LEGO Tower of Toa

As the battle for Metru Nui rages on, the line between hero and monster has blurred. According to the complex mythology of Bionicle, six heroes return home to find that hordes of spider-like Visorak have taken over the city. Trapped and transformed into half-beasts, the Toa Hordika must stage one final epic battle against the Visorak to save the city--and themselves. As part of their plan, six mini Toa Hordika have captured the Tower of Toa and transformed it into a mighty fortress. A Kanohi-masked gateway guards the entrance, while a spring-loaded Rhotuka launcher disables oncoming enemies. Equipped with a large catapult that rains \"fiery\" boulders down on everything around it and multiple hidden doors, the fortress will be difficult to conquer. Yet the ruthless Visorak have their own substantial weapons, including a Kahgarak capable of knocking over the tower with a single, well-placed shot. Complicating the battle are seven leaping Visorak with glow-in-the-dark pincers. Thankfully, this 410-piece set is easier to assemble than piecing together the Bionicle backstory--in fact, Toa and Visorak come preformed, so you can play right away. The colorful diagrams found in the detailed instruction booklet are invaluable in assembling the remaining pieces of this set, which requires the building skills of an older child or adult. The set includes six mini Toa Hordika (Vakama, Nokama, Onewa, Matau, Whenua, Nuju), seven Visorak, the tower, and various weapons and battle accessories. As with all Lego products, the design is customizable and compatible with other sets, including the extensive Bionicle collection (sold separately), encouraging open-ended constructive and imaginative play. --Heather Lyndon (Amazon)