My Top Five 2023 Bricklink Designer Program Picks

In case you’ve missed it, the 2023 Bricklink Designer Program or Series 1 as they are calling it is open for selections. You can find the program details and submissions here. They are open for voting through the end of March 2023. The program has some big changes this time. Unlike previous rounds where they crowd funded designs and the sets with the highest number of pre-orders get made, this one gives you three voting options. For each submission, you can select an emoji. There is one for “not for me,” one for “like it,” and one for “love it.” You can vote on as many sets as you’d like (only one vote per submission) and the vote tallies are secret so there are no popularity contests.

Overall there are some great submissions in the program. There are a lot of castle, pirate, and classic space themed sets which would be great for fans hoping for more parts and minifigures. There are a ton of buildings of which many fit into the modular line.

One complaint I have of the program is that when I go to vote on a set and then go back to the submissions, it re-arranges the order of the submissions. This was annoying as I had to search around to find the ones that I wanted to vote on after voting on a submission.

I don’t know how many they will end up producing, but I voted on five as being “love it” sets for me. So here were my picks:

#5 - Florentine Palazzo by fan user name paupadros - This modular compatible building contains 3,511 pieces and I think it looks awesome. The different floors can be removed for access and there is plenty of detailing on the inside. The yellow color with the white looks really good and then the flowers help to make the set stand out. This would be a great set to go along with #910023-1: Venetian Houses from a previous Designer Program round. At over 3,000 pieces, this one would not be cheap in the end, So we’ll have to weigh the amazing details and lot of pieces against the potential cost.

Picture from Bricklink.com

#4 - Black Biplane by fan user name EmanueLego This set contains 2,408 pieces.and I think it looks stunning. Some of the commenters weren’t pleased that it was all black, but there could be a possibility to make it interchangeable with different colored parts. I think the designer captured a lot of great details on this one and I like the addition of the stand. I have a copy of #10226-1: Sopwith Camel .in my collection and I think it would be great to have another biplane to add to the mix.

Picture from Bricklink.com

#3 - Parisian Street by fan user name CARLIERTI1 - This set contains 3,465 parts and would look amazing in a city scene. It’s not fully modular compatible as it is just the front half of the buildings, but that could be remedied based on how you set it up in your city. This one has a ton of great details, but does have a sticker sheet so we’ll see if that’s an issue or not. . This would look great next to #10243-1: Parisian Restaurant.

Picture from Bricklink.com

#2 - P-51D Mustang “Red Tail” by fan user name brick_squadron. This set would contain 743 pieces and I think it would be another awesome addition to the limited number of aircraft models outside of the CITY line. This one is technically a weapon system so I’m not sure LEGO would produce it, but it is historical and we don’t seem to have a problem making weapons for Castle, Pirates, or even the new Lord of the Rings set. This set is a little smaller, but still has some great details and would be a great tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen.

Picture from Bricklink.com

#1 - Coral Reef Diorama by fan user name Falkorich. This set would contain 1,707 pieces and is jam packed with details. I’ve seen a few fans create their own coral reefs and I think it would be great to have one as a set. The minifigure divers and whale are an awesome addition to the set and if you look at the write up on Bricklink, it is modular as well so you can take it apart and re-assemble as desired. I also think this one is something completely out of the ordinary that LEGO hasn’t done before so let’s broaden out the set themes away from some of the standard themes we see all the time.

Picture from Bricklink.com

Happy voting!

Set Review - #80111-1: Lunar New Year Parade - Chinese Festival Special Edition

Here’s the second Chinese Festival Special Edition set for 2023. I reviewed #80110-1: Lunar New Year Display last week. This week it’s #80111-1: Lunar New Year Parade. It was released on 8 November 2022 in the US and retails for $129.99. It contains 1,653 pieces which works out to $0.079 per piece.

By the way, if you’ve missed any of the previous Chinese Festival sets, I have some in the Bricks for Bricks Bricklink store so check them out.

The box for this one shows the full set on the front with all the minifigures. The back shows some of the play details. You can connect each of the floats together and each of the floats has movement in it as you move it along a flat surface. I included a shot of the edge of the box as well as it shows the 18 minifigures that come in this set.

The box also has the “Build Together“ logo with an x3. The bags and instructions are split up so you can share the process. My NLS built the first set (rabbit float), my son and I built the second float (drum), and my daughter build the dragon float. It worked out pretty good in my house to split it up that way.

The set comes with 10 parts bags numbered one through 10 and then a paperboard envelope to protect the instructions. There are three sets of instructions and they are printed on white which makes it easier to see the darker pieces.

Unfortunately, there’s a sticker sheet in this one. Most of the stickers are transparent which isn’t a big issue, but can be a challenge if you get finger prints on them. We tend to use the piece separator method to transport and place the stickers so I think we’re good.

You also get a thicker plastic sheet of banners. While I like the additional detail, I wish there was a better way to do this with the set. I think they look odd and out of place, but that’s just my opinion.

Bags one and two kick off the rabbit float. My NLS built this one. Bag one builds the base and initial structure of the float. I didn’t take pictures during the build process, but you add in some Technic gearing which attaches to a wheel. Then when you move the float around on a flat surface, the wheel turns and causes the Technic bar to move which will eventually make the rabbit “hop.” Bag one comes with two parading minifigures. They are each holding banners with the plastic sheeting and then a pink head that can be used as a mask. They both come with a clear dish piece so you can pose them as they are moving along with the parade and you don’t have to worry about them toppling over with the weight they are carrying (banner and mask).

The second bag adds in some more details along the side of the float and then the stand where you can place a minifigure to wave at the parade goers. This bag comes with a girl holding a tablet and then a woman with a smart phone.

Bag three wraps up this float. The rabbit build is good, but the red eyes make it look rather creepy. The round printed tiles that look like Chinese coins are a fun detail and I like how they are placed to look as if they’ve been dropped on the float. This bag comes with the rabbit costume minifigure who can hold a lantern with printing similar to previous years. Last year we had a tiger print on the lantern. This year is a rabbit. If LEGO continues this, we’ll get a repeat eventually. Unless they re-design it after they’ve gone through all the animals.

Bags four and five start the next float. Bag four builds up the base of the float and the SNOT pieces to allow for decoration. The Technic pieces make an axle spin as you move the float on a flat surface. Bag four comes with two minifigures. One is an adult female with a beverage container. The other is a parade participant who comes with some cymbals to play. She also has a clear saucer piece to allow you to pose the minifigure without her toppling over.

Bag five adds some details along the sides of the vehicle. Both of my kids had to really focus on getting the piece placement to match the instructions as there are a lot of angles and curves that make assembling this portion a little tougher. This bag comes with two minifigures. One is playing a drum with two microphone pieces. The other has a gong to play.

The sixth bag wraps up this float. You add a lot of detail to this one to include a cloud type build in the front, various golden colored pieces for decoration, the giant plastic sheet for… whatever it is, some lanterns which look pretty good, and then a big drum. The action on this float is you can place the drummer minifigure on a little stand and she “hits” the drum as you move the float on a flat surface.

My 5-year old was able to build most of this, but there were a few parts that were challenging. The bluish-teal arch type assembly on the back was not easy and I built it for him. He also had trouble with the drum and getting everything angled up right. Still, he did pretty good with the build.

Bags seven and eight begin the third float. Bag seven starts the base of the vehicle and you can see better what the Technic assembly looks like under the float at the end of bag seven. This bag comes with a parade participant with fire crackers. This minifigure is also on a clear saucer which works out good as the fire crackers are a bit heavy and would make it challenging for the minifigure to stay standing without a support. You also get a boy minifigure holding a 1x2 red tile with a dragon printed on it. His torso is a festive print and different from some of the standard minifigure torsos.

Bag eight continues to build up the base and some of the SNOT pieces for adding decorations on the side. This one comes with a girl holding a… not sure what it is… food on a stick? a noise maker? This one also comes with the infamous purple space minifigure/parts to help you make a purple classic space minifigure. So you take the torso from the Series 22 Collectible Minifigures space creature, switch out the arms if you desire, and then use the helmet, pants, and air tank from this minifigure to get your purple classic space minifigure. Die hard space fans are all over it, but it’s quite the hefty spend to get a minifigure. I haven’t checked on Bricklink, but I’m sure it’s not cheap. I don’t have Series 22 in the store yet. Sorry.

Bag nine adds some details to the sides of the float. It also adds a crate with a top and then another box. One will hold fireworks. The other will hold some extra hats for minifigures. Towards the front of the float are some lime green plates and tiles that have “LEGO” stickers on them. This bag comes with two minifigures. One has a Castle type hat and the other has a pirate hat. They have the same red torso as the spaceman and one holds a banner while the other holds a… um… not sure.

Bag 10 is the last bag of set. It finalizes the details of the set to include a larger orange 2x2 brick on the front and two larger plates on the rotating part with a dragon. The dragon moves around 360 degrees unlike the other two floats that have very limited ranges of movement.

Here’s the final set assembled with all of the minifigures. Each float comes with pieces that can be used as clips to connect the floats and have them move as a train instead of individual vehicles. Overall, I think this is a great addition to the Chinese Festival theme. The price per piece isn’t bad, but it is still slightly expensive in my opinion considering what you get for $130. This set has some great build techniques and it was fun to put together as a family. I like the moving parts as well. This is a fun integration we don’t normally see in sets. As mentioned, I could do without the plastic flag/banner pieces.

I didn’t take a separate minifigure picture, but I think you get a good collection of minifigures with some different torsos and hats. Note, the 16x16 plate was from my own collection and was not included in the set.

If you’re a fan of this theme, I’d look to pick this one up. If you can get it on sale, definitely go for it. You might find it on sale closer to the end of it’s life if you’re willing to wait. Or take advantage of double VIP points or GWPs straight from LEGO Shop @ Home.

Happy building!

Set Review - #80110-1: Lunar New Year Display - Chinese Festival Special Edition

I’ve been a fan of the Chinese Festival Special Edition sets since they came out a few years back. I’m not sure why these are considered special editions as LEGO produces two sets every year. If you missed some of the earlier sets, you can pick some of them up from the Bricks for Bricks Bricklink Store. Maybe the plan is to have this line go away at some point? I’m not sure. Set number 80110-1: Lunar New Year Display is the first of two sets this year. Well technically this one was released 8 November 2022, but I guess it’s the 2023 set. The retail price for this set is $89.99. It contains 872 pieces and works out to $0.103 per piece.

The set builds two display items which get away from the various minifigure based sets from the past and seems to be more in line with an Icons style set. I’ll go into each of them individually.

The box shows both builds on the front and then another angle on the back. The back highlights the dimensions and also that you can split the build between two people with the separate instructions and bags.

The set contains 10 parts bags with one each for numbers one through nine and then a tenth bag is not numbered with some larger pieces. You also get two instruction booklets and no stickers!

Bags one and two build the base and frame of the first display item. I like the gold colored tiles and grills. These give the set a cool look and have some great potential for future MOCs.

The third bag adds more detail to include a lot of printed pieces with the Chinese symbols. The two cloud/smoke pieces were seen at the top of #76403-1: The Ministry of Magic. Maybe we’re going to see this piece show up in more sets in the future?

The fourth bag adds in two Koi fish to go along with the two gold ingots and the “red pockets.” According to the instructions, this display presents a greeting which loosely means “ushering in wealth and prosperity.” I can’t read any of the language, but I think it’s a great looking set and I like the cultural references. The colors are cool and the use of printed pieces is great. It makes a nice display piece (so far I’ve gotten away with leaving it out… we’ll see how long it lasts).

Bags five and six build the base and edge for the second display. Again, you get more of the gold colored tiles and grills which will be great for MOC builders.

Build seven adds in the a bunch of details to include some smaller flowers, more printed pieces, the cloud pieces (in a gold color), and the butterflies which were new to this set, but have already been used elsewhere in 2023.

The eighth bag adds in the Moutan Peony. The flower is incredible and could easily go into a Botanical Collection type set. The parts usage and coloring is great. Nice work LEGO design team!

The ninth bag adds the remainder of the edge pieces and the base to allow the display to stand up. This display has a greeting that loosely translates to “the richness of being in full flower.” Again, I can’t translate this, but I think this one looks great as well. The colors and piece usage really help this one to stand out. I’m a fan… still!

Here are both display pieces. Sorry, for the glare. I think these look great and I enjoyed both builds. The price per piece is on the borderline of being high so look for opportunities to get it on sale or with Double VIP points/GWPs. No guarantees it will happen at the end of 2023, but the 2022 sets went on sale at the end of their life. You might be able to get a 20% discount in the future if you are willing to wait.

I’ll be curious to see where the Chinese Festival Special Edition sets will go in future years. Will we see more display pieces? A mixture of displays and minifigure sets?

Happy building!

Set Review - #10309-1: Succulents - Botanical Collection/18+

The Botanical Collection has become very popular ever since #10280-1: Flower Bouquet was released in 2021. #10309-1: Succulents is from the 2022 releases in the collection. I purchased it on sale during 2022, but it sat a bit until I was able to build it with my NLS. I finally got to it, so here’s the review. This set was released in the US on 12 April 2022 for $49.99. It contains 771 pieces and the price per piece works out to $0.065 per piece. This isn’t too bad, but you have to keep in mind that the set contains a lot of smaller pieces versus larger bricks or plates.

The front of the box shows the full assembled set. It has the 18+ design and shows that it is part of the Botanical Collection. The back shows another view of the various succulents, some actual succulents, and then how you can connect the various “pots” together in different ways.

The set contains four parts bags labeled one through three with number three having two bags. The instructions come in a cardboard envelope for protection.

There are three instruction booklets which correspond to the three separate bags. This build can be split up so that three different people work on it at once. I took booklet one. My NLS took booklet three. We did a team build for booklet two.

Similar to previous botanicals, the booklets have little tidbits throughout about the build, the items you’re building, and the parts usage.

The first bag starts with the Orange Echeveria (in the middle of the picture). Each build starts in a similar way with a base and then the 1x2 brick with Technic axle holes around the base for connections. Then you put the panel pieces around the edge of the top. Then you build the succulent. Not much to the Orange Echeveria. It’s a pretty simple build.

The Aloe Plant is built next (on the right). The highlight here is the use of the rubberized Jurassic Park dinosaur pieces for the aloe leaves/stalks. The color is pretty accurate and the plant actually looks like a little aloe plant.

Last up is the Hens and Chicks succulent (on the left). This one was a fun build with the various layers expanding out on each other. The color usage is great too as you get some pieces in colors that don’t show up often.

The second bag starts off with a small unnamed succulent (one on left). It’s a simple build, but the highlight here is the usage of the Forestmen hat from the Castle line for leaves. You get four of them in this build.

Next up is the Lavender Echeveria (center). It’s hard to see the parts inside when it’s located close to the other succulents, but if you put it individually, you can spread out the petals a bit. I’m not sure where the petal pieces came from. A mech set maybe?

Last up is the Moon Cactus (on the right). There’s a bit of repetition in this build as you construct the cactus and the top part, but it’s small so not too bad. The color on top is a new one for me. I like the pinkish-reddish color.

Bag three starts off with the Ball Cactus (in the center). I can’t remember where I’ve seen the claw like pieces around the cactus before, but I like the use of that piece type to achieve the look of a small cactus.

Next up is the Burro’s Tail (on the right). This one is composed of Jurassic Park dinosaur eggs. You definitely get a lot of them. The SNOT piece inside to hold up all the branches kind of stands out and doesn’t ‘fit in well, but at least they are the same color as the egg pieces.

Last up is the Red Echeveria (on the left). This one is pretty cool looking and matches up well with the succulent pictured on the back of the box. The tips of each leaf have an abrupt break at each point, but it’s not so bad where it causes the plant to look awful. I’m okay with it.

Here are a few shots of the set from different angles. Overall, I like the set and the different builds to create the numerous succulents. My NLS already placed some of them around the house for decoration. I definitely recommend this one if you’re a fan of the Botanical Collection. However, I don’t recommend getting it at full price. $50 seems a bit much considering the size of the set. When I was done, it looked rather small considering the price. I picked it up for $40 before Christmas and I suspect it will be discounted again this year. Definitely wait for the discount and maybe get another bonus along the way if you can like Target’s or Amazon’s BOGO sales or getting a gift card for purchasing a certain amount.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76408-1: 12 Grimmuald Place - Harry Potter

Here’s another late to the game 2022 Harry Potter set being reviewed in 2023. This one is #76408-1: 12 Grimmuald Place. It contains 1,083 pieces and retails for $119.99 in the US. It was released on 20 June 2022 in the US and the price per piece is $0.111. I picked this one up back in December 2022 and got some of the GWPs and double VIP points so it helped to make up for the higher price on this one.

I’m going to assume you’ve seen the movie already and you know about this building. The effect in the movie is cool how the building appears after the others separate and LEGO did a good job recreating the effect in brick form. .Also, like #76388-1: Hogsmead Village, this set could fit into a city scene pretty easily or with some slight modifications.

The front of the box shows the full set and how the buildings can be moved. It also shows the nine unique minifigures to the set. The logos on the box are the same as others. The back of the box shows more play features and the back side of the set.

The set contains seven numbered parts bags. The instructions are in a card board envelope for protection which is great. It also contains a long rubberized type piece which is used for listening by the Weasley twins.

The instructions are on white which helps to see them during the build process. Thanks LEGO!

There are stickers and some of them are bigger which I’m not a fan of. The bigger the sticker, the higher risk you have of air bubbles getting trapped underneath the stickers. Thankfully, I managed to assemble this one without too many issues.

The first bag starts the base of the building. It includes the steps to the buildings and then the slots which allow the buildings to slide around when 12 Grimmuald Place appears. It also includes a piece separator.

The minifigures in this bag include Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks. Both come with brooms. Nymphadora comes with red and light purple hair. Her face piece is two sided with one being the pig face and the other being her normal face. Both come with wands.

The second bag continues to build up the base and adds in the pieces that allow you to slide the buildings around. It also comes with a Kingsley Shacklebolt minfigure with a broom and wand.

Bag three builds up the first floor of the center structure. It’s a pretty simple build, but the detailing looks pretty good considering the small amount of pieces used. I’m not sure what the green frog hiding is for, but it’s a fun hidden item in the build. The inside of the build is the kitchen area of the house which is the main section of a number of scenes from the movies. It’s not the full kitchen, but they did a good job adding in details considering the space available. This bag comes with a Molly Weasley minifigure and a cat.

The fourth bag builds out the first floor for all three apartments. Each one looks fairly similar except the center one has gray coloring. The doors on numbers 11 and 13 don’t actually open either so it looks odd that only number 12 has a door knob. There are lamp posts on either side of the building and they are built differently than using the standard pole, clear minifigure head, and dish that you get from City sets.

This bag adds another arm for you to use when you transform the buildings. The minifigure in this set is Kreacher, the house elf.

Bags five and six build the second and third floors of numbers 12 and 13. Each one has the same design on the outside, just different colors. On the inside, there are different interiors which I’ll cover later. Fred and George come in these bags.

Bag seven finishes up the build with number 11 and adds in some other details on the other building structures.

The inside has numerous details across the buildings to include a piano room (a movie reference), the family tree room for the Black family, a few bedrooms, a room with skulls and one with a chair in it. Not a bad selection considering the size of the build.

The top of the building has chimneys and a TV antenna.

This bag comes with a Sirius Black minifigure.

This set comes with nine minifigures and they are all unique to this set. From left to right, top to bottom, they are:
Ron Weasley, George Weasley (pictured eyes closed), Fred Weasley, Kreacher, Molly Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Harry Potter, Sirius Black

If you are a big Potter LEGO fan, then this set will be a must for you just to get all the minifigures.

I did part of the build outside when there was a shadow so sorry the picture isn’t the greatest.

Here’s the final look at the set. I took pictures from both sides with all three buildings showing and then with number 12 in the back. It’s a cool function how they did this and a great play feature for the set.

Overall, it’s not a bad set. I enjoyed the build and like how you can use the buildings in a Potter scene/MOC or in a city scene/MOC. The pricing is a little steep. You do get some great minifigures, but it’s lacking on piece count overall. If you’re going to pick it up, definitely wait for a sale, double VIP points, or the ability to stack GWPs.

Happy building!

 
 

Set Review - #40580-1: Blacktron Cruiser

Well, the LEGO Company got me again. I grew up as a space theme fan (M-Tron rocks!!!!) and was thrilled to see this set come back. I made sure I was right in line to pick up this January 2023 Gift with Purchase (GWP). This one contains 356 pieces and is no longer available from LEGO. At the time of this post, I do have one set available in the Bricks for Bricks Bricklink store if you are looking for one.

The packaging is similar to #21322-1 Pirates of Barracuda Bay and #10305-1: Lion Knights’ Castle. The throwback to the classic yellow packaging is fun to see. The front of the box shows the set with a space like print that we used to see in the old sets. The back gives some of the play functions of the set.

The set comes with six parts bags numbered one through three with two bags for each number. The instructions come in a lighter colored booklet which helps to see the dark pieces, and you get a small sticker sheet. While I’d prefer to have no stickers on any sets, I guess I can’t complain too much about the small sheet included here. Note, the picture has a brick separator from my collection. The set doesn’t come with one.

Here is the sticker sheet. Number two seems to show #10497-1: Galaxy Explorer on the display screen. If you don’t have the Galaxy Explorer, I will tell you that the Cruiser is not on the Galaxy Explorer screens.

The first bag builds the front crew compartment of the cruiser. There is a space for the minifigure and then a space to store a metal detector. The wings fold in and out for atmospheric travel I guess and there are two lasers/blasters on either side of the front of the cruiser.

The minifigure looks exactly like the Blacktron ones from back in the day. It’s cool to get another one in 2023 after not being able to get them since the 1990s. It comes with a metal detector that looks similar to the ones from the 90s, but it doesn’t have the open stud on the detector part.

Bag two builds another section of the cruiser that attaches to the first section with clips. This section is storage and comes with a container with a door and has space for the droid to hang out. On one of the doors is a camera/light or maybe a laser. The doors are held on with clips. They can open, but are a little fragile when you move them.

The third bag builds the back section of the cruiser with the solar panels on wings and a rocket motor. Similar to the last section, this section clips on the to the previous section. The wings are on clips so you can angle them as desired.

Here’s the final build. As a fan of the space themes in the 90s, I am glad I got this one. What a great modern day version. I never had any of the original Blacktron sets, but I did have a few of the minifigures from some of the minifigure packs. If you’re interested and didn’t get one as a GWP, definitely look around on Bricklink or eBay or other secondary marketplace sites.

And I almost forgot the droid. I’m not sure if it’s the same design as one from back in the day, but it fits right in.

As mentioned, I didn’t have any of the original Blacktron sets, but I did have Blacktron 2 or whatever the updated Blacktron theme was known as. So here’s the latest Blacktron Cruiser next to #6832: Super Nova II. It’s a smaller version of the Cruiser with the similar rear wings, engine in the back, a storage compartment, and crew compartment. The wings were a bit dusty so I tried to wash them off. They’re still a bit wet in the picture… sorry. I have a few more of the Blacktron 2 sets. At some point, I’ll pull them out, rebuild, and post about them.

Did anyone else have the Blacktron sets? Do you still have them?

Happy building!

LEGO In The News - The Wall Street Journal - The Economics of LEGO

This one was posted today and I figured I’d throw it out there as the rest of the fan media doesn’t seem to push these out. As a LEGO fan, I didn’t learn anything new from watching this that I didn’t already know, but it’s a good plug for people who aren’t already addicted to the brick.

It’s also fun to see some of the old commercials and ads. I wasn’t aware of the original Star Wars cartoon they mentioned. It’s just under six minutes long so check it out.

Happy building!

Set Review - #76403-1: The Ministry of Magic - Harry Potter

I’m still making my way through the 2022 Harry Potter sets. This one is #76403-1: The Ministry of Magic. It was released in the US on 20 June 2022 and contains 990 pieces. It retails for $99.99 in the US which works out to $0.101 per piece. I have yet to see this one go on sale, but I picked this one up before Christmas and got some of the deals being offered then (GWPs and double VIP points). We’ll have to see if this one goes on sale later in its shelf life as it is right on the 10 cents per piece mark and it would be great if it were lower. To be fair, you do get ten minifigures in this set which is a bonus.

The box looks pretty standard for a Harry Potter set. Full build on the front with standard logos. The back shows some play details and details of the build.

The set contains seven numbered parts bags, an instruction booklet, and some stickers.

My instructions came pre-folded so that was nice of them to pack them that way (or not). I do appreciate the lighter background on the instructions though. The sticker sheet isn’t too big and I managed to get them all on without wrecking any of them. I’m still not a fan of stickers, but I won’t complain much here.

The box shows that you build two “towers” or whatever they are called from the ministry. Bag one starts one of the towers with one floor. It builds the bottom floor which is part of the flue network. These are the fireplace looking areas where the wizards can transport in and out. The build has a mechanism so that you can rotate it to make it look like one of the minifigures transported into the ministry. I like the color of this build with the dark green, black, and gold. You get some good pieces here.

Bag one comes with two minifigures. Each one can be transformed into another if you rotate the head and put the other hair piece on. One is Mafalda Hopkirk who can become Hermione Granger and the other is Reg Cattermole who can become Ron Weasley. Hopefully you’ve seen the movie or read the book by now and you understand why the mnifigures were done this way.

The last part of this build is a phone booth. Another reference to the movie where Harry and Mr. Weasley use the phone booth as an elevator to enter into the ministry. It’s a pretty simple build and I like the printed window for the door.

Bag two builds the second layer of one of the towers and it nicely stacks on top of the first one. The outside is some windows separated by… I’m not sure what the pieces are called. They look like the playing pieces from the game “Battleship.” Anyways you stack them up and then place then between the windows to cover the gaps. On the inside of this section is a desk with some papers (tiles). This is a movie reference as well. The round plate with modified attachment is a bell I believe.

This build comes with Professor Dolores Umbridge who is holding the horcruxe and then Mary Cattermole who is on trial at the ministry. There is also a trans clear blue cat to represent Professor Umbridge’s patronous.

Bag three completes this tower with another level that looks similar to the previous level. The inside of this level is Professor Umbridge’s office which is pink like her outfit and full of cat decorations.

The minifigure is Albert Rumcon who turns into Harry Potter when you rotate the head and put the different hair piece on.

 

Bag four starts the second tower. The build is similar only this side has stacks of newspapers (printed tiles with textured bricks underneath). It also has a pipe that connects in the layer above. I’m not exactly sure what this is for.

This bag comes with a gold minifigure who is listed as the Ministry of Magic Statue. I don’t recall this from the movie, but it’s a little statue sitting in what I surmise is a pool of water.

The minifigure in this bag is Corban Yaxley. I recall the character from the movie, but I can’t tell you more about what he does or who he is. The minifigure looks pretty accurate compared to the movie character so no complaints there.

Bag five builds the second layer of this side of the tower. At this point, the build got repetitive and I hoped for something different. I understand why it was built this way as they want to reflect the scene in the movie, but having different tiles on the windows was about all that was different here. The inside is a bunch of… I’m not sure if this is the hall of memories that can be tipped over or what. The shelf rotates so they tip over like in the movie.

This bag comes with a Dementor minifigure.

Bag six tops off the second tower with a repeat of all the other sections. This one has an office. The minifigure in this bag is Arthur Weasley so maybe it’s his office? I’m not quite sure, but we do know he’s fascinated by muggles so the various muggle items in the office might mean it’s his space.

The last bag is number seven. It builds a connector between the two towers, tops off each tower, and adds some ministry logos. There’s also a small desk on top of this area which I don’t recall being there, but okay. There’s some trans clear green coming out of the top of each tower which is maybe from the flue network.

You build some interdepartmental mail which in the movie is letters that fly around. In brick version it’s LEGO triangles attached to clear antenna pieces held stationary by clear small radar dishes.

The minifigure in this bag is Pius Thicknesse. I failed my Harry Potter trivia quiz as I don’t know who he is or what he does in the movie.

10 minifigures in this set. I didn’t add the statue to the minifigure picture. If you’re a Harry Potter fan and collect the minifigures, you get some new ones in this set that haven’t been made before.

Here’s the final build and the insides of each side of the towers. Overall the build gets a bit repetitive, but you get some great pieces in good colors (especially if you like the dark green. There are a decent amount of gold pieces too. This set has a lot of random sections of the movie, but does not go into depth into one room or another. It would be a good set to start you on a MOC if you wanted to build out the ministry.

In terms of price, this one is on the border on being pricy. I definitely recommend waiting for a deal or maybe a sale near the end of it’s shelf life.

Overall, if you’re a Potter fan, you need to get this one to build up your minifigure collection and you’ll be pleased to build something outside of Hogwarts for once. If you’re not a Potter fan, this build might not thrill you with its repetitive sections. However you do get some good pieces for MOCs so no complaints there. What are your thoughts?

Happy building!

Set Review: #10305-1: Lion Knights' Castle - Icons

We haven’t had a castle in a while and thanks to the LEGO 90th anniversary and a fan vote, we get #10305-1: Lion Knights’ Castle. This set contains 4,514 pieces and retails in the US for $399.99. This works out to $0.089 per piece. The set was released on 26 July 2022 in the US and was announced at LEGOCon 2022. I ordered this one during a double VIP points period before Christmas 2022 and got a number of GWPs as well. I also used $200 in VIP points and a $50 gift card I received to help cut back on the cost.

This is a long review and I doubt many will make it all the way to the bottom so I’ll do the wrap up here. Overall, this was a great set. There were a lot of great building techniques and parts used and it was fun to build. I enjoyed seeing how the sections fit together and what little bits the designers threw in. There are also a lot of great minifigures to add into your collection which is awesome. It’s an expensive set and I’m not sure I would have purchased it without VIP points, a gift card, double VIP points, and GWPs. If you’re looking to buy this set, besides saving up for it, be sure to look for ways to maximize your purchase with GWPs, double VIP points, or other bonuses.

Here’s the box I received from LEGO Shop @ Home.

Here’s what it looks like when you open it up. The packaging is similar to how #42143-1: Ferrari Daytona SP3 was packaged with the set sandwiched between two thick pieces of cardboard.

Here’s what the box looks like. It’s got the old fashioned yellow coloring and the 90th anniversary logo. The front shows the full set while the back gives some details.

The sides of the box show a highlight of the anniversary and tribute to the castle theme, another view of the castle, and then the minifigures.

The set contents are some parts bags and then a box with more parts bags. Bag #26 for me was busted open. I was thankful that no parts were missing, but disappointed that this happened in a $400 set. Overall, there are 26 numbered bags (some have more than one bag per number) and an unnumbered bag. Also, the instructions are in a paperboard envelope for protection.

There are two instruction booklets. The instructions give some history of the castle theme and information on the designers. Also throughout the build, there are various notes written in an old English way talking about some of the various parts of the build.

I won’t go through each of the builds in detail, but will point out a few spots. Also, I built this set across different tables to include one that I brought outside (Florida was warm enough for outdoor building) so sorry for the different backgrounds.

Bag one builds a small market stand, a cart for the ox to pull, a beverage keg, and includes a farmer with a pitchfork.

Bag two builds the base of a section of the castle. This section is the start to a kitchen area and includes some food items.

The third bag finishes up the kitchen. It has a fireplace/oven, a water source, a large amount of utensils, and some supplies along with a cook.

The fourth bag adds another section which includes a Forestmen’s hide out area. There are some weapons, a map to the treasure, and a target. This section is accessed via a trap door in the castle on the floor above.

The fifth bag builds up the next floor with includes a fireplace and harpsicord It also has a trap door to the hide out.

The fifth bag builds up the walls. I like how they spaced in textured bricks with the regular smooth bricks. There are also some plants growing throughout and the angles fit in well. It’s great that they are not all 90 degree angles and they change throughout.

The sixth bag finishes up some of the wall section and a roof section. You get a chamber maid and a knight with a sword and shield.

The seventh bag starts up the mill section.

The eighth bag builds the mill. There’s a water wheel that spins and is connected with Technic parts to the mill area. Then you build out a section to dump the wheat into for it to fall into the grinding wheels. It’s a lot of detail for a small space. You also get a minifigure guard with helmet.

The ninth bag adds a banquet hall above the mill. This hall has a table with two chairs and then some shields on the wall with various prints (not stickers!!!!). The outside has some flowers for decorations and some plants growing up the side.

The tenth bag adds a play area for two kids. One has a Forestmen’s outfit and is holding a mini-minifigure. The other is wearing blue, but not in one of the normal uniforms from Castle. He is standing by a mini-model of the LEGO Castle #375 in my picture.

Bag 11 adds a bedroom area with a bed, small desk, rug, and a fireplace. It comes with a minifigure who has the Lion Knights’ uniform, but hair instead of a helmet. You can outfit him as a knight with some of the pieces from the armory. I didn’t picture it well here, but there’s a hidden door that opens when you open up the wall. Inside is a golden frog. I’m sure there’s a back story behind it, but it’s a fun detail to the set.

Bags 12 and 13 add in a thatched roof over the play and bedroom area. It also adds a tower for a look out to stand on. I like the piece use to make the roof look thatched.

Builds 14 and 15 build the next section of the castle. One fun part of the build was that I didn’t know what each section was as I was building it. I couldn’t tell at this point what exactly I was building. It made the builds more exciting. So don’t memorize any of the reviews you read/watch before building a set.

Build 16 puts together a wizard and a hidden treasure chest.

Bag 17 builds the dungeon with two cells and a poor skeleton minifigure inside one. It also comes with a Forestmen minifigure. There’s trap door so you can get in and out of this area. I posted pictures of the door open and closed.

Bags 18 and 19 build what ends up as an entry way through a ramp up to the castle and a connection to a draw bridge. More on that later. There’s a small armory inside with some helmets, weapons, and shields. You get another minifigure here.

Bag 20 builds the drawbridge, but you don’t make it functional until later. You add some plant growth around an archway and what ends up being a tree. I find it interesting that they chose black for the tree. Maybe it’s a specific kind? Or maybe they just thought black went better with the castle? I don’t know…

Bag 21…. I didn’t realize what this was until later on in the build…I also didn’t get a good picture of it (sorry). You build a castle bathroom here. That’s right! It’s a place for minifigures to use a medieval toilet. It’s pretty much a seat area with a hole that goes to the outside and then they have a stick for wiping I guess. And you’ll notice the chocolate frog on the ground outside. Yeah, it’s not a chocolate frog… unless that’s what comes out of minifigures. Hilarious!

You also build a door that can be raised/lowered using a textured 2x2 round brick on the outside. This blocks the entrance by the ramp when needed.

Bag 22 builds up more of the structure and adds to the armory. They apparently need a lot of weapons to defend this place.

Bag 23 continues to build this area up with some windows, a cheese slope awning over one of the windows, and arch window, and the armory.

Bag 24 builds up the tree outside. It also adds the mechanism to raise and lower the gate to the drawbridge. This is some interesting functionality as it can lock into place or be lowered quickly as needed. You also get the queen, a horse, and a knight. What’s fun about this set is you get a lot of female knight figures. It’s probably not historically accurate, but it’s a fun change to show a diverse castle populace.

Bag 25 adds some minifigures, tops off some of the towers and walls, and adds in some flags. I like the use of the rounded pieces for the tops of the towers. I’m not sure what we call these pieces, but they are fairly new to the LEGO system as I can recall.

Bag 26 builds up the ramp to get to the castle. It also adds some of the Black Falcon knights who look like they’ve journeyed to visit the castle. There is a knight of sorts on a horse, a guard on the ground, and then the poor minifigure with the huge pack to take care of the horse.

If you don’t like the minfigures in this set then you’re not into the castle theme. Ten Lion Knights (including the queen), 3 Black Falcons, 3 Forestmen, and 5 others to include the wizard. Oh and the skeleton that I forgot to include. Tack on 2 horses, an ox, a baby sheep, and a few birds, and you get a lot here. It’s a great selection!

Here’s the final set all assembled without minifigures from a few different angles. The first two pictures show the draw bridge up and then down. There are a couple of other views as well.

Bonus points if you’ve made it to the bottom of this pose. You can open up the castle for play purposes and to see inside into all of the different rooms. Having this option is nice as it’s more than just a model castle, but one that you can play with.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. Happy building!

2023 - New Year and New Giving Campaign

Sorry, I’m a little late getting this one posted. We had a last minute pivot to give the Chalkguy LEGO Drive $460 in sets to get them started in 2023. To kick of 2023, we found a local group to support.

From 1 January to 30 June 2023, 15% of the profits from the Bricks for Bricks Bricklink store will go to the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Florida. We have friends who have been grateful to use the Ronald McDonald House in the past and my family used to make meals at the Ronald McDonald house when we lived in Albuquerque, NM.

So thank you in advance for your purchases that will go to this great organization!