2011 Alien Conquest

[AndyC]

I think it means production will stop and they'll start to disappear from shop shelves for good.

Yeah, it's a bit disappointing as I'd hoped the lack of new space sets might have meant AC would just hang around on the shelves longer, but the HQ set has already vanished off the UK SaH site so I guess the rest will slowly follow.

[Hewman]

Yeah, it's a bit disappointing as I'd hoped the lack of new space sets might have meant AC would just hang around on the shelves longer, but the HQ set has already vanished off the UK SaH site so I guess the rest will slowly follow.

The HQ set is also the only Alien Conquest set not to be in th first half 2012 Australian catalogue, so it does look like the theme is disappearing which is a bit sad because I thought there was plenty of potential there for further sets, like an actual ADU Headquarters rather than a vehicel with add ons (as good as it is, it's not a real HQ).

[Algernon]

Not really a surprise. Space is on hiatus this year. For those of you who haven't yet, I highly recommend picking up the Earth Defense HQ while you still can. It's a gem of a set.

[Tobbe Arnesson]

I've heard from a pretty reliable source that AC is done, i.e. no more.

Guess it did not sell that well to the kids, it sold well to me though.

I'm gonna pick up a few select extras and then hope for clearance sales.

[Ogre]

I only managed to snag 10 Alien Strikers and I would have liked to snag 10 more!

IMO, Alien Conquest was a really great theme and I'll be sad to see it go. Totally under-rated and under-appreciated by most!

[surrideo]

It's strange how it is disappearing(in the UK at least) The striker set can't be found anymore, then the HQ disappears off Lego. I have the whole wave but wouldn't mind some decent discounts on another HQ. Think John Lewis is my last hope but they don't have anything new bar Friends and Ninjago. Could be a dangerous waiting game

[sharky]

Has anyone read the Jan. 2012 Brick Journal article regarding the development of Alien Conquest? I highly recommend reading it. One nugget of trivia I thought was interesting was that the Grey Alien from the Series 6 CMF was originally conceived and intended for AC. However, it was decided that it was more appealing to adults rather than kids, so they were changed to the current design. The article also had some pics of some pototype minifigures and one of them was essentially the Hazmat Guy from Series 4 CMF.

I guess it was no mystery why I felt compelled to army build the Hazmat Guy and will army build the Grey Alien. I also made it a point to pick up a lot of the Toy Story Green Army Men set in order to make some retro military soldiers.

Edited January 30, 2012 by sharky

[surrideo]

Has anyone read the Jan. 2012 Brick Journal article regarding the development of Alien Conquest? I highly recommend reading it. One nugget of trivia I thought was interesting was that the Grey Alien from the Series 6 CMF was originally conceived and intended for AC. However, it was decided that it was more appealing to adults rather than kids, so they were changed to the current design. The article also had some pics of some pototype minifigures and one of them was essentially the Hazmat Guy from Series 4 CMF.

Its a great article and tbh my kids place the Hazmat guy in the HQ all the time as they don't like the scientist that came with it. I think the CMF have inspired a lot of new developments and entire themes. The monsters in series 1 to 4 now have a theme ableit with tinkering to how they look and they brought the ghost back with them.

The alien still fits in well with the Alien conquest sets, ridicuously it probably seemed a little too "real" for a kids toy. I must admit the designs they ended up with for the aliens ultimately complimented how the ships etc were designed with all the lime and purple which I think was what gives/gave Alien conquest a lot of its charm

[AndyC]

Has anyone read the Jan. 2012 Brick Journal article regarding the development of Alien Conquest? I highly recommend reading it. One nugget of trivia I thought was interesting was that the Grey Alien from the Series 6 CMF was originally conceived and intended for AC. However, it was decided that it was more appealing to adults rather than kids, so they were changed to the current design. The article also had some pics of some pototype minifigures and one of them was essentially the Hazmat Guy from Series 4 CMF.

I'll second that, it's a great read. And seeing all the different variations of the HQ set, as it's price point bounced around, was fascinating. It's easy to forget all the work that goes into creating such a theme.

[Tobbe Arnesson]

On PDF-page 13 and 14 there's an preview of that article here: http://www.twomorrows.com/media/BrickJournal17Preview.pdf

[ETAV8R]

The suits in the upcoming movie "Prometheus" look ADU to me...

[B-Lister]

I concur with the base idea. Something a bit like Area 51 (as depicted in various movies and TV shows), could include some aliens being dissected and maybe some crashed/shot down alien spaceship parts being examined.

Thinking also of e.g. the secret base in Independence Day where they are holding a captured alien and alien spaceship to do research on.

Dissection would be a bit graphic, but a "full body scanner", or X-Ray machine and an examination table would still fit without implying that they're hacking these things apart and harvesting organs.

Edited February 10, 2012 by Mister Blisterfists

[surrideo]

Dissection would be a bit graphic, but a "full body scanner", or X-Ray machine and an examination table would still fit without implying that they're hacking these things apart and harvesting organs.

What is the white machine in the back of the Earth defence "tank" meant to be? I assumed it to be a scanner or laser machine ?

[ETAV8R]

It is a scanner. The scientist is looking at a picture of an alien on his monitor.

I'm bummed if this line is done so quickly. There was a lot of potential for more.

[Hrw-Amen]

So does anyone have any theories on why there are different types of aliens in the alien ships?

The commander in the mothership is the most outlandish I guess with his tentacles, but there are then two different soldier aliens, not to mention the face hugger. Do we think they represent different age ranges in alien maturity with the little face hugger being a baby and then the commander being the grandpa, or are they supposed to be different species altogether that just happen to form an alliance?

From my perspective I like to think that they are perhaps all different species but from the same planet (Or at least the same system.) a bit like if you imagine that humans and neanderthals co-existing but doing it nowadays. Maybe a thrid species of 'evolved' human (Or in this case alien.) for the commander but still from the same genetic pool. Obviously the face hugger is the alien equivelant of a dog or cat?

What do we think?

[LEGOman273]

So does anyone have any theories on why there are different types of aliens in the alien ships?

The commander in the mothership is the most outlandish I guess with his tentacles, but there are then two different soldier aliens, not to mention the face hugger. Do we think they represent different age ranges in alien maturity with the little face hugger being a baby and then the commander being the grandpa, or are they supposed to be different species altogether that just happen to form an alliance?

From my perspective I like to think that they are perhaps all different species but from the same planet (Or at least the same system.) a bit like if you imagine that humans and neanderthals co-existing but doing it nowadays. Maybe a thrid species of 'evolved' human (Or in this case alien.) for the commander but still from the same genetic pool. Obviously the face hugger is the alien equivelant of a dog or cat?

What do we think?

I think that their society is like that of the Geonosians: a rigid caste structure in which different job-classes are bred as such.

All of them; Pilots, Soldiers, Commanders, Cyborgs, are of the same species.

[Ardelon]

I think that their society is like that of the Geonosians: a rigid caste structure in which different job-classes are bred as such.

All of them; Pilots, Soldiers, Commanders, Cyborgs, are of the same species.

Agree.

[WhiteFang]

Recently, I had officially plunged myself into Alien Conquest theme. I was thinking for a very long time and now I begin to track the sets in the local market. It is getting harder to find these sets locally and I hope I can finish my collection soon without much hassle especially to my surprise that the theme is just less than a year old to face discontinuation.

[Piranha]

I agree it is very sad that it was so short lived, so many concepts they could have made use of. Hopefully we will see a new Space theme in 2013.

[gunm]

I really love the Alien Conquest line. The ED HQ is just fantastic and the two smaller Alien sets are so clever and interesting to me. I also love the light blue space suits on the ED guys. I was comparing these mini figs to the Space Police sets, and I think it's a great contrast to that Theme's stark white colors.

I'm also pretty sad they are discontinuing this line so quickly! I guess original space/sci-fi themes aren't a great seller??? It's such a shame since I thought the designers were quite creative this year. I'd love it if they gave a second series of AC a go, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens with Lego in-house Sci Fi...

Edited March 28, 2012 by gunm

[georgebjones]

I was hoping for another wave of these sets. I guess they didn't sell well enough to merit it. It is odd, because they always seemed to be sold out. SOme really great sets in here, and I would have loved to see more aliens from this, too. Oho well

[Ogre]

This theme was a real slow seller in my neck of the woods.

Anytime I was at my local LEGO store, if the kids were looking at something 'space', it was always Star Wars. I'd talk-up AC but, very few seemed interested.

Of course, that lack of interest was WIPED OUT when AC went on sale for 50% off before Easter! I'm glad I was in there on the morning of 'day one', because there was SQUAT left on 'day two'...pretty much just Motherships. Folks don't seem to care WHAT LEGO they buy when it's 50% off! LOL

I managed to complete my series but, I'd still love to pick up some more battle packs and Alien Strikers.

Would love to see a second wave of AC but, I just don't see it happening. Not unless it sold a lot better elsewhere than it did in MY area.

[caperberry]

I'm sad to read that, hope there's one more wave. I love the alien sets in this range; the nods to B-movies and Mars Attacks and the humour of them. Clingers rule.

[Faefrost]

This theme was a real slow seller in my neck of the woods.

Anytime I was at my local LEGO store, if the kids were looking at something 'space', it was always Star Wars. I'd talk-up AC but, very few seemed interested.

Of course, that lack of interest was WIPED OUT when AC went on sale for 50% off before Easter! I'm glad I was in there on the morning of 'day one', because there was SQUAT left on 'day two'...pretty much just Motherships. Folks don't seem to care WHAT LEGO they buy when it's 50% off! LOL

I managed to complete my series but, I'd still love to pick up some more battle packs and Alien Strikers.

Would love to see a second wave of AC but, I just don't see it happening. Not unless it sold a lot better elsewhere than it did in MY area.

By me it seemed to vary more depending on the specific sets. The Huge and expensive Earth Defense Force HQ seemed to just fly off the shelves. As did any of the blue earth sets, excepting the jet copter. The grey saucers just languish.

The same sort of thing seems to happen with the Ninjago sets. The "hero" sets just fly off the shelves, while stacks of the Rattlecopter just languish.

[BrickBucket]

By me it seemed to vary more depending on the specific sets. The Huge and expensive Earth Defense Force HQ seemed to just fly off the shelves. As did any of the blue earth sets, excepting the jet copter. The grey saucers just languish.

The same sort of thing seems to happen with the Ninjago sets. The "hero" sets just fly off the shelves, while stacks of the Rattlecopter just languish.

I see the same thing, and it's not just those themes. Atlantis, Space Police, Pharoh's Quest. Kids always go for the human faction, probably cause their more relatable/identifiable and in some cases just look cooler.

I think monster fighters will change that since the monsters are the cooler part of the sets