Alexandrina

I'm very intrigued by the idea of another Friends set coming about. Not that I've actually built the original - I bought it as a gift for a relative, and I've been unable to visit their house for several months due to lockdowns, so I've never seen it in the flesh. But (and I'm sure someone here will correct me) I don't recall any previous Ideas license doing well enough to get a second release. It makes sense if the market's there - the very existence of the first set means that at a minimum the license holder is willing to play ball - and you'd think it would be a sure sale. I am surprised that Friends was the license to break this duck, though - especially when previous Ideas such as Doctor Who with a far greater scope for sets have never got that same boost.

It's been a while since I watched the films and even longer since I read the books, but was it not Scabior who was at the bridge? As I remember the Death Eaters who crossed all died when it blew up, but Fenrir must have made it into the castle to kill Lavender. I'd much prefer a Scabior minifigure anyway - werewolves are one of my least favourite fiction stocks, and the torso for Scabior could be very useful in other creations.

I've apparently got amateur stats compared to some people! I've been a Bricklink member since March 2017 and have 44 feedback (I also added to my count three orders which either haven't arrived yet or arrived in the past few weeks and which I haven't received feedback for) - which gives me a score of one order roughly every thirty days. However, I joined in 2017 to order a few parts for a specific film project I never ended up making, and went back to the cocoon of my Dark Ages almost immediately. Almost all of my Bricklink orders have come since May 24th last year, when I returned to Lego (I think I have four or five from before this time). If I do a revised calculation to exclude the three years I wasn't buying, my score drops to one purchase every six days or so. More in line with what I expected.

Do Lego heads really need to look like the actor for licensed properties? Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion of my own, but generic-ish heads - with all the key features of the character they're representing, but not a facsimile of the actor's face - have always been the more useful option imo. Lego's bricks are eminently reusable, in all sorts of contexts. With that in mind, something like the classic Qui-Gon Jinn head is spot on: in context with Jedi robes and the brown hair, it's unmistakeably Qui-Gon. Stick the head on, say, a Futuron minifigure and it doesn't look like Liam Neeson LARPING as Futuron. Even ten years ago generic heads were not only the norm but pretty well expected - and only the biggest characters from licensed properties tended to get unique heads. I don't recall people having an issue with it at the time, and I don't see how it's different now. I can probably spin this off into an unpopular opinion of my own offering: yellow heads should have stayed, even in licensed sets. Having the disconnect is infuriating - you have torsos with flesh printing that don't go with yellow heads, and torsos with yellow printing that don't go with flesh heads. Some of my favourite minifigure head designs are fleshies - Geonosis Padmé, for instance - but my most-used licensed head is still the 2002-era Lucius Malfoy smirk, because that one goes with all the yellow heads in my collection.

I can't say I'm not excited by the prospect of a Titanic, which as others have pointed out is perhaps the most recognisable passenger ship of all time (maybe the most recognisable ship full stop?) The selfish part of me wants it to be a 2022 release though - I've literally just got all my ducks in a row for planning picking up the sets I want from the Winter 2021 range and those I haven't yet got from 2020 - a big juicy Titanic will blow my budget right out of the water! (No pun intended there...)

I never got the appeal of Bionicle. It's just Technic panels you can't use for anything and Technic pins everyone already has hundreds of, put together to make some weird robot thing that in my experience never stood up properly anyway. Give me a System set any day of the week.

Forestmen, Paradisa and Adventurers for me. Forestmen because even though I've never actually owned a set (they're all so bloody expensive on the second hand market) it was the theme eight-year-old me used to spend the most time staring at on Bricklink; Adventurers because I still think it's the best story-based theme Lego have ever done; and Paradisa in the hopes that light green makes a comeback! I can't be the only one surprised not to see Western on the list, though. My understanding has always been that it's one of Lego's most popular themes, and surely they're aware of that, so is there a reason it was excluded?

£130 for a Durmstrang ship seems about right in terms of price for the build (assuming it's using big boat pieces, etc.) but I can't fathom the figures that would justify a set that price. We already have Krum, who is the only Durmstrang student to have a character in the films. We already have uniformed variants of Harry, Ron and Hermione. The only obvious figure that isn't already available in the 2018-present line is Karkaroff - and somehow I can't see people spending that amount of money for Karkaroff and some duplicates. But what else? Nameless Durmstrangs? Uniformed Ginny? Nigel? I suppose Barty Crouch Sr might fit but it would be a bit of a contortion to justify. I'll probably end up getting it if it is the Durmstrang ship because I need big ships for a film I'm working on, but I worry the figure selection would be lacking.

Might that indicate that Lego plan to introduce the 1x5 plate and brick in the near future? It seems silly to me that they've never delved into that size, since while 5 is an odd number it's no less rare as a dimension for Lego structures than 3 - and 1x3 has been around for decades. Anyway, to contribute an unpopular opinion: I'm disappointed that baseplates seem to be on the way out. I'm young enough that my childhood was just a few years removed from the era of having a small baseplate in most sets, but baseplates weren't unheard of. I used to look at the catalogues with all the cool raised baseplates in themes like Alpha Team and Adventurers, and later still Indiana Jones, and long to be able to afford them. Alas, I never seemed to be able to save up enough for a big set before it was discontinued (throughout my childhood the biggest set I ever had - aside from a copy of the 2010 Fire Station I won in a competition - was the 2006 X-Wing). I've basically quadrupled my collection of baseplates in less than a year just through buying old job-lots and vintage Paradisa sets - the modern day equivalent of which would have been built on two or three smaller plates and not been as cool. I've always been a filmmaker - that's what really got me into Lego, and it's what has sustained my interest and prompted my emergence from a second Dark Age a few years ago. For me, baseplates are a godsend. When it comes to making a film set, 16x16 is not big enough - you'd have to be shooting a super-macro shot for that to cover the whole frame. In a world without baseplates, the first step in building a film set is fabricating a base out of larger plates (and let's face it, most people don't have a huge supply of 16x16 plates in the same colour, so we're likely talking 8x8 or smaller). Alternatively, plonk down a 32x32 or even 48x48 baseplate and you're there. I got away with a lot of barebones film sets by sticking a couple of trees and BURPS on a baseplate and sticking a blue background for the sky. Even now coming back into making my films, it's far easier to do my test shots on a baseplate than a behemoth of joined plates. I would argue, also, that baseplates are useful for sets with any number of minifigures larger than have a designated place in the set (by which I mean, say, a Star Wars ship with one seat in the cockpit but two minifigures). What do you do with the extra figures and tiny side builds? In my case it seems to be "balance them on a flat surface for their few months' display life, hoping they don't fall off and get carried by the dog to who knows where". Much easier to plonk them on the baseplate, where at least you know they're secure.

This is going to be a Day One purchase for me. The last time Lego did a proper Castle range was in my second Dark Age, and in the Kingdoms era I generally had enough money to buy one set every six months, if I saved every penny. And fool as I am, when I went to Legoland and my mum offered me the chance to pick literally any set under £80 to have as a gift, I chose a run-of-the-mill Creator set over anything Castle. To have even one set is outstanding news - and for me the timing could not be better. I'm in the planning stages of an absurdly ambitious medieval brickfilm series (curse my inability to rein my ideas in!) so the pieces will be absolutely welcome. I hope there's some good minifigures, especially civilians - perhaps a blacksmith's wife with a wimple or something?

I feel like the definition of a "true" Castle theme is too nebulous to really pin down. The back-and-forth in this very thread about Nexo Knights is a key example (and one I can't really partake in, since it fell during my second Dark Ages so I've never seen any Nexo Knights sets in the flesh) but what it comes down to imo is that people's idea of a "true" Castle theme will just be something that 'feels' right. It's the same as how people's definition of Classic versus Modern Castle themes will vary depending on when they got into Lego - for me, Knights Kingdom and before are the vintage, because they were off the shelves before I ever owned a Castle set, whereas Kingdoms and beyond are modern, because they're the sets I remember seeing in catalogues. Someone who's been collecting since the 1990s will see the Fright Knights/Dragon Knights/Knights Kingdom as modern because that's stuff they were around for, while someone who only gets into Lego with the release of a hypothetical 2022 Castle range will see even the Nexo Knights era as Classic. And yet, when you try to delineate the cutoff with some objective measure, it's just about impossible, because the evolution of Lego is so gradual. In the same way, people will look at a range's sets and very quickly decide whether it feels like true Castle or not. I'd be surprised if Lego ever pulled off a Castle theme without swords (tbh, I don't think there's any pre-Renaissance period which would make for a compelling theme that wouldn't include swords somewhere). I suspect there'll usually be a castle (but then again stuff like the Forestmen didn't necessarily contain a true Castle, just flagship faction bases)

Obviously there's more to Lego than the figures, but I feel like a Durmstrang ship would struggle to have interesting enough figures. Aside from Karkaroff (who to be fair is a must at some point in the line) and Krum (who's really been in too many sets already given how boring the character is, but as a Triwizard Champion is bound to turn up again and who would be a draw for the Durmstrang ship) who is there? Faceless Durmstrang students would have limited interest especially for casual fans. Perhaps some uncommon Hogwarts students? I seem to recall Nigel was among the crowd gathered to watch the ship arriving at Hogwarts - perhaps he'd be a good fit!

I can't say I share people's disappointment with the minifigure selection. Of course, I can understand the frustrations for those who've been collecting for years and have all the main cast - but that isn't everybody. Until I bought the AAT this summer, I think I had a grand total of ten major characters' Star Wars minifigures (including variants) and almost all of them from more than ten years ago! I'm looking at the figures in the new wave and thinking "finally, a chance to add these characters to my collection!" I don't have Darth Vader or RotJ Luke, nor can I justify spending £90 on a Final Duel set which to me looks terrible, just for those characters - so being able to get them in the Shuttle is a godsend. As for arm-printing: is it necessary? Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I've always found arm-printing detracts from the look of a minifigure in a considerable way. In fact, the only arm-printing I can think of that doesn't look terrible imo (in any theme) is the cuffs of Kingsley Shacklebolt. I suspect I'll end up getting four of the January wave (the X-Wing and Mando are a definite for me, Microfighter Falcon for Han is a likelihood, Shuttle if the price is right and I find enough money in my Lego-budget for it!) For comparison, there are only about eight sets in the 2019 and 2020 waves combined that appealed to me (among them a cheeky Inferno Squad for the Iden fig) - so next year is off to a very strong start! My wallet, on the other hand, hates it.

Yeah, it's far easier as an AFOL to have nostalgia for the big properties! I'd love to see something like the Famous Five in Lego, but the market isn't there...

Are those properties as timeless as Looney Tunes? I've just looked them up, and even though they were only a few years before my time I don't remember ever seeing any of them on the schedules (in fact, other than Animaniacs I hadn't heard of any). Looney Tunes, on the other hand, was everpresent - not just the originals, but Baby Looney Tunes, and half of the Boomerang splashes seemed to be Looney Tunes characters. I can't see Lego plumping for kids' programmes from a quarter of a century ago that haven't stood the test of time, since they'd be relying on a limited market of people who have nostalgia for said properties and that market would be unlikely to grow any considerable amount.

I actually can't remember if I've posted some of these previously myself - and I'm certain many have been suggested by others - but I've found myself recently hoping for a chunk of old Legends characters: Mara Jade Talon Karrde Jaina Solo Jacen Solo Anakin Solo Tenel Ka Saba Sebatyne Ben Skywalker Vestara Khai Gilad Pellaeon Natasi Daala While I still think some of these characters may be introduced into the new Canon and thus get a minifigure (there's nothing stopping Mara Jade or Talon Karrde from appearing in the Mandalorian or another TV series, or even a Solo sequel) I worry the ship has sailed for many. I blame the Clone Wars series, personally: in the waning days of the six-films-and-nothing-more era it seemed like Lego were preparing to branch out into EU - I remember a TIE Crawler set and the Imperial Dropship wasn't in any of the films - and I reckon had the license continued without new material from the Clone Wars, eventually a couple of EU big names would have made it. Perhaps a Collectible Minifigure series will give certain characters life - I bet a dozen key EU characters (certain of the ones on my list and fan favourites I've never personally been a fan of like Kyle Katarn) in a Minifigure series would make bank off AFOLs

Fabulous! That's just saved me a lot of time trawling BL! I used to think I was pretty good at searching Bricklink. Apparently minifigure parts are my kryptonite (or I'm not as much a pro as I thought) but sure enough, searching "smirk teeth" immediately yielded the part in question.

I've come to a frustrating halt sorting a recent bulk acquisition - a stubborn minifigure head! I've gone through the Bricklink list a dozen times without finding this bugger, and I'm going a bit minifigure-mad. Rather than keep on searching through the same list over and over, while progress grounds to zero, I thought I'd turn it over to you fine folks. Perhaps someone recognises this one:

I can't work out which part of your build to single out for praise, there are just so many little details I love. I think perhaps the door is my favourite part. Especially with the wealth of castle-specific parts Lego have produced over the years, it's very tempting (and very easy) to just use an existing door piece and move on to other areas of the build. You... haven't. In fact, I can't remember seeing a MOC with a door so far from being an ordinary door shape - and yet it doesn't look silly. Should I be afraid for the poor kids trick-or-treating? What with the child-sized scarecrow and the freshly-dug grave, it feels like they might not all make it back to the property line with their bags of sweets!

Someone over in the Historical Themes subforum mentioned a few weeks ago that they had insider information that the logo is also for a new theme. I don't think that's been corroborated anywhere yet, but the rumour hasn't come from nowhere

Hannah is in the books after the sorting ceremony (she's actually the only student outside Gryffindor and Slytherin to be mentioned in all seven books) whereas Mandy Brocklehurst literally doesn't turn up again. Of course, this rather rules out any chance of getting her in minifigure form

I can definitely see a figure pack based on the first few films, perhaps with short legs but perhaps just with the robes. It would be a good excuse to get Colin Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Millicent Bulstrode and Penelope Clearwater (or if Lego want to delve into their imaginations perhaps they could give us a Mandy Brocklehurst figure - I believe she has the dubious distinction of being the first Hogwarts student to have her final mention in the books!)

Unless I've missed some news, what we know about Mythica is quite vague. Still, if it is also a new theme for next year, I get the impression that either it's a Castle theme akin to the Fantasy era but with more emphasis on the mythical creatures or something set in an even earlier time period. Something Hellenistic-inspired would be an interesting take on the concept, and visually distinct from Lego's earlier releases.

What was the rationale behind the Glow-in-the-Dark Snape from the original run of sets? In daylight the figure looks odd up against the rest of the cast (especially during the yellow-heads era of Licensed Sets when it first came out) and I can't think of a scene in books or films where Snape ever lights up. It's among a number of gripes I have with the minifigures of the early Harry Potter sets (along with a distaste for the main trio's head patterns and the hair moulds used for Ron and Harry) which almost make me glad I missed out on a chunk of them at the time - almost, because Lego is Lego and I got so few sets during the era that having more Harry Potter would have meant having more Lego. In any case, I'm immensely glad for the modern range of sets. IMO, the 2018+ minifigures are almost without exception better than their predecessors.

Apologies if you've already checked the Bricklink list, but at a glance it doesn't appear that any 10x plates have ever been made in Duplo. The biggest seems to be 6490, Plate 8 x 16 - which does indeed exist in both Bright Green and Green. As for 51384c01, I couldn't find a similar part without the middle section, but the part itself appears in Magenta in 4966 Doll's House, from 2006. I can definitely see Magenta looking like pink in a photo (tbh, I'd categorise magenta as a shade of pink anyway, but that's just me) so is it possible that what you have is a broken 51384c01? (or maybe even one that's facing away from the camera in your photo? I haven't ever seen the piece in person so I couldn't say what the reverse looks like)