Clone OPatra

It's my third time in four years reviewing a ship tied into a Star Wars Disney+ show, so I guess that makes it tradition around here... even if I'm pretty late to the party with this one. On paper it's a pretty exciting looking set, being a tie-in to a popular show and with some in-demand minifigures, but as its flaws have been well documented, I thought I'd also take a look at one of the Rebrickable MODs to fix them. Come along for my take on the set as designed by LEGO, and my first experience trying out fan-made MOD instructions. Thanks to LEGO for sending this for review at our request. SET INFORMATION Number: 75399 Name: Rebel U-Wing Starfighter Theme: Star Wars Released: 2025 Part Count: 594 Minifigures: 4 Set Price (RRP): 69,99 EUR / 59.99 GBP / 109.99 AUD / 69.99 USD / 89.99 CAD Links: Brickset Bricklink Flickr album BUILD Some sets you build and go "oh cool, I love seeing this bit come together" and some sets you build and go "what the heck am I even building" for the longest time. This one falls in the latter category unfortunately. The bottom grey portion felt almost over-engineered while building it, with so many small parts being packed in but barely any substantial progress being made. Really no aspect of building this was much fun, though that's fine of course. Sometimes you have to slog through to get to the hopefully worthwhile end result, but this one really did feel like a slog. I had forgotten about the stickers and photographed the set from a whole variety of angles without them, but that goes to show that the (thankfully printed) canopy is all the decoration you truly need. Here are a couple of no sticker shots, with more in the album. MINIFIGURES As with many Star Wars sets especially, the minifigures form a major part of the draw. K-2SO making a welcome return (very similar to his first minifigure from 2016), Cassian in an iconic Cassian vest, Dedra Meero, and an ISB Tactical Agent to top it off - we love to see it all. There's very little to improve about these figures. Dedra would be better with dual-moulded legs of course, though at least on my copy the white printing on the legs is pretty decent. I'd have no qualms pointing it out if it was terrible as many have been in the past, but to the naked eye especially, it's almost perfectly where it needs to be. The new hat-hair designed for Dedra also looks great and shows the level of care put into these figures. Though the ISB Tactical Agent has a bland face, that actually works for several characters in the scene. Unfortunately the figure isn't really Heert, the ranking officer who leads the raid on Cassian at the end of Season 2 and who K-2 uses as a shield, because Heert wears black leather boots instead of the white armored boots the regular Tactical Agents wear. It could be Benzi, if you like. No matter what, he's getting absolutely wrecked by K-2. THE U-WING I still remember seeing the first images of the U-Wing before Rogue One came out and thinking they nailed the design for a new ship in the Rebel fleet. There's something about it that just feels right and that it belongs with the stuff designed for the original films. The old LEGO version was well-regarded I think, though I never got it (my LEGO buying was pretty light at the time), but this one certainly looks pretty sleek and swooshable, and is very sturdy, whether or not its proportions are actually any better. I'd say the few stickers help carry the little pops of colour through, and it does look pretty good from all angles. The flight mode looks a lot more awkward. Using balls and sockets to hold the wings in the different positions just like on the 2016 one is still a structurally sound method, but the sockets are less concealed this time around. More than that though, there's just something about the overall shape that feels weird. Maybe that comes straight from the ship in universe, but I really don't care for this mode. The cockpit is frustrating to say the least. This is as far as Cassian can sit up; he's basically lying down and staring up at the sky. What irks me about this most is that the designers think this is fine enough to sell. LEGO designers are pretty great and I don't think it's beyond them to design a ship with a cockpit that can have a figure sitting properly. I think for some reason their internal design guidelines say this is ok, and that's a big shame. K-2SO fares no better, also cursed to stare up while piloting the ship. Just like on the original 2016 U-Wing, there's a little tile on a technic axle to push and pop the cockpit open enough to get a fingernail under the front more easily. I do like the stickered control panel... for the pilot to use with their feet I guess. Good luck! In front of the cockpit there's an ever-so-slightly raised 1x4 section that will shoot off the cleverly embedded spring-loaded shooters. That's a well-done feature, but you have to be careful you don't bump it accidentally. Looking underneath the shooters now, there's a big window on the front. You can't really see anything through it, but... nice that it's there? In Andor Sason 2 the U-Wing is kind of just Cassian's Rebel ride, but in its original appearance in Rogue One, it's very much a troop transport. With that in mind, here's the interior: Um... yeah. It's a 2-wide section and part of it is taken up with a weird stack of a tile on top of two plates sitting on jumpers. Not even a real crate. There's also another stickered console that Cassian can't reach because his head hits the ceiling if you try to sit him up straight. I honestly felt like I must have built this wrong, but did I? Ok, ok, you can remove the crate. And then fit a whole two figures bumping their heads on the ceiling. How did this pass muster design-wise? I could also mention how the doors inaccurately fold down whereas they slid back on the 2016 version just as they do in universe, but honestly the lack of troop space and fact that figures can't even sit up straight bothers me way more. In some ways there are echoes of Ahsoka's T-6 from two years ago, though this one frustrates me more. The T-6 is a massive ship with a big interior space in universe, and LEGO's version holds just a single figure. What's better is that you can kind of write it off as almost a midi-scale set since there's really no fitting figures in the side parts whatsoever. The U-Wing, on the other hand, teases you. Sure, you can fit figures in the troop compartment... but not really. And the pilot can't see where they're going. MOD by RadmiralThrawn Frustrated by the set, I fired up Rebrickable and looked through the free MOD instructions that several users have created. I decided to try out the one from Radmiralthrawn since it seemed like quite a lot of the ship could be left intact. In actuality the instructions take you through the entire build as if you were starting from scratch, but I didn't want to do that, so instead I got the bottom troop section off and essentially pulled it apart as I went along to match the MOD instructions. Ultimately mine might not match Radmiralthrawn's instructions 100%, but the major differences to the official build are there. Look different to you? There are a few external differences but they've very subtle, which is fine because the exterior of LEGO's model looked good to begin with. It still feels just as sturdy as the original build did too. What's that in the photo above? Cassian looking straight out of the cockpit? By golly, so he is! There he is, sitting up straight, and there's now an empty space between the cockpit and the troop area so the pilot can talk to whoever is down there just like in universe. What's more, three whole figures can fit in the lower area and two can even stand up! Wow! LEGO designers, please take notes. The only drawback with this MOD is that K-2SO can't really sit properly in the cockpit so can't be set up to pilot the ship, which is a shame because you want to be able to reenact him piloting sometimes. Some of the other MODs out there do seem to accomplish that, but I'll leave that... for another time. CONCLUSION & RATINGS If it wasn't obvious, I'm quite mixed on this set. It looks good externally and swooshes well, and the minifigures are great to get, but I don't really accept that the compromises were necessary. I don't understand why it's acceptable design to have pilots lying down; they should be designing the sets around having proper cockpit space and not throwing in the figure at the end in coffin position. It honestly would've bugged me big time as a kid too. What's even more unacceptable though is the "troop" area, which is truly baffling design. It's no surprise that they don't show figures in there in any of the official marketing material except one video of a kid playing with the set, where K-2SO has been haphazardly chucked in. The MOD by Radmiralthrawn (among others) shows what can be done with the exact same parts and maintaining what feels like the same amount of durability. If a fan can do it, surely the LEGO designers could've. So how do I rate this set? 9 MINIFIGURES Dedra could've had dual moulded legs or slightly better leg printing, but really this lineup is very good. Sure another figure like Kleya or Melshi would've been great, and it's sad we might never get them, but I won't dock points for that. 6 PIECES Nothing terribly exciting with the pieces, so not what I'd call a parts pack. 6 DESIGN For all my banging on about the cockpit and interior, the overall design of the ship is still pretty good with its looks and features. It just loses a few major points for those issues. 7 PLAYABILITY The major playability of swooshing and going between landed and flight mode are there, plus the good feature for opening the cockpit and the embedded shooters. However, part of the core playability you want out of a troop transport type ship is loading and unloading troops, and it kind of falls down on that front. 8 PRICE I'd say it feels slightly overpriced by 5-10 dollars/euros. Not egregious, in the ballpark, but a smidge higher than it needs to be for its size. 7.2 OVERALL - It's a set that could've been great, but the design choices with the cockpit and troop area really knock it down. Still, the bones are there, and with the help of other fans on Rebrickable, even if you're like me and no good at MODding yourself, you can take this set from so-so to very decent.

I've done a deep dive review of this year's 60470 Explorers' Arctic Polar Express Train. With sales coming up as we head into holidays, now's a great time to check out if it's worth you're while. It's a cool one (pun intended?) I'd say. Check out the review over in the Train Tech forum here.

Thank you and thanks for the correction! I've edited the review. The outfit chosen is still definitely based on the Orient Expedition one in any case. Thanks! My six-year-old just likes stopping and starting the train and doesn't care that much for the scenery at this point, so she'd probably be just as happy with a cargo train. That said, there is still a certain element of cool with this one that you don't get with a real life type train. My four-year-old is mostly interested in putting lots of people on the train and also on the mountain. Kids Thank you! Thank you! Absolutely can confirm this is 100% human written. Maybe I should start putting that somewhere on the reviews...

Let me know what you think of this set and my review. Was I too glowing?

Though an enthusiastic train rider in real life, my enthusiasm has never extended to LEGO trains. There's something about loading a bunch of passengers on a train and then having it go around in a quick circle that doesn't fill me with excitement. Ditto for cargo. When I saw that LEGO was going to be doing a themed adventure train as a full-blown playset within the City explorers subtheme though, now that got me interested! I'm pleased to have this opportunity to check out my first ever LEGO train, thanks to LEGO for providing it to Eurobricks for review. SET INFORMATION Number: 60470 Name: Explorers' Arctic Polar Express Train Theme: City Released: 2025 Part Count: 1517 Minifigures: 6 + two arctic foxes Set Price (RRP): 199,99 EUR / 179.99 GBP / 299.99 AUD / 209.99 USD / 259.99 CAD Links: Brickset Bricklink CONTENTS When all is said and done, here's everything included in the set: an engine and two train cars, a little tracked vehicle, a small outpost, a big terrain build for exploring(!), sixteen pieces of curved track, four regular straights plus two unique ones attached to the outpost and terrain, the remote control, the six minifigures and two exclusive arctic foxes. It actually makes no material difference what order you build everything. The set includes separate instruction manuals for all of the different components, so it's easy to share between friends/family members, and to choose your own adventure. We chose to build the train engine first and set up the track so my kids could get straight into playing with the motorised part of the set, and then built and added all of the other sections over the course of a week. While I didn't photograph it, the set comes in a two-piece box with a cover that lifts off, which is helpfully large enough to store the entire set once built, and can of course also hold both built sections and the remaining sealed bags if you parcel out the build like we did. Overall, we found the build fun and engaging, with minimal repetition and lots of different types of things to work on. THE TRAIN Besides some of the standard LEGO train parts for the wheels, and in keeping with the last couple of trains, this train doesn't use any large prefab parts and instead relies on various building techniques for the shaping. The engine looks quite striking, with fantastic colour blocking along it in line with a lot of these city sets over the past couple of years. The plow at the front is also a must for piercing snow. The sides are built with SNOT techniques to create space for the battery box inside, while these back side sections swing open to show some faux engine detailing. The door at the very back though oddly opens to reveal nothing but a blank void. For controls our driver relies on this common printed slope, but it's a small space up front so that's adequate. The battery box has some of the roof of the engine attached to it, but slots right in without any stud connections. You do have to make sure the wire is folded out of the way, though that's pretty simple and painless to achieve. Next comes a "panoramic passenger car", or a crew/research/observation car I'd say because nobody here is a mere passenger. I do love the big trans-clear windows and just the overall look of it. Even those cupboard pieces integrated into the wheels feels like a lovely design touch. Inside there's a large computer monitor section that looks like it's got the live feed from the camera on the next car which we'll get to, much like the monitor inside 60426 Off-Road Truck. The seating area strikes me as remarkably rudimentary though, with just a plain 2x4 brick for a table. On this car it is possible to open the end doors and set up a figure coming through. Finally we have the cargo + camera car, with a large flatbed section to hold the tracked explorer vehicle, a section for crates containing tools and of course the camera section for very practically filming wildlife from a moving train. While more basic in build than the other two cars, this one still manages a decent level of detail and colour, and doesn't look too simple. The tracked vehicle plops on simply, and the camera sits on a turntable so can swivel 360 degrees, though with a minifigure in place it can't tilt up that much. THE TRACKED VEHICLE The little tracked explorer vehicle has a lovely design to it, making it feel like a successor to last year's small Johnny Thunder ATV set 60424. Though a minifigure can't actually hold them, the bucket handle for controls makes for a fun design, better than something simple like a steering wheel. This could have easily again been sold as its own small set, but it's a good overall value add to this larger playset too. THE OUTPOST Next up we'll take a look at the explorers' little base camp outpost. This was a fun build because it felt super simple and old school with just stacked bricks at first, but the design flourishes towards the end really bring it together and up to modern design standards. There's plenty going on in a fairly small space, with bits of ice, a solar panel and satellite dish on the roof, lots of tools around, and more. I particular like the use of that relatively new insert for window/door frames as the grated walkway up to the entrance. The whole outpost gets attached to one of the new track elements that is designed to attach via 1x4 tiles to a plate next to it, allowing for the train to drive past and pull right up. The crane has just enough movement and clearance that you can pick the tracked vehicle off the ground and hoist it onto the flatbed car without "cheating". Though there's not much space inside, plenty of details can be found, with an obligatory coffee machine and what looks like refrigeration for food for specimens on one side (though neither are provided), and a radio setup plus medical supplies on the other. It's cramped, but there is enough space for three figures, and the windows are at the right height for them to peek out too! THE CAVES Saving the biggest for last, we turn to the caves! This build is in fact somewhat repetitive with multiple repeating patterns, and the result couldn't be called elegant exactly, but does make an impact. Like all of the builds in this set, there's no bad or back angle - everything gets finished off to a good degree. This side shown below is a little nicer than the other though, with a waterfall that carries through to the base of the slopes and more of the pretty snow-capped trees built with ferns. Little spots of studs dot the cliff all the way up, allowing for ample figure placements and play possibilities, plus skis are included so you can have someone ski down the slopes. When I reviewed the 60437 Jungle Explorer Helicopter last year, I complained that the helicopter dwarfed the scenery build, which was much too small. Not so here, with one of the larger terrain builds I can remember ever seeing that feels adequately sized for figures and for the train. Within the cave system there are some fun details to explore, and the slopes section detaches fairly easily plus has a roof that's easy to lift off so you can get to them. Inside there are 1x1 pearl gold round studs that seem to represent gold, plus a pickaxe, suggesting it's either an abandoned mine or a hideout for some criminals if you want to combine this with police sets and stage a chase. THE FIGURES Five of the six figures have been part of the broader team of intrepid City explorers for a while now. In fact none of the torsos besides Johnny Thunder's are new (EDIT: I originally thought Johnny's was new, but it's not), with the medium azure ones dating back to the last arctic subtheme in 2023. The bearded fellow second from the left could perhaps be the arctic team leader, since he didn't join the others in the jungle for 2024. The set includes plenty of accessories to deck out the figures, and I like the simple but very effective thermos build especially. It is slightly disappointing though that they include two of the same hat and only the one hat-hair combo when others exist like the one with the braids that they used last time, or the Weasley pom-topped hat one. With Johnny Thunder returning in the jungle sets last year, we now have this redux of his Himalayas outfit, though with the full scarf piece standing in for the scarf. I wonder if we'll see a new version of his green outfit to complete the set. Last but not least, there's this brand new unique arctic fox. In the grand tradition of the gorillas, seals, orca, baby polar bears and more, I wouldn't necessarily expect this fox to pop again any time soon, though LEGO is frustratingly selling it for a very exorbitant price on Pick a Brick. It's cute, but not worth that much I'd say (nearly $20 here in Australia). While technically a fox, it shares a lot in common with LEGO dogs so I thought it would be fun to put in a lineup. It fits right in between the french bulldog and the terrier. RUNNING THE TRAIN We've talked through all the individual components and builds, so now we've got to talk about arguably the most important features: running and playing with the train. In this video I put it to the test and demonstrate all of the important features: Pleasingly, and probably no surprise to anyone who has had one of these Powered Up system trains, the trains runs super well. It picks up speed quickly, and also comes to a very quick stop when the stop button is pressed on the remote. The remote itself is a little bit of overkill for a train because there's only one input into the battery box so you only need the controls on one side, which was a little confusing at first to my young kids, but they got the hang of it. After my last experience years ago with trying to use the Powered Up app, I'm just grateful there is a remote included still and no device required (in fact I have since rebuilt that App-Controlled Batmobile and run it with the remote, which is way more fun than with a phone). The unique features of this train in particular make it extra fun. I was expecting something a bit more extreme than a slight shake out of the new special action feature track used in the terrain section for the "avalanche", but as you can see in the video, that amount of movement does the trick to knock things off, and it's fun trying to hurry and reset them before the train comes back around. The plough on the front does the trick to knock many objects out of the way - especially the round boulders - as long as the train is going fast enough, which also allows for some fun with putting things on the track and seeing the train blast them away. There's only one feature I'd call lackluster, which is actually just the zipline setup. For whatever reason, pushing figures down it doesn't go very smoothly at all - maybe it's the texture of the rope piece being used, or it's not quite taut enough given the distance. Whatever it is, it's a jittery letdown. CONCLUSION & RATINGS THIS is what I probably always wanted out of a LEGO train. Not the passenger stuff, not the cargo stuff, but the inherent fun of a motorised train paired with some imaginative builds and action-adventure play features. Disbelief still has to be suspended of course - why do the explorers keep going around in a circle and try to capture video of foxes while they do - but as a toy train I find it a lot of fun. The design of everything looks pretty good too, with great colour blocking and detailing like we've come to expect from City in recent years. It doesn't rely on a prefab piece for the front of the train, though still isn't going to fall apart even if it derails. I find the price relatively reasonable too honestly, with more pieces than train sets of the past, new unique parts, and novel features that can be played with for many hours on end. By comparison, the other most recent train playsets were 60336 Freight Train ($200 USD for 1153 pieces) and 60337 Passenger Train which is still available ($190 for only 764 pieces). This set's $210 for 1517 pieces seems pretty good. So how do I rate this set? 9 MINIFIGURES I just wish there was a bit more variety of woolly headwear, and maybe one more figure, but this lineup is pretty good. 10 PIECES Lots of pieces, big, small and everything in between, unique moulds, good stuff all around. 9 DESIGN Almost everything is great, besides the big cliffs which can look slightly clunky, and a couple of other minor quibbles. 10 PLAYABILITY The inherent fun of a train coupled with this one's adventurous play features and scenarios makes for a great play package. 10 PRICE I also really cannot ding the price. Motorised trains are expensive. LEGO is expensive. For a motorised LEGO train and what you get, the price seems fair. 9.6 OVERALL - It's a fun adventure train with a lot to offer. Now foxes, move out!

I'm heading into dreamland with one of the mid-year mid-size Dreamzzz sets, taking a look at the different build options, pitting it against last year's somewhat comparable 71481, and more. Come along on the journey! SET INFORMATION Number: 71492 Name: Mateo's Fire Chameleon Theme: Dreamzzz Released: 2025 Part Count: 443 Minifigures: 2 + 2 micro figures + 1 Z-Blob Set Price (RRP): 49.99 EUR / 44.99 GBP / 79.99 AUD / 54.99 USD / 64.99 CAD Links: Brickset Bricklink BOX ERROR, INSTRUCTIONS & more oddities This is my first ever Dreamzzz set, but I requested it from LEGO because the main model looked bold and fun. Thanks LEGO! Who doesn't love a packaging error shedding light on the design process along the way? It doesn't happen too often, but I was surprised to see that the box and official images/renders show Mateo wearing the red hood-down piece over his cape, which isn't included in the set, nor has ever been produced in regular red. My box came with paper bags, which are now fairly standard here in Australia, and I was struck by the illustrated instructions cover - quite different to the bland renders in most themes. Another intriguing aspect of the instructions is this artwork showing the dream team heading off to the cancelled gaming tower set. Lastly, the end of the instructions forgot to show adding Z-Blob onto the mech he is supposed to be piloting. Whoops! BUILD Lots of snotty goodness and satisfying shapes fit together throughout the build. There's a fair bit of repetition with the sides having mirrored sub-assemblies and the legs and feet being all the same, but since this isn't a huge set to begin with, it isn't too bothersome. The model also doesn't feel overly parts-dense or over-engineered during the build. CHAMELEON without STICKERS The chameleon is so bold and funky that I actually forgot about applying the stickers and started photographing it straight after I'd finished the build. It looks just fine without them, since the parts alone accomplish enough colour blocking and design, and the most important parts - the eyes - are printed. CHAMELEON with STICKERS The stickers though really take things up a notch though, solidifying the video game aesthetic and packing an extra colourful punch. What the product images can't show you is just how poseable this thing is. Ratchet joints at the hips, unrestricted swivel of the maxaroni parts, ball joints at the ankles and even easily rotated toes make for a fantastic range of posing and thus a lot of fun to be had. It balances quite well too, as shown in the third photo above where the tail is not even touching the floor. All in all, the loud colour scheme, just the right level of derpiness and superb poseability make for a very fun chameleon... and we're not even done with the set. SIDE BUILDS All the bad guys have to go up against our heroes in this set is this brain zapper thing, in which they have ensnared dreamling-Logan. This looks fun for what it is, heavily relying on the stickered face for character, but it's actually a pain positioning the legs. The heroes get the more substantial side build, which also forms the entirety of the two-in-one component of the set. That's right - that whole chameleon using the majority of the pieces? That stays as is. Option one is what the set description calls a "mounted blaster turret" which, when added, makes it a "fire chameleon guardian". Whereas I said the chameleon feels not over-engineered or too parts heavy, this thing is massively parts heavy and feels clearly like the B model for the mech, stuffing in many parts that didn't need to be there. It also quite obviously reads as its own little flying ship, despite the set saying that the other mode is the one with the "speedy jet". Adding it to the chameleon doesn't do much for me honestly. It's way too bulky and just looks awkward sat atop the slender beast, when it should be flying around on its own instead. Option 2, which really feels like it should be Option 1, is this fun little mech for Z-Blob and tiny flyer for Mateo. While the flyer becomes 90s polybag level dinky, the cute mech more than makes up for it. Though the mech's arms have no motion at all, the legs have enough with the two ball joints and the feet provide enough stability that there's still lots of posing and fun to be had with this little chicken guy. An extra function across this entire wave of Dreamzzz sets is the ability to swap parts with the two medium azure clips onto the connection points with the two medium azure bars which are included on many of the models, including on this mech and the chameleon. You can therefore take the arms off the mech and pop them onto the chameleon, but the mech looks down on its luck as a result. MINIFIGURES Dreamzzz has excelled in the minifigure department from the get go, and unlike many themes that start strong and ease up on the quality over time, Dreamzzz has never let up. Though only two true minifigures are includes, both include dual-moulded legs and just tons of detail. We also get the fantastic spartan-style pixely helmets (very expensive on PaB) and new dual-moulded headgear for Logan. I've personally never been a big fan of the Mateo faces or green splotch hair just because a print with green slime isn't something I'd regularly reach for when making custom figures. I'm glad to have gotten the hair piece with the more subtle tan print in build-a-minifigure and unprinted in black, because I like the mould a lot, but all the other components of Mateo figures have consistently been fantastic. The figures come with a weapon each in case of a brawl. Mateo obviously has the most involved one built around the hourglass hilt, which looks a bit like a paint gun. Zero and the cyberling have very colour-scheme appropriate weapons meanwhile. COMPARISON WITH 71481 Now, I said that this is my first Dreamzzz set, but since I was receiving it for review I went out and bought a copy (on deep discount) of the now-retired 71481 Izzie's Dream Animals from last year. I'll hopefully review that set in full separately, but for now I thought it'd make for an interesting comparison and lens through which to view 71492. Though 71492 has 100 more parts and costs 10 Euros or $15 US dollars more, on face value the two sets feel very comparable. Both include two true minifigures plus a couple of smaller figures/animals, a central mid-sized animal build, and relatively insubstantial side builds. The figure inclusions really come out on par with each other, so I'd call that a wash. Great stuff on both sides. 71492's chameleon is the vastly superior animal model though, with far better articulation and poseability than the fun-looking but fairly limited red panda, which is also much more fantastical - or dare I say, dreamlike - what with the purple legs and flower elements. Because the panda's back legs are fixed at the hips, this is about the best it can do. Notably, the instruction manuals for both sets are about the exact same thickness, which might seem odd given the piece-count disparity. However, it's not so surprising once you realise the earlier set is a true three-in-one experience, with three very different animal models built around the same central "egg", whereas the "multiple build" factor in 71492 feels like pretty much an afterthought to fulfill a theme requirement. Ultimately, while in some ways the cheaper 71481 feels like it delivers just as much play value as 71492, there are benefits that come with designing a model without rebuild-ability in mind. The chameleon is flat out a more coherent and more fun built-up creature than any of the three in 71481, though I think those three are more in line with the point of the Dreamzzz theme. CONCLUSION I've been pretty glowing about the chameleon itself, the minifigures and even the little mech. All are deserving of praise here. The little flyer you build alongside the mech is essentially worthless, and the alt-model "turret" is super phoned in; there might as well not be an alt-model. So the only question left to explore is: how's the value? In the US it's undoubtedly overpriced by at least $5, but wherever you are, I still can't totally square the price for a fun chameleon. It isn't that it's too small, or too few pieces, or really too few minifigures (though one more full minifigure would've been nice). It's just a feeling of, this is what roughly 50 dollars or Euros gets you nowadays? Huh. Still, I love the look and playability of the model and would happily have it on a shelf because it's so colourful and fun. 9 PIECES Lots of parts in fun colours, for those who like such a thing. 9 MINIFIGURES What's here is great, but I think there could've been one more full one. 9 DESIGN The design of the chameleon is a 10, but the design of the side builds brings it down just a little. 10 PLAYABILITY Great playability for both the chameleon and the little mech, which are both sturdy and fun. 8 PRICE I can't quite put my finger on it, but it feels just a little smidge too expensive. 9 OVERALL - A really solid and fun set that would be even better with a discount.

Thanks! Looks like they come in a few sets but I'm pretty sure I bought them from Pick a Brick.

I'm reviewing some currently available sets over the next few weeks, starting with 10349 Happy Plants. Have a read of the review here.

The plants are happy - what's not to like? SET INFORMATION Number: 10349 Name: Happy Plants Theme: The Botanical Collection Released: 2025 Part Count: 217 Minifigures: 0 Set Price (RRP): 19.99 EUR / 17.99 GBP / 29.99 AUD / 22.99 USD / 24.99 CAD Links: Brickset, Bricklink INTRODUCTION Thank you to LEGO for sending this set for review. I requested this one because it's the first botanical set that's actually piqued my interest enough to tip me over into the "I want to have it" category. I've admired what they've been doing with the line, but this one stood out amongst the many decor sets for its lower price and endearing aesthetic. My copy from the Australian warehouse, as with the majority of LEGO sets I've encountered here in Australia recently, contained paper bags, and it's split across two booklets so you can easily share it with a partner/sibling/friend. Personal plant knowledge not required, because it's supplied in the instructions. Cute idea to pick a plant called the "friendship plant" for this happiness themed set. THE PARTS and BUILD There are quite a few recolours into bright light yellow and bright light blue for this set, and a variety of still pretty new parts like the 2025 revisions of this family of slopes with one less plate of height than the old versions. Also cool to see the inverted 2x2 round tile showing up more, after it debuted with a barcode sticker in Donkey Kong sets. Unfortunately the bright light blue parts have pretty terrible colour consistency, with different parts having noticeably different shades. I struggled to get a good photo of it, but it's very apparent to the naked eye. The builds go breezily, obviously relying on SNOT for the fronts and backs of the happy planters. Here's what they look like inside. FINISHED SET And here they are! Two cutesy, aesthetic little potted plants ready to adorn any shelf or desk. I'm sure LEGO has kept the graphic design work simple and colours inoffensively pastel so that these two can work in a wide variety of decor settings. They can rotate their twee little hands, so, if displayed side by side, they can be made to look like they're cheerfully holding hands. There's a little bit of a blockiness where the blue one's legs attach, but it's not really problematic, and otherwise there are no bad angles - though obviously these are intended to be displayed from the front. Unlike most botanicals, most of which don't even have pots or vases included, this set is much more focused on the pots than the plants. That said, the pilea is a great build that matches its "source material", while the dracaena is serviceable if a bit low res. I do like how both have the suggestion of a root where they slot into the pots. Since the plants can be easily removed, they can be easily swapped too, but everything looks more harmonious in the default configuration. MODS This set practically invites MODing, and I've seen many cropping up on Instagram. The simplest MOD is to pop the legs off of the blue one and place them underneath after removing the 2x2 tiles, to put it into standing mode. This leaves the unaesthetic sets of studs though, so if you want it standing I'd opt to spend the extra minute swapping the printed 2x6 face tile onto the back of the pot. It would look even better with a 1x6 tile instead of the included 1x2 and 1x4, but this will do. I couldn't help but play around a bit further though, adding bars with clips for hands, some weapons, simple controls and hip mech pilots. A happy mech battle ensues! CONCLUSION This has got to be one of the most mass appeal small sets that LEGO has done, and it's great to see an older child/adult-targeted set (despite the 9+ rating) at this size and price range - perfect for a gift or bit of home or office decor. The models are super cute, and while some people might wish for a design that's a bit bolder in its own personality, this has no doubt been designed to fit right in to the on-trend beige design era. The only major flaw in the set itself is the colour consistency of the blue parts, which is quite disappointing to see. Here in Australia we actually get one of the best pricing deals on this set with a full retail price of $30 AUD that converts to lower than the Euro, GBP or USD prices, not to mention stores that price it at $25 AUD. The rest all come in around $24 USD (including in the US once you account for added sales tax), which itself is not terrible for a small piece of decor that can bring you some joy whenever you see it. 8 PIECES A lot of recoloured and new parts, though colour consistency is a real issue. 10 DESIGN It's cute. It's fun. It's inoffensive. 10 (DIS)PLAYABILITY It looks great on display and invites play/MODing too. 9 PRICE The price is right around on target for what it is. 9.2 OVERALL - A good score for a fun and cheerful set. More reviews of some currently available sets coming soon!

I think that's always a YMMV situation. If you really want something, you can't count on waiting and getting it at a discount that extreme. Here in Australia by comparison we have retailers who price slightly below LEGO's MSRP from the get go, and if you wait a bit you can always get at least 25% off anything. There is literally no reason to buy from LEGO here unless you want a GWP, but there's enough of the market that doesn't shop around. All that said, with how some of the sets are priced (like the new Dursley house), there's no reliable discount that can entice me to buy. I'm hoping that isn't the case with the Lovegood House, since that's one I'm looking forward to seeing.

Reminder: Our Sci-Fi Summer Faction Festival contest is on, and entries close in two and a half weeks! There are multiple categories to enter, so even if you're short on time, click through and have a look at how you can whip something together to enter.

So many new hairpieces! And so nice to see so many including both masked and unmasked heads. I might feel compelled to get more of this series than I initially thought.

I would've said the same several years ago, but City has actually been going toe to toe with CMF lately. Squirrels, kittens, puppy, seal (baby and adult), polar bear cub, baby gorilla, baby elephant, monkie, lion/big cat cub, Arctic fox. Still, the point stands that CMF can and does introduce animal moulds with superb regularity.

Sure, have fun!