As many of you may be aware, I’ve done what I can to participate in contests where BIONICLE prizes are concerned. Of course, I’m not very talented in the ways of MOCing. However, I’ve managed to churn out a few MOCs in a simple attempt to be victorious.
These MOCs are named very ironically. I call them the “MOCs of Victory”. If I win, then the name is self-fulfilling. If I lose, then everyone can laugh at them, and laughing is good so that makes me happy.
My most recent attempt was to win BZPower’s The Legend Continues contest. Their polls are up now, and I appreciate any support. Please look through all the entries and vote for who you believe is deserving and which you prefer most, there are a ton of fantastic entries that deserve it.
I will say, however, that out of all my previous Victory MOCs, I am most proud of this one. I feel it came out the best and I really put the parts to good use.
With all that said and done, I present to you… Mask Maker’s Return. The Golden Pieces of Victory’s final form.
The concept I was going for was Makuta returning to the real world to fight the Toa, but looking closer to his actual Mask Maker form. This is him re-materializing through a portal, growing in energy as it swirls around him.
I don’t think the shadow pillar is gappy as much as it doesn’t flow well, it suddenly narrows down into gold armor then narrows down again into the black armor before becoming the upper chest. Which looks very nice
From what I can see, there are only two really “obvious” blue pins, so I’d say that’s certainly better than how my mocs usually turn out. Looks good overall. My only complaints are that the shadow pillar is too small looking and that the arms are really thin compared to the body. Good luck!
I enjoy the concept behind this: a spirit materializing from another realm. The CCBS bones are worked in a way that effectively pulls of the illusion of pulsating energy. Working upwards, the lower portion of the MOC feels a little off regarding its shaping. It starts by growing larger and larger, but the moment the first section of gold is reached, the smaller size abruptly breaks this flow. I do enjoy the outcome of the upper section though; how concisely it flows from shoulder to shoulder. Some more trans purple would’ve been a nice touch, making Makuta look like he’s just radiating with a sort of divine energy. Otherwise this is fairly decent.
The way you shaped the trans-purple CCBS to swirl around him really gives the feel of him still in the process of materializing, and the MOC itself has a really nice general feel to it. Besides what you’ve already pointed out, probably the main flaws are the lack of armour under his arms, a case of skipping arm day one too many times, and an overabundance of gold in my opinion.
And on a second note, actually seeing a MOC by a cast member is a bit of a surprise, good work though!
I quite like it. The overall concept of a materializing being is creative and I think you have achieved it here, especially with the trans purple “energy” parts. I like your part usage, especially with the oversized gold chest pieces on the front and back of the MOC.
I don’t think the blue pins detract from the MOC because they are barely visible, but if it does bug you, you could always use some old black ones (if you have any) depending on the types of blue pins used here.
I only have two critiques. I don’t think the Makuta’s solid body flows well into his energy spirit form. It’s hard to tell from some of the posing, but it appears as though there is a sudden transition between the two parts of Makuta. Also, I think the arms are a little thin compared to the bulky torso of the MOC, but that is a pretty minor thing.
Overall, I think this is a well-executed MOC for its part usage and the concept behind it.
I really like this thing. I’d describe as “beautifully simplistic” because the overall frame is pretty standard fare, barring the shadow pillar, but you were able to achieve some fresh and unique elements which help it stand out from the other creations you’ve made in the past. What really makes it work, though, is the concept, which is something that nobody else has done quite in this way. Not giving him legs, but rather having him manifest his body out of this pillar creates such a fresh aesthetic design, and the way the colors blend and flow together is pretty top-notch.
So, that being said, as far as the positives go, I’d say the pillar, the color scheme, the concept, and the torso design are all really strong attributes. The only thing I still don’t really feel is the arms, but I do appreciate how you worked to give them some added level of bulk and cover up some gaps that could have been present otherwise. It’s that extra bit of polish which does save the arms from being cookie-cutter.
Great work, and best of luck; I hope to face off against you in the finals (maybe).
That is an excellent observation I hadn’t noticed while building. Thank you!
Yeah, Meso had mentioned the thin arms while I was working on this. The tires were my attempts at trying to beef them up a bit, but I ended up finishing it hastily and not really exploring further options.
That was partially what I was going for with the arms, and kind of why he doesn’t have actual hands. I didn’t even think to use the armor pieces from Onua Uniter, for some reason or another.
I can totally understand this issue with this. My goal was to try and reference his smaller Mask Maker form which is primarily gold, as the Makuta we got didn’t resemble it at all.
I hope so as well, man.
Yeah, I was a bit hasty with the creation. I only spent a few days on it, and really only limited myself to pieces I didn’t have on sets. The only exception to that were the tires and the fingers. I’m sure if I had actually thought to use more, it may have come out better.
This is the easiest description for this MOC, unfortunately. It’s rather well done, but… Done about a hundred times already as well.
The arms, chest, and waist are pretty lackluster, so I’ll focus more on the base and the ‘shadow pillar’ instead. The small amount of detailing you did to break up the slabs of shadow pillar that were already there helps a ton to the overall aesthetic.
One thing that I think is really bad about that section is the ridged back portion which completely kills the flow of the whole thing. The bumpy CCBS joints ruin the appearance of the shadow pillar almost entirely. Not sure if only CCBS is a contest requirement but I don’t really care.
What the heck what do you mean poor lighting your lighting is glorious I envy your beautiful lighting
This perplexes me, actually. I didn’t have any frame of reference, and I don’t recall any MOCs recently with this same concept. Not saying there aren’t, just that I haven’t seen them before.
Oh hey, looks like this
Is the easiest description for that critique.
But in all seriousness, CCBS wasn’t a mandatory requirement. I was just insistent on using these pieces once again to try and win… Again.
The pillar is most definitely the best part of the MOC, although some tendrils would make it look better. The upper part is meh, the arms look pretty weak and not well built, and the long neck doesn’t look too good. I’m not sure about the shoulders, I like them but there’s something about them that I can’t put my finger on. Overall, it’s a pretty decent MOC.
