telaruhn

Well, after calling a few places, it seems Series 13 won't be in my area for a while... It's great to see there's tons of army builders here for all interests (Galaxy Trooper, Goblin, Samurai, Egyptian Warrior and Alien Trooper). Series 12's only real army builder was the Hun Warrior, but the Battle Goddess and Space Miner might have also been considered as such. And I don't know why... But I find myself more and more excited to nab the Disco Diva... While she's rather niche, I find all the printing and details bump her up to the level of more popular figures in this series.

I got two of the newest sets for Christmas - Attack on Lake-town and The Lonely Mountain. Attack on Lake-town - an okay set. The structure itself does not fit the style of the previous Lake-town set, I feel. I also hate how one part of the green roof is left exposed. However, he new hairpieces for the Hunter Orcs and the inclusion of Bain is great. The set also has a lot of features, and the Black Arrow contraption has great power and aim. The Lonely Mountain - My favorite one. Smaug, despite his inaccurate size, is simply amazing and has all the right details, right down to the gilded belly. And the sand green that comprised most of the build is much less inoffensive than I expected. I plan on adding some more treasure, but otherwise I don't plan to alter a lot. Speaking of alterations/additions, I've been able to get my hands on some repeats of older Hobbit sets that lack minifigures or weapons, leaving only the buildings or set pieces. Along with supplemental bricks I already have, I've been able to expand on many of the older sets with great success, especially because they have the same style due to the identical pieces. And it feels less taxing than getting individual parts from sites like Bricklink. Thus far, I have gotten Mirkwood Elf Army, Dol-Guldur Ambush, Lake-town Chase, and Escape from Mirkwood Spiders to get extra set pieces for Mirkwood, Dol-Guldur, and Lake-town. When I get the Battle of the Five Armies set, I'll lookout for a set without minifigures so I can make another Dale-style building. Attack on Lake-town has a nice parts assortment, so I plan to dismantle it for use in my custom Lake-town buildings, which includes building a taller tower for the Black Arrow. When I get The Witch-King Battle, I plan on using all the great parts in that set for a Dol-Guldur prison tower, which will also use pieces from my extra Dol-Guldur Ambush set.

Aww man. I'd love to grab some there if only Portland wasn't three hours away from my house... I have to sleuth for them in Bangor, which didn't have them when I went up there two days ago.

I bought a few of these online from Ebay when they first came out, and the seller told me that the figures and leaflets had at first been separated, and the leaflets were initally not sold with the figures. He didn't know about the codes and that people wanted them with the figures, so he started to ship them with the figures. However, I'm fairly sure the leaflets I have are random and do not correspond with the figures I got. Not that it matters since I haven't been interested in trying the MMO, but it may be a bummer for those who are trying to unlock all of the figures.

What I find interesting is how these figures are displayed in the CGI in comparison to Series 12, and other series for that matter. More specifically, how the figures' arms are oriented and how they hold their accessories. For example, S12 had both arms in the same angle in relation to the torso, while S13 had the arms in different angles (which looks more dynamic and presentable in my opinion). I also noticed that none of S13's figures hold printed tile pieces (wanted poster, fossil, wooden plank), and I can't recall a previous series where that has happened. On the LEGO site, the Disco Diva's arms are not printed in the group photo. Pretty sure it's just an oversight, since they're printed in her solo photo.

Great details! My favorite piece is the Etch A Sketch :)

I wholeheartedly agree with the Galaxy Trooper and Goblin. I feel like Lego did an overall great job with their distribution this time around. Even having 5 Carpenters is great because there are more of those printed wooden planks and handsaws available. The more niche-interest characters like the Fencer, Paleontologist and Disco Diva are suitable at 3 per box, though I feel many people would like to have two Fencers so they can duel. The only two I would switch is the Samurai and Snake Charmer. The Snake Charmer feels a little more niche, and the cobra is a little too detailed for me to get more than one. Also, I feel there should be at least one lady with a distribution greater than 3, so why not the one considered the most suitable for army building?

No luck finding any Series 13 figures today. Walmart had 3 full cases of Series 12 figures, so I ended up buying a Battle Goddess and Spooky Girl for my sister (they were surprisingly easy to feel for). Target only had 4 mystery bags left: a Spooky Girl, a Wizard and two (!) Rock Stars. Toys 'R' Us had all of its Series 12 figures in a dispenser, so I didn't even bother with them after the first one I felt up (Dino Tracker). The two Walgreens I checked had no figures, period. :( I would make a conjecture that there was no warning on the boxes in the first place, but that also seems highly unlikely. I would also probably be looking through them as soon as they came in! And thankfully this series looks to have some pieces for each figure you can easily feel for and identify.

I was referring to the Ebay listing. $11.99 for a random figure just does not seem right. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Lol, I like your use of the word "succulent." I think that describes this Series for me, too. But I wonder... Do some stores just disregard the message on the shipping cartons and put them on the shelves anyway? Also makes me wonder if employees are able to get their hands on them before customers can.

Those figures are not worth the markup. Especially since you don't know what you're getting. Hoping Christmas comes early this year; I will be looking for them when I go shopping tomorrow. Looking in Target, Walmart, TRU... Any other US stores I should try looking in?

I noticed that in LDD, the Calamity Drone's hairpiece and hat won't connect. In fact, the hat doesn't work with most other holed hairpieces except for Red Harrington's (which I'm pretty sure the hat was designed specifically for). I don't know if it's how the geometry of the hairpiece and hat come together or if it's just a bug, but I haven't yet encountered this problem using other accessories.

I really like the croupier! It would be awesome to get more tile pieces that look like playing cards!

I love the clever use of the poncho as part of the Galactic Emperor's cape! And overall, I applaud your use of printing (especially on the arms) and accessories. I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

I voted for the Classic King because he has some of the best parts in my opinion, including that cape and the crown hairpiece. But I still find the rest of the series to still be amazing. Not surprised that the Lady Cyclops and Disco Diva have no votes as of yet, as they seem to be the most unpopular ones. Even then however, I still think they're great figures for all their accessories in new colors, and that they complement their counterparts from previous series (Disco Dude and Cyclops) well.

I've always found that the soft rubber is used to reduce fragility for specific pieces. This looks to be the case with Sheriff's mustache, the King's beard, and the Unicorn Girl's tail. Those look like pieces that could break easy if accidentally stepped on, so making them rubber was a good choice in my opinion. I'd also like to commend the textile designers. This is the second series in a row where I've enjoyed the new cloth pieces! It's great we're getting more than just the usual capes for textiles. The fact that they're two pieces on both the King and the Evil Wizard makes them more versatile.

Great review and insightful interview. Not to mention the solid figure distribution this time around. I'll be getting them all! For accessories, I'm giving the Hot Dog Man a sausage and a brochure and the Unicorn Girl the purple boombox. I don't know, I feel it fits. Either that and/or ice cream. The Galaxy Trooper is amazing. Love the dual wield pistols, love the printing on the armor and helmet, and his expression is so brash! I'm surprised the King's cape was two pieces, but now I'm relieved. That ermine is so versatile. Glad to see all the back printing, even though the Paleontologist didn't get any. Also love the holster printing on the side of the Sheriff's leg. I'm also glad to see so many recycled parts in new colors, such as the skates, the beards, and the swords!

After looking at the hi-res pictures again, I have some observations about printing: - It looks as if only the Disco Diva has any actual arm printing. The only other special arms are the Paleontologist's and Carpenter's short sleeves. - Though we can't see any back printing, My guesses for back printing include the Paleontologist, Sheriff, Lady Cyclops, Egyptian Warrior, Disco Diva, and Alien Trooper. The rest would look fine without back printing, as many of them have armor or capes that cover their backs. - Similar to back printing, we can't see any reversible heads. My guesses for these are the Galaxy Trooper and Lady Cyclops. - The Galaxy Trooper and the Hot Dog Man look like they have plain torsos... Which is a bummer. - There's printing on every figure's legs except for the Hot Dog Man. This makes this series the one with the highest number of printed legs. Overall, I think Lego has come a long way with delivering unique and detailed prints. If we look back to Series 1, any printing would only be on the front sides of the figure, and there was no printing on any of the headpieces. Fast-forward to today's series, and you get back, arm, and side-leg printing, and even printing on headpieces. While the price tag is double what it used to be in the US, the quality of the printing more than makes up for it. And that's not even considering the newer, more intricate molds.

This is my sentiments exactly. I was so excited for this figure, and I think the lipstick adds charm and uniqueness. The same can be said for the Lady Cyclops or even the Lady Robot, in my opinion. Before these were released, the concept of these figures never really crossed my mind, so seeing them as they were revealed was an interesting surprise. The day my mom bought me a series 11 mystery bag only to find the Lady Robot was at first disappointing, but now I love her. I've seen some "female" robots before (XJ9, Rosie the maid), so the concept in and of itself isn't outlandish. And her amount of pink is no more offensive than the Intergalactic Girl (who is a way worse figure in my opinion). Anyway, it feels like a lot of discussion over printed lipstick, but it's something that's such a prevalent female identifier today that I couldn't see TLC not doing it. I doubt we would see a Lady Cyclops anywhere else other than as a CMF, so for that, I think it's a successful figure. It's not for the serious-at-heart. Would a female dwarf even have a beard? I'm not sure.

I find it a little confusing why people hate the fact the Lady Cyclops has lipstick, especially considering every other female figure in this series (and for that matter pretty much every female figure EVER, to my knowledge) has lipstick, as well. I get that she's a monster, but I don't think that should make a difference in the least. I don't army build, but I can see how it would limit a more diverse cyclops army (at least one without ladies). Look at it this way - at least she isn't pink... I'm more concerned about the fact her club is the same color as her mate's. Looks like I'll be switching it with the Cave Woman's if that's the case. I feel like the flames on the Evil Wizard isn't as bad as the Wizard's stars and moons because stars and moons have been done before. The effect is lessened on the Wizard because the star design faces the back, while the opposite is true on the Evil Wizard. In any case, I hope the top and bottom parts of the Evil Wizard's cape are separate; the bottom part looks pretty suitable for an Evil/Demon Knight, or even a daredevil.

Unicorn Girl: Still awesome, though you don't see the purple mane and tail. Hot Dog Guy: The color combination works. I'm afraid that he'll have a plain torso. Looks like all the attention goes to the suit itself. Paleontologist: Love that hairpiece, the short sleeves, and the round fossil tile piece. Snake Charmer: Even though the flute doesn't look printed, the rest of the figure makes up for that. The new turban and snake are amazing. Galaxy Trooper: The double blasters looked like wings on the first image. I wonder if his face is double-sided. Sheriff: Love how the wanted poster showcases the Bandit. Samurai Girl: What a great minifigure, and though the lack of helmet is disappointing, the armor is great. Lady Cyclops: Based on her expression, I'm willing to bet she has a double-sided face like the other Cyclops. All in all a great counterpart, and I love the beauty mark! King: Sad to see just a golden Hun sword, but the rest is spectacular. Best figure in my opinion. Goblin: Though I expected him to have short legs, the figure still looks great. Love the hat and the loot bag in a new color. Fencer: Great mask, but I hoped for a different color rapier than just silver. The two different colored hands is a nice touch. Evil Wizard: The cape is a great new piece, but I wish the staff was different. Egyptian Warrior: The shield is very versatile, and that headpiece is one of my favorites. Disco Diva: The sheer amount of printing on this fig is outta sight! Just an overall great figure. Carpenter: Great to finally see an official handsaw. A figure with immense detail, short sleeves, and a new color of hard hat. Alien Trooper: So glad to see that blaster! And the headpiece is amazing. As far as new molds/pieces are concerned, I count fifteen: Hot Dog Guy's suit, Unicorn Girl's headpiece and tail, Paleontologist's hat/hair combo, Snake Charmer's turban and cobra, King's crown and cape, Goblin's hat, Fencer's mask, Evil Wizard's cape, Egyptian Warrior's shield and headpiece, Carpenter's saw, and Alien Trooper's head. Overall, another amazing series. Probably the best that I've seen in a while, and way better than Series 12.

I'm loving all these new pieces, in particular the Carpenter's handsaw and the Paleontologist's, Alien Trooper's, and Fencer's headpieces. The mysterious headpiece looks to be the Egyptian Warrior's, albeit without any printing. Also loving all the new facial expressions! They're small details that really add to the figure, I feel. The Paleontologist doesn't look pleased.

I doubt the Goblin headpiece is going to be used for the Green Goblin, at least for the time being. It may look similar, but the cap is brown. Green Goblin's is purple. His ears are also more of a bright green than the green in the picture. So I think (hope) this headpiece is for the CMF Goblin. On another note, I might buy that Ultra Agents set, if not only for that new helmet (the rest of the set is pretty awesome too). Then, if the Galaxy Trooper gets a helmet I don't like (aka if it's like the Space Miner's) I can switch it out. That is, considering the Ultra Agent's helmet will match the Galaxy Trooper.

The Hot Dog Guy really exceeded my expectations, especially considering I had thought that he would be a vendor and he would not be wearing a suit. Nice to see a non-animal costumed figure, and I can't wait to see it in all its colorful glory. Also nice to get a better view of the Unicorn Girl's headpiece. The Goblin's hat looks amazing! It might be one of the first figures I try to buy multiples of. And while that awesome helmet is being used for Ultra Agents, I can imagine the Galaxy Trooper getting a new helmet as well, if not this one in another color. This is turning out to be a fantastic series!

Do you think any of them will have back printing/double-sided faces? I'm willing to bet the Lady Cyclops and Disco Diva will have both. As for arm printing, it is shown that the Paleontologist does have short sleeves. I'm not sure who else would though. Maybe the Hot Dog Guy or the Carpenter?

That sword style hasn't been around for a while, so this would be a great place to put it. I'd be disappointed if it was just a gold version of the more recent longsword. Also, just because I keep looking at the leaked pictures... On the visible portions on the boxes inside the display case, it depicts from left to right: Disco Diva, Lady Cyclops, Paleontologist, ???, Sheriff, ???, and Evil Wizard. The figure to the left of the Sheriff has a lighter blue torso with darker legs. I'm thinking it's the Carpenter. Could it be a handsaw he's holding in his right hand? The figure to the right of the Sheriff looks like the Goblin. It appears to have short legs and one of those dwarf helms (or maybe even a new helm?) with the huge wings on them. I'm not sure what else would be so wide, because from looking at the names only, none of the figures in this series would have wings or the like. The Evil Wizard looks to have a two-part cape like the Wizard and Alien Villainess, but I cannot make out the color. My gut is going with black. His headpiece also appears to be different from a normal Wizard cap.