Saw Blade Shield

The Saw Blade Shield was a type of shield commonly carried by the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. warriors of Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight.. It was the standard sidearm shield of the Rock TribeElement Lord of RockFormer leader-class Skrall remade by the Great Beings into a being of living stone, ruler of the Rock Tribe during the Core War, and the elemental claimant who turned the river fight in the Valley of the Maze.'s soldiery and was distinguished from a passive defensive shield by its capacity to rotate at speed in the manner of a buzz saw, converting from defence to offence in a single mechanical motion. The face of the shield bore a marking that was treated as a tribal emblem during the GlatorianGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. campaigns and that was later identified, by Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. in the field, as the map of the Valley of the MazeThe Valley of the MazeThe northern Bara Magna labyrinth where the Great Beings hid the unstable Power Source of the Prototype Robot, sealed behind puzzle traps and a fortress that few outsiders ever survived to describe..

Form and rotating mechanism#

The Saw Blade Shield was a circular shield with a cutting rim, built to be held in the conventional shielded grip of the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. and to function passively as a barrier against incoming weapons. Its defensive role was that of any heavy shield: presented edge-on to the line of an attack, it absorbed blows that would otherwise have reached the wielder. The shield's distinguishing feature was its rotating mechanism. The shield could be spun in place on its bearing, with the cutting rim acting in the manner of a powered saw blade, and that motion converted the shield from a defensive tool into an offensive melee weapon without any change of grip or any switch to a separate weapon.

The mechanism gave the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. line a tactical option that few other Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight. forces could match. A standing SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. presenting his shield to an opponent was an essentially defensive figure. A SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. bringing the same shield into spin was an immediate close-combat threat with a continuous cutting edge moving at speed. The arena-trained GlatorianGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. who faced SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. opponents in the regional contests had to read the shield's state on every engagement and could not safely treat the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. wall as a static defensive line. The shield's rotation made the entire SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. loadout, from the Tribal DesignSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. of the rim to the heavier club or sword carried in the opposite hand, an interlocking offensive system rather than the conventional weapon-plus-passive-shield pairing of the wider GlatorianGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. circuit.

The pattern as a map#

The face of the Saw Blade Shield bore a pattern that the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. carried as a tribal emblem. To the rest of Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight., the pattern was simply the mark by which a SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. shield could be identified at a distance: a sign of the Rock TribeElement Lord of RockFormer leader-class Skrall remade by the Great Beings into a being of living stone, ruler of the Rock Tribe during the Core War, and the elemental claimant who turned the river fight in the Valley of the Maze.'s presence, taken in the field as a warning rather than as readable cartography. The pattern was treated for years as an ornament with no further meaning beyond its association with the bearers.

The pattern's true function was as a map. It charted the route to the Valley of the MazeThe Valley of the MazeThe northern Bara Magna labyrinth where the Great Beings hid the unstable Power Source of the Prototype Robot, sealed behind puzzle traps and a fortress that few outsiders ever survived to describe., the labyrinthine region of the Black Spike MountainsBlack Spike MountainsThe mountain range north of the Bara Magna desert that served as the Skrall homeland after the Shattering, became Baterra hunting ground, and was destroyed when the Mata Nui robot fell upon it. at the heart of which stood the tower of the Great Beings. The recognition of the map's function was reached by Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. during his travels with the AgoriAteroThe free city at the heart of Bara Magna, home to the Arena Magna and the Great Tournament, destroyed by Tuma and the Skrall during the opening match. BerixBerixBerix is an Agori of the Water Tribe who lived on Spherus Magna. A scavenger by trade, he is recognized by his blue and dark blue coloration and carries a Water Sword and shield. and the GlatorianGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. KiinaKiinaKiina is a Glatorian of the Water Tribe who served as the secondary Glatorian for the village of Tajun on Spherus Magna. Colored in shades of dark and light blue, she wielded a Vapor Trident and a Thornax Launcher in combat. Following the reformation of Spherus Magna, she continued to reside on the restored world.. In BIONICLEBIONICLE: Matoran AdventuresA 2002 GBA platformer where you play as one of six Matoran fighting Bohrok across Mata Nui's islands. GlatorianGlatorianTribal warriors of Spherus Magna who settled disputes through arena combat, until the Skrall conquest enslaved most of them. 5: Valley of FearValley of FearThe fifth Glatorian Legends event in which Mata Nui traversed the Valley of the Maze toward the tower of the Great Beings while Teridax, ruler of the Matoran Universe, resolved to come to Bara Magna and kill him., Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna., travelling through the Black Spike MountainsBlack Spike MountainsThe mountain range north of the Bara Magna desert that served as the Skrall homeland after the Shattering, became Baterra hunting ground, and was destroyed when the Mata Nui robot fell upon it. in search of the location indicated by the map on a captured Saw Blade Shield and by a separate coin recovered by BerixBerixBerix is an Agori of the Water Tribe who lived on Spherus Magna. A scavenger by trade, he is recognized by his blue and dark blue coloration and carries a Water Sword and shield. from the Underground Lab of the Great Beings, arrived at the entrance to the Valley of the MazeThe Valley of the MazeThe northern Bara Magna labyrinth where the Great Beings hid the unstable Power Source of the Prototype Robot, sealed behind puzzle traps and a fortress that few outsiders ever survived to describe. and prepared to enter the labyrinth.

The recognition reframed every SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. engagement that had ever been fought against a wielder of the shield. The SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. themselves did not understand the cartographic content of the pattern. The leader-class SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. TumaTumaTuma rose from the survivors of the Baterra massacre to rule the Skrall Empire from Roxtus until Mata Nui defeated him in single combat. carried the shield without recognising it as a chart, and the rank-and-file SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. line treated the pattern as nothing more than the standard mark of their tribe. The map's true significance was knowable only to a being who could read it against the terrain of the Black Spike MountainsBlack Spike MountainsThe mountain range north of the Bara Magna desert that served as the Skrall homeland after the Shattering, became Baterra hunting ground, and was destroyed when the Mata Nui robot fell upon it., and that being was Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna., the displaced Great Spirit travelling Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight. in a body forged from a GlatorianGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. prototype.

Wielders in the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. line#

The Saw Blade Shield was the standard shield of the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. force, with no recorded restriction by rank or assignment. Every documented SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. of the Rock TribeElement Lord of RockFormer leader-class Skrall remade by the Great Beings into a being of living stone, ruler of the Rock Tribe during the Core War, and the elemental claimant who turned the river fight in the Valley of the Maze. who carried a shield carried this shield, and the chronicled record names individual wielders only where the individual is of independent narrative importance. TumaTumaTuma rose from the survivors of the Baterra massacre to rule the Skrall Empire from Roxtus until Mata Nui defeated him in single combat., the last of the leader-class SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule., carried one in his personal loadout. The named SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. BranarBaterraMechanical shapeshifters built by the Great Beings to end the Core War by killing every armed combatant on Spherus Magna, and the failsafe that never shut them down., granted his name by TumaTumaTuma rose from the survivors of the Baterra massacre to rule the Skrall Empire from Roxtus until Mata Nui defeated him in single combat. for his service against the BaterraBaterraMechanical shapeshifters built by the Great Beings to end the Core War by killing every armed combatant on Spherus Magna, and the failsafe that never shut them down., also carried one. Distribution down to the rank-and-file was uniform: any patrol on a BaterraBaterraMechanical shapeshifters built by the Great Beings to end the Core War by killing every armed combatant on Spherus Magna, and the failsafe that never shut them down.-scouting run, a raid on an AgoriAteroThe free city at the heart of Bara Magna, home to the Arena Magna and the Great Tournament, destroyed by Tuma and the Skrall during the opening match. settlement, or a campaign against a rival tribe carried Saw Blade Shields as a matter of course.

The post-Roxtus record#

The Battle of RoxtusRoxtusThe largest Agori village on Bara Magna and the seat of Tuma's Skrall, Roxtus was the centre of the Empire of the Skrall until Mata Nui defeated Tuma in single combat. ended the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule.'s field dominance on Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight.. The combined GlatorianGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. and AgoriAteroThe free city at the heart of Bara Magna, home to the Arena Magna and the Great Tournament, destroyed by Tuma and the Skrall during the opening match. forces drove the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. into the wastelands after Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. defeated TumaTumaTuma rose from the survivors of the Baterra massacre to rule the Skrall Empire from Roxtus until Mata Nui defeated him in single combat. in single combat and MetusMetusMetus was a transformed Agori from Spherus Magna who worked as a Glatorian recruiter. Originally a member of the Ice Tribe, he later joined the Rock Tribe. White and ice blue in coloration, Metus wielded an Ice Axe and an Ice Shield. was unmasked as the broker of the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule.-Bone HunterBone HunterDesert nomads of Bara Magna who raided for survival until their alliance with the Skrall nearly conquered the continent. alliance. In the closing actions of the campaign, Mata NuiMata NuiBuilt by the Great Beings to restore Spherus Magna, Mata Nui sustained an entire civilisation inside his body, was deposed by Teridax, and reclaimed his purpose as a mortal on Bara Magna. recovered a captured Saw Blade Shield and gave it to the AgoriAteroThe free city at the heart of Bara Magna, home to the Arena Magna and the Great Tournament, destroyed by Tuma and the Skrall during the opening match. BerixBerixBerix is an Agori of the Water Tribe who lived on Spherus Magna. A scavenger by trade, he is recognized by his blue and dark blue coloration and carries a Water Sword and shield. before the final engagement. BerixBerixBerix is an Agori of the Water Tribe who lived on Spherus Magna. A scavenger by trade, he is recognized by his blue and dark blue coloration and carries a Water Sword and shield. carried the shield through the Battle of RoxtusRoxtusThe largest Agori village on Bara Magna and the seat of Tuma's Skrall, Roxtus was the centre of the Empire of the Skrall until Mata Nui defeated Tuma in single combat., used it in defence against SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. and Bone HunterBone HunterDesert nomads of Bara Magna who raided for survival until their alliance with the Skrall nearly conquered the continent. attacks, and emerged with it intact. The SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. shield was thus the one piece of Rock TribeElement Lord of RockFormer leader-class Skrall remade by the Great Beings into a being of living stone, ruler of the Rock Tribe during the Core War, and the elemental claimant who turned the river fight in the Valley of the Maze. gear documented to have crossed over into the post-war catalogue of items used by the Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight. survivors.

Place in the Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight. arsenal#

The Saw Blade Shield occupied an unusual position in the Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight. weapon catalogue. Most GlatorianGreshA young Glatorian of the Jungle Tribe who served Tesara and later joined the alliance that defended Bara Magna during its final crisis. and most tribal warriors carried a primary weapon and a separate passive shield. The SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule. inverted that division. Their shield was both defensive tool and close-combat weapon, and the hand that held it was as active in attack as the hand that held the primary weapon. The arrangement reflected the SkrallSkrallA black-armored warrior species from Spherus Magna that dominated northern Bara Magna under Tuma's rule.'s military origin as soldiers of the Element Lord of RockElement Lord of RockFormer leader-class Skrall remade by the Great Beings into a being of living stone, ruler of the Rock Tribe during the Core War, and the elemental claimant who turned the river fight in the Valley of the Maze. in the Core WarThe Core WarThe generations-long war on Spherus Magna over Energized Protodermis that produced the Shattering, the exodus of Mata Nui, and the long Glatorian peace on Bara Magna., and their subsequent isolation in the north after the Shattering. The Saw Blade Shield did three jobs in one. It defended, it cut, and it carried, unrecognised by its bearers, the map to the place at the heart of Bara MagnaThe Battle of Bara MagnaThe Great Spirit Robot fell from the sky carrying Teridax in stolen flesh, and the desert world below produced a champion who carried Mata Nui's consciousness back into the fight. where the answer to the planet's history had been hidden.