Retro Brick Reviews

Super glad to see the OotP focus- and all of you thought I was crazy...

Okay, everything said it's definitely of note that not a single playset is from Goblet of Fire. Either LEGO wised up to how terrible that adaptation was and are ceasing to make playsets based on it or, more likely, I'm betting that it's what the $120 set is based on.

Wow, these sound amazing. Call me Charlie Bucket, because after June 1 I will be in severe poverty.

I think brick-built Dobby is odd enough.

Final Bets: $20: Baby Thestral Forest Clearing $50: 2nd Task $80: Shrieking Shack w/ Whomping Willow $100: OotP Hogwarts Expansion with WWW fireworks Brick-built Dobby $90 Secrets of Dumbledore set $120 Grimmauld Place

I mean, there have been $30 sets with nine minifigures and a better PPP than this before, so I don't see that as a potential issue.

I dunno, I think the 2nd Task is most likely to be the $50 set. 345 pieces for $50 means it either has big moulds or an above-average amount of minifigures, and the Lake Task perfectly fits the latter. Not to mention that it would be completely incongruous to have a set be half castle section and half UNDERWATER. (Same with figures, you can't have a Hogwarts Castle where our students are in swimsuits).

Everyone, go check Promobricks's Instagram. Right now. IT'S HAPPENING THE SHRIEKING SHACK

Oh golly, a Grimmauld Place set would be a dream come true. Forget Gringotts, forget Deathly Hallows, that's been the one set I've always wanted from LEGO Harry Potter ever since I first read OOTP.

While I certainly won't deny LEGO's capacity to make rereleases that nobody asked for, none of the known piece counts match up with what a new Knight Bus would be- a minifigure-scale one would be 400-500, and a Creator Expert version would likely be nearly 2000.

The sidecar would be 20 pieces. It's a polybag build. Ergo an accessory pack would be the best way to get the scene, since it's essentially just a polybag with 4 minifigures.

As for Promobricks... I think we can rule out the socks referring to a Freeing Dobby set, since the $20 set has too low a piece count to realistically be a Hogwarts expansion, so a brickbuilt Dobby is likely. Makes sense: Yoda and Grogu have both sold very well, and Dobby is another famous pointy-eared freak in a potato sack.

I mean, I guess the Battle of Seven Potters could work as an accessory set - 35ish piece motorcycle build, Harry, Hagrid, and two Death Eaters - but it wouldn't really work as anything else. There just wouldn't be a major build for this building toy.

Ah yes, the most exciting set of them all: A prefab motorcycle with brickbuilt sidecar, and a couple of Death Eaters on broomsticks.

Agreed, not to mention that it's just too soon after the UCS set- if LEGO immediately released a new MF-scale version it would greatly tamper future sales of the UCS set, and I'm sure LEGO would prefer fans pick up the UCS version as the centerpiece to their AotC displays. My hope for the $140 set is that it's finally the long-desired Geonosian Arena. 1082 pieces definitely seems like the perfect amount to get 3 brickbuilt creatures (potentially with some molded elements to justify the high price) and a back facade for the arena (similar to the Thor Arena Clash set from 2017). It would definitely make sense to be in the wave, not only because of how desired it is but also because of it's recent flashback appearance in Book of Boba Fett, and it's the only set outside of a new new Slave I that could realistically include both Jango and Boba.

Is it? CC is in this weird realm where it features both book-exclusive details and film-exclusive details, to where logically it can't be canon to either.

There's no confirmation that we aren't getting any sets for SoD, in fact I think it's fairly unlikely we don't get anything for the movie. My money's on the $50 creature and the $90 retail exclusive.

For my display I put some of those builds around the microscale DA: The wall and LC song at one end, the vault next to Gringotts, and the Accessory Pack stall in the center. Definitely not accurate, but it gives a really good sense of Harry's journey through DA in the first movie.

I'll probably post my full predictions list today or tomorrow, but I'll put out my thoughts on the Hogwarts expansion here, since I do have a unique idea for it that I think fits very well with LEGO's current modus operandi of depicting specific "magical scenes". 76403 Hogwarts Firework Frenzy - 990 pcs. - $99.99 The set would comprise two major buildings: a 24-stud wide hall, and a 16-stud wide tower. The hall from the exterior would loosely resemble the Viaduct Entrance, and the interior would feature desks for the O.W.L. examinations and the back wall would be covered with several Educational Decrees (similar build to the Sirius Wanted Poster from 76388). There would be play features to knock down the Decrees, and places on the back to attach two builds for exploding fireworks (similar to the Story of Nian). Above this on each side would be a single 8x8 module topped with a tower cone: One side would have a minimized Divination room, the other a storeroom for WWW products. The center module would be a roof section with no interior, and topped with a buildable "W" firework, and the set would also include a sidebuild for the dragon firework. The tower would have 4 levels. At the bottom would be a simple corridor area with a stone bench and two torches. Above that would be the Gryffindor Common Room, furnished with a large couch, an armchair, the fireplace (with Sirius's head), and a table. Above on one side would be Umbridge's office, and on the other would be a locked cupboard containing two brooms: There would be a play feature to blow open the cupboard. Figures could include the main trio, Fred, George, Umbridge, Filch (with Mrs. Norris), Trelawney, and Dumbledore.

Considering the awful PPP-ratio of the $50 set and the lack of any big molded creatures we haven't gotten already, I think it's going to be one with a lot of minifigures (like the City people packs or Ninjago Gamer Market): Either the Lake Task or the Ministry Battle. I think the Lake Task is more likely just because it is the main sequence from GoF that we're still missing, but the Ministry Battle would be a good choice to include characters that aren't currently on shelves, like Voldy, Gambon Dumbledore, a more easily available Lucius, and Sirius (if we don't get a Shrieking Shack).

Firstly, I don't think the specific Quibbler issue is relevant. Like, there's just one Daily Prophet print they use for all the films it appears in, it makes sense they'd do the same for the Quibbler. And in any case, it doesn't answer the question of "why" they would do a new print for no reason (And it *is* a new print. Same graphic design, but swapping the base color meant redoing the print to swap the printed white to no printing and the printless areas on the original for blue printing, as well as adding different outlines and more metallic detail). As for missing holes... I think they've done that pretty well for PoA already between Hogsmeade and the Hospital Wing. Obviously we still need the Shrieking Shack, but after that there really aren't any missing scenes or characters I can think of. And I can't see the entire rest of the wave being based on GoF (I can only think of three worthy sets for GoF if I stretch, and there are six total set spots outstanding), so adding in at least one for OotP just makes sense, especially since, again, they seem to be building up to it already. Thinking about it further, I could honestly see this wave's Hogwarts expansion being based on OotP, since (A) it's the only film to not have the flagship set of a wave be a castle module based on it, and (B) we already have the only major castle building for PoA in the Hospital Wing, and there aren't any major Hogwarts scenes in GoF except the Yule Ball, which they most certainly won't retread so soon.

So, I was rewatching the cute video they made for the Hogwarts Magical Trunk set, and I got to thinking about the new Quibbler tile print included- specifically, why would LEGO make a new print for the Quibbler in a set based on Philosopher's Stone? But then I thought about the other new prints in the set: the Every Flavor Beans are already reappearing in the Hospital Wing set, and the Marauder's Map could very well show up in a PoA set this summer. Now, I've already posted in the past that I think there's a good chance we could see one or two OotP sets this summer based on how we already have 2 non-gimmick reboot sets for PoA (the same amount we have for PS and CoS), and to me getting a new Quibbler is just further evidence that we'll be seeing something from Order of the Phoenix later this summer.

That's fair. Personally I don't mind that- I've been displaying the 2021 Great Hall and DADA Building with the 2019 Clock Tower and 2020 Astronomy Tower, and I just rationalize it by thinking that in-universe the Great Hall was probably built first, and the older building's roofs have turned green over the years.

Why is that a sticking point? If they'd made the Bell Towers in the 2018 style, they'd have been 8x8 towers connected to a center module with pins. Now, in the new style, they'd be... 8x8 towers connected to a center module with pins. The towers aren't even exceptionally detailed, LEGO could very easily do the Bell Towers in the current style.

Oh, I misunderstood. In that case I agree with you- 75% of each story takes place at Hogwarts, it would be weird if the sets didn't reflect that. Though, by that logic the last time we got any non-Hogwarts sets was summer 2020, hmm...