To be clear, Hukara, Bane of the Dunes has been heavily analyzed and discussed by both fans and detractors in the last several hours since its official unveiling. In order to give a boost to the popularity of the project, I’ve received permission from the fantastic heads of the team behind Bionicle Legacy. Bear in mind that while this isn’t an official LEGO set, it is not in any way a creation of mine as I am simply the reviewer. If you are a moderator, please move this topic if it is improperly categorized.
As a side note, I lacked a pair of dark orange 4M CCBS shells and a single silver HF pin-addon element. I substituted a pair of flame yellowish-orange shells and a gunmetal version of the pin-addon.
After getting all that jargon out of the way, Hukara is tired of waiting and is excited to take the limelight.
Yes, Hukara. You are gorgeous.
The first thing that jumps out to me about Hukara is that it’s detailed in an insane way. The amount of greebling on this guy would be pretty minor if it were a system set, but the jagged spines of the pin add-ons on the legs and the bohrok eyes really create a nice aesthetic that complements the “desert monster” feel.
The thing is, the following angle is very close to the angle at which the BLP folks advertise this set at, and honestly, it’s pretty much it’s worst angle. I can definitely understand what the designers were going for; they wanted to show it in a dynamic pose that highlighted the head and the shell, but the final frame looks a lot like a thrown-together stack of parts.
This shot right here really accentuates the squat, turtle-like nature of the set, which is justified considering the intention to represent a shelled reptile.
As a note, the use of this pin-addon as the face of the creature doesn’t really work; several smaller pieces would have likely worked better here. At a total of 136 pieces, Hukara could stand to make use of a couple more to add to the realism of the creature.
Hukara makes use of a bulky but effective custom gearbox, which fits smoothly into the aesthetics of the set as a whole.
So, my list of “Pros” goes as follows.
- Creative and Unconventional Design
- Custom Gearbox Included
- Solid and Clear Color Distribution
- Engaging and Complex Build
And the Cons…
- Gear Functions Holds No Friction
- Strange Head Design is Lacking
- Quite a Few Spikes (Possibly Too Many)
- Legally Not Buyable
That, my friends, concludes my review of “Hukara, Bane of the Dunes”! Please enjoy.
-Azani
