Claw Stalker and Concept Challenge

Argen studied the creepy Claw Stalkers deep down in the dark caverns of the Planet Reydurra, adapting his structure in an effort to duplicate their incredible natural climbing abilities.

Though some of these Contained Builds have been floating around here for a bit, I thought it would be fun to render a few new conceptual drawings of the creatures that I imagine these builds are based on.

I'll attempt to pop up a fresh sketch with each specific build as we lead up to the release tonight, my stupid lingering sickness permitting!

The Case of the Head

Thanks to all of you who commented and communicated your opinions about the possibility of letting a small assortment of the human head 2.0 out the door. After looking over the combined feedback, it looks like releasing a small round might be fun sometime in early 2014.

The human head will most likely continue to drive me crazy for the foreseeable future, and I really appreciate being able to share the process of trying to solve this riddle of a sculpt with you. My desire to make Contra style combinations simply will not die!

Maybe he just needs a beard...

A Head Case

Speaking of Micronauts, this guy has been doing time in the pocket for a while, only just getting a break since the Ecroyex crew rolled into town.

Even though this head has its little issues, I've come to accept him as a part of this whole weirdo project.
The little scarf from the new Ex/LSA/Dark mold was designed specifically to be used with this now defunct humanoid head. The new belt was also sized to be used as a Glyan belt, as well as deep collar/scarf thingy (pics later).

The mold for the above head has indeed been destroyed at this point, and there was even a third head (also not destined for the ranks) that was run a few times. So far there have been three separate PVC attempts at nailing just the right human head, this one being the second round (and I think the most acceptable of the trio).

Even though the human head steel mold cavity has been re-purposed (for a special project debuting in early 2014) , we did run a batch of the above head, just to have in the archive.

Would you guys be interested if we released them at some point?

Shipping Zone

We are cranking through the packages and shooting to get everything out of here by the end of the weekend!
Thanks for being so patient as the orders get processed, we are very grateful to have so much to do.

Even CC jumped into the zone!

Thank You!!!

Thank you for the strong turnout last Friday night! It was a bit of a test for a few new things happening behind the scenes over here, from some new changes to the store's code to rolling the dice on higher production numbers across the assortment for this wave. Thanks to all of you, the new applications worked out positively, and it seems like the store operated more smoothly (thank you Marcus).

The new Swing Joints were ordered in higher numbers to hopefully allow everybody who was interested in them an opportunity to get as many sets as they wanted (as of this writing all three colors are still in stock).

It's our goal to find that special balance between having too much and having too little. Too much and we lose momentum on new assortments, too little and frustration mounts for all of us. In a perfect world we'd have everything from a new release available for literally every person who has an interest, at least for a few days after the initial launch, longer if possible.

The upcoming Buildstation rebirth has me very curious in regard to how everything will turn out. The risk is greater than usual, as the production numbers are much larger across the boards and the funds to cover everything may not be recouped when the new stuff goes live. We all think it's a chance worth taking though, and hopefully you will enjoy having things in the store that you can count on being there for extended periods of time (outside of wheels-ha!).

Marcus, Michelle and I love doing this so much, and that is entirely due to the community that supports each move that we make. When I write these thank you posts, the thought does not end when I finish putting down the words, the thought lasts through every day, and affects every decision that is made here.

When I'm an old man, I'll still be thinking about how grateful I am to each of you, for being the heart of a once goofy little kid's life dream.

The Reydurran Divide

The store is LIVE! Be sure to refresh:

http://onelldesign.com/store

Save the images above and use them for mobile wallpaper!

Swing Joint Conversions

The conversion from the standard Traveler/Sincroid form to Swing Armor form adds some more traditional points of articulation. That little 90 degree piece serves as the root for shoulders and hips, depending on which way it connects to the central body.

Hand Stander

That hand from earlier, in tripod mode. This one was inspired by a few really old Microman catalogs I have floating around.
 

Tallboth

This one is kind of goofy, but also fun to play with. Using one Swing Joint Set and one Crayboth you can whip up one of these gangly little critters to scurry around your desk.

This one's for you Cappy!

Swing Armored Traveler

Traveler Ollereyn trying out some Swing Joints for a new look. The arms can look a little long if completely straightened, but with a little elbow bend the form looks solid. This build style reminds me a bit of Mori's RXH "Adult" bodies that he created years ago.

The Mixed Match

Pictured above is a Phase Defender in a mixed color scheme. The big guy is accompanied by Operator Cane, who is sporting some Black Hole inspired jumbo blasters. 

Still on track for 9:30 tonight!

Swing Joint Mechanical

Hey guys, here is the actual mechanical that Matt and I sent to our factory overseas. Hopefully this clarifies some of the questions you've had! I always enjoy making these mechanicals, until we decide to post them on the blog, and then reanalyze every single anchor point... -Marc

The torture test of capturing all the tiny angles can drive a person a little insane, but the results are always worth it. That being said, the process may have taken at least a few years off of Marc's life. -Matt

Small Crawlers

A few more Contained Builds, with a mini-mech insectoid theme this time! Each build seen above is contained and made up from mixes between Axis Joints, Phase Arms, Gobon Blasters, Hub Sets and even a few with the new Swing Joints.

These builds were inspired by Megabug Gladiatiors, Sectaurs and of course, Shirow's Tachikoma.

I imagine these critters being sent out by the Reydurran Forces to collect information and explore the Deep Ruins on Planet Reydurra itself. They can also function as personal guardians for when things get dangerous.

Swing Joint diagrams coming up next!

Combo Suits

The "Combo Suits" above are Contained Builds, each one completely utilizing the following:

-2 Hub Sets
-2 Phase Arms
-2 Gobon Blasters
-1 Axis Joint Set
-1 Swing Joint Set

The design is a variation of the Quick Suit, with the new Swing Joints mixed in. The backpacks are connected at two points, to increase the stability and bring a tighter feel to the figure. The use of the Swing Joints here is very straight forward, but allows for some expanded poseability and just feels kind of neat in hand.

Building complete, functioning figures from just the accessory sets has been a definite obsession over here!

"Small Crawlers" up next!

Mission Details

After yesterday's events I feel a little uncomfortable about the timing of posting this list, but it's also important to stay focused and on track, no matter what the darker forces out there throw at us.


On to the details:


The following items are scheduled to be in the store on Friday, April 19th at 9:30PM EST.

There will be purchasing limits on select items: 

-Armorvor (2 limit per customer) 

-Travelers (3 of each style per customer)  

-Syclodoc (2 limit per customer)


The Reydurran Divide


Glyan -Reydurran Engineer Corps (Warm Grey with Black visor and White tampo) $8
Glyan -Reydurran Science Division (Red with Black visor and White tampo) $8
Glyan -Reydurran Operations Unit -Operator Cane (Black with Red visors and White tampo) $8

Deep Space Glyan -Reydurran Science Division (Red with Black visor and White tampo) $12
NOTE- Each Deep Space Glyan is made up of one Glyan and one painted Hub Set.

REC Commander Sannuric Sarvos (Warm Grey/Black with Red eyes and Black spray masks) $8
ROU Traveler Ollereyn Pheyden (Black/Warm Grey with Red eye and Black scarf) $8
Neo Aves Exellis (Red with White eyes and Red scarf) $8
????

Crayboth -RSD (Red with no paint) $3

Armorvor -Reydurran Mimic (Black with Red visors) $8


Swing Joint Set -Warm Grey $4
Swing Joint Set -Red $4
Swing Joint Set -Black $3 -Special Price
 
Hub Set -Reydurran Engineer Corps (Warm Grey with Black Visor and White tampo) $4
Hub Set -Reydurran Science Division (Red with Black Visor and White tampo) $4
Hub Set -Reydurran Operations Unit (Black with Red Visor and White tampo) $4
NOTE- Each Hub Set is sold in a specific Drone configuration.

Axis Joint Set -Warm Grey $4
Axis Joint Set -Red $4
Axis Joint Set -Black $4

Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Warm Grey with Black accent $2
Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Red with Black accent $2
Phase Arm/Gobon Blaster Single Set -Black with Red accent $2

Mini Blocker Rig -Reydurran Operations Unit (Black/painted Warm Grey with Red accents and multiple Red/White tampos) $20

Syclodoc -Reydurran Infiltrator (Warm Grey/Dark Warm Grey with Red accents, Black Visor and white tampo- also features some additional chest paint) -$25



There will be a surprise or two on Friday night, just to keep things interesting!

This release will feature the debut of our new Swing Joint Sets, available in three colors. The black will be offered at a special price of $3 USD to help get the ball rolling. Pics of some new Contained Builds incorporating the Swing Joints will be posted up tomorrow.

This Warm Grey color has now taken the number one spot for me as far as greys go. The Cool Grey hues were always my favorite, but after playing and building with the Warm Grey I started to really appreciate the look that using this color delivers. Sort of like the old Lego warmish grey blocks from when we were younger (well most of us), not to mention a ton of other references from toys to movies. I particularly love this grey when mixed with the white from the last drop. Some very Ralph McQuarrie/Joe Johnston Concept Boba looking builds spring from the Warm Grey and White mix.

The bright red pays homage to everything from Fisher Price to the spacesuits in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and of course that old Sincroid we call Aves.


Hope you guys have fun with this round, and see something that makes you smile, especially after yesterday.