Set Review - #76420-1: Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake - Harry Potter

Another Harry Potter set…. This one is #76420-1: Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake. It was released on 1 March 2023 and it contains 349 pieces. It retails in the US for $44.99 which puts it at $0.129 per piece. I picked this one up on sale during the Back to Hogwarts event LEGO held for $5 off and with two GWP sets. It’s priced pretty high from a price per piece standpoint.

The box is pretty similar to most. The front shows the set apart with the above water section separated from the below water section. All of the minifigures are shown under water. It has the standard logos for Harry Potter sets. And the warning that the boat doesn’t float. The back shows some more play details for the set.

This set contains four numbered parts bags, an 8x16 plate, and the instruction booklet.

The first bag assembles the first section “above the water” for the set. This portion is just the structure for the upper level and then the stand where the characters jump into the water. There is a fairly simple Technic build that can be used to tip up a tile to have the characters “jump.” Additionally, this bag comes with a small row boat that fits one or two minifigures. The Harry Potter minifigure comes in this bag. His head is dual sided with the gills from eating the gillyweed. One side is smiling and the other is mad. His outfit is a red shirt with his house logo on the front and his last name printed on the back. He also comes with some skin colored fins to look like how his feet change into fins after eating the gillyweed. He also has a wand.

The second bag builds the upper level. This section comes with some great sand green colored pieces that look like they came from an Asian themed build. Inside the stand is a table with some mugs, a tea/coffee pot, and a container of sorts on the floor. There is a ladder piece to allow characters to climb up. The top of the structure has a printed clock tile piece. This piece is hooked to a Technic pin and then a ball on the back to spin the clock around. Viktor Krum comes as a minifigure in this bag. He has a face and hair piece and then you can spin his head to show a tongue that fits in with the shark piece to fit over his head.

The third bag starts the under water section of the build. It uses a few BURPs (or are they LURPs?) and then other dark blue and sand green pieces. You attach the chains to be where two of the figures are put under a spell to be rescued by the tournament participants. There are a few plants and then a crab and a fish as well. This bag contains Ron and Hermione along with one of the under water creatures (not sure of the official name). Ron and Hermione both have dual printed heads. One side is the underwater, asleep face and the other is the awake and smiling face.

The fourth bag finishes the build by completing the arch piece under water. It uses great colors to include sand green and teal. I like the use of the brick textured sand green pieces. This bag also comes with a mermaid minifigure. She has a dual printed head and comes with a trident. I forgot to throw her in this picture, but you’ll see her later.

Here are the minifigures. They are original to this set so a must buy if you collect Harry Potter minifigures. Otherwise, it’s just more Harry, Ron, and Hermione minifigures. Victor isn’t one you get often and the mermaid is also an original. Plus the shark part is cool. It’s disappointing they didn’t include Fleur and her sister. I’m sure that was due to cost and wanting to keep the price of the set at a specific level.

Here’s the final set. Overall, it’s a decent small build with some okay techniques besides just stacking bricks. You get some good piece colors and some unique minifigures so that’s a bonus as well. I do think the set is overpriced for what you are getting so look for opportunities to grab this one on sale or with GWPs. If it already went on sale once and it was just released in March, I’m pretty sure you’ll see it on sale again and it’s not even near the end of its shelf life.

Happy building!

Set Review - #71039 - Marvel Studios - Series 2 - Collectible Minifigures

More collectible minifigures! This series is #71039 - Marvel Studios - Series 2. This set of 12 minifigures was released on 1 September 2023 for $4.99 each. Instead of bags, this series comes in cardboard boxes in order to save on the environment. I applaud the initiative, but if you haven’t seen any of the pictures online, the world has torn open the packages to find the minifigures they wanted since the feel technique doesn’t work anymore.. I purchased three packages of six minifigures each online. Surprisingly, with 18 minifigures, I managed to get all 12 in the series so that was a bonus.

I’m not a fan of Marvel so I can’t tell you details on these minifigures or how close or not they are to the actual characters. In this review, I’ll just point out some of the things I noticed about each figure.

Overall, no major complaints on this series. I recommend it for Marvel fans or CMF collectors. Otherwise, save your money for others.

Happy building!

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Agatha Harkness - This minifigure comes with a book, cape, and two flicker shooter pieces (not sure of the official term). It comes with a jumper plate and one of the pieces to make it poseable, but she has a slope brick for a dress so you can’t really pose her. They could have done without the poseable piece for this one.

Moon Knight - I’m not sure who this minifigure is, but the little gold moon piece and coin is interesting.

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She-Hulk - This minifigure comes with a few printed tiles so that’s a bonus. I like the face color and the hair piece color as well.

Hawkeye - The character doesn’t interest me much, but it comes with a small owl, which is great!

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Kate Bishop - The printed tile pizza box is great. The dog has one eye printed on it, which I guess is on par with the actual character from what I read and is not a misprint.

Goliath - This one looks cool Not sure who he is. You can put the hair piece on if you don’t want the helmet.

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Echo - I have no idea what this minifigure is holding. The printing on the pants and torso are interesting.

Beast - Again, no idea who this character is, but the blue hair piece and face look cool.

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Mr. Knight - I like the fish tank printed on the 1x2 clear brick. The minifigure doesn’t do much for me.

The Werewolf - I’m not a fan of this minifigure, but I also don’t know the character so maybe that’s why.

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Storm - The white hair piece is a cool piece.

Wolverine - I’ve seen Wolverine minifigures in the past. I’m not sure how this one compares, but it looks okay Like some of the previous ones, you get a hair piece and the mask.

Set Review - 2023 Harry Potter Brickheadz Sets - #40616-1, #40617-1, and #40618-1

Three Harry Potter themed Brickheadz sets were released for 2023 on 1 June. Instead of three separate reviews, I decided to combine them all into one. I don’t collect all of the Brickheadz sets, but I do get the ones that interest me. As a Harry Potter fan, I grabbed these during the LEGO “Back to Hogwarts” sale event. Overall, they are in line with the Brickheadz theme. If you aren’t a fan of them or of Harry Potter, don’t bother with these. If you are a fan, look for an opportunity to grab them. Maybe during a double VIP point event or if you can find them on sale somewhere.

The first one is #40616-1: Harry Potter and Cho Chang. These are Brickheadz numbers 207 and 208. The set contains 267 pieces and retails for $19.99 which works out to $0.074 per piece. The box front shows the two characters. The back (not pictured) shows the same and how you can place the characters on a plate as a base. The set comes with four parts bags numbered one and two. There are two instruction booklets included. One for each character.

Not too much to talk about for the build. They are the standard Brickheadz build. Both characters come with printed tiles for the eyes and front of the shirt. Harry has a printed tile for the scar on his forehead. Harry’s face is a fun build as you install some pieces that are not clipped in by stud connections. They just rest in place and then other pieces hold them there. A fun little technique. If you don’t like the characters, LEGO always puts a few interesting colored pieces in the center and then I’m a fan of the dark red and blue colors as you get a few of those as well.

Next up is #40617-1 - Draco Malfoy and Cedric Diggory. Draco is #209 and Cedric #210. This set also retails for $19.99 and contains 262 pieces. This works out to $0.076 per piece. Similar to the previous set, the box has the characters on the front and the numbers and names of each on the bottom of the front. Inside are four parts bags numbered one and two with two bags for each number. There is an instruction booklet for each character.

The builds for these are not super interesting. Their hair is slightly different, but beyond that and brick colors, these builds are pretty similar. I guess the goal was to get students from each house so students from two houses in the last set and then the last two houses here. One difference is Draco is holding a gold trophy cup so you do get that additional part. As I mentioned at the beginning, if you’re a Brickheadz collector or a Harry Potter fan, then go get this set. If not, I’d avoid this one as it’s not super exciting to build and doesn’t have a ton of unique pieces.

Last set is #40618-1 - Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks. Kingsley is #211 and Nymphadora is #212. This set also retails for $19.99 and contains 250 pieces. It has the lowest piece count of the three sets which puts it at $0.079 per piece. Still not bad, but the worst ratio of the three. As with the other two sets, similar box art and contents inside the box.

Of the three sets, I enjoyed building this one the most. Kingsley has his head cover which is a cool looking printed, sloped piece that goes all around his head. It’s obviously not completely round, but I like how they created that effect. Nymphadora uses a fun lighter colored purple for the hair which was a nice change to see a different color. Beyond these two bits, they still mostly follow the Brickheadz standard so you’re not getting much else super exciting. Like the other two sets, great for Brickheadz and Potter fans, not so much for everyone else. Thankfully, there is a ton of other sets out there you can pick up based on what you like so it’s not a big deal.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76402-1: Hogwart's: Dumbledore's Office - Harry Potter

As we approach the time period closer to Christmas, a lot of retailers are putting more items on sale to include LEGO sets. #76402-1: Hogwart’s: Dumbledore’s Office was released back on 1 June 2022 in the US for $79.99. It contains 654 pieces which works out to $0.122 per piece. I this this is too steep. I picked it up on sale for $64 at Walmart, which works out to a more reasonable $0.097 per piece. Keep waiting and maybe you’ll see it go on sale for even more as it should be retiring at the end of this year.

This set connects to other sets in the line in a modular fashion so if you’ve been collecting them all, you can add this one to the bunch. You get six minifigures in this set and three of the printed collectible tiles. I started the build with 14 of the 16 tiles and picked up one more. I’m still short one tile, but I’m not bothered by this.

The box is pretty standard with the full set on the front, Harry Potter logo, a minifigure line up, and pictures of the movie characters. The back shows some play details and the back of the set along with a note about the printed tiles. Maybe it’s just me, but the box feels kind of small for a $80 set. Onto the review…

The set contains five numbered parts bags. The instructions are bagged along with the stickers. There is also an 8x16 tan plate.

The first bag starts to build where the actual desk of Dumbledore goes. It builds a small platform and includes some clear pieces as two flask type items. This bag comes with a Harry Potter minifigure wearing the cloak of invisibility and holding a wand and lamp. It also comes with Dumbledore.

The second bag wraps up most of the office area. It builds up two book shelves, some props on the desk, and has a place for the sorting hat and a small Fawkes to sit on a perch. This bag comes with a Mr. Filch minifigure and his cat.

The third bag adds another level with the pensieve (bowl you can drop tears into to view memories). This doesn’t quite match the movie as the pensieve is actually in the office and not a level above. On top of this level is another level with the sword of Gryffindor. Again, the sword, when it’s in the office, is in the office and not on a separate floor. From the front, it’s a decent design with the elements you’d expect in a Hogwart’s type build. This bag comes with a Professor Snape minifigure.

The fourth bag builds the bottom layer of the set which is the library. This bag builds the floor and a book shelf. As part of the book shelf, you attach some books to leaf pieces on the outer wall. The leaf is attached to a tile that can slide in and out to make the book pop off the shelf. This is done twice.

The Madame Pince minifigure comes in this set. I had to look up who she is in the books/movies. Apparently she’s the librarian. Shows how much I know…

The fifth and final bag wraps up the build with completing the bottom floor. It adds a few desks in the library and sections of the library that are on plates connected by hinges to the rest of the build. You can fold them in or out depending on how you want to play with the set. A Hermione minifigure comes with this bag.

As mentioned at the beginning, the set comes with six minifigures. They are all pretty common except for Madame Pince so nothing to get too excited over. Harry does come with the cloak of invisibility, but you would already have it if you collected Series 1 of the Harry Potter minifigures (although that Harry is wearing pajamas in the CMF series).

Here’s the final build. I don’t have the other sets built to show the connection, but alone, I wasn’t too impressed by this set. The minifigures were just okay. You do get a few fun pieces like a small Fawkes and the sorting hat. If you’re looking to pick this one up to add to your castle, definitely don’t pay full retail price. Look for a sale or some good deal to cut down on the price.

Happy building!

Set Review - #10320-1: Eldorado Fortress - LEGO Icons - 18+

Pirates!!!!!!!!!! Actually this one should say Imperials!!!!!!!!!!! First time we’ve had new Imperial Soldier minifigures in a while. This set is a re-make of #6726-1 from 1989. It is #10320-1: Eldorado Fortress. It contains 2,509 pieces and retails for $214.99 in the US. This works out to $0.086 per piece which isn’t too bad. The release date in the US was 4 July 2023 and it’s still available at the time of this post.

The box is in the old school style of boxes similar to #21322-1: Pirates of Barracuda Bay and #10305-1: Lion Knight’s Castle. The front has the yellow stripe in the upper left with the set name. and then a full picture of the set. The back has various scenes of the build with a map background.

Here are a few pictures on the sides of the box. One shows all of the minifigures and the monkey. Another shows the set and how it is modular so you can connect the pieces in different ways to change around the fortress.

The set contains 10 sets of numbered parts bags with most numbers having more than one bag. There is an unnumbered bag with some larger plates. You also get the instructions in a paperboard envelope and an envelope with the sails. I had one sail with a slight fold in it, but I was able to undo the fold without any issues. They showed up in good condition otherwise.

There are four instruction booklets in this set. The first booklet contains some information about the set to include history of the Pirates line and the old set and how some of the previous sets inspired this set.

The first bag builds a row boat for the pirates and includes to pirate minifigures. One minifigure is a female and the other is a male. You also build a small ship. This ship is modeled after the ship from #6277-1: Imperial Trading Post that was released in 1992. The ship comes with a female officer figure. The tricorne hat has long hair attached to help show it’s a female.

Bags two and three start the base of the first section of the fortress. Unlike the original version which had a large baseplate to build on, this set connects numerous plates as a base and then you build on top. This does mean you connect a lot of dark grey pieces to get the side of the fortress and its textures, but you also get the sea color and land colors separated versus the single colored base plate. The second bag builds a ramp which was just part of the printed baseplate on the original set. I like how this was done to achieve the angle and to capture the look of cobblestones.

I failed to get a picture after the fourth bag, but bag five wraps up this section of the build. You add a palm tree, an entryway with doors, a stand for a cannon on the upper level, an office for the governor, and you get a large Imperials flag. There’s also another section that is lower with another cannon that can be rotated. Behind the walls is a small stove and clips to hang numerous extra weapons.

The set has a bunch of hidden sections to include a small container with a printed 1x2 tile letter piece and a barrel with coins in it. The coins are 1x1 round printed tiles versus the old gold coins LEGO used to produce (which were much cooler in my opinion).

The sixth bag adds another section. This one is also three stories. The lower level is a cave section with wine barrels above an empty treasure chest. The tapped barrel leaked some with the small 1x1 tile that is partially rounded to be the “drop” on the floor. The next level contains a small space where another barrel is stored (empty), and sack of loot, and a broom. There’s a ladder here that goes up to another cannon. There is also a parrot included in this section.

The front of this section contains two palm trees and a small sandy beach.

This bag came with a soldier. It’s a female soldier with a rifle and back pack of gear.

The seventh bag builds a dock section. The dock has four supports that can then be connected to the rock section which can connect to other parts of the fortress. The top of the dock has a small table with seats. The table has a few bowls, cups, a glass bottle, and a lamp. Built into the dock is also a trap door. There is a Technic built mechanism that lets you slide a piece over and the trap door opens up with gravity. Two minifigures come in this section. One is another female officer. She doesn’t have a weapon, but there are plenty of others to give her in the set. The other is a male soldier. He is similar to the last one only he has a mustache. Lastly, you get a small monkey in this set. I liked the original ones from back in the day with the minifigure hands, but this one works too.

The eighth bag builds another section. This one is most notable for the crane on top. The crane section spins around 360 degrees and can raise and lower the cargo. This section of the build comes with a chest with pistols. The instructions say to put two pistols in, but my set came with three pistols so I included them all. There’s a ladder up to the top level with the crane, but I’m not sure how a minifigure can get to this crane given it’s size.

The mid level of this section has a walkway and storage area with another empty barrel, a bag of loot, and some extra cannon shells (1x1 round bricks). Below this level is a tunnel section with water flowing through.

The ninth bag starts the last section of the fortress. You build the rock section over water with some hidden compartments. There is a trap door over a section with some gold bars (1x2 tiles) and a sack of loot. There is also a pathway with a pirate skeleton. Not sure how he got stuck in there or when. Also there is another trap door which ends up being a trap door in the prison cell to escape.

The last bag adds the top section to the ninth bag. This includes a prison cell with some straw on the floor. There are also a few windows with a cool roofing technique using some rounded parts. There is a ladder on the jail cell to allow soldiers to climb up above the cell.

Here are the minifigures minus the skeleton (which I forgot to take out of the build for the picture). You get three soldiers (two male, one female), two female officers, a male governor minifigure, and two pirates (one male, one female). Along with the skeleton, monkey, and parrot, there are a decent number of characters in this set. For comparison, #21322-1: Pirates of Barracuda Bay had eight pirate minifigures and two skeletons. This set has eight minifigures and one skeleton.

Here’s the final set arranged how I decided to arrange it. I like the modular option for this set where you can connect it how you want or split it apart as desired. It also allows you to add on other sections as you want since there are numerous openings to expand. I had a few Pirates and Imperials sets back in the day and it was fun to see these return. The price point is fairly reasonable. I would have preferred $200, but I understand LEGO is adjusting for inflation I recommend this one to adults looking to relive their childhood or to kids interested in playing with LEGO Pirates as there are a lot of great play features. Look for opportunities to pick this one up with double VIP points or interesting GWPs.

Happy building!

Another Set From the Pirates Theme to Build

It’s been out since 4 July 2023 and I broke down and put my order in for it. Yesterday, #10320-1: Eldorado Fortress arrived at my home. I didn’t have the original set from back in the day, but I did have some of the smaller Pirates sets and I enjoyed playing with those as a kid. I’m looking forward to building this one and maybe even pulling out my #21322-1: Pirates of Barracuda Bay set, rebuilding it, and making a Pirates scene. I won’t do my full review yet, but I’ll give my first impressions. I like that the box has a similar look to the sets from the 1980s and 1990s with the yellow stripe saying the set name in the corner. I’ve seen a few folks say they are disappointed to not have the raised base plate like the original set. I’m okay with not having it. I’d rather have the pieces.

There are a bunch of great looking minifigures too. I’m glad to see the return of the Imperial Soldiers and to get some new ones to include females. I haven’t opened the box up yet, but from the box pictures, it looks like there are two female officers and the tricornered hat has hair attached which is cool.

The other one listed is shown on BrickSet.com as the Imperial Soldier, Governor. I never had one of these as a kid so this is a fun addition.

I’m looking forward to the build and the completed product. Now I just have to find the time to put it all together.

Have you built this one already? What was your take on it?

Happy building!

Set Review - #910008-1: Modular Construction Site - Bricklink Designer Progr

It took a while for me to get to this one, but better late than never. This one is #910008-1: Modular Construction Site. It was from the Bricklink Designer Program that ran in 2021, but the set wasn’t released until 2023. This set contains 3,371 pieces and retailed for $319.99 which puts it at $0.095 per piece. The fan designer was user name ryantaggart which also happens to be his name, Ryan Taggart.

I’m a fan of the modular buildings and I thought this one would be something different to spice up the street with a building under construction. I had a blast building #910002-1: Studgate Train Station so I figured I’d jump into this one next.

Speaking of Bricklink, a quick plug for the Bricks for Bricks Bricklink store. 15% of our profits up through the end of November will be going to Creations for Charity so thanks in advance for your purchase. Onto the review.

The box is similar to the other Bricklink sets with the white packaging and pictures of the set. The front shows the full set assembled. The back shows the modularity of the set… which isn’t a whole lot. You can remove one partial floor off the top, but the rest is still attached. I guess it’s modular in that it can connect to the other modulars only it doesn’t have the usual Technic pin attachments to link up to other buildings.

Inside the box are three smaller boxes and a 32x32 baseplate. Inside those three boxes are 22 numbered bags (most with more than one bag per number), a few un-numbered bags, a 16x32 baseplate, and a card telling you to get the instructions online or in the app. I prefer the paper instructions over the electronic version as I can get away from screens and just build. I think that’s why this build took me a while to complete. I had to get my device set up instead of just opening the instructions and building right away.

The first bag starts off with some of the inside of the building. You build some of the outer wall foundation and then some of the tiling inside. A construction worker is inside with a jackhammer. Nearby are some “extra” tiles to put down and a bucket.

The second bag finishes off the base with the sidewalk outside, more flooring, and the rest of the foundation of the building. There are a few planters outside. One has plants and the other does not.

Bag 1

Bag 2

Bag three adds the 16x32 baseplate. This one is mostly covered in tiles and it contains the base of what will become the crane. There’s also a gate to allow entry into the construction site.

Bag four starts to build up. You add the first section of the base of the crane, you start a stairwell, you add a few beams for the main structure of the building, and you add some tiling inside the building. At this point of the build, I was curious to see how strong the building would be given it’s height. Would it just be stacked bricks or do the long yellow beam pieces really add support?

Bag 3

Bag 4

Bag five adds some windows and structure around the stairwell. You also add some bricks around the tall yellow beams and a few on their own. So far it seems structurally sound. As you build up, Technic pieces are incorporated connecting the beam to the rest of the build.

Bag six adds more beams, more windows, and more building up bricks around the beams. It’s an interesting way to build as most of LEGO’s modulars are just brick built. This one seems to follow what an actual building would have with framing followed by building up around the frame.

Bag 5

Bag 6

Bags seven and eight continue to build up the sides of the building. The main supports get some architectural detailing which is nice besides just having bricks stacked.

Bag 7

Bag 8

Bags nine and ten continue to go higher with more structural beams on top of the previous ones and then stairwell is also built higher. There were a few challenges where higher sections weren’t anchored down well, but they eventually are locked into place with bricks or plates.

Bag 9

Bag 10

Bags 11 and 12 add in arches over the window areas and then some additional detail in bricks. There are a lot of smaller plates used to create the shapes. Then there are tiles added to the top of the walls with bag 12.

Bag 11

Bag 12

Bag 13 starts another floor. It includes another worker set up to paint. There is also a work table with a drill and table saw along with a board to help cut the floor boards. It also continues the stairwell up in a different location.

Bag 14 adds in more windows only these are black. A few of the windows do not have clear panes to help create the look of a building under construction.

Bag 13

Bag 14

Build 15 tops off this floor with tiles and some jumper plates to allow for the floor above to connect to it.

Build 16 assembles the floor of the top floor.

Bag 15

Bag 16

Bag 17 adds some tiles, a few windows, and wall supports. It includes a minifigure with an ax. There’s also a recycle bin, a bucket, a small, portable cement mixer, a table with a coffee cup on it, and then some additional bricks that need to be added to the build.

Build 18 continues the build with some additional framing around the windows, a ladder going up, and some fencing around the edge so workers don’t fall off.

Bag 17

Bag 18

Bag 19 adds in the tower where the crane is attached. The tower works okay, but the ladder in-between the structure doesn’t attach well. It falls off pretty easily whenever you move the tower or shift the building around. You also add in a few containers of… I’m not sure what… oil? There’s a small sink as well. You also build a small structure with supports. I’m not sure what it is supposed to be for. Maybe a future addition to the building? There’s a minifigure as well. This one is a female that looks like a building inspector. She has a camera and briefcase.

Bag 20 starts building the actual crane section. It contains a lot of Technic pieces. It is also on a larger turn table so it can pivot all the way around.

Bag 19

Bag 20

Bag 21 continues the crane build with a cab and minifigure to operate the crane. It also adds in some supports for the top of the crane and then connections to hold up the front and back of the crane.

Build 22 is the final section of the build which adds in the string and “hook” for the crane. You then build a small porta-potty that the crane can then lift up. The crane holds up okay, but it is not very sturdy. I’m not sure how to make it better, but the crane comes off pretty easily as you turn it and move it around. Maybe construction in full Technic pieces instead of using both System and Technic? I’m not sure.

Bag 21

Bag 22

Before we wrap up, there are six minifigures. There are four males and two females. Five are construction workers and one is the inspector or an engineer. It’s a small crew considering the size of the building, but I can’t complain too much. Construction minifigures are fairly easy to get in CITY sets.

Here’s the final set. I enjoyed the build. It’s a challenging build with some great details. It’s a good display piece, but not great for playability as it comes apart pretty easily and parts aren’t really stable. The cost was rather high, but thankfully there are a decent number of pieces. It’s a great option too if you’re looking for parts. The back and one side of the building aren’t finished off with anything. They look like more work needs to be done. It’s hard to say if an additional wall should be added or if the building should be larger. It’s okay to display from the front for a front facing MOC.

Overall, it’s a great build. A little pricy, but it works. There are some areas that could use a re-design. I’ll add it to my long list of sets I’d like to redesign.

This one is off the market now so your chance to get it is on the secondary market at a higher price. The good part is the instructions and bill of materials are online so you can use your own pieces or buy some to re-create this set.

Happy building!

Set Review - #43217-1: "Up" House - Disney

Disney themed LEGO sets have been releasing all year long for the 100th Anniversary. I normally don’t buy Disney themed sets, but I enjoy watching Pixar movies and I thought “Up” was a fun one. This set is #43217-1: “Up” House. It was released on 2 March 2023 in the US for $59.99. It contains 598 pieces which works out to an even $0.10 per piece. Not a great deal, but you can’t complain about it being overly expensive either.

The box is about the size of a breakfast cereal box and is shaped that way as well with it being printed to go the tall way. Not really a big deal, just different from most sets. It probably helped them capture the height of the set. The box shows the set on the front with the Disney and Disney 100 logos. It also has some silver colored bricks which sadly are not a part of the set. The back shows some additional details and play features.

The set contains four numbered parts bags, an instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet.

Here are the stickers. While I always prefer printed tiles, the stickers here do add a bunch of detail to the house and give it some extra life. I guess I can’t complain too much here.

Bag one starts the build with the first floor. My kids built it while I supervised for this review. I had to help them on a few steps and I caught a few steps they didn’t quite follow correctly, but overall they did a good job. The first floor adds the front door and a small portion of the porch. It builds out some of the living room with a few items including a lamp, a record player, and some pictures.

Russell comes in this bag. He has his giant back pack full of gear and it is built so that it touches the ground, but it keeps him upright due to a jumper plate positioned upside down. The torso is printed with all his badges which is a fun detail and I like how his hat is on his head, but you can still see a bunch of his hair on the front of his cranium.

Bag two finishes up the first floor and starts on floor number two. I like how they captured the design of the window space on the front of the house on the first floor. It’s a fun, colorful build and it’s a great shape without a ton of gaps. I added a picture of the inside so you can see some of the details and how the stickers really do fit in well. Just about all of the references are there from the movie to include the change jar with the Paradise Falls label.

The Carl Fredricksen minifigure comes in this bag. I think it matches the movie character well while still being in LEGO form. I’m also glad to see that they were able to replicate his cane. Sadly, it doesn’t have the tennis balls on the bottom, but it’s still pretty close with the roller skate piece.

The third bag finishes up most of the second floor with some interior details, the roofing, and the chimney. Inside you build a bed, a TV, and the adventure book which goes in a crate. The roofing is a fairly simple build, but it still seems to capture the shape of the house from the movie. The chimney is built and then attached to the house with Technic pins. It looks ugly from the back, but you can’t tell from the front.

Dug comes with this bag and he is molded in one piece. I like how they captured his form. Well done designers!

The last bag is mostly balloons. You do add one last window to the second floor and a weather vane with a blue chicken on it. I like how the balloons were done. There definitely is not as many as in the movie, but cost is a consideration here so it’s just about right I guess. Additionally, you get a section of the yard with some air to blow up more balloons, a box of what I assume are balloons, a squirrel, and the mailbox.

Here’s a closer shot of the three minifigures. Again, I think the designers did a good job capturing the likeness of all three characters while still keeping them looking like LEGO minifigures and Dug compatible with studs. If you look close, the clear piece on Russell to hold up the back pack is a bit awkward, but not a huge deal in my opinion.

Here’s the final set and why the box looks like a tall cereal box. You need to be able to show the full set on the front of the box and it’s tall. Overall, it’s decent set. There are some good pieces, some different colors, and the minifigures were well done. The price is okay, but hopefully it will go on sale near the end of its shelf life. I picked it up during a GWP offering so I can’t complain. I recommend this one to Disney and Pixar fans or someone looking for a fun small scene to build. Beyond that, it you could add it to a city scene if you wanted to or maybe a Friends scene with the bright colors. I look forward to seeing pictures of what the fan community does to re-build this set into other things or to see what gets added.

Happy building!

Set Review - #40619-1: EVE and WALL-E- Brickhead

Another Brickheadz aet for review… This one is #40619-1: EVE and WALL-E. It contains 155 pieces and retails for $14.99 in the US. This works out to $0.097 per piece. It was released on 31 January 2023 in the US and so far I have only seen it from LEGO, but not at Walmart or Target. Maybe that will change? This one is not branded for the Disney 100 anniversary, but its release happens to coincide with the anniversary. For those of you not aware, this is not the first WALL-E set. The first was #21303-1: WALL-E from the LEGO Ideas line.

The box is rather small, but this is to be expected for a set containing 155 pieces. The front of the box shows the two Brickheadz characters while the back gives the same shot and shows that there are bases for each character. Also of note, WALL-E is #193 and EVE is #194 in the Brickheadz line.

The set contains three parts bags. Two are #1 and one is #2. There are also two 8x8 black plates which are separate. Instruction booklet one is WALL-E and goes with bag one. Instruction booklet two goes with bag two and is EVE.

And here are the two. WALL-E has his lunch box and the plant in a boot. I think the designers capture the shape well and did a good job making decisions on the details to include or not. The eyes and sockets have the same shape, but they do not move around. Also the neck joint is there so you can have the head look up/down. The tracks are a good representation of the character and they are attached to the side while clear plates are used to keep WALL-E attached to the display plate. Besides the printed eyes, he also has a printed brick with the WALL-E logo.

EVE “floats” on a clear brick and captures the character well. White Nexo Knight shields are used for the arms and she has no printed piece. Interestingly, they added a small plant piece inside to be the space where she is supposed to store plants that she finds which is a fun detail you only know about if you build the set.

I included a picture of the side and back just for awareness, but there aren’t a lot of details you can see there.

Overall, they are good Brickheadz representations of the two characters. I recommend getting them if you are a Brickheadz collector or a fan of the movie or Disney stuff in general. Otherwise, I’d avoid this one as it doesn’t offer a whole lot else.

Happy building!

Set Review - #21338-1: A Frame Cabin - LEGO Ideas - #46

How are we at the 46th set in the LEGO Ideas line? Where has the time gone? This one is #21338-1: A Frame Cabin. It was released back on 14 January 2023 in the US. It contains 2,082 pieces and retails for $179.99. That works out to $0.086 per piece which isn’t too bad. The set is jammed with a lot of details, but still has a lot of playability too. Plus it’s not just a front façade of a building like many sets are as the roof pieces come off for access if you want to play instead of accessing the back of the build. Before getting into the build, I thought this set would go well with #21318-1: Tree House if you wanted to build an outdoor scene or just a MOC of a scene in the woods. I’ll have to add that to my list of things to try someday.

Onto the review…

You get the standard box with the 18+ greebling and Ideas logos. The front shows the full set while while the back gives some additional details and dimensions.

The contents are 15 numbered parts bags with one unnumbered bag of larger pieces. A few of the numbers have more than one bag. You also get two instruction books in a paperboard envelope.

Here’s the envelope with the instructions and the two books. The instructions have some details on the designers, fan designer, and the model itself to read before you get into the build.

Bag one builds the base of the cabin and includes two minifigures.

Bag two adds in some tiles and studded tiles that end up as the front porch. You also add in some Thor’s Hammers for the masonry work in front of the cabin which is a cool building technique.

The third bag starts to pack in details. There is a small kitchen area with a sink, stove, extra wood to burn, storage for dishes, and then the start of some stairs. The other side of the room has a record player and a 2x4 printed tile that says “LEGO” as your floor mat. I believe this is the tile from #10290-1: Pickup Truck.

Bag four builds up the walls and support section for the second floor. The kitchen area gets a few more items to include a stove, chopping blade, and fire extinguisher. There are stairs put in above the kitchen area with a LEGO plate on a step for a minifigure to accidentally step on.

The other side adds in a guitar, shelving, and you can see a printed tile above the front door.

The fifth bag adds in tiles, jumper plates, and some plates as the outer siding of the cabin. Some are offset and they aren’t in any particular order which helps to make it look more like a cabin in the woods than a manufactured building. The front side of the cabin gets one of the newer butterfly pieces above the front door which is a nice addition.

Bag six decks out the front porch with a rocking chair, a small stove to fry an egg, steps up to the porch, a small bench with a lantern and mug, and railings for the porch. Then in the back you get a shower, bathroom materials (shovel, toilet paper), and what appears to be gas hookups for the stove (maybe).

Bag seven adds a tree which comes with a small storage area for extra logs to burn and a bucket with tools. The coloring of the tree is fun with the yellows and reds of a fall like tree. This section can connect to the main cabin with a small Technic axle into a Technic pin hole. This allows it to stay there, but it can easily be removed and placed elsewhere as we’ll see later. This section comes with a small blue bird to sit in the tree.

Bag eight builds the second floor which is a small sleeping area with a bed. It still has a bunch of details to include a book shelf, a map on the floor and some lamps.

Bag nine attaches the second floor to the first floor, adds the siding to the upper level similar to the lower level, puts a peak on the roof, builds up the chimney from the stove, and adds in a little more detail on the second floor.

Bags 10 and 11 build the large sloped roof. Each side is built the same per the instructions (if you want to follow them). Both come with a skylight and a printed tile with wood grain. Bag 11 adds the tiles and studded tiles to finish out the roof and then each piece easily slides on top of the cabin. There aren’t any actual connections which is fine. Gravity keeps it on and I’ve been able to pick up the cabin and move it around without losing the roof.

Bag 12 builds another section of the build that can either be a piece attached to the corner of the cabin or placed separate. It starts with some greenery, a small stream section, and a rock piece. These pieces are assembled with some various plant pieces around them. There is also a small… um… animal… it’s not a squirrel… is it a woodchuck? rat? I’m not actually sure. The set comes with birds and a spider… but I’m not sure on this one.

Bag 13 assembles the stems and branches of the two trees. They are built in a similar fashion, but you can change the angles as desired to make them look different.

Bag 14 adds leaves/color to one of the trees. You get some great fall colored pieces to fill out the tree on this one. There’s dark orange, yellow, gold, and a bright yellow. They make a pretty good color combination for my untrained eye.

Bag 15 puts greenery on the second tree with sand green, dark green, and an olive type color. I like how all three trees in the set have different colors. You can obviously change them as you want, but I just followed the instructions. I’m also a fan of the wildlife with a red bird and butterfly with these two trees.

Below the trees you get a spot to rest the canoe on some Technic parts. Underneath is a crate with some life jackets and a bottle of some sorts. There’s a barrel to the side of the one tree where you can place the oars.

This set comes with four minifigures. I don’t think any of them are unique or have any rare attributes, but they’re a good mix for this set. I’m okay with four adult minifigures versus including minifigures with the kid legs.

Here are some pictures of the final build with the different tree sections attached and then separate. Overall, this was a great build. I enjoyed assembling the set between the different build techniques and all of the little details. It wasn’t super hard to assemble, but it also wasn’t just stacking bricks on top of each other which was good. You get a lot of great pieces as well if you like to break apart sets for MOCs. Lots of printed pieces too and no stickers which was a bonus. I would price this set around $160 instead of $180, but look for opportunities to get it with gifts with purchase or double VIP points or on sale at some other retailer if you can find it on discount.

Another great addition to the Ideas line in my opinion. What did you think?

Happy building!