Inconspicuous

After missing def's Asylum signups, I'm howling in agony waiting for the next one. It looks like you've got a good game in store for us, JimBee. Wait, did I just say howling?

Sorry if this has already been asked, but does the Talking Skull give hints for words that have already been guessed correctly?

Do Architecture sets tickle your fancy? What about Star Wars sets in excellent condition? Or maybe Castle minifigures are your thing? I've updated the store with lots of new items! Take a look and let me know if you'd like to buy anything. Thanks for looking!

Spectacular job, WhiteFang! Your new changes definitely make this forum a lot easier to navigate, and I think that there will be a lot less confusion as to which forums the misfit themes belong in. Thanks for taking the time to put in all your hard work!

Thanks for the new pictures! They all look pretty good. Of course the Ninjago set just has to have a spinner. The umbrella set looks pretty original. And looking at all those chocolate frogs is making my mouth water. I don't own any Lego Games, and I probably won't get any of these, but the line looks like it's heading in a good direction.

I believe I see a new bottle piece in the London set. The globe looks excellent too. Did anyone notice this whole "poster inside" thing? I wonder if they'll be cool posters like the old pirates sets, but they'll probably be something less interesting. Overall, the line looks pretty good. However, it does look like they are a few weaker sets. I'll have to see the final pictures before I decided which to get, but the Isla de la Muerte and the Fountain sets look pretty good for their sizes.

As many of you know, the Brickmaster program was recently discontinued. However, I had just bought a year-long subscription just beforehand. What would this mean? Would I be refunded my money? Or would Lego just keep on releasing promos that only people like me would get? I'm happy to say that Lego kept on going and this awesome set arrived at my door. With no further ado, I present a review of the beginning of the true end of Brickmaster... 20019 (Mini) Slave I! BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Slave I Set Number: 20019 Number of Pieces: 76 Minifigs: 0 Price: N/A (Brickmaster Promo, est. value $6 USD) Theme: Star Wars / Mini Year Released:2011 RESOURCES: Brickset Bricklink Flickr THE REVIEW: BAG: Front: First up is our oversized Brickmaster polybag. The Captain Rex logo has become a favorite of mine, and the blue borders are pleasing to the eye. The red, sandy desert (presumably from the Season 2 finale of the Clone Wars) also goes well with the set. The usual set info and Brickmaster logo are also found here. Back: The backside is also standard, and features the usual clear plastic strip that gives you a sneak peek at the pieces. Part information and warnings fill up most of the backside. The pieces of this set were made in Denmark, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Bag:: Thoughts: A great bag with nice, simple designs. I'm definitely keeping this one. INSTRUCTIONS: Front: The instruction booklet has a compressed version of the box art on its cover. Most of the set information has been removed and the background image has been extended to suit the size. I used to be angry that Lego folded such a small instruction booklet when they didn't need to, but by now I've gotten used to it. Random Page: Random instructions page. You can see that there are no piece call-outs, but of course you don't need them for a set this small. The background is a boring light-gray but it helps you focus on the actual set instead. Parts Inventory: The parts inventory fits on a single page. You can see that the set appears to be made of mostly gray pieces, but somehow the complete model looks mostly dark red and green. We'll see how that happens as we build it. Back: The back features pictures of all the 2011 January wave. A very pleasant change from the screaming kid we all dislike. Instructions:: Thoughts: Nothing special or unexpected apart from the back design. PIECES: Unsorted: Like many other Brickmaster promos, the set has a number of loose pieces and one small polybag. Pieces: And here are all the pieces spread out for your viewing pleasure. You can see that there are more types of gray pieces, but almost every red and green piece had multiples. I just love the dark red slopes and the dark green curves! Not only are they rare colors, but they're pretty cool pieces anyways. The rest of the pieces are fairly standard, and get buried in the model. Pieces of interest: The more interesting pieces include the red and green curves and slopes like I mentioned. There's also a dark bley double-cheese and two black curves that compose the cockpit. Delicious. Pieces:: Thoughts: A pretty good selection for a small set, in terms of both color and variety. THE BUILD: Build: After 24 steps (shown at six-step intervals), the model is done. There are no large submodels along the way but there are a few interesting building techniques that I'll highlight in more detail later. The most prominent technique is the SNOT cockpit and the black slopes that fit together perfectly. The gun-attachment is pretty neat, and the wing-tilting mechanism is perfect. A quick but very enjoyable build. Extras: Only a few extras here, so nothing spectacular. Cheese slopes are always nice for MOCing. Build:: Thoughts: Considering it's such a small set, it felt great and used some interesting techniques. COMPLETED PRODUCT: The Whole Set: And we have our completed set! Isn't it pretty? The red egg-shaped base is captured fairly well with the use of slopes in a few different directions. The green wing-protector curves look great and the wings themselves look like the real thing. Front: The wings rotate along with the ship, so they're horizontal when the ship is landed. From this angle you get a great view of the cockpit and the cheese slopes on the top. Side: The side view also looks great! The green slopes underneath are perfect and the green tile on top blends in seamlessly with the non-stud segment of the "tube". Cockpit: The cockpit technique is seamless and brilliant. I first encountered it in the Mini Atlantis Sub Brickmaster promo, and it works perfectly here too. It would have been nice if it was clear instead of black though. Guns: I've never seen this technique of clipping onto axles, but I think it works reasonably well as the cannons. However, this is the flimsiest part of the set and the binoculars have a tendency to fall off frequently. They'd probably look better on the other bino lens, so they're higher up like the real thing. Back: The backside is probably the least accurate part of the ship. The line of three boosters should be a little above the wings, and the other two should be right below them. The "inverted" dish should be a little higher too, but unfortunately there aren't always places for the studs exactly where they belong. The three in the center are ok, but I'm definitely moving the two up as soon as I'm done writing this review. I also wish that the center plate could be dark like the rest of the plates on the back. Another easy MOD. Side: I particularly like the hole the wings come out of. The combination of slopes and curves gives the opening a cool pentagonal shape, and the colors are great on top of it. Video: A short video of the Slave I in action. The only function to demonstrate is the moving wings, so I turned it into a test-flight video. Enjoy! _______________________________________________ Totals: Design: 9/10 The only design flaws I can find are the back and the guns. Both can be fixed fairly easily. I really think they captured the shape perfectly and the whole thing is sturdy and visually appealing. A lot bigger and more accurate than its predecessors. Parts: 7/10 A good mix of rare colors and a few interesting types. Nothing mind-blowing or completely unexpected. I would have preferred a clear windshield. Build: 9/10 Quite enjoyable with a few interesting techniques thrown in. There's practically no repetition whatsoever and the process is very satisfying. Playability/Swooshablility: 8/10 It's a very fun and swooshable model that's sturdy enough for a few crash landings. Apart from the moving wings, it doesn't do anything, so I doubt anyone could play with it for hours without getting bored. Plus those darn cannons keep falling off. But for a few minutes of mild swooshing, it's great. (Trust me, I've tried ) Price: 5/10 These things are already going for $20+ online and the only way to buy one regularly didn't even involve knowing about this set. It's such a shame that they decided to release a gorgeous model like this once most fans couldn't get their hands on it. Total: 38/50 Overall an excellent set that's very satisfying despite being small. If you're willing to pay the price tag and you're a big fan of Star Wars, you might want to consider buying it. It's such a shame it wasn't released more widely. It's definitely one of the most accurate and fun minis I've owned, and on top of that it's one of the most popular ships. One can only wonder what marvelous models the last few months of Brickmaster will bring. Bonus: Not the shrink ray! Thanks for reading! Comments and criticism welcome. -Inconspicuous

Simply gorgeous review, Z06! Thanks for taking the time to share the experience of your dream set with us. I admit, I've never fallen in love with older Castle designs like this. Something always felt incomplete about it, but your review definitely allowed me to understand the designs better. I had absolutely no idea that the cool dragon head and spectacular golden printing were part of the set, not to mention the inconspicuous trap door. I still find it amazing that such a blatant and amazing function has avoided my knowledge for so long. Anyhoo, thanks a bunch for the great review. Not to mention the videos too! (Hey that rhymed!)

Thank you for the excellent review! I'm never been much of a Town person but occasionally I'll buy City Sets on an impulse. I have to say, this set is quite impressive and may be one of the few City sets I buy. I just love everything about the bank design- the reception area, the ATM, the safe. The armored car looks really good and the Police Car in this set looked the best out of the other two you compared it to. I really like the blue Police Officer torso and the rest of the minifigs look decent to me. The $50 does look a little steep for about 400 pieces, but I think it's worth it in the end. I do dislike the amount of stickers, but there are some good printed parts too. I wish there was a new dog thrown in too, just so I could have one, but you can't get everything in life. Once again, thanks for the amazing insight into this beautiful set!

I'm living up to my username and using my invisibility cloak to steal some midnight snacks!

I've actually never seen that link. I wish I could have known about the website while I was designing mine: I could have used it for inspiration. I like a few of their models, although I'd never buy one. The guy in Toronto is just one way it could go wrong.

Oooh, this sounds great! Even if it's not in every set, it's still going to make instructions are stickers better quality fresh out of the box. It's so great that Lego listens to us- just another reason why they're such an awesome company!

The only set I got this year was the Hogwarts Castle, which I just built today. It's a gorgeous set and I'm so happy I got it. Since we spent Christmas in Costa Rica, our family gift-giving was sized down so I didn't really expect to get much Lego.

Happy Birthday SlyOwl! I hope you have a good one, and I also hope to see some new beautiful MOCs in the next year. This is your birthday song, it isn't very long! Hey! This is the second verse, it's shorter than the

You just never stop impressing me, Oky Wan. Beautiful and funny shots as always. Your first one reminds me a lot of a picture I made a few months ago: One extra letter can be fatal...

Good job, Oky Wan. It's a pretty difficult ship to capture in Lego form, and you've done brilliantly! The front and the engines are both quite impressive, and I just love the blue 'hum' that the engines look like they're giving. Nice Todo, but it looks like he has a beer belly. Keep up the awesome work!

Based on the "hints" given in previous Modulars, I'm guessing that it's either a Pet Shop or Post Office. Cafe Corner had the vegetables, which hinted groceries. Green Grocer had the fire escape, which hinted fire station. There doesn't seem like a connection between Fire Brigade and Grand Emporium. But Grand Emporium has a mailbox, so a Post Office seems the most likely. On the other hand, there was a cat in Green Grocer and a dog in Fire Brigade, which could hint at a Pet Shop. In my own Modular setup, the dog is chasing the cat up the tree in front of Fire Brigade. Whatever it is, I'm excited!

Looks great! I can't wait until it arrives in the mail. It looks like they're using the same cockpit technique as the Atlantis Sub- it's perfect! ceroknight, there's still a few months worth for people (like me) who bought an entire year subscription just before they discontinued it.

Thanks. It's a Canon Powershot A3100 IS. It's great for macro but the zoom isn't great.

What happens when trigger-happy bounty hunters spring the trap a bit too early? You Idiots! ------------ I slapped this together in a few hours, so I'm pretty happy with the result considering the time I had. The Exo-Force tubes are attached to a trans-red screen that's in front of a flashlight. A plain LED light and a flashlight with a red gel light the rest of the scene. For some reason, my camera is terrible at focusing in the dark, so unfortunately it didn't turn out very sharp. Thanks for looking, comments and criticism welcome. Inky

The butterfly with its wings open was injured, but all the other butterflies in my gallery were just mellow and didn't fly away. The iguana had just fallen in a pool and was drying off after we rescued it. Thanks! Interesting idea. Maybe I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the kind comments, everyone!

Thanks SilentMode. I believe you're referring to the butterfly chrysalis. It's one of the prettiest all natural things I've ever seen. When I saw it, I thought it looked like a golden artifact of some sort, so I took a picture of it with Indy. Thanks Kiel! I'm glad you like them. I had a lot of fun myself, and it's a big bonus that everyone here can enjoy the nature and wildlife too. Jimbee, I'd love to put together an entry, but I'm not sure I'll have time. We'll see though.

Hi everyone, I know it's been awhile since I've shared anything here, since I've been pretty busy, but I thought I'd take the time to share something fun with you guys. The last ten days, I've been traveling all over Costa Rica through Caravan Tours and I brought a Lego Indiana Jones with me for the heck of it. Soon, I began taking photos of him exploring the jungle, and the whole project took off from there. Posted here are a few of my favorite photos, but please feel free to explore the full set of 50 photos in my Flickr Gallery. These photos have pretty much only been cropped, so all color tinting is natural or achieved by off-camera lights. My brother helped me with many of the lighting effects, including LED flashlights and covering my camera's flash with a leaf. And yes, that's a real iguana. With no further ado, I present: Indiana Jones in Costa Rica! Once again, please check out the full gallery by clicking here. Thanks for looking! Comments, questions, and criticism are all welcome. Inky

Curses! I missed sign ups while I was traveling. I'll be sure to watch from the sidelines instead. Looks like a great game.