Lost Valley Time Forgot Filled With Treasure And Dinosaurs.

Show off your armies and weaponry and stuff.

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White Nun
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Post by White Nun » Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:00 am

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Well there's certainly been a lot of arguing about it going on.

The thing is the 'Hunter' is way better with those big three toed purple feet because she's a lot more stable from the point of view of wading across mashland & etc. Bionicle feet (or the ones that I've got anyway) are too small and shoe-like for serious cross counrty work. The second thing is the 'Hunter' would be much faster and manoverable on two legs. Four legs is wot you'd find on a cargo hauler, not a hunter-killer type machine.
So anyway what Biggles McCree, Mad Jim and the scrapyard owner have discovered is that it's possible to fit certain Bionicle limb parts onto the Russian clone purple feet by an entirely unofficial and unapproved way of clipping them together. This is just plain much better because now the 'Hunter's' weight will be right over the middle of a big widespread three toed foot instead of stuck at one end of a shoe-like foot. It means I'll have to paint the feet, but that's Ok.

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Something I've been doing is reading all the Bionicle fluff I've been able to find in an effort to discover what the Bionicle backstory is. So far I've been severely underwhelmed by wot I've found. Using names and words taken from Polynesian languages with the Bionicles doesn't really wash much in my book. Because living as I do out on the edge of Oceania and having lived in one of the major centres of Polynesian culture in New Zealand I can't find anything that fits a bunch of biological mechanoids with this part of the world.
Even the Russian clone Bionicle robots I've been buying have a better backstory that the one Lego wrote for their mechanical wotsits!

However I do think a lot of the parts are very nicely made and that they are much better for making for steampunk walkers than some kind of hybrid cyborg mechanoid. I get the feeling that Bionicles are disapproved of on Brikwars, so I'm hoping that Steampunk versions and rebuilds of them are going to be looked upon more kindly.
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Pwnerade
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Post by Pwnerade » Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:13 am

I've thought Bioicnle was lame since its inception.
An army marches on its stomach, and its favorite food is fudge.

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White Nun
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Post by White Nun » Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:11 am

With the 'Hunter' still under repair the scrapyard owner tried to interest Biggles McCree in an odd little scout walker he had parked in the yard.

'It's dinnae any good man,' complained Biggles McCree. "I canna chase dinosaurs in this wee tiddler ....'

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It's still a bit rough about the edges, but when I find certain pieces that are hiding from me at the moment I'll be able to straighten it all up properly. Mind you it does look like a proper scrapyard special in its present condition so I won't straighten it up too much. :wink:
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subyrally
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Post by subyrally » Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:29 am

i like where this is going.

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MasterEcabob
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Post by MasterEcabob » Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:46 am

Okay, I've been holding off posting in your threads for awhile, but WOW that blue walker is simply amazing.

Normally, I would hardly bother looking at anything either Bionicle (blarg) or Steampunk (don't hate it but not really a fan). The fact that you've combined two of my least favorite building styles into something as epic as these walkers is quite a feat.

...And it's also nice to see another (moderately) sane poster with good lego on these forums for a change.
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As if we care. More explosives!

enders_shadow
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Post by enders_shadow » Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:14 pm

wow, really nice work. Iove the windshield, and the proportions of everything body-related is win. might want to adjust the shield arm a bit, it looks like it sticks out to much. Also, I can't wait to see the newest version being used by the redcoats (HINT HINT)!

:ftw:

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Pwnerade
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Post by Pwnerade » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:03 pm

:csi:
An army marches on its stomach, and its favorite food is fudge.

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White Nun
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Post by White Nun » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:32 pm

enders_shadow wrote:wow, really nice work. Iove the windshield, and the proportions of everything body-related is win. might want to adjust the shield arm a bit, it looks like it sticks out to much. Also, I can't wait to see the newest version being used by the redcoats (HINT HINT)!

:ftw:
Thanks for the feedback and comments everyone :D

It was getting late when I was trying to complete this new walker and I couldn't find the bits I wanted to properly finish it off, but essentially all the main details are there with the twin boilers, twin flamers, windscreen, shield and close combat weapon. I have no idea what make the pipework pieces are, they were in a box of mixed dead Bionicles and bricks I purchased, but they certainly did the trick for adding to the general steapunkishness.
The shield does need a better set of support arms as I'm not happy with it, but we'll get that sorted.
Yes, I agree it could be just the thing for Her Majesty's Colonial Expeditionary Guard to have. I will be buying some Redcoats soon, but not just yet as I've spent all my pocket money on dead Bionicles and joblots of bricks and I need to save up again.

I don't like Bionicles much either, they are just scrapyard fodder as far as I'm concerned. Good for providing parts, but that's all really. I suppose I could call what I'm building Steamicles instead so I don't have to mention the sad 'B' word again.
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White Nun
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Post by White Nun » Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:17 am

Well after a lot of messing about I've turned the 'Hunter' back into a two legged walker again. A bit of luck too because the local general store that has the Russian clone robots had one with black three toed feet and grey universal joints. Finally the 'Hunter' looks the part, though I think I will dry brush a little 'mud' onto those new pristine legs & feet and I've got a few stray lego plant leaves that I can attach to the feet too.

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Biggles McCree has been having fun testing out another new walker in the yard. I think this one will end up belonging to the Chinese unless I get a better idea. I need to get some more flexible pipes and hoses as well as gears, chains and cylindrical things for making boilers and chimneys, - things aren't Steampunky enough yet.

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I've started to wonder about actually building a scrapyard/workshop area as place to store and display WIP walkers and finished models. I think it would be a really fun project to do.
Last edited by White Nun on Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Killer Karetsu
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Post by Killer Karetsu » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:09 am

Good stuff. I like this story, it's like an tally of your forces but each pic tells a story..
NO!THERE ARE NO POLAR BEARS IN FINLAND!!!
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RagnarokRose
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Post by RagnarokRose » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:47 am

Dang, Nun, I'm seriously loving the way you've developed this. Really, really looking forward to your first battle report. :wink:
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enders_shadow
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Post by enders_shadow » Thu Apr 21, 2011 9:20 am

Nice, love the new legs on the hunter, and I really want to see more of the white walker, it looks beast. great work, keep it up! (I'd suggest maybe a one-man glider next?)

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Hoboman
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Post by Hoboman » Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:07 am

These are looking good. Now all you need is some big dinos for them to chance and/or be eaten by. :wink:
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Sizz-lor
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Post by Sizz-lor » Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:58 pm

This just gave me a use for all my Bionicles...

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White Nun
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Post by White Nun » Thu Apr 21, 2011 8:32 pm

Yes I'm really pleased with the 'Hunter' and it will be staying in this form from now on. The 'Hunter' and its crew aren't really involved in any disputes between nations for the treasures in the valley, BUT if anybody fires a shot at them it will definitely be all on. Being British subjects Biggles McCree and Mad Jim can be prevailed upon to assist His Majesty's Colonial Expeditionary Guard from time to time.

That white walker was a bit of an experiment and it came together better than I thought it would. Shortening the limbs and keeping it compact and chunky makes for a much better model IMHO. I think I have almost enough white bits to make a second one even though I had to substitute light tan bits here and there on the first one because I'm short on white bits.
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This is a close combat walker, but I'll most probably build the second one as a gun carrier and have them work as a team together. I don't know what the grey circular thing is meant to be, but it makes a good shield for this walker to use.

I'm presently trying to hunt down more joblots of dead Bionicles that have a high white part count so I can properly finish off the Walkers for the Chinese faction. (Only fair really since I used the jeep sets the Chinese troops came with to build the walker for His Majesty's Colonial Expeditionary Guard) Chinese politics in the late Victorian and pre WW1 era were centred around powerful warlords, so I will have to devise a minifig to represent the warlord in question.

Folk putting up Bionicles for auction are strange, firstly there's the ones that have them all pristine with original container and instruction book. They tend to call them 'rare' and want $$$$$$ for them. Secondly there's the folk who are selling about three down on their luck looking bionicles for $$$$$$ and call it a 'bulk' auction ('bulk' is at the very least a dozen in my book). Thirdly there's the folk who are trying to sell a bionicle for $$$$$ and tell you there's parts missing, but you won't really notice.
And fourthly there are the toybox clearout folk who are offering a big pile of mixed dead Bionicles, technic and Lego bricks for @ $NZ10-$NZ25. These are the folk I like :D
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