Legofan04

Dang, I forgot about that one too, which is sad because I own the set and it sits on my writing desk

Ohhh, I understand. Yeah, what was nice about the previous mold was that it was more proportionally accurate to the fil than the new face print. I was talking about regular system sets (so no polybags, gift with purchases, buildable figures however I should have been more specific) but yeah. I forgot about the book and banners, and Draco in the Forbidden Forest. The Beaxbaton carriage, though, wasn't included, as the comment being responded to was about Hagrid and Dummbledore, and I included them as main characters mainly because LEGO seems to. After all, the first Hagrid's hut came with just Dumbledore and Hagrid

So a Harry Potter set without any of the main characters? Lego's never done that, unless I'm misunderstanding what you're saying. Lego's done great versions of them in the sets, and even if kids and new buyers want them since they're part of the scenes being represented.

But they didn't include Gryffindor ones, which then should have also been included in the set, was the point, and you just made my point. Lego was being cheap then. You never even see that cat in the movie Nor is that featured in the book because Herminone takes the hair off Millicent's robes. So how on earth is that Lego cheapening out? Also, Herminoe doesn't have a cat head when the trio discovers a petrified Mrs. Norris, a scene that the set is also trying to re-create.

It's not necessarily a thing of LEGO not being generous in this case, as LEGO doesn't provide extra torsos in general, with a couple of exceptions, and really never has, even going as far back as 2002 with the original Slytherin common room, where it's Slytherin and no Gryffindor robes. The Polyjuice potion set from 2021 also only gives Slytherin robes, but there it doesn't matter as its only one scene being portrayed. Here, there is the Slytherin common room scene but that's the only scene in which extra robes would be needed as in all the scenes ron and Harry are in their own house robes

Hunh. The lack of extra Slytherin torsos is interesting. I guess the assumption is that kids would have other sets with the torsos. While I wish they were included here, @BrickBob Studpants is right that it's never been a thing that Lego has done. Even in the Harry potter sets where an extra torso has been included its been done either to be a part of a mannequin or as part of a "build your own Hogwarts student" type of thing. If a sacrifice to any of the characters were to be made, I wish Lego would have traded Lee Jordon for another Slytherin student. Lee's the only inclusion that doesn't relate to the scenes being portrayed ( at least as far as I can recall).

Seems like Lego is done with brick-tober or figure-type packs in general. However, with the show covering more from the books, who knows? It would be a cool figure to see. (Speaking of a side note, and I'm not sure how LEGO would do it, I would love to see a recreation of where the Weasley twins break the Dursleys' fireplace in the fourth book and give Dudley the candy. There's something amusing about a Vermon covered in chimney powder minifigure.)

As far as themes that get multiple sets a year and are normal system sets ( not technic or minidoll scale), I don't know if it's the general consensus, but I would say it's likely. The only good comparison is, as Clone Opatra said, One Piece, which might be getting more love than any theme has gotten in a while. Got to wonder if it has something to do with whatever deal Netflix has with lego

No one has called anyone naive or greedy for expecting value for money. What's being done is putting it into perspective of a larger context of a hobby where some people's interests get more ignored or milked and get less for what they are paying for in even larger context of that happening across pretty much every type of hobby. It's not to say we shouldn't expect or demand more from Lego, or even that we shouldn't be upset with them for cutting corners or skimping in certain ways, including fewer figures in the Harry Potter sets than what I would personally like to see wether that being Pomfey and Bogart Snape in the Hospital wing or lack of Prince in the East Wing (despite pretty much every other important characters to the scenes being portrayed being present). I said it when I first saw the pictures of the eat wing: the interior looked a little shallower than I was expecting, and the door should have been included. I wish it were like $30 cheaper, but if the physical size is proportional to the Main tower, the price isn't too bad, all things considered. Plus, it seems like Lego has been pricing products with the knowledge that they will go on sale in certain places. Perhaps the next castle system (when it happens) will combine the best aspects of this and the previous system and make it cheaper. Perhaps they won't, but LEGO has experimented and tried to improve with each system (including this system objectively). One of the biggest improvements is actually more room for minifigures to stand within some of the models. All that being said, not liking this system is fine, but to say that people have been trained by Lego to rejoice over or love some of the new faceprints, recolors, molds, or the inclusion of certain details is harsh. LEGO Harry Potter might not be up to your standards. which is again fine, but objectively it's been getting more love than other themes the past couple of years.

But taking it out of the realm of Harry Potter for a second, there are worse ways Lego is treating its fans. Lego DC barely gets anything, and when it does, it's Lego's version of the iPhone philosophy, where it's slightly different versions of the Batmobile, Tumbler, or Batplane. In marvel many of the figures of the main characters reuse inaccurate or generic face prints, or are inaccurate to the scene being depicted if it's a movie-based set, or are important and entirely missing ( as has been the case of villains in recent years), and for the most part, a limited number of figures. Then there's Star Wars, where the Republic Juggernaut set has like 813 pieces, retails for $160 (and has only 1.2 stars on Lego's website for how overpriced and flimsy it is), and doesn't even begin to address the whole smart brick fiasco. All this to say is that even when the Harry Potter theme and Hogwarts is at its subjective worse whether that's this current system, the 2021-2023 system, or the 2018 system, and regardless of whether all the figures we want are being included or not, this theme gets more love than the ones referenced above. These sets are sturdy, fairly accurate to the source material (really depends on the set and ofcourse their are limitations, and are slowly giving us the things us fans want to see. If the Eastwing was given the treatment Marvel has received in more recent years there would likely have been no new for face prints for characters we already have ( specifically Ginny), there would probably be no Bloody Barron (or one without leg printing) and who knows if Riddle would be included. If it was given the Star wars treatment it would probably half the size and still no cheaper then $200.

I think saying that Lego has trained their customers is the wrong way to look at it.We live in a world where all businesses are cutting corners and putting things behind paywalls. It's in every industry and so pervasive that it's hard to avoid, and consumers have to put up with it (the whole 'speaking with the wallet' thing doesn't really work anymore) even if Lego was protested on a massive scale. And to be honest, a lot of other companies are a lot worse, especially those that hobbiest are in. You mentioned smartphones, and gaming is another prime example. And it's not a new phenomenon. Lego did it with the last Hogwarts system, which lacked thought. I mean, when that system is fully built, the girls' bathroom entrance sends the figure into the library, not the Chamber of Secrets. However, in otherways lego's cut corners are being used to create new molds and prints. It's better than phones, where the prices go up with each model without offering anything new. Perhaps it's a cynical take, but gotta take a win where one can get them.

That was an idea set, though, which seems to be a general exception when it comes to figure-based sets.

The figure I'm most disappointed not to see this year is Bogart Snape, but I get it. They were trying to fit in too much stuff. Pomfey not appearing makes sense since she's not in the film, but to have Bogart Snape, they would have needed Nevil, and those two character spots were taken up by the Ravenclaw ghost and student for the common room. If only the set had ten figures instead of eight. Unfortunately, Lego doesn't really give 10 figures in a hundred-dollar set anymore and the funny thing is they are much more generous with Harry Potter than the other licensed themes.

Although I still feel it's unlikely to see sets based on the series next year, the extended run time does give the chance to see more new characters. Although never discussed in the books, there are a lot more classrooms in the castle, and there was always the feeling that there were a lot more teachers. Perhaps more staff will be introduced for LEGO to make figures of.

Yeah, that is kind of awkward, and the sorting ceremony stuff doesn't really fit into the Great Hall that well. I've been treating it as its own standalone that honors 25 years of HP and the origional set from 2001. I don't really understand why the stone bridge is even included in that image, honestly. Not only does it lead to nowhere there, but there's also nowhere it could lead to unless its supposed to be some indication of a future set.

Is the new Mrs. Norris not the same cat mold that appeared in the Spiderverse collectable minifigure series?

Yeah, it sucked that Pomfrey wasn't included, and I'm glad I had the 2022 Hospital to include her in the set. I will say, though, that not having the clock tower makes sense; canonically, the hospital wing is not in the clock tower but in one that connects to it. At the very least, the empty hallway in the east wing gives the Miss Norris scene. Also, the completed 2021-2023 system, if put together the way LEGO directs, would have the bathroom chamber entrance bring the character down into the library. It kind of felt like Lego didn't think about how they would connect In the preliminary photos of the unfinished product, the designers did include it, so I wonder why the designers didn't include it in the final product. My only guess is that Lego wouldn't budge on the piece count. Or mayby its a thing about not including stuff that can't fit inside the castle

Sorry about that, genuinely. I really wasn't trying to disrespect your opinion, but more so about how there's been general commentary about the sets of where the feeling is that the people complaining about the sets wouldn't be happy no matter the direction that LEGO went in, and this weird recency bias wherein the previous system is regarded as being perfect and the new one being horrible. The same thing happened when the 2021 system started: it was a horrible system, while the 2018-2020 system became perfect. I actually really love the 2002 version, and it does hold a special place in my heart, too. It's a really nice aspect of the set. Given that part of the intent is for the Basilisk to travel under the Viaduct, I must wonder whether kids will be able to reach through the gaps to pull it along into the chamber.

While I do wish we were able to remove the fangs from the basilisk (I can understand why LEGO might be against having the eyes being removable), this version is the most accurate to the film ( even color-wise, as in a lot of photos, it does look almost teal). I have a lot of nostalgia for a lot of the old Harry Potter sets, but to say that the 2002 Basilisk is better is ridiculous. One of the things that this theme has been applauded for is its accuracy ( aesthetically ) to the films, and sometimes that does mean sacrificing playability. If it wasn't movie accurate, there would be even more bellyaching , whining, and complaining about the set. On a different note, the Bloody Barron, with blood represented, raises the question of whether Lego is beginning (and more willing) to represent darker aspects of the series. Besides that, we get two two-character faces representing characters who are unconscious because their life essence is being sucked out of them, with Sirius in Expecto Patronum and Ginny ( which is new as far as I can tell)in the East wing. Also in the east wing we get Tom Riddle with his face essentially being torn apart, the representation of a petrified animal, and the drugs ( the cupcakes) that were in esscence used to roofie two children which is basically what Harry and Ron do to Crabbe and Goyle so the two can steal the hair and take their place; because of it's problematic nature I never thought lego would include that detail. On top of that, there is the petrified necklace in Knocturn Alley. With such details and references this year, and including the cursed Kate Bell in the Hogsmade last year, I wonder if it makes getting scenes like the cave and some form of the Leaky Cauldron more likely (two things that Lego has yet to do for this theme). It most certainly increases our chances of getting the veil in the rumored Ministry of Magic for September

Can't speak for @Gorrilla94 but I thought he had silver blood too. It might be a mix up movie and book details, so I just went back and double-checked the source material. For the film Bloody Barron (which we don't see much of) the blood is the right color of a rusty brown. In the book, however, Rowling describes the blood as silver, something that never made sense to me if the ghosts are supposed to be a one-for-one of their human bodies when they died (which seems to be implied with Professor Binns). IMO, the movie changing it was a smart choice, and I love how it looks on the LEGO figure.

I'm in a similar boat as @RODDY. I used to be a completionist for system sets and bought every regular LEGO set from 2018 to 2020. Then they introduced the books, which I bought in the first wave that came with the heads of the Hogwarts houses. Then they started introducing more gimmick-based sets and brick-built creatures, and my interest in those waned. Tried getting into it with the buildable Buckbeak, but it was so hard to stand it up that it left a negative view of that type of thing. That said, I think Dobby is really cute and an improvement over the previous version, which I had wanted for my desk but never got. For similar reasons, I slowly lost interest in the green roof Hogwarts.I would have stopped collecting that system in 2021 after being disappointed by the initial wave but loved the little stuff included in the Hospital wing, which I have since added to the one that released this year ( it has enough depth that you can include all of the side builds and Pomfey and the trio without it feeling too cluttered), and Dumbledore's office as I had always wanted the 2002 model when I was kid. Dang. I might end up just having to get the book nook them . But 20% off all the sets is a pretty good deal, and I'm so jealous. In the US, we used to get 20% at places like Walmart and Target, either close to release for sets $100 or less, and later for the more expensive ones. However, that hasn't really been the case as far as I can tell in the past 2 years or so. Even Amazon doesn't offer the same discounts that it once used to. What do you like more about the old Expecto out of curiosity?

From my experience with my local Barnes & Noble, yes. But even if it's not on the shelf when you go to buy it, it might just be a case of not keeping it there, which is why it's always good to check the website to see if your location has it in stock. That's what happened when I went to purchase Luna's house just last week. They didn't have it on the shelf in the LEGO HP section, but they had it in the back. But yeah, the membership does cost $40 yearly; however, between the 10% off each purchase and the $5 in rewards for every $100 spent, the membership has not only paid for itself, but I've managed to save $60, so far this year, on top of that. With a membership, you could get the Eastwing for $243 (before your state's sales tax) and then have $10 in rewards for Knocturn Alley, which, with the discount, would bring it to $98 (again before tax).

I wasn't saying that Lego thought it would be a major success. However the Harry Potter theme had been dead for 5+ by the time Lego put the 2018 sets into production because there was no more new media to make sets on. Fantastic Beasts (regardless of their quality ) created a lot of fanfare around the HP universe and certainly brought in new fans who hadn't seen the 8 movies before. Lego did use Fantastic Beasts to capitalize on the surge of popularity, which is why more sets were made on the movies while waiting to see the popularity of the new film. Lego used the same strategy with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Are you in the US too, right? I don't know if you shop at Barnes & Noble or have one near you, but if you're a member, you get 10% off every purchase, plus 5 dollars in rewards for every $100 spent. They also tend to most LEGO sets on the online store besides LEGO exclusives (although they seem to get most of those later). Was able to get the Main tower from there for $224 and Luna's house for $77.

It all really depends. It could be like the 2021 flying lesson, which was its own standalone thing despite having modular components and the aesthetic of the rest of the 2021 castle. If LEGO is doing the three-year cycle, then it'll probably stay a standalone. However, I personally don't see it ending here and think there will be a future castle expansion to connect it to. Lego thought that Fantastic Beasts was going to be a major success, but it didn't turn out well so I would be surprised if Lego has already put tv sets into productions. Even if they have, I doubt it's castle sets, considering that with the main tower (last year) they finished the most important castle scenes from the first film, and with the east wing this year they've gone through most of the important scenes from the second film. With the first season coming out on Christmas, the second season would likely come out in 2027 or 2028, and according to Brick Fanatics, the Man tower doesn't retire until 2027 so I doubt any large sets for a new castle system would come out before that point so as not to confuse the more unaware buyer who isn't in the know like us fans. All that to say is that there's still time for the current Flying lesson to connect to somewhere and it'll probably connect in its closed-up form, which does give the appearance of a dungeon level. We're talking about the same Chamber of secrets right? The statue head was against the wall. To the immediate left and right of it were the two snake heads, which took up the floor space (they could be removed, but it was hard to put figures in their place to pose, plus you couldn't pose them with the Basilisk). In the tower to the right ( that contained Lockhart's office and classroom) was the slide, and the only grated plate where the character could stand was covered by a bone, so not meant for figures (yes, you could remove it and customize the space for putting figures, but it wasn't space that Lego inherently provided). The entrance door was great, and it does give that chamber an appearance of a greater volume of "space". However, there was no spot in the actual build of the main section to place figures, so they had to be on whatever surface the set was placed on. Not only is the new Chamber the size of the main section from the previous set (it might actually be slightly longer), but it also provides actual depth and places for the figures in the scene. Don't get me wrong, I wish the tunnel part with the snake door had been included, but in most respects LEGO has done more with the space in this version. Useful space is better than empty space. The East Wing is going to be my day one purchase, along with the new Expecto Patronum from my local Barnes and Noble ( a United States bookstore chain), where as a member you get 10% of purchase and for every $100 you get $5 dollars in rewards. Was able to get the Main Tower (which was $260) for only $224 before tax, and with tax it came to about $240. I'm skipping all the buildable things except Dobby, since I missed out on the previous one, and this one is a better build. I like the book nook, but I just can't justify getting it at the moment, and I'm going to wait for a discount on Knocturn Alley, as I feel like it, while still being a good set, is the most overpriced regular-scale set this year for the theme. Plus I still need to last year's Diagon Alley shop and the Olivander one from 2024. Never been into city and nothing Star Wars wise (besides the buildable Vader figure) interests me so besides the January Marvel sets, my main is collecting the smaller HP sets from the January wave, getting the Herbology classroom ( the only classroom from this system I don't currently have), and Malfoy Manor before it retires. Probably also going to try and get the rumored Minestry of Magic set, which will hopefully be a better set than the large Hogsmeade Village. What are your buying plans for the wave?

I think it's just supposed to be an alternate face print for Crabbe and Goyle. You can see Crabbe's for Ron on the back of the box.