MOC: The Champion of the Plains

This build is, once again, a relatively fast departure from larger ongoing projects. I haven't built constraction-heavy MOCs for some time - the mechanical dragon was quite close with its limbs, tail and neck, but relied still largely on SYSTEM with its defining features. This polearm warrior is more than 60% Bionicle and etc. and that's lot these days. It's just so much easier to make specific shapes with SYSTEM, with all the curved slopes and SNOT bricks and things; Bionicle parts tend to be more flow-oriented, it's more about layout and composition; sort of ready-made art, remix of some very odd things. It's not easy and it's very interesting, but I sometimes feel I'm losing the touch.

This also re-uses plenty of old tricks. The legs are inherited from Cyira the Paladin, thematically similar but more primitive creation. The new shin and knee armoring, save the shining 3x3 dishes, was done years ago, and they were stored in one of the random WIP boxes. The thighs were silver at the beginning, old stuff too, but I replaced them with black ones of the same design when the colour scheme started to feel too silvery dull like Christmas dinner in Cybermen factory. The inner upper legs are dark blue as I only had three black visorak feet (surprising) but it's not too bad, giving that there are some medium azure at the upper torso. I wanted to keep to colour splash rather local. On other areas the silver and black hopefully balance each other out.

As the legs were of old design, and partially old build, the torso was the part to define the build. I wanted somewhat but not too realistic armour. There is the lower torso, where Stormer XL armour add-on covers the hip area; dynamic and good piece. The abdomen is covered of more flexible-looking armour. The combination of parts built around Travis brick above it it few months old but didn't find use before this. Another one was used in the helm. A pair of silver eagle wings was natural choice for the chest plate. These pieces are pleasantly curved and easy to use; I'd like to see those in various colours. The middle torso is four studs wide, which produced some challenges with Bionicle pieces, and therefore the back is plated with silver curved slopes. My creation's backs sometimes suffer from lack of interest, but this one has quite a developed one. The medium azure beast jaws complete the torso. They were a stud lower at first, but that caused too steep angle, with looked somewhat disappointed. It didn't have the attitude.

Arms are somewhat boring, as they use to be. The longest traditional CCBS shell is used there, might be good, might be bad, but at least it destroys the movement of the wrist (They were the only silver CCBS shells left. I need to re-stock when I get to Pii Poo). The 3x3x3 cones on the upper arms were a late addition, replacing some 2x2 round bricks; that cone is one of my favourite parts, it's dimensions are simply pleasant.

The idea of the head stayed quite similar through the build. Basic "modern" stylish female head with black hair and some sort of appropriate headress. It was going to be another Stormer XL add-on at first, but it was quite large and replaced by the aforementioned construction built around a Travis brick. KK2 visor on the back gives the helmet some bulk, though it's still far from realistic. The hair is pleasantly wind-swept. The champion also has a polearm, as polearms are effective and useful weapons. Those boat studs fall of a lot, but hey, you got to have boat studs somewhere.

-Eero