That MoC is very cool, but alas, we’re still gonna opt to not allow for the Vahki piece. When you bend those restrictions, it’s too easy for people to sneak all sorts of designs through that could bend things way too far. Ultimately, we do have the power to veto stuff, but we like to restrict that to absolutely necessary cases. Keeping things in parity with existing Metru sets allows for a more streamlined process overall.
If a winning MoC/artwork uses an existing BIONICLE mask, our idea is to mandate that being kept in the final group shot illustration. If a custom 3D printed mask wins, the artist will be given the OPTION to either redraw it as a custom one or keep it in the final group shot (as the prior contests have done).
Is the Felnas and Shelek not being present on the list of disallowed masks an oversight? Especially considering that the Felnas is not just shapeshifted, but also mutated (due to the stinger).
It was intentional. At the end of the day, they’re masks that Toa wouldn’t wear due to their association with Makuta, but that’s post-Hagah rebellion. So to us, it doesn’t make sense to apply that negative association to the Hagah since it probably didn’t exist when they were given their masks.
As for the mutation stuff… We feel it best to leave that up to MOCists/artists. It’s not canonizing a default shape, but it allows the general look to be used.
But the set piece itself, especially for the Felnas, still shouldn’t qualify? Given the rules against piece modification, it’s not as if you can cut the stinger off.
Or are you going for that it’d be removed in the 2nd half of the contest, if the Felnas is used in a MOC?
I would like to call for the disallowance of any mask wielded by a Makuta at any point, as the Hagah wore masks honoring past heroes, so it would not make sense to wear something associated with cruel or immoral individuals, especially in time periods after the Makuta rose to power.
A specific call for disallowance for the Felnas worn by Gorast, as the only piece representation of it was after Gorast and her mask were mutated, as well as any other mask that was mutated/shapeshifted.
A final call, for any mask that has a power set near the status of legendary (ex., the Olmak, Olisi, etc. Neither of those were seen in any large capacity, and Karzahni was never seen by anyone aside from those on his island and the Great Beings) to be excluded as well, due to their immense rarity, atypical size usually being geared towards titan builds, and a likely lack of awareness that these masks even exist by the Hagah.
The Olisi and Olmak may be good points though. As there were only one and two of them respectively, would it plausible for beings to be aware of them? If it is, then it’s fine to allow them, since this isn’t about the obtainability of the power… idk.
Yes, but he was given it by Artakha for specifically that mission, and used it in Karda Nui which isn’t populated, and then was murdered by the Brotherhood… But yeah, we don’t really know much of what happened between the mission and his death.
I would recommend an objective limit for this, rather than just saying “substantially”. For reference, Norik and Iruini both have 24 stud long shafts, and their spearheads are 10 studs and 9 studs, respectively.
Maybe 16-32 studs for the shafts, and 5-12 studs for the spearheads?
Shinguards seemed to be pretty popular…
To me, shinguards aren’t a huge deviation from the thigh guards, as long as an entry only uses one or the other. The only concern would come from a team imbalance of thigh guards vs. shinguards.
I have a hard disagreement with this.
Canonically, there is no difference between Kanohi that we have and have not seen in story, so there is no reason to treat them differently here. It should either be that all masks can be changed, or none of them can.
Alternatively, if you were willing to add one extra layer to the rules, you could take into account the intentions of the creator; some creators are using specific masks for specific reasons, while others are using a mask just because of part restrictions. Such a rule could be implemented with the creators stating at the bottom of their entry whether or not they are willing to have the mask changed.
Also, as they currently stand, what are the rules on “shapeshifted” masks? After all, the Hagah probably wouldn’t be wearing Chirox’s bat-Shelek.
Will a custom mask variant be recognized as such, or will it be stuck as an “unknown Kanohi”?
Could a 3d-printed variant of an existing mask get changed in the final group shot?
Exactly. So the custom masks should stay.
What “issue”? Having a shape without a power assigned to it isn’t exactly unthinkable.
Yes they should.
There is no canon restriction on what masks the Hagah can have.
This is getting really nitpicky, but could an entry use a second Metru torso in a way not intended by Lego, as long as it also uses one as normal for the torso?
But it’s also pointy. I can see why it would be hard to introduce exact real-word weapon specifications to a fictional world, but I don’t see why “stabbing point” can’t be an objective requirement.
I can’t speak for the other two designs, but this panel is so clearly a Kiril that it should be treated as an artist’s error, rather than a hint towards how the Mask of Emulation looks.
It’s definitely plausible for the general universe to be aware or the masks, though I’m not sure how likely it is for the Hagah to actually be honouring anyone with those masks; Karzahni went insane long before the formation of the Hagah, and Brutaka’s heroic actions wouldn’t have been known to the universe at large. All that leaves is the second Olmak.
Or before the mission. For all we know, Artakha could have “arranged” for the mask to go to Jovan’s team by sending the previous owner on a suicide mission that resulted in them being recognized as a hero.
If I may play Makuta’s advocate for a bit – his actions after joining the Order would be largely unknown, but he could have done something heroic before joining the order.
How? You mean like ol’ thunder thighs?
Okay but siriousky, I don’t see how anyone could use the torso piece as anything other than a torso without deviating way too far from the Hagah.
Not saying the masks powers are the problem. When the Makuta were allies, yes, they were viewed, likely, as fine, but the Hagah eventually were enemies of the Makuta and likely wouldn’t bear any mask representing or honoring figures that they were at odds with. I do not mean the masks themselves are immoral: I mean that their bearers are, and as such, I don’t see the Hagah wearing that which honors an enemy.
This is truly opinion, but one that I fiercely hold to considering how fiercely Toa have been seen to cling to their codes, their morals, and their virtues. I believe it to be more than just in character for a Toa to cast aside any mask that could bear resemblance or credence to any enemy of the Matoran or universe at large.
I disagree, given one of the two Hagah we have already breaks this “rule”. I’d personally have a 50/50 split with 2 mocs using Kanohi of existing shapes and the other 2 not doing so to fit with the precedent set by Norik and Iruini.
They likely wouldn’t be honouring the Makuta though. For example, a Toa could be honouring a past hero who wore a Felnas, who wasn’t Gorast.
While I like the idea, they’d still be new mask shapes. In the story, iruini would stir bro the only a one with the right shape, and for us it would be “four have masks we’ve seen someone else wear and two don’t” (i say four because the Kualsi got reused on defilak)
While I could see that, I would still say the Felnas would need to constitute an original design, given the part we have is mutated/shapeshifted too. Mosquito Gaaki would… not look good.
Personally, I would still hesitate to allow the Olmak as that logic train requires very specific, unknown events to be the cause for it, and the build would need to account for a Titan sized mask on a build very likely too small for it. You make a valid and undeniable point, I simply hesitate to follow the logical hoops required to allow it.
