Crackseed

Loving the theme - gives me hope for the future of Space. Definitely going to be a Red team fan overall, but I'm loving Green's Vaporizer as well. I'm guessing we'll see more of the lesser represented team in the 2nd wave. Now which ones to order...decisions!

As a long time Space fan, I am literally jittering with excitement over the potential launch of a new Space theme OR the restart of an overarching Space theme that will carry on like City. I've said this to my fellow LEGO fans more times than I can count - LEGO Space should NEVER have faded off just because Star Wars showed up. Granted, I love Star Wars but I will always remain a tremendous fan of LEGO's own ingenuity, especially their amazing Space creations. Even their "weakest" Space sets were fantastic compared to some of the more lackluster Star Wars stuff. Alien Conquest may have been the last Space-like theme we got, but it showed a lot of promise if they would go back to a real Space theme and keep the overall theme running. So much potential - not just nostalgia for collectors like myself who grew up with Classic Space, but also the ability to re-invite and make use of all the newer parts and tech they've got available now. Ninjago showed a lot of crazy cool ideas brought to brick form - imagine pairing that with the Space theme. It makes me shiver with excitement. Granted, this could all end up as just a rumor and prove to be false, but just the possibility of it will still have me excited - till then, I'll keep working on Space MOCs and carry the torch of Space's return alongside all of you. Here's to the hope for the return of Space next year! *cheers*

The 2 big series I missed that are really expensive to re-acquire MISB nowadays are the early Star Wars sets [i like the iconic TIE/Rebel ships], the amazing UCS models [damn you Star Destroyer] and the Space Mars Mission sets. I've gained almost half of the Mars Mission sets, but the big ones are still either elusive or very costly to obtain.

This is definitely one of my fave smaller sets ever. Planning to get a couple more for my Alien Conquest: Invasion Honolulu setting haha :) I echo the grumble about the laser gun just floating around loose in the cockpit though - same thing I grumbled about in my review. Still, despite the limited leg movement it's quite poseable and I love that you can angle the laser pod around so easily too. Got some great modding potential too! Hooray for Alien Conquest :D Also love that poster you made haha.

As I posted on Brickset, I'm passionate about talking it up - I'll spend an hour talking with parents in the LEGO store about it, either offering advice on good sets [pieces for price or what would potentially thrill their kids] or just geeking out about it. If people ask me if the purchase is for me, I grin and answer with a yes. This is a hobby, a passion and IMO, a devotion to something that is more then simply a kid's toy. LEGO doesn't devalue. It doesn't become static or fixed once you assemble that new set for the first time. The individual pieces are just an awesome tapestry that can be used to build anything you damn well want to and I make no attempts to hide my beliefs that it's a fantastic thing for anyone to enjoy if they so choose to. Luckily for me as well, my girlfriend supports me and often surprises me with pretty sizeable LEGO purchases [AT-AT for Valentine's Day, Earth Defense HQ for B-day, etc] and often gives me ideas on what she'd like to see MOCs of. I'm working on an Angry Birds scene for her right now xD Also built her the Croc from Ferocious Creatures set and let her take it home. To all my fellow AFOLs - never be ashamed or afraid to talk about your love of LEGO. It inspires creativity and certainly speaks that we, as individuals, aren't afraid to enjoy and pursue the things we love and to remember that despite being responsible adults, there's always room for the kid in us to have fun too :)

Sadly for me, nowhere near enough time spent on LEGO. Unfortunately I live in a nice downstairs portion of a 2-story house, but my room, while spacious enough, cannot handle anywhere near the amount of LEGO I now own. So basically while I've gotten my sorting methods setup, I don't even have room to put in a construction table. I have my storage items spread around the room because I can't put them all together in one spot and a huge stack of unopened LEGO boxes from my birthday shopping that I can't touch because, well, again - no room! It bums me out :( I'm dying to sort and start MOCing/assembling and just can't atm. When I do get to a position that I can? I'll probably easily spend several hours per day sorting/building for sure :D

That is amazing work. I'm a direhard BattleTech/Mechwarrior fan and I've been pondering trying my hand at either an Unseen Marauder or the new Project Phoenix version. Still, love seeing LEGO Mechs! :D

Space is my primary theme and has been since I started collecting in the late 80's. Even after emerging from my Dark Ages, it was a combination of Space [sPIII] and Star Wars that did it. So I primarily buy Space which atm is me hunting eBay for Mars Mission and SPIII stuff I've missed plus now stocking up on loads of Alien Conquest for a big MOC project I have [invasion Honolulu woo!] However, like many here, I think sticking to just one theme really limits you to all the other awesome stuff other themes have. I would love to buy more Star Wars, but the price point for alot of the REALLY good sets limits that. I've also started to dabble in Castle again [i do love the new mini-figs/armor] and also have been steadily collecting Ninjago/Atlantis.

That is a rather odd battlepack considering how LEGO has been making them. The civvie is a bit random and frankly I'd rather they do the same they are doing for Star Wars. Battlepack for ADU [with scientist, etc] and an Alien Battlepack. Then you could have some weapon emplacements as well. Oh well - I'll still snag them :)

I'll post a pic of my next cup I snag too. I find the 15 dollar cup is really the best overall deal too. And most of the employees, at least here, don't mind us stacking the cups as tightly as possible. Hell one of them helped me shuffle some parts around haha. My only annoyance at least at my local store is that there are some non-accesible PAB bins high up on the wall that aren't open and the employees say they're not supposed to pull from those because they are about to be rotated off/sent back. I did get lucky though and one of them had a ladder and pulled me a HUGE couple handfuls of trans-green small elements like cones, lights and 2x2 inverted dishes. They're getting better about stocking good elements too. Some of the new items like the multipurpose wheel hubs that can be used as ship engines, etc and a smattering of plates/bricks. Ahh, PAB - I love you.

Fantastic review and this just made me want to find this set even more. It's amazing how hard it is to find SP1-Strikers for re-sale. Such an amazing ship.

I understand the counterpoint Annchir, but I believe if they were following the City mold that concern would be moot. If you have Space following the lines of City, you can simply adjust the sub themes to not be "supportive" sub factions as much as you can actually release 2 opposing sub-factions or more per year. Every year we tend to see new releases in each of the City subthemes, which all generally play nice together but IMO, Space and Castle have always been interesting because they are inherently sporting factions who are at each other's throats. This would play in very well with turning Space to what City does. SP becomes the protection subfaction while you see the Blacktron faction also getting new releases - with how TLG tends to develop small to big sets, it wouldn't be difficult to purchase 2 opposing sets for great out of the box play for kids/parents or collecting for AFOLs. To use an example to help further clarify my point, let's say we took some older set examples - if Space was themed like the above suggests, you could easily have had the Space Police II Sonar Security releasing alongside M-Tron's Vector Detector, opposed by a release of say Blacktron's Tri-Wheeled Tyrax and Spyrius's Saucer Scout. It would mirror the way LEGO drops new sets every year in multiple factions for City. All of the above sets aren't pricy and even if you only picked two, you would still be getting out of the box play if you wanted to kick off an interstellar war ;) And even if we wanted to mirror their desire to release a villain/opposing force in each set, throwing in a minifig/small vehicle for each set to help provide more fodder isn't entirely out of the question either. Sonar Security releasing with a Blacktron Scout or Tri-Wheeled Tyrax coming with an SP II officer on a Starion Patrol craft...there's lots of ways to do it! :D I just don't want to see Space float in and out like it has been - I blame Star Wars for that though >.>

Honestly, I think LEGO should take Space along the lines of what they do with City. City IMO is the most well setup theme they have. While you have the overarching City brand, they have then split up and created sub-factions that all can integrate with each other. Police, Fire, Transport, etc. If you applied this to Space, you have the overarching theme and then you can easily continue to support and generate new waves for all the sub factions. Space Police as the protection, while you have some new civvie sub-factions or refresh old ones which then square off against Blacktron/Spyrius and whatever other new villains emerge like the Black Hole gang. It would let them continually add to the Space theme w/o feeling like they have to devote an entire year/two year rotation to one particular faction and can just keep adding as they develop across the board. Just my thoughts on it though. And I agree - SPIII was great, but the "throwback" uniforms on characters like Rench just made me miss Blacktron all the more, even if I really do like the Black Hole gang. Brick Daddy's Limo is pretty kickass haha ;)

Great review and so very excited for this set. Have to wait till middle of the month before I can pick it up, but I dare say I may get more then 1 of these. Picked up the 3 smaller sets and thus far, absolutely love this new line. It's a bit sticker heavy to really achieve the awesome look overall, but the stickers apply well and it's a minor snag for the awesome that is Alien Conquest. The Aliens are definitely awesome but I think the ADU troopers and their new pistols are probably my new fave minifig :D

I feel your pain OP but like others said, MOCs can keep the love alive. I'm slowly acquiring parts again and replacing old broken ones to begin MOCing up more Blacktron love. All the space sets from that late 80s to early 90s block of time are my absolute favorite memories of LEGO, especially Blacktron/M-Tron/Ice Planet and while I'm loving the newer series like Mars Mission and Alien Conquest, I definitely will spend most of my MOCing time creating new Blacktron stuff for now. I wouldn't rule out the return either - it feels like sometimes they are teasing us for certain sets when they do things like slap Blacktron icons on the uniforms of Rench from SP3 or the Space Villain minifig from Series 3. Who knows what lies ahead for us Spacers. I just wish they wouldn't put Space on hiatus as much. Star Wars completely eclipsed it for a few years and it really feels like they're still feeling their way around how to really make Space a solidified theme.