Algernon

Wow, this is great. The T-16 is actually one of my favorite models - I used to have the official version back in 2002, I believe. You really pulled off the feel of the design, which is a feat considering how unusual some of those angles are. Great work.

The Earth Dragon is really good but I'm not really feeling any of the other sets. I think the dragon is $35 because of the large batch of new parts it has, not totally sure if it's worth it.

These don't look too bad, but the Witch Doctor is an obvious standout. I don't fully understand it but I know it looks awesome. The villains in general look pretty good, actually.

Thirded. I can get a Tripod, UFO Abduction, and Earth Defender for the same price as the mothership. I'm not sure how the part count works out but that sure seems like a better value to me. I'm not one to buy multiples, though, so I might cave and get the mothership anyway.

Awesome. I don't have time look through them all but I'll write out some updated impressions: Earth Defense HQ: It's a neat set, no doubt. It looks heavily armored and very "complete", which are both very good things in my book. It has a "kid-ish" vibe to it though, so I'm not sure I'll pick it up due to the price tag ($89.99, which is actually better than I expected, but still too much for me). Alien Mothership: The biggest selling point here is definitely the sheer size of the vessel. But I'm still not crazy about the design. I see what they were going for but I don't feel like they pulled it off too well. And $59.99 is way too much, sound brick or not. UFO Abduction: I love this set. The overall shape is just a classic B-movie UFO, and it looks great. Unlike some other people here, the farmer isn't a big selling point for me, but it does kind of anchor the set into a 50's theme. $29.99 is a little steep, considering the part count, but it's not entirely unexpected and I'll definitely be shelling out for it come summer. Jet-Copter Encounter: This just keeps looking better and better. The overall aesthetic of the set looks fantastic and the little UFO ship that splits in two looks just as great. And at $39.99 I don't think I'll be able to resist this little beauty. Tripod Invader: My personal favorite. LEGO really nailed the design of the Tripod. The legs look great, and I don't mind the limited articulation just because of how spot-on the aesthetics are. The only thing that bothers me is the trans-green pod in the back, which clashes with the trans-clear cockpit. But I can get over it, and who knows? The set is still prelim. Alien Defender: A little bare, but not bad for a $9.99 set. I might pick it up just to complete my collection. Alien Striker: Meh, just an obligatory impulse set. Not too exciting. Overall its looking great.

It's just the aesthetics. I think it kind of distracts from the flow of the design. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's a pet peeve.

That's pretty big indeed, but I still go by piece count exclusively. It seems like the fairest way to determine value. You can spread 400 large parts across a surface and make it look like a larger pile, but that doesn't make it a better buy. It also doesn't help that, in my opinion at least, the mothership is the theme's weakest addition. As many have pointed out, it's really empty looking, and the big handle on the back is extremely distracting. Even worse, it only has TWO minifigures. Granted, they're both exclusive, but it just makes the overall package look very small considering the price you're paying. You don't even get any smaller Earth Defense figures to fend off the huge mothership (and add play value), which is commonplace these days. That's not to say it's a bad set - it's hard not to enjoy the Independence Day vibe - but the theme has much more to offer in my opinion. And being on a budget, there's no way I'm shelling out $60 for that. I'd rather get three Tripods.

...whoa, actually, you're right. So we DO get two different fighters with the Jet-Copter encounter! That's actually really neat, I will probably be picking that one up (even if I'm a black sheep for viewing that set as a standout). One set I'm not liking so much anymore is the mothership. The large ugly handle on the back of the cockpit is a huge turn-off for me.

I'm not sure what that is but it's pretty cool. The Jet-Copter encounter is looking really nice, I might actually like it a good deal better than the Earth Defense HQ. It's sleek and well designed. The smaller human 4-wheeler also looks nice- I think the humans are starting to look a LOT better than they did in the prelim photos we saw. I REALLY like the Alien Abduction set. At first I was lukewarm, but seeing it in real life sealed the deal. It's got a great design and I'm still dying to know how that abduction function works. The tripod looks absolutely amazing and I can not WAIT to buy it. It looks a lot better here than it does on the box. Just beautiful. I kind of wish the smallest "impulse" set was more attractive, but at least it includes two minifigures. Good army-builder if nothing else. All in all, there are at least 3 must-haves for me and the rest of the theme looks extremely solid. This theme might become my new favorite.

Yeah, exactly. Light-up parts tend to result in huge, <insert that tiresome argument> pieces or minifigures that can't be taken apart. Much better this way. (Also, I think if the aliens lit up, we would have seen some kind of advertisement for it by now, either on the boxes or at the toy fair demonstrations)

I think Orient Expedition in general was the best subtheme, but if I had to get more specific I'd say I enjoyed Mount Everest the most. Really nice figs and I just like the concept. I don't mind the Dino Island sets as much as everyone else seems to, but Orient Expedition is definitely the epitome of the theme for me.

Yeah, unfortunately you're right. I'm not getting MIB vibes from anything in this theme. It's a shame, really, and kind of surprising since it would have been a pretty logical plot element. Still, I'm not displeased with the human faction we have. I imagine it's more appealing to kids, anyway. And... What?

Nothing childish about enjoying such an increasingly popular new theme! There really is a lot to love here. My budget will prevent me from picking up too many of these, but we'll see. I've always enjoyed B movie cheese and these sets are incredibly buy-able. That's the mothership. I agree, nothing too exciting about that, but it works. The UFO Abduction set we're talking about hasn't really been seen in detail yet.

I really like the windmill village set, and I'm not even a Castle fan.

Unfortunately, examining the box art of the UFO Abduction set doesn't yield many clues as to how the abduction function works... I imagine its something fairly simple, since the UFO isn't terribly large, but I do notice it's slightly taller than average (possibly to make room for the abduction mechanism?). The more I see this theme, the more I like it. Just about every set I've gotten a decent look at is awesome, even the smaller "throwaway" models look worth picking up. I can't remember the last time LEGO Space has gotten a theme with such consistent quality. I can see why the mothership is somewhat more hit-or-miss but frankly I'd pick it up just for the alien Emperor- he looks awesome. Same for the Earth Defense HQ, the Alien cyborg has got to be the coolest minifig LEGO's come up with in years. The UFO Abduction and Tripod are definitely the standouts though. They look to be reasonably priced yet incredibly fun models. I'd like to get a better look at the jet-copter encounter. From I can tell from the box art, it includes TWO small UFO fighters. That's new.

I think LEGO was going for a "classic" feel with the baby-blue color scheme, and I agree, its less obnoxious now that we're seeing it in use. The Earth Defense HQ looks extremely bulky but it seems like it could potentially have an awesome interior, which would be great- LEGO's been skimping on those. I'm liking this theme more and more and I will buy whatever set I have to to get that alien cyborg... that's seriously the coolest minifig I've seen since the original UFO line. I guess the mothership is a little sparse now that I look at it, but I still don't dislike the design. It all comes down to price, as usual.

Wow, looking nice. I know a lot of people aren't fond of those two sets but I think they look great. The minifigs in particular are looking awesome.

I don't collect trains, but that is a very attractive set.

These look amazing... that ship is absolutely stunning. I've always wanted to get a pirate ship but I never have... I might have to make an exception for that beauty.

This is just cool. I would have been more interested in the Atlantis line if there had been more sub designs like this. Great work.

Picked up the biplane and motorcycle sets the other day; have to say that I was quite pleased with them. The mummies are great and the dark red parts are fantastic. Nice construction too, particularly on that biplane. This is definitely a nice fill for the Indiana Jones/Adventurers niche, even though it's a little offbeat- although that almost just makes it more endearing. Definitely recommend the biplane set for those of you who are still deciding!

Goodbye Space Police. You will be missed. But I am perfectly okay with your replacement.

I don't think I've ever had a problem with that. LEGO's always been a decent manufacturer.

These prices make sense to me too. Its usually about the same for every new theme. Which is great, because that means the Tripod set is only $19.99. As much as I like the Earth Defense HQ I don't think it really justifies a $99.99 price tag, yet that seems likely.

Yeah, that didn't really come out the way it sounded in my head. Sorry.