Review: 70787 Tahu Master of Fire
Posted by Huw,
Five years after being killed off and replaced by the less-than-stellar HERO Factory theme, Bionicle is back in the shops! Some of you will be overjoyed and I suspect others of you couldn't care less.
I wouldn't say I'm a big Bionicle fan but I do have quite a lot of the early ones and almost every red one so I thought I'd buy the new red Toa yesterday to get a feel for what the rebooted theme is like, plus of course to ensure we cover as diverse a range of products in our reviews as possible here at Brickset.
The first thing that's apparent is that they come in boxes, not canisters or bags which will almost certainly be down to cost. The box is not square, it's a squashed hexagonal shape which makes it look good on the shelf but because there are no right-angled corners on the sides, plus the fact it's made from flimsy cardboard, it squashes far too easily.
I won't pretend to know anything about the new Bionicle back-story but it seems that the adversaries the first year of the reboot are 4-legged spider-y like creatures. The cool thing about them is that the body is a mask and can be clipped to a Toa's head, like the face-huggers from a certain science-fiction film franchise.
Tahu comes with his traditional lava surfboard and a couple of gold swords.
The swords can be stashed on his back and the surfboard split into two to form far more impressive weapons.
There is gearing in the body to swing the arms to and fro' using the yellow gear at the back.
The shoulder pads look absolutely awful and, if you compare how they look below with the image on the box above, they look nothing like they do in it. A Beam A 3M Ball/Cup Ø 10.2 has been used to raise them off the shoulder joint and as a result they stand too tall and greatly spoil the look of the Toa.
It's easily remedied, though. If the connectors are removed and a small gap made between the two balls on the axle they can be clipped to the inner ball. I suspect this restricts arm movement and poseability slightly but it's not significant. This looks to be how they are connected in the box image.
I aslo don't like the superfluous ball joints behind the chest plate. These are there because a standard Beam Torso 7X9 Ball Ø10.2 has been used for the bottom half of the body and neck but not for the arms.
I won't comment on the parts because I don't know enough about the CCBS (Character and Creature Building System) but luckily the inventory has been published today so you can see for yourself what parts come in the set and if you want more information you can read aanchir's excellent write-up at New Elementary.
However, the head is worth a mention. Unlike older Bionicle masks, these new ones are held in place by a tab on either side that push-fits onto the head. The trans-blue part rotates on the axle and when the back is pushed down the mask is ejected. This is obviously a play feature but I found it a bit annoying because every time I picked the model up I seemed to knock it resulting in the mask being ejected.
The surf board is pretty cool although I don't think the parts are new, I'm sure they were used in old Bionicle sets. The flames are pretty common, too.
In addition to the red mask the set also contains an identical shape mask in gold.
Verdict
Of the dozen or so sets I bought yesterday this was the first one I built because I was curious to see how Bionicle had been rebooted. However I can't say I'm that impressed, certainly not enough to go out and buy any more. I don't really like the CCBS, it's too far removed from the core LEGO building experience in my opinion, and I certainly don't like the shoulder pads on this particular model.
I have no doubt, though, that they will sell like hot cakes and be well received by a new legion of fans who were too young to have the originals. From an AFOL point of view though, if you're already a fan you'll love them, but I can't see them winning over many who are not.
One thing I particularly liked about the old Bionicle era was that every year would bring something new in terms of parts and part of the appeal of them to me was seeing how they evolved. I fear that the use of CCBS will limit innovation, particularly of 'core body parts' and thus limit the appeal of future sets, so it will be interesting to see what LEGO does to keep the theme fresh and exciting.
Update
As you'll see below, there is a lot of discussion about the shoulder pads. I've checked I've built the model properly (I have) and have positioned them as best as is possible in the picture below. I don't like the trans orange end sticking up so much although I concede that when the arms are horizontal-ish as they are in the box image they are not so noticeable and thus conclude that the model probably is photographed with the additional joint parts in place.
The instructions show them how I originally photographed them:
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44 comments on this article
I'm getting this set, hopefully it comes soon. :P
I don't like the cartboard box, but i think i'm gonna buy the set!
They enemies are, at the moment "Skull Spiders". It is interesting to note that they can cling to a Toa like the Krana of old. It is also interesting to note the Bionicle is starting right back of where it began: Swinging arms and knock-offable Masks. I wonder how long before they change that...
I believe the shoulder pads are designed to be angled down, so that they mesh better with Tahu's arms.
Actually, those swords haven't been used in Bionicle before, though something similar was done for Toa Lhikan.
Just wondering- is the gear system any good? It seems like there's a lot of weight at the ends of his hands.
Funnily enough, it was the ice-themed sets that most drew my eye, back when Bionicle first appeared.
The gear system is fine and the arms stay in place. It uses two 8t gears, one of which is affixed with a friction pin thus preventing the arms from swinging back to their natural position.
The shoulder pads don't angle down particularly well, I did try.
Funny that, of all the reviews I've read of this set, I never noticed the shoulder construction discrepancy between box and finished product, so thanks for pointing that out.
Despite your thoughts, I like these sets, but CCBS is here to stay. The introduction of a new gearbox to fit CCBS frames is quite an innovation for the building style in my opinion, but I think for Bionicle to really make use of CCBS, it could do with some new shells as the current ones have been used since the style's inception in 2011. The piston add-on pieces try to replicate the old Bionicle exposed piston style.
Oh, and the "four-legged spidery things" are known as Skull Spiders and the silver blades that make up the surfboard are certainly new, though they do look slightly similar to "surfboard" blades used in past Bionicle sets.
Just some thoughts :o)
Well, that's certainly more than can be said for every other constraction set LEGO has made before. :)
Hmm, that is problematic...
Here are some more pictures showing the extent of the shoulder pad movement:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brickset/15551737994/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brickset/15554321263/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brickset/16173351472/
As you can see, there's not much...
Nice review. Will definitely get this one, as I want to display it. :-) The bright red really makes it jump off the shelf, doesn't it?
Huw, perhaps you (or other Brickset Staff) could review these, please:
60068: City: Robber's Swamp Hideout
60069: City: Swamp Police Station
71008: Collectable Minifigures: Series 13
76028: DC Superheroes: Darkseid Invasion
Mixels Series 4
These reviews would be much appreciated, as currently, I am debating whether I should buy them or not. It's fine if you can't review them all, but a one or two of these would be nice. :-)
@NBJ2002 - I have got 76028 Darkseid Invasion covered and you can expect a review in a few days time. When the Series 4 Mixels become available I am sure we will be reviewing those too.
For the time being though we have our first Star Wars review coming this evening.
Ohhhhh, yeayuuhhh!! I'm in the 'overjoyed' category, and thanks for reviewing this set. :-D Even though you obviously hold no interest in BIONICLE, you still made the set sound amazing. (I suppose that's what LEGO commissions you for, though. :-P)
Absolutely positively going to get this and the others!
^ I'm glad about that, I didn't think I came across too positively about it, to be honest!
Huw, is it possible that something is not attached correctly at the shoulder? I looked at the review of this set at EuroBricks with several frontal pictures, and the gold shoulder armor looks much more flush with the arm, even in hanging position. Here is the link: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=102218
Well it wouldn't be the first time I've not built something properly before photographing it but on this occasion I think it's right.
In the first picture at the link above, it does look like the box image but lower down near the end, this image https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7577/15705425756_d9e96f5cd9_b.jpg shows them like mine. If the gold end is flush with the arm the trans-orange bit sticks up.
I've added an update to the article with a new image.
I really love this set, although it seems like you clearly don't.
It all screams BIONICLE to me, even with the CCBS. I even rather like the new type of box! Granted, when I got some of the sets from Target on Monday, the guy got them right out of the package LEGO sent, so it was in great condition. Of course, not good enough to keep the set inside!
Great review, although I do disagree.
"Facehugger" without "-".
Huw, thanks so much for the update! That picture you just added to the updated section makes Tahu look so much better! I started to get worried. ;)
I picked up Kopaka today, i had all the original wave of Bionicle so was curious to see if there was any nostalgia value for me...
No.
It's nothing against the new set, all the changes they've made are improvements as far as I can see. I'd sooner have another bionicle over a technic set, but to be honest I think for me personally these will be mech parts packs if they hit good discount.
Interestingly I found the shoulders on Kopaka similarly odd like Huw's Tahu, they are either positioned way up high or get in the way of the arms.
I'm glad it's not just me then!
This is far too hero factory for me. To me the original bionicle looked so much better , but this is ok I guess. Just not what I wanted...
Ah well , I wasn't gonna buy any unless they made those rahkshi things again.
Personally I like it. It takes the CCBS and does a better job than HF/Chima could. What would I wish for? Getting rid of using CCBS for the core-torso area and bringing back a gearbox of sorts. That'd be the best thing in my opinion.
Eh , I guess maybe if I had it I may like it better than I do from the pictures. In any case , it seems they're going back to the roots. Infected masks and gears that knock their masks off.. Hehe
Add that to the fact theyre fighting bugs again. Although , really crappy bugs (seriously , why couldn't we get another generation of larger bugs like in the original?). But the large skull spider looks really good.
Glad you took the time to review this set! I know you're not much of a BIONICLE fan so I appreciate that you gave one of these sets a chance. Your photos are beautiful, though the pic of Tahu on the surfboard could have been improved with more of an "action pose" so it would look more like he was actually surfing.
I am a bit disappointed by the packaging for these largest three Toa sets, which do in fact squash easily and have a hard time balancing. The small and medium-sized sets don't have this problem to nearly the same extent. It's mostly just the largest three Toa whose packages probably ought to have been made of thicker cardboard.
I do have to say the package shape and art is very striking! I'm glad we now have a package design that can collapse flat, as I likely have all the plastic canisters I'll ever need and am still struggling to come up with a permanent storage solution for them! But I will miss the foil pouches of the Hero Factory and Legends of Chima constraction sets, which were sturdy, flashy, and reusable even after you collapse them flat. I imagine the switch to cardboard packaging may have been done for environmental reasons, but the Hero Factory pouches still stand out to me as some of the most practical LEGO packaging of all time, and it's a real shame if we've seen the last of them.
The surfboard pieces actually ARE new parts, although they are similar to the ones in 8811. I think the shoulder armor looks much better when you fold it down over the arms, like you showed in the update. I don't mind the Tr. Flu. Reddish-Orange bits sticking up, as I think it adds to the build's energy and makes its silhouette more interesting.
Funnily enough, you made no mention of what I think this model's greatest weakness is — the lack of armor on the back of the legs. It's an easy fix — just attach some the same way as in 70788 Kopaka — but I suppose that for this particular set that would have been over-budget on account of this set having so many larger shells and shell detail pieces (plus the extra friction joints in his ankles, which I don't think are cheap).
Personally, I'm a huge fan of the CCBS. To me, it's MORE like classic LEGO building than the older BIONICLE parts were, in that it has a system of basic shells and beams in modular sizes instead of every shell or beam being specialized for a specific look or function. I don't think it will limit innovation considerably — just look at the difference between 70787 and 70789. Plus, the new Toa and Protectors are much more complex by piece count than classic BIONICLE Toa and villagers ever were. The simplicity of the parts is balanced out by the complexity and variety of the builds.
There's even one new BIONICLE set — 70790 Lord of Skull Spiders — which uses CCBS sparingly and is otherwise almost a purely Technic building experience, just like how the classic BIONICLE Rahi sets used BIONICLE-specific parts sparingly and relied mostly on basic Technic. It has the same recommended age range as the larger Toa sets, so it's not as though the designers think more advanced Technic building is beyond the capabilities of the new generation of BIONICLE fans.
In general, I'm thrilled with the new BIONICLE reboot, and I'm sure we'll see the sets continue to advance in the years to come!
@CapnRex101: Thanks! Really looking forward to these. :-D
I purchased all of the new Bionicle sets in a LEGO store yesterday and have already built them all. Personally, I, and many of my friends found Tahu to actually be the worst set of the line. As for the best set (which I hope to see you guys review *hint, hint*), I would have to award the honor to 70790 Lord of Skull Spiders, which not only has more Technic DNA than Bionicle DNA, but has actually more functionality/playability than just moving the arms. Not only that, but it is actually quite useful to Technic builders as a parts pack, as it introduces many new 2015 Technic parts, some of which (presumably) cannot be found in other sets, currently.
Hero Factory I don't think "killed off" BIONICLE; unless I'm mistaken, it was only made after the decision to axe BIONICLE was put forward, correct?
I'm glad that you decided to give Bionicle a chance unlike so many in the AFOL who are ready to denounce it as trash without consideration. It is a shame that you didn't like this set, but as a few have said that's probably because you got one of the worse of the wave.
I also agree with Aanchir that CCBS is less of a restriction then you make it out to be. It has been delivering plenty of good-looking sets since 2011 and its system of bones>shells>armor makes it far more in-depth and easy to work with then previous Bionicle parts. One of my favorite things about CCBS is that because the parts are so general they can be manipulated in many ways to create different looks- compare this set with a bulky action-hero look to 70786 which uses many of the same parts to create a slim mermaid-esque look.
Thanks everyone for your comments, especially @aanchir. Interesting that you think this is the worst of the new sets, but it's probably the one that'll sell the most: the red ones always seem to be the first to run out in the shops.
I certainly intend to get the spider lord when I next see it.
Tahu's not my favorite of the new sets either. His wide shoulders and thin upper legs make him feel a bit awkward and gangly, though I appreciate that the designers made him the tallest of the six Toa, and that they gave him a very attack-oriented design in contrast with Kopaka's more defensive design.
My favorite of the Toa is Gali. She's shorter than Tahu (25 modules tall instead of 27), and has fewer of the armor detail pieces, but her feminine physique still feels more substantial to me than Tahu in many respects. Despite using smaller armor shells for much of her design, her more compact size means these shells provide more substantial coverage.
I'm sure Tahu will have no trouble selling, though. Red sets tend to fly off the shells, and the gold will add even greater appeal. Also, Tahu is in many respects the "poster child" for BIONICLE, so he carries a lot of nostalgia for old-school fans.
@Aanchir: That last paragraph in your latest comment sums up my thoughts exactly. :-)
Am I the only person who doesn't have a clue what CCBS stands for?
Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences
or could be The Character and Creature Building System
^ Thank you. I thought I had a paragraph in the review explaining what it was but I must have edited it out.
For those who are interested, there's a great explanation of what the CCBS is right here: http://s3images.coroflot.com/user_files/individual_files/original_568856_rfzfzs5uwktim9y2dzkgrm96i.jpg
Source: http://www.coroflot.com/christophroettjer/LEGO-character-n-creature-building-system
Basically, it's the building system that's been used for all constraction (buildable action figure) sets since 2011 when it was first introduced. It was invented by Christoffer Raundahl, a long-time BIONICLE designer and design manager who created some of the very first BIONICLE sets, Christoph Røttjer, a designer who joined the BIONICLE team towards the end of that theme's life, and Cerim Manovi, who is now the design manager for the rebooted BIONICLE theme.
CCBS is an evolution of the Technic-based ball-and-socket elements used for previous constraction sets in themes like Slizer/Throwbots, BIONICLE, Hero Factory, and Ben 10. It was intended to create a standardized system of basic shells and beams to be the foundation of constraction building, the way basic pins and beams are for Technic building or basic bricks and plates are for System building.
Previous constraction sets generally used more specialized beams and shells that had no "basic" equivalent, and often needed different parts for different applications. With the CCBS, though, you can attach pretty much any shell to pretty much any beam in pretty much any configuration. Just as one example, this Tahu set uses the same shell pieces for his leg as for his torso, and the same shell for his shoulders as for his forearms.
I was going to buy one or two for nostalgia's sake, until I saw the $20 price tag.
Not a chance.
I was skeptical, even after seeing the new sets at NYCC during their panel. Let me say that I was very pleasantly surprised after building Tahu and Kopaka. As a matter of fact I ran out and bought the remaining Toa today. This is one reboot that hasn't failed to capture the essence of the original Toa Mata. I suggest that people give them a go.
Is it too nitpicking to dislike this because the Lower legs are as wide as the entire torso? I just hatehateHATE that. Probably why I won't ever buy these , despite noting in my LEGO world's lore that the bionicle were never truly destroyed...
What I should do is scrounge up parts to make a custom one and say that's the leader the whole time and holy crap he's back.
Pohatu was my favorite so... yeah that's it
Pohatu looks to be a much better model. I still maintain that none of these hold any appeal for me. The rahkshi were always the ones I wished I could time warp back and get , and that's what I wanted to get this year. Plus the other side is that I liked the older style of these guys better...
I have to say Onua is probably the best built set despite the fact he is the only one with stickers that I am aware of.
I was at the Comic Con event (Thanks Brickset!) and the only complaint we all had was the face the masks come off is awesome, and the bad spider guys (which I forgot to grab one) can go on, but the thing is too sensitive and come soft too often. Not sure how the designers / creators didn't address that before hand. They are all so wonderful and amazing people!
And the surfboard is new. LEGO let us build one and keep it. I made my gal (the azure blue figure) have about 4-6 of them.
@DexBloxOne: Kopaka has stickers on his thighs as well.
I seriously have no clue what makes Bionicles good and Hero Factory "less-than-stellar". They all look the same to me.
Tahu is better than another year of Hero Factory