2011 Alien Conquest

[Mr. Elijah Timms]

Kids are gonna love this theme more than the adults! I think these Alien Conquest sets are gonna sell like hotcakes!

[vynsane]

Have we seen this before?

Set # 30141

OMG I'm getting so many of those... I think it's funny that everyone's talking about how this is a kiddie theme... I'm in love with this theme and I'm 33! (Although that's just my physical age... if you ask my wife, I'm 12, so maybe I'm just still part of the target demographic).

[Rocketbilly]

This new polybag set sounds really good...but the image isn't showing up for me....can anyone please re-post it...or even describe it? I'm somewhat desperate

[Oky]

It's basically an ADU trooper with binoculars and one of the new guns with a jetpack that consists of the old jetpack neck piece (the Mr. Freeze has) and a SNOTed construction where 2x4 wedge plates make up the wings. Pretty neat army builder.

[Rocketbilly]

It's basically an ADU trooper with binoculars and one of the new guns with a jetpack that consists of the old jetpack neck piece (the Mr. Freeze has) and a SNOTed construction where 2x4 wedge plates make up the wings. Pretty neat army builder.

Thankyou! the picture showed up just after you described it. Ahwell, it does look like a great set. Of course, it's yet to be seen how easy it will be to get ahold of this set.

I'm not expecting this theme to be available in the UK for some reason, so it wouldn't make sense us getting the promo sets. But that's just me being a negative so-and-so. I'm sure you US chaps will get it in target or Wal Mart or whatever.

Edited April 5, 2011 by Rocketbilly

[brickmack]

OMG I'm getting so many of those... I think it's funny that everyone's talking about how this is a kiddie theme... I'm in love with this theme and I'm 33! (Although that's just my physical age... if you ask my wife, I'm 12, so maybe I'm just still part of the target demographic).

Same here. I plan to buy every one of those as soon as they are released.

[Sirens-of-Titan]

Well that's a nice little set and almost certainly the most affordable way to build up a huge force of these guys.

Some new/unique-colored pieces make this a must-buy for all interested in this series. I just hope they are readily available and not just a promotional item that will be around in limited quantity for a month.

[Crackseed]

Amen to that - that's an awesome little model and worthy of multi-purchase >.>

[Delta 38]

Going by the set number, it will be a polybag. If it was an impulse set it would have a four digit code.

Ah, okay.

Well, there go my chances of getting one, but nice set anyway.

[Nakara]

[Rant]So lego makes a theme called Alien CONQUEST, lists the minifigures as alien SOLDIERS, includes alien FACE-RAPERS, ABDUCTION features, SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTATION on the aliens, and a human military force with awesome jets, jeeps, and copter/fighter along with new guns. TLG, make a god-d*mn REAL military theme already! You've already fell in this far with this Alien Conquest, why the d*mn are you avoiding an extremely profitable market that would double the company size while still violating your principles?! You guys make no sense!![/Rant]

Sorry for the rant, had to get that out of my system. The sets are pretty well designed, although the tripod walker and the smaller UFO don't appeal to me for some reason. The UFO mothership screams of cheapness with that gaping hole between the outer ring and the center, but I'll get it anyway because it's the "most" retro of all of these. Might have to get the HQ for that lovely fighter...

[vexorian]

They are never going to make a military theme, and I say good riddance, I think that idea is way too bland and overrated. I'd rather have TLG spend time on themes that are more interesting and yet include weapons and that sort of things.

Edited April 6, 2011 by vexorian

[Nakara]

Creativity's important, but there's times when you want to slap down some money and have an instant army, not to mention most can barely create multiples of their military stuff while sets could be used to obtain a battalion. A dark grey, "real" color scheme is something I'd like to see in lego, like this maybe?

[Jargo]

Is that a dark blue-ish grey 2x4 tile I spy in the polybag? Oh I hope it is. ~The rest of the set doesn't interest me but gotta have me some of those tiles.

[airsoftg36c]

7049 Alien Striker looks really interesting.

[Gregorovich]

They are never going to make a military theme, and I say good riddance, I think that idea is way too bland and overrated. I'd rather have TLG spend time on themes that are more interesting and yet include weapons and that sort of things.

I agree! I don't care about military sets, as they wouldn't have any parts or figures that interest me. Alien Conquest on the other hand has excellent figures, loads of new or recoloured parts, and lots of play features.

[Mr. Elijah Timms]

I think, even just visually speaking, kids are more interested in colors and out-of-this world character designs over military accuracy.

Imagine that you're an 10-yr old boy whose mom takes him to the toy store. What's gonna grab your attention more: A UFO set with lime green and purple details being piloted by an equally colorful alien creature, maybe even one with its brain showing, or some drab olive or gunmetal tank with a crew decked in black. As enticing as it sounds to us, chances are that's off a boy's radar. Lego definitely knows what it's doing with this theme, and even the blue and trans-yellow scheme of the humans will help to attract attention. I think Alien Conquest is going to obliterate Ninjago when they count the beans at the end of the year, and color scheme will have played a part in it.

[Sirens-of-Titan]

I think, even just visually speaking, kids are more interested in colors and out-of-this world character designs over military accuracy.

Imagine that you're an 10-yr old boy whose mom takes him to the toy store. What's gonna grab your attention more: A UFO set with lime green and purple details being piloted by an equally colorful alien creature, maybe even one with its brain showing, or some drab olive or gunmetal tank with a crew decked in black. As enticing as it sounds to us, chances are that's off a boy's radar. Lego definitely knows what it's doing with this theme, and even the blue and trans-yellow scheme of the humans will help to attract attention. I think Alien Conquest is going to obliterate Ninjago when they count the beans at the end of the year, and color scheme will have played a part in it.

Unfortunately you are right. Add to that a controversial historic time period to turn off the parent and you've got yourself one set that will never sell to kids.

[Tereglith]

Also, the idea that seems to be governing recent themes isn't "no guns" or even "no violence" - it's closer to "nobody that kills other human beings is the good guy". The emphasis on almost every theme is humans vs. x, where x is non-human (aliens, skeletons, trolls, drones, more aliens, sea-creature/human mutants, mummies, more skeletons... you get the idea. Only pirates '09 and liscensed themes among recent sets have human enemies). So a psuedo-military force shooting the crap out of aliens is different from a military force shooting the crap out of another military force in TLG's eyes. I think the underlying assumption of this is that kids are impressionable, and while they might have the chance to shoot a guy after role-playing it, they'll never have a chance to shoot an alien after role-playing it. Is this a reasonable assumption? Maybe not. But it seems reasonable to TLG, and also to the people who might sue them.

[vynsane]

I think the underlying assumption of this is that kids are impressionable, and while they might have the chance to shoot a guy after role-playing it, they'll never have a chance to shoot an alien after role-playing it. Is this a reasonable assumption? Maybe not. But it seems reasonable to TLG, and also to the people who might sue them.

So you're saying TLG is okay with violence as long as it's xenophobic violence? ;)

[Aanchir]

So you're saying TLG is okay with violence as long as it's xenophobic violence? ;)

Well, the reality is that a lot of the people who would be complaining about violence in sets might very well feel that way. No, it doesn't make sense, but parents are more likely to accept their kids' favorite comic book, toy, or whatever if the heroes are beating up monsters, robots, and aliens than they would be if the heroes were beating up other people.

But also, it doesn't just boil down to people-versus-people being a no-no. Another factor is that the lethality factor comes up. Kids of many generations are familiar with cartoons where a stick of dynamite might blow up a whole building, but only leave the anthropomorphic animal with their hair standing up and their faces painted black with ashes. It's a lot harder to have people shooting other people with realistic-looking and deadly-looking guns without parents becoming antsy about what the show or product is promoting. By using cartoony-looking "space guns" or old-fashioned weapons in sets, parents and kids alike are less likely to equate them with real-world killing machines.

LEGO deviates from their rules a little in licensed themes-- the LEGO Batman, LEGO Star Wars, and LEGO Indiana Jones themes were all examples of instances where the combatants were (in many cases) visibly human and the weapons looked fairly realistic. But in part, there's a logic to this. If a parent thinks their kid is getting violent thoughts from LEGO Star Wars sets, they might say "No more Star Wars". On the other hand, if a parent thinks their kid is getting violent thoughts from LEGO Space sets, they might be more likely to say "No more LEGO". Which situation do you think LEGO would rather avoid? The problem extends beyond individual parents-- watchdog groups and the media might have similar reactions.

So as you see, it's not a problem with the contents of a set so much as what people will associate them with. No matter what your opinion, it has to be recognized that the more realistic the military aspects of a set are, the easier it is to associate the contents with real-world military images and ideas. And that's exactly what LEGO wants to avoid.

[Captain Blockbeard]

I love that new Alien Conquest polybag set and hope it makes it to stores in my area. However, I haven't decided yet if I want to go to the extent of building an army of ADU troopers. If Lego makes a second polybag set that includes one of the aliens instead, that will be a whole different matter.

[vexorian]

I'll admit I am not really fond of the minifigs in this theme. The ADU officers' color still seems unsuitable for me to try to get plenty of - And it is with a lot of sadness that I notice that this is probably going to be my first chance to get many of those helmet molds, but they chose a color I don't want them in. Most Aliens have this 'brain' printing on their head that to me strikes as a little over detailing - If all of them had trans lime head like in the mothership, I would instead love them all.

I'll still mass some sets because of the accessories. The guns both Alien and Human are great stuff that I will need plenty of. And if that jet pack set was not a polybag I would love to get old school jet packs in bley.

Really want polybags to stop being US-Europe only. I am not even sure they are findable in Europe either.

Edit: Anyone else have the feeling the 8 blue parts at back of the Jet-Copter will keep falling off?

Edited April 6, 2011 by vexorian

[Rocketbilly]

I'll still mass some sets because of the accessories. The guns both Alien and Human are great stuff that I will need plenty of. And if that jet pack set was not a polybag I would love to get old school jet packs in bley.

Really want polybags to stop being US-Europe only. I am not even sure they are findable in Europe either.

Edit: Anyone else have the feeling the 8 blue parts at back of the Jet-Copter will keep falling off?

I think the jetpack piece is still in black. I'll admit it looks like dark stone on the intructions, there's enough colour difference between that and the gun that I think it's black. Shame, but I prefer black anyway.

As for availability in Europe you're correct - here in the UK we have the Mirror newspaper offers they run from time to time to get select promos - we're very lucky to have that and without it we'd have to depend on them turning up in shops. Which they do, very rarely and also very randomly - only certain branches of a store will carry them, and then they'll be hidden in a basket or something.

And YES! the tail of the jet copter does look a little unstable, but that's something us AFOLs will surely be ableto mod out.

[krystalKING]

I am really waiting for this theme, combined with the space police the ADU will have combat the alien and blacktron alliance!

I have already came up with a storyline!Oh, and that jet pack looks good too.

STORYLINE: The space corporation developed in secret the ORION II hyperspace jumpgate, then while mining in another galaxy, The corporation discovered the alien race, attempted peace, and failing that,attacked.Then the colonial marines found them advancing toward earth,The first strike took place at crux prime (stealing a name here!)and thousands of aliens,spacecraft,and UFOs destroyed the marines.As the humans fell back towards earth the aliens allied with the blacktron empire and the last line of defense,the ADU (Alien defense unit.) was called into action.

the outcome is yours to decide!

[Vindicare]

Also, the idea that seems to be governing recent themes isn't "no guns" or even "no violence" - it's closer to "nobody that kills other human beings is the good guy". The emphasis on almost every theme is humans vs. x, where x is non-human (aliens, skeletons, trolls, drones, more aliens, sea-creature/human mutants, mummies, more skeletons... you get the idea. Only pirates '09 and liscensed themes among recent sets have human enemies). So a psuedo-military force shooting the crap out of aliens is different from a military force shooting the crap out of another military force in TLG's eyes. I think the underlying assumption of this is that kids are impressionable, and while they might have the chance to shoot a guy after role-playing it, they'll never have a chance to shoot an alien after role-playing it. Is this a reasonable assumption? Maybe not. But it seems reasonable to TLG, and also to the people who might sue them.

Not entirely true. Look at Kingdoms and then there was Western where they had bandits vs law. They do do it, although rare. I can't wait for these to come out. I'll definitely be picking up the Tripod Invader set to wreak havoc on the citizens of my city.

Edited April 8, 2011 by Legocrazy81