BrickPrick

I like that mindset. It's not always this "evil corporation TM" situation. If people have somewhat unrealistic expectations and needlessly setting them up for disappointment, that's on them, not anybody else. Other than that, buying a huge UCS set primarily for a single minifigure is... certainly a choice in the first place. I see. It's not like these hybrid Battle Packs with a 50:50 split between named characters and troops are the sweet spot for me. I tolerate them, but yeah... even better is a 100% commitment to either one of these kind of figure selections. The 75167 Bounty Hunter Speeder Bike Battle Pack was a great choice for getting a bunch of desirable characters all at once. While the 75320 Snowtrooper Battle Pack is close to perfection for army building. Both work well for me. And thanks to your comment, i will now visualize a Cantina Alien Character Pack in my restless dreams, until it actually happens. It would be twice the pride for fans finally getting him again. And double the fall for Lego falling back into their lazy ways. Yep, i would consider it exactly that... wishful thinking. But this unexpected comeback definitely outweighs the inaccuracy of a single piece. First and foremost, i am glad we are getting her again. Yeah well, as far as Lego shop discounts generally go, they are pretty much irrelevant to me. It's the same thing on Black Friday every year. There are a couple of okay-ish disounts on offer. Usually sets that are soon to be discontinued and/or performing poorly... stuff they just want to get rid off. But those deals i can get all the time on Amazon. And much better ones than that. Last year was one of the rare exceptions with the 75354 Coruscant Guard Gunship being 20% off for May the 4th promotion.

So, after i saw yet another U-Wing comparison, i can not stress enough how little of a problem the new Lego formula of downsizing sets in favor for a more detailed and sturdy build is for me. Of course, it was expected to be a smaller scale set by all accounts... and it is. But from my point of view, it's just smaller, not too small. And it is only smaller because the last model was arguably too big. I feel the same way about the most recent X-Wing and TIE Fighter developments, which reached crazy high price points when they were too big of a behemoth to begin with... or in the case of the 75218 X-Wing charged an extra 20 Euros for a nearly identical, colour-swapped model (while only having some improved mechanism for the wings) just for the heck of it. In-universe, these are supposed to be medium-sized ships, so i am fine with them actually being accordingly and reasonably sized. The same thing can probably not be said about the upcoming Slave 1 playset. This is meant to be a big vehicle, but with just a good 100 pieces more, will most definitely be closer in scale to the 2021 shrunken down Mando model than the incredible 20th anniversary version. Which is somewhat of a shame, as i would have loved to display both ships next to each other. But i am glad that i finally get (albeit downgraded) regular Jango Fett. I can only have so many blue Mando minifigures that are not him, i guess.

According to newest leaks, the Mos Espa Podrace Diorama, Midi-scale Tantive IV and AT-TE will be 15% off, the UCS Razor Crest will get a 20% discount. This list is not official and subject to change, so everything should be taken with a cup of jawa juice (grain of salt). Also, of course, sets may very well vary by region.

Yep, and wether this is funny or not, always depends which people you are asking. Me as a non UCS person? Loved it... could have laughed my megablocks off all day long. Early adopters of the UCS Venator? Probably not so much. Even though, you should not overthink the term "exclusive". In my experience, exclusivity can come in many forms. And timed exclusivity is one of them. So i don't know if Lego could be seriously accused of misleading marketing, then. Definitely was crazy convenient for Lego to pull off, though. Like i can totally get behind people who are strictly against named characters in Battle Packs for the sake of army building. I mean they were originally intended for this very purpose and officially advertised as such. But i am not a hardcore army builder myself. I enjoy it, but in a more casual kinda way, so only amassing my armies via different sets, not buying multiple sets at all. For example, i didn't mind Ki-Adi-Mundi and Barriss Offee being included in the infamous 75206 Jedi and Clone Troopers Battle Pack. For me, they were just two welcome additions for the collection. But again, i can totally see where the other camp is coming from. Different strokes for different folks, i take it. Haha, like i mentioned earlier, everything non exclusive in here gets discounted so deep and so fast, even the more popular, sought after stuff, it is kinda difficult to draw conclusions to some actual sales from price points alone. If on the other hand something like the Justifier is slashed half off in price, oh well, in that case it may have sold quite poorly. I absolutely agree on this one. I honestly do not care at this point. They should just release the Count with the default lightsaber hilt and get it over with. As for Ventress, i think it will straight up be the standard hilt piece.

Yeah, that's an extraordinary long shelf life indeed. It's not like we got any shortages of Jedi Starfighters in general right? On my little personal prediction planet the Slave 1 was supposed to accompany Obi-Wans Delta-7 for the 20th anniversary, but for some reason didn't make the cut back then. So maybe Lego decided to extend the existence of the latter. Which would be pretty funny as this is getting out of hand. Now we get two of them. Thank you, too. I feel quite comfortable already. We should never stop beating this dead Bantha, i suppose. Even if it would fulfill the definition of insanity, if Lego was to ignore cool stuff for sets and minifigures a hundred times, we should say how we actually feel about it every single time. And maybe - just maybe - this time things will be different. And Lego will follow suit with an Andor set or two next year. In that regard, nothing beats putting Captain Rex from the UCS Venator to a mere Microfighter for like 2% the original asking price in less than a year. Or the most recent example, not including the best version of C-3PO bar none in the UCS Sail Barge, only to throw it at you as a Keychain the next year as well. Yep, i have been under this impression as well. I was one of these overly excited fans. And the AT-TE proofed to be a rather nice birthday gift the following year. Kinda funny how Lego always messes up the box design on purpose. It's supposed to have Vader for the Skywalker Saga branding in the lower left corner of the package. But as soon as the set includes Clones, they always use the corresponding art for TCW design. The devil's in the details. To me, it just goes to show their clear focus on the Clone Troopers. Like it's less about the prequels, mostly about the Clones. Otherwise we would get a more steady supply of main characters available at all times. So i think it's perfectly fine to make that distinction. Like Clones are obviously part of the prequels, but prequels are not necessarily part of TCW. Just because Lego is throwing Clone divisions left and right at us, doesn't mean prequel fans are eating pretty good by default. Can you believe there was never an Episode III Anakin Vs. Dooku style duel set? Or Yoda Vs. Palpatine? Or even Ben Kenobi Vs. Vader? Sometimes, i can not fathom these facts in any way, shape or form. Only thinking that Lego is not willing to bring back that curved lightsaber hilt piece for Dooku and that's why we have not seen him for a dozen or so years. Yeah, unlike now, it just wasn't an annual thing back then. You were not anticipating these anniversary sets to arrive.

Yep, i think it's important to understand that these companies are not your friends and vice versa. It's not like they will celebrate these anniversaries as if they were your birthday or something. Heck, some corporations won't even acknowledge some anniversaries and yeah... were not even a thing for Lego Star Wars until 2019. It's like you said products intended to be infused with nostalgic nature in mind, aimed at adults rather than kids. And since they are doing a plethora of 18+ sets anyways, they don't have to change that much in terms of the overall production pipeline. Just switch up some themes here and there for once. On another note, you could see the 75333 Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter as the one and only AoTC 20th anniversary set (excluding the Accessory Pack) released back in 2022. But would it have seen the light of day without the Obi-Wan show releasing shortly before? I dare to doubt that. Was more likely a convenient circumstance for Lego and they took advantage of that... which is fine. Personally would not mind it in the slightest if there were the occasional prequel sets (not just TCW extravaganza) in between those anniversaries. But since that's ever so rarely the case anymore, you basically rely on these single years. Which is unfortunate, as i would still like to live in a Lego world where sets like the 75169 Duel on Naboo could happen at any time. In my eyes, the duel sets have much untapped potential anyways. Other than the obvious 18+ overload, i do not know why Lego suddenly stopped making those sets. Hopefully i did make some sense out of this. At least in my mind (translated to my mother language) it does.

Yeah, sounds about right. My prediction for the minifigure lineup: B1 Battle Droid, Clone Shock Trooper, Night Trooper, Sabine Wren/Ezra Bridger, Ahsoka and Anakin Holiday Edition plus maybe some brick built droids.

On a slightly less exciting note... When can we expect concrete infos for the new Advent Calendar? My memory might serve me wrong for this one, but compared to last years it feels like we are getting late to the leaks party. This year's GWP is a must have for me. Yet given the army builder nature of this figure, i wouldn't mind another clone cadet being included in the upcoming calendar.

Yet another thing i am bothered to believe Lego never made in the last 26 years. To me, it goes without saying that the Skywalker Saga mould (frankly like any other non existing minifigure from the game) would be pretty much perfect for the physical one. @Kaijumeister: Dankeschön. And yes i have noticed over the last couple of years.

Yeah, i was glad about Omeeeeeega's inclusion in the calendar. As far as the 25th anniversary was concerned, you got no gungans. No standard Jar Jar Binks. Boss Nass? Ha, no chance! But Darth Jar Jar? Sure thing. Sometimes i can not stand the fact that TPM anniversary is always overlapping with the Lego Star Wars one. Which is ironic, because they actually did plenty of TPM sets last year. It's not like Lego forgot about it. It's just more of the format issue affecting a year that could have been much better for TPM fans. Now you probably have to wait half a decade again just to get this single shot. I know right... There were so many opportunities for unique versions for Boba as well. Sandy Boba, Bacta Tank Boba, Tusken Raider Boba...

Looks like a good varied selection of characters. I will get my own Poncho-less Cal soon. The 2014 Santa Vader was among my final christmas figures. Liking those occasional goofy figures. Can never go wrong with Commander Cody either. In regards to most wanted minifigures, i wanna get the other two Cad Bane minifigures without having to sell a kidney or something. And i would like to see a greater variety of imperial troopers in general. How about finally getting the aforementioned Purge Troopers? But also getting Shoretroopers, Range Troopers, Death Troopers again. Would not say no to more OT Battle Packs! Other than that, bring on more Alien species with specialized molds. I am a sucker for all these obscure characters. Makes the baseplate much more vibrant as well. Yes, thank the maker for those consistent discounts. Personally can not imagine a viable scenario without them. Yeah, the figure selection was obviously supposed to be a big main draw for this set as a whole. With Cad Bane, Todo 360 and last but not least, Omeegaaaa, being brand new figures. Yep, i mean there were certain things the couple of years that were not exactly on my bingo card... but happened anyway. Every now and then people are under the impression to see specific patterns when in reality there are none. You never really know with this company.

Yeah, this is how i roll with many Lego Star Wars sets these days. Going from the numerous leaks, i want to (and do) like a lot of them. And every so often i know i will get something sooner rather than later. But due to some unreasonable price increases over the last couple of years, ever so rarely is it a day one purchase anymore. So most sets will be bought by the usual discounts. Thankfully, you basically get 30%+ off of every widely available set at my location in no time. So if the quality standard is to my liking and the set fits my collection thematically as well, you never have to worry about getting to your preferred price point. Oh, i thought and still think the set idea was kinda neat. I mean, i like fresh ships as much as the next person. But the actual execution of that mega monstrosity left a lot to be desired. To me, it highlights the problematic circumstances of prices being decided before the products themselves get made. Because let's be real... The Justifier was neither in size nor in popularity be fit for the flagship set of the 2022 summer wave. I am not even blaming the Lego group designers that much. They try their best with the hands they have been dealt. This is more of an so-called "something something big business company does big business things TM something something" problem. Oh yes, how could i forget your constant goshing about Mara Jade Skywalker. Your chances of laying your eyes upon this officially made minifigure might be approximately 3.720 to 1, but maybe stranger things have happened. The dark side of doing bricks business is a pathway to many design decisions. Some of them i wholeheartedly consider to be unnatural.

I honestly had to google this character just to confirm my suspicion being right... yep, it's a Rebels character. Never actually watched the show. Might change that sooner or later. Speaking of unavailable versions... Well, see my profile picture. Back when i watched the season finale of TBoBF, i had zero doubts in my mind that Lego would incorporate the climax battle into a seizable play set later on. With the return of a recolorred Rancor, those giant Droideka looking thingies, a bit of scenery and all that jazz. But it unfortunately never happened. I know it's gotta be challenging to keep your merchandise machine up and running with all these different Star Wars media we get on a regular basis nowadays, but the two sets they did make were not even truly based on the show the begin with. Out of all the different Disney Star Wars series, only the Mandalorian gets proper ongoing support. Nearly everything else gets like two to three sets tops (or how about nothing at all) and move on. This swift and short dealing with things is kinda reflective of the "content over cinema"-climate we get to experience in this day and age, i guess.

Oh shoot, somehow my over-eagerness level returned and i totally missed your reply. But as i will never be tired of saying... better late than never. Regarding your question, while Cad Bane is definitely among my favorite characters and i am looking forward to the reveal for sure, other than Jedi Bob's Starfighter, i wasn't too eager about all other RTG sets. So it's more of a wait and see approach for me. Even though it would not be the first Snowspeeder i primarily got for an exclusive minifig... the 20th anniversary one says hi. However, seeing you already brought up this topic, i wanna elaborate by saying: i stopped holding out hope that the most recent Cad Bane from the unjustifiable Justifier set would be cheaply released elsewhere in an Advent Calendar, a Magazine, Microfighter, as a Keychain etc. So i jumped the gun and brick linked this thing of beauty last month. It's my first Cad Bane minifigure and i am very happy with it. How about you... Got any minifigure that is near and dear to you? Anything in particular you still want to add to your collection?

The pleasure is all mine to finally be part of this community. Another happy landing. Thank you so much. I intend to do so soon.

Okay, so my definitely biased, character-only whichlist, excluding versions/variants of already existing ones, based on what i would consider the core Skywalker Saga to be in terms of movies is as follows: The Phantom Menace Boss Nass. I can not believe we are still missing him. Like he is not exactly an obscure character to begin with. Last years 25th anniversary was a big opportunity to put him in the Visual Dictionary. But nope... can not have it. Was probably not popular enough to even bother cranking up the budget. At least compared to the Darth Maul replica we got instead. Which did not even match the rest of the minifigure lineup. Shmi Skywalker. Same as above. Truly mindboggling we never recieved this minifigure, too. Could have been a good inclusion with the Mos Espa Podrace Diorama. But just because it is of micro-scale format, Lego thinks it would be a good idea to not include any figures at all. It's not like there could be a separate stand or plate for it or anything. Attack of the Clones Dexter Jettster. Most logical inclusion would be in his very own dinner, duh. Which would work well within the Diorama Collection. There are some magnificent MOCs out there. I do not know if you could just recolor Pong Krell's old mold for the torso, though. Revenge of the Sith Tion Medon. Just put him in the blue Jedi Interceptor (alongside Obi-Wan and R4-P9) as equivalent to Taun We from the Delta-7 Starfighter. I wish there would be more consistency when it comes to that third figure's inclusion. Especially considering these crazy price hikes we had the last couple of years. A New Hope Hem Dazon. I was slightly bummed he was skipped over in the absolutely amazing Mos Eisley Cantina MBS. He is like the very first good shot we ever had about an alien in the Star Wars universe... incredibly iconic. You could slowly but surely fill in the blanks by releasing new Cantina playsets. The Empire Strikes Back Admiral Ozzel. He could show up in some sort of future set. Many imperial higher-ups are still missing. The most recent addition of Commander Praji in the Star Destroyer is a somewhat good sign for things to come. Ozzel may have a choking or concerned impression for his second face, akin to Captain Antilles from the Boarding the Tantive IV set. Return of the Jedi Sy Snootles. Would come in a new Jabba's Palace (this time with a roof again, pretty please) and of course require a new body mold. Would work with regular legs, too. Obviously, lots of other characters would be possible from that place. Those never before done characters are just supposed to be a mere sample off of the very top of my head. You could most certainly still write your testament about all these missing minifigures.

My thanks. As long as i get paid, it makes no difference to me. By the way, i have been following your career with great interest. I honestly feel honoured to finally be able to join the conversation about them precious pieces of plastic.

Well, thank you. And alright... good to know. Easy enough to follow. Still got some catching up to do with this thread. Can not wait to get properly started.

Hello there. After spending what felt like half an eternity as a silent Kallidahin (totally did not search for quiet Star Wars species) a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, i finally decided the timing was just right to say a thing or two as well. I just wanna be extra clear on this... You are allowed to talk about all those juicy leaks, just not share any visuals about them in here. Have i got this right? Best regards, BrickPrick