Flieger

Since there won't be an official minifig of him for some time... how to do Lor San Tekka? What head, what torso...?

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll do that. If Hux appears in the summer wave, I think/hope/guess that he will be in a different outfit (without the coat).

Only a small addition to what has been said: I too think Lego did a good job and now that the movie is out I am sure the sets will only improve. The only disappointment for me is the lack of cuff titles. It is one of the few distinctive elements of the otherwise rather bland FO officer uniform (obviously taken directly from German uniform tradition). I know Lego rarely does arm printing but I think it would have been worth it.

I am sorry if I oberlooked some information (the thread has grown quite a bit since I last visited it): Will there be another set with a General Hux-minifig? The shuttle does not really appeal to me...

Thanks for the review! I like the set, I like the minifigs, but I do not care for Smaug - which was a bit of a problem for me, since the set would be so much cheaper without him. However, I may just sell Smaug. He seems to be well regarded. I really love the dwarves in their regal armour, both in the movie and in Lego. Together with Thorin I have the five most important dwarves in their best outfit. And the lack of Thorin might be my biggest complaint. However since I have him, the Lonely Mountain is a nice display piece. (Without the dragon, though. He distracts too much imho). The colours are well represented and the build captures the look and feel of Erebor. Actually I think it is another proof that Lego can do good scenery sets, even though there have been better ones. Because Dwalin got an axe with blades made from greenstone, found in the armouries of the mountain. It is explained in the BotfA-Chronicles book Art&Design (which I definitely recommend; it also explains why Dain has a transred axe, although careful readers of Tolkien will know anyway). Transgreen is imo a quite good translation into Lego. http://media.moddb.com/images/members/1/762/761504/1464692_576542015815405_2524214603524410520_n.jpg http://www-images.theonering.org/torwp/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ldlce-extrasve17.jpg

Liking or disliking Rebels is a matter of taste, but I don't think it is fair that Lego completely ignores Season 2. (And late Season 1). I can see why Lego focusses on TFA, but were Obi-Wan's Starfighter and Hoth Attack really that important? There is so much Lego could have done... yet we only get one new character, the dark version of the Imperial Combat Driver (another early season 1 figure). That said, rather than complaing about the lost list of missing characters, I am quite glad that 2016 offers cheap ways to get Hera and Kanan; and I am glad we do get the dark Imperial Combat Driver. I was missing him.

Black is perhaps not the best choice and I was not happy about it, but it is a) what the official colour guide says and b) Kallus does have a much darker uniform than the military officers. I am not sure what Lego colour would be best for it. Note that Hasbro also went for black. I think most important would be updating his rank insignia (5 pips now, no red pip anymore) and perhaps making a Bo-Rifle mould. This is Season 2 Kallus: That is the one I was thinking about, too.

I have a somewhat different opinion on these two: 75134 Empire Battle Pack: that is a must-buy, because it includes an Imperial Crewman with black cap. That black cap is important to me for a number of characters, but the figure itself can be used a lot, too. That crewman alone is worth the pack. 75141 Kanan's Speeder Bike: includes the dark version of an Imperial combat driver (lower image), which is exclusive* and much needed. Not to mention the lego rendition looks amazing! Another stormy does not hurt and the minifig guns are nicely supplementing the existing Rebels Stormtrooper BP. I think I'll get multiples of that. (* it might be that the new AT-DP microfighter includes one, but they are usually piloted by the light version not the dark version)

Well, we already have a good RotS Obi-Wan in Grivous's Wheelbike, and a Jedi Interceptor in another colour is literally the "she's got a new hat" phenomenon. What makes oor breaks this set will be the minifig(s). The pricing suggests it is Obi-Wan only, but with Cody in it... that changes the whole game. Kids love clone troopers, and a named, special clone trooper with commander insignia and new helmet mould appeals to everyone. Of course, it will sell without Cody well enough, I think. Like the snowspeeder it is a small and thus affordable, yet attractive and important hero craft. If there had been Lego Star Wars when I was a kid, I would have bought the snowspeeder at once. (And had the PT released earlier, or had I been a kid later, I would have bought the Interceptor, too).

Thanks! I did not know about the february wave. That could be a well timed wave for Rebels.

No Rebels sets but microfighters in Winter 2016, in the middle of season 2? The trailer and the S2 opening episode alone show a wealth of opportunities and Lego ignores all of them. Did the Rebels sets sell so badly? Regarding the Rebels microfighters... I hope it will be Valen Rudor in the TIE, but I am quite sure it will be the Inquisitor. Lego wasted invested a lot of ressources in the creation of the moulds, so I can see them reusing them. The AT-DP hopefully includes a colour corrected driver, and the Ghost hopefully includes Chopper.

Right. That is why I won't get the pitchforks and torches until I see the sets. Even if I dislike the sets, the parts, moulds and prints could be worth it.

Sure. But we see Lego making strange decisions on new moulds all the time. The Inquisitor from Star Wars Rebels got its flight helmet, which could be seen for a few seconds at max. The Mouth is almost prominently featured compared to that... And when was the last time we got a new mould in Castle? Most of the helmet and armour moulds of the 2013 line were available in my childhood, too. Compared to the wealth of moulds other lines are getting, Castle (and LotR) seem a bit undersupplied.

Wouldn't it make sense to have a thread specifically on theTFA sets? So everyone can avoid or enjoy spoilers as he/she pleases, and discussions would be more focussed.

I am not sure if it is really the lack of new kid-friendly, positive, and romanticizing films and series about the middle ages. Even when I was young and very much into Lego Castle (early-mid 90ies) there was barely any such film made. The First Knight is about the only one I can think of. I mostly got my fascination for knights from books and old films like Ivanhoe and Prince Valiant. Sure the attitude towards the middle ages in films and TV has changed, but I guess it is more important that the kids and their interests have changed. Perhaps these changes are related, though, just not that much. I think - and this may be controversial - the rampant PC and postmodern cynicism has also got something to do with it. Back then, Lego could do CRUSADERS and nobody blinked an eye. These times are gone, which may not be the worst anyway... However I am more annoyed by the cynicism to onedimensionally paint medieval knights as predatory, pretentious warlords, little better than robbers, also as warmongering religious fanatics. Just as an all too romantic view is wrong, this is wrong too. Lastly, I suspects knights have largely been replaced by superheroes, at least in my country where superheroes only became this huge think in the last two decades. I mean... bright colours, flashy symbols, and individuals identified by them. This could be said about knights as well as about superheroes.

No, that'd never happen - it may make sense from a fan perspective but for Lego it'd be financial suicide. Releasing all those rare figures for a $20-and-under pricepoint would be insane. Key example from the first wave: putting a Jedi Luke and a Vader in the constraction kits would give most people no reason to purchase the Final Duel, losing Lego tons of money. If we wanted to get minifigures in the Constraction kits, the Constraction characters would have to be limited to only characters that have been done to death and are readily available in small sets. In case of Vader and Luke this might be correct. However Cody is not available in any set at all, much less a high-priced set. If anything, Lego could make money, because people who would not buy the constraction figure will buy it for the Cody minifig. Grivous is available in a low-priced set.

The Ewok Village is an unfair comparision since it is a much larger set, and a lot more expensive. I agree with you that a UCS set like the Ewok Village would be better suited to do the Lonely Mountain justice, though. The main draw of this set is the Dragon anyway, that is why it is so expensive compared to the piece count. However I like the minifigs (the dwarves in regal armour) and the many sand green pieces.

Good point. I really dislike the idea that a medieval world, or a fantasy world inspired by the middle ages, must consist of browns and greys only. GoT, as much as I like the show, is one of the worst offenders in that regard. Sure, some colours were hard to make in pre-modern times, and the average peasant may not have had many dyed cloths, but the knights and nobles generally wore bright colours. So I am absolutely in favour of using a vibrant colour palette. If they mix it with the metallic colours Lego uses increasingly (light/dark pearl grey, gold), they could produce quite amazing results. As long as the knights look more like knights (and not like the KK2 power rangers), I am all for it. See here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Codex_Manesse or here this... Lego could do it! I think the lack of imagination is worse when it comes to sigils. I mean, I am tired of Red/Blue/Green too, but those were popular colours. But why using Lions and Dragons all over again? In the early and mid-90ies (when I was into Lego) I had Falcons, Lions, Dragons, Stags, and Wolves.

The BotFA set was sold out in all of my city, including the Lego store, just after Christmas. I had to order it from the online-shop, because the Lego store assistent could not tell me how many sets they'd get in the future but said something about limited stocks. Not sure if that was post-Christmas related or not. Anyway I would suggest they produced the Hobbit sets in smaller quantities from the beginning, which would also explain why some retailers did not have them. It would also explain why they were gone so early.

I look forward to any new Castle because now that Lego uses metallic colours for the arms more often. That is good for heavily armoured characters. i just hope we get some new moulds. I would die for a two part Gothc Sallet: I actually do not care much what style the next Castle-line will have, as long as the we get some nice new prints and moulds. However, I would prefer some less conventional theme this time. Last Castle was extremely conventional Black/Red Evil-Dragon vs Silver/Blue Good-Lion. At least some new sigils would be nice.

Damn! That was fast. They were only a few days on discount and now they are all gone at Lego's shop (Germany). I remember I wanted to post a message that you should hurry to get a set because they'd retire soon, but I would have never thought it was that soon. What an inglorious ending. The line was not perfect, especially considering what they did not do (army building e.g.), but the builds and minifigs we actually got were very good more often then not. With that premature end I think the minifigs of Thorin's company will make quite some money soon.

If anything this discussion demonstrates how far Lego has come reproducing the details of movie designs on the tiny minifigures. Despite the obvious limitations of the minifigure's basic shape, the moulds and prints can be amazing nowadays. In the end, however, it is not a model. I think a Lego minifig has to capture the feeling of the original. Therefore I have to wait for the movie and the actual set before I can say if the minifig does that. So I am quite relaxed right now.

Indeed, the frowned look with the exaggerated lines of Vader in Rebels would best be done with a new mould, but I know that it is rather unlikely. On the other hand they did a mould for the Inquisitor's flight helmet, which could only be seen for a few seconds... However I'd settle for new printing, especially the red lenses. My list was really just a flawed, quick shot. But as you (and Magma) say, Rebels has so many great characters and vehicles which would make fine Lego sets with a fresh feeling to them. I can imagine the AT-TE would be big fun for all of us: for the designers to pull off, for us afols to build, for kids to play with. I am usually not in the league of the people complaining about reissues, but I think Lego should embrace not only Episode VII as source for new sets. Rebels has its charme too, mostly thanks to McQuarrie.

I hope so. Season 2 is in full swing when the 2015/16 winter waves comes. The opportunities from the trailers and the premiere alone are amazing: TIE Advanced Darth Vader, Pilot, Admiral Konstantine CR90 Corvette Ahsoka, Commander Sato, Hera, Zeb, 2x Rebel Trooper A-Wing Pilot, Droid Lothal Speeder Maketh Tua, Agent Kallus, 2x Stormtroopers Sentinel Class Shuttle Kanan, Ezra, Chopper, Vader, 2x Stormtroopers AT-TE Rex, Wolffe, Gregor, Zeb AT-AT Agent Kallus, 2x Driver, 2x Stormtrooper B-Wing Prototype Hera, that Mon Calamari, Droid ??? the new Inquisitors Just quick ideas. The number of characters and vehicles possible is just great! I really hope Lego provides us at least with a core range of characters and vehicles. I mean they cannot possibly ignore the clones, Ahsoka or Vader, can they? I fear that in the Episode VII mania, Lego may overlook Rebels.

What other argument would you need? If a set sold well in the target group of 10-14 year olds in 2011, it probably will sell in that target group (which did not get the set back then) in 2015 too. Of course I would like to see some fresh ideas, but I see the logic of reissues. And it is not just about kids. A lot of afols do not have decades of Lego collecting experience. That seems to be the true problem here. The AT-AT gets reissued every four years, just like the Naboo Starfighter, yet people don't hate on it as much. I don't think that is fair. PS: I am an afol, I was adult when the PT was released, I like the OT better as films - but I prefer the PT Lego.