Random set of the day: Preston Stormer
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 7164 Preston Stormer, released in 2010. It's one of 15 HERO Factory sets produced that year. It contains 17 pieces, and its retail price was US$7.99/£7.99.
It's owned by 1885 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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35 comments on this article
The Bionicle streak ends only to be replaced by its own short-lived successor...
Heck yeah, Hero Factory!
I remember that I thought the badguy sets were pretty interesting, and I ended up buying a few of those, but I was never really all that interested in the hero figures.
Bionicle but worse
Yeah, first wave Hero Factory is pretty weird because it's not Bionicle, but it has a lot of the same aesthetics what with pistons and textured surfaces. Some people even to this day have a bias against CCBS, but it certainly helped distinguish Hero Facotry as its own thing and the build system lasted for roughly the same amount of time as Bionicle's initial run, so not too shabby all things considered, and they're missing out because there's tons of great MOCs that use it exclusively, but also plenty that blend all the constraction styles together into amazing works of art. Probably gonna be a bit hard pressed to make the first wave Hero Factory parts look good in a MOC though, not gonna lie. Point in case: Weapon Arm.
@SearchlightRG said:
"The Bionicle streak ends only to be replaced by its own short-lived successor..."
Well, until 2025......
@MCLegoboy said:
"Yeah, first wave Hero Factory is pretty weird because it's not Bionicle, but it has a lot of the same aesthetics what with pistons and textured surfaces. Some people even to this day have a bias against CCBS, but it certainly helped distinguish Hero Facotry as its own thing and the build system lasted for roughly the same amount of time as Bionicle's initial run, so not too shabby all things considered, and they're missing out because there's tons of great MOCs that use it exclusively, but also plenty that blend all the constraction styles together into amazing works of art. Probably gonna be a bit hard pressed to make the first wave Hero Factory parts look good in a MOC though, not gonna lie. Point in case: Weapon Arm."
Or Av-Matoran style arms, 2008 brittle joint sockets, hollow body shells, etc. These guys are a bit rough compared to both Bionicle and Hero Factory 2.0
My brother owns this. It might have been just us, but the axle on the chestplate, the rubber part of the weapon arm, and every single socket on the stupid thing have all cracked or broke in some way :(
Looking at those pictures from afar, you'd think these sets would contain more than just 17 pieces...
@Veyniac said:
"My brother owns this. It might have been just us, but the axle on the chestplate, the rubber part of the weapon arm, and every single socket on the stupid thing have all cracked or broke in some way :("
Same except for the chestplate peg
This one looks cool, kinda complex for the few number of parts.
Didn't know Lego Hero Factory had a series of United Kingdom cities homage figures! Lol
Preston Stormer
Burnley Stormer
Blackpool Stormer
Stockport Stormer
Liverpool Stormer
Awesome ahahahah
I know I have a version of Furno around here, in pieces. It was really the set that started me doing something other than turning my nose up at CCBS sets as a TFOL. Given how they ended up in Tuesday Morning by the caseload--they must not have been that popular.
Honestly, while the storytelling and lore weren't anywhere close to as good--I liked the design of Hero Factory more. Sleeker and more futuristic.
Shame his arm is just a hollow, one-sided piece. But aside from that, I think I appreciate the 1.0 heroes more than most do.
I knew a Preston for a few years in grade school. It was pretty hard to take this set seriously.
Heck yea Hero Factor!
My goodness. Hero Factory is old enough to be on RSoTD.
Of course, we're 93 days from Ninjago eligibility.
My brothers were really keen on Hero Factory back in the day. We even had the Ads... wait, films, I mean films on DVD.
To be honest, I don’t really understand the hate behind the theme. Sure, it wasn’t amazing by any standards, but the Sci-Fi setting and concepts were interesting. It was probably the sets’ poor execution that was the theme’s weakness.
Now this looks nice...
Hero factory! I had a few sets before these guys but this is the theme that eventually pulled me all the way in! Can't believe it's been this long already! Looking back not all of the pieces were great but I love every set anyways. I read and reread all of the lore and Lego Club Magazine tie-ins I could get over and over and every bit of allowance was spent on these up until 2012's "Breakout" series. A lot happened in my life then and I never got to finish the collection but these will always have a special place in my heart. Flawed, cracked pieces and all!
I think Hero Factory was a great idea! It just... wasn’t executed very well. I think the emphasis really should’ve been placed in people making their own stories and such rather than a mass media franchise with a cartoon Nickelodeon avoided airing like the plague.
I think Hero Factory got a lot of hate for not being Bionicle but honestly some of the models were pretty cool looking.
I may never have got myself any Hero Factory sets but that was more down to needing the money and space for other things, not dislike for the range
Only 17 pieces, but all fairly large so wonder if more duplo than Lego. I preferred the larger Hero Sets as more interesting, and seemed to offer more of a build experience for only 2x the price.
Preston?
@SearchlightRG said:
"The Bionicle streak ends only to be replaced by its own short-lived successor..."
It lasted longer than the Bionicle revival...
Idunno, 4 years outlasts the average shelf life/waves of a regular theme. That said 2010 was kind of a weak entry overall, basically the same thing with another label and plagued by those bad, brittle sockets. It wouldn't be until 2011 that the theme really hit its stride with the ccbs system - although the introduction of which also kicked off the nitpick death spiral that would ultimately drive out constraction altogether from the overall product lineup.
I could never help feeling that Hero Factory was just a bland, watered down Bionicle. I picked up a few of the villains, since they were at least fun designs, but man these heroes were boring.
This theme was in my dark ages and have no idea it really existed, but looking through the wave released that year I clearly missed something glorious - I mean come on, Preston, Mark, William and Duncan, what great, heroic, dynamic names!!!!
Stomer, Furno, and Bulk from this wave were some of the first sets ai ever got! Despite their flaws, I do really like the 1.0 heroes. I think they are easily some of the most underappreciated Hero Factory sets. Let's face it, those guys are basically the Toa Mata of Hero Factory. Not the greatest, but still neat.
Technic 42113 Bell V-22 Osprey had to be cancelled, because of military origin.
But this one and hundreds of similar sets fits lego policy suprisingly well. Not to mention all sets that incudes weapons of any choice. Do you understand it? I don't...
@TheWackyWookiee said:
"My brothers were really keen on Hero Factory back in the day. We even had the Ads... wait, films, I mean films on DVD.
To be honest, I don’t really understand the hate behind the theme. Sure, it wasn’t amazing by any standards, but the Sci-Fi setting and concepts were interesting. It was probably the sets’ poor execution that was the theme’s weakness.
"
I kind of get that. I never got to far into Hero Factory, but it's first year of advertising restored some of the appeal stuff like Bionicle 2001 had. I want to say Lego and Advanced had much loftier ideas for Hero Factory at launch, Christian Faber has outright said so. But somewhere between launch and the line's end many of these "big sci fi" ideas were dropped or never made part of the story to keep it simple I guess.
A Hero Factory, BIONICLE's bullied little brother. I always though it got too much hate. While the story wasn't near as good or enticing as BIONICLE, the CCBS system was a lot less fragile and rereleased parts in more colors, so MOCists could have a field day!
Hero Factory didn't quite live up to the standards that Bionicle set, but it was still an awesome theme that deserved a lot of love. Well, except for Invasion from Below.
I actually own this one! Although my favorite Hero was pretty much always Bulk. Stormer was swell too though.
@Banderolas said:
"Technic 42113 Bell V-22 Osprey had to be cancelled, because of military origin.
But this one and hundreds of similar sets fits lego policy suprisingly well. Not to mention all sets that incudes weapons of any choice. Do you understand it? I don't...
"
That's a joke, right? Or are you seriously comparing Preston Stormer, robot cop who fights aliens, to a machine designed by the military for the military with the licenses of two of the world's biggest defense contractors?
YESSSSS
@TheWackyWookiee :
I think the idea had merit, but the execution just fell flat. Twice. In opposite directions. The first wave was basically Jack Stone for Bionicle, and the CCBS drove the price through the roof in favor of paint-by-number construction. But even with a more complex and interesting construction system, the superhero theme could have been a liability. Look at how hard it was to launch a comic book featuring a new superhero. There was a short period where all you had to do to sell the first issue is do a fancy cover, but the trouble was keeping interest going for the second and third issues. There are just so many successful superheroes out there that trying to get anyone to pay attention to your new creation is extremely difficult.
@PixelTheDragon :
No story beats bad story, but good story beats the pants off no story. That's why the knocked it out of the park with Bionicle and Ninjago.
@DonnaxNL :
The Bionicle revival had more in common with Hero Factory than G1 Bionicle. CCBS, remember? They've used that for Hero Factory, G2 Bionicle, DC and Marvel Superheroes, Chima, and Star/Disney Wars that I can think of, and CCBS has yet to really catch on even after half a dozen forays.
@Bhahouighf:
There was a TV show?