Tacitus

This is pretty disappointing, but I have to say that I am not really surprised. The lack of new sets on display at Comic-con for Pirates and the lack of new, unique minifigures in the Pirate Advent calendar were both signs that the Pirates were being faded out. I agree that the POTC license is likely the reason for the change. Especially since LEGO and Disney have a partnership over Toy Story and Prince of Persia, which is now an acquired Disney property. Now, with that in mind, since Disney has also acquired Marvel in an effort to expand there boy lines, we may also see Marvel superhero sets in the future. Something to think about, at least.

I like this. But when I look at it, I see it as a forced perspective on a giant tree that towers over a desert filled with Egyptian Pyramids.

I'd have to agree with the designer. This is one of the coolest figures they've done, although, as with any Bionicle, the back is much too plain.

Love the simplicity!

I agree with your review. There is really nothing special about this set. It is a total let down.

The level of MODing I do depends on the model. It can be something as simple as making the Rogue Shadow fit two people, or something more involved, like expanding the Medieval Village houses to make them bigger, and, in the case of the Inn, adding a door. Very few LEGO models can go without a little MODing here and there- especially when they have only three sides, or lack stairs to upper levels.

I don't think it is that bad. He does look sort of goofy with the large head, but he doesn't look anymore silly than the little rock monsters. I think that the Crystal King would also work well transplanted into the castle line as a monster lurking in the dwarven mine.

This is really an odd looking ship, but I like it! Tacitus

Thanks for the tour! I'll have to come in for a drink. Tacitus

Great review! I'm not at all a train-guy, but this review makes it very tempting. It is a gorgeous engine. Tacitus

Islands! Lots of islands!

Hey guys, For what it is worth, you can actually find large blue plates for sale. They come in a pack with two large greens, and one x-large grey. They are mostly sold through educational store outlets. I found them via Amazon.com in the US. Here is a link to one of the stores, "Wizards of Math," that sells the baseplates through the Amazon.com marketplace. Wizards of Math store front I think this store was the sets for $26, but others on Amazon have them for more. Hope this helps. Tacitus

Man, that looks really good! But, wow, I don't think I've seen so many pink bricks. Wow! It almost hurts the eyes I can't wait to see the finished product. And, I agree with another post, the crane was a nice touch. Tacitus.

I was waiting for it. It took longer than I expected, but I had a feeling it was coming. EX 20:4 refers to idols, which are objects of worship, or occasionally fabricated American pop singers. I would argue that this LEGO piece is not meant for worship. Of course, we could argue about the line between image, idol, symbol, and depiction...but I do not wish to try Bonaparte's nerves here. Anyhoo... Still, I think it is a fantastic MOC -even though I still cringe at the arms- and I would put it up there with the Brick Testament's work. As a side note about Mary's blue cloth, I've noticed that in many Renaissance pieces, she is shown wearing red while she is holding the infant Jesus. My understanding was that the red was meant to foreshadow the death of Jesus.

Nicely done, though I really want to dust off that desk. Tacitus

It hurts just to look at the dislocated LEGO arms.

So, on April 7th, I put in a $40 order for PAB, including the $1 clawdette wig, thinking that the high prices were just part of the typical inflation that's been going on. So, yeah, I sucked it up and clicked the "check-out" button. In reference to ImperialShadow's posted, I was one of those people without a brain! Then, LEGO made the announcement that was posted here. You can imagine that I was very annoyed. I emailed LEGO today, and explained that I wasn't at all pleased, felt kind of ripped off, etc., and requested a refund for the price reduction difference. Not two hours later, they emailed me back and gave me a near 50% refund, which I really wasn't expecting. So, while the brief price rollercoaster wasn't very fun, LEGO really came through in the end. Their customer service really can be pretty fantastic. Tacitus

I just got this set, and I, too, have to chime in on these points. Why is it that we can get a gorgeous tree, but we can't get a door on the blue house, or a set of stairs and a door for the tan house. Kind of silly. And the way the blue house is designed, you can't add a door without ruining the design aesthetic of the second floor. Sad.

All said and done, it really isn't that bad of a beginning. I completely understand the trepidation of posting a MOC here, so don't worry. I think that the grounds are really nice...the pond area really stands out, as does the wooded area. Actually, I really like the pond area a lot. Probably because of its simplicity in design. I think what you've got to do is create more of a building structure for your blacksmith shop. You've got a great foundation to build upon! Tacitus

I just wanted to chime in and say that you guys have really done an awesome job on your castle modules. Really great stuff here! I wish I had time to participate.

Well done! I look forward to seeing the mini-figure scale version Tacitus

These are really good!

Hey! That's pretty cool. The first thing I thought of was Gears of War.

I'd have to say that a lot of the sets that came out during my dark ages are those I regret not having, like the Ninja sets and the Forestmen's River Crossing. I'm also kind of annoyed that I never got around to buying the second version of Hagrid's Hut. Ah well, they say you never regret the things you buy, only the things you don't. Tacitus.

Hey- I thought exactly the same thing when I saw the Republic Guard helmet, too! Although, I was surprised that the helmet had a painted visor, meaning that LEGO will have to modify the tooling should they ever decide to go Greco-Roman. Tacitus