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Description
A good friend and fellow AFOL was planning to build a large M:Tron spread and invited me, if I so chose, to build a mecha to accompany it. Unbeknownst to him, I accepted. Unbeknownst to me, he changed his mind and began building a Space Police 3 MOC instead. However, by the time I found out, I was already well into the construction of this model, which I'm calling the "Terra Traverser", and was met with a very positive response from my friend. From a personal standpoint, my friend's request was the impetus I needed to revisit a transforming rover that I'd built years before but with which I'd never felt satisfied. Not only did I have the opportunity to make significant upgrades to the old design but building in the M:Tron theme gave me license to create my own take on the specialized cargo containers that came with the brilliant 6989 Mega Core Magnetizer, one of the best sets to come from the whole of LEGO's original sci-fi space themes. I imagined my container as an A.I. drone equipped with tools and equipment to affect repairs, as well as a telescoping neck which also serves as a platform for the intrepid astrofig to stand on enabling him to reach greater heights for inspection and repairs. The back wheels of the rover, which caster 180 degrees, preclude any meaningful reverse motion, although the rover can turn in a fairly tight circle. The rear wheels' design was a necessary concession to preserve both the configuration and aesthetics of the mecha mode while still maintaining some steering functionality. There's also an adjustable multisegmented boom tipped with a magnet to carry any of the M:Tron containers from across the theme, including his own customized companion. Overall, I'm quite pleased with how both the rover and its companion turned out, and as a huge fan of LEGO's original sci-fi space themes over the decades, I'm glad to have been afforded the chance to both build in yet another of those grand old themes and to have finally revisited a design that I've been wanting to improve on for years.

Description
A good friend and fellow AFOL was planning to build a large M:Tron spread and invited me, if I so chose, to build a mecha to accompany it. Unbeknownst to him, I accepted. Unbeknownst to me, he changed his mind and began building a Space Police 3 MOC instead. However, by the time I found out, I was already well into the construction of this model, which I'm calling the "Terra Traverser", and was met with a very positive response from my friend. From a personal standpoint, my friend's request was the impetus I needed to revisit a transforming rover that I'd built years before but with which I'd never felt satisfied. Not only did I have the opportunity to make significant upgrades to the old design but building in the M:Tron theme gave me license to create my own take on the specialized cargo containers that came with the brilliant 6989 Mega Core Magnetizer, one of the best sets to come from the whole of LEGO's original sci-fi space themes. I imagined my container as an A.I. drone equipped with tools and equipment to affect repairs, as well as a telescoping neck which also serves as a platform for the intrepid astrofig to stand on enabling him to reach greater heights for inspection and repairs. The back wheels of the rover, which caster 180 degrees, preclude any meaningful reverse motion, although the rover can turn in a fairly tight circle. The rear wheels' design was a necessary concession to preserve both the configuration and aesthetics of the mecha mode while still maintaining some steering functionality. There's also an adjustable multisegmented boom tipped with a magnet to carry any of the M:Tron containers from across the theme, including his own customized companion. Overall, I'm quite pleased with how both the rover and its companion turned out, and as a huge fan of LEGO's original sci-fi space themes over the decades, I'm glad to have been afforded the chance to both build in yet another of those grand old themes and to have finally revisited a design that I've been wanting to improve on for years.