blueandwhite

Honestly, you can be a great builder without alot of bricks, but having a large quantity of bricks doesn't automatically make you a great builder. I've seen some amazing MOCs built from a very small portion of bricks. Conversely, there are some positively huge MOCs that lack real punch, simply because the builder has not used his or her bricks effectively. Quantity and diversity certainly give a builder more options, but only where the builder is talented enough to make good use of them.

Isn't this getting a bit too political? I mean, is it appropriate to be debating the merits of high/low taxation on a LEGO forum?

Well, it definitely looks like a wing of the castle has been chopped off in this photo (to the right). I'm not jumping to conclusions just yet. Still, it does seem odd that there is only one set this year, given the upcoming release of the film. As a parts pack, this castle looks pretty decent. I'm still curious as to what the other wing of the castle looks like (assuming there is one).

I'm not sure if I understand what you mean by "build to impress". MOCing is fun on a personal level. The fact that others may take enjoyment out of viewing your work is simply icing. And, as you've said, everyone has a personal style. Some people prefer MOCs that elude a set-like quality, whereas others prefer larger MOCs. There is no "correct" way to MOC. I'm just uncertain as to what "building to impress" means. Perhaps you could elaborate on this?

Kind of odd really. Its this set with some pirate figs and accessories thrown in for the heck of it. You've gotta hand it to these knock-offs for being different.

I'm not sure if that is strictly true, as the term morningstar has also been used to describe a spiked flail (see also the term "holy water sprinkler"). I'm not sure, but I believe the term "morningstar" describes the head of the weapon rather than the weapon itself. This spiked head is seen both on both flails and maces. Still, flail is probably a better term to describe the new weapon LEGO is producing.

Kikuichimonji, thank you for bringing some reason to the subject. There are great builders all around the globe. To make such chauvinistic generalizations about builders of any region does nobody justice. LEGO shouldn't be competitive, nor should we be making sweeping statements about the work of others. If you appreciate a certain builder (or group of builders), that's wonderful. Still, it is only an opinion. I have seen too many wonderful MOCs from a wide variety of regions to take this thread seriously. Again, thank you Kikuichimonji. You have summed up nicely my thoughts and opinions on this rather silly debate.

Buckets are ok, but the bricks tend to be a bit basic. Conversely, most theme sets are heavily laiden with specialized bricks that you may not find particularly useful. As most people have suggested, the Creator sets provide the best of both worlds and contain an ideal mixture of basic and specialized elements. For building, the Creator sets are second to none. You might also want to wait for this year's sets. There are alot of interesting things in the pipeline at LEGO, including a new Creator house that features alot of tan bricks and black roofing. Good luck, and play well.

Yeah baby! A cheap knight & barding means I won't have to fork over major cash either on bricklink or for one of the larger sets. Now the only fig I will need to grab off of bricklink is the princess/queen fig. Still, this means I will only be buying the smaller sets. Happy day. Later.

Roaring Roadsters. More bricks and a better model make for the ideal purchase. I'm not that keen on the 430, if only because it is so sticker-laiden. The roadster is also much bigger. Of course, the Ferarri has the advantage of coming in two colours, making it ideal for the non-MOCer who is looking for some easy customization. Both sets offer a great assortment of bricks as fantastic prices. Either way, you should be happy. Later.

Another Hogwarts? I'm down with that. Both of the previous sets were quite nice. For castle fans, these potter sets are pure gold with a rich assortment of incredible bricks. I'm not a big fan of Sponge Bob, but last years sets looked decent enough, so I'm sure that these should be ok as well. At the end of the day, LEGO's catalog is far bigger than my wallet, so I'm happy regardless.

I'd say its a healthy mix. Honestly, there are alot of builders on both sides of the pond that I would consider great builders. Conversely, I would hardly say that every European or American builder is a master. I know I'm not (but then again, I'm Canadian). In the end, LEGO is all about having fun. Where you come from has nothing to do with that. Later *yoda* .

I think he was referring to the fact that Canadian prices are far higher than their American counterparts, despite a similar cost and standard of living. Allthough Canadians prices generally aren't as high as European, New Zealand or Australian prices (there are exceptions of course), they are far higher than those found in the US. Honestly, I suspect that LEGO's pricing scheme is far more complex than we realize. It probably takes countless variables into consideration. For example, in North America, clone bricks are extremely common. Higher prices would undoubtedly reduce sales to those competitors. This may not be the case in Europe. Surely there are other factors that are generally unaccounted for by most consumers, because, lets face it, if LEGO could double or triple the price without cutting into its bottom line, they undoubtedly would.

Its a step in the right direction, but it doesn't come close to clasic castle. The minifigs are great (though I'm not keen on the skeletons for which I have absolutely no use), and the castle is definitely better than last year's offering. Still, I miss the smaller, largely brick-built castles of yesteryear. This castle still feels very <insert that tiresome argument> to me, which is a shame. It looks ok, but not great. I mean, what happened to having a real gatehouse? The villian's fort just looks like something leftover from Alpha Team. Its ok, but I know that LEGO can do better. The new Knights are great though.

Honestly, I'm going to end up doing a lot of bartering and trading this year to get rid of those skeletons. I was hoping that one set would be devoid of these guys, but it looks like I'll have to trade them away. It will make collecting those Knights VERY, VERY expensive! I must say, I like the inclusion of a FEMALE minifig more than anything else. Too bad the only thing I want are the minifigs. I really hope this unseen set (probably Toys R Us exclusive or something) is exclusively good guys.

I'm thinking that the second photo actually predates the first. Both look heavily photoshoped, however the second one has some elements that lend me to believe that this picture is still quite early. For example, the suspended Knight is wearing what is obviously a powder-blue kettle helmet, and his torso appears to be one of the Viking prints, rather than the new heraldry we've seen in the previous photograph. The Lion barding is also suspect, considering that the print appears different in the other photo. Afterall, it would only make sense that the barding should match the heraldry of the rider. So while this is likely indicative of the final product, I suspect that this photo is still a prototype. The other photo, with its photoshoped figs, and newer prints is probably a stronger indication of what the final minifigs will look like (and even then, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw further changes with an official catalog scan).

I may be in the minority, but I feel slightly let down by this newer photo. As a fan of castle minifigs, rather than most fantasy fare, I'm kind of disappointed that this set is stuffed full of "Skull Knights" at the expense of more useful generic soldiers. I liked the tendency in older lines to dedicate a large set completely to one faction or another. When you look at 6080, or 6086, both of those castles were populated with large numbers of defenders. Sadly, this isn't the case here. More irksome is the changes made to the barding. The earlier photo had a barding that matched with the new faction symbols, whereas this photo indicates that the barding will use an earlier print. Perhaps this photo is an earlier mock-up for dealer catalogs. Still, if this does turn out to be the final design for the horse's barding, I will be more than a bit disappointed, as we've already seen this design with KKII, year 1. I want the design shown in the previous photo. (on closer inspection, this photo does appear to be an early design shot. The soldiers look to have Viking torsos, and the suspended Knight actually looks to be wearing a baby-blue kettle helm)

No thanks. I like the Transformers franchise, but I really don't want too many licences clogging up the LEGO product line. I mean, Star Wars is a total cash cow, so I can understand the longevity of that licence, but TFs? Again, no thanks.

As others have said, the idea of event-based themes makes me a tad uncomfortable. No previous sets have paid close attention to historical events or actual persons, and I don't see why this should change. I have no problem with modern firearms, or similar pieces, but the idea of making a theme that is directly tied to any single historical happening seems out of place. Simply because LEGO opted to include weapons with recent Star Wars sets and Batman doesn't mean that we need sets that are directly connected to a psecific historical event.

LEGO 4+. Even the Junior stuff beats out all the pre-fab competitors. Sure, the Playmobile sets look nice, and are of decent quality, but what can you do with them? LEGO still has more play-options than any other toy on the market. The <insert that tiresome argument> 4+ is a great way to get younger kids into LEGO, and that is NEVER a bad thing.

Actually, this kind of bothers me. The breastplates worn by the heroic Knights (I don't know their names) in year 3 have prints that are indicitive of an arming doublet; a garment worn UNDER plate armour. The print itself is quite nice, but it seems kind of silly to place it on the armour, rather than on the minifig itself.

Wonderful stuff. These days, I feel as if my old age is truly catching up with me. I'm seeing so many amazing MOCs that I can't possibly keep up with the new and ever-improving talent that keeps popping up. Your building style is impressive as it preserves a set-like aesthetic that I can never quite manage in my MOCs. the designs are clean, and well thought-out. In fact, I find it very difficult to put forward a legitimate criticism of any of your MOCs. While your MOCs might not be at the level of some of the very best masters (IMO), they are certainly something to aspire to. And, as others have said, I think you've got a real shot in this contest. Your MOCs are near the top in every category you've entered. Again, congratulations on some fantastic work *yoda* . Later.

Kettle helm. The flared and "non"-flared helmets are quite nice, but are far too common. For me, the Kettle helm stands out for its distinct shape and design. It works nicely with a variety of factions, and adds a little variety to any army. I would love to see this one in black, as I feel it would fit in well with my BFs.

Canadian prices? Are these actual Canadian prices, or a rough conversion from the original list price in another country? Remember, right now Canada has about the worst LEGO pricing in the world, so if these are actually converted from a foreign price, the true Canadian price could be disasterous. As is, Crossbow attack seems quite expensive, and King's Castle Seige is going to be a tough set to buy if it costs more than that.

Well, going by those names, it looks as if Crossbow Attack will be a decent way to beef up one's supply of Kettle helms. I just hope that we get a decent quantity of minifigs to go with these sets. Crossbow Attack looks like it probably only includes a single soldier. I suspect that the Catapult will probably be similar, with one or two figs. I'm liking the minifigs, but I am concerned that getting alot of these guys will be extremely pricey! I hope that the Final Joust (if it is a set) is an army builder. At this point, I would really like a new faction to freshen up my MOCs, but this line looks to expensive for minifig collecting.