This year’s packaging is a step in a whole new direction. the main portion of the packaging is in a self contained blister held in place inside a plastic frame by two pieces of tape. This was not apparent in any of the pictures I’d seen, so this was a surprise for me. I would wonder why the LEGO® company didn’t just drop the plastic portion altogether (thus saving me the trouble of storing another thirty canister elements in my inability to throw them away) if not for the interesting aspect it adds to the blister. Of notice I should add they probably wanted to keep that appeal to the fans, and the three ports on the top can be built onto! You will also locate four other such ports, one near each corner of the packaging. If you were to try to attach two frames to each others backs, you’d need much more than a connector plug, you’d also need a few parts to extend from that port to reach the other frame, as the mentioned ports are recessed an inch or two inside the frame. So if your shooting to add this piece to your MoCing collection rather than the trash can, this fairly sturdy part will make for some interesting MoCs, and I have to imagine, display cases too. I can imagine a whole row of my wall with these glued or pinned on to hold my smaller MoCs.

New Parts!

Well, here’s the complete Toa MATORO in his aquatic incarnation. His shoulder pads, black and silver tubing, mask, mask visor, claws, and of course, Revolving Cordak Cannon make up the list of new pieces, each one being a great new addition. You may also find the two long beam peice to be of great use in construction, but im not sure if this part is new.

Once again our white toa has a non semitrical mask, along with Toa NUPARU Mahri, though those asymmetries are only at the mouthpiece to create a breathing apparatus look. Until now I’ve thought Matoros new mask was dorky but it’s actually rather interesting to look at. The added visor element which doesn’t seem to be included on all the Toa MAHRI (and perhaps Im mistaken) is actually a part that can be interchanged, enabling you to switch colors to suit your MoC or just not have a visor at all. This element attaches to a slightly longer than normal plus connector on the mask, and then to your toa’s face

The shoulder pads are similar in design to Barraki Kalmah’s (typo’d name?) shoulder pads and to that of the Toa INIKA’s shoulders which make up this set’s upper leg armor. The sides have two plus rod ports while the front has two peg holes, one that connects to a full peg and one that connects to a half peg (in which one half of the peg is half it’s normal size)

The Tubes are simply long and nicely flexible parts that will be a great addition for certain MoCs, and plugs into a variety of pieces, either with a stud plug or into plus rod ports, as well as those various small holes found on the newer sets.

Matoro’s claws are a bit bulky but interesting, it has a plus peg and a plus peg hole, plus it has a peg hole 🙂 Not much to say after that.

This year’s projectile is rather interesting, while I have yet to give it a good testing (im afraid of losing the ammo in the house) I already approve of it vastly over the Squid launchers. this air powered cannon needs to be pressed quickly in order to fire off a shot from one of it’s barrels, and after pressing it all the way in the enourmess red button has two arrows on the inner track that serve to make the next barrel rotate over into fireing position. You can stop short of this mark, and fire the munition without making the barrel roll over. So far it has jammed one or twice where the projectile in one barrel diidnt launch but seemed remedied simply by pulling it out and pushing it in again. One end of the Cordak has a plus peg hole, the ther a socket ball. this effieceintly makes it easily attacked to alt of sets. The munitions themselves are small and only a light bit of friction holds them in the barrel.I found nine in my matoro and promptly lost one of them during the first test round

Limbs

This set brings back that now age old annoyance that is the Piraka’s gun hand, to the arm that holds the Cordak Cannon and two cables attached to his back from the hand, whilst the other arm has Toa Nuju’s lower leg for a lower arm to hold the much liked claws. The upper arm’s armor is now the Toa Inika’s upper leg armor. So we see alot of changes and recycling of older parts, though interesting and a fresh take rather than using the same parts in the same places, makes for a rather weird toa. Not knowing the official storyline for the transformation, I’d like to joke that Matoro got the short end of the stick on the team of doctors who repaired him after he was hit be an underwater train or something. The only thing he’s really retained in the right places are his Inika legs and portions of his torso construction

Torso

Well, I hate it personally, but it’s sorta new. I find it to be far too simple and hallow The only thing I like is how the pipe that connects to his mask goes through the shoulder into his back, retracting to keep excess tubing, but the foot for a torso plate and neck is aggrivateing when it locks around his orange eyepiece at certain angles. I think Toa Kongu Mahri this go around has a new smaller eye piece, so i wonder why they didnt use that to circumvent the eye lock issue?

Colors

Matoro’s new colors go back to his days as a white and sand blue matoran, except now with a little bit of silver and that weird gray that certain plus rods and spacers come in, and a hint of red. The silver mask looks odd on him but I suppose it looks better, plus silver goes with many toa sets so you wont be stuck only using his mask on white colored MoCs.