Flieger

Right. That is why I won't get the pitchforks and torches until I see the sets. Even if I dislike the sets, the parts, moulds and prints could be worth it.

Sure. But we see Lego making strange decisions on new moulds all the time. The Inquisitor from Star Wars Rebels got its flight helmet, which could be seen for a few seconds at max. The Mouth is almost prominently featured compared to that... And when was the last time we got a new mould in Castle? Most of the helmet and armour moulds of the 2013 line were available in my childhood, too. Compared to the wealth of moulds other lines are getting, Castle (and LotR) seem a bit undersupplied.

Wouldn't it make sense to have a thread specifically on theTFA sets? So everyone can avoid or enjoy spoilers as he/she pleases, and discussions would be more focussed.

I am not sure if it is really the lack of new kid-friendly, positive, and romanticizing films and series about the middle ages. Even when I was young and very much into Lego Castle (early-mid 90ies) there was barely any such film made. The First Knight is about the only one I can think of. I mostly got my fascination for knights from books and old films like Ivanhoe and Prince Valiant. Sure the attitude towards the middle ages in films and TV has changed, but I guess it is more important that the kids and their interests have changed. Perhaps these changes are related, though, just not that much. I think - and this may be controversial - the rampant PC and postmodern cynicism has also got something to do with it. Back then, Lego could do CRUSADERS and nobody blinked an eye. These times are gone, which may not be the worst anyway... However I am more annoyed by the cynicism to onedimensionally paint medieval knights as predatory, pretentious warlords, little better than robbers, also as warmongering religious fanatics. Just as an all too romantic view is wrong, this is wrong too. Lastly, I suspects knights have largely been replaced by superheroes, at least in my country where superheroes only became this huge think in the last two decades. I mean... bright colours, flashy symbols, and individuals identified by them. This could be said about knights as well as about superheroes.

No, that'd never happen - it may make sense from a fan perspective but for Lego it'd be financial suicide. Releasing all those rare figures for a $20-and-under pricepoint would be insane. Key example from the first wave: putting a Jedi Luke and a Vader in the constraction kits would give most people no reason to purchase the Final Duel, losing Lego tons of money. If we wanted to get minifigures in the Constraction kits, the Constraction characters would have to be limited to only characters that have been done to death and are readily available in small sets. In case of Vader and Luke this might be correct. However Cody is not available in any set at all, much less a high-priced set. If anything, Lego could make money, because people who would not buy the constraction figure will buy it for the Cody minifig. Grivous is available in a low-priced set.

The Ewok Village is an unfair comparision since it is a much larger set, and a lot more expensive. I agree with you that a UCS set like the Ewok Village would be better suited to do the Lonely Mountain justice, though. The main draw of this set is the Dragon anyway, that is why it is so expensive compared to the piece count. However I like the minifigs (the dwarves in regal armour) and the many sand green pieces.

Good point. I really dislike the idea that a medieval world, or a fantasy world inspired by the middle ages, must consist of browns and greys only. GoT, as much as I like the show, is one of the worst offenders in that regard. Sure, some colours were hard to make in pre-modern times, and the average peasant may not have had many dyed cloths, but the knights and nobles generally wore bright colours. So I am absolutely in favour of using a vibrant colour palette. If they mix it with the metallic colours Lego uses increasingly (light/dark pearl grey, gold), they could produce quite amazing results. As long as the knights look more like knights (and not like the KK2 power rangers), I am all for it. See here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Codex_Manesse or here this... Lego could do it! I think the lack of imagination is worse when it comes to sigils. I mean, I am tired of Red/Blue/Green too, but those were popular colours. But why using Lions and Dragons all over again? In the early and mid-90ies (when I was into Lego) I had Falcons, Lions, Dragons, Stags, and Wolves.

The BotFA set was sold out in all of my city, including the Lego store, just after Christmas. I had to order it from the online-shop, because the Lego store assistent could not tell me how many sets they'd get in the future but said something about limited stocks. Not sure if that was post-Christmas related or not. Anyway I would suggest they produced the Hobbit sets in smaller quantities from the beginning, which would also explain why some retailers did not have them. It would also explain why they were gone so early.

I look forward to any new Castle because now that Lego uses metallic colours for the arms more often. That is good for heavily armoured characters. i just hope we get some new moulds. I would die for a two part Gothc Sallet: I actually do not care much what style the next Castle-line will have, as long as the we get some nice new prints and moulds. However, I would prefer some less conventional theme this time. Last Castle was extremely conventional Black/Red Evil-Dragon vs Silver/Blue Good-Lion. At least some new sigils would be nice.

Damn! That was fast. They were only a few days on discount and now they are all gone at Lego's shop (Germany). I remember I wanted to post a message that you should hurry to get a set because they'd retire soon, but I would have never thought it was that soon. What an inglorious ending. The line was not perfect, especially considering what they did not do (army building e.g.), but the builds and minifigs we actually got were very good more often then not. With that premature end I think the minifigs of Thorin's company will make quite some money soon.

If anything this discussion demonstrates how far Lego has come reproducing the details of movie designs on the tiny minifigures. Despite the obvious limitations of the minifigure's basic shape, the moulds and prints can be amazing nowadays. In the end, however, it is not a model. I think a Lego minifig has to capture the feeling of the original. Therefore I have to wait for the movie and the actual set before I can say if the minifig does that. So I am quite relaxed right now.

Indeed, the frowned look with the exaggerated lines of Vader in Rebels would best be done with a new mould, but I know that it is rather unlikely. On the other hand they did a mould for the Inquisitor's flight helmet, which could only be seen for a few seconds... However I'd settle for new printing, especially the red lenses. My list was really just a flawed, quick shot. But as you (and Magma) say, Rebels has so many great characters and vehicles which would make fine Lego sets with a fresh feeling to them. I can imagine the AT-TE would be big fun for all of us: for the designers to pull off, for us afols to build, for kids to play with. I am usually not in the league of the people complaining about reissues, but I think Lego should embrace not only Episode VII as source for new sets. Rebels has its charme too, mostly thanks to McQuarrie.

I hope so. Season 2 is in full swing when the 2015/16 winter waves comes. The opportunities from the trailers and the premiere alone are amazing: TIE Advanced Darth Vader, Pilot, Admiral Konstantine CR90 Corvette Ahsoka, Commander Sato, Hera, Zeb, 2x Rebel Trooper A-Wing Pilot, Droid Lothal Speeder Maketh Tua, Agent Kallus, 2x Stormtroopers Sentinel Class Shuttle Kanan, Ezra, Chopper, Vader, 2x Stormtroopers AT-TE Rex, Wolffe, Gregor, Zeb AT-AT Agent Kallus, 2x Driver, 2x Stormtrooper B-Wing Prototype Hera, that Mon Calamari, Droid ??? the new Inquisitors Just quick ideas. The number of characters and vehicles possible is just great! I really hope Lego provides us at least with a core range of characters and vehicles. I mean they cannot possibly ignore the clones, Ahsoka or Vader, can they? I fear that in the Episode VII mania, Lego may overlook Rebels.

What other argument would you need? If a set sold well in the target group of 10-14 year olds in 2011, it probably will sell in that target group (which did not get the set back then) in 2015 too. Of course I would like to see some fresh ideas, but I see the logic of reissues. And it is not just about kids. A lot of afols do not have decades of Lego collecting experience. That seems to be the true problem here. The AT-AT gets reissued every four years, just like the Naboo Starfighter, yet people don't hate on it as much. I don't think that is fair. PS: I am an afol, I was adult when the PT was released, I like the OT better as films - but I prefer the PT Lego.

Having seen Siege of Lothal, I want a Rebel's style Vader with his TIE Advanced.

I was unhappy with the Force Pikes (see here), so I tried this:

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Thanks for the info! Let's see how these mini models work out. I am not really a fan of mini models coming in polybags, so I am a little sceptical. Issues with minifigs would probably be guaranteed sales... especially if they make a whole line of minifigs that can be collected with the magazine. But it seems they decided for mini models...

I would love the Separatist Council, or any of the Aliens from it. We only got Poggle and Nute Gunray so far. But Wat Tambor, San Hill, or Tikkes would also make fine additions to any Separatist themed set. Also, a Senate themed set could include a lot of Aliens, especially Mas Amedda and Sly Moore.

That depends on what you like (PT or OT, good guys or bad guys etc.). Generally there are battlepacks and microfighters, and a number of smaller builds (usually fighters) like the Jedi Interceptor. I would recommend General Grivous's Wheelbike, it is a nice combination of good looking build, playfeatures, and minifigs.

Strange indeed! However the Fell Beast and the Oliphant could imply some Siege of Gondor theme, especially combined with the Pirate Ship... Perhaps it is really fan-made. There is a lot of stuff we did not get as a set, too.

What's Roman about that helmet?

But that does not make it a bad Lego set, does it? Unless this thread is about what ships, characters etc. we dislike, automatically disliking their Lego sets... Wouldn't it be more sensible to call a set "bad" if the build does not capture the looks of the original, implements useless playfeatures at the expense of the model's accuracy, or lacks playfeatures, or has a bad minifig selection, and so on. The "worst" would then be a set with a combination of that flaws, rather than just a set based on something we think looks ugly. I mean the Sandcrawler is ugly imo, really ugly, but I don't think the recent Crawler is a bad set. I just don't care for it.

What's so bad about it? The minifigs were lackluster (should have been Zagarians!), but what was so bad about the build?

Soooo beautiful. It makes even more sad that we never got a Theed Palace set for this fantastic minifig. (Since I cannot build such a great MOC).