Faefrost

Nah. I think Oxford is one of the older clone brands.

I can understand why they didn't do more Corsairs. The one we got was essentially an Easter egg Peter Jackson fig. For play value they really needed the key three ARagorn, Gimli and Legolas more. They probably blew the newe minifig/ set budget with the dead. Plus the Corsairs really only appear in the extended version / deleted scenes. Finally if you want a full Corsair crew an acceptable version can be cobbled together using PoP Hassasim and PotC figs.

I know I am going to get my head bit for suggesting this, but I would almost prefer a Clone Wars version of a UCS Venator. If they are going to make a nice big detailed version of the ship, I would want one where the upper hanger bay opens to reveal the interior.

I would love to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where some one suggests Judge Dredd. Just to see the look on the Lego people's faces. I mean I love JD. I would love to see some real Dredd Minifigs. But I think it would hit the Lego review committee like a death metal band interviewing for a job at the local public library.

I think it was a scout and a soldier. I'm not quite certain on that. One of the baddies might have had the black samurai helm.

Oh I almost forgot to mention. I was at the Lego store tonight and I saw a new Ninjago set. Or at least one that I had never seen before. It was a carded Ninjago Battlepack. ZX versions of Jay and Zane and 2 Stone Warriors with a small weapons stand build for $14.99. Pretty neat. I didn't think to get the set number. Have we seen this or listed it here yet?

I don't think you will get it to scale or 100% of what you see on screen with the LotR ship. Just that the LotR ship will get you closer to an acceptable selectively compressed model that the actual Bounty set will. And the darker colors would work well. The main things being the LotR ship is about the same draft profile as the bounty, but has a full length deck, is a bit wider, and has an actual rear cabin of about the right shape, etc. Not perfect, but a decent enough starting point. An actual full size show accurate bounty would be a labor of love, and would probably be very difficult to pull off. Like many on screen digital designs that look like Lego models, there is a ton of subtle scaling and compression going on that just can't be matched in the brick.

In flipping through all the toy fair photos and reveals something hit me. There is a new set releasing that may have some appeal to the more dedicated Ninjago fans. Take a look over at the LotR stuff. 79008 Pirate Ship Ambush. Would that not make a superb starting point to mod up a Dark Bounty? It's already a better Bounty than the one we got. The lines look about right, and it has a cabin.

I don't know that we know that for sure. Remember Lego was originally rigged and planned out for 2 movies, not 3. Jackson added the third at the last minute, and messed up all of the licensed producers release schedules big time. How badly did that hurt sales for the two released elf sets? Not to say what it did for all the Tauriel action figures? To get sets to coincide with that third movie now Lego has to completely rework their production schedule and plans. Either push some planned sets back, and simply release two half sized waves (which we would rant and rave about) or cobble together some new stuff to fluff 2 releases to three, and displace another theme somewhere else in order to free up run time. (Remember Lego plans stuff years out.) I am sure Lego will make a decision on whether to go all in for the last movie based on how the first did in sales. Which by most observations seems erratic. With some sets being top sellers (unexpected gathering) and some being disappointing (riddles for the ring).

I would love to see a nice highly detailed Slave 1. But how much bigger than the standard released versions could you get it? Isn't it somewhat limited by the curves?

To answer the question, yes you can connect two corners. You just get a short block, until you get something else to sit between them.

We can't forget Jerry!

It's not a sudden thing. They have very steadily been stepping up their game since 2009 or so. Just some very spectacular things with lots of little details. Granted there are still a few flubs here and there. (Sadly the Super Hero's sets just don't seem to have the impact that the LR ones, other than really cool figs). But yeah the Lone Ranger sets seem spectacular even by their modern standards. They just capture everything we have been craving. Details, colors, interesting builds in a distinct setting, and truly spectacular minifigs.

I would count where he actor is acting through makeup, but leave off where a totally obscured set or costume makes it unrecognizable. As examples, Warwick Davis is clearly discern able beneath the Griphook makeup. It is his facial expressions and acting that are creating he character. I would say the same with the Ewoks. But for the Wald costume he really is just a body in a suit with face and most acting completely obscured. R2D2 is another good example of completely obscuring the actor.

It will probably be around the same price as the Sith Fury (just speculating on that). It will most likely not have any more interior space than the Fury. Single seat Cockpit and maybe storage/seating for 1 or 2. It will not be anywhere near the size or interior space of the recent Milenium Falcon. They aren't going to release a SWTOR set as the upper end $100+ centerpiece of a SW wave. The TOR stuff tends to be a bit more niche and mid range. Expect lots of selective compression.

The newer long sword is of that softer plastic. I don't think they can effectively chrome it (the chrome splits and flakes off when the underlying plastic flexes.) and they don't seem to make those type pointy parts in the harder plastic anymore. I still think it would be effective if they did the main named swords in that new GITD plastic from Monster Fighters. While not screen accurate for Anduril it would at least differentiate it. And it would be perfect for Sting or Glamdring. The alternative might be to add some print or coloring to the sword? Can they print something that small?

At least what the Ranger wears is technically a uniform. He is the last survivor of a wiped out company of Rangers. (At least classically). So with a bit of head swapping and a few different colored horses you can easily creat a full Ranger company.

Nah! I'll second the vote for pleasantly surprised by the Driller. It's actually turned out to be me favorite of the new Ninjago sets. It feels well balanced and complete, and is astonishingly swoosh able. I wasn't as crazy about the warrior bike. The big rubber band tread doesn't roll well. It has no real detailing of any sort, just a kind of frame with legs, and nothing that even vaguely resembles a cockpit or drivers controls. It captures the Stone Warrior aesthetic nicely but feels incomplete.

The Minifigs are great, probably the best part of the theme. I'm a bit to old to be of the target market for the heavy fantasy vehicle sets. Some I like for neat sub designs and some great parts and colors, but for me they are nothing special. I thought Ninjago, especially the first waves, did a better sense of giving a sense of place and setting. Things like the Fire Temple, Blacksmith shop, shrines and dojo and the Temple of Light. Chima has a bit to much in the way of wheels on everything for my tastes. For a crotchety old AFOL like me the Speedorz are pointless and the game incomprehensible.

You seem to have strange concepts of "illegal"? Is it illegal, no? However it may have issues and repercussions with regard to any merchant deals or contracts the vendor may have with Lego. The BAM offerings are probably a bit more tightly controlled by TLG than the simpler PAB walls. The Minifigs are often restricted because of licensing. So a merchant could not simply get a random bulk load of parts and make their own offering. God forbid they dumped in a load of Star Wars or Super Hero parts. That would bring out the licensing lawyers in droves. So any BAM merchandise would have to be supplied and approved by Lego. For most first tier merchants of Lego, the contracts will forbid them from subdividing, or in any way breaking up the retail product. This isn't unique to Lego. Most vendors do this. A lot of this is quality control. It is more valuable for Lego to insure that every box is intact and problem free, then it is to offer, support and police odder offerings such as BAM stations. Of course this is not an absolute. As an example in Japan much of the role of Lego brand stores has long been contracted out to a third party chain that pretty much offers all of the amenities of the actual Lego owned stores. So really a merchant could ask Lego for a BAM offering, but there really isn't any reason to do so. BAM stations are messy high maintenance loss leaders. Their purpose is as an activity station to attract children into Lego stores. They are a lousy use of real estate and far more of a pain for a larger mass merchant or full service toy store, than they would ever be worth.

Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that some obvious Terry Pratchet fan in the Lego booth set up the Pirate Ship with Gimli using a loaf of "battle bread" as his weapon?

The more I look at this them, the more impressed and in love with it I become. And I'm not a huge western fan. But the figs are so wonderfully detailed, and yet have so many great civilian types. There is an Army building component with the cavalry. The sets themselves are perfectly detailed with some stunning color choices and usage. We've seen sparks of this sort of brilliance in recent licensed themes. Labor of love sets like Helms Deep, unexpected Gathering and such. But I think this really is the first time they have nailed an entire release wave that well. Please Lego, more stuff like this! (Not just the theme, but the level of detail, quality and fun).

I wonder how the points conversion works when you are gaining or spending points in a currency other than your primary?

I'm sure its been asked before, but actual clear glass window inserts for the arched window frames would be a treat. Also an opaque standard door with no windows.

Here's the major difference between Lego and Playmobile, and why Playmobile will keep specific sets available for years whereas Lego it may vary. Playmobile makes playset toys. While you snap some stuff together they are essentially simply playsets. Very very good playsets mind you. Probably the best in the world for shear variety and play value. The pieces of a given set are mainly unique to that set and designed for it. Lego is a construction toy set. (and obviously the best in the world at what they do.) The actual elements of a given set are mainly generic parts assembled according to an included design. With me so far? Basically Playmobile makes cars and castles, Lego makes bricks. But in both cases there are high costs associated with the molds and tooling involved so the companies need to maximize their molds. For Playmobile it is by maximizing the lifespan of the individual sets, as each group of molds mostly makes one set., and hence the shear number of a given set sold. Remember The Molds for the Ambulance set make the Ambulance parts and not too much else, so the more they make the Ambulance, the greater the profit from the investment of making those molds. Whereas Lego makes universal elements. Bricks. Their molds get maximized by using the individual pieces in the maximum number of sets. Their main product isn't simply the plastic parts, but the construction designs for them. They maximize their investment by keeping a steady rotation of new products on the shelf and using their molds to populate a greater number of different sets.