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Lyichir

Eurobricks Grand Dukes
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Everything posted by Lyichir

  1. Lyichir
    I'm not sure adding an additional connection point for a classic minifigure hand (and thus requiring the new monkey to go through an additional preassembly process like other minifigures) would actually be less costly than having a molded on hand like it does. It also would necessarily make the arms bulkier, which might look a bit odd on this smaller monkey. Personally I like the new monkey too, and a part of me wonders why it wasn't used for the monkeys in the Monkie Kid set Flower Fruit Mountain (though that's not to say I dislike the short-legged monkey minifigures the set did end up using, which are adorable and have great face and torso prints).
  2. Lyichir
    While these are absolutely gorgeous... I get why Lego tends to opt for something less artsy and more representative of the actual products in their catalogs these days. Something like these would make amazing prints or posters though!
  3. Lyichir
    These are lovely! I love the color choices! I'm curious, do you think you could make them individual buildings like you had intended and still have them line up properly if you added additional Technic pin connections on the upper sections of the side walls, instead of just at the bottom?
  4. Lyichir
    Yup. For Lego to get the most value out of their production capacity, they have to try to run things at capacity (or as close to it as possible). That means that even things like changing out molds in a particular machine or changing the color of plastic being used in a particular mold needs to be minimized, since time spent with the machines "offline" is essentially money wasted. The scheduling for those sorts of things is tight, which is one reason why many smaller or more niche product lines (like limited edition gift-with-purchase sets or early sets from the Lego Ideas program) largely need to rely more on parts that are already in production for other sets, since those teams have less influence on the overall production timetables overall.
  5. Lyichir
    Definitely feels like good news, if way, way overdue! I wonder if it's only Amazon that will be stocking the sets or if other retailers will be getting them as well. I'm also curious whether Amazon will just be getting the latest few waves or if there's still somehow enough of the year one sets that people who missed out on those while they were Lego exclusive could get a chance at them this way. Either way I can only hope that this will lead to the show being released in the U.S. as well. Perhaps if the sets are being released on Amazon, the series could be made available on Amazon Prime Video? That wouldn't necessarily be ideal (since I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Amazon as a company and the series being exclusive to them would probably reach a more limited audience than if it were on TV as well), but it'd still be far better than the status quo of the series not being legitimately available here at all.
  6. Lyichir
    Oh, this is extremely cute! I love that while most of it is built studs-up you've used SNOT techniques to get the eyes just right, and angled the little feet to make the pose a little more dynamic. And despite that studs up building for the rest (which can sometimes make it hard to do organic shaping), the shaping is pulled off so well—I especially love the curve of the tail!
  7. Lyichir
    While the number of licensed D2C sets does feel like it has increased, it has felt like me that the number of unlicensed exclusives has also gone up this year, with sets like the Police Station, Everyone is Awesome, the three sets in the Botanical Collection, and the upcoming Pickup Truck (not to mention the Medieval Blacksmith and Typewriter in the Ideas theme and Ninjago CIty Gardens in the Ninjago theme). The lack of a fairground set is conspicuous but not unprecedented—it's possible that Lego is just trying to give those a bit more breathing room between releases, especially with the latest two (the Haunted House and the Roller Coaster) having been more expensive than most of their predecessors.
  8. Lyichir
    I just realized I hadn't shared the Twitter thread where I shared some of my assorted thoughts on the Bone Demon set (along with plenty of pictures), so here:
  9. Lyichir
    So the Monkey King mech, excluding the two ribbons and the flags/banners, is about 13 in / 33 cm tall from the feet to the top of the head. The bone demon is roughly the same height if you exclude the large bones/antlers extending from the back. Here's a picture I took of the two together: As far as next year's sets are concerned, I'm not quite sure what to expect—but in terms of the "journey" I get the feeling that might end up justifying just as many vehicles if not more—I doubt the journey will be taken entirely on foot in a theme like this. That said, there could be plenty of opportunity for new settings as well—not just temples but also villages and other sorts of landmarks. One idea I've had (that might not be likely, but is fun to think about and could be great inspiration for a MOC if nothing else) is that since obviously China is more developed than it was when the original Journey to the West was written, it's possible that at least a small leg of the journey (perhaps the first portion of it before they get into more mystical territory) could be taken by train! China has some neat rail infrastructure in the modern day and there are a lot of possible options for a Monkie Kid themed train set—perhaps a multicolored cargo train with an aesthetic like the Ocean HQ, or a sleek high speed train themed around Mei and the White Dragon Horse family, or even a rugged, industrial coal or diesel-powered train themed around the Demon Bull Clan (Red Son could potentially be persuaded to begrudgingly let even his one-time enemies hitch a ride).
  10. Lyichir
    I'm a little more tempted by this than I was before reading this review! I've mostly been out of the Technic game since shortly after the rebooted Bionicle theme ended (since while I love a good Technic build, I'm much more a fan of fantasy and sci-fi than I am of "realistic" vehicles like Technic mostly focuses on). But if I were to get back into it this set seems to offer quite a bit of what I've missed out on—new differentials, CV joints, planetary hubs, clutches, and various other more recently introduced parts. Plus Powered Up, which I've yet to get a chance to experiment with. For the set itself I like how solidly built it seems to be. I'm far from a "gearhead" who knows a lot about performance but there's a ton of little things I like, such as how effectively the large Powered Up hub is built into the back of the cab and the nice construction of the hood. Also, mark me down as somebody who would be much less interested in this if it didn't have the colorful pins and axles. I may be "18+" but I'm bothered much more by avoidable difficulty than I am by the occasional spot of color reminding me that it's a Lego model.
  11. Lyichir
    That would be awesome! Personally I'd even be happy with even a set like the various "City Center" sorts of sets in the City theme, with a variety of smaller buildings and urban vehicles in one box. It's probably not like that we'll get either as actual sets, though, at least not soon. Spoilers for season 2 for anyone who cares about the story and hasn't caught up with the latest season: In the meantime, I wouldn't be opposed to trying to come up with something like that on my own, either, maybe expanding some of the buildings that exist in the sets so far into full modular-scale establishments. I think I've seen some people do that themselves already.
  12. Lyichir
    This is SO cute! Seeing this, it's surprising to me that it seems to be the first seasonal Lego set themed around Día de los Muertos—the bright colors make it feel like such a natural fit!
  13. Lyichir
    Which Creator 3-in-1 sets are exclusive? In the U.S. City has had Lego exclusives before (mostly the big multi-subject street scenes that I think used to more commonly be Toys R Us exclusives before they went under), but I hadn't been aware of any 3-in-1 sets being made exclusive in the same way. To be honest, Monkie Kid becoming online-exclusive wouldn't be the absolute worst (if Lego hadn't reversed their decision on having regional exclusives a couple of years ago, it's not implausible that the theme might never have made its way west whatsoever, so I'm grateful at least that the theme has been as easy to get as it has). But it feels like a real bummer that as of last year I was hoping for the theme to get a wider release once the TV series started airing here, and now a year later not only have we gotten no hint of the TV series being made officially available here but it's looking like even the Lego store availability it had been enjoying is being scaled back. I know that whatever has caused the holdup in the TV series probably wasn't planned on Lego's part at all, but absent any kind of communication one way or the other about what's going on with it, it can't help but feel like this theme's promotion was something that could have and should have been handled better.
  14. Lyichir
    Even for sets that are not yet "in production", cancelling an already announced product is fairly rare for Lego (though not unheard of), and especially for something like a minifigure series that relies on a decent number of new molds, the substantial pre-production costs (including designing, engineering, and fabricating molds) would have already been committed. Even if the Vidiyo series is going to be more of a flash in the pan it's still likely cheaper for Lego to release the currently revealed sets as planned. And I would like to emphasize that the clearance pricing and discounts some people here are seeing are definitely not the global picture for the theme. I wouldn't necessarily be unhappy if they were! I like the Vidiyo figures and sets somewhat but have no major emotional connection to the theme so wouldn't be that broken up about it ending, especially if it meant I could get the current sets at a bargain price. But where I am in the U.S., I have yet to see major discounts on even the expensive Beatboxes, and the cheaper Bandmates seem to have sold out in a lot of places I've visited. So whether or not it means the theme will continue beyond this year, it's pretty clear that at least here, retailers aren't giving up on it quite yet. And as a spring release there's no telling whether or not the theme could get at least a small boost this holiday season, especially since the smaller sets could make for good stocking stuffers despite the price.
  15. Lyichir
    The popularity in Denmark is probably one factor but another that isn't insignificant is that Volkswagen (despite being a German brand) is extremely iconic not just in Europe but also in the large American market (and by extension, in anywhere American TV and movies are exported to). By comparison a brand like Citroën is much, much less of a household name here—which is a shame because I'd love to see a 2CV model that I could build or modify into the iconic "Laytonmobile" from the Professor Layton series of video games.
  16. Lyichir
    Oh, don't get me wrong, most stores did eventually restock plenty of the Adventures with Mario set—they kind of had to, since as the only "starter set" up to now it was kind of essential for selling all the other sets. But in the month immediately following its release it could be somewhat hard to find. I remember my nearest Lego store being out of them along with stores near me like Target and Walmart. Luigi will probably be a little less popular (since he's not the only option for playing the game and doesn't have that huge debut craze going for him), but it's still possible that some places will sell out temporarily. In negative news, I've seen rumors that at least some U.S. Lego stores will be phasing out stocking Monkie Kid sets on shelves (potentially making them online exclusive in this country). It's really frustrating to see increasing evidence that Lego might've ended up bungling the international launch of one of their best current themes.
  17. Lyichir
    It could end up coming down to which one is available to you. If the Luigi set's demand is anything like what Mario's was when it first came out, it might end up sold out in a lot of places very soon after coming out (at least until those places can restock it and the initial demand has leveled off some, which could potentially take a couple weeks). Whereas I don't think you're likely to have the same issue with the Bone Demon, especially since it will have been available for a month by then. I got the Bone Demon (along with the Noodle Tank) last week and can vouch for it being a very good set. I had some minor issues (the Monkie Kid mech is tricky to pose on the cloud board so that it's balanced and secure, and I swapped the single stud attachment for Lady Bone Demon on top of the casket for a 2x2 tile with two studs so she'd attach a little more securely). but those issues aside the main build is breathtaking and very sturdy.
  18. Lyichir
    Nice review! I love that new 1x1 piece with a bar connection on each side! Quick correction, though—this definitely isn't the Ecto-1 windscreen. That one was 14 x 6 x 4 while this one seems to be 14 x 3 x 4. It's steeper and has a smaller radius along the bottom edge (2 studs instead of 4).
  19. Lyichir
    Sort of. Using common colors like primary colored parts for parts that won't be visible on the exterior is typically cheaper than recoloring them to a new or rare color. But I think making the build easier (to reduce any confusion in the instructions) is a more significant reason in general. After all, black and grey tend to be pretty common colors themselves, but an interior using only those sorts of "mechanical" colors could make parts blend together more. Using brighter colors helps to make sure those interior parts are distinct and easy to differentiate, both on instruction pages and in a pile of parts. One final reason (though it's somewhat rare) is for "Easter eggs" inside the build. For instance, the Koenigsegg from this year's Speed Champions set has a blue and yellow Swedish flag pattern built into the inside. In a case like that, factors like instruction readability are still probably a primary motivator for using differently colored parts than the exterior, but if Lego needs to differentiate the interior colors for those reasons, it doesn't hurt to sneak a little pattern or reference into that space at the same time.
  20. Lyichir
    If a part hasn't been used in that long, it's usually a pretty safe assumption that it isn't going to come back. Raised baseplates in general were last used ten years ago and the crater baseplate specifically last appeared 25 whole years ago (in one of my earliest Lego sets, 6190 Shark's Crystal Cave). With a much wider variety of slopes, tiles and other parts that can be used in landscaping today, I expect you'd sooner see that sort of thing brick-built than for Lego to bring back a very specialized molded part like that.
  21. Lyichir
    Honestly as much as I enjoy new themes I'd be satisfied with the Monkie Kid theme getting, like, any media or promotion in this half of the world. It's very frustrating to see such a promising, high-quality theme (with great sets AND story media) go virtually unknown. I'd love to know what the holdup has been—preferably BEFORE the theme reaches the end of its lifespan.
  22. Lyichir
    I searched it and I'm sorry to say the set you're looking at is a fake/fan concept, not a real set.
  23. Lyichir
    This is very neat! A part of me does wish the base were a little more elaborate and landscaped, sort of like how the bases of Pirates of Barracuda Bay or the Tree House were. The classic crater bases may be no more, but these days I feel like it's possible to make an even more dynamic "lunar surface" with bricks and slopes (and consequently help justify the bulky off-road wheels of various rovers).
  24. Lyichir
    Most kids' knowledge of pirates and the world they inhabited come from fictional stories about them anyway (or at best, highly simplified descriptions of the actual history that is made digestible for younger readers). The Lego Pirates themes in general probably owe more to fictionalized stories of piracy like Treasure Island and Peter Pan than they do to the historical realities of the Age of Sail. That's not to say more historically-inspired versions of those concepts aren't valid, especially for adult builders who want to explore them from a more educated perspective. But in general all Lego historic themes have been aimed primarily at kids and have focused more on simplified, romanticized, and trope-laden versions of their respective historical and geographic eras, often inspired by popular fictional representations of those such as books and movies.
  25. Lyichir
    This is getting a little off track from the question that was asked, but it's interesting to me that you'd prefer the Foundry to the mech, since the Foundry feels more to me like a mobile base like the Fortrex from Nexo Knights than a typical "location" build, whereas in terms of locations really love the apartment/noodle shop in the mech set (which to me feels perfectly sized—big enough to feel like a realistic setting alongside figs but small enough that the giant mech still towers over it). Not that your preference is wrong or anything—like the Ocean HQ, while I passed on it originally I eventually ended up picking it up anyway, and I love the architectural style (which suits the Iron Bull Clan wonderfully) and the way it folds around the included dump truck for mobility! On a completely different note, I'm hopefully going to get out to the Lego store later today to pick up the new Bone Demon set and Pigsy's Noodle Tank! I've been looking forward to these since they were revealed and can't wait to get to build them for myself. I think I'll wait on Sandy's mech for now, though as my last two posts go to show, that doesn't always mean I won't get them in the long run.
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