Review: 20215 MBA Invention Designer (Kit 10)

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Wow. This set has been out for a year and nobody's reviewed it yet? One of the factors in whether I'd buy it was what the EB reviews said. Well, there was none, so I went and bought it anyway. I guess I owe you a review. Here we go, it's 20215 Master Builder Academy Kit 4: Invention Designer! This review is specificaly going to focus on the first of the three kits included, The Time Machine. As I get further into the set, I'll write separate reviews of the other two kits, World Architecture and Inventor's Lab.

Set Title: Invention Designer

Set #: 20215

Theme: Master Builder Academy

Pieces: 675 (plus 3 books)

Minifigures: 3

Year of Release: 2013

Price at Release: USD 79.99

INTRODUCTION

The "Master Builder Academy" is a series of sets designed to be teaching kits for people who want to learn to be builders like Lego's professional designers. Originally set up as a subscription series, you can now buy the kits in the Lego Store, and they're also showing up at stores like Toys R' Us. Each "level" of the series revolves around three themes. Level 1 teaches you space design (its own introductory set at $29.99), microbuilding, and robot design (these last two packaged in a second kit for $49.99). Level 2 is airplanes, creatures, and automobiles. Level 3 revolves around storytelling and has three kits for making modular scenery. The most recent set, Level 4, is themed around building inventions and architecture.

The architecture aspect of this particular set attracted me. I'm tempted to get the $150 Architecture Studio, but this seemed like an attractive alternative at half the price. Additionally, there's rumors that the MBA theme is going away (there's no new set this year, and these seem to just sit on the shelf at my Lego Store), so I wanted to grab it before it went away. Also also, I wanted to get last month's Martian Manhunter figure which required a $75 purchase. At $80, this set got me there, so yay! If you need to make a big purchase to get an exclusive, an MBA kit will probably get you there.

THE BOX

I like the MBA packaging. I don't normally keep boxes, but these are sturdy and great for storing the sets when you're done. Let's take a look.

There's the Martian Manhunter to give you a sense of scale. The box is very attractive and gives you an overview of what goes in the three kits. This is a pretty big box, but it's made of a thick cardboard and the lid lifts off like on a board game.

Side of the box gives you the usual safety warning and a preview of the minifigures in "actual scale."

The back of the box gives you a further preview of the building possibilities and the manuals. Looking good so far! Let's open the box.

Ummmm...hmmmm. It's a bunch of bags. That's weird. Let's take them out...

So that's annoying. On opening the set, you get three big "1, 2, 3" bags, a smaller parts bag, a rubber thing, and the books. What's wrong with this? Well, three things. First, there's nothing to tell you which bag goes with which book. You're presumably opening the bags in the 1-2-3 order, but the books are labeled "Kit 10," "11," and "12." Logically, shouldn't the bags be labeled 10, 11, 12? And where does that small bag go? You can figure out from the books which bags go with which books, but this was already a little less user-friendly than I was expecting. One thing I'll warn you: do not open a bag until you're ready to do that book. All the parts in bag 1 are intended for book 10, so if you co-mingle the other parts, you'll have to sort through them to find what's intended for that kit. I highly recommend doing these one at a time until you're ready to mix everything.

Second, there's no sorting tray. MBA Kit 1 (the only other kit I have) came with a nice plastic sorting tray which was really nice for sorting the parts by color. It made for great storage when I put the set away, rather than needing plastic bags or other storage. This has no such tray included. Maybe the box is too small for that and the books, but I can already envision that being quite a pain when I take the set apart and put it in storage.

Third, there's no brick separator. What the heck? This is a big set with a lot of plates. I think MBA Kit 1 came with a separator, so maybe they're assuming you already have one. I have plenty of separators, so no problem for me, but someone who bought this as their first kit could really use one.

So, the outer box is nice, but the interior could have used a few changes, particularly at this price.

THE BOOKS

Honestly, the books are the big draw of this set. Think of the MBA kits as a series of manuals with some parts to learn from, rather than the other way around. Each manual is intended to teach you at least two specific skills which you can incorporate in future Lego modeling. The skills are taught up front and appear throughout the accompanying instructions. For example, MBA Kit 1 teaches SIDEWAYS BUILDING and LOCKING, so anytime you use a SNOT brick, the instructions will scream at you that you're using SIDEWAYS BUILDING!!! It gets a little annoying, but they're trying to emphasize skill as part of the construction experience.

The books are nice, thick manuals printed on very sturdy paper. It looks like they're color-coded per kit, as I recall MBA Kit 1 having a green spine. You can see that they're numbered on the side, so as you collect MBA kits, you can have a nice series of uniform manuals on your shelf.

The front of the manual for Kit 10 includes a nice cartoon representation of the minifigure and the main model from the kit.

The back is a more realistic representation of the same figure. We'll talk about him in a bit.

The inside is gorgeous and richly illustrated with very readable text. The opening pages in this book give you an introduction to what you're getting into, particularly with the world of steampunk. It also directs you to the MBA website and gives you a code to get exclusive content and building instructions. (I realize that I posted MY code in this picture, but I already used it, so don't bother!)

There's a cute little story running through all three manuals about who the minifigure is and what he's doing. The short of this manual is that he's a time traveler who finds himself shunted to an alternate reality where the Industrial Revolution happened early and steampunk is the dominant technology. The manuals have lots of cameos by classic Lego minifigures, so expect to be delighted.

One of the draws of these manuals is that they teach you particular Lego skills. This page emphasizes the skill of MACHINERY--the idea being that you can use specific printed parts and unique pieces (like wheels, chains, gears, etc.) to give your creation the appearance of mechanics. Kit 10 specifically revolves around decorating your creations. Although the Time Machine has a Technic function, this set really isn't intended to teach you Technic (that comes in Kit 12). Here, you're learning to make your creations look believable.

Here's a sample from the instructions pages. Yes, the various models have traditional instructions, but the manual specifically emphasizes MBA techniques at the bottom so you can learn as you're building.

Edit: I think this review would be better if I outlined exactly what's in the manual, as I looked ahead at Kits 11 and 12 and realized that the books should really dominate the review. So, Kit 10's book has the following:

• An introduction to MBA Level 4 and your code for the MBA website (2 pages)
  
• An introduction to the theme of time travel (2 pages)
  
• An introduction to Steampunk (2 pages)
  
• A discussion of the MACHINERY technique that make your creations appear to be mechanical. (2 pages)
  
• A similar discussion of the MATERIALS technique that creators use to make plastic look like brick, wood, or metal. (2 pages)
  
• Building your Inventor minifigure. (2 pages)
  
• The Time Machine instructions. (24 pages. This may seem like a lot, but the instructions are littered with explanations on how to use the MACHINERY and MATERIALS tips and how they're incorporated into the model.)
  
• Smaller instructions on making Springboard Models to get you started on making a bigger creation. Included are the Steam Engine, Horseless Carriage, Mad Science Ray, and the Hover-Mobile. (32 pages. Again, these are very detailed instructions with lots of explanations.) There are further instructions on the MBA website when you use your code.
  
• A showcase of Lego fan creations of Steampunk models. (2 pages)
  
• A "time travel challenge" to be done on the MBA website. (If you do all the website challenges, you earn badges and a certificate.) (2 pages)
  
• A cute showcase of world history, from pre-history to the future. It's really a display of classic Lego minifigures and sets. (2 pages)
  
• A few pages which have interviews with a professional Lego designer and a MOCer as they discuss how they come up with models. (4 pages)
  
• A reflection on important inventions in history. (1 page)
  
• The parts list. (1 page)
  

Did I mention that I really like the book? I'll admit that some of it is "filler," as I don't think the minifigure's instructions needed to be two pages. I suppose the designer was going for a particular look, and those two pages are consistent with it. However, the rest of the manual is rich with description on how and why you use certain parts to create a particular model. I'd almost say that this was a coffee-table quality book if it had been longer and had a hardbound cover. I really think collectors will enjoy having these available.

THE PARTS

Here's the bags you need for Kit 10, but you probably want to see it opened.

I'll emphasize up front that this kit does NOT include a green plate; I just took it out so that I could nicely arrange the parts. There's a lot, so they don't all fit on there. You get a nice selection of plates, bricks, and slopes. More importantly, you get a lot of unique decorative parts in metallic colors, like the blades, chains, gears, wheels, etc. The idea of this kit is not to build any particular model, but to give you options on making a steampunk creation. You can, of course, add anything you like to your creations, and the manual even gives you some ideas on parts and colors to use.

I will note that you'll need to get pretty creative in steampunking. MBA kit 10 is only a springboard to building, not an unlimited source of creating. For example, the manual recommends using brown curved pieces to give a 19th century wooden look, but no brown parts are included. There's also no wheels! Some of the creations recommend using the satellite dishes and round bricks as wheels...which you can do, but it doesn't look right in my opinion.

Anyway, it's a nice variety, but be prepared to supplement if you want to go beyond what's included.

THE MINIFIGURE

Every MBA kit comes with a minifigure. In part, he's intended as a "trophy" for each level of building you achieve. He's also intended as a tool to help you develop your model: will a minifigure fit in what I'm building? So think of him less as something to collect and more as one more tool in your kit.

MBA Level 4 figure is a genertic blue-and-white figure with the MBA logo on his chest. He also has the classic generic smiley face that you only see in Creator sets and on Emmet from the Movie. What's weird is that the MBA Kit 1 figure has been updated with the more modern face with white dots in the eyes. Not this guy.

He's even more generic from the back. Keep in mind that you get two more of this figure in Kit 11 and 12. The only distinction is the accessories he comes with.

Kit 10 is themed around steampunk, so the figure gets a top hat for that Victorian look. You'll also build him a small meter-suitcase thing, and the "Invento-Pack v.0" to clip onto him. The idea is that he's exploring this strange steampunk world, and it gives him a portable power source to carry. You'll note that it includes binoculars and a lightsaber handle. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be kibble to decorate the pack or accessories that he carries, but it looks great.

Here he is, decked out and ready to explore.

THE MODELS

There's a lot you can build here. I really don't have the time to build and photograph every model in the book and from the website, so I'll focus on the main draw: the Time Machine.

It's worth noting that the Time Machine model makes use of every part in the kit, minus the spares and the Invent-O Pack. The designers incorporated all the kibble to give this thing the feel of an H.G. Welles-style time machine. Although it has a Technic function, the main goal here is to decorate imaginatively. The ridged round brick becomes an engine; black cylinders become a smokestack; white round bricks become smoke. As you go through the manual, it'll give you ideas on how to use parts for storytelling.

Here's the back view for another angle on how it all came together.

You also make this toothbrush-looking thing. What the heck does that do?

It actually ends up working as a Technic ripcord. Just insert the rod into the gear under the Time Machine's seat...

Wheeeeee! The main cockpit spins for that steampunk-style time travel effect. It's a cute effect, though it also means that your cockpit will freely swivel if you decide to "swoosh" the Time Machine if you don't have the key in.

What else can you build? The manual and the website give you a lot of starting points. They teach you to build a mad science ray, a horseless carriage, a rocket, and more. Again, these are all ideas, and there's no expectation that you actually build those things. They're intended to exercise your imagination until you're ready to build something else.

The back of the manual gives you even crazier ideas on things to build from real Lego builders around the world. These inventions are well beyond the scope of the kit--they're really intended to jump start your imagination.

CONCLUSION

It's hard to judge the overall value of this set, because you're not getting a disassembled model that goes in your City or Castle setup. What you are getting is a toolkit to help you thinking about building. Yes, you can buy this set just for the Time Machine, but that's not the point of the kit. The point is to let your imagination run free and see what you can come up with. I'm hoping I can use this set to get my daughter thinking about the art of design--right now, she builds very imaginatively, but also haphazardly.

As such, I'm not going to give this set a traditional "out of 10" rating, because there's no finalized model you're supposed to end up with. I will say that this is a hard sell because of the price: $80 U.S. The manuals are very nice, though, and I think a new Lego builder could have a lot of fun with them if he or she wanted to develop some professional-grade building skills. They'll also look really nice on a shelf. Seriously, it's tempting to go out and buy the other sets just so I can see those manuals 1-12 all nicely lined up. $80 is not really worthwhile for 675 bricks, but the bricks combined with the manuals make a nice package.

If this set is cost-prohibitive, keep in mind that the rumor is that MBA is going away. As such, these may end up getting marked down at the Stores and online at some point. Alternatively, you might wait for a double VIP point month to really take advante of this set. (I liked getting the Martian Manhunter, but I bought this on March 30. If I'd waited one more day, I could have gotten double VIP points instead.) So I recommend this set, but keep in mind you really need to figure out if the parts and manuals are something you want at this cost.

Also note that I've only reviewed a third of this set, including a third of the pieces. There's still the architecture and inventor's lab components to examine. I also haven't really played around with this set yet. At some point, I'd like to take the Time Machine apart and see what I can come up with on my own. So if you think "that's it?" from reading this review--no, there's a lot more. Stay tuned!

Edited April 26, 2014 by ResIpsaLoquitur

[WhiteFang]

Wow, thank you for reviewing this for the Eurobricks community. It's very insightful and helpful for us to understand the MBA kit better as this kit is primarily made available in the US only.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Wow, thank you for reviewing this for the Eurobricks community. It's very insightful and helpful for us to understand the MBA kit better as this kit is primarily made available in the US only.

Wow, you're not kidding. I checked the shop.lego.com website out of curiosity and changed my region to Canada and the U.K. No MBA in sight! You'd think other English-speaking countries would have them!

Well, my local store still has the MBA kits if anyone is desperate for one and wants to reimburse me for cost and shipping. I could really rack up a lot of VIP points that way!

[rollermonkey]

Wow. Now I wish I had actually gotten this series.

[Fritzy]

Yes, thank you for reviewing this set! I've been going back and forth on whether or not to buy one (especially during double VIP points). I was in the same position of wanting to find feedback on any of the sets but what I found wasn't very helpful. I've ultimately decided against it for the time being.

Anyway, the build looks better on the box, to me, but the design function is something I didn't know about before and it seems fun.

And just as an FYI: We do have this and other MBA sets here in Canada now (have for a few months), but you just won't find them on the website. Boy are they pricey!

Edited April 29, 2014 by Fritzy

[Lordofdragonss]

This review only make me sad as we never get this fabulous kits here. It's a great set to polish your skills.

Thanks for great review!

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Edit: I added a little more description of what's in the manual. I don't think my review did it justice, and in my opinion the manual really is the big draw of this set.

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Quick update. Here's a steampunk airplane that I quickly put together yesterday (plus a radar dish). This doesn't use all the parts in the kit, but I did want to illustrate that there's possibilities here beyond what's in the manual.