Retrocity

Perhaps the Quartermaster will be an updated Steve? I’ve always thought of him as a merchant based on Imperial Trading Post, but Quartermaster would make sense for the version in Skull’s Eye Schooner.

The set I preordered arrived yesterday. Even better in person. So many good pieces. I fully expect a series 2 at some point. I passed on grabbing some last week, and now I’m going to be on the hunt for a few extras.

Steve Origins: Meeting Redbeard by Oky

Thanks for the info! I'll have to look up the videos.

I think the set I'm more likely to have interest in from a mindset of one or the other is Medieval Seaside Market. It's a little bit smaller than either Tortuga or Forest Stronghold though. If I opt to get only one, I'll likely stick to Tortuga (since I'll get the Medieval Market Village eventually), but we'll see a finalized Seaside Market up for crowdfunding first. I also like the Wild West Train from that series a lot. This may be slightly veering a little off topic, but what are the overall thoughts on how finalists are chosen? A little relevant since the potential price (due to the total piece count) is a big topic on Tortuga. While there is the fan vote, the selection team is also looking at additional criteria beyond the vote in selecting their 5 finalists (potential future official sets, hype around the set, a well rounded selection by theme/size for each series, ect..). I'd love to see the behind the scenes process. It seems that for say castle theme, they've stuck to larger sets and have yet to select a smaller build despite there being quality submissions. I guess you could say they anticipate a castle set to consistently sell the full allotment whether it costs around $100 or $400 whereas a different theme might have trouble selling 30K copies at the higher price point. The big set probably has more hype going for it as well. We're also seeing a lot of builders with their second or even third submission selected as a finalist. Some of these subsequent builds follow the same theme, which can be nice. There are the perks to having your submission chosen, so designing a set that goes along with one that you previously had selected will probably help it gain support, especially if it's part of a theme that LEGO is not currently making sets for. No discredit to the builders as they are creating some amazing sets and you'd be hard pressed to say they don't deserve to be selected with all the work that goes into the process. I personally don't look at who created a submission when I vote for one, but I do recognize a lot of names from seeing other builds they have previously shared (either with BDP, Ideas, or various media). I just wonder if there will eventually be fatigue with BDP for buyers if some themes are almost exclusively sets on the upper piece/price side or for designers if it feels a small subset continue to make up a bulk of the finalists. I don't think the design side would necessarily hurt from the buyers perspective if that subset continues to pump out quality submissions, just that over time there may be less options to select from. And hey, Series 6 might be the complete opposite with all new designers and more reasonably sized sets.

Here be yer chance to order 910053 The Thieves of Tortuga! Only 30,000 sets will be produced - so DON'T MISS OUT! When the timer reaches 00:00:00:00 orders close. Crowdfunding shall commence June 10th, 2025 at 8AM Pacific time. US$339.99 / £299.99 / €339.99 Heaps more photos and info on Classic-Pirates.com. New imperial faction - green coats with their very own flag! BrickLink Series 5 winners have been announced! The Thieves of Tortuga has been selected for crowdfunding. I will most likely get it depending on final cost. I liked Caribbean Port equally, maybe even slightly more despite it not being as detailed. I liked getting a ship and more of a dock. Tortuga has about 1600 more pieces, more detail but also more expensive. I’m just happy to have a set based on a port town. The Transylvania set is quite the set as well. I’m a little disappointed that the Portal Of Shadows didn’t make it. It was really unique. https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-5/main.page?_refreshrnd=47933

I ordered that torso last week off PAB, and it came in today. I'm still waiting on the standard parts from my order to come in with the head I want for it along with some other hair pieces I may use. I went with orange pants, since I had an extra pair lying around. I think it fits in really well.

3. Ben S 8. Kristel 10. Kritch

I’d love to see Caribbean Port or The Thieves of Tortuga make it. A more merchant centered set would be nice and complement existing Pirate sets. Tortuga is definitely more polished having a lot more pieces, but I really like something about the design of Carribean Port. I think it loosely reminds me of the town they had built on display in the Pirate hotel at Legoland in Florida (although more detailed). I’d like to see it with some of the Cobblestone work on the walkways like Tortuga has. I like the Trading Port too. I could see modding it slightly and making it a base for my Imperial Armada figures.

Maybe I was just super busy with work and outside activities during the last voting round and didn't take much time to dig into some of the submissions, but I feel there are stronger submissions this time around. Of course some themes have a lot of solid submissions, but which ones really stand out as something unique. I'd also echo that it feels like I pull up some submissions to look at and the piece count is way higher than expected. I would honestly love to see a round where the piece count is restricted to encourage smaller builds. I liked the small viking ships from the last round, and it would be cool to see one of the ships from round 5 make it through. I thought the Retro Ant Colony was a lot of fun and also a nice small build. The Old West Mine with the dinosaur skeleton built into the outside of the mine is cool. The Portal of Shadows build was really unique, though a larger set. Love the necromancer and summoning portal just stands out. Transylvania too, is quite the set and I absolutely can see it getting made. I'd be really interested in one of the Pirate port towns as it would go well with the existing Pirate sets.

Fan vote is open! https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/bc71ade6-038c-47fd-bb34-15493ca61cc1 There are five choices for the new Spaceman! Bright Bluish Green, Bright Yellowish Green, Reddish Violet, Warm Gold, and Dark Azure. These are all good in my opinion. I think I'm going for Bright Bluish Green, but Bright Yellowish Green is very good. I think I'd be happy with any, but Warm Gold the least of the five.

Fan vote is open! Castle factions are Krakens, Griffins, Bulls, and Crows. I called it on Krakens being a choice, not the color scheme I initially envisioned but it's unique. I'm going Krakens, but all are good. Bulls and Crows are remakes of the Bull faction and the CMF Tournament Knight (factions are listed as updates on the blog). Kraken I think is the most unique. I missed out on the Tournament knight as it was hard to find that series when it was out, and I only saw them once. Would love to have them potentially available at a better price point. The Griffin looks good with the color scheme, but they say the shape and colors can change from the preliminary image. https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/bc71ade6-038c-47fd-bb34-15493ca61cc1

Can’t wait to see the set. Won’t be getting it right away, but mainly because I just managed to get Rivendell today at a pretty good discount from a local auction place (they buy returns from a lot of major retailers and auction them as is). I’m not even sure what retailer it came from since I thought it was still exclusive (a lot of items come from Amazon, Target, other big box places). You can inspect items before bidding, so I went out there last week to check if it was legit. Just a heavily water damaged box but all bags, instructions and stickers were there! Luckily the instructions and stickers had no water damage. I always get outbid on any LEGO sets, but I’m guessing nobody else inspected it and was willing to chance it not being complete.

Despite wanting to get an updated Black Knight, I feel it would be best for all new factions/color schemes to be used (unless they want to go all prior existing). Let them hopefully use an update to an old faction for a future set. That way, the vote seems a little more balanced versus there being one highly in demand update and a few new options that sound cool but likely won't stand a chance. Thinking on this more, I wonder how many total figures they'll put in the set, and if they'll potentially have the budget for another fun update or two from another theme that will be a surprise (wouldn't a Seatron alien be a ridiculously fun figure to have in there). As for factions that could be interesting, a seafaring faction with a serpent or kraken would be cool. I could see them having a not so traditional animal as an option as far as what you think of with medieval settings like a penguin. They could also make a goat knight though I think they know how that will likely go if it's an option.

I am assuming they will pick all new colors. Teal/Turquoise, lime, magenta, dark gray? Maybe a sand or dark green in place of lime.

The latest IDEAS review has been announced. https://ideas.lego.com/blogs/a4ae09b6-0d4c-4307-9da8-3ee9f3d368d6/post/1d2fa9a9-b6a6-4521-921d-7567869881d9 Two sets approved and one will get further review with a decision during the next approval in the summer. 1. Minifigure Prize Machine 2 figures in the set will be determined by fan vote. - New Castle faction emblem - New Classic Spaceman color 2. Western River Steamboat 3. Disney Pixar’s Luxo Jr. Lamp - further review with decision in the summer I’m pretty pleased with the selections, some interesting selections. I usually go through the list before seeing what was selected and make logical guesses. I thought the bike or toaster might get picked, since they have been making a lot of display piece type objects lately like the Polaroid. The prize machine fits that mold too, but I think it’s a cool concept. It’s gonna get a lot of hype from those fan votes for the minifigures. I think the Steamboat is a great build despite it not being something I’d typically consider. Depending on the price, I might get it.

I posted this in the Historic Theme section as well but this applies here too (Castle vote is for a new faction emblem). With the IDEAS Minifigure Prize Machine getting approved, there will be a fan vote to select a new Classic Spaceman color for one of the figures that will be included.

With the IDEAS Minifigure Prize Machine getting approved, there will be a fan vote to select a new Castle faction emblem for one of the figures that will be included.

I used an app called Code Scan (iPhone) that I also used for the last set. I saw that Jay's Brick Blog had a system that doesn't require an app, but I think you had to make an account. Since I already had the app, it was quicker to use that in store.

I was able to get the updated Ice Planet, Blacktron, and M-Tron along with the Beetlezoid. I really like them all. I like the Blacktron more than I thought I would from the pictures. I had some spare neon green visors and adding them to the M-Tron figures makes them perfect in my opinion. Well worth grabbing some off Bricklink with an order if you don’t have any extra since they are pretty cheap. I think the Ice Planet helmet could’ve been great despite there not being a separate visor. There’s a lot of detail to the helmet, I just think it could have used some more color. The Beetlezoid has a great color scheme.

Thanks for the confirmation! I'm determined to remember where I got it, but for now, I'll think of a good use for it.

I found that I have two of the thin triangular black and white striped sail that came with Enchanted Island. https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=sailbb14#T=S&O={"iconly":0} Did this come in any other set at all? Per Bricklink, it doesn't look like it did, and I don't see any similar sail that is a different part number. This is from a childhood set and none of my friends/family had it, so it didn't come from someone else. Almost 100% positive I didn't get a second one from a mixed lot as my childhood (and newer complete sets) are stored separately at this time. They were in separate containers, so I haven't thought anything of it over the past few years. The only thing I could possibly think is that I requested a replacement one from LEGO in a letter I mailed for some parts as one has a ripped hole at the top (I'm also pretty sure that I did not; I'd have to find a computer with a floppy disk drive to find that letter that I wrote in elementary school haha). Any thoughts or did it clone itself after all those years lol.

Series 4 Finalists announced. 1. Merchant Boat 2. Wild West Train 3. Medieval Seaside Market 4. Siege Encampment 5. The Riverside Scholars Nice sets overall though none of the sets I really liked made the cut. I also got a lot more selective in my voting compared to the first/second round (tried to limit how many per theme/style I voted for). I’d consider the train or market depending on the final design and price. I had really liked the western train set that had the town with it as well. https://www.bricklink.com/v3/designer-program/series-4/main.page?_refreshrnd=18047

Not sure about other parts, but it looks like a lot of animals that were on the list from November to be discontinued from PAB (and were still showing up as just out of stock) are now back in stock. Animals like the sheep, some of the baby animals, ect...

Big price drop on the cow? I want to say it was previously something like $9.52 and I'm seeing $6.86 now.