XimenaPaulina

Hello fellow LSW fans! This thread was created to provide a venue for all your questions regarding our beloved Lego Star Wars. Instead of creating separate question-topics, this thread should be able to accomodate all your questions, with our resident LSW masters and experts always on hand to provide insightful answers to your lingering questions. Even you might be able to answer someone's question. So if there's something bothering you or there's a question you've been wanting to ask but can't find the way to ask them, feel free to post them here - you'd be surprised to get the answers right away. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Original Post] I don't know if this issue has been raised before but I've observed that there seems to be a lot of new 'question-topics' being started in the past couple of days. The problem with this is that these are populating the SW forum and bumping down more post-worthy topics (like Oky's Toy Wars, ACPin's MOCs, and other MOCs as well, just to name a few). Thus, I am humbly suggesting if we could have a single topic dedicated to all the member's questions regarding Lego Star Wars, which I believe will solve this problem - consolidating these separate questions in one single topic and thus saving more forum 'page-space' for other topics. If this has been done before or there is an existing topic for this one, pls. forgive my ignorance. EDIT: Sorry for the typo in the title. ]

Yes, it is all about the Queen – Queen Amidala that is – the character that most Star Wars FOLs have been clamoring to see in minifig form for a very long time. For some reason or another, TLG has kept depriving us of this highly-requested minifig year after year after year. But after 13 long years, the big revelation came out at in last year’s San Diego Comic-Con that TLG will finally release a Queen Amidala minifig – to almost all SW FOLs’ delight and excitement! People wondered in what set this minifig would come in, until came the news that it will come with the set 9499 Gungan Sub, an updated version of the similarly-named 7161 Gungan Sub from way back 1999. Arguably this Queen Amidala minifig is the perceived highlight of this particular set, but one has to wonder, is it worth purchasing the whole set just to get this mighty fine-looking minifig? Does the set have more to offer other than the Queen Amidala minifig? Let’s all take a closer look in this set review to find out. Name: Gungan Sub Number: 9499 Theme: Star Wars | Subtheme: Prequel Trilogy (Episode I) Year: 2012 Pieces: 465 Minifigs: 4 Price: $69.99 | £54.99 Links: Brickset | Bricklink | Peeron (not yet inventoried) | LEGO Shop@Home The Box The box is in the unusual vertical/upright orientation - because regular horizontal rectangular boxes are too mainstream. This wave will be the last we’ll see Darth Maul’s twisted neck mug in the boxart (thankfully, I’m just not a fan ) as 2013 will usher in the new Yoda boxart. The size is just about the normal size for a $70-set, and there’s one intriguing ‘surprise’ that came in this box (which we’ll see later). Click on the images to see hi-res versions. The hazy greenish background is a bit bland compared to other set backdrops, but it represents the dark murky waters of Otoh Gunga perfectly. The faint detail of the Opee Sea Killer creepily stalking underneath/behind the Gungan Sub complements the vehicle quite well in recreating the “There’s always a bigger fish” scene in the movie. I also like the little air bubble details that creates the illusion of being underwater. However, an unwelcome eyesore appears as a flick-fire missile inexplicably fires off from the sub (I do not even recall the Bongo using a torpedo in the movie ). The minifig line-up at the right side and the set details on the left complete the front look of the box. Displayed at the back are the various playability features of the set plus a couple of movie scenes that can be recreated with this set. The layout is very professionally-designed, which I’ve always felt was under-appreciated and/or overlooked by fans. I like looking at these back panels, and I must say that the packaging designers really did a great job on this! (as well as with other SW sets) And look Ma, no push-off tabs! Now I wonder what could that mean… As what has become the recent trend, the minifig line-up shown at the top of the box differs from the one in the front, featuring the alternate faces of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi (with their underwater breathing mouthpiece). It’s also interesting to note that there is no 1:1 minifig panel as the minifigs are already shown in actual minifig size – first time I actually observed this in a set. The Contents Surprise! Surprise! Pizza LEGO anyone? The box opens like a pizza box – quite an unusual way to pack the contents for a set this size. I’m really curious why TLG decided not to use the usual box with the push/pull-off tabs for this set. The contents of the box include five numbered bags of precious LEGO, two instruction booklets, a small sticker sheet, and four loose flexi-tube pieces. The Instruction Booklets The two instruction booklets came in relatively good condition without any folds and creases, even without any cardboard support. Sample Pages Here's a couple of interesting pages inside the instruction booklets: Left: A mini 4-panel comic strip showcasing the Gungan Sub in action and the obligatory Jar-Jar’s clumsiness scene. Right: A page showing the minifig line-up and the playability features – just in case you haven’t seen them in the box. A two-page spread displaying the sets (left) and minifigs (right) from this wave, subtly enticing the consumer: Gotta collect ‘em all! Sticker Sheet and Loose Parts Left: Who says “bigger is better” or “the more, the merrier”? Not with LEGO sets dreaded stickers, and I’m relieved to see only a small sticker sheet came in this set (though I would’ve preferred 100% printed elements). Right: Unlike most sets where the loose parts are usually big plates and/or huge <insert that tiresome argument> pieces, only four small flexi-tube pieces came loose in this set. The LEGO parts Bag #1 Contents: As we might all know from now, the bagged contents are systematically packed together with respect to the chronological order of the building process. As such the first bag contains the parts to build the first “part” of the set. The Jar-Jar Binks minifig is included in this bag. Noteworthy part for me is the trans-orange half-sphere rock piece. Plus, free brick separator! Bag #2 Contents: This is the bag with the least parts content but with the “most monetary value” as the three new minifigures, particularly the Queen Amidala fig, is contained in this bag. Bag #3 Contents: Lots of bley and blue pieces in the third bag, giving an idea that these would (obviously) make up for majority of the vehicle’s build. Bag #4 Contents: Is this déjà vu? No you’re eyes aren’t deceiving you, this is not an error even if the contents of Bag #4 is almost exactly the same as those of Bag #3. They’re about 80% similar, the difference being the opposite orientation of the wedge plates. Know why? Hint: Symmetry. Bag #5 Contents: Being the last bag the pieces contained here will be those for the “finishing touches” of the build. Pieces of interest are the three trans-clear bubble canopies. The Minifigures The set treats us with the three new minifigs, though it feels like that the Queen Amidala minifig is the only “new” one since she’s the lone new character in the line-up. The Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi minifigs have double-faced heads to justify their “new status”, while Jar-Jar Binks is the same one from the 7929 Battle of Naboo set. We’ll take a closer look at these minifigs shortly. Qui-Gon Jinn The Qui-Gon Jinn minifig has the same face details as the one from the 7961 Sith Filtrator set. Nothing much going on with the torso, it’s the same ol' jedi robe print. As stated earlier, this new version has an alternate face featuring the underwater-breathing mouthpiece (A99 aquata breather say the SW geeks). The torso has back printing, thought it’s concealed when the cape is used. Comparison of the Qui-Gon Jinn minifigure with previous versions Here’s the evolution of the Qui-Gon Jinn minifig throughout the years. I personally prefer the original yellow-toned version, which, despite its relative simplicity, perfectly captures the overall look of the Qui-Gon in the movie. The additional face wrinkle details of the newer versions make the Qui-Gon look too old and in the process reduced the resemblance to the actual look of the character. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Jedi Padawan) First thing I noticed in this minifig – Ewan McGregor’s double cleft chin! That part is accurate, but other than that, I can’t see any other resemblance to young Obi-Wan. Though I like the belt detailing in the torso, which is an improvement from the previous versions. Comparison of the Obi-Wan Kenobi minifigure with previous versions: The Jedi Padawan version of Obi-Wan Kenobi has also undergone various redesigns, five to be exact. The ‘99 version is still the best for me, as I prefer the more stoic, calm, and serious Jedi look as opposed to the more detailed but less Jedi-like expressive facial emotions of the newer ones. “Ready for a swim, Master?” Just wanted to show the pic of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon with their aqua-breather faces, which is true to the movie source material. Jar-Jar Binks The only minifig in the set that is not “new” is Jar-Jar Binks, being the same version as the one from the 7929 Battle of Naboo set. If somehow you missed on that particular set, then this is a good chance to own this fig. Comparison of the Jar-Jar Binks minifigure with previous version: As there have only been two variants of the Jar-Jar Binks minifig, it’s quite obvious that the new printed one looks much better with detailed prints. And I just wanted to annoy you with that dorky Jar-Jar image! Queen Amidala “Gentlemen and Ladies, Her Majesty Queen Amidala of Naboo”. The minifig that almost all SW FOLs have been waiting for, the Queen Amidala fig certainly doesn’t disappoint. Just look at those intricate pearl gold prints on the torso and gown, and the elaborate mold detailing of the headdress – quite impressive aren’t they? The “expression-less but with a hint of concern” look is also captured perfectly by the head face print. For those who are curious, here’s a shot of the interior/underside of the leg/dress part. The circular area of the gown covers an area of 4 x 4 studs. Comparison of the Queen Amidala minifigure with the source material On the spot, I must say! Very accurate to the reference material but still retaining the LEGO look, despite the extravagance of the outfit. And in spite of a couple of obvious but minor limitations (the inability to rotate the head and put the minifig in sitting position), the designers couldn’t have done a better job with this minifig IMO. The Build Bag #1 Build First to be built is the back part of the Gungan Sub with the rotating tail propulsion. As we’ll see later, this also functions as a “mini-sub” a.k.a. “escape vehicle when all underwater hell breaks loose”. Jar-Jar Binks, two storage boxes, and an unidentified thingy (water bomb? Inflatable something?) also came from this bag. Bag #2 Build The base foundation of the Gungan Sub is built from Bag #2, together with the three new minifigs of the set. Not much to look at at this point, but it’s a start. Bag #3 Build The Gungan Sub is slowly taking its shape as the first half of the body is built from the third bag. It’s at this stage that some interesting techniques were employed to achieve the tricky curved and sloping shape of the Bongo – specifically with the clever use of hinge plates and curved slopes. Bag #4 Build To complete the other half of the sub, the steps from the Bag 3 instructions are basically repeated, but in the opposite direction. Bag #5 Build Lastly, the final bag comprises of parts to build the top part of the sub and the curved part at the back. The “mini-sub” from Bag 1 is attached in the rear end and the Gungan Sub is now complete! Leftover Parts The usual suspects – 1x1 elements as extra parts. Good thing to know there’s no weird ‘regular’ part left hence no “hey, doofus you forgot something along the build” moment. Different Views of the Gungan Sub Quarter View Top View Side View Quarter Rear View Front View Just to give everybody an idea on the size of this sub, here’s side-by-side shot with the 7965 Millennium Falcon: Playability Features Main Cockpit The main control cockpit is spacious enough to seat three minifigs – a vast improvement from the original version which could only fit one. The set shows the jedi can only be seated without the capes (left), but I was able to seat Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon even without removing their capes (right). Cargo Compartments The two side cockpit cargo compartments have a 6 x 4 x 3 interior space where you could store stuff inside like the unidentified thingy and the capes (left). There’s also a clip on both cockpits where the lightsabers can be placed (right). Detachable "Mini-Sub" The detachable “mini-sub” is a non-canon feature of this vehicle, included in the set simply to provide additional playability. It is attached to the main body using clips in the front and slides in and out of the body with side rails. It can comfortably fit a minifig inside during escape situations, though one has to wonder how in Neptune’s world can the pilot see without any windscreen? Cargo Boxes and Compartment Slots Two cargo boxes with a trans-blue item each is included in the set, though I don’t know what their specific use is. Probably some valuable Gungan artifact that needs to be safely transported by the Bongo? The cargo boxes fit in designated slots on each side of the sub Flick-fire Missiles Torpedoes The ever notorious flick-fire missiles, in this case torpedoes, can be found underneath the side edges of the sub, which, as is the case in most vehicles, can be easily removed according to the user’s liking. Rotating Tail Propulsion This is a pretty neat feature that’s accurate to the source material, though I’m not a fan of the flexi-tube tails which look too thin. I think Pepa Quin’s solution in his Tribubble Bongo MOC is much better in this aspect (though I don’t know if it’s sturdy enough for this set). Comparison with the Reference Material So how does this new LEGO Gungan Sub compare to the source material? Let’s break it down with this comparison: The Good: The overall shape, proportions, and color scheme are pretty much accurate. For a blocky medium, the designers did a good job maximizing the use of curved slopes to achieve the overall curved shape of the Bongo. Even small details like the front navigational sensor (anchor thingy), headlights, sidelights, and rotating tail propulsion are true to the source material. The Bad: Two things: (1) I would’ve preferred printed bubble canopy pieces (like in the original version) over the bare and detail-less ones that came in this set. I felt this was the only step-back from its predecessor. (2) Like what I said earlier, the use of flexi-tubes for the tail is too thin for my liking and I would’ve wanted a broader set of tail propulsions. The Ugly: This might be a limitation of the technique used in the design, but it’s hard to ignore the gaps on the curved part of the sides. Comparison with the 7161 Gungan Sub Instead of unfairly comparing this new Gungan Sub with the original 7161 version, let’s just highlight the significant improvements we’ve seen in this updated Bongo: - Improved overall shape using curved slopes and hingle plates to achieve the curvaceous finish of the Gungan Sub versus the use of blocky slopes in the original version. - More space in the main cockpit to seat three minifigs instead of only one in 7161. - More and better details (front headlights, navigational side lights, etc.) Rating the Set: Design – 8/10 The design of this new Gungan Sub is a vast improvement from the original version, maximizing the use of curved slopes and some nifty angling using hinge plates to approximate the overall curvaceous look of the source material. I’m only bringing the score a couple of notches down due to the lack of printed bubble canopy pieces (which make those parts look bare) and the thin tail propulsions which could be still be improved IMO. Build – 7/10 Aside from a couple of clever techniques, majority of the build is pretty straightforward and there’s not much complexities involved. Parts – 8/10 I like the fact that for a Star Wars set you’ll get in this set a significant amount of useful blue parts as opposed to the usual bleys, blacks, and whites of other ‘regular’ SW sets. The rich selection of curved slopes and wedges are also very much welcome to my parts collection. Minifigures – 7/10 If not for the majestic Queen Amidala fig, I would’ve given this set a failing grade in this aspect. The trio of Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Jar-Jar, however compulsory in this particular set because of the movie material, just doesn’t appeal to me like what other new minifig-centric sets do (ex. 9496 Desert Skiff). Now it makes perfect sense why TLG decided to include the Queen Amidala fig in this set, and it’s quite ironic that the minifig that doesn’t have anything to do with the vehicle is the one which made the minifig line-up interesting. Playability – 7/10 For its size as a set it has a pretty decent amount of playability, at par with the play features of other SW vehicles of similar prize range (X-Wing, Y-Wing, ARC-170 Starfighter, etc.) Price – 8/10 The $70 price tag is justified with a well-designed vehicle plus the highly-anticipated Queen Amidala fig along with the three other characters. Its $0.15 price-to-parts ratio is 36% higher than that of the original 7161 version, though that’s quite an acceptable price increase for a long 13-year gap Overall: 75% Going back to the original question, is this set worthy enough to purchase aside from the “I really want that awesome Queen Amidala minifig badly” motive? I’d say yes, but only if you’re really a fan of well-made SW vehicles. I have a bit of a bias with this set since for some weird reason I like this Tribubble Bongo ever since I saw it Phantom Menace. I would’ve wanted to have gotten the original Gungan Sub set back in ’99 but I was in the middle of my “financially-challenged” college years back then. This may not be one of the popular vehicles in the SW universe, but no one can deny how sleek and cool-looking this vehicle is, and if you appreciate the merits of the vehicle’s design then it’s more than enough reason to buy this set, and the much-hyped Queen Amidala minifig will just be the proverbial “icing on the cake”. As a parting shot, let me share with you this very cool "Building Video Review" of this 9499 Gungan Sub made by the great Artifex Creations. I think this is a nice way to appreciate the build of the set if you wouldn't get the chance to purchase this set. Enjoy!

It’s been a while since I did some minifig customization, and the recent release of the LEGO Avengers sets gave me the opportunity to once again take a crack on customizing minifigs. As great as the official LEGO Avengers minifigs are, there are obviously some missing characters and some perceived inaccuracies of the official figs relative to the movie material. So here are some of my custom LEGO Avengers minifigures: Nick Fury Customization: CW Mace Windu’s head with custom hand prints, custom painted police leather jacket, standard black pants, hand gun, and custom cut trench coat from black cape. Agent Phil Coulson Customization: Purist custom minifig using Admiral Piett’s head with custom ear comlink print, brown hair, businessman torso, black pants and hand gun. Agent Maria Hill Customization: CMS7 Bride’s hair, new Princess Leia’s head with custom ear comlink print, dark blue torso with custom decal from ED-209, Han Solo’s dark blue pants with gun holster print, and hand gun. Black Widow Customization: Official Black Widow torso and legs, new Padme’s head, custom-cut/shortened Black Widow hairpiece painted in dark red, and two hand guns (finally! Pew! Pew!) Hawkeye Customization: Official Hawkeye torso, legs, and compound bow weapon, new Luke Skywalker’s head, and CMS 5 Sleepyhead’s hair, and black arrow quiver. Captain America Customization: Official Captain America minifig with added custom “helmet wing” decal on each side of the head. Tony Stark in Black Sabbath shirt: Customization: Official Tony Stark head, black hairpiece, black torso with custom Brick Sabbath shirt decal from ED-209, dark blue legs and 1x1 round tile “shot glass”. Bruce Banner Customization: Superman head, CW Anakin Skywalker’s hairpiece custom painted in black, tan torso with custom decal from ED-209, and tan legs. Steve Rogers Customization: Old Luke Skywalker’s head, CW Obi-wan Kenobi hair, brown torso with custom decal from ED-209, and light bley legs. Note: Not satisfied with the hair and face, will probably change later to a more appropriate colored hairpiece and face print. Loki with helmet Customization: Official Loki minifigure with helmet and staff with custom cut trench coat from the official green cape Loki with hair Customization: Official Loki minifigure with CMS 5 Highland Battler hairpiece and custom cut trench coat from the official green cape. There you have it, my first batch of custom LEGO Avengers minifigs. There’s more to come after I receive some BL orders. Special thanks to ED-209 for sharing his great decals! C&C’s are always welcome!

Hi everyone! After 4 months of planning, waiting and building, 1000+ pieces acquired, $$$ spent, and countless hours of 'bricking', I'm proud to present to you, my Jedi Starfighter Collection.... This project is one my first MOCs, so pls. bear with my unprofessional and slightly blurry photos. I initially intended only to make a starfighter for my favorite jedi, Kit Fisto, but along the way I got interested and decided to make the rest of the JSFs for the other jedis as well. These starfighters are the Delta-7B Aethersprite-class light interceptors used by the Jedi during the Clone Wars. The design of these starfighters were based on TLG's official version, but with significant modifications. I didn't have any of TLG's JSFs so I built these starfighters entirely from scratch. Some of the modifications I did were: - Corrected color scheme - Shorter front hull - Enclosed astromech compartment - Shorter rear and rear Flaps - Modified engine boosters - Removed all playability features (flick missiles, droid pop-up mechanism, etc.) Let's start with Obi-wan Kenobi's red and white Jedi Starfighter: Comparison with the TLG version and the official JSF: Rear shot: Close-up: Obi-wan and R4-P17 Anakin Skywalker's gray and yellow Jedi Starfighter: Comparison with the TLG version and the official JSF: Rear shot: Close-up: Anakin and R2-D2 Ahsoka Tano's dark red and white Jedi Starfighter: Comparison with the TLG version and the official JSF: Rear shot: Close-up: Ahsoka and R7-A7 Plo Koon's dark blue and white Jedi Starfighter, the Blade of Dorin Comparison with the TLG version and the official JSF: Rear shot: Close-up: Plo Koon and R7-F5 (custom printed) And last but not the least, Kit Fisto's dark red, white, and lime green Jedi Starfighter Comparison with the official JSF (no TLG version): Rear shot: Close-up: Kit Fisto and R6-H5 (used R4-P77) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you liked my collection, C&Cs are welcome!

Things I liked about the "Tragic Rogues": - It is not a rehash like TFA. - It's a breath of fresh air to see a movie where: a. a bunch of 'normal' people accomplished their mission without the always convenient aid from the Jedi. b. all the protagonists die - the proverbial "ultimate sacrifice by an ensemble crew for the bigger cause", something you never see in big movie franchises. - It finally answers one of the biggest mysteries in Star Wars lore - why the F there was a stupid fatal flaw in the design of the Death Star - the movie for me convincingly adresses that. - The ending seamlessly tying to A New Hope (Tantive IV, Leia!) My 3rd best SW film behind ESB and RotJ. One nitpick though: No iconic Star Wars intro music with rolling text.

It has been a while since I did some MOCing, and being physically away from my bricks, I had to turn to LDD to 'release my creative juices'. Inspired by a recent discussion on possible future UCS sets, and challenged by the idea of making my first UCS Design, I present my take on a UCS-scale LAAT/i a.k.a. the Republic Gunship: Project Details: Piece Count: 1,922 (unoptimized) Dimensions: L x W x H = 70 x 84 x 24 studs Design Manhours = approx. 24 hours Different Views: A Closer Look: Left: Detailed cockpit interiors and brickbuilt top cockpit canopy Right: Rear speeder bike rack and sliding door with open viewports (74-Z speeder bike design courtesy of Praiter Yed) Left: Side bubble turrets and troop bay with deckplates Right: Armature swing details of the side bubble turrets Left: Exposed missile belt thread area at the top Right: Ball turret with firing dishes and four air-to-air rockets on each wing A comparison in size with the 7676 Republic Gunship: (7676 RGS LDD design courtesy of ADHO15) Some self-criticisms: - I will admit right from the start that this digital design was made with accuracy and detailing as the focal points, and as such this is a highly unstable model when built with real parts. Making this in real brickbuild will require some 'stability adjustments' from the builder. - Most of the parts are not available in the current colors. - The piece count is still not optimized and can still be further reduced. And before somebody asks, will I build it? Probably when I get the right parts and time to actually build it. Here's the LXF file for those who want to take a closer look at this. And being a digital model, you could make constructive criticisms by simply modifying the build with your suggestion to improve the design and report the file here.

It's an overall mess, nothing better to describe BvS. After all the massive hype this movie has gotten, it heavily fell flat on its face and the negative reviews it has been getting are more than justified. Incoherent plot/storylines, cringe-worthy amateurish slow mo scenes (ugh), out-of-place musical score, oversaturates CGI making the overall visuals look unnatural and fake ala-300, and don't even get me started with the annoying Lex. I feel the movie tries too hard to copy the dark tone of the successful Nolan Batman movies and tries even harder to separate itself from the lighter tone of the MCU, which deflates the whole movie experience of one key element - FUN. If ever you're going to watch try to come to the cinema with very very low expectations.

THIS. Too much of a copy of Ep.IV. Felt underwhelmed overall except for Rey's parts in the movie. An average movie at best, better than the prequels but not as good as the originals. Maybe due to overhype and too high expectations. Looking forward for an Empire-sque Ep.VIII to redeem this new trilogy.

This is probably the best part of the movie for me, she was quite a badass in the end and I was really rooting for her at that time. Going forward I just hope the story will go a different route. No redemption for Kylo Ren ala Vader. No sacrificial death by Luke like Obi Wan. And please no Ewok-like creatures. And pls. do something better about the Phasma character other than getting pwned by a janitor stormie.

TFA was quite disappointing for me. Recycled storylines, forced pacing, tried too hard to be nostalgic, unconvincing acting, annoying lensflares, boring lightsaber duels. Overall meh. I guess my misatake was I expected too much and got overhyped for this movie.

In the past couple of years, Eurobricks has been witness to the rising popularity of LDD use among members as evidenced by the significant influx of LDD MOCs throughout the site. This Index was created to provide a convenient means to search and browse all the LDD MOCs that were posted here in the forums. The LDD MOCs shall be indexed according to theme, and members could add their own or other member’s LDD creations in this Index by following the general guidelines below. General Guidelines: Only LDD MOCs with LXF files that were posted here in Eurobricks (in the appropriate subforum) are eligible to be indexed. Posting your own LDD MOC: If you have done an LDD MOC that you have posted before on the appropriate forum which you’d like to be part of this Index, post the topic link and the LXF file in this topic using the following format: LDD MOC Name by LDD Builder - LXF (insert topic link in the ‘LDD MOC Name’ and the LXF file link to ‘LXF’) If you have a new LDD MOC that you haven’t posted yet, post it first in the appropriate forum, then provide the required topic link and the LXF following the format above. [*]Posting other member’s LDD MOC: If you found an LDD MOC of another member on a certain subforum which you think needs to be added on this Index, post the topic link and the LXF file. Important Reminders: When posting your LDD MOCs in the appropriate subforum, pls. observe the image size limit of 800x600 pixels max. If you made an LDD version of someone else’s MOC and would like it to be indexed here, make sure you give credit to the original source or better if you ask permission from them. If you used an LDD MOC from this Index to make your own brick-built version and you post photos of that MOC, it is a must and proper courtesy to acknowledge the source of the design. The LDD Staff and Indexer reserve the right to refuse MOCs which do not follow the rules and are not up to EB standards. Since we are just staring this Index, feel free to comment, ask questions, and add your suggestions. Index Statistics: (to be updated)

Even before I got the 79108 Stagecoach Escape set, I already knew from the official set images and even from the earlier convention pics that the stagecoach would be a bit, actually not just a bit but quite oversized for minifig-scale. When I finally built the set, despite the visually-pleasing overall design of the stagecoach, I wasn't really fond of its glaring oversized proportions. So the natural thing for me to do was to modify it, and good thing with a little bit of scavenged extra parts here and there and some nice ol' building time, I was able to make some minor modifications that signifcantly improved its relative size with respect to the other elements (horse, minifigs): Modifications: First thing I changed was the wheels, downsizing both pairs to their next smaller sizes (back: 56mm --> 43mm diameter, front: 43mm --> 33mm diameter). I reduced the length of the stagecoach by two studs by removing one pair of doors (one door per side was enough IMO). I decreased the height of the stagecoach by 1 brick by removing the two huge curved cockpit piece underneath, plus another plate height at the top. I made the connection of the horses nearer to the stagecoach so they wouldn't be quite far as in the original model. I removed the "baggage launching mechanism" at the back and simply made the space as baggage storage. Here are some pics of the modified 79108 Stagecoach: Yeah I know, the differently-colored wheels are eyesores , but those are are the only ones I have at the moment until I get my BL orders. Do note that there is no dark tan 33mm-dia. wheel to match the the 43mm-dia. one used in the set, so if ever you're going to change the wheels bear in mind that the only matching colors for the 43mm-dia. and 33mm-dia. wheels are reddish brown or black. Here's a complete side view, where we could see better how the relative size, particulaly the height of the stagecoach, is now more realistic-looking. One compromise I had to make when I downsized the wheels was I had to change the front working wheel mechanism of the original model to this (unfortunately) more blocky version using standard wheel holders of CITY vehicles. This is the only part that I'm not much happy about, but there seems to be no other way to attach the small wheels using other parts other than this specific type of wheel holders. A quarter back view showing the simpler baggage storage area replacing the 'baggage launching mechanism' of the original model. The good thing about this mod is the interior space was retained and you could still comfortably seat two minifigs inside even with their bulky hair, hat, or headdress pieces. Also, the roof can still be detached/attached easily with the minimal studs of the connection point. Comprison of the Modified (left) and Original (right) 79108 Stagecoach Clealry you could see in this side-by-side comparison how much better the size of the modified stagecoach is compared to the original model. The good thing about this is majority of the overall design and details were retained despite the reduction in size. Reference Pic of a real Stagecoach: Overall Thoughts: I am very satisfied how this mod turned out, and now I could happily display the stagecoach knowing it suits my visuals better. What's good about this mod job is it didn't require too many or too complex additional pieces, the parts used were quite common and the only part you may be needing are the two pairs of wagon wheels in the same color. For those who want to "fix" their 79108 stagecoach also, I prepared the instructions so you could do these modifications if you want to. Alternatively, for those who use LDD, here is the LXF file so you could see the virtual model of this modified stagecoach: LXF Modified 79108 Stagecoach by Kiel.Da.Man Note: Pls. kindly use the instructions and/or the LXF file 'responsibly'. Thanks. Thanks for looking! As always, comments, violent reactions are welcome! .

I’ve always thought that the Legends of Chima theme won’t appeal to the AFOL in me considering it is primarily targeted to kids, but surprisingly one new set in the second wave of this theme suddenly captured my interest – the new 70008 Gorzan’s Gorilla Striker. We’ve seen lions, crocodiles, eagles, ravens, and wolves before, and now the second chapter of the Legends of Chima introduces us to the newest tribe in the world of Chima – the Gorillas. For some reason I find these new Gorilla characters/minifigs really appealing, they look so adorably ‘brute and cute’. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that the set includes a great-looking gorilla mech – probably one of, if not, the best Chima vehicles released. So let’s take a closer look at this set with this review… Set Information Set Name: Gorzan's Gorilla Striker Set Number: 70008 Theme: Legends of Chima Year: 2013 Pieces: 505 Minifigures: 4 Price: US$49.99 Links: Brickset | Bricklink (not yet listed) | LEGO Shop@Home (not yet listed) The Box One of the best aspects about the Chima sets is their ‘customized boxarts’ depicting the main character each set, in this case it’s Gorzan’s face prominently displayed in the upper right corner beside the LEGO and Chima logos. The main boxart presents the set with a battle scene between the Gorilla tribe with their Gorilla Striker mech versus their lone Raven opponent. One minor nitpick with the graphics is the way the mini-tree build was photoshopped in the background looks ‘a bit off’, it’s as if it was just plastered directly on top of the trees. The back shows the obligatory play features of the set, on an slightly more organized layout than usual (the panels are properly aligned compared to more random placement in other themes’ set boxes). Another unusual detail are the text describing the play features in all the panels (in six different languages), which we don’t normally see with other sets. An image showing the face-off between Gorzan and Rizzo on the upper right corner gives a nice touch to the relatively subdued blue background. There is an ad on the lower right corner for the LEGO Chima Game online, which provides another interactive play platform for Chima fans. I haven’t played the game, nor I have the intention to, but it’s good to see TLG adapting to the current age of mobile online technology, as evidence by the iPad/tablet graphic on top. The top of the box displays the minifigures of the set and the 1:1 panel. The box is so long that there are lots of unoccupied background space. The minifig display at the top of the box has full body action shots of the minifigs while the one in front of the box shows the ID profile shots with the respective character names. I like this variation in presentation unlike in other themes (i.e. the Lone Ranger) where both minifig line-ups have the same poses. The main character of this set, Gorzan, is shown in the 1:1 inset. The Contents Four numbered bags of LEGO, three loose pieces, an instruction booklet, and a small sticker sheet are what we get from this set. The Instruction Booklet The instruction booklet has the same coverart and horizontal orientation as the box, though the booklet is meant to be read vertically inside. The instructions have a conservative plain light bluish background and lack the faint images detailing on the pages that other themes’ instruction booklets have. I also noticed some pages have a lot of steps like the one pictured above, dividing the page into two sections. AFOLs probably won’t have problems with this, but younger kids may have to be careful when reading the instructions so as not to miss any step. Click the image for hi-res version I was a bit surprised that there was an ad midway through the booklet (first time I encountered one) and I thought that I may have gotten an incomplete instruction booklet. But it was just a centerfold (that is meant to be taken out of the booklet if one wishes to) showcasing all the Chima character minifigs including the new ones from the second wave. The Sticker Sheet A small sheet of stickers for added decorative detail on the set is included. The Pieces Bag #1 All the minifig parts are contained in the first bag, along with the pieces needed to build the Raven tree/vehicle contraption. Love the dark red foliage pieces. A brick separator is included too. Bag #2 The medium azure pieces stand out among the sea of the usual blacks, greys, and browns. Bag #3 There are a lot of interesting parts on Bag #3: a. Bananas! You get 7 of ‘em. Yum-yum! b. There are several huge pieces in this bag, particularly those 3x3 and 6x6 quarter circle round corner bricks (first time in black) and the medium azure octagon plates. c. Lots of multiple pieces in this bag! (17 x brown round plates, 8 x black round bricks, 8 x black dome heads, 8 x mechanical arms, etc…) Bag #4 The are still multiple pieces in this bag but not as much as in the third bag. The colors are consistent with the black-brown-grey-medium azure general motif of the pieces. Interesting Pieces Since this set is not yet listed in Bricklink I don’t have the exact piece names, but these are the ones that was interesting for me: The black technic part, the 1x2 curved slope, the hammer head piece and knuckle hand accessory. The 2x3 curved slope also seems to be a new part (first time I’ve seen it). The Minifigures The highlight of the minifig line-up is obviously the new Gorilla characters: Gorzan, Grimloo, and G’loona. I like the fact that despite being part of the same animal tribe they have unique colors and detailing (just like the other tribes). The Rizzo Raven minifig isn’t new and has been released in two previous sets before. Gorzan The main gorilla character of Legends of Chima is Gorzan, a black gorilla and a great warrior of his tribe. He is armed with a giant hammer and sports a battle armor with a Chi crystal. There is a slight discrepancy with the head markings from the TV show character, but I presume this minifig is the “battle version” of Gorzan having different “war face markings”. Gorzan’s fierce expression is fit for a great warrior of the Gorilla Tribe. The light green war face paints goes well with his black skin/hair color. Removing the armor the full print details of both the front and back torsos can be clearly seen. Gorzan has a double-sided head showing a battle-raged angry face on one side and a happy and relieved expression on the other. Grumlo Having a lighter grey skin/hair tone, Grumlo looks less fierce than Gorzan with his more laid-back mouth expression in his gorilla head. The white hair on the cheeks indicate that he’s probably one of the older Gorilla tribesmen(?). Grumlo has the same laid-back facial expression on both sides of his head. Also, gotta love those two bananas tuck in his waist at the back! G’loona A young female brown gorilla, G’loona can’t be anymore ‘girlier’ with all the floral decorations on her head and body. She has a child-like expression on her gorilla headpiece emphasized with her buck teeth and pimpled cheeks. Her weapon of choice is a pair of “giant clobbering fists” (for lack of a better term). She has a similar expression in her head like the one in the headpiece, while the other side has a slightly pissed-off look. The printing of her front and back torso are consistent showing her leaf brassiere with flower decors. Rizzo The scavenger of the Raven Clan, Rizzo sports his signature metal eyepatch and pegleg and armed with his dual-purpose blaster-axe. His overall appearance is the stereotypical “black villain look”. Like the rest of the Chima minifigs he has a double-sided head having an angry evil look and a surprised/scared alternate expression. Minifig Weapons Rizzo’s dual-function blaster-axe, Gorzan’s and Grumlo’s battering sledgehammers, and G’loona’s clobbering fists. The Build Bag #1 Build First to be built are all the minifigures and the tree-catapult contraption. I’ve been used to sets with the multiple minifigs not built from one bag, so this is something I haven’t seen in a quite some time. Bag #2 Build This is the starting point of building the Gorilla Striker mech. A gear mechanism inside will provide an important functionality which we’ll see later. The main body/torso of the mech is semi-finished at this point. Note the prominent use of brackets – this will be essential in the SNOT design of the mech. Bag #3 Build This stage of the build is where it gets repetitive as there are quite a number of multiple builds, like 8 x fingers, 2 x arms, 2 x shoulders. Kids may need more patience to get through this stage. An interesting part of build is the banana cannon weapon. Needless to say, the concept behind this cannon using banana as ammunition is crazy genius! We get a half-mech after the third bag build. From this you’ll already expect what would be the last part of the build is… Bag #4 Build The finishing touches are built from the last bag, namely the waist and leg parts. Attaching these to the main body and we now have the finished mech! I’d like to show the ‘segmented’ style of the build with this image – the whole build process is systematically designed to build the separate body parts and attached together in the end. The Completed Set Leftover Pieces Lots of the usual 1x1 spare parts, though I fear I might’ve missed a step after seeing that 2x2 round plate. The Set Features Gorzan’s Gorilla Striker As the ‘star of the set’, the Gorilla Striker mech is one huge, bulky, and imposing build. The overall black color scheme with medium azure highlights is based on Gorzan’s own skin/hair tone combo. The mech having long arms and short legs approximates those of real-world gorillas. And if by any chance you haven’t noticed it, the details of the “body” are actually parts of the face of a gorilla (see the eyes, nose, and two sharp teeth?). Quite clever design isn’t it? The back is less covered compared to the front, which actually provides unobstructed access to the various play mechanisms. Prominently seen on the side views are the wide curved shoulders of the mech – which is my one of my favourite aspects of the design as it gives the mech an imposing muscular brute appearance. There are also a pair of tubes on both sides going to and from the hand and shoulders, whose function I assume is a fuel link that provides power to those huge arms (yeah, I just made that stuff out ). There is however an noticeable flaw in the design – one of the drawbacks of having a large and heavy body and small stubby legs is there is instability in making the mech stand up. The mech has tendency to fall back when stood up straight, so one has to stoop it down a bit to stabilize the center of gravity (as evidenced in both images). Mech Movement If my count is correct there are 20 different points of articulation which allows for various movements of the mech’s limbs. These movements are mostly for play purposes, and due to the aforementioned instability of the mech, action poses are somewhat limited. The main action movement of the mech are the synchronized pounding of its huge arms controlled by a rotating knob at the back (remember the gear mechanism at the start of the build?). Here’s a video showing how it works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilZTZ5O-idk I really like this function! So simple yet so playable. I’m sure kids would enjoy this feature of the mech. Left: The mech seats one pilot at the top, but the space is very limited and there is some difficulty putting the Gorzan inside because of his battle armor. The banana cannon also sits atop the right shoulder of the mech, Iron Patriot-style. Right: There is a clip at the back to put Gorzan’s hammer while he’s operating the mech. A couple of studs in the shoulders allow both G’loona and Grumlo to hitch a ride on the Gorilla Striker. Flick-fire Missiles Flick-fire Missile lovers would surely enjoy this mech as it is equipped with not one, not two, not three… but SIX flick-fire missile hidden inside the mech’s body! There is an option to open only two flick-fire hatches, or you could go all-out with six missiles and destroy the opponent by opening the whole body cover. All flick-fires are fired by push-levers at the back. There is also a hidden crystal inside the body compartment. Rizzo’s Tree Catapult This build is composed of a tree catapult and a vehicle on top. This catapult works like any catapult would, or does it really? Well, I tried (look below): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYLaW9MdUms I guess you have to press the lever on the sides for it to work properly. Dumb Kiel There is also a miniature catapult beside the tree, where Rizzo could fire away anti-gorilla mech blackberry bombs. Here's a comparison of the Gorilla Striker with other LEGO Mechs: Click image for hi-res version LXF sources: 6862 - Tontus, 9448 - Zarkan, 60008 - CMS4, 8970 - prateek, 70500, 70505, 70704 - penguinz, 70708 - KDM Rating the Set Design – 9/10 I am absolutely impressed with the overall design of the mech – from the aesthetics, color scheme, functionality, etc. The only minor criticism for me is the instability of the mech for action posing purposes, but that wouldn’t be much of an issue for children I suppose. Parts – 9/10 It’s great to get a good combination of new parts, new colors of existing pieces, and a nice variation of colors from the usual blacks, greys and browns to colorful medium azure. The multiple number of several pieces will also be useful for future MOCs. Build – 8/10 While there are some several repetitive steps, there are a number of interesting building techniques particularly those involving SNOT. Minifigs – 10/10 What can I say I really love the new Gorilla minifigures – they’re colourfully unique and highly detailed. Even the villain Rizzo minifig ain’t bad either (no pun intended). Playability – 10/10 There will definitely no shortage of playability with this set – from the mech’s arm-stomping action, flick-fire missiles, banana cannon, tree catapult – kids will spend countless enjoyable hours of playtime! Price – 9/10 The price slightly lower than the 10 cents/parts ratio (9.899c), even with the large parts the $50 price tag is more than justified IMO. Overall: 92% This set is definitely worth the purchase – from the new gorilla minifigs to the Gorilla Striker mech itself – I recommend it to anyone who would like to try our the Legends of Chima theme. Parting Shot Thanks for your time reading the review! C&C’s are always welcome. :monkey:

Fire-themed sets have been a staple of the LEGO Town and CITY themes (along with the Police subtheme), recurring in a few years interval in the past several years with updated versions of the Fire set ‘regulars’ (i.e. Fire Station, Fire Trucks, etc.). 2013 marks another year where we get a new line-up of Fire-themed sets. So how do these new sets look like? How do they compare with previous releases from the past years? Let’s take a closer look as I review three sets from this 2013 line-up in this Triple Review Special. Up next for review is the 60002 Fire Chief Car. Normally, minifigs with relatively high positions in the service, like the Fire Chief of a Fire Department or a Police Chief of a Police Department, are exclusive to large sets such as Fire Stations or Police Stations. But this year, no other than the Fire Chief himself is included in the second smallest set in the 2013 CITY Fire product line - along with his personal Fire Chief Car! Now how exciting is that? Name: Fire Chief Car Number: 60001 Theme: CITY | Subtheme: Fire Year: 2013 Pieces: 80 Minifigs: 2 Price: $11.99 Links: Brickset | Bricklink | Peeron (not yet inventoried) | LEGO Shop@Home The Box Even if the car is clearly the 'star of the set' and is even prominently placed in front of the boxart for maximum exposure, I can't help but enjoy the sight of the Head of the Fire Department helping a poor lady get his attention-craving pussy cat from the tree using a fish... Whew, can you just count the weird things I said in that sentence? Weird but True Story (with Barney Stinson impersonation). The laugh trip continues at the back of the box, since it seems the boxart designers really had a hard time putting the 'interesting features' of this set at the back that it had to resort to a three-panel silent comics, showcasing how the 'Knight in Shining Gold Helmet' 1) arrived, 2) saved the Damsel in Distress's poor kitty, and 3) had to leave Milady as duty calls and destiny will tell if they shall meet another day... Enough of the making fun of the boxart alright. Mr. Fire Chief is featured in the 1:1 minifig panel, and looks like his dashing debonaire looks not only works for the ladies but for felines as well... (sorry can't help it! ). The Contents (Yes, thank heavens no more boxart to joke about!) We get three un-numbered bags of LEGO, an instruction booklet, sticker sheet, and the car chassis as the loose piece. For a set with such a small piece count, it's head-scratching why the parts had to be bagged separately. Seriously, less plastic usage/consumption = more environment-friendly right? The Instruction Booklet The instruction booklet came in folded condition, but not really an issue for me. Same boxart-instruction cover art = nothing new. Sample Page I'm trying to remember if the blue background with white streaks is new or is it just been a while since I puschased some CITY sets? Anyways, the instructions are legibly printed, color differentiation is easy and the overal progress of the build was easy to follow. Sticker Sheet The sticker sheet contains five decorative decals for the Fire Chief Car. The LEGO parts Quite a colorful selection parts - all the primary LEGO colors (red, blue, yellow, green, white, black, grey, brown) are interestingly represented among the parts of this set. Pieces of Interest: There are three interesting pieces in this 80-piece selection: (1) Quad Curved Wedge roof piece which was only introduced last year and the red variant being exclusive to this set; (2) "Wedge 3 x 4 x 2/3 Cutout" which can only be found in two sets; with this set being the only regular set where it can be found (the other is the 2012 Luke Skywalker's Chibi-Landspeeder ComiCon giveaway) (3) Metallic Gold fireman's helmet which is exclusive to only three sets (previously found only in the Fire Brigade modular building). The Minifigures Technically, there are only two minifigures in this set, but I decided to include Ms. Pussy Cat Pants since she's an integral part of the presentation of this set's storyline. Fire Chief The Fire Chief wears the new 2013 Fire outfit, which seems to be the common get-up as the Fire Motorcyclist from 60000 also wears the same. Judging by his expression, Mr. Fire Chief seems to be an approachable good-natured person, something you rarely see in persons of high positions (TRUTH!). But the main star of this minifig is none other than the shinin' shimmerin' metallic gold fireman's helmet. Note that the Fire Chief appears in another set, in the larger 60004 Fire Station, in his office attire - which, honestly, is a better-looking variant of the Fire Chief (hence, the reason it's exclusive to that big set ). Ms. Cat-lover While the parts of this minifig aren't something new, it is always a welcome addition when female civilians are included in regular sets. Honestly, I simply love the overall look of this female minifig - from the the blonde hair to the medium blue torso, even the pairing with plain white legs - it all works for me, even if she's just a 'supporting minifig' in this set. Pussy Cat As one great dragon said, "Animals are people too!". Hence Ms. Pussy Cat is part of the cast. Meow! Purr.... The cat is just the usual standard white faceless printless feline we're all familiar with. The Build For all intents and purposes, excluding the minifigs and the highly-creative 3-part tree, all the build is focused on the Fire Chief Car. In about 23 elementary steps you'll be finished building the vehicle. Let's take a closer look at the finished product: Gotta admit the car has some nice sleek overall look made possible by the effective combination of curved and sloped parts. The only questionable part is the uneven finish of the hood. I assume the designers were trying to replicate the slightly elevated portions of the hoods of modern cars, though it doesn't translate to LEGO well. It's actually not that bad, just noticeable - but still passable. This is probably the closest real-life Fire Chief car I've seen in the web, a Dodge Chysler Fire Chief car, that is similar to the 60001 model. Though the 60001 Fire Chief car clearly isn't patterned from a Chrysler, it still resembles the overall smooth finish, and even the two-level white body strips seem to be identical. Different Views of the Fire Car One minor detail I like about this car is the use of the hinge plate finger as the side mirrors - not a new technique but still gets a star on my book. The side view is also my favorite as it shows the overall sleekness of the car. The set number is also stickered at the sides and acts as the Car Unit Number. For some reason the car loses its sleekness and suddenly looks stubby when viewed quarterly at the back. Despite the car's sleekness when viewed at other angles, such trait is absolutely absent in the front and back views, as the car looks like painfully squarish (but not blocky). Interestingly, the set number is also inlcuded in the license plate together with the set designer's initials "CL". Set Features Left: The stickered control panel located in front of the steering wheel - with gauges, buttons and a two-way radio prints - is a pretty neat detail that I did not expect but was pleasant surprise. Right: A small storage rack is located at the back of the driver's seat, where a fire extinguisher and radio can be stored. Left: The quad curved wedge roof allows for the Fire Chief to wear his precious golden helmet even when inside the car. Right: One gripe I have about this car (or for almost any vehicle that don't have this), is the lack of functional doors! Poor Fire Chief have to squeeze his way through the windows just to get inside! Ok we're back to where we started, poking fun once again at the pussy cat-saving scenario "playability feature" of this set. Surely, even a kid would get tired saving the woman's cat over and over again. But then again let's not kid ourselves, the main play feature of this set is the car, so everything else is just icing on the cake so to speak. One last thing, I shall recite a short poem in honor of the award-winning design of the majestic tree: I think I shall never see A thing as oversimpified as this tree A tree with trunk as straight as Big Ben And as smooth as bald old men. The Completed Set Rating the Set: Design – 8/10 The car is nice but would've been better with doors (-1). The tree is also hilariously oversimplified (-1). 8/10 is a decent overall score for the design of this set. Build – 6/10 If not for the car this would have been a Perfect 10 if I judged the intricacies of the complexity of the tree's building techniques. Parts – 9/10 Three relatively new and uncommon parts in a small set notches a high score on my grading system. Minifigures – 9/10 Loved the Fire Chief's golden helmet, while the female civilian minifig is even more lovable. Playability – 6/10 The set designer probably struggled mightily justifying saving a cat as a playability feature. At least there's always the car to rely on as the main play feature of the set. Price – 7/10 A $0.15/piece ratio is less than ideal, but I guess having two minifgures kinda justifies the price. Overall: 75% Thanks for taking the time to read this review! Next up is the final part of this Three-Part Review Series, the 60002 - Fire Truck Review. You could also look at the previous 60000 - Fire Motorcycle Review if you haven't seen it yet. 60000 - Fire Motorcycle Review 60002 - Fire Truck Review

New licensed themes are always a welcome development to our beloved hobby, but let's admit it, LEGO has been churning out new licensed themes lately at a pace that has become increasingly difficult for us FOLs to 'follow'. Good thing I'm a non-completist selective buyer, so I normally just pick up the best, or two, sets of the theme. So when the new licensed theme Disney's The Lone Ranger came out this year, the set that stood out among the rest for me and the one that really got my interest was the 79108 - Stagecoach Escape - for a variety of reasons: a great-looking minifig line-up, a good selection of new parts, and a visually-appealing stagecoach build. So how does the actual set meet my initial expectations? Join me in this review as I find out. Set Information Set Name: Stagecoach Escape Set Number: 79108 Theme: The Lone Ranger Year: 2013 Pieces: 279 Minifigures: 5 Price: $29.99 Links: Brickset | Bricklink | Peeron (not yet inventoried) | LEGO Shop@Home Product Description Make a famous Lone Ranger Stagecoach Escape! Look out for the bandits going after Red Harrington’s valuable silver locked in the vault in the Stagecoach Escape! Launch the baggage off the back to slow the bad guys down! Then jump down onto the galloping horses, detach them from the wagon and help the Lone Ranger and Tonto to chase the outlaws off before they steal the stash! Includes 5 minifigures with weapons and accessories: the Lone Ranger, Tonto, Red Harrington and 2 bandits, Jesus and Barret. • Includes 5 minifigures with weapons and accessories: the Lone Ranger, Tonto, Red Harrington and the 2 bandits, Jesus and Barret • Features opening doors and roof, baggage launch function, opening vault with silver bar, mailbag with letter and 2 detachable horses • Also includes bandit’s horse • Weapons include 3 revolvers, rifle and 2 knives • Accessories include a pocket watch decorated element and dynamite • Detach the horses and chase the bandits away! • Launch the baggage and send the villains tumbling! • Battle to protect the silver • Open the stagecoach roof and doors to play inside • Stagecoach measures over 5" (13cm) high, 5" (14cm) long and 2" (7cm) wide The Box The boxart for this new product line comprise of a top yellow motif with the obligatory logos of LEGO, Disney, and The Lone Ranger, along with the image of the Lone Ranger as he appears in the upcoming movie. The brightly-colored packaging seems a bit of a clashing contrast with the predominantly subdued earth-toned, steampunkish hues evoked by the movie source material. I like the action-packed scene depicted in the coverart, with all the characters and elements of the set involved in a seemingly high-speed Wild West chase, the details of which we won't know until the movie comes out in August. The usual minifig line-up appears at the bottom right corner (which we'll look at more closely later), and the rest of the standard set details complete the front of the box. As what we've all been accustomed to, the set features are presented at the back in separate panels surrounding the main image of the complete set. I do feel however, that most of the so-called 'playable' features of the set are kinda 'forced' and seems to have been thrown in there as "space fillers" (like Tonto holding a compass pocket-watch, and Red Harrington somewhat distressed with a letter?). I may be just saying this since I don't know the importance of these particular bits in the actual movie, so I'll try to give these the benefit of the doubt. There are two images of the minifig line-up shown in the box: the 1:1 actual size image of the minifigs at the top and the half versions in the front (lower right corner) with their descriptive names of the character. The font used is a nice touch consistent with the Wild Western theme of the movie. Now I'd like to highlight a significant mistake in the minifig line-up: the "Barret" shown is actually Kyle from 79110 Silver Mine Shootout (thanks to 8Brickmario for this info). Probably this was a last minute change in the minifig line-up (Kyle was supposed to be in this set until Barret was included instead). The Contents There are three plastic numbered bags containing the pieces of the set, along with a single instruction booklet and a sticker sheet. No loose parts are included. The Instruction Booklet The instruction booklet bears the same coverart as the box minus the set details and the minfig line-up, which allows you to appreciate more the minute details of the artwork, like the realistic sand drift dust effect. The Sticker Sheet There is one small sticker sheet included in the set, which provides the decorative printing of the stagecoach. It's interesting to see the slight gold metallic sheen in the stickers. The Parts Bag #1 Contents As the starting point of all LEGO sets, the first bag contains the initial parts needed for the base of the build - in this case the stagecoach's base, comprised of the greys, blacks, wooden browns, and the wagon wheels. The two new black horse molds are also inlcuded in this bag, as well as the first two minifgs - Lone Ranger and Jesus. Bag #2 Contents Black and red dominate the parts selection of the second bag, which will expectedly be used for the body of he stagecoach. The Tonto minifigure parts are in this bag, and note that the hairpiece comes in a separate plastic packaging, signifying it was produced or printed in a different location from the rest of the parts. Bag #3 Contents The last bag contains the finshing pieces for the build, together with the two remaining minfigs of the set - Red Harrington and Barret. The third brown horse of the set is also part of Bag #3. Interesting Pieces This set has several new (but not exclusive) pieces: like the Dark Bluish Gray Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Pin Hole, Black Technic, Pin Connector Perpendicular 2 x 4 Bent, and the new hand pistol pieces, in flat silver and pearl dark grey colors. (My apologies if I have inlcuded the Black Hinge Plate 2 x 2 Locking with 1 Finger on Top, which is new to me but is acually a 2-year old piece already. ) The compass pocket-watch piece has some nice detailed printing on the 1x1 tile, and the exclusive headpieces with detachable accessories are also something to behold. The Minifigs Consistent with the marketing strategy of sets nowadays, this set offers a sumptuous treat of beautiful-looking and highly-detailed minifigs of five of the characters in the movie. Aside from the aesthetics, another good aspect of this minifig line-up is the balance between the protagnosists (2) and the antagonsits (2), and one in between (1), plus the fact that the two main characters in the movie - the Lone Ranger and Tonto - are included, makes the set even more tempting to get. Now let's take a closer look at these lovely minfigures individually: The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger minfigure may not be as flamboyant as Tonto or Red Harrington, but it certainly succintly captures the look of the movie character. It has leg prints and back prints, though no alternative facial expression. Comparing it with the actual look of the movie chracacter, one would easily notice that the minifig is a clean-cut (shaven!) version of the Lone Ranger. The holster was also curiousy missing on the leg prints. But overall, the minifig is a pretty good representation of the Lone Ranger in LEGO. Tonto Thanks in part of being an eccentric Johnny Depp character, the Tonto minifig has 'lots of personality' on it. From the highly-detailed hairpiece with the dead crow accessory to the face-painted head to the intricate native American printing of the torso and legs, this minifig is as colorfully weird as it gets! The Tonto minifig has an alternative nervous/scared facial expression. Removing the hairpiece reveals the front hair and tribal necklace printing and the simple back muscle print details. The minifig is quite accurate with the source material, though IMO it would've been better if it had a more serious facial expression like the ones pictured (and from the trailers I've seen so far) as compared to the slight smile of the current one. And it seems the designers decided to give the minifig a dash of bright olive green accent on the hairpiece, which is clearly not found on the actual Tonto. Red Harrington Bright red dress, white stockings on one leg, curly orange hairdo with small green girly hat, quite a flmaboyant minifig isn't she? And using a short cape as a skirt piece? Brilliantly clever! (first time done on a minifig from what I know). The Red Harrington minfig also has a second expression - a scared damsel-in-distress facade. As mentioned earlier, the hat is detachable from the hairpiece, which makes both pieces useful in minfig customization. What's a Johnny Depp movie without Helena Bonham-Carter right? I think the three little facial line prints of the minifig is convincing enough to depict a middle-aged woman. The torso and leg prints seem to be accurate (the stocking can be seen in a scene in the latest movie trailer), but the hat is violet in the pictures shown (though she could have worn a green one in the movie - we still don't know yet). But personally, this the minfig I like the best in this line-up. Barret One of the two bandits in pursuit of Red Harrington and her silver-containing vault, the Barret minfigure is as Wild West Outlawish as it gets - a dirty villainous mug (unshaven face, evil sideburns, maniacal eye-bagged stare), unruly outfit and the signature black hat and gloves. Jesus I would go on a limb and assume the character's name is not pronounced as Jesus (Christ) but rather as Hey-sus (Mexican pronunciation). Now that is cleared, we could focus on the minifig . I like the fact that he has a completely different look than Barret even through they are scum buddies - different hat mold and color, different outfit color and print design, and he even has a bandit handkerchief. We don't know how important these characters are in the movie, but if they aren't, then it's an added bonus to get different variations of torso, legs, heads, and accessories considering minor roles in the source material. Here's a group shot of the protagonists: ...and the bad guys: Like I said, I love the variation of the minifig elements and accessories, which is very useful in minifig customization. Horses Well, horses aren't minifigures but I'd just like to highlight that the set gives a rare opportunity to get three of the new horse molds, with the two black horses exclusive to this set at the moment (different from the black Nazgul horses). When was the last time, and what was the last set, to give at least three horses in a set? (and a relatively small set to boot). Heck, even the large LOTR sets didn't give this much 'horse love'. The Build Bag # 1 Build The base of the stagecoach is solidly built from the first bag of parts, and unlike the initial builds from other sets, this could actually be ridden' and taken into action already, right? (the horses are ready, the wheel mechanism is soundly attached to the base, there is a space for the driver's seat - this one is ready to go! ) Bag #2 Build This is one minor repetitive step in the Bag #2 build - the sides of the stagecoach body. But other than that, almost all steps are unique and non-repeating. The majority of the stagecoach body is built from the second bag of parts, along with the Tonto figure. There is one interesting bit I noticed when building at this stage (though not pictured): 1x1 bricks with holes were used as regular 1x1 bricks, which I think is a clever cost-saving move (since the holed 1x1s have less plastic than the regular 1x1s but provide the same use). Also note that at this point, there was no instructions yet to add this build to the previous build from Bag #1. Bag #3 Build I deviated a bit from the instructions since I wanted to show the elements built from the third bag of pieces (those were actually meant to be added together with the two previous builds to form the final product): these include the curved base of the stagecoach body, the detachable roof, some decorative tiles and the baggage (mail, vault). One thing I noticed is that the four brown 4-L bars could've been already added to the body of the stagecoach built from Bag #2, so I don't know why these had to be added on the last part(?). The Completed Build Combining all the individual builds from the three bags and we'll end up with this lovely-looking stagecoach complemented by the five minifigs. Quite a nice array of elements for a pretty solid set isn't it? Leftover Parts There are a couple of those new pistols and the compass pocket-watch-printed 1x1 tile from the leftover parts. A closer look at the Stagecoach Despite how great-looking this stagecoach is the main criticism about it is it's insanely absurdly oversized. Wth this view, it is very clear that is indeed signficantly larger than real-world stagecoaches, like these ones: Now one could argue that this stagecoach is based on a fictional movie where there are machine gun-wielding Wild West trains or a man resurrected from the dead, so an over-sized stagecoach isn't a far-fetched idea right? In any case, the inherent beauty of LEGO is we could always modify builds according to our liking, so I'm pretty sure with the proper amount of inspiration and parts this could be easily 'modded' to approximate the size of real-life stagecoaches. Here's a couple more views of the stagecoach: Set Features Left: The driver's box comfortably seats one person, and it is accurately high as real-world stagecoaches. Right: The front wheel mechanism is cleverly designed in such a way that it could turn left or right and even adjust up-and-down in response to the motion of the horses. I think this is one of the brilliant aspects of the build and the designer's really went out of their way to give us a working wheel mechanism that is far better than the standard fixed wheel-hub set-up. The rear wheels are fixed by the way, but it has a certain 'fragility' that realistically captures the instability of horse-drawn carriages/coaches. So how does the passengers get on to the stagecoach? Owing to its ginormous size, one has to exert extrat effort to ride this baby. But seriously, the passengers can be put inside by removing the detachable roof and putting the minfigs inside (right). Ironically, despite its gigantic size, the stagecoach only accomodates two passengers inside, though a third could probably be squeezed in there and several more could hitch a ride at the top of the roof or at the sides using handrails. Getting out of the stagecoach is as problematic as getting in for minifigs. Now I know why Red Harrington had that scared alternative expression Good thing our ever-reliable duo are ready to help a lending catching hand. There is a storage compartment at the back of the stagecoach that has some sort of baggage-launching mechanism to "send the villains stumbling" as the S@H description says. All you need is to open the cover, push down on the technic knobs and the briefcase will flip away, though I'm not so sure about its accuracy against villainous bandits (haven't tried it, sorry! ). This vault is the primary reason why the two bandits are chasing our heroes in the stagecoach - it contains Red Harrington's valuable silver! Little do they know it's a decoy as it's just made of ABS plastic! Kidding aside, the vault is nicely built and serves its purpose - though we still don't know its accuracy until we see the movie. There are several more features that I wasn't able to take pictures of, like the detachable connection of the horses from the stagecoach (and apparently you could ride them that way as shown at the back of the box ), the detachable roof and the storage space above (though it can be seen from the other pics), and the 4-L bar and even the tan 1x2 modified plates at the top of the stagecoach windows which could be used as handrails. Rating the Set Design – 8/10 The stagecoach is a visual eye-candy, it's a gorgeous build with a nice balance of aesthetic beauty and working functionality (wheel mechanism, storage compartments, passenger interior) - well that is until it is placed side-by-side with standard minfigs and horses. I would've wanted to give this a perfect score, but its oversized stature simply cannot be ignored, so I'm rightfully bringing the score down a couple of notches. Build – 9/10 I was very pleased with the technic-based wheel mechanism, I thought it was a pretty neat realistic feature that required extra effort by the designers instead of giving us the old and tired fixed wheel set-up. It was also refreshing to see a conscious attempt to use less plastic in builds (using 1x1 bricks with holes for regular 1x1 bricks), that garners a plus point for me. Parts – 8/10 There was a good number of relatively new parts, though I'm impressed the most by the three horses provided by this set. Minifigures – 10/10 Normally, I try to not make the minifigs as the sole reason why I buy sets, but this turned out to be better than I expected as I bought this set mainly for the stagecoach but the minfigs made this a much more rewarding purchase. The wildly beautiful Tonto and Red Harrngton figs with exclusive pieces and accessories, the useful and interchangeable cowboy parts of the Lone Ranger and the two bandits, this minifig line-up is certainly a winner! Playability – 7/10 The designers tried their best to put in extra features like the baggage-launcher at the back of the stagecoach, but I still think the only playability this set offers is the "chase role-playing" between our heroes and the baddies. Though even if it's the only real play value, I think kids would still pretty much enjoy their playing time with this set. Price – 9/10 I think this has a great value for a US$30 set: well-designed stagecoach, five minifigures, three horses, and a good selection of parts, can't really complain about that - except that I live in that part of the world where its SRP is 250% more expensive (US$75) and even if I got it at 25% discount it still is god-damn expensive. Lucky Americans! Overall: 85% So did the set meet my initial expectations? I'd say it did, and it passed with flying colors! It's not a perfect set, but it's certainly a great-valued purchase. If there's any set that a casual FOL would like to buy to 'try' or 'sample' this new Lone Ranger theme - I highly recommend this one. Parting Shot Mix-and-match fashion isn't for everybody... And to get you excited for the upcoming The Lone Ranger movie, here is the latest trailer (the third one released so far I believe): Thanks for taking the time to read my review! Comments are always very much welcome! .

I could still remember the day I passed on the opportunity to get the previous system-scale Millennium Falcon released back in 2004 (4504), which I have regretted since each of the seven past years. Then came 2010 when the news of a new system-scale MF set surfaced, I was ecstatic since I will finally have the chance to own this classic OT ship in LEGO form. I had initial reservations on acquiring this set due to the exorbitant prices of LEGO in this part of the world, but when I had the chance to finally acquire it on a relatively good deal, I swiftly grabbed it on a whim! It’s hard to believe, but this will be my first Star Wars set review that I will share with you guys. “What a piece of junk!” – Luke Skywalker “She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.“ – Han Solo to Luke So is this set as bad as a “piece of junk” or something that’s as impressive as the “ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs”? Let’s all find out… Name: Millennium Falcon Number: 7965 Theme: Star Wars | Subtheme: Original Trilogy Year: 2011 Pieces: 1,238 Minifigs: 6 Price: $139.99 | £132.99 Links: Brickset | Bricklink | Peeron The Box Measuring at 58.2 x 37.8 x 8.7 cm, the box is expectedly huge since the set is considered the ‘flagship’ system-scale SW set for the OT this year. The box sports the official 2011 SW merchandise artwork featuring TCW’s Captain Rex. Even if it doesn’t match the OT content of the set, I still consider this as one of the best, if not the best, LSW box arts we’ve had. Sadly, this will be the last wave of sets we’ll see this as the new Episode I-themed artwork will grace our LSW boxes next year. The front shows the blown-up image of the Millennium Falcon escaping the Death Star in the backdrop, easily evading the usual misfiring enemy laser blaster shots on the sides and a couple of explosions. The minifig line-up is shown at the lower right corner, which we’ll take a closer look at later. Depicted at the back of the box is a 'modified' recreation of the scene in Episode IV where our heroes try to escape the Death Star after rescuing Princess Leia. However, instead of making their way to the Falcon the box illustrates the gang trying to help old Ben Kenobi fight the lone Darth Vader. While this is all going on, Chewie is cluelessly wandering inside the ship armed with his bowcaster instead of prepping up the Falcon for escape. Or maybe he’s trying to find a way how to close those damned "flap covers", which are opened to showcase the interior details of the ship. The left side shows the three next largest sets of the 2011 LSW summer wave, and the various playability features of the set are shown in separate panels on the right side. As boldly advertised in the front of the box, the set features new/updated minifigs of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. I like how the minifig line-up on the top side of the box is different (bottom panel) from the one in front (top), showing the alternate facial expressions and accessories of the characters. The Contents Opening the box, I was pleasantly surprised to see that almost 80% of the interior volume is filled-up, with only a small space occupied by Billund air. I guess this is part of TLG’s drive of downsizing the box sizes considering this set has a relatively smaller box compared to 2008’s 7676 Republic Gunship which has fewer parts and less weight, as an example. The Polybagged LEGO parts Drawing out the contents you’ll get a generous amount of 1,200+ pieces packed in 16 numbered plastic bags (3xBag 1s, 3xBag 2s, 3xBag 3s, 3xBag 4s, 2xBag 5s, 2xBag 6s and an unnumbered plastic bag), two instruction booklets, and the DSS. The Instruction Booklets The instruction booklets came in good pristine condition without any nasty folds even without the separate cardboarded packaging that other big LEGO sets recently have. The cover features the same artwork as the box, minus the minifig line-up. It’s interesting to note that the Book 2 I got has a darker cover print compared to Book 1. Did anyone else got this slightly different-colored instruction booklets? The Dreaded Decal Sticker Sheet Unlike the instruction booklets, the DSS was not as fortunate as it was in a “semi-rolled up state”, though I don’t care much about it. Photographing it to show the stickers was a pain-in-the-behind, so instead I’ll just show you a better image courtesy of Bricklink (right). As you can see, most of the stickers comprise of the circular detailing of the ship’s exterior, like the front maintenance bay openings, rear exhaust vents, etc. I honestly think they could’ve just made some, or better all, of the 2x2 tiles printed instead of going this sticker route, but this has been the norm the past few years so I’ve come to accept this reality. On with the build! I initially intended to show the customary parts presentation per bag, but I found it very tedious and time-and effort-consuming after only the first set of bags, so for a lazy and impatient person like me, sorting out 1,200+ pieces is a daunting task, so I completely scrapped it. Sorry, but there’s always Bricklink’s inventory of parts for this set. Though one thing I can assure you is you’d get A LOT of light bley parts from this set. The Minifigs As mentioned earlier, we get an updated Han Solo (face), Luke Skywalker (face, hair), and Princess Leia (face, hair). Han has that cocky smug expression, Luke seems to be quite grumpy about something, and Leia has that smile of relief after being rescued. Both Luke and Leia have alternate faces, with the former having the visor covered-eyes to match the training helmet while the latter has her ‘game face’ on. Both also have new hairpieces, which I guess is good for introducing more new hair elements for other possible use, but not necessary IMO since their previous hairpieces already worked for me. Vader, Chewie and Obi-wan have been previously released before. This minifig line-up is quite boring IMO, as probably most of us already have at least one copy of each of these figs. But I understand why the reasoning behind this line-up, since the Millennium Falcon will never be complete without these cast of characters to go with it, and probably the set is meant to introduce this iconic ship to the younger generation. But still, wouldn't it have been a lot cooler if they squeezed in a Nien Numb minifig in this set? Build Progress I’ll show the progress of the build by bag contents as indicated in the photos. The contents of the three Bag # 1s predictably lay out the base foundation of the ship, composed of the sturdy Technic backbone on the underside (shown later) and the octagonal flooring of the interior. The second bag contents highlight the addition of the interior details which we’ll look more closely later. So what are these mini train-like thingies you might ask? These comprise the content of Bag #3 and provide the “rounded” walls of the ship. Building these is a bit repetitive, but I was quite impressed on the geometrical design aspect of these, especially effectively transforming these blocky parts into an overall circular shape with clever use of hinges. This is what we have so far after finishing Book #1, which is unofficially the midpoint of the build. Not much to look at still, but we’re getting there. After Bag #4, the docking ports on each side are prominently built. It is important to note that both of these are integral to the stability of the build, as this will become the main ‘holding points’ (using two hands) for the swooshability of the ship. The fifth set of bags essentially gives the long trapezoidal folding cover flaps of the ship. Again, this part of the build is quite repetitive, but I was amused by the fact that each of the 12 covers has their own unique detailing, no matter how minor it is. Attaching these to the body, and together with the rectangular cover of the cargo loading bay area in front and the gunners area in the middle, the ship now looks a giant piece of ‘metal hamburger’. Finally, we reached the culminating part of the build with the last parts of the ship. From the Bag #6s we’ll be able to build the cockpit, the two mandibles, and the mini gunner station. These are all conveniently attached through Technic connections to the body. And before you know it Voila! We now have the Millennium Falcon in all its pure ABS glory. Different Views of the Ship Let’s now look at the finished product from various sides and angles: You can see in this head-on shot the front headlights, the cargo loading bay in the middle and huge cockpit on the left side. At this view you’ll notice the unsightly Technic base underneath, add to that the enormous cockpit and the ship looks inaccurately ‘fat’. A much better view compared to the other side, but still has its minor 'eyesore' with the visible flick-fire missiles. Though it’s nice to see the port docking ring and satellite dish details on this side. The rear is probably my most favorite part of this ship, as the circular heat exhaust vents, fuel drive pressure stabilizers (fins), and the trans-blue hose for the engine thrusters exhaust prominently shown are quite accurate relative to the reference material. Usually untouched in most reviews, I’d like to show to you how the underside of this build looks like. You’ll notice the aforementioned Technic backbone which gives the necessary stability of the build. The flick-fire missiles, lower quad-laser cannons, and four small landing ‘gears’ can also be seen on this view. Taking a Closer Look L: There might be questions on how unproportionally large the cockpit is relative to the overall size of the ship, but putting into perspective that this is a system-scale playset where minifigs have to fit inside, the large cockpit size is understandable. The set indicates that it could seat 2 minifigs inside, but I’m sure with a little bit of modification you could squeeze four of them there. R: The port docking ring detail on the side. Not that much to look at, but it serves its purpose in the build. The hexagonal detail is quite accurate, though the 'curved square' shape of the ring is not, and should have been conical instead (though no such 8x8x2 cone exists). The 4504 version is slightly better IMO in this aspect. L: The quad-laser cannon is a significant improvement from the previous 4505 version. It can turn 360 degrees and can swivel up and down. Notice the stickered 2x2 tile, which is supposed to be the viewing glass panel of the gunner. This is grossly unproportional with respect to the oversized cannons (or it is the other way around). R: A similarly-built set of quad-laser cannons is located on the underside. Additionally, here's a simple video showing how the central gunner station works. L: The radar dish, which I still find to be a “goofy” part of the Falcon design. But I like how they the holder of the dish is cleverly built using three battle droid arms. R: The freight loading room is found in front of the ship sandwiched by the mandible bases. Quite bare but another welcome detail that is true to the reference design. Interior Views L: Central computer center in the main holding area. The whole set-up with all those control elements, display panel, buttons really work for me. R: “Let the Wookiee win.” The place where Chewie plays (and always loses) his favorite Dejarik board game. The round sticker print is accurate, though I think this is one of those pieces that could have just come printed. L: Chewie: “Aarragghh-arraggh” (translation: "You’ll stain my bed sheet!”) The lover’s den crew’s quarters is yet another nice interior detail that conforms to the MF schematic design. R: There’s a hidden secret compartment just beside the right docking port, reminiscent of what our heroes used to evade being detected by the inspecting Stormies in the movie. L: At the back of the interiors is a mechanical engine-like set-up which I presume is meant to be the hyperdrive. R: An unknown part of the ship, which I can’t identify even in the the reference cross-section of the MF. The flick-fire missiles were obviously added as a playability feature for the young ones, but here's a problem I see with this feature: Can a kid hold a 2kg-heavy toy on one hand and flick those missiles on the other hand at the same time while playing? I'm a grown up man and I have to hold the ship by my two hands just to swoosh the ship, so I doubt these flick-fire missile would be of any playable use to the kids. Good thing about it is you could easily remove it if you don't want it. L: "Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them." One of the scenes you could recreate with the included jedi training helmet and ball. R: There is a small boarding ramp on the left side, but the problem with this is that the landing gears are too short that I had to actually raise one side just to capture this shot. Just a minor nitpick. Comparison with the Reference Millennium Falcon For the accuracy buffs out there, here's a side-by-side top-view comparison of the 7965 MF and the reference schematic diagram of the Millennium Falcon: The Good: Surprisingly, the overall shape and size are quite accurate with the reference material. I superimposed both images with each other and they are almost a 95% match. The hexadecagonal (16-sides baby!) shape makes for an effective overall circular shape of the ship. Even the small minor details like the heat exhaust vents, stabilizer fins, radar dish are pretty spot-on. This is also one of those sets where the studs actually give texture and "weathering roughness" to the surface of the ship. The Bad: There are minor inaccuracies which I feel could have been made a lot better.: the mandibles are 1-2 studs longer than it should be, and the base of the mandibles should have extended towards the 'circular' body. The 2x2 tiles for the maintenance bays on the mandibles are too small. The quad-laser cannons could have been smaller too. The Ugly: The highly visible gaps and that enormous cockpit. Even if these are understandable due to the parts/build limitation, these are gross deviations with respect to overall accuracy. Comparison with the other system-scale Millennium Falcon Left: 7190 (2000), Middle: 4504 (2004), Right: 7965 (2011) LXFs courtesy of ADHO15 (7190, 4504) and penguinz (7965); The missing parts of the images are due to the parts limitation in the LDD software) The 7965 is slightly larger than the two previous versions, with a more pronounced overall circular shape compared to the other two. And having the luxury of the newer parts, the 2011 version has predictably better-looking detailing compared to its predecessors. Though I prefer the more conical shape of the port docking ring of the 4504, as well as the larger maintenance bay entries in the mandibles of the '04 version. Comparison with the UCS-scale Millennium Falcon Left: 7965 (System-scale), Right: 10179 (UCS-scale) LXFs courtesy of penguinz (7965) and yellost (101079) As expected, the 10179 UCS clearly dwarfs the 7965, more than twice the size of this system scale version. Of course, the detailing of the 10179 is highly superior, but I think the 7965 holds up on its own with its decent amount of accurate detailing for a system-scale set. Conclusion Design 9/10 Taking into account that this is a system-scale set and not intended to be a intricately-detailed UCS model, I'm very content with the overall design with regards to the overall shape and detailing. Sure it's not perfect and there are some rooms for improvement, but I think the designers did their best in balancing the parts, cost, and playability aspects of this set. Parts 7/10 There is nothing really exceptional to the parts provided by this set, as obviously they are mostly boring light bley which has relatively less potential use in other MOCs compared to the more colorful counterparts. Minifgures 7/10 As stated earlier the minifig line-up is quite unappealing and uninspired as all of these characters have been released already for the nth time. Sure there are new face and hair elements introduced, but they are unnecessary and were probably just made to somehow justify the "NEW" minifig tag. I would've preferred throwing a new character in the set, and I'm pretty sure if this was released in 2012 (the year of overloading sets with minifigs), we would've gotten probably a Nien Numb fig. Build 8/10 The build was straightforward, and won't pose any difficulty for anyone if the instructions are followed properly. There are some repetitive steps but seeing how these parts were cleverly integrated into the build removes any previously felt boredom during these stages of the build. Playability 9/10 Putting myself in a kid's shoe, I'd be happy to play this with the various playability features, from the rotating cannons, highly-playable interior, etc. Heck even as an adult, I had fun recreating some of the classic scenes from the movie as almost all of them can be afforded on this set. The only drawback I think is the relatively heavy weight (2kg+) of the ship which definitely pose a swooshing difficulty for small kids. Price 8/10 I'm not much of an price complainant, but I think its US$140 price tag for 1,200+ pieces is justifiable IMO. Remember that it's already 2011, and if you're expecting to have the same price as the past years, then you must be dreaming. To put things into perspective, the 4504 had an average price/parts ratio of $0.10/pc, while the 7965 has a $0.11/pc. Not that significant of a price increase in the past seven years right? Overall 80% As one of the iconic ships of the our beloved Star Wars, any LSW collection would not be complete without a LEGO Millennium Falcon. Of course, it would be great to own the UCS version, but that is something that cannot be practically afforded by everyone. So the next best thing to have is this system-scale Falcon. For those who have acquired the previous '04 version, there is the understandable oprion to pass on this one and just modify their current MF with the updated details, but for those who have missed that set and still has no MF in their collection, this is a definite must-have. Thanks for reading this review! I hope this has helped you in gauging the value of this set and if it is worth getting for your collection.

After reading through everything that has been said by the two primary lynch candidates, Esther and Caleb, I'm not entirely convinced of their suspected scuminess. Esther seems to have the best intentions for the Village despite the highly-aggressive nature of her pursuit of weeding out the members of the Red Coyote Gang. The accusations against Caleb aren't strong enough either for me to vote for him, and his defense is quite satisfactory for me. To be honest, I'm not really comfortable with voting any of the lynch candidates, so I decided not to vote and accept the consequences of my action.

I tried to backread remember everything Esther said so far, and I really find it odd for a townie to have such a strong accusatory vendetta this early in the game - with not one, not two, but even up to four primary suspects on her scum list! Heck I myself am having a hard time deciding on one person who I find the most suspicious, and yet Esther seems to have quite a solid gameplan this early. While this type of behavior isn't exactly wrong, it just rubs me the wrong way and I see her wall-of-text accusations as a well-planned pre-fabricated ploy usually done by scum to make themselves look active and helpful. On these grounds alone, it usually is enough for me to vote for someone, but thinking on the flipside, if Esther is scum, would her scum teammates really allow her to flail this wildly on the first day? This line-of-thought is what makes me uncomfortable voting for Esther. I would like to see her answer the accusations against her, but it seems she ignored the first wave of questions on her and is still hell bent on accusing others.

Well what da ya know, people are busy early scum-hunting eh? Sorry I woke up quite late, I actually read heard Sheridan's bold claim at the start of the day but I was too sleepy back then to comment and I really had to go to bed. I think it was a bit odd for someone to make that sort of claim on the very first instance he/she gets to speak. I'm 50/50 on this claim - and I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt even if you all ain't trustworthy to me. Sheridan may be a bit pushy getting the reactions of the people to her claim, but I could see the good intention of trying to encourage people to talk and gauge their reactions. I trust in our Town PRs that they wouldn't easily trust Sheridan. While there are surprisingly easy-to-trust townsfolks like those Mafia Mafia Villagers on the other side of the town, I'm hoping our fellow Villagers will be more cautious than those people. Sheridan's claim may have made some of our townsfolk feel uneasy but IMO we need not worry about her as long as she doesn't get critical town information (those pertaining to PRs) this early. Granted she's telling the truth about her claim that she will have a Coyote reading when investigated (so any investigation on her wouldn't clear her), but there are still other ways to verify her like tracking/watching her at night if we have those PRs. So let's not worry about her at the moment, at the very least her claim got people talking and that's always good for the town.

Yosh! It would be best for those scum Red Coyote Gang to turn themselves in or else feel the unforgiving wrath of the sheriff!!!

Showing my support to a new host! Put me first on the reserve list, but if you need more players feel free to 'activate' me . 1. Isla Paradisa, BloodBrick II, Prison Riot, Gotham City, IMHOTEP, Yakuza (substitute), EB Mafia II, Mafia Mafia. 2. Here's the tricky part of my participation, I'll be on a 5-day vacation from July 5-9 so I cannot guarantee my participation during that time. But outside those 5 days, I'm good for the game. 3. Considering I was vanilla townie on every freakin' game I've played on (except for almost all-scum Prison Riot gang war), this has to be my favorite role since it shows you can win and/or contribute to your team's win even without power roles/night actions.

A little bit of customization (removal of tribal face prints) in Gorzan's gorilla headpiece gives a more appropriate fiercer Gorilla Grodd than the CMS gorilla.

Even it was generally an open game set-up, I understand if Zepher wanted to give the God Pill a "mysterious"/unknown effect from the start. Don't get me wrong, I actually didn't like the God Pill's effects since it robbed the town of its most powerful weapon - the lynch votes, but I didn't want to complain about it in the middle of the game since that's part of the "unknowns" of signing up for this game. People may or may not like it, but they have no choice but to deal with it as one of the game mechanics, and I was glad to see that both town and scum sides (or even the SK) were resourceful enough to use it to their advantage.

Now I don't get the complaints about the mechanics of the game when it was clearly stated from the very start in the sign-up thread. Zepher couldn't have been clearer with these from the very start. Everybody knew about this highly-night action-based game when they signed-up, now they're complaining about these just because things didn't go their way? Like I said in the deadboard, the losing side will always have some things to complain about, if the scum have won then it would be the townies who will have stern words to the host. If people were uncomfortable with too many bulletproofs, or having too many 'random chance', etc. in the game from the very start then they shouldn't have signed up in the first place. When you enter a game you should expect and prepare for the worst, and in the end just treat it as a game as it is simply just that - a game. Are you really being serious about this? People should discuss for the "entertainment of the dead and/or outside watchers"? The scum revealed themselves, there was nothing much to be talked about (but in fairness I really applaud fhomess' very intellectual mind games towards WBD in the end). I have been in games where it was eerily silent in the last couple of days, but there are still on-going stuff privately (recent one I remember was EBII), so this is not really something new. It is up to the players how they play the game, it may not be entertaining to you but you have to respect the way they play.