LEGO® NINJAGO: MOCcing with the new-for-2022 parts

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.

Once my reviews of the first wave of LEGO® Ninjago sets for 2022 were wrapped up, it was time for my favourite part of the process - making MOCs with the new moulds and recolours! This wave of Ninjago introduced SCCBS with the EVO sets marking an exciting new beginning for Constraction in LEGO System, with several new moulds that caught my attention in particular.

The Pieces

Let’s quickly recap what the new moulds are.

1. “EVO Limb” (79846)
2. “EVO Shell” (79897)
3. “EVO Mech Chest” (79896)
4. “EVO Wing” (79898)
5. Creature Head (82276)
6. Creature Head (80017)
7. 1x3 Plate W/ Clips (79987)
8. Joint Hub (79505)
9. Shooter trigger (69755)
10. Shooter handheld (69767)
11. Shooter studded (69754)
12. 2x2 Brick W/ Ball Cup Retool (67696)
13. Ball Cup 3M Ø10.2 Retool (67695)

While I didn’t end up using either creature head or the handheld version of the shooter in any MOCs (as yet), all the other new moulds found application!

The MOCs

Turret Emplacement

Starting things slow with smaller, more experimental table scraps is always a good approach, so my first little build with new 2022 Ninjago moulds was a microscale turret emplacement using the new joint hub. I’m sure we’ll be seeing it used as a joint plenty in upcoming sets these next few years, so I figured it would be nice to see it used in another context. 

As the little scrap took shape it seemed to visually fit within the Star Wars universe and I could see several of these lining the hull of a starship.

Daily Globe Tower

My second tablescrap was inspired by the realisation - which I noted in my review - that the new EVO limb moulds are delightfully spammable. 

Here, instead of making a ring, I opted for stacking them to get a nice little building, once again in microscale. Alternatively, you could alternate the limbs or rotate them with each layer for a more fanciful shape, which I could see appearing in more futuristic or cyberpunk-style microscale dioramas.

Tahu EVO

Onto bigger things! SCCBS and the EVO sets particularly tickled me as New Elementary's Resident Bionicle Enjoyer, and considering the colours in which we got some of the new moulds I just knew I had to make a full-on Bionicle revamp with these pieces. I’m usually not a fan of ‘vanilla’ revamps that don’t put a new spin (the crazier the better) on the original concept but in this case I felt welcoming a brand new building system warranted it.

Given the colours the new moulds appeared in as part of these sets, Tahu was the logical choice as the EVO limb in blue prevented Kopaka. While the EVO limb appears as part of his torso, which I built first, it’s also used as his arms. Based on the reactions to the new sets, it seems like a prevalent take is that people are unhappy by the fixed, bent ‘elbow’ of this mould. I was determined to redeem it. 

Using the EVO wing as an axe blade put some distance between this MOC and the original design in the end!

The Bully

What’s this, another Bionicle revamp, once again of a red character? Well, this time I broke away from the source material a little more drastically. 

Hakann, and all the Piraka in general, were a loud, angry and unruly bunch, so depicting him as a particularly delinquent ruffian seemed to be a good fit. The inspiration here was using the EVO wing mould as a fiery mohawk, but the EVO chest in gunmetal appears as a shoulder pad too. Less visible due to being primarily used internally, both Hakann and Tahu EVO used the ‘retooled’ versions of the 2x2 bricks with ball cups and their Y-joint counterparts. This MOC could very well serve as a foil for my earlier Punk Tahu! 

Samoyed

It’s sort of become a tradition for me to make one of these walker MOCs for most of my New Elementary articles - and I still have plenty planned. 

Other than putting the new heavy duty joint piece to work as, well, a joint, some other new moulds pop up here too. Utilising an interesting connection with the new shooter mould, Samoyed features articulate arms that are attached to the EVO chest once again in gunmetal forming its underbelly.

My initial plans with the EVO chest involved showcasing the shared surface texture with Design Brick 4X1, W/ Bow (66955), but instead I discovered some less obvious but all the more satisfying geometric matches in Spoiler W. Shaft Ø 3.2 (98834). The feet utilise the new 1x3 plates with the two clips facing upward on each end. 

Closing Thoughts

I have high hopes for the future of SCCBS and so far EVO has had a strong showing. I’m looking forward in particular to recolours of the EVO Chest, Limb and Shell pieces. One of the 2022 Ninjago 4+ sets features the chest in gold, but it isn’t primarily the metallic colours that interest me. These sets and pieces definitely have me hyped for what Ninjago has in store for this year’s second half! 

 

Editor: Chris Baginski

READ MORE: LEGO® Star Wars Dioramas review: 75329 Death Star Trench Run, 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training & 75339 Death Star Trash Compactor

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