makoy

Great review Rufus! The level of detail in this version is superb. I reviewed the system version that was released during Rogue One - it's a worthy little brother to this big brother Y-Wing. The build looks very enjoyable and it looks great for display. Btw, I haven't seen you around for some time so it's nice to see you posting reviews again. Cheers!

Congratulations!

Thanks for the comment @Renown and I do agree with you. We need Mudtroopers minifigure!

Too much lurkers... the silent majority of members who just visit or read. Too much speculation. Not enough attention. What I mean by that is -- with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram grabbing all the attention due to easy accessibility, EB is likely getting less participation because it is also less accessible. How to address this? Drawing attention (to re-direct the spotlight back to forums) and staying relevant in social media is one strategy. I value the community the most Outdated pinned topics EB is so far behind the Youtube game I'm okay that the EB team do not stretch themselves and focus on its strength instead. I can see any social media as channels to draw in more users back to forum. The forum should always be the primary source of information. The rest are secondary. As an ex-blogger, I know from experience it's really hard to balance social media to serve the needs of followers/supporters while ensuring the website still gets the primary attention. I know it's hard but it can be done.

I can see the similarities. It's good to find people who can truly appreciate these uniformed officers. Happy shopping!

Game on! Thank you for revising the voting system. Question on 'best of each series' -- can it be best 2 of each series? Otherwise, the shortlisted 'best of' will be quite short.

I like the chunky and compact look! Cheers!~

There were several 2x2 LBG round tiles with Imperial logo... I also don't understand why the 1x1 round tile came out in white. Thanks a bunch! Removing the sideburns shouldn't be a tough job for Brasso if you're into that sort of thing; if you're not... pretend I didn't say this.

Just to add more info on my previous posts, I don't think I made it clear what it means about internal vs external motivations. So here they are: Internal motivations (intrinsic values) Belongingness Knowledge-Sharing Learning Acknowledgment External motivations (extrinsic rewards) Post counts Badges Leaderboards Prizes Points Money I felt a lot of belongingness from @Itaria No Shintaku's minifigure game because there were a lot of interaction and a lot of friendly banter among each other's vote. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but contests and games doesn't mean you need to win a prize e.g. LEGO set or a badge. Sometimes even the smallest recognition matters. With regards to encouraging more MOCs -- I know someone who quit building MOCs because he does not get the tiny bit of recognition he thinks he deserved. Yes, he posted several big collaboration MOCs in EB before but I won't mention his username. You may not think it is real and I didn't believe this thing happens to MOCers, until a friend of mine quit because of this very reason. It is really sad. I do feel there was an air of elitism in EB that's why it took me several years to actually participate. I was browsing as early as 2010-2011... and see what year I actually registered and became active? Too late. I don't know if it's just me but I feel like I interacted most with folks who joined around the same time as myself - mostly member IDs above 100k, like @Littleworlds. The only time I really had real interaction with the veterans is when I started posting my own reviews here. So imagine if you don't post reviews and you don't really know anyone. It is very challenging to break through and get heard.

Well, apart from female astronauts with ponytail, they could be used for more colourful variants of Galaxy Squad.

Awwww.. that's quite bad. Worse than I imagined. Thanks for sharing, and hope this is not a widespread issue. Totally understand where you are coming from. I will always prefer the standard Stormtroopers as well. Somehow the animation group in Lucas Arts were able to extend the screentime of the other trooper variants like Death Troopers. I don't think they can pull the same strategy for the other troopers so I am also on the bench regarding collecting a bunch of them. That's why in my recommendation, I would look at the other battle pack first.

Now you made me interested on that piece! Youuu!

Thanks. I saw some folks using the legs of these Patrol Troopers to update the Scout Troopers. If you look at the Patrol Trooper that I used with the Panda Suit, you'll notice that the alignment is quite well. The other one, not so perfect, but I didn't complain this because I think it will differ from one batch to another. Anyway, thanks for pointing this out. :) Custom minifigures are produced in fewer quantities compared to official minifigures and they cost so much more than your average minifig. Because of this, I also expect so much more from 3rd parties and a tiny bit of "error" is a big deal breaker. The only 3rd-party printed minifigures I have were gifts so I really can't complain. Having said that, perception of quality differs from person to person. I have expressed several disappointments on official LEGO minifigures in my previous reviews so I do take minifigure quality seriously. The gap between the torso print and leg print is something that I am already used to. As for the misalignment -- personally, a fraction of millimeter of misalignment is not a deal breaker -- there are more annoying and serious problems that could happen in minifig production that bothers me. Anyway, thanks a lot for adding your opinion. Cheers!

This is my version of WhiteFang's infamous "Glued Together" ... I'm going to get more of these brick suits when it goes on sale.

I immediately read the details on what it means for Flickr after it was purchased by Smugmug since I have too many photos hosted in Flickr. https://techcrunch.com/2018/04/20/smugmug-acquires-flickr/ This articled confirmed that the pictures in Flickr will stay there in Flickr and that there will always be a free plan. They also put an FAQ about these concerns here: https://www.smugmug.com/together/faq

Cool. I wasn't expecting they will be available this soon. If I get them, I will likely get the Golden Dragon Master first too.

I also can't wait to get more of these, but before that I would like to see how the movie first before I commit to buying more of these. Cheers!

I was very active in following leaks about 2 years ago. It was fun speculating because knowing what's coming makes it easier to have an educated decision what to buy and what not to buy. I don't see it as negative because TLG adjusted their release cycle and the regular playsets tend to have a shorter shelf life now. By the time I get my hands on current sets, new sets are about to come out already. Can you really blame those members who talk about the future products when the existing product is already stale or outdated after coming out in less than 2 months? Times are changing, and TLG made it harder to keep up. To answer your questions: Yes, preferably with an easier entry point to encourage other members, and hopefully easier to find because there were many occasions I missed out the deadline. To me, tags are like novelty item that you collect as you progress in your Eurobricks journey. Unfortunately, there are very few references what those tags mean. I can equate that to an inside joke that no one appreciate because the meaning is limited to those who only know the story behind them. I use Eurobricks as reference to write reviews get insights what people like about the sets. Unfortunately, the number of quality reviews in written format is sharply declining as more people go for video. Games are not my cup of tea but I fully support those people who enjoy them. :) Yes, but I don't believe EB has interest in doing social media because most of the times I feel that there isn't much activity there as well. It feels that there is zero social media interest. Is it shortage of volunteers to operate and keep things interesting? If there is something EB can immediately change is to keep its FB, Instagram and Twitter streams active. I observed that the only times EB operate FB and Twitter is during server downtime period. Seriously, if you need help I'm sure there are a number of trustworthy members who can part-time as your social media ambassadors. Yes, mostly Flickr and Instagram. There are cases that I prefer the broadly define threads because people can get creative in answering -- it helps when you define certain ground rules I always check first "Contents that I posted In" Would be awesome to have an index of video reviews... but I think the index of text reviews need an overhaul first. I did a lot research for online participation on social media / online community before and there are different aspirations and motivational factors. It could be internal or external factors. Those that are actively posting in the forums are usually internally motivated. EB needs to understand how to engage these active posters. As for the lurkers -- all of them have different reasons to stay on mute or just read, the challenge is how to switch them to active participants in the community.

I am not so hyped about the Solo movie but I bought the 75207 Imperial Patrol Battle Pack and reviewed it here:

Are you ready for the Solo, a Star Wars story movie? If you're not, do not worry. You're not alone. There is nothing to spoil in this review so please proceed without hesitation. The movie is not yet out and besides, my 16th RA review is just a battle pack. You might be thinking, after a long break this dude only comes back with a puny little set to review? My reply to that: "I know". Overview Name: 75207 - Imperial Patrol Battle Pack Theme: Star Wars / Rogue One Year: 2018 (1H) Pieces: 99 Minifigures: 4 Price: GBP 12.99 / USD 14.99 / EUR 16.99 / SGD 29.99 / MYR 79.90 Resources: Brickset and Bricklink Introduction Since the introduction of the new trilogy and anthology Star Wars movie, we began seeing more diverse design of armoured troopers. On the flipside, It’s hard to imagine that there aren't many variations of Imperial uniforms. Apart from knowing that the empire has dedicated droids to do all the ironing to make the imperial uniforms look presentable, the imperial uniforms are generally grey and black with almost the same design. Anyway, I am getting side-tracked. Let's check out the packaging first. Front panel The Solo movie is supposed to display the height of the Imperial power because in the Star Wars timeline the new movie happens before Rogue One. This is evident in this set showing the Imperial Patrol Troopers riding Interceptor Speeder Bikes. According to Star Wars databank, the Patrol Stormtroopers use the speeder bikes to cover distances across sprawling settlements and cities. Back panel The back panel just shows the studs shooters in action. Yeah... that's it. Side Panels Nothing much to see on the side panels of the packaging. Now, let's open the box and start building. Build Unboxing contents Inside the box, we have 2 plastic bags without number and a single instruction booklet. Good news: there is no sticker sheet! This is a fairly small set so all the loose parts are meant for a single build which is called Imperial Interceptor Speeder Bike according to Star Wars databank. The back of the instruction booklet displays the other available sets for the latest wave of Star Wars playsets. Bag Contents These are all the contents available. There is nothing particularly exciting about the parts included but this is not the set that you will buy mainly for the parts afterall. There is one relatively new part which is the black 2x2 modified tile with 2 studs on the edge that is used as the top piece for the driver's seat. Apart from that, there is no outstanding new part in my opinion. You do get 3 printed 1x1 round tiles with an Imperial logo, one of which is a spare. For the build itself, this battle pack has a very practical use of parts despite it looking boring. The speeder bike design is very pragmatic and simple. In order to achieve the shape of the frame, it uses several Technic axles, Technic bricks, lift arms and hinges. As a result, the speeder bike has a very sturdy build. Front view By far, the least attractive front view of any Star War speeder bike. The lack of curvy styling isn't really the set designer's fault because when you see the speeder bike in the movie trailer (the speeder bike chase scene where someone flips in the air), it is really meant to be utilitarian. It is also faithful to the design with a size approximately close to minifig scale -- highly commendable for a battle pack like this. There are also 2 stud shooters attached in front for additional play feature for younger builders. The stud shooters also make the speeder bike look more fierce as they add more character to the seemingly boring vehicle. Completed Imperial Interceptor Speeder Bike Here is the complete speeder bike. The side profile is very angular giving the allusion of raw power and that the speeder bike is meant for pursuit. Do you see the protruding black antenna on the left side of the speeder? I don't what is that for, but I am happy there is something different at the sides that makes the speeder slightly asymmetrical. Side view The bottom of the speeder is just a plate and there is no hidden wheel or glider. Kids will need to use the power of imagination to make-believe the speeder bike is floating. Parts As mentioned earlier, there isn't much notable part included in the set except those that I already mentioned. Once completed, you are left with these extra parts. Do note that all 4 minifigures carry a stud shooter and the speeder bike has 2 shooters as well. In total there are 6 stud shooters in the set. Therefore, having only 7 1x1 round plate spares isn't that much after all. Always Buckle Up! *only the speeder bike & Patrol Trooper are included in the set Minifigures Now let's get to the meat of this review. The minifigure selection in this set is perhaps the top reason people will buy the set. The set is obviously meant for army builders. Taking into account that the official description of the set describes the two uniformed minifigures as a recruitment officer and an Imperial Emigration officer, I don't believe people will actually build an army of recruiters or emigration officers. Of course, someone could possibly do that as well but more likely, people will pay for this set for the Patrol Troopers. TLG is generous to include 2 of them in the set. Front view with headgears The Recruiter Officer has a new face print with facial hair and sideburns. Judging by the uniform insignia, the army recruiter is also a captain. The officer from 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer also has sideburns so perhaps this style is common to captains. The torso print is also new with updated creases and folds, and now with 2 code cylinders, one on each chest pocket. I don't recall any officer with dark bluish grey legs with printing yet, which is frustrating because by right these officers should have those black boots. The dual moulded DBG legs with black boots are already used in other minifigures in DC Superheroes (Batman) and Ninjago (Shade) so other than reducing the production cost, I don't know why we don't get these dual moulded legs. The fact that LEGO sets put a premium price on these licensed sets, it's fair to demand accuracy of these minifigures. So if TLG is reading this, please put boots on the Imperial officers next time. Moving on, the Emigration Officer has the same helmet used by Imperial Navy Trooper and Death Star Trooper. The front torso print is new but it is very similar torso to the Imperial Ground Crew, just slightly more detailed. Unfortunately, the knee pads pattern used in Imperial Ground Crew were not re-used so there is no leg printing for the Emigration Officer. I doubt the Emigration Officers use knee pads at work, so legs without printing look fine for this minifigure. Finally, we move on to the stars of this set - the Imperial Patrol Troopers. These specialised Stormtroopers patrol the cities controlled by the Empire. Gladly, they come with a well-deserved and highly-detailed torso and leg printings. You look at the Patrol Trooper helmets and they remind you of the classic Stormtrooper bucket helmets but with reinforced forehead armour similar to Tank Troopers in Rogue One, albeit smaller. The air vents (frown) is not pointy, the conduit housing is black, the vocoder speaker is bigger (probably to shout louder at people), and the eye visor looks different. It's not the same but it l looks so familiar. It's very pleasing to know that the helmet is dual moulded. Can you imagine if they do this in the classic OT Stormtrooper? Maybe it is not necessary for the OT Stormtroopers because the black colour does not cover such a big area unlike the Patrol Trooper but it is interesting that we are getting more dual moulding in Star Wars. Hopefully dual moulding for arms and legs will catch up soon. If you look inside the helmet you can also see the small hole in the forehead area. Back view with headgears The back printing for all the minifigures is superb. Note that the black part of the Patrol Trooper helmet is not ink printing - it is entirely made of dual-moulded ABS plastic. I don't believe that printing around the helmet will give justice at all so it's great that it is made of dual-moulded plastic. Side view The side printing is totally absent in all these minifigures unless you count the helmet printing as 'side' printing. Front view without accessories/headgears Removing the head gears, we can see more faceprints from the 2 officers. As for the Patrol Troopers, I have 3 words: angry clone trooper!! Back view without accessories/headgears There is only 1 minifigure with dual faceprint -- Emigration Officer. The alternative faceprint looks like an irritated snarky face. Comparison of black and white bucket-heads I lined up the most recent releases of the Stormtrooper variants. To me, nothing beats the original trilogy (OT) design. They all look nice but the refinement of the OT design over years of iteration makes it the most pleasing Stormtrooper to my eyes. That is not to say the other Stormtrooper designs are ugly; all of them are great minifigures. How about you? What's your favourite Stormtrooper design? Zoom-zoom! Conclusion There isn't much to say about this little set. It's good because the build is okay for its size. The parts are not really excellent even though they could be used for other purposes. The minifigures are great even though the majority of the buyers will likely purchase the set just for the 2 Patrol Troopers -- myself included. The official set description is a little self-aware that the buyer must have Star Wars minifigure collection first so that this battle set can have something to take control of. The inclusion of 6 stud shooters for such a small set is really overkill especially when there is no conflict to stage. I don't hate the stud shooter but I don't like them either because it doesn't really add much value even if it gives more 'action'. This set could have benefit for adding just a classic pistol for the minifigures. There's also an argument that instead of adding the stud shooters for more parts, the cost could have been allocated for more printing on the other minifigures. To sum it up, the Patrol Troopers outshine everything in the set. The rest is just ordinary. You're under arrest for impersonating Stormtroopers! Review summary Playability: 6 / 10 - Extra play features are almost absent, save the stud shooters and role-playing with the minifigures Design / Building Experience: 9 / 10 - Pragmatic design for an industrial-looking speeder bike. One of the better build for a battle pack lately. Minifigures: 8 / 10 - Patrol Troopers look great. Could have been nicer if Mudtrooper or standard Stormtroopers were added in the mix instead of the officers. Price / Value for money: 7/10 - The pieces included can be re-purposed for MOC quite easily but there is nothing out of ordinary other than the minifigures. Overall: 7.5 / 10 - Admittedly, the Patrol Trooper is likely the only reason you want to buy this set. There is another battle pack (75206) that comes with Clone Troopers and 2 Jedi, so if you have a limited budget you may prioritise that over this. Comment below if you enjoy reading this or if you disagree/agree with me. Let's have a clean and healthy discussion. Thank you for reading!

Yeah after posting, I dug up some of my picture books and indeed they are Mystake as @Aanchir mention. Good eyes. The contrast is quite bad in the picture but it makes sense to use this mould now that I have seen it.

LOL. Yes, and it will be the blind bag to be the hardest to feel because the parts are just very much similar.

It looks like a new mould... but at first glance I thought his hand is amputated or something. I also noticed the spelling of Mistaké is Mystake instead. Is that a mistake??

Great review and I agree with you on the truck design. It looks really nice and perhaps the best part is the use of the corrugated panel in grey. It will come in handy in MOCs. The greatest disappointment (nit-picking) for me is the colour scheme makes this T-Rex appear to have an overcooked top with an undercooked underside -- which reminds me of the fried chicken that I cooked the other day. Not very good.