MOC display, Mars misssion or Galaxy Squad, looking for advice before I start

[LegoDW]

Hello, new to the forum.  Getting back into Lego.  Thinking about having a smaller, 2' by 4' space themed display.  Picked up two used older space sets from a garage sale.  Would appreciate some advice before I get too far into this.

So I got this Mars Mission set 7693

 

As I built it, I loved it....hated it......loved it again, so on.  Really like the alien space ship, looks scary, like how it folds/opens up.  Really good spaceship.  As for the human vehicle, no so crazy about them.  Its the orange wheels I dislike the most.  Also have gone back and forth if I like the green alien mini figs.  They look good, but can't really do much with them.

I got this Galaxy Squad set 70703

 

This one, I like the human vehicles so much better.  Like the blue color, the mini figs, etc.  As for the bugs, again a love/hate thing.  I really liked the bug when I built it, something very different.  Now when I look at it, not as crazy about it.  I have it right now on top of one of my Modular buildings like a Godzilla movie.

I have done some light internet research into these two themes and they both appear short lived.  Would be interested if anyone has built a display as I am considering and what they thought of it.  To muddy up the water a bit more, I have a few other space sets (garage sales again) and a birthday presents.  Not sure how to pull all this together.  These are my other sets.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2018 by LegoDW

[Littleworlds]

Hi LegoDW! I would simply consider doing your own thing. The sets you got are quite diverse, but on the "earthlings"-side, I would say rather close to our current technology, so maybe just port them into, lets say, the year 2050. A lot of MOCer create their own worlds or just make a spaceship/castle/or whatever else without sticking to one of the official themes. Everything goes really

[Ninja_Bait]

Galaxy squad might be a more unique display than a Mars theme.  It would definitely be more flexible with the setting.

[LegoDW]

Does anyone know how to make the link's I posted display the actual images?  I have can't keep all the part numbers straight.  Visual person.

7 hours ago, Littleworlds said:

Hi LegoDW! I would simply consider doing your own thing. The sets you got are quite diverse, but on the "earthlings"-side, I would say rather close to our current technology, so maybe just port them into, lets say, the year 2050. A lot of MOCer create their own worlds or just make a spaceship/castle/or whatever else without sticking to one of the official themes. Everything goes really

Yes, I have a fairly wide selection of themes in my collection.  Just missing some classic space sets.  That is where I am struggling a bit. Sure any direction I take this collection will be good, just feel some directions are probable better then others.  I considered combing all the themes, but that got kind of messy.  

I will check out some of the custom moc's you referenced.  Maybe I can get some inspiration.

6 hours ago, Ninja_Bait said:

Galaxy squad might be a more unique display than a Mars theme.  It would definitely be more flexible with the setting.

What do you think about the little green men from the Mars Mission sets vs the bug mini figs from Galaxy Squad?

[icm]

Maybe there's a more straightforward way to do it, but you can save the images to a Flickr album and then copy the URL into the post editing window.  The forum software will automatically embed it as an image.  However, you'd probably be better off just linking to Brickset.com if you want to refer to specific sets.  Brickset URLs are short and very easy to read.

[JoeyB]

Neat stuff... as a kid who loved both Mars Mission AND Galaxy Squad (especially the latter), I think you could work with both of these models. Seeing a progression of the figures from the space themes (Modern City/Creator stuff -> Mars Mission -> Galaxy Squad) could be really neat! Otherwise, you do you. A besieged mining colony on Mars, a modern aerospace testing and training facilty, an intergalactic war zone with the Bugs, whatever sounds best to you!

[Ninja_Bait]

11 hours ago, LegoDW said:

What do you think about the little green men from the Mars Mission sets vs the bug mini figs from Galaxy Squad?

The bugs are better.  They have ARMS (ooooh)

[LegoDW]

16 hours ago, icm said:

Maybe there's a more straightforward way to do it, but you can save the images to a Flickr album and then copy the URL into the post editing window.  The forum software will automatically embed it as an image.  However, you'd probably be better off just linking to Brickset.com if you want to refer to specific sets.  Brickset URLs are short and very easy to read.

Used the Brickset posted pictures as links.  Works so much better, thank you

12 hours ago, JoeyB said:

Neat stuff... as a kid who loved both Mars Mission AND Galaxy Squad (especially the latter), I think you could work with both of these models. Seeing a progression of the figures from the space themes (Modern City/Creator stuff -> Mars Mission -> Galaxy Squad) could be really neat! Otherwise, you do you. A besieged mining colony on Mars, a modern aerospace testing and training facilty, an intergalactic war zone with the Bugs, whatever sounds best to you!

Well.....sometimes I go a little over board on my hobbies.  Before I end up with a ton of space sets, was hoping someone could talk some reason into me on narrowing down on one theme.  As a example, I have a bunch of used Chima sets (garage sale).  They look good, but what am I going to do with a bunch of Chima stuff?

5 hours ago, Ninja_Bait said:

The bugs are better.  They have ARMS (ooooh)

You don't think the little green guys are more for AFOL?  Looks more grown up to me (kidding, we are all basically playing with kid toys here in the hobby)

[JoeyB]

2 hours ago, LegoDW said:

Used the Brickset posted pictures as links.  Works so much better, thank you

Well.....sometimes I go a little over board on my hobbies.  Before I end up with a ton of space sets, was hoping someone could talk some reason into me on narrowing down on one theme.  As a example, I have a bunch of used Chima sets (garage sale).  They look good, but what am I going to do with a bunch of Chima stuff?

You don't think the little green guys are more for AFOL?  Looks more grown up to me (kidding, we are all basically playing with kid toys here in the hobby)

Well... I'm biased towards the Galaxy Squad, I just enjoyed the Ender's Game-type premise. I wish they went more in-depth though, seeing other alien races fight alongside the humans & androids would have been great! Some of my favorite sets from the line include the Swarm Interceptor, Vermin Vaporizer, Bug Obliterator, and the Hive Crawler : ) I too think the bugs are better looking, they just have more personality, and they are colorful and detailed... BUT if you like the style of the Mars Mission figures better, take a look at the Alien Commanders...

https://brickset.com/minifigs/mm010/mars-mission-alien-commander

I love those guys, they look truly alien.

[LegoDW]

The alien commander is a good looking alien.  Do they glow in the dark?

[Ninja_Bait]

18 hours ago, JoeyB said:

BUT if you like the style of the Mars Mission figures better, take a look at the Alien Commanders...

https://brickset.com/minifigs/mm010/mars-mission-alien-commander

I love those guys, they look truly alien.

Hey, they have arms!

[JoeyB]

Yeah, they're neat, but I think they only have dark green in 'em. Still, I really like the molding, they have these "tears" of trans green that run down from their eyes to their neck.

[LegoDW]

I  have one of two of the smaller regular green solders.  Will have to see if they glow in the dark this evening.

[MAB]

For aliens, I quite like the Squidman style minifigs:

 

and Alien Conquest gave some other decent ones:

 

The CMF series also provide some good ones (plus purple squidman style one above):

The squid from Atlantis also makes a decent alien:

 

But for me, nothing tops the classic alien from CMF S6:

I assembled a small army of about 30 of them when they came out, although I switched out the hips and hands for light bluish grey.

 

 

Edited July 5, 2018 by MAB

[LegoDW]

Update:

I was able to secure some additional Mars Mission sets (Garage Sale).  Got a bunch of stuff so not exactly which sets I own and how complete they are.  Believe now own these sets:

 

Hey, it looks like I might have gotten a  Commander!!!!