TOA HEWKII comes in two new colors instead of the browns from previous years, that still hasn’t stopped the LEGO company from giving him the short end of the stick in advertising and sticking him in the backgrounds of teasers and the like. The new main color for this toa of stone is similar to, if not the same shade of gunmetal grey we’ve seen in certain PIRAKA. His sub color happens to be the now familiar “KEETONGU yellow”. Other than that his axe tool, the chain, and his ammo clip for the zamor are silver.

I have to say while I hate the idea of losing some brown parts (but then again I have plenty already for MoCing) the gunmetal grey and yellow blends together impressively well, and the colors feel evenly balanced. I know I’ve said this about other parts already, but you really must see this shade of gunmetal grey up close and in person, even the old VAHKI lower legs that make up his lower arms look new again with this almost metallic color. Maybe if the other toa, at the risk of MoCing incompatibility with older parts, had a metallic shine like these parts they would look much better despite that the look great for the most part as is. As for the yellow parts, perhaps they should have left the secondary color brown at least? That may have resulted in JALLER having yellow as his sub color instead of the new crystal orange, and I have mixed feeling about that but fans of his JALLER’s original colors would certainly be happy, but I feel this was a smart decision the way things turned out. Looking at the canister he came in, you will also notice how the lid is also KEETONGU orange, and I have to say that’s a bad sign for people who like the color brown. If memory serves right I saw a VISORAK canister in the same yellow colors (twas a prototype) so the LEGO company has probably been testing and planning this new color for some time now.

Looking at HEWKII, his front armor on the torso is grey while the backside is yellow, something about it seems to make him seem less flat that MATORO even though the torso is essentially the same shape. Whether it’s the two different colors giving enough contrast to eliminate the flat feel, or that the entire color scheme is evenly distributed, he hardly feels flat. Perhaps MATORO;s silver torso just sticks out too much from the rest of his body? Comparing TOA NUPARU to TOA HEWKII side by side, with NUPARU’s torso matching the rest of his body, he still seems flat! Therefor, I propose it’s the two different colors making up TOA HEWKII’s torso that eliminated and reduced the flat appearance.

Now on to some of the more notable physical differences. I’ve already said HEWKII has those VAHKI lower legs for lower arms, feet wise he uses the spikey toe foot. His armor on the shoulders is positioned lower, giving him the advantage in shoulder articulation. TOA HEWKII is the only TOA INIKA in which the directions tell you to install the upper leg armor with the larger end makes contact with the knee guards. The canister picture indicates the opposite, and it’s the same concept with PIRAKA THOK where the directions said one way while the canister demonstrated another. I imagine this is not a mistake but perhaps I’m wrong? I should also say that HEWKII was the only of the INIKA to use the outer of the two slots for the neck on that green part for the mask/head. He looks fine either way and the articulation functions about the same, but the head juts forward a tad more. His tool is a sort of axe with a red flash, several forum members have eased my worries that I got an underpowered battery by noting the red color is the least bright out of the bunch. Design wise the axe looks too blunt, and I wise the blade jutted forward a centimeter or two more to look more axe like, but understandably that new packaging only has so much room in the lid. On the tool will also find a thin little plastic ring of sorts, this is to attach the new chain elements (about 15 links in all) to. The opposite end plugs into his back at the free slot next to his arm pit. I’m concerned that the thin piece for attaching that chain might break off, if it does you can always use one of the spare pegs to attach the first link of the chain to the hilt. The chain itself is quite sturdy, to pop them together you push them together at the openings on each end. My guess is the chain will make him pretty popular for MoCs, and people buying him just for the chain can justify it better considering all the fine grey and yellow parts for other MoCs. One TOA HEWKII comes with plenty of chain too, and two of this guy will probably give you as much chain as you need for any one MoC if one set isn’t enough.

Topping off this splendid set is a splendid mask with a smooth ridge pattern on the top of the head, and a more rocky and fitting stone style face, which perhaps looks too rocky but overall plays in well. Seems HEWKII is the big mouth of the bunch, as amongst the other toa he has the most of the green/white head piece exposed. Something you may consider, no two of the green/white pieces being mixed exactly the same you might want to switch his with other toa since the big mouth on mine exposes too much green for my taste, his mouth residing higher than the other toa around the spot where the green and white mixes the most. With any luck you will have a piece that doesn’t mix the olors for a centimeter higher to give HEWKII a nice white smile. Despite some minor issues TOA HEWKII is one of my top picks out of this year’s toa, both for MoCing and good looks in the set itself. Traditionally I always build the brown guy last, perhaps that’s soon to change? Especially when he didn’t come in dead last by vote of who would buy who first.