Dave's Lego Rant: The Bohroks

     Pahrok - Stone
     Nuhvok - Earth
     Gahlok - Water
     Tahnok - Fire
     Lehvak - Air
     Kohrak - Ice

CAPSULES

     All six are identical except for colors and the shape of their claw/hand
pieces.  Not even a little construction variation.  So, basically, get the
colors you like but don't worry overmuch about getting all six.  Nifty
packaging, good toys.  Recommended.  $7.88 at Wal-Mart.

RANTS

     Packaging: the canisters are 6" (15cm) tall with screw-top lids held on
by plastic sticker tabs.  Unlike previous canned lines, the tabs are easily
removed and don't leave much gunk behind.  The cross-section of the canister
is essentially a 3.5" (9cm) diameter circle with rounded corner extensions on
opposite sides so it's kinda like a football shape a bit over 4" (a bit under
11cm) long.  This makes them more stackable on their sides without being a
boring square cross-section.
     Inside the lid is a peg-hole, and you snap another piece onto this peg
to create a holder for the egg mode of the Bohrok.  The Bohrok stylized egg
symbol is molded into the lid, and the lids are the same color as the
equivalent cans for the Toa (gold for stone, gunmetal for earth, light
metallic blue for water, copper for fire, light metallic green for air,
silver for ice).
     The rear label is meant to be removable, and leaves little to no residue
if you do so (it also doesn't stick back on very well).  Inside the front
label is a colored background in the same general color as the canister lid,
with the Bohrok egg symbol.
     I got two packaging variations which probably represent either different
assembly plants or different times within the run.  My Tahnok had the Lego
pieces in a plastic bag, whereas the other five had them loose in the can (so
you could shake it around and see which mask you got).  My Gahlok came with a
minicomic and minicatalog (showing an outline of the Toa Exosuit, coming this
summer) that the others didn't have.
     Most of the time I could fit the egg-mode Bohrok and its sidekick Bohrok
Va into the can along with the instructions for both, but in a few cases
(Nuhvok Va, Gahlok Va) I had to partially disassemble the little guys.

     Bohrok Mode: Okay, all six Bohrok have identical pieces except for the
claws, with just color variations.  All of them have white "lower teeth"
which are the same sort of piece that Kohrak Va has for claws.  There are
many new pieces for these guys: several body pieces, the new right-angled
ball joint pieces for arms and legs, the cockpit parts, the feet.  About all
that's old are the socket pieces, the rods, one or two of the gears and the
little nub pieces the rubber band wraps around (even the green band is new). 
     The Bohrok stand about 4.5" (11cm) tall and are generally squat.  They
have ball joint shoulders, hips, wrists and ankles, with permanently bent
elbows and knees.  Their action feature has the entire top half of the
body/head lance forward like a striking bird...in fact, there's a general
birdlike feel to this mode.  Appropriate, I suppose.  The cockpit holds a
Krana, and snaps closed.  If you push hard enough on the translucent fang
pieces the cockpit will pop open and throw the Krana.  If you leave the
cockpit unlatched and just activate the striking mechanism, you throw the
Krana much farther.  The Bohrok has to lean back a fair amount or be hon
higher ground to knock the mask off a Toa, though.  Turagas and Tohungas do
not enjoy this limited protection.
     Each Bohrok has clear fangs about the same color as their Krana and
otherwise shares the color scheme of the appropriate Toa.  These are not the
same colors as the Krana that come with the Bohrok Va.  The cockpits are
clear colorless plastic with a sort of flame pattern (not the pattern shown
in the ads or on the packaging) in their main color.  All have black socket
pieces, gray gear pieces and gray Krana seats.

     [Later note: According to the Lego Shop@Home catalog, the clear pieces
are eyes, not fangs.  I have to wonder what they're smoking.]

     Transformation: The arms and legs fold in rather elegantly, although you
may have to fiddle a bit with the elbow/knee pieces to get them to line up
correctly.  It all holds together pretty solidly, and the striking gimmick is
locked off.

     Egg Mode: Roughly spherical, 3" (8cm) in diameter.  The claws/shields
form the sides of the sphere, and the cockpit the top.  There is a part at
the rear where the hanger plugs in so that the egg can suspend from inside
the canister.  Kinda like Lego Eggbots, really, but more poseable in non-egg
mode.  

     Colors: I've already described the shields in the Bohrok Va review, so
about all that's left to cover is the color schemes and which Krana I got.
     Pahrok - Main color is brown, secondary is light tan.  Fangs and Krana
are green.  I got the Worker Krana.
     Nuhvok - Main color is black, secondary is gray.  Fangs and Krana are
yellow-green.  I got the Sentinel Krana.
     Gahlok - Main color is blue, secondary is light blue.  Fangs and Krana
are orange.  Gahlok's claws are a bit flatter than most, making it easier to
fit her into the canister.  I got the Mole Krana.
     Takrok - Main color is red, secondary is orange.  Fangs and Krana are
medium blue.  I got the Surveyor Krana.
     Lehvak - Main color is green, secondary is light green.  Fangs and Krana
are red.  I got the Worker Krana.
     Kohrak - Main color is white, secondary is gray.  Fangs and Krana are
light blue.  I got the Surveyor Krana.

     So, of the twelve figures I've picked up, I have all but the Scout Krana
represented, not too bad of a distribution.  
     Warning: if you aren't careful when trying to cram everything into the
canister, you can permanently warp the peg connection in the lid.

     The Bohrok combine by threes (Fire, Earth and Stone in one, Air, Water
and Ice in the other), but no names are given on the toys.  And Lego's
website is so full of unnecessary code lately that it takes way longer to
find anything than I feel is worth it.  I may review the combined forms, but
probably not soon.

     Dave