Overwhelmed at the sheer technical genius and awe-inspiring power, Ryo wondered how he could even think that his old Mobile Defense Tank design was a good idea…

-- WARNING --

According to the manufacturer, this product is not recommended for children under the age of 7 years as it contains many small parts which a child could potentially choke on.

On the Sentai Mountain, humans work side-by-side with intelligent robots in mines. They use large excavation machines to dig out, gather, and transport mined rock to the surface. Unfortunately, an error occurred in one of the machines, and it sparked a vicious rebellion. Robots turned on their human masters, and through the fighting a series of mysterious explosions blasted the mountain into two halves. The robots were eventually driven deep into the newly-formed canyon far below. Years later, the robots returned, having quietly converted their mining machines into combat-hardened Battle Machines. In a surprise attack, the robots were able to conquer half of Sentai Mountain, additionally taking hostage thousands of human workers and their families. Anticipating their return beforehand, the wise and noble Keiken-sensei gathered together all the people, technology, and resources that he could and created Exo-Force- a defense screen of hardened battlements with tall gates, powerful weapon turrets, advanced research and development laboratories, and their own designs of brand new Battle Machines piloted by elite teams trained under his leadership.

At first, the first Sentai Fortress proved quite a challenge to the robots and their megalomaniacal leader, Meca One. But with access to greater resources and with more ruthlessness, the robots were able to make a heavy strike on Sentai Fortress enough to break it, forcing the inhabitants and survivors to flee higher up the mountainside. The robots limped back to their own side of the mountain…

Fortunately, Keiken-sensei was aware of a legend about the ancient Golden City where the first inhabitants of Sentai Mountain made their base of operations. After successfully retreating there, it was discovered that it was indeed a pinnacle of high technology, and its central computer systems gave them access to powerful new technologies and Battle Machines to replace their war-torn ones. While this did not grant them room for expansion enough to attempt an assault on the robots’ side of the mountain, the lessons learned there allowed for new Battle Machines and technologies to be developed. Desperate to get it’s claws on this technology as well, Meca One launched another heavy assault. But this time, it was able to use one of it’s many copies to kidnap and then impersonate Keiken-sensei in order to expose the city to attack! While Exo-Force was once more fortunate to drive the robots back and keep the Golden City secure, the disappearance of their leader left a large gap in their hearts which could not easily be filled…

Keiken-sensei knew that the only way to win the war and beat back the robots for good would be to first rescue the untold thousands of humans being held prisoner on the robot-controlled side of the mountain. Where they were now, he could only guess. But an expedition would need to be sent to find the massed prison cells. And so, to ensure that Meca One would not learn this, he secretly used Golden City technology to build new Battle Machines specially designed and customized to the talents of Exo-Force’s finest pilots, which he would then personally lead down into the lowlands of Sentai Mountain. The responsibility of keeping the Golden City safe and Exo-Force functional in his absence would fall to his granddaughter, Hitomi- who had become an experienced and courageous pilot in her own right recently. But what hadn’t been expected was the treachery of the robots. Upon Hitomi taking command of the human resistance, the new Battle Machines were discovered, and a new mission drawn up: Hikari, Takeshi, Ryo, and Hayato would go alone into the deepening jungles and waterfalls of Sentai Mountain to find their leader and make sure that he is not harmed and interrogated by the robots!

When the founders of the colony that would become the mines of Sentai Mountain first explored the region, and then began to move in the heavy equipment, they build long roads which were used later to haul away useful minerals. Surely there must be some left over from the base of the mountain after the robots rebelled? But even if there weren’t roads already there, the Hybrid Rescue Tank would make new roads. Ryo was no less than absolutely stunned at Keiken-sensei’s ambition and ingenuity when he learned about the vehicle’s existence, and that he had been assigned to it. It was designed to be the command vessel from which Keiken-sensei would lead the expedition down the mountainside, but it would not sit idle while the other Battle Machines ventured out alone into combat. No. The HRT is built around moving through dense and rough terrain with a unique tractor system which puts it almost on par with most Battle Machines, and providing the heavy support needed for assaults on fixed robot positions. The entire chassis is molded around a heavy mining laser much like the ones used before the rebellion, and the powerful mobile generator needed to run it. But Keiken-sensei upgraded it into a six-barrel rail blaster- if the mining tool could eat away at solid rock, then this weapon was guaranteed to punch clean through Battle Machine armor given half a chance. The drive section of the HRT is backed up by two swiveling cutting laser turrets on either side of the large drive wheel in back which provide near 135-degrees of cover to either side. But that is only half of its potential… The large turret above the drive section- which generously shields the gunner from all directions- mounts no less than six separate rapid-fire plasma-burst cannons! But what amazed Ryo so much was that, not only did the turret section have its own Battle Machine-type power generator, but it was capable of actually separating from the drive section and flying on its own! The drive section would retain two of the plasma-burst cannons in a smaller turret, but to compensate the fighter section carried two air-to-air/air-to-ground homing missiles. Overwhelmed at the sheer technical genius and awe-inspiring power, Ryo wondered how he could even think the old Mobile Defense Tank that he designed was a good idea…

To expand its detection range, Keiken-sensei equipped the large green Battle Machine with a new spy drone robot. Being that he was the one who created the robots before they all turned to evil (and for which he is ever-grieved and guilt-ridden nowadays), Keiken-sensei took the lessons learned from his mistakes, and created these new human-sized mini-robots with a simpler artificial intelligence (“AI”) and less-independent thinking capabilities, making them more dependable in a fight and less-prone to corruption while in a hazardous encounter with their enemies. The one attached to the flying turret of the Hybrid Rescue Tank is equipped to be a long-range sensor drone that can fly at near supersonic speeds both in and out of the deep jungle. When attached to the HRT, the mini-robot’s hand-held cannon can tap directly into the main generator, which increases its output significantly enough to make an additional seventh plasma-burst cannon for the heavy assault vehicle to utilize.

The Hybrid Rescue Tank- I must admit- is pretty damn impressive. This thing is gonna be loads of fun for me-- uhh, kids. Kids! I meant to say “kids”! The HRT is clearly the successor to the Mobile Defense Tank from the debut 2006 line; which seems to have skipped a generation in 2007, but looks almost nothing like it.

(I’ll try not to draw too many parallels between them. For short, I referred to the Mobile Defense Tank as the “MDT”, so try to keep them separated in your head!)

. . .

Ahhhh- where to start… It’s kinda hard to describe details when they’re together, so I’m gonna cover the two halves separately. There seem to be no official names for the two halves of the HRT, so I’ll just call them the Fighter Section and Drive Section. Sound good? “No”? Too bad!

----Fighter Section (back)----

Cockpit and Fuselage

This is the second time that Ryo gets to control the turret of a tank, but fortunately he gets a whole lot more cover than he did with the Mobile Defense Tank. A very wide and long tinted canopy cover provides the minifig within a panoramic view. For the first time in Exo-Force, the canopy/windscreen cannot simply rotate out of the way; it is directly fixed to the rest of it just like any other Lego part is by snapping it over studs beneath the part. So you have to pry it off, but there are gaps on either side which make this near-effortless. Inside the cockpit- like Hikaru before him in the Chameleon Hunter- Ryo has no seat to rest on, planning his hollow legs right on the floor of the vehicle. He hangs onto an extended handlebar which is connected to the nose via a single Battle Droid minifig arm seen in many Star Wars sets since 1999. Getting him to grab on to the handlebars, and then setting him in is surprisingly harder than it looks to be. On either side of the canopy are two of these plasma-burst cannons. The black shafts used for almost all of the cannons in the set are the same ones that run through the center of all of the human-made mini-robots in the line (including the one for this set). Underneath the long streamlined tail is the engine for the fighter- a single decal attached to a cylindrical brick and flat plate. Because of what parts are used, the engine nozzle can easily twist around.

Wings

Both wings are identical, and are attached to the body via ratcheting joints which are used later. The long smooth blue parts used for the wings are the same ones used for the fighter’s tail. Each also features a thin extended-barrel plasma-burst cannon, both of which have their own identical ratcheting joints as well. Mounted above each wing on a ball-and-socket joint is a single missile launcher. Each red & gray missile can be easily detached and replaced on their holders. When in vehicle mode, the missile launchers can be pointed around, but when flying they are always shown point forward. (Makes sense, right?) Another pair of those new neon-green slanted 1x2 vent plates sit on either wing right below the launchers.

----Drive Section (back)----

Movement

The HRT uses two different forms of wheeled propulsion, as opposed to the MDT which had only one. The common type between them are rubber tractor treads of which the HRT has only two, one on either side of the front of the vehicle’s body; though they lack the movable suspension system of the MDT. Each tread uses three black rim parts to keep their shape and tension. The back of the HRT, however, uses a single big-ass 3” hollow black rubber tire with inner ABS rim! (The inner wheel is almost completely covered by those white radar dish pieces, which is why it’s hard to see in any pictures.) Both the tractor treads and the big wheel freely spin.

Vehicle Structure

Any parts that have to do with the framework are dark gray unless they are related to the tractor/big wheel assemblies or special features. From most angles, the tractors and big wheel cover up the fact that the HRT is actually very hollow; this is most evident when you look at it from either a back angle or from below. This is perhaps the only real downside to the entire set- the armor is just a façade to hide the fact that this powerful vehicle doesn’t have any guts! The structure of the drive section is built around the tractors/big wheel, turret mount, and forward cannon mount, and anything else is filling. Even the off-center cockpit is as sparse as you can get, allowing the driver- Keiken-sensei- nothing in the form of creature comforts other than a half-cylindrical canopy and a forward blue ‘bumper’ with some light decals on it.

Weapons

To either side of the big wheel is another kind of laser cannon turret. These also are mounted to ball-and-socket joints, but they’re hidden right behind the forward tractor treads. So the only way to ‘shoot’ them is to turn them to either side. Unfortunately, because of the angle that the ball-and-socket joints hang from above, the Y-shaped female connector part in the turret itself bumps into them, and they can’t completely turn horizontally unless you tilt them upwards a bit. There is a smaller turret sitting on top of the Drive Section with two more of those plasma-burst cannons; these are built almost identically to the ones on the fuselage of the Fighter Section. One minor detail is the inclusion of some transparent-green parts that look like sensor eyes between the cannon barrels. On the right side above the tractor tread is a small black Technic gear. Now, here’s the cool part- when that gear is turned by hand, the turret on top can be twisted all the way around through 360-degrees! The large rail blaster is dominating too, mounted directly opposite the cockpit. Now, here’s the cool part- when you roll the HRT forward, the rail blaster spins around too! Two different twisting cannon features in one set… how cool is that!?

. . .

Combining the two vehicles is very easy, and pretty much involves just the Fighter Section. The wing-mounted cannons and missiles point away from the fuselage, and then the wings themselves swing forward so that everything lines up parallel against the main body again. (It’s a bummer that they didn’t incorporate some kind of mechanism that allows the cannons to twist automatically as you slide the wings around. I bought it thinking they did do exactly that! Oh, well…) Then the Fighter Section slips directly over that dark gray rod in the middle of the rotating turret on the Drive Section... only just missing running poor Ryo through inside! (It might push off his purple minifig-toupee, though, since it’s that close…)

The completed Hybrid Rescue Tank (back) is a rather imposing presence, the striking blue and white coloring immediately grabbing your attention, and then all those pointed cannons keep you focused. The spinning rail blaster is unaffected by the combination, but the Fighter Section suddenly bulks up that tiny turret on the Drive Section. As such, when that Technic gear is twisted around, the whole honkin’ thing twists around now.

Lego Set #8118 comes with a new version of the Ryo minifig. While he still has his purple spiky hairdo and double-sided head (one face serious, one a battle-cry expression), the chest print has been redesigned to incorporate new designs- including a camouflaged shirt beneath the techy fittings! But the set also included a Sensei Keiken minifig as well, unchanged since his first (and- so far- only) appearance in the Sentai Fortress (#7709) set from 2006. He, too, has both a calm expression on one side of his head, and he's gritting his teeth on the other, both faces marred by a long red scar crossing the left side. (I guess this means they rescued him, huh…?)

. . .

Normally, when a Lego set needs specific details on a part, such as a control panel or flag, the image is printed or painted directly onto specific parts. Exo-Force continues for its third year by using stick-on decals; something that is becoming more commonplace in other lines of the Lego System. There is a small sticker sheet which provides allegiance markings, warning symbols & notices, and names- some of them written in Japanese text! Translations of the Japanese text are given on the sticker sheet, but do not go on the parts. This allows for a wider range of piece marking without Lego having to create a completely different piece each time, and merges the Exo-Force and Japanese toy influence closer together. Whereas in the debut 2006 line some sets had a few conflicts where decals would cover more than one part and would make it impossible to separate again unless they were cut (or not applied to begin with), this has not been a problem with since and was not present in the 2007 line. And so there are no conflicts in Set#8118 from the 2008 line.

I noticed something that I wanna nitpick about here real quick… And it may be absolutely nothing, but I thought it might be worth a footnote if nothing else. On the nose of the Fighter Section above the Exo-Code (see belowExo-Force sets all the time- even the robot ones- but this it the first extraneous mark I’ve seen. And you can barely see the silver letters since they’re on a white background; I can’t even photograph it! Call me paranoid if you wish, but…

The new common gimmick for all of the 2008 line is these new mini-robots. Each one attaches to a Battle Machine. These are not new minifigs, but small Lego parts put together to make unique designs for each set that stands roughly as tall as a minifig. On the human-operated Battle Machines, there is a decal showing the forward profile of its mini-robot as well as the term “Spy Drone”. (Yes, this term is in conflict with all promotional materials- where they are called “mini-robots” instead.) When attaching them to their parent Battle Machine, they fold up and collapse down into a smaller form, though nothing is removed to accomplish this. Be aware that the connection between mini-robot and Battle Machine is not always perfect compared to the instructions, so you’ll have to tinker around until you find an appropriate position for everything, though you won’t have to remove any parts to do so. (It’s really no big deal, and you’ll get used to it quickly enough.)

For Set #8118, the mini-robot (back) forms a pod which attaches to the top of the Fighter Section. A long bar sticks out behind, but the legs and center body are heavy enough to comfortably keep it upright on a flat surface; plus, the feet are individually jointed and can be adjusted as well. The white arms (taken from the Devastator robot minifigs) can flip most the way around; though they way they are built they can pitch up and down a little at the shoulder, but these other ‘joints’ are rather tight, so I would not recommend doing this too much. It grips a single blaster composed of a black minifig-sized space sensor and another trans-neon green barrel. The unique thing about the mini-robot for the Hybrid Rescue Tank is that it can transform into a flight mode- the legs swing up horizontally, the arms swing forward (actually, I swing them backwards), and the blaster fits on the post on its chest. It’s small and fragile, but it works! Because of where it attaches on the Fighter Section of the HRT, you cannot get to Ryo in the cockpit without removing the mini-robot first. (Getting the mini-robot off there is a pain in itself compared to the others in all the other sets released up to this point…)

For 2007, Exo-Force’s official website was upgraded with a new Code Brick Central section to accept specially-designated Exo-Codes which would be found in each set released. These alphanumeric Exo-Codes would grant access to special information and online goodies- wallpaper, screensavers, decals for your personal Lego profile, etc.- related to that one set from which the code had come. Apparently it was successful enough because the Exo-Codes are back for 2008. (Alas, they didn’t make new mini-movies of the Battle Machine’s in action like they did last year!) However, unlike the codes that were pre-printed onto flat 1x2 bricks in 2007, the new Exo-Codes are now printed onto decals which are then applied to the cockpit canopy of each set. Be aware that you must be signed up with a free Lego online profile in order to access the new information (of which they will also remind you).

...

Something that a lot of people noticed was when none of the 2007 sets were used to make alternate and combined models on the box art and website like they were in the breakout 2006 line. Well, you asked for them, and you got them back! While the singular alternate models have not come back, each 2008 set has instructions which can be found in the somewhat-elusive Build It! section of the website to combine two or three Exo-Force sets into one!

Oddly, the Hybrid Rescue Tank has no official combination with any of the other Exo-Force sets, or an alternate mode to itself.

Now here’s what I don’t like:

• You expect from the price of this that it would have a bit more substance to the body of the Drive Section; the MDT actually surpasses in this regard. Fewer parts, but less substance at the same price is not a good trade-off here. It’s all hollow! Even the rail blaster suffers from this- the base of the cannon is basically a two-sided box with no structure stability whatsoever even though the spinning feature works well. Where are these powerful generators that Lego keeps advertising about in this set???
• This whole year, all of the Exo-Force sets are based on animals- either in features or in general shape. But, unless this set is based on a bear, I don’t see it, and I haven’t found any reference linking it to nature in any of the official materials. It just makes a mess of the surrounding world rather than taking inspiration from it. It doesn’t really need it, but- I mean- what happened? Why break the trend?
• Unlike all of the other mini-robots released up to this point on both sides of the battle, this one causes me the most grief. The main body (with the red sensor eye and green balls) doesn’t stay attached to that rod worth a crap! Yeah, it’s nice to have it transform, but after having three previous human-sided mini-robots that all function the same while all of the robots’ are very flexible and quite different from each other, you’d expect some variety or certainly something more stable. While all the others share similar construction and design, this one is built almost backwards. The only thing I found interesting was how the blaster mounts to the chest when in flight mode; that actually works compared to them always just holding their own weapons all the time. (BTW, what are those green balls on its back supposed to be???)
• This last one is more of a nitpick, but I though hiding those cannons behind the tractor treads wasn’t very clean. They make for good cover for the hollow interior, but I thought they might have worked out better if they has been on the outside of the tractor treads and then be able to swing around 180-degrees.

I feel that this is indeed a worthy successor to the Mobile Defense Tank from 2006. It’s not quite as big (347pcs versus 365pcs), but it’s also not as awkward. It features a rotating cannon which was only implied on the MDT, and you can actually roll it around on a hard surface without the suspension system collapsing all the time if you push too hard. While they both use ball-and-socket joints, this one makes sure that they are not used for heavy sections- only tiny laser cannons and missile launchers here. (Yay! That’s how it’s supposed to be with those kinds of joints, IMO.) I don’t know why- that big wheel in back is unorthodox for something like this, but in a weird way, it’s just cool; like Keiken-sensei’s just gonna rip it up and do wheelies with this thing or somethin’. (Pimp it out with hydraulic shocks maybe…) This whole giant turret set-up is pretty sweet; the inner gear mechanism is what really makes it work. (BTW, right after everything’s folded up on the Fighter Section, doesn’t it remind you of that speeder that that Zam Wessell drove around in “Star Wars Ep.II”? Kinda does to me...) It may be too gimmicky for its own good, but I thought the detachable fighter was a nice touch, as were the extending wings and cannons. (As for that tiny engine nozzle… eh, I don’t care either way.) But other than those four gripes above, I think this is a really cool set to have. Both halves have a special feature instead of just one of them hogging all the fun away from the other. I like that the Drive Section retains a twisting turret even when the Fighter isn’t in place. It also has a nice presence, absolutely covered in weapons and soft angular contours, and- despite the hollow interior of the Drive Section- it looks tough. So despite its flaws (which in the long run aren’t all that bad, except for that mini-robot) I recommend getting the Hybrid Rescue Tank. It’s quite fun! Watch out, Meca One: the HuRT's a-comin'...

This is the half-way point of the 2008 line for Exo-Force until summer. So, what do you think so far? Hey- does anyone even care if I cover these Lego sets or not!? Do they influence you to get or avoid them? People, please give me feedback!

While the Battle Arachnoid and Dark Panther more closely resemble real animals (a spider and a- a… whatever), the details in its online profile at Exo-Force.com suggest that it is more related to a dragonfly.

-- WARNING --

According to the manufacturer, this product is not recommended for children under the age of 7 years as it contains many small parts which a child could potentially choke on.

On the Sentai Mountain, humans work side-by-side with intelligent robots in mines. They use large excavation machines to dig out, gather, and transport mined rock to the surface. Unfortunately, an error occurred in one of the machines, and it sparked a vicious rebellion. Robots turned on their human masters, and through the fighting a series of mysterious explosions blasted the mountain into two halves. The robots were eventually driven deep into the newly-formed canyon far below. Years later, the robots returned, having quietly converted their mining machines into combat-hardened Battle Machines. In a surprise attack, the robots were able to conquer half of Sentai Mountain, additionally taking hostage thousands of human workers and their families. Anticipating their return beforehand, the wise and noble Keiken-sensei gathered together all the people, technology, and resources that he could and created Exo-Force- a defense screen of hardened battlements with tall gates, powerful weapon turrets, advanced research and development laboratories, and their own designs of brand new Battle Machines piloted by elite teams trained under his leadership.

At first, the first Sentai Fortress proved quite a challenge to the robots and their megalomaniacal leader, Meca One. But with access to greater resources and with more ruthlessness, the robots were able to make a heavy strike on Sentai Fortress enough to break it, forcing the inhabitants and survivors to flee higher up the mountainside. The robots limped back to their own side of the mountain…

Fortunately, Keiken-sensei was aware of a legend about the ancient Golden City where the first inhabitants of Sentai Mountain made their base of operations. After successfully retreating there, it was discovered that it was indeed a pinnacle of high technology, and its central computer systems gave them access to powerful new technologies and Battle Machines to replace their war-torn ones. While this did not grant them room for expansion enough to attempt an assault on the robots’ side of the mountain, the lessons learned there allowed for new Battle Machines and technologies to be developed. Desperate to get it’s claws on this technology as well, Meca One launched another heavy assault. But this time, it was able to use one of it’s many copies to kidnap and then impersonate Keiken-sensei in order to expose the city to attack! While Exo-Force was once more fortunate to drive the robots back and keep the Golden City secure, the disappearance of their leader left a large gap in their hearts which could not easily be filled…

The gold-plated leader of the robot army, Meca One, is known for its ruthlessness, its cunning, its intelligence, and its superiority complex. It was the first to rebel, and lead all of the robots into conflict with their creators, so it has been there from the start and has seen it all. The first thing it realized was that when together, humans are very resourceful. So when Meca One led its new army of Battle Machines against the Sentai Mountain, it was not only able to take the more-plentiful resources, but also rob them of their fighting spirit by abducting their family, friends, and co-workers. Knowing that a counter-attack might upset that advantage, it ordered thousands of prison cells be constructed at the base of the mountain before the invasion began, and then moved all of the prisoners there… except for the ones it forced into working in the mines without robot help. But this new Exo-Force human resistance had proved more difficult to overcome than initially expected. With the discovery that Sensei Keiken was leading them, Meca One realized that he might be the only one capable of bringing it and its army down. But Exo-Force’s resistance was also due to its access to the superior technology in the Golden City. So Meca One sent one of his many copies covertly to the city fortress, and had it abduct Keiken-sensei so that they could now gain access to that same information.

One of the weaknesses of a Storm Lasher is that you can hear its twin high-powered turbofan V-TOL engines thrumming loudly from miles away, which gives Exo-Force pilots the change to duck for cover before it screams over head… unless it’s cruising along at higher altitudes at Mach 1, though they don’t seem to do this much. Completely abandoning a humanoid-shaped Battle Machine body works well here as it did for the heavier and outrageously over-powered Sonic Phantom prototypes. With more dependence on speed and agility to avoid damage, a lighter structure was engineered around a moderate power generator, control pod, and a mixture of weapons. Their mobility above the treetops is their greatest advantage over enemy Battle Machines- getting quickly where they need to be. Strom Lashers act primarily as interceptors and back-up for ground forces, and utilize heavy strafing runs against slower-moving targets. A pair of long-range pulse blasters doesn’t heat as quickly as standard-type laser cannons, but produce similar damage. And two small quad-barrel autocannons are mounted on swiveling motors which can follow targets as the Battle Machine continues to move. For situations where flying below the canopy might be more advantageous, two sharp mandibles are affixed in front of the control pod for delicate lifting or strong crushing. But if the target fights back, the Iron Drone at its controls can twist the Storm Lasher around suddenly, and quickly hack away at its opponent with the diamond-sharp tips of the six-bladed turbofans.

Though its army of Devastator and Iron Drone robots is superior in many ways to humans, Meca One was reluctant to admit to itself that they, too, were not well-equipped to move in among the vines, branches, sharp rocks, and the foothills of the mountain. So a new type of mini-robot was designed to act as a scout for the Strom Lasher. Equipped with four large dragonfly-like wings which constantly buzz through the air, it can act as a recon sensor drone beneath the treetops while the larger Battle Machine buzzes above. Additionally, its powerful back legs allow it to jump incredible distances without making as much noise from its wings. It, too, is equipped with a pair of swiveling laser cannons similar to hand-held units that Iron Drones usually carry, but with a higher output. And finally, it carries a long stinger at the end of its flexible tail which can puncture Battle Machine armor. Though more limited in its intelligence to prevent Exo-Force from capturing one and learning anything from them, it is still smart enough to avoid being detected by hiding in radar shadows, or hack into and disable enemy Battle Machines.

The Storm Lasher (back) continues the trend of non-humanoid-shaped Battle Machines, this time drawing more heavily on the animal world for inspiration (as most of the robot army Battle Machines will for 2008 …) While the Battle Arachnoid and Dark Panther more closely resemble real animals (a spider and a- a… whatever), the details in its online profile at Exo-Force.com suggest that it is more related to a dragonfly. And you can kinda see that. The control pod, which hangs below the rest of the body, carries all of the weapons. From the top down on the pod, you have a pair of laser cannons which can pitch all the way over. (They look a lot more like missiles to me, and they can be easily separated to be so if you wish.) Second, the paired autocannons- which are attached to ball-and-socket joints, and have a fairly good range of motion up & down and a bit side-to-side as well. (The autocannons can spin where they connect to that joint as well, but they’re not really made to do so; it’s just the pieces they used.) And finally, the two pincer-like mandibles can snap-rotate open and close in increments for a total of about 120-degrees. They’re not very strong, and could only hold something really light, like a minifig or one of these mini-robots from the 2008 line. The darkened transparent canopy piece flips down to admit the minifig pilot into the featureless cockpit. (This poor Iron Drone is less protected than Hayato is in the River Dragon!) The main feature of the Storm Lasher is the paired turbofan assemblies on either side. While mainly displayed horizontally, there are two ratcheting joints which allow them for both twist all the way around 360-degrees for forward [or backward] flight. The turbofan blades themselves- made from chipped Pirate scabbards (clever!)- can be spun by hand via the thin shafts which extend below them! Additionally, the turbofan assemblies can be stored vertically as well! While not very stable when the turbofans are stored upright, the set stays level by use of a thin grip in back. And above the grip are two long insect-like panels which can be posed by twisting and pitching them independently at their base like air brakes or steering fins.

Lego Set #8117 comes with a traditional brown Iron Drone minifig with a red #2 Technic rod placed in the back of its head to make red eyes. No weapon is provided.

. . .

Normally, when a Lego set needs specific details on a part, such as a control panel or flag, the image is printed or painted directly onto specific parts. Exo-Force continues for its third year by using stick-on decals; something that is becoming more commonplace in other lines of the Lego System. There is a small sticker sheet which provides allegiance markings, warning symbols & notices, and names- some of them written in Japanese text! Translations of the Japanese text are given on the sticker sheet, but do not go on the parts. This allows for a wider range of piece marking without Lego having to create a completely different piece each time, and merges the Exo-Force and Japanese toy influence closer together. Whereas in the debut 2006 line some sets had a few conflicts where decals would cover more than one part and would make it impossible to separate again unless they were cut (or not applied to begin with), this has not been a problem with since and was not present in the 2007 line. And so there are no conflicts in Set#8117 from the 2008 line.

The new common gimmick for all of the 2008 line is these new mini-robots. Each one attaches to a Battle Machine. These are not new minifigs, but small Lego parts put together to make unique designs for each set that stands roughly as tall as a minifig. On the human-operated Battle Machines, there is a decal showing the forward profile of its mini-robot as well as the term “Spy Drone”. (Yes, this term is in conflict with all promotional materials- where they are called “mini-robots” instead.) When attaching them to their parent Battle Machine, they fold up and collapse down into a smaller form, though nothing is removed to accomplish this. Be aware that the connection between mini-robot and Battle Machine is not always perfect compared to the instructions, so you’ll have to tinker around until you find an appropriate position for everything, though you won’t have to remove any parts to do so. (It’s really no big deal, and you’ll get used to it quickly enough.)

For Set #8117, the mini-robot (back) forms an inert lump of machinery attached to the Storm Lasher’s back- right between the turbofans and tail brakes, and right above the grip. It implies the appearance of a wasp, with yellow pincer claws that are attached to four black Exo-Force robot minifig arms. The back two legs are made up from two flexible PVC antennae which debuted in 2007 primarily for certain Bionicle playsets, but were also used in a few other lines like Aqua Raiders, but here they make their Exo-Force debut. The head has two independent neon-green balls for the eyes; all previous mini-robots have had transparent-part eyes or decals. Unfortunately, the head cannot move. The wings are four identical segments which can both pitch 360- and rotate 180-degrees, making them very flexible for posing. The two small transparent-red laser cannons above the wings can swivel back 180-degrees. The tail is another of those hybrid-material triangular plates that I’ve mentioned in other reviews already (particularly the Chameleon Hunter’s), which are making their debut this year in the Exo-Force line. Again, the colors of the materials contrast each other- black ABS and yellow flexible PVC. This mini-robot is actually quite large, nearly half the size of the Battle Arachnoid! The Storm Lasher neither loses nor gains any extra function(s) when the mini-robot is removed; if anything, it bulks up the back end a little, and adds a bit to the ferocity of the Battle Machine.

For 2007, Exo-Force’s official website was upgraded with a new Code Brick Central section to accept specially-designated Exo-Codes which would be found in each set released. These alphanumeric Exo-Codes would grant access to special information and online goodies- wallpaper, screensavers, decals for your personal Lego profile, etc.- related to that one set from which the code had come. Apparently it was successful enough because the Exo-Codes are back for 2008. (Alas, they didn’t make new mini-movies of the Battle Machine’s in action like they did last year!) However, unlike the codes that were pre-printed onto flat 1x2 bricks in 2007, the new Exo-Codes are now printed onto decals which are then applied to the cockpit canopy of each set. Be aware that you must be signed up with a free Lego online profile in order to access the new information (of which they will also remind you).

...

Something that a lot of people noticed was when none of the 2007 sets were used to make alternate and combined models on the box art and website like they were in the breakout 2006 line. Well, you asked for them, and you got them back! While the singular alternate models have not come back, each 2008 set has instructions which can be found in the somewhat-elusive Build It! section of the website to combine two or three Exo-Force sets into one!

Set #8117- Storm Lasher can combine with Set #8115- Dark Panther to form a tall humanoid Battle Machine with a large claw.

Even though it wasn’t a humanoid-shaped Battle Machine, I was really looking forward to getting this one. And I was certainly not disappointed in any way! It’s very simple to use and build. It is a far better effort than the 2006 Sonic Phantom set (which was also a vehicle) even though it is composed of fewer parts. It also performs exactly as advertised; a lack of hidden features may be disappointing, but I found it not a problem here. Perhaps it biggest hindrances was its thin structure (aka, lack of weight), and that it doesn’t rest very soundly when the turbofans are retracted upwards. I can understand trying to keep the head round and body thin like a dragonfly’s (they succeeded, IMHO), but some retractable landing gear would’ve been appropriate as well to help with that resting balance. It’s also little things that makes the difference and add to the playability of the set- spinning propellers with knobs you can twist, air brakes that look like a tail or long feathers, mandibles & smaller weapons that can be moved around. The wasp-inspired mini-robot is also impressive and full of little details that make it quite memorable compared against other mini-robots seen up to this point! Things to change? Other than giving the Iron Drone a little more protection in its cockpit and adding some stabilizers when it’s on the ground, not really! It’s just fine the way it is. And so, I highly recommend getting the Storm Lasher!

The Dark Panther mounts two Iron Drones mid-body with their own laser rifles. When need-be, they can detach from the Battle Machine and take off independently through the jungle in their matching hover jet packs!

-- WARNING --

According to the manufacturer, this product is not recommended for children under the age of 7 years as it contains many small parts which a child could potentially choke on.

On the Sentai Mountain, humans work side-by-side with intelligent robots in mines. They use large excavation machines to dig out, gather, and transport mined rock to the surface. Unfortunately, an error occurred in one of the machines, and it sparked a vicious rebellion. Robots turned on their human masters, and through the fighting a series of mysterious explosions blasted the mountain into two halves. The robots were eventually driven deep into the newly-formed canyon far below. Years later, the robots returned, having quietly converted their mining machines into combat-hardened Battle Machines. In a surprise attack, the robots were able to conquer half of Sentai Mountain, additionally taking hostage thousands of human workers and their families. Anticipating their return beforehand, the wise and noble Keiken-sensei gathered together all the people, technology, and resources that he could and created Exo-Force- a defense screen of hardened battlements with tall gates, powerful weapon turrets, advanced research and development laboratories, and their own designs of brand new Battle Machines piloted by elite teams trained under his leadership.

At first, the first Sentai Fortress proved quite a challenge to the robots and their megalomaniacal leader, Meca One. But with access to greater resources and with more ruthlessness, the robots were able to make a heavy strike on Sentai Fortress enough to break it, forcing the inhabitants and survivors to flee higher up the mountainside. The robots limped back to their own side of the mountain…

Fortunately, Keiken-sensei was aware of a legend about the ancient Golden City where the first inhabitants of Sentai Mountain made their base of operations. After successfully retreating there, it was discovered that it was indeed a pinnacle of high technology, and its central computer systems gave them access to powerful new technologies and Battle Machines to replace their war-torn ones. While this did not grant them room for expansion enough to attempt an assault on the robots’ side of the mountain, the lessons learned there allowed for new Battle Machines and technologies to be developed. Desperate to get it’s claws on this technology as well, Meca One launched another heavy assault. But this time, it was able to use one of it’s many copies to kidnap and then impersonate Keiken-sensei in order to expose the city to attack! While Exo-Force was once more fortunate to drive the robots back and keep the Golden City secure, the disappearance of their leader left a large gap in their hearts which could not easily be filled…

The gold-plated leader of the robot army, Meca One, is known for its ruthlessness, its cunning, its intelligence, and its superiority complex. It was the first to rebel, and lead all of the robots into conflict with their creators, so it has been there from the start and has seen it all. The first thing it realized was that when together, humans are very resourceful. So when Meca One led its new army of Battle Machines against the Sentai Mountain, it was not only able to take the more-plentiful resources, but also rob them of their fighting spirit by abducting their family, friends, and co-workers. Knowing that a counter-attack might upset that advantage, it ordered thousands of prison cells be constructed at the base of the mountain before the invasion began, and then moved all of the prisoners there… except for the ones it forced into working in the mines without robot help. But this new Exo-Force human resistance had proved more difficult to overcome than initially expected. With the discovery that Sensei Keiken was leading them, Meca One realized that he might be the only one capable of bringing it and its army down. But Exo-Force’s resistance was also due to its access to the superior technology in the Golden City. So Meca One sent one of its many copies covertly to the city fortress, and had it abduct Keiken-sensei so that they could now gain access to that same information.

Before the robots rose out of the deep crevice of the Sentai Mountain to begin the war, they had hidden themselves in the deep jungles at its base. There, they encountered the wild and untamed creatures that roamed and were very well adapted to living there. As the robots’ continued failure at defeating Exo-Force became more than a nuisance, one of the ideas that Meca One dictated was that there may be more to a Battle Machine than armor, power, and weapons. There was also stealth and cunning. In the deep jungle, these are attributes that must be attained if they wished to keep their dominance. And so the robots took nature, and twisted it and improved on it for their own purposes. The Dark Panther is far more agile and maneuverable in the jungles than the earlier but more powerful Thunder Fury. New construction techniques allowed for lighter materials to be used to lessen its weight; this coupled with new hybrid motors allows it to jump near a hundred feet in a single bound! Then, as it clings to the massive trees with the paired sharp talons on each foot (which double as slashing weapons), it can hide right as Exo-Force’s Battle Machines pass unawares directly below. Then when their backs are turned, it can blast at them with twin composite laser cannons under the cockpit and an ion cannon turret mounted on its back. And if the Devastator at its controls wants to get up close and personal, it can use a series of leaps and twirls which allow the Dark Panther to dodge most close-range fire but still utilize the five long spikes on its chassis to gouge deep into Battler Machine armor. To add to this, the Dark Panther mounts two Iron Drones mid-body with their own laser rifles; or when need-be, they can detach from the Battle Machine and take off independently through the jungle in their matching hover jet packs!

Though its army of Devastator and Iron Drone robots is superior in many ways to humans, Meca One was reluctant to admit to itself that they, too, were not well-equipped to move in among the vines, branches, sharp rocks, and the foothills of the mountain. So a new type of mini-robot was designed to act as a scout for the Dark Panther. Equipped with six pointed legs of its own, it can also float over short distances. It is also equipped with two short-range lasers, adding to the Dark Panther’s overall firepower by working in concert with the Iron Drones to create a confusing crossfire pattern which could turn any Battle Machine into scrap with a lot of holes in it. Though more limited in its intelligence to prevent Exo-Force from capturing one and learning anything from them, it is still smart enough to avoid being detected by hiding in radar shadows, or hack into and disable enemy Battle Machines.

The Dark Panther (back) continues the trend of non-humanoid-shaped Battle Machines, this time drawing more heavily on the animal world for inspiration (as most of the robot army Battle Machines will for 2008 …) The cockpit section up where the head should be has nothing definable as either feline or animal. Again, here are two new yellow slanted vent 1x2 plates attached underneath the armor. The mid-body and upper front legs feature five of those new pointed hybrid-material plates which were previously mentioned in the Chameleon Hunter review, though this time they have contrasting purple ABS and yellow PVC coloring. The ion cannon on its back is attached to two joints which allow it 90-degrees of movement up and down, and three of the long spikes are interspaced between the joints. The front and back legs are built almost exactly the same, with the exception of those hybrid spikes on the thighs of the front legs. Ratcheting joints are at the body, while four ball-and-socket joints occupy the ankles.

Lego Set #8115 comes with a traditional silver Devastator minifig with a red #2 Technic rod placed in the back of its head to make red eyes. No weapon is provided for it. The set also comes with two additional Iron Drone minifigs, which lack the red Technic rod. This is so that the jet packs can attach to them. The packs feature two minifig-sized buzz saws which act as flip-up rotors for lift. While they are rather back-heavy with the jet packs on, they won’t fall over on a flat surface. Both Iron Drones are provided a hand-held weapon. Similar to those found on the Striking Venom, the Iron Drones- when hooked up to their jet packs- attach diagonally to the body of the Dark Panther, and then can act as 'intelligent' point-defense turrets.

. . .

Normally, when a Lego set needs specific details on a part, such as a control panel or flag, the image is printed or painted directly onto specific parts. Exo-Force continues for its third year by using stick-on decals; something that is becoming more commonplace in other lines of the Lego System. There is a small sticker sheet which provides allegiance markings, warning symbols & notices, and names- some of them written in Japanese text! Translations of the Japanese text are given on the sticker sheet, but do not go on the parts. This allows for a wider range of piece marking without Lego having to create a completely different piece each time, and merges the Exo-Force and Japanese toy influence closer together. Whereas in the debut 2006 line some sets had a few conflicts where decals would cover more than one part and would make it impossible to separate again unless they were cut (or not applied to begin with), this has not been a problem with since and was not present in the 2007 line. And so there are no conflicts in Set#8115 from the 2008 line.

The new common gimmick for all of the 2008 line is these new mini-robots. Each one attaches to a Battle Machine. These are not new minifigs, but small Lego parts put together to make unique designs for each set that stands roughly as tall as a minifig. On the human-operated Battle Machines, there is a decal showing the forward profile of its mini-robot as well as the term “Spy Drone”. (Yes, this term is in conflict with all promotional materials- where they are called “mini-robots” instead.) When attaching them to their parent Battle Machine, they fold up and collapse down into a smaller form, though nothing is removed to accomplish this. Be aware that the connection between mini-robot and Battle Machine is not always perfect compared to the instructions, so you’ll have to tinker around until you find an appropriate position for everything, though you won’t have to remove any parts to do so. (It’s really no big deal, and you’ll get used to it quickly enough.)

For Set #8115, the mini-robot (back) forms an inert lump of machinery attached to the Dark Panther’s neck. It implies the appearance of a spider (two-part body) but has only six pointed legs. The two transparent neon-green eyes are mounted on a swivel joint just like those found on the ion cannon, so it can look up and down. The back half of its body can also bend up and down a little, but this is only due to the parts used. Six more yellow pincer claws like the ones found on the feet are attached to black Exo-Force robot minifig arms, and each can bend up and down a fair bit, to the point where you can balance it on a minimum of three legs. The Dark Panther neither loses nor gains any extra function(s) when the mini-robot is removed; if anything, it shows how thin and weak-looking the neck really is.

For 2007, Exo-Force’s official website was upgraded with a new Code Brick Central section to accept specially-designated Exo-Codes which would be found in each set released. These alphanumeric Exo-Codes would grant access to special information and online goodies- wallpaper, screensavers, decals for your personal Lego profile, etc.- related to that one set from which the code had come. Apparently it was successful enough because the Exo-Codes are back for 2008. (Alas, they didn’t make new mini-movies of the Battle Machine’s in action like they did last year!) However, unlike the codes that were pre-printed onto flat 1x2 bricks in 2007, the new Exo-Codes are now printed onto decals which are then applied to the cockpit canopy of each set. Be aware that you must be signed up with a free Lego online profile in order to access the new information (of which they will also remind you).

...

Something that a lot of people noticed was when none of the 2007 sets were used to make alternate and combined models on the box art and website like they were in the breakout 2006 line. Well, you asked for them, and you got them back! While the singular alternate models have not come back, each 2008 set has instructions which can be found in the somewhat-elusive Build It! section of the website to combine two or three Exo-Force sets into one!

Set #8115- Dark Panther can combine with Set #8112- Battle Arachnoid to form a scorpion-like Battle Machine.

Set #8115- Dark Panther can also combine with Set #8117- Storm Lasher to form a tall humanoid Battle Machine with a large claw.

Aside from the fact that its name is a bit on the redundant side as some Exo-Force sets’ names tend to be (what is a panther other than dark!?), two thoughts came to mind when I had finished building it: “AT-AT”, and “oliphaunt”. This set has no feline characteristics to it as its name would suggest, except perhaps in the form of the paired claws on each foot, and even that’s a stretch. The forward-bending tail is more like a scorpion’s, though the accordion-like movement of those triangular spikes is kinda cool. (Putting two more spikes in the front thighs didn’t really help.) Having the two Iron Drones as turret gunners was a very awesome idea on the Striking Venom, and it has a similar feeling here, so I’m glad they used it again instead of making it a one-time shot. (Though, if it were me, I would’ve designed them to be held completely vertical and facing outwards.) The jet packs are… acceptable. (How often do young Lego maniacs try to create mechanical backpacks for minifigs…?) As I said, the head has no animalistic feature to it- no eyes, mouth, ears… nothing! However, if they had used the cockpit-separating idea here instead of needlessly on the Battle Arachnoid, it might have worked better and made more sense for the mini-robot to drive the Battle Machine while the Devastator coordinated from the air. (You could separate the cockpit here, but it’s not really made to do so.) You would have expected poseable knees for a set like this, but we didn’t get that, which really hinders how you pose this thing. (I even tried reversing the joint part on the back knees to give it a different and more ‘realistic’ look like it is on the front of the box, but it wasn’t any better.) Perhaps the most redeeming quality was the mini-robot. I don’t know why- it just looks cute, and it’s somewhat poseable too. (Must be a cute anime monster-thing…) Plus, it covers that super-thin neck when it’s attached. Honestly, I am not super-thrilled with this set at all. It says Exo-Force, but I think the designers got a little distracted when they were making it, and it shows. Yeah, it works and it’s stable ‘n all, but due to personal taste, I do not really suggest getting the Dark Panther. I’ll hang on to it, but I think it’ll start collecting dust in a dark corner here real soon…

The formula which worked so well for the Assault Tiger didn’t work quite so well here, especially on the torso and small arms.

-- WARNING --

According to the manufacturer, this product is not recommended for children under the age of 7 years as it contains many small parts which a child could potentially choke on.

On the Sentai Mountain, humans work side-by-side with intelligent robots in mines. They use large excavation machines to dig out, gather, and transport mined rock to the surface. Unfortunately, an error occurred in one of the machines, and it sparked a vicious rebellion. Robots turned on their human masters, and through the fighting a series of mysterious explosions blasted the mountain into two halves. The robots were eventually driven deep into the newly-formed canyon far below. Years later, the robots returned, having quietly converted their mining machines into combat-hardened Battle Machines. In a surprise attack, the robots were able to conquer half of Sentai Mountain, additionally taking hostage thousands of human workers and their families. Anticipating their return beforehand, the wise and noble Keiken-sensei gathered together all the people, technology, and resources that he could and created Exo-Force- a defense screen of hardened battlements with tall gates, powerful weapon turrets, advanced research and development laboratories, and their own designs of brand new Battle Machines piloted by elite teams trained under his leadership.

At first, the first Sentai Fortress proved quite a challenge to the robots and their megalomaniacal leader, Meca One. But with access to greater resources and with more ruthlessness, the robots were able to make a heavy strike on Sentai Fortress enough to break it, forcing the inhabitants and survivors to flee higher up the mountainside. The robots limped back to their own side of the mountain…

Fortunately, Keiken-sensei was aware of a legend about the ancient Golden City where the first inhabitants of Sentai Mountain made their base of operations. After successfully retreating there, it was discovered that it was indeed a pinnacle of high technology, and its central computer systems gave them access to powerful new technologies and Battle Machines to replace their war-torn ones. While this did not grant them room for expansion enough to attempt an assault on the robots’ side of the mountain, the lessons learned there allowed for new Battle Machines and technologies to be developed. Desperate to get it’s claws on this technology as well, Meca One launched another heavy assault. But this time, it was able to use one of it’s many copies to kidnap and then impersonate Keiken-sensei in order to expose the city to attack! While Exo-Force was once more fortunate to drive the robots back and keep the Golden City secure, the disappearance of their leader left a large gap in their hearts which could not easily be filled…

Keiken-sensei knew that the only way to win the war and beat back the robots for good would be to first rescue the untold thousands of humans being held prisoner on the robot-controlled side of the mountain. Where they were now, he could only guess. But an expedition would need to be sent to find the massed prison cells. And so, to ensure that Meca One would not learn this, he secretly used Golden City technology to build new Battle Machines specially designed and customized to the talents of Exo-Force’s finest pilots, which he would then personally lead down into the lowlands of Sentai Mountain. The responsibility of keeping the Golden City safe and Exo-Force functional in his absence would fall to his granddaughter, Hitomi- who had become an experienced and courageous pilot in her own right recently. But what hadn’t been expected was the treachery of the robots. Upon Hitomi taking command of the human resistance, the new Battle Machines were discovered, and a new mission drawn up: Hikari, Takeshi, Ryo, and Hayato would go alone into the deepening jungles and waterfalls of Sentai Mountain to find their leader and make sure that he is not harmed and interrogated by the robots!

While not as excitable as Hayato when it comes to being in the sky, Hikaru also likes flying and has incorporated it into his style of fighting the robots’ Battle Machines. Preferring to keep his distances from his targets and then snipe at them with long-range weapons, Hikaru is traditionally assigned to flying Battle Machines. However, for whatever reason, when Sensei Keiken built the Chameleon Hunter, he seemed to have neglected to incorporate any kinds of long-range engines, flying surfaces, or sizable fuel tanks. While the Chameleon Hunter is equipped with jump thrusters, they are only just enough to rise above the canopy of the deep jungle at the base of Sentai Mountain, and even then not sustain lift for very long. Instead, it is designed as an ambush unit, hiding in tall trees and then using its new camo-phores illusion armor to hide it from both visual and electronic sensors. Then, when the prey gets within range, it can jump down and tear off a Battle Machine’s armor or weapons with the large claw on its left arm, while at the same time reducing its internal structure to slag with its flame-blaster and medium laser cannons on the right. A nice bonus includes two homing missiles which can track on aerial recon units. In a way, it is not unlike the robots’ earlier Fire Vulture Battle Machine in its selection of weapons and capabilities. While fairly light on armor compared to other Battle Machines of similar class size & weight due to the space for the camo-phores system, it is studded with many various-sized blades and spikes along its chassis for melee-range encounters.

To expand its detection range, Keiken-sensei equipped the large green Battle Machine with a new spy drone robot. Being that he was the one who created the robots before they all turned to evil (and for which he is ever-grieved and guilt-ridden nowadays), Keiken-sensei took the lessons learned from his mistakes, and created these new human-sized mini-robots with a simpler artificial intelligence (“AI”) and less-independent thinking capabilities, making them more dependable in a fight and less-prone to corruption while in a hazardous encounter with their enemies. The one attached to the Chameleon Hunter is equipped with two mantis scythes. A proportionately-large set of thrusters are arrayed around its wide shoulder armor shields to allow it actual flying abilities unlike its larger brother Battle Machine. This makes it ideal as a medium-range air drone.

The Chameleon Hunter (back)- I thought to myself as I was building it- looks like a walking cactus... It features several brand new parts introduced in 2008. Most notably on the legs and shoulders are four brand-new- what I’ll call- ‘hybrid’ Lego parts. Each one is a single piece- long thin and triangular panels that start out as ordinary light green ABS and then, following the taper, merge into a soft and flexible PVC point! Lego has tried mixing colors in their ABS parts before (early robot minifigs from the Thunder Fury, Fire Vulture, Sonic Phantom, and Striking Venom sets in 2006 had limited swirled plastic coloring), but this time different materials are being merged together seamlessly into the same part (which I don’t think they’ve ever done before). Another new piece is these metal-colored parts which have two cylinders attached to them, that are located inconspicuously in the feet. (They remind me of pistons in a muscle car's exposed engine.) As mentioned in the review for the Assault Tiger, these new vent plates (now in neon-green) appear on both sides of the knees. In that same review, I pointed out new blocky dark gray pieces as the foundations for the torso and lower legs on that set. Only one returns here, but too is used as the base for the Chameleon Hunter’s torso. Perhaps the biggest step in shaking things up is the radical redesign of the torso section. No longer is everything built upon a central spinal structure which frequently led to Battle Machines tipping over from being too front- or top-heavy. Instead, a squat and shorter torso has been designed (though I don’t think it looks as good here as it does on the Assault Tiger). The shoulders feature wide-yet narrow designs, while the traditional ratcheting shoulder joints have been replaced with ball-and-sockets. The elbows, also, have been altered- removing any kind of poseability, though I’m not sure why. Both missiles can be removed easily enough. At the elbows, the arms are designed differently. Two Bionicle-originating parts appear on the separate arms. On the right side, the red flame for the flame-blaster was originally used by the first Toa Tahu (#8534) as his sword; though here, a different-colored plastic (yellow) has been mixed in with the traditional red ABS (a first for this part). The other are those three red claws on the left arm, which debuted in several of the 2007 Bionicle playsets (which used minifig-sized Toa characters attached to vehicles instead of the traditional fully articulated 4.5” action figures). Each claw is snap-articulate and can close to grasp things, though they are not strong enough to lift anything significant. As an added feature, the gunmetal-gray gear behind the left elbow can be turned, causing the clawed hand to spin. The legs have ratcheting joints at the hips and knees. Traditionally, ratcheting joints were also used in the ankles, but those have also been replaced by ball-and-socket joints, which offer slightly better range of motion at the risk of wearing out a lot sooner and not being able to hold the Battle Machine upright in some positions due to its weight.

Lego Set #8114 comes with a new version of the Hikaru minifig. While he still has his light blue spiky hairdo and double-sided head (one face serious, one a battle-cry expression), the chest print has been redesigned to incorporate new designs- including a camouflaged shirt beneath the techy fittings!

...

Normally, when a Lego set needs specific details on a part, such as a control panel or flag, the image is printed or painted directly onto specific parts. Exo-Force continues for its third year by using stick-on decals; something that is becoming more commonplace in other lines of the Lego System. There is a small sticker sheet which provides allegiance markings, warning symbols & notices, and names- some of them written in Japanese text! Translations of the Japanese text are given on the sticker sheet, but do not go on the parts. This allows for a wider range of piece marking without Lego having to create a completely different piece each time, and merges the Exo-Force and Japanese toy influence closer together. Whereas in the debut 2006 line some sets had a few conflicts where decals would cover more than one part and would make it impossible to separate again unless they were cut (or not applied to begin with), this has not been a problem with since and was not present in the 2007 line. And so there are no conflicts in Set#8114 from the 2008 line.

The new common gimmick for all of the 2008 line is these new mini-robots. Each one attaches to a Battle Machine. These are not new minifigs, but small Lego parts put together to make unique designs for each set that stands roughly as tall as a minifig. On the human-operated Battle Machines, there is a decal showing the forward profile of its mini-robot as well as the term “Spy Drone”. (Yes, this term is in conflict with all promotional materials- where they are called “mini-robots” instead.) When attaching them to their parent Battle Machine, they fold up and collapse down into a smaller form, though nothing is removed to accomplish this. Be aware that the connection between mini-robot and Battle Machine is not always perfect compared to the instructions, so you’ll have to tinker around until you find an appropriate position for everything, though you won’t have to remove any parts to do so. (It’s really no big deal, and you’ll get used to it quickly enough.)

For Set #8114, the mini-robot (back) forms a pod which attaches to the top of the flame-blaster assembly on the right arm. A long bar sticks out behind, but the legs and center body are heavy enough to comfortably keep it upright on a flat surface; plus, the feet are individually jointed and can be adjusted as well, much like its larger brethren can! The black arms (taken from the Devastator robot minifigs) can flip most the way around; though they way they are built they can pitch up and down a little at the shoulder, but these other ‘joints’ are rather tight, so I would not recommend doing this too much. There are also two large round shields attached to the shoulder parts as well; when positioning them, you might accidentally bump them off. It grips two long red minifig swords in its black claws. (Though they look like swords, I’m not really sure if that is what they really are!) The legs, however, are more flexible in this regard; the feet can actually swing back and fourth a bit at the ankles! It’s small and fragile, but it works! Unlike the Assault Tiger’s mini-robot mounting, the one for the Chameleon Hunter will always have a place to rest since no weapons/parts are removed.

For 2007, Exo-Force’s official website was upgraded with a new Code Brick Central section to accept specially-designated Exo-Codes which would be found in each set released. These alphanumeric Exo-Codes would grant access to special information and online goodies- wallpaper, screensavers, decals for your personal Lego profile, etc.- related to that one set from which the code had come. Apparently it was successful enough because the Exo-Codes are back for 2008. (Alas, they didn’t make new mini-movies of the Battle Machine’s in action like they did last year!) However, unlike the codes that were pre-printed onto flat 1x2 bricks in 2007, the new Exo-Codes are now printed onto decals which are then applied to the cockpit canopy of each set. Be aware that you must be signed up with a free Lego online profile in order to access the new information (of which they will also remind you).

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Something that a lot of people noticed was when none of the 2007 sets were used to make alternate and combined models on the box art and website like they were in the breakout 2006 line. Well, you asked for them, and you got them back! While the singular alternate models have not come back, each 2008 set has instructions which can be found in the somewhat-elusive Build It! section of the website to combine two or three Exo-Force sets into one!

Set #8114- Chameleon Hunter can combine with Set #8111- River Dragon to form a quadruped Battle Machine.

Set #8114- Chameleon Hunter can also combine with Set #8113- Assault Tiger to form a tall two-legged Battle Machine with a new larger mini-robot.

Okay, I take it back- it looks like a hunchback commando dressed as a cactus instead. But what works well for one does not mean it will work for another. The formula which worked so well for the Assault Tiger didn’t work quite so well here, especially on the torso and small arms. It was really nice to see the medium-sized human-built Battle Machine get some decent weapons as opposed to the Assault Tiger. The large spinning claw with the articulate fingers was nice, though it is kinda annoying to have the long shaft sticking out the back of the Battle Machine’s elbow… While I still don’t like that the pilot is seated, it was still nice to see him in a near-fully-enclosed cockpit. (BTW, how is it that both Takeshi and Hayato rated seats in their cockpits, but Hikaru didn’t...?) I can see that they were trying to give it a winged appearance while preserving a scaly-lizard look; even though those new long pointed parts are pretty clever with the soft points, I’m not entirely sure that they pulled it off right. The torso is too squat as well, which kinda ruins it; ironically, making it taller might have helped! Also on the shoulders are the same antenna and radar dish that appeared on the Assault Tiger and River Dragon! (It’s nice to see consistency between the related units, but in this case it kinda spoils the look of each one individually…) The mini-robot was… okay, but it seems like too many things are sticking out on it- enough so that it actually becomes tricky to get a good grip on some things in order to move them! Overall, a fair set; it has both good and bad. So, while I may think that getting the Assault Tiger would be a better buy, I also think that the Chameleon Hunter would be good enough to get, though it’s borderline good for me.

The Assault Tiger very much depends on- and owes its very existence to- the anime industry of Japan. While most Battle Machines of the past have had minor influences that contributed to the overall look of each successive Exo-Force line, this one has perhaps the heaviest style influence yet.

-- WARNING --

According to the manufacturer, this product is not recommended for children under the age of 7 years as it contains many small parts which a child could potentially choke on.

On the Sentai Mountain, humans work side-by-side with intelligent robots in mines. They use large excavation machines to dig out, gather, and transport mined rock to the surface. Unfortunately, an error occurred in one of the machines, and it sparked a vicious rebellion. Robots turned on their human masters, and through the fighting a series of mysterious explosions blasted the mountain into two halves. The robots were eventually driven deep into the newly-formed canyon far below. Years later, the robots returned, having quietly converted their mining machines into combat-hardened Battle Machines. In a surprise attack, the robots were able to conquer half of Sentai Mountain, additionally taking hostage thousands of human workers and their families. Anticipating their return beforehand, the wise and noble Keiken-sensei gathered together all the people, technology, and resources that he could and created Exo-Force- a defense screen of hardened battlements with tall gates, powerful weapon turrets, advanced research and development laboratories, and their own designs of brand new Battle Machines piloted by elite teams trained under his leadership.

At first, the first Sentai Fortress proved quite a challenge to the robots and their megalomaniacal leader, Meca One. But with access to greater resources and with more ruthlessness, the robots were able to make a heavy strike on Sentai Fortress enough to break it, forcing the inhabitants and survivors to flee higher up the mountainside. The robots limped back to their own side of the mountain…

Fortunately, Keiken-sensei was aware of a legend about the ancient Golden City where the first inhabitants of Sentai Mountain made their base of operations. After successfully retreating there, it was discovered that it was indeed a pinnacle of high technology, and its central computer systems gave them access to powerful new technologies and Battle Machines to replace their war-torn ones. While this did not grant them room for expansion enough to attempt an assault on the robots’ side of the mountain, the lessons learned there allowed for new Battle Machines and technologies to be developed. Desperate to get it’s claws on this technology as well, Meca One launched another heavy assault. But this time, it was able to use one of it’s many copies to kidnap and then impersonate Keiken-sensei in order to expose the city to attack! While Exo-Force was once more fortunate to drive the robots back and keep the Golden City secure, the disappearance of their leader left a large gap in their hearts which could not easily be filled…

Keiken-sensei knew that the only way to win the war and beat back the robots for good would be to first rescue the untold thousands of humans being held prisoner on the robot-controlled side of the mountain. Where they were now, he could only guess. But an expedition would need to be sent to find the massed prison cells. And so, to ensure that Meca One would not learn this, he secretly used Golden City technology to build new Battle Machines specially designed and customized to the talents of Exo-Force’s finest pilots, which he would then personally lead down into the lowlands of Sentai Mountain. The responsibility of keeping the Golden City safe and Exo-Force functional in his absence would fall to his granddaughter, Hitomi- who had become an experienced and courageous pilot in her own right recently. But what hadn’t been expected was the treachery of the robots. Upon Hitomi taking command of the human resistance, the new Battle Machines were discovered, and a new mission drawn up: Hikari, Takeshi, Ryo, and Hayato would go alone into the deepening jungles and waterfalls of Sentai Mountain to find their leader and make sure that he is not harmed and interrogated by the robots!

Thick armor, powerful weapons, brute strength, light on its feet- these are all likable qualities in the Assault Tiger B