Review: Official Set - Toa Hordika

2005 got off to a rough start with the Rahaga, but thankfully we’re moving on from them this week with the Toa Hordika. The Toa Hordika represent the half-Rahi half-Toa mutations of the Toa Metru after they were poisoned by the Visorak horde while attempting to rescue left behind Matoran from the Great Cataclysm.

Each of the Toa Hordika sets comes with 48 pieces and is advertised for ages 7+.

Packaging

Since these are Toa we are of course going to be getting canisters as the packaging of choice. The canisters feature an action shot of the Toa Hordika on the front, with the background being composed of the region they represent. The different regions are all covered in Visorak webs as well.

The top of the canister matches the color scheme of each Toa, and also functions as a Rhotuka spinner holder.

The back of the canister details the spinner function a bit more and also gives sneak previews of some of the combination models. The Toa Hordika include a total of FIVE combination models (which we’ll get into later of course), three of which are shown on the various canisters.

Each canister is filled with a bundle of parts and the instructions, nothing too fancy here.

Base Model Review

In total it took me 25 minutes to construct all of the Toa Hordika base models. The builds were very enjoyable, although towards the end it got a bit stale being that they are all essentially clones of each other. There’s a ton of neat new parts that are included with these sets. The new parts molds are all very appealing and show a really high level of detail. The weapons are likely the most glaring new parts as they have bold colors and incorporate amazing designs using a rubber material.

As we’ve come to become ignorant to, the articulation is of course very good. Now that we’ve been getting a lot of sets that feature tons of articulation it may not seem like a big deal, but there was a time in the first few years of the theme where we weren’t so spoiled when it comes to articulation.

Another thing executed well by the design team are the masks. The masks not only look intriguing in their own respect, but they also translate the characters very well. Each of their masks shows design influence from the original character’s Toa Metru mask, which makes it flow very nicely for the storyline.

Unfortunately though, the downsides to the base models are quite significant. When you look at the final result and think back to the Toa Metru, the Toa Hordika are a significant downgrade. Their design is very open and bare and flows quite poorly unlike the Toa Metru who had incredibly fluid designs from top to bottom. The play functions are also a big downgrade being that only one arm can be moved using a gear function.

Instruction Combination Models Review

As I said before the Toa Hordika include a total of five combination models. Three of these are advertised on the canisters and have their instructions in the printed booklets that come with the sets. These models are all composed of two Toa Hordika each, and are a great expansion of combination models that allows you to enjoy them without having to buy either half or all of a set wave. All of them feature cool concepts for Rahi that could have been released from the archives as detailed in the 2005 storyline.

The three options for these combination models all make for great display options, but I definitely would say that they would be poor models if you’re looking to get a ton of functionality out of them. All of them suffer from a fair amount of stability issues, which greatly impacts their ability to be moved around without them tipping over or having their legs slide out from under them.

The Rhotuka Spinners also feel like a bit of an afterthought for all three of these models. Sure they’re included, but they’re all included in very inconvenient places that restrict you from actually pulling out the rip cord and letting the spinners fly.

Online Combination Models Review

The second set of combination models comes from online instructions that call for two different models that can be made from three Toa Hordika each. These models don’t feel tremendously bigger than the combination models included in the instructions, but they both are worth it in my opinion.

The combination of Nokama, Nuju, and Onewa is Frostelus, which looks a lot like the Rock Raptor combination made by Matau and Onewa. The structure is very solid this time around, and you can surely pose Frostelus around without fear of him toppling over. The issue for me here is that the six arms feel a bit too convoluted in the space they share. It’s hard to space them out from one another and instead it almost looks like one solid region as opposed to three separate arms on each side.

The other combination model is made from Vakama, Whenua, and Matau. This model, the Protocairn, has a dragon-like appearance and really does a nice job of pulling off the look. Vakama’s weapon pieces are perfect for the fire breathing mouth, and the tail construction is exquisite. But this model suffers from a far too popular issue of too much weight being placed on top of single leg pieces. The legs fold right up under the weight, and strongly limits the poses you can display this model in.

Both of these combinations make much better use of the Rhotuka spinners than the previous combinations. They each include two of them, and have the rip cord positioned in very convenient places.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Toa Hordika aren’t terrible, but it’s tough to look beyond the fact that they are a significant step back from the Toa Metru. A fluid design was tossed aside in favor of more new piece molds, and the functionality was stripped down. That being said they provide excellent opportunities to build some new Rahi, which is always a plus.

If you wish to purchase these sets for yourself, you can get them in used condition for around $9, and in brand-new condition for an average of $40 per Toa. Know that prices will fluctuate depending on which Toa you seek though. I don’t see any major reasons to get them sealed here, just ensure that your seller verifies the part condition and completion.

Still a long way to go until we’re back with some great sets, but at least these were an upgrade from the Rahaga.

SCORE: 6.0/10

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