blueandwhite

Well, the licenced themes do seem to benefit from better set design. Moreover, the only real creativity that comes into play with LEGO is the creativity infused when MOCing. Following instructions to build a pre-determined model isn't exactly creative to begin with. Licenced themes like Star Wars and Batman have featured a veritible wealth of unique and useful bricks. Just because there is a licence or tie-in doesn't mean the line is devoid of creativity. Ultimately, creativity has more to do with the builder than it does with the theme. Its not as if building an Exo Force robot or a KKII castle is somehow more creative than MOCing with Harry Potter or Star Wars sets. It all comes down to how somebody uses their bricks. Do you mean to tell me that somebody that uses their bricks to MOC an existing building or vehicle (like a Astin Martin for example) is somehow less creative than putting together a random fictional vehicle? Personally I feel this line of thinking is absurd. Making a MOC that looks like an accurate representation of something else requires both talent and creativity on the part of the builder. It is something I personally wish I could do better.

PaB simply can't compare to Bricklink when it comes to variety. Heck, in many cases, pricing doesn't really compare either. Bricklink simply offers more bricks for better prices.

Um, Mega Bloks are way cheaper than LEGO in pretty much every jurisdiction, including the US. This isn't exclusive to the UK. Check out Mega Bloks' website. There is no way that LEGO will ever match those prices.

Yes, yes. Artificial was a poor choice of word. What I meant was that US pricing seems to be the anomaly, rather than the norm. Despite a struggling economy, and a US dollar that has suffered in the face of other world currencies (noticeably the EURO), US pricing has remained relatively low. Of course, none of this changes the fact that taxes probably should be omitted when comparing LEGO prices. At the very least, if we are comparing prices, taxes should be considered on all products or none.

Regardless, tax should not be a consideration when comparing prices. They have nothing to do with LEGO themselves. the fact that the VAT is included in UK pricing doesn't change the fact that is a tax. In Ontario, we pay 14% (used to be 15%), and there are a number of other regions with high taxes which are not included in the price. Consider that the new X-Wing (the Y-Wing is

Try this one This guy was only available in the Monster Studios set, 1381. Generally, considering its relative obscurity, its pretty easy to pick this one up for good and cheap. If your into castle, and you don't have any of these, I would recommend picking up a few while they are still around at a good price. Later.

From what I understand, these parts are also from the LEGOLAND parks. They were never intended for any specific set, and may have been used in one of the LEGOLAND models. It also means certain sellers have an abundance of seemingly rare parts. Alot of these are also marked up significantly due to their relative rarity, and the difficulty one must go through to obtain them.

For the most part, Bricklink offers better value than actual sets. Its only when one is looking for sought after parts (usually minifigs or older bricks) that the prices skyrocket. Any desireable minifig goes for around $5.00+! Some are marked well above $50. Its the basic bricks that can be had at a bargain if you shop carefully. Trying to pick up an original Princess Leia can be a costly affair. Picking up a few hinges or jumper plates generally isn't. A few tips though. Don't place a large order with a store you don't know or trust. Like ebay, even Bricklink is prone to some level of fraud. Losing a few dollars can be a disappointment, but losing $100+ would be a nightmare. Look at the seller's profile, and read his or her feedback/comments. Bricklink is incredible if you shop smart. I would say that the savy builder can amass a large collection of USEFUL bricks for a fraction of what it would cost via set purchases. Bricklink allows you to buy what you need, and discard what you don't. Later.

I'm actually not a big fan of the blue legs either. They don't match well with the dirty and whethered tunic of your peasant. I do like this tunic (I have several of them), however one must have variety when populating their medieval village (even if the wardrobe is less than ideal). An army of these guys is probably going to be overkill. Personally, I find that a number of the Star Wars torsos are sufficiently non-discript, making them ideal peasant torsos. The same can be said of the Dolby torso and a few others. While they may not be perfect, they certainly get the job done. And I don't think that Star Wars torsos are any better for Arabs. The same inaccuracies are present, but again the Jedi robes are so generic that they can be used for a wide variety of figs.

While I can't say that I have scratch-built anything from 100% bricklink parts, I do use bricklink extensively. In fact, it is my primary source of bricks in recent years (owing to bley of course). Bricklink offers a wealth of choice that the primary market can't possibly match. Yes, buying sets can be fun, but collecting the bricks you absolutely need for your next MOC can be just as exciting. Bricklink for LIFE *wub* !!

As it should be X-D . Allthough I never responded to this when first posted, I feel abliged to do so now as my next major castle MOC just happens to be a concentric castle. I think alot of people have continued to overlook the obvious benefits of a concentric design; the most significant being that it is not terrain-specific. A castle on a hill is a wonderful thing... if you have a hill. A concentric castle is a wonderful thing everywhere else. As for cannons... well, they don't really have much to do with a medieval fortress that predates them by several hundred years. I'm not sure that a fantasy castle would fair any better when faced with cannon fire (saving for some sort of fantastical plot device). As a medieval castle, Ulmaris works well. It has a nice shape, and is nicely built. It might not be everybody's cup of tea, but it doesn't make it any less imposing. For me, this is a castle I never get tired of looking at. Later.

No freebies :-P ! Well, right now I'm probably going to do alot of my collecting for this line via bricklink. Furthermore, figs that I don't want are still better off being sold. I'm not rich, so charity isn't in the cards when it comes to minifigs. I won't have any undead skeleton army in my house, but I know that I probably can fetch a good trade at Classic-Castle when these guys it the shelves.

I'm sorry to see the Viking line go, but my interests lie elsewhere. Fortunately, LEGO has produced castle-themed products for the better part of 25 years. Even though I've had to suffer a few down periods KKII, Fright Knights, Royal Knights etc..., I always look forward to the next castle line. If Vikings have to go, I'll survive so long as castle is still going. Later.

Honestly, this year's castle suffers from many of the same flaws that made many of the more recent sets so lackluster. Once again, in an attempt to make a set look bigger than it really is, LEGO's designers have again given us a set that features cheesy towers made out of columns and arches, rather than a smaller, more coherent design. To make the castle as tall as possible, arched facades are piled on top of each other giving us a flimsy-looking back portion that looks as if it was thrown together by a young child. Yet again, the front drawbridge features a sliding gate without a proper gatehouse (for a real gatehouse see 6080, 6085, 6086 or even 6090). In otherwords, this castle lacks the substance that made the 80s and early 90s sets so great. Ogel's castle fairs even worse, looking like something from Alpha team, rather than a castle (even a magical one). The skull drawbridge gimmick will undoubtedly appeal to a younger crowd, but it certainly doesn't appeal to me. This is another big knock on this line for some fans. While fans of zombies and monsters are surely thrilled with a skeleton faction, for many of us these guys are purely throw-away. Unfortunately, to collect the good guys, we are forced to collect the bad guys as well. This was something that didn't happen with classic castle. Most sets featured predominantly one faction. The biggest difference of course was that the 80's castles were modular. This was great because designers weren't forced to make the castles too big. If you wanted to increase the size of your castle, you needed to collect a variety of smaller sets that literally "plugged into" the castle. By making everything modular, the designs could be kept relatively coherent. The big empty towers we've come to expect today simply didn't exist. Its something as an AFOL that I will always miss. In short, this new line has some nice minifigs, but its no classic-castle.

Well, for me its something like this: Favorite Castle: Jacob c's El Katar takes top spot. Favorite mid-sized MOC: Stuifzand's Brickerlo Inn is my favorite mid-sized MOC. Perfect detailing. Favorite small MOC: Marakoeschtra's minifigs and furniture take this category by a large margin. Great furniture and minifig designs make Marakoeschtra one of the best builder's out there. This year's stuff was great! Best MOC (other): This trainstation is probably the best MOC I've seen in the past few years. Incredible size does not compromise the amazing detailing found here. Absolutely mind-boggling! Great year Lookin forward to 2007.

While a brick built hull is something I also prefer, I do appreciate that it requires ALOT of bricks to implement. Very few fans (even AFOLs) have the resources to build a truly large ship. Still, its nice to see somebody make the attempt. For me, this MOC is a solid effort with some nice detailing. Sure, the proportions are a bit off, but its really not that bad. And honestly, how often do you see a MOC with 64 guns?

I suppose they made another one because it has been three years since the last one is released, and LEGO (as far as I remember) is still a children's toy. Chances are there are alot of kids who were simply too young for the first two releases. I mean, is it any different than the 3 X-Wings or Slave 1s we've had? Fact is, when mom or dad goes shopping this christmas, a Harry Potter castle probably stands a good chance of being on junior's list. Sometimes AFOLs have to see this from a child's POV. You may already have a Harry Potter castle (or two) if it suits you, but alot of kids undoubtedly do not. Of all things Harry Potter, another castle makes more sense than anything else.

Wow! People are harsh when the MOCer isn't posting here to defend himself. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I've seen such harsh criticism of a MOC. I mean, why is it that when a member posts his or her MOC, nobody rips into them, but when a MOC is randomly pulled from brickshelf people lay it on the bulder as if there is no tomorrow?

Goes to show you how far LEGO still has to come if they want to get back the glory days when it comes to the castle line. This year's sets don't even come close. They may have more bricks, but they don't look nearly as clean or well thought out. This year's castle looks ok, but it is light years behind the BM's Castle. One of my favorites, perhaps second only to 6074 (BF Mountain Fortress).

Actually, I suspect that the Toy Fair pictures are a better indicator. The box photos are obviously very early prototypes. For one thing, the barding on the original box pics features the old KKII print, whereas the print at the Toy Fair features the new heraldry (the crown). Furthermore, the boxes feature old prints for the skeleton heads, whereas the Toy Fair shots feature a new print with red eyes. Remember that there are in fact two distinct bardings shown at the Toy Fair, and that the chaffron (horse's head protection) was featured in both dark blue and gold. It is just as possible that the final product is a combination of the early dealer catalogue shots. As for the printed armour... NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I may not be happy about it, and I may be an incurable purist, but I will be collecting this faction. I am simply disappointed by the limitations these prints place on the brick. I have every intention of grabbing about 30 of these Crown minifigs, breastplate printing or not.

Honestly, I like the larger 6-8 wide trucks. They seem to be more in proportion to the typical minifig. The problem of course, is that the roadways haven't increased in size. What we really need are 48x48 baseplates with wider roadways to accomodate these larger vehicles. The old 32x32 plates simply don't fit with the vehicles LEGO is giving us.

So far, 2007 is shaping up to be a solid year. The Star Wars sets are about par for the course (the MTT does look amazing though) with a few re-designs. Not extrodinary, but not too shabby either. I guess I've become accustomed to high-quality when it comes to the Star Wars line. The Mars Mission stuff looks pretty bland. I remember when this was called Mission to Mars, and I didn't like it then either. Easily the biggest disappointment of the bunch. I can't say much about Exo-Force as I haven't really paid close attention to the line in the past. It really doesn't interest me. The Creator stuff, on the other hand, is pure love *wub* . The new house is amazing! Great colour choices, and an excellent assortment of bricks make that one a sure winner. The Creator Truck also looks great. While its no Black Cat (what is?), it certainly looks nice. Definitely alot of building potential with that one. In the past few years, Creator has easily become my favorite of the LEGO lines, offering what IMO, is the purest out-of-the-box building experience in LEGO's history. Once again, the City line doesn't disappoint with a great set of vehicles and the return of LEGO ships. Again, City continues to be a step ahead of most other LEGO lines with great models, and a fantastic assortment of parts. A few blemishes like the one-piece freight containers or dumper don't really dimminish the quality of this line. The Castle line is also decent, seeing a marked improvement from 2006 to 2007. Finally, we see the return of conventional castle minifigs, rather than the infamous Jellybeans of previous years. The classic visor has returned, along with popular helmets like the flared and kettle helm. I'm not a fan of the undead, but I'm sure that these will be popular with kids. The castle sets themselves are less appealing. The villian castle looks like a reject from Alpha Team. For me, the only selling point here is the fantastic female minifig (a rarity these days). The main castle is ok, but I still miss the proper gatehouse and towers of a true classic-castle. While this looks better than the previous two years, this line still could do with some improvements. The low-priced sets on the other hand are pure gold. Great for collecting a new faction of minifigs to inhabit one's castle. All in all, this is looking to be a very good year for LEGO fans. Great new sets that appeal to a variety of interests seem to be the norm. I can already hear wallets crying.

Indeed. I kind of wish that LEGO would figure out that alot of fans DON'T want heraldry on their minifig's breastplates because it limits the usefulness of the brick. I was hoping to arm some of my Lion. Black Monarch and BFs with this silver armour. Kind of useless to do so now. Also, if the armour is silver-finished rather than a silver coloured plastic, brasso will probably remove the finish as well (doesn't really matter to me as I refuse to brasso any LEGO bricks anyways).