Master Builder Academy Level 3

[tafkatb]

Just noticed this on the S@H site - MBA Level 3, Adventure Designer, is now available for pre-order and ships by May 1.

More adventure, more techniques, more building!

Take your building to the highest level yet with LEGO MBA Level 3, the latest addition to our popular LEGO Master Builder Academy series! Three kits connect together to create an awesome adventure written by best-selling author, Daniel Lipkowitz! Learn the art of building scenes for your own stories with bricks, just like LEGO Designers do when they create new models! Master the techniques to create details like trap doors, stairways, arches, thrones and more with 33 new building instructions! Your Level 3 subscription includes:

• Kit 7 The Lost Village: Learn how LEGO stories and themes are created as you practice the techniques of story building and modular building! Includes 1 exclusive LEGO® MBA minifigure, a brick separator, and a brick storage box with sorting tray. (229 pieces)
  
• Kit 8 The Forbidden Bridge: Learn how to create hidden functions to liven up your adventures, like trap doors, rotating panels, secret treasure troves and booby traps!! (220 pieces)
  
• Kit 9 The Dark Lair: As you reach the ultimate challenge of your Level 3 adventure, you’ll learn the special art of building models for your story’s villains! (183 pieces)
  
• Includes 1 LEGO MBA kit delivered every two months, for 6 months: 3 kits in total.
  
• Each kit includes one 84-page Designer Handbook teaching 2 LEGO MBA techniques, building instructions to build 3-4 models, one at a time, and minifigure accessories for the Level 3 minifigure that is included in Kit 7.
  
• Each kit includes a total of 11 separate building instructions in the Designer Handbooks and online. Another 7-8 building instructions per kit are found on LEGOmba.com.
  

I think it looks pretty cool - expanding beyond the 3-in-1 kits to 11-in-1 (!) and tying all 3 kits together with a cohesive theme and modular connections. These kits look a lot more like LEGO sets rather than just models, teaching kids to develop storylines and play features (no flick-fire missiles from what I could see though ), much like what the designers actually do. I know MBA isn't super popular among AFOLs but I think I'll be getting it.

[andhe]

Wow they look nice! But $60 seems steep so hoepfully I can just find the instructions online somewhere after release.

Loving the haunted theme to them all and nice selection of colours.

[Sir_Basil_Ashton]

I'm wondering, if I sign up for this now, will LEGO send my son the packs at the end of his level 2 subscription? We're still waiting for Kit 5 to arrive.

[tafkatb]

I'm wondering, if I sign up for this now, will LEGO send my son the packs at the end of his level 2 subscription? We're still waiting for Kit 5 to arrive.

From what I can tell, it doesn't seem to matter - order it now and it will ship in May regardless of whether you've gotten all the Level 2 kits yet. I'm not too concerned about going in order myself, but I think I'll wait until later in the year to get mine.

[just2good]

I wasn't interested in the original Master Builder sets, but I love this new series! I just wish they would sell each separately, as $60 is too much. I like the special pieces in each.

[BeKindRewind]

I haven't bought any of the other levels because I only liked one or two kits and didn't want to spend the money, but level 3 is totally different. I love all three kits. And when you look at how many pieces come total, the price per piece is actually only 9.5 cents per piece (US). That's a bargain considering some of the other sets out there. And with these kits there are no way-out-there colors meaning I can reuse pretty much every piece that comes with this. This is a definite buy for me.

[Vindicare]

I haven't bought any of the other levels because I only liked one or two kits and didn't want to spend the money, but level 3 is totally different. I love all three kits. And when you look at how many pieces come total, the price per piece is actually only 9.5 cents per piece (US). That's a bargain considering some of the other sets out there. And with these kits there are no way-out-there colors meaning I can reuse pretty much every piece that comes with this. This is a definite buy for me.

This is the first ones to interest me enough to the point of buying it. Definitely a cool set here.

[slovakiasteph]

I was excited to see these new sets... the robots, vehicles, spaceships, etc. themes didn't interest me (I did like the microscale one!). But buildings definitely do. :)

[purpleparadox]

Wow! That sounds great, I'm really interested. A few questions:

1. Does MBA ship outside of the USA? I remember a while ago it wasn't, but is it available in Canada now?

2. Do you need to get Levels 1 and 2 to buy Level 3? Because Level 3 is the only one that interests me so far.