Algernon

Great stuff. My definite purchases are Gandalf Arrives, Mines of Moria, and the ever-glorious Battle of Helm's Deep. No idea how I'll get the money for them, but crazier things have happened.

I also bought this set after reading this review, and it really is one of the best Space sets we've had in awhile. Great stuff.

This is definitely true for me, too, but that's typically how I judge most LEGO themes. Bricklink is your friend!

If you remember MNOLG, there was a plot thread that involved an entire village getting sick from "infected" sports equipment, which you later discover was contaminated by one of Makuta's servants. So yes, the virus theme is definitely an old, well-established one.

Thanks guys. I blew up the pictures a bit, although some are still quite blurry, you can see it a good deal better now. Nope, all from my imagination. I really wanted to get a sleek, clean look, so I just focused on that aesthetics and came up with an Arwing it seems. I didn't notice it until you pointed it out, but yeah, it really does. XD I'll take some with my digital camera soon. Thanks! The launcher rack is just a glorified display stand, although it looks a bit like a turret. I'm glad you like it! I'll get some better pics up soon.

The CMF figure is basically a Marine from StarCraft. A theme with that kind of vibe would be beyond cool, although it might be a little overly military. Still, it's great to hear that LEGO seems so open to another original Space theme. There's some hope for 2013!

I grew up with Bionicle, but the series lost me by 2006. The sets were just so far gone from what I loved about the 2001 wave that I couldn't even recognize them. 2009 was an improvement, but the story ended shortly after. For me, Bionicle was as its height in 2001, when the mystery was still fresh and the themes hadn't aged so much.

Cute idea! I liked both of these themes, since underground sci-fi themes are so novel. But my vote definitely goes towards Rock Raiders. Like many others, I had difficulty swallowing the extremely bright colors of Power Miners, especially considering the setting. I also though the Rock Raiders minifigs were a hundred times better than the new, cartoony ones. The rock monsters, especially, were way cooler before they shrank into little gremlins. Plus, the Rock Raiders gave us this beauty: http://brickset.com/detail/?Set=4980-1 Rock Raiders FTW.

I don't MOC very often (the last one I built was finished over a year ago) so be gentle. Apologies for the crappy pics, I had to snap them with my phone before heading to work. I'll try to upload some better ones tonight. Presenting the V-44 "War Bird" Heavy Assault Fighter! The V-44 is a heavy strike fighter designed to engage larger, well-armored targets. Usually seen in formation with fleets of large capital ships, the V-44 excels at disabling large enemy vessels while using superior maneuverability to evade any defensive weapon systems. The V-44 is also useful for distracting powerful enemy cruisers and drawing fire away from friendly ships. The fighter's heavy armor plating allows it to venture within firing range of heavy weapon systems and make precision strikes on vulnerable areas of enemy ships, disabling them and allowing the rest of the fleet to move in for the kill. The V-44 "War Bird" is powerful, fast, and well armored, making it a formidable foe on the battlefield. However, it is very expensive to mass-produce, so the design is not often used. The V-44 is usually reserved for larger engagements, where tactical strikes against specific enemy targets are essential for victory. The V-44 can operate independently, sporting a full hyperdrive system and computer navigation suites. However, limited space for rations and oxygen supplies means that it cannot venture too far from friendly establishments. The V-44 is equipped with two heavy repeating plasma cannons with barrel extensions (for precision strikes on essential enemy systems), one weaponized behemoth-class mining laser, and two light "wasp" plasma cannon clusters. Such heavy weapons can make the ship difficult to maneuver in an atmosphere, so the V-44 is most often seen in deep-space engagements. As is common with expensive, rarer starfighter designs, V-44 pilots often grow attached to their ships and are prone to customization. The fighters are sometimes used as escorts for diplomatic missions, when politicians seek to intimidate other parties. And now, a close up of the stand: Minifigs: Light infantry trooper. Standard-issue assault rifle and uniform. Deep space repair crewman. An over-sized jetpack allows him to survive comfortably in a vacuum, enabling him to make mid-flight repairs. V-44 "War Bird" pilot. Standard-issue uniform and sidearm. D-4 "Bombardier" class heavy combat droid. Well armored and armed, these tank-like automatons are primarily used in large-scale engagements. Lethal against infantry, lone D-4 units have been known to lay waste to entire battalions of lightly-armored targets. Bombardiers are often outfitted with different equipment depending on what the situation calls for, although their heavy infantry role rarely changes. The units pictured are equipped with dual grenade launchers and dual heavy repeaters, respectively. And there you have it! Comments and criticisms are welcome. I'm always tinkering with the build, so any suggestions regarding construction are encouraged.

Best of luck to you and congratulations on your new job! Real life ought to take priority over the internet.

I like the idea of the castle more than the castle itself. The ghost train, however, looks better than ever!

My thoughts exactly. I like the R2D2 model. I won't be buying it, but I still like it. Clearly a lot of effort went into it... it almost feels like a particularly well-designed MOC.

It is good. Hope to see you in the multiplayer. I'd love to see LEGO attempt to do a Space opera type of theme, in the vein of Mass Effect but with an original LEGO spin. The 90s sets came close to that, but not quite.

Exactly. I don't mind, really. Sometimes I wish Eurobricks didn't spoil the next wave of sets for me every year.

What about collectors who don't MOC much? I usually buy sets to use as display pieces, collect minifigs, and play with. Not to mention how ludicrously overpriced some of the Star Wars sets are. I'd much rather more consistent LEGO Space releases.

Very cool idea for one of my favorite Space sets in recent years. I just might contribute.

LEGO's prices are getting more unjustifiable with every year. I'm absolutely in love with the design of the Fury-class interceptor, but it's priced at $90! It looks like a $50 set to me, and that's only because of the unique minifigures. I don't understand why they hiked the prices when the LotR sets, while expensive, at least had a fair price-to-piece ratio. What gives?

I've already started saving my money. 2012 is going to be one of the most expensive years for LEGO in a looooong time... at least for me.

I don't mind the current banner at all, but I'm always open to an updated version. Fewer Exo-Force minifigures could always help.

I really hope that LEGO's next Space theme is a true space theme, i.e. it's completely set in Space. Alien Conquest was charming enough, but it was all set on Earth. I really want a new capital ship to display next to my Galactic Enforcer, which remains to this day one of my favorite sets of all time. Imagine what they could do with Ice Planet 2...

There really needs to be more LEGO interpretations of this classic show. Looks great! The minifigs are nice, too, although Shaggy looks a little strange to me. I'm particularly fond of how you did the detailing on the sides of the van. Great job!

Depends on what kind of parts they're using. Part of the reason why the price-to-piece ration seems pretty fair for the LotR sets is because most of the parts are small, inexpensive elements. I imagine a 2,000-part UCS set would have to be mostly smaller elements as well. By the way, any word as to when these will be available? I'm already saving my cash.

Wow... that is straight out of Castlevania. Awesome. I might have to actually pick up the MBA sets for once.

Man, the finalized pics are starting to cast some doubt on my initial assessment. I had decided to skip this line in favor of some of the other themes coming out this year, but I can't deny the little boy inside of me that wants all of these superheroes. My favorite is undoubtedly the Quinjet Aerial Battle, since I like the design of the vehicle. Seems fairly movie-accurate, and it includes all my favorite heroes. So pricey though...

I do like the look of the new skin quite a bit. If I might make a suggestion for future updates: I think a "white" colored skin using the same basic design could work a little better, since LEGO doesn't really remind me of dark coloration as much as clean, soft colors. Mind you, this isn't bad, but I think a simple color palette swap could make it even better.