Okay, this came about due to a number of factors; partially due to the location and pivotal moment factor in Wafflemeister’s Fight for the Mask Fragment Set Concept, partially due to me finally looking through the Episode 1 Script, and my own designs for the Firespitters.
Now, the title is important for a couple of reasons; one, this is very much a concept, and it is very rough around the edges. The second is the name of the Firespitters; in the story bible, I could be wrong, but they are also called “Vako” in one passage. Me being me, I prefer more exotic names to English names, which is why I’ve been nudging for the name Graalok rather than Ash Bear for example, so I quickly took a liking to the name Vako (despite them being bovine Rahi in G1).
EDIT: The cast suggested removing the wall section entirely, so I’ll likely do some research into some similar sets if I can find them, and update this accordingly.
Updated set with the wall removed, and the more complex build for the Vako.
The piece count comes to just over 200, about the same as The Water Dragon Adventure, which is around $20 US I believe?
There’s also this version, which uses the cast’s consensus on the Vako with a simple body, but a Mixel tail. While it isn’t one piece, LEGO could potentially make a single piece mold. Regardless, the piece count of this version is exactly 200.
And a version that removes the fire pit and adds in a second Vako with an altered colour scheme.
I was hesitant about this; on one hand, I’m very fond of the original colour scheme, and the only reason that I think this one works is because of the juxtaposition with the first one. I was drawing inspiration from the Rathtar Escape set for that. Piece count is 249.
The set includes three minifigures at current; Narmoto and two Mangaian soldiers, in addition to a single Firespitter/Vako.
My Firespitter/Vako model is also in Oomatu’s Rahi thread, but I’ll add some stuff here. I have a sneaking suspicion, given my flip through the script, that the Firespitter model is larger than the cast’s ideas for them, which caused me some issues.
EDIT: There’s a few things that I think that I may need to clarify regarding the Firespitter model, @Jon, hopefully this clears up any confusion over it. I’ll also input all of my design notes from Oomatu’s thread.
It does indeed use the Lava Beast colours; the shells and the lower jaw are in transparent brown, as LEGO calls it. The jaw pieces and torso pieces are from the extraordinarily old (2002 I think) Dinosaur sets; this one was the Mosasaur, Dimetrodon, Iguanadon, Postasuchus alternate model. The design overall was also inspired by the design from the Epochal Fragment.
The torso is not a single piece; this entire Firespitter model is actually 78 pieces. It combines the six-piece torso with lengthening to give a proper place for the legs; the jaw actually covers the original shoulder joint. This is why the hind limbs are attached to a balljoint on an axle; they are threaded through the torso joint, while the front limbs just have a basic balljoint brick.
The cast did suggest that there could be some more detail in the torso, and the construction definitely leaves room for detail to be added, and they suggested that a Mixel-jointed tail could be an option. I’ll play around with the same torso and a different tail, and a more detailed torso and the different tail sometime.
EDIT: Altered body.
Altered tail, based on Elves Dragons of all things.
Altered body and tail.
Note that there are some SPOILERS for the scripts here, so if you aren’t keen on that, avoid the below.
The Firespitters ambush Narmoto and his soldiers by dropping from stalactites, and I included a stalactite or two in this model that is far smaller than the Vako (I’m just going to start calling my model of the Firespitter “Vako” and the cast’s concepts, aka, the proper and technically superior, “Firespitters”). Later Set Concepts will likely overhaul this.
At current, the set includes two sections of the wall that can be blasted aside (indicated by the orange strips), in addition to a fire pit that one of the soldiers falls into.
Having gone over it, I’m thinking that a next concept would have a more “tower-like” structure, so I could potentially have the Vako hang from the ceiling. I did entertain the idea of a smaller model, but I’m very fond of this version.
So yeah, hope you enjoy my schizophrenic ramblings.
