The Stud

I finally got the Imperial Light Cruiser this past weekend. It's a set that's been on my list for a while but my plans to get it have constantly been pushed back. Now, I officially own every Lego The Mandalorian set excluding the helmets. (I already own the Black Series Mando helmet so I have little desire for the Lego one and the Lego Dark Trooper helmet just looks kinda meh.) Before the summer wave comes out, I just need to get the Bad Batch Shuttle, Boba Fett Throne Room and the upcoming Mando N-1 Starfighter to have every Lego Star Wars set based on the current Disney+ shows.

Nice! I'm thinking of getting an extra copy (or copies plural) to do something similar. I just can't decide if I want to do both walls in the hallway or not. I also believe there's about ten Dark Troopers in that hallway scene so that would be three groups of the three from the set and then an extra one from the Light Cruiser I also own. Hopefully the set shows up at one of the Costcos near me. I also kind of want to make the elevator larger so that it's more accurate to that final shot of Luke, R2 and Grogu all inside of it at once.

Their Instagram post states that Taun We will be included in the set, not if. I'd be surprised if the AT-TE wasn't based on AOTC as well. It lines up with how Lego made a system-scale AT-AT for the anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back a few years ago. Side note, but seeing some of the footage from The Skywalker Saga game really makes me want more Padme figures. She's probably the Star Wars character with the most outfits and we've gotten maybe four of them in Lego form including the Queen Amidala dress. We've also only gotten like one Padme figure within the last five years which is just mind blowing for a main character, like how Lando doesn't come in a lot of sets. (though that's changed somewhat in recent years). The different Padme figures in the game look great so hopefully they throw some of them into the occasional prequel sets we get over the next few years.

Technically, that Grievous speeder also showed up in one of the unfinished Crystal Crisis on Utapau episodes you can find online. Since that arc is so obscure, however, it does not help Lego’s case one bit. I admit that I bought it at 20% off just for the figures… I suppose this Republic Tank isn’t super recognizable either, outside of its Lego versions. Speaking of which, I think the set looks a lot better in these box pictures, and I’m someone who thought it looked okay to begin with. And now that we have clearer detail of that Mace Windu figure, I love that he’s a unique Clone Wars version with the printed vambraces on his arms. Like I said when pictures first surfaced, I want new Anakin and Obi-Wan figures with this level of detailing. I also really dig this new box art Lego is doing for 2022, it works very well for this set in particular. I might pick up a copy on May the 4th and then pick up an extra one for a discount.

I’ve been getting really back into CMF collecting this year, so this series is one of my most anticipated 2HY Lego releases now. I think it’d be really cool if we got some sort of figure paying tribute to Ole Kirk Christiansen with like a Wooden Duck accessory or something.

Wow, these sets look pretty solid. It might be the best Pixar theme Lego has done since the original Toy Story/Cars sets. I’m not super hyped for this new Lightyear movie, but I was a huge Buzz Lightyear fanatic when I was little so I’ll definitely watch it when it comes out. Going in reverse order, the XL-15 Spaceship is pretty neat. I love that Lego is implementing UCS-style stands to a lot of other sets now. I also really dig the color scheme and the figures are pretty neat too. My only qualm is that the set looks a little thin/small for the price, even with a good number of pieces included. The Zurg Battle is probably the only set I’ll for sure get, while the other two are maybes if I really enjoy the film or can find them for a discount. My only qualm with the build here is that I’m not a super big fan of the fingers Lego used for Zurg, he’s also missing his big blaster thing. Neither of which are a big deal however. The figures here also look great, I like that this new Buzz figure will stand out from the Disney CMF/Toy Story 4 versions we got. And that red battery pack - wasn’t that the thing Buzz was trying to get in the video game at the start of Toy Story 2? Even the 4+ Zyclops Chase looks pretty solid; it’s the one Juniors mech that actually looks like it could be a good display model without being modded. Again though, I’ll probably just get this one if I really enjoy the movie. Overall, Lego knocked out of the park with this theme. The builds all look really cool and this is such a unique space theme from a lot of the other City or licensed space stuff we usually get. The minifigures are all pretty good. Even though I think the Buzz hairpiece used is a little spiky (I also just realized that this is the first time we’re seeing Buzz Lightyear’s hair…), I love that Lego went the extra mile and included extra heads and hairpieces for him and for this new Izzy figure. I also really like the new yellow cat. It’s probably not super accurate to the film but it looks non-specific enough that it can be used outside of this Lightyear setting. Overall, good job Lego.

As others have said, I think these sets are selling well especially because of the casual adult demographic. In the last two years since Lego’s whole “Adults Welcome” debut, and with the pandemic leaving people with a lot of free time, I think the number of adults buying Lego sets for themselves as increased exponentially, whereas it was a lot more niche just a couple of years ago. (Though the number of AFOLs has been rising ever since The Lego Movie came out and made the idea of an AFOL far more mainstream.) I know a ton of people who aren’t necessarily hardcore AFOLs but have started getting sets here and there, especially these 18+ ones. Had Lego released these sets a couple years ago without the 18+ branding and more “sophisticated” branding, then I don’t think these sets would have been nearly as successful. If sets like the 2018 Hoth Medical Chamber were released now with that 18+ branding, they wouldn’t have shelf warmed nearly as much. My belief here is that the key difference between the hardcore fans who browse here and the “Adults Welcome” fans is the quantity of sets we buy. A lot of the latter crowd are buying sets a lot more casually to throw onto their coffee tables, desks or bookshelves, while a lot of the former crowd (i.e. people who engage in this community) tend to buy more sets and are consequently a lot more selective. We make use of concepts like PPP and whatnot that most of Lego’s customers have never even heard of. The hardcore population is a lot smaller than the more casual crowd, so that’s probably why the sets seem to be doing so well even though the more hardcore portion of the community is often complaining about these sets being overpriced or taking the spots of other sets or what have you. I’m obviously not just a casual fan since I’m on a Lego forum but I do like the Meditation Chamber and Quotes sets; I’m just waiting on sales or discounts for all of them. (Which have become less common these past two years unfortunately.) Back to the Fighter Tank discussion, I was just thinking the other night about how funny it was to see so many people calling this new one a step down from the previous version, when I distinctly remember that previous version getting a ton of flack back in 2017. People were hating on it because it was too small compared to the 2009 version and were also complaining about getting a Phase Two clone versus a Phase One clone.

I think the set looks okay honestly? A lot of the hate towards it seems really overblown and hyperbolic but that's Star Wars fans for you I guess. The size of the tank is pretty good. The original one was too big and while the 2017 one (which I have) was probably the most accurate, it still felt very small. This one is right in the middle. I also see a lot of people complaining about how blocky it is? Maybe it's just me, but I kinda like having some blockiness in my Lego models. That's sort of the point of having a Lego model versus having a 1:1 recreation from some other brand. I also liked the 2020 AAT for the record. I'm not sure if I want to army build this new Fighter Tank as much as that set though. I don't have as much need for a bunch of purple clone troopers, that haven't even shown up in canon yet, compared to the lone 332nd Trooper from the AAT. We also just see AATs far more than Republic Fighter Tanks but I still might still get a second one of this set just to have three of each. As I said when the figures leaked, I think the purple clones are cool. As for the battle droids, who can't use more of those? I'm also really pleasantly surprised that the Mace Windu figure seems to be a TCW version with what appears to be the vambraces on his arms. That's awesome, I really hope we get a new version of Obi-Wan in his Clone Wars armor with that level of detailing, and maybe a color accurate version of Anakin's armor as well someday.

Damn, that Threepio looks cleeeeeean. One of the best Star Wars minifigures ever in my opinion, the only problem is that I’n probably not going to get the UCS Landspeeder.

The set looks pretty good and the extra detailing on Threepio and Artoo is very appreciated. The only things that can make the Lego versions of those characters better is Artoo’s third leg and side printing on C-3PO’s legs. Their inclusion adds a little more incentive to getting the set. I also take back some of what I initially thought about the Death Star Trench Run. I think it looks better and even more detailed than I expected. Still not sure that I’ll get it, but I’m not fully opposed to it now. That R2-D2 tile is a nice touch. I’m definitely waiting for sales on all these quotes sets though. Yikes at those prices.

I think the set looks good. It’s very accurate to the scene, but how the hell is that worth $90? I feel like the prices for Lego Star Wars sets last year were mostly pretty reasonable but some of the prices in 2022 have just been nuts. Looks like I’m going to be waiting for some sales or using up a lot of VIP Points. Also worth noting that Luke is using the dark tan hairpiece his recent ESB figures have used instead of the regular tan hairpiece that all of his ANH figures have used. And apparently Lego has updated the Stormtrooper design once again with white hips.

I thought this was supposed to be a wide release set? Just exclusive to Lego and online stores for the first couple months before becoming more widely available.

The Death Star Trench Run is one of the most boring Star Wars sets to release in a while in my opinion. The detail is pretty good and it’s a solid display piece, but it looks too much like a glorified May the 4th promo to me. It’s an easy pass. Dagobah Jedi Training, however, is a set that I really like. It looks visually interesting and it seems like a great set to have sitting on your desk. It looks a little smaller than I was expecting/hoping, but “size matters not” I suppose. 1000 pieces in an $80 Star Wars set is a pretty decent value honestly. The figures look the same as the 2018 versions, which is fine as those were already perfect in my eyes. I guess a Force Ghost Obi-Wan figure would have been nice too, but not really necessary. It’s easily the best version of Yoda’s Hut that Lego has ever done and since I don’t think they can really improve on the design at all (and also because my 2018 hut is in a box somewhere), I’m definitely picking this one up. I’m excited to see the Trash Compacter as well, but worry about that rumored $90 price tag. I might just try to wait for a discount for both this set and Dagobah.

Technically, we got the second Lego Batman Movie CMF a year after the first one, but since the second series didn't seem to sell nearly as well, Lego would probably be antsy about doing it again. We got Vulture and Mysterio because Marvel/Sony was trying to keep the appearance of multiverse characters a surprise for as long as possible (ironic considering all the leaks leading up to the film) and a lot of the toy developers resorted to releasing more products from the previous films. The Sanctum Workshop most likely didn't have the cells because Lego just didn't get concept art for that area, and even if they did, there would have been no multiverse villain minifigures to lock up inside of them. The thing that I find to be weirder about the set is how it came with Wong, in a very specific outfit mind you, who showed up in NWH for like a minute, while we've never gotten Ned in a wide release set. (I'm not including that FFH Minifigure Accessory Set, which was only available from Lego themselves.) I guess it makes sense since they've been able to use that Wong face in more sets but still.

Haven’t built it yet (I honestly don’t even know where to put it), but I finally got my copy when I ordered the Disney Castle for Double VIP. I have to say that I love these Women’s Month sets they seem to be doing annually now. The Amelia Earhart set from last year is an awesome display piece and this set is also pretty cool with lots of nice pieces. They’re also just really good values for a GWP. Sometimes with GWPs, you might end up with some random polybag that you could just buy at Walmart, while these sets could be sold on their own as is.

If it was just some random, two-bit Instagram account saying it, I’d agree with you. Stonewars and Promobricks are far more reliable and don’t just throw random scoops out without being reasonably sure that they’re true. I’m pretty happy that we’re getting not just one but two Kenobi sets this summer. I’m very excited for the show and based off the trailer alone, it looks like there’s a lot of set potential. I agree with everyone’s predictions that we’ll get Vader Duel and Inquisitor Ship sets, but I’d also love it if we got some sort of a Daiyu location build as that’s one of my favorite Star Wars planet designs in a while. And I’m also happy that we seem to be getting an Andor set after all. Since I wasn’t expecting that show to launch until later in the fall, I was worried that we’d have to wait until next year to get something from it. With the show now reportedly launching in August, it makes perfect sense to release a set in September or October. I’m predicting a new U-Wing for now. My only disappointment with these summer/fall rumors is that Lego seems to only be doing one Bad Batch set a year. While I’m not as hyped about the show as The Mandalorian or Kenobi, there are still a lot of vehicles and minifigures I’d like to see in Lego form. What’s really weird is that this Cad Bane ship seems to be the flagship set of the summer wave, but since it sounds like it could be very overpriced based on that piece count, I’m worried it won’t do well and Lego will get nervous about making sets off the animated shows again.

I was telling myself that I was going to take a year off from Ninjago again like I did for most of 2019-2020 so I can focus on other themes/sets, but man, some of these sets and minifigures sound very interesting, especially with what they mean for the Ninjago storyline. Seeing some of these characters and items used again sounds very interesting to me. Now, I'm not too interested in many of the vehicles, besides The Crystal King and large Samurai Mech, so The Temple is what I'm most interested in seeing. (I've always been a sucker for Ninjago location playsets.) I might have to Bricklink some figures as well. It seems like this wave will make for an awesome display.

Slight correction, but there are only confirmed to be levels for the nine saga films. Rogue One and Solo will still have playable characters via the DLC though. I'd love it if they did do some levels for those movies though; the Solo train heist in particular would be such a fun video game level.

Doesn’t surprise me, the 2020 AT-AT was $160 which was about the same size price jump from the previous 2014 version, which cost $110. As far as minifigures, Lego can throw in whichever ones they want for these Episode 2 sets as far as I’m concerned. I really only care about getting new versions of AOTC Anakin and Count Dooku, which are two of the most noteworthy prequel-era minifigures I’m missing from my collection. Anything besides that would be icing on the cake, especially if we get any more of Padme’s outfits or more Clone variants. While I’m a bit bummed that this most likely means no minifig-scaled Gunship, I am happy that this leaves a $100 spot open for anything from Fallen Order or Kenobi, both of which I’d prefer sets for over more movie-based stuff.

I honestly think this could be it, I don’t know where else this render could have come from unless it’s an actual set or something they mocked up just for this one video. Anyway, I wasn’t even born yet when those original Classic Castle/Pirates/Space sets were out, but I still enjoy seeing it when Lego pays tribute to those themes with more modern minifigures, pieces and building techniques. That’s why I own Barracuda Bay, Benny’s Spaceship, Benny’s Space Squad and the Ideas Exo Suit. I think this set will turn out amazing like these other ones I mentioned. I just want a big, detailed version of an old-school Lego Castle with tons of minifigs to boot. I probably won’t get it for a couple years though, I have a lot of big sets on my shopping list already and just bought a big Castle: the Disney one. I’m envisioning an amazing shelf display of Ideas sets with this one, Barracuda Bay, the Tree House I still need to buy and the Medieval Blacksmith that I now have extra incentive to buy.

Wow, this set is gorgeous. I generally don't collect vehicles that aren't scaled to minifigs and yet this one is still really tempting. It's a no for now, as I have other sets I want to get and don't know where I'd even put this one, but it's not a firm one. I definitely want these new and exclusive versions of Doc and Marty regardless. The minifigs are nearly flawless, though the color gap in Marty's self-tying shoes and the overused young Han Solo face does not fit for Marty/Calvin Klein/Clint Eastwood.

It’s probably more because one of the actors from these shows just showed up in one of the biggest MCU films yet and another was a major antagonist in the last Disney+ series. These shows being on Disney+ means that they can do more seasons without sending people over to their competitor. A lot of the other actors from those shows said that they would be down to return also, and there’s a decent amount of fan demand as well. Whatever happens with those shows, I wouldn’t expect to see any of this to come to fruition with Lego though. Maybe if some of them show up in another, more accessible MCU entry. I think the GOTG Volume 2 Baby Groot set is going to serve as an indirect tie-in anyway. While my interest in the Marvel D+ shows is starting to wane, I still hope that we get coverage for each one. Lego’s done a pretty good job at that with Star Wars thus far, I’d like to see the same with Marvel.

I don’t really collect vehicles at this scale so I hope that Marty and Doc don’t go for a crazy amount on Bricklink… which they probably will anyway. What really sucks is that this set is only $20 more than what I paid for the original Ideas Delorean on eBay over quarantine. I heavily modified it too, so I probably would have just been better off Bricklinking the figures and some of the pieces. Tangent aside, I hope we get some more minifigure-scaled BTTF stuff too.

I’m guessing that we’re going to get some Avengers 2012 “Infinity Saga” remakes this summer if the $500 set does end up being Stark/Avengers Tower. A big reason why Lego was able to include so many cool, new figures in the Daily Bugle D2C was because a lot of them had come out in Spider-Man sets already around that same time. I’d have to imagine that the same logic would apply here. It’d also be fitting with the 10 Year Anniversary of The Avengers and Lego Marvel Superheroes.

Late reply, but it’s possible that The Eternals sets kinda flopping scared Lego off. Marvel is generally more popular than DC and if their sets with a multi-colored team and wacky builds didn’t do well, they’d probably be a bit antsy about a similar DC line. (Though this movie is a sequel, while The Eternals wasn’t, so maybe I’m wrong.) I genuinely think TLBM was the last big hoorah for the DC theme. We got some actually cool Bat vehicles, a bunch of wacky villain vehicles as well, soe neat playsets and a ton of amazing, colorful and detailed minifigures. There’s been some cool stuff since then (another DC related CMF, the small Tumbler and I guess the Bat-Vehicle D2Cs if that’s your thing), but it’s all very far and few between.