2004’s Toa Metru and Vahki combiners were the best
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do we really need instructions for that?
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It could confuse the kiddies.
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I always liked the Shadowed One, though that third leg confused me a bit because I didn’t know if it was a leg or a tail when I first saw it. Then again, I was a smol child.
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I made a Mukau I refuse to call it Mata Nui Cow because the name implies that there are “cows” outside of Mata Nui
Aside from the black pins sticking out from its arms and rear it’s pretty cool
However its gear function perplexes me.
See, its front arms are hooked up to a regular large back gear like any Toa Mata. But as you can see in the pic, they have you attach a Mata head to its back, and it brushes up against the gear…
This causes the function to be “ratcheted” in a way. The gear grinds against the head when turning it, giving it some friction. I guess that’s practical…but the function itself is pretty ridiculous in practice. I don’t see it as “walking” because what kind of animal walks using only its front legs? The only logical purpose for the function that I can think of is that it can stand on its hind legs and punch Matoran?
As you can see it can hold a pose mid-function, that’s cool. The natural spacing between the gears does lend itself to some issues when standing him on all fours, as the front legs will wobble a bit. If I were to redesign it, I would only gear one arm, so it would look like it’s stomping on the ground ready to charge like a bull.
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Yesterday I decided to build the Tarakava Nui, as it’s one of the very few combiners I’ve never made, and it’s surprisingly big!
The punching mechanism is very creative, as it’s nothing like the Tarakava’s, but unfortunately it doesn’t have that much force to it.
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Thanks for reviving the topic for me (Tarakava Nui looks so weird btw)! I’ve been wanting to share my thoughts on some other combiners I had for a while!
First up are the Ghekula and the Dikapi (yes all of them have “wrong” colours, but I don’t care). I think it’s pretty obvious what they’re supposed to represent; a frog/toad and an emu of sorts. I like how the Dikapi uses the yellow brain-stalk to represent a beak. I also find it pretty comical how large the Ghekula is…
…large enough to devour the Dikapi I imagine! 
Yes, they surprisingly have functions; simple yet effective ones at that. Push up on the spike attached to the Ghekula’s side, and his lower jaw extends downward like Pacman. It’ll snap right back when you let go due to a rubber band around it.
As for the Dikapi…eh. You move one of the geared “wings” down and the head swivels around. It’s alright, but hard to work with due to the lack of friction.
I also want to look at my favourite 2004 combiner; the Kraawa. When I first saw it, I didn’t think it would look as good as the Krahli, with all the gaps and awkward limbs but once I built it, I fell in love with it! I think the designers took inspiration from a brachiosaurus or a giraffe, as one can tell with the long neck and quadrupedal stance.
Speaking of the neck, turn the knob on the back, and it tips downwards, as if its feeding on some shrubs or drinking some water.
Of course, if it wanted to reach leaves from a tall tree (or perhaps intimidate a predator), it can rear up on its hind legs with surprising ease [insert jurassic park music here]. I admit, it’s not perfect, but i’m impressed with the overall unique look.
Finally, I’d like to review a 2005 combiner that I just recently built; the Chute Lurker. Looks a lot better in person than in the promotional pics i’d say. It’s basically a Visorak centaur…nothing much else to say
One issue I have is how top heavy it is due to the head slouched forward, making posing a bit of a hassle, with the skinny front legs constantly giving out as a result of the weight. (It fell over 4 times while trying to get it in this walking pose)!
It’s pretty solid overall though. Better than the two-headed Gate Guardian combi, which i’ve also built, but shortly took apart to build this instead. So it you’re bored with your old Visorak sets such that you’re just stuffing them to the edge of your display like @Altair is doing here, build this nifty guy.
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No problem! [quote=“Rockho, post:112, topic:9609”]
Tarakava Nui looks so weird btw
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It’s a lot better in person. The head looks great in my opinion, and the tread part on the bottom is very solid design-wise. The only thing that bothers me is the fact that the middle section and the shoulders look very unfinished, and there are plenty of leftover parts that could have been used to make the model look more complete.
Expect some pictures of the Mana Ko, Exo Raptor, and some more (including Kardas!) in the future, as I’m planning to build them too.
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The Kabaya stuff is 100% official. Their just multi packs. The same original sets.
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What did you guys think of the Doomarak combiner?
You know, this thing:
I never bothered to build it due to how lazy the execution felt, using UtD as a base frame and leaving way too many leftover parts to feel like an actual combiner.
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it’s a weird, ugly and wabbly combiner that shouldnt have been made
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This topic is really helpful! I’ve been planning to put together the Shadowed One for a while now, as soon as I can get my hands on a Roodaka set. Now I’m seriously considering making a Mukau as well, the thing’s adorable.
Edit: I just did it. I bought a Pohatu and a Gali off of eBay. I’ve never even owned a set from before 2003, and now I’ve gone and bought two of the classic Toa Mata, just to get my hands on a freaking cow. Something’s wrong with me.
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Arent the toa mata from 2001 tho?
Look again…
Oh, thought it said “I’ve never had a set from 2003 before”
Stupid me,
Not really Bionicle but I still love the Roboriders combiners, the idea of using canister lids for wheels is just so sick.
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And here I present you
The Mana Ko
Continuing my quest to build every Bionicle combiner I’ve never made, I decided to make this creature because it looked really nice in the instructions. In reality it’s sort of underwhelming since it doesn’t have that much going on, but I appreciate how big and bulky it is, thanks to the use of the two huge manas frames.
I haven’t tried to use the motors though because one of them seems to be suffering a bit from aging and stuff.
@thundermaster612 It’s big enough to feel like a serious challenge for one Kaita.
Here’s the Mana Ko compared to Tahu
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How big is it next to the Kaita or just the Toa Mata in general?
Looks alright…but the way the midsection attaches to the bottom is so awkward
It’s just a gaping hole in its stomach
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Well what would happen to you if you were trapped at the bottom of a cave for ages after being thrown off the edge by 2 giants formed from 6 Toa? He’s had nothing to eat down there.
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