“She closed her eyes and drew upon all her power. If she had any doubt or regrets, she pushed them aside. Helryx would do what she had always done: whatever was necessary.” - Narrator, Reign of Shadows
Here is my take on the First Toa, the leader of the Order of Mata Nui, Toa Helryx. As a Toa of Water, naturally, I stuck to a blue theme - utilizing different shades throughout the build. She is approximately 9 inches tall (the canon height for a Toa). Her spiked mace and shield are silver, representing the Protosteel material that they are composed of. I also chose her armor and limb parts to have gaps - in reference to the anciency of her armor and the pits and scars from the countless battles that she has experienced. Her mask design was said to look nothing like anything Takanuva had ever seen - I created a new look with Nokama’s Kanohi and a mask head-up display (HUD) from the Phantoka line. As for the “disturbingly frail” appearance mentioned in BS01, the word can also be defined as “weak in character or morals.” As a member of the Order, Helryx excluded herself from the Toa code, which stipulates that Toa cannot kill their opponents. My interpretation of Helryx’s disturbingly frail appearance is associated with her fierceness and ability to finish the job - no matter the circumstances. After all, “You have to be insane to be a Toa at all. It’s the first requirement for the job.” - Helryx to Takanuva, Swamp of Secrets
Thank you for the compliments on the parts usage. There have been several varying appearances of the Toa throughout the sets (and also with the previous canonized models - ex: Toa Krakua). I attempted to create a unique look with inspiration from each year of Bionicle (parts from 2001-2009). “She looked like a Toa, but her armor and mask design didn’t resemble anything Takanuva had ever seen before.”
This is a really cool build, especially for something that doesn’t use CCBS. I love seeing the ways you incorporated trans medium blue - my favorite transparent shade - and the weapons are fantastic. That said, I’m not a fan of the boobs - especially since none of the Toa had defined boobs (the most Gali gets is a rather nondescript bust) and nothing near the cup size here. Also not a fan of the Metru shoulder armor pieces and their sudden drop off.
So far, this might be the entry I will be voting for. Fantastic Job! Easily one if my favorite entries submited so far. That shield design is one of the most unique I have ever seen.
It’s been said before, but I’ll say is again: this is a clever shield design, one of the best I’ve ever seen. The mace, too, is quite good. I also very much like the incorporation of Glatorian heads into the build, it’s so custom I had to do a double-take. Very good MOC, though not how I ever pictured Helryx.
I guess I missed this during the contest, but I really admire the liberal and ingenious use of Glatorian heads in this build. They give it a flavor that I don’t believe any of the other entries obtained. The shield and mace are also fantastic.
I agree with past commenters that it’s not how I imagined Helryx, particularly the substantial bust–in the context of the build, though, I think it’s the most creative bust I’ve seen on a MOC. I appreciate (in the best possible way, if there is one) that the differing colors of the heads and the Nuva armor give the appearance of a bulging battle bra or corset or something.
I agree this is a great moc. Shame the contest went the way it did. We could have got something really cool like this. I think a lot of people focused to much on the “disturbingly frail” aspect. Really wish Greg didn’t say that.
I mean, I didn’t vote for this MOC, and I rather like the canonicity of Helryx being “disturbingly frail.” Even so, I like this one more than the final one.
Also I don’t understand why your (@Bodi’s) MOC got flack for having big boobs and this one didn’t really.
