionicle against a hypothetical ideal building system, but rather against each other. And as DeeVee points out above, both systems are Technic-based and designed to integrate with Technic. Even System sets often rely heavily on Technic for larger models that aren't affixed to a base, like Galactic Enforcer. Technic is ideal for adding structural stability or mechanical action features to sets, no matter what building system they're based on (well, except Duplo, maybe). Finally, I think you're underestimating the "backwards compatibility" of CCBS. There are still plenty of ways you can attach Bionicle parts to CCBS parts (Jawblade, a Hero Factory set I particularly like, even used G1 Bionicle parts for its fins and eponymous bladed jaw). But "backwards compatibility" doesn't mean you can always continue using the same parts in the same ways. Even over the course of G1 Bionicle, designs were always marching onward in such a way that while you could always connect parts together, the ways you'd use those parts would change. For instance, you can't just stick a Toa Nuva's arms on a Toa Inika torso the same way you'd attach them to a Toa Mata torso. Likewise, you can't just stick a Piraka thigh shell on a CCBS beam without any Technic in between. But that doesn't mean that Piraka thigh shells are no longer usable in CCBS MOCs. I often avoid many G1 Bionicle parts in my own MOCs for several personal reasons: because I love the aesthetic, because I find the building process therapeutic, because it helps show people that the parts aren't as useless as they're often made out to be, and because I'm afraid to use certain G1 parts in MOCs for fear of breaking them. But there's nothing wrong with a MOC that uses them together tastefully, and I've seen plenty that do. Some of DeeVee's own MOCs are good examples, like his Toa revamps that use Bohrok feet as elbows. It can be hard to use certain G1 parts with CCBS, just as it can be hard to use certain Toa Mata parts with Inika-era parts. But that doesn't mean it's not possible.

True, but what would you be able to include in the sets that would take the place of an adversary? It's not like the "good guys" are likely to have a horde of tiny creatures on their side... I think the lack of "conflict in a box" is inevitable for any villain set that's not big enough to include a full-size villager, at least as the story stands currently. Lord of Skull Spiders had the exact same issue.

I think the blended masks are ideal for the skull villain sets, honestly. Fully transparent masks could be cool, but having a gold blend makes their story significance as the Golden Masks of Power stolen from the Toa a lot clearer. If they were just transparent, it would be easy to think they were drained versions of the Toa's old (non-golden) Masks of Power, or other masks entirely. But note that while it was unclear for a while whether the transparent blend represented the masks being infected, drained, or energized, pretty much everybody could tell from our first Toy Fair pictures that they were the same golden masks the Toa claimed earlier in the year, but altered in some way. I do wonder whether another blend could have been possible, like maybe gold with silver for all of them. But of course, that wouldn't have the same effect of clearly showing which mask was stolen by which villain. Gold with silver could be an interesting color for future versions of the masks, perhaps...

It's great to have Ekimu in a set! His shield was a great surprise when we first saw it at Toy Fair! It's very creative, using the decorative carriage wheel from the Disney Princess sets with the saw blade to create a weapon that feels both powerful and elegant. His hammer is also nicely designed. Besides the shield and his eye color, he's a perfect match for how he has appeared so far in the webisodes. I'm a bit disappointed with how the shells on the Mask Maker's chest don't wrap around his chest plate as well as they did on Protector of Fire, but I suppose that's unavoidable due to him using a gearbox. He still looks plenty cohesive, especially with so much Tr. Light Blue and Warm Gold throughout his build. The mask stand is a nice feature to include, but I'm a bit puzzled by it since it's easy to create a simpler and more stable mask stand by swapping the top four pieces with one of these. Skull Grinder looks great. His color scheme being so dominated by Tr. Flu. Reddish Orange really helps establish that he's the baddest of this year's baddies, but there's still enough neutral colors to ensure that he feels more like an evil skeleton character than a fire character. Like Skull Basher, his armor wraps around his shoulders and knees quite nicely. I'm surprised you didn't mention his horns among the new and interesting parts, since those are a new recolor of a new part for this year, previously used in Flame Yellowish Orange in a few Legends of Chima sets. His weapons are nice (the hook blade's lack of weight probably helps make up for the massive weight of the mask stealer staff), but the huge gap between his neck and torso definitely bothers me. Bit disappointing to hear that the weight problems in his arms are more a matter of the ball joints than the gears/friction pins, since adding more gears or friction pins would have been easy thanks to his shoulder construction. Build-wise, Ekimu is slightly bulkier and more complex than you'd expect a $10 set to be, while Kulta is slightly less bulky and complex than you'd expect a $20 set to be, so together I think they add up to a good value for a $30 set. I can, however, understand why some people are disappointed not to get a "titan-sized" villain this year, because all things considered Kulta is only around the same size as Tahu, and considerably less bulky. As a whole, the set is awesome. There's great contrast between the two characters in terms of size, color scheme, and motifs, and the play value also seems better than most of the other skull villains since this is the only one to feature a built-in conflict. Generally I think the LEGO Group made the right call in making this the flagship set for this year. Great review!

Good review! This guy has a brilliant function — I didn't even fully appreciate its potential from Toy Fair pics, since I figured it was built almost exactly like Dragon Bolt's function, without the potential for the arms to swing independently. One other random advantage I noticed about this function using a button rather than a gear is it could potentially work on a caped figure, which is a good thing to keep in mind for MOCs. He also has a unique, lumbering posture which sets him apart the other villains, particularly the thin and agile Skull Slicer. This is helped by his shoulder joints not being raised up like Skull Slicer's, Skull Grinder's, or Skull Warrior's. I think the arms being set back from his torso works pretty well, though his lower back could maybe use some added bulk so it doesn't result in such a sharp right angle from his torso beam. His shoulder armor wraps around the shoulder joints a lot more nicely than Skull Slicer's or Skull Warrior's due to being mounted lower on the arm. The color scheme is pretty well distributed. When I first saw the set I sort of wondered if the feet might be better in Silver Metallic like Skull Warrior's or Skull Slicer's, but I've come to realize the black feet really suit him. They sort of make it feel like he's wearing boots, while those other sets have a more barefoot, bony look. The minotaur look also makes him feel very unique and fearsome. Overall, this is one of my favorites of the skull villains, and I can't wait to try out his function for myself!

Of course Galidor figures looked more organic than CCBS ones. That's because they were hyper-detailed action figures with lots of specialized shapes and textures to resemble organic body parts or clothing. I won't dispute that, but I also wouldn't call it an advantage over CCBS. Just like how G1 Bionicle parts look out-of-place on anything but a mechanical creation, so too do many Galidor parts look out-of-place on anything that is not organic. I don't consider the inability to armor all sides of a bone a huge disadvantage of CCBS. That's just a reality of building with LEGO, like how you generally can't hide every anti-stud on a System model or every pin or axle hole on a Technic model. Galidor is really the only building system that ever didn't seem especially exposed from at least one side, although some of the new Star Wars constraction sets do a good job armoring things like the backs of the legs that normally go un-armored (though that is partly possible just due to them being at a larger scale than previous organic CCBS characters). Personally, I felt some of the Super Heroes constraction sets were quite good for their time, particularly Batman, who effectively avoided the use of mechanical textures except on his wing pack. And the Chima constraction sets were generally even better — CHI Cragger from last year is a favorite of mine due to his tasteful armor and delightfully unique posture. They're not flawless, but I don't expect them to be. What they are is the best I could reasonably expect any LEGO action figure of an organic character to be at the time without resorting to hyper-specialized, Galidor-esque elements. And I don't think not being able to achieve perfectly lifelike figures is reason enough for LEGO not to make action figures of organic characters at all.

Good review. The other skull mask may look more evil, but this one looks more beastly, which I think suits this set and Skull Basher alike. It would have been cool if the two sets had masks in different colors, but I can't say for sure whether either set would have been improved aesthetically by changing the color of its mask. As with Skull Warrior and Skull Basher, the Tr. Flu. Reddish Orange accents are well distributed. The legs are actually Titanium Metallic (pearl dark grey/gunmetal), not "translucent black". I really wish they had been either Black or Silver Metallic instead. Not only would that have better matched the set's color scheme, but either one would also have matched an existing color of the smaller spider leg, which I think would be really conducive to MOCs! The Titanium Metallic legs still look good, though. Maybe it was an aesthetic decision on the LEGO Group's part, or maybe it was meant to compensate for this set not including the Titanium Metallic armor add-ons that are standard on all the other skull villains. Skull Scorpio's torso is very nicely armored, even without a printed chest plate. The set's fully articulated claws (something the Nui-Jaga lacked) definitely help make up for the lack of articulated legs. If I were to give its legs articulation, I don't think it'd need more than one joint per leg, like the Nui-Jaga or Lord of Skull Spiders. The tail function is definitely quite creative. I don't mind how exposed it is, but I am a bit bothered by the zigzag shape it gives the tail. It's nowhere near as organic-looking as the smoother curve of the Nui-Jaga's tail from 2001. Granted, that set's function was a lot simpler — I don't know if a smoother curve could have been possible for this set's function, at least not at this price point. The half-pins which are used to help builders avoid assembling the set wrong are a sensible decision, I think, considering that I've seen adult builders screw up even less Technic-intensive constraction sets. It's often easier for kids and adults alike to get careless with a simple, snap-together portion of a build than with a more elaborate Technic function, which they'll usually understand demands their utmost attention. Of course, that's not to say the Technic portions of this set are easy. It says a lot that the age recommendation on this set is 8–14 like the three $20 Toa and the $15 Lord of Skull Spiders, rather than 7–14 like the other six $15 sets this year. Overall, it's hard for me to judge this set until I have it in hand. Generally I'm impressed with its creativity but disappointed with its looks. It's definitely quite monstrous, though. I look forward to seeing some revamps of this set that don't have to worry so much about things like price point and can maybe refine the function further (though of course, I'm well aware that Bionicle MOCs don't often demonstrate too much ingenuity when it comes to Technic functions).

Awesome MOC. The people in the other topic talking about how CCBS is not conducive to larger MOCs ought to give this guy a look. He's also a great demonstration of how even with a similar mask, color scheme, and other motifs to an existing set, a MOC can still feel like an entirely unique character if you give it its own physique. I'm sure if you took it to a convention you'd still get kids insisting it's a Skull Warrior revamp (just like how kids continue to think my MOC Caitlyn Gauss XL is a Furno XL revamp), but most people will probably be able to tell it's a character of its own. I really love the hands, feet, and shoulders!

Good review! When I first saw the Skull Villain pics, I was a little disappointed that they introduced a new add-on instead of giving us the previous piston add-on in colors like Titanium Metallic or Black, but having seen more pictures I think the corroded metal look suits them better. And the layered texture is reminiscent of the foreheads of all the skull masks. The light grey firing pin for the six-shooter is not entirely new, since it's been in some of this year's Star Wars sets, but I definitely think it suits the Tr. Light Blue shooters better than a yellow one would. This guy's color scheme is definitely exciting, with the reddish orange bits spread tastefully throughout the model. It's interesting how in an analogous color scheme like that of the Protector of Fire or Tahu, the color feels fiery, but when used as a contrasting color like on most of the Skull Villains it takes on a decidedly more evil flavor. I think the color schemes of these villains in general would be a lot more boring without that evil reddish glow tying them together. Skull Warrior's asymmetry is quite effective, I think. I love that he can store either his spear or his bow on his back. Even though he has one of the simpler gear functions, I think the choice of two different weapons (one close-range, one long-range) is a great gimmick to set him apart from the rest. The Freeze Bow is a bit unusual in that it's the only weapon of the five villains with an obvious elemental theme. Maybe it's powered by the drained energy of the stolen Golden Mask of Ice?

Good review. I think the red on the chest plates suits the sets just fine since it's the closest solid-colored match to the Tr. Flu. Reddish Orange accents all the sets have. Have you ever tried to match Tr. Flu. Reddish Orange to Bright Orange? Trust me, it's a poor match — Bright Orange is a lot more yellowish. With that said, I don't have the sets in-hand, so maybe they don't go together as well in real life as they do in photos and renders. *shrug* Personally, I think the shoulder armor on his upper right arm might look better if the Tr. Flu. Reddish Orange shell were reversed. But again, I don't have the set so I can't say for sure. Honestly, I don't think his asymmetry suits him as well as Skull Warrior's, though I guess between the mask grabber chain and the shells on his shoulders, his colors do sort of balance out. I also think the heels would look better if they were on the inside edge of the feet rather than the outside edge. I'm not a huge fan of protruding heels in general, though this guy's monstrous enough to make it work.

The reason for that is obvious: G1 Bionicle has been around for longer (not to mention that fewer MOCists building with current parts use Brickshelf, since it's frequently unreliable these days). If the builds of Lesovikk and Toa Ignika can be considered remotely "non-standard", that's just an indication of how much more creative "standard" CCBS models are than "standard" G1 Bionicle models. I mean, what did Lesovikk do creatively? Really nothing, besides using what had previously been a weapon piece as chest armor. Otherwise its torso beam, lower limbs, upper limbs, and shoulder armor were utterly conventional, using parts that had been designed specifically for those purposes. That kind of model is the very definition of a "Toamod". Bulk from 2012, a $13 set just like the Phantoka or Glatorian, is considerably more creative than that, using what had originally been designed as a paw or claw as shoulder armor and what had originally been a foot as back armor. For that matter, CHI Cragger, a 15 Euro set, uses limb beams as neck and tail joints, and as mounting points for shoulder armor.Of course, it helps that CCBS elements are designed to be less function-specific in general. Any shell or beam is designed so it can be used on any part of a figure's body. Larger-scale titan and vehicle sets are rare in CCBS not because they can't be built, but because they just generally don't tend to sell as well as more average-sized action figures. It's also worth noting that besides in 2001, titan and vehicle sets have ALWAYS made up a mere fraction of the sets in any given year, and since the introduction of CCBS, most years have had fewer constraction sets in general than during Bionicle G1. Nevertheless, the Darth Vader and General Grievous sets from the upcoming Star Wars lineup certainly qualify as titans, showing it's not something the LEGO Group has completely given up on. And if Lesovikk qualifies as a titan, then most of the new Bionicle villains easily do as well, since they're all considerably more creative and complex. This is your opinion, but I personally have to disagree. Even if neither system is perfect for building organic characters, CCBS at least makes it possible without any extraneous mechanical details like pistons, something that can't be said for G1 Bionicle (or in most cases, for basic Technic). Just compare the Technic-based Jango Fett and Darth Vader sets from 2002 with the CCBS-based Jango Fett and Darth Vader sets from this year. The CCBS versions are smaller, less expensive, and have lower piece counts, but it's obvious which feel more like armored living characters and which feel more like robots. My statement was in direct response to the claim that there aren't big CCBS MOCs. If I wanted to find examples of creative MOCs at a smaller scale I could do so with ease. However, I'm getting a little bit fed up with fishing for links for people who, if they even cared, could find them on their own. Maybe I should put some time into coming up with some sort of directory of impressive CCBS MOCs that I can just point people to when they're too lazy or ignorant to do their own homework. I will say that even in actual sets, some of the smallest CCBS models have also been some of the most creative — consider Thornraxx, Toxic Reapa, XT4, Jawblade, and Tunneler Beast. The majority of CCBS MOCs are simpler humanoids for the same reason that the majority of classic Bionicle MOCs, back when that style of building was in vogue, were "Toamods": builders who are just starting out will generally build simple creations based on the sets that are currently available. Nowadays, of course, a lot of the G1 fans who used to build Toamods have advanced to more complex models, while novice builders are starting out with what's more current: CCBS. Which is not to say there's ever been anything wrong with smaller, simpler models. The "bigger is better" mindset held by some people in the community is an incredibly frustrating one, and if you WANT to build a small, simple humanoid without any unusual functions, creating an elaborate custom skeleton is fairly pointless. Also, have you ever heard of Sturgeon's Law? Believe it or not, it often applies to LEGO creations, no matter WHAT system they use. To say that the majority of CCBS MOCs are simplistic, cluttered, or uncreative ignores that the same is generally true of G1 Bionicle MOCs. Something else I have to point out: a lot of people keep talking about the G1 Bionicle sets as if they represented one cohesive system called "Technic". But this is not the case. The G1 Bionicle parts were Technic-based, but they were hardly a "system", at least not an organized one. G1 Bionicle was not built on a foundation of basic parts in modular sizes like System bricks and plates, Technic beams and axles, or CCBS beams and shells. Rather, it was a mishmash of parts with specialized shapes and textures, accumulated over a decade of sets. Granted, some Bionicle sets (especially larger ones) USED lots of basic Technic beams and axles, just as many CCBS sets like Fire Lord, Furno XL, Breez Flea Machine, and Skull Basher do. But they were not the foundation of either building system. CCBS was designed with its own foundation of parts from the ground up, while it took Bionicle years to put together a consistent foundation for building — the end result of which, the so-called "Inika build", was the closest to CCBS that Bionicle ever came, but still fell short in terms of versatility.

This... this is sarcasm, right? There are definitely big CCBS MOCs. The reason there aren't as many as big Technic MOCs is because it's been around longer, so many of the most experienced MOCists have just chosen to stick to the Technic-based building they're used to. But there are other builders who have been more daring. This MOC has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it. You might recognize the name of the builder: Christoffer Raundahl. For a long time he was the BIONICLE theme's lead designer. He designed the original Tahu and Kopaka sets, as well as larger sets like the Bahrag. Oh, and he's one of the inventors of the CCBS. It's not just "insiders" who have built incredible CCBS MOCs, either. Check out IGU's Scorpion King and Captain Zohge. Or Jangbricks' Queen of Skull Spiders. Or VBBN's Kronos. Even I stuck my foot in the ring with Caitlyn Gauss XL, though I won't pretend that's anywhere near as creative as the other examples I've listed. There's also a problem of definitions here. There are plenty of incredible creations that use CCBS and other building styles in tandem, including pretty much any of DeeVee's recent MOCs like Janus, Lily, or Vayland Dragon V3. But you only seem to be thinking of "CCBS MOCs" as only MOCs that use CCBS overwhelmingly or exclusively, and consider anything short of that a Technic MOC. This strikes me as something of a double standard. I'm not sure on what planet Furno Jet Machine would qualify as a titan. I think calling it a "titan" makes little sense when its price is closer to a Phantoka or Glatorian set than a Phantoka or Glatorian set's price is to a Toa Mata's! This is part of why I think the term "titan" is pretty much outdated, since it only ever meant "figure larger than a canister set", and not only do canister sets not exist anymore, but their size varied wildly over the years. Besides that, Furno Jet Machine is a beautiful design that makes incredibly creative use of the system, but I doubt I'm going to be able to convince you of that. Not sure what you mean. Every single CCBS beam that is large enough to have Technic pin holes in addition to a center ball joint has them. Not to mention, the Ø10.2mm ball, ball cup, and ball snap are all Technic connections. Technic doesn't begin and end with pins and axles. DeeVee's post is entirely true. CCBS is a part of the Technic family.

I believe the LEGO Ninjago content in LEGO Universe outright contradicts the events of the TV show, so it's unlikely the continuities coexist. As I understand it, these are alternate dimensions with their own characters, not parallel universes with different versions of characters like in Marvel Comics. Though that doesn't mean a different version of the LEGO Universe... universe... can't exist as a realm in the Ninjago continuity. I'd rather not speculate, honestly. I think the other realms should probably be decided according to the needs of the storyline, not based on what other LEGO worlds are most deserving or interesting.