Time for a change? A BIG change?

In 2010, Bionicle was discontinued, and Hero Factory was launched.  I was sad for the loss of an old stalwart, but happy to see that I'd be able to use my mountain of parts towards a fresh new use with a lot of future potential.  I happily adapted and hopped on the new bandwagon.

Now, it's still 2010, and second series of Hero Factory sets have been fully unveiled.  These, for better or worse, are vastly more different from even the earlier-in-the-year series than the first HF sets were from Bionicle before them.  Suddenly, a great portion of my mountain of parts is looking quite lonely and behind the times.  I'm not so sure I'll be adapting this time.  Instead, I'm very, very seriously considering making a very, very different move within the LEGO omniverse. 

What do you think, should I do it?  Should I pull the trigger?

LEGO Hero Factory 2011: FINAL sets

Photos of the final, production Lego Hero Factory 2011 sets featuring the 2.0 heroes and the fire villains are here at last.  They hit the Interwebs just a few days ago, and here are a couple full-res collages (click to enlarge)...

LEGO Hero Factory 2011 Heroes

LEGO Hero Factory 2011 Villains

If you just want to see the individual sets quickly, here are the originals:

Hero Factory 2011: Breez 2.0

Hero Factory 2011: Evo 2.0

Hero Factory 2011: Furno 2.0

Hero Factory 2011: Nex 2.0

Hero Factory 2011: Stormer 2.0

Hero Factory 2011: Surge 2.0

I've previously given my thoughts on the 2011 Hero Factory sets based on the leaked pre-production images, and now that I've seen the finals, I have to say, my opinions haven't changed much.  I'm happy to see that the villains have been cleaned up in terms of colors & textures, so they worry me less.  With the heroes, though, I still hope to see another evolution in 2012 (if the series is continued, and the world doesn't end).  I'm also a bit sad that I won't be able to use Bionicle masks to make "fitting" Hero Factory MOCs in the new generation, but that's just a selfish thing since I have about a solid cubic foot of masks in waiting. 

Now for the big wait for the release to market!

LEGO Bionicle MOC: Lorne, Self-MOC

My latest, arguably Bionicle-themed creation is Lorne, my first ever "self-MOC."  For this creation I had minimal inspiration.  I only knew for certain that I wanted it to be tall and not too thick & bulky.  Oh, and I wanted to use some sort of translucent color.  Since I had already made good use of orange in my Shadowed Vengeance MOC, I went ahead with the opposite side of the color wheel.

Lorne is an intergalactic law enforcement agent.  Imagine the most elite member of Interpol, in a universe of which Bionicle is only a small part.  He travels, a lot!  He may have only one hand, but who needs two when you're equipped with a MARC-12?  That's a Macro-Atomic Re-Configurator device, 12th production series.  It briefly suspends ionic & covalent bonds in its target and changes the arrangement of all atoms in any object to create something new.  The device is always used in a non-lethal way per agency policy, usually to disable key components of criminals' weapons or getaway vehicles.

This MOC was built over the course of about 4 weeks with a lot of gaps between building sessions.  For around two weeks of that time it was standing on the coffee table all complete except for the feet.  I had some temporary duds on it but wanted to make something custom.  I attempted to start several designs but kept hitting a brick wall.  Late one recent evening, I sat down with a good mood and some good music blaring out of the computer, and it suddenly all went together!  Here's his little unveiling video:

LEGO Hero Factory GIVEAWAY!

** WIN Stormer or Xplode! **

I'm very happy today to be able to offer a giveaway of two complete LEGO Hero Factory figures, the hero Preston Stormer and the villain Xplode.  It's not a contest -- there will be no judging.  It's free to enter and the two winners will be picked at random.  Interested?  Here you go:

Learn more & Enter Now!

Best of luck to everyone!

Have fun...

Zeyek enters the LEGO Hero Factory universe!

My full transition from Bionicle MOC-maker to Hero Factory devotee becomes still more complete today with the bold move of the Zeyek chronicler character from Bionicle: Untold to the HF universe.  In this video I unveil Zeyek's voice for the very first time, and see my very first elementary (i.e. terrible) attempt at stop motion...



Zeyek leaves Bionicle, joins the Hero Factory universe!

My transition to the world of Lego Hero Factory becomes still more complete today with the bold move of the Zeyek chronicler character into the HF universe.  In this video you get to hear Zeyek's voice for the very first time, and see my very first elementary (i.e. terrible) attempt at stop motion...



[Blogger's note:  See my new creations on my unofficial LEGO Hero Factory MOCs blog and also follow my YouTube videos!]

A new chapter...



[Blogger's note:  See my new creations on my unofficial LEGO Hero Factory MOCs blog and also follow my YouTube videos!]

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Tylus

Tylus is a member of the Hero Factory's low-key Target Deprecation Squad.  Every now & then a foe is identified that is too dangerous to capture or too hazardous to deactivate disassemble.  That's when TDS gets the assignment.  Their specialty is neutralizing threats, permanently and irreparably.  The inner edges of his weapon ionize when it fires, helping to focus and intensify the emitted laser beam.  This dangerous tool can bore six inches (deep) per second into hardened steel, and there is not a single material Hero Factory researchers have been unable to melt through in tests.

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Bergyon

In response to increasingly difficult challenges as well as an unsettling number of near losses during call responses over the past year, Hero Factory researchers have been hard at work developing and testing a larger, stronger generation of heroes.  One offspring of these efforts is Bergyon, a "version 1.5" hero who has undergone significant simulation testing and gradual upgrades. 

In addition to a larger size than previous heroes and numerous hardware and software upgrades, Bergeon has been paired with an experimental weapon developed specifically for his frame, the Graviton Concussion Blaster.  This is a ranged weapon that charges and releases a pulse of graviton particles along concentric sinusoidial paths.  In layman's terms, they spread out at first, but eventually converge back into a single space.  The weapon includes a sensitive rangefinder that determines the distance to the target, and sets the graviton convergance to occur in the correct location.  Bergyon himself can offset this convergance, causing it to form either in front of or behind the target.  Wherever this convergence happens, the localized spike of gravitational pull affects the target in a most dramatic fashion.  It's sort of like being hit by a ton of bricks, except instead of being pushed, you're pulled.  Bergyon can also adjust the strength of the weapon's effect by dialing the graviton output up or down.

Information gleaned from work with Bergyon is being fed into the so-called "Hero Factory 2.0" program which is scheduled to begin full production and field tests first thing next year.

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Greed

Before you stands a true super-villain -- in his own mind, at least.  "Greed," as he calls himself (he refuses to let on about his real name), is a short, bumbling, fumbling nuisance who serves little purpose in the Hero Factory universe other than to provide comic relief when he enters the scene.  With his unbelievably tiny legs, he can actually run...

...but not far at all before he's completely winded...

...which is why he commissioned this glorified rust-bucket, er, I mean, "Chariot of Greed"...

It features not one, but two fearsome meteor blasters, though each is equipped with a completely inert meteor shell, which he had plated with (imitation) gold.  They're purely for looks, as he'd never shoot them.  On the back of the vehicle he carries his great collection of rare loot. 

It's all discarded, old Bionicle stuff that he scavenged from abandoned historic venues, after everyone else had moved on. Rumor has it, he hasn't been successful at acquiring any new "loot" since Bionicle was discontinued. 

If you ever see Greed, avoid eye contact.  Don't ever make the mistake of getting sucked into conversation with him.  He'll go on for hours about his imaginary adventures and glorious battles.  What a dolt.