I'm a big Star Wars fan and don't have the best star. I started off with the smaller scale stuff, but will only buy big ones now. Was tempted by the new AT-ST but display space is at a premium and I've got 3 unbuilt modulars to put up and a UCS sandcralwer! Once you go UCS you'll never go back!
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LEGO |OT5| DARKNESS! NO MONEY! (or Break the Rules! Mix the Bags!)
- Thread starter PhoncipleBone
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KoruptData
Member
I'm a space ship fan. I've bought a few land vehicles and locations pieces but I love the ships. Like I asked for the U-Wing from Rogue One for Xmas and I'm pretty sure that's a go. I just have to hope for some rereleases of some older stuff that I missed.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Went to TRU to get the Creepy Geoffrey set, but they still didn't have it on the shelf. After finally finding a clerk, she looked it up and said they should have tons of them. Ten minutes later she comes back with the set. Apparently it has just been sitting in their back room for a week or longer and people kept overlooking it.
But, Creepy Geoffrey GET!
But, Creepy Geoffrey GET!
Likewise. Have the space for it, and 500 euro is a fucking lot. 350 for Disney Castle was already stretching my budget. I rather have more smaller sets.
Slave 1 fired up my USC love though. For now I have been able to hold of as I am no immense fan of Tie's and allready have a good looking playset one.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I did toy with the notion of putting the new Best Star on my top list of the year. I didn't get the new one, so it wouldn't feel right. However, it is similar enough to the old one I feel I can pass judgement and still call it one of my favorite sets.
*high five* There are a few of us here that are in agreement on this, thats why I haven't gotten the "Best Star" myself. I was really hoping when the rumors started of the new Death Star this year they were going to do something like that set you just posted but it turned out to be just a refresh of the same set with a higher price tag. Maybe we will get another Death Star II in 10 years.
KoruptData
Member
The new one, to me is a big glorified doll house for Star Wars mini figures. I'm not trying to down it, I can see how it appeals to people. But I would rather have a visual representation of the actual base.
I thought the UCS one looked boring until I got it. It's impressive! After that, anything smaller feels wrong!
Just look at the size of it!
Might get round to building the sandcralwer tomorrow...
PhoncipleBone
Banned
The UCS TIE is a beastI thought the UCS one looked boring until I got it. It's impressive! After that, anything smaller feels wrong!
Just look at the size of it!
Might get round to building the sandcralwer tomorrow...
FuriousOne
Member
Here is my setup while we're on the subject....
PhoncipleBone
Banned
KoruptData
Member
Speak of the devil, my wife and I exchanged one gift tonight and we exchanged the ones we each other knew about. So I put together the U-Wing tonight. It was a pretty fun build. Most importantly, Rogue One is complete.
WordAssassin
Member
THE SLIMES! THE CAT!
Why won't Lego make the damn chicken!? I won't believe Lego Minecraft will end until the chicken is in a set. Once that happens that's like the final legacy mob so they can end it.
But if they did the Jungle Temple then I'd bet they'll make a Desert Temple too so I'd be willing to bet there'll be at least one more wave. Polar Bears and Wraiths, Desert Temple, a The End tower, a farm with some chickens, the end.
Chiaroscuro
Member
All those Star Wars displays make me reconsider my no sw sets rule. But the only sets that I really like are the x-wings and ties. USC must have retired a long time ago and be pretry expensive, no? Maybe just a display with x-wings only....
Christmas Price Index by Kiwi.com
Although the prices seem to be way off in some countries/cities, even over price in Official LEGO store .
https://kiwi.com/stories/christmas-price-index/eur/
Although the prices seem to be way off in some countries/cities, even over price in Official LEGO store .
UCS Tie is still available and was even discounted 20% on S@H in Europe last Black Friday. Almost bit the bullet then, but I can't justify the price per part ratio, even discounted, and regardless of how massive the thing is.
Love the microshelf for the microfighters!
FuriousOne
Member
Thanks- I needed a good way to display those, and that was the best thing I could think of.
At 20% (based on 219), it was 0.104/part. I don't think it's that bad, considering that there's parts and parts... When many sets up the piece count by using a lot of common tiny pieces in microbuilds, it's not the case here.
I fully understand people that find it too expensive (in fact, I'd say all Lego sets are expensive... especially minifigs
). But I don't think price per part ratio is that a good metric for sets like the Tie Figther.At 20% (based on 219), it was 0.104/part. I don't think it's that bad, considering that there's parts and parts... When many sets up the piece count by using a lot of common tiny pieces in microbuilds, it's not the case here.
I fully understand people that find it too expensive (in fact, I'd say all Lego sets are expensive... especially minifigs
I know. And i buy sets with worse ratios. But havinh just gotten Slave 1, which had more bricks and figs at a lower price, the Tie was too much, at least psychologically
2016 was a really odd year for me. Usually I trend towards picking up most of the large "direct-to-consumer (D2C)" sets, and those end up making the bulk of my "Best of the Year" lists. However this year I found myself feeling ambivalent about most of the D2C set reveals, and ended up picking up only a fraction of them. The silver lining was that I focused more on the smaller sets, and cemented my affection for a certain theme.
10. 70316 Jestro's Evil Mobile
Truth be told, Nexo Knights did not blow me away as the new "Action" theme for 2016. I did find a few gems in this theme however, and my favorite of these is Evil Mobile. The brick-built giant Sparkks, pulling a diabolical massive chariot, the awesome steed Lance's robo-horse, and the titular characters Jestro and the Book of Monsters combined to make this a fun set to both build and play.
9. 31044 Park Animals
My first set of 2016 outlasts many others to make the list. LEGO has been killing it for several years with their CREATOR animal sets, and 31044 may be the best one yet. The dog and duck are adorable, the ducklings clever, and the alt-builds are solid. This one will be on display for years to come.
8. 76051 Super Hero Airport Battle
The ultimate Avenger vs Avenger battle in Civil War is captured in this set to great effect. Make no mistake though, this set would not have made this list if not for the brick-built Giant-Man fig. With a much greater scale and improved posability over the previous bigfigs, the Giant-Man fig is a great new addition that will likely be repeated in future sets. The Quinjet is "okay", but suffers in comparison to previous versions, and the airport tower is uninspiring. Bonus points for the Ant-Man microfig though.
7. 60134 Fun in the park - City People Pack
This set is an important development in several ways. First, it includes the debut of a wheelchair-bound minifig, a great addition to LEGO's diversity. Second, it marks the debut of the new baby minifig, which has been desired for a long time. Third, this is a CITY pack that is only minifigs and some small associated builds to flesh out one's city build. No policemen, firemen, or vehicles make this a refreshing change for LEGO.
6. 75153 AT-ST Walker
With the debut of Rogue One less than a week away, this set represents the best of an extremely solid initial wave of sets for this subtheme. It's been a while since we had a proper AT-ST, and this build is a much improved representation than the previous AT-ST that came with the Endor Bunker set from 2009.
5. 31052 Vacation Getaways
The premiere CREATOR set for 2016 features an amazing main-build, with two almost-as-great alt-builds that makes me want to buy three copies of this set. The camper is a superior CITY-scale vehicle, complete with a curious bear. The alt sets are a house that is another great addition to the CREATOR houses subtheme, and could be a main build set in its own right. The boat is one of the best CITY-style crafts since the theme's inception. I can't say enough about how awesome this set is.
4. 75140 Resistance Troop Transporter
At the start of this year, looking ahead at the leaked Star Wars sets, I never expected this set to become on of my favorite sets of the year. This set only had a minute or so of screentime in the Force Awakens, and took a back seat to ships like the Falcon, Kylo Ren's Shuttle, Poe's X-Wing, and the new FO TIE Fighters. Once I started building these sets, I learned the hidden truth - this set is full of advanced building techniques and additional touches that were not necessary, but add up to create a great interpretation of this ship.
3. 10251 Brick Bank
A Jamie Berard modular building only makes the 3rd spot? The truth is, the solid competition this year, combined with the revitalization of the modular building subtheme over the last several years, result in a solid modular not reaching the top spot. There is nothing wrong with this set, and it is a great addition to my modular row, but it also doesn't stand out greatly from the rest of the modular sets, and does not reach the heights of the Parisian Restaurant in brilliance.A solid addition to a cornerstone theme.
2. 10252 Volkswagen Beetle
Full stop - this is the best "advanced-build vehicle" released by LEGO to-date. As Phon mentioned in his list, the Beetle was designed by Mike Psiaki, who also created another set in this top ten - Vacation Getaways. Pisaki has built a marvel here, capturing the curves of the Beetle with the assistance of some new elements, in a huge improvement over the previous Beetle. Everything is scaled superbly, adding up to an excellent display piece for both hardcore and casual LEGO fans alike. This is the "Parisian Restaurant" of the advanced vehicle subtheme, and will be tough to beat in future additions.
1. 76057 Spider-Man: Web Warriors Ultimate Bridge Battle
Disclosure - I am a huge fan of "classic" Spider-Man - I grew up reading "Amazing Spider-Man", and it was my favorite comic for almost a decade. This set encapsulates a scenario which fit in perfectly with the stories of that time, and includes a trio of classic Spider-Man villains which I have been waiting for. The bridge is both an excellent display piece, and a multi-featured playset, and is one of those rare sets where the negatives are hard to come up with. I fell in love with this set when it was initially revealed at Toy Fair, and the reality lived up to the promise. I am happy to present the Bridge Battle as my set of the year.
Let's be frank - it can be argued that CREATOR has been "theme of the year" for the last several years at least. This theme has been the dependable stalwart of quality sets, containing excellent builds. It is also one of the few themes with official "alt builds", and a comparably reasonable price point, making most sets in this theme an excellent value.
5002946 Silver Centurion
A classic Iron Man armor from the 80's makes its LEGO debut, with a highly-detailed representation of one of my favorite armors. The only downside is that it was a videogame preorder bonus, making it expensive to acquire.
71013 Hiker
A new exclusive backpack, compass and map add to a great looking CMF.
My Top Sets of 2015
My Top Sets of 2014
My Top Sets of 2013
My Top Sets of 2012
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
So, rather than get the whole advent calendar, I just bought the Snowbacca figure. A lot cheaper than I thought it would be on ebay, only $6.
A little of both I hope. This year we had some similarities, as we always do, but some pretty big differences as well.
I'm hoping the big D2C sets for 2017 are more to my liking - the fact that I only know about 3 of them makes me excited for the reveals.
Partway through designing the theme for this year, I was laughing out loud at this post.
Nope, I didn't work on any aircraft
I was thinking yesterday however that no one has really done a good/accurate rendition of the Burton Batwing
Chiaroscuro
Member
Doubtful that TLC would jump on any heavy militarized IP. Star Wars was already crossing a line due to guns and stuff.
WordAssassin
Member
I wonder if it's the rumored Lego Movie Batwing that never came out/got delayed?
I have to say, after going through the Disney Castle build, I do think one of the unheralded champions of the Lego brand is their approach to instructions, imparting all the essential information with no language required at all, all pictorial, all clear. The only thing that I think is never quite perfect is colour rendition, but that's always going to be a bit tricky anyhow.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I almost put Jestro's Evil Mobile in instead of Ghostbusters. That was a tough call.
And Spidey Bridge Battle would have hit 11 either way. The mini figs were absolutely stellar in that set.
Now I just want a Jack-O-Lantern figure for the goblins.
HamsterExAstris
Member
Is it just me, or does LEGO tend to have more steps in their instructions nowadays than they did back in the 90s/2000s? It feels like what would have been one step with multiple pieces is now spread out into 2-3 steps, one per piece type.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
It depends on the set and age range. The more adult themed sets or UCS stuff definitely does more in a single step than the smaller $20 sets.
Recently did some Technic sets
- new 42053 Volvo EW160E excavator with 1166 pieces - gets paper manual for main model with 252 pages
- old 8880 Supercar and 8480 Space Shuttle both around 1350 pieces - have paper manuals of 92 or 108 pages and always for both A and B models
So there is definitely an inflation in number of instruction steps in Technic over the years
PalaceBrother
Member
I'm loving these top 10 lists! I'll have mine up next week.
Over the last few years I've often complained about how my minifigs just end up in sorted boxes in a closet. I have 20-30 of these things in my cold room, and it's a waste. Excuse the potato pic.
I think I may have mentioned that my 10 year old has gotten heavy into building over the last few weeks so she asked why I didn't build a display for some of my figures. I decided to go for it while she added on to her "mansion in progress".
As someone who does zero MOCing, it was fun but even with all of my sorted bricks it was tough to find enough of the right color. Ryuuroden, I basically exhausted my 1xN dark grey bricks to do this tiny build so I don't know how the hell you did Orthanc.
My plan is to build a central workshop with a few extra working bays to accommodate the forthcoming figs and the Heartbreaker armor. The only one I don't have a place for right now is the Iron Patriot fig but the collector in me is still reticent to crack it open.
Over the last few years I've often complained about how my minifigs just end up in sorted boxes in a closet. I have 20-30 of these things in my cold room, and it's a waste. Excuse the potato pic.
I think I may have mentioned that my 10 year old has gotten heavy into building over the last few weeks so she asked why I didn't build a display for some of my figures. I decided to go for it while she added on to her "mansion in progress".
As someone who does zero MOCing, it was fun but even with all of my sorted bricks it was tough to find enough of the right color. Ryuuroden, I basically exhausted my 1xN dark grey bricks to do this tiny build so I don't know how the hell you did Orthanc.
My plan is to build a central workshop with a few extra working bays to accommodate the forthcoming figs and the Heartbreaker armor. The only one I don't have a place for right now is the Iron Patriot fig but the collector in me is still reticent to crack it open.
PalaceBrother
Member
I don't have many 90s/2000s sets, but back in the late 70s and early 80s the instructions were basically this:
There was literally no indication that a 1x2 plate had been added to the back of the image so you'd end up with an unstable build with spare pieces if you weren't careful.
This is a fair point - the Creator Expert & UCS line is more generous. I seem to recall a single step in Grand Emporium that had something like 128 of a certain piece, and over 300 in total..
PhoncipleBone
Banned
That part of Grand Emporium is both awesome and terrible. It is so repetitive, but it looks so great when done.
But Tower Bridge wins for most in a step, especially if you are doing both towers at once. So many cheese slopes.
There are also sets that hand hold early one, then near the end as you do a technique again, they just toss you in the deep end expecting you to understand.
The end of the Ferris Wheel is particular guilty of this with all the seating cars.
But Tower Bridge wins for most in a step, especially if you are doing both towers at once. So many cheese slopes.
There are also sets that hand hold early one, then near the end as you do a technique again, they just toss you in the deep end expecting you to understand.
The end of the Ferris Wheel is particular guilty of this with all the seating cars.
Rodney McKay
Member
For as much LEGO stuff that I bought this year, barely any of them are actually 2016 sets.
My favorite sets that I bought this year are:
And my favorite freebies from LEGO this year were:
I got the AT-ST and the First Order Tie Fighter, but neither of those really did much for me. I didn't have any space for the Tie Fighter, and other than the cool head swivel, the AT-ST was pretty basic IMO. I think I'd have preferred to get Krennic's Shuttle rather than those two, I'm thinking of selling them for just that reason.
My favorite sets that I bought this year are:
- Pet Shop (Loved this set, and having two separate building made it great to build with my girlfriend)
- Parisian Restaurant (very good, with tons of great little details. The tiled floor was annoying to do though.)
- Rey's Speeder (surprising great set for how small it is, looks great and Rey's minifig is really good)
And my favorite freebies from LEGO this year were:
- Classic Batman Mr Freeze (can't wait to include it with the Batcave set)
- Darth REVAN (LOVE Knights of the Old Republic)
- Santa Snow globe (fantastic looking little set)
I got the AT-ST and the First Order Tie Fighter, but neither of those really did much for me. I didn't have any space for the Tie Fighter, and other than the cool head swivel, the AT-ST was pretty basic IMO. I think I'd have preferred to get Krennic's Shuttle rather than those two, I'm thinking of selling them for just that reason.
I am continually surprised, amazed and so happy that we got a Revan minifig.
BentBricks
Member
I am disturbed by the lack of creepy Geoffrey photos.
I am also sad all the stars on Geoffrey are stickers. I thought maybe since so many are the same parts they would have printed them. Definitely a good set for bright orange color parts.
As a person that almost never puts stickers on, I feel I need to for Ant-Man if I don't plan on dismantling him.
I am also sad all the stars on Geoffrey are stickers. I thought maybe since so many are the same parts they would have printed them. Definitely a good set for bright orange color parts.
As a person that almost never puts stickers on, I feel I need to for Ant-Man if I don't plan on dismantling him.
"Let's play kids! I get my stars by eating kids."
Giant Man to the rescue!
And the kids live happily ever without any mental scars.
BentBricks
Member
Great idea from your 10 yr old. Cheapest way to display large amount of minifigs though is to make display cases.
You can never have too many light grey or dark grey bricks.
As for Ryuuroden, he built Orthanc with blood, sweat, and $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
EDIT: By making display cases, I meant like with Ikea frames or buying existing plastic display cases.
BentBricks
Member
Mixels contest over at Brickset is almost over. For those that are sad the Mixels are done, it shows that you can make your own. Some of the entries are more like Mashupels, but great nonetheless.
Flickr photo pool
https://www.flickr.com/groups/2970457@N24/pool/page1
Some of my favorites:
Frye by Flanagan Brothers Inc., on Flickr
The Toyxels - Chatt-Chatt by Unijob Lindo, on Flickr
Jinglemix by LEGO 7, on Flickr
Dat Elf!
Flickr photo pool
https://www.flickr.com/groups/2970457@N24/pool/page1
Some of my favorites:
Frye by Flanagan Brothers Inc., on Flickr
The Toyxels - Chatt-Chatt by Unijob Lindo, on Flickr
Jinglemix by LEGO 7, on Flickr
Dat Elf!
Started building Krennics Shuttle yesterday night. Halfway trough and about to restart to finish up. It looks to be smaller then expected, but the build is pretty great. It leans a lot on technic techniques and parts (like Lego Star Wars ships tend to do), but it's very cool to see come together. It also has the kind of 'I don't know what I'm building, oh, wait, that's... wow'-moments I know you all love (the pilot seat for instance)
And the figs looks great...
Also grabbed Tie Striker yesterday as I needed to use a 10 euro coupon I still had. Toy Store was practically plundered after Saint Nicholas festivities. Next purchase will be the Y-Wing, but that will be for january second. Toy shop I frequent does little actions where you get a discount coupon or save points towards a discount that is only available the next month. For now I have 10% of Disney stuff (including Lego Star Wars) and 20 euro in discount, only viable in january.
And the figs looks great...
Also grabbed Tie Striker yesterday as I needed to use a 10 euro coupon I still had. Toy Store was practically plundered after Saint Nicholas festivities. Next purchase will be the Y-Wing, but that will be for january second. Toy shop I frequent does little actions where you get a discount coupon or save points towards a discount that is only available the next month. For now I have 10% of Disney stuff (including Lego Star Wars) and 20 euro in discount, only viable in january.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I finally got around to taking a pic of the Bluemobile...
They're on a mission from God...
I take that back. Thing looks big once finished! It's not as big as Kylo's or Tyderium, but big nonetheless.
This Rogue One wave has been pretty great. Hope the Tie Striker is as good, and I am tempted to order the boring looking hovertank too now.s
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