Legos, anyone?

[M'Kyuun]

On 8/4/2024 at 1:41 PM, J.T. Silversmith said:

Me and my son just built Cole's Titan Dragon Mech, and have really been enjoying it.  It is just so well built, It has really useful articulation.  It is really stable in a pose, it does everything that I think a mech should do.  Yesterday when we were looking at it my son noticed that the eyes have light piping!  I had not seen anyone else mention it yet.  There is a clear white 1x1 tile on the back of the head to let the light pass through to the clear orange eyes.  Has anyone heard of any other Lego set with light piping?  I wanted to share a tiny little detail on this awesome set that might get missed!

This is under normal light.

This is with my finger blocking the light.

This is with a flashlight to show it off.  I thought it was a cool extra  that could be missed.

This was the swan song of designer Niek van Slagmaat (Toothdominoes) who has been working on Ninjago for years. He is changing positions, but as a love letter to Ninjago fans coupled with his love of robots and mecha in general, he wanted to create a mecha set with as many bells and whistles as possible and IMHO, as both a mecha fan and a Ninjago fan, I think he succeeded. The head design, light piping notwithstanding (I hadn't noticed it, so thanks for pointing it out) is probably the weakest part of the whole build. The articulation is amazing, especially the sliding kneecaps which echo any number of Gundam and other modern mecha designs. The ankles are of note as well, as on most LEGO mecha, they are severely limited in their range of motion for stability's sake, but on this model, the friction actuators add the requisite stability to the ball jointed ankles enabling a decent range in all directions. It's an impressive set that hopefully will inform future mecha sets.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Brick Veteran has a sweet looking MiG-29 coming up.  This first one of theirs is limited to 100 kits. 

[sh9000]

The X-Mansion is probably going to be expensive but I'm still planning on buying it.

[sh9000]

UCS Jabba's Sail Barge.

[Gabe Q]

The Barge and minifigs look cool but there are too many exposed studs for my liking.

[Scyla]

I‘m on board. Great to see the Hut Slayer Leia figure making a return.

Still need to figure out were to put it since I added a UCS Super Star Destroyer to my display earlier this year.

Do we know the dimensions of the barge?

[edit:] Apparently the Sail Barge will be 77cm (approximately 2‘6“) long.

Edited September 17 by Scyla

[Tking22]

No Jedi Luke or Boba Fett minifigs? WTF?

[Chronocidal]

I would bet that's because the missing key figures (Luke, Han, Chewbacca, Lando, and Boba Fett) all came with (or will in the future come with a new version of) the smaller skiff.

[Scyla]

3 hours ago, Tking22 said:

No Jedi Luke or Boba Fett minifigs? WTF?

 

3 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I would bet that's because the missing key figures (Luke, Han, Chewbacca, Lando, and Boba Fett) all came with (or will in the future come with a new version of) the smaller skiff.

They come with the 2025 $80 add-on set to the Sail Barge (on shelves now):

[Chronocidal]

Ok, I am going to say that is pretty disappointing for $80.  Not even including any of the actual guards there feels a little silly, and the skiff looks severely undersized.

[Tking22]

11 hours ago, Scyla said:

 

They come with the 2025 $80 add-on set to the Sail Barge (on shelves now):

Okay that makes sense lol, and you know if someone is willing to drop $500 on the big boy barge, this thing isn't even a thought, it's simply a must-buy if you don't already have those minifigs. Damn you Lego, you got us again. 

[Scyla]

41 minutes ago, Tking22 said:

Okay that makes sense lol, and you know if someone is willing to drop $500 on the big boy barge, this thing isn't even a thought, it's simply a must-buy if you don't already have those minifigs. Damn you Lego, you got us again. 

I will wait for deep discounts both on the Sail Barge and the new Desert Skiff.

[danth]

12 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Ok, I am going to say that is pretty disappointing for $80.

What, you don't want a $20 skiff plus a $60 mound of sand?

[danth]

Lol. Of course they would try this.

https://brickset.com/article/113691/lego-may-be-considering-phasing-out-paper-instructions

[Chronocidal]

Yeaaaah, uh, that's gonna be a really good way to completely destroy their younger audience.

When a kid has to borrow their parents' phone or computer to actually build a set they got, we've hit a brand new level of suck.  

Edit: I can't actually find the survey they're discussing though, it looks like the backlash may have been so severe they already pulled it down.  Let's hope so.

Edited September 19 by Chronocidal

[Scyla]

21 hours ago, danth said:

Lol. Of course they would try this.

https://brickset.com/article/113691/lego-may-be-considering-phasing-out-paper-instructions

Electronic instructions are the worst (at least the ones I tried). I can’t build in front of my computer and on the smartphone the screen goes always dark and there is not enough screen space to look at it comfortable.

Also building LEGO is a outlet not to interact with computer so I don’t know why Lego would encourage people to spend more time with their smart device.

[Uxi]

Yeah annoying they can't include the booklets like they used to. How much could that be?  Or have a SKU with booklets and a SKU without.  

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I finally found the new Speed Champions F40 at the local Walmart, and wow, what a difference 5 years make when you compare it to the older F40 from the same line:

I'm convinced Lego got inspiration from various MOCs to produce their latest iteration of the F40, especially this one:

Regardless, I had fun buiding this new kit, and for a kit this size, Lego nailed the silhoutte:

I found the use of spoons for mirrors ingenious, but I didn't like the empty space where the main headlights are.  I reckon I could use clear parts to fill the void, but that would mean changing the shape of the front side, which I don't want to do.  What I felt needed changing though was the size of the windows, which looked quite small right out of the box.  To fix this, I removed the paint at the bottom of the windscreen piece with some rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs, then applied carefully measured adhesive vinyl strips and shapes to make the windows appear larger:

I've seen a few cool mods that give this kit opening doors and an opening rear hatch, but I don't think I'm going that far.  With my larger windows, I'm gonna call it a day.  I fear this kit is a gateway for me to discover similarly sized MOCs of other fine autos.

Edited September 26 by Valkyrie Hunter D

[Scyla]

On 9/18/2024 at 6:26 AM, Chronocidal said:

Ok, I am going to say that is pretty disappointing for $80.  Not even including any of the actual guards there feels a little silly, and the skiff looks severely undersized.

So I bought the set at an Amazon sale for ~$50 and having built it I can somehow see how the penny pinchers at Lego came to the conclusion that it should be $80.

The Sarlacc pit is massive. Build out of plenty of 2x4, 2x2 and 2x6 bricks. Something you don’t see often outside of Minecraft sets.

The decision to have just 2/3rds of the pit for tue sake of a gimmick I strongly disagree with. It doesn’t look right outside of specific angles used for product photography. For some reason the maw is also a oblong shape and not round (probably to save on pieces).

The skiff has some nice details in the controls and the wings. But I think I like the previous one from 2017 better (75174).

The Minifigs are just ok. I bought the set to have the Skiff Guard Lando, Jedi Knight Luke with the robes and a representation of Nien Nunb and they are all fairly well done.

Don‘t care about Chewie and Han since they are the same from the previous set but I understand why they are included.

Boba Fett is in his ESB outfit and no cape so into storage it goes. In general I would loved if they include three or four additional Skiff guards.

 

Edited September 26 by Scyla

[sh9000]

Sv-303 Vivasvat by gata2641.

[sh9000]

https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/x-men-the-x-mansion-76294

[sh9000]

https://www.target.com/p/lego-dc-batman-batman-with-the-batmobile-vs-harley-quinn-38-mr-freeze-76274/-/A-90127338

On sale for $47.99.

[M'Kyuun]

13 hours ago, sh9000 said:

https://www.target.com/p/lego-dc-batman-batman-with-the-batmobile-vs-harley-quinn-38-mr-freeze-76274/-/A-90127338

On sale for $47.99.

Man, I always miss sales. TBF, however, like the previous '89 Batmobile, this was high on my LEGO Batman want list. and I did not hesitate to get it ASAP. I'd love to see them do the Arkham Knight Batmobile with all the functions intact. Like the Tumbler, it's one of the Dark Knight's more notably unique rides. I'd love to see the Speed Champions Team tackle some of these Batmobile designs with a greater eye towards scale and accuracy. That, I think, would be a pretty impressive collection. On the subject of Speed Champions, I'd also love to see them branch into sci-fi and anime designs like the Spinner or the Mach 5. It'd make for an eclectic but great looking collection of vehicles from various media.

I recently finished a MOC and thought I'd share a few pics. Apologies in advance for my poor photo skills. The cab has limited articulated steering and the bed can, of course, tilt up to nearly 90 degrees. Transformation is fluid without parts-forming, and the mecha is fully articulated including a waist swivel which is not readily apparent in these pics. Sharp-eyed folks will notice the proton pack detail behind the cab; I bought a few of those printed tiles and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to use one for detail. In total, this represents about a month's worth of work designing, accruing parts, and finally building the model. I'm rather enamored with it, and I dig the mecha's unusual proportions. For some reason apropos of nothing, Cruel Angel's Thesis often played in my head while I was working out the final bugs of the design. It doesn't look at all like an Eva, but there was some subconscious inspiration regardless. Hope you enjoy.

 

Edited November 12 by M'Kyuun

[no3Ljm]

Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Set

[no3Ljm]

Harry Potter The Burrow – Collectors' Edition Set

[renegadeleader1]

Leaked image of the upcoming modular spaceship for wave 2 of the new city/space line that is releasing in January.

 

I loved wave 1 so I am very much looking forward to wave 2.

[M'Kyuun]

2 hours ago, renegadeleader1 said:

Leaked image of the upcoming modular spaceship for wave 2 of the new city/space line that is releasing in January.

 

I loved wave 1 so I am very much looking forward to wave 2.

Whoa, first I've seen this. Looks great! Space is and has always been my favorite LEGO theme and I'm excited to see the transition of City Space from grounded semi-realistic stuff like shuttles and rockets to this more futuristic sci-fi direction. Apparently the 2024 Space sets must have hit home with fans to see a continuation of the theme in 2025. I'm all in.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

On 11/11/2024 at 11:27 PM, M'Kyuun said:

Man, I always miss sales. TBF, however, like the previous '89 Batmobile, this was high on my LEGO Batman want list. and I did not hesitate to get it ASAP. I'd love to see them do the Arkham Knight Batmobile with all the functions intact. Like the Tumbler, it's one of the Dark Knight's more notably unique rides. I'd love to see the Speed Champions Team tackle some of these Batmobile designs with a greater eye towards scale and accuracy. That, I think, would be a pretty impressive collection. On the subject of Speed Champions, I'd also love to see them branch into sci-fi and anime designs like the Spinner or the Mach 5. It'd make for an eclectic but great looking collection of vehicles from various media.

I recently finished a MOC and thought I'd share a few pics. Apologies in advance for my poor photo skills. The cab has limited articulated steering and the bed can, of course, tilt up to nearly 90 degrees. Transformation is fluid without parts-forming, and the mecha is fully articulated including a waist swivel which is not readily apparent in these pics. Sharp-eyed folks will notice the proton pack detail behind the cab; I bought a few of those printed tiles and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to use one for detail. In total, this represents about a month's worth of work designing, accruing parts, and finally building the model. I'm rather enamored with it, and I dig the mecha's unusual proportions. For some reason apropos of nothing, Cruel Angel's Thesis often played in my head while I was working out the final bugs of the design. It doesn't look at all like an Eva, but there was some subconscious inspiration regardless. Hope you enjoy.

 

If Wolverine and Black Panther can get their own official mech suits, the local City construction  worker can get their own transforming dumper - nice work!

Edited November 14 by Valkyrie Hunter D

[Chronocidal]

4 hours ago, renegadeleader1 said:

Leaked image of the upcoming modular spaceship for wave 2 of the new city/space line that is releasing in January.

 

I loved wave 1 so I am very much looking forward to wave 2.

Hold up a moment.. are they going back to the old style diagonal-zip suits from the second gen space sets? 

 

[renegadeleader1]

2 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Hold up a moment.. are they going back to the old style diagonal-zip suits from the second gen space sets? 

 

Yup! They already introduced orange versions you can get at a Lego store's build a minifigure section, but these upcoming sets will introduce a range of colors.

[M'Kyuun]

Supposedly, there's another Blacktron set coming as well. Speculation is that it might be an update of the Renegade. That'd be fine, but if I had my druthers, I'd prefer an updated Blacktron II Aerial Intruder or Spectral Starguider. However, since we already got an updated Invader, oddly renamed to 'Cruiser', as a GWP, having the larger flagship from Blacktron would make for nice continuity. It would be most excellent to have that upsized to 1.5 times the original's size with design stylings mirroring those of the 10497 Galaxy Explorer.  I'm not sure where I'd put it, but it would be a must-have regardless. If the rumors are true, I hope Mike Psiaki, 10497's designer, has a hand in designing it, too. Mike's an absolutely brilliant builder.

 

[M'Kyuun]

22 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

If Wolverine and Black Panther can get their own official mech suits, the local City construction  worker can get their own transforming dumper - nice work!

I very much appreciate the compliment. I have thoughts about doing a small excavator at some point.

[Scyla]

12 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Supposedly, there's another Blacktron set coming as well. Speculation is that it might be an update of the Renegade. That'd be fine, but if I had my druthers, I'd prefer an updated Blacktron II Aerial Intruder or Spectral Starguider. However, since we already got an updated Invader, oddly renamed to 'Cruiser', as a GWP, having the larger flagship from Blacktron would make for nice continuity. It would be most excellent to have that upsized to 1.5 times the original's size with design stylings mirroring those of the 10497 Galaxy Explorer.  I'm not sure where I'd put it, but it would be a must-have regardless. If the rumors are true, I hope Mike Psiaki, 10497's designer, has a hand in designing it, too. Mike's an absolutely brilliant builder.

 

I‘m super excited if it is a Blacktron Renegade. The original was never released in Europe, so an original set is super pricey to get since you need to import it from NA.

[M'Kyuun]

59 minutes ago, Scyla said:

I‘m super excited if it is a Blacktron Renegade. The original was never released in Europe, so an original set is super pricey to get since you need to import it from NA.

I wasn't aware of that; if anything, I always thought Europe and the UK would benefit from their proximity to Denmark, not to mention personal and professional ties to the Kirk Christiansen family in Billund. I know there were a number of airplane sets exclusive to European countries in the 80s and 90s, and I always just assumed that our neighbors across the pond enjoyed not only the range of sets available here in the Western Hemisphere, but additional sets as well in both themes and as exclusives. I'm sorry to have been so wrong and puzzled that the opposite seems to be the case. Anyway, I hope the rumor proves true and we get a minty fresh version of the Renegade to display next to our 10497 Galaxy Explorers, and it's available globally. 

[M'Kyuun]

 

Due to release in March. Preorders up on the LEGO Shop. Interesting note: Joe Kyde, who designed LEGO Optimus Prime, designed this set. Compared to the previous excellent Tallneck, this set is geared for younger builders and yet still retains enough detail to make the machines easily recognizable. Looks like fun!

Parts hounds and MOC builders like me will likely be excited for this new clip piece. I've been wanting something like this for a very long time, so I'm excited. I POed two copies just to have the second set for its lovely new parts.