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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Breakout MOC: Ultra Arachnix


This is a follow-up to my Super Arachnix Drone, now with an even larger design. Bigger body, bigger legs, more armor, more armament! Should I go bigger still?

Friday, December 30, 2011

Folks who pester me to post more...

...stop.  Seriously.  Stop.  LEGO building is a small hobby on the side. I go 2 or 3 days without posting a new LEGO MOC and I start to get desperate comments & YouTube messages demanding that I do more immediately. This is completely unreasonable and completely unfair to me. Stop.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Lucient Sprite MOC


This is a really weird one.  I didn't take the time to give it any Hero Factory backstory.  I didn't really even create it with any specific purpose other than to just put a bunch of semi-transparent parts on a hero-style skeleton!

Still waiting for Breez & Thornraxx

Yeah, the final Hero Factory hero and the final Breakout villain for Series 4 wave 1 continue to elude not only me, but the entire continent in which I live.  Perhaps even the entire hemisphere!  Can't build & review something I can't get my hands on.  Sorry guys :(  I'm waiting just like so many of you are...

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Breakout MOC: Super Arachnix



My first LEGO (published) Hero Factory villain MOC, a Super Arachnix Drone, part of Black Phantom's forces from the Breakout theme. I just really like the official small Arachnix and wanted to expand upon the idea by making something bigger. Pretty easy to do and there are a lot of options for different customizations. You could theoretically make all sorts of different ones with different color schemes like Bionicle Vakhi! Hmm, that's not a bad idea actually, might do that for fun :)

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Breakout MOC: Ketta

Ketta is just another really simple, really basic, really quick LEGO Hero Factory MOC made to go with the Breakout theme.  The idea here was just to use some Ultrabuild green parts and see how they'd look on a character that could conceivably look like an actual LEGO set, without a highly custom weapon or scratch-built body or what not.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory Furno series 4 set review (Breakout)


Here's another LEGO Hero Factory series 4 (Breakout) release, Furno.  The original super-rookie! He may no longer be the front-running underdog in the series, but he's still liked by many, and thankfully they made him one of the larger heroes of the line.
Just one more to go!

Farewell, Lorne... and others


Tonight the original, Bionicle universe form of Lorne, my self-MOC, was finally disassembled to harvest its many "special" pieces and to make room for more Hero Factory creations.  Lorne 2.0 lives on in its stead.

Behind the scenes, I've recently quietly disassembled an entire shelf worth of my favorite Bionicle characters, and over the past few weeks I've built 15 more new Hero Factory MOCs for which I'll start slowly releasing videos this week.  Exciting times on the LEGO front!

In somewhat related news, I've begun to realize that the overwhelming majority of my neatly-sorted Bionicle parts have not been touched all year, even when I've had intense MOC-making sprees.  I'm a collector at heart and really, really like having "one of everything" at my fingertips, but what's the point if most of it sees no use?  It's beginning to feel like there's another epic parts sell-off coming in the first half of 2012.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Splitface solid red vs. solid gray vs. Thunder helmets


By popular request, here's a look at Splitface's head in solid red, and solid gunmetal gray by combining two into one.  Also a comparison to Thunder from the very first villain series.

Yes, I have seen the Summer 2012 pictures

Yes, everyone constantly dropping all-caps notes on all of my YouTube videos and blog posts.  I have seen the Summer Hero Factory set pictures.  All of them.  You can stop telling me they're out.  Thank you :)

PS:  I will not link to them.  I will not allow links to them.  They are illegal pictures, stolen from LEGO & leaked by some unscrupulous individual(s) who have no regard for intellectual property.  Redistributing these images or links to them is illegal.  LEGO regularly sends out legal reps to do rounds around the 'Net to try to track these down and get them deleted, as they should.


PPS:  I will not refer to them as "5.0."  First, they're just the second wave of series 4, not a whole new series.  Second, the "x.0" naming convention was already dropped.

PPPS:  I have also seen the video on the official Hero Factory set.  I saw Stormer XL there, and all of the other villains and heroes in the video.  You can stop telling me about that too.  I saw it.  Thanks :)

Splitface set review (Breakout)


Today I took a long drive out to an actual LEGO Store for the first time in years to pick up Splitface, from the LEGO Hero Factory Breakout series.  This is the second to last villain in the first 2012 wave and I've got a full unboxing (unbagging?), speed build and review of the set:
Incidentally, this is also my first published video featuring my brand new camera!  Out with the old, in with the new!

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

They ARE in stores!

Everybody constantly asking how/where I got the Breakout sets because they're "not in stores," they ARE in Toys R Us stores *and* the Toys R Us website *and* on Amazon.  Please stop hounding me about where I got them like I have some secret unfair connection and am getting them direct from the LEGO factory.  I am buying them at full price at stores where anyone can buy them!

Jawblade set review (Breakout)


This shark-inspired villain slithered out of the LEGO Hero Factory on his fins and... hands?  From the Breakout series, here's my Jawblade set review:

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Toxic Reapa set review (Breakout)

Another LEGO Hero Factory series 4 (Breakout) villain!  Here's a set review of Toxic Reapa:

Be sure to subscribe to LEGOJANG on YouTube.

LEGO Hero Factory Surge series 4 set review (Breakout)

This LEGO Hero Factory series 4 (Breakout) video delves into the build and review of the other "small" (regular) sized hero in the line, Surge:

Be sure to subscribe to LEGOJANG on YouTube.

LEGO Hero Factory Breakout MOC: Cole

First!  Heh.  First for me anyhow.  First Breakout MOC.  First LEGO Hero Factory MOC with a primarily purple theme.  Full details in the narrated video:

Yep it's the real me...

:)  Just holding onto this name for now so nobody steals it & tries to pretend to be me ;)

http://theJANG.net
http://hero-factory.blogspot.com

Friday, December 16, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory Evo series 4 set review (Breakout)

Another LEGO Hero Factory series 4 (Breakout) review, this time looking at one of the smaller-sized heroes, Evo:

Be sure to subscribe to LEGOJANG on YouTube.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory Black Phantom set review (Breakout)


Next up in my LEGO Hero Factory series 4 (Breakout) set reviews is Black Phantom, the #1 evil overlord the heroes need to contend with this season!

Be sure to subscribe to LEGOJANG on YouTube.

Hero Factory Breakout game will be FREE

There's been a nasty rumor going around that the new Hero Factory game to go with the Breakout series would cost money.  I don't know why so many folks got sucked into this black hole, but it's completely untrue.  The new Breakout video at the official HeroFactory.Lego.com site says clearly & plainly that the new game will be free to play, just like all other official online Hero Factory content in the past.

Please spread the word and end the misinformation.

Monday, December 12, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory Rocka series 4 set review (Breakout)


The LEGO Hero Factory series 4 (Breakout) sets are finally out in the US and my reviews have begun! First up, the front-man, Rocka:

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

New sets are coming!

Lots of panicky & desperate comments & private messages floating around about how I've fallen off the planet.  How silly!  Since my last post on this blog I've published 40 new YouTube videos with already over 1/4 million new views on just those! It just so happens none of them were LEGO-related.  I also sold off a truly epic quantity of used RC equipment (worth more than all the LEGO sets I've ever owned), helped build a new professional RC racetrack, upgraded to new, significantly faster video editing software, begun purchasing all-new camera equipment (double the previous quality) & selling off the old, and so much more!  It has been my most productive month ever, and that's no small feat.

In the midst of all this, some LEGO-related stuff has snuck through as well.  I've completed the first 3 of my new mini-sized Hero Factory hero/vehicle combinations and will start releasing those soon.  Also over this past week, Toys R Us has begun slowly & randomly teasing out the new "UltraBuild" super hero sets and the new series 4 Hero Factory sets, and I have 2 orders on the way so far.  As new stuff becomes available, I buy it.  The local TRU brick & mortar stores don't have anything new yet.  Hopefully in their next site update all of the remaining sets will show up.  I'm still waiting on Hulk & Iron Man, as well as Furno, Breez, Splitface, and Thornraxx.  New review & MOC-making season is just around the corner!

Friday, November 11, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: The Remainder


Zeyek's latest revelation was that The Remainder had been awakened on the planet Quatros.  What exactly is The Remainder?  Is it a villain?  Will the LEGO Hero Factory need to fight it?  I have answers!
The Hero Factory's sudden return of most of the stolen Quaza crystals directly to the core of Quatros released a jolt of life-giving energy that enveloped the planet.  It was such a strong wave that full vitality was restored to not only things that had been dying, but even some that had been fully dead. 



The Remainder is a sentient, yet zombie-like creature formed from the corroded, decayed components of all previous bio-robotic life forms on the planet. Its form and behavior are influenced by all of the creatures that contributed to its physical mass. Partially restored consciences cluster together and mingle, and where the cluster is most dense, the enormous creature takes shape, emerging from the ground in a sequence that most closely resembles melting, but in reverse.


The Remainder has shown no aggressive tendencies.  In fact, because it has no single "brain," but instead what might be called partial "spirits" of tens of thousands of creatures, it appears to have no discernable motivation of any kind.  It isn't good or bad, it just is. It walks, it roams, it dissolves, it reintegrates.


I hope I'm not reading too much into Zeyek's own words, but it sounds as if The Remainder is now a permanent part of the Quatros landscape.  For as long as the planet exists, so shall the Remainder.

LEGO Hero Factory & Bionicle prices at TRU raised?

I visited Toys R Us today to pick up a couple small sets for some spares, and also some new toy-grade RCs to review.  I didn't realize they were having a BOGO 50% off sale, but I did realize that prices on canister sets were up.  Hero Factory Heroes (2.0 & 3.0 alike) and Bionicle Stars sets (still lingering, nobody wants 'em) were at $9.99 US instead of the previous $7.99.  Thank goodness for the sale, but wow, I never expected prices to go up on old stock.  Has anyone else seen this locally?

Friday, November 4, 2011

Working on something new...

While I still have a whole series of unpublished MOCs (actually two completely different renditions for each member of the series), I'm already working on yet another set, a miniature hero type with a simpler and slightly larger skeleton than the style used for Rocka XL XXS and Epic Witch Doctor.  The whole reason I'm going for something smaller than "normal" is actually just to make it so that I can more easily make vehicles for them!  Too few vehicles in the Hero Factory universe so far, don't you think?

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Friday, October 21, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOCs: K-10 Units


This video shows the construction of the K-10 Hero Factory hero units featured in the Sho'i mission recently recounted by Zeyek.

Friday, October 14, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory Series 4 "Breakout" FINAL pics


Final, official photos have been released showing the Series 4 LEGO Hero Factory hero figures (that we all formerly referred to as "4.0") Rocka, Furno, Evo, Surge, Breez, and the villains Black Phantom, Splitface, Thornraxx, Toxic Reapa, and Jawblade.  Credits in the video:
We now have confirmation that some ball & socket "bone" pieces will be available in neon green, white, and the so-called "dark azure."  Be sure to post up your thoughts in the comments!

Edit:  Updated link with a better version of the video.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Hero Factory story by Zeyek: The Sho'i mission, Part 2


The conclusion of the Sho'i account introduces a never-before-seen experimental type of Hero Factory hero to attempt to address the mounting Reeka problem.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Hero Factory story by Zeyek: The Sho'i mission, Part 1


Zeyek's first published chronicle since making the move to the Hero Factory universe recalls a most curious mission regarding what we Earthly beings would most closely relate to robotic... cats.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOCs: Witch Doctor Drones


The evil Witch Doctor used Hero Factory technology to begin developing a secret drone army! The underground R&D and production facilities have been discovered, but the drones have escaped!

LEGO Hero Factory MOCs: Prakons


Prakons are small, pack-forming, rodent-like creatures native to Quatros, encountered during the  Savage Planet missions.  Learn more in the villain training module:

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Ishi 3.0

He's not a teenager, and he's not a mutant, but do you know what?  He sort of is a ninja-turtle!  Ha!

  • Role: Interceptor
  • Animal power: Snapping Turtle
  • Weapon: Dual swivel blades
  • Special ability: Disappearance
Ishi is a fast, agile character who trains relentlessly at the Hero Factory, keeping all of his systems and parts in tip-top shape.  He darts in & out of cover and utilizes all manner of both active and passive confusion techniques to keep his enemies off-guard and off-balance, often demoralizing them into submission without landing a single blow.  Though he has no cloaking ability, he does manage ninja-like
Fun facts:
  • My very first LEGO Hero Factory hero mocs used Ben 10 parts as well.  Most readers/viewers scoff at the very existance of Ben 10  parts on the face of the planet.  To me, they are pieces of plastic, like all other LEGO parts.
  • The helmet is a Bricklink purchase -- I never bought that actual set.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Rocka XL XXS

A MOC of Hero Factory's Rocka XL that's extra-small even compared to the normal version, he's Rocka XL XXS!

This one uses a similar skeleton to my Epic Witch Doctor (XS) MOC, but the upper torso is quite different.  One of my main goals in doing both of these was to maximize the use of the so-called "Hero Factory parts," those ball-and-socket system pieces first released in the second season of Hero Factory for use in all LEGO large action figure series.  I did many, many revisions before arriving at this form that I'm actually very happy with.  There will be no further changes made and no "version 2."

Sunday, September 25, 2011

EPIC WITCH DOCTOR!!


Some time ago I promised a Witch Doctor MOC on an epic new scale.  Promise fulfilled!  The LEGO Hero Factory will never survive an attack by a villain of this size!  All hands on deck!  Spread the word!!  Let fellow heroes and MOC makers alike know about this new threat!

Monday, September 19, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Xephyr 3.0

The LEGO Hero Factory has just lost one rookie, but gained a new fully-trained hero!  Introducing Xephyr 3.0!

  • Role: [varies by mission]
  • Animal power: Scarab Beetle
  • Weapon: Spectral blaster
  • Special ability: Rolling lunge attack
Xephyr is the type of guy who always strives to be different, just for the heck of it.  His fellow rookie classmates thought when he graduated to full hero status he might choose a shrimp for his 3.0 animal power, or maybe a quail, or sea snail.  It had to be something bizarre, but nobody guessed he'd choose the iconic ancient scarab beetle!  His special attack involves curling up into a ball and thrusting himself forward with an explosive rolling lunge that delivers a tremendous amount of kinetic energy to his target.  He loves disrupting a group of multiple small enemies, treating them like bowling pins.  Strike!
Fun facts:
  • The colors of the translucent pieces on Xephyr's spectral blaster weren't chosen at random.  I spent about 20 minutes trying different combinations and orders to come up with something that would look sufficiently random, yet somewhat balanced.
  • Underneath the 10 or so layers of paint, Xephyr's helmet is actually a medium blue-gray.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Brown Recluse spider

Here's a quick little LEGO Hero Factory creation, the Brown Recluse spider encountered on the planet Quatros.  He's inspired by the Earthly Brown Recluse in looks & personality, but on Quatros they're not considered to be a real problem pest as they're about 2 meters long and thus practically impossible to miss and startle.  A few more details in the video.

Friday, September 16, 2011

All five LEGO Hero Factory "4.0" hero MOC videos!

Folks who have followed along with the past day's blog posts can ignore this one, but if you're finding this through a web search, hello and welcome!  What I've done is put together custom creations based on what I saw in the first leaked preliminary Hero Factory series 4 pictures.  As the new sets will use brand new parts that aren't available, these MOCs are not perfect replicas.  They're just the best I could do, with the parts I have, to give you all a general idea of what these figures could look like based on the prototypes.
Each post has a YouTube video linked to it, and yes, there are only five heroes this time!

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: "Evo 4.0" (series 4)

At last, the series 4 LEGO Hero Factory MOC circle is complete.  This is Evo, one of the smaller heroes (Surge being the other), again based on the leaked preliminary Hero Factory series 4 pictures.  Read the disclaimer or fail :)

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: "Rocka 4.0" (series 4)


This is where things start to get testy with these series 4 LEGO Hero Factory MOCs, because Rocka is one of the heroes who's getting a brand new head mold, and I know a lot of readers get completely blinded as soon as they see the "wrong" head/mask/helmet on a MOC and can't get unstuck from thinking about the original official set that part comes from.  Oh well, I say.  Too bad.  This is my best effort using existing pieces to duplicate the overall look of the upcoming version of Rocka based on the leaked preliminary Hero Factory series 4 pictures.  To get a perfect version, we'll have to wait for the real thing to get released in stores, however many months away that will be!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: "Breez 4.0" (series 4)


Okay, one more LEGO Hero Factory MOC from "series 4," this is the formerly rumored Breez 4.0 based on the first leaked preliminary Hero Factory series 4 pictures.  Probably less accurate than the last two because more important pieces don't exist yet, but that's what the disclaimer in the video is for...

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: "Furno 4.0" (series 4)

This LEGO Hero Factory MOC is of what we thought would be called Furno 4.0 (they dropped the number system though) based on the first leaked preliminary Hero Factory series 4 pictures.  Just a quick little experimentation to see "what if."

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: "Surge 4.0" (series 4)

Here's a quick MOC of what we formerly called Surge 4.0 based on the first leaked preliminary Hero Factory series 4 pictures.  Don't skip over the disclaimer :)  This is just a quick representative build using existing parts I had on hand.

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Lorne 2.0 (Self-MOC)


I made my first self-MOC, Lorne, almost a year ago with a Bionicle theme, actually after Bionicle itself was discontinued for good.  I still have Lorne but have begun slowly disassembling most of my remaining Bionicle MOCs for parts to begin a new push to build more Hero Factory MOCs faster than ever and using Bionicle parts without fear.  Thus, the time came for a Hero Factory themed self-MOC, so here he is now, Lorne 2.0:

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory "4.0" pictures have been released...

The preliminary photos of the upcoming 4th series of Hero Factory heroes (they're not called 4.0!) and villains have been illegally leaked and are spreading around the blogosphere and YouTube like wildfire, with copyright & intellectual property enforcement staff at TLG rightfully following closely and taking down the stolen content wherever they can.  I use strong words like "illegally" and "stolen" to underscore the fact that whoever is leaking these photos is committing a crime and also doing LEGO itself a great disservice by giving competitors previews of products that won't be released for months.  This is bad, very bad, and that's why you won't see me posting the pics nor linking to them.

However, thanks to the many folks who simultaneously linked me to various sources today, I've seen 'em, and I can't unsee 'em, so I'll go ahead and give a very casual written overview of what I saw.  I will not cover every detail as I'm sure everyone reading this either has seen or will see the illegal photos somewhere...

The theme is a jailbreak. Instead of going out & catching criminals & villains this time, our LEGO Hero Factory heroes will be re-capturing at least one main dude and his henchmen.  There was clearly a mandate & memo at TLG to reduce complexity of the Hero Factory series this time around and reuse more molds.  One especially notable exception is a new armor piece that is very round and uses the two-peg attachment system to add on to other armor, creating large knee or shoulder guards.

Heroes
  • There are only five heroes in this series, Breez, Furno, Rocka, Surge, and Evo, the latter two having fewer parts and coming in a smaller canister.
  • All heroes now use white hero cores, with yet another new mold (and possible 2-peg attachment?).
  • Body armor has been reduced to one single piece with abdominal muscle detail and a rounded upper section with a unique print for each hero.  The mold is the same one being used for the Super Heroes line.
  • All heroes now finally have handcuffs (I've been waiting for these!).
  • Each hero has a sphere launcher consisting of one half of an old thornax launcher plus one new piece that looks somewhat like a thinned down version of the large top plate from Mistika Toa Onua's weapon.
  • Breez, Furno, and Surge all use their original 1.0 helmets, which means...
  • Return of Agori/Glatorian heads!  At last, the circle is complete.
  • Rocka remains the front-runner of the series.  His helmet looked like a Star Wars Imperial Darktrooper (SW Galaxy edition) but with an eyepiece.  He bites off Furno 3.0's style with a bow weapon.  He has extra arrows on an ammo belt sort of thing -- same piece that's hooked up to Super Heroes Iron Man's gun.
  • Evo's helmet integrates his 2.0 visor side pieces into a single mold that made him look like a high-ranking samurai commander.  He looked to be the least intricate of the two smaller characters.
  • Surge looked like he gets his 1.0 weapon back and some Breez Green versions of his 2.0 forearms.
  • Furno had all sorts of stuff going on.  Big turbines coming off his shoulders, two large hoses wrapping vertically around him from mid-torso up to the level of his head, spike weapon on his launcher.  Kinda looked like he had some combiner style going on.
  • Breez is back, with 1.0 feet!  I think she actually had three of 'em -- one used on her back, I just saw a hint.  She had ironically bulky shoulders, a nice tall double-bladed weapon and a small flat shield made of random hex shapes.  Oh, and rockets.  On her lower legs.  Tiny ones.
Villains
  • Five Hero Factory heroes now match up against five villains.  Lego has evened the odds, sort of? Kind of?  Heheh.
  • Black Phantom is the new leader.  He is essentially Fire Lord (twin horns & all, though corrupted Quaza spikes this time) with even less armor.  Yes, less, or so it appeared to my eyes. Chew on that, with molar grinds of anger and disappointment.
  • Thornraxx didn't look like a Thornax at all. Heh. His face looked like Stringer 1.0's helmet merged with a Toa Inika foot. With a sphere launcher sticking out. He has a pair of Gorast wings.  Coolest thing about this guy?  He had some turquoise ball & socket pieces!  Also, like Waspix, there are lots of Thornraxxes.  Thornraxxi?
  • Splitface is the new Thunder.  'Nuff said, I think.  He's just gunmetal on one side, red on the other.  Could be inspired by an old Nigerian folk tale about a Loki-like "trickster" deity.
  • Jawblade is JawS inspired, name-wise at least.  He's a shark, with a tail, and a Skirmix-style lower jaw, and a frickin' laser beam on his... back.  Well maybe it's not a laser, but some sort of red (spike) shooter thingy.  Oh, and though he's a shark, he has human-style arms & hands, and uses Furno 1.0 weapons.  So weird.
  • Toxic Reapa looked like a neon green & black merger between Toa Mata Kopaka and Corroder.  I think that pretty much covers it.  He got I think four 3L translucent neon green armor pieces and a pair of green & yellow flame accessories that attach with the 2-peg system.
That's it for the series 4 LEGO Hero Factory dudes.

PS:  Furno (jet turbines work underwater?) vs. Jawblade, Breez vs. Thornraxx, Evo vs. Splitface, Surge vs. Toxic Reapa, Rocka vs. Black Phantom?  Did I get that right?

PPS:  And I cannot and will not publish any links to any copies of the illegal, stolen photos as they are illegal and stolen and LEGO will rightfully take legal action.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

I guess I need to change...

These days every time I release a new LEGO Hero Factory MOC, I get some complaints:
  • Colors
    • If I use more than one or two specific colors, even complementary colors or ones that are very nearby in hue and completely compatible, it's "too many colors"
    • If I use just one or two colors, "meh, too plain"
  • Parts
    • Bionicle parts make them "not Hero Factory"
    • Hero Factory only parts make them "meh, too plain"
  • Theme
    • MOCs made to look like they fit the theme when placed next to official sets are "meh, too plain"
    • Ones made with something a little different from the norm are "wrong" or "don't fit the theme"
  • Symmetry
    • MOCs that aren't 100% symmetrical left to right are "wrong"
I guess it's time for me to make some changes...
NAH! I don't think so!

You see, I'm just not afraid of:
  • Colors
    • I think the idea that everything needs to have just one consistent color, or one color plus black, silver, or white, or one main color and a teeny, tiny bit of another color is insanely limiting.  Just because the official LEGO sets have one main color each, doesn't mean everything in the entire universe needs to have just one color (or one main color and a teeny, tiny bit of another).  Red, orange, and yellow can work together.  Blue, purple, and black go together quite nicely. White, tan, brown, and black can form a theme.  You don't even need to look around at the entire world as a whole to see this.  Just look at other LEGO releases, things outside the limited Hero Factory & Bionicle arenas.  Look at City, Star Wars, or Technic sets.  Tons of colors!  Color is not a bad thing.
  • Parts
    • LEGO parts are nothing but shaped pieces of plastic.  LEGO used lots of Technic pieces in Bionicle.  They've used Bionicle pieces in System and Hero Factory sets.  Why can't I do the same?  These parts aren't "supposed" to be anything.  They're supposed to be used for whatever you want them to be.  Most MOC makers recognize and embrace this philosophy.  A foot can be used as a waist or a shoulder.  A mask can be made into armor.  A head can be a piece of a weapon. Open-mindedness makes life a lot more interesting and exciting.
  • Themes
    • What's wrong with making MOCs that look like they fit in if you stand them next to the official sets?  Conversely, what's wrong with trying something different?  Just because we've only ever seen a handful of "official" Hero Factory characters and themes doesn't mean no others could possibly exist.  One of the main points of everything LEGO does is to encourage imagination and creativity. If Hero Factory was supposed to be an extremely rigid and tiny universe where new things were never created and only the "official" characters and stories were allowed to exist, they would have been made as traditional-style action figures that cannot be disassembled. In fact, LEGO wouldn't have made them at all.
  • Symmetry
    • A lot of cool things in life are symmetrical.  A lot are not.  Symmetry means uniformity.  Too much uniformity makes everything the same.  What if everyone wore the same shoes or cut their hair the same way (parted down the middle, no less).  If all things were required to be symmetrical, there would be no front passenger seat in cars, just a centered driver's seat (driver needs to be next to a door, so no, you couldn't have passenger seats on either side).  Bringing it back specifically to LEGO Hero Factory, the visors of Stormer 2.0 and Surge 2.0 would have been disallowed if everything needed to be symmetrical. Out of all of the heroes of all 3 series so far, only Breez 1.0 would have been truly acceptable as she's the only one who normally uses identical weapons and armor left to right -- in 2.0 form her armor was not symmetrical at all!  Oh no, assymetry in an official set!  If somebody wants to make something symmetrical, let them.  If they want to make something asymmetric, let them!
So to anyone who wants to discourage me or anyone else from enjoying the full breadth of possibilities of LEGO MOC making, don't waste your breath!

Friday, September 9, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Specter 3.0

Specter, the LEGO Hero Factory's first and most popular unofficial official 2.0 series hero, has returned to the scene with new animal power adaptations...

  • Role: [classified]
  • Animal power: Dawnscythe Bat
  • Weapon: Twin retracting uranimite spikes
  • Special ability: Stealth
Never fully understood from the start, Specter has fallen deeper beneath a shroud of mystery with the recent and very rare removal of his official role and mission status from the public record.  It is not known what team he is associated with, nor what the chain of command above him looks like.  We'll have to dig deeper for answers.
Interesting tidbits:
  • Rumors continue to circulate of Specter, Onyx, and several other heroes meeting secretly. Whispers are of a "loss of order" within the Hero Factory.
  • Specter 2.0 earned over 100,000 YouTube video views (and counting) and was the most frequently replicated 2.0 MOC in the official Hero Factory gallery.
  • Specter 3.0 was built in July.

Monday, September 5, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Surge 3.0 version 1


I call this "version 1" of my LEGO Hero Factory Surge 3.0 MOC because I strongly suspect I'll do another version at some point in the future.  The reason?  I don't like this one.  I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate it, but I definitely don't like it.  It took longer to make than any of my previous hero MOCs due to many dozens of experiments with the head and weapon, and it still isn't right.  However, folks have been so persistent in asking for one, I had to do something to stop the demands.

  • Role: Sniper

  • Animal power: Rilovian Blue Fox

  • Weapon: Ion rifle

  • Special ability: Static blast

The spikes on Surge 3.0's back are charge collectors central to his static blast system.  The static blast emits in all directions like an expanding sphere and is effective between one and six meters from him.
Fun facts:
  • Yes, I did try a Gavla mask instead.  While it's better-proportioned (the Vampruh one is obviously oversized), I couldn't get past the relatively blank expression.

  • Did I mention I don't like this MOC?

LEGO Hero Factory 4.0 official set names

The Winter 2011/2012 LEGO Hero Factory "4.0" series sets have names! I'm evidently late to the game on this one, but thanks to Chronos, Lord of Time for the tip, and credit to Mesonak on Eurobricks.com for the finds.
 
Heroes:
Villains:
These do appear to be legitimate, unlike the made-up "pirate" and "underwater" theme farces that circled the 'net many times.  I do expect to see one more hero show up.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Free Hero Factory canister codes

I cleaned up some of my LEGO Hero Factory canisters & extra parts today and have a handful of spare canister top codes I figured I'd share with y'all from duplicate sets.  I don't know if the codes are first-come first-serve, one-time-use-only, or if they're free-for-all, so maybe only one person will be able to use them, maybe multiple.  What's certain is that what's here is here and that's all that is here and all that I have to post, so please don't try to demand more!  Also, if you try one and it doesn't work, then it just doesn't work, and there's nothing I can do to change that.
From 2.0 heroes:
  • 2141-2WR9Z-66

  • 2141-662TA-07

  • 2065-CZUEP-96

  • 2063-3V66A-13

  • 2067-2G2BU-29

From 3.0 heroes:
  • 2145-FW3LF-58

  • 2182-2NF8B-25

  • 2144-F9F87-11

  • 2183-FW6K7-47

LEGO Hero Factory MOCs: Breacher 3.0 & Makk 3.0


A full team of LEGO Hero Factory heroes was trapped in a mountain cave structure on a Savage Planet mission and all contact has been lost.  When there's something in the way of saving lives and it's really large and difficult to penetrate, the Recon Team duo of Breacher & Makk gets the call.  Read on!


Makk 3.0:
  • Role: Demolition/extraction

  • Animal power: Rhino

  • Weapon: Dream Crusher

  • Special ability: Terrain fracture

Makk may be one of the shortest heroes, but he makes up for his height with a hardened frame and optimized hydraulic musculature.  His special attack involves sinking the closed crusher tip-first into the ground at a 45 degree angle in front of him and then opening it at full power.  Unlike typical claw-like devices, the Makk's Dream Crusher is just as strong opening as it is closing.  It will rip the ground apart in front of him, generating a fault-like fracture that extends forward quite some distance.

Breacher 3.0:
  • Role: Hard target specialist

  • Animal power: Lynx

  • Weapon: Focused tri-laser

  • Special ability: Extended sprint

Breacher has always been a heavy weapons user, but he has chosen to take on a path of specialization involving breaching shielded & armored shells of structures & vehicles.  His focused tri-laser uses hypercapacitors and fires at a slow rate at full power.  However, it can also be turned down in power with the emmittance frequency increased, to use it as a cutting torch.  He has a shoulder-mounted targeting device to ensure precision for long-range, full-power shots.  Breacher doesn't like to admit it, but he's quite an accomplished sniper.
Fun facts:
  • Makk's primary weapon/tool is really just a modified "jaws of life" device, but Makk himself named it the Dream Crusher because, well, it crushes things, and it's the crusher he always dreamed of.

  • Breacher likes to call his specialty "can opening."

Saturday, August 27, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Bahrzot 3.0


Alright, I'm just gonna say it.  "It's clobberin' time!"  This Hero Factory brute has a lot in common with Thing from the Fantastic Four.  Big fan of punching through walls and other solid objects.  Headstrong.  Just plain strong. 


  • Role: Demolition

  • Animal power: "Silverback" Gorilla

  • Weapon: Hydraulic megafists

  • Special ability: Concussion blast

Like a Strong Man champion, Bahrzot (first name Krubriq) is one tough son of a gun, and very few things you & I know of can stand in his way for long.  His only notable weakness is a lack of any true ranged attack, though there is a caveat to that -- read on...
Fun facts:
  • Bahrzot aims his megafist augments at each other and fires them simultaneously to generate his trademark spherical concussive blast.  This allows him to knock back enemy mobs.

  • A relatively rarely-used attack option is for Bahrzot to take to one knee and activate his megafists towards the ground at a shallow angle.  This transmits a shockwave through the ground, with a damaging distance of up to 20 yards.  If he does this with his arms spread apart, he can vary the angle of the fists to create two separate shockwaves that cross at a specific point and cause focused damage.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Shameless photo & video thieves of the month


I've made a few posts in the past regarding the petty criminal act of plagiarism (taking other peoples' work and publishing it as your own), but the problem sadly persists.

Thankfully readers like you reported the following LEGO Hero Factory gallery users who had stolen photos of my MOCs of Specter 2.0, The Drone, Blanko 1.9, Ruze 2.0, Alba 2.0, QUADRO, Bulk 2.0, and Stringer 2.0:
  • matthewtom01

  • julianbw

  • josephkeung994

  • rexdraco99

  • m1970arcelo

  • patrirck0079

In addition, user vzrosiedeti on YouTube stole several of my 1.0-series Hero Factory set review videos and re-uploaded them to his own channel.

As of this moment, all of these copied materials have been deleted off the face of the planet by LEGO and YouTube!


As I've stated before, and as should be well-known by everyone, copying other peoples' work is immoral, unethical, and illegal.  It is bad.  Do not do it.  You will get caught.  You will be punished.  You will be shamed.

To everyone who reported these criminals, I thank you soundly, and encourage you to continue your vigilance!  When you see that someone has been wronged, you should say something about it to the people who are affected and/or those who can do something about it.  Together, we will at least keep the LEGO world clean and honest, so we can spend most of our time having fun with our sets and/or making MOCs!

Update:  Added one more to the list, patrirck0079!

PS:  I want to be clear that making a LEGO creation that looks like someone else's is not wrong or bad.  I welcome anyone at any time to duplicate any of my MOCs if you so please, without asking permission.  That's fair game, just don't try to take credit for creating the original design.  In other words, give credit where credit is due, just like you'd want me to do if I copied one of your MOCs.  It would be messed up if I copied your work and posted it like I came up with the idea, right?  What the folks listed above did wrong was to actually copy my own photographs that I took with my camera, and use them as their own, and in some cases they added insult to injury by even coming up with new names & backstories.

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Avenn 3.0


The latest rockin' LEGO Hero Factory hero to join the Savage Planet missions is Avenn 3.0.
  • Role: Frontline soldier

  • Animal power: Golden Eagle

  • Weapon: Minimine cannons

  • Special ability: Flight



Avenn is bad to the bone with the personality of an untouchable superhero -- cocky, yet somehow cool at the same time.  His twin mini-mine cannons can be used for direct suppressive fire or to lay traps for moving enemies.  Avenn is not one to let a villain flee.  He'll take flight and lay a calculated, perilous path with his mines, corralling his enemy into a situation from which it cannot escape.  Avenn doesn't take prisoners, and he doesn't take "no" for an answer.
Frequently asked questions:
  • Q: Why is the head not just mounted in the normal spot place?

    • A1:  Because I liked it like this :)

    • A2:  I needed to move the head upward just slightly -- no more, no less.  In the standard position it's just too low and made it look like the neck was squished while limiting turning side to side.

  • Q: Why is the helmet color not matched to the other gold parts?

    • A1:  Because I liked it like this :)

    • A2:  No, really, that's why.

  • Q: Can Avenn shoot while flying?

    • A: Very much so.  He has wrists, not to mention that while in flight he can still bend his arms however he likes for a couple seconds while in a glide.  Flap, flap, turn & look, shoot, extend, flap, flap...

Monday, August 22, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Quaza Snake


The latest LEGO Hero Factory villain training module gives an overview of the Quaza Snake.  The curiously double-headed Quaza Snake has been encountered on the planet Quatros during the Savage Planet missions, but it is reported to have been spotted on other planets as well.

Friday, August 19, 2011

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Breez 3.0


Many have us have wondered where Breez went after the 3.0 upgrade, but the fact is, she didn't go anywhere.  We just haven't seen her.  Or heard her.
  • Role: Special Ops

  • Animal power: Green Mamba

  • Weapon: "Venom" EMP blaster

  • Special ability: Silent movement

Recognized for extraordinary courage and cunning in battle, Breez has been put on "Special Ops" duty for the Savage Planet missions, taking direction straight from the upper echelon at the Hero Factory and engaging in dangerous secret missions.
Fun fact:
  • Breez actually aborted her own first Savage Planet mission just seconds before landing on Quatros about a mile from the Alpha Team.  She immediately realized that to be an effective combattant, she needed a blade weapon to complement her assigned "Venom" blaster.  She returned with the large curved blade she now always deploys with.  It is used primarily for clearing thick foliage when she is escaping at the end of a mission, though she occasionally uses it for defensive purposes.