>>8497080>people still believe Double wanted his Artakha to winUnfortunately, fact in this case is stranger than fiction. Far as I am aware, he was rooting for VelociJACKtor's "Artakha, the Living Forge," which, as a latecomer entry, incorporated aspects of entries submitted earlier. Most obvious of the inspirations is Double's own Artakha, whose gaunt proportions are borrowed, but the easy-to-miss inclusion of flame elements within its chest can also be traced to Darknova3529's "Arthaka (sic) - The Burning Forge."
Either way, the Living Forge ended up including many interesting techniques and aesthetics, almost all of which ended up making it an utterly awful Artakaha, and in my opinion, among the worst of the entries. If anything, it would have made for an inspired take on Karzahni.
Like his earlier Helryx, Double's entry pays homage to the design language of the Mata Nui Saga through its heavy use of pre-2004 elements. While that doesn't exactly fit the impression of Late-era Bionicle's Artakha, who had access to the most cutting edge technology, it does subtly reference his realm's first mention in 2003.
Despite the gaunt limbs and unnatural stature (digitigrade legs, exaggerated hunch/neck, exposed ribs) the low angle of the shot makes the entry still convey the feeling of an imposing and powerful being.
Meanwhile, VelociJACKtor's use of skeletal proportions and eye-height camera angle does everything to dissuade any notion that it is a powerful being. Compare the two mocs side-by-side and you'll easily see what makes Double's a better Artakha- the difference in feet (wide claws splayed to support an immense being vs small Bohrok feet supporting an emaciated husk), the cohesion (the unified "ancient" aesthetic vs over-designed lower limbs and torso contrasting with minimally designed mask and upper limbs), and more which are evident to even an untrained eye. And yet, Double, with his infamously baffling shit taste, preferred pic related.
