LuxorV Posted August 18, 2009 Hi Eurobricks members, and welcome to a small, amateur review (in the sense that this isn’t a sponsorship, but just a little fun I took as an evaluator of the custom made accessories the FOLs’ community around the world produces) of some BrickArms products and prototypes that the enigma that is badger provided to me for a kind of ‘evaluation’. Thank you my friend. Ok, since this is my first review of anything ever, I think I’ll just start straight with the items. Just one small note, though: I tried (and in most cases succeeded) to give you a link to the original weapon this replicas are based off. I hope you’ll appreciate this small feature. First in line, a shot of the weapons and accessories all together since they will appear later on in the review, but I won’t spend many words on them, please notice here the U-clips and the Bipod elements on the left of the pic. They are small, yet very useful and well designed additions to the BrickArms line. Now to the already known items: Silenced Spy Pistol This little baby, known right from the beginning of BrickArms’ history as the Silenced Spy Pistol, is presented here in the new crome variant. I think it really suits Agent Trace, with its classic feel and shiny appearance. External link to the original weapon – PKK-S Space Assault Rifle I must say this one as always been one of my favourite items from the BrickArms line. Though it had to be cut on the back to allow a minifigure to hold it easily, this bullpup rifle is very accurate to the original, and it gives your soldiers (be them from the future or contemporary) an intimidating mean to gain the opponents’ attention. The trans colours of these two prototypes also boost the sci-fi feeling of this weapon. External link to the original weapon. Combat LMG This Light Machine Gun is a tactical weapon needed by every task force or small commando facing an elevated number of opponents. Though small and quite compact, especially when compared to the massive vehicle mounted MGs that can stop an entire army, this LMG can guaranty the safe completion of a mission by delivering a barrage of fire and allowing the task force to keep the foes at a distance. It can be combined with the bipod for more accurate fire External link to the original weapon. Commando Knife Finally, the Commando Knife is presented in its most fascinating, as well as intimidating, form: a crome blade ready to keep the foes at bay. In the picture above, Mutt finally got rid of the cheap Dark Bley knives TLG provide him with, and took up a weapon the Soviet soldiers won’t forget very soon. External link to the original weapon. Secondary external link to the original weapon. M21 (Sniper Rifle) Even if I don’t like weapons for their use, I love the workmanship of some of them and the technical designs they are based on. In this sense, one of my ever favourite weapons is the Sniper Rifle, so many times portrayed as a situation solving tool in the Hollywood films. Although not so very intimidating in this peculiar trans-light blue shade, the M21 is one of the most deadly, and most accurate, weapons a minifigure can get hold of. It is normally used in combination with the Bipod for stability and accuracy. External link to the original weapon. Auto-9 Do I really need to explain why this self-imposing weapon makes one of the best items by BrickArms? Big, futuristic (even if its design traces back to the late 1980s) and really eye-catching, this is another of those weapons which scream DANGER at first sight. External link to the original weapon (End of Page) And to the new and not yet on the market items: Blaster Rifle Who in the world has possibly never seen the iconic Stromtroopers’ weapon of ordinance: the E-11 blaster rifle? This tiny replica is perfect in every detail, and I’m sure an army of Clone Troopers and/or Stormtroopers armed with this weapon will be able to defeat every opponent! External link to the original weapon. Heavy Blaster Pistol And speaking of iconic Star Wars weapons, here Harrison ‘Indy’ Ford, in a bit of cross over-ing, shows us the BrickArms version of the all favourite space smuggler’s inseparable DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol. Originally based off the German Mauser C96 pistol, this hand gun can easily be used in non-Star Wars scenes too. External link to the original weapon. Glive/Kitchen Knife This is what happens when you start writing a review without the due documentation at hand. I went straight forward and took this item for what it immediately looks like: a Kitchen Knife. It was only after I completed this review that I discovered it was primarily supposed to be used in combination with a pole and a U-clip to form an ancient weapon known as Glaive… External link to the original weapon. Btw, this is the first of a group of Glow-in-the-dark items that will be shown in this review. Flame Gun I must admit I’m not familiar with the concept of Flame Guns (apart those used to burn weeds), so I’ll just state that I like this small gun for its look and that in my opinion it makes a great addition to both futuristic and steam-punkish MOCs. External link to the original weapon. AC-8 Now we come to one of those weapons that get all my admiration for their workmanship and technical design. I had to ask to the enigma that is badger what this item was based off IRL before I could really appreciate it, but them, it was love, pure love! Basically, this AC-8 is the BrickArms rendition of the experimental light-weight combat rifle XM-8. You can click the link below here and read all about it, and come to love its basic concept as much as I did. Now, the funny thing is that, after the XM-8 project was closed before entering the production phase (details in the link), the Italian weapons manufacturer Beretta took it up again and produce the almost identical ARX-160, due to hit mass production in a few years. This weapon is designed to be used in combination with a U-clip and a M-203 Detatchable Grenade Launcher, as shown here: External link to the original weapon. M-203 Detatchable Grenade Launcher The concept on which this small weapon is based is quite simple: it’s a single-shot grenade launcher that can be used both in combination with a rifle and as a pistol-like weapon. Even if essentially very simple in both concept and design, this DGL makes a good addition to the MFs’ arsenal. External link to the original weapon. Photon Pistol Back with another long term iconic weapon: the Star Trek Photon Pistol. Slick and ergonomic, this pistol screams future, space exploration, adventure and ready to deal with it all. External link to the original weapon. Retro Raygun We already saw this lovely gun some months ago, and I think everybody can appreciate its design and the classic space feel it brings. I’ll just add that it looks even more lovely in Glow-in-the-dark mode: External link to the original weapon. Longslide Pistol The direct counterpart to the Auto-9, this weapon looks, at first sight, too high and too heavy to be handled with ease; oh, but it makes for another self-imposing gun, adapted for all environments, from the urban conflicts of the concrete jungle to the last frontier of space. Another great rendition of a very iconic film weapon. External link to the original weapon (AMT Hardballer) Secondary external link to the original weapon. Sawed-Off Shotgun This is one of the items that got most of my attention when I opened the package and sorted them. I really wasn’t expecting something like this from BrickArms. For some reason, I still saw them as WWII to the future-oriented. And I forgot about all the ancient bladed weapons they produce… Back to the Sawed-Off Shotgun, it really captures its real counterpart aspect and it is a great addition to the Pirate theme. External link to the original weapon. Bayonet I don’t think much needs to be said about this weapon, apart from the fact that it looks good as a hand weapon too. Ok, I’ll spend a few more words, mostly to explain why I don’t have a ‘mounted’ pic of it. When I took the photos for this review, I was in vacation, and I had brought only some MFs with me, without many accessories apart those they wore. When I came back home, ready to take the final shots (and the one with the Bayonet mounted on a Pirate Musket, I had the bad surprise of discovering that my digital camera had got in its mind to break. So no more Macro pictures for a while… External link to the original weapon. Heavy Space Rifle I know very little about this weapon, apart the fact that it can be combined with a U-clip and the Glaive item to make the Buzz-gun. The look is positively futuristic, even if a bit too massive in the centre, imo. Tactical Sword Did I ever mention that I really really love swords, and oriental blades most of all? This neat sword looks great on almost every MF, it boosts them up. But that is probably just me. I can honestly say that it is well made and balanced, and it would look good in a lot of scenes, going from an Adventurers’ Orient Expedition to an urban gang fight. I could even envision a Mars Mission Martial Arts fanatic fighting Jelly Martians with it! As you can see here, it fits in the holder of the ninja robe much better then the too long official LEGO katana: External link to the original weapon. That was the last item in this review. I’m sure I got your attention, if not with my words, at least with the pictures. Hope you enjoyed them! LuxorV Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joey Lock Posted August 18, 2009 Very nice! Ive never bought Brickarms before since they never did much pirate items. But I think Im going to be buying some of those Retro Rayguns! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Just A Minifig Posted August 18, 2009 Excellent review, I was modt interested in the currently unreleased products, I'm really excited for the Kitchen Knife and AC-8.The sawn off shotgun somewhat reminds me of a flintlock pistol though.I have avidly bought much Brickarms, including last years "Zombie Survival Pack"and I think I'll be getting these.I wonder if brickarms will make some of these available for the Apocafest? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
exxtrooper Posted August 20, 2009 Great review, although... I don't read, I just look at the pictures... Anyway, question, did you ask for these, or did badger ask for your address and then sent em' to you? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LuxorV Posted August 21, 2009 Great review, although...I don't read, I just look at the pictures... Not really a compliment, but at least it means you appreciate my photographing abilities Anyway, question, did you ask for these, or did badger ask for your address and then sent em' to you? He sent me them for a first hand 'test' after we exchanged some PMs and I asked him info in the latest prototypes. LuxorV Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
exxtrooper Posted August 22, 2009 He sent me them for a first hand 'test' after we exchanged some PMs and I asked him info in the latest prototypes.LuxorV Good for you, he never answer any of my PMs Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
