XimenaPaulina

Based on the reference image of Bespin (below), I thought it could've used a bit more splashes of dark brown to be more accurate. But the exclusive Lobot minifig and the nice-looking mini Twin-pod Cloud Car already compensate for the lack of detail of the planet, so overall this planet set is quite ok for me.

Yep, the ROTS and TCW "post-Phase I" helmets are different, we're just using the term "Phase II" since it sounds silly to use the term "Phase 1.5". Actually, removing the fin of the ARC Trooper helmet would already work for me! Though if they'd remove the fin then they might as well change the mold altogether to get the correct details. In fairness to TLG, they've been spot-on with the detailing of the helmets they've released, so there's a chance that we could get a completely new mold for the TCW Phase II clones. You're right about the Rex's visor being "custom", but remember that this visor is just printed in the LEGO helmet, and TLG could still use the ARC Trooper helmet if they won't release a new mold. The Phase II Rex might've not been the best example, so here's a better look at the Phase II helmets in the TCW series (below). Still the significant issue of re-using the ARC Trooper helmet is the visible fin; the minor differences in cheek grooves and mouth pieces I could accept.

Nope, it was actually the episode prior that, which was "Kidnapped". Back on topic: Based on the comparison below, there are subtle differences between the ARC Trooper and the Phase II helmet (fin, cheek grooves), though I have a feeling TLG could get lazy and just re-use the ARC Trooper helmet with different prints for the Phase II clones, considering they look closely similar. I'm still hoping we would get a 'proper' Phase II helmet, but I find it difficult for TLG to just use the ARC Trooper helmet mold only once.

Well, I for one, find this new show EPIC! It's a breath of fresh air and certainly looks far more entertaining than the current TCW series. I'll be eagerly anticipating for this series! http://www.youtube.c...player_embedded Meanwhile, in a not-so-distant planet...

I'm with you there, regular droidekas make much more sense as an army-builder considering they're the more common units in the CIS droid army, not some specialized variant (this reminds me of the two unnecessary Orange Power Rangers Clone Bomb Troopers in one BP before ). A better combo would've been a regular droideka + sniper variant, though with their similar builds it might not be too hard to modify the sniper into a regular one. I have the same qualms with the TOR BP, it would've been much nicer to have a Sith Trooper + Sith Warrior, but TLG missed on the opportunity for that particular army building (Sith Warriors came in multitudes for the Sith side in SWTOR). Or maybe the Sith Warriors would come out in a later TOR set? (wishful thinking)

I think it was an honest mistake on Bounty's part that he referred the Republic Troopers as "clones" (which are different, their armors just look alike). With that there's still a slight possibility that he mistook the Mon Cal A-Wing Pilot as Ackbar (still hoping for that Mon Cal pilot, though a cheap Ackbar ain't too bad also). For those who aren't familiar, here's how a sniper droideka looks like:

Congratulations to all the winners on your well-deserved victories (and mouth-watering prizes!). Kudos too to the SW staff for running a highly-successful contest, the quality of the entries is just impeccable and this contest has once again brought out the creative best among our SW fans.

It's not really as complicated as you perceive it to be. I must admit I was a bit 'intimidated' at first considering I'm not well-versed in digital rendering programs outside of LDD. Actually all it takes is to have both the LDD to POV-Ray converter and the POV-Ray program properly installed on your computer, have your LDD Build ready, and the LDD to POV-Ray converter is very easy to use and user-friendly. The 3D render of the Tumbler actually just uses the default basic settings of the program, but the result is already great! You should try to use it, patience is the key in using this.

Truly an outstanding collaborative effort by both of you! It may be hard to find the proper and right amount of superlatives to describe this creation, but allow me to thank you for doing this and sharing this with the whole FOL community, because this is something that we could only dream about getting in regular sets and through your passion and MOC expertise we've been given the chance to see this majestic Rivendell setting in LEGO form. My hats off to both of you Sirs Blake & Jack! Now to take more repeated looks to marvel at the various intricacies of this work of art... Question: How long did you take to complete this collaborative build? And any estimate on the total piece count?

Thanks for this very detailed review JimB! This really makes me appreciate the set more to the point that I'm tempted to buy it, but... I'm not normally a price complainer, but the high price tag is something that's preventing me from getting this. I do think it's a very good set overall, the minifig line-up is pretty solid and it sure does look like a good 'parts pack', so if the right deal comes along I'll definitely grab this one. Oh and for my favorite new piece of this set, I choose Merry's torso. For me the Hobbit torsos are some of the best new pieces the LOTR sets has to offer, having unique and nicely-detailed prints (especially Merry's in this set) which I can see being useful for custom minifigs for other themes.

As a sucker for well-made vehicles, I absolutely adore the S.H.I.E.L.D. truck in this set! IMO, this maybe one of the best vehicles TLG has ever made for a set (comparable to the classic cars of 7682- Shanghai Chase). This is the best set in the Avengers line in terms of value IMO, as you get a nice truck, two super heroes and of course the villain to battle against. And not so bad for the price either (quite affordable for those who have strict budget yet want to have an Avengers set). Thanks for sharing this review Masked!

If there's any Super Hero that would really fit well in the Bionicle/Hero Factory 'medium', it would be Iron Man, and this set clearly proves that! (unlike the others whose organic humanoid forms didn't translate well in HF's building system). Even if the figure still looks too skeletal, it is quite the normal look in HF characters so it's passable for me. I never had any Bionicle or HF set before, so if ever I will get one I'd probably pick this. Thanks for another great review Oky!

Star Wars Speederbike rides into reality A California-based company has taken a science fiction design similar in concept to “Star Wars” speeder bikes, which uses helicopter dynamics to lift and propel this motorcycle-sized vehicle across rough terrain. The firm Aerofex has fixed the stability issue by including a control bar at the the users knee level that allows the pilot to better lean and balance the vehicle. "It essentially captures the translations between the two in three axis (pitch, roll and yaw), and activates the aerodynamic controls required to counter the movement — which lines the vehicle back up with the pilot," De Roche told InnovationNewsDaily. "Since [the pilot's] balancing movements are instinctive and constant, it plays out quite effortlessly to him." The vehicle has been tested in California’s Mojave Desert and in more crowded conditions. Currently, the Aerofex machine is being tested at a top speed of 30 mph and a max height of 15 feet above the ground.

Happy Birthday def! Hope you had a great time with your loved ones.

I have to say this is probably one of the best mini-vehicle builds I've seen as a polybag set (second only to this rare mini London Bus) - very nice shaping that accurately captures the essence of the Batmobile. Those who got these are really quite fortunate, hoping to get my hands to one of these soon! Thanks for this review!

Another nicely done review Masked! I like the way this set corrected the inaccuracy of the previous Barriss Offee fig, changing the black hood to dark blue and reducing the length of the cape as both should've been. Though I still prefer the non-CW face, the best set-up would be to swap the CW head with the non-CW one then you'd have the perfect Barriss! I'm still waiting for the right opportunity to grab this set, it's not an instant must-have but certainly a good addition to one's SW collection.

Oh don't get me wrong, I do love that scene! I actually find the dialogue touching and I may even have been teary-eyed watching that the first time. The bunch of emoticons was just a summary of various reactions to that part of the movie, as I've heard those who found the dialogue cheesy (I don't, I actually love it!)

Wow there are indeed a lot weird things going on in this set - Mr. Krab's weakly-printed mouth, Squidward's silly head, CGI instruction image , taped stickers, , but hey, at least it's a pretty good buy parts-wise at 20 bucks right? Good thing TLG came back to their senses and released a proper Squidward head mold, though I don't think there's a better solution for the "cylinder Plankton" (unless it's a specialised mold like the trophy piece, but that's asking too much for a struggling theme). Overall it was a pretty decent set at the time, though I have to say TLG wasted the opportunity to improve the Krusty Krabs in the 2009 version (3833 - Krusty Krabs Adventure), which was actually a step-back design-wise IMO. I remember this one episode where Spongebob and Patrick are inside the dumpster trying to find Spongebob's lost ID (that was seriously funny stuff - a testament of Patrick's unparallelled hilarious dumbness ) Anyway, thanks for sharing this review CloneyO. It was nice to look back at how things were for this theme during its initial days.

Brilliant job on this fantastic review Doc! (and I really missed your reviews, so good to see you at this once again) I'm not much of a Castle fan, but seeing this review really makes me appreciate how great this set is - from the build of the towers to the highly-detailed minifigs. Now I really wish I've become a fan of this theme before, but unfortunately this is no longer within the confines of my LEGO spending so I just have to marvel at these wonderful sets in outstanding reviews like this.

I was a bit surprised too that I was able to build this in LDD, considering the model has its fair share of illegal techniques - some I were able to "compromise", while others were just completely impossible so I just left them off the build. And you should try LDD to POV-Ray/POV-Ray too, they're really amazing programs. I agree this is the case of "too good/too perfect to be true". I may be wrong about this, but I guess the imperfections of a real model is something that might be difficult to pull-off in a computer program (though nowadays nothing is impossible, ex. GTA video game screenshots) I guess that's one way of looking at it, almost real but not quite. Unfortunately I can't, since the model is based on Artifex Creation's Batman Tumbler, he rightfully owns (majority of) the design. But if you like to have one you could always buy from him or make your own (reverse engineering is fun and challenging at the same time! )

Great job! I really like these mech suits, very unique concepts and the color coordination are spot-on too! Really well done! Looking forward for more.

Same here, I was never a "minifig buyer" but an "overall set buyer" (or more appropriately, a "vehicle buyer"- minifigs are just added bonus IMO). But I still feel TLG could've done better in making the minifig line-up more interesting, like throwing a random CW Adi Gallia fig in there. Or maybe it's just a case of being pampered too much by last year's Republic Frigate having four awesome new minifigs? Though I do agree with the high price being a limiting selling point, for sure collectors and 'completists' would have no trouble getting this, but for the average Joe like me I just couldn't see myself shelling out those bucks for something that I feel is 'lacking'.

It's a pleasant surprise to see a good variety of posing possibilities of a build this size, nicely designed indeed! And LOL at the bamboo piece, though it wouldn't have hurt if another 1x1 round brick or two was added for a longer shoot! Thanks for the review!

Thanks for doing this review Oky! Even with an in-depth look at the set in this review, from an AFOL standpoint, I still find this quite unappealing. The kids would probably enjoy the playability of this set, but the only element that really interests me is the Spider-Man fig (Doc Ock and Iron Fist, as decent minifigs as they are, I can live without). Though I have to agree the $30 price point is quite cheap and a bit tempting.. so if the Spider-Man fig goes as high as half the price of the whole set then buying the entire set makes good sense.

Very nice review Fangy! Like Luxor I love the comparison pic of the different bow & arrows. (and I think the technical term for Hawkeye's specialized bow is the recurve bow). I also do find the torso print detailing of Hawkeye as one of the best, if not the best, among the Avengers minifigs. Couple this with his cool-looking bow and the fact that archers are bada$ (Legolas, Robin Hood, Katniss Everdeen ), Hawkeye stands out even if he's one of the cheaper Avenger figs around.