Inconspicuous

Well, I think it's time to challenge worship the Master Indy Reviewer Svelte with another repeat Indy review! At first I thought I'd never get this set, but pretty soon I was driving around to all the Targets, ToysRUses, and Walmarts I knew of in search of this set. Was it worth it? Time to find out. _______________________________________ Indy and Mutt are in search of the crystal skull. Hidden in a cemetery with scorpions and evil warriors, finding it won't be easy. Will Indy and Mutt live long enough to see how this set scores? Read on to find out. BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Chauchilla Cemetery Battle Set Number: 7196 Number of Pieces: 187 Minifigs: 5 (counting the skeleton) Price: 19.99 USD, 39.99 AUD, 24.99 CAD, 26.99 EUR, 18.59 GBP Theme: Indiana Jones/ Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Year Released: 2009 RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink Lego.com Brickshelf (When Public) THE REVIEW: BOX: Front: The front of the box shows the set and its components arranged in an adventurous scene, where Mutt is battling one warrior while the other sneaks up on Indy, who is just standing there, smiling, and holding the crystal skull. Poor Indy! Top Edge: The top edge shows the 5 minifigs included in this set, with their names below them. The skeleton has a name (whoever that Conquistador was) but it is not shown. Back: The back shows a different scene and displays the features of this set, which will be described later in this review. Box:: Thoughts: The box has decent art and clearly displays the features. The interesting thing is, the box is a much different size than 7621 The Lost Tomb and 7625 River Chase, the other similarly-priced sets of the line. This is probably to accommodate the fact that the set itself is oblong (similar to 7623 Temple Escape). Contents: And out come the contents! 3 bags and the instruction manual. No ads or DSS to be found here! In 7195's Box: I wanted to show you how much empty space there is in the box, but I didn't want to butcher the box and pictures didn't do justice, so I shoved the contents into 7195 Ambush in Cairo's box. Surprisingly, it mostly fits, except for the instructions that extend out a bit. INSTRUCTIONS: Front: The front of the instructions is identical to the box art, minus the set info. Minifig Page: Although the front cover's art is Landscape, the instructions are Portrait. Featured here are the "don't build in the grass" and "sort by color" signs. Apparently one scorpion counts as a minifig, but the other doesn't. Random Page: A random page in which the tomb is being built up. I really like the burnt parchment background, because the light part complements most colors of the Indy line. Notice that it does include piece call-outs. Parts Inventory: Here we have the parts inventory, and the Customer Service info. Other Indy Ads: Also featured is another picture of the set, straight from the back of the box, and an ad for this wave's biggest set: the Temple of Doom. Back: The back of the instructions, now with the AAT replacing the Naboo Starfighter. Instructions:: Thoughts: The picture orientation is odd, background nice, piece call-outs nice, and overall satisfactory. PIECES: Pieces (sealed): This set features 3 bags, with no sub-bags except for Mutt's motorcycle, which is bagged separately. Pieces (sorted): Here's a shot of the sorted pieces. It's a nice blend of brown, gray, and pearl gold. Click the picture for a much larger version. Pieces of interest: A few of the more interesting pieces, featuring scorpions, jewels, treasure, and the crystal skull. This is the cheapest set it comes in (not counting the magnet set.) Pieces:: Thoughts: A nice selection with good colors. However, there aren't very many big pieces, so 187 for $20 is quite poor. MINIFIGS: Indy: Well, if TLC can't give a new torso, they might as well give us a new face! It has a strong resemblance to Mutt. (I wonder why ) Cemetery Warriors: The two warriors are up next. The new torso is great, but both figures are identical! At least the double-sided head and the weapons help customize them. But a chainsaw? Mutt Williams: Just the standard Mutt here. Nothing to hype about, though the torso is still nice. Group Photo: And a group photo. Father and son, warrior and uhhh.... warrior. Odds and ends: A few minifig-related components of the set. Some people don't consider skeletons minifigs, but I do. The motorbike is excellent. Lego did a good job on this. Notice that I used an extra gun as a kick-stand. The skeleton's headpiece and armor are great, but I don't care for battle-droid arms. Minifigs:: Thoughts: 5 Excellent minifigs for a $20 set is just great. Throw in the motorbike, and you're set. THE BUILD: Build 1: A few in-build shots of the tomb. More details on that later. Build 2: Shots of the exterior build, up until the sub-model. Build 3: A few shots of the sub-model. Build 4: And the finishing touches are placed! Extras: The classic extra pieces shot. The knife is useful and the gun is now Mutt's kick-stand. Build:: Thoughts: Not very long, but still enjoyable. It's nice to do it in sections, because you feel like you accomplish something instead of having it all come together at the end. COMPLETED PRODUCT: The Tomb: First up is the tomb. I really like this section, because it is small, captures the scene well, and has some nice functions and pieces. Front View: A front view of the tomb, with its treasure, cobwebs, and torches. Skull Revealed: The nice playable function of this part is that the skeleton can be removed to reveal the skull, just like in the movie. Lego did a great job with this part, because the skeleton stays in but can be easily removed. Tomb with Figs: A more action-packed view of this scene. Indy has just gone in, and is inspecting his "time-capsule". Exterior Front: Now for the next part: the exterior. You can see the holes in the wall, a feature which is apparently not limited to Star Wars. Exterior Side: A side shot, showcasing the scorpion, and the platform. Exterior Top View: A top view, displaying the layout a bit better. The rocks and foliage are excellent. Hiding Spots: There are plenty of places to hide, as demonstrated by our warriors. This captures the scene from the movie quite well, while at the same time adding playability. Exterior with Figs: This is what it might look like if a kid were playing with it. It looks like Indy has ditched Mutt, leaving him to face the warriors alone! Random Scene: Another scene that can be recreated. Here, it looks like Indy has gotten the skull and he and Mutt are escaping! Video Demonstration: Of course, no review of a set with a function is complete without a video. _______________________________________________ Now for those Totals! Design: 9/10 The two sections are great, but the divider is a bit shaky. The colors are spot on, and this is very movie accurate! Parts: 9/10 A great selection, with lots of accessories. Good colors and specialty parts (like the motorbike) Build: 8/10 Considering how small the set is, and how fast the build was, it was quite enjoyable. Minifigs: 10/10 A much better selection than the other similar-sized sets of the line, and exclusive written all over most of them! Playability: 10/10 Treasure, treasure hunters, people to protect the treasure, hiding spots for their ambushes, a cool moving function, and lots of accessories. If this set doesn't have it, what does? Price: 8/10 A little iffy, because you don't get many, but there are nice colors, and I'm sure the motorcycle drives up the price. Total: 54/60 A very decent little set, with minifigs, accessories, an playability being its strong points. I didn't originally think I was going to buy this, but I'm glad I did. If you don't like this set that much, take a closer look, and you may find you like it. Now that the official stuff is over, time for some fun shots! Bonus: "We found it! The Plastic Helmet!" (inspired by and based off of cole's MOC [link]) Another Bonus: The Cemetery Warrior's new makeover proved to be even scarier than the original! Thanks for reading! -Inconspicuous

Welcome to my third Pirates review! The Pirates theme was definitely my favorite theme as a kid. Although I owned a few large islands and ships (which I may review at a future date) this set is my favorite. Why? I have absolutely no idea. I just liked for some reason. Maybe some in-depth analysis will uncover that secret. BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Rocky Reef Set Number: 6254 Number of Pieces: 101 Minifigs: 3 Price: $15.00 USD Theme: Pirates Year Released: 1995 RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink Brickshelf THE REVIEW: BOX: Front: When I was a kid, I would always cut the box art off sets and hang them around my room. I only have the front of the box, so that's all I can show you. However, it is a very nice scene in which the two pirates are digging up the treasure and the skeleton is watching them. As I've pointed out before, the background appears to be sculpted and not computer-generated. Box:: Thoughts: Well, I really can't judge the box too well with only the front, but it looks nice and is a decent size. INSTRUCTIONS: Front: The front of the instructions is identical to the box art, minus the age range, the piece count, and the Pirates logo. Random Page: A random page in which the sliding door is being locked into place by a gray plate. The background colors are very nice, and the pictures are easy to read. Back: The last step is featured on the back, so no parts inventory or ads. Instructions:: Thoughts: Nice, easy to follow instructions with good colors. I believe the instructions were originally folded in three, but years of storage have made mine flat. PIECES: Pieces (unsorted): The unsorted pieces. Quite a few colors, mainly yellow and gray. Pieces (sorted): The sorted pieces. There are quite a few large pieces such as the baseplate, the boat, and the LURPs. (Click for bigger pic) Pieces of interest/ Accesories: Some of the interesting parts of this set. The built palm tree and red boat are lovely. Plenty of accessories as well. I really like the yellow turntable, and although it appears in 42 sets, I only have one or two. I'm used to the black ones, so the yellow is nice for a change. Pieces:: Thoughts: Some nice colors, and types here. A large baseplate is uncommon in a small set, and it would have barely fit into the box. Other people may complain about BURPs, but I think they're fine. I used 7 of them in my Mines of Moria MOC. (Link) MINIFIGS: Front: A front view of our cast. Two pirates and a classic skeleton. These were very common minifigs for a set back then, but they are excellent nowadays. And no battle-droid arms on the skeleton! Back: A back view of the cast. No back printing, which was normal in that era. Then again, how would you print a skeleton? Minifigs:: Thoughts: Nice minifigs, and the right amount for a small set. Adding Imperials wouldn't make sense, and three pirates might be too many. THE BUILD: Build: In build shots of Rocky Reef. It's a quick build due to all the big pieces. Build:: Thoughts: Quite fast, but enjoyable. The play feature is fun to build. No interesting techniques used. COMPLETED PRODUCT: The Whole Set: A shot of the whole set. The colors blend well on the island, and there are plenty of places to stand on the island. Play Feature: A view of the island with the secret compartment open. Opening the compartment opens the sliding rock door simultaneously. Sliding the compartment closed doesn't close the rock door, but the opposite works. Back View: A back view with the door open. You can see that there is room to hide inside the cave, and not be noticed when it's opened. Also note the palm tree of the 2x2 brick. Huh? I didn't know palm trees grew like that. Video Demonstration: And now for a little video demonstration of the play feature for those of you thoroughly confused by my explanation. Notice that the compartment doesn't close all the way, unless you move all the way. _______________________________________________ Now for those Totals! Design: 8/10 It could use another place to stand to make the digging look more realistic. It lost another point because of the palm tree's placement. Parts: 9/10 A big baseplate is great for a little set. A shovel would have been better than a pick-ax though. Build: 7/10 A little quick because of all the big pieces. Minifigs: 9/10 The right amount of minifigs for this size set, and nice torso printing. Hooray for no battle-droid arms! Playability: 9/10 The function is pure win. Really fun to play with, except that it doesn't close all the way when use push in the rock door. Price: 7/10 101 pieces for $15 isn't great, but when there are large baseplates, LURPS, and a boat, it makes sense. Total: 49/60 A decent little set, with a great function, good minifigs, and a fair selection of pieces. This has always been one of my favorite sets, and I can't not recommend it. If you have any interest in it, it's definitely worth a try. Thanks for reading! -Inconspicuous

I was recently reading in the BSTF Forum about a sale at Big Lots, so I stopped there that day. I found a bunch of Creator and Racers sets for $3 each, so I decided to get this one. I was really attracted to the color scheme of the main model, and 73 pieces for $3 was a steal. So, I got this set, and now here is my review. BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Mini Trains Set Number: 4837 Number of Pieces: 73 Minifigs: 0 Price: 4.99 USD, 4.99 EUR, 7.99 AUD, 3.89 GBP Theme: Creator Year Released: 2008 RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink Brickshelf THE REVIEW: BOX: Front: The front of the box shows the main model of this set along with smaller pictures of the alternate builds. The piece count curves around the left side. Back: The back shows smaller pictures of the three models and the 2 alternates curve around the sides. With Lid Removed: Next the lid is removed. I've always liked the reusable containers, partially due to the convenient lid. It snaps on nicely, but can be easily removed. Box:: Thoughts: A fine reusable container with crisp pictures- this is what's expected for a small Creator set. It is still very appealing. Contents: The set includes the instructions, ad booklet, one bag, and a few loose pieces. Sorry bag builders, but this one doesn't work. However, the bag is quite full, so the train might not fit anyways. The box is quite full, partially because plastic is thicker than cardboard. INSTRUCTIONS: Front: The front shows the 3 models again, but the photo is slightly different from the box art, which is always a nice touch. Random Page: On this random page, the first model is being finished off. There are no step parts inventories, but the yellow border and blue background is very appealing. Back: The parts inventory is on the back. There are no "Win products" ads on the back, like there usually are on current booklets. Instructions:: Thoughts: Simple, yet pleasing. Great colors, and easy to follow. I should stop complaining about folded booklets, but it still bothers me. I'm always afraid of ripping the booklet when I flatten it. PIECES: Pieces (unsorted): Ahhh, one of my favorite sounds: Fresh, crinkly bags. The pieces come clattering out. Pieces (sorted): And a shot of all the pieces. A lovely selection of green, gray, black, and white. Quite a bit for a little set! Pieces of interest: A few of the interesting pieces. The dark green cheese-slopes are very nice. Cheese lovers rejoice! For those of you converting your spare cannons into wheeled ones for Brickbeard's Bounty, this set offers two sets of wheels. The black clip piece is new to me, and functions no differently than its predecessor. The green grille bricks are excellent as well. Pieces:: Thoughts: 73 great pieces in great colors for $5 is just fabulous! When it comes to good, cheap pieces this set can't be beat. THE BUILD: MODEL 1: STEAM LOCOMOTIVE Model 1 Build: In-build shots of the locomotive, taken at steps 4, 8, and 12, and 16 respectively. Model 1 Front: A view of the front of the train. The black poles and cheese slopes are nice details. Model 1 Back: A shot of the back. Notice that the roof isn't supported in the very back. Model 1 Top: And a top shot. I like the cheese slopes added for detail. I'm not sure why the 1x1 trans-yellow plate is there, though. Model 1 Extras: And the extra pieces for the model. Since this is the main model, these are also spare for the other models. Hence, these are the "real" spares. (you'll get it after reading the rest. ) Model 1:: Thoughts: What really attracted me to this set is the main model, so I really love this one. The green and black color scheme is pure win. MODEL 2: MODERN DIESEL ENGINE Model 2 Build: A few in-build shots of Model 2, at steps 4, 8, and 14. Model 2 Front: Somehow this doesn't look like a "modern diesel engine" to me. It doesn't look like the trains where I live, but then again, none of them are green. Model 2 Back: The back of the train. You can probably buy a few extra copies of this set and build custom train cars that attach to this model. Model 2 Close-up: The only part of this set that I particularly is the nice SNOT detail as pictured here. Model 2 Extras: The leftovers of this model. It seems like quite a few. Model 2:: Thoughts: Considering designers had a certain piece selection to build this from, they did a good job. However, I never cared for the alternate models in Creator sets. MODEL 3: TRAM Model 3 Build: More in-build shots! Pictured at steps 4, 8, and 14, just like last time. Model 3 Front: The front of the tram. Not very many interesting details apart from the clips at the top. Model 3 Back: The back is almost identical to the front. If you really like this model, you could probably connect a few together. Model 3 Extras: And the extras. Even more than the last model. Model 3:: Thoughts: This is my least favorite model, because it doesn't look like the trams I've seen, doesn't have any good details, and is just a little blah. Bonus: Indy got tired of pulling around Marion on their "Sightseeing Tour of Cairo" so he found an alternative solution. _______________________________________________ Now for those Totals! Design: 10/10 The first model is awesome, the second good, and the third ok. I really only care about the first though. It has excellent details and techniques. Parts: 10/10 Amazing piece/price ratio and a fantastic selection too! For $5 this is a steal! Build: 8/10 Satisfactory, but it's a shame there's no brick separator in these small Creator sets. Minifigs: N/A Playability: 6/10 This is more of a model set, but the train is actually quite fun to roll around. (I guess it would be called rollability ) Price: 10/10 A lot of bang for you buck. If you can get it on sale, buy multiples! Total: 44/50 This is a very good small set, with great parts and models. The color scheme is great, and I love the main train. I'm not a huge fan of Creator, and I enjoyed this set quite a bit. I think that and my rating definitely say something about this set. Thanks for reading! -Inconspicuous

Really nice minifigs Sir Tsaboc! I'm a huge fan of LOTR as well, and a couple of my LOTR MOC's are floating around the History forum right now. I just did a Lighting of the Beacons MOC (which will be hitting the forums soon), and I really could have used some custom figs. I really like all the decals- I've never understood how to print and apply them, and they look just plain amazing on the minifigs. Keep up the great work!

Great MOC Spyder! I can see nothing wrong with it myself, but then again I don't know much about KOTOR. I really like some of the techniques you've used on the engines. Is there any way you can link to a picture of what the actual ship looks like? Thanks in advance, and great MOC!

Thanks for the nice comments everyone! I've finished my next MOC and the gallery is waiting to become public. And the next MOC is..................... The Lighting of the Beacons from Return of the King! Pictures coming in a few days.

The wait is over folks! The gallery is now public! I really don't like it as much as Moria, and I'm sad I scrapped it. So, I built another LOTR MOC Pictures of that in a few days.

Unfortunately, I only updated the one photo. Somehow it threw off the gallery. So if you were hoping that all of them were edited, I'm sorry to tell you.

You've inspired me to play around with it with some Photo editors. Here's what I came up with. In the process of adding this to my Brickshelf, the gallery is no longer public. Sorry about that!

Hi everyone! Well, after Sir Dillon suggested that I do an Osgiliath MOC, I started right away. I like it quite a bit, but it doesn't have the same "wow" factor that I felt about my Moria MOC (link). More pictures, including minifig shots, can be found in my gallery. Gallery Link Fun Facts: - It uses at total of 34 minifigs: 17 "orcs" and 17 men including Faramir. - I built most of it using pieces from my Moria MOC. - All the capes are custom made by the Finder's Keepers Shop on Ebay (link). - The blue water is the backdrop from a Studios set. - In the back, there is a minifig roasting a marshmallow. Feel free to post comments and criticism!

I built Balin's tomb a few years ago, as a part of my Lord of the Legos project. The room was way too small, but I had a hole in the ceiling and shined a flashlight on the tomb, which had an amazing effect! I attempted a Bridge of Khaza-dum as well, but using a Dino Attack pterodactyl as a Balrog didn't quite work. I had already built the door scene, but I still wanted to build something new from the mines, so I decided to make a random room vaguely based off of this scene from the movie. I actually threw on the two side rooms on as an afterthought, because I wanted to add to the intricate, cavernous feel. I ran out of light gray at the end, and the top is last, so I hope you understand. That is a very good idea! I love building run-down castle-like buildings, so this is perfect! I think I've found my next MOC! Thanks for the idea!

Congrats Svelte! You'll always be my favorite reviewer. Your funniness makes your reviews irresistible! I've gone out and read them all simply because they are so funny! The blue-ringed octupus made me laugh for hours! Keep up the great humor and good luck!

Yes, it is an existing piece. It's used as the Hungarian Horntail's claws in 4767.

Nice MOC lego40k! I'm a huge fan of redesigning sets, and this is an excellent creation. I really like the fact that you even mixed up the minifig parts. The zombie-dwarf is just great! :skull: This is an excellent MOC and I hope to see more from you in the future!

You are most certainly welcome. The set's name is actually Volcano Island. There is a set called Skull Island, which is an excellent set, and I'm proud to own it, but I just wanted to avoid confusion. For those of you curious here is a link to that set. Thanks for all the kind comments everyone! I'm very proud of the barrel-launching mechanism, and I'm glad you like it!

This sounds interesting! I'm looking forward to this! I wonder what will happen. Is that all the info you'll give us before you finish? I'm very curious.

The Ninja headpiece does appear in 7195 Ambush in Cairo, but it's still unlikely they'll remake the theme. All of the other minifigs in the picture have new prints, and I don't think we'll get any of them.

Wow! all of the designs I've seen in this thread are simply amazing! I don't make any huge ships, but I still like looking at these interesting techniques.

What a great review paanjang16! I'm not a huge Town fan but this set looks so simple yet elegant. Your "less is more" idea sums this up perfectly! Thanks again.

Like, groovy man! These are some nice custom figs fallentomato! A Mystery Machine would be awesome, but quite difficult. I still think it would be fun.

Wow! What an amazing MOC DutchRebel! For something so small, a lot of nice details are packed in. I especially like the screwdrivers guns on the front. Keep up the good work!

Great MOC! I've always been a fan of taking the pieces for sets and making something new! The only problem for me is... I never got the Battle Pack.

Thanks for the link (Yay, it works!) I have absolutely no experience with customizing decals/printing decals, so I think this might be a little out of the picture, but it definitely makes you think. I guess I should find a better torso and head. I'd like to start doing another MOC (Yes, that means wrecking the Mines ) but I'm unsure about what to do. I'm familiar with the whole series, so start submitting your ideas anytime.

Not quite. It's because I don't want to start another fake image scam like what happened with those fake Elf set images that showed up on Brickset a while ago. I'm not saying the picture is incredibly realistic, but I just want to avoid confusion. I hope you understand.

Magnificent! These chapters get better and better! Nothing like a fast-paced action story to keep us entertained! Thanks a bunch for getting out 2 chapters in one day! Now I'm content...... for a little while :skull: Thanks again.