the enigma that is badger

Thanks for the info! I'll definitely try to attend the Festi'briques event in May, and FreeLUG sounds like it might fit what I'm looking for perfectly! Pilili, if you could forward my interest to the FreeLUG president, that would be tres gentil! Remerci! ;)

About a year ago, I moved from Chicago to Paris, France, and while I couldn't bring my collection with me (just a small bag of bricks and some minifigs), I definitely miss the fun of hanging out with fellow AFOLs. As such, does anyone know of any Paris-based LUGs? I tried searching around, but nothing immediately popped up.

Some neat news: Guy Himber (of V&A Steamworks fame) recently unveiled a new Kickstarter project for a series of custom pig and cow minifig-compatible heads to fit the "Pigs vs Cows" theme of BrickCon 2013: http://www.kickstart...r-brickcon-2013 Shots of the prototypes Guy had created to showcase what this project would produce: I've already pledged to the project, and for how great these heads look, hopefully a few Eurobricks members might consider doing so, too and help make them a reality!

It's inspired on the "Prawn" assault rifle from the film District 9: http://www.wetanz.com/assault-rifle/

Yep, a few of these have definitely been in development for awhile, but as great as the prototype versions were, I'd definitely say that Will made the final production designs even better in terms of detail and playability.

Just a heads up to all that BrickArms just released a new wave of accessories! Definitely a nice set of accessories for the variety of genres they cover. Whether you're a WWII, modern, or scifi builder, there's something here for you! More shots of each new item can be found on Will's Flickr stream

Yep, Will said that. I honestly have no idea what his plans are for the other colors, although in that same quote he vaguely hints at a "Mystery Crate"-style item. Really, aside from maybe OD Green and Dark Tan, I'd say the initial wave of four colors (Tan, Brown, Dark Brown, Black) really covers the most useful colors for the Crate.

Yep, I was / am active on several boards (including the MCN - where I first "met" Will back in the day!), but with my return to administrating the BrickArms Forums, something I really love, it really doesn't leave me with as much time for other places online. Still, EB is a great community, and I'm happy to contribute when I can! But yes, this thread is definitely about the new BrickArms Crates, definitely a more interesting subject than me! Here's a neat shot Will recently posted: OD Green Crates laid out for printing: The acrylic sheet holding the Crates was cut by Will using his laser cutter (a tool he's been using recently for other fun projects)

When Will first showed me how he could print onto the Crate, this was the first thing I suggested: "TOP SECRET ARMY INTEL 9906753 DO NOT OPEN!" Definitely. The lid fits onto studs with just the right amount of clutch power and could make for great wood paneling. Every single one I've tried! With some of the longest BrickArms items, you have to put the barrel through the notch in the side, but they do fit:

BrickArms just released a new wave of accessories for Feb 2013: a new custom crate! The Crate is stackable and attaches securely to any build; it only takes a connection to a single stud to hold it up! The lid can also be attached to studs in a variety of ways and fits firmly on but is easily removed from the Crate. The BrickArms Crate is now available from all official BrickArms resellers. Also available from GI Brick (as part of their new Allied Forces WWII Pack): a 3D printed version of the Crate in the OD Green color: Will was kind enough to send me a few of the new Crates, and here's some shots I took of it in action: One small note: I no longer work for BrickArms in any official capacity (ie Official Spokesman); I'm just posting this news as a fan of Will's work to share it with the EB community. As such, if you have any questions about BrickArms beyond my experience with the Crate, you'd need to contact BrickArms directly.

Another incredibly thorough, thoughtful review, White Fang! I honestly can't say strongly enough that, as a minifig collector, how much I truly appreciate these reviews; they definitely make the difference when it comes to how many (cases!) of each series I pick up. Thanks for all the work you put into this and for continuing this great series of reviews!

You're very welcome! Thankfully, I have a bit more time these days to be online, and given how this news combined two of my strongest interests (BrickArms and NPR), I couldn't help but share it! ;)

Something truly neat: Will Chapman recently did an interview with a local NPR affiliate, and it was featured on the nationally-syndicated program, Morning Edition! Click here to listen to the full interview and read the story

;) Overall, that's a metric ton of great new parts. Just when you think the Collector Fig series can't do anything more to impress!

Nifty! I did a quick search myself but didn't come up with any good reference shots either. I'll keep a look out and make sure to forward you anything useful I might find!

Very nice work! You've definitely captured the each character in the modern LEGO style. Not a request so much as a suggestion, but an alternate "reveal" Silva head (I don't want to say more if you haven't seen the film yet!) could be disturbing fun.

Heh, thanks for the kind works, but don't worry about me! I'm not entering a dark age so much as "you can play with your toys when you finish your work!"-type situation. But again, amazing work on this and all your other reviews! As a fig collector and builder, the Collectable Minifigures line is pure gold to me, and I hope I can pick up Series 8 sooner than later!

At this point, no Collectable Minifigure release is complete without a detailed review from White Fang! Great work, as always, of presenting the new series itself as well as in the context of all the other series. Thanks for continuing this great set of reviews!

As recently unveiled at Brickfair, Will Chapman has entered into a partnership with U4iA Games to design and produce BrickArms accessories based on the weaponry that will be featured in the upcoming Offensive Combat game. Also adding to the fun: BrickArms accessories will be available as weapons in the game Look for these accessories and more in the future from BrickArms! The press release that has sent out in regards to the news: "U4iA Games today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Redmond, WA-based BrickArms to bring several weapons from its upcoming browser-based, first-person-shooter game, Offensive Combat, to life as replicas for two-inch, building toy mini-figures. U4iA will also add a selection of BrickArms’ most popular building toy weapons into the game as virtual items for players to use in their ongoing mission to annihilate the competition. BrickArms is a leading creator and supplier of building toy-compatible custom weapons, weapons packs, and mini figures. The first mini-figure weapons -- including the Battle Axe and Auger Shotgun, as well as in-game items -- will be available later this fall. “As gamers to the core, we’ve never outgrown the excitement of seeing our video games come to life,” said Dusty Welch, CEO of U4iA. “We’ve gone to great lengths to create some of the most fantastic weapons ever in a first-person-shooter. Now, we’re doubling up the fun by creating replicas of these weapons specifically designed for mini-figures. We love the work BrickArms does and believe our fans will be equally thrilled when they see some of their favorite BrickArms weapons available in Offensive Combat.” “BrickArms fans are always on the lookout for new and exciting weapons with ‘crossover’ appeal,” said Will Chapman, founder of BrickArms LLC. “To play a game like Offensive Combat online, and then turn around and play with dutifully recreated toy replica weapons in their mini-figure scaled world, is unprecedented. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring these high-quality toys to life, and I know they will be a hit.” Currently in closed beta, Offensive Combat features some of the most competitive multiplayer action ever seen within a web browser, enabling players to harness their skills and use their creativity and ingenuity to win the ultimate mash-up of first-person-shooters. The innovative gameplay and console-quality graphics, guided by industry veterans from Activision, Sony, and the Call of Duty and Guitar Hero franchises, offer an irreverent take on first-person-shooter archetypes, weapons and themes, including futuristic sci-fi, modern military, and surreal fantasy settings, among others. Offensive Combat will open up its beta program this fall. In the meantime, players can sign up at http://www.offensivecombat.com for a chance to enter the closed beta."

As has been well-established, that's one of Arealight's early casted works. To date, his injected accessories have all been SW-based, and as much as it's quality work, particularly the printing, it's somewhat of a pity given the quality of this historical and fantasy designs. The Sun Wukong figure I was able to create using his custom hair and tail pieces is easily one of my favorite custom figures I've ever created: That is correct: Will only showcases BrickArms and LEGO elements on his site. This ensures there are no misunderstandings about what is and isn't a BrickArms product . . . not unlike this situation ;)

Glad to hear you guys enjoyed the event! As for plans for next year, it's really too early to tell, but as soon as I have any news, I'll definitely make sure to share it on EB!

I did the same. Really, would could I not for all the great memories I have of that version of Lex Luthor I looked at it as getting a video game with fig purchase ;)

Thanks for all the kinds words everyone; I'll be sure to pass them onto Will!

Unfortunately, I couldn't attend either, but I've really been enjoying all the shots that BrickArms, GI Brick, and Brickmania have been sharing via their respective Flickr accounts. Looks like everyone's having a fun time!

Glad to hear you had fun there! At this time, I'm not aware of any specific plans for any future World War Brick-style events, but depending on how World War Brick went, it's certainly a possibility! Aside from pointing out Will just released over 20 brand new accessories, all I can say that Will definitely knows there are still items in development that builders have expressed a strong in and everyone can look forward to future releases from BrickArms as the year continues!