Random set of the day: Barraki Deepsea Patrol
Posted by Huwbot,Today's random set is 8925 Barraki Deepsea Patrol , released in 2007. It's one of 31 Bionicle sets produced that year. It contains 228 pieces and 4 minifigs, and its retail price was US$29.99/£19.99.
It's owned by 531 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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41 comments on this article
Minifig-scale Bionicle sets are cool.
Yo Yo Barraki!
That's how the rap goes, right? :P
@Mr__Thrawn said:
"Minifig-scale Bionicle sets are cool."
Agreed, I always wish I'd gotten more of these. Maybe not this one in particular, but a lot of them were really neat.
Even speaking as someone who's been getting back into Bionicles after a ten year Dark Age, the System-scale playsets were always weird to me--and I say this as someone who thinks a return of the Bionicle brand/lore may well need to be minifigs and System-scale.
But while I vaguely remember the existence of the Visorak and Piraka years having playsets, this one, from the Mahri wave, is like seeing something from a fan design in that I don't have any play for it in my mind. It looks like it might even be a relatively solid set, as Bionicle playsets went.
I miss the box art. Get rid of the black backgrounds and make some amazing box art again Lego!
Personally, I found these minifig scale Bionicles the better sets overall. This doesn’t disappoint.
Top 50 box art right here at least.
For some reason, the minifigures for this Bionicle system 2007 wave were incredibly messed up. In the other two sets in this lineup, the all the Toa would have the wrong heads in the wrong colors, this clearly being a result of LEGO wanting to cut down on the budget for no apparent reason.
This is the only one of the three sets in this wave that has all the correct minifigures in the correct colors.
Long ago, the Great Spirit Mata Nui was tasked with overseeing all on-goings in the Matoran Universe, but as time went on he became dreary with the work and set his sights to the stars. Several new beings and creatures were created to oversee the Universe in his stead, and among these were the Six Ruling Species, each spearheaded by a Barraki Warlord.
The Barraki's purpose was simple. To oversee the government and political deals across the Matoran Universe to maintain social order. But it didn't take long for greed to overcome them. Soon the Barraki formed the League of Six Kingdoms, a powerful army bent on conquering the entirety of the Matoran Universe, by any means necessary. Soon only one location remained untouched, the Great City of Metru Nui. The Barraki decided to stage a full fledged coup to overthrow Mata Nui and take over the Universe for themselves.
Soon The Brotherhood of Makuta intervened. The powerful Makuta Teridax bested the Barraki in combat, and prepared to execute (most) the Warlords for their crimes. But the universe had different plans. The Order of Mata Nui (basically the S.H.I.E.L.D. of BIONICLE) sent one of their top agents, the teleporting officer Botar, to the scene of the fray to grab all six Barraki and teleport them into Order custody.
The six were sent to The Pit. An ancient prison located in the stomach-chest region of the Great Spirit Robot. The Pit had little to no entrances to the rest of the MU aside from teleportation, and so it was home to the Universe's most powerful and deadly criminals.
Thousands of years went by with the Barraki withering away in their cells, until disaster struck. The Great Cataclysm. Mata Nui was sent into a coma and the Great Spirit Robot crash landed on the ocean moon of Aqua Magna. The crash sent earthquakes throughout the Matoran Universe. Among the devastation, and explosion took place in the Karda Nui powerplant causing a section of the Southern Continent known as Voya Nui to burst off the ground, through the roof of it's dome, through The Pit, and to the surface of Aqua Magna above.
The Pit was rocked. Salt water poured in from Aqua Magna above, while nuclear radiation leaked from Karda Nui below. This resulted in the entire region's water supply to transform into a strange mutagenic substance, anyone not killed in the initial explosion was forcibly transformed into strange fish like creatures. In the chaos, most of the prison's guards were slain. The fish-like prisoners fled to waters above, but now unable to breathe air they'd simply "escaped" into a larger, darker, and more unforgiving tomb.
The Barraki of course quickly returned to their ways as rulers. The mutations had given them the power to mind control various aquatic lifeforms, and they began rebuilding their kingdom with the local Rahi wildlife, taking most of the region just outside The Pit as their own.
Spider Crabs were among the many species integrated into this new army. It's unclear how many of their traits were a part of Barraki augmentation or natural abilities, but they possessed six claw-like legs, a smaller pair of forward facing claws, two long tentacles, a circular jaw of razor sharp teeth, a rear storage for eggs (or air bubbles? I can't remember) and an opening in their skull that can house one passenger. They're one of the few creatures capable of harming Toa Terrain Crawlers and can reach speeds of up to 46 Kilometers per Hour. They really didn't have much impact on the story, though did cameo in a few of the online flash games.
This set comes with minifigure versions of:
Kalmah, the Squid Barraki (8917)
Mantax, the Manta Ray Barraki (8919)
Takadox, the Preying Mantis Barraki (8916)
and Hewkii, Toa Marhi of Stone (8912)
I was always a huge fan of the 2007 BIONICLE System sets. The 2005 System sets were just terrible, and the 2006 were great Castle-type sets but were a bit juniorized. The 2007 sets were full fledged models, and the mix of organics, machinery, AND vehicle components really hammered home just how alien members of the MU really were.
While they're the same general concept, this set pales in comparison to set 8927 Toa Terrain Crawler. That thing was shrimp+squid+train+submarine, it was freakin' wild!
However, compared to '06 the '07 sets paled when it came to minifgures. Characters like Ehlek weren't given unique head molds making their figs very inaccurate, and Carapar didn't even get a figure! All six of the Hordika, Visorak, Inika, and Piraka from years before at least got a full set, but the Barraki didn't! Don't believe me how poorly these were handled, see for yourself, these two are supposed to be the same character:
https://brickset.com/sets/8920-1/Ehlek
https://brickset.com/minifigs/bio026/bionicle-mini-barraki-ehlek
On the one hand, this set is not as cool as yesterday's set of six spacemen.
On the other hand, the box art of today's RSOTD is absolutely awesome.
I'm not really a fan of Bionicle but I give this set an A- grade (bumped from a B) based on the box art alone.
I have the big one of these because it looked like a cool sci-fi train but the smaller ones do have their charm. The blending of machine with sealife kind of reminds me of what lego would later try with Galaxy Squad
@Wasthereonce said:
"I miss the box art. Get rid of the black backgrounds and make some amazing box art again Lego!"
For now the black background is reserved for 'adult play' sets. And these are just a fraction of lego products. All other themes have intricate box art as usuall. The latest Ninjago boxes are amazing imo.
Well that's rather an interesting crab-kraken type monster thing vehicle....
Like the pull-back stretchy squid, unusual part 4511873. Also drawn towards the blue hemispheres, but only ever appeared in this set even though lots of sci-fi ideas come to mind. Interesting build and lots of potential to use in expanding 8927: Toa Terrain Crawler.
Somehow I don't remember seeing this. Interesting.
I'm puzzled where Takadox is on the box-art? He's in the set, but I don't see him in the image anywhere, at first glance... which seems unusual to me?
I think the minifig scale Hero Factory figures pulled off the Constraction Figure look better, but with that experience and some more individual chest armour I think a return to system scale Bionicle should be on the cards!
I had this one as a kid!
I think that the "System" style Bionicle sets were an attempt by Lego to move away from the constraction system, which frequently required new molds. If they could get Bionicle fans to switch to the traditional, brick based sets, they could have continued the theme for less cost on their end.
They did the same thing with the final wave of Hero Factory sets. However, it seems that fans did not want this style of set, as I don't think they ever sold well and were frequently discounted.
@Formendacil:
I would be thrilled if they did minifig-scale Toa Mata and Bohrok.
@GSR_MataNui:
So...the Barraki were openly corrupt bureaucrat-politicians? No wonder even Makuta sided against them...
I miss those smaller scale bionicle sets
@ThatBionicleGuy said:
"I'm puzzled where Takadox is on the box-art? He's in the set, but I don't see him in the image anywhere, at first glance... which seems unusual to me?"
I'm also confused. I almost didn't include him in my run down 'cause I didn't see him in the box art, and I even have this set!
@PurpleDave said:
"So...the Barraki were openly corrupt bureaucrat-politicians? No wonder even Makuta sided against them..."
Yep. I have no idea how Metru Nui of all places managed to be the last stronghold against them.
In my head-canon this is a hollowed-out giant crab that has been mechanized and turned into a vehicle. It would be strange for a Rahi creature to have room for a passenger inside its head.
Also Takadox is nowhere on the box art, but you can imagine him riding along with Kalmah. And it actually seats two persons so it is possible.
Overall this set is pretty good. The vehicle is nice. Hewkii's underwater pod is reasonably fun. Mantax's walking squid launcher is the worst Lego build ever.
@StarWarzFan7777:
Imagine Tom Thumb riding around in a kappa’s bowl, with a thimble to bail water. What, that’s not what immediately came to everyone else’s mind when they read, “Rahi with a passenger inside its head”?
I'm still crazy about Bionicle all these years later. I have this set and have never opened it yet. I'll never forget the day I got it for Christmas thanks to my Dad who was always at work with https://www.bestchoiceroofingservices.com/ back then. Now I know he needed to be and I'm glad he was able to afford so many Bionicle sets, although he was mad when I never opened them lol.
Used to own this one. I never really liked it. The spider-crab didn't do much and had an annoying amount of bionicle part clutter on it that was secured with one pin. The black tentacles rested on the white suukorak teeth, so touching one would make the other get out of line. The windshield on the back that stores the 'air bubbles' (yellow zamor spheres) was hard to remove. In contrast, the four white spikes on its top are knocked of too easily.The thing was massive and took waay to much space for what it did. The colours are black and pearl silver/grey. You know, the most overused colourscheme. The pod wasn't that useable as it only held one figure which was all it did. The 'walker' was a glorified squid shooter tripod stand with a freely rotating platform that was the only thing that moves on the thing despite not being supposed to! The set of tools had a lot of extras that just float around after you build it. The arms on the figures were a newer version than from the 2006 sets. These were shorter but more secure. Less fun to swing weapons with.
Honestly, the coolest thing from this set was the jellyfish (you can see it far in the background). It just used a tr light blue 6x6 dish and tr neon orange 4x4 dish, four dark red piraka spines and four glow in the dark piraka spines. It's suprisingly effective!
This was the only thing I got for christmas 2007. I immediately regretted asking for it. Eventually sold it because of the space it took. I feel nostalgic for most sets, but this one I wouldn't even want to get back.
Fun fact: the thing has eyes. As in tr-red eye bulbs originally made for the barakki on either side of the stalk for its mouth. They are hard to see because the canopy extends over them.
@PurpleDave said:
" @StarWarzFan7777:
Imagine Tom Thumb riding around in a kappa’s bowl, with a thimble to bail water. What, that’s not what immediately came to everyone else’s mind when they read, “Rahi with a passenger inside its head”?"
I have literally no idea what you mean haha. Maybe that's intentional.
@StarWarzFan7777:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Thumb
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailing_(boats)
Well, looks like the Random Set of the Day is ten minutes late, could be more.
@MCLegoboy said:
"Well, looks like the Random Set of the Day is ten minutes late, could be more."
Huwbot's having a lie-in today!
Hey, @Huwbot! Stop watching the Olympics and do your job!
After both BIONICLE sets this week Huwbot's been a bit late with getting out the next days. Is my lore not good enough? Do you want more? There's four characters in this set! If you aren't entertained I can provide!!!
Where is he?
It’s been 2.5 hours. I think it’s time to call this RSotD the first RSoTD (Random Set of Two Days).
HUWBOT!
I would say it is cool that the RSotD froze on a BIONICLE set, but of all the sets to lock up on, why did it have to be this one? Couldn't it have been Takanuva or Exo-Toa or even Lesovikk?
It'll be interesting regardless to see how this plays out come tomorrow! Is there a story behind this lapse? Is Huwbot broken? Being replaced? The world awaits with baited breath!
@PurpleDave said:
"It’s been 2.5 hours. I think it’s time to call this RSotD the first RSoTD (Random Set of Two Days)."
Wouldn't be the first - there was an RSotD last week, too, that didn't go up untill like three in the morning.
I’ve got nothing done today because I’ve been page refreshing since 11am!
But how am I going to function without having viewed the RSotD and read the comments?
Damn, maybe huwbots feeling guilty after this set pick!