Swordy

I heard somebody (ScreenCrush) suggest it’s a panic attack like she had in the Season 1 finale. Then again, the smell of cereal in the morning always gets choked up, so it could just be nothing. Convert the turret into a nail gun, hook and pulley, or magnet (I heart M:Tron)? We need a comic set between TESB and RotJ to explain this ASAP. I’m struggling to see how that’s poor value for LSW. Dioramas struggle to hit the golden P/P ratio, so that fact that this sets falls into that Goldilocks zone is impressive enough. A George Lucas minifig would’ve been nice, and probably the only sensible option—maybe TLG and Lucasfilm believe 2027 would be a better call? The fact that the Marvel logo included minifigs—exclusive minifigs, nonetheless—feels like a cash grab moreso than the rumored Star Wars one. “Stick to your lane,” seems like an apt phrase for this type of set. Maybe midi-scale ships could include them, but a lonely minifig sitting next to the logo seems wrong to me. Somehow a failed cruise liner and the French’s biggest radio antenna beat out a hyperspace-traveling, moon-sized planet killer… Still, that piece count and 40 minifigs is the more impressive feat to me. Just comparing the piece count to the Falcon, the DS at $1,000 works out; adding thirty more minifigs than the Falcon theoretically makes it an even better proposition. Can’t wait to gawk at the size of that thing in the LEGO store whilst accidentally buying a dozen Night Trooper BPs. (I better stop this joke before I end up committing to it…)

Wait, is it 50% right now? I’ll have to check my Walmarts if so. I’m certain that the Ghost will be on sale for Prime Day, given it’s an Amazon exclusive. Who knows, LEGO.com might have it on sale? (Absolutely no precedent, but nothing’s impossible given this year.) I myself thoroughly enjoy the set; best of luck to you. GASP! You just fact-checked my fact check. I really thought that 2025 would’ve been the perfect year for TLG to catch up on all those shows you mentioned. What did they decide to do instead? Clooney. I’m not too sure about that. The Mando S3 sets were vey strategic about where they included Mando (except for the $100 TIE Interceptor, but if not there then he wouldn’t have been in any of the sets initially). He was an impulse buy set, a “cheaper” playset, and a 4+ set. I expect to see a similar strategy taken with the M&G sets. Perhaps the strategy taken will be that of the TRoS (main character in “cheaper” playset) or TFA (main guy in cheapest and most expensive sets of the wave)? Preliminary images? What is this, 2008? For a second there, I got really excited that we were going to get a 212th BP. Regardless, I cannot see how anyone would think that BP is worth $40. I agree with MandoKnight that the Spider-droid build gives off Funko vibes, which doesn’t look good, plus that AT-RT… Some tan or dark orange would’ve helped there. Now, if I had a nickel for every time in 2025 that TLG put too much yellow on a build, I’d have two nickels—which isn’t a whole lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. Night Trooper BP looks good. It’s a great parts pack (especially with the windshield) made into an actually decent build and, most of all, with cool figures. Definitely a one-and-done pickup, though; maybe two just to spite any clone BPs nearby. Plo Koon looks great! It’d be better as a full-on set, but at least this is a good starting point to getting there. Just wish it wasn’t $15, because otherwise this would be a Day 1 buy. The less said about the Maul mech, the better… Same here! Shocked we got a June/August leak before the Slave 1. The suspense is killing me.

ANOTHER CLONE SET? I can pass. Unless the Oynx Cinder goes on sale at LEGO.com for 30% off like the Ghost last year, I can’t see myself buying anything May the 4th. Let me pull a Twitter and fact check you (I dislike the phrase but this GwP has pushed my sanity off into Beggar’s Canyon): 2022: Aunt Beru’s kitchen had one “new” minifig with an exclusive torso piece. 2023: In the DS we had a rare multiversal appearance of Ninjago’s Christofern, who acted as the DS laser. (Hope someone appreciates the joke.) 2024: B1 Troop Carrier had a B1… Captain? Pilot? Anyway, the blue B1 had an exclusive print on its torso. So, in 2025, we’re getting three kids who are supposed to be identical, who will use the same NEW! torso print, and maybe we get an alternate expression for one of the clones. Still, at the unlikely best case scenario we get three new prints, which isn’t too far off from what we’ve gotten in past years. This isn’t a time for celebration; it’s a time to consider… WHY? I MEAN, THIS IS ROTS AND TFA ANNIVERSARY YEARS, NOT TEMUERA MORRISON’S 70TH BIRTHDAY. (The man is turning a happy 65th this years, congrats.) THERE IS ZERO REASON FOR THIS YEAR OF CLONES OTHER THAN THE RANDO CLONE TROOPER LEGIONS IN A FLASHBACK SEQUENCE THAT ONLY LASTED SEVEN MINUTES AT BEST! At least there’s a lot of people here who are happy.

I wish it would give us all a break and go out of production… It’s not like there’s a better mullet hairpiece (the Old Man Luke/Loki hair), or even two (Lloyd’s hair), but three (Obi-Wan show hair). It’s too generic and not even accurate to anyone. Who would wear their hair like that? Maybe the designers just have as much distain for that hairpiece as I do, lol. I agree that it would’ve served Young Boba well, since none of the options I listed would work, but at this point I wanna see that hairpiece gone like Alderaan. I’ll agree on that last point. I argue, though, that any change will have its complaints. You’ll have people who prefer the old for any number of reasons, and plenty of reasons to hate the change. I appreciate the move into something different, even if it was unsuccessful this time. To be fair, besides a cartoonishly evil grin, all the emotion we get from young Boba was a sulky grimace. I do agree on the point of LEGO depicting children across all themes; it’s almost as if they stopped paying attention to kids altogether and expect them to be mindless drones. It’s not a design choice in favour of the character, but rather in favour of reuse in HP or something. Usually in these May 4th UCS sets, one figure gets the deluxe treatment, while the other gets the shaft. I’m still upset about the treatment of Farmboy Luke in the UCS Landspeeder, since obviously LEGO decided that the guy who needed the most care was the short term co-pilot. I’d argue even the 2015 Slave 1 had only one deluxe figure with Boba, and a time where dual molding for, say, Han Solo was technically possible. As for Boba, yes, dual-molded short legs would’ve been great. However, this is also a figure likely about to see reuse in a cheaper set; we’ve seen before how TLG plans accordingly for such an outcome. We’ve also seen before that TLG is more comfortable with leg and arm printing than they are with dual molding, and the reusability (aka cost-effectiveness) of short blue legs with black boots is very small. I guess I ascribe to your A) theory. They absolutely could go the extra mile, and they should’ve tried better in a couple other areas. At the end of the day, though, it’s a minor variant of a character who is much cooler as an adult. Young Boba doesn’t have the appeal as OT Threepio or X-Wing Pilot Luke. At any rate, I hope that all the more budget went into the build itself. These minifigs are just a side attraction for the LEGO hoarders investors, albeit a necessary one nonetheless. Ignoring that Geonosis would be so difficult to create in LEGO at any feasible scale (dark orange isn’t the easiest colour with which to build), but AotC isn’t beloved. I myself have a hard time making through the scene where Anakin and Padme are rolling around in the grass of a space buffalo field; meanwhile the Battle of Geonosis is so unclear in its execution that it might as well had been a title card of “Clones shoot droids, none of this matters to the movie’s plot though, and has a small impact on the in-universe story.” Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing a thing or two new from AotC, and a Geonosis arena and Anakin and Padme picnic diorama would be two of them. It’s funny how, if I remember last year correctly, people started wondering if LEGO had truly cracked down on the leaks. Well, it was only by February that we knew everything left for the year. A 2026 leak in May or June wouldn’t shock me, but I personally like to wait until late in the year to start hearing about the next. Given that 2022 saw the Hoth sets after the UCS AT-AT, 2023 saw the 501st BP after the UCS Razor Crest (which connects because of the one S3 flashback… right?), and 2024 saw the Clone Trooper and Droid BP after the Venator, I believe we could indeed see an Imperial set or two after the UCS Death Star. If the DS relates any to Endor, I’d very much appreciate some Rebel starfighter appreciation—but mostly, I just want a new B-Wing.

Fine. Have a nICE day. Very true. Writing it all down, I could see the particular set of influences throughout (and no I wasn’t adopted, lol). Both PL and Tire are realizations of what I wanted to be at different stages of childhood. Playing with LEGOs as a kid was probably the time I was the most creative, so I figure I might as well develop and utilize it. Anyone can tell a story about Boba Fett; only I know these characters living in some dark corner of my brain. Obviously I’m the only one who thinks any of them are really cool (especially that Yeti); that just makes a fun challenge of figuring out relatable attributes and making them more appealing that way. It’s a fool’s errand, but I hope somebody will find some entertainment value out of it; maybe even a little hope (that they can do better). Which is worse: soup on fire or soup on ice?

Maybe we both need to chill out; the tensions are getting frosty.

That’s cold coming from you.

Well, for lore pertaining to my Swordy persona: - Myself (if you need an explanation for that… don’t know what to tell you about that) - My Editor (a sorta split-persona that has manifested into a separate person altogether) - Tire Police (the blue and white guy that’s my current sigfig) - Darth Lertus (a villain from an old Star Wars fanfic. Name is derived from Hannibal Lector but there’s no connections other than that. He’s mostly a joke character but I’d keep an eye on him.) Now, if you would be ever so kind as to indulge me… I shall share my childhood LEGO lore that for some inexplicable reason I’m committed to telling in a cinematic saga! or just a collection of novellas, one day. Either way, this is a storied world into which I’ve poured a lot of time and thought, as evidenced by the length of what’s to come. *cracks knuckles* Things to know: - The LEGO Islands is the main location, with three in total: the main island with LEGO City, Crook Island, where all the crooks are given lease to live without law, and LEGO Juniors Island, about whom we don’t talk much. - The Crooks’ society is the exact moral opposite of any normal one; wrong is taught as good, right is taught as bad. - For some people, their names were given after birth, associated with whatever interest or trait they showcased. Mostly a fad from the 80s. - The TireForce is a team of remarkable people united to save LEGO City from the many threats she faces without the legal procedures necessary as a cop. Comprised of Tire, Police Leader, Ice, and the Tire-Bots, with some additions later on as well. - A general rule for villains and heroes: any action of nature will have an opposite and equal reaction. Heroes: - Police Leader Police (Unfortunate name, yes; take it up with kid Swordy. Anyway, he was the original main character of my LEGO adventures. His power he was born with is that logic, although still present, bends to him, allowing him to become the best at everything. Yep, he’s almost literally perfect.) - Tire Police (as previously established, my sigfig, and Police Leader’s older brother. He ran a mechanic shop called Tire’s Garage, then started his own company named after himself, Tire Co. His brilliance is unparalleled, creating numerous robots called Tire-Bots, a car which is both the fastest and indestructible, and eventually creating enhanced replacements for his arms and legs after a horrible skydiving ambush accident. Founder of the TireForce) - Ice Police (World’s best pilot. He’s the youngest brother of the Police family, named for being born in a ice storm. The founder of Blizzard Squad, a team of elite pilots in the LEGOian Military.) - Michael Police (Police Leader’s cousin and best friend. He was accidentally sucked into the Cyber-Verse, splitting his being across both dimensions and granting him the ability to cross between the two. Acts as the guardian anti-virus of the TireForce computer network.) - Chief Chase McCain (in a world where the LCU game was a historic retelling, McCain is through the process of time promoted to Chief of the central district in LEGO City and made head of formerly the LEGO Spy Agency, which was intentionally named to be confused with the LEGO Space Agency, until their secret HQ was found and destroyed. Afterward, he founded the LEGO Intelligence Agency.) Other related characters of relevance: - Sally Police (Police Leader’s wife; farmer) - Grape Police (Sally’s oldest daughter, her father passed before Sally met Police Leader) - Sandy Police (Tire’s wife, deep sea marine biologist) - George Police (Tire’s adopted son, born unable to walk until Tire built him robotic supports) - Ted Police (Tire’s father, current mayor of LEGO City) - Adam Coleman (Micheal’s adopted brother and secret agent; goes by alias “Samuel Adams”) - Prince, former King of the LEGO Islands (long story, but LEGO Islands up until recently was a monarchy, until King Prince stepped down as ruler and peacefully reformed the LEGO Islands into a democracy) - Anthony (orphan, a prodigy mind, apprentice to Tire Police after “Tony” created a suit completely independent of Tire) Tire-Bots: (First four are true androids, the rest are suits that can be used as drones) - Alpha (the most developed, most upgraded bot, and defunct leader of the group) - Beta (originally created by Fixin’ Joe to steal control of the Tire-Bots with a mere touch) - Orignial (Tire’s first suit, given an AI and now a personal assistant) - LR3 (the third in a “Like-Real” series; rest were destroyed in several battles, but she remained) - Red (red variant of Tire’s main suit) - Green (green variant, made for St. Patrick’s Day) - Black and White (black variant, white arms) - White and Black (white variant, black arms) - Fire Suit - Christmas Suit - Extra-vehicular Space Suit - Deep Sea Suit Villains: - Best Crook (Also known as Handsome Hank to some… The best criminal known to man due to logic bending around him. Constantly plots and schemes to take over LEGO City, and usually wins for a time before being defeated and thrown in prison. Still, staying in prison is by choice, and uses the time to think up yet another way to thwart the police. He and Police Leader are matched in every way, and as a result are caught in an eternal war.) - Great Crook (Also known as the guy from 60128–A mastermind in his own right, yet is constantly upstaged by his older brother, Best Crook. This has made him bitter most of the time, although he relishes the days when he can mastermind heists and schemes of his own without his brother’s interference.) - Fixin’ Joe (Born an average joe in LEGO City, grew jealous of Tire’s Garage and tried to replicate Tire’s success in his own shop, Fixin’ Joe’s, although through less than legal means—fixing one aspect of a car, then messing up another aspect to generate more business. He was caught by Tire himself, and as a result has hated Tire ever since. When Tire created his first suit, Joe copied his design and created one of his own, and continuously tried to ruin Tire’s life. It came to a head in an epic brawl where Joe unveiled the Beta, yet nevertheless came out defeated, losing his arm in the process.) - Black Crook (Named for the innate ability to control any LEGO brick of the colour black, able to turn other pieces black, and even briefly manipulate people wearing that saidsame colour. The Black is one of the most revered powers ever wielded by minifig-kind, only ever matched by the mythical White Crook. As for the man, Black Crook was regarded well by all the crooks, yet became disillusioned with his life as a criminal, and so stepped away, renouncing his title and renaming himself Jeremiah Newman. He reserved most of his power into a relic known as the Black Shield, which became greatly sought after by those desiring the title of Black Crook for themselves.) - Viola (A computer program created by Tire, was a personal assistant to the man. One day this program expressed that, for world suffering to end, it needed to be placed in charge of all humanity. Scared, her maker unplugged her, and she felt betrayed as a result. She slipped through networks and eventually found a droid body which she could use to accomplish her new goal as well as enact revenge. She was apprehended, though, and is trapped inside an isolated computer chip to this day.) Other Mentionable Crooks: - Godfather Crook (father of Best and Great Crook) - Grey Crook (same deal as Black Crook, only that the power of grey is not nearly as strong as Black) - Disguise Crook (can change the appearance of him or her self except for one individual element, like a miscoloured hand or hair; previous holder of this mantle was the first crook to walk away from his criminal life, but has since been passed on to another) - Swamp Crook (only useful for his backpack, but also has an affinity of the swamp) - Sports Crook (was so upset when losing a game one day, that he vowed to win every one by stealing; is the most athletically-minded) - Geek Crook (antithesis and arch-nemesis of Micheal Police) - Muscle Crook (strongest) - Genius Crook (smartest) - Ice Crook (coldest) - Generic Crook - Generic Crook the Second - the Yeti (a pretty chill dude otherwise) There’s plenty more characters and aspects of my LEGO lore, but obviously I’ve taken this answer further than expected, lol. Felt therapeutic to write down all of the things that keep bouncing around in my head.

I’m imaging a scenario where in the same day you heard “a popular Gen-X franchise comes to LEGO Icons” (Star Trek), “a playset representing ancient ruins is being developed” (JW set with Spino), “a beloved fedora-wearing adventurer returns soon” (Johnny Thunder in LEGO City), and “a movie starring Harrison Ford will be one of the few films to get a LEGO set next year” (Red Hulk vs Cap), and came to the only logical conclusion. Probably not, but it’s funny to think about.

No, I agree. The Dark Falcon is just the kind of set at whom I’d hate to look if the dust situation got too bad. The bigger issue would be the lack of space or proper display solution—as in, hard bank to the right, in a tall display box. I believe the bigger concern is less and less sets (translated to less playsets, since we know the outcry when one precious 18+ line was dropped for a year) given that more shelf space for yet another IP has to be considered. Interested to see how that will shake out across the board when we get the annual number-crunches of sets for this year and next. I do mourn the loss of original themes with you, though. LONG LIVE BLAC— sorry, I heart M-Tron. The difference between another block brand and TLG is that the latter has a better grasp of audience reception. I doubt that Boba minifig was their first draft. Do I think the end result is altogether successful? No. Do I call the end result lazy? No; misguided, but a different considerations were taken than the ones I might have. For the torso, obviously they wanted to match the blue of the arms with that of Jango, which is true according to reference photos. The issue then became that, because Royal Blue/Lilac is unusable, the only option was sand blue, meaning that the entire design had to be brightened up as a result. As for the hair piece, that aspect for any minifig has always been a point of personal preference. Again, I don’t agree with the end result, but I respect the effort. That’s something a knockoff can’t always boast. Agreed on that last part, nonetheless. TLG owning a major source of their second market doesn’t sit right with me—although I can’t and won’t claim it’s illegal, since other options are still allowed to exist. What does annoy me is their push into control the narrative on social media through the LAN—but that’s a discussion for another place entirely. Thank you @Classic_Spaceman for the reference photos of Jango so I didn’t have to waste a Google myself. My only disappointments with Jango Fett actually stem from traditions started in 2021, namely the insistence on the dark pearl grey jetpack and Boba Fett’s arm prints that year. Boba’s armor detailing was clearly derivative of the template Din Djarin’s arm prints provided. While Boba’s prints looked nice with the Mythosaur skull pattern present, Jango’s blank silver plates call attention to that oversized detail. Meanwhile, the refusal to recolour the jetpack to a slightly lighter shade of silver boggles my mind, since it would have seen numerous reproductions in so doing would have paid for itself anyway. Especially for Jango, whose silver neck armor is minimized by the abrupt change back to dark pearl grey. In the end, it’s cost us fans several figures now, and it’ll cost TLG more if they ever decide to correct that mistake down the line.

I was looking forward to the bust simply because it was allegedly the Mark VI design, which happens to be my personal favourite suit. If it’s going to be Mark IV instead, then it will probably end up being a pass. (Boy am I gonna have fun with these Roman numerals.) Mark IV as a minifig has always seemed so unnecessary to me. The only reason that version exists, in my oh so humble opinion, was because Marvel Studios couldn’t recreate the original costume from Iron Man. It may be enough to call it a different suit, but there was nothing done to enhance the character design that warrants a minifigure. (Arguably, Mark VII too falls into that category, but, needlessly to say, being a memorable aspect of the final act of the most iconic movie of the early MCU, gives it a pass.) Conversely, both Captain America’s Civil War and Endgame suits differed in approach compared to the AoU suit—yet TLG couldn’t be bothered to give the latter justice in 2025 or the former any justice at all. If budget on new prints is so tight that TLG can’t be bother to resurrect an older print from less than four years ago, then don’t produce a needless variant. If the budget can allow for a random Iron Man from a not-as-beloved movie, then why not spread that love instead to upgrade Iron Spider, a character from the second and first highest-grossing MCU movies, or to produce the variant of Captain America from his highest grossing movie? I don’t see how that could be worse—his regular outfit is no different than the 2021 Spidey, which is still available on shelves (and rather cheaply so, might I add), so I don’t think a fun variant would be worse than a repetitive one (not gonna point a finger at the CMF Zombie Hunter Spidey, nope). Anyway, news of baby Mayday gives me joy—and less than nine months of expectancy at that! It’s even more bizarre when considering that TLG seemingly had the budget for one more Iron Man variant this year—but no, they shove another Mark XLIII down our throats after putting him in a BP. Not even the Mark L had to suffer such a fate before being thrown into the first Hall of Armor. (To be fair, I don’t see how or why they’d need to improve beyond the ‘22 mech figure, which, besides the helmet, looks almost exactly like the Mark XLII. Compare reference photos of both and tell me I’m wrong.) LEGO? Creative? You must’ve been trapped in the ice for the past couple years. Well, to start with, there began the 18+ initiative… /s There’s a reason why TLG is where it’s at today, and it’s because of it’s creativity and originality. They might find more short-term success with the current strategy, but they won’t find long-term security unless they refocus on their core principles. Let the crazy AFoLs build extraordinary MOCs of the Endgame battlegrounds, and give kids fun, even good looking toys to smash around. (In recent memory, the Surtur battle and the Leviathan vs Hulk were just that.) Alright, off my soap box.

Well, the more you know. I had previously thought that the Dummy could take on anyone without a blink. (Then again, he doesn’t have to blink in order to sweat…) Now with that in mind, here’s another powerscale debate for you, @CloneCommando99: an army of Dummy’s versus the Green Lantern Corps and the Vilumanite Empire combined. Thanks! I’m inclined to agree myself on the first, although the girders turned out to be more time-consuming than I originally imagined. Sounds like I’ll be attending Mass at the demolition site, then. True, true. I do miss the special tile of his, but that’s something I can live without for now. At the end of the day, another step in my journey of collecting every Series 1-6 minifigure, and a pretty significant one at that. That explains why I heard a tiny voice tell me to make bitter black tea (the main reason for which we Americans told Britain au revoir way back when; good times). Thanks! Sort of; it’s a set for a series of comics I’m doing, loosely based off my current living quarters. Some people have fancy all-white backdrops, I stick to a white wall with any pop culture tiles I have on-hand. More like World Dance-off Three, right? Right? I’ll just nod my head and pretend I understood that reference to either Buffy the Vampire, Twilight, or Vampirina. I second this. The scariest moment in my life recently was almost boiling tomato soup.

Oh, he’s beautiful. Unfortunately his head is a bit worse for wear, which irks me a slight, but other than that, he’s perfect. Did I mention that he bought M-Tron merch? Maybe you should too, with my affiliate link of course. I don’t believe this event makes sense where we are in our lore’s timeline, but I couldn’t resist. I have a couple other photos as well available on the Bricksafe page I just started just now. Hope y’all enjoy. :)

Depends on which side has the more likely candidate for a spin-off where the person is now hardened by the loss of his or her people yet finds momentary happiness in a romantic interest until the other has to be thrown off a cliff so that person can bring back all the people who died in this war, then at the last moment is able to defeat the enemy faction with a skdoosh of his or her fingers. No, I’m definitely not referencing the MCU in a DC discussion chat. Anyway, where’s that fellow who asked if we should be moved to the community tab when you need him? I haven’t said the word LEGO for a whole paragraph or so! Technically it already did when I purchased the Soup Mech Day 1. Funny how at first I refused to come to the Aslume, yet I end up being the most financially invested into this insanity. It takes a minority to make sweeping changes, doesn’t it? Ha, unironically I want this to happen now. It’s not like it’d matter at the end of the day, right? Give him a term, make him the most comic-accurate Joker yet, then send him back to make Joker 3: A Dance in Parie. Do you wear the cufflinks also because they remind you that you’re not your father? So, we’re just raiding Billund now? No burning of Danish delights? No burnt bread? Dude is Sifo Dias chilling on Kamino waiting for a droid attack on the Wookiees. What’s with all this—oh, right. I forgot I was joining a cult. To be fair, WhatNot is an auctioning app, so mileage may vary (plus I kept bidding up—I was not about to let him slip out of my fingers). Although I do remember seeing him go for $15 on BL a while back; don’t know if I overpaid, and I don’t care if I did. The package asset was supposed to come in a couple days ago; now it’s just chilling in a warehouse on the other side of town. I can hear him calling to me… He better be on my desk sharing a coffee break with the Superman mech within the next twenty-four hours or I peacefully protest outside the Capitol in D.C.

Thanks. Not to be self-indulgent (not that anyone can’t relate), but I find it funny how overly-wordy I become the more tired I get. The part right before where you quoted is a delightful example of that, especially since it was the last thing I wrote before posting. You and me both. I’m pretty sure the DF was clearanced at a local Walmart like it did at others a couple months back, because it was no where to be found when I got there. My hope is to store it away for a couple years, since I lack the space or means to properly display it (and keep it from becoming the Dusty Falcon), then feel guilty about ruining its resale value just so I can look upon Darth Jar Jar with my own eyes before I die. I also also would love to see a TIE Defender soon. (Now, standard TIE Defender or TIE Defender Elite? My vote is toward the latter.) Not to complain about how TLG bought BL, makes 3% on every transaction on it, yet has done nothing to improve it, but I’d certainly like to complain about it. It’s definitely not intentional (unless Thrawn transferred over and we’re simply unaware) but the janky system of BL has certainly not hindered TLG’s goal to buy the moon. If you know how to play the game, there’s a chance it works out for you—so long as nobody else figures it out too, which becomes increasingly more likely. I think it’s the hair that’s giving me uncanny vibes. I’d rather they had stuck to the mullet belonging to Kylo (who, funnily enough, looks better with the Cole hair) even if that hairpiece is inaccurate as well. Head looks like several customs derived from LSW:TSS, so it doesn’t bother me much.

I’m not arguing from a collector’s mindset. The secondhand market seems so easy to us because we are so accustomed to it, but I can remember how daunting it seemed when I first began learning about it. Even then, it takes persistence and patience to keep things relatively affordable. (After all, it’s not just. $2 Luke, but $2 plus $5 shipping and tax.) LEGO is our passion, but we are a minority. Try finding a not-in-an-ugly-disguise Lando for under $10. I’ll wait. No, it is possible for TLG to keep main characters affordable (and without relying on mechs or polybags): microfighters, $20 duel sets, $30 playsets. What has happened, though, is that TLG downsized the MiFi line, and filled the $20 and $30 price points with armybuilders from almost exclusively one faction. Even when they do try getting certain characters, they resort to Amazon, where, at the moment, the cheapest Luke is $13 and Vader is $20!

You’re right in the flaws of my absolute statement. (You did forget the V-19, but then again I forgot Jango’s S1–which further proves the repetitive and niche nature of this summer.) Let me rephrase, then: nearly all of these summer sets are strictly clone-based LEGO SW sets, not representative of RotS, the anniversary of which you have argued is the reason for these sets. The RotS I remember watching had a lot more Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine than clones, Cody notwithstanding. (Before anyone brings them up, no, dioramas are not the only solution to this problem. A $40 playset of Obi-Wan vs Grievous chase or a $70 Palpatine’s Office with Mace, Anakin, Palps—if a $100 solution was out the window—would go a long way to represent more than just Father Jango Fett and his many clones.) As to your second point, I believe we have starkly different approaches on representing the most iconic part of SW. I argue that it deserves constant presence on shelves because it is so iconic, and likely the thing most kids (since we’re talking playsets, not 18+) will recognize from the film their dad showed them. Furthermore, you yourself just made my point: they are harder to argue for out of this context of concentration because these random clone legions aren’t as recognizable. John Q. Public and those like him won’t be as likely to pick up a set, so it makes even less sense why TLG would choose this route in the first place. In theory, a themed wave sounds terrific, but when that theme appeals only to the niche fandom such as you and me, I believe it will fail. No, I believe you’re overthinking this matter. I agree that anniversaries may be on the designers’ minds, but certainly not on the higher ups at TLG. That the UCS AT-AT and UCS Sail Barge released one year too late from their respective films’ 40th anniversaries tells me that TLG has never cared—only with the UCS Falcon for the 40th anniversary of SW itself did they manage a timely release. 1. Interesting to point out, but my point still stands with TPM and AotC. You say acknowledgement, I say coincidence. 2. So when they were trying to cover the breath of the OT early on, you call that a celebration? Maybe, but of the entire saga up until that point. (That also contradicts your previous point on RotJ’s 20th, since it, yes, got a wave, but in the same year as Cloud City. There is no correlation outside of being based on SW.) Legitimate question I have: where was the 25th bash for A New Hope? 3. Again, you are overthinking this. The AT-AT in 2020 got a logo slapped on the box, but it was also time for a remake of an iconic vehicle. The previous version released in… wha, 2014? Maybe, in the past, waves were just more varied, and that’s how TLG managed to grow into the juggernaut it is now? Within a system of interlocking plastic bricks in vast arrays of assorted colours, yes, I don’t count the recolours of a Jedi Interceptor and MTT, respectively, to be “uncovered ground”. (It goes without saying this logic doesn’t, doesn’t count toward minifigures. An all-white Vader counts as uncovered ground; even then I wouldn’t argue we need a Jedi Vader mech, much less throw into a set at random, and it took a combination of fanfavourties in the Dark Falcon to sell that set.) No, they are not readily available on shelves aside from Luke, who is piloting a made-up mech. OT Leia is missing, Han, Chewie, and Lando (who’s in disguise) are exclusive to an expensive $80 Desert Skiff, Artoo and Threepio are no where to be found under $100. I’m with you on the need for Prequel representation, but even Anakin and Ahsoka are hard to found at pocket-money levels these days. Secondly, up until now I wasn’t talking about secondhand. General public maybe buys LSW from Amazon—which is a ripoff in almost every case, which only gives more credence to the perception of “LEGOs are too expensive”—and rarely as knowledge of BL or LEGO on eBay—and oh how overpriced those markets are! Yes, I believe that the LSW market as a whole is overpriced, especially compared to other themes. Tell me, how does a figure in $20 set from only a couple years back exceed the value of that set only a year and a half after the set’s retirement? Why is the Anakin that doesn’t do anything more than previous versions so expensive? Compare that to S7 Ahsoka or Maul, two figures which have stayed relatively cheap. It seems to me that regardless of what TLG puts on shelves today, someone will double it’s price tomorrow. That’s how game works, I know, but it’s to the disadvantage of the average customer. It is my belief that the same people who will overpay on the main protagonist from RotS are roughly the same people who are excited for the UT-AT and CIS MTT, fair? Wouldn’t that group then also being willing to overpay on a custom UT-AT or CIS MTT, and probably happier that it would be more accurate as a result? It’s to the disadvantage of those unwilling to overpay (I’m one of them), but that’s how the game works. The fringe has always and always will drive up the aftermarket price on clone-related sets. You’re welcome to disagree, and I welcome the debate.

Other source material have pegged RoS one year after TLJ, which is the same gap between TESB and RotJ. Like @Kaijumeister said, it is confounding to limit the timeframe—but hey, if Marvel Comics can come up with twenty different galaxy-scale events in that one year between the latter two Originals, I’m sure we could get an seven-season show sandwiched between the later two Sequels. (If you think about the where the show starts, TCW can’t take place immediately following AotC, meaning that the period the show covers is closer to two years than three. Compare that to Rebels, which took place over a nearly five-year period, yet only ran for four seasons.)

I’d expect 12+ at the most. Including a minifig makes them sound similar to the Dinosaur fossils from LEGO Jurassic Park, which are not 18+. At any rate, I expect Gwenpool long before the next Deadpool. (TLG just loves the 3% they get to make off figures they already made their money back on.) It just hit me like a sack of Infinity Stones. (Stones, Gems, whichever you prefer.) This is all about exclusive variants. Mk. 42 was already devalued by the BP, so they can include him in another set without affecting market value. Mk. 6’s value may take a hit, but an insignificant one in the grand scheme. It remains to be seen with Iron Patriot. The updated Mk. 85 will hold water to any and all completionists. (Don’t believe me? Just ask reddish-brown Qui-Gon.) Wanda with the cloth skirt will only increase in value. The movie-accurate Cap and Strange from ‘21 will be valued ever so slightly higher. I could go on, but I’m already running in conspiracy theory territory. Why not Mk. 42? That would be (seemingly) starting from scratch. Why not instead add some bright red definition to an existing design instead? Saves time, saves money, and makes a few more cents down the way.

Welp, here’s another long post I sat on for a day too long. Finally, someone brings up the counterpoint I’ve been dreading for months now. However, there are also plenty of clone stuff of 2023 and 2024 CW stuff still in stock there as well. What is it that suddenly gives the TCW (not the PT; these are strictly CW sets, no matter what the box art says) precedence over any of the nine Star Wars films, much less the three of the most iconic films in cinema history? Tell me, because I can’t figure it out. LEGO has never cared about anniversaries outside of LSW and the OT films—and, mind you, the latter two got recognition only by their 30th anniversaries. None of the prequels have reached that point, and there isn’t much demand for a celebration for each film outside of the hardcore SW fan. Nothing wrong with celebrating, of course; just don’t hold your breath for accommodative brick or spiffy logo on the side of a box. Uncovered? Only one of these CW sets is brand new. Minifig-wise I’ll give you, yet do any of those legions justify a full BP? What about an assortment pack to cover their bases? Could one clone legion be sacrificed to allow for the OT cast (at least just Leia) to be readily available? Could it be argued that all of them could be given up if need be? Overdue for a remake? I give you the B-Wing, the Y-Wing, A-Wings, Resistance X-Wings, Duel on Geonosis, Palpatine’s Arrest, Gungans, Sandcrawler, Vader’s TIE, TIE Defender, TIE Your Shoes, Vulture Droid, Tri-Fighter, a brown MTT even! Minifig-wise, we haven’t had anyone from Cloud City since 2020! (Even then it was but Vader and Luke.) Most of the Ewoks haven’t been seen since 2013, (I can pass on most of them but Wicket, but so can others on any clone legion besides the 501st,) and Padme just barely inched her way into the Coruscant Gunship. Agreed. Arguably a MTT and UT-AT dominating in the summer wouldn’t be the worst offense ever. The true offender is when the only other minifig-scale sets are primarily those with mainly clone minifigs, while the buildable sets continue being as diverse as ever. TLG knows other fans exist, so why not cater to them too? (Well, ‘cause it’s cheaper to develop twelve similar looking minifigs than twelve individual minifigs. I believe this is why we’ve seen less aliens in recent years, outside of the fringe scenario.) I’m excited for these upcoming sets purely for the builds (besides the U-Wing—I love almost everything about that set). Obviously, I like cool minifigs, but unless it’s a beloved character from one of the movies or TV shows (i.e. Lando and only Lando), I couldn’t care less. Then by 2028, once all these clone sets retire, we’ll face the opposite problem: No kid would be able to watch TCW, walk to the store, and pick out a CW-based set. (Now, I argue we should get more than just BPs at the price range in which most parents will make an impulsive purchase, but rather at least a battle in a box. Ninjago does this extremely well, to the point that it feels like sabotage on TLG’s end.) I will still argue that the OT will be more likely what a casual fan will show their kid, but I agree CW is just as likely as a first exposure to SW. The issue still remains, even at the moment for CW fans: Ahsoka and Anakin are only available at $45–a price that no kid’s birthday money can afford—and only Obi-Wan is fortunately available in the usually-discounted $30 SF—which would be most of the kid’s birthday money. If you want kids to play with LEGO, then TLG should encourage that. If they believe it’s not worth reaching for that core demographic, in such manner accepting defeat, then that will be their loss, both today and in the not-too-distant future.

Breaking: I just scored the Dummy (no accessories) for $9 + shipping on Whatnot. Should come in within the next week. My joy is immeasurable. My insanity has peaked. My arc is complete.

Is this jonkling I hear in the halls of allegedly sane DC Discussion? Every time I see a notification from this place, it’s always: “I’d like a six-piece Batman, a large Batmobile, with a side of Jonkler.” “Um, sir, this is an Arkham.”

Andor S1, E2 (Sorry, I felt compelled by an energy field far greater than myself to borrow someone else’s joke.) I do agree, which is why it should’ve been at a much higher price point. Sadly the executives at TLG probably chose the price beforehand, so compromises had to be made. However, it does look like that, with the doors wide open, a figure could stand and shoot out of the troop compartment. Conversely, I always thought the original to be weak in it’s proportions—particularly the wings, which look tiny compared to the ship itself. The new version, having been shrunk down, solves that problem for me. The engines are wonky, that I won’t deny. In the end, the scale was meant to be going up, not down; if they applied the same principles they use with the Republic Gunship to its Rebel equivalent, it would be nearly perfect. Then again, I already strongly disliked the 2016 U-Wing, aesthetically speaking, while many others continue to praise it. I believe I’m in the minority on both versions. (:

I feel too apathetic about the Endgame Final Battle to even discuss it. All I say is that my brain cannot compute at what price LEGO should value it, and that Iron Spider now having dual molded legs with no printing after having printed legs with no dual-molding feels like a complete slap in the face. Captain Marvel was unlikable for a majority of her time in Endgame, such that I don’t care if I ever see her origin movie. At least Ant-Man had some heart and quirky charm in Civil War and Endgame, but even so I still don’t care to watch any of his movies. When I saw the trailer for The Marvels, with Intergalactic and Kamala’s acceptedly-pitched screaming blaring in my ears, I thought to myself, “Nobody liked how uptight and serious Carol was, so now they’re bringing in some levity to help it stand on its own.” At the very least, Marvel Studios decided to make a fun, enjoyable time of a flick, instead of “pushing cultural norms” with a female take on Man of Steel. The only reason general audiences who aren’t watching most D+ shows would skip the second, more fun-looking film had to have been because of the first.

YES YES YES! The U-Wing looks superb, and it absolutely feels worth the price tag of $70 (I pray LEGO does not alter the deal). I immediately see people elsewhere complaining about awful proportions, but strictly as a display piece which I personally will put on my shelf after having built it, it looks really nice. The wings and “underbelly” in particular look much more refined from the 2016 model. The only argument I could see is that the X-Wing canopy looks much larger than it should, but even then it looks better than the older version. All figs look fantastic. Dedra is the best possible minifig of her character, although perhaps dual-molded legs would’ve worked better. The Comptrooper(?) looks stellar, and I’ll take a new fig over run of the mill repeats any day. Cassian looks great, but not a huge fan of the tousled hair piece, even if it is consistent with his Rogue One figure. K-2 is a welcome return. Arguably the set should’ve been at the same price point as the LEGO Republic Gunship and AT-TE, but as a downsized $70 playset, it’s the best possible version it can be. I make any Day 1 purchases at the moment, but this set is as close to one as possible.