First: I decided to finally make Irutra taller, so he got new legs. I tried to keep them very similar to the old ones, though. Currently wondering if I should go for custom arms, too (but I hate building custom arms…) and the current ones kinda work…
Also made the wings bigger to go with the increased size. Gonna update his topic once I’m satisfied and have taken proper pictures. @ToaPanda
Second: A first version of Xoth’s legs in all their Mata blue glory. I know the original uses mostly light blue, but Mata blue is a) what I have more of, currently, and b) what I think looks better in combination with black as a main colour. @Willess12
Will probably be the last WIP update, too. Since I took the pictures I completed the torso, so presently he’s just missing lower arms and a cloak/cape now.
The neck is slightly too long, but since the Great Rau has those extensions downward it has to be for proper articulation. The cloak will probably help a bit in covering the neck up.
Don’t expect the MOC to be finished very soon, though - I’ll need to get some black Exo-Force robot arms for the fingers from bricklink first…
EDIT: Ok, Xoth now is pretty much finished, just needs a cloak/cape and fingers
So I started on the next Makuta: @Timeline15’s Erdorn
Turned out a little bulkier than I planned… on the left is teh properly coloured leg, the one on the right I’ll first have to get the proper pieces for.
Actually I have to say that I LOVE the look of the upper legs from the front. The Vahki head looks so nice as a knee and the texture also works great with the Piraka armor and Visorak foot.
From the side it also looks well enough:
But I can’t change that if I want to keep the Vahki head.
So here’s my question for all of you:
Keep the Vahki head and limit good looking poseability or redo the upper legs?
Personally I’m inclined to leave it as it is, since in a proper pose it does look really nice - and one good pose is basically all I need for display purposes. Still I’m not sure…
I must admit, I don’t much like the original Xoth now that I’m looking back on it – I’ve learned much since I made that moc – but I have too much blue tied up in other Mocs to make a project-worthy revamp. Anyway, my point is, as far as the colours go, I prefer mine, being more blue-dominant, but this is a significantly better MOC as far as the build goes. Only think I can complain on is that the knees look a little odd, though I’m not sure what could be done about that, and that the light blue is too infrequent, though I imagine that’s changed since the Torso was finished.
As for Erlorn:
I agree, the legs look really good, I’d leave it as is. You still have the hips and ankles for poses, and a little at the back knee.
I’d replace the axle connectors on the toes with pins, though, to get rid of the blue – I ordinarily don’t care too much about blue pins, but having so many of them in one spot sticks out a bit, moreso than just one.
Inclined to keep the arms simple - meaning custom upper arms but those Metru legs for lower arms. Haven’t forgotten the tail - just need to get the right parts first. Plan on building it the way I did the tail of my Clif Drake MOC - even if that will eat up balljoints like crazy.
Not sure if I should give him actual weapons…
Also I could add some trans green (the old trans green, though), but am not sure if I should. There’s not really much room to add it. I could also replace teh Mahri cables with green ones, but if I don’t add other green that would look out of place… Opinions regarding the neccessity of adding more colour?
You know, I’m a little ashamed for not thinking of that myself… Huge thanks for pointing that out - took the picture before I read your comment, but I changed the toes and also the blue pins on the shoulder pads now.
Actually they’re surprisingly sturdy - I seem to have picked the right ball socket pieces.
Yeah, it’s not perfect, but the use of those wheels was the best I could come up with. Still it works in my opinion, so I’ll probably leave it as it is.
Actually the only thing else I made light blue are the elbows… It’s kinda the tertiary colour after black and Mata blue. I feel like the ditribution works, though - knees, hips, neck, elbows. Although it is of course FAR less than on the original (due of lack of parts) which is unfortunate. On the other hand since I use the great Rau this change of colour is maybe justified a bit.
Love what you’ve done with the legs, not sure about the rest though. The torso’s fine, but having everything covered by default Inika chest armour makes it look rather basic, and entirely black. (I like the shoulder pads though). The hands look cool. Can’t really judge the upper arms until you’ve built them. Have you given him a spiked back of some sort?
Regarding this, since his occupation is a warrior, and because my original version has a giant cannon in place of his lower right arm, I feel like you should give him a weapon of some kind. Weaponry is kind of his thing.
On this point, my original version was supposed to give the feel that antidermis was being piped around his armour, which was what all the trans green was for. But if you don’t have enough trans green pieces to do that aesthetic justice in your mind, then by all means leave the trans green out.
You know, now that you mention it… I was so proud of finally finding a use for one - I have far too many of those things and usually they’re good for nothing… Still it kinda works here in my opinion so I probably won’t change it.
Note to myself: Next time look at all original MOC pictures and not just the front view…
Well, if you say so then I’ll have to come up with something. I’m personally not a big fan of cannons, but maybe a cannon arm might work… Any other suggestions? I tried blades attached to the lower arms out, but feel like that won’t work well this time.
I basically only have some studs in the newer green and studs and Bohrok eyes in the older green. If replacing the cables with green ones turns out to be enough green for the torso I’ll try including that lighter green elsewhere, too.
Well his weapons initially were the cannon and a lower arm blade, but since you’ve already tried that, I’m open to something else. If you want to give him something handheld, like a sword, axe or spear, that’s fine, it’s just that those are somewhat overdone in Makuta these days.
I also see from your back shot that you’ve started work on the upper arms and tail. Any chance of a shot of those?
I deliberately left them out of the picture - I don’t like showing the almost finished thing as a WIP
As to the tail - this currently is all there is to it, like I said, I first need parts for that.
Tried out green Mahri cables but wasn’t satisfied with those. Tried out silver, too, and that might work - after all otherwise the claws on the feet would be the only silver parts on the MOC (weapon and those hoses under the knees aside).
Mainly, my thought was that it felt too concentrated in large areas (the hips from the front view, and the neck area from the back biew) without enough light blue elsewhere to balance it out. Filling out the torso probably helped the hip region, but I wouldn’t use the light blue bohrok shield on the back – it’s too much light blue in one spot for a tertiary colour.
(If that piece is just Mata blue and the lighting makes it look light blue, feel free to correct me)
Yeah, I can understand that. I only have so much because of Ben 10 stuff.
Funnily enough, I ran into the same issue with my own attempt at a Xoth revamp, despite using a completely different head/neck build.
It is light blue. It kinda works in my opinion because from the back there’s more light blue visible (especially on the knees) than from the front. Also the cape/cloak will mostly cover it.
That cannon arm is fantastic!
Regarding the tail, I prefer option 2 with all the ball socket joints. I also like how you put silver on the gun and tail to balance out the feet.
Good news - the parts I need to complete Erdorn and Xoth should arrive somewhen next week, so you can probably expect them to be posted by the end of the week.
