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REVIEW - 42054 - CLAAS XERION 5000 TRAC VC INTRODUCTION First of all my apologies. Sorry it took so long for this review to be published. Sometimes there are other things in life that need attention. Next year I will try to keep July free for LEGO reviews With all the news about the 42056 - Porsche GT3 RS and the 42055 - Bucket Wheel Excavator, you would almost forget there are two other great sets coming up during the second half of 2016. One of which is the 42053 - Volvo EW160E, while the other is the 42054 - Claas Xerion 5000 Trac VC. Today we will be reviewing the latter. Like LEGO it seems that CLAAS also likes its name spelled with capitals, so from now on I will happily oblige. While I live in an area which is flooded by tractors and farm equipment, the CLAAS doesn't seem to be very popular in Holland, while CLAAS is a brand which originated in Germany, not too far away. I have never been a real fan of LEGO Technic farm equipment models. To be honest; I have skipped all of them. They just didn't look interesting enough. How different the CLAAS is. I'll just throw it out there...this is love af first sight. Sometimes the real model looks even better than in the pictures. If this is the case with the CLAAS, it's definitely one of the best looking models ever made. Usually you don't draw conclusions in the introduction, but I simply felt the need to address the feeling that I have when I look at this model. CLAAS being one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) manufacturers of combine harvesters, we might be treated with another CLAAS model in the future. So, not having bought a single farm equipment set, combined with my limited knowledge of real farm equipment, I had to invest some time to get acquainted with the CLAAS XERION 5000 TRAC VC. In case you are wondering what VC stands for, it's the designation for Variable Cab, meaning the cab can be rotated backwards, to facilitate driving backwards....or is it forward?! At CLAAS, VC stands for Variable Cab. The rotating cab is the most convenient reverse-drive system imaginable. At the press of a button, the entire cab moves from its central position to the rear-facing position above the rear axle in seconds. The controls rotate automatically with the cab, so all functions remain the same when operating in the rear position. For high driving comfort on the road, the cab is centrally positioned between the axles. In the silage clamp, on the field, in the forest or in the mountains, the XERION with the cab rotated over the rear axle becomes a user-friendly self-propelled machine with a unique view of the job in hand. If you are looking for more information, here's the Brochure and Technical data. Funny fact about this set is that it's simply addressed as one of the 2H 2016 sets, while with almost 2000 parts, it would definitely have qualified as a flagship a couple of years ago. This is a clear indication that the Technic product line has been evolving rapidly. I start to wonder how big this model actually is. Let's open the box and find out. SET INFORMATION Number: 42054 Title: Claas Xerion 5000 Trac VC Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 1977 Box Weight: 2834 gr Box Dimensions: 58,0 cm x 37,2 cm x 9,8 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 159 Price per Part: € 0,080 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX Having the Porsche and BWE around almost makes you forget that this isn't the Prima Donna of 2016. The box doesn't help either, since it's quite a big lady. A few years ago it could have easily passed as a flagship set. As usual, the front shows a nice picture of the model. The right side indicates that this is a PF powered set, where the M-motor and PF Battery Box are included. Bottom right tells us the crane arm and cabin are motorized. At this point it's not exactly clear what the motorization entails, but I bet the backside of the box will show us more details. BACK The back of the box (click to enlarge) shows us that the boom of the crane can be raised and lowered using Power Functions, as well as rotating the crane. Also, the cabin can be rotated using Power Functions, which is obviously super cool! I'm really anxious to find out how this works. The lower left corner shows us the three steering modes of the CLAAS XERION. Yes, you heard it right, three steering modes! Just like the Porsche should have had The lower right corner shows a picture of the B-model, which is actually the same tractor, with a different attachment. The crane has been transformed into a silage plow. As you can see, the cabin (and thus controls) are facing a different direction than in the picture of the A-model. Like the Unimog I expect lots of modifications and attachments for this model! CONTENTS OF THE BOX The box contains the following items: 1x Sealed instruction manual and sticker sheet 11x Bags for step 1 4x Bags for step 2 1x Unsealed PF battery box 1x Sealed PF M motor 4x Red rims 4x Awesome new tires This is how it looks when you throw everything on one big pile. INSTRUCTION MANUAL AND STICKERS The instructions are provided in a square bound book, sealed in a bag with the stickers. I really like this way of packing the manual and stickers. Keeps both the book and sticker sheet unharmed. Below are detailed pictures of the book and sticker sheet. The latter contains lots of little stickers for switches and controls. This means the model will have lots of functions....yay! PF COMPONENTS A PF Battery Box and a sealed PF M-motor. RIMS AND TIRES Without a doubt the single most eye-catching elements when opening the box are the new tires! 11 BAGS FOR STEP 1 4 BAGS FOR STEP 2 HIGHLIGHTED PARTS Back by popular demand is the Highlighted parts section. For this set it's quite elaborate. Not because it contains loads of new parts, but it does contain quite a few new-ish parts in large numbers. This indicates that the designer used some of the new building techniques in this set. And there's something funny going on with the axles, so let's start with those. AXLES Red and Yellow axles have been introduced in most of the 1H 2016 sets. What's striking though, is that this contains axles in both the regular black and grey color, as well as the latest yellow and red versions. Here you can see that we get both the grey and yellow 5L and 7L axles. I have included only a single grey version to make my point. Actually there are 11 yellow and 5 grey 5L axles and 6 yellow and 15 grey 7L axles. Same goes for the red 4L and 8L axles, which have a black counterpart (also a single one included in the picture). This set contains 9 red and 4 black 4L axles and 2 red and 2 black 8L axles. Makes sense, right?! At this point I am really starting to wonder what the strategy behind the axle color distribution is. Is TLG getting rid of their old stock or is there a better explanation? Hopefully we will discover some logic, but I highly doubt it. On the left you can see the new (2016) 3L Axle with Stop and on the right you see the 2012 4L Axle with Center Stop. Inclusion of the latter is not so special, if it weren't for the quantity. A total of 12 are included, which is more than in any other set. And even a single 11L axle in yellow, which completes the uneven yellow axle family (3L, 5L, 7L, 9L and 11L). Fun fact; the 3L axle in yellow has been introduced in 2015 (in the LEGO Ideas Wall-e set) and has been used in quite a few 2016 sets, but not in any of the Technic sets. Same goes for the 9L axle, which has been used in three non-Technic sets. Adds another layer to the axle mystery. Let's talk Pins and Pin Connectors. 3L PIN WITH 1L/2L AXLE This set includes 20 3L Pin with 2L Axle from 2015 and a whopping 31 3L Pin with 1L Axle from 2014. AXLE/PIN WITH PIN HOLE If you are in need of Pin with Pin Hole from 2014, look no further. This set contains 49 of 'em. Yes that's right, 49!! And 14 of its axle counterpart Axle with Pin Hole from 2016. AXLE AND PIN CONNECTOR HUB WITH 2 AXLES This set also comes with 12 Axle and Pin Connector Hub with 2 Axles. Already introduced in 2012, but relatively new in black. 1L PIN CONNECTOR Introduced in 2015, received with some surprise from the community. Why do we need this 1L Pin Connector?! Well, there's 54 in this set so we are bound to find out why it's useful. H-FRAME (DOG BONE) In my review of the 42023 Construction Crew (one of my two first reviews) I introduced this part. The Liftarm 3 X 5 Perpendicular H-Shape Thick a.k.a. Dog Bone Frame or H-Frame. A compact versatile frame which appeared in quite a few sets but never in such quantities. This set contains 10 of them. CURVED PANEL The 3 x 6 x 3 Curved Panel was already available in blue and yellow and now it's also available in black. You only get a single one in this set though. TURNTABLES This new turntable was introduced in 2015 and it's the first time it appears twice in a single set. It's comprised of two parts, The Top and The Base. STEERING WHEEL HUB Introduced in the Porsche (only because it was available first) and now also available in the CLAAS. Two of them in the Porsche but if you like to build 4W steering this is the set for you. It contains 4 Steering Wheel Hub Holder with 2 Pin Holes and 2 Axle Holes. LIME GREEN IS THE NEW YELLOW A reasonably large selection of lime green parts. Not sure if it's visible in this picture but apparently lime green is the new yellow, when it comes to parts being identically colored. Variation in lime green is significant. This picture shows a detailed view of the color difference. It's clearly visible near the 2x1 plate. The connectors and liftarm do differ as well. Good news is that there are some new parts available in lime green: 1x Panel Fairing # 5 Long Smooth, Side A 1x Panel Fairing # 6 Long Smooth, Side B 1x Panel Fairing # 1 Long Smooth, Side A 1x Panel Fairing # 2 Long Smooth, Side B 2x 16L Soft Axle (Flex Axle DISHES This 6x6 Inverted Rader Dish isn't new, but it's the first time we see it in red. This picture also shows the reflection of the light bounced off the ceiling. RIMS The rims are your run of the mill 56mm D. x 34mm Technic Racing Rims, with the unique feature that, like the 6x6 Inverted Dishes, these come in red for the first time. TIRES Four brand new 107 x 44R Tractor Tires! PART LIST Here's the complete list of 1977 parts. THE TRACTOR The build consists of two phases, the tractor and the crane. Obviously we will start with building the tractor. Get your #1 bags, rims, tires and PF components....we are about to begin! We start by building the chassis. The back side of the chassis to be specific. You can already see part of the steering mode selector mechanism taking shape. REAR MOUNT The manually operated rear mount which will later be used to attach the crane (or other attachments). Manual operations include raising and lowering the attachment. There's a PTO (Power take-off) which will be connected to the PF motor, so it's not operated manually. Here you can see the rear mount attached to the chassis. The bottom view shows the PTO drive shaft. STEERING Since this tractor has 4 wheel steering, the rear axle also needs to be steerable. To accomplish that, the new wheel hubs are used. No rack and pinion yet?! Or no rack and pinion at all?! I was wondering why the blue Axle Pin is used in favor of a Pin without friction. Normally my best guess is that these parts are used in the B-model, which isn't the case for this model. The only possible thing I can imagine is that the friction is needed to prevent wobbling, and the axle end makes sure the steering is smoothly. Best of both worlds kind of thing. The yellow 1/2 bush limits the steering angle. A limited steering angle is something that's bothering me frequently in Technic models. So I tried to remove the bushes and replace the 3L axles with 2L axles. This does improve the steering angle. However, as you can see in the pictures below, there's a reason the steering angle is limited. The left tire is touching the chassis. We will need to work with the default setup. Which actually isn't that bad in the end. The following picture clearly explains why we need red 4L axles, while there are also black 4L axles in this set. Or does it? Clearly no rack and pinion steering. Instead there's a cleaver mechanism transforming rotational movement into linear movement and back into rotational movement again. The linkage on the red axles can be moved into three different positions for the three different steering modes. Here's a short video demonstrating the mechanism: A manually operated lever on the back sets the linkage in one of three positions, selecting the steering mode. Stickers are used to indicate the different modes. Another short video of the steering mechanism: The pictures below show the different steering modes, respectively: Crab steering Front wheel steering Four wheel steering The video below shows a demonstration of the different steering modes: The bottom view of the chassis: The video below shows the bottom view of the steering mechanism: BARMAN Of course this mechanism is no surprise at all, since our good friend Barman already figured it out ages ago. Obviously a variation of the setup, but the basic are definitely the same. Well done Barman! PTO In the picture below you can clearly see that the PTO runs from the front to the back. Even though this model doesn't have a powered front attachment, it's prepared to have one. Kudos to the designer for this feature! GEARBOX This gearbox is used to power the different functions. As you can see there are two Clutch Gears. One is for the PTO and the other one is for the cab rotation. Here's how the gearbox will be attached to the chassis. Switching the change over catch results in changing direction of the function. This is confirmed by looking at the left side of the gearbox, the "differential like setup". MOTORIZATION A Power Functions M-motor is used to power all the functions. Since there's no driving or steering involved, the M-motor is just fine! CHASSIS Picture below shows the chassis without the battery box, but with both front and rear mounts Here you can see a video of how the battery box switch works. This is a rather ingenious mechanism. CONTROL PANEL In the images below you can see why we need 54 1L Connectors. They might not be necessary, but I do like 'em. They are aesthetically pleasing and avoids having gaps in the model. Otherwise bushes would be used, which definitely don't look as good as the 1L Connectors. Here's a detailed view of the control panel on the side of the vehicle. One switch will turn the battery box on and off, while the other rotates the cabin back and forth. Here's the control panel attached to the vehicle. This surely is one of the best looking control panels I have seen. HOOD The lime green hood, combined with the white roof and red rims, is one of the most recognizable sections of the CLAAS. Unlike other hoods this isn't just a couple of panels and done. It's actually quite a big build. The front of the hoods actually needs a CLAAS stickers, which I forgot before taking pictures. The hoods can be lifted and held up with a support axle. Usually you will see the fake engine, but now there's a battery box. To be clear; there's no fake engine at all. Which is perfectly fine given the fact that the battery box is well hidden inside the model. Closing the hood results in this pretty picture. I am already starting to like the looks of this model. The build also gets more interesting along the way. In the beginning there's much going on without really making sense. Seems like a bit here and a bit there. Some constructions seem rather flimsy. However, the further you progress, the better the builds get, to a point where it's actually a great building experience. CABIN Here you can see the base of the cabin, which actually has a nice feature. When the cabin rotates a little wheel underneath lifts the cabin a stud or two. This results in the cabin freely rotating around its axle. When it has turned 180 degrees, it falls in place again. Here you can see the up and down mode of the base of the cabin. The finished cabin looks stunning!! The back of the cabin has some intricate details, like the fire extinguisher and the 50 km/h sign. In the cabin there a computer display showing the field. I think you can even fit a minifig on the chair. Here's a sequence of images demonstrating the rotation of the cabin. You can clearly see the raising and lowering of the cabin when it rotates. FINISHED TRACTOR After finishing the cabin, you end stage 1 and the tractor is finished. I can only come to this conclusion: Yes, it looks great in real life too! And great is an understatement. This is one of the best looking Technic models ever! I wasn't a big fan of lime green, but it just went up a couple of notches on my ladder. Especially in combination with white and red! I can't think of a single thing I don't like about the tractor. Even the battery box is nicely hidden inside the model, while it still can be easily switched on and off. Cabin rotation is how it's supposed to be and there's a front and back PTO. Simply amazing! OOPS! I missed two of the headlights. Thanks to Charlesw for pointing this out THE CRANE After the 1st stage, you enter the 2nd stage...building the crane! I have included a picture of the crane on my work desktop, instead of my photography desktop. Looking at the pictures, it appears that I have no OCD when it comes to arranging parts before the build. On the left side of the crane (where I already applied the stickers) you can see the controls for the crane. Two levers, both with an up and down mode. One of them will rotate the crane, while the other will raise and lower the boom. For all you photography enthusiasts; these two pictures are taken with f14 instead of f20, resulting in a sharp picture but slightly blurred (out of focus) background. This draws attention to the model, while still being able to figure out what's going on in the background. I used to shoot everything with f20, which would have resulted in an entirely focused picture. Three more images of the base of the crane. This time without the unnecessary cluttering with extra parts. FINISHED CRANE Lo and behold, the crane! First of all, I am not the biggest fan of cranes. Why not? Because they have a tendency not to work properly, especially the Pneumatic ones (apologies to the Pneumatic fanboys). Therefor it's worth to mention that I actually like this one. A decent design with functions that actually work. Admittedly the manual functions are not that great and maybe a bit flimsy, but that will always be the case when building in this scale. Most important are the two motorized functions, which work like a charm. The mechanism to attach the crane to the tractor is nifty too, although it can be a bit of a struggle to attach it to the PTO. This takes some practice. FINISHED MODEL Meet the CLAAS XERION 5000 TRAC VC! I have said it before and I will say it again; this is one good looking model. The shapes, the design, combined with the CLAAS color scheme makes it really stand out. Admittedly, the crane doesn't improve the looks of the model. Being an attachment, I don't really mind. The nose of the CLAAS looks so cool. Especially with the weights on the front attachment and those new tires. I really love this picture. Another think I absolutely love is the cabin of the model. All kinds of small details and the overall look is stunning. The crane is....well.....a crane. It's not ugly, nor is it a beauty. Technically it's working properly, which is the most important thing. It does kind of bend over a bit, but it doesn't bend the chassis. It's caused by the way it's mounted to the rear attachment. Raising the attachment will straighten the crane a bit. The rear attachment is quite solid, which is good thing. The outriggers need to used for extra stability. This side view show what I mean by the crane leaning over. The rear view of the entire model. I love the fire extinguisher and the 50 km/h sign! Another front view of the model. LEFT OVER PARTS Quite a few 1L Connectors left. Makes you wonder whether I skipped a few. Or they are used in the B-model. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS So the model looks good. Does it function properly?! And what exactly are the functions?! After the last building step, the manual shows four pages with functions! The first two pages concentrate on operating the crane and cabin, using the PF functions. The other two pages focus on the different steering modes. Let's take a look at the video to see these functions in action: The front attachment is manually operated and can be raised and lowered. Attaching to the chassis is easy, so it can be easily changed for another attachment. There's a front PTO, which leaves you with loads of options. I'm sure we will see some nice MODs being published in the future. Rotating the cab is quite fun to do. It works as expected and the automatic raising and lowering of the cabin adds coolness to the operation. Thumbs up for the rotating cab Then there's the three mode steering. Basically the steering modes work fine. The mechanism is very clever. So it all good? Well, there are some minor issues. Turning the steering gear needs quite a bit of force, which can result in accidentaly turning the cabin instead of steering. Another issue is the significant amount of slack in the steering mechanism. New wheel hubs were introduced this year, but they are no improvement in terms of slack. This model is best steering when driving it. This will reduce the amount of force on the steering linkage and it will also diminish the slack. All in all the steering modes work properly and the entire steering mechanism is awesome. This makes up for the lack of rear wheel steering in the Porsche! Like I said earlier; usually I am not a big fan of cranes. However, this one works properly. The motorized functions have been implemented very well. They are easy to operate, without confusion about which function does what. The manual functions work as expected, nothing special. I haven't paid much attention to the tires so far. I reckon they deserve a review of their own. Enough has been said about them already, so I will simply echo what other have been saying; they are awesome! Best tire since the Unimog tires. They have enough grip for Truck Trial. One thing I am not sure about though is how well they will stick to the rim. As you can see in the video, they detach pretty easily. Something which might happen when driving through rough terrain. I hope TLG will release a smaller version of these tires in the near future, for other tractors or even combine harvesters. Both the attachments can be mounted and dismounted easily and the mechanisms to do so are nifty. Attaching an axle to the PTO can be tricky, but it will get easier after some practice. B-MODEL When building the B-model the tractor remains intact. The crane turns into a silage plow, which actually looks quite good. I will leave this one for you to build SUMMARY To summarize how I feel about this set is pretty easy. I love it! This set has everything a proper Technic set should have. Stunning looks and lots of great functions. Not sure if this is the best Technic set ever, but it is the best Technic set I ever reviewed. PROS Looks amazing Lots of functions Super cool three mode steering Functions working properly Lots of playability Front and rear PTO Suitable for MODding Lots of new pins and connectors Cool new tires Some parts in new colors Battery box nicely tucked away inside the model CONS Slack in steering Steering needs some force and can result in turning the cabin instead Makes you want another one I'd like to stress that these cons are really minor cons! SCORE Okay, so how do I grade this set? 9 DESIGN CLAAS written all over it. Looks amazing. 9 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Starts a bit unstructured, but ends well. 10 FEATURES Can't do any better than this. 9 PLAYABILITY All the cool functions offer lots of playability 9 PARTS High quantities of new pins and connectors. Oh, and them tires! 9 VALUE FOR MONEY This is what to expect of a big Technic set. 9,2 PINNACLE OF LEGO TECHNIC FINAL WORDS This set will be modified heavily, utilizing the front and rear PTO. Can't wait to see what people come up with. It's only a matter of time before we see a double wheeled version: Well, that didn't take long (posted by ctx1769, see next page): And what to think of a potential new CLAAS Lexion Combine Harvester with new smaller versions of the CLAAS tires in the rear. Yes please! Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found in my album.

Time to power up to 1.21 gigawatts, hit that 88mph mark and lets go Back to the Future! Far out man. The official LEGO set blurb from the Shop@Home website says: Now on to the review. The box, like all the other dimensions sets, is more of a swing tag carton kind of thing. The level packs have an extra fold of cardboard on the front that creates a tab to add a little extra front space. This advertises the fact that the Level Pack unlocks a whole new game level. Displayed quite nicely are the character and the two vehicles, both iconic to Back to the Future. The side graphic, the trapezoid design of the carton makes the sides pretty hard to capture well on camera, the angle causes all sorts of issues! Though the unusual shape makes it stand out on the rails in shops. Here, like all the other boxes, there is a picture of the character with some action going on. The back of the box show cases the three in one nature of the vehicles. A little picture of each "mode" and an in-game shot of them in action. We also get the Dimensions graphic and the regular blurb and ratings information that is legally required. Inside the box are two polybags and the most pointless instruction manual you ever did see. The booklet only shows you how to build your minifigure and then directs you on to the game. Of course, this is part of the nature, the point, of LEGO Dimensions. Building real LEGO that then plays onscreen is what sets the game apart from other toy/gaming products. This does make it a little frustrating if you see the mini set and characters as display pieces and a nice gift for a Back to the Future fan. Though it is not impossible to track down the instructions online. Marty We've got the many layers that makes a Marty outift and the nifty printed game tag. I love the use of the Back to the Future font for his name. This is the same figure as the one that appeared in 21103 The DeLorian Time Machine, now with the guitar, unprinted. It is listed as a new part in Bricklink, but it looks a little like a number of other guitars that have appeared in varied printed designs. A decent way for a collector to pick up a Marty figure if they missed the limited set. Though, like all Dimensions, pricey from a purely bricks point of view. Here from the official LEGO Dimensions youtube channel: The character video for Marty. DeLorean Time Machine This one has a snazzy mini-kit style design with moving gull-wing doors. A very clever use of parts and great for display. Electric Time Machine The Electric Time Machine, it's electric! With the usual re-jigging of parts used to make the original flavour time machine, this one is a lot more sparkly with the trans-lite-blue parts. Like in a lot of LEGO games, lightning/electrical powers are needed to neutralise or power-up obstacles and puzzles in game. Ultimate Time Machine The Ultimate Time Machine: Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads! The flying DeLorean (and many other flying cars) are the second most desired dohicky that featured in the far off year of 2015 in Back to the Future part Two. Again, kudos to the designers for making such a tidy little model using all the parts in two other builds. A neat looking car, matching the look from the movie at this scale. It is honestly competing with the original flavour DeLorean Time Machine for the spot of display vehicle. Hoverboard It is 2016, we have a hoverboard. Okay, so it is a LEGO one and it only hovers if we swoosh, but still. Hoverboard! The most desirable part being the actual hoverboard piece. The correct shape, colour and print (barring the rival toymaker's logo!) this was what was sorely missing from the original minifig scaled DeLorean set. Of course, it has a lot of extra "goings on" to fulfil the three vehicle mode requirement. They aren't too bad in this "mode" but still a little odd considering the sleek appearance of an "actual" hoverboard in the film. Ultimate Hover Jet - Now this one is the nicer of the designs if you're planning on keeping the hoveboard with all the extras. Though it looks like this is a board tooled up for a trans-atlantic flight instead of future style skateboard shenanigans. The Cyclone board for whirl-ey cyclone-ey powerups. This design is one of the more odd. I also feel like the clip arm should be holding something, so kept on searching in case there was something missing! Well, again a great set for the big Back to the Future fan in your life. Everyone loves a LEGO figure of a character they like and the mini-kit style DeLorean is an excellent design with two equally great alternates to build. A printed hoverboard is great fun for collectors and fans alike. Game wise, it is more of the same for a LEGO Game. With the gimmicks brought in by Dimensions and the game pad. Thanks to TLG and Eurobricks for providing me these sets to play with! Sorry it takes so long for me to play them!

Hello, the Legoland Train (40166) reminds me of the 70s, I guess, because of the colours. This is my review: It is availabe in every Legoland. Best wishes Andres

Introduction In this review I'll present you the Lego set #21124 The End Portal, from the Minecraft line. As I'm not a Minecraft expert, there may be some errors or imprecisions, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong! Lego continues to release Minecraft sets, 4 sets every 6 months, meaning this is a succesfull theme that reaches its public. The End Portal is the second biggest set for this wave and should be pretty interesting. In Minecraft, an End Portal can be used to access a location called The End, where you'll have to defeat an Ender Dragon. So this set is in direct link with set #21117 The Ender Dragon relesed in 2014. From what I saw online, the portal itself seems pretty accurate to the game, but let's take a look at the whole set. I'd like to thanks Eurobricks and The Lego Group for the opportunity to review this set. Set information Set Name: Minecraft The End Portal Set Number: 21124 Number of Pieces: 559 Theme: Minecraft Year Release: 2016 Prices: £49.99 / $59.99 / €59.99 (Euro prices may vary from one country to another) #21124 on Brickset Packaging The front of the box follows the Lego Minecraft design, with the green square patterned area on the top with a Lego Minecraft lago and a creeper face. All usual indications are there: the set number and recommanded age, the minifigs included with their name, and a picture of the set itself. As always with the Minecraft sets, there is the "Build your own creations" add which deceived me in my previous Minecraft review... The rear of the box shows the set completely folded and small pictures show the play features. Content of the box The box contains 2 instructions booklet and 4 numbered bags. We can see a lot of basic bricks and plates, but that's always the case with the Minecraft sets. Instructions booklet The two booklet sport the same picture as the front of the box. Not much to say without opening them... The building instructions are extremly easy to follow. The very light blue background makes it easy to read and there shouldn't be bricks' colors errors... Ok, I made a mistake when the first white bricks showed up and used light bluish ones. But that was easily corrected. Half of the second booklet is about the "Build your own creations" part. And I must say that it is way more interesting than I hopped. In fact I prefer this alternate build! After a quick explanation on how to use the (included) brick separator, we are asked to remove and destroy the two "wings" of the set, while keeping intact all the moving stuffs like torches and blocks. Then we get back to "normal" instructions, and you'll see the result later, in the "Play features" section of this review. Minifigures The minifigures included in this set are Steve, in a full diamond armor set, two Endermen and a brickbuilt Cave Spider. Each uses special molded bricks specific to the Minecraft theme. I'm glad that the spider's head and the Endermen head and body can be easily repurposed for use in completely different themes, and they might be featured in a coming Andromeda's Gates build Interesting parts If you are a fan of the Tap 1x1 without hole end, this set is made for you! According to Bricklink, this part appears in light bluish grey 128 times in 105 sets... You'll got 32 here, plus 2 spare... But the jewels of this set are the 1x1 dark blue tiles, with a Eye of ender print. You'll get 12 of it, plus one spare. They have a lot of potential, like creatures eyes or control screens. The Endermen body and legs part may prove usefull, but I have to say they are really badly molded. Build As always, the bag number 1 will give us the minifigures and all the accessories for the set, like the torches or the blocks. The content of bag #2. The bag number 2 will give us the base of the central stage of the set and its only moving play feature. The bottom of the portal can be switched from lava to "activated portal" by sliding the blue blocks on the side. I have to say that the sliding could have been smoother with a simple tile on the plate that connect the blue parts to the lava/portal element. With the bag number 3 we'll build the portal itself. I really like how the portal is build and how it looks. And those printed tiles!!... The portal is quite true to the original material. Bag #4's content. The fourth bag brings us the two wings of the build, a library where the Cave Spider lurks, and a room with a chest. The completed set, with minifigures. There aren't much spare parts considering the 559 parts of the set, but they are always welcome. Play features The main play feature is, as explained before, the sliding parts that transform the portal from a pool of lava to a fully activated portal. Just drop Steve in the activated portal, and a #21117 The Ender Dragon will magically appears before your eyes! I'm kidding of course... Am I?... The alternate build is some sort of a prison cell, guarded by the Cave Spider. I really like this build, more than the original. Conclusion Design: 8/10 - A Minecraft design, true to the reference material. Parts: 6/10 - Lots of basic parts, and a dozen of great printed tiles! Build: 8/10 - Easy and straightforward builds. A bonus point for the alternate build! Playability: 6/10 - Not much things to play with, except from moving the minifigures around. Minifigs: 7/10 - A Steve and two Enderman and a Cave Spider, that's nice. Price: 8/10 - A little more than 10 cents per piece, 3 minifigs, a brickbuilt spider and some cool parts. Overall: 43/60 (72%) - A nice set for Minecraft fans, maybe not as nice to the non-fans. Some pretty nice parts but not much playability.

Hello, this is my review of set 4002015, Borkum Riffgrund 1, LEGO Group employee set 2015, christmas gift. A fun build and (!) a good play set! Review Unboxing Best wishes Andres

Thanks to HispaBrick Magazine, I was given the opportunity to review the latest release from the Arvo Brothers: Alien Project. You may know the Arvo Brothers from their gorgeous MOCs, or from their previous book on the Kaneda's Bike from the manga/anime Akira. Obviously, this book is all about their model of the Alien, from the Alien's movies franchise. It is divided in four chapters: Estimations, Construction of the model, Instructions and Gallery. 1. The Book The book itself is a very nice object, with a hard cover and 220 full colors pages with lots of pictures and artwork. I'm sure it can appeal not only to the AFOLs, but also to Alien movies' fans (tested and confirmed). You can view more detailled shots of the book on the Arvo Brothers' Flickr album. 2. Estimations and Construction The first two chapters are my favorites. They show the efforts needed to plan and build such a model... while writing a book about it. From size and scale determination to choices of parts, there is a lot to learn on how a model of this size and quality is designed. There is a nice blueprint of the model that indicate all its sizes. 48cm tall and 20cm width, we can say that it's a relatively big creature, not as much as the real model from the movies, but still I wouldn't like to cross one of these in a dark corridor... Why use these parts and not these ones? All is explained in this quite interesting chapter. Each section of the model is also lengthly commented. It's always nice to read what a designer (or two) think of his own model. This is maybe my favorite page of the book. It's the chronology of the 20 months of the project. 3. Instructions This may be the only reason for people to buy this book: the instructions. Sadly I'm not able to build the stand or the creature, but I can still give my impressiosn on the instructions themselves! And I must say that they are amazing. Throughout the 24 pages for the base and 116 pages for the Alien, the steps are pretty easy to follow, and for the more complex ones, the builder is guided with visual indications like brick outlines, studs connections highlights, guiding dashed lines or combinations of them. There are also alternates builds for hard to find parts. The Alien is composed of 1526 bricks, and the base of 466. By my standards it's not a very high amount of bricks, and since most part aren't rare, it's not an important investment if you want to build the model. The catalogue is maybe the weakest point of the book. Not for its design or content, but because you'll have to manually convert it to something like a Bricklink wanted list. But this is perfectly understandable as you'll have to buy the book if you want to have a look at the part inventory Nevermind, Missing Brick confirmed that the book come with a part list in electonic form that can then be used on Bricklink! 4. Gallery The book ends with some beautiful pictures of the model. If you still weren't amazed by the creature when you reach page 197, I'm sure those shots will convince you! 5. Conclusion This book is a lot more than just instructions for a model. It's a journey from the genesis of a project to its completion, detailling every steps from the drawing board to the photography studio. It shows that what we AFOLs do is not just playing with children plastic toys, it is Art. If you want to learn more about the project, if you want to build this model, if you want to convince a friend or a relative that you're not just playing with toys, I encourage you to get a copy of this book while it's still available! You can grab a copy from the Arvo Brothers website. And don't forget to visit their Flickr or Facebook accounts. I'd like to thanks again HispaBrick Magazine for providing me a copy of the book, and I'd also like to sincerely apologize for all the time it took me to finally post that review.

REVIEW - 21305 - MAZE INTRODUCTION Admittedly, I definitely wasn't one of the first backers of the Labyrinth Marble Maze. Not that I didn't like it, but I only visit the LEGO Ideas website every once in a while. When I saw this project I supported it immediately though. Because I have been waiting for this set my entire life? Not really. But it's definitely very original and it is somewhat linked the LEGO games product line, which I do appreciate. When TLG asked if we would be interested in doing a review, I didn't hesitate to volunteer. I liked the opportunity to find out more about this set, especially how the tip-and-tilt mechanism works. I'm guessing we will find some Technic elements, but who knows! PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. DISCLAIMER This set has been provided by the CEE Team of TLG. It's not my goal to promote this set. It's my goal to give you an honest opinion about it. Therefor, the opinion in this review is my own and is in no way linked to TLG. SET INFORMATION Number: 21305 Title: Maze Theme: Miscellaneous, LEGO Ideas Released: 2016 Part Count: 769 Box Weight: 1542 gr Box Dimensions: 38 cm x 26 cm x 9 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 69,99 (est.) Price per Part: € 0,091 (est.) Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The box looks different than a regular LEGO set box. For starters, the entire box is covered with a maze pattern, which obviously represents the set. Furthermore, it's a box with a flip-open cover, so it can be easily used to store LEGO parts or other stuff. The front of the box shows the image of the default Maze, with a container to store the balls. It also tells us that a booklet with inspiration for extra mazes is included, which made me curious. The right bottom shows the LEGO Ideas logo with the number #13, which indicates this is the thirteenth set published via LEGO Ideas (CUUSOO). The back of the box shows it's a 2-in-1 set, which boils down to the fact that there's an extra maze included. The base will probably remain the same. The back also refers to the inspirational booklet. CONTENTS OF THE BOX Nice thing about this kind of box is that you can open it up gently to see what's inside. The instruction booklet is stored beneath the baseplate, which protects it perfectly from damaging. The bags and the four black plates are stored on top of the baseplate. Makes you wish that more sets are be packed like this. Thumbs up for this box The box contains: 1 x Instruction booklet 1 x Base plate - 32 x 32 4 x Black plates - 16 x 8 8 x Unnumbered Bags BOOKLET A single booklet with instructions and inspiration, so there's no separate inspirational booklet. PLATES A 32 x 32 baseplate and four black 16 x 8 plates. BAGS Ten unnumbered bags, which is more than I expected. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS If you are into building modular buildings, this set is a great source for parts. It contains loads of tan bricks and tan and black tiles. You might not expect it, but this sets also contains some interesting parts. 32 x 32 BASEPLATE The Baseplate is actually pretty rare. It's only found in the Parisian Restaurant in Light Bluish Grey. 6 x 6 TILES These tiles aren't new, but they are by no means common. From 2009 to 2012 they appeared in eight sets. Edit: Actually it's this tile included in the set, which is less rare. SOCCER BALLS The Orange Soccer Ball appears in only four other sets and is quite popular in the GBC scene. YELLOW TECHNIC AXLES Since 2016 TLG has changed their "axle strategy". Axles aren't mostly grey and black anymore, but yellow and red. Red for even length axles and yellow for uneven length axles. This set contains two of these new axles, 4 x 9L and 2 x 3L. PLATE WITH TOWBALL This 1 x 2 Plate with Towball has been released this year (2016). It also appears in some Mixel sets and a Nexo Knight set. TECHNIC AXLE CONNECTOR This orange Technic Axle Connector makes his debut this year (2016). It will probably appear in one of the 2H Technic sets as well, because it could have been used in any color in this set. Don't want to spoil the fun, but I can only think of one set.... PART LIST This set contains 769 parts, which can be found in the part list at the end of the booklet. Looking at the image makes clear that this set contains more colored parts than you'd think at first sight. THE MAZE AND THE DESIGNER The first two pages of the booklet are dedicated to the Maze and the Designer. THE MAZE LEGO Maze reinvents the classic ball and labyrinth game, adding a twist of creative LEGO building to the fun. Built entirely from LEGO elements, the LEGO Maze consists of a base frame and a simple tip-and-tilt mechanism made up of LEGO beams and axles. You turn the wheels to move the maze up and down or from side to side, guiding the ball away from the traps. Challenge your family and friends and see who navigates past the obstacles fastest. Once you've mastered the two maze designs included with the set, you will find lots of inspiration to start creating your own mazes using the bricks included or any of your own LEGO elements. You decide how simple or challenging the maze should be. Add extra traps or more walls, or use different colored elements. The interchangeable maze system means you can easily swap maze plates without rebuilding the entire game. The set also includes a removable container to store the balls and a travel lock that keeps everything in place when you are carrying or storing the game. Build up your gaming skills and enjoy hours of challenging and creative fun with this latest creation from LEGO Ideas. Here's a picture of the classic wooden toy. THE DESIGNER Jason Alleman LEGO fan and designer of the LEGO Maze "Growing up I was always fascinated with how things worked. I have never actually owned one of those original wooden mazes, but I would always be drawn to them whenever visiting someone who had one." "After building a few smell mazes it didn't take before I was building larger mazes to run a LEGO soccer ball through. I originally tried to recreate the wooden version of the labyrinth maze as faithfully as possible, but it quickly became apparent that this wasn't practical." "I decided to decrease the size of the maze and eliminate the holes. By having the ball fall into the depressions, the maze could be built using fewer larger plates." "One of the limitations of the original wooden toy is that it is always the same. There is no way to make it more or less difficult, or modify the maze to have a different play experience. As I was designing this model I really wanted to embrace the customization that having it built out of LEGO pieces would allow." "Not only can people modify the difficulty of the mazes to gradually increase their skill, but they can create mazes that follow specific patters, themed mazes, mazes with multiple pathways to the finish. The possibilities seem almost limitless." THE BUILD Enough with the background information and other facts, let's start building the maze! Of course, the inclusion of the baseplate is a huge spoiler of where we begin. This picture is taken right before you start to build some of the elements for the tip-and-tilt mechanism. As you can see the interior of the base doesn't solely contain black parts. Building the base feels like starting the VW Van, UCS R2D2 or some the other Star Wars UCS sets. What they have in common is that they have a monotone or duotone exterior, but the inner section is comprised of a color-vommit of parts. At first I found this strange, but I started to like it. It facilitates the building process and it prevents from getting only grey (or another color) parts. We continue the build by adding some Technic axles and liftarms, which will be connected to the upper section later on. The big black gear on the side will be used to control one of two tilting movements of the upper secion. Finishing the base is all about adding black bricks. After the base frame the first section of the tip-and-tilt mechanism is constructed. This consists of simple square frame, almost entirely made up of tan bricks and tiles. Two black pivot points connect the frame to the base. Here you can see the first section connected to the base. After attaching the second gear, the first section of the upper section can be tilted. The video below shows the inner workings of the Maze. We proceed by building the inner upper section of the tip-and-tilt mechanism. This section has a single stud border with tiles on the inside. These tiles provide a smooth surface to lay-in the actual maze. Since the maze doesn't connect to any studs it's easy to replace with a different design. Here you can see the inner section attached to the outer section. This basically concludes the tip-and-tilt mechanism and finishes the base. Here you can see the entire base in action. Now it's time to build one of the two mazes! This is a matter of building a custom base plate, which is made up of the four black 16 x 8 plates and a single black 8 x 8 plate. After building the base plate it's tan tile galore. Grey bricks are used as walls. I personally would have liked the grey bricks to be covered with grey tiles, to give it a smooth finish, but it's no biggie. The green section indicatates the start and the red section the end. One needs to move the ball from the green to the red section. The maze inlay is conviently placed in the inner upper section, which completes the build! Some people refered to the model as looking rather dull. I definitely don't agree. I think the black base with tan tip-and-tilt mechanism looks great. There's enough contrast between the base and the mechanism. The wooden game is entirely made up of wood, which would result in a completely tan model. I think this is a great compromise. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This being the maze game, one can't expect it to have loads of features and functions. You can turn the two gears to operate the tip-and-tilt mechanism. Besides that, there's a lock (the black box) to keep the mechanism in place when traveling. Furthermore there's a storage container which holds four balls. That's about it, and that's exactly what I expected from this set. The video below shows a demonstration of the game. Looking at the video you can see one downside of this maze layout. When the ball moves fast it doesn't "fall into the black holes". It simply moves on. I consider this inappropriate game play. I did make it to the finish once, but the ball jumped a few holes in the process. Another small issue is that the ball has mold marks, which makes it slightly irregular in shape, resulting in sudden unexpected movement. This isn't a big issue though. What I do think is an issue, is that the tip-and-tilt mechanism has slightly more tip and tilt in a single way. This means that tipping one way has more effect than tipping the other way. Same goes for tilting. Sometimes you need to change direction really fast and having less movement can be limiting. Does this diminish the fun?! Not really. A little frustration is what makes this game fun. I still found myself challenged to get the ball to the finish. I showed it to my dad who immediately was inclined to play a few rounds. Putting this game on the coffee table will draw everyones attention, I can assure you that much. ALTERNATIVE MODEL AND INSPIRATION After building the first model, there's lots of parts left. These are used for building the alternative maze. You use the included brick separator to remove the tan tiles and grey bricks, until you only have the black base plate. On that base plate you start building the other maze, which you can see in the picture below. The alternative maze attached to the base. The alternate maze in action. Obviously there's no way to tell how many attempts I needed, but I can tell you this maze is a lot easier. It only took me three times to complete the maze. I must admit that I am not entirely sure what the start and what the end is, so I might have taken the wrong path. At the end of the booklet there are two pages with inspiration for three other mazes. Instructions for these mazes are not included, but they should be easy to build, by looking at the pictures. The front of the box states that it includes a booklet with inspiration for extra mazes. While it does include three extra mazes, I found this to be a bit of a dissapointment. Five mazes in total isn't bad at all, but the statement on the box made me expect more. All in all I do like the alternate maze. It has a bit of a Mini Golf feel to it, which I find rather cool. SUMMARY This set is what it is...a Maze game, so we need to judge this set accordingly. It doesn't have nice little details like the modular buildings, it doesn't have cool Minifigures like some of the Star Wars sets and it doesn't have loads of functionality like most of the Technic sets. We need to compare apples with apples and not with pears. I think the designer did a great job in recreating a classic wooden game into a LEGO set. Ironically the LEGO brand has a history in wooden toys, which adds some value to this concept. The set looks great. I especially like the combination of the black base with the tan tip-and-tilt mechanism. The first maze is a very simple, yet difficult, maze, while the second has more appeal, but is a lot easier. I think TLG (or the designer) made the right choice. The tip-and-tilt mechanism feels a bit flawed, because it extends to one side more than the other. This limits gameplay in a certain way. Same goes for the included balls, which have mold marks and are not completely round. However, both these flaws are minor issues. Overall the game is lots of fun and it will generate a lot of interest. This set contains a lot of tiles, which can be useful if you are into modular buildings. If you are looking for those orange axle connectors, this set comes to the rescue. And it will get you started if you are thinking of starting a GBC career All jokes aside, this set might not be interesting enough for everyone, but I think it's a very original set and I do like it a lot. Thumbs up for TLG and Jason Alleman (and of course for the 10.000+ backers who agreed with me) SCORE Okay, so how do I grade this set? 7 DESIGN Simple, yet true to original. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Straightforward build. 7 FEATURES Changeable layout is a plus. 7 PLAYABILITY Just as much fun as the real game, with some minor flaws. 7 PARTS Basic set of parts, lots of tiles and it includes a 32 x 32 baseplate. 7 VALUE FOR MONEY Worth the money, if you are into this type of set. 7 Maze-merizing EXTRAS There's a nice article on Brickjournal about remotely controlling the maze with your Mindstorms EV3 units. Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found in my album.

Hello, I picked up the new Minifigure Wedding Favour Set (40165) in my local Lego Store in Hamburg yesterday. A very fine set - way better than the last one. And please always remember: Don't panic! Have a nice weekend Andres

Hello, and, welcome to the Aperture Science Computer-Aided Enrichment Center Eurobricks LEGO Media and Gaming Forum. You will be reading a review of 71203 Level Pack: Portal 2. I am authorised to inform you that there will be cake at the end. The Cake is a Lie! First we'll take a look at the LEGO Shop blurb. Front of the trapezoid box/carton/swing pack we have our figure and the two re-build-able vehicles. As with the other packs, it is an iconic pair. One sentry turrent and a weighted companion cube. Though, I would have loved a core of some kind. The side on view is an action shot of Chell. The opposite side has warning information on the "tags"; avoid getting them wet, magnets etc. These were murder to photograph, the angle of the box made it next to impossible for a good shot! The back of the box shows off the three things your "vehicles" can become alongside the warning information and age ratings. Plus the now very familiar Dimensions graphic. Inside the box, two bags of parts and the most pointless instruction manual (MPIM) It tells you how to build Chell and then directs you to the game. The extra pages are adverts and ticksheets of what to collect, much like all the others. Of course, this is the aim of LEGO Dimensions so I can't fault it too much. Just be warned that you'll need to look online if you want to have any of the level or character packs simply for the builds. Onwards then, to the builds themselves. Here we have what is probably the biggest attraction for gamers and AFOLs alike; Chell herself in official LEGO Minifigure form. Aperture vest, long fall boots, portal gun and all. She's about as talkative as the real deal too! One whole new figure, a printed tag and the lovely portal gun. The gun is a two parter, a rubber weapon with the siren popped in. The rubber makes it a little awkward to get into a figure hand and to pose it once it is in there. Though it is a lovely crisply moulded part, well designed and printed too. Yes, it is a render, but it shows off the part better than my camera can! Chell is fun to play as. Bringing along the Portal Gun that can be used, of course, to create portals. In the regular game environment there are white surfaces not dissimilar to the Aperture Test Chamber walls. They are dotted around the levels or can be built from revealed LEGO parts when you smash things. As expected, they help you access areas of the game to find gold bricks and mini-kits. Here is the official video. Companion Cube The Companion cube in its basic form. The cube itself is made up of printed tiles, five of them, no sixth, so you'll have to pick one more up for a more detailed version of the cube. It would have been great to have something more like the actual cube or some of the fan efforts out there, but of course the designers had to make it into two other things too. Hence all the extra goings-on underneath. Not the worst offender of the vehicles in Dimesions though. Aren't the printed tiles great! Laser Deflector Cube The "Laser Deflector" mode Cube uses all the parts from the regular cube and looks a little nifty. It can't help but look a little odd, but so did the first basic mode. As can be inferred from the name, it deflects lasers. Useful to solve certain puzzles. The Gold Heart Emitter This is the weirdest of the builds, but there is little one can do with a cube isn't there? Again, it does what it says on the can. The Turret Sentry Turret The regular turret is rather spiffy. Looking pretty much like the video game source but rendered in our favourite blocky medium. The turret provides lasers, which in LEGO games are used to damage gold obstacles in levels. Also useful when there are a lot of foes to battle. Turret Striker The turret provides a lot more to work with. So this variation looks much better than the companion cube remixes. More hefty and speedier than the Sentry Turret. Also, more "dakka" to play with in the game is always fun. Flying Turret Carrier This version of the turret is wider than the others, extra width for menacing placement of weapon's systems. It flies, this is helpful in games of course, allowing non-flying characters to fly. The Game It was a joy to play Portal in LEGO game form. Just too much fun for nerdy me! All the expected jokes and original voice casting. There's even a song! I don't want to spoil much more really. Just be assured: If you are a gaming fan, a Portal fan and a LEGO fan this is worth it. Conclusion So, if a visit to a LEGO version of the Aperture Science Computer Aided Enrichment Lab is exactly your cup of tea, this is excellent. If you have a Portal fan in your life, the LEGO figures and models are great novelty items in their out-of-box form (you can find instructions online, most helpfully). The game and the toy justify the price point, though it might be a little pricey if you just want the LEGO. However that is to be expected, you can't exactly compare this to regular LEGO sets. Also merchandise for games (like figures and vehicles) do have a similar price when cost of three items are added together. Thanks to TLG for giving me the opportunity to play with and review their exciting new product. Set Supplied by The LEGO Group.

REVIEW - 42052 - HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTER INTRODUCTION Helicopters, planes...basically everything airborne is +1 for me. The 9396 - Helicopter is one of my favorite models. I own three copies, which says it all. the news about a new helicopter made me very excited. The news about twin rotors made me even more excited. Although I must admit I was hoping for a Chinook style tandem rotor, instead of a double rotor where one is positioned on top of the other. This set does come with a Chinook style B-model, so maybe that will be worth building. One thing I immediately like better than the 9396 is the color scheme. I love the bright orange-white combination. This set seems to have a huge number of panels, which is not to everyone's liking. Let's find out what's going on underneath that smooth surface! Note: All images can be clicked for hi-res versions. SET INFORMATION Number: 42052 Title: Heavy Lift Helicopter Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 1042 Box Weight: 1831 gr Box Dimensions: 57,0 cm x 37,3 cm x 8,0 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 119,99 Price per Part: € 0,115 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The box is fairly big, which indicates a pretty big model. Unfortunately the box was damaged. Some cracks and dents, but luckily it wasn't ripped apart, like my Mercedes box. I'm not sure if TLG sends out the sets the same way when they sell via S&H, because I would be slightly disappointed to receive my sets like this. Update: I've seen more complaints about wrecked and/or damaged boxes, so there's room for improvement in the shipping department. The front of the box shows the helicopter lifting it's load. The model is 60 cm long and 53 cm wide. It also shows the contra-rotating rotors. As you can see an M-motor and battery box are included, so there are some powered functions. BACK The back of the box shows which functions are powered. We will deal with the functions later. It also shows the Chinook style B-model, which has motorised functions too. Looking at the front of the B-model I am not very tempted to build it. It looks like a flying guinea-pig CONTENT OF THE BOX The box contains: Sealed instruction booklet with stickers 6 Helicopter Blades 1 Sealed M-Motor 1 Battery Box 2 Soft Axles 10 Unnumbered Bags SEALED INSTRUCTIONS WITH STICKERS The stickers are sealed with the instruction booklet, like we are getting used to with bigger sets. I've said it before, but TLG deserves a big thumbs-up for this! The sticker sheet is still in perfect shape! HELICOPTER BLADES This set contains six of the Large Technic Rotor Blades, first released in the 9396 - Helicopter in 2012. PF BATTERY BOX AND M-MOTOR SOFT AXLES Two Soft Axles, or Flex Axles, are delivered unbagged. 19L? Who knows! More on these later BAGS Ten bags containing the rest of the, mostly white, parts. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This chapter describes new and interesting parts. Not sure if it's a trend, but like the 24 Hours Race Car this set also has an abundance of panels. I've counted 51 of 'em (not counting the engine covers). It does have two new panels, introduced in most of the 1H 2016 sets. As from today this set officially contains the most Technic Panels. One more than the 42025 - Cargo Plane. 42052 - 51 panels 42025 - 50 panels 42039 - 47 panels BLUE 5x3 BENT PANELS These new Bent Panels seem to be very suited to make fenders/wheel arches and seats. AXLE AND PIN HOLE The axle counterpart of the Pin and Pin Hole. YELLOW 5L AXLE From what I can tell at the moment, the yellow 6L Axle is unique to this set. I made a mistake here. It's actually a yellow 5L axle instead of 6L. RED 6L AXLE Like the yellow 6L axle, the red 5L Axle seems to be unique to this set. This will obviously change over the course of time, but for now it's the only set containing them. I made a mistake here. It's actually a red 6L axle instead of 5L. 19L SOFT AXLES Finally, the black 19L Soft Axles! A lot of people will be glad to see these being used again. Only released in the 8450 - The Mission in 1999, this part has become very rare. DRUM TIPPER Of course these are no Cement Mixer Drum Tippers (60018 - Cement Mixer, 7990 - Cement Mixer). These are Helicopter Engine Covers, and quite good looking ones. They seem to be more versatile then you'd imagine, since they already appeared in 4 other sets. GREEN 3x11 PANEL Two green 3x11 Panels, not to be confused with bright green, used in the 42039. This is the same green as the 42008 - Service Truck from 2013. ORANGE PANELS A collection of 13 orange panels. WHITE PANELS A collection of 34 white panels. WHITE 5x11 TAPERED PANEL PLATE Introduced last year in the Fire Plane, this is a relatively new panel. 2x4 PERPENDICULAR BENT PIN CONNECTOR This 2x4 Perpendicular Bent Pin Connector was introduced in 2013 and it's one of those parts flying under the radar. You won't be needing this every day, but who knows when it might come in handy. PART LIST The set consists of 1042, shown below. THE BUILD Upon opening the booklet with building instructions, I noticed the color of the pages has slightly changed. The pages are lighter blue than we're used to. Probably to increase the contrast and make the difference between the darker colors better visible. This new color is used in every booklet of the new sets. The build setup is a bit different than we're used to. Usually you start by building one side, followed by adding things inside and finished by closing up the model. This time you start by building the fuselage, after which you continue with the gear box and rotors. ROTORS The image below shows the mechanism for the contra-rotating rotors. Actually I made a mistake here. I switched the two turntables. Luckily it didn't take me long to find out. At the top you can see an Axle Connector with Axle Hole which is connected to an axle going through the turntables. This axle is only connected to one of the turntables (obviously). The first set of rotors is connected to one of the turntables, while the other is connected to the axle going through the turntable. This is demonstrated in the video below. GEARBOX Here you can see the setup of the gearbox. A basic setup with a single layer of gears (more or less). You can see the 3L Driving Ring on both sides of the model, used to switch between the different functions. CARGO BAY DOORS I found the mechanism to open the bottom cargo bay doors to be very intriguing. Here you can see three stages of moving the H-Frame down. The video below demonstrates the gearbox and the mechanism for the cargo bay doors. This video shows the gearbox mounted on the fuselage, and the contra-rotating rotors. CARGO CONTAINER The cargo container wraps up the build. FINISHED MODEL Leaving the other building steps for you to discover, we skip right to the finished model. There's always a lot of debate about panels and closing a Technic model with them. I personally love a finished look with panels. Looking at the image below, I can only compliment the designer with his accomplishment. The helicopter looks fantastic! The design itself is fantastic and the color scheme is really spot on. This helicopter looks even better than the 9396 - Helicopter, which I will compare later in this review. The Drum Tipper parts used as engine covers is very well done. You would almost think they are designed to be used in this helicopter. SIDE REAR VIEW In this picture you can clearly see the rear cargo bay door/ramp and the landing gear. The tail rudders are operated manually, which is slightly disappointing. The solution in the 42025 - Cargo Plane was much better. The landing gear is pretty clever though. Very simple, but it works like a charm, using nothing more than gravity. SIDE VIEW The side view shows how well the helicopter has been designed. The panels align very well and the model is almost entirely closed. This is a matter of personal preference, but I absolutely love it. BOTTOM VIEW Yup, there it is...the battery box. You can also see the mechanism to operate the tail wing. I find this to be a weak spot of the model. The lever is positioned very close to the wing itself, which feels a bit useless. It would have been great to operate the wing with the orange Bionicle Tooth located near the tail gate. You can clearly see which panels are used for cargo bay doors. Two 3x11 panels are used as bottom cargo bay doors, and a 5x11 is used as the back cargo bay door (ramp). Both are operated by the Power Functions motor (see features and functions). FRONT VIEW REAR VIEW ADDITIONAL IMAGES Here are two additional images from different angles. PARTS LEFT It's interesting too see TLG provided an extra 19L Soft Axle. It appears to be used in the B-model, but it somehow feels like an added bonus, since this part is wanted by a lot of builders. The 6L"]http://alpha.brickli..."color":11}"]6L Rigid Hose[/url], which is also used in the B-model, is extra too. Since the instruction booklet tells us we are only supposed to get a single 19L Soft Axle, I am not sure whether it's used in the B-model (it looks that way though). FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This set has the following features: Contra-rotating rotors (Power Functions) Opening bottom cargo bay doors (Power Functions) Opening rear cargo bay door/ramp (Power Functions) Operating the winch Operating tail wing (Manual) Operating tail rudders (Manual) Landing gear Castering nose wheel The following video demonstrated all of the functions/features. I have added an IR receiver and I am using a PF remote to operate the powered functions. As you can see all the functions work very smooth. The powered functions work pretty fast, so there's no waiting for ages before the cargo doors open up. The winch is the slowest of them all, but that makes sense. As you could read in the review, I don't really like the manual tail wind and rudder functions. I know a designer needs to make concessions, but wasn't it possible to operate the tail wing with the orange bionicle tooth. The castering nose wheel does work properly, and so does the landing gear. Both very simple, but they do their job. SUMMARY Like I said at the beginning of my review, I am fan of flying machines. And to be honest, I am an even bigger fan of helicopters than planes or jets. This might influence my judgement. I am also a big fan of white, orange and grey, so that's another plus. And I happen to like models finished with panels. Do you see where this is going?! I absolutely love this model. The 9396 - Helicopter was one of my favorite models, but I like this one even better. The closed design is something I like a lot, as long as the model is packing some functions too. Panels alone don't cut it. Well, this set has some cool features under those panels. The mechanism for the contra-rotating rotors is pretty nifty. So are the bottom cargo bay doors. The things I like the least is are the tail wing and tail rudders. The tail wing is operated manually, but it's a simple lever positioned very closely to the actual wing. And the rudders are operated by simply moving the rudders themselves. As with the Mercedes I am not a big fan of operating a model by using the switch on the battery box. It confuses me, and you can't easily reach it. I understand TLG can't throw in a remote and IR receiver each time they supply a PF motor, but it's probably one of the modifications most AFOLs will immediately apply. That being said, I absolutely recommend getting this fantastic model! SCORE Okay, so how do I grade this set? 9 DESIGN Absolutely magnificent. 8 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Great build with some clever techniques. 8 FEATURES Great functions, but rudder and tail controls need improvement. 8 PLAYABILITY Lots of things to operate, but would work better with a remote control. 9 PARTS Contains lots of new parts and loads of white panels. 9 VALUE FOR MONEY Worth every penny. Will buy another one. 8,5 ABSOLUTE EYECATCHER BONUS COMPARISON I will end this review with a comparison between the "new" and "old" helicopter. As you can see my 9396 has a yellow and black color scheme, instead of the original yellow and red, but it will give you a clear picture on how these two compare. More pictures can be found on my Flickr page. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

REVIEW - 42050 - DRAG RACER INTRODUCTION And then there's this...arguably the most controversial set of 2016. Upon seeing the first pictures, excitement about a Drag Racer quickly got replaced with a "what's this supposed to be" feeling. Some people still like it, some think it's the most ugly set in the world. Others claim it's what's called a Funny Car and it's supposed to look ugly. I can recommend reading the Wiki article on Funny Cars. This set does contain two of the "Tumbler Tires", which does make it interesting for some people. Is it interesting enough to buy two sets to acquire four tires. That will depend on the price and what the set has to offer besides the tires. I'm glad I got a chance to review this set, because the first glimpse didn't make me very enthusiastic. Since I already have four of the tumbler tires, that would not be a reason for me to buy it. The best thing to do is to switch to neutral and start exploring what this set has to offer. Note: All images can be clicked for hi-res versions. SET INFORMATION Number: 42050 Title: Drag Racer Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 647 Box Weight: 1089 gr Box Dimensions: 37,9 cm x 25,8 cm x 9,2 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 59,99 Price per Part: € 0,093 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The box shows the Drag Racer in the middle of a wheelie. The wheelie functionality has caused quite some confusion and discussion. Is this car able to do a wheelie?! Without any assisting contraptions?! The top right shows a bar behind the car, seemingly to limit the cars vertical movement. BACKSIDE The backside of the box confirms the car's ability to do a wheelie. However, it seems there's a contraption in the bottom of the chassis helping the car lift in the air. That does feel like cheating. The set can be motorised using PF elements. The battery box attached to the end of the car could act as a counter weight, eliminating the need for the contraption in the bottom of the chassis. Looking at the picture on the box, it looks like the battery box alone is not enough. More on that later. The left lower corner of the backside shows the B-model, an actual Dragster, called Supercharged Dragster. Many have claimed the B-model looks better than the A-model. CONTENT OF THE BOX The box contains: 1 Instruction Booklet 1 Sticker Sheet 4 Wheels 5 Bags INSTRUCTION BOOKLET The instruction booklet for the main model. No booklet for the alternate model. STICKER SHEET Looking at this sticker sheet, I wonder why TLG doesn't insert the sticker sheet in the booklet. That would prevent damage and rolling up. TIRES Two special tires, which we will discuss shortly. BAGS A total of five bags containing the rest of the parts. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This section describes the new and/or interesting parts. BLUE 5x3 BENT PANEL These new Bent Panels seem to be very suited to make fenders/wheel arches and seats. 3L AXLE WITH STOP We started with a 8L Axle with Stop in 2006, followed by the 4L Axle with Stop in 2010. The 4L seems to be around for ages, but it was introduced in 2010, which was surprising to find out. In 2014 TLG released the 5L Axle with Stop and this we get a new 3L Axle with Stop. 7L AXLE IN YELLOW The 7L Axle has never been released in yellow before. This year TLG surprised us with releasing axles in different colors, like yellow, red and orange. This set only contains a yellow 7L Axle, but you can checkout my other reviews to see which other axles have been (re)released. This 7L Axle is also used in the Police Interceptor. 6L AXLE IN RED While the Red 6L Axle isn't new, it's only used in a couple of sets before. BLACK 7L SOFT AXLES For the layman this seems a common part, but the 7L Soft Axle actually has never been released in black before. Combined with the re-release of the 19L Soft Axle in black, this will open up lots of possibilities. For those of you thinking you've read this text before; you are right, the new Display Team Jet contains these new 7L Soft Axles too. BLACK 16L SOFT AXLE At first I thought this was a new 15L Soft Axle, but upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a 16L Flex Axle. It isn't a very common part though, since it only appeared in the 42026 - Black Champion Racer from 2014. 1x9 BENT LINK Not a very rare part, but you don't see the 1x9 BENT LINK every day. MEDIUM AZURE BLUE PANELS AND Since I haven't built any of the sets containing Medium Blue, it took me some time to notice that this is a totally different color. I am not a big fan of Medium Blue, since it looks dull. Medium Azure on the other hand looks fantastic. It's very vibrant. Hopefully TLG will continue using this Blue in the years to come. BLACK PANELS A modest collection of Black panels. TUMBLER TIRES/WHEELS Tires known as Tumber Tires (or Wheels), since they appeared in the 76023 - TheTumbler for the first time. The official (Bricklink) name is Tire 81.6 x 44 R, but that doesn't sound nearly as sexy. When the Tumber was released in 2014 all Technic fans were waiting for an official LEGO Technic set utilizing these wheels. To everyone's surprise, they weren't used in 2015. Luckily they do make their appearance in Technic in 2016. Upon seeing the tires, people immediately suggested a Dragster/Drag Racer, and here it is. Currently the Tires are going for at least 10 euros on Bricklink, so this already contains 20 euros worth of parts. Although I do suspect the prices will go down after the release of this model. The next video shows a short demonstration of how the Tumbler Tires behave. As you can see in the video, they are prone to slipping. But that only happens when you apply a lot of pressure. The average builder won't notice this behavior. PART LIST This set contains 647 parts, which are shown below. THE BUILD Building the Drag Racer is done in roughly two stages, first you build the chassis, then the bodywork. After the body you will add the spoiler to the chassis, but I'd like to think of two stages in the build. CHASSIS Building the chassis isn't too complicated. No difficult gearboxes or complex structures. One thing that's worth mentioning is that the V8 is chain driven. That's pretty cool! The end result looks okay. The great thing about the separation of bodywork and chassis, is that you can use this chassis to build your own Funny Car bodywork. BODYWORK This is where the controversy originates. Admittedly, the bodywork itself (not connected to the chassis) doesn't look too bad. However, it feels rushed and unfinished, especially the front. For me, this would be a perfect preliminary design, which needs some work to finalize the design. We will attach the bodywork to the chassis in a bit. That's when the peculiar front design really shows. The backside of the bodywork isn't too bad. It's simple, but it works. No complaints here. FINISHED MODEL I hereby present to you, the Drag Racer! The image below clearly shows why I have a problem with the front design. The front wheel arch is way too square. And I am not particularly fond of the big exhaust pipe and the square hole in the bodywork to make it fit. I would have preferred an exhaust design more like the Getaway Racer, possibly with double pipes on each side. The main problem seems to be the 11x3 Curved Panel which is very dominant. Looking at the other supplied parts in Medium Azure, I wonder whether using the Small Panels (#21, #22) could lead to a better design. On a more positive note; I really do like Medium Azure! Combined with Black it results in a great color scheme. Looking at the stickers, Purple can be thrown in the mix as well. Using the lever on the other side (see video), opens up (or lifts) the bodywork. This is necessary to turn the knob to lift the chassis for the wheelie (see next picture). So this is the Wheelie mode that generated a lot of discussion. Although this was expected by most members, we secretly hoped there would be a more exotic mechanism for the wheelie. BACKSIDE I don't have any real issue with the backside of the car. It's a collection of connected liftarms, but it fits the model. BOTTOM As you can see there's no differential between the rear wheels. I'll let you figure out how the drivetrain is connected to the V8 FRONT AND BACK Two additional images, one of the front and one of the back of the car. VIDEO The video below shows a short overview of the model. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This model has the following features: Steering via Hand of God Lifting the bodywork Switching to wheelie mode Chain driven fake engine VIDEO OF THE CHASSIS FUNCTIONS The video below demonstrates the functions of the chassis. VIDEO OF THE BODYWORK The following video shows the lifting of the bodywork. ADDING POWER FUNCTIONS This page from the instruction booklet shows what you can do by adding Power Functions. The picture below shows the parts needed to add Power Functions to the model. VIDEO SHOWING POWER FUNCTIONS The following video demonstrates how to add Power Functions to the model, and it shows the performance when using Power Functions. I have added an additional PF Receiver to facilitate the demonstration. As you can see in the video, adding Power Functions doesn't transform this model into a Drag Racing monster. Performance with the M-motor isn't what you want it to be. Replacing the M-motor with an L-motor will obviously help, but it definitely won't be enough to make the wheelie by itself. SUMMARY Do you know that feeling that you see a car for the first time and think "how on earth did that design make it to production?!" and after a while you get used to it and the feeling somehow turns to appreciation. That's more or less what happened to me when I was writing the review. Don't get me wrong; I am still surprised that TLG failed to do better than this. Of all the models I have reviewed, this is my least favorite when it comest to the design. I am a big fan of panels, but I think the designer could have done a better job designing the front of the car. That being said, I must admit that this set started to grow on me during the build and especially during the write up of the review. It does have something going on. The Medium Azure and Black color scheme looks great and the introduction of Medium Azure in the Technic line is definitely a winner for me. Hopefully there will be more to come, parts that is. It contains two of the Tumbler Tires, which are pretty expensive by itself, starting at 10 euros on Bricklink. Although this set does have some features, I am a bit disappointed that when you use PF, the car can't do a wheelie by itself. It know the reason behind this is physically valid, but it would have made this model a lot cooler than it currently is. If you find this set for a discounted price, it might be worth picking up two copies. The suggested price of 60 Euro does seem a bit steep when you are only interested in the Tumbler Tires. All in all I started to like the Drag Racer more than I imagined before building it. SCORE Okay, so how do I grade this set? 6 DESIGN Front feels unfinished and rushed. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Straightforward build. 7 FEATURES Nice wheelie function, but it does feel like cheating. 7 PLAYABILITY Kids might enjoy the wheelie function. Power Functions don't add much. 7 PARTS Two Tumbler Tires and some new pieces. Not too bad. 7 VALUE FOR MONEY Good value if you are looking for Tumbler Tires. 6,8 NEEDS SOME WORK More image can be found on my Flickr page. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

REVIEW - 42048 - RACE KART INTRODUCTION If you are old, like me, there's a pretty good chance the 854 Go-Kart (or 948 Go-Kart for the US) was the first Technic set in your collection. I remember my dad had to help me building this set. Actually, I think he did most of the building and I watched in awe. If you are a dad and have a son (or daughter) this might very well be the set to introduce your kid to LEGO Technic. Is it interesting for us AFOLs too? Let's find out. 854/948 GO-KART FROM 1978 Here you can see a picture of the kart I am referring to. One of the first LEGO Technic sets, although it wasn't called Technical LEGO back in the days. Wikipedia: The concept was introduced as the Expert Builder series and originally Technical Sets in 1977,[1] and was renamed Technic in 1984.. Note: All images can be clicked for hi-res versions. SET INFORMATION Number: 42048 Title: Race Kart Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 345 Box Weight: 558 gr Box Dimensions: 15,4 cm x 13,8 cm x 5,9 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 26,99 Price per Part: € 0,078 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The box shows the Race Kart on the starting grid and in the lower right corner you see the piston moving. There's also an arrow near the lever, going two ways, so there's probably a gear box of some sorts. BACKSIDE The backside shows the alternate model and a reference to the digital building instructions apps. The instructions weren't available in the app when I built the model, so I can't tell whether they are any good. They are probably up to par with the other instructions in the app, which are quite good. CONTENT OF THE BOX The box contains: 2 Instruction Booklets (A- and B-model) 1 Sticker Sheet 5 Bags INSTRUCTION BOOKLET A-MODEL The instruction booklet for the main model. INSTRUCTION BOOKLET B-MODEL Noteworthy is the inclusion of an additional booklet for the B-model. This is common in smaller sets, but I didn't expect it in a set this size. STICKER SHEET One look at the sticker sheets and it's obvious where these stickers need to be applied. The small round sticker is for the tank cap. The purple and orange color scheme is clearly present in the sticker sheet as well. BAGS Five bags containing all the parts for the model. No unbagged parts in this set. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This section describes the new or highlighted parts. YELLOW 5L AXLE The 5L Axle has never been released in yellow. As far as I can tell, this is the only 1H 2016 set with a yellow 5L axle. RED 4L AXLE The Axle 4L in Red hasn't been released since 2005. It has only been released in 4 sets in red, so it's not a very common part. SILVER 3L TECHNIC LIFTARM The 3L Technic Lifarm has only been released in Silver in the 10242 - MINI Cooper. DARK BLUISH GREY 3x11 TECHNIC PANEL PLATE Also unique to this set is the 3x11 Panel Plate in Dark Bluish Grey. 3x13 CURVED PANEL The 3x13 Curved Panel, which was introduced in Bright Green in last year's 24 Hours Race Car, is being used in Purple. WHEELS AND TIRES The model uses 37 x 22 ZR Tires and 30.4mm D. x 20mm Wheels. Both are very common, but I mention them for easy reference. PART LIST The Race Kart consists of 345 parts. Here's the complete part list. THE BUILD The build is pretty straightforward, although the rear side with gearbox can be a bit tricky for the younger builders. The picture below shows the model halfway of the build. You can see the steering mechanism and lever for switching gears. The finished model looks quite good. The purple orange scheme makes the model standout. I like it a lot. Now that TLG introduced Purple panels, I hope that TLG will release more parts in Purple. Purple will also work very well with White. Steering is actually done via the steering wheel, something most car models lack nowadays. Of course the steering is easily accessible which facilitates the steering. The turning radius is quite big, which slightly reduces playability. This is clearly visible in the second video. The rear of the vehicle looks great too. One can criticize that using a big panel lacks ingenuity, but I think the panel is perfect solution. Admittedly, I am a big fan of the 3x13 Curved Panel! Hopefully this panel will be introduced in White in the near future. The next picture shows the chassis of the vehicle. As you can see, the White Driving Ring Connector is used multiple times as a 3L connector, where you normally might use a 180 Degree Axle and Pin Connector Angled #2. This is something you will find in the other new sets as well. To be honest; I can't stop looking at the Kart! I also imagine a Bright Green and White version, using the panel from the 24 Hours Race Car. Actually, I have built the Kart in Bright Green and White. You can see the result and comparison at the end of this review. The front and rear view of the Kart. VIDEO PARTS LEFT FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This model has the following features: Steering Gearbox STEERING The steering wheel actually steers the Kart, which is a plus. On the other hand, the Kart from 1978 already featured steering like this, so it's not very special. Hand of God (HoG) steering wouldn't make any sense on this model. The Kart does have a pretty big turning radius, which does affect playability. I know the options are limited on a small model, but I would have liked some ingenious way of steering that would result in a smaller turning radius. GEARBOX The Kart has a 2-speed gearbox, and a neutral. The gearbox is operated by the red lever. VIDEO OF FUNCTIONS The video below demonstrates the features of the Kart. B-MODEL Since this set includes instructions for the alternate model, I decided to build it. Apparently this is a Track Car, although that is a broad concept. I can't really tell by the image on the back of the box what kind of Track Car this is supposed to be. There's only one way to find out I still can't pinpoint exactly what kind of Track Car it is, but it is a pretty decent B-model. Unlike the main model, it does have Hand of God steering. And it features an opening bonnet/hood. The steering wheel is for decoration purposes. It doesn't steer the model. For a B-model the design is more than sufficient. The next picture shows the chassis of the car. All things considered, this is a high quality B-model. VIDEO B-MODEL The video below shows a short demonstration of the Track Car. PARTS LEFT This image shows the parts left after building the alternate model. The leftover parts from the A-model are shown on the left. As you can see the B-model uses one red Technic Bush from the extra parts. SUMMARY Besides the rather large turning radius, there are no real downsides to this model. I love the looks and color scheme. It also it contains various unique and rare parts. It even features a working gearbox and working steering wheel. The set comes with printed instructions for the B-model, so it's basically a real 2-in-1 set. For around 25 euros you really can't go wrong with this set. Given the price, this also makes for a perfect gift. A gift for someone else, or gift for yourself?! You decide! I'd say this is definitely a worthy successor of me first Technic set ever!! SCORE How do I grade the good guy in this year's duo. 9 DESIGN Purple and orange work great together in this set. And it does look like a real Kart. 8 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Fun to build. Great introduction to gearboxes and steering. 7 FEATURES Working steering wheel and gear box on a relatively small set. 7 PLAYABILITY Limited turning radius slightly limits playability. 8 PARTS Some new parts and parts in new (rare) colors. 9 VALUE FOR MONEY Totally worth the money. 8,0 THE PERFECT GIFT As a bonus here are some picture of the Kart where the orange and purple color scheme has been changed to bright green and white. Not too bad, not too bad at all. It would probably look even better when the panels at the front could be replaced by bright green as well. My favorite picture of the Green Kart! The green fender works really well. COMPARISON Here you can see a comparison between the Purple/Orange and Green/White kart. I personally like the Purple/Orange better, but it's fun to have options. More image can be found on my Flickr page. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

REVIEW - 42047 - POLICE INTERCEPTOR INTRODUCTION Starting with the 42010 - Off-road Racer and 42011 - Race Car in 2013, TLG released two sets in the first half of each year, using a pull-back motor. The pull-back motor allows the model to be pulled back, followed by forward motion. Usually there's no apparent relation between the two set, other than the ability to combine them into an alternate build. This year there seems to some sort of Cops and Robbers scene going on. A Getaway Racer and a Police Interceptor. That can't be a coincidence. Makes you wonder who will be victorious, the good guys or the bad guys. Let's find out! Note: All images can be clicked for hi-res versions. SET INFORMATION Number: 42047 Title: Police Interceptor Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 185 Box Weight: 325 gr Box Dimensions: 26,0 cm x 13,8 cm x 5,9 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 19,99 Price per Part: € 0,108 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The box has the same dimensions as previous year's pullback motor sets. In the lower right corner there's a visual explanation of the pullback mechanism. Lime green might seem unusual for a police car, but it might work out better than expected. CONTENT OF THE BOX The box contains: 1 Instructions Booklet 1 Sticker Sheet 2 Technic Liftarms 1 Pull-back Motor 3 Bags INSTRUCTION BOOKLET The instruction booklet for the main model. Unfortunately no booklet for the alternate model. STICKER SHEET The sticker sheet shows similar lime green details as found in the rest of the model. PULL-BACK MOTOR AND LIFTARMS The pull-back motor and liftarms haven't been sealed in plastic bags. BAGS Three bags containing the rest of the parts. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This section describes the new and/or otherwise interesting parts. 7L AXLE IN YELLOW The 7L Axle has never been released in yellow before. This year TLG surprised us with releasing axles in different colors, like yellow, red and orange. This set only contains a yellow 7L Axle, but you can checkout my other reviews to see which other axles have been (re)released. This 7L Axle has also been used in the Drag Racer. LIME GREEN PARTS The 30.4mm D. x 20mm Wheels are unique to this set. They have been released in various colors, but never in lime green. The 3x3 L-shaped Thin Liftarms haven't been released in lime green since 2001. TIRES These 43.2 x 22 ZR Tires haven't been used in pullback sets before. They do appear in 48 other sets though, so they aren't very rare. WHITE PANELS If you haven't bought Commander Cody or the Mercedes Arocs this looks like the perfect set to get some of the small white panels. PART LIST This set contains 185 parts, shown below. THE BUILD Since it's a small model, I will skip the building steps. I hereby present the finished Police Interceptor. I was on the fence about lime green, but seeing it in real life takes every doubt away. Although not your average police color scheme, the lime green does add a kick to this set. I do love the overall SUV shape of the model. The Driving Ring Connector used in the chassis of the Race Cart (see my review) are used constructing the roof of this model. That relatively new parts proves to be very versatile. Even though there are quite a few stickers, which add some lime green details to the model, the model looks great without stickers too. It doesn't rely as much on the stickers at the Getaway Racer does. The chassis is pretty basic, using the pullback motor in the rear axle. VIDEO Here's a short video showing the model. LEFTOVER PARTS A few common leftover parts. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS VIDEO Here's a video demonstrating the pull-back functionality. And yes, my girlfriend was kind enough to catch the model before it fell to the ground B-MODEL The alternate model, the Extreme Police Racer, is a combined build with the Getaway Racer, which you can see on the back of the box. Unfortunately the instructions for the combined B-model are not included, so I didn't get a chance to build it. The double rear-wheeled formula one type racer seems to be cool enough to give it a go. SUMMARY I think this is one of the best looking pull-back racers, together with the 42026 Black-Champion-Racer from 2014. The Getaway Racer looks very good too, but it does rely heavily on it's stickers. Lime green adds a kick to this model. Combined with white it provides a great color scheme. The model itself has a very distinctive SUV look, which is properly executed. Negative aspects are hard to find. This is a winner!! SCORE How do I grade the good guy in this year's duo. 9 DESIGN The lime green actually works. Less dependent on stickers than the Getaway Racer. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Nothing out of the ordinary. 7 FEATURES Limited to the pull-back functionality. 7 PLAYABILITY Combined with the Getaway Racer, kids will love it. 8 PARTS Lime green rims are unique to this set. Lots of useful white parts. 8 VALUE FOR MONEY Pullback sets always deliver a certain value. 7,7 GOOD GUYS DON'T ALWAYS FINISH LAST More image can be found on my Flickr page. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

REVIEW - 42046 - GETAWAY RACER INTRODUCTION Starting with the 42010 - Off-road Racer and 42011 - Race Car in 2013, TLG released two sets in the first half of each year, using a pullback motor. The pullback motor allows the model to be pulled back, followed by forward motion. Usually there's no apparent relation between the two set, other than the ability to combine them into an alternate build. This year there seems to some sort of Cops and Robbers scene going on. A Getaway Racer and a Police Interceptor. That can't be a coincidence. Makes you wonder who will be victorious, the good guys or the bad guys. Let's find out! Note: All images can be clicked for hi-res versions. SET INFORMATION Number: 42046 Title: Getaway Racer Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 170 Box Weight: 302 gr Box Dimensions: 26,0 cm x 13,8 cm x 5,9 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 19,99 Price per Part: € 0,118 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The box has the same dimensions as previous year's pullback motor sets. In the lower right corner there's a visual explanation of the pullback mechanism. The dark model with it's decals sure looks like a cool hot rod. CONTENT OF THE BOX The box contains: 1 Instructions Booklet 1 Sticker Sheet 2 Technic Liftarms 1 Pullback Motor 3 Bags INSTRUCTION BOOKLET Just a single booklet. Unfortunately no booklet for the alternate model. STICKER SHEET The sticker sheet contains a lot of cool stickers with flames and skulls etc. PULLBACK MOTOR AND LIFTARMS The pullback motor and two liftarms are found unbagged. BAGS A total of three bags containing the majority of the parts. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This section describes the new and/or otherwise interesting parts. Actually, this set is the only set of 1H 2016 which doesn't use any new parts, not even parts in a new color. TIRES The Getaway Racer uses four low profile tires (Tire 37 x 22 ZR). RIMS The rims are Wheel 30.4mm D. x 20mm in Pearl Gold, found in 12 other sets. PANELS This set contains three #3 Panelsand three #4 Panels in black. PART LIST This set contains 171 parts, all listed below. THE BUILD This being a small model, I won't show any building steps. Let's skip right to the finished model. Below you can see the end result. In my opinion the model looks great. It's got that hot rod vibe going on and the stickers add darkness to the vibe. Slight problem with this set is that it really needs the stickers to finish the look. Otherwise it's quite dull, with black and dark grey liftarms and panels. The rear view shows the pullback motor connected directly to the rear axle. In this image you can also clearly see the exhaust pipes on the side, which are very well executed. The 3x3 Technic Discs with stickers, used in the rim, result in only seeing a part of the rim. This works very well with the golden rims. The bottom view shows the chassis of the car. Nothing really noteworthy, as you would expect from a pullback set. VIDEO The following video gives you an overview of the finished model. PARTS LEFT These six parts are left after building the model. Seems about right. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This being a pullback motor set, it only has a single feature. The video below demonstrates the acceleration of the vehicle. My girlfriend was kind enough to catch the model before it fell to the ground. Or did it hit something before it fell to the ground?! VIDEO This video shows the pullback functionality. B-MODEL The alternate model is a combined build with the Police Interceptor, which you can see on the back of the box. Unfortunately the instructions for the combined B-model are not included, so I didn't get a chance to build it. This would make for a fun challenge, building the B-model without the instructions. SUMMARY Pullback sets are not the most technically advanced models, so you can't expect any other functionality than hitting the walls in your house. However, I think they are very appealing to kids. The fact that this year's pullback sets form a duo adds to the fun. In my opinion TLG hit the nail on the head with the Getaway Racer and Police Interceptor. The Getaway Racer looks very badass, which is something you don't see every day in a Technic set. SCORE How do I grade the bad guy in this year's duo. 8 DESIGN It looks so cool, but it does need the stickers. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE Nothing out of the ordinary. 7 FEATURES Limited to the pullback-and-drive functionality. 7 PLAYABILITY Combined with the Police Interceptor, kids will love it. It does need it's Nemesys though. 7 PARTS Collection of common parts. Gold rims could be interesting. 8 VALUE FOR MONEY Pullback sets always deliver a certain value. 7,3 HIT IT! More image can be found on my Flickr page. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

REVIEW - 42044 - DISPLAY TEAM JET INTRODUCTION The smallest of the 2016 sets, is the Display Team Jet. It doesn't seem to have lots of functionality, but maybe the landing gear is retractable. This set kind of reminds me to the 9394 - Jet Plane, although it's obviously a lot smaller. As you can read in my review of the 42052 - Heavy Lift Helicopter basically anything flying is +1 for me, so let's find out if this set also fits the bill. Note: All images can be clicked for hi-res versions. SET INFORMATION Number: 42044 Title: Display Team Jet Theme: Technic Released: 2016 Part Count: 113 Box Weight: 193 gr Box Dimensions: 15,4 cm x 13,8 cm x 5,9 cm Set Price (MSRP): € 9,99 Price per Part: € 0,088 Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX Being a small set, it obviously comes in a small box. The Display Team Jet is an Aerobatics Jet, used in air shows. On the box it's flying rather high, but at least it's at a safe distance from the crowd. Front side shows the main model, together with a small section indicating you can use Digital Building instructions to build this model. BACK SIDE The back side shows the B-model, a Stunt Plane. And again a reference to the apps for Digital Building instructions. More on the Stunt Plane later. CONTENT OF THE BOX The box contains: 2 Instructions Booklets (A- and B-model) 1 Sticker Sheet 3 Technic Liftarms 2 Bags INSTRUCTION BOOKLETS Both the instructions for the A- and B-model are included in the box. STICKER SHEET A lot of stickers for such a small set. Apparently no panel is left untouched. LIFTARMS Three liftarms unsealed, nothing out of the ordinary for a small set. BAGS Two bags containing the rest of the parts. HIGHLIGHTED PARTS This section describes the new and/or otherwise interesting parts. YELLOW 5L AXLES The 5L Axle in Yellow has never been released before, so it's one of the new parts for this year. BLACK 7L FLEX AXLES For the layman this seems a common part, but the 7L Soft Axle actually has never been released in black before. Combined with the re-release of the 19L Soft Axle in black, this will open up lots of possibilities. For those of you thinking you've read this text before; you are right, the new Drag Racer contains these new 7L Flex Axles too. WHITE PANELS This small set comes with a whopping 10 panels. Great for the ones who like panels. Not so great if you think TLG is using too much panels lately. RUDDER This part, the Small Bionicle Wing, is the same as the one used in last year's 42033 - Record Breaker. PART LIST This set contains 113 parts, all listed below. THE BUILD This is the collection of parts, used to build the Jet. It sure looks like we are getting a landing gear. The build is fun, but pretty straightforward. There aren't any special or cool techniques used in this set. It almost took me more time to apply all the stickers than to build the actual model. FINISHED MODEL The finished Jet does look cool though. The white and yellow color scheme, combined with the stickers, work really well. I have seen people refer to the plane as being orange, but it's definitely yellow. Technic (or LEGO in general) tends to have some color variation when it comes to yellow. I do concur this is the warmer variant of yellow, but it's not orange. The back of the plane looks nice too, although I am not a big fan of the rudder part. It looks too detailed, compared to the other panels. It's not a big deal though, and maybe it's just me. PARTS LEFT Only three common parts left. FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS This set has a single feature and that is a retractable landing gear. It's operated by the black 12T Double Bevel Gear near the cockpit. In the following picture you can see the landing gear retracted. This image shows the landing gear when the plane is ready for landing. Hopefully the pilot will roll the plane before landing, but you probably know what I mean VIDEO Here's s short video demonstrating the Display Team Jet. B-MODEL This set also includes the building instructions for the B-model, a Stunt Plane. The building experience for the Stunt Plane is more or less the same as for the Jet. Well, what do you expect when both models are planes with a limited number of parts. For an alternative model the Stunt Plane looks fine. There's not a lot of functionality in this plane, but it's worth mentioning that the tail wheel allows the plane to roll on a flat surface. The plane also has working propellors. Both functions are demonstrated in the video. Unfortunately, the landing gear of the Stunt Plane is not retractable. PARTS LEFT A couple of extra leftover parts, but it's nice to see that most of the parts have been used in the B-model as well. Actually, there's probably an extra yellow Technic Smooth 1/2 Bush left. I just found it on my desk, but it could belong to one of the other sets. VIDEO Here's a video demonstrating the Stunt Plane. SUMMARY Two nice planes for 13 bucks, that's basically what you get. Both models look good and the set has some interesting new parts. Especially the 7L Flex Axle will be very popular. It comes with a decent collection of white panel, although they are very common nowadays. Both models have limited functionality, but each of them has at least one function to give the model some playability for kids, other than the swooshability that is. Okay, it might lack some proper functions, but I still think kids will love this set. I can see kids running around with one of the planes in their hands. All in all I think this set delivers what you'd expect. SCORE Let's see how this set flies! Remember that the grades are based on it being a small set. Obviously a set like this, cannot be compared with a Mercedes flagship. 8 DESIGN For a small set, the model looks very authentic. 7 BUILDING EXPERIENCE No surprises. 7 FEATURES Just the retractable landing gear. 8 PLAYABILITY It has swooshability, so I see kids running around with this model. 7 PARTS Lots of panels, if you are into that. 8 VALUE FOR MONEY Can't go wrong with these small sets. 7,5 FUN FOR KIDS More image can be found on my Flickr page. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

Let me start with a little confession: while I've stumbled upon bits and pieces of the Doctor Who series in the past, I never really watched a full episode until last summer, when a friend of mine managed to convince me. I started with season one of the 2005 reboot, and was not really thrilled with it. But I kept going, and things got a bit more engaging. Then, after the long drawn 10th Doctor-Rose affair found its conclusion, and Tennant said his final 'I don't want to go.', I found my Doctor. I know Whovians are forever debating about who the best Doctor is, and I do not want to start a debate here. I just love the fact TLG included Matt Smith's 11th Doctor in this set, instead of making it a Capaldi solo one. Smith's incarnation is the most captivating of the reboot, in my opinion, and watching him go around as the Doctor is like watching a fireworks' show, waiting for that moment when the big shot will be fired. Does the new 21304 Ideas Doctor Who set keep up with these expectation? Let's find out. Geronimo! Set Info Theme: LEGO IDEAS Set name: Doctor Who Set Number: 21304 Price: US $ 59.99, GB £ 49.99, EUR € 59,99 Pieces: 623 Figures: 4 + 2 brick built Daleks Year of release: 2015 Links: Peeron, Bricklink and Brickset. Disclaimer - As it is based on a product based on an ongoing TV series, this review will contain references and possible spoilers. I would advise you to get your bearings on Doctor Who (at least since the 2005 reboot) before reading it. I'll include links to external sources (wikia articles, images and even few YouTube videos) to help non-Whovians, but don't blame me for not using spoiler tags. The Box The box, as usual with LEGO IDEAS sets, is more compact than those of other themed sets of similar parts/price range. Its size is 26.3 x 19 x 7.3 cm, and the cardboard is sturdier than that used for common LEGO boxes, meaning it's meant to be a collection item in itself, instead of just a container for the parts and instructions. Front The front shows a picture of the complete set, with the console and open TARDIS connected and under attack by a pair of Daleks, while the 12th Doctor and Clara run around in circles trying to find a strategy, or perhaps to understand why there are Daleks inside the control room, or even where the walls have gone at all... Meanwhile, a Weeping Angel and the 11th Doctor serenely watch the scene from a small window-like panel in the middle of the right side. A draw of a flying TARDIS, the LEGO, BBC and Doctor Who logos complete the upper part of the composition, while the age and set number info are in the lower left corner. On the right, a LEGO IDEAS logo also informs us that this is the 11th (coincidence? Rule 8: Never ignore a coincidence. Unless you're busy, then always ignore a coincidence.) set in this line. The background is composed of dark blue hexagons with lighter blue lines and areas of yellow-orange to lighten it and give more visibility to the mainly grey/blue hues of the build. Back The back includes two 'play feature' panels, one which is very reminiscent of the last shots of Time of the Doctor, with Clara and the newly regenerated 12th Doctor in the control room, and the other showing the moves you need to perform to open the TARDIS walls and connect it to the console area, while Capaldi sternly waits to be able to step inside the control room. At the bottom, you can see the four minifigs and a side view of the brick-built DalekTM. Each character is identified by his/her/its name and a 'REGENERATION' notice explains that there is no mistake, but the blur indicates the transition between 11th and 12th Doctors; whether the fez also regenerated into a sonic screwdriver is unclear and will probably be the cause of everlasting debate for future generations. Finally, a blue panel on the left, including info in six languages about the LEGO IDEAS programme, and the LEGO, BBC and Doctor Who logos fill the rest of the space. Sides The top of the box shows a 1:1 size shot of the 12th Doctor, flanked by a menacing Weeping Angel about to attack the 11th and Clara, while Matt Smith is probably taunting it. LEGO logo and set number are on the left. If you look carefully, you'll also notice a strange crack on the upper left. I'm not really sure if it's just an accidental feature due to un-careful handling, or if someone is trying to enter this universe via this scar in space and time. The bottom side is covered in the usual LEGO legal warnings and copyright statements, plus the dedicated BCC ones this time around. Contents Inside Upon opening the box, we find six un-numbered bags, and the instructions manual. Following the IDEAS tradition (with few notable exceptions), the set does not make use of stickers. Recoloured parts This set makes large use of re-coloured parts, or as others could say, is has been a perfect excuse for TLG to start producing more parts in (mainly) Dark Blue. Therefore, we have 8 Dark Blue Tile 2 x 2 Corner, 6 Dark Blue Tile, Round 1 x 1, 2 Dark Blue Plate 6 x 6, 4 Dark Tan Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Clip Horizontal on End, 4 Dark Tan Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Handle on End - Closed Ends, 24 Dark Blue Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front, 14 Dark Blue Glass for Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front, 4 Dark Blue Plate 3 x 3, 4 Dark Blue Brick, Modified 1 x 2 with Studs on 1 Side, 4 Dark Tan Brick, Modified 1 x 2 with Studs on 2 Sides, 4 Dark Blue Hinge Plate 1 x 4 Swivel Top / Base Complete Assembly, 2 Dark Tan Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Hole, 5 Dark Blue Tile 1 x 3 and 5 Black Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Open Stud. New pieces New pieces are equally as interesting. They include the two Dark Blue Tile 1 x 3 with decoration which form the POLICE BOX sign (4 of each), the Dark Blue Glass for Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front with the St. JOHN AMBULANCE logo, the White Glass for Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front with the Police Phone instructions, the 8 White Glass for Window 1 x 2 x 2 Flat Front with the windows pattern, the White Glass for Window 1 x 4 x 6 with TARDIS door interior pattern, 2 Dark Tan Dish 2 x 2 Inverted (Radar) with Dalek top dish designs, the Light Bluish Gray Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Gallifreyan symbols, the 2 Dark Bluish Gray Road Sign Clip-On 2 x 2 Square Open O Clip with Gallifreyan symbols, the 2 Pearl Gold Sonic Screwdriver, the Dark Bluish Gray Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Open Stud, the Trans-Clear Minifig, Neck Bracket with 2 Back Studs and the 3 Trans-Clear Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Pin. All printed parts are exceptionally good in quality and detail, and faithful to the source material. The only part which is slightly different from the original is the sonic screwdriver, not sporting the black on the handle and the chrome/metallic gray on the head. That is excusable, though, as the black part would be right where the minifig hand grasps the accessory, and a black paint there would be easily removed through use; moreover, it would probably be too difficult to have both the green and chrome/metallic paints on the head, and the printing process could turn the part into a mess all too easily. All in all, the part is readily recognisable, and works well as is. Rare pieces The set also includes a few rare parts, such as 10 Dark Blue Plate 2 x 2 Corner, a Dark Bluish Grey Minifig, Utensil Zip Line Handle, 3 Dark Bluish Gray Arm Skeleton, Bent with Clips at 90 degrees (Vertical Grip), 2 Light Bluish Gray Technic, Disk 3 x 3, 2 Trans-Light Blue Technic Wedge Belt Wheel (Pulley), 4 Light Bluish Gray Wedge 2 x 2 (Slope 45 Corner) and 4 Dark Blue Plate 1 x 3. Extras The extras include the usual assortment of small round plates, generic parts and tiles, cheese slopes and Technic bits. Of special interest is the second copy of the sonic screwdriver, which will allow both Doctors to carry theirs. Manual Front The front cover of the instructions manual has the same basic picture and composition as the front of the box. In addition to that, a link to the LEGO IDEAS website is provided, along with a note in 8 languages informing us that the same booklet is available in each respective language on the site. On the inside cover, we find a short text which gives us context and info about both the Doctor and the BBC TV show. The first page is dedicated to the 12th Doctor and Clara inside the TARDIS control room. This, along with providing a stylish start to the manual, gives us an idea of the material the set is based on. The main difference between the pic and the actual LEGO set is the orange colour of the tubes in the column you can spot right behind the Doctor. This difference seems to be related to the fact that the TARDIS control room scheme used in the set is that of the 7th season of the show, with Matt Smith's 11th Doctor's blue accents, while the photo is from the 8th season and sports Capaldi's orange. Here's a random page. As usual, pieces call-outs and step numbers help us during the build. The background is very similar to that behind the picture on the box and manual fronts, but with a more yellow-ish/tan hue. The manual, following the IDEAS sets' tradition, includes tons of info and details on both the source material and set design process. I limited the parts shown here to the above mentioned first pages and this, which is one of the last, giving us an insight on Andrew Clark, who submitted the original project on the LEGO IDEAS site, and his experience designing and finalising the set with LEGO designers. The very last pages are dedicated to the usual LEGO commercial ads, and since a LEGO Dimensions Doctor Who Level Pack is about to hit the market, what better product to show on this manual? Minifigures Following the order in which the minifigures are shown on the back of the box, we start with the 11th Doctor. 11th Doctor This peculiar incarnation of the Doctor displays one of the most recognisable looks in the entire series, with his distinctive bow tie, and the iconic (since seasons 7, mainly) waistcoat. For this set, designers decided to use his brown coat from season 7 (though it could have been a bit darker), which is one of the main attires for the 11th Doctor, even if not the one he used in the episode Time of the Doctor the set is supposedly based on. All in all, I really like this version of Matt Smith's character, and I've even come to like the red stripped shirt, which I did not particularly appreciate in the first images. The head has a double expression: the stern but satisfied look the Doctor sports when dealing with important matters, and the smiling face he uses when happy/joking, or, sometimes, when taunting his enemies right in the middle of a crisis. I know some lamented a lack of precision in the hair piece choice for this minifigure. I must say I quite like this part for him (it is the one I used to use for my custom version up 'till now). What I'd personally change is the hue of brown: the set uses a Reddish Brown, while I prefer, as more accurate, a Dark Reddish Brown. 12th Doctor The post-regeneration 12th Doctor wears the purple coat mostly used by Smith in the end of season 7, and only worn by Capaldi in the final moments of Time of the Doctor and in the first episode of season 8. As you can notice, the bow tie is gone just before the regeneration (check ), and so is the smile. The 12th Doctor is a sterner man then his previous incarnation, and his smiles are quite seldom, and mainly meant to scare his enemies. Also because of this, the head only has one print. Since the 12th Doctor is dubbed 'eyebrows', LEGO designers marked the characteristic feature making for an unmistakable resemblance.The hair piece is a new mould, and looks very good on this figure. It is sculpted with lots of details, especially on the back. Since, as already mentioned, a LEGO Dimension pack including another version of the 12th Doctor is about to be available, I managed to get hold of that too, to be able to show you a comparison between the two figs. The Dimensions one sports the usual (as of season 8) attire of Capaldi's doctor, dark blue with crimson red highlights. I can honestly say that I like both versions and I would be hard-pressed to choose one as the best of the two. Head and hair pieces are the same for both figures. Clara Clara Oswald, being the companion who followed the Doctor in his transition between the 11th and 12th incarnations, was the natural choice for this set. Her minifigure is indeed spot-on. I like both the torso and leg pieces, with distinctive, yet generic enough designs to be used for other themes, too. I may be a bit out of date with minifigures' printing styles, but I'm sure this is the first minifigure I own with the back of the legs printed like the front and sides, which I largely appreciate. Just like the 11th Doctor, Clara's had has a dual face print: a serene look, and a more perplexed one (who wouldn't be perplexed after dealing with Matt Smith's Doctor for a bit?). The hair piece is a common one, but still a good choice for the character. Weeping Angel Warning: this picture could turn into an actual Weeping Angel, which could either break your neck, or send you back in time to an era without LEGO, and then feed on our AFOL's despair. That said, the Weeping Angel figure is quite a surprise. Not for its design, which works very well, but because Weeping Angels play a very minor role in Time of the Doctor, and in most of the Clara era. To be perfectly honest, I would have expected a Cyberman to be in this set in its place. To the figure itself, now. As you can see, the detail of the vest is really good, and very reminiscent of that used for the Statue of Liberty CMF. The back of the torso has a print which is normally covered by the Chima wings, which are attached with the new neck bracket. The head has two faces: the calm, statue-like one, and the aggressive, maniacal one, which is very fitting for one of the most frightful and relentless enemies in the Doctor Who universe. The choice of the hair piece seems very good, too. Build Getting started The build starts with the control room, and, specifically, with its base. As you can see, this portion makes quite extensive use of Trans-Light Blue parts; too bad the rest of the build will cover them and make it almost impossible to spot them. Step on it Just a few more steps, and we have the control room floor, entrance platform and stairs in place. The supports surrounding the platform will remain empty 'till the very last steps of this portion of the build. How to build an hexagon The central column is treated as a separate part for most of its build. The lower portion, made of mainly Technic parts, will allow us to build the hexagonal console, which is no easy task with the current LEGO palette of pieces. You can see through the Trans-Light Blue cylinders that the column is strengthened by the use of two Technic axle parts. Keen observers will also notice that those pieces are of two different colours, one black and one gray. Whether this is meant to represent the internal mechanisms of the TARDIS, or it is a simple strategy for kids to better tell the two apart is not clear to me. Few round plates and two radar dishes complete the top of the column with a really simplified version of the Time Rotors. Almost there With the console in place and all the controls ready to be used, we are almost at the last steps of this section. Watch where you go! The railings, external control panels and movable monitors, the control room is now complete. As-sem-ble! Next up are the two Daleks, which are not considered as part of the minifigures, due to their brick built nature. The build is pretty easy, and modular. Many fans will be able to build their army, with different colours. The only exclusive part is the printed dish, of course. Ex-ter-mi-nate! Once build, the Dalek is ready to do his job, which is to ex-ter-mi-nate all non-Dalek life forms in the universe. As one would easily assume, they are not the best species you could encounter in your time and space travels. These specific Daleks, given their colour, seem to be based in design on the Time War variant, as deduced from the Dalek Colour Schemes and Hierarchy map. You looked shorter on TV Though the original Dalek design marked them as circa 163 cm tall, these LEGO Dalek, probably on steroids, are taller than a minifigure, meaning they are somewhere around 2 meters in (LEGO scale) height. Laying foundations And now we get to the other star of the set, the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension In Space) herself, or, as the 11th Doctor calls her, Sexy! Of course, we start from the base, which is an unusual 7x7 studs. This size is reached by the use of a 6x6 plate, two 1x6 and a 1x1 additional plates, and kept together by the overlying layer of tiles and smaller plates. Through the door, or maybe not One of the most peculiar features of this set is the fact that the parts composing the exterior door of the TARDIS are those opposed to the part of the build that actually opens up to reveal the interior. As counterintuitive as that may be, the explanation is quite simple (as we'll see more clearly in as short while): the back of the 'door' must be completely visible in the assembled-with-the-control-room stage, so it needs to be a whole wall. Fans may still mod their TARDIS so that the front doors are on the split side, but the inner face door is opposed to them. It's just a matter of personal preference. Almost a cabinet The rest of the walls are built very easily, as the window parts must just be stuck one upon the other in a repetitive manner. Four walls and a roof By adding the POLICE BOX signs and the roof, we complete the build and are almost ready to start to investigate the play features. I'll just spend a few words on the signs themselves by saying that though the gap between the two parts looks a bit awkward, it is better looking in real life than you could expect from pictures. This thing is huge! Due to the fact that it includes a raised platform that must match up with the console room, and the strange height/width LEGO ratio, the closed TARDIS is huge when compared to a minifigure, way bigger than its real-life counterpart. Nonetheless, it's a beautiful build and a great model to display. Finished set All together Once we assemble the control room and the open TARDIS, we get the full set, complete with its minifigures and brick-built Daleks. The set has a satisfying size, which gives it importance, and the parts connect with harmony, both in size and colour scheme. Inside the TARDIS As mentioned, the inside of the TARDIS includes a raised platform which connects with the one at the back of the control room. This can also be used to place and store your favourite Doctor, or Clara (the winged Weeping Angel and the Daleks do not fit in) when travelling through the time and space continuum. Ready... Connect! The two parts connect via a combination of Technic axle (on the control room side) and brick (inside the blue box). This link will keep the two in place during play, but will not bear excessive roughness. While the TARDIS is pretty swooshable, the rest of the build isn't, and should not be used as an extended space-ship mid flight. Bonus Images How LEGO Weeping Angels earned their name Is this Trenzalore already? Trenzalore How I met your Dalek Finally! Final Comments Overall, this IDEAS set is very faithful to its source material and pretty rich in both details and minifigs (counting the brick-built Daleks in this category for once). The colour scheme, though guided by the original one, is well done and harmonic. Moreover, you get two models, which can combine into a bigger one or be used separately, for both play and display purposes, and also offer great potential for mod-ers and moc-ers. Design & Colour scheme – 10/10 (Very accurate to the source material and rich of well-finished details.) Minifigs – 10/10 (Though most Whovians will lament the lack of one Doctor or Companion or the other, the choices made for this set are very good, and the design and detail of the figures are great.) Parts – 9/10 (Great variety of useful parts, a reasonable amount of new pieces, and quite a few cool printed ones (no stickers!).) Playability – 10/10 (As a Doctor Who set, the only limit to playability is one's imagination, and both Andrew Clark and the LEGO designers did their best to add nice play features to the set. The one I find most entertaining is the 'regeneration feature' shown on the back of the box, though!) Build – 8/10 (Nothing too complex, but some efficient solutions are used, along with quite a bit of SNOT-ing for the TARDIS and the hexagonal console.) Price – 10/10 (For a set linked to a license, this one is extremely well priced, as you get 600+ parts for 60 €.) Overall: 9.5/10 Excellent As always, questions, comments, and pic requests welcome! If you like my reviews, and would like to learn how it's done, please consider joining the Reviewers Academy: http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=20631

Who let the wolves out? Were they ever in? These questions and more will get no follow-up in this new-fangled review of… Set Name: Worriz' Combat Lair Set #: 70009 Theme: Legends of Chima Pieces: 664 Minifigures: 6 Year of Release: 2013 Price at Release: USD 70, GBP 60, EUR 70 Bricklink it! Flickr album! INTRODUCTION Full frontal disclosure: I was never very excited about Chima and I'm not sad that it will no longer be with us. I like the minifigures for their parts, especially the feline faces which look great in a number of custom minifigure applications, but I never cared for the sets. The whole animal-look thing was an interesting concept, but more often than not it seemed to me that the animal-head ate up a ton of parts, leaving the rest of a model to be a bony, technic jumble. I'm mostly a playset kind of guy anyway; if I'm going to like a vehicle, it better have some meat on its bones. How, then, am I here right now, reviewing one of the largest purely-vehicular sets of this entire theme? Easy: sales. I'm a sucker for sales. I've since learned to curb my wallet a bit, but at 40% off the old me would've bought just about anything. Since I own the set, I thought I might as well go through in a detailed review and see if it meets my 'all Chima sets are a crappy bunch of technic with an animal head' expectations. INSTRUCTIONS Usually set artwork ranges from 'inoffensive' to 'quite good,' but I must say they were stretching here to make this set look exciting. They've placed most of the minifigures in physically impossible positions, including a couple of the wolves 'standing' on the truck. Do you see how, on the front booklet, one of the rotors on the helicopter is awkwardly behind those old gun-like pieces? It's like that on the box too. There's really nothing about this artwork that would make me want this set. Even though there are six complete sub models, the instruction booklets still break smack-dab in the middle. Right, makes sense. Remember the old days when LEGO would make awesome displays of whole themes placed together on built landscapes, and then photograph the setups for promotional materials? Actually they still do for City, so that's something, but not for their 'big bang tons of tie-in merchandise' theme Legends of Chima. Instead, we get this supremely cruddy photoshop job of a few sets together. My favorite thing (besides for the magically reversed image of the Lair) is Grizzam (the white gorilla) now swinging off to nowhere. In my head he's saying "F*** this battle, I'm out of here." LEGO's 2D backdrop artists are doing a great job, though. STICKERS Since I bought this set on-the-cheap and will surely break it down for parts, I did not apply stickers. These stickers do actually look pretty cool, and I'm sure would work well in a variety of sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, or other type of grungy setting. I didn't think they'd make or break the look of the set; pretty sure I can give it a fair review without them. INTERESTING PARTS This set does include a fair number of rare, interesting, or otherwise useful parts (for anyone that doesn't exclusively build bright fairy princess castles with studs purely on top). I went through and picked these out based on a combination of personal preference and what I thought other people like. There are a ton of SNOT pieces and tiles, which are always great, as well as a bunch of varieties of slopes. The dark red is in there just because it's cool and I like it. All-in-all, even at full price this set makes a decent parts pack provided you like this type of part. MINIFIGURES Finally, my favorite section!!!!!!!!!1 Like I said in the intro, I do like the Chimafigs. They are absolutely covered in finely detailed prints which inevitably get covered up by other things, so first I'll look at them all decked-out before closing in on the details. These minifigs get some pretty cool weapons - did you know that the trans-red serrated thingies the wolves have only come in this set (in that color)? That's pretty cool! The gun build for Windra, the wolf matriarch, looks great and its main component is quite rare in flat silver to boot! The good guy weapons look great too. I should also mention that the white, jagged cape on the wovles only comes in two sets (and on the SDCC exclusive Collector minifig). For those that cared about collecting the minifigures or cared about the characters, this set was a great way to get most of the wolf tribe. From left to right, you get Worriz (the young leader or something), Wilhurt (the brute-force muscle-man?), Windra (exclusive to this set and the real brains behind the tribe?), and Wakz (the old wizened military commander?). I've added the fifth member, Winzar, on the far right. I happened to have him from a polybag. I do appreciate how much the members of the wolf tribe vary. They fit together, for sure, but they all have distinct differences in their prints down to things like different sizes of teeth on their 'face-helmets.' They're a fun, rugged bunch. Back to just the minifigs in this set… they all have cool back prints too, though I don't think the fur-and-tail detail on Wakz is very successful. The armor plating on Worriz looks simply wonderful, and so useful for castle/fantasy. The daggers on Windra stand out as a fun detail too, making her seem very dangerous. I like the Chima 'face-helmets' for what they are, but what I really love about the Chimafigures is their head-prints. I was so surprised when the theme launched that LEGO had gone all-out on the head prints when the figs were intended to wear their helmets, but I love it. You might not think it, but the more humanoid faces look fantastic in a variety of headgear like hoods, helmets, and the like. My lion-headed green spacemen always bring a smile to my face. I don't care for the bird ones, so Eris' head does nothing for me. Worriz also looks a bit… strange. The other wolves and Grizzam could be quite useful, though. Truly surprising was the fact that not only did the Chimafigs have head prints, most of them had two! You don't want to mess with these wolves when they're angry - they look liable to literally bite your head off. Grizzam looks more like you made a bad play-on-words pun. Eris I screwed up, and put her 'angry' face in the previous picture and her 'happy' face in this picture. If you can tell the difference between the two, you win eternal happiness. THE SET - By Parts Though the set artwork might lead you to believe that the set contains just two models (big truck and copter), the box assures you that it splits into five. I count six. … Obi-Wan: From a certain point of view. … In any case, I'll go through them now in build order before looking at the result of their combination. Athletic Wheelchairs The build starts weak with these two, er, things, that are supposed to evoke wolf paws but to me evoke athletic wheelchairs. No matter their name, they don't look good. Had these been packaged as a set on their own, I believe they would have joined the 'awful tiny set' ranks occupied by the Spider-Trike and Mandarin's Flame-Thrower Lawn-Mower. You will notice the pieces usually used to attach wheels sticking out conspicuously on the back. These hint at a play feature that actually works quite well and is really fun. Bottom line: even though these models tend toward the 'garbage' side of things, they turn out ok in the context of the larger set. Wolficopter After a poor first showing, the build progresses into one of the best models: the copter. The overall shaping looks nice, with a touch of wolf nose on the front. It's not intended to have its rotor folded down when not on the truck, so I had to prop it up with a wolfy friend. Though the set uses a very limited color palette of just light bley, dark bley, black, and dark red (with smatterings of white and red), it still comes off looking a bit jumbled and colorful. I get that LEGO doesn't go for monochrome much, and it might make a set harder to build for the childrens, but eliminating black or one of the bleys would make this thing look much sleeker. Regular red really comes off as unnecessary here against the dark red, and the model would look much better with only the darker shade. What really makes the copter is the fact that the rotor incorporates well folded up and unfolds wonderfully with quite an impressive wingspan. Plus, wolfy is no longer needed with the rotor unfolded - the redistributed weight keeps it from falling back. I guess it's worth noting that in fantasy Chima land there's no need for such physics-necessitated things as tail rotors. But really I don't mind. I'll admit I've been making you wait for it - what REALLY sells the copter is that the rotor spins really, really well. Maybe it's the excessive wingspan, the way it's attached, or something else, but whatever it is this things spins amazingly and is therefore a ton of fun. Truck Flying swiftly along, we come to the beginnings of a larger part of the model: namely, the Wolfy truck part. This isn't the sort of build I enjoy. There's a lot of Technic, a strange slidey mechanism locked down by Technic and SNOT stuff, and a general sense of 'where the hell is this thing going.' The end of booklet 2 (and bag 3) leaves me with this: I wrongly believed that those black Technic beams will become some sort of play feature. They won't. Next comes the head. As usual with Chima, the head displays the wonders of modern, imaginative LEGO set design. Also as usual, there's a crap-ton of parts crammed into a relatively small space that do nothing for the model but look nice. So far, this truck meets my 'bunch of technic with a part-eating head' expectations. As far as the build goes, the instructions next have you make the little side equipment compartments, and then you move on to the prison attachment. However, I photographed the truck with the Wheelchairs already attached to the front, since it really looks a bit terrible without them (yes, I actually did the set a favor). With the Wheelchairs attached, the Wolf Truck really looks quite nice and menacing. Mean-looking head, big rough wheels, some kind of attack paws in the front - nice. You would not want to have this beast coming at you, staring you down. It looks really menacing and ready to flatten you into a road-kill pancake (presuming you're an animal, since everybody is an animal in Chimaland). It also looks fairly decent when viewed from the side, though it becomes apparent that the truck is pickup-style, given that there's not much of anything besides the head. Still, it works. I like the use of the Chi crystals as a sort of super-charged jet exhaust. Even though the whole truck gives off a 'big n tough' vibe, which would usually make it seem not so fast, these engines get you thinking about this thing tearing up some pristine landscapes and leaving them in dire need of new vegetation. But now we come to some issues. Let me pose the question - what does one want out of a truck? I'd say two things: rolling well and space to put minifigures to engage in roll-play. The wolf tribe gets only this as their base, after all, so they better get some room to have tactical meetings and strategize their hits against the meddling Lions, Eagles, Gorillas, and whoever else. ALAS, this truck is just a bunch of gappy technic and other structural stuff. There's no real place to pose minifigs at all. I understand that the helicopter needs a place to rest here (which I will show later on the completed set), but couldn't LEGO have achieved both? Couldn't the designer have filled in some of these spaces with a few plates and added some consoles at which the wolves could work? As it is, Worriz might fall through the cracks and end up roadkill himself. Onto more lameness, we get these storage units on each side that look nice but have very little function. The one that's left empty can't fit any of the weapons included in this set, and the other one has two saws, which I suppose are meant to be repair tools? "Oh hey, the engine broke." "Eh, just give it the ol' saw." Right. Despite its flaws, the wolf truck still makes it into my good book due to its very awesome playfeature (and its general good looks, which I've already mentioned). Seriously, shooting off those wheelchairs and knocking over minifigures doesn't get old. Plus, unlike with most of LEGO's shooters, these projectiles won't be lost very easily since they're so large. This one's a winner. Prison Pod We get a significant down-grade in build size with the next section: this prison pod. The parts use here veers into 'extravagant' territory - it really has more tiles and detailing than a prison pod needs. All those tiles certainly make it look quite nice, but with respect to the set I think the parts could have been better used making the truck less gappy. From a parts pack perspective… whatever, I'll be grateful for the tiles. Unlike the near-useless storage containers on the truck, this prison has plenty of room to do what it needs to do - namely, house prisoners. I even managed to fit Eris in there. Overall - job well done on the prison, LEGO. Cycle What? - you say! Cycles have their wheels facing the same direction as the driver! - Aha! Fooled you again, did I. This cycle can both incorporate into the larger vehicle, and pop off, having its wheels rotate to turn it into a cycle! Vehicles that can fold and be functional always get me. That's part of why I love the copter in this set, and why I loved that Shield car set. For you see, the wheels fold out to make a functional cycle. Just position the gun out a little bit for balance, and it even rolls fairly well and stays standing due to the width of the heavy-duty wheels. Simply put, I dig the look of this thing all around. The asymmetry really works for it; even the side with the technic parts exposed looks alright and I appreciate the tiling. The gun might be ridiculously huge and impractical, but the whole thing is fantastical, so I don't mind. The gun being attached by ball-joint gives it a superb range of motion and makes for fun scenarios like this - 'Ha, thought I couldn't shoot you over there? Guess again!' WHOLE SET Now that I've gone through everything separately, it's time to click everything together and see how the thing stacks up as a huge 'Combat Lair,' whatever the heck that means. I must start off by saying that in person I really don't care for it. All together, it looks like a big bland jumble that's too large and ugly. Some of my photographs make it look much better than it is - looking over my Flickr set, even I kind of like it. But I'll start with a picture that illustrates what you'd be looking at in real life: See? It's quite large, but has no substance. The colors all blend together and almost negate any detail, making even the good sections fade away into the mass. The engines that look cool on the truck part now presumably spit Chi exhaust right on the prison, and there are no additional engines on the back since that's where the cycle goes. The copter just sits on the thing with no attachment points, and it doesn't really integrate into the model. It looks much better on its own. Take the copter off, and the issues become even more apparent. There's just no substance here at all: no place to pose figures, no place for our wolf friends to relax on their ride, no meeting center. What kind of a mobile base is this? LEGO got 'mobile' down, but it seems they forgot the 'base.' Here's my best attempt at getting some roleplay going. I'm really reaching here. I know what some readers may be thinking. Essentially it's a big truck for kids. Isn't it awesome enough that the set makes one huge truck and splits into a bunch of vehicles? Can't kids roleplay with the minifigures on the floor next to the truck anyway? What's CloneyO griping about? Let me explain. Firstly I'm griping about the plain fact that the huge combined vehicle looks ugly. It's drab, it's full of holes. I appreciate aesthetics and have a feel for how I'd relate to a set were I a child, and this set would turn me off. It doesn't scream 'fun and excitement.' Further, even as a child I liked sets that have some interior. I liked trucks, but I wanted to put minifigures in them. The City line has a new Mobile Police Center all the time, and the fun there is having a full truck that also has a fun interior. What I expected out of a big, mobile base was some interior, and that's not what I got here. I got the Chima design brief of awesome animal head attached to gap-filled nonsense. But hey, these low-angle pictures make the thing look pretty decent: CONCLUSION The above picture shows what I like about the set (minus Grizzam - I like him too). Buuuuut wait, isn't that everything in the set? Yes, yes it is. Everything separately has merit. The Wolf Truck looks beastly and has a super-awesome play feature in the launching of the front claw wheelchairs. The copter has a rotor that spins like ace. The prison does what you want a prison to do and gets covered in lovely tiles. The cycle has a wonderful folding feature and an overall fun design. I indeed went about slamming the set as a whole; as one huge vehicle, it's a mess, no way to sugar coat that in my eyes. The basic Chima design principle of 'all look and no substance' gets put on display here in full effect. What's more, the color scheme involves too many colors and still results in a set that's drab and ugly. Yet I like the different components on their own, and the minifigures are a cool bunch for both collectors and customizers. They have neat weapons to boot. Ultimately, I don't much care for this set, but I enjoyed the experience of thinking about it. Chima's over, dead and gone, but with sets like this I can't help feeling that LEGO brought Chima's less-than-Ninjago performance on itself with sets like this. I simply can't see how this set would really appeal to children, being drab and lacking interior as it does. For adults, it's a reasonable parts pack, but not much else.

Hello and welcome to my first Review on Eurobricks! I got this Bootleg Version of Breez from my Mom who was in Thailand 2 weeks prior. Since there are hardly any Reviews about Bootleg Figures, I thought it was a good idea to make a Review out of this obscure find. Since I don't have anything like a light box, I "crafted" one myself with a chair and 2 sheets of paper,so I apologize for this low-bugdet decision, I hope you can still see everything clear and sharp. So is this a good copy or does it belong in the trash? Let's get started! Box: Front: Bootleg 2 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr The Front of the box, the figure came already assembled. There's also the instruction manual printed on the backside of the cardboard. Back: Bootleg 1 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr Here we have the Earth Tutelary, War for the invader from Space. Gotta love the broken English these Knock-offs have. Interesting Parts: Special Parts: Bootleg 3 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr Here are the most interesting parts of the set. The Torso bone has an axle connection right under the upper ball joint, which would be really useful for MOCs. You cant really see it here so I made a second picture of it. The Silver Leg shell just states "Hero" on it. The Torso shell has a very cool texture on it which gives it some extra detail. Instead of the 2.0 Head, there are using a red Glatorian Head, also the Headgear has an Axle Connector. Torso-Bone: Bootleg 4 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr The Torso bone again, now you can clearly see the axle connection port. In my opinion the most useful part of this whole figure. Color-Comparison: Bootleg 5 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr On the left side we have the Bootleg parts. The Colors are pretty spot on, but you can clearly see the difference between them, especially on the silver headgear. But the brick quality isn't that bad actually, its quite good for a Bootleg. The Figure: Front: Bootleg 6 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr Breez from the front. Yes, she has blue spikes instead of red ones. I dont know how you can mess this up but they did. Edit: Thanks to Kalhiki I just saw that she also has the 1.0 Core instead of the 2.0 one! Back: Bootleg 7 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr The Back. Nothing special to see here. Posing: Pose 1: Bootleg 8 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr While it has a more cheaper plastic than the official LEGO, it kinda has a good quality. Bricks have enough friction for more comlicated Poses and they dont fell like they will break off that easy. Pose 2: Bootleg 9 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr This also works, thanks to the hand having enough friction to hold the whole figure. Final Verdict: Bootleg 10 by Dosenbrot!, auf Flickr A final picture. Verdict: You know, for a "cheap knock-off" the quality off the bricks is pretty good, especially since you need it for Action Figures so they don't break too fast. It also has some nice Parts, especially the Torso. But would I combine this one with my real LEGO? Probably not. So all in all, a pretty solid set. I hope you enjoyed my Review, leave me a comment down below and thanks for Reading! Cheers!

Eurobricks MCW Moderator and Reviewers Academy Teacher LuxorV has reviewed the latest LEGO Ideas offering: 21304 Doctor Who. Check out the in-depth review in the Licensed Themes forum.

Introduction In 2014, Lego released the Ultra Agents theme, with a bunch of hugjly trained agents, using lots of techological gadget to fight super vilains. That sounded promising, and it was! Today I'll review one of the entry sets of 2015 wave: Invizable Gold Getaway. One agent, one bad guy, a cool looking and transformable motorcycle, that sound great! But is it really? Set information Set Name: Invizable Gold Getaway Set Number: 70167 Number of Pieces: 236 Theme: Ultra Agents Year Release: 2015 Prices: £17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 #70167 on Brickset #70167 on Rebrickable Packaging The front of the box shows the artwork for this wave: The Ultra Agents logo and Jack Fury looking straight into Antimatter's eyes. I'm almost sure they're doing a thumb battle, but we'll probably never knows. Of course, Invizable's ride and Steve Zeal's motorcycle are shown in action, with Invizable dragging a safe. It will be your mission to prevent him from stealing the gold! In the bottom left corner of the box is an indication that this set contains Appbricks. We'll see what these are later in this review. The rear of the box reveal all the play features. Agent Zeal's motorcycle transforms and can now fly, while Invizable's craft is shown sailing on water. Not sure if that's the best way to escape a flying motorcycle! The vault door can be opened to get the gold ingot it contains. And of course the stud shooters shoot studs... There is also an illustration of how to use Appbricks to build an Appbrick gadget and how to use to unlock content in the Ultra Agents 2 app. A side of the box presents the minifigs included, Steve Zeal and Invizable. There is also a stud shooter as size reference, and lots of translations in various languages. Content of the box The box contains 3 unnumbered bags of parts, an instructions booklet and a stickers sheet. There is a bag of large parts, a bag of medium parts and a bag of small parts. But the large parts bag also contains a small bag of small parts... Instruction The instructions booklet cover's art is exactly the same as the front of the box. And the back cover shows the usual "win boy" disguised as a CMF robot. Instructions pages are pretty clear and I got no problem identifying parts and colors. Their background is light blue with a grey fading and some technical printings near the edges. Two pages inform you that you should get the Ultra Agents 2 app, to use your newly acquired Appbricks. Those two pages don't give much details on the app itself, but that's something I'll explain at the end of this review. Just after the app advertisement, there is a page showing the whole range of this Ultra Agents wave. Minifigures The set contains two glasses-wearing minifigures: Steve Zeal and Invizable. Agent Zeal wears a nice enhanced suit with printed legs, and despite his grim face, he seems like a cool guy with his sunglasses and messy hair. Invizable attire seems to come straight from a 70's gangster movie or a Beach Boys video clip, with a nice dark red suit, a round collar shirt with what seems like a bills pattern, a large round pendant, a tan cowboy hat and golden glasses. Note that Invizable was featured in the Ninjago animated serie and seemed to be on the "good side". The torso's back of each minifig is printed, even if Invizable back printing is pretty simple. Steve's head is doublesided and shows him with a big smile. Invizable's head is also doublesided, picturing his face without the sunglasses. Interesting parts The set contains some rare parts. The 2x2 brick with rotation joint socket in trans-light blue only appears in 3 sets. The 6x2x2 windscreen with handle and the Light Cover with Internal Bar / Bionicle Barraki Eye in trans-light blue are only available in the Ultra Agents Mission HQ. The 6x6 dish with solid studs in black is new this year and is only available in UltraCopter vs AntiMatter(but is available with hollow studs). The 2x2 curved brick with lip is only found in the Gorilla Grodd Goes Banana set, on Wonder Woman invisible jet. Coincidence? Maybe... The trans-black 4x4 dish is exclusive to this set, even if it was produced before but printed in Star Wars sets. The most interesting parts of the set are the dishes. You got one exclusive 4x4 dish, four new 6x6 dishes in black, four 6x6 webbed dishes in light bluish grey and four 6x6 webbed dishes in trans-light blue. Build The first thing we'll build is Invizable's little jet. It's a very easy build, with only around 20 bricks, but with three stickers! Note that you'll have to fold down the wings for the jet to stand. The safe is then built. It has a nice look with the trans-black parts, a few trans-yellow parts and the two stickers with technical patterns. Surprisingly the base has both dimensions uneven. The door mechanism is well done and could easily used in MOCs. There is also a chain that can be fixed on the rear of Invizable's jet. With the first steps of agent Zeal's motorcycle we'll build a strong base on which everything will be connected. This picture illustrate something that bothers me in this set. We got 14 trans-light blue 1x2 plates, but most of them aren't visible in the final model. I don't know why the designer hid so many of these inside the model, while they could be shown and enhance the futuristic look of the motorcycle. The rear wheels assembly feels really bulky, and although the trans-blue rotation ball socket gives it a nice touch, it's not very nice looking. I really think the designer could have done it in a different and better looking way. As you can see on the final build, the front wheel construction is much less bulky than the rear wheel, and I think more fitting for a motorcycle. On each side of Agent Zeal are parts that simulate lights and what seems to be thrusters. There are also supports for two white studs shooters. These parts are very sleeks thanks to black curved part, but add to the bulky feeling of the build. The last build of the set is the Appbrick gadget. AppBricks are 1x1 black bricks with a stud on one side, and a special stud on the opposite side. To make them detectable by touchscreens, they are made of a different material. The build is extremely simple, but note that you can build the AppBrick gadget like you want, as long as the AppBricks stay at the same position. The spare parts notably include a 16L Dark bluish grey chain and a black lever with white base. Play features The main play feature is the transformation of Agent Zeal motorcycle. I was surprised that the wheels rotate toward the top, my sci-fi instinct would have made them rotate toward the bottom. The model looks pretty cool when transformed and obviously feels less bulky. I'm sure most will play with it in this form, as I found the "normal" mode not that easy to play with. First there is no steering mechanism, and with wheels that large and the blue bionicle eyes preventing you to tilt the model, you're up for only straight chases... The rear wheels don't turn well, but that's probably due to the parts being new. Agent Zeal is pursuing Invizable, trying to escape with the gold filled safe! Let's bet he is a formidable shooter, since the studs shooter guns are angled and so can't fire in front of the motorcycle. Some new sets (like the upcoming minecraft sets) includes stud shooters on plates. these would have been a better choice, but maybe they weren't available when this set was designed. Ultra Agents 2 App Lego create mobile applications to go with its latest themes. There is a Ninjago app, a Bionicle app, and of course an Ultra Agents app. There are in fact two Ultra Agents applications, the first feature last year's sets while the second features sets from this wave, including Invizable Gold Getaway. The application give access to interactive graphics comics, games and alt-builds instructions. The AppBrick gadgets can be used to play games or discover secrets in the comics. I'm not very familliar with that sort of applications, but it seems well done and rather easy to use for children. Even I was able to use it, and get access to the alt-build for this set. It doesn't use much bricks, but I'm pretty there is another alt-build that could be unlocked by winning games and discovering secrets in the comics. Conclusion Design: 9/10 - A bit too bulky, but still a great motorcycle! An the other smaller builds are quite nice. Parts: 10/10 - The parts selection is really nice with brackets, hinges and of course the dishes, and a nice amount of rare and unusual parts. Build: 8/10 - Clever and sturdy builds, but nothing exceptionnal. Playability: 8/10 - If you like vilain chases, this set is made for you. And who never dreamt of riding a transformable motorcycle? Minifigs: 8/10 - Agent Zeal suit is quite common (appears 8 times), but Invizable clothes are great, if you like their 70's vibe. Price: 10/10 - A very good price given the parts selection, even more when on sale. Overall: 53/60 (88%) - A great set, fun and affordable, with nice minifigures. Not much play features, but sufficient for a set of that size. In my opinion perfect for the targeted 7-12 years old children market.

Introduction: Have you ever dreamed of that moment when your ultimate wish finally comes true as you step out of the shuttle and, reaching down to touch the rocky surface of your destination, finally and irrevocably demolish your childhood impressions of the moon as a blob of Swiss cheese? Yeah, me neither. If you happened to be able to fit inside a LEGO brick, you could come pretty close in this 7467 International Space Station set. But although I’m short, I’m not quite that short. So I’ll stay on the outside, and see if I can bring you a different perspective on the appealing mess of solar panels, extending arms, and moving clips that this set is. Your first look at it comes courtesy of Brickset. Second, a boxed shot from BrickLink. Next I’ll present you with my picture of this seven-paneled, heavily stickered set. Looks pretty technologically advanced. I’d like to see what size those panels would be to scale! Product Details: Name: International Space Station Number: #7467 Theme: Discovery Year: 2003 Pieces: 162 Minifigures: 0 Price: USD $15.00 Source: Brickset Interested in building it yourself? You can download the instructions here! Instructions: Since this is such an old set, and one that was given to me used, I don’t have the box. But I do have the instructions, so never fear, you’re not getting out of all the paperwork! Here’s a random page. The booklet has a nice solar system atmosphere. And the back inside pages. Is anyone else wondering why the minifigure size shuttle gets the same size solar panels as this set? Let’s take a look at the back. It’s rather curiously square, but all in all, the instruction booklet is pretty nice. I mentioned the stickers earlier, and I’ll take the opportunity to state the obvious and say that they are already applied. Only two are missing, to the best of my knowledge (the two sides of the shuttle’s tail fin); I’ll point that out more specifically when we get there. I counted twenty-eight total (sure glad I didn’t have to apply all those myself!). Of those, three at least are STAMPS (STickers Across Multiple PieceS) and two others might be STAMPS if they hadn’t gotten ever so slightly crumpled somewhere along the line. But! There is one piece of printed goodness! Spot me if you can! Build: Below is a shot of the complete parts selection available in this set. I didn’t dare to take the pieces with STAMPS apart but the rest is dismantled. And yes, that’s twenty-four clips (sixteen white 1x1s and four double sided old grey arms). With all the random solar panels and what not sticking out all over, I figured a “barebones” view might help. Next up – remember those twenty-four clips? This thing is insanely poseable. What does I.S.S. stand for, you ask? Well, it might stand for International Space Station, but Insane Series of Solar panels is another good guess. Now a view from the back: Note the chrome plated piece on the end of the metal detector! Now let’s take a good look at the shuttle! For such a small build, it’s really nice. Note the missing tail fin stickers, and the printed nosepiece! Also notice the placing of cones inside a brick with two technic pin holes. If I recall correctly, that would be an “illegal” technique by today’s standards. The technic pin holes are ever so slightly smaller than the size of a stud, I believe. Snap it on the Insane Series of Solar panels and you’re ready to go! Of course, extreme poseability brings problems of its own with it. “Houston, we have a problem!” Important! Smoke and excess flame NOT included in the International Space Station. As for the building experience itself, if you like clipping things together, and if you like mind boggling almost-not-quite mirror image building, you’ll love this. For the rest of us, it’s not bad, as long as you aren’t too concerned about following the instructions in every jot and tittle. Conclusion: So here we are, wrapping up our look at the International Space Station. It’s got a few things going against it; the excessive amount of stickers, the fact that it can easily be inconveniently posed, and (in my opinion) the “old” greys. On the other hand, it is impressively tall, surprisingly sturdy, and includes a very neat little shuttle. So let’s systematize this and see what we’ve got! Playability: 6/10 – Like I said, this thing is pretty well over the top in terms of poseability. But on the other hand, there isn’t really a whole lot to do other than swoosh the little shuttle around. To be sure, swooshing shuttles is sometimes satisfying, but other times you just want to have an all-out battle. So it ranks just above average for me! Design: 8/10 – It is pretty cool, that I’ve got to admit. Also, given the projections sticking out all over the place, the final build is remarkably sturdy and the attachment point for the shuttle is at the perfect spot. Swooshablility: 9/10 – Obviously, you’re not going to be swooshing the station itself around – at least, I hope not! – but when it comes to the shuttle, that thing really can be fun! Price: 9/10 – Let’s just say that if you find this for $15 dollars, it’s a bargain! Right now it is priced at just over $85 dollars new on BrickLink. It has quite a few nifty white pieces, lots of clips which I’m always using and losing, and stands at a satisfying size. Personally, I’m not a fan of the old greys so that counts against it, but otherwise it’s a nice, well priced set… that is, it was. Overall: 8/10 – Well above the average score, this set is aesthetically appealing without completely losing all play value. While I can’t see the seven year olds flocking around it, it seems to be pretty eye catching for slightly older children. And space has always been an intriguing theme! So… we have lift off! Now let’s go and disprove this Swiss cheese thing once and for all! Important! Smoke and excess flame NOT included in the International Space Station.

Introduction Hi fellow EB members! Today I'll review one of the newest LEGO Architecture set: the United States Capitol. This building feels particular to me, because even if I've never seen it in real and probably never will, I see it almost every day in movies and TV series! But I don't think I know it very well, and I hope to learn lots of facts about it while building. Let's see if the LEGO model does justice to that iconic building. Thanks to EB LUG Ambassador CopMike and the LEGO CEE Team and Designers for giving me the opportunity to review this set! Set information Name: 21030 United States Capitol Theme: LEGO Model Making / Architecture Year: 2016 Pieces: 1032 Price: USD $99.99, GBP 79.99£, EURO 99,99€ Resources: Brickset, BrickLink Packaging As usual, the front of the box shows the set on a black background with a big LEGO Architecture logo. There is also a mention that the instruction booklet will include historical information and details in English, which is great for people who speak English, not much for the others. The rear of the box has a nice picture of both the real Capitol building and its LEGO rendition, and a comment about the building in a few language.There are also indications on the size of the final build ( 95 mm wide and 390 mm tall). You also see that you'll be able to lift the dome to see the National Statuary Hall from above. Content of the box The box contains the instructions booklet, 9 unnumbered bags, 6 loose 8x16 plates in dark bluish grey, a brick separator and the usual LEGO Architecture flyer. Instructions booklet The 155 pages instructions booklet is relatively big, almost an A4 size (Letter size I think). At the beginning, there are a few pages with details about the building, with nice pictures. The instructions are clear (there's almost only white bricks on a black background) and easy to follow. Except for a SNOTed assembly in the dome, there are no fancy or advanced techniques in this build. When needed, the designer placed the side stud of headlight bricks in the hole of a 1x1 technic brick. He also used that technique when it was unneeded, instead of using a plain 1x2 brick. Build We'll start the build with stacking plates to make the base. It is rather fragile, especially if you're building on your laps like I did for this review! The first plates and tiles delimit the walls of the building. We can also see the flooring of the National Statuary Hall. The white jumpers will be used to offset some assemblies that we'll do later. At step 58, we've done some gardening and put the first layer of bricks. The front stairs are also in place. Here you can see the completed walls. Different windows' sizes are done with either headlight bricks or technic bricks. At this point, and after positioning 178 of them, I couldn't stand the sight of a white headlight brick. That picture also shows the most negative point of the set: the back-side is just composed of plain white bricks. Colonnades are done and we're starting building the roof. After all that white, sand green almost feels like a bright color! The finished building, with the roof and dome completed. Some spare parts. Surprisingly we got two spare white statues! Interesting parts The most evident interesting parts are the sand green ones. The 6x6 dishes in sand green are exclusive to this set, as is the dark bluish grey statue, while the white statue can be found only in the 21026 Venice set. But in this set we got 6 statues of each color! In the picture I didn't include the 6x6 round plate in white, which can only be found in the 75904 Mystery Mansion and the 71040 Disney Castle, and the #21229 Fence Spindled 4 x 4 x 2 Quarter Round with 3 Studs that is exclusive to this set. Conclusion I like this set, it looks good... But it lacks some kind of wow factor. When my friends saw the model built, their first reaction was: "I thought it would be bigger". I think it is due to the height of the dome that makes the building under looks rather flat. That said, the set has the right proportions compared to the real building, except for the eastern facade, the back side of the set, which is simply cut off. That looks a bit strange when looking at the set from above, and even worse from the rear. I think since you can't display the set from two opposite angle at the same time, it is a rather good compromise since a whole facade would have needed two or three hundred parts. Design: 7/10 - The set is well designed, and it's the first time I see a "play feature" in an Architecture set (the dome lifting up to reveal the National Statuary Hall). Parts: 8/10 - Almost no variety in bricks' shapes and colors, but some nice parts, especially the 12 statues and the sand green parts. Build: 7/10 - The build experience is quite boring and repetitive (some steps ask you to place 40 headlight bricks!), but it is nice to see the building rise. Price: 6/10 - The price per piece is average for the theme (0,097). Too expensive as a parts pack at full price, if you want a good source of white headlight bricks you should wait for a discount. Overall: 28/40 (70%) - A good representation of the original building, except for the missing facade. This set is a nice addition to a LEGO Architecture collection, next to the Lincoln Memorial fo example. My only advice would be to display it at eyes level.

Hello, if you're aboard a MSC Cruises ship, don't forget to pick this new set up: LEGO MSC Cruises Meraviglia (40227) The building instruction is online, yet - costumer service. And this is my review video - kind of MOD, because I have changed a few things and the stickers are missing. A nice build. Best wishes Andres

Hello, this is my review of the new LEGO Elves set "Dragon's Lava Cave". (41175) This is a cool little play set, and: We have another dragon, now. Have a nice weekend Andres

Introduction: Who doesn’t love a good, mind-numbing game of chess? Not you? That makes two of us. But even if you aren’t among the chess nuts boasting in an open foyer, you can still enjoy this pieceful (but not peaceful) beauty – the LEGO Pirates Chess Set. With 20 pirate and imperial themed minifigures and over 850 pieces, this set is a great parts pack for anyone looking to expand their pirate collection! Your first look at it today comes courtesy of Brickset: Let’s open that shiny box up and see what’s inside! Product Details: Name: Pirates Chess Set Number: #40158 Theme: Pirates Year: 2015 Pieces: 875 Minifigures: 20 Price: USD $59.99 Source: Brickset Instructions: As I do not have a copy of the box myself, I cannot take pictures of it, but I can offer a few shots of the instruction manual. It comes wrapped up in a plastic cover, and though without cardboard to keep it straight, my copy arrived smoothly. There are two manuals, both with the same front artwork. A random page reveals a pirate-y background of mottled brownish tan. A shot of the inventory page gives us a taste for what is coming. And lastly, the back page presents all six sets from the most recent Pirates line-up. Construction: One of the first things that jumped out at me as I began was the immense quantity of baseplates this set contains, as you can see in this shot of the baseplate bags plus the starting “1” bag pieces. The build begins at the pirate side. Without the playing pieces (which you’ll see in more detail later), the three or so bags labeled “1” get us here: I felt kind of embarrassed uploading that to my photostream. Well, actually, for a TLG landscape, it is tolerable; the designers have done a good job of hiding the pin connectors. Next comes bag 2. Or rather, all the bags that are labelled “2” – pictured here along with the starting baseplates for this section. Naturally, this part of the build was rather repetitive. I was racing the sun, so I think I did it in record time, but it was still rather boring. Honestly, I wouldn’t have expected more from anything that had to do with chess. (My apologies to all you chess lovers out there. I’m more of a checkers fan.) Anyway, the set is designed so that both halves of this section open to reveal two separate compartments, which I thought was very thoughtful of TLG. Also, note the sweet light bley corner tiles! Now we move into the threes and hit the imperials! If the landscaping on the pirate side was tolerable, this is just dreadful. Water above the level of the ground, a walk that’s a cross between a dock and a fort… but why describe it, when you can see it for yourself? Again, we’ll see the playing pieces later on; this is just the landscape. And now for bag four, and more of the same. Only, since the imperials are landlubbers, they have sand colored pieces under their section of the board instead of water colored pieces. Once again, a repetitive build, but not too bad. The board opens on this side as well. The completed set has four separate sections that can be joined together very sturdily with the aid of several technic pins. And here she be! Note the brick separator… the first set I’ve ever got that included one! (That’s pretty pathetic, I know.) The extra pieces. Still wondering where all those 1x1 round red pieces came from. The Swashbuckling Pirates: Starting off with the pirates, you’ll quickly notice that the pawns are all very similar. I would have appreciated some more variation, but on the whole it’s not too bad. There are two basic variants (pictured below along with the banana boy) though some have black pants. The new headgear mold is great and the shirts all have back printing which is very nice. In the back row, we have the rook (or would that be parrook?), the knight (or the fright), and the bishop (the catapult) followed by the Queen and King before we head up the line-up again with another catapult, a fright, and a parrook. The parrooks are a little lack luster but the frights are very clever if not quite perfectly executed. I’ll admit though that I see no connection between a catapult and a bishop! A few round bricks to shoot would have been a nice addition; they could easily have been attached to the back when not in use. And then again, maybe that’s what all those extra red round 1x1s were for? Now for a closer look at the Pirate Queen and King! She looks like she’s the one doing the real work… but don’t be fooled – I played a game and she got taken before she even moved! Both figures have back printing and the Queen includes a double-sided face. The Marching Imperials: Left, right, left, right, left – left, right! Once again the pawns are very similar. The front printing is very nice though I’m not a huge fan of either facial expression. The torsos have back printing, continuing the white straps from the front. The back row here looks a good deal more cohesive than the pirates’ back row, which makes sense. Starting with the rook and moving on to the knight and bishop, we then hit the Queen (or Admiraless?) and King (or Admiral) before returning with bishop, knight, and rook. The rooks are quite plain, but with two dark red profile bricks each, I’m not complaining! It is admittedly somewhat difficult to tell why the knights should be knights and the bishops bishops. I think I owed a few of my kills during my game to the confusion this gave rise to on my opponent’s part! A closer view of the top two reveals some great torso printing, thought unfortunately the legs are plain. To compensate for that, however, we have some great back printing! And before we walk away from this section on the minifigures, here are a few shots of the food fighters – the banana boy and the baguette brevet. Both have the same hair mold but in different colors, and both also have reversible faces. At ‘em! Conclusion: Be ye ready, me hearties? Don’t shoot ‘til you see the whites of their eyes! As you’ve probably already guessed, I didn’t get this set for its chess value. I was far more interested in those minifigures and in the piece count which is pretty hefty especially for the reduced price I was able to pick it up at. In terms of an actual chess set, it is fun, but a little confusing and, well, I really don’t care if I play chess with pieces that look like pirates or pieces that look normal. In terms of a LEGO set, there’s nothing spectacular about it. The landscaping is rather plain at best and the board is boring, though most of the pieces are neat. But, when you look at it as a batch of MOC ingredients… this set is just plain hard to beat! Black and white tiles are great, large baseplates are always useful, and for a pirate builder all those minifigures are hard to pass up! That being decidedly how I look at the set, the only wonder is how come I’ve never bought a chess set before! Playability: 9/10 – It’s a chess set. Of course you can play with it. It even includes compartments to store the minifigures, it comes apart nicely for storage, the pieces can attach to the board, and there are a few catapults to boot. Even a youngster not interested in chess would still have to have fun fooling around with all 20 minifigures! Design: 7/10 – Well, the landscaping is awful – glaringly so. But to compensate for that, the playing pieces are for the most part really nice with only minor exceptions, the board itself is very handy and convenient and sticks together well, and I was pleasantly surprised when I ran across the opening compartments. There are no, “Wow, what a great technique!” moments, but for what it is, it’s solid. Minifigures: 9/10 – There are lots of ‘em, and they’re cool. What more can you ask? Sure, a bit of leg printing would have been nice but most of these torsos really don’t need it. For the most part, these guys are just begging for funny poses… “You won’t be gettin’ me anytime soon, lady!” So much for that. Price: 7/10 – After having praised its value as a parts pack up to the skies, I can’t well give it a bad score here, even if I got it for considerably less than the retail price of $59.99. And really, if you’re willing to take it apart and use it (and where better than in the new Brethren of the Brick Seas RPG?) then even sixty dollars isn’t too much to pay! Overall: 8/10 – So many pieces and so many minifigures… it’s worth every penny. If I were going to keep this built, I would have to do some thorough overhauling on the landscaping sections, but since I’m not, I can feel good about giving it a good average and then tearing it up to build something better. I’m sure I’m going to get some great use out of these pieces… but before I do, I had to have some fun. “Arg! Get in line, ye filthy scum!” “Forward… March!” “I believe this is check, mate!”