Swamp Strider

The Swamp Strider was a four-legged walking turret designed by HelryxHelryxHelryx was the first Toa created by the Great Beings, founder of the Order of Mata Nui, and commander of its covert war against the Brotherhood of Makuta., the leader of the Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe.. It was later given to the agent MazekaMazekaA Ko-Matoran spy for the Order of Mata Nui obsessed with becoming the perfect warrior., who took it into Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui. and used it to move and fight across the flooded terrain of the Swamp of SecretsSwamp of SecretsThe Toa Nuva Mistika campaign in the Swamp of Secrets beneath Karda Nui, the hunt for the Av-Matoran keystones, and the running fight with Krika, Gorast, and Bitil that brought the Quest for the Mask of Life to the doorstep of the Codrex..

Design and origin#

The Swamp Strider was originally designed by HelryxHelryxHelryx was the first Toa created by the Great Beings, founder of the Order of Mata Nui, and commander of its covert war against the Brotherhood of Makuta., the founder and leader of the Order of Mata NuiThe Order of Mata NuiThe covert organization founded by Helryx to serve the Great Spirit directly, operating in concealment from a fortress on Daxia and waging the open war against the Brotherhood of Makuta that decided the fate of the universe.. She was at work on it on the Order's home island of Daxia at the time the ToaToa (2001)Biomechanical heroes bonded to elemental powers and masks. Not born, but chosen and transformed. Mata were awakened, around 100,000 years before the present. When TahuTahu, Toa of FireTahu served as Toa Mata, Toa Nuva, and Toa Mistika of Fire, leading his team from the first landing on Mata Nui to the destruction of the Rahkshi army on Bara Magna. and KopakaKopakaKopaka was the Toa Nuva of Ice, deputy commander of the Toa Mata, and one of the six warriors crafted on Artakha to defend the Matoran Universe. were brought to Daxia during their early training, HelryxHelryxHelryx was the first Toa created by the Great Beings, founder of the Order of Mata Nui, and commander of its covert war against the Brotherhood of Makuta. interrupted her work on the project to greet them and show it to them.

The vehicle walked on four legs and was kept aloft by levitation powers, which allowed it to operate over the waters of the Swamp of SecretsSwamp of SecretsThe Toa Nuva Mistika campaign in the Swamp of Secrets beneath Karda Nui, the hunt for the Av-Matoran keystones, and the running fight with Krika, Gorast, and Bitil that brought the Quest for the Mask of Life to the doorstep of the Codrex. without touching them. Its main armament was a heavily armored Midak SkyblasterMidak SkyblasterThe Midak Skyblaster was a ranged light weapon issued to the Toa Nuva for the final aerial battle against the Brotherhood of Makuta in Karda Nui..

Service with Mazeka#

The Swamp Strider was later given to MazekaMazekaA Ko-Matoran spy for the Order of Mata Nui obsessed with becoming the perfect warrior., an Order of Mata NuiMata Nui: Great Spirit of the Matoran UniverseBuilt by the Great Beings as a biomechanical guardian, betrayed by Teridax, and returned in a smaller form to reshape Spherus Magna. agent, some time before he was dispatched to Karda NuiKarda NuiThe vast inner cavern at the core of the Matoran Universe, original home of the Av-Matoran, site of the Codrex and the final battle that decided the fate of Mata Nui.. Trained by the Order to a high standard, Mazeka piloted the Strider through the swamp during the campaign there.

When Mazeka was on the point of attacking his enemy VultrazVultrazVultraz is a Shadow Matoran, formerly a Ta-Matoran, who wears a powerless Mask of Scavenging and carries a sword. Dark red and black in coloration, he possesses an active power of Shadow while his former affinity for Fire remains inactive. He resides in a parallel universe., the two combatants were teleported away together to an alternate version of Spherus MagnaSpherus MagnaA desert world of ancient conflict that became the merger point of the Matoran Universe and Bionicle's true endpoint.. On arrival in that dimension the Strider was on a collision course with a tree. Mazeka steered away from it, but the maneuver tipped the vehicle's balance and sent it crashing to the ground. He managed to clear the Strider before it fell.