Japanbuilder

Yikes! I am really into city and settle for paying the equivalent of 25 bucks here in Japan for medium sets (think the latest Lego ladder truck for 2016). But to add insult to injury there is never a sale on LEGO here in fact some stores charge double the price for even basic sets (Apita will charge you 40 dollars USD equivalent for that same Ladder Truck set). The only places that carry them at the recommended prices (the cheapest they ever get here) are the Electronics shops like Yamada Denki or Bic Camera. The official LEGO store here (it really isn't just authorized) is Click Brick and they usually sell out of the hot items FAST so it is hit or miss all over Japan. The only constant distributor is Amazon.co.jp but those prices are even more volatile than your brick and mortar shops (think 8 dollars up or down over the course of just 6 hours) Count your blessings, but at 90$ the gas station is off my wish list.

Interested in all of the Rebels line up. I have really liked the series and hope to own every set that is released so far by Christmas of this year (taking it slow). Though I am curious as to the Darth Vader included in VATF Vs. A-Wing. Has it been confirmed if it will be a new Vader print (More line with the Rebels series appearance?) or a Vader from an pre-existing set? I am also desperately hoping that in addition to older Clone Rex and crew that we get a Rebels Ahsoka Tano at some point. The series has really picked up steam for me and I am literally drooling over the time in which I will have all these sets! (oh my poor wallet ><)

I think you pulled it off quite well. In fact, I like your cockpit design better than the original's!

That is actually the reason I am getting this set. I want as many of those blasters as I can get my hands on.

Thanks so much for this!

Thanks very much for the tip =) Ill look into it.

Just stumbled on this review and noticed your comment. I have tried searching for the alternate build you allude to but cannot find it. Would you by chance be able to provide a link? I am curious to see how to mod it, I will be picking this set up soon and it would be nice to have it more to scale with the figure. Many thanks in advance!

Argh Another Poly I may have to import >< Ugh. It is miles better than the 30311 poly we got for Swamp Police. It actually comes with a cockpit assembly, and the officer comes in a full flight suit print not half a flight suit like the aforementioned 30311. Hmmm... but why did they call this a "helicopter?"

Hah! You are lucky to even have S@H ;.; I would sell a kidney for that option here!

I am in the exact same boat! Just got out of a Dark Age (20 plus years) this past December....everything looks so much cooler and shinier than when I was kid! I have blown away so much money on Lego in the past 3 months alone and I just placed another order this very morning! Tomorrow, I will also go out and buy non-LEGO stuff to support my growing but already modestly sized collection. (basically I want to ditch the boxes and get a few storage containers for the extra bits and pieces for the components I don't build and a place to store my instruction booklets) Thankfully for me, I only really love City vehicle sets. I have earmarked some Star Wars stuff and maybe some LEGO Movie sets but since here in Japan the release tables are wonky and a lot of sets never even make it, it naturally limits my budget for me. Also because I am mostly into City I imagine by next month I will have gotten all the sets I want for now. Still it is hard to keep my own promises of limiting my monthly expenses to about 10,000yen. Already this month alone I have blown past 14,000yen ><

Welcome! I have the same story as you. My kids re-infected me with Lego fever this past winter. I gotta say it is fun to build with the kids and watch their imagination go off the chart! Always fun!

I am kinda feeling the same way now after reflecting on it. The look of the series was warming up to me but after letting the whole theme sink in for a bit longer I must confess I am not feeling the warm tingly over it anymore. Which is sad in a way since I missed out on Arctic Explorers. Though my tastes are rather odd I may change my mind again (I love Swamp Police as an example of my odd sense of cool).

Phrased this way, I think that is a good argument. I would gladly have the cave removed and converted into the final disc assembly needed by the shield generator and the left over bits converted into at least 2 more snow troopers or even one Darth Vader. Adding that and upping the vehicles and figure count and room count as you stated would totally be worth the 350 for me if I had them.

I am also getting 60002 this weekend. Mostly because I do not yet own a fire engine. But more important than that, the mini figures match the figures I currently own with the brown helmets and prints. It will push my fire fighter count to 8 and that I feel is a pretty decent amount of them, 2 gold helmets, 6 brown helmets. If anything I would push for a set that matches the color scheme/prints of sets you own already. I find it gives builds a more organized look.

It appeals to me for sure! I want to get my citizen count way up! So this is set is obligatory for me. Currently have 20 cops, 19 crooks and a paltry 9 citizens. The rest of my collection is firefighters and one EMT. So this set will help level that out a bit. As the year progresses I hope to get the ratio to at least 2 to 1 in favor of citizen head count. Like you I may double up on this set.

>< Looked up the price in Yen and yikes! This is never going to be a part of my Lego collection. Also while I understand the complaints from veteran Lego SW collectors I think for returning FOLs and younger kids just getting into Lego SW this will be a pretty good set that they can play with for a long time. The cave portion can be integrated into the rest of the base or made into something the imperials can use since there are so few in number. But only if they can get over the steep price point! I think buying mostly Lego City has spoiled me as to what to expect in pricing ><

Stick to brushes folks. It is safest. I have many paint brushes ( I also paint on the side so lots of that stuff about). They work well. Once you dust, vacuum the place up or that dust will get back on again. If you have extreme OCD you may do this often. If you are OK with some dust you will do this every so often. If you are very proud of your collection probably weekly. The only caveat being is that I have seen people with HUGE displays lose interest in the cleaning process with proportion to the size of the area needing cleaning. But that is a personal test of will! Oo I hope one day I am tested in this way!

No cost as long as you have kids!!! Oo It is for them honey "honest!" Naw I kid my wife doesn't mind them and actually spends time browsing Duplo and stuff herself to put on a short list for Birthdays/Holidays etc. I also don't heat the room where I keep them nor cool the place when it is hot. I forgot the sun yellows things but hey...that can be treated....and it is fun just to build. Having recently been brought back in the fold I can honestly say, the time with my kids building things wrecking things and building things again and the relaxing feeling of just building is priceless. Rather than cost I see an investment in my sanity and my kids lol.

Hard to say I don't look at them as a monetary investment. My hope really is that they get passed down through the years for as long as the plastic holds up and end up as heirlooms of sorts among my kin. I see these things fly off the shelves these days, moreso than I remember as a kid. Not sure how "rare" or valuable any of these will remain for an extremely long haul of time. If Disney is true to their word about Star Wars ,in particular that they will be belching out content and merchandise for the franchise like mad, then may well work against those sets if the market is glutted with all sorts of SW stuff. Similarly with the Marvel Universe (another Disney thing right?) Depending on how the new Ghostbuster movie does the Firehouse seems like a better deal as something to hold on to so long as that is the only source for the figures and a lot of those building parts in that quantity.

If you need details on the process here is a pretty good video from Jangbricks:

WOW! You really DO learn something new everyday! I also had zero idea these things existed but now that I have seen it...I am sad I have such few Lego to work with at the moment!

That actually is a very clever and good use of those chairs!

Ok finally got around to highlighting the staff for both "factions" in my vignette. Took a while to figure the best way to display these on camera. Though I've concluded I need a better light and a better background stand. Anyway let's get started: The Command and Tactical Detail. All transfers from the city proper. Highly motivated and disciplined. Though still adapting to the challenges of the terrain in the swamp: P2080376 by Macster Tome, on Flickr The Guard Detail. Deputized Park Rangers of the Swamp. The flood of miscreants in the swamp forced the city to adapt her swamp park rangers into deputies. One passed the tactical tests with flying colors and now leads the Guard Detail at the station. P2080378 by Macster Tome, on Flickr The Air Crew and Technician. Also transfers from the city. They operate the heavy aircraft. The technician is an actual engineer who loves tinkering with heavy machinery. Though he has had trouble adapting the converted recreational helicopter and the Comm tower to the rigors of swamp operations. P2080380 by Macster Tome, on Flickr The Water Rescue and Pursuit Detail. Most of them are deputized rangers used to operating equipment in the swamp. They operate mainly on the stations hovercraft and rigid hull inflatable. They tend to be the crazier of the lot as they love the outdoors more than the city transfers do. P2080375 by Macster Tome, on Flickr That is it for the police force. Next up the crooks! The swamp is now overrun with criminals. As the city police has driven them into the outskirts of town and made their activities more difficult one cell has managed to set up operations in the swamp knowing that the terrain will hinder the police's efforts to shut them down for good. The boss and his lieutenants. Made up of seasoned criminal thugs this crime cell operates with a plethora of tools. Their ill gotten goods have gained them access to some heavy equipment and some water vehicles which they use to stow their remaining riches from the city out of the reach of the swamp police precinct. They have gathered the disorganized criminal scum of the outskirts and are molding them into a stronger criminal cell than ever before! P2080382 by Macster Tome, on Flickr This band of women are referred to as The Deans. They keep order in the cell and answer only to the boss and his lieutenants. They are survivors and have proven to be more consistent and motivated than their male colleagues. They form a strong backbone to this cell and pose a challenge for the police. P2080383 by Macster Tome, on Flickr The cook and handyman. Even criminals eat and one in their number loves sausage! The other is a high school drop out with a knack for tinkering. Alas, he also loves the smell of stolen money. P2080384 by Macster Tome, on Flickr The Muscle. This band does all the heavy lifting. They are kept under constant drill by The Deans. They are slowly being forged into a formidable challenge for police operations in the swamp. Can you spot the police informant? P2090386 by Macster Tome, on Flickr And that is it for now. I am still trying to individualize quite a few of the figures specially among the crooks. I project it will take me some time until that is finished though.

oO The center piece is coming along great! I wish you great success on your journey! Can't wait to see all the troopers in place! Will you display the battle pack troops with their stud shooters, or will you look to replace that with a more screen-accurate weapon?

Wow, that is amazing! Huge fan of how you got all the texture to show up on everything! Very cool!