Multiverse

If both are at full price, I'd go for the Kingdoms Joust at any time, since it has more parts, better figures (in my opinion, since I'm quite partial to those lovely classic-ish-but-with-the-modern-level-of-detail castle figures) and is a brilliant display set. Though I guess it really depends on whether you're more of a fan of LotR or classic Lego Castle. I'm into Lego Castle, and have been so since before I even read or watched anything by Tolkien, so I'd go for 10223. So I'm not really suggesting a set you should buy, but rather a criteria by which you might want to decide between them.

With all the commercial material TLC have done for the theme, as well as the theme's high ambition of scooping up a whole new audience, and on top of that the sheer number of sets included in the first two waves, I would be utterly surprised to see Lego end the line there. I'm almost certain there'll be more waves of this theme. EDIT: In case anyone is wondering, I wrote this post in response to a thread which was later merged with this one.

Oh, sorry, I must've missed your point. Those reservations included - that they wouldn't actually need new moulds/prints/recolours to drive up the price - , I agree (although I really don't see what's so terrible about the put-together-by-a-blind figure). The pilot's torso did puzzle and annoy me in equal measures, and I must admit that my WV minifigs have all been parted out.

I'm glad there seems to be no hard feelings. I've no doubt it's a great piece of work you've done, I just don't think it's ideally represented as a book (though, yes, I realise how awesome a feeling that must be, and am secretly very envious of it), and partially therefore, something I'll personally pass on. ;J Thanks for the recommendation, too. It's pretty cool (and says something about how much you really mean it when you say you're not doing it for the money) that you're willing to recommend what is essentially a competitor to your own book. You certainly have my respect for that! =)

Oh, very nice build! I like the screensaver effect, though Maire really ought to turn off her computer when she's not using it! (also, the pink mug is a very nice little Friend-ish touch) I was wondering whether the sets on display might not be 7065, 3221 and 5891?

Well, of course. I wouldn't write a comment to a review if I didn't have an opinion to add.

I don't. I'd personally hate to see it being the minifigs that drove up the price in a series that used to focus on great builds and part selections. It completely shuffles the priorities, and you might in my opinion as well move the theme to an entire different target audience.

I hope they'll be regular tiles, as well, though - like you - I don't believe they will. But I'd prefer stud-tiles over stickers, since I think the Hobbit character tiles would make good portraits to add some variety from the ship we see everywhere. The MMV portraits, unfortunately, are only for those who use stickers.

That's a little more than a minifig every other day! As for me, I'd be perfectly satisfied if they'd slow down to one series per year - it's been so bad lately that I didn't manage to find series 6 in shops until series 7 arrived (at which point most stores around here removed their selection of S6).

I think there's a serious chance of it. Just look at the advantages - the possibility of reusing various moulds, both historical and sci-fi, from other current themes as well as from the CMFs; the option of creating one or two sets within the theme as a try-out for basically any potential new theme; the ease with which the 'collectability' aspect could be added into the storyline; the fact that time travel is a concept that fascinates an extreme number of persons, children and adults alike, all over the world, making for a sizeable target audience already. Besides, I don't think that sheer diversity within a theme is too much of a problem. Take a look at Atlantis, for example - I don't know about you, but I'd say that my favourite sets were also those which differed mostly from the rest of them - the Portal to Atlantis, the City of Atlantis and even the Squid Gateway (or whatever those were called). If they can keep the collectability aspect, I don't think diversity is going to be a problem. And I think the general fandom would only be keener on an entire theme based on any historical era if it was given a single set representing it. I think the only reasons we haven't had anything like this, outside of Time Cruisers, is that the sales for that line weren't great (and somebody please correct me if they were; I'm just guessing here), since they used that line as a trash bin for all of their extra parts. With good design and proper marketing, I think there's real and definite potential for a Time Travelling theme. =)

What? I... wow. What? Well, I hadn't expected that. It's great to hear there's going to be another big set like that. It's not so great to hear that there's going to be another large set I can't afford this year, and it's also not very great to hear that there won't be another affordable Winter Village set this year. =( Where did you find those numbers?

Oh, that's a nice bit of info! I got most of the Atlantis line that way, but I didn't know it was something they did systematically. I desperately hope Monster Fighters and LotR will reach Danish stores before the sale begins.

This would be a wonderful prize indeed. If I could go to any Legoland in the world... well, it'd probably either be Windsor or somewhere in America, since Billund would be kind of wasting the opportunity to get a free trip. On the other hand, surely Billund would be the best place of all for a behind-the-scenes trip? I'd love access to the designers' working space there! I wonder whether that would be included, or whether the experience is limited to the actual park. 1000 VIP points would cost 20.000 DKK to accumulate, and amount to a total of 500 DKK. A nice little extra to throw in, I guess. =D

Your picture of the 1x2 put me in mind of the 1X2 plates, so I came up with this: a stand beneath the lizard made of two 1x2 plates on top on each other (alternately just one, which will have him bending over, but less noticeably). I did the same with the skaters, surfers and snowboarders. I used black plates, but I'm thinking of perhaps switching to trans-white ones, at least for the skaters/surfers/snowboarders. Oh, my pleasure. Credit where credit's due. ^_^

Thank you all! I'm glad you like the pirate; I was afraid I might've been putting it over the top there. =J

I've been planning my entire Lego shopping after this sale for the last two years; my shopping list currently adds up to approximately 4500 Kr. after the discount. I don't know the exact date or week, but I've signed up for Bilka's e-mail newsletter so I'll know it a few days ahead. You might want to do that; I can't guarantee I'll remember, but if I do get the notion, I'll try to post the date here. =) Do you know when they started doing this, by the way? I've only known about it for the past two years, and the first year I was just lucky to be there while it was going on, so I'd had no time to plan my purchases, and walked away with nothing but a Dwarf Mine. EDIT: I just realised that I'd claimed to know the date a few years ahead. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I meant days.

There's obviously the Spartan and the Gladiator. I'd also love to see a theme built on the dwarf or elf, or even on the leprechaun. And just because it'd be hilarious, the Bunny Suit Guy. =P

I would, but it'd bother me that they weren't put in the official order (as seen on the sheet included in the packages. A little strange, I know, but we're all allowed to have our quirks). Besides, I'd have to move the series 5 stand to the top row of stands to do that, which would throw off the entire order of things. So basically, my organizer gene won't allow it. But thanks for the suggestion anyway. =)

@Splat - I'd like to thank you for this design. I've been using it since before I joined Eurobricks, and it's been really effective. I was wondering what you would do with figures like the Godsilla Suit Guy, whose tail get in the way - I've had to bend him over, which isn't aestethically optimal.

That was a great review, with pretty much all the relevant information and notes. =) If I ever find this at a reasonable price (perhaps if I don't, we'll see), I'll take two. One as an army builder, and one to modify into a more elaborate chess set (to compensate that I never got the Ultimate Castle Chess Set, a set I sorely regret missing out on).

@Superkalle and Lego Otaku - Those are great solutions, and highly inspiring ones as well. =) I thought I'd leave a note of how beatiful a question I think this is - mathematical, geometric and creative. Pretty much the essence of Lego, right? =)

I agree with pretty much everything but the first sentence (although I believe that the author's share tends to depend largely on the publisher). But from a consumer's point of view, I'm still doubtful as to whether this book holds its price's worth of content.

There's some very inspired entries here, so it's rather hard to choose, but I'll say... Praiter Yed - 2 points The Penguin - 1 Point There was no doubt in my mind that Praiter Yed deserved points. That picture is pure brilliance!

B-OM-25D The Ponti Bridge #1 by Multi Versal, on Flickr The title is an homage to one of Neil Gaiman's excellent little pieces of fiction, entitled How To Sell The Ponti Bridge. This isn't supposed to resemble that bridge at all (this one isn't built entirely from precious stones, or at least not in the conventional sense). You'll notice that the minifigs all have eyebrows. This is because I didn't have any non-eyebrowed figures as seen in the regular Modulars. Same goes for the pirate - I'd run out of regular minifg heads, even counting those with eyebrows. =) The Ponti Bridge #4 by Multi Versal, on Flickr The Ponti Bridge #2 by Multi Versal, on Flickr

Thank you very much! I'm very grateful for the compliments. ^_^ @Praiter Yed - I'd have loved to give him that pose, but I don't see how I could do that without using those tubes, and I'm kinda hyper-purist at that point. Thanks for the suggestion, though; I might want to try something similar at some point. =)