RODDY

No way they are finally gonna make me splurge on the new Hogwarts because if Neville in Pajamas, I’m so excited we are getting that new minifig

The set that features the Ron and Harry are from the Hogwarts Express Book Nook. The Grand Staircase Tower will include at the very least the challenges in some form, may not be all of them but maybe a couple of them. The last time we got all the challenges in one Hogwarts system was the original 2001/2002 castle. Given how the 2018 grey roof Great Hall included just the Mirror of Erised and the 2021 green roof Fluffy’s Encounter included just the trapdoor and devil’s snare, without touching The Room of Winged Keys or Wizards Chess that’s actually inside the castle, I’m guessing we will only get a couple of them. And considering there will more than likely be a Dumbledore’s Office and Staircase of some sort, I don’t think there will be room for all of them, though I hope I’m proven wrong cause having all of them would actually make me pickup this new castle line. So I’m guessing Mirror of Erised at the very least since Harry has the Stone, maybe Room of Winged Keys because Hermoine has a key, and the Chess Game.

We have leaks of new minifigures, most noticeable a Professor Kettleburn and Harry Potter with The Philosopher’s Stone (Philosopher Stone Trials???)

Personally I hope and I think Shrieking Shack is left out of this D2C, that location is popular enough on its own to justify a remake and is a huge part of the climax of Prisoner of Azkaban, much like Gringotts being able to be its own set. The Hogsmeade Station is still on shelves. So I’m hoping for Hogs Head, Honey Dukes, Three Broomsticks, Zonkos and two more of the obscure shops even if it’s just a small slice of each. I want to say it’ll be $350 but with Lego’s pricing of late wouldn’t be surprised by $400

So we officially have the D2C Hogsmeade Village confirmed with a piece count of 3228 with it releasing in September.

For me I have loss interest in the theme because I have felt that everything I could possibly and feasibly want from the movies/books has already been made and the remakes while cool (I actually really like the new 4 Privet Drive set) are a no go from me, I’m one and done unless it’s a major improvement. The last full wave I bought was in 2022, having bought every single wave outright since the return of the theme in 2018. From 2023 onwards, I bought a set here and there. 2023 Black Lake & Gringotts, 2024 Durmstrang Ship, 2025 Dueling Club and maybe I’ll get Malfoy Manor on discount. If they make a Lovegood House or Inferi Cave I’ll pick those up but beyond that, there’s nothing that interests me personally. But I do think Lego Harry Potter’s sales are largely attributed to those outside the AFOL community hence why the sales are still strong, kids will intermingle the various castle sections despite them being from different systems, myself not so much I’d rather have one uniform Hogwarts.

How strong are the TX 130 rumors because it just doesn’t make much sense to me in the slightest to have Galactic Marines with the Fighter Tank when their most well known appearance is with the UT AT.

Man ngl I’m a bit bummed that the 327th battle pack doesn’t come with Bly and the MTT does because I have zero interest in buying the MTT, it’s not a vehicle I particularly care for. You would think for a $40 battle pack they would slide in Bly or Secura like they did with the Republic Fighter Tank and Mace Windu and the 187th, but I guess not. Probably just gonna buy Bly off of Bricklink and call it a day but I’m not happy about it.

I personally trust the leaks, we saw something very similar play out April 1, 2023 with the Venator, Gunship, and Ghost and everybody thought those were wrong but look what happened. And the AT ST for me is extra confirmation cause that’s not a set people are constantly wishlisting for. The only one I’m iffy about is the AT UT since it’s 50/50 split amongst leakers.

This wave is a love letter to the clone bros, but the funniest part of all is that they are still going to find some way to complain about it, even when we’re getting 327th and Galactic Marines, yet still buy it Day 1. Long Live Anarchy!

Also more leaks by Brick Tap: 327th Battle pack (HECK YEAH!)

More leaks Brick Tap: AT ST: 1513 pieces $200 Clone Turbo Tank: 349 pieces $50

UT AT confirmed by Minecraft goat, 813 pieces and $150. Youchhh that price tag

Personally I don’t mind the new clone style, I’m not a clone bro even if I’m in that age demographic so the art styles look very similar to me, I couldn’t tell the difference. I like the PT too I just thought the clones were cool but nothing to worship with army building and what not. The only clone I actively haven’t liked since their 2020 return was Fox for the torso printing being pink. So I’m just happy to be getting official versions of Marines after so long and I don’t have a Ki Adi Mundi figure either. And more named Commanders like Bacara is a huge win, hopefully Bly and Wolfe on the way. After that, I don’t need any other clone.

The UT AT makes me feel mixed feelings. Galatic Marines, Bacara and Ki Adi Mundi? Heck yeah. Long time prototype finally hitting the shelves? Double heck yeah. More Order 66 sets? Triple heck yeah. I just don’t care for the ship too much and shelling out north of a hundred for it isn’t going to be great. Kinda wish this was the battle pack and we got a Clone Turbo Tank in its spot. But wild seeing so much Clone love.

I think in comparison to other sets like the Rise of Voldemort which was $20 and came with 4 exclusive minifigs and a very respectable cemetery build, the Umbridge’s Forest Encounter which was $30, and came with 5 minifigs including the new centaurs and exclusive Umbridge, and the OG Expecto Patronum set at $15 with the Stag mold (my favorite LEGO mold ever) and the at the time new Dementor, the Dueling Club doesn’t have a great price tag. But I’m still buying it because I’m a huge fan of Chamber of Secrets in general and for the new Lockhart and updated Snape which I haven’t got since I don’t collect the new castle series. And this can easily slot into my 2018 castle

Wicked

Not surprised the tower is $250, the Hall itself is $200 so makes sense. Hopefully we get moving staircases and a Dumbledore’s Office that is actually done justice.

Lockhart my beloved 😍😍😍😍😍 Be still my beating heart. People will complain about the rubber cape but I’ll take it over no cape like last time. I don’t even buy the new Hogwarts and I’m buying this. Also love his alternate expression.

As someone whose favorite movie of all time is Return of The Jedi this set is a must have for me and blew all my expectations out of the water. This is an easy 10 for me and replaces the 2006 Sail Barge as my favorite set of all time (even if I still love that one for pure nostalgia). My only complaint from watching the reviews that came out were that I wish the sails were pitched a bit higher from the deck, but everything else is perfection. Fully equipped kitchen, love Jabba’s throne and hookah pipe, Reebo’s concert hall, the big gun on top, it’s got everything. 11 minifigures is more than fine I know people like to compare to this set to other big sets, but at the end of the day this is a UCS set and 11 is way more than usual and you get a good selection of background characters and essential ones. Day One Buy hands down, this to me is what the Venator is to the clone boys.

The Barge reminds me very how much how I felt about Betrayal At Cloud City when it was revealed. I absolutely adored that set just like how I absolutely adore this set and then I go online and seeing everybody rip it apart feels very much like being hit by whiplash. Idk I like all the new guards, Leia having more of a skirt is no problem to me and seems like such a minor nitpick to complain about when there was a point where we thought we would never get her again. Max Reebo is back and better than ever. The interior is perfect and more than what I could ask for: full fledged kitchen, Reebo’s little room, the stairs that lead up to the deck, a prison, and a place to pilot it. Exterior is just glorious and looks big. Idk as someone who’s favorite vehicle is the Barge, blew my expectations away ngl, seeing this made my day. Instabuy.

Don’t care for a bigger Burrow but I just wanted to say that Molly maybe the most underrated Harry Potter character when it comes to mini figures, she has so many cool different variants but this probably her best one so far.

Most exciting thing here for me is the Dueling Club! Please Lego grace us with another Lockhart variant, we starving out here.

I looove the Desert Skiff if I’m being quite honest. The Luke Skywalker is probably my favorite take on the character they ever done. Always great to have another Skiff Guard Lando. Sarlacc Pit is easily the best and most detailed version they ever done. Love they found yet another creative part usage for that claw/roof piece. Nien Numb is just the cherry on the top. The price is a bit rough, though a bit understandable. I would say it should be $70 to match the Sith Infiltrator but it’s got two more minifigs and bigger pieces so I get it. Seeing this makes me even hungrier for the Barge. Been far too long since we seen both sets and it’s always great to get more stuff from the Return of the Jedi.

I think this year has been great up to this point. We got some really good stuff like the Boarding The Tantive IV, Sith Infiltrator, Rex’s Y Wing and the Clone Battle Pack. I usually don’t pick up sets before the August wave because most of the time they’re pretty skippable. But that’s just the appetizer and the summer wave which is usually the main course isn’t really delivering in that regard and a big part of that is that three sets at decent price ranges are going to show nobody has even seen. That’s why I feel like it’s falling flat imo. I’m still extremely excited for the Sarlacc Pit and UCS Sail Barge (my favorite ship finally gets the VIP treatment) but I feel for the summer wave of the 25th anniversary of Lego Star Wars, it’s not what it could have been imo.