Mac-K

Now that's just weird...and a really, really big coincidence. I promise, I wasn't copying you! I cannot wait for my copy of this set to show up in the mail. I've been saving aside for this set for months now!

Nice MOC Lego_Warlord_8! The swamp/bayou setting is pretty uncommon in Pirate builds, it seems. I really like the green SNOT used for the swamp water, that touch defines the swampy atmosphere for me, more than anything else. Good job!

Nothing personal Wooten but I really hope that your information is wrong, especially considering I just ordered my copy of the Flagship today. I can't imagine there is some sort of quality issue with the set, we haven't heard anything in that regard, as I recall. /Nervousness on

I'd buy those sets, no question! If we're going Down Under, I have to say, I'd totally be game for some Quigley Down Under sets. But in all seriousness, a renewed Western theme could only be unlicensed, and it should definitely be that way, I think. There's just no single popular Western franchise out there, certainly not any well known to children anyway. Don't get me wrong, there's tons of Western media I'd love to see drawn upon. I'd love to see Lonesome Dove, Tombstone, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, etc. Imagine a *The Wild Wild West train set, with all sorts of play features based on the gadgets and traps seen in the show. But, hopes like that are what MOCing is for. An original Western theme is the best means to produce generalized Western-style pieces for everyone to use for their own designs. *I mean the TV series of the 1960's, not to be confused with that ridiculous Will Smith movie.

Those two promo sets are very nice looking indeed! The archer set looked great from just a glimpse. So many useful pieces, and as others have said, the box art just gives off a nice camp feel to it. I was a little skeptical about the attack cart. That is, until looking at the instructions, and now I'd have to say that set as well is really quite nice! The abundance of green cheese in such a small set is good, and I really like the design of the ramming spike mounted on the cart. Apparently there's an issue with the availability of promo sets, but I have to admit I'm not really familiar with these type of sets. Do they sell at all in common retail stores, like Target or Toys R Us? (I list those stores because I'm American, and not familiar with major retail outlets in other countries )

Thank you for this great review Def! I never got any sets in the Adventurers Jungle line, which I colossally regret because I think the Jungle and Orient sub-themes were really fantastic. I have to say, looking back through the catalogs and such, I love the vibrancy of the color scheme in the Jungle sub-theme. The brightness of the red, blue, yellow, and green just looks so good, and it works wonderfully in this set. There's a great number of special pieces here, the camera, film piece, Sun Disk (as I remember it being called ), and let's not forget those fantastic pillar pieces ! The figures included are nice, and like you said Def, it's nice to see Johnny not included in every Adventurers set. The only thing I might nitpick about is the jeep, I feel like that was a bit of a step backward from the vehicles in the Egyptian themed sets. One plus is the rear mounted spare tire, that's a nice touch. But the front, especially what's supposed to be the engine block just looks bland, I think the grill piece that got introduced during this time ought to have been used there. But other than that, I really can't find anything to complain about. This seems like a great little set, thanks for sharing Def!

A nice little review here ZO6! This was my first Adventurers set, I remember being blown away when I got it for Christmas (pre-internet days when I never saw prelim pics months ahead ). The jeep has such a cool older look to it, especially with that grill piece on the front, I was quite impressed by that. I always loved that the jeep body piece with the seats had that perfect little slot for maps to be stored in, such a neat detail! There's a good assortment of accessories too, rifle, binoculars, pick and shovel, scorpions, etc. Not very much to it, but like you said ZO6, it serves as a great introduction to the theme! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for such a great review ZO6! Your review brought back a heck of a lot of nostalgia for me. Only Adventurers and Wild West kept me in Lego during the late 90's when I otherwise would have been in a total dark age. I really can't say much that hasn't been said already, this set is just an example of Lego at its best. I really can't believe this set has NO STICKERS whatsoever, it really boggles my mind that the pieces are all just beautifully printed ones. If only Lego could stick to this practice currently. I only got a couple Adventurers sets back in the day, but I so badly wish this had been one of them. Incredible piece variety, awesome play features, and the potential for so much adventure makes this set a definite must buy. The only bad side to awesome reviews of sets like this is the compulsion to track them down MISB! Upon reading this review, I have to echo similar sentiments of others on this site, when I say that a reintroduction of Adventurers in place of Indiana Jones (assuming that line is finished) would be fantastic! Anyway, thank you again ZO6!

^ I absolutely agree samuraiturtle. I suspect a lot of opinion on the Great Helm will change once people get them into their hands. I remember the helmet made for the Trolls getting flak as well, but I believe it turned out to be a well liked piece. It shouldn't be that hard to judge either, just one 7950 Knight's Showdown is a cheap way to gauge whether you like it or not. I say the helmet is a great addition to Castle.

I have to agree. It doesn't seem to me that Boba's helmet is really any more detailed than Clone Commander Whose-His-Face, or a TIE or AT-AT pilot. Is it really so different from the double-sided torso printing and leg printing we've started to see in Lego? Lego seems to be in a no-win situation with making a Grievous fig. While a few like him, the overwhelming majority hate this incarnation it seems. This one actually looks pretty good compared to the last, in my opinion. And he should be far more mobile, I'd like to think.

I'm very happy to see the arrival of actual pictures of the sets from the new 2010 line up! Not much new in the way of revelations, but it's still good to have reaffirmation that this will be a very nice line. The close-ups of the new great helm have me quite excited, that looks like such a good piece! Although I love the grill and visor helms, it's good to see another addition to Castle-wear. The torsos are all looking very good as well. I'm loving the color scheme for the Dragon Knights! The dark green, black and gold, plus that beautiful dark and shiny grey for the armor looks fantastic! It seems that Lego has avoided giving the Dragons distinctly "evil" looking heads, which is nice in shaping the "you choose the good guy-bad guy" theme, even though the way they are presented still kind of makes them look like the antagonists (what good guy kidnaps a 'helpless' damsel? ). I realize that this is only the first wave, but I'm a little disappointed at the weak showing for the Dragons. Hopefully the next wave will rectify the lack of horses and barding for these guys. I'm still convinced that 7947 Prison Tower Rescue will be the first on my list. There's just something about the design that I find especially attractive, it feels 'earthy' for some reason. 7946 King's Castle is looking quite superb! The turrets have quite a bit of space on them, and the general architecture is very nice, it just feels like a good castle. And let's not forget all of the great smaller sets, which is another major plus for this line in my eyes. There's just a great assortment of pieces and mini-figs there, and getting a bunch of them would be a worthwhile purchase I think, especially for someone who is into army building. I noticed that too Clone O'Patra, I believe you're correct. I can't say I mind they did that either, it looks really good to me.

A nice review you have here Inconspicuous! For some reason, I seem to recall this ship getting a lot of hate in the past, I don't see why though. I have to agree with you, this ship is pretty darn cute! There's something charming about the small stature of it, the cramped quarters and the almost "chubby" nature of the hull. I rather like the color scheme of her too, the black, green and red seem very pirate-y to me. The mini-figs are a nice assortment, especially with the rare lady-pirate. I really like the other crewman too, I never got any of the pirate sets from around the late 1990's (except Armada Sentry). He has a good face, and the torso print is great as well. I also really like that he has red pants. Weird perhaps, but it kind of gives him the look of a more flamboyant pirate, which I find cool. I think Lego might have done that only once or twice in the course of the Pirate line, come to think of it. But anyway, great review, and thank you for sharing! I'm a little bit tempted to go hunt this set down...

Yes! A good end to the day! These pictures just confirm how great this new direction for Castle looks. I'm really happy to see the breastplate will be staying around. Oh, and finally a good look at those new great helms! I was a little worried they wouldn't look good, but they actually look much better than I'd hoped for! Those armor pieces for the horses are looking nice too. The Lion Castle has quite a stout feeling to it, and a really Classic-type feel to it, which should be pleasing to the folks hoping for a return to that style. It looks great to me, I know that much. I can't get over how cool looking the Dragon Knight Tower is though, just something about it I guess. Hopefully this mystery figure in the tower will be revealed soon, though I suspect it will be a new princess/maiden of sorts over just another Lion knight, considering how it always manages to stay obscure in the pictures thus far. All the smaller sets are looking superb as well, always good to have a decent choice of those. The release of this theme cannot come soon enough!

Ohh...nice! I'm glad to see we got a better shot of the new Slave I, even just a box shot is fine with me. Bossk is looking nice, I'm hoping his head mold is a hard plastic. That new Boba Fett though...he just looks plain sexy from what I can see, and I'm not ashamed to say so. It's probably not even worth mentioning, as they are still preliminary designs, but I hope a few things get changed about Slave I. I think the smoky-colored windshield would look better, like in the last incarnation of the ship. I'm also not sure about the reddish-brown trim that lines the bottom. In the past versions, it has always been one color, I believe. Mixing it up with two colors doesn't look quite as good, personally. But anyway, they're still preliminary so no worries there, and it looks gorgeous regardless. Seeing as how I missed out on the last one, I can't wait for this one!

This is just a thoroughly great scene. This MOC totally captures the adrenaline of one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Wars and especially in ESB, as the T-47's scream over the trenches filled with Rebel troops, all rushing to the defense of Echo Base. It's so good. I haven't seen many Snowspeeder recreations by fans, but seeing this one makes me wish the new one coming out with the Wampa Cave was just like it, really. Excellent work!

I was hoping to find this thread! Anyway, here's the beaut that hooked me on Pirates forever, 6235 Buried Treasure : I know this set is tiny, but there's just so much goodness going on. For a little kid who loved pirate related things (I had actually just read Treasure Island at about this time ), this set was so great. Just the lone pirate and his monkey pal tending after their treasure hoard. And eight gold coins?! I certainly might be wrong, but I don't seem to remember that happening very often at all in the Pirate line, especially in such a small set like this. All of the little things like the two mini-figs (yes, the monkey counts, I don't care ), shovel, flag, treasure chest, pistol and cutlass just made for such a neat toy to a young pirate fan. Truly a great introduction into a magnificent theme, and all in one small box.

Oh, another great build from Derfel! This is a nice little MOC, certainly a surprise considering how big you usually build. This scene is still packed with all of the great detailing that makes its way into your creations, and that's no surprise at all! The coloring of the building is distinctly Imperial, and I really like the dark red used for that little tower atop the island. Also, the technique to make the white paneling on the main building looks great, though I'm curious if those are cheese slopes or just tiles slanted at an angle. The woodwork is nice as well, with the mix of dark and regular brown for the beams, railings and torches. Again, this is a fine build Derfel, and I look forward to your next one!

This is some really nice work Etzel! I'm not sure what else I can add that hasn't already been said. Oh, I think the green as a kind of mossy/grassy roof works really well, and it's accurate too. The fact that it's textured, and has the random wildflowers growing from it, made me realize immediately what you were going for. The cross-beam work on the front of the cabin is such a nice touch too. I admit, I was kind of hoping for a loft in the cabin before I saw the interior shots, but I definitely understand considering this is meant to display a scene, and not just a building. If I might make one suggestion, I think the front door looks perhaps a little modern. Maybe this door? That's really nit-picky, I know. Honestly, that door you have looks good as is, I just happened to think back on the Wild West sets while looking at your MOC, and I remembered that door from 6761 Bandits' Secret Hideout and thought it might suggest that kind of "rugged" look. But anyway, great work Etzel, I look forward to your next build.

Oh wow, this is some beautiful work! The random appearance of the Islanders has me feeling pretty nostalgic, and the ninjas scaling the prow are a nice touch too. Oh yeah, and huzzah for the Governor!

Hmm. This would have been a tough question to answer...had 'both' not been an option. There are just too many awesome superhero teams to pass up, in particular the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Justice League. I would be thrilled to see them all put in brick form! While I won't say they will never happen, I'm not getting my hopes up too high. But here's to a little harmless optimism anyway! May TLG someday humble us with a Lego Blackbird or a Watchtower playset!

This is some great work Derfel! The roofing technique for the cabin with those large doors is really cool, I don't believe I've seen that before. I also like the little hill with the watch-tower and cannon emplacement off to the left. Oh, and those 'intruders' tied to the posts in the water are a great addition, pretty menacing! Personally, all of the little details such as the anchor and wheel decorations, fish drying rack, the rickety bridge, and the hobbled together woodwork just give the whole scene a really nice hide-away feel to it, excellent job! Always looking forward to seeing more of your builds, Derfel!

There are probably no more words of praise left in the English language to describe this ship, that haven't been used already anyway, so I'll just say that I cannot wait to obtain this particular set. Even though I already read this review back in November before joining EB, I had to say thank you on here Svelte, this fantastically detailed review of yours has kept me salivating for weeks on end. That tax return money cannot come soon enough.

Hi Ralph_S, I just wanted to compliment you on this absolutely gorgeous work! Before I joined here I really looked forward to seeing a creation of yours, your renderings of military vehicles in Lego are superb. I really don't know what else I can say that hasn't been said, this F-14 is just perfect, it really is. I was most surprised by the detailing of the belly of the jet. It looks quite nice, and the whole package of the armament hard points and fuel tanks really give it that "filled out" look that the F-14 has. Thank you for sharing this, I can't wait for more builds from you. Oh, I also agree about Top Gun. Cheesiness aside, those flight scenes still leave me awestruck, and really wishing there were more air shows near where I live.

Hi Master Collector, I just wanted to say that this drop ship in progress is looking awesome so far! The drop on Big K has to be one of the best scenes from Starship Troopers! This build is looking very close to the movie model so far, as near as I can tell. Your troopers are nicely done too, the SP III armor is quite fitting and the customized helmets look good as well, very recognizable. The only thing lacking is some of the epic music of Basil Poledouris to accompany this tribute to the Mobile Infantry. I'm looking forward to seeing more progress on this work!

Oh wow...I'm so glad this was bumped! This is just a fantastic creation, maydayartist, it really is. I love everything about it! The buildings making up the harbor look fantastic with their own respective character. I particularly love that watchtower with the palm frond roof, that really defines it as a Pirate village to me. The harbor itself is awesome. The chains and posts look nice, and so is the beacon pyre on that little outlet of land. Oh, and I really like the use of those sloped pieces with the stone printing to make up the harbor, that fortified position with all of the cannons looks so great! The island has such great balance too. The sparseness of the back of the island really feels just right, my favorite little detail is the pirate snoozing in the hammock all by himself. The addition of the ruined church is fantastic, the building itself has the perfect feel for the time period, and it looks so good placed there with the winding beach path going through it. I guess I should stop rambling, but anyway, thank you so much for sharing this maydayartist. I'm looking forward to your next build! Mac-K