Random set of the day: Kraatu
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 8026 Kraatu, released in 2004. It's one of 55 Bionicle sets produced that year. It contains 20 pieces.
It's owned by 79 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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28 comments on this article
Yeah, uh, even as a huge Bionicle nerd....what you see is what you get with this one, just a small creature. Apart from the name, there doesn't seem to be any information or lore about this creature. Instructions were released on LEGO.com in 2004, according to BS01, but there's nothing else.
Literally just, a small creature. And that's okay.
Sees title: Bionicle!
Sees image: Hazzah?
Aww, it's like Bionicle's version of 8506 (which I happen to own).
It doesn’t even have a box image
Kraatu barada nikto.
@LegoSonicBoy:
While I skipped almost the entire run of Roboriders, I think I did manage to track down the last of the Throwbots I was missing before they vanished into the ether (note: this was in late 2001, so they had clearly dug their heels in and were refusing to go anywhere). I don't know if I actually built all of them, though, since the main reason I was buying them at all was to strip for parts to use in Bionicle MOCs. I know I did build a few of them, since I remember being supremely disappointed in Torch when they first came out. And I remember not being any more excited by Electro when I eventually built that one.
@LegoRobo:
Judging by the way it's holding the frisbee, I don't think it knows how frisbees work...
@Mr__Thrawn:
Online instructions only, apparently, so it doesn't even have a box. Is this the first RSotD that doesn't actually exist?
@PurpleDave said:
"Is this the first RSotD that doesn't actually exist?"
79 people own it and one appears to have sold on BL for $9, but I can’t say whether those are people who actually got the set or just reconstructed it
@PurpleDave: We only owned 8503 and 8506 (this was when my brother and I collected together), and I enjoyed them and wish I could collect them all. I ended up collecting all the canister RoboRiders plus The Boss instead, before getting into Bionicle.
I wish there was a way for me to know if this was a good or a bad guy. It's called Kraatu so there's no way to know.
Commenters: “Wow! Green Grocer and Metroliner back to back! How will Huwbot top itself after that?”
Huwbot: “Hold my beer.”
Um. What?
Huwbot’s pet
In every theme you come across with less than interesting sets from time to time. This , to me, is one of those sets.
Okay even as a big Bionicle fan I really have no lore knowledge on this other than "ummmm, it exists?" Last time I think we saw that throwing arm in a set though.
@PurpleDave said:
" @LegoRobo:
Judging by the way it's holding the frisbee, I don't think it knows how frisbees work..."
I mean...technically, the angle is similar to that of a hammer. So it could still be a professional ultimate frisbee player
Fun fact, this set was never released! While instructions were available on LEGO.com it never appeared in the BIONICLE story and no one's reported buying it in a store or receiving it as a gift.
All the parts it's made of (as far as I know) are available however, so more dedicated BIONICLE fans have managed to recreate the set for their collection
@GSR_MataNui said:
"Fun fact, this set was never released! While instructions were available on LEGO.com it never appeared in the BIONICLE story and no one's reported buying it in a store or receiving it as a gift.
All the parts it's made of (as far as I know) are available however, so more dedicated BIONICLE fans have managed to recreate the set for their collection"
This brings the question, do sets that are not released qualify for an RSOTD then? If so, that means 3867, 3868, and 40046 would qualify for RSOTD next year. (Maya, Phineas, Pilgram)
This set is a clear reminder of the Throwbots legacy. I've always wondered why people didn't seem to get into those as much as I did. Sure the third wave was a bit themeless, but the original 8 had all the characteristics the Bionicle eventually got (elemental, collectible, some personality, etc). They were also, as far as I can tell, some of the first forays into "throwing" components. Great fun, I wish they'd get highlighted a bit more, instead of all the attention Bionicle gets.
Weird little thing.
I kinda like it.
FIFTY FIVE Bionicle sets in 2004?
Some sort of Metru Nui sewer rat I assume? Most of these little builds were wildlife found in the setting of whatever year we were in
@guachi said:
"FIFTY FIVE Bionicle sets in 2004?"
Most of those were just obscure promotional items, like this set we just got on RoStD today. The actual amount of normal retail Bionicle sets released in 2004 is only about 30 or so.
@LegoDavid said:
" @guachi said:
"FIFTY FIVE Bionicle sets in 2004?"
Most of those were just obscure promotional items, like this set we just got on RoStD today. The actual amount of normal retail Bionicle sets released in 2004 is only about 30 or so."
Yeah, that. I just glanced through the listings: it's worth noting that, like... *twenty-seven* of the sets listed for 2004 are just unnamed 'bonus / value packs' that contained other existing sets grouped together, or paired with a book or DVD, and weren't anything unique in their own right.
Wasn't this unreleased?
Edit: Just noticed an earlier comment. Yes, and fun fact, Greg said it might be a Matoran puppet.
@ThatBionicleGuy said:
" @LegoDavid said:
" @guachi said:
"FIFTY FIVE Bionicle sets in 2004?"
Most of those were just obscure promotional items, like this set we just got on RoStD today. The actual amount of normal retail Bionicle sets released in 2004 is only about 30 or so."
Yeah, that. I just glanced through the listings: it's worth noting that, like... *twenty-seven* of the sets listed for 2004 are just unnamed 'bonus / value packs' that contained other existing sets grouped together, or paired with a book or DVD, and weren't anything unique in their own right."
2004 was allegedly Bionicle's biggest selling year. So it seems that to keep up with demand rather than creating new products Lego just churned out a lot of the same sets just repackaged into different collector's editions. Do you want the Golden Vahi seen in the film? Buy our new repackaged Vahki sets that each include a bonus Vahi and Disk of Time available at exclusive retailers! Want to get a Lego set with the film? Buy our DVD box set that includes a comic book and a Vahki set! Want a creators bucket that comes with TWO VAHIS and TWO DISKS OF TIME? Buy our bucket full of Vahki parts!
Actually... it seems most of the repackaging and special editions were a way to just get Vahki off the shelves since they are almost 90% of the time one running common thread throughout most of these repacked special edition sets. Poor Vahki always getting shoved into random set bundles. :P
EDIT: The Vahki parts full bucket with the Vahi's was in 2005 not in 2004. The 2004 bucket though looks to be mostly Matoran and Bohrok parts, suggesting that like the Vahki bucket in 2005, the 2004 one was being used to clear stock of extra parts from the 2003 sets.
Not a single system piece in this. Couple of technic parts. Thats why i never liked this theme.
@Chouju_X_SPAM_ said:
"Wasn't this unreleased?
Edit: Just noticed an earlier comment. Yes, and fun fact, Greg said it might be a Matoran puppet."
Thanks for the Greg Farshtey trivia! I don't know if it counts as lore, but looks like it's the closest thing to it we've got for this set.
@LegoSonicBoy:
Turns out I don't have the _entire_ run. I never got 1061 or 8508. But I got all the ones that really matter. I actually used several of the Throwbot bodies to make some of the dragons from Legends of the Five Rings, since you can chain them together and the gear formed into the base will engage with the worm gear in the next torso. The rest of the dragons were made using the beefier Toa Mata torso, which could also be chained together, but which didn't have any means of interacting with each other.
@Nightbeat339:
Frisbees aren't designed to travel in a vertical orientation. When they do so, they tend to flip horizontal. If they're horizontal and rising, they tend to bank to the side that has backspin. And any slight imperfection in the shape can cause a wildly different flight pattern (the Aerobie even had instructions for how to flex the ring to achieve different changes to its flight profile). You can mount a gun to a heavy object and conceivably put a string of bullets through the hole the first one puts through a target. You'd never be able to do that with a stack of frisbees launched in a vertical orientation like this.
@Phoenixio:
Because they were a really bad design. There were only two limbs. One was this awkward L-shape that worked best for gorillas or geriatric people who can't stand up straight. The other was a really poor design for a throwing arm. Not only was it significantly longer than the non-throwing arm, but the shoulder was designed to lock it in at 90 degree angles, and the arm was designed to throw that disc...in anything but a 90 degree angle.
Roboriders doubled down on the awkward design, turning everything into motorcycles that don't even transform into robots (and don't have any means of staying upright when not moving), but Bionicle finally got it right. Mostly. The Toa Mata introduced two new limbs that were bent at an angle that worked for both non-action and action poses, and even when the arms were different they were still about the same length. Except Kopaka.
@guachi:
Saved the company, remember. The dirty secret is that a lot of it came from these odd bonus packs. All told, they released six Toa, six Matoran, six Vahki, four larger sets, and a Kanoka disc pack. That's only 23 sets out of 55, so half of the total plus half a set. Then there was some sort of promotional Kanoka disc and a random parts tub in addition to a ton of bonus or combo packs. There were even packs that Brickset doesn't list, since I don't see the ones I bought at Blockbuster. I also don't see the Rahkshi that came with purple Kraata.