Swordy

I hope that's because they plan to bring back Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy as Erik and Charles in the soft-reboot post-Secret Wars. (At the very least, Fassbender deserves to be brought back, since he managed to make each X-Recast film worth the watch. Although I just read something about him taking a step back from Hollywood, so maybe that's not possible anymore.) I thought the rest of the cast were too juvenile in talent. I've never seen the original X-Trilogy, and honestly I'm a bit unsure about ever seeing them. I did work my way through the four X-Recasts; didn't like First Class, absolutely loved Days of Future Past, hated Apocalypse, and thought Dark Phoenix was pretty decent but incomplete. (Two hot takes sandwiching two cold ones, lol.) All I'd want to see from LEGO FoX-Men is a set of the DoFP Sentinel with Magneto and Hugh Jackman. Given the recent rumor, though, it seems I've spoken too late. I love the concept of the Sentinel set! I can't imagine the sentinel itself will be sizeable, given the extra builds said to be included. Perhaps it'll be akin to the X-Mansion build, just with a muted colour palette? As for the minifigs, I expect Doom will be roughly the same as the Bust since the costs are shared there. Mr. Fantastic will have a new torso, likely no leg printing. Magneto doesn't need leg printing from the leaks I've seen, and the mold for his helmet is there if Erik even uses it in the movie. Likewise Thor won't need leg prints (and even if he did, we know he won't). Mystique's design might call for leg prints, given the blue on her collarbone and sides would need balancing out, and hair-wise I could see the live action Bo-Katan piece being reused. No clue about Nightcrawler—I think I saw a design with plain black trousers, but maybe not. They might use the Dreamzzz hair for him given how much volume it seems to have. More than anything, I'm glad that TLG seems to have taken the complaint with Galactus's price and, while choosing to not lower it, have decided to package more characters (that aren't exclusively reprints) into the set and even gone as far as to build out the scene for them. I hope the set lives up to my expectations. A Dark Avengers Quinjet? Count me interested, most interested. I do presume it's a New Avengers quinjet… although I hope it's not in place of a New Avengers tower. Regardless, I'm really excited about Thunderbolts* sets at last. I hope the Quinjet is an enough intriguing design to complement the '23 model I have on my shelf. New Avengers or Dark Avengers, I await news of the full minifig lineup.

The prior version of Bespin Duel was a display set and even half the price. Duel on Mustafar in 2005 had only two, but that was because those were the only two we knew were going to be on Mustafar. Meanwhile Duel on Mustafar in 2020 was $20 and, again, only two figures but at half the price of this new version. It was interesting to look back on the pricing of Jedi Starfighters; a trend of price increases that's very similar to today until it dropped back to $20 in 2018. At least back in TCW era we got more builds and/or minifigs with each price increase (Plo Koon's SF being the exception); whereas just in 2022 we got a $30 SF with three all new figs (considering R4 as a fig for the sake of it), only to now expect a reused R2 and a hopefully deluxe Anakin. It's better than $45 for an Interceptor, certainly, but still feels stingy. The trouble is we get tons of Anakins and Obi-Wans, and while we certainly need those characters to return regularly, I'd like to see a different cast each time to interest me in collecting. The lack of minifgs offers no suggestion of imaginative play too. I imagine an all gold or black greebles and gold banner box-art with the "Star Wars at 50" logo as seen on StarWars.com. The McQuarrie figs seem like a novel way for TLG to celebrate and only that. The approach for branding this 50th anniversary seems pretty straight forward and formulated, for better or worse. If they play the hits, there's no risk of failure, right? This movie has nothing going for it nostalgia-wise, and even with Ryan Gosling, who knows how it'll perform critically and financially. It's an untapped era… and the two previous times that happened in Star Wars were the Mandalorian and the Acolyte. (Ugh, I feel bad breathing those two in the same sentence.) For the former, it got one set—a redundant remake at that, and as for the latter, obviously it didn't perform well, and I think TLG avoided a shelf-warmer with that one. We'll see the set potential of Starfighter upon the trailer release, so I'll hold my tongue for now. Always glad to be of service. Same. The increasing price per piece paired with skrinkflation… I already feel priced out of new LEGO across the board. (Call me crazy, but I might hop over to LEGO Minecraft.) There's a couple of decently-priced sets, but they're increasingly few and far in between—and generally niche too. I might turn to the secondhand market, providing they are more reasonable. I guess I had expected some Death Star figs or a Shlup Gitto Rebel. I wouldn't mind a new Y-Wing pilot, especially if it's one seen onscreen in ANH. My thought was that we hadn't seen Biggs or Wedge in a minute and (thus I don't have them and I'm just greedy) so that'd be nice. In every economy. Everywhere. All at once. (Legit, I thought up until now that Potential Man was a riff off Henry Cavill's Soup. So this is a whole canon with which I'm unfamiliar…?) The Rebels Crew, perhaps; Ahsoka had the most unnecessary change in my opinion considering she was better off mentally in Book of Boba than in Ahsoka. Hera seems toned down in personality, Chopper is of course Chopper, I forgot about Zeb since he wasn't in the show but he is indeed perfect, and I don't know how you felt about Kanan, but to me he just felt… dead, you know? Of course, the Y-Wing would need to be bigfig-accommodable… in fact, we'd need a whole new line of remade starfighters that can fit a new lineup of SW bigfigs. Obviously the first wave would be a TIE Advanced with bigfig Vader, a Millenium Falcon with a new canopy for bigfig Chewbacca (Han stays the same)—strike that; why go for all that effort when they can instead slap a "Smart Play Compatible" on the box and call it brand-consistent? Long live the Aslume. Agreed. At least the grey version of the MTT made some people happy… I think this Sandcrawler could've been brown and nobody would crying that it wasn't grey. I mean, I wasn't going to say it outloud… but what are the chances LEGO just recolours the current Vader mold? Well, McQuarrie did a particular artpiece that featured Jedi Han Solo, Zebbacca, and female Starkiller (Luke wasn't renamed Skywalker until the day of filming). I don't remember if Leia was included in any concepts during that stage. There's one black-and-white sketch that was adapted into Rebels, so maybe LEGO could go for that? Good point about Starkiller being highly merchandised over the years. It'd certainly be odd if TLG didn't go for him now. I've been noticing how many recent D2C's have a random single figure included, so I think you're on point. I believe TLG (after years of court battles, lol) has realized that the minifig is their one instant distinction from their brick-competitors. There's honestly not much difference between a brick from Billund or not, but the minifig has gained its status as a legitimate collectible. So with Ninjago versus Star Wars, it's almost as if an action figure company has both licensed and original characters on shelves; obviously the licensed has better recognition, so the non-licensed line has to offer better value for each figure and/or bundle those figures together. I was envisioning this Endor BP as a 327th BP without the extra droids to "boost" value when I wrote what I did. If regular BPs go up to $30, though, then I think the world ceases to function as we know it. I kid, I kid… but seriously. Agreed. We have yet to see the builds, and I remain pessimistic about the value those will provide. Nonetheless, this manages to play both the familiar hits while varied across the five fanfavourite shows and films. (Even the up-scaled Luke and Vader art don't sound too bad.) If I was a new collector, I'd be overjoyed, and even as a collector since 2020 who has all but one of these playsets, I still look forward to how they'll be executed. The new Y-Wing and Mustafar may win me over, for all I know.

Welp, that's disappointing. I went from being excited over the prospect of fresh minifigs alongside iconic playsets… to now deciding which sets to grab on discount or pass altogether. The set selection is certainly wonderful, but now I question whether everyone of these could've been priced ≈20% cheaper if TLG was going to skimp out on minifigs. The prospect of quality over quantity is moot; I sincerely doubt we'll see arm printing on the likes of a Princess Leia or Obi-Wan, and I don't believe additional anniversary figures should ever count towards a set's price. Anakin's Starfighter hurts most of all. Go ahead, rub it in my face, those who said Dooku wasn't going to happen… With only one unique figure, the set verges on overpriced for me. Depending on the accuracy of the Anakin figure (at this moment I doubt whether they can bring themselves to do the red and blue), I'll likely buy when it goes on sale. The Y-Wing, like @Mandalorianknight and I were last discussing (last month ), is an essential aspect of any ANH celebration—I'm glad that was proven right.The minifig selection is the worst case scenario in my eyes, though; it's only saving grace would be if Wedge or BIGGS(!) is the second Rebel pilot (we can't have a ANH Y-Wing without Dutch, right…?). Thank you for bringing it up (I think you were first too); my dream LEGO Y-Wing has been the Red Jammer for it's history behind the scenes as well as the epic colourway. In this case and this case alone, the build will absolutely make or break this set for me. Speaking of which, I'm intrigued to see how the greebling will be accomplished this go around, what with all the new odd pieces at their disposal. The Endor BP at $30 is outright disgusting. BPs have been envisioned as cheap ways to obtain a lot of characters, and no amount of superlative bricks which can be provided in a more substantial fashion elsewhere will make up for the price increase. Otherwise, I quite enjoy the fact that Endor rebels are back; perhaps some Ewoks should've been included too but I won't wade into that discussion. The Mustafar Duel at $40 and Bespin at $80 sounded very intriguing at first. After learning that the characters of each will be limited to the participants of said duel only makes me A) skeptical of anything exciting build-wise and B) lament the loss of $20 duel sets. The worst part is that both of these include the concept art figures—TLG are playing their cards right, I suppose, but it turns the celebration into a gimmick. MiFi is overpriced, but decent to see one. No thoughts on the Vader art or Upscaled Luke other than "Wait and see," which I presume is more positive than anyone else. That's true, and a bit worrisome. Given Starfighter is an unknown commodity, I wonder if TLG will limit it's exposure to 3 sets—if that. As for the lack of clones; also true, but I believe that reveals the flaw in TLG's strategy. All clones one year, then next-to-none in the next doesn't create balance, but a wave of complete interest then total disinterest. (Not to mention all of these sets retire at different rates anyway.) I'd rather see a little here, a little there than spurting out a repetitive wave laser-focused on one era. At some point, people will complain about the lack of P2 clones (they already are, in fact). Some of these 2025 and 2027 sets could've swapped spots and I think world peace would've been made. Oh yeah, and the Sandcrawler and AT-AT were revealed while I was gone. To put it briefly, I love them both. Even despite owning and preferring the TESB variant, the new AT-AT still proves to be rather tempting. I'll definitely buy the Sandcrawler for the fact that I don't already have one, the build finally accomplishes the perfect playscale model of this vessel, and I needed Kuiil and the Mudalorian yesterday. Potential Man in a Fant4stic meme? In this economy? Agreed there. Felt like everyone but Ezra had their personality sucked out of them—and only because Paul Eman Esfandi is quite possibly Ezra himself. I always thought too that Sabine took Ezra's request of protecting Lothal to heart and would've stayed there forever—unless Ezra could be brought back. Good thing that LEGO knew ball then. A D2C Trench Run in '27 would be incredibly cool. I doubt if TLG'll ever go that far for an anniversary besides their own, although I see a nonzero chance of it happening. Excellent point; I was being a little too greedy about extra Rebel pilot minifigs. At any rate, getting all of Red Squadron via one set would be an unbelievable dream come true. Hang on, strike what I said about Biggs(!) or Wedge. It's Porkins in the 2027 Y-Wing or we raid Billiund. I might do the same. Even in the Mando episode, it still looks brown to me; it's this and Doc Ock's grey coat that make me question the LEGO designer's eyesight. (I kid, I kid… but seriously.) Regardless of the circumstances surrounding them, I am beyond hyped for anniversary figures. Most anticipating Darth Vader, the Stormtrooper and maybe Starkiller (see below). I'm expecting new molds for each and all of these characters, unique lightsaber blades, arm prints and dual molding—the works. I am curious whether we'll see Luke Starkiller (as seen in that iconic original concept art with him facing Vader) or the female Starkiller as seen in art alongside Jedi Han and Zebacca. I pled for the former, but for reasons of inclusion I'd understand the latter.

Your crossed fingers will produce the Bat-Penguin, which is the standard Batman fig but with a recoloured cowl and Shang Chi head. Actually, never mind. My speculation has now willed the Bat-Pen into existence instead, which will be advertised alongside the Duck Boat but sold separately.

That new Doom looks incredible. Great to see LEGO Marvel implementing more arm and leg printing this year. I doubt that trend will continue past these Avenger-movie years, so I'm glad to be here as it unfolds. I hope this figure shows up at least twice within the next year and a half. The shoulder pad element would work great for Mark I Iron Man, and that hood in dark green is exactly what the comics Doom needed, in my opinion.

You could say that halving Maul only doubled his potential… or you could choose not to and save some groans at the dinner table. I can see that. Maybe there is potential after all… I still hold that Dave won't desert Sabine and Ahsoka to another galaxy, but maybe that's precisely what he's doing. I do wish there had been more outward conflict between Ahsoka and Sabine over the latter's conflicting Mandalorian and Jedi values, because Ahsoka quickly dismissing it fell flat for me. Thank you, then. The only OR characters I'm attached to is Darth Malgus (because coolest Sith design ever, am I right?) and my random fanfiction characters from that era, lol; so anything is fair game. Indeed, and so my quest as the Thunder Lord will continue… whenever I can think up a remixed line. (I don't know how Clone Commando does it every day.) Same. Seeing how Maul was handled in his show, it makes The Bad Batch (aka Omeeega's show) look even worse. BIGGS! While I'd love a definitive ANH X-Wing like you've described (especially after rewatching ANH on Monday), given we have a "smart" X-Wing that supplies the characters and a NR X-Wing that supplies the peak of X-Wing design, I'm willing to hold off for the time being. A definitive Y-Wing is more of a must for me—Y-Wings in particular feel directly tied to Episode IV, whereas the X-Wing have become the mascot for Star Wars overall. Of course, we do go back to the question of whether LSW '27 should celebrate 50 years of ANH or of the Star Wars franchise. On the topic of collecting Red Squadron… what about a Yavin IV D2C with the every Red, Gold, Phoenix and Blue Squadron seen onscreen at that location—as well as the Rogue One crew. The Trans-Neon-Green Lanterns face off against the bleak Blacktron… Brickest Night 3: Return of the King? Thank you, good sir. Long live the Aslume! That set managed to have so much appeal for being a mere OT remake. (Yes, a remake 20 years in the making, but a grey ship nonetheless.) Agreed. Dodanna's inclusion in the '21 X-Wing is one of the main reasons why I enjoy it so much—build aside. Iconic main characters need be included, but adding background or minor characters helps round out the world—especially as the price point/amount of iterations climbs higher. How about a Star Destroyer with Pellaeon? A TIE Defender with Pellaeon? A hologram room with minifigs of those Imperial warlords including Pellaeon? An Admiral Thrawn bust with Pellaeon to accompany Thrawn? A $350 replica of Pellaeon's mustache? And how did I forget to mention Mara Jade?! Seconded. Additionally and off the topic of LEGO, after my recent rewatch of ANH and the Battle of Yavin, I'm once again asking for a Rogue Squadron movie starring a recasted Wedge. X-Wing action never gets old. That sounds intriguing. How will they accomplish the model at a presumably miniature scale? Guess we'll see soon enough. I'm probably most looking forward to full pictures of the Sandcrawler. Wrong colour aside, it does look well done from the outside, so I'm curious how the interior was handled. Plus, there's the Mudhorn and Blurg from which to expect horror. Ears… Mickey Mouse has ears… so 400 Mickey's fearing for their lives from the Dummy in a TIE Avenger should do. Alternatively, there is the line from Avengers about "Power at 400% capacity"—how about that?

I went back and forth between saying "the LEGO Group, who have betrayed us," or not (ultimately I decided I just couldn't hear "the LEGO Group" in Maul's voice). Props to the show's writers; it's a whole lot better than Kenobi's "I am what you made me." To be honest, I've been running with that theory about Sabine's abilities since you mentioned it, I forgot that it hadn't been canonized just yet. I do think one can read that from the show's events; we'll see when they make it back to the main galaxy. We'll see. Do you recommend the Darth Revan novel? Obviously KOTOR is an easy recommend to any gamer… sadly, I'm not a good gamer. I'm still firmly in the post-RotJ era with my Legends reading; I'm just curious what to plan for if/when I delve into the Old Republic era. "Darkness rises, and light to met it." I see it; if the Force is bent toward the dark, then it gives power to the Jedi in order to meet said darkness. Although I do believe that since the Force exists in all living things, likewise all living things have access to Light or Dark depending on their choices. In essence, there should always be Jedi, since Jedi are guardians of the light which is the Force of all living things. There will always be evil to fight, albeit I think the Sith being destroyed should limit the extent of that evil. Right… yeah, Two-Boots is a tricky one. Maybe the AT-ST pilot? But that's for sure a stretch, especially since the majority of his helmet is blue. (I really do hope for MSL sets.) I see. That's nice, then, having the knowledge they were going to end the season with Devon in effect becoming Darth Talon. I was questioning whether they would or not until the moment the old man was thrown under the bus. XD The moment was nonetheless gratifying; hats off to the show for that. Excellent. Ah yes, everything is proceeding as I have foreseen… By the way, when you do get around to watch AoS, I highly recommend watching CA:TWS when it comes up in the chronology. There are tie-ins to other movies throughout the run, however I do think it's special how TWS enhances AoS while AoS somehow even enhances TWS. I hear that. I like what you say about intentionality, and like you say there will always be selfish people who will try to possess power in the name of whatever prior empire. I think there can be a difference between the Sith constantly returning, throwing the Force out of wack, and the Neo-Imperials who pirate the galaxy and create war—which tips the scales toward the dark but never significantly imbalances the Force in my view. Basically, in my view, the end goal of SW is a constant elevation of light side. Is that like our world? Well, from a secular view not at all, but given that the Force acts as a proxy for all religions, I'd propose that SW likewise would end in some form of paradise. I don't know if I like "undoing" balance. If Anakin is supposed to be the answer to a longtime prophecy (which he fulfills in a roundabout, tragic way), then that suggests finality. I know we have Disney canon to reckon with now; in which case I'd call Palpatine's brief return the aftershock of killing the final Sith, not necessarily a sign of more dark uprisings to come. Just my two-cents, of course. Disney would sooner cross Star Wars over with the Avengers than ever consider George's philosophy about his universe—and naturally everyone has a different idea of George's intentions. Thank you. Of course, all credit for the parody goes to… you guessed it, John L. Ego (and maybe the writers for MSL… as if I remembered Amanda Rose Muñoz's name). Crusaders… Lion Knights are also called Crusaders… It's naturally we take up this title, then, given their antagonistic relationship with the Black Falcons aka Blacktron. The Tower of Fate, which floats atop the ground… like Blackwell Tower, the secret rocket ship that was the start of a base on the moon, aka Blacktron Headquarters? Has our jonkling gone too far that we've been asking for the ultimate Blacktron fortress? Or have I finally fallen off my rocker? Of course… Luigi is the same one from Super Mario Bros, so he likely has access to the tube system we see through Nintendo's games—AND LEGO CITY, the major of which being Mayor Corncob! The only one accessible to the public has been the one connecting downtown to Liberty Island, but of course there have to be plenty of others (how else does fast travel work?) and it's highly likely that, thanks to Brickheadz Joker's 2x2 brain, a tunnel to the outside world has been established. Naturally, Mayor Corncob, by order of Blacktron and Brickheadz Joker, would keep the Real World Portal secure in Luigi's Pizzaria. Of course, business at Luigi's can never be too high, which is why Mayor Corncob, to discourage casual pizza enjoyers, outlawed pepperoni (which is advertised everywhere, including costumed figures, but never seen being sold to customers). (To all the sane people reading… Maker have mercy on you.) A sad day for all Imperial and OT fans. I'm surprised the Bomber lasted this long, but nonetheless saddened to see it go. Not the least bit upset. The meme merely reveals that I am the avatar of our glorious TIE Avenger. But what about the resale value of my 2020 Bespin Duel? Not that I will ever resell it… but it's the thought that I could that counts. /s Yeah, I would've liked a regularly release version prior to this zany one. The larger issue at play is the lack of Cloud City sets as a whole; if these iconic character-outfits weren't released exclusively in one of the most expensive playsets per their time, we wouldn't have as much to grieve over the turn in rumor. This Christmas set will somehow be the most accessible playset that remotely brings up the 3rd act of Empire. If I hadn't obtained the Bespin Duel six years ago (which… wow) I'd be greatly disappointed. I do wish the Vader wasn't merely a sweater-variant. It's a cool sweater, don't get me wrong, but it will be a bit hard to read as Christmasy. Depending on whether Luke is Christmasified too (which'd only ruin it further for any fan without a standard Bespin fatigues), I may just skip this set and keep to my annual tradition of planting a knockoff Santa Vader (handing out a replacement hand, of course) atop the aforementioned Bespin Duel of 2020.

"To those who have betrayed us, play well." Swordy, Thunder Lord; Chapter Two: Sinister MOCing (Folks, I'm no CloneCommando when it comes to crusading—probably because of the lack of English blood in my veins.) Looks like the AT-AT drivers have transitioned back to the white/LBG colourway, which I appreciate. I think we can also assume that any and all snowtroopers in the AT-AT will be sans-mask—probably an easy assumption but just something to note. Struggling with the head-build, but that might just be due to insufficient coverage throughout the video. The build overall looks different enough to be a pleasant experience for even an owner of any previous AT-AT. I agree, I will always give Ahsoka props for feeling the most StarWarsian; much more than Andor or even Mandalorian. I just can't ignore my issues, and if those issues are ever resolved, then my opinion will improve. I don't know if it'll be like the Prequels in that further analysis helps it over time, and my issues on a macro-level (the dialogue, lol) don't entice me to revisit. Anyway, wrong thread. XD We can move this over to the Media Discussion if you're welcome to it. Yep. My idea is that the Sith eventually conquer the whole Old Republic, and the Jedi scatter into hiding. Once the Sith are in charge, though, their desire for conquest turns toward one other and the Sith Empire splinters into dozens of pieces, each amassing technologies for various planet-killer weapons. They start to wipe each other out one by one, then Darth Bane kills them all and establishes his Rule of Two. Once the Sith disappear, the Jedi and old allies of the Republic emerge and begin rebuilding what was lost, leading to the Galactic Republic of the Prequels. [My explanation for why the Old Sith Empire isn't truly a Galactic Empire is because the Old Republic wasn't necessarily galaxy-wide; the Sith gained a little more territory than the Old Republic, but the Galactic Republic manages to unite the whole known galaxy.] (I mean, that is what happened eventually, right? Given I've seen no one actually wield the Force. Jokes aside, that is an interesting concept. There does need to be some finality to the Force at some point—if the dark side reemerges after destroying the Sith, when is the Force ever going to be in balance?) I hadn't considered a helmet for Janix cops since most are sans-helmet in most of their scenes. Maybe—and this is a stretch—the black helicopter pilot headgear with a trans-brown visor? Looking at pictures online, I think that Syril torso would only work well for Lawson and a couple of in-office officers; the riot gear is a completely different ballgame, and now I'm realizing your initial dilemma. For minifigs, yeah I can't argue there. I do prefer the connivence of going in-store over the indecisiveness of buying an unseen prospect online. Plus there's something exciting about seeing a lot of old LEGO together again, so I like supporting for that reason alone. So, was the spoiler that Not necessarily one-dimensional; just that his one-defining trait was introduced right when the plot needed it. I guess their motivation was foreshadowed in Chapter 3ish, but it was weird to put a face and a name to it so last minute. (Dew it. The very first episode of S1 is garbage—uncharacteristically for this show—but from there the show builds and builds over its run into something awe-inspiring. Probably one of the most smartly written TV shows I've ever seen. S1 and 2 are better in hindsight, but it was S1 that got me to fall in love with the core cast. S3 & 5 are spectacular, while S4 is most definitely the peak. Points if you enjoy the Phase 1 era of the MCU, since it carries those vibes.) Well, there's quice for four, and fifice for five. I'm so glad you asked, and no I did not just make this up. I've felt the same way several times in the past… and that is usually when I pulled away from watching reviews altogether. I'll watch a review if I'm contemplating adding the set to my to-buy list, or if I need an extra boost of motivation before or after purchasing (I get buyer's remorse bad, lol). Besides that, "It's all just noise." Nowadays reviews feel more like pushes into the social media algorithm rather than genuine enthusiasm. (Not the case with a lot of blogs, to be fair, but the same feeling you described still lingers.) I do think reading/watching reviews is helpful for informing a new fan's tastes on LEGO in general, helping him find the balance between objective and subjective value. For the seasoned fan, not so much, I think.

Yep, Lamda is an instant must-have. Moff Gideon looks even better than in the Light Cruiser, Pershing and the pilot are great figs, but that shuttle looks gorgeous. The only concern I have is that the top fin and wings are too short, but besides that the layering and detail is immaculate. As I said, I'd need to sunbake the AT-RT Driver helmet to perfection first. Shaping looks spot on. Maxi-Vader is fine. I think the lens reflection on the helmet is a bit too cute, but a worthy effort on avoiding a soulless look. As for the shaping of the helmet… I may be too picky, but I feel like they never get it exactly right. This time the helmet looks like it lacks width for how tall it is, making Vader look like nothin' but a hound dog. The brickbuilt lightsaber is fun; I want a trans-neon green one next.

Regardless if M&G flops (which I doubt, but that's just a gut feeling), the audience number for that film will still be higher than Shadow Lord. SW animation almost always has a lower audience than live-action. Correct… and that choice requires a consequence, and that consequence requires a weapon: Thrawn. (Maul quotes aside, I'm still holding out hope for S2 to redeem my opinion of S1. I definitely prefer enjoying Star Wars, truly.) I can see a dark ages between the Old and High Republics being in order. Speaking as far as real world precedent, there's been several very ancient civilizations with tech that competed with Roman era technology (the name of the one escapes me… somewhere in India, I believe). Let's be real here too; the only media the High Republic claims are books, comics, and a show that felt more like the Prequel era than anything prior. There wouldn't need to be much retconning in my eyes. My personal thought–similar to what you said—is to explain the "modern" tech away with a Sith-induced dark age. Maybe there's an aspect of peacetime dismantlement too. Exactly, it's an issue with LEGO's core tech philosophy. I certainly shied away from beeping toys as a youngling. To be honest, I'm not sure what kid—old enough for LEGO, that is— enjoys toys with lights and sounds. So the solution to me, a complete unprofessional of course, would be for LEGO to stand out stronger and bolder with the audience that doesn't like tech during playtime. The adage "If you can't beat them, join them," doesn't ring true in this case; the one about water and oil does. It is fascinating that LEGO's "Adults Welcome" promises an escape from technology, while LEGO increasingly pushes technology into children's hands. True about the blackout Mandos. That's a fair callout about Syril too—I hadn't realized how expensive he had gotten. Still, the parts for Janix cops do exists, even if they are rarer than even the parts I had called unobtainable. He's an undeniably cool fig. It seems like the majority of Overwatch characters got a whole lotta love; I'll need to pay more attention the next time I visit my second-hand LEGO stores. Right on. I do agree he's a villain in the show, even more so in Star Wars as a whole. I was trying to speak from a literary standpoint, which speaks more to who is driving/opposing the plot than who should be considered an ethical and moral hero. This is one of the few cases where a main character in a SW is presented as evil and not already mired in tragedy from his actions. (Before anyone asks, no, I won't let this devolve into another "Rebels are or aren't terrorists" argument, lol.) So I agree; just trying to explain my point better. Huh. I thought you meant one leak that I saw accidentally, but now I'm not too sure, lol. All I've got to say is that I've got major hype for the finale. It's true what's been said; this show just gets better and better each episode. I really do appreciate the efficient pacing this show has; every scene services the fleshing out of these characters while never failing the plot's momentum. I can't help but agree about Kebris, though. It was frustrating his only development took place came when he had a role to play in the plot. This show's writing is simply spot on, and after binging (wait for it…) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I couldn't accept any less. The IG head looks like an action figure head or something from M*g*bl**ks. While I appreciate the effort into upgrading the IG look, I would've taken anything else. That's true as well. Now, if the Smart Brick actually blows up a LEGO TIE, I'd be equally excited as horrified. Lol, I appreciate it. I do dislike the term "clone slop," since LEGO has never been great at action figures—aside from Galidor. However, after seeing what Ninjago can cook up with their not-18+ sets, I'm finding myself disgruntled with the basic dioramas and repetitive helmet sets. It's all tacky to me. (I want to see if I can replace the black border of the Dagobah diorama with an organic base.) To be fair, most of these marketing decisions seem planned far out in advance. They clearly aren't listening—"NOBODY'S LISTENING"—and so I try to ignore it or find the positive (like, at least [LEGO] Star Wars is back in every day advertisement, which I'll take as a win). Oh, really nice deal, man. I'm one of those bozos who purchased the RC at $130, lol. So yeah, definitely a huge disparity in investment—which, if we're able to enjoy what we like, isn't bad at all. Yeah, Rebels isn't everyone's scene. I personally adore the show, and so reuniting the Rebels crew in my LEGO collection is one of my big goals; it'd certainly be a lot easier on my wallet if I wasn't a fan. *huffs down some rhydonium* OR MAYBE, MAYBE THE EWOK VILLAGE IS COMING LATER THIS YEAR? ALONG WITH THE BOUNTY HUNTER PURSUIT? AND A TIE AVENGER? I was gonna say I was conflicted about the advent calendars… then I saw the price. Shockingly, City beats out the Star Wars and Marvel calendars for me by a mile; better price, and better bang for my personal collection. That said, I am a Fandalorian at heart, and it's gratifying to see Moff Gideon return and Din receive an ugly sweater finally (because a sweater can't fit over Mandalorian armor while it could easily go over Vader's). Pretty sure if I would be uninterested otherwise. Depending on how the scene plays in the movie will determine my final opinion on the Hutt Droid Sentry (Bob?). Right now, I feel underwhelmed by yet another nondescript mech and a rather drab Embo minifig. I may buy on discount, in which case the build goes almost immediately into my parts bin. I'm a bit salty that it wasn't Rotta the Slayer Hutt.

You never know. At some point, Disney has to realize the need to pivot to KOTOR, and perhaps with a movie or TV show we'll see sets. Leia's "smart" too. It is annoying to see the logo on the back of the figs, especially since that's only helping resellers and collectors than kids, whom they promote as the target demographic. However, compromised or not, they are functioning minifigs of the iconic characters. The lack of separation between the torso and hip isn't great, but it's better than no minifig at all. Only short-cape Vader bothers me—a great deal at that—because it does compromise the look of the character. The prices and builds are the biggest concerns to me. I do have a theory about the compromised builds: The smart bricks are electronics and thus potentially prone to overheating, so it's probably wise for them to sit out in the open. Plus given not every set includes a smart brick, it makes sense that the brick can be swapped easily. The pricing of the sets still don't make sense no matter which way you pull at it, and even moreso if the target audience is supposed to be kids. The only market TLG could catch with those prices are the kids who already own a tablet, which will always be more entertaining than a plastic ship that makes generic sounds. Mando's helmet, UCS TIE Interceptor, Jabba's Sail Barge, buildable 3PO, brick-built Star Wars logo, and UCS AT-ST are all rumored for a 20% off discount. Other than that, I'm 90% sure that, except for every 18+ set, every other LSW set is set for 2x points, including the sets set for retirement in July and the most recent M&G wave. It's great news to me since I don't care for most of the 18+ slop anyway, although 2x points would've helped offset said 18+ sets' marked-up pricing. You have a deal. (I would parody "The Empire's betrayal must have consequence" line, but CloneCommando's done it already so I'll have to think up something else.) True, although you could just remove the armor piece. I don't mind the rust terribly, and the appearance in the show leans to me as shadowy rather than Vader black. To each his own, though; an updated Marrok would be maul-velous. Kast should be easy, definitely; I'm waiting for the Siege on Mandalore BP to go on discount first. True about the Nightbrothers; I find it awkward to use multiple Maul faces in the same group, but it can work. Both Lawson and the Crow are achievable, true, although I personally lack the parts necessary. If we're open to slight interpretation, I could see the Blackout Mandos using the old Durasteel Mando helmet; an actual Mando torso and legs in black doesn't exist but general black/gunmetal armor does. Janix police are tougher; they have the same colourway as Pre-Mor security, so maybe Syril could work? (Not like everyone has a bunch of Syril's lying around… I certainly don't.) Like I said, the inability to recreate Devon hurts the most—between her and Lawson, probably my favourite characters on the show. The problem with the Crow is, while that head is perfect, it's also from a 5-year old Overwatch character. (Am I just upset I don't own the figure? Probably. I'll do my best to track it down.) I'd classify Maul as the Sherlock-type of protagonist; not always in the open but always driving the plot. While Maul is a villain, he's also the title of the show, which does elevate him as the central focus, thus protagonist regardless of his questionable morality. It's hard say whether Lawson is an antagonist then; he's working against Maul, but who knows where he ends up by the end of this season, since he's clear about avoiding the Empire. To that end, the Empire would be the societal antagonist; like the French Revolution in Les Miserable, which isn't intentionally attacking our characters (other than Maul) but squeezes them to make difficult choices. As for Devon, again, it's unclear where she'll go by the end. I can see her as another antagonist to Maul alongside Lawson, or joining Maul by the end, making her journey to be from enemy to ally. What I love about this show is how it doesn't shy away from showing these villains as evil, but forces us to observe their actions and thought-processes anyway. It doesn't flip bad guys and good guys; just our perspective. Fellow 2020 Razor Crest owners unite! Curious if you're considering the new RC or not—I am ever so slightly, but purely for Zeb and the parts I can use to upgrade my current model. Oh, and of course, welcome to Eurobricks! You can see, it's our deeestiny, young Skywalker. What a way to make that Star Destroyer look small. XD Likely the worst offense about smart bricks to me. I remember listening to a Star Wars podcast (who are of the Kenner generation rather than LEGO) interviewing someone about Smart Play. The interviewee made the statement, "Well, add least Smart Play is adding to the portfolio as opposed to taking away." Immediately I thought, No, I got a bad feeling about this. Because shelf space is an issue; because the design and research into these sets are still a factor; factories around the world still have to produce these "smart" sets in addition to the others on the market. It makes a lot more sense that Smart Play would eat into this year's lineup. I still hold out hope for an adequate summer wave, but to say that Smart Play wouldn't take away from this year's lineup does, as you say, sound like a fever dream looking back.

Thank you! It's good to be back. This community here on Eurobricks is a rare breed of decency and civility on the internet, and I wouldn't trade it for nothin'. Trust me, when I think of one, I immediately remember the other. They both even out in terms of coolness factor for myself; one worked with Revan, the other fought Malgus, and both of them stand out regardless. But yeah, ultimately it came down to whichever one lacked a minifig. Lol, it's true. TLG have never been renowned for their tech, which may clue into why they're marketing Smart Play so much. Seeing but two OT playsets on LEGO.com just brings to mind all those mini-essays I wrote last year, lol, and the discussions we had then as well. For what they're worth, I'm glad the Smart Play sets have brought the OT trio back into sub-$100 sets—although there's nary a sub-$30 option in sight, which is still a shame since kid-Swordy could never afford most sets northward of $50. I don't know how kids make it these days. At least there's an easily accessible set for kids to buy immediately after seeing Mando & Grogu; my top wish for 2027 is for the same to be true of Starfighter and even the original Star Wars. The list of deals I found were at the usual place. Which I assume is understood as r/Legoleaks? (Rancor don't eat me.) My cynical heart can't wait for resellers in 10 years to upcharge sun-damaged versions of the AT-RT driver helmet, saying it's the "UNRELEASED 2026 LSW Shore Trooper helmet". I think so—apart from the newly-added robotic chicken legs, I'm fine. Oh right. I knew that, but I had forgotten that. Dew it. Dew it now. No, thank you for all the laughs and smiles you've brought us over the past year, man. And yeah, I'm glad to be back. Every week, I watch Maul: Shadow Lord. Every week, I turn aside to gaze upon my beautiful Shadow Lord collection. Every week, I am disappointed. Swordy, Thunder Lord; Chapter One: The Built Revenge Seriously though, physical merchandise helps me connect to new Star Wars in ways the actual show/movie sometimes cannot, so the lack thereof does sting. I'm so glad that we've had TCW Maul and Marrok in the past few years, because that does help tide me over; I can't imagine being a fan who missed out on those two figures. Even purist customs can't work completely here, since we've never had a pink/red Twi'lek headpiece, and pieces for yellow-skinned Zabraks and all-black Mandos are hard to obtain.

Beautiful work, my friend—on all three posters I missed! Seeing @legoturtletake on the Soup mech is a dream come true, and knowing that canonically me and Renny team up for half of Infinity War and Endgame brings a smile to my face. (I am confused what Synergy War Part II is.) No, no need. I feel that the less that film is mentioned, the better, lol. Although if you're in need of some wait time after Waiting Game, you could always do a retrospective Iron Man 2 parody featuring yourself, Mara Jade, @BrickPrick, Mara Jade, @BrickPrickagain (because he plays both Nick Fury and War Machine I now realize), and of course the lovely Mara Jade. I do believe it must be said once again: Congrats on one year of TIE Avenging! Why, last year feels like a lifetime ago, yet it's hard to believe you've crossed such a major threshold with this campaign. Of course, it goes without saying that if the LEGO Group doesn't immediately announce a TIE Avenger now, I say the might of Blacktron finishes… whatever war between England and Dane you like to reference so much, lol. Since Nat was translated to Mara Jade, perhaps Yelena should be someone like Bastila Shan? Anyway, what did I miss in LSW news? Darksaber GWP looks great, and the May 4th deals look much better than last year. Personally I'll have to pass, but glad to see the improvement. N-1 reminds me of the most recent UCS Y-Wing; I know it's considerably more massive than the last playset, but it doesn't feel much larger, more elaborate, more premium than the last playset. (The hotrod intake in particular is the same size, maybe even same sticker as the 2022 playset, which irks me greatly.) The splotch of metallic at the front and only the front throws off the look for me too. It can be explained away via in universe canon, sure, but speaking completely out of gut instinct, it feels cheap. Not to mention, should the Vader maxifig take the modern design, the maxi-helmet would more or less be an exact remake of the 2021 helmet, as well as an upscaled design from the bust. Overall, it'd be far too repetitive for the shelves—hang on, three buildable Grogu's are calling my name… Given that other LEGO Maxifigs have taken a liking to 80/90s era minifigs rather than modern equivalents, I believe it's possible. This isn't like Harry Potter where the original minifig designs are unrecognizable as their characters; with LSW, that Vader design still retains the character's visage, while having an iconicity and, like you say, a charm in of itself. The question is whether LEGO wants to pitch this to adult LEGO fans/minifig enthusiasts or to general adult SW fans. Previous maxifig entries would suggest the former, but recent LSW philosophies would suggest the latter. All we need do is sun-bake the helmet.

Not gonna lie, though, it is a really sick minifig. Arguably a lot cooler than T'chaka or rando Iron Man suit #68.

After the announcement that the Punisher special was arriving April/May, I started to have doubts TLG would touch the character. The R-rated violence and carnage for which the character is renowned has made a comeback, and I don't see BND changing that perception. Not to mention, these sets release between the TV-MA special and the PG-13 film (where we know that very character almost drops an F-bomb, because yes, he's absolutely an adult character). Do kids like violent characters? Probably. Should they like violent characters? Probably not, and TLG has stuck to such moral obligations, for better or worse, since they discontinued a toy gun back in the 50s. Nonetheless, it's very disappointing about Punisher. It makes me wonder what the Prisoner Transport is going to look like, since I had assumed it was more or less Punisher's battle van. Although given the piece count, that really doesn't make sense if the title is "Prisoner Transport;" on the other hand, how are they going to fill up 367 piece besides a 150ish City vehicle? Maybe it's a villain pack with Scorpion, Boomerang, and Tarantula? My personal interest was more related to expanding my gallery of Spidey rogues than getting an MCU accurate Punisher, as cool as it would've been. I mourn the loss of his battle van more than his minifig.

If this place devolves into absolute insanity again, my year will have been made.

Ha, I had a whole essay written up about my expectations for the minifigs of the Helicarrier, and shockingly, aside from TWS Falcon instead of Hawkeye, they went above and beyond my hopes: a new 2012-era Nick Fury, unique face prints for Maria Hill and Coulson, arm printing on a lot of these figures—including Cap, it looks like!—and even with Hawkeye I appreciate the level of detail put toward a niche costume. I'm genuinely impressed with this entire fig-lineup, which is a rare occurrence in LEGO Marvel. The build has grown on me over the past few hours. Compared to the original, it looks a lot cleaner and tidied up to make an overall better display. The photos on the box make it seem smaller, but compared to the figs in the lifestyle photos, I'm content. I'd prefer a price of $350 than $400—however, the original was, adjusted for inflated, roughly $480 USD, with a clunkier build and only two unique figures that weren't all that outstanding; additionally, TLG knows there is hype for this a reissue, so with all that in mind I understand the ever-so-slightly bloated price.

Not impressed by the Vader bust. It feels like it's missing something—not to mention it looks way too small. It's a seemingly straightforward design, yet it misses the mark somehow. I actually like the Yoda bust—apart from those demoniac eyes—since the character's silhouette is captured perfectly and the presentation with the green lightsaber is unique. Of the two, I'd be more likely to display the Yoda (with, I don't know, googly eyes covering those pits of everlasting darkness) since it has the more dynamic display. CloneCommando… I'm more than willing to produce a parody poster for the TIE Avengers spinoff on my own time… I just request that we cast @Jason Todd is my God as Hela. Exactly. Maybe this is how the Off-world Jawas fund their militaristic efforts.

Is it Day 315 yet? If so, let me propose this headcanon: Vader loved the TIE Avenger so much, despite it never living up to its full potential, that he named one of the Star Destroyers he commanded to be named Avenger. So if Darth Vader, a famous celebrity, endorses the TIE Avenger, then so should the LEGO Group. Long live the TIE Avenger campaign! However long it may take. Deal. I'm fine with all of those–well, except, can we not accommodate anything regarding assets? Glad to hear. :) I mean, I do have a reasonable-looking EE-3 carbine build, but the trouble is that it's so fiddly that I get frustrated with it a lot of the time. I'm not normally one for custom molds for this weapon and that, but they are iconic blasters that don't get a reasonable approximation in official LEGO sets. For that reason I'd be against custom blasters for Han Solo or stormtroopers, since I do believe both in-universe weapons provided inspiration for the LEGO counterparts. Lol, I was meaning that I had read "Sandcrawler Bucks," saw "the trend" and my brain made a connection between the two as "Sandcrawler bucks, the new trending SW-branded currency." XD Fair. For me, I love the community here, but my primary reason for taking part in it is to discuss new LEGO (and maybe the newest Star Wars show so long as the rancor doesn't notice); thus, losing interest in upcoming LEGO does affect my activity. Like you say, there are other things that may take priority, and I guess those help distract me from any dips in my interest in LEGO. I get what you mean by the contrasting humor and frustration of smart bricks. Seeing Jang test out the smart brick made me crack up, and so long as I don't consider the waste of resources this is for LEGO–resources that could easily be placed into bettering what LEGO fans already like–I don't mind the sets at all. It'll be sad to walk into a store, see all the new sets, and realize again there's nothing for me. Yeah, leaks have been either rather slow or too early as of late. Plus, seeing TLG trend away from my interests and price range is saddening to me. I try to avoid complaining unless I can tie it into a greater principle about which I feel passionate (hence my overindulgence on railing against the 2025 Clonemania). I strongly dislike being a nuisance and I strongly dislike being apathetic–two things that don't always mix, lol. That's right, I'm back! I'm back! *falls* WHAAA! Ow, my back–oh, my back! Price and accuracy are good measurements, yes. Variety/coverage might be another, since an initial wave should represent as much of the excitement and hope for the movie as possible. An aspect I especially appreciate about the 2015 TFA wave was that the main character was included in the cheapest set, while the most expensive included the full cast; thus it made accommodations for both economical positions to get the main character and/or cast, while offering plenty of variety inbetween. I struggle to find an exact quality that would represent, but I believe that can be just as instrumental of an aspect as proper pricing per set. You're undoubtedly right that a majority of fans agree the R1 wave is one of the better release waves, for I've heard that tale for years… I tend to disagree, actually; just off pictures online, I don't see an overwhelming sense of appeal in the models–but with that I will admit that I lack in-hand experience with said builds. If I had anything to contend against the 2016 R1 wave, I might go with the Solo or even Episode II waves, but I honestly haven't done a deep research into the matter. Very much agree. It's why I avoid saying "well, at least TLG is appealing to AFoLs," when I believe true adult fans of LEGO appreciate LEGO as a play-thing as much as a display piece. The 18+ and UCS sets, on the other hand, seem geared toward groups like the SW influencers who want a large Venator behind them in videos or those at the office who want Luke's helmet at their desk. In fact, I think that to the end of appealing to people who display LSW rather than play with it, TLG have prioritized downscaling and fuller detail over what @BrickBob Studpants described as "large but hallow" builds of the 2000s; larger is generally cooler for kids, and hallow implies lighter, thus easier with which to play. (Yes, as well as flimsy, although isn't the point of LEGO destroying and rebuilding anyway?) A thought struck me yesterday. LEGO Ninjago and, dare I say, LEGO Marvel, who are both receiving phenomenal sets as of late, are 15 and 14 years into their lifespan. Line that up with the years many fans consider the "golden era" of LEGO Star Wars: 2013 and 2014. So perhaps the current stage of LSW is simply the natural course of a theme running for over a quarter of a century? There's also the point to be made that the LSW team seems to be in the middle of transition from one generation to the next. Mandates from the executive level are at play, but the trend toward a particular kind of subject matter and emphasis on "MOCs for sale" aka the 18+ display sets may be attributed to fresh, young vision–for better or worse, of course. Interesting. I hope this instead of the pair of stormtroopers rumored, although I honestly fear it'll be in the stead of Pershing.

In August of last year, I started developing a RotS Anniversary wave that excluded clones, in response to the Clonemania of 2025. I must have stopped somewhere along the way for some reason, but today I finally completed it. Anyway, yes it's a bit late, but I've always wanted to add something to this thread so here it goes: Dedicated to all those who criticize Ewoks or Babu Frik and say "But Swordy, you can't celebrate RotS without its most merchandisable aspect!" $10.99 - Invisible Hand microfighter Minifig: Count Dooku (I don’t think Grevious could work in a MiFi—Grevious tax aside—plus I believe it’s been so long since a Dooku that this would be seen as mostly positive.) $19.99 - Anakin’s Jedi Interceptor Build: a much smaller build, uses a Jedi SF windscreen instead of either Interceptor windshield Minifigs: Anakin (returning to the 2012 design) and Artoo’s head (Purpose of this is to return to the intend of Inceptors/Starfighters as toys: cheap vehicles to carry your favourite Jedi. However, I don’t know if a smaller and still stable Interceptor is possible, let alone easy for beginning builders.) $34.99 - Yoda Vs Sidious: Senate Rotunda Wreckage Build: the main speaker chair with ascending or descending function, 3x Senator pods with stand that can flick them out Minifigs: Yoda, Sidious (RotS) $44.99 - Obi-Wan’s Interceptor Vs Tri-Droid Build: Recolour of Anakin’s downsized Interceptor in dark red and a tri-droid in sand blue Minifigs: Obi-Wan, Nute Gunray, B1 Pilot, B1 droid (I adore the original tri-droid in sand blue for reasons I can’t reason, so selfishly that’s been chosen over a Vulture Droid or Hyena Bomber. Furthermore, this set’s purpose is to ensure that the main characters of RotS stay under $50) $64.99 - Droid Gunship Build: redux of 2019 Gunship but with the added sidebuild of the Wookiee flyer Minifigs: Yoda, Luminara Unduli, Chewbacca, Wookie Warrior, 2x Kashyyyk B1 Droids $69.99 - Grevious Wheelbike Vs Obi-Wan’s Lizard Build: Wheelbike is similar to 2014(?), lizard is a new mold in the style of JP dinosaurs. The price reflects such an inclusion (plus Grevious tax). Minifigs: Obi-Wan, Grevious (tan, movie), Tion Medon $79.99 - Droid Attack on the Wookiees Build: redeveloped Catamaran vs Corporate Alliance Tank Droid Minifigs: Chief Tarfful, 2x unique Wookiee Warriors, Quinlan Vos, 3x B2 Droids $109.99 - Palpatine’s Office Build: I want to see a complete overhaul of the 2012 model. It would still include speeder for play, but landing pad would be right outside the door for consistency. Back wall would build out a lovely silhouette with a window that can “shatter”—huge chunk can be shoved out with lever. “I am the Senate” chair remotely swivels because that’s cooler. Minifigs: Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine (with Sidious face), Mace Window, Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, Kit Fisto $169.99 - Jedi Temple Build: a facade of the Jedi Temple, similar in principle to the Yavin IV base of ’23 Minifigs: Yoda, Aayla Secura, Ki-Adi Mundi, Kit Fisto, Jocasta Nu, Shaak Ti, Zett Jukassa, Jedi Youngling, Jedi Temple Guard (Turns out that you can provide all the necessary Jedi for a proper RotS celebration without referencing the murder of said Jedi–and it’s for that reason that Anakin wasn’t included, lol. Then I throw in the Temple Guard since that’s one of my top wishlisted minifigs.) $179.99 - Invisible Hand Seperatist Drednought Build: large Invisible Hand build, divided into the scenes of the duel with Dooku (which would reside where the hanger is on the in-universe vessel) and the command bridge (which is contained in the front nose); the build between the two has a Technic locking system that, when undone, allows the ship to slide apart Minifigs: Count Dooku, General Grevious (tan, movie), Obi-Wan, Anakin, Chancellor Palpatine, Artoo, 2x Magna Guards (Flagship sets with unbelievable playablilty like this sound entirely plausible to me, but given we don’t see them ever, I don’t know. My idea for the splitting function is that they’re two Technic beams that protrude from each half and lock either side-by-side or outer-inner style, but I’m unsure if that can be accomplished. There’s also the fact that including both scenes with enough room for each may be a stretch as well. Point being, LSW designers, I hope you’re reading this and can prove this is indeed possible.) $199.99 - Buildable General Grevious Build: One sick looking droid. ‘Nuff said. Minifig: Grevious (white, leans 2D microseries with sensibilities of live action)

It seems that, in LEGO’s Smart Play venture, they’ve killed my enthusiasm. Then again, looking at a post of mine from last year, I tend to get the winter blues really bad, and especially about LSW. I’ll be back to ridiculously long posts in no time. (Like, I don’t know, now. XD) Something like the Hutt Gunboats we see in the latest M&G trailer would be great. I don’t believe this movie will feature many dogfights, though; it seems more focused on land combat or monster mayhem. Crazy? I raise to you this insanity: What if LEGO makes a TIE Avenger with Mara Jade, Demo Dummy, a minifig of Soup’s mech, Luigi (of Luigi’s Pizza, of course), Kaine, Daredevil, Moon Knight, Luna Snow, Brickheadz Joker, lego_turtle-Hulk, and a 5,500 piece sidebuild of the Tower of Fate? Oh, and throw in Mara Jade too. I’m going to dip into the Ace Chemical Acid so I can pretend that you said the exact opposite (this is just a fun, stupid way for me to refute the argument. Sorry to pick on you): YES! 100% agreed that not all non-versatile accessories are unjustifiable—why, that example of all the different one-off helmet molds we’ve gotten over the years is brilliant! If these Mandalorian characters are distinguished by their blasters as much as Rando-trooper is distinguished by his helmet, why not give them the same care? Furthermore, since we all agree that non-realistic blasters should be given unique molds, I will happily throw out Boba Fett’s blaster as another in need of a unique mold. You’re both arguing subjective points. I can say that the redundancy of Mando and Grogu is good because of this reason or bad because of this reason. I can say that the builds in 2016 are incredible or unappealing. There’s no quantifiable quality that makes a wave “mid” or “excellent.” I could give my two-cents one way or the other on the M&G vs R1 waves, but that’d be self-defeating. I do agree here. There are some clunkers that wouldn’t sell at any price—say, the Tiny Tank—but with the MTT in particular I agree. It’s not a perfect set, but the price doesn’t help its case in my eyes. Very true, although the blame may be shared with inner-national and international economies as much as the LEGO Group attempting to maintain record profits year after year (although I’m speaking more to pricing than builds in this case). Although, to play (Dare)devil’s advocate, I’d like to draw attention to the fact that sets with the “wow” still happen; the UCS Slave 1 is a great example. Thus is why I hesitate to say if LSW has gotten worse. I think another aspect to consider is that the aftermarket for LSW is never more alive than before. If I were really passionate about owning the exact official Z-Wing* of my dreams, I could drop hundreds of dollars on an older set instead of whatever TLG has now, despite whether actual value is better one way or the other. So choices are plenteous nowadays. While it should push TLG to do better with each new version, there comes a point where the general market wouldn’t pay what the most detailed Z-Wing would cost, thus leading to “worse” versions. Inflation doesn’t lie, sadly, and greater detail for builds and minifigs do raise the price. Additionally, if the market for a “affordable” Z-Wing assumably prefers greater value anyway, then it would make sense if that market is willing to wait for a discount, aka even greater value for their dollar. Obviously a moderately scaled Z-Wing is in order, not any micro builds or MiFi’s, but just throwing pieces onto a build doesn’t necessarily make a model better, much less better value. *Just an example–although I’m fully prepared to see M&G or Starfighter finally complete the XYZ trilogy and confuse anyone reading this. I see what you mean. There are little things that were done in that time that made those LSW sets the best they could’ve been. The choice of compositing the events on Mustafar into Anakin’s green Interceptor (its only occurrence in LSW) comes to mind. However, as far as the difference between 2016 and 2026, I don’t see improvement as straight of a slope as you and others have seemed to imply. (Maybe I’m just reading into things.) I see it as a curve that gradually plateaus after so long, and while it still is (hopefully) increasing, I don’t expect the same leap in minifig and build design language from 2006 to 2016 as 2016 to 2026. Why, LSW had to learn how much detail was too much in the case of the infamous 2014 Luke, which has lead to simpler design ethics ever since. (Although I don’t believe “simpler” equates to “worse” product.) The wheel can be reinvented when it comes to the LEGO system, but the wheel’s development can only go so far until it’s reached its peak or is something else entirely. To your point, though, the need for constant improvement is required lest the wheel, or LEGO Star Wars, fall prey to entropy. However, I fail to see how LSW can make more “meaningful strides,” which would have to be toward the adult market, without losing its soul, that is the core of being a toy for kids. Creating the “best possible models ever,” without regard for price, doesn’t lend itself to the younger LSW fans. Perhaps price reduction is in order then, but unless TLG adjusts their constant in the equation of pricing, it leads to a lack of quality; i.e. lesser quality control and shrink-flation, both of which are heavily criticized by AFoLs on this very forum. So then we’re left with the ever-growing disparity between “kid” sets and “adult” sets, and I don’t think a middle ground can be found unless, again, TLG changes the constant of pricing, whatever it may be. All of that being said, I’d appreciate to hear your perspective as a more seasoned AFoL. (As well as anyone else’s, for that matter.) I kept re-reading this, scratching my head going, Is that some trending form of crypto currency?

That’s my thought. It’d work out to have a sorta-Avengers Tower for the mini modular line while also tying into the new movie. If large panels and such are included too, it’d help make sense of the 534 piece count. Alternatively, it could be the Baxter Building. All of these releasing in October implies they’re Doomsday/Infinity Saga that heavily tie into the movie. Hopefully more are coming, because getting two display sets and one very overpriced mini-modular doesn’t impress me for an initial wave. Imagine if it’s the Red Guardian Limo that—fittingly—arrives a year and a half late.

Ah. Upon further research, I will concede a lot of what I said. I was under a long held twisted belief that the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon and 2017 Spider-Man show had showcased Silver Age designs of Spidey’s rogues. (I do know a lot of comic Avengers sets came from the Earth’s Mightiest/Avengers Assemble cartoons, so I had assumed the same was so for Spider-Man.) Below are a couple rebuffets, but I do realize the majority of my claim is untrue, as you say, so thank you for clearing that up. 2020 Mysterio is like his modern comic appearance, sure, but also like the Ultimate Spider-Man version. The reason I believe that Mysterio was given a comic-accurate appearance is because the PS4 game hadn’t invented a design for him, as with Green Goblin. For at least Wolverine, he did show up in Ultimate Spider-Man sporting that design. Plus it was the design teased at the end of The Wolverine (2013) if I recall, so it’s possible that TLG was taking the lead on that. I presume that the rest of the designs came afterward because they are part of the same comic era. (By the way, today I learned that the original Wolverine from the Deadpool-copter came from X-Men: Evolution, it seems.) Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider is a reference to Agents of Shield, obviously. After all, we know a lot of kids were watching a TV-14 ABC show and said, “Mom, in five years I want a LEGO Ghost Rider that drives a car.” (I am so deep into AoS now… it’s already in my signature; next thing I know, I’ll reference it in every post of mine.) Julia Carpenter was probably a Madam Web reference—which goes back to my earlier point of TLG taking the lead from poorly-received movies. Iron Spider was a seperate character in his first set, and pulled from Ultimate Spider-Man; the later sets were either references to that concept or a reuse in the hall of armor for Spider-Man. Oh, my apologies. It’s so easy, you know, getting all of your gods mixed up and out of order. Don’t mind me—my slot is a literal deity. What’s yours, some guy cosplaying as a mummy—oh, my bad, I meant white-tights, since you’re comic accurate and all. In the meantime, want to join my TIE Revengers? We’re going to stop Jason Todd from destroying the Aslume. It’s so funny how that memory is burned into my head. (My whole life revolves around hunting good LEGO deals, I suppose.) I distinctly remember that I went, “Yeah, it’s cool, but it’s the wrong Ghost Rider,” so I put it back and walked out of that Walgreens. Why thank you, my good sir. Spider-Man vs Doom… is something that LEGO has done before, so yeah it’s extremely likely, lol. I don’t think a Doom mech is likely, though; TLG are on the record with their belief that villain mechs don’t sell, so even with the next potential Thanos, I can’t see it. Maybe a Doom jet—a reskin of the Sabra jet? Maybe as part of a Black Panther car and Iron Man glider set? Maybe a $10 4+ set of Doom sitting on his throne of Thing—if y’all want a maybe-once bigfig Ben, there you go. I’m of the same mind. If anything, I’d be happy to see that character sooner rather than later. I’m pretty sure it’ll be some weird “Has something to do with Spider-Man, I think” multiverse shenanigans that pulls that person into the Earth-199999 NYC and also loosely sets up Doomsday. Very much agreed, although the custom I built from someone’s design online does suffice me for now. (Not to mention the bathtub-FantastiCar I have flying next to my Bugle.)

Swordy, who just finished watching Season 4 for the first time, loved Ghost Rider’s inclusion in said show, and was planning out a thesis on how the season is still canon to Earth-1999999, also remembers how Ghost Rider’s victims ended up and stays quiet. However, Swordy then realizes that MandoKnight is an agent of Khonshu, not vengeance, so he pips in, I wish I had bought that Ghost Rider car when I saw it for $16 all that time ago. To absolutely be pedantic, “primarily” is incorrect; “adjacent” would be the appropriate term in my not-so-humble opinion, since every Spider-Man set and related minifig ever has been based on either a cartoon or video game. I can prove that with multiple examples from Doctor Doom’s odd inclusion with the Daily Bugle (pulled from his appearance on then-current Ultimate Spider-Man show) to the ‘21 designs of Doc Ock and even the classic Spidey being lifted from Spider-Man PS4. Nowadays TLG seems to just make up new designs, which makes collecting boring for me. If the design looks pulled from the comics, it’s likely because some non-comic media pulled it from there first; thus the comic basis is adjacent, not primary. Hearing news about a buildable Herbie is nice to hear from fan of the FF film, although he was probably fourth on my wishlist, following a FantastiCar, Baxter Building, and literally anything else. Shame that the Spider-Man BND sets sound so overpriced. It’s especially jarring after the moderate to great pricing of the January wave, that I wonder why. Just two sets is also a step down from previous years’ movie waves. LEGO MCU sets don’t have to be on a decline like this. The Marvel AC might be a lock for me this year—although the Star Wars one is making some heavy competition for me. Advent Calenders (at least for LSW) tend to not reuse figures from sets past July 31st, i.e. no summer or fall wave sets. (This is beside holiday-themed figures.) Now, yes, LSW Advents in particular have featured exclusive non-holiday characters before, but it’s been seven years since the last time that happened (2019) so I find that possibility present but unlikely. Thus, that would mean that some comic set involving Doom is on the table… perhaps the alleged Doomsday sets allegedly releasing in the alleged June will be comic Avenger sets? Perhaps sets originally developed for an earlier version of Doomsday which had to be scrapped, until Marvel Studios pushed back the film, giving opportunity to redevelop and release those sets? However, I wouldn’t get too excited for other comic characters just yet. We already have a generic Iron Man, Black Panther, Cap’n America, and Hulk to fill out any set’s roster. Maybe a new Thor? Of course, the set with comics Doom could just as easily be a buildable Doom. I’m not so sure about that, though; the buildable Iron Man seemed more organically made, or at least carefully curated than even the SW buildable helmets. I can’t see any more buildable characters this year besides Spider-Man (already rumored) or Venom (who had the next buildable bust after Iron Man). Doom does make sense if you connect those dots so, but again, I don’t completely buy that theory. TL;DR I believe at least one comic playset with Doom is on the table. I don’t expect anything more as of now, though.

Sandcrawler sketch looks great build-wise—exactly as I hoped it be—although I’m saddened to learn it’ll be DBG. I thought for sure that the Sandcrawler in Mando was the same shade of brown as in ANH, but oh well. Looked up some pictures, and it seems like another “Doc Ock wears green but the cinematography makes it look grey,” or the ever-iconic blue or brown Han jacket situation. I see brown, and I wish that had been chosen for those in need of an Ep IV version, but I can understand why they thought DBG to be the more accurate choice.