Retro Brick Reviews

Actually, Cedric was in Year 6 in GoF, which implies that 6th Years will use standard legs. (This also aligns with Marcus Flint from 2018, who was a 6th Year in PS.) As for Year 5... Well, both Luna and Cho in the CMF were taken from their respective 5th years, and both had mid-legs. However, Oliver Wood from 2018 was also a 5th Year, and had standard legs. As for 2020, we've been told that Luna in her dress will have "printed normal legs," implying that 5th Years will use standard legs. However, since the Astronomy Tower is a set that will be populated otherwise with 6th Years, they might've just made her the same height as them to keep consistency, so we might get mid-legs for Harry and Hermione in the OotP sets. One thing's for sure, though. If we get standard legs for Luna in the RoR (i.e. a 4th Year), we riot.

If they aren't in their uniforms, those two lovebirds could always be in the outfits they wore on the train ride leaving Hogwarts for Christmas break. (Alternatively, Ron could be in Quidditch fatigues if that costume isn't in the CMF, but I think that's less likely.)

Again, we already have a 1:1 nano Diagon Alley, so it wouldn't make sense to do another so soon.

The fact that we've already had a mini-scale Diagon Alley (in fact, using nanofigures as a common measurement and comparing 40289 and 71043 to their in-universe sizes, at an exponentially larger scale than the mini Hogwarts) and it was less than 400 pieces. Even if they increased the set to the size of the 2012 Mini Modulars and included full interiors, it wouldn't crack 1,500 pieces. Ergo, not a $400 set.

Honestly, I'm just hoping they include the Leaky Cauldron in the set. Not only is it the entrance to Diagon Alley, but it's also Harry's first true exposure to the Wizarding World, not to mention its prominence in multiple films and in both LEGO HP games~ it'd be a shame if they skipped out on it again. (Also, as a small and shabby pub, it wouldn't add to the price and piece count nearly as much as, say, Borgin & Burkes.)

I dunno, I think a silver version of the Trolls 2 skirt could've worked better than printed legs. Also, if Luna uses normal legs, she'll be taller than the HBP Luna from the CMF, which would be odd. Still excited for the head and torso, though.

Just noticed this: if you zoom in on the space above Harry's left shoulder (between his head and Myrtle's hair), you can see a small portion of a black and gold object, which could be Myrtle's accessory. Looking at the shape of the gold section, it looks similar to the clasp on Riddle's diary from S1- maybe her accessory is an undamaged diary?

I don't get all the melodrama, this line looks unique, fun, and (potentially) amazing! I want to pick up some of these sets just because the builds for some of these characters look incredible, and my kid brother is super interested in the line as well. And, while I kind of get the disappointment behind the lack of minifigures, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't LEGO supposed to be a building toy, i.e. not an action figure company? I'm willing to forgo minifig-scale if it means great builds, and, much like nano-Hogwarts, the Star Wars UCS line, and so many more, this is a great example of why going outside the box of one benchmark scale can do wonders for a license! And, judging by comments made in designer interviews, I get the feeling that minifigures are planned... I mean, we know we're getting "some iconic locations" (and Peach's Castle would never work in this style), and I can't think of any licenses to take the Jan 2021 CMF slot aside from Mario, so... As for Mario only being in one $60 set- yeah, that's a load of boosh. Firstly, the one set we know of (Mario, Goomba, flagpole) is not even close to 231 pieces, I count around 100 or so, which fits the "overpriced" $30 set nicely. We also know that all four of the $10 sets include one of these guys (The power switch and scanner are built into the overalls, they clearly aren't removable), and the $70 with 468 pieces probably does as well. As for the $60 set... well, we know that Mario connects to something to update, but it isn't the Switch... maybe this set has something to do with that? Oh, and, even negating everything above, even if this theme does somehow manage to flop worse than Galidor, saying that it'll mean the bankruptcy of LEGO is just ridiculous. Now, I'm not going to take the time to individually quote all of the negative comments, since that'll take ages, but I'll just quickly address the doomsday claims of you smoothbrained neckbeards. Firstly, the claim that LEGO "is forgetting the brick"- yeah, this is dumb. Yeah, we've had gimmick themes, but for every theme that expands out in new directions (because trying to do new things with the brick isn't the same as forgetting it, fyi), we have dozens of classic building themes. Licenses are killing LEGO- binch, licenses are one of LEGO's greatest profits. Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jurassic, Marvel, Minecraft- all licensed themes, and all of which mostly fly off shelves. (Also, special notice to the id who said that LEGO's main pushes this year were Black Widow and WW84- dude, both of those are getting one small set apiece. As a sub theme of two bestselling lineups. Dumba**) Yeah, that about covers everything. If you feel as though you should quit LEGO because this one theme isn't exactly what you want it to be and therefore the entire company is unfaithful trash- then please do, because your babyish negativity isn't wanted, and we'll all be glad to be rid of you.

A new Diagon Alley D2C sounds interesting, especially at a much higher price point than the original. I don't have any specific hopes for what or who should be included, since I want to go in with a fresh view, but I do hope that the buildings we do get will be on baseplates with some Alley out in front so we can connect them together for one large display- essentially like modulars, but on a smaller scale. Also, about the potential of an alternate license for the fall CMF... LEGO just revealed a new theme that could easily fill that spot... (Edit: I was right about that last part.)

Wow, that Tom Riddle figure looks great! Technically he should have mid-legs since here he's a 5th-year, but I'm willing to overlook that for the amazing print design and (somehow) imposing appearance.

So, apparently 75978 and 75980 will in fact be August HP releases, with the latter set to retail for around $100. I imagine that'll be WWW or (less likely) #12 Grimmauld Place, and 75978 will be the Battle at the Ministry.

Oof. I was pretty tired when I typed that, I meant 24x24. I'd had in mind the Creator set pictures down below, which features two smaller tall buildings, each enclosed on three sides, at just shy of 1000 pieces. Considering how a corner build of WWW would only require two full walls (which would be dominated by big windows), it stands to reason that they could pull that off at 700-800 parts. I know why they did her that way, it's just that there were definitely people who were less than happy with that approach, and an Advent Calendar based on the Yule Ball would be the perfect place to include an alternate option, which would have the additional purpose of not reusing multiple figures from the same set, which would devalue the Clocktower and be just generally uninteresting.

'Kay, going off of those prices, here are some potential predictions. (I'll just round the prices to what they'll approximately be in USD) $20: The Inferi Cave- similar in idea and value to "Expecto Patronum" Probably builds for the small island with the option, as well as an archway for the cave entrance. Figs could include a couple Inferi, plus Harry and Dumbledore from the end of HBP (so LEGO doesn't have to include them in the Astronomy Tower, heh). $30: Grawp's Ambush: The main build could be a buildable Grawp figure (similar in style to Giant Man, Ares, etc), with some generic-y forest side builds. Figures could be Harry, a new Umbridge, and at least two centaurs. $70: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes: I imagine this as a three-story structure built on a 32x32 nameplate at a 45 degree angle, with some fun interior details and some magical play features. Figures could include Fred & George, the trio, Ginny, and maybe Draco and Fenrir, since this would likely be our only HBP set of the year they'd fit into. (I think they're saving the Burrow for DH, and we've all pretty much come to the consensus that the Astronomy Tower will be based on OotP). $100: The Astronomy Tower- Based on OotP, and would include a side piece of castle in addition to the tower. Rooms could include DA training room, Umbridge's office, and others. Figures could be various DA and Inquisitorial Squad members, with Neville being especially likely due to his up-to-now lack of appearance. $50: Battle at the Ministry- I see this as a three-pronged playset, with the Fountain in the center, the Veil Room on the left, and the Prophecy Room on the right, with play features galore. Figures could include Dumbledore, Voldy, Harry, Bellatrix, Lucius, and Sirius. Advent Calendar- Presuming it is based on the Yule Ball and we have the same budget as last year, here's be my figure picks: Harry (verbatim from Clocktower) Parvati (new printed torso, and imprinted pink dress. Face would probably be a reuse of MJ's from Spider-Man FFH) Hermione (since people have complained about Hermione's dress in the Clocktower, I could see LEGO doing a new design printed on a standard pink dress piece. [Similar in idea to LEGO redoing McGonagall's head last year]) Neville (head & hair from new sets, Cedric's torso) Ginny (head & hair from new sets, new torso and dress prints) Hagrid (verbatim from carriage) Filch (verbatim from Whomping Willow, but with a cat with new printing for Mrs. Norris. [Yeah, I still want a new Norris, plus I really like the shot in the movie where he's dancing with her]) As for August sets, I think Grimmauld Place has a good chance at making it as a store exclusive, as it's not the most iconic location, but would make for a really unique and interesting build, with some great and collectable minifigures in the form of order members like Tonks, Kingsley, etc. Not sure what the other August set could be, probably something from HBP?

A new owl just leaked, which I believe to be Errol judging by the disheveled look and twitchy eye. Combining this with the Ripper-esque bulldog that leaked yesterday, it's starting to seem pretty clear that we are getting HP sets early next year. (Pieces don't leak 10 months in advance.)

Gotta say, I think it's pretty unlikely that A.) 4 summer numbers would leak alongside dozens of sets for Nov. 2019 - Jan. 2020, and B.) that LEGO would do only four sets next year for what is proportionally one of their most popular themes.

It's a bit different, the mouth is SLIGHTLY thinner. I can't remember where I saw it, but I believe he now also has an alternate singing expression. (If I can find the image, I'll post it here.)

Exactly. In a D2C, they'd have to strive for perfect accuracy, and make the shops nobody cares about. If they didn't, it'd be an incomplete display piece. If they release them individually, they can release what people want, and, since it'd be designed for dollhouse play rather than for display, it wouldn't be so off to have pieces missing. Plus, in a modular system, they could eventually add the less interesting components, or-heck, it is LEGO, just build them yourself. With a D2C, you're stuck with what they give you.

With all this Diagon Alley talk going around, I think the most likely scenariois to see the buildings be released as individual large sets. (A Gringott's set, a WWW set, etc.) My reasoning? Well, for the first few years of the line, we've gotten a series of modular Hogwarts sets, each based on iconic castle exteriors. Well, after the Astronomy Tower, we're just about out of Hogwarts exteriors to make into flagship sets. Now, we'll continue to see Hogwarts in the form of interior-based sets with generic exteriors (Chamber of Secrets, Room of Requirement, etc.), but I see those as playsets in the $30-$60 range, not as main sets. Were this the case, it'd only make sense that the new big $90-$120 set spots would now be taken up by Diagon Alley. And, by the time we've gotten a fair amount of the Alley, it'd be time to go back and remake the big Hogwarts sets like the Great Hall. Another issue is that a D2C Diagon Alley has similar issues to a D2C Hogwarts (before we knew it was nano-scale). Anyone remember that? We all took issue with the idea, because LEGO wouldn't be able to capture most of the castle in one set, AND it would be odd for them to release most of the castle in one hard-to-get set, when they'd make way more money by releasing sections individually. We all know how things actually turned out, and it'd make the most sense for Diagon Alley to happen the same way. Not as many people can buy one $400 set, but many more people could buy an $80-$120 set every year. One more thing: there's no way LEGO would be able to capture the entire Alley in one set, anyway. There are dozens of shops, and there's no way they'd all be doable with a budget of less than 10000 pieces (and a D2C would more likely have 4000 pieces anyway.) Also, squishing them all onto a couple bsseplates as some are suggesting A.) Would be out of place with the rest of the line, as baseplates don't appear anywhere else in LEGO HP and B.) Would leave many buildings either left out or squished. The only real way you'd be able to the Alley on the budget of a single D2C would be to cut out half of the Alley, which LEGO wouldn't do. The most likely course is that they release each building (or perhaps a pair in some cases) as individually-packed sets that can be connected together to form the full street. (Think the modular buildings from LEGO Creator, but on a more modest scale.) I mean, Gringotts almost has to be a DH set, and, considering the lack of choices for HBP, WWW has a good chance of popping up next year.

Honestly, I think Lucius needs a new hairpiece. The Richard Harris hair could sort-of work, but it lacks any hair in the front.

So, I think this winter wave will probably be for EITHER for 1-2 OR 3-4. (I doubt they'd mix the minifigure designs in the same wave.) Considering that LEGO's main release season overall is May-August, that is most likely to be when we get the main 5-6 sets.

Well, Quidditch Cedric appears briefly in Prisoner of Azkaban (albeit not played by Robert Pattinson), so that is a possibility. As for Crabbe and Goyle, I think LEGO would give them mid-legs based on their height compared to other figures, like we saw with Neville in Series 1.

Not sure if this is consistent across the US, but both of the LEGO brand stores in my relative area claim to have twelve-to-sixteen copies of each of the five sets. Just posting in case anyone wanted to know potential stock (Which seems to be way better than last year.)

Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I'm pretty sure I have that figure somewhere, so that's a change I'll be able to make as soon as I get Wormtail. Thanks!

I think the Last Jedi Luke hair would theoretically work well, if not for Wormtail's giant orange eyebrows. If you can overlook that, the Luke hair is accurate in both shape and color, and the muted tone makes less obvious the lack of a bald spot. The other issue is that Sirius uses this hair in dark brown, but a solution is to instead use the Moody hair in brown (available at LEGO retail stores in the Build-a-Minifigure stations), which both makes him more accurate and gives Wormtail a more unique cut from his old friend.

My List: 8: Knight Bus (It looks nice and has great figs, but I have the 2011 one, and this doesn't add much play value) 7: Expecto Patronum (Awesome Sirius and Prongs and really good builds, just not as much desirable stuff as other sets imo.) 6: Hungarian Horntail (Vastly underrated set with great figures, a Dragon far more accurate than the 2005 piece, and a cozy tent.) 5: Advent Calendar (I love me some Christmas jumpers.) 4: Rise of Voldemort (Awesome villains and a fun little play set. Excited to connect this to the Hidden Side Graveyard.) 3: Beauxbatons Carriage (Beautiful figures and build. [Just a side note, but I think it's funny that people think this is an odd choice whilst simultaneously wanting a new Durmstrang Ship, even though they're in the movie for the same amount of time and serve the same purpose.]) 2: Hogwarts Clocktower (This has always been my favorite castle section, and I love the Yule figures and cozy interiors.) 1: Hagrid's Hut (Everything is perfect.)