blueandwhite

I was also quite surprised by the short run of the new Pirates line. That being said, I wasn't really expecting Castle to go anywhere. As I understand things Castle has traditionally had a very strong following. Kingdoms may only last one year (I see it being very AFOL influenced much like the Pirates line) however I don't think Castle is going anywhere anytime soon.

On the other hand, there are many fans who talk as if the AFOL population is completely irrelevant. Personally I find it nice to know that LEGO acknowledges that we AFOLs are out there. Honestly when it comes to adult fans, LEGO has really gone the distance. It's good to know that LEGO thinks we AFOLs matter.

Personally, I don't think that the Castle theme is any more or less cliche than any of LEGO's other themes. Town/City certainly has had it's share of police stations, fire stations and airports. Any space theme most certainly will include a space ship or space station and what is a Pirate theme without a ship or island fortress? It almost goes without saying that a theme like Castle will recycle certain popular ideas or concepts as new LEGO fans are brought into the fold. As an AFOL, I find that this challenge is brought against LEGO Castle on a frequent basis yet I'm not really convinced that Castle is any more cliche than any other theme that LEGO has fashioned in the past two decades. I always get the distinct impression that many LEGO fans feel some distain for the Castle theme as it indirectly interferes with LEGO developing a theme that they genuinely want (a Greek or Roman line, or the return of Western for example). The fact that Castle chugs along year after year while different eras in history continue to be ignored must be incredibly frustrating for fans interested in those time periods. For those of us who are dedicated Castle fans, I suspect that LEGO Castle will never get old. Conversely, for some of you who continue to pine for something different, LEGO Castle is probably regarded more as a hindrance than anything else. I'd be very interested to see whether fans who feel that the line is cliche are predominantly fans of Castle or if they have a stronger interest in another, possibly competing theme.

The dark pearl helmet looks stunning. I'm really looking forward to this line. Here's hoping that this isn't a one year thing like last year's Pirates theme.

I quite like the small differences between the two battle packs. The fact that the middle dragon knight comes with a breat plate for example while the lion knights get an extra shield appeals to me as it makes the two sets a bit distinct. Hopefully the prices will be reasonable as I wouldn't mind picking up a few of each variety so long as they aren't too expensive.

I'm a bit discerning when it comes to my purchases. While I do buy the exclusives I want, I find that I don't want all of them (if you know what I'm getting at). Simply put; I don't have the money, time or space to purchase exclusives that don't genuinely appeal to me. I would rather put my LEGO budget towards proper Bricklink purchases instead. I know that there are AFOLs who are flat-out rich so this isn't an issue, but for fiscal mortals like myself discretion has never really been bad thing.

I don't think that LEGO is telling you to cheat per se; I think they are simply being very blunt when it comes to their pricing policies. If you want to get a set at a lower marked price you are going to have to purchase it in a different region. It's that simple. Moreover, it's not as if LEGO is the only product that is priced differently between regions. As far as I can discern, the lion's share of goods and services tend to be cheaper in the US. I'm actually quite surprised that LEGO was so forward about having a friend or family member ship you the product from a cheaper region as most companies would refrain from even making such a suggestion. As you mentioned, the environmental impact of such a purchase is inherently negative. All I can add is that I hope that pricing comes down in your region in the near future. The price gap between most of Europe and the United States isn't nearly as bad as it was a few years ago so perhaps things will change for Finland in the future as well. Heck, prior to this the UK was paying roughly the same as the United States for sets like the Fire Brigade. Perhaps if enough people speak up LEGO will reconsider their pricing in Finland too.

WOW! I've never had experience with that combination before, but it definitely looks like a nightmare in the making. Getting a good grip on the end of the technic pin and the gear seems difficult enough. I'll probably be avoiding this combination in the future.

I find that the 2x2 is actually the worst of the lot. I don't have too much trouble lifting up 1x1 or 1x2 plates, however 2x2 plates stuck on a larger plate or base plate can give even the most dedicated builder nightmares!

It is what it is . These pricing discussions have been done to death. At the end of the day, pricing isn't going to change. Just be thankful that we don't pay what some of our friends in the Sweden or Finland are being asked to pay. On most items we are fortunate to pay the approximate equivalent of what most of Europe pays so it's not like we've been singled out or anything. The US is the exception when it comes to pricing; not the other way around. If you think about it that way you'll probably feel a bit better about the whole thing.

Personally, even if a competitor came along with a product of comprable quality, I wouldn't shift my loyalty away from LEGO. As far as I see it, that's a surefire way to jeopardize the brand that I know and love. I appreciate that there is probably a market for such a product, but I am not a fan of building blocks; I'm a fan of LEGO. Clones have no place in my collection irrespective of their quality. I'll leave the clones to Peppermint M and others .

What an unbelievable game. You've got to hand it to Ryan Miller; he really did everything possible to keep team USA in the hunt. That game had everything you would expect from a gold medal hockey game! Kudos to the Americans for keeping it exciting and playing some of the best hockey of the tournament and horray for team Canada getting it done to give us our 14th gold medal. The Summer Olympics may be bigger, but the Winter Olympics are just good fun.

I disagree. In any sport I want to see the best compete with the best. First; I think you're underrating the Finns who were actually ranked ahead of the US going into the Olympics and second; I have no problem witht he US meeting with Canada or even taking the gold if Miller stands on his head again. I think it's a shame when politics is more important than sport. The fact that the IOC is again talking about eliminating Women's hockey from the Olympics simply because the development of the game in Europe is taking a bit longer than expected is extremely disappointing. The IOC is again going on about how Canada and the US completely dominate the event, but would you really want to see a final where the most talented atheletes didn't make the final? As for Sven Kramer; I don't think there's a person out there who doesn't feel terrible for him. To lose due to a coaching error after such an incredible performance is absolutely heartbreaking. Every Olympics has that one 'feel-bad' story, and this one definitely a biggie.

Well, it's nice to see some of the rarer female figs (all female figs are rare in the world of LEGO) return for people who never had the chance to get them when they were first released. In particular, the Forestwoman is exceedingly expensive on Bricklink. I've never been one to view old figs as collectables so I'm happy to see others get the chance to get thhese guys. It's too bad that the quality will likely be suspect, but it's still better than nothing.

Going by your original measurements, a minifig's wasteline is... 86 inches. That probably doesn't suit everybody's building needs. Moreover, the scale for one type of MOC may not make sense for another. I don't see why people need to conform to the idea that minfigs are human height considering they have giant heads and lobster claws for hands. I'm fortunate enough to build in a theme where scale isn't as significant (Castle) simply because the structures are fairly significant in size. Still, I tend to treat my minifigs as being a bit on the short side (5 ft.). I'm not changing my view to conform to a standard that is anything but universal. Even when you look at the standard display, most MOCs are very inconsistent when it comes to scale. With larger structures like buildings, this often doesn't matter. For smaller creations like vehicles there is still some debate as some folks build 4-8 wide. You may have a preference when it comes to scale, but it will probably never be universally accepted given that LEGO themselves don't follow any single scaling system.

I like the Mexican maraca player the most from series 2. The hat is simply perfect. Still, series 1 appeals to me more simply because it has a greater variety of figs. Series 2 is predominantly town folk with a few other figs thrown in for good measure (the Pharaoh, the Witch, the Vampire and the Hoplite). With series 1 we have a Ninja, Cowboy, an American Indian, a Robinhood look-a-like, an Astronaut and a Caveman; not to mention some wacky bonuses like the Robot, the Zombie and the Crash Test Dummy. Series 2 for me is actually something of a letdown.

I've never heard that it was commonly accepted that minifigs are 6 ft. tall before. I suppose it depends on whether you view minifigs as being exceedingly short or morbidly obese. I think there has been a lot of discussion on what height is appropriate for a minifig, but I don't think there is a definite answer. This is similar to the 6 vs. 8-wide train debate. The proportions of minifigs simply don't allow for an ideal scale. I prefer to treat minifigs as being on the short side, but that's simply a personal preference.

I don't really think that there is a fixed measurement. Personally, I prefer to treat minifigs as being short at around 5ft. It also makes for a very convenient 1:1 ratio where 1 stud is roughly a foot. Given that minifig proportions are so unusual it really doesn't matter what way you choose to measure your MOCs. My issue is that making a minifig 6ft tall results in doors and passageways that seem decidedly too narrow. Ultimately, these measurements are less significant when making a large scale MOC as very few creations are built at 1:1. The difficulty with LEGO minifig proportions is more pronounced when you look at smaller vehicles and structures where the odd shape of the figure always gets in the way. Either the vehicle looks too large, or the figure is too wide to properly be accommodated. Just my feelings on the subject.

pearl grey or LEGO colour 131: silver is the colour that is used on the current fantasy line breatplates, swords and the visored helmets. The comprable effects colours are 297: warm gold and 148: metallic dark grey. On Bricklink and Peeron these colours are referred to as being pearl light and dark grey, and pearl gold. These colours have a metallic quality to them. With the Kingdoms line, the Dragon Knights look as if they have weapons and armour made using metallic dark grey (or pearl dark grey depending on who you're talking to) as opposed to standard dark grey. Look at the kettle helms, weapons and the horse barding for a better idea of what I'm talking about. The parts have a metallic shine to them that isn't visible in a standard dark grey/bley brick.

How would it be luck for these to be delayed? From what I understand they were announced in the Toy Fair catalogue; they just weren't shown on the floor. Given that both series 1 & 2 have a set release date I wouldn't be worried. Moreover at $2 a shot ($3 for Canadians like myself), these guys are cheap making collecting an easy prospect. I expect I'll probably buy 10-20 in a single go and hope for the best. I was actually a bit worried that they would be priced closer to an impulse set because of the collectability factor.

The Men's Moguls finals was great. It was nice to see Canada finally winning a gold medal on our home turf; something we weren't able to accomplish in Calgary or Montreal. I've always preferred the Winter Olympics over the Summer Games simply because there are so many high-speed events (bobsled, luge, skeleton, downhill, etc.). It's amazing how daring these winter atheletes are.

We're all entitled to our opinions; positive or negative. If I like something I'll state it. Conversely, if I dislike something I'll state that too. Personally I quite like what we're getting this year but I appreciate that others are just as entitled to hate it and voice their opinions accordingly.

The City Advent Calender is up! If we're lucky maybe there's a shot of the Castle one too.

That's too bad, but given the photos we've seen from FBTB and others that seems like it's probably the case. Still, it's the first time we've had clear shots of many sets including Harry Potter, some of the Star Wars sets and the Kingdoms line. It's been a very nice Toy Fair thus far.

Probably because Hogwarts costs 2.5x what this does. It's a relatively affordable set with a great set of minifigs. Hogwarts is $129.99 compared to the $49.99 for this one. It's really not comprable.