Metru Build Revamps

[Avaru]

I know, I’m 8 days too late for Metru March and all, but I thought, given that the Hagah canon contests are coming up I’d revamp the Metru build to go along with all my other MOC’s.

Toa Metru

Starting off with the OG Metru builds, the Toa Metru. The main difference is that I made them taller and slightly wider, in addition to longer arms. They’re a bit awkward but that’s the best I could come up with to capture the original look. I also gave them their Miramax colour schemes because I thought that would make them stand out more.

Toa Hagah

Just Norik and Iruini here since the contests for the other four haven’t started yet and whatever I post will probably get de-canonised quickly. I do have the others further down, however.
For the gear function, I used a pin/axle connector to hold the axle in place. The idea wasn’t originally mine, and I don’t remember who originally came up with it.

Lhikan

Seeing as I had the Metru and Hagah done, I decided to add Lhikan for completion’s sake. There’s not really much else to say here

Toa without Canon Appearances
Here are some Metru builds which have yet to have their canon contests. Note that I will NOT be entering these versions into the contests, seeing as they’re too big and the arm connectors are custom.

The remaining four Toa Hagah

Nidhiki and Tuyet

Varian

Height Comparison

Here’s Vakama compared to his original set form and my Tahu revamp (the average height of an Avaru-verse Toa). Here’s a full listing of heights:
Whenua: Tahu-3
Vakama, Onewa, Matau: Tahu-1
Nokama, Nuju, Lhikan, Norik, Pouks: Same as Tahu
Everyone else: Tahu+1

Credits:
Biopack by SwampKryakwa & Lehvak Nuva
Custom part packs by VootCaboot, Galva & KhingK
Colorpack by SwampKryakwa
Backgrounds by Vahkiti

[TheJerminator]

What’s going on here?

What’s that gray piece?

---

With that out of the way, though, these all look pretty good. I really like those Hagah; if you standardized the build to qualify, I would absolutely vote for those.

My only real critique is that the long thigh pieces don’t really work with the rest of the proportions. They make the legs look too skinny.

[Avaru]

@TheJerminator

What’s that gray piece?

That’s a custom part I made to give the shoulders more articulation. Basically a mixel socket attached to a 3L axle.

@TheJerminator

I really like those Hagah; if you standardized the build to qualify, I would absolutely vote for those.

As it happens I do have standardised builds for them as well. Once the contests are up I’ll enter them.

@TheJerminator

My only real critique is that the long thigh pieces don’t really work with the rest of the proportions. They make the legs look too skinny.

Now that you mention it, I can kinda see it. The goal of these revamps was to make them taller while retaining the Metru aesthetic, maybe there’s a better way to do that in the leg department, idk.

[TheJerminator]

@Avaru

Basically a mixel socket attached to a 3L axle.

This would be the perfect piece. Except maybe just 2L, to match the shoulder spacing of the original sets.

Basically this:

Except with a slightly larger socket.

Honestly, with all the new molds Lego has been cranking out in the last few years, I’m surprised this never came up. Especially since there’s an axle-to-ball connector, so you’d think there would be an axle-to-socket connector.

[Pakari]

I like the attempts (I really enjoy the custom chest piece), but for me the proportions are just wacky.

The height comparison really gets me. The originals are just really nicely compact and, aside from their non-existent necks, have the best proportions of any G1 Bionicle set.

In comparison, the shoulder design of these revamps is really obvious and thin and wide, and the shaping on the torso just isn’t right.

The posing does a lot for some of these images, though. I actually kind of like the Hagah here, and Nokama and Nuju look really good in the line-up. And I do like the added color to a lot of the Metru, something they desperately need and the movie designs improved.

But yea, the shoulders and the torso don’t really do it for me.

[Avaru]

That’s a fair assessment, they do rely quite a bit on posing to look good. Unfortunately it was rather difficult to get the Metru build to scale with my other MOC’s while retaining their functions, and it took several attempts to get something that looks remotely decent. Maybe I just need to keep trying more things, or maybe I’m setting out to do the impossible.

[TheChronicler]

A very ambitious project! I am impressed to see it turn out so well! I think that the metru-torso is very easy to slap a Bohrok shield over and call it ‘modded.’ So thanks for going the extra mile to spruce up these builds!

I was staring at Norik and Iruini for a bit before I realized there was anything different about them! These ride a very fine line between the OG metru build and something more complex. I like the Toa Hagah a lot, though I don’t think green works for Bomonga. Kualus and Pouks look fire! If only there were legitimate pieces made in those colors!! The masks on the Hagah are really good and mesh with Norik and Iruini’s masks well. The new chest addition looks decent too, but it makes the Metru toa look just a little too beefy in my opinion. The torso seems a little elongated on some of them, too.

I feel like that came off as more critical than I wanted. These really are good, I hope that you take suggestions and improve these designs further.

[Toa-of-Snow]

Yeah, there’s definitely some weird proportions going on here. It’s perhaps most noticeable in Onewa, who looks a bit awkward. I think it’s the fact that the “torso” is stretched and everything else is roughly normal.

That aside, I do very much like the Miramax colour schemes, the new torso piece itself, and the “original” character designs. Nobody’s actually commented on the very nice quality of artwork/render that you’ve put together, either, and it looks great for all the characters - can’t imagine that was without effort…

[Avaru]

@TheChronicler

These ride a very fine line between the OG metru build and something more complex.

That’s pretty much what I was going for with these builds. They scale with my other MOC’s but still look like Metru builds.

@TheChronicler

I like the Toa Hagah a lot, though I don’t think green works for Bomonga.

Well, I thought there were a lot of Bomongas with gunmetal armour so I wanted mine to stand out a bit, and thought green would be a good fit since earth is often associated with that colour. It’s all completely subjective though, and doesn’t work for everyone.

@TheChronicler

The masks on the Hagah are really good and mesh with Norik and Iruini’s masks well.

I thought Nikila’s mask would be a good fit since she is a “past hero”, plus I didn’t want KhingK’s and Galva’s Helryx masks to go to waste. That said, the likelihood they’ll have those masks in canon is pretty low, since even if I do win the contest the masks will more than likely be changed in the art contest.

@Toa-of-Snow

Yeah, there’s definitely some weird proportions going on here. It’s perhaps most noticeable in Onewa, who looks a bit awkward. I think it’s the fact that the “torso” is stretched and everything else is roughly normal.

I was trying to pose Onewa based on the original artwork for the Toa Metru, so he does look a bit awkward here. As a matter of fact the legs are stretched out more than the torso (the torso is only 1 unit taller on each of them, legs are 2 units taller), but the extra greebling makes it look otherwise.

@Toa-of-Snow

Nobody’s actually commented on the very nice quality of artwork/render that you’ve put together, either, and it looks great for all the characters - can’t imagine that was without effort…

It was more time-consuming than anything, though it did take some effort to get the poses right.

[Tarkur]

I don’t really like these, the proportions feel weird and just in generally feel overly detailed.

[Avaru]

Well, I guess I can say this attempt didn’t go down too well. Maybe making a custom torso out of a torso that wasn’t meant to be customised was never going to work in the first place. I might have a look at some other Metru revamps to get some inspiration because there’s definitely some stuff in there that does work, it’s just let down by the awkward torso design.

Edit: been doing a bit of experimenting and came up with this. Wondering if it’s any better than what I originally came up with.

[Pylonmadness]

I’m fairly certain if you built that in real life the arms would fall off. I don’t think those mixle joints or however you spell it is going to be strong enough for posing or stability. Still, good stuff

[TheJerminator]

@Pylonmadness

I’m fairly certain if you built that in real life the arms would fall off.

In what way?

@Pylonmadness

I don’t think those mixle joints or however you spell it is going to be strong enough for posing or stability.

They might not be able to hold up a Cordak Blaster, but they’re more than capable of holding the weight of an arm with a basic weapon.

[Atobe_Brick]

@Pylonmadness @TheJerminator

I don’t think that the arms would fall off, but they’d probably flop around a lot.

[Winger]

@Pylonmadness

I’m fairly certain if you built that in real life the arms would fall off.

@Atobe_Brick

but they’d probably flop around a lot.

nope, I doubt it. Mixel joints are crazy strong.

@Avaru for whatever it’s worth I quite like these as a soft revamp, although the grey necks cause the proportion issue to be exacerbated.

[Avaru]

Thanks, but they’re just not up to my usual standard. At the moment the screenshot I posted in a comment is the best I’ve got so I’ll probably just use that version if I ever do any group shots or vignettes with them. That said, I’ve got a Makuta OC coming up so hopefully that will redeem me somewhat.

[Eilrach]

The legs are a bit long, pretty good presides that

[Voxovan]

Why are they all wearing diapers?

[Avaru]

Just as I thought I’d finally put this topic to rest I get a comment like this. Well, at least I can now laugh at how badly I messed up if nothing else.

[Jathru_Cranli]

Messed up?
Far from it, I say!
These MOCs are quite creative, and the Mixel joints are a very fascinating innovation the likes of which I don’t think I’ve seen done anywhere else; and on top of that, you’ve got some great-looking renders to boot!

You’ve done a good job in my book.