Toa Hagah, the Elite Guard (Canon Contest #3: Honor Guard)

[Vahki6]

Hello to you all ! Vahki6 here but most of you may know me as Kuhon or IronFoam Armory. Here’s my entry for this long-awaited contest and I have four Toa to submit.

My point when building them has always been : art will be canon indeed, but it’s important to also please the ones who will want to build them at home and align them on their shelves next to the original sets. That’s why I decided to stick exactly to the classic Metru/Hagah build as it was in the sets, like if they could be actual sets straight from the canister! No fancy modification, hidden-function or details, you can open your toa hagah instruction and build them as they are.
Some people seeing my creations before made a lot of feedback about the colors choices, and I think I should explain my motivations about my armor color schemes : I noticed there always was some sort of color trio by kaita, silver for air, ice and water, and gold for fire, stone and earth. It can be seen with the 2001 toa kaita, but also with the toa mangai and other sets. But when Norik and Iruini sets came up, I noticed an inverted color scheme, gold for iruini and silver for norik. So I thought I should go for a complete inversion for the others too, besides I always wanted to see another color scheme for some toa like Kualus and Gaaki. Also, the other motivation was, again, to allow people to rebuild them by using a maximum of “accessible” colored pieces.

Also :
I don’t give consent for my mask to be altered in the final group art
I don’t give consent for my metallic color choice to be altered in the final group art
I don’t give consent for my spear tip to be altered in the final group art

First, Kualus

A lot of you seemed unsure about this color scheme especially because it’s too close to a Toa of Light, and I can understand that. However, it’s a pretty rare color scheme among sets and MOCs, and we know that those Toa wore honorific tools and armors. Nothing in the lore says a Toa of Ice can’t wear a gold armor.
The mask is a scoped version of the famous bootlegs we all know :
Why a bootleg-inspired design, do you wonder ? It’s mostly a personal joke. First, most of those bootlegs got pretty good designs for kanohi and second, wouldn’t it be the best joke in the world if bootleg designs (with proper modifications to not let it be an IP theft) came to be canon in the lore they tried themselves to copy ? lol
This also my way to honor one of the most ancient attempt to moc those characters, who used them as masks. Like, worn in honor of ancient heroes ?
I also added a scope on this particular mask because of Toa of Ice reasons, but a scopeless version still exists.
The spear itself is the advanced evolution of my previous work on those staffs, themselves inspired by the designs made for the BNG project. A way to honor their work. In this case, I made the staff an additional Rhotuka storage, mimicking the classic shield design. I like this piece because it’s versatile and can be use in a large range of builds and uses.
Here are the front, side and back pics, do I really need to insult your intelligence with a breakdown photo ?

Then comes Gaaki

Like Kualus before, the mask and spear designs consists in basically the same joke, mimicking the bootleg design who came to be pretty famous :
Again, I went for a golden armor and again, I had a lot of comments about this making her look to a lightning Toa. Once again, I got this answer : nothing says it can’t be.

I’m pretty desappointed I had to use another mask for Pouks, since the “no mask of emulation design rule” stops me to use the one I originally designed for him. So I replaced it with the one who could fit him the most, my Mangai Kakama. I hope you’ll be happy with it, most of you wanted it for a long time. Again, the spear is an advanced evolution of BNG’s design.

At last, Bomonga

For this one, I based the mask design on another bootleg but also RC’s noble mask of growth, to make a resonance with his design.
Once again, the spear is inspired by BNG’s and is a complete tribute to their work.

There was a lot to say ! I kept the best for the end, links for the model files with free download on thingiverse.

Toa Hagah Spears Collection by vahki6

Toa Hagah Kanohi Collection by vahki6

I hope you’ll enjoy all of those and all the work it took to come to this result. I also hope getting your votes and I want to wish good luck for anyone entering the contest !

EDIT : here’s a link to the stud.io models

EDIT2 : As requested, a size comparizon with Iruini and Whenua : Hagah Size Comparizon | Kuhon Shaden | Flickr

[GoodGuy2006]

my vote is yours

[Kanohi_Cantri]

While I may argue over Kualus’ weapon being considered a spear (which is dependent on the Rhotuka piece being removeable, in my opinion), overall these do great to replicate the aesthetics of Norik and Iruni, which really solidifies their team dynamic. I truly do like these designs, good job.

As an aside, are Gaaki’s and Kualus’ appearances allowed, with the masks and Gaaki’s spear being so heavily inspired by famous bootleg Bionicle? I know they weren’t specifically mentioned in the Hagah contest rules, but these rules may still stand as a general case. But I’m no one to say for sure, so if they’re allowed, then cool.

[Vahki6]

I think they will be allowed for a reason : see, if I ever used directly the bootleg pieces buyed from the bootlegs sets, it would have been a problem since the point is to give a full access to the custom pieces to anyone wanting to get and print them. In this case, I entierly remodelled them in 3D after their original design, adding some more details to avoid the “intellectual property” problem and increasing the lego compatibility. The files made by me are avalaible to anyone wanting them, so I guess it fits the rules.

[Kanohi_Cantri]

Seems like decent logic. But we’ve encountered issues in the past with imagery on BS01, which is where my main point of contention lies. I personally think these bootleg designs are pretty fitting, and I would accept them as official Bionicle, but these are not issues in my power to control.

[Atobe_Brick]

I’m glad to see that that there are 3d model of the bootleg masks. I was thinking of using one of them for my Orde moc (if the rules permit it)

As for these hagah mocs, I’d say they’re all quite good! I’m not a huge fan of the gold on Gaaki and Kualus, but the designs are nice. It strikes a good balance between looking like the official sets, while still being unique and interesting.

Do you give consent to have the metallic color, mask, and/or spear tip in the art portion?

[Vahki6]

About consent for the spears and masks, I won’t give my consent of change for the art part for a simple reason : on such sets, what make the character unique are precisely the mask and the spear ! If the artist changes them, then how useful was the moc in the first place ? He could have draw it alone from the start.
About the metallic color : I’d say no, but I’m not definitely sold about it. The most important to me is to keep the design intact, but armor color is secondary. However, I stated that I took this very color scheme for every toa with thinking about people wanting to build them at home and using existing colors is the easiest way. Also, all the text about the kaita scheme in the lore…

[HeadsintheLethe]

Really cool designs! I like them all a lot

[darkbrick999]

The Rhotuka spear tip seems impractical.

[TheTDChronicler]

great job! these are my favourite so far

[Bukkey]

I love this!
I especialy like to using “variant Kakama- shape”, it makes me feel the exist of “A past hero who I had never see”!

[Eljay]

Real quick, two notes:

1: We will need a comparison with Whenua Metru and Hagah Iruini, per the rules.
2: The Google Doc needs to have access requested. Any way to open that up?

Thank you!

[Vahki6]

@Eljay Done !

Hey everyone, please check those awesome renders from @Evarri :

Canister material here

EDITED FOR DOUBLE POST - Spiderus Prime

[Tarkur]

Wow awesome

[Atobe_Brick]

those look phenomenal, good job @Evarri

[Willess12]

Kualus:
I’m really torn about the spear. It’s really cool and unique, but it’s not really a spear, per se. Not sure if I like it or dislike it. Also, I think the scope-mask is a good way to make it clear that he’s a Toa of Ice and not light.

Gaaki:
Okay, I’ll be honest: I kinda want to see this win, just so that that mask and blade from the bootleg are canon. and also because it’s gold, and I want a gold Gaaki (yes, I know Kualus has a bootleg mask too, but I’m just not a big fan of that design, while I think the Gaaki mask is a cool design)

Pouks:

I dunno about the spear tip; I’m beginning to grow fonder of a larger spear tip for him. Feels like this spear tip should go to Kualus, and vice versa. Other than that little nitpick, it’s fine.

Bomonga:
That Mask looks kinda like Hydraxon’s mask, which I used to headcanon as the Mask of Growth before I realized it isn’t a mask. So I do like that. I kinda wish he had another color, so he isn’t all black and silver – I know all the Hagah have black as their secondary color, but it doesn’t work for Bomonga, in my opinion. Just a minor nitpick, though.

Overall: these are what I want to see from this contest, not to variant from Norik and Iruini, but unique in their own ways. The main thing I’m concerned about is not allowing armor color changes. (the mask and spears are fine, seeing as you made those yourself, I’d want to keep those too)

[Rakuriden]

I must say i was expecting someone to use the bootleg masks, they have a really cool desing for a bootleg, and they keep the Bionicle aesthetic. Adding the scope on kualus mask was also a great touch, and is also nice to see that you kept the armours in pairs. I also loved the rothuka spear.

On the other hand i really preffer to see Gaaki in silver instead of gold, but that is just my preference, anyway you got my vote.

[Jalc]

I’ll vote for your designs!

[ToaJerehk]

I love your designs! And I agree with you about Pouks’ mask. The canon design of the Mask of Emulation SHOULD be allowed. I have no idea why it wouldn’t be. Were the moderators of this contest attacked by a Rahkshi of Confusion or something?

[Racie02]

It’s because Pouks’ mask is established to have a different shape from the known MoE shape.