Review:70790 by SPIRIT

BS01 Reviews

70790 Lord of Skull Spiders

Review: 70790 Lord of Skull Spiders

One spider to rule them all... He's big, he's bad, he's the Lord of Skull Spiders. Does this set have what it takes to strike fear into the hearts of our heroes, or is this just another pest for them to swat? Let's find out.

The Box

Well now isn't this fancy? We've got a glowing blue web and a golden Mask of Skull Spiders! Now this is nifty. It combines the mystery of the Golden Masks of 2001 with the creepiness of the Visorak of 2005. There's no question about it. This is a villain, and he's up to something!

What you might notice is odd is the size of the box. That's right, it's got one of the medium-sized boxes, yet the biggest piece count. An odd marketing choice, if you ask me. Overall, there seems to be little rhyme or reason in terms of pricing this year and what makes an expensive Toa vs. a cheap Toa. By some strange twist of fate, the main villain for the first half of the year is more affordable than some of the main heroes. This is an interesting approach, though, as for many fans, the villain sets may have been prohibitively expensive in the past. Not only is the main villain easier to afford, but every set comes with its own little villain in the form of the Skull Spiders. Bravo, Lego.

The Bits

In spite of being a cheaper set, the Lord of Skull Spiders does not hold back with piece count. Look at all that. It's like going back to the more Technic-like Rahi of yore. Plus it's got this cool orange-and-black Hallowe'en vibe going on. Très chique.

The Build

Check him out, he actually looks decently scary. He's got spikes and teeth and legs, and he just looks like a big mean old spider. Yes, he only has six legs, but then how many Bionicle spiders actually have the requisite eight legs?

"Mush!"

Now in terms of size, he's not really that big compared to the Toa. Yes, if I saw one of these in real life, I'd probably freak out (and I live in Australia too), but when you compare this spider to the long legacy of Bionicle villains preceding him, he doesn't really measure up. I guess that comes back to the whole affordability. A truly imposing villain set probably wouldn't carry the Lord of Skull Spiders' price tag, so I guess there's a bit of give and take.

He does have gear functionality, though, which had made a triumphant return to the set line. I've gotta say, though, it is a strange function. The 2001 Rahi would use their gears to attack and could usually be used to knock off a Toa's mask. On the other hand, the Lord of Skull Spiders' gear function...

Is he jumping? Is this why he can fly up in the air in the mobile game? Of all the gear functions he could've had, you picked this? I don't even know what to do with this. Obviously you don't need to use the gear function, but it was a very odd choice.

Oh and there's the Golden Mask of the Skull Spiders. I'm guessing Lego just wanted an excuse to use the new piece mould they made, but I really don't understand what he's supposed to do with it or even how he's supposed to wear it. Maybe he's just keeping it warm for Skull Slicer?

The Brass Tacks

Did we like this set? Yes	What We Liked: Affordable Appropriate set motif *Interesting build
	What We Didn't Like: Lacks intense play features Underwhelming as the only villain
	Other Comments:

Look, there are some flaws, but as far as villain sets go, it's all we have at the moment. It's looking like there are more interesting villains coming in the second half of the year, but if you can't wait until then, I'd say go for this one.

Aesthetically, it's a great set. He looks like a Lord of Skull Spiders. It's got a complex gear system for you builders out there and a golden mask for you collectors out there. Set of the year? No. But if you're looking for an affordable villain, I'd say Lego has delivered.

2015 Set Reviews (1HY)
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Review #1	By Cholie	By SPIRIT	By Dorek	By SPIRIT	By Dorek	By SPIRIT	By KZN02	By SPIRIT	By Swert	By SPIRIT	By Swert	By SPIRIT	By Cholie
Review #2	By Swert	By Dorek	By Swert	By Dorek	By Swert	By Swert	By Cholie	By Dorek	By Dorek	By KZN02	By Dorek	By Dorek	By SPIRIT