XimenaPaulina

No worries my friend, I actually appreciate people giving info that I overlooked. Those two indeed look like 'cars' for the Fire Chief/Commander, albeit not of the modern CITY versions. I guess I'd have to qualify my statement even better - 60001 is the first Fire Chief Car of CITY Fire subtheme (not Classic Town) - I guess that covers it up well. Thanks, like I said above I think TLG did a god job of reinventing the CITY Fire subtheme by giving us new vehicles of the CITY Fire Department - a Fire Motorcycle (60000), this Fire Chief Car (60001), a new Fire Helicopter model (60010) + the best looking (general consensus) Fire Truck we've had so far (60002) - not bad for a subtheme often maligned by AFOLs for being redundantly boring.

I remember watching Nat Geo's Mega Factories episode on LEGO, and they did show designers doing actual visits to check on places/vehicles to draw inspiration (Police HQ in that episode), so you might be right that 60002's design is more European than American. Again, my minor issue with the length is just a personal preference. I actually think the current length is ok, but could still be improved to compare well with other LEGO trucks. Thanks, that's probably the closest match to 60002 (much better comparison than the MacDill one).

Out of curiosity, I tried to compare the 60002 Fire Truck with other recent CITY trucks, and my initial concern that this fire truck 'could've been longer' seems to be justified in these comparison pics: (LXF Sources: PsyKater - 60016, 60018, Sjuip - 4434, Costy - 4432) (LXF Sources: PsyKater - 60016, 60018, Sjuip - 4434, Costy - 4432) The comparison images clearly show that this fire truck is shorter than most of the other CITY trucks - which is quite disappointing since I consider fire trucks (like the reference image above) as 'monster workhorses'. So I may just have to mod it to suit my personal preference.

Great thread! Lots of interesting insights and experiences from PFOLs. Recently just had my first child, so I still haven't dealt with this 'kid-LEGO issue' yet. It will be at least 5 years from now before Li'l KDM touches and plays with all of his daddy's LEGO, so he'll have to do with Duplo first. But still, as early as now I'm already preparing my "LEGO will" so to speak as he'll most probably inherit 90% of my collection (I'll keep a few personal favorites to me). When the that time comes, he'll have full ownership of all my LEGO so he could play with them the way he wants to (just no eating LEGO pieces - safety first!). I'll just probably guide him, help him build, but for the most part I plan to let him discover and experience himself the wonderful world of LEGO building. I guess this is always the internal guilt that most adult toy collectors experience. I, for one, do sometimes feel, that all the LEGO that I've purchased are not 'being used properly' and 'their primary purpose is being wasted' when they're just stored in display cases or boxes. Think of Toy Story and you know what I mean. But after having a kid, all the LEGO that I bought will now be able to fulfill their ultimate purpose in a few year's time - that is to provide joy to a child through play.

Wow, looks like I have a new favorite minifig customizer in EB! I've been following your custom works from your Steampunk Series to this Space Invaders, and gotta say the creativity and cleverness of your customs are truly admirable. I really like how you combine standard LEGO pieces with third-party accessories, they really make your customs unique-looking and highly-detailed. The mutant spawn is my favorite in this batch. Great stuff, your flickr page is customization gold, keep doing your thing mate!

Yep I did take a look at Brickset and indeed that is the first Fire Chief Car, but 60001 is still the only minifig-scale Fire Chief car we've had (should've qualified my statement better ). Still it's good to see this particular vehicle get a much much needed update after 30+ long years!

"The Philippine Brickster", as it is the official minifig of the LUG in our country. (He's only one of a few hundred clones! ) Image courtesy of legonut from Philippine Bricksters

Thanks for the comments guys, really appreciate it. And glad to know I'm not the only who sees 60002 as probably the best among all fire trucks ever released. 1) I haven't tried it, but the feed hose can probably fit inside the storage compartment. 2) I agree the hanging equipment outside the truck (power saw, wrench, ax) are all unsafe practice in the real world. But this is understandably for better presentation of the product, as the truck would look quite bare without those equipment showing outside. At the very least, you could always store them inside the spacious equipment compartment. 3) Shovel and crowbar? I agree those would have been welcome additional equipment for this truck! Though on the bright side those two are quite common pieces so not a big deal. Thanks for the heads up. That is such an old Fire set that I completely overlooked it, though you are right that the water inlet feature isn't the first time for a LEGO fire truck. Thanks for the correction.

Thanks for the comments guys! My memory about Fire sets are quite hazy but IIRC this is the only Fire Chief car we've had so far. Most of the past fire vehicles are fire trucks, pick-up trucks and the like, but none dedicated to the Fire Chief (I may be mistaken, so I guess it deserves a second look). LOL, you're probably right about that! Mr. Fire Chief doesn't have all day right?

Yes, you are right about that. The reference image I've shown above actually has a hose reel at the back (just hidden from view by the fireman). Here's a couple of better views: Though I'm not so sure how such hose reel set-up could be squeezed in such a small space at the back of the LEGO motorcycle. Heck, they even had trouble putting a proper attachment on the fire extinguisher on the side!

Kick-megablocks - my personal 'best', most enoyable and most realistic superhero movie I've seen. (Yep, better than the Marvel ones and the Nolan Batman trilogy. ) Super-stoked for Kick-megablocks 2 this year! Sucker Punch - movie's weird as hell, and despite the mostly negative criticism of its radical outside-the-box approach of story-telling, I quite enjoyed it on top of the surrealistic action scenes.

This is the 2012 Picture and rumor topic. The flickr gallery on all 2012 news can be found HERE We'll try to keep this first post updated 24/7. "Stay On Target!" - those posting lies or false rumors are liable to get their account banned. We do not want people to spam this up with lies, just to sound important or to get those 15 seconds of internet fame. 3866 Battle of Hoth LEGO Game Figs: 32 (Microfigures) Price: ? EUR / (unavailable in US) USD / 24.99 GBP Subtheme: OT/Games Pieces: 305 Release: 2012 9488 Elite Clone & Commando Droid Battle Pack Figs: 4 (ARC Trooper, ARF Trooper & 2 Commando Droids) Vehicles: Republic Artillery Cannon Price: ? EUR / $12.99 USD / 11.99 GBP Subtheme: Clone Wars Pieces: 98 Release: January 2012 9489 Endor Battle Pack Figs: 4 (2 Endor Rebels, 1 Scout Trooper & 1 Stormtrooper) Vehicles: Speederbike and tree with flickr fire thingy Price: ? EUR / $12.99 USD / 11.99 GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 77 Release: January 2012 9490 Droid Escape Figs: 4 (C-3PO, R2-D2 & 2 Sandtroopers) Vehicles: Escape pod & swoop bike Price: ? EUR / $19.99 USD / 19.99 GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 137 Release: January 2012 9491 Geonosian Cannon Figs: 4 (Bariss Offee, Commander Gree, Geonosian Warrior, Geonosian Zombie) Vehicles: Price: ? EUR / $19.99 USD / 19.99 GBP Subtheme: CW Pieces: 132 Release: January 2012 9492 TIE Fighter Figs: 4 (TIE Fighter Pilot, Death Star Trooper, Imperial Officer, R5-J2) Price: ? EUR / $54.99 USD / 49.99 GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 413 Release: January 2012 9493 X-Wing Figs: 4 (Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Jek Porkins, R5-D8) Vehicles: X-Wing Fighter with markings as Red 5 or Red 6 Price: ? EUR / $59.99 USD / 49.99 GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 560 Release: January 2012 9494 Anakin Skywalker's Jedi Interceptor Figs: 5 (Anakin Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi, Nute Gunray, Mustafar Droid & Security Battle Droid) Price: ? EUR / $39.99 USD / 34.99 GBP Subtheme: PT Pieces: 300 Release: January 2012 9495 Y-Wing Gold Leader Figs: 3 (Gold Leader, Princess Leia, R5-F7) Price: ? EUR / $49.99 USD / 49.99 GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 458 Release: 2012 9496 Desert Skiff Figs: 4 (Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, Weequay, & Lando Calrissian) Price: ? EUR / $24.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 9497 Republic Striker Starfighter Figs: 3 (Satele Shan, T7-O1 & Republic Trooper) Price: ? EUR / $44.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: TOR Pieces: Unknown Release: Summer 2012 9498 Saesee Tiin’s Jedi Starfighter Figs: 3 (Saesee Tiin, Even Piell & R4-C9) Price: ? EUR / $29.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: CW Pieces: Unknown Release: Summer 2012 9499 Gungan Sub Figs: 4 (Jar Jar Binks, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn & Queen Amidala) Price: ? EUR / $69.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: PT Pieces: Unknown Release: Summer 2012 9500 Fury Class Interceptor Figs: 3 (Darth Malgus & 2 Sith Troopers) Price: ? EUR / $89.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: TOR Pieces: 741 Release: Summer 2012 9509 Star Wars Advent Calendar Figs: XX (XXX) Price: ? EUR / $39.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: All Pieces: 234 Release: Autumn 2012 9515 Malevolence Figs: 6 (Battle Droid, Tactical Droid, General Grievous, Count Dooku, Anakin Skywalker & Padme Amidala) Price: ? EUR / $119.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: CW Pieces: 1092 Release: Summer 2012 9516 Jabba’s Palace Figs: 10 (Han Solo, Carbonite Han Solo, Chewbacca, Bib Fortuna, Gamorrean Guard, Jabba the Hutt, Leia/Boush, B'Omarr Monk, Salacious Crumbs, & Oola) Price: ? EUR / $119.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 717 Release: 2012 9525 Pre Viszla's Starfighter Figs: 3 (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Pre Viszla & a Mandalorian) Price: ? EUR / $39.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 9526 Palapatine's Arrest Figs: 6 (Mace Windu, Chancellor Palpatine, Kit Fisto, Anakin Skywalker, Saesee Tiin, and Agen Kolar) Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 9674 Naboo Starfighter and Naboo Pilot Figs: 1 (Naboo Pilot) Price: ? EUR / 9.99 USD / 9.99 GBP Subtheme: Planet Sets Series 1 Pieces: 56 Release: January 2012 9675 Sebulba’s Podracer and Sebulba Figs: 1 (Sebulba) Price: ? EUR / 9.99 USD / 9.99 GBP Subtheme: Planet Sets Series 1 Pieces: 80 Release: January 2012 9676 TIE Interceptor and TIE Pilot Figs: 1 (TIE Pilot) Price: ? EUR / 9.99 USD / 9.99 GBP Subtheme: Planet Sets Series 1 Pieces: 65 Release: January 2012 9677 X-wing Starfighter and Yavin 4 Figs: 1 (Rebel Pilot) Price: ? EUR / 9.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: Planet Sets Series 2 Pieces: Unknown Release: Summer 2012 9678 Twin-Pod Cloud Car and Bespin Figs: 1 (Lobot) Price: ? EUR / 9.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: Planet Sets Series 2 Pieces: Unknown Release: Summer 2012 9679 AT-ST and Endor Figs: 1 (AT-ST Driver) Price: ? EUR / 9.99 USD / ? GBP Subtheme: Planet Sets Series 2 Pieces: Unknown Release: Summer 2012 10225 UCS R2D2 Fig Figs: 1 Price: ? EUR / $179.99 USD / 149.95 GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 2127 Release: March 2012 10227 UCS B-Wing Figs: none Price: 199.99 EUR / 199.99 USD / 169.99 GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: 1486 Release: 2012 30056 ISD Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: OT Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 30057 Anakin's Podracer Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 30058 STAP Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 30059 MTT Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 853421 Magnet Pack (Aurra Sing, Embo & ARF Trooper) Figs: 3 Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 853414 Magnet Pack (Ewok, TIE Pilot & Gungan) Figs: 3 Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012 5000062 Darth Maul Minifig Figs: 1 Price: Promotional Subtheme: CW (Darth Maul Returns) Pieces: 7 Release: 2012 5000063 TC-14 Figs: 1 Price: Promotional Subtheme: PT Pieces: 3 Release: 2012 66432 Super Pack 3 in 1 Contents: 9490 Droid Escape, 9492 TIE Fighter and 9496 Desert Skiff Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: Product Collection Pieces: 763 Release: 2012 Template for future sets Figs: XX (XXX) Price: ? EUR / ? USD / ? GBP Subtheme: XXX Pieces: Unknown Release: 2012

It has been a while since TLG gave us an updated version of the Desert Skiff. We got the first one back in 2000 (7104 Desert Skiff) and six years later as part of 6210 Jabba’s Sail Barge in 2006. Another six years have past and we're now getting the third installment of this obscure desert utility vehicle in a LEGO set. Based on the preliminary images it does look like a winner of a set, but as the cliché goes, you wouldn’t appreciate a set until you buy it, build it, hold it in your hands and see the completed set with your own eyes. So was the long wait worth it? Will this set live up to the expectations? Let’s all find out. Name: Desert Skiff Number: 9496 Theme: Star Wars | Subtheme: Original Trilogy (Episode VI) Year: 2012 Pieces: 213 Minifigs: 3 Price: $24.99 | £24.99 Links: Brickset | Bricklink | Peeron (not yet inventoried) | LEGO Shop@Home The Box The box is longer than the usual boxes of $25 sets due to the horizontal orientation of the main source material, the Desert Skiff. It measures 35.4 x 19.1 x 6 cm and sports the 2012 box art template featuring Darth Maul’s awkwardly twisted head at the top right. I don’t mind the “extra length” of the box, I think it’s the proper “presentation”, though I’m not a big fan of the Maul box art. The front box art recreates the scene in RoTJ where Luke was supposed to be executed in the Sarlacc Pit. I like the fact that the box art already shows the characters in action, with Luke already “receiving” his lightsaber (from astromech sharpshooter Artoo in the movie) while maintaining his balance on the platform. Boba Fett flying to Luke’s skiff is also quite accurate, though it looks like he just came out of the Sarlacc Pit. A disguised Lando and skiff guard Kithaba completes the battle scene. Like all 2012 box arts, the minifig line-up is prominently displayed on the right side under a bluish metallic background. The usual set information is displayed on the left, and I need not be reminded that I clearly fall into the 7-12 age bracket (kid at heart ). In the back of the box, a big main panel shows Luke being escorted to the Desert Skiff (on landing mode). This is a nice fictional scene to see as this was actually not shown in the movie. Three small panels at the left show the playability features of the skiff, while three slightly bigger panels on the right show a couple of movie scenarios at the top and a “how-to-feed-Boba-in-the-Sarlacc Pit mini-tutorial” on the side. Two shot of the desert skiff over a schematic diagram-type background and the LEGO.com icon on the lower right corner complete the back box art. The right side of the top of the box features the set’s line-up of four NEW! Minifigs, with the Lando fig separated from the other three as it’s shown in the 1:1 panel – good call I must say to avoid redundancy. No fancy background either, just a clean simple blue background makes the figs stand-out so you’ll notice the details better. The left side of the box simply shows the LEGO Star Wars logo, set number, and a small version of the front box art on the right. I no longer took the photos of the right and bottom sides as they’re just your usual boring information stuff. The Contents The box contains three numbered bags, a single instruction booklet, and three loose plates, which will all be shown next. Oh, and no dreaded sticker sheets. Zero, nada, zilch. I can now die peacefully. The Instruction Booklet As the norm of small-sized sets, the single instruction booklet features the same cover art as the box minus the set name and minifig line-up. The booklet I got came in good condition, and I was a bit surprised on how thicker and heavier it is compared to other sets of the same size (it’s 60 pages BTW). Sample Page Here’s a sample page of the instruction booklet. The image of Darth Maul appears every once in a while along the building process. The instructions are easy to understand, printed clearly on the light grey background there's no difficulty with color differentiation. The LEGO parts Bag 1 Content The first bag contains the pieces to create the Sarlacc Pit and the Luke Skywakler and Boba Fett minifigs. The earth colors of tan, dark tan, and light bley are distinctively ‘desertish’. Bag 2 Content Bag 2 gives us the first parts for the desert skiff, as well as those of the Lando and Kithaba figs. Bag 3 Content The third and last bag is also the biggest one, containing huge parts to complete the desert skiff. Loose parts There are three 2x16 dark bley plates loosely included along with the other contents of the box, which is the usual case for relatively long/large plates in small sets. The Build The Minifigs As previously mentioned, this set gives us four new minifigs, or more appropriately, three updated minifigs (Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, and Lando Calrissian in Skiff Guard disguise) and a new Kithaba minifig. We’ll look at them closely on the following sections. Boba Fett After a very impressive update of the old Boba Fett minifig into the 'modernized' version we got in 2010’s Slave I, TLG has decided to yet again “improve further” the detailing of the Boba minifig, particularly the leg prints. Now I’ve always had issues with overly-detailed minifigs, though admittedly I’m more and more becoming used to this trend (by force?) dominating the figs of almost every LEGO theme (Licensed, Collectible Minfigure Series, etc.) so I’m no longer averse of them that much. I’m pretty sure fans of highly-detailed minifigs would absolutely love this new Boba fig, and would salivate at the sight of those leg prints, it even has metal boot details! Comparing it with the 2010 Boba Fett, aside from the aforementioned leg prints, the hip color was also corrected into dark green and the shoulder cape changed from brown to sand green. Fett's blaster was also apparently ‘upgraded’ into an uber-long version, which I don’t think is an improvement at all. Overall, it’s quite a good fig, the added leg prints is accurate to the source material. I assume this would probably be the most popular minifig in this set among LSW fans, but I have my own favorite one in this set, which happens to be…. Lando Calrissian (in Skiff Guard Disguise) The best one for me in this set, for the following reasons: 1. the outstandingly detailed helmet, 2. a useful brown-skinned minifig head which is rarely released, and 3. it saved me some bucks by not getting the overpriced old version from 2006’s 6210 Jabba’s Sail Barge. Comparison with the previous version version show that the same helmet mold was re-used but with much-needed prints now. The torso also has improved print detailing (including a back print) and changed its color from black to dark orange. The face print was also updated into the pupiled eyes. Even the vibro-axe weapon was improved, though it’s quite long IMO, but no big deal really. Luke Skywalker Here is yet another version of Luke Skywalker, probably the most recreated character in minifig form (free cookies to anyone who could tell how many version of Lukes have been there). He now sports a grey torso with black undershirt and black sleeved arms. It’s a simple but an effective update which I certainly welcome. It looks good overall. Kithaba This is the new minifig character in this set – Kithaba the Klatooinian assassin turned skiff guard. For an extremely minor character I must say his minifig is quite well done. Both his face and torso prints are accurate to the source material. While I would’ve wanted to see the Weequay skiff guard Queequeg (since he’s the one that I remember the most in this scene), I think it’s already asking too much since we already got two fantastic minifigs in Lando and Boba and it would’ve required a new headgear mold, something TLG would obviously not do for a relatively unknown character in a small set. The Build The Sarlacc Pit From the contents of Bag 1 the Sarlacc Pit was built. Here are some multiple views of this desert creature in brickbuilt form. I think it’s quite a good brickbuilt representation of the real Sarlacc using a decent amount of parts. The mouth pieces used, along with the tentacles and surrounding teeth are effective in capturing the organic look of the Sarlacc. Of course one could argue that it could be built better via MOCing route but in the context of a playset I think it serves its purpose pretty well. And what would the Sarlacc be without it’s favorite Mandalorian meal right? The Boba Fett fig (or any other figs for that matter) fits snugly inside the Sarlacc mouth. Comparison with Reference Material and previous version Here is a comparison pic of the 9496 Sarlacc Pit vs. the 2006 version and the reference material. The current Sarlacc gets plus points for the added tentacles (even it's only two compared to several in the 'real' thing) and the playability feature of fitting a minifig inside the mouth. Though I would have to say 6210 Sarlacc has better teeth details and the mouth-to-pit opening relative size looks more accurate than the new one. Bag 2 – Desert Skiff Part 1 The base foundation of the desert skiff is built using the parts from Bag 2. Here is what we have at this stage of the build: Bag 3 – Completed Desert Skiff The desert skiff is completed with the last parts from Bag 3. Overall it was a very easy and straightforward build. Here are a few shots of the desert skiff: Playability Features Weapons Chest Box At the center of the skiff is an opening chest box where small weapons could be stored. Quite a neat little detail that was not expected but very welcome. Swinging (Extendable) Gangplank The “main life of the party” so to speak. The desert skiff would be nothing without its dreaded gangplank where unfortunate victims spend their last seconds in the universe. The way it was built so it could be concealed inconspicuously on the side of the skiff during flight mode is genius IMO. Movable Side Steering Vanes Much like the wing flaps, rudders, and steering vanes of real life air-borne vehicles, the two side steering vanes of the skiff can be moved up-and-down and rotated 360-degrees for maximum control. Flick-fire Missiles The captions say it all. Control Pedestal A control pedestal is located at the back with a couple of simplistic control sticks. Nothing too fancy but gets the job done. Extra-spacious platform Aside from the four minifigs included, you could still put additional figs in the spacious platform. Remember the movie scene actually had 9 passengers on the skiff, and you could very well do that on this one. Comparison with Reference Material Here’s a comparison image of this LEGO desert skiff vs. the source material: The Good: Overall shape and length, proper curves at the right spots, the control pedestal, side steering vanes, ‘hideable’ gangplank, and weapon rack details are true to the source material. The Bad: Lack of curved hand railing in the front and back, which are distinct features in the real desert skiff. The Ugly: Multi-colored skiff vs. mono-toned color of the real desert skiff. This actually doesn’t bother me much, just pointing out the obvious inaccuracy. Comparison with previous LEGO desert skiffs As expected, the new desert skiff definitely trumps the previous two versions in terms of overall design. The new one is wider (6 studs-wide vs. 4 for the other two), longer, and has finally corrected the lack of the distinct sleek curved look of the two previous versions. There is nothing I could find in the previous desert skiffs that is better than this new one. Even with still some lacking details like the front and back curved hand rails, the new desert skiff is certainly a huge improved over the previous two versions. Rating the Set: Design – 9/10 It’s hard not to compare this with its 7104 predecessor, if I were to score him that way this would’ve been easily a perfect 10. But putting things in perspective, a respectable score of 9 is just about right for both the desert skiff and Sarlacc pit designs, striking a balance between aesthetic look, function and playability, and cost considerations. The only shortcoming I felt is the minor lack of curved hand rail details in the skiff. Build – 8/10 The build was expectedly smooth sailing for the set its size. There were no thought-provoking techniques used, though I have to give + points to the 'hideable' gangplank. Parts – 7/10 I’ve never had much earthy colors like brown and dark tan in my sets before, so these are a welcome sight. And they can be extremely useful for steampunk-inspired MOCs! But aside from those, majority of the parts are quite common and nothing to be excited about. Minifigures – 10/10 Perfect IMO. TLG did a pretty good job in updating Luke and Lando, and introducing a new minifig in Kithaba. All three have an adequate amount of details while still retaining the simplistic LEGO look and shying away from the action figure-like detailing. On the other hand, the overly-detailed Boba Fett is growing on me the longer I look at it. Playability – 8/10 A hovering craft which could accommodate a bunch of minifigs, a hungry worm-like desert monster, sacrificing a hero and turning back the tables on the villains with intense battle scenes – what more could an imaginative playful child would want right? Price – 9/10 Great value for your money, the four new figs alone will probably cost more than the whole set when sold separately. Selling prospects aside, a $0.11 price/parts ratio is pretty good especially for a SW set. And rarely do your get four new minifigs on a single small non-battle pack set. Overall: 85% I’m pretty certain this would be one of the most popular sets among LSW fans considering the OT material, and the long time it took for this set to be re-made adds another level of desirability. TLG is once again capitalizing on the minifig-driven customer preference on buying sets, and for long-time LSW fans like us, this set is a welcome opportunity to add four new minifigs in our collection. Overall, one could never go wrong with this set, I highly recommend this to any avid LSW fan

I'm quite happy the sets didn't turn out to be overwhelmingly exciting - which I always see as a "good" point since I don't have to spend much on every new theme the pops out like this one. The sets are pretty decent, though the two sets that appeal to me the most and would probably end up getting are the Stage Coach and the Cavalry Builder sets - the two have the two main protagonists (Lone Ranger and Tonto), a damsel in distress (with that lovely new hair-hat mold), the baddies, and the new horses in the three main colors (white, black, brown). Plus, I like the design of the stage coach despite the slightly larger size than it should be.

As a huge BTTF fan I'm very excited with this development and would certainly be counting the days for the release of this BTTF set! I'm pretty sure the DeLorean would get a redesign as the submitted model employs illegal techniques not suitable for the stability requirements of official LEGO sets. Can't wait also to see the McFly and Doc Brown figs! As far as the other ideas that failed to pass the final review, I think it is still a very proud accomplishment for the respective creators to reach the final stage of the CUUSOO process and that should still be a source of pride knowing that the FOL community really supported their ideas (especially for the Modular Western Town which didn't have the "backing" of supporters of the parent license like BTTF, Shaun of the Dead, Eve Online, and Legend of Zelda).

Very interesting AC, it's always nice to see you getting out of your comfort zone (massive dioramas) and trying on a new challenge with SW vehicles. I loved your previous Naboo VV, and I'll be looking forward for the completion of this one.

Nice mouth movement effects! And LOL at Ivy's tranny voice - really cracked me up. Good luck in the contest.

I wish this was a real movie.

Praiter Yed - 1 Point Oky - 1 Point Artanis - 1 Point

LeBron fan since his SVSM HS days, so naturally I rooted for his Cavs teams before and now the defending champion Miami Heat. With Mr. Potato Head gone and Nash's old coach Mike D. at the helm now, we might just see a revival of Nash's free-wheelin' but effective style of play (though I still think his age would be a major hindrance, especially in a league now dominated by athleticism).

Eurobricks Star Wars Community Build Discussion and Reference Topic ________________________________ Current Community Build: Completed Community Builds: Venator Community Build (October 2009 - July 2010) Community Build Leader: Eskallon Participants: ACPin, ADHO15, Admiral Woodhouse, Brickme, CaptainRex110, Commander Flash, greenskull139, I Scream Clone, Jammiedodger714, MeuLeu, Millacol88, Mraz ‘Skintas, Noodles140, Oky Wan Kenobi, pedro, Pellaeon, Ratshot, The Legonater Community Build: Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (July - August 2011) Community Build Leader: ACPin Participants: Bayou, Brickdoctor, lightningtiger, Lord Of The Fries, lego-maniac, Kaitan, Masked Builder, M<0><0<DSWIM, The Legonater, Troopmaker Community Build: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (September - October 2011) Community Build Leader: ACPin Participants: Adrian86, darthnihilius, darththeling, Darth Yogi, Hollander, I Scream Clone, JackJonespaw, Kaitan, K-nut, Lobot, Lord Of The Fries, Masked Builder, M<0><0<DSWIM, Stardusty, The Legonater, Walt, wokajablocka Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (November - December 2011) Community Build Leader: ACPin Participants: Brickdoctor, Brickmamba, Darth Yogi, Gunner, Hollander, hohesC, JackJonespaw, JediAnakin, legoenvy, Lobot, Lord Of The Fries, M<0><0<DSWIM, mutley777, prateek, seaslip3, The Legonater, Vector, Walt, wokajablocka Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (February - March 2012) Community Build Leader: Oky Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (April - June 2012) Community Build Leader: Oky Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (September - October 2012) Community Build Leader: Oky Next Community Build: Star Wars: Clone Wars/The Clone Wars Series Community Build Leader: Masked Builder Future Community Builds: Star Wars Expanded Universe (video games, novels, comics and other source materials) ________________________________ As an incentive and small token of appreciation to all those who selflessly contribute to the community build, the participants get to choose one of the following tags for their profiles: A special tag will be given to the pioneer batch of community builders in the Venator CB - fittingly the Open Fleet Circle tag: But as a friendly reminder, let us not make these tags the sole reason to join the community builds, I suggest to focus on putting effort on making a solid contribution to the community build, and let these minor tags just be the 'icing on the cake'. _________________________________ Feel free to discuss everything related to the community builds, throw in suggestions/ideas for future community builds, or simply ask questions if you'd like to know something.

^Thanks for the clarification CM!

Well, you already know I've always been a fan of your comic-drawing skills, and it's great to see your artworks once more and just perfect for the Super Heroes month. And it makes me chuckle that you always get your signature "Cat" in yourdrawings (Supercat FTW! ) Great job once again my friend, keep 'em coming! Very deserving!

I'd just like to clarify/confirm two things: Since it's not stated that only "official LEGO minifigures and parts are permitted" I assume custom minifigs are allowed right? If so, is there any limitation to the customization? Purist only? Non-purist allowed? (I think is particularly important for comic covers with characters that haven't been released in LEGO, otherwise we will be limited wih only the official super heroes released so far.) I understand that only the posted/deeplinked photos in the topic are the only ones eligible for judging, but are we aIlowed to provide a link to a flickr/Brickshelf folder with the Photoshop-edited comic cover? (like the rule in MCW contests).

Death Note - Best. Anime. Ever. (Shame on me for taking this too long to watch this anime masterpiece) --- And on the lighter side, I'm actually enjoying my daily dose of Adventure Time!