Rock Raiders

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Rock Raiders
Rock Raiders.png
Years:

1999-2000

Related themes:

Power Miners

Rock Raiders was a theme that was released in 1999. It was based on space travelers/miners that got trapped at an alien planet. The theme consisted of 8 main sets, 4 promotional sets and 3 minifigure sets. There was also a video game based on the theme for both PC and PSX. Rock Raiders was discontinued after 2000.


Details

The eponymous Rock Raiders were a team of miners that searched for energy crystals in the underground. They had several specialized mining and transport vehicles at their disposal, and were based at a refinery station where they processed rocks to extract the neon-green Energy Crystals. During their excavations, they would occasionally encounter brown Rock Monsters, but these were only included in two different sets.

A 1999 UK catalog page

This was the second theme (the first was Adventurers Egypt) whose Minifigures were individual characters with names.

The setting had several elements that were reprised, and also somewhat further developed, in the Power Miners theme ten years later, such as the occurrence of Rock Monsters and Energy Crystals. Here, the Rock Monsters had just minor appearances and were not named characters, merely bearing the name "Rock Monster".

A 2000 USA catalog page.

Rock Raiders introduced also several new pieces, such as the chrome drill, blade saw, hollow boulders and an electric light-producing cannon piece that served as a laser cutter.

The sets of the first wave, which were also the only ones of the theme that appeared in the catalogs, all included Rock Raiders comics. The models and minifigures of the respective set the comic was included in played a major role in the story.

Story

The Rock Raiders were traveling on their spaceship, the LMS Explorer, and found that they had a fuel shortage. They were forced to land on Planet U, which was located in an alien galaxy. There, they detected vast amounts of Energy Crystals to repair the Explorer, but they also encountered many alien creatures. The team would endure numerous hardships to obtain the Crystals, but they eventually triumphed, and successfully gathered enough Crystals to return home.

A 1999 UK catalog page with a comic.

Original plans

On June 20th, 2000, Lugnet member Sergio Guerra discovered the original plans for the Rock Raiders theme [1]. Many elements are different, or left out entirely in the final theme.

Different Elements
  • A different standard Rock Raiders uniform, similar to Bandit’s uniform.
  • Different hand-held drills.
  • Different Chrome Crusher, with twin drills and no laser.
  • Different Hover Scout, with two long antennas and pilot seat.
  • Different Loader Dozer, with a Dune buggy look, and a drill.
  • Different Granite Grinder, much sleeker look.
  • Different Rock Raiders insignia, with a red cog, instead of a silver drill.
  • The Large Vehicles' windscreens are silver, instead of brown.
  • Tailed Rock Monsters.
Original Elements
  • Mobile Rock Raiders HQ.
  • New insect-like vehicle.
  • New six-wheeled vehicle, with two claws and three laser-like devices mounted on top.
  • Perhaps the biggest change: the Rock Raiders had enemies, the Insectoids.
A 2000 USA catalog page

.

Had the theme been more successful, these elements might have been reconsidered. Concept images and info in The Ultimate LEGO book are seen on pages 30-31.

Minifigures

Creatures

Rock Monsters are subterranean beings, who are made entirely of rock, with glowing red crystal eyes. They feast on the energy crystals used to power Rock Raiders vehicles, and are not aggressive unless their crystals are stolen. They are the most common enemy. They were also seen in LEGO Island 2 as a threat in the game. The best way to kill them is with a Laser Beam.

Rock Monster

They are similar to Rock Monsters, except that they are white and icy. They too feast on crystals, and can be found in the icy sections beneath Planet U. They are more aggressive than Rock Monsters, though not as strong. In a prototype image of one of the Rock Raiders sets, a Rock Monster was shown, except for the fact that it was white. This could have been an Ice Monster, or it could simply have been an unpainted prototype. The best way to kill them is with a Laser Beam. Ice Monsters only make a single appearance in the NTSC PSX game.

Lava Monsters are similar to Rock Monsters, except that they are hot and volcanic in appearance. They can be found in the underground molten lava caverns on Planet U. Though they have no instant-kill solutions like the above monsters do, the best way to kill them is with a Freezer Beam. Lava Monsters do not appear in the NTSC version of the PSX game.

Slimy Slugs are very large slugs, though usually not as large as Rock Monsters (some rather large Slugs were seen at one point). They are large, green with some faint spots, and they eat crystals. Slimy Slugs can also be found on Ogel Island in LEGO Island 2, and push the player back when the player runs into them. The best weapon to use on them is a Pusher Beam.

Bats appear in the Rock Raiders PC video game. They scare Rock Raiders, and cause them to drop what they carry.

Spiders appear in the Rock Raiders PC video game. They randomly emerge when Rock Raiders are drilling. They cause the Rock Raiders in the area to slip and drop whatever they are carrying.

Spiders also appear in the Rock Raiders PSX video game. Unlike the small variety, these are agressive, and will attack Rock Raiders. They can also spin Large Webs that only the Loader Dozer or the Pusher Beam can clear. There are also prototypes of them lying unused in the PC Game's files.

  • Purple Scorpions:

Purple Scorpions are giant, about the size of Small Diggers. They will attack a nearby Rock Raider. They only appeared in the PSX game. 3 shots from a Pusher Beam will kill them.

  • Green Scorpions:

Green Scorpions are very similar to Purple Scorpions. However, they prefer to not attack directly; rather, they stand at a distance shooting plasma globules from their claws at the Rock Raiders. They only appeared in the PSX game. 3 shots from a Pusher Beam will kill them.

  • Rockwhales:

Also called Rock Whales, these massive 6-legged creatures lumber through the underground passages of Planet U. Though they do not usually attack, they can do a lot of damage, albeit unintentionally. There are 2 types: a large green type who moves slowly, and a smaller red type that can scuttle faster than most vehicles can move. They only appeared in the PSX game and the book High Adventure Deep Underground. The only way to remove the large 'Whales is to use a Pusher Beam to move them into water, causing them to merge into the ground and form a bridge The small ones move too fast to use a Pusher Beam on.

Sets

Released in 1999
A 1999 UK catalog page.
Released in 2000

Books

There were 3 books released: Save the Spaceship, Race for Survival, and High Adventure, Deep Underground.

Save the Spaceship

Plot coming soon

Race for Survival

Plot coming soon

High Adventure, Deep Underground

Plot coming soon

See also

References

External Links

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