Classic_Spaceman

Not only would putting a random castle on the box art of the Creator dragon be odd (as LEGO has been putting actual sets into the backgrounds of box art), a black castle would require too many new Minifig and shield prints for a $120 Creator set (especially if it includes two entirely ‘new’ factions!). I suspect that we will get Black Knights’ castle at some point (either 2026 or 2028), but only a >$200 18+ set will have the budget for the necessary torsos/legs, shields, armour and helmet recolours, etc.

Standard pig piece plus the new CMF Cupid’s wings. . .

I feel like if we were getting a new ghost mould, we would have seen it first in a CMF as a ‘ghost costume guy’ (it could be white with a flat front and back, with stitching/patches print).

“I agree - Too many killers, and we’d all be dead in a day or two! And even if the kills are a one-off, that’d basically give a win to whichever side is in the lead at that point - Unless it’s a way to even the odds in such a small group. . . Both sides hold out until they really need to use it?” “That’s a scary thought! What if they recruit a role - If we’ve got a protector, and they’re not a one-off, then does the Naughty List get to use them if they get recruited?” “By the way, you never said what you wanted for Christmas. Let’s not lose sight of what’s really at stake here - Presents!!”

The Inquisitors are pushovers, though (as intended, since their job was just to round up Jedi stragglers), so Palpatine did not give Vader an army. Additionally, maintaining a second full-time apprentice would be a risk for Palpatine to take, as if Vader and Mara Jade ever crossed paths, they might decide to team up and overthrow him. The most that I can see for her (aside from an ex-Inquisitor) is that she was an Acolyte, as Dooku was before officially becoming Palpatine’s apprentice (and Ventress was to Dooku). The bigger issue is just the real-world logistics of including her - Do they commit to deepfaking Luke (which would be highly controversial, and has its limitations), or do they recast him? Recasting also opens the door (back) to Han and Lando returning, so that would allow for more stories with the OT characters to be told, though again that would not be without controversy (and the feeling from some that Disney is giving up on new content in favour of “remaking”/“rehashing” the OT). Not bad from a PPP standpoint - We shall see how it looks!

“A protector and a killer in such a small group? It’s possible, but it’d be a hell of a coincidence if they managed to cancel each other out!” “Following this line, though, who do you think they could be? Eloise claimed to be a vanilla Nice Lister, so if we’ve got a protector, then who do you think it is?” “A recruitment? Tell me more - I’m not familiar with that possibility.” “If that’s the case, though, we’ve got to move fast - One more recruitment or a Nice List death, and it’s over for us!”

Talon Karrde is a possibility if the story goes this route, but Mara Jade is not happening. The most that she could be is a former Inquisitor, her romance with Luke would have to be short (so that Luke can be single by the time of the ST flashbacks), and including Luke at all aside from a cameo is tricky due both to the limitations and reception of deepfake technology. I feel like more people would be bothered by Mara Jade showing up and being nothing like her Legends counterpart (or dying quickly) than would be bothered by her just not existing in Canon. Thrawn has gotten development and is being set up as the next big bad (in a story not unlike his Legends one), so despite the differences in his Canon depiction, it still feels like he is being treated properly as a character. BTW, does anyone think that Sigourney Weaver may be playing Ysanne Isard? She is a common antagonist in post-RotJ Legends material, Weaver looks the part, and her father Armand Isard is already Canon (as the director of COMPNOR). We also know that the ISB is still in play to some extent (the base on Morak in Mando S2 was run by ex-ISB), so she makes sense from a story standpoint (especially with the ISB getting more development in Andor).

Anything for City or Star Wars?

Are there any advent calendars in 2025?

I wonder if this means that Boba and Fennec will be in the movie as well - Maybe Mando is investigating ties between the Imperial remnants and the criminal underworld?

“So I’m wondering, what’s the Naughty Listers’ - or Naughty Lister’s - strategy here? Do they not have a nighttime killer, or is their kill a one-off?” “Could they be trying to get a quick upper hand by targeting one of us with a lump of coal during the day, then getting their kill in tonight? That’d guarantee a win if there are two Naughty Listers, and an easy third day for them if there’s only one.”

“Ahhhhh. . . Good Morning!! Looks like we’re all still here! That’s good - It seems we had a. . . silent night last night!” “Well, right now the only point against Susan is that she didn’t really say anything yesterday; with so few people here, that’s a dangerous tactic for a Naughty Lister - Unless she’s trying to pull a double-bluff. We’ll see; we need to hear more from her today, though!”

There seems to be enough space for the robot and EVA pack in the pod, though. Also, while this may just be a structural thing, the cockpit is separated from the area behind it by a transparent panel, so maybe there is some kind of reactor or engine build there; I am leaning away from just a couple of chairs for the crew, as there is no reason to separate that from the cockpit. Agreed! I am not sure why hairpieces were not included in some of the 2024 sets (the base, science lab, and space station specifically), as it made for some awkward scenes of the crew eating and sleeping with their helmets on! The 2022 City space sets included hairpieces, so their exclusion from the 2024 wave was quite odd.

Another great choice! Was Wes Talbott the one who had been designing updated versions of classic Castle factions in his spare time, or was that the other designer on the MB? 🤔

Nice!! Still no shots of the section behind the cockpit, though; also, the pod seems oddly empty.

I forgot it was a UCS - I thought it was going to be playscale (so two Minifigs would be low for that)!

A Batman 4+ set is almost certainly coming, considering past years! An advent calendar would be a nice surprise, but the other set is more likely to be a mech (maybe for the Joker or Harley, or possibly Mr. Freeze). 🫤

Holy shit! If we ever get a full Castle theme, he needs to be the lead designer (Fantasy Era 2.0, anyone?)!!

Ah, I get what you mean now.

They have a better chance now that the B2 droid legs have been remoulded!

Not if it included BtAS Joker and Catwoman from the Gotham skyline set!

That is rather disappointing. While the last one (Spider-Man) was not great, the GotG one was great and there was a lot of potential for future calendars (X-Men, Avengers (based on the What If? . . . episode), F4, a good Spider-Man one (focused on holiday home life instead of reusing common characters, including Aunt May, MJ), WandaVision, etc!). Do we know if City, Friends, Star Wars, and Harry Potter will be getting calendars in 2025?

Oh. 😬

Just a friendly reminder to all that a joust set is only speculation at this point, and has not even been rumoured! It is a sensible choice for the next 18+ Castle set (for many reasons previously outlined), but we could just as easily get another big castle in 2026; with the LKC retiring at the end of 2025, LEGO may feel like they need to put out another 18+ castle to have on shelves as a companion for the MTS and whatever we get in 2028 (maybe a joust here instead?). Sort of like how the Modular line has a corner-straight-straight cycle, I can see the 18+ Medieval line having a civilian-castle cycle (Medieval Blacksmith, LKC, MTS, 2026 castle?) every two years. Additionally, a large ($300-$400) Black Knights' castle in 2026 would allow for more Minifig parts and accessories to be made for the faction than a joust would - We need at least two new torsos (one with scale mail armour and one with a surcoat and crest), two shields (triangle and oval), barding, and some helmet/armour recolours (kettle helm, houndskull visor, classic breastplate, Praetorian shoulder armour, Ninjago MotM shoulder armour, etc), and we are not getting all of that in a joust set with Lions, Falcons, and peasants! Also, a reuse of the Wolfpack shield from the CMF (as the CMF Bard's parts were) would make more sense in a castle than in a joust. Oh, I agree! A Falcon Lord (torso and legs with hair and a fur collar) would also have been a good choice for the third Minifig! With the Wolfpack torso available from PAB, I think that putting one in the MKC would be a bit unnecessary; if LEGO wants to include an outlaw faction, I would prefer to see a Forestman, as their pieces are retiring with the LKC!

I think that we will see Castle 18+ Icons sets on a two-year cycle, but with Creator sets and one-offs like the Viking Village interspersed throughout. LEGO is smart enough to see that there is a market for Castle sets, so I think that they will make a point of putting something new out each year!