TeriXeri

Chicken Coop looks like a pretty fun set indeed. The build itself could easily have been done with less then half the parts , but in this case LEGO didn't use 2-3 high bricks but 1x1 round instead with arches. Also the roof is 4 2x3 slopes, and not just a simple 4x6 topper piece (something like this) Considering it's 5+, it's pretty good parts wise. Turning Wheels also add a little bit extra to the set. Eggs are of course huge compared to chicken, but considering the eggs and egg splat piece in the command center vehicle with a Farmer Snake Rattler, the large eggs make sense here.

If just starting out with minecraft LEGO, something small like 21166: The 'Abandoned' Mine covers the very basics, and it's a 2020 set , but still available. 21169: The First Adventure will retire soon, and has a more vertical build, but is a very minecraft-ish set considering the surface with trees, minecart and deep cave, and water/lava and some skeleton action, also combines well with 21166. For a playset, I'd say something like 21176: The Jungle Abomination is interesting, even while the characters/monster aren't from the basic minecraft game, it's more of an action set of a battle vs some monsters with figures you can equip with different items. Of course there are other sets that focus on other aspects of the game, like building houses, farms, the nether and ocean etc.

Set a goal, if MOCing, or just displaying, it can have different buying strategy, buying parts, sets, or figures/animals etc. If just collecting, stick to 1-2 themes you really like,or just be very selective in sets, can also apply to MOCs, like spaceship parts tend to be very different from Castles. LEGO keeps pushing out UCS Star Wars, Modular Buildings, Fairground Rides, Expert Cars, Technic Supercars etc , can add up expensive over time if you want to collect them all each time.

So far, the remaining 2020/2021 monkie kid retirement seems to all be at end of year, and the only 2022 set that'll probably retire is Mei's Dragon Car.

So basicly a FC Barcelona-esque shirt but instead of Rakuten LEGO changed it to a football technique? (Rabona)

So far, that's the info they have, but the writer does say LEGO might extend products as they have done before and End of Life lists did get updated as December got closer. I wouldn't worry yet. I usually look at Brickset for a double-confirmation, as they usually do list a known set end date if it's close. (some 2021 ninjago sets are due to retire on July 31st)

Pure speculation, but based on recent end of life lists, it seems to be a trend that sets having a lifespan of 1 year or even less seems to be a common thing in some themes. LEGO retiring products to be able to make new ones does make sense, considering how many sets per theme there are nowadays, but that does mean some sets will have lifespans as short as 6 months , which seems a bit odd for regular boxed sets. Of course there are sets that have lifespans of years, many years, 4+ even, but in normal in-house themes like City, Friends , Ninjago, there certainly are 2022 sets listed with retirement dates at the end of this same year, and that includes sets that just released in March and June, some licensed sets as well. Now, we won't know if the sets will be extended, maybe it will, maybe lego is doing smaller production batches at a time and can extend production based on need/sales numbers. Also LEGO has re-released IDEAS sets like Saturn V after initial production runs before (likely has to do with the contract of the IDEAS winners and % of sales they get etc. Now, such lists do get updated frequently and corrected if new info is known but this is the current state of what's known. https://www.stonewars.de/news/lego-end-of-life-2022 Also if the retirement date is nearing, it's usually on Brickset as well , for example a Ninjago set like 71753: Fire Dragon Attack has a retirement listed as 31 July this year, which is only 8 weeks from now.

Not really new news, but July is getting closer. A lot of Ninjago retiring, including most seabound (except dragon/bounty) and about half of the legacy sets even as soon at the end of next month (July). Others at the end of 2022 https://www.stonewars.de/news/lego-end-of-life-2022/#lego-ninjago For 2022 sets, it includes the 3 Spinners and the Ninja Training Center. Exceptions that aren't retiring are Sea Bounty, Water Dragon, and Zane's Titan mech but those are still listed to get a €10, €10 and €5 price increase. Ninjago Gardens will increase +€50 as well. Overall, with most 2021 sets retired, 2022 will have a LOT of room for new sets , will be interesting to see if they do a Reboot with new ninja, and maybe keep Legacy alongside it for updated sets with the current ninja team, Skybound etc would make good candidate for legacy imo. The fact legacy Titan mech isn't retiring entirely , probably means the subtheme has a chance to be continued.

Strange, the Chicken Coop, Vegetable Truck and Supermarket are already on End of Life lists for this year ? https://www.stonewars.de/news/lego-end-of-life-2022/#lego-city

Sets itself, I can't really complain, there's a lot of choice, and more buildings then before and wider subjects like schools, parks, beaches etc formerly mostly confined to just Friends. Value is a bit hit or miss depending on subject/region. Mission sets are my favorite new type of set introduced for 2022, and I do hope they continue next year, and expanded to subjects like Construction, Mining, Arctic etc. But the way the LEGO as a company is going currently isn't the best of ways. I know this varies a lot per country, but currently City has like way too many exclusives, 2 out of 3 train sets, farm sets, purple fairground truck, 2021 car transporter, horse transporter, picnic, and for a while rocket launch base as well. That said, it's not a City thing only, but overall the amount of exclusive sets are certainly increasing across themes, including themes that used to never had any exclusives, now even 3-in-1 has a few limited sold sets. Before 2020 it was only some of the larger sets, now it's small sets too, and not just polybags or minifig packs.

The tracks look like flame yellowish orange / bright light orange to me, compared to the minifig heads and the balloon cart yellow balloon. But since the 2022 City crane had some debate about the renders and shade of yellow I'm not going to say 100%, that set eventually ended up as flame orange tho.

Personally I consider most parts with a pin or axle hole Technic by function (I don't have any actual Technic sets from after 2000), but I understand over time, parts changed, hinges changed, such "Technic" parts have become more part of system and vice versa in reverse functions. Technic uses system for decoration mostly (look at the new ferrari car for example), and System uses technic for mechanisms or structural strength. There are parts that makes it harder to categorize, like the 2x2 round brick/plate (and relevant rocket parts) has a + shaped axle hole which fits either an axle or a pin, or is used for different reasons like less clutch on purpose. Classic Space sets had rockets with multiple round bricks with axle holes, but even while the rockets had no axles in them, seeing how technic axles got changed after 1977 to black, and classic space sets appeared in 1978, I doubt it's just random happening. Later on LEGO made those lattice/scaffold parts as well , and Spike Prime 2x4 bricks have started making it into system sets. Overall, LEGO parts have expanded a lot, some systems have been retired in favor of others like the older 2 & 3 finger hinges aren't made anymore, and many clip/bar/click hinge took their place. A lot of bar and hollow stud parts appeared, tiles with different offsets etc, even "system" became a lot more technical like that if you just use clips, bars and hollow studs. Some recent bricks have started to double as "technic" functions in different ways as well , formerly would need 2 technic pieces to get something similar, but this can't rotate around a pin, which is both a pro or con, but likely mostly designed to be non-rotational compared to a half-pin even a friction blue one.

Yeah but Black Puma / Mountain Lion don't exist, they do feature in some movies (Dyed Black) but no documentation of actual natural ones. I think LEGO just wanted to utilize the lion cub mould and made the black cub as a bonus. I think a regular colored puma, jaguar or leopard cub would require a lot of specific very fine printing at such a small scale.

If I had to pinpoint the wildlife mission to 1 area/country I'd say South Africa, which has nile crocodile, 2 species of eagle owl (1 matches the printing very well with the Spots), savannah hare, and leopards. Which makes sense with the 2021 sets currently still sold, white lions are also mostly known from South Africa, Kruger Park Region.

I edited my post, but since then I compared printing of the LEGO owl with the African Spotted Eagle Owl, and American Great Horned Owl, and the African species looks a lot closer match. But yeah there are no big hares in South America, beside the ones introduced to Argentina by humans, and mara don't have the large ears. For some reason even if I edit right away, I get my old posts quoted, not sure what's up with the site.

Probably Africa, South African Savannah has Leopards, Spotted Eagle owls and African Savannah Hare species. Hares don't really live in South America, natively, outside of Mara (patagonian hare), which look quite different, especially no long ears, and closer related to guinea pig. The printing does match African Spotted Eagle Owl a lot better then American Great Horned Owl as well.

2017 jungle could've been both Asia or South America, except for the Tiger. I do think eventually a new Jungle remake could still bring some new iconic animals for both regions (like Asian Elephant/Rhino species, Giant Panda, or Tapir) Large apes like Orangutang for Asia, or Chimp/Gorilla for Africa as well. And even Savannah could be easily revisited one day for Rhino, Buffalo, Giraffe, Hippo, and many antelopes (including Wildebeest, Impala, Gazelle, Eland, Waterbuck, Kudu) . I think Australia is more due to be represented with Emu, Koala, Kangaroo etc. Add more Ocean, Mountain, Artic species and LEGO could easily pick 100 unique larger animals they never made.

Black Panther are a variant of either Jaguar (Central +South America) , or Leopard (Africa + Asia) Original Leopard population certainly was all over South East Asia, everywhere outside of the Himalayas or Russia basicly.

I do have 2 sets as well but a sale has not happened since launch in my country, it's pretty much exclusive set only recently made it to more online retailers.

Brickmerge always listed this set at €380 UVP (suggested Germany retail price) , so I'd not even be surprised if that was a final price point.

A wall could still be a standalone build, especially as creator, it could be a defense of a tower of sorts. Of course 3-in-1 Castle already has a Tower + Trebuchet alternate build but that's a €100 set and the 2 alternate builds use maybe 60-70% of the parts, so a cheaper, still sizeable wall/tower type of set could exist. But I admit there are multiple Harry Potter sets on market right now which basicly function a bit similarly, minus the Castle figures/factions, but they still give a decent insight on what can be done with budget, even while HP is licensed, 3-in-1 could probably allow a bit more parts budget so they don't have to use castle wall panels. 76395: Hogwarts: First Flying Lesson , 4 figs €30 76387: Hogwarts: Fluffy Encounter , 4 figs + beast €40 76401: Hogwarts Courtyard: Sirius's Rescue , 3 figs + "horse" €50 (and larger sets of course too) The difference would be , that it's under 3-in-1 and can use generic (grey/darkgrey/black) parts and mainly existing figs like Falcons, Crusader, Forestmen which should be all in production for the big 90th castle. The 3-in-1 element could just add a bit more variation to the build itself as well, wide or tall, or hinged etc. It doesn't need to be an expansion to the 31120 set, it could just be able to expand onto itself with multiple sets, 3-in-1 Townhouses could as well with street elements and pins. Ninjago Dojo this year also allows the Training center to connect to it in at least 5+ places (sides, front, back) with double technic holes, and the training center itself has 5+ segments.

I'd like to see some basic castle expansion set type of thing, like a smaller version of the 3-in-1 castle wall section. Something like this but more basic bricks instead of panels. 3-in-1 Castle itself is likely still available until at least the end of 2023, alongside the bigger Castle this year. It even could be forestmen or Lion knight themed during 2023, as the figures/shields will be in production, and other faction would also set it apart from the 3-in-1 Castle.

True, I love the roads and I only have like 12 of the 16x16 road parts, it's already fairly substantial. Technically you can even just buy the road expansion packs too and use Friends/Creator/Ninjago/Monkie Kid or whatever other building instead of even owning a City set. (or make your own building of course) Multiple options with road plates that used to require certain special baseplates/parts : Driveway / Parking Space with the 8 wide roads Toll Booth / Service Station by splitting the road Raised Harbour / Station Helipad / Roof / Space Landing Pad Parking Lane / Pit Lane by adding a 3rd lane Highways with 4 or more lanes I do hope Road plate expansion pack will last, and even expanded with more of the 8 wide road parts in future (currently pedestrian crossing printed are included) Xtra did offer easier access to traffic lights and trees to decorate the sides of roads, but Xtra retired now it seems, but sets with road plates do have the small plants or traffic/street lights instead.

Did you try the instruction links directly from Brickset ?

Yellow definately is one of the main iconic LEGO brand colors beside the red/white/black in the logo, seeing how prominent it is on the LEGO stores, bags, and most unthemed packaging. Blue was also on packaging, but mainly as lettering color (LEGOLAND), or something like the sky in Town but nowhere close to how City boxes look now.