telaruhn

Nice review! I must say, I really like some of the parts in this set. I might have to get this! I've always preferred the dangly-armed skeletons... The flag, map and window panel all have great printing.

With this series on the horizon, I wonder about the future of CMF and if the themed series are simply more exciting for the general population than the regular ones. After getting Series 13, I was excited to see what we was in store for Series 14, since I had no plans to grab Simpsons Series 2. After the recent pictures leaked, I was disappointed. I'm not really against any of these figures, per se - I just feel grouping them in a "monster" CMF theme lessens their overall impact. The impact is further diminished by the fact the monsters draw inspiration from "classic" Halloween characters and pretty much exclude monsters from other genres. Additionally, none of these figures seem to possess army-building potential, which is a big draw for many CMF collectors. Personally, I'd much rather get 16 figures that draw inspiration from a wide array of genres than get 16 figures from one theme. Seeing the Witch and Tiger Girl alongside space, castle, and city/town figures would have made them more exciting for me.

The Rocker monster is a great figure, but I hate his accessory. I was never a fan of the Friends guitar mold, and what's worse, it's red. We just got a red guitar in Series 12, so I would have preferred a different color in that new guitar mold. Love the Zombie Cheerleader's pigtails, but that's it. Love the re-use of Velma Staplebot's hairpiece in black for the Vampiress. That hairpiece looked very vampire-ish to me for quite some time. The Witch is clearly getting a skirt, and she's already leaps and bounds above the old witch. I'm excited to get a black cat, but I'm not too keen on its sad expression. Still cute, though. I'm hoping she also gets a broom where the handle and bristles are different colors. Not too big a fan of the Venus Flytrap guy. The headpiece is too open, so it's hard to tell what it even is. And it looks pretty unfinished. Hoping he gets an accessory. Werewolf looks great, and he is definitely hanging with my Lumberjack. Tiger Girl reminds me of Josie; very retro. Possibly my favorite of the bunch. So much printing! She just needs an accessory. Mad scientist is weird. The dual molded arms are supposed to represent long gloves, but the effect leaves much to be desired. The headpiece is also weird for me. It's always nice to see a new color of flask, but I'm still hoping to get trans-red at some point. All in all, what's been revealed is not too bad. I was hoping for it to be less Halloweenish, but I'm over it now. I count six new molds, all headpieces. Hoping we get a few new accessory molds, though I have no clue what they would be...

My roommate put the Lady Cyclops in the Hot Dog Guy's suit... Personally, I think it's hilarious. Try it out for yourself. The Snake Charmer's turban also looks phenomenal on the Egyptian Warrior...

If you include guns and the Evil Wizard's staff, I'd go as far as to say this is the most weapon-filled series. I picked up a Samurai today - only to find stress marks on her armor :/ I tried my best not to feel for it either... For armor, it's quite a fragile piece. Also got another Snake Charmer and Disco Diva - both whose accessories are neatly printed. Success! I'll also add that while I don't like the brown stick as the Snake Charmer's flute, the color and size makes it look like a great drumstick. My new Paleontologist's hairpiece is interesting - it looks to have missed a coat of paint, as it is slightly lighter than the one I currently have. It still looks fine, and I can imagine that this was one of the harder hairpieces to paint.

I don't really want to start the lipstick/eyelashes debate again, but I did want to say that without them, she would look like a male figure. They may be a bit exaggerated, but her torso (the only other indicator) is rather androgynous to me, and is covered by armor anyway... So you can only tell by the face. And while this series' ladies aren't amazing (Like S9, 10 or 12), I don't think their the weakest. I think S3, S8 and S11 had worse ladies.

Gender: Male Occupation: Movie Director Headgear: black or navy blue beret, and the Vitruvius knotted beard in dark brown Facial expression: open mouth, as if shouting directions Torso: Dark Tan with open vest printing and white arms Legs: Navy Blue w/ jean printing Accessory: megaphone in black Gender: Female Occupation: Saloon Girl Headgear: Calamity Drone hairpiece in black, with fascinator hat in dark red with black ribbon and medium lavender feather Facial expression: smirk w/ bright led lipstick Torso: dark red corseted top half of a dress with black and lavender details, back printing, and dark red short sleeves Legs: Tights under a dark red cloth skirt Accessory: gunmetal pistol and black hand fan Gender: Male Occupation: Lobster Suit Guy Headgear: a lobster mask with the figure's face exposed Facial expression: Relaxed smiling face Torso: Red with Gills Legs: also red, maybe plain? Accessory: two Crab Warrior claws (attach at the hands) and a lobster tail (attaches at the leg/torso connection) Gender: Female Occupation: Hippie Girl Headgear: Vitruvius braided hairpiece in nougat with a pink headband Facial expression: dual expressions: one closed content mouth, one open singing mouth. Wears glasses with red lenses. Torso: Brown vest with purple tie-dye printed arms Legs: Plain Lime legs covered by a flower-print cloth skirt Accessory: acoustic guitar in reddish brown

My favorite series is Series 13. We get a little everything with this one - Castle, Space, City, etc. - It just feels so complete. And, never before has a series made me want to army-build, or even get more than one of a single figure. There's so many great new parts, too - the handsaw, the shield, the cobra, the headpieces - and there's some great printing (Samurai and Galaxy Trooper armors, the fossil, EVERY printed torso). My favorite figure, however, is the S12 Battle Goddess. She has a fantastic headpiece, great accessories and parts assortment, and detailed printing. For me, she made it clear that LEGO can produce a figure that is worth the $3.99 US price tag. The Wizard, Hun Warrior, Spooky Girl, and Classic King finish off my top 5. It feels a little weird having my favorites be from more recent series - but looking series prior, I feel like they don't hit the bar like the recent ones have been doing. At the very least, it does feel like LEGO is giving us more for our money when we buy blind bags. So we take the good (more detail) with the bad (price).

Was not aware about the samurai armor - I will have to watch out for that when I feel up bags. Are there any other pieces that could have stress marks from being felt through the bags?

Hmm... There are so many I want to get duplicates of now, I may as well get another set of 16... Hey BrickSev, what's your favorite part in this series? There's a lot of great parts, so I'm wondering if there's any in particular that you like most.

Not bad! Before I read the article, I was hoping you would get all 16, but 15 is almost as good! And I feel the King should be rather easy to find. Your duplicates aren't so bad, either. Having a second fencer means the two can duel! Since you have so many, I was wondering... are there any that you feel are good to get duplicates of?

I've noticed some of the printing is off on a few accessories. My Disco Diva's microphone has the black top rather sloppily applied, and my Snake Charmer's cobra has its front printing slightly off center. That being said, neither is that bad and both pieces feel like they may be hard to apply printing on anyway. Overall, I feel the printing and part quality is very good. All of the torsos and other printed parts are fine and even well-made, and the headpieces all have great clutch. Still considering grabbing some extras... Probably going to look for an extra Goblin, Paleontologist, Fencer, Samurai and Galaxy Trooper.

Finally got my Series 13! They are pretty amazing. I find myself liking the Galaxy Trooper, Sheriff, King, Goblin, and Paleontologist the most, but I also love the Carpenter's handsaw and Snake Charmer's cobra. My friends thought the Samurai, Unicorn Girl and Disco Diva were all male... And as much as I like the Lady Cyclops, she feels a little out of place. Overall however, there isn't one figure in this lineup that feels weak to me. I gave some of the figures an additional accessory: I gave Hot Dog Man a sausage, Unicorn Girl an ice cream cone, Lady Cyclops a purse, and the Goblin a set of Gundabad Orc shoulder armor. All of which look pretty great. :)

My Series 13 came in the mail today (accidentally had them sent to my school address, but it's fine since I'm back at school now). I can't pick them up because the school's post office is closed on Sundays :/ Anyway, I found some at a Walmart near my school. Almost missed them since they were on a hanging display on an endcap. Once I pick up the ones I got in the mail, I'll go there to pick up extras if I find that I want some.

So true, and the fact there's another Simpsons series on the way depletes the new figure pool for the MMO even more. I'd honestly prefer a regularly-diverse series, but I'll hold my judgements until I hear or see something more official...

I'm wondering what LEGO will consider "monsters" - Something like Monster Fighters or something much wider in scope. Seems very Halloween-based, which may be cool. But I would be more interested in mythology-based creatures, such as a satyr or a hydra. It would also be great to see a ghost using the genie tail piece. They've done a lot of monsters already, so I hope that very few of this speculated new series are rehashes.

Sorry guys, but I couldn't resist... Made another set of 16 figures. Since this isn't an official prediction thread, I figured why not. As always, bold italics are new molds. Jouster: closed helm, fancy plume, cloth tunic, lance, shield Inline Skater: bike helmet, in-line skates, short sleeves Hydra: hydra headpiece, shortbow, snake tail Meter Maid: police cap w/ long hair, nightstick, fanny pack, short sleeves Arquebuster: tricorne w/ plume, epaulettes, musket w/ detachable bayonet Falconer: ponytail, falcon Movie Director: beret, megaphone Space Medic: med-helmet w/ visor, space armor, gun w/ syringe Lobster Suit Guy: lobster mask, claws, lobster tail Saloon Girl: hair w/ fascinator hat, pistol, tray w/ tankard, cloth skirt Halfling: spiked hair, short cape, short legs, torch, shortsword Referee: baseball cap, whistle, short sleeves Elven Huntress: long braid w/ ears, cape, longbow, dagger Jackal Warrior: jackal headpiece, khopesh sword, scarab shield Beekeeper: beekeeper mask, honeycomb Classic Queen: headpiece w/ detachable ribbon, hand mirror, dress piece

While the asp accessory clearly gives the impression of Cleopatra, naming the Egyptian Queen as such might be too constricting. She can be used for other Egyptian figures such as Nefertiti (though the headpiece is all wrong, but you get the idea). Detective feels like a better name, and again feels less restrictive, and still gives you the impression of Sherlock. I can't explain Grandma Visitor. Just an odd name, but eh. It makes sense in the simplest sense, as she is visiting her grandma. Abraham Lincoln and William Shakespeare - I can't figure out a name that wouldn't feel awkward or offensive. Since they were tied into the movie and are based on real people within the last 500 years, I think naming them anything else would be weird. Back on topic though - I would like to see a female elf, but considering CMFs are rarely if at all flesh-colored, I feel elves in the CMF line will always feel disjointed compared to LOTR/Hobbit elves. This is especially the case if their hairpieces have ears. I can understand why LEGO could be reluctant to make CMF elves for that reason.

I'm actually very pleased with the bios this time around. Many of them made me chuckle. The Samurai's was refreshingly poetic, especially the last sentence.

Love how nicely the blue of the cottage stand out against all the white. Also love the technique used to emulate icicles. Very nice work.

So after some deliberation, I ended up buying a full set of Series 13 figures online for $80 US, which includes shipping. Not bad, considering it's only $16 more than I would have paid getting them in a store, and that's not even considering the time I would have spent looking for them and feeling up the bags. I figured that I'd get the whole lot first, then if I want extras, I can always feel up the bags at local stores once they become more available. The ones I bought should be here within a week :) I've noticed many people simply prefer their LEGO pieces to be made of hard ABS, but I can see why there were some pieces made as a softer plastic or rubber instead. I'm indifferent about it regardless, as long as they don't hurt as much when stepped on ;) Also - I've said this before, but I would like to emphasize how impressed I am with the textiles in these CMF waves. I actually just bought another Wizard, Spooky Girl, Hun Warrior, and Battle Goddess from Series 12 simply because their cloth pieces make them super-unique and dynamic, not to mention they have other great and versatile parts as well. This is what makes me excited for the Evil Wizard and Classic King - their two-part capes are just amazing and are a cut above the typical cape.

Ooh, I like idea of a dragon suit guy and the sound of voodoo master. Here's a list of 16 I've been working on as a Custom CMF - bold italics are parts that would be new molds. Dentist: spiky hair, toothbrush, tube of toothpaste Space Ranger: helmet with visor, space armor, blaster with detachable flashlight Vampiress: dress piece, vampiress hair, flask with red liquid, two-part cape Ocean Warrior: mermaid tail, atlantis armor, helmet with plume, blue spear, shield Gardener: watering can, flowerpot, brown bald hairpiece Outback Guy: boomerang, bandana, outback hat, short sleeves Dragon Tamer: short legs, short cape, hood, baby dragon, ham with bone handle Hair Stylist: hairdryer, scissors, trendsetter hair Insect Alien: insect alien headpiece, hive crystal, space blaster Ghost: molded headpiece, white genie feet, lantern, ball-and-chain Baker: chef hat w/ braids, rolling pin, brioche Basketball Player: long legs, reddish-brown afro, basketball Satyr: satyr hairpiece, pan flute Buccaneer: tricorne w/ long hair and plume, sabre, flintock pistol Chaos Lord: full helm, mace, tower shield, shoulder armor Hippie Girl: hair w/ headband, cloth skirt, acoustic guitar In case anyone was wondering, the female figures are the Vampiress, Hair Stylist, Baker, Buccaneer, and Hippie Girl

I thought it would be kinda fun to match a Series 12 figure with a Series 13 figure. Here's what I came up with: Space Miner and Alien Trooper - a fun space-traveling duo Battle Goddess and Egyptian Warrior - Rome vs. Egypt Wizard and Evil Wizard - mortal enemies Dino Tracker and Paleontologist - dino gal-pals Swashbuckler and Fencer - sparring buddies Piggy Guy and Unicorn Girl - costumed characters Fairytale Princess and Classic King - father and daughter Pizza Delivery Man and Carpenter - father and son Prospector and Sheriff - western folk Hun Warrior and Samurai - Mulan! Jester and Goblin - the tricksters Rock Star and Disco Diva - iconic music performers Genie Girl and Snake Charmer - Middle Eastern figures Spooky Girl and Lady Cyclops - the "monster" girls Video Game Guy and Galaxy Trooper - gamer is playing Mass Effect Lifeguard and Hot Dog Man - Hot Dog Man sells hotdogs on the boardwalk to the Lifeguard watching the beach Okay, the last one may be a bit of a stretch, but I think they otherwise match with each other rather nicely. :)

This is what makes minifigures so great, there's something for everyone! You can have the as many Goblins as you want, as long as I get 1 to complete my set :) Agreed. The dark brown afro feels much more useful than its previous colors of red or black. I'm also very partial to the white skates. And while the golden microphone isn't as useful, I think if someone had quite a few of these they could make a great architectural detail of some sort.

The most notable parts for me on the Lonely Mountain set, aside from Smaug and the minifigures, are the Arkenstone itself, the catapult, and the moveable wheel with the basket. There's also a section in the back that hides the Arkenstone when it's not on the throne. For extra parts, I was surprised to find an extra 1x1 round clear tile with the gem printing used for the Arkenstone. It might be useful for other gem decorations. Even if you don't like the set as is, you get tons of pearl gold, dark grey and sand green elements, as well as rock/earth pieces, all of which would be useful for other creations. The Black Arrow launcher would make a great ballista - you just press down on the missile and it really flies!