LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Rocka 2.0 Replica Edition

My first Rocka 2.0 MOC received a lot of criticism in spite of my copious disclaimers and repeated explanation that I had simply put together real LEGO Hero Factory parts that actually exist in real life to the best of my ability in a best effort to approximate the official CG version of the character.

Well, that's all behind me now, because the new Rocka 2.0 Replica Edition does it all better, coming much closer to a proper, accurate rendition by cutting, painting, and combining different parts.  Check it out...

• Video - LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Rocka 2.0 Replica Edition

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Pilox

This LEGO Hero Factory villain training module briefly covers the Pilox, an 8-legged, spider-like scavenger/hunter native to the planet Quatros.  The Heroes will encounter both corrupted and free-spirited Pilox during the Savage Planet missions.

• Video - LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Pilox

Read on for the full transcript of the narration...

Hello, hero, and welcome to the villain training module for the Pilox.

Contrary to common belief, the Pilox are not spiders, but rather spider-like creatures known as a Harvesters. They are both scavengers and hunters. Essentially they roam endlessly and devour anything that either moves or ever moved.

With their long legs and adhesive feet, Pilox can traverse any terrain except open water, and they are capable of sprinting forward at great speeds, though they lack the stamina to run for long distances.

If you are certified and equipped to battle a Pilox, maintain constant movement in a roughly circular pattern around the creature and disable its legs one by one.  If you are not certified, seek cover in a small space and simply wait for it to leave.

This concludes this villain training module. 

New LEGOJANG Facebook fan page

I don't know how many of you use Facebook or would have any interest in following me there, but I figured it'd be worth finding out!  Come on over to the new page, say "hello," hit "Like," and share some photos of your own MOCs if you like!

• LEGOJANG on Facebook

To be honest and let you know up front & in advance, since I have five YouTube channels with almost 800 videos getting commented on, and I also run a forum with over 25,000 members & 1 million posts, I won't be able to give any more personal attention on Facebook than I do on my LEGO YouTube channel or in comments here.  There's just not enough time in the day and in order to reply to more comments & messages, I'd have to do less videos & other stuff!  I do promise, however, to do my best to at least read every single post & look at every photo.  If a fair number of folks Like & follow the Facebook page, I'll definitely do some exclusive things there on occasion and I'll sometimes post things there first before the blog and before making anything public on YouTube!

To kick things off, there's a post on the Facebook page mentioning a new MOC I haven't posted about anywhere else, and I'm giving folks an opportunity to make some guesses about the character in advance of the full unveiling, which I'll also do there on Facebook!

Have fun :)

Update:  The page now has a shortcut address, http://www.facebook.com/LEGOJANG

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Trachylomid

In this LEGO Hero Factory villain training module, we learn of the Trachylomid, a 4-legged, arguably insectlike water-striding carnivore native to the planet Quatros.

• Video - LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Trachylomid

Read on for the full transcript of the narration...

Hello, hero, and welcome to the villain training module for the Trachylomid.
Trachylomids are medium-sized carnivores native to the planet Quatros. They are water striders, able to skim across any moderately still pool or small lake with ease thanks to their broad, microfillament-covered feet and surprisingly lightweight carapace.  Though the body is fairly long and wide, it is deceptively thin.

Trachylomids hunt by way of ambush. They lurk, perfectly still, close to the edge of the water, generally amongst aquatic plants or any overhanging foliage that can provide partial disguise.  Their eyes normally glow brightly, but to avoid giving away their position, they deactivate their own sight and rely upon highly sensitive vibration sensors in their tail-mounted fin, which can also be used to provide forward thrust when they attack.

If you are equipped and certified to battle Trachylomids, disrupt the water surface around then to cause them to lose footing and lose effective mobility.  This will allow you to safely attack.  If you are not certified, you should avoid foliage-lined waterways altogether.

This concludes this villain training module.

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Quaza Ant

My first Lego Hero Factory Savage Planet villain MOC to be published (not the first to be built by any means) is a Quaza Elemental, specifically a Quaza Ant.  Details in the video:

• LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Quaza Ant

Read on for a transcript of the narration...

Hello, hero, and welcome to the villain training module for the Quaza Ant.

Quaza ants were invented by Aldous Witch in his quest for total power and control. They are Quaza elementals, meaning their construction consists almost entirely of a covalent Quazine polymer, and their behavior is defined entirely by the direct influence of the Witch Doctor himself. Quaza ants are swift and possess an astonishingly acute sense of smell, though they lack the gift of sight. They are tireless at tracking down their prey and attack with their powerful pinching & slicing mandibles.

Oh, beware, Quaza ants are not small. The harmless larval form, shown here, measures nearly 40 centimeters in length. Fully-developed, these creatures have been known to surpass ten meters.

If you are equipped and certified to battle Quaza ants, you may engage them with ranged weaponry. Focus on the thorax, the section of the body at the base of the legs. If you are not certified, attempt to flee through dense foliage or narrow rock passages. Quaza ants are excellent at climbing, but can't seem to figure out how to progress through openings smaller than their own overall width.

This concludes this villain training mo-modu-module.

LEGO Hero Factory how-to: Witch Doctor head as a hero helmet

Last time I showed a way to use Fangz and Scorpio/Waspix heads as hero helmets, and this time I have a way to do it with Witch Doctor's head.  I hope this gets you thinking!

LEGO Hero Factory how-to: Villain heads on 3.0 heroes

You asked for it, here it is.  My how-to showing the technique I used to affix Fangz and Waspix / Scorpio heads to my Boravus 3.0 and Lennick 3.0 MOCs.  Savage Planet villain heads as Hero Factory hero helmets may look pretty good, but the technique itself ain't good at all!  Works for display, but not play.  Good enough for photos, overview videos and basic stop motions, but not for regular use.

Now ya know!

(My) Witch Doctor is Dead!

When I get new LEGO Hero Factory sets in, I open them on camera, build them on camera, and then generally take them all apart for MOC-making as soon as the videos are done.  Rocka XL was the last of the heroes to fall this way, and now, the final Savage Planet holdout, the Witch Doctor himself, has been torn apart.  Literally. 

I won't be Witch-less for long, though.  I'm completing an epic Witch Doctor MOC on an extreme new scale!  I figure I have the extra parts, so I might as well use them.  The toughest thing will be keeping this as true to LEGO's basic Hero Factory building system as possible, like I'm doing with all of my HF MOCs now, avoiding the temptation to build from scratch with Bionicle & other Technic pieces.  This will be a challenge I haven't seen undertaken by anyone else as yet, so wish me luck!

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: QiJi 3.0

QiJi 3.0 is a true traditionalist, a breed that is slowly fading away from prominence at the LEGO Hero Factory.  Her fighting style involves melee attacks almost exclusively, with the only exception being a defensive concussion blast her shield is able to emit to help separate multiple enemies.  She switches between multiple distinct forms of martial arts as needed to match the threats she faces.

• Role: Brawler
• Animal power: Sabertooth Cat
• Weapon: Modified Kwan Dao
• Special ability: Shield Blast

It is said that Qiji has studied directly under "an old friend and rival" of Mr. Makuro.

• Video - LEGO Hero Factory MOC: QiJi 3.0

Fun facts:

• QiJi's video is an homage to two eras of Chinese martial arts film making -- the early 1970s and the 1990s.
• My last 4 MOCs, this one included, were all made at the same time, over the span of about 30 minutes one random evening.

LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Onyx 3.0

Onyx 3.0 is the worst enemy of any organized, confident group of villains, as he brings mass amounts of disorder and uncertainty.  This LEGO Hero Factory warrior strikes deep behind enemy lines with devastating speed, precision, and power.

• Role: Interdictor
• Weapon: Voulge/phase trident combo
• Animal power: Jaervian Wolverine
• Special ability: Daytime stealth

Onyx is intensely stoic and speaks only when absolutely necessary, with the fewest words possible.  When he stands, he stands perfectly still.  When he moves, he moves slowly and deliberately, and yet there are times when he can seem to disappear in the blink of an eye.  Details of his armor and weaponry are classified, but fellow heroes have been able to determine that the trident end of his double-sided polearm uses experimental phase resonance technology.  It is possible that his armor does as well, explaining his ability to seemingly vanish into thin air.

• Video - LEGO Hero Factory MOC: Onyx 3.0

Interesting tidbits:

• It is rumored that Onyx has regular secret meetings with Specter.  There was once a mention of something being "out of order" within the Hero Factory.
• Ironically, Onyx does no nighttime missions.
• Onyx and Stringer have never spoken to one another.
• Every single piece used on the Onyx 3.0 model is fully black.
• "Onyx is heavyweight, and still undisputed!"  - Google it