Bug Base

Post date: Feb 3, 2012 6:47:35 AM

Welcome to Bug Base!

Update: now available to order! Go to the order page!

This is our entry for the RocketTubes.Net "New Micro-toys for a New Year" Contest, the Bug Base!

What is the Bug Base? Its a new Micronaut city set designed for the aliens!

The types of pieces that make up the Bug Base:

    • 2 different hex-plates, one with an attached tube ring the other with a standard 5mm hole

    • a quad-plate

    • a tri-plate

    • a transparent acrylic tube

    • a Micro-city connector from the 70s

The Micronaut is checking out the pieces and giving an idea of the size.

Pieces

The plates use a pair of 5mm holes for connectors, just like the classic Micronauts city pieces. The Bug Base plates are exactly the same size as the classic city pieces and can be used interchangeably. The idea behind the Bug Base was to be a dual or opposite of the Micronauts city:

    • Where the city pieces are white for the good guys, the Bug Base pieces are black for the evil aliens.

    • Where the city pieces are square and closed the Bug Base pieces are curvy and open.

    • Where the city looks industrial the Bug Base looks organic.

    • Where the city has domes to shield, the Bug Base has tubes to connect.

It seems to fit in with the Mego obvious dual of good and evil, typified by Force Commander and Baron Karza, but shared by Biotron and Phobos or Microtron and Nemesis.

The pieces can fit together using the classic city connectors to make organic looking shapes. Here is an example that looks like a mound or hive.

Here is another shape having both convex and concave sections. The connectors fit great and give it a very solid feeling.

The two shapes can be connected using the clear tube, to make an almost flower looking arrangement.

Alternatively, the bottom can be a base and using the tube, the top can become a tower.

The tower looks great with the classic (and re-issued) aliens and really fits in. Looks like poor Pharoid is trapped with aliens swarming all over!

The openness of the pieces give plenty of hand-holds (or claw-holds).

The tubes are fun as they can be used as a transporter, stasis chamber, or as shown here, a jail cell!

By including standard 5mm holes, classic pieces like this Galatic Cruiser gun can be attached.

Thanks for looking!

Also check out the order page.