BIONICLE: Bohrok
Part of Isaac Newton's third law of motion is often paraphrased as 'for any action there is an equal and opposite reaction,' and apparently Newton could also describe the universe of BIONICLE with the same law. The reaction in question is a new addition to the highly popular line of toys from LEGO - while this addition isn't necessarily equal, it is certainly opposite. (Not familar with the world of BIONICLE? Read RTM's primer on BIONICLE.)
While the saga of the six Toa on the island of Mata Nui can be self-contained with the Toa, Turaga, Tohunga and Rahi sets that have been released this year, the saga is far from over. While the evil Makuta seems to have been defeated, he has far more cards up his sleeve as he unleashes the latest creation, the Bohrok. The Bohrok invade stores in March of 2002.
The Premise
The Bohrok are an evil from the dawn of time. They are like insects, and attack in swarms. As the BIONICLE legend says, "If you wake one... you wake them all."
The Bohrok travel in squads of eight, giving them power in numbers. (This squad theme gives rise to the code name for them: "B.U.G.S. - Bohrok UnderGround Squad.") Their role within the squad is determined by their Krana. Think of the Krana as the 'brain' of each Bohrok, even though they are separate entities: if its Krana is lost, the Bohrok creature is easier to defeat. However, if the Bohrok creature is defeated, the Toa warrior still must defeat the Krana.
Each kind of Bohrok has a different power and personality. While some are easier to trick than others, and some are more fierce, they all share a common battle strategy - they knock off a Toa's mask and launch a Krana to cover the face of the Toa. If a Toa wears a Krana, the Krana can 'steal the mind' of the Toa.
The six kinds of Bohrok represent the same six elements as the Toa. But while the Toa had individual names, the Bohrok do not, as fits the swarm concept. Each type of Bohrok is more like a clan, with identical members in each clan:
The Bohrok Va are smaller creatures, serving as scouts to the Bohrok. (Add "Va" to the end of a Bohrok name to get the corresponding name for the scout: Tahnok Va, etc.)
There are eight breeds of Krana, each with a different role:
- Ca - clearance
- Za - squad leader
- Vu - surveyor
- Xa - swarm commander
- Ja - scout
- Bo - sentinel
- Su - worker
- Yo - mole
The Products
The Bohrok products will complement the existing BIONICLE products: there will be expansion decks and booster packs for the BIONICLE trading card game, more comic books from DC, and most importantly, more LEGO sets. The Bohrok themselves will be sets of about the same size as the Toa sets from 2001, the Bohrok Va will be sets of about the same size as the Turaga from 2001, and so on. (Larger sets will be revealed by LEGO at a later date.)
Just as 2001 had mask packs for collecting the Kanohi, 2002 will have Krana packs so that you can collect all of the Krana. The Krana are much smaller and are made from softer plastic. From a practical viewpoint, the Kanohi and Krana are different enough that they are entirely separate items - a Kanohi collection is complete without the Krana, and vice versa.
The Bohrok come in canisters similar to the Toa, but different. These canisters are clear plastic and are not cylinders, instead they are more squared-off, with "BIONICLE" molded into two sides. The Bohrok can be folded or transformed into a small ball shape, and hung from a hook on the inside of the canister lid. Not only does this simulate the hibernation cocoons of the Bohrok, but it also serves as a handy way to display them. The front label of the canister peels off so that you can see into it.
While the Toa canisters had places to mount the Kanohi (masks), the Bohrok canister has small holes surrounding the symbol of the Bohrok. (There are eight holes, perhaps LEGO will surprise us with a mounting system for the Krana?)
Pictures of the Bohrok Packaging and Krana
The Toa and the Turaga had the ability to combine to form a larger entity, and LEGO has continued this concept in the Bohrok. Three Bohrok will combine to form a larger, more formidable, creature.
The Bohrok will be available in stores in North America in March 2002, including Amazon.com, but be sure to check www.BIONICLE.com for new mysteries and information about the world of Mata Nui and BIONICLE. The site will even have a 'desktop Bohrok' to download, similar to the 'desktop Toa' which is already available.
Sneak Preview: Tahnok
LEGO was kind enough to supply RTM with Tahnok, the Bohrok of fire. The Tahnok have short tempers and tendencies to act without thinking, two traits that surely the Toa can use against them. The Tahnok set has 40 pieces, including a blue Su (worker) Krana.
The Bohrok pieces are similar to the Toa pieces, so that most points of articulation are ball joints. Tahnok has these joints for ankles, hips, wrists, and shoulders. An assembled Tahnok can attack when the lever on its back is pressed - the head moves forward to strike.
The Krana is protected by a transparent faceplate: if the faceplate is struck and loosened, it flips forward and down. The cradle piece for the Krana then flips forward and the Krana is free to attack.
Pictures of Tahnok
Fire vs. Water - Tahnok vs. Gali
BIONICLE Links
The Krana chart at the top of this page is derived from an image which is copyright LEGO Corp., 2001, and is used with permission.
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