UCS Helicarrier

[SMC]

Oddly in the UK it looks like buying the parts is cheaper that the power function set.

[Cloveapple]

Hopefully the minifigs won't cost too much on the aftermarket.

A question to those more experienced in the workings of the Lego marketplace: How much of the price do you think is the model itself, and how much is the minifigures, and then the microfigures?

I ask this because there are people who have said they want only the carrier or only the figures. If you only want part of the package deal, is it smarter to

A) buy it all and then sell what you don't want

B) go in on it with a friend who wants the parts you don't want

C) wait for the after market

[m0dulo]

I know you aren't exactly addressing me, but I think in my case, and a lot of others, it's more about spending $350 all at once as opposed to ten $40 sets over a year's time that makes it seem extra expensive.

I agree 100% and understand what you mean but that's not what I meant. I was comparing that set to a one-time "haul" of a bunch of sets that are more expensive but seem like a better value, like something you'd see on youtube or here in the "what did you buy today" thread.

Edited February 3, 2015 by m0dulo

[tafkatb]

A question to those more experienced in the workings of the Lego marketplace: How much of the price do you think is the model itself, and how much is the minifigures, and then the microfigures?

I ask this because there are people who have said they want only the carrier or only the figures. If you only want part of the package deal, is it smarter to

A) buy it all and then sell what you don't want

B) go in on it with a friend who wants the parts you don't want

C) wait for the after market

I'd go with Option B; it's just the least amount of hassle. I know two people who went in together on a Tumbler because one just wanted the figures and one just wanted the model. Then it's just a matter of coming to an agreement over how to split the cost, but there's no cut-and-dry formula for cost of figures vs. cost of model.

[Laura Beinbrech]

A question to those more experienced in the workings of the Lego marketplace: How much of the price do you think is the model itself, and how much is the minifigures, and then the microfigures?

I ask this because there are people who have said they want only the carrier or only the figures. If you only want part of the package deal, is it smarter to

A) buy it all and then sell what you don't want

B) go in on it with a friend who wants the parts you don't want

C) wait for the after market

I'm actually the opposite: I'm mainlyinterested int he base model for possible conversion into a city-scale Amphibious Assault ship or Light Carrier, and could care less about the minifigs.....

[pedro]

There I was, primed to get another modular town house... and this comes along!

I'm really impressed by this model. It's packed with detail and excellent great features; love the spinning turbines (wish we'd see more of this in LEGO's helicopter offerings), the micro aircraft and deck vehicles are really nice and the use of nanofigures to build out the crew and prominent personages from Shield was surprising and is an awesome touch. I think those will look great either on deck or on the bridge. I wish it didn't have stickers as I feel the asking price should cover printed elements, especially when they're so few, but feel this is mostly made up for with those lovely printed runway elements.

The minifig selection is a welcome addition and look great on the display stand. Many have complained about the lack of Coulson but let's face it, he's incredibly easy to MOC. There are also quite a few complaints about it not having a minifig-scaled bridge but (without knowing exactly how deep it is) I'm sure this could be modded to accommodate them.

I do agree that power functions should've been included given that they're so prominently called out in the video, will just have to give my wrist a work out every tie I want to see those turbines spin. :)

I think all in all Marcus has done a great job in bringing us this. All I have to do now is come up with a purchase plan!

[BroZ]

I don't undestand why they didn't choose the lego idea set which include great features. However, this set seems very fun to play with, the only feature which bothers me is the microfigures.

Maybe this set couldn't use a bigger scale to be sold.

[Ultron]

I don't undestand why they didn't choose the lego idea set which include great features.

No one would be able to afford it. Plus they likely had this one in development long before the ideas one got 10,000 votes.

[Blondie-Wan]

I don't undestand why they didn't choose the lego idea set which include great features.

Two reasons. First, this set had almost certainly already been under development for months before the Ideas project was even posted, and it was almost ready to release before the Ideas project even garnered all its votes and entered review.

Second, the Ideas project is just waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too big for a set. With Ideas projects, although they tweak and change the designs from the proposal projects to get the actual sets, they try to keep the core ideas the same, so that the set they release is still basically the same idea people voted for, and among other things that means they don't change the size or piece count too much - they might tweak it a little, but they're not going to cut it down by half or more, because then it's no longer the same project people voted for. The Helicarrier that just entered the review phase on Ideas has 22, 694 pieces - that's more than four times as many parts as the UCS Millennium Falcon. They are just not going to offer a commercial set that would probably cost around $1500 to $2000; not even Star Wars gets sets anywhere close to that size or price. (EDIT: I now realize I'm referring to the wrong, earlier figure, although even the revision is still excessively large and my point remains.)

Even if they hadn't already been working on a D2C Helicarrier for probably a year and a half that they were almost ready to release by the time the Ideas project even entered review, there is no way that project would ever have had a chance at that size. Maybe if it had both been posted a year earlier and was also a quarter or less of the size, it might have had a chance (and perhaps not even then, as the terms of the already-existing Marvel license might forbid something from the MCU from being done as an Ideas set anyway, for all we know), but as things are, it just was never going to happen.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Blondie-Wan

[Kristof]

^If only you subscribed to the project and watched it's whole progress, you would have known that it was resized to around 6K bricks after official lego comment that was asking for that almost directly. For sure, 6K bricks is still a lot, yet it's no longer 'waa... ...aayy..y big'. Your argument is still relevant, just please deal with correct numbers.

[Blondie-Wan]

Fair enough. I was going by what was posted in the project's main description. I knew it had been resized, but somehow I thought the 22k+ figure was after resizing (from something even more outlandish).

[GotLego]

Does anyone know whether this set will be available early for VIP members? And if so, around what date it would be available?

[elederberg]

Does anyone know whether this set will be available early for VIP members? And if so, around what date it would be available?

It is available for VIP members this Tuesday, February 17th.

[Kez]

Brick Fanatics has got their hand on one of these and has already done a part 1 review http://brickfanatics.co.uk/76042-ucs-helicarrier-review-pt-1/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+brickfanatics+%28Brick+Fanatics%29

[SMC]

^ Thanks looks like we will need to keep checking back, hope MK store as it on display so I can see it before buying it help out a lot with the tumbler.

[Angry Warlock]

^ Thanks looks like we will need to keep checking back, hope MK store as it on display so I can see it before buying it help out a lot with the tumbler.

Strangely not on sale in UK until 19th Feb. That messed up my plans. See you in MK on Thursday !

[GotLego]

It is available for VIP members this Tuesday, February 17th.

Thanks so much elederberg!

[SMC]

Strangely not on sale in UK until 19th Feb. That messed up my plans. See you in MK on Thursday !

Sadly I will have to wait a bit to get this but if they have it on show let me know and I will pass by some time.

[Tariq j]

I'm hoping go to Bluewater on Thursday, do we know how many VIP points you earn when buying this?

[elederberg]

Is anyone else having difficulty ordering one of these from the Lego Shop website? I am able to go to the Helicarrier page but it doesn't have an add to cart button.

[Off the wall]

As of the time of this post, I can't even find it on the Lego Shop website.

If it wasn't cold and icy, I'd make the less than two mile walk/drive over to the Lego store to see it in person (assuming they have it on display). But, given the weather, it just ain't worth it.

Update....

It just let me put it in the cart and also showed the two freebies. However, I'm not buying it so it's a moot point for me.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Off the wall

[Zilcho]

Will this only be in Lego shops or do you think it will ever make it to some of the large retailers??

[SMC]

^ I think it will show up at toys R us and so on at some point.

[pcsguy88]

Picked mine up at lunch and boy is it a dense box. Oddly they did not have one on display at my Lego Store.

[Cmay91472]

Picked one up as well. Was shocked to realize the box is twice the size depth wise as the Sea Cow box when I put the two side by side at home (only slightly taller) despite only being 200 pieces more.