Review: Official Set - Botar

Just when you thought Titan sets were big, we’ve got bigger. The 2006 line of Bionicle provide us with a few Titan combination models, and the first one we’ll be taking a look at is Botar. Botar is composed of parts from Axonn and Brutaka and given that it was never released as its own separate set, you’ll have to own both of those Titans to build this one.

Botar the character was a member of a savage race from the Southern Islands. After being recruited to the Order of Mata Nui, Botar’s primary duty became capturing those who committed acts the Order had deemed unforgivable and banished them to a place called the Pit.

Model Review

As expected this ended up being one of the lengthier model builds, clocking it at 52 minutes. The build was pretty enjoyable, but undeniably stale at times, which is really only due to the legs and arms being mirrored copies of each other. But the assembly and building techniques are very engaging, which makes it feel a little bit faster than 50 minutes.

The most obvious thing about this model is that, well, it’s big. Going in I expected this to be a larger build than we got for Brutaka, after all it uses far more pieces, but even still I was pretty blown away by the size of this build. It’s a very imposing figure that manages to go bigger and badder without sacrificing an ounce of stability. The piston joints that we have now been introduced to during this 2006 line are implemented into the model in both the legs and the torso, which provide a lot of additional stability.

The impressive stability that this model showcases is also very versatile. There is no shortage of articulation in Botar. From the ankles all the way up through the neck, there’s joints in every spot you could want one, and thanks to the stability of this model you can utilize all of these joints and really pose the model however you want.

The benefits to Botar are definitely in the size and strength of the model, but the downsides are in the aesthetics. Sure, there is a ton of detail to be found in this build, but a few areas just fall flat for me. The weapon choice for Botar are two wrist-mounted gauntlets along with a double-bladed axe. Now, I think these weapons fit the character of Botar very well, and he certainly looks like an athletic, quick enemy. But it feels a little bit jarring to see such a large build not include a large weapon. It’s almost as if Botar is missing something when you look at the finished build.

The only other issue I had with Botar was the head design. The big trademark to Botar is certainly his ears that stick up and complete the appearance of a juiced-up Ratchet, but the eyepiece is simply just there. The exposed top of the eyepiece along with the Toa head forming the eyes makes me really think of the Ultimate Dume’s head design, which also felt a little bit lacking. The choice to not include either Axonn or Brutaka’s mask is a decision I can respect, but the head to Botar certainly needed a little bit more to it.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this is without a doubt my favorite Titan combination model (so far…). We finally get a model that delivers a massive scale and excellent stability. This is really something that I can see being the landmark of your display, and certainly the eye-catcher of your collection. However, it comes at a great cost.

Of course, if you want to build Botar, you’ll have to acquire both Axonn and Brutaka, which can be quite pricy. If you were to buy both of those Titans in used condition, you can expect to pay around $200. In brand new condition, these two sets would sett you back a whopping $600! Plain and simple, this is not a $600 set, do not spend that money to build Botar. Even $200 as the floor for this model is a lot, so it definitely would take some consideration before buying the parts to build Botar.

It’s certainly not better than Axonn or Brutaka on their own, but Botar still provides us with my current favorite Titan combination model.

SCORE: 8.2/10

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