Ryuuroden's Personal Top 5 sets of 2014
1) 10243: Parisian Restaurant, 2469 pieces, 5 Minifigs, $159.99
This set is the new modular that all other modular's will be measured against. It is the themes return to greatness. It really has it all, great exterior, intricate interior, inventive techniques, great use of color, great use of space, price-point, display-ability and heck even has play-ability. It is a great addition to any modular display and really should not be left out. It is one of the few sets that I really cannot find any faults in.
2) 70810: MetalBeard's Sea Cow, 2741 Pieces, 5 Minifigs, $249.99
This is by far my favorite ship I have ever built from LEGO and that includes the Imperial flagship that I also own. I am a big fan of steampunk which helps but honestly this ship is not just for steampunk fans. It has a ton of detail, fun design, it displays beautifully and it really is more elegant than it seems on first glance. You may be asking, "how the heck can it beat out Imperial Flagship" for best ship ever, well, I will tell you why. For one, the build is a lot more fun to do. Secondly, the ship just outclasses the flagship for detail and makes the Imperial Flagship look plain. Please let it be know that this is coming from someone who basically wrote a thesis in college on the development of wooden ships of war in the age of cannon before the adaption of steam and iron plate. I am a huge Ship of the Line and Frigate buff and so I am actually biased toward the Imperial flagship in the first place. None of that is here or there though since this is just based on 2014 sets and this set stands in the top 5.
3) 70816: Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP!, 940 pieces, 7 Minifigs, $99.99
This set would make it to the top 10 simply because it is a throwback to classic space which many of of hold a nostalgia for. What makes it a top 5 set is that not only is it a throwback but it also modernizes the theme while keeping the look and feel off a classic space set. There are lots of visible studs and the use of yellow and blue all bring back memories of the 80's. The swoosh factor of the set is set to maximum as it is very easy to hold and has some great play ability features such as retracting wings with hidden missile launchers, detachable fighter ships and even more missiles all over the ship. It is literally armed to the teeth. This set is also a great display set and fits nicely on my shelves in the LEGO room.
4) 21108: Ghostbusters Ecto-1, 508 Pieces, 4 Minifigs, $49.99
A set created by resident gaf member wetwired that made it through Ideas and was approved by LEGO. This set is probably the best Idea's set to come through to production to date and the improvements and changes LEGO made to wetwired's design were well done and resulted in a very polished final product. The model is overall pretty solid, uses some great techniques for some angles and includes printed parts! It has probably the most playability of all the Ideas sets to date as it is the most durable. It also can easily be intermixed with other past and future LEGO themes (Monster Fighters and future Scooby-doo possibly). Makes for a great gift to any Ghostbusters fan, and even for non Ghostbusters fans, the classic car build is very well done and offers a lot of techniques to use on your own car MOC's.
5) 10244: Fairground Mixer, 1746 pieces, 12 Minifigs, $149.99
This set excited me a bunch as I love amusement park rides. There are 3 main things that really stood out to me in the set. The first is the fact that the Mixer is made so it can spin by way of a handle or you can even add power functions to it plus it has glow in the dark features. The second is that the Mixer and all the other carnival games and booths are fully collapsible onto 2 transport trucks which makes it a very realistic type of fair ride in my opinion and the way it was done is very cool. The third feature that really stood out to me was the number of minifigures and number of other attractions that were included in the set. This was something that did not have to be done but was and attractions such as the Dunk Tank and the Power Tower (I don't know what you call the thing that "tests" your strength) are very nice included parts to the set. Both of them also have nice ways of making them interactive and functional. The downside of the set is that it does take up a lot of space when it is fully set up and does not actually fit on any of my regular shelves. Nevertheless the build was worth it and I look forward to more sets in this line with this theme.
Honorable Mentions:
70807: Metalbeard's Duel, 412 pieces, 3 Minifigs, $34.99
70808: Super Cycle Chase, 514 pieces, 5 Minifigs, $49.99
70815: Super Secret Police Dropship, 854 pieces, 8 Minifigs, $79.99
76023: The Tumbler, 1869 Pieces, 2 Minifigs, $199.99
70162: Infearno Interception, 313 Pieces, 2 Minifigs, $29.99
Best Theme of the 2014
The LEGO Movie
Best theme of the year, hands down, goes to The LEGO Movie. This theme has a mix of sets oriented to the young and the old and both. It includes sets that make fantastic display pieces and sets that provide some of the best playability LEGO has had to offer this year. The reason this theme wins is its broad appeal and inclusion of original minifigures, multiple builds sets filled with crazy designs that are inventive and fun as well as highly detailed feature sets like the Sea Cow.
Honorable Mentions: Mixels, Ultra Agents
Best CMF of 2014:
71007: Series 12 Pizza Delivery Man, $3.99
I think there a a lot of figures that could go in this spot but I had to go with a figure that will see a lot of use in what I like to do. The figure I usually buy the most of is something that will be worked into my modular city and this time that CMF was the Pizza Delivery Man. From his printed hat, to his outfit to his printed accessories, this guy was everything I wanted so I shall give him this award.
1) 10243: Parisian Restaurant, 2469 pieces, 5 Minifigs, $159.99
This set is the new modular that all other modular's will be measured against. It is the themes return to greatness. It really has it all, great exterior, intricate interior, inventive techniques, great use of color, great use of space, price-point, display-ability and heck even has play-ability. It is a great addition to any modular display and really should not be left out. It is one of the few sets that I really cannot find any faults in.
2) 70810: MetalBeard's Sea Cow, 2741 Pieces, 5 Minifigs, $249.99
This is by far my favorite ship I have ever built from LEGO and that includes the Imperial flagship that I also own. I am a big fan of steampunk which helps but honestly this ship is not just for steampunk fans. It has a ton of detail, fun design, it displays beautifully and it really is more elegant than it seems on first glance. You may be asking, "how the heck can it beat out Imperial Flagship" for best ship ever, well, I will tell you why. For one, the build is a lot more fun to do. Secondly, the ship just outclasses the flagship for detail and makes the Imperial Flagship look plain. Please let it be know that this is coming from someone who basically wrote a thesis in college on the development of wooden ships of war in the age of cannon before the adaption of steam and iron plate. I am a huge Ship of the Line and Frigate buff and so I am actually biased toward the Imperial flagship in the first place. None of that is here or there though since this is just based on 2014 sets and this set stands in the top 5.
3) 70816: Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP!, 940 pieces, 7 Minifigs, $99.99
This set would make it to the top 10 simply because it is a throwback to classic space which many of of hold a nostalgia for. What makes it a top 5 set is that not only is it a throwback but it also modernizes the theme while keeping the look and feel off a classic space set. There are lots of visible studs and the use of yellow and blue all bring back memories of the 80's. The swoosh factor of the set is set to maximum as it is very easy to hold and has some great play ability features such as retracting wings with hidden missile launchers, detachable fighter ships and even more missiles all over the ship. It is literally armed to the teeth. This set is also a great display set and fits nicely on my shelves in the LEGO room.
4) 21108: Ghostbusters Ecto-1, 508 Pieces, 4 Minifigs, $49.99
A set created by resident gaf member wetwired that made it through Ideas and was approved by LEGO. This set is probably the best Idea's set to come through to production to date and the improvements and changes LEGO made to wetwired's design were well done and resulted in a very polished final product. The model is overall pretty solid, uses some great techniques for some angles and includes printed parts! It has probably the most playability of all the Ideas sets to date as it is the most durable. It also can easily be intermixed with other past and future LEGO themes (Monster Fighters and future Scooby-doo possibly). Makes for a great gift to any Ghostbusters fan, and even for non Ghostbusters fans, the classic car build is very well done and offers a lot of techniques to use on your own car MOC's.
5) 10244: Fairground Mixer, 1746 pieces, 12 Minifigs, $149.99
This set excited me a bunch as I love amusement park rides. There are 3 main things that really stood out to me in the set. The first is the fact that the Mixer is made so it can spin by way of a handle or you can even add power functions to it plus it has glow in the dark features. The second is that the Mixer and all the other carnival games and booths are fully collapsible onto 2 transport trucks which makes it a very realistic type of fair ride in my opinion and the way it was done is very cool. The third feature that really stood out to me was the number of minifigures and number of other attractions that were included in the set. This was something that did not have to be done but was and attractions such as the Dunk Tank and the Power Tower (I don't know what you call the thing that "tests" your strength) are very nice included parts to the set. Both of them also have nice ways of making them interactive and functional. The downside of the set is that it does take up a lot of space when it is fully set up and does not actually fit on any of my regular shelves. Nevertheless the build was worth it and I look forward to more sets in this line with this theme.
Honorable Mentions:
70807: Metalbeard's Duel, 412 pieces, 3 Minifigs, $34.99
70808: Super Cycle Chase, 514 pieces, 5 Minifigs, $49.99
70815: Super Secret Police Dropship, 854 pieces, 8 Minifigs, $79.99
76023: The Tumbler, 1869 Pieces, 2 Minifigs, $199.99
70162: Infearno Interception, 313 Pieces, 2 Minifigs, $29.99
Best Theme of the 2014
The LEGO Movie
Best theme of the year, hands down, goes to The LEGO Movie. This theme has a mix of sets oriented to the young and the old and both. It includes sets that make fantastic display pieces and sets that provide some of the best playability LEGO has had to offer this year. The reason this theme wins is its broad appeal and inclusion of original minifigures, multiple builds sets filled with crazy designs that are inventive and fun as well as highly detailed feature sets like the Sea Cow.
Honorable Mentions: Mixels, Ultra Agents
Best CMF of 2014:
71007: Series 12 Pizza Delivery Man, $3.99
I think there a a lot of figures that could go in this spot but I had to go with a figure that will see a lot of use in what I like to do. The figure I usually buy the most of is something that will be worked into my modular city and this time that CMF was the Pizza Delivery Man. From his printed hat, to his outfit to his printed accessories, this guy was everything I wanted so I shall give him this award.
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