The first round of Bio-Cup 2020 has finished, matching up 108 participants in a tiered competition to see who's the best Bionicle builder, or something of that sort. This time, the theme was The Natural World, and builders were given categories from various types of animals and plants to even some fungi. With about 100 entries, this sounds like it'll be a tough one for the judges to pick winners from. In the meantime, the Reporters of BZPower have picked a few of our favorites to highlight. Read on to check out some cool MOCs, and let us know which were your favorites in the Talkback topic.

"The better to eat you with!" by Paleo

BZP's own Paleo was grouped into the "Canines" subtheme, and he decided to go with a fairy tale classic. He makes good use of CCBS elements to show off the fur, like the friction socket extenders on the legs and the hexagon add-ons on the chest, but the big drew is the very detailed head, complete with a headdress. Wouldn't want to find this beast waiting for you at home, even if he's prepared freshly baked cookies for you.

"Nature taketh, nature giveth" by Green Axles

Green Axle's subtheme was "Eechinoderms and Porifera", and the result is a fancy coral reef. There's lots of colorful sea life growing there, and some useful parts include the macaroni tubes, teal sockets, and even some orange Thornax launchers. Meanwhile, mixed in beneath all the sponges is the skeleton of a long dead diver, complete with bony arms, rib cage, and skull resting on the bottom of the sea. This is a nice scene that really fits together.

Prowling the Shallows by Gringat the Repugnant

Gringat brings us another underwater themed model with a catshark for the subtheme "Cartilaginous Fish". The repeated use of the tan armor plates works nicely at giving this fish some texture, and the undersea base has a lot of other nice details added in. A different kind of shark than we're used to seeing, and it works out really well.

Silus' Amphibious Swamp Plane by moc_imiku

Although this subtheme is "Amphibians", moc_imiku takes this a different direction. Silus himself is pretty good, with a interesting use of the green Pakari and a fun wrench tool. But the big draw is the detailed airplane, from the engine to the wings to the smooth body. I don't think frogs are usually known for flying, but this one certainly takes to the skies.

Giant Oceanic Manta Ray by 진우 옥

진우 옥 also had the subtheme of "Cartilaginous Fish" and went with a manta ray. It's very mono colored, but the different pieces give it a nice flowing texture, and the clever use of the Darth Vader helmet on the head is well done. It's another well done deep sea MOC.

The Queen's Emissary by awesomenessborn

For the subtheme "Non-predatory Insect", awesomenessborn has created a traveling bee. He did a really good job detailing the sectional body and thin limbs, and the detailed touches on the head and vials of honey are really nice. The cloak and walking stick also give the creation the feeling of a worldly traveler, just looking for the next plant to borrow some nectar from. An awesome build!

Señorita Cactusca and Sheriff Tumbleweed by G B

G B has made some interesting characters for his subtheme of "Flowering Plants." Señorita Cactusca looks a bit prickly, but cleverly uses the Matatu mask on the torso and an interesting arm connection to replicate a cactus, in addition to lots of the black spikes. Sheriff Tumbleweed is a bit simpler, but the Humungousaur hat and golden star do a good job at showing off his rank. These two are a unique spin for this subtheme.

Passenger Pigeon by Matt Goldberg

Usually when we think of the subtheme "Extinct Species" we'd think of something a little further back in time, but Matt decides to go a different route with his elegant Passenger Pigeon. The dark red and light grey pieces blend in very well to create the shape of the bird, and the head is particularly spot on. The stand and bits of food are also a nice touch. This is a good bird.

Mutant Nudibranch by Alex Mertens

For his subtheme of "Mollusks", Alex went for a classic Bionicle approach and built a Rahi right out of the 2007 Mahri-Nui setting. The beast has an interesting torso constructed of tubes and well built legs, but the shell parts are the real eye-catchers with their glow-in-the-dark properties. This is a creep you wouldn't want to encounter in the deep!

Mothman by GralaM19

GralaM19's creation isn't even a real creature, but that fits right into his subtheme of "Cryptozoology". The elusive mothman has a neat, spindly form, with some very interesting textures built into the body and leg. Then there's a creepy head design which still looks pretty cool. Here's another creature you wouldn't want to encounter in the dark, real or not.

That's all for today. Let us know which MOCs you want to see progress in the contest, and keep an eye on Flickr for Round One's results and the introduction of the second round's theme. BZPower will be sure to share more of the cool creations in the future. Build on!

« Return to News