[BIONICLE Canon Contest #1: The First] - Toa Helryx: Prototype Toa

[Sokoda]

Hi it’s me again!

I initially didn’t plan to enter in the contest, because I am normally more of a system MOCist, but after seeing all the cool entries, I wanted to give it a shot and try something very different.

So here is my Helryx MOC:

My main idea behind the build of this MOC is to really focus on Helryx being the first Toa.
My version of Helryx is very much designed to look like a prototype for other Toa. That’s why I purposefully tried to build her very incomplete and technical looking. Which I thought this would be fitting for her description in the story:

“She was not Makuta, but she was indescribably ancient and disturbingly frail in appearance. Her mask and armor were pitted and scarred from a thousand battles. She looked like a Toa, but her armor and mask design didn’t resemble anything Takanuva had ever seen before.”
— Narrator, Swamp of Secrets

I used a lot of smaller technic and system pieces, so I could build very frail and gappy limbs and a very hollow torso.
By using these pieces I also wanted to achieve an armor design, that Takanuva definitely couldn’t have seen before.
I incorporated many gears and even some open pins to give her a very experimental/unfinished machine look.

I also tried to combine design elements from the Great Spirit Robot with a human skeleton, to kind of symbolize her being made by the same creators of the GSR, while not being as sophisticated and also to reinforce the frail/thin appearance.

Action poses:

Detailed look from all sides:

While all the renders you see here are completely digital, all the pieces used exist in the shown colors! (except for the mask of cause)

I also built the model using real parts to test if it is buildable and stabile and it worked out pretty well.

Warning terrible color sceme!

So for all the people concerned about building the models, this one is buildable!

Which brings us to the breakdown images:

Expand for Breakdown images

This model uses Gavlas fantastic Mask of Psychometry that can be found here:

Mask of Psychometry by Galva

I also used the Bionicle parts pack for Stud.io that can be found here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/bioniclelego/comments/fdzf5h/bionicle_missing_studio_parts_incomplete/

If you want to build this model my Stud.io file is linked here:

Toa Helryx Prototype Toa - Canon Contests Sokoda.io

Ok, I think that should be it. I hope I got everything right !

I’m really excited to hear some opinions on this MOC, because I think it is quite different and I’m not sure if people will like that, so please let me know what you think!

Sokoda

[NOTaHFfan]

Loving the esthetic of this one! very robotic, almost Terminator-like
Fits for the first Toa look

[TheMOCingbird]

The figure is definitely bare bones looking, though my favorite part would have to be the cute little mace and shield.

[TichePotato]

This is definitely the best mace so far. Too many are polearms, and end up lacking the brutal simplicity of the mace that I feel ties so well into Helyrx’s character.

However, I don’t think the MOC comes together as a whole. As you said, you’re much more used to System, and it’s evident here. While a lot of the elements of the build work very well, they don’t flow as a singular set in the way your builds typically do.

[Timeline15]

This is one of very few entries I’ve seen that tries to go for the “frail” look without ending up looking incomplete or weak. She still looks capable of putting up a good fight, despite her skeletal build.

[Sokoda]

@NOTaHFfan Hasta la vist Rahkshi!

@TheMOCingbird Thanks

@TichePotato

While a lot of the elements of the build work very well, they don’t flow as a singular set in the way your builds typically do.

I can see that, it was a bit intentional, I wasn’t really going for a very smooth or visually pleasing design and I was expecting that people might not like that.

@Timeline15 yeah that’s what makes Helryx MOCs a bit hard imo. She’s this super tough warrior, but all her descriptions say she is very weak and frail looking, so tackeling that wasn’t easy

[Leoxander]

Look at that, blue pins work.

[HIMEROSY]

I’m really glad you entered Sokoda, this is among the strongest entries without a doubt!

[Tarkur]

This looks cool as a moc of helryx!

I like how well you’ve used system and technic to get the shaping on it. The weapons looks neat too.

However do I think it fits in canon well no, I think other rendition for the competition works better but please don’t take this as your moc is bad because it isn’t, because you’ve got mad skills in moccing and this is part off the proof for that, I just personally feel it works better as a stand alone take on the character.

//Tarkur

[Sokoda]

Completely understand that it looks quite different to most Bionicle characters. As I wrote above, I initailly didn’t plan to enter, but when I decided to do, I wanted to build something that is very unique, I expected to get very different opinions on this Helryx version, but I wanted to see what people think.

[HeadsintheLethe]

Great work, as always, I like how you used more system pieces than most constraction sets, it turned out really well.

[PohatuNuva]

Very nice job, among the best ones so far

[Monopoly]

Okay, this is it. This is my favourite entry so far. Even if it doesn’t win, I might try building it anyway. She’s frail, but she’s not a stick figure, it still looks like she can fight. The mace is easily the best one made for this contest, and the shield is definitely great as well. The use of system enhances her build, as system pieces would be unrecognisable to Takanuva. The torso looks like a classic Mata torso with the side supports and centre column, too.

Great job.

[Sokoda]

Thanks so much! Your comment captures a lot of my intentions behind this build, so I’m happy they show in the model.

[LukasExemplar]

This is by far the best entry.

[Sokoda]

Thank you. Sadly it’s already voted out

[HelMask]

I got a real sense of epic prototype toa here. That Torso especially really feels like it could very well belong to Helryx! The level of detail is honestly quite amazing and does indeed pull off that sense of frailty for me. I can’t help but be reminded of the robot from the old creator set#4099 (of which a life size model was built and displayed at DTD back in the day along with the life sized Tahu mata sculpture made of system parts.) Because of that, this really feels even more naturally connected to OG Bionicle for me:) And fantastic choice of Mask!

Edit* Just realized “prototype” was already in the title. GGs

[Toa_Radrix]

I would’ve definitely had this instead of Hoseryx.

[socalbricks]

You definitely nailed the “robotic prototype” look - great work!

[Sokoda]

Thank you!