Random set of the day: Nuhvok Va
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 8555 Nuhvok Va, released in 2002. It's one of 28 Bionicle sets produced that year. It contains 26 pieces, and its retail price was US$3/£1.99.
It's owned by 1454 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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For some reason the Va were characters I wanted as a kid, but never got around to buying. Their low prices on Bricklink tempt me sometimes to start picking them up... but these guys weren't that spectacular to be honest. They had a rote role in the Bionicle story and the build is to similar to the Turaga who had been released the year prior.
Still, if I ever get a big Bionicle nostalgia kick again... maybe Bricklink! ;)
Wow, I remember these guys! Perfect example of simple play functions done right: You'd load one o' them goofy rubber Krana things onto a paddle on the Va's back and then push the Va's arm down to fling the Krana. Stupidly hilarious.
I really hope LEGO makes a new constraction theme soon; I just realized all over again how much I miss stuff like this. :|
This was easily my favorite of the Va, it's oversized claws managed to make it simultaneously frightening and hilarious. I always wondered where exactly the Va came from? The Bahrag made Krana using viruses, and Bohrok are the final life stage of Av-Matoran, but as far as I can tell we were never given a concrete answer on where Va came from. It's been hinted the Bahrag made them similar to how Makuta make Rahi and the GBs made Matoran but we just don't know.
I gotta say that the Rahi combiner models for these guys were fantastic! Sure three of them were birds, but they were all so *different* despite the original sets having basically the same parts, and forth was a pig! Such a creative usage of elements.
This was easily my favorite of the Va, it's oversized claws managed to make it simultaneously frightening and hilarious. I always wondered where exactly the Va came from? The Bahrag made Krana using viruses, and Bohrok are the final life stage of Av-Matoran, but as far as I can tell we were never given a concrete answer on where Va came from. It's been hinted the Bahrag made them similar to how Makuta make Rahi and the GBs made Matoran but we just don't know.
I gotta say that the Rahi combiner models for these guys were fantastic! Sure three of them were birds, but they were all so *different* despite the original sets having basically the same parts, and forth was a pig! Such a creative usage of elements.
The best part of Bionicle, IMO, were the combiner models. 2002 was good, but Metru Nui was really a peak. This set was also a great small and cheap set-- I didn't mind getting six functionally identical kits (and then the extras for the combos, and maybe a few more for parts) when they were $3-4 a pop. IIRC, the Bohrok Va weren't as widely available as the Bohrok or Toa in the US, but maybe I'm misremembering.
Also fun: BRAAAAAINS. The Krana were fun collectibles, and I liked how they took the place of the masks in the fiction (mind control!) and in the toyline (both attached to Toa/etc. skulls).
Came here expecting maestro-levels of Bionicle knowledge in the comments.
Was not disappointed.
Never did get any of the Va, my pocket money had to be saved up for other things. They were funny looking little critters though, kind of cute in their own way
Never understood why the ball joint in the head was the opposite way round in Nuhvok Va (and one other, I forget which).
Ha! Oh, I remember this lot. I picked up both Nuhvok Va and Lehvak Va after seeing Ice Age back in 2002. Memories. XD
I got all 6 Va at the time, but have been all disassembled by now and now I have a lot of the Technic Angle Beams (4120017, also used for in the Turaga sets) which almost always end up using when I make a moc/mod.
Also the time when axle-pins and 2-long axles were just black.
I own this one, I was too young at the time to get all of the Va's . I remember seeing the Bionicle Mask of Light movie and I have all Bionicles of that year on my "Nostalgia" Brickset list.
@Lance_McCormick I agree. While some of the color patterns looked off in the official instructions of the '04 combiners they were fine in person, and all the builds were fantastic and creative. 2001-2003 had a decent number of oddities (as much as I love the Kiata, they were a bit of a mess,) the huge parts on the Visorak made 2005 combiners just plain weird, and from 2006 up most of them were good but we barely got any. 2004 was definitely the high point.
@JonMarten I think it's a tie with Onua. If Matoran had the ability to have hunched backs given the right parts, all Earth Matoran would probably have hunches, too.
@JonMarten all of the other Bohrok Va (except Pahrak Va) have a technic hole in the center of the shield piece that acts as their head, allowing the ball joint to fit underneath. Pahrak Va's shield has a cavity which is big enough for the ball joint. Since the ball joint does not technically fit underneath Nuhvok Va's shield, they had to turn the pieces around.
This was the first Lego set I found in Poland supermarket. I was SUPER suprised, but I was big fan of Bionicle back then so when I came back to home I phoned all my friends and we bought them all soon. xD Ah memories!