Brickset news archive: Advent countdown
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Advent day 24
Posted by Huw, 24 Dec 2012 16:14. Filed under Advent countdown.
Here we are then, on the final day of the Advent calendar. It seems just yesterday that we were opening the first window, doesn't it!Today's City model is Santa in a snowmobile. The vehicle itself is pretty poor, to be honest, and would have been much better if only the skis were on the ground, and not the 2 x 6 green plate as well. Still, at least it rounds off the calendar nicely.
Which is more than can be said for the Friends model today. What were the designers thinking? A corner table in a hairdressers. Not very apt for Christmas Eve, is it...
Thankfully Darth Maul dressed as Santa saves the day. It was a stroke of genius putting Maul in a Santa outfit, he's the last person you'd expect to be in one, isn't he.Yoda last year, Maul this year, I wonder whose turn it will be next year to dress as Father Christmas? :-)
City -- 7, could have been better but a nice end to the calendar.
Friends -- 5, nice hairpiece, but totally inappropriate.
Star Wars -- 10, great, amusing, minifig. Worth the price of the calendar alone!
That is, of course, the end of our Advent calendar review. I hope you enjoyed it.
All that remains then is to wish you all a Merry Christmas! The total number of sets we collectively own is currently 4,139,501. I wonder what it will be this time next week :-)
It will be a quiet day here at Brickset tomorrow but do come back on Boxing Day for the first of our Legends of Chima reviews.
32 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2914 views
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Advent day 23
Posted by Huw, 23 Dec 2012 15:02. Filed under Advent countdown.
In the City calendar, we have some presents to add to yesterday's sleigh. Not much more to say about them, to be honest...
In the Friends calendar, we also have a present, but at least this one is a bit more interesting, being sloped and medium blue.
And in the Star Wars calendar, we have the first of our unique 'minifigures', Snowman R2-D2.City -- 7, slightly boring but a good addition to the yesterday's sledge.
Friends -- 7, a new slant on the traditional LEGO present :-)
Star Wars -- 10, what we all bought the calendar for, right?So thank goodness tomorrow is the last day of the calendars. I'm running out of interesting things to say about them!
16 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2847 views
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Advent day 22
Posted by Huw, 22 Dec 2012 14:20. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today's City window contains a sledge trailer by the looks of things. Not much use on its own, but presumably it will become apparent what it's for in the next two days.
The Friends calendar has another seasonal model today. It's interesting that every time a Christmas tree appears in an Advent Calendar, LEGO 'reinvents the wheel' and redesigns it. I don't remember seeing one quite like this before.
The Star Wars calendar contains a nice micro Sith Interceptor. There's not much one can fault with it given the scale. This will be the last surprise in the SW calendar, since we all know what's coming in the next couple of days, don't we? :-)City -- 6, might be useful, we'll have to wait and see...
Friends -- 8, great tree.
Star Wars -- 8, faultless micro-model.
12 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2429 views
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Advent day 21
Posted by Huw, 21 Dec 2012 14:19. Filed under Advent countdown.
I can't say I'm too impressed with today's City 'model'. Not only is it fairly boring, and not fire- or season-related, it was also too difficult to isolate from its background due to the soft round white edges of the dishes, so I didn't bother.
The Friends one though, ticks all the boxes. Seasonal, lots of parts and a decent model. The 1 x 1 flower pieces are always useful to have because they allow you to join certain parts stud-to-stud to others. There are plenty in the bag today, including a few spares.
The Star Wars 'Super Battle Droid' makes a welcome reappearance after a few years' absence. It's a figure you can never have enough of if you're recreating Geonosis battle scenes.City -- 5, poor all round.
Friends -- 9, once again, everything a Advent model should be.
Star Wars -- 8 useful army-building figure.
Just 3 days to go now (thank goodness!!)
15 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2259 views
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Advent day 20
Posted by Huw, 20 Dec 2012 14:21. Filed under Advent countdown.
As you can probably tell, I'm back from my travels now. I had a great time on a 'Christmas markets cruise' to Gothenburg, Copenhagen and Hamburg. I managed to find, and visit, the LEGO brand stores in the latter two cities. The highlight of the trip however, was Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg which is the most incredible model railway, the largest in the world. To call it a 'model railway' though is doing it a disservice since it's so much more than that. If you have the chance to visit, I highly recommend it. You'll need a good half day to appreciate it all though, there is so much of it too see. My wife and I spent four hours there: she was fixated by the airport segment in which aircraft taxi, take-off and land. We've now seen enough Christmas markets -- Liseberg, Tivoli Gardens and just about everywhere you looked in Hamburg -- to last a lifetime!
Anyway, onto today's advent calendar windows...
Today's City window contains a wheelbarrow and a shovel for the snow. The wheelbarrow was only introduced this year, so it's useful to get one in the calendar. Not very festive, or 'fire-y', but perhaps tomorrow we'll get a workman to push it.
In the Friends calendar we have a delightful flower arrangement, or is it a section of garden? Maybe the plant would have been better in a pot rather than on some 'grass'.
In the Star Wars window we have another micro-model, General Grievous' Starfighter. It's a pretty good rendition given the scale. I particularly like the way they've managed to get the brown and tan stripes in, like on the larger version.City -- 8, not too exciting but every city needs more wheelbarrows.
Friends -- 5, could have been better.
Star Wars -- 8, another great micro-model.
I'd like to thank bluemoose for posting the advent articles in my stead. I hope you enjoyed reading his perspective on the models, I know I did. Any mistakes in the construction of the models (like yesterday's Star Wars one) are entirely mine, I did them all in a hurry before I went :-)
9 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2072 views
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Advent day 19
Posted by bluemoose, 19 Dec 2012 14:20. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today, the City advent calendar gives us another firefighter, but this guy looks like he's had a pretty busy day and is unwinding with a nice hot cup of tea. The two extra fire helmets are a nice touch.
In the Friends calendar, we get a single element, a handbag. It's a relatively rare part and it has only previously been available in the large Friends Summer Riding Camp. A nice accessory for one of the minidolls, but a single item does seems a bit poor.
Today's mini ship model from the Star Wars calendar, is a Neimoidian Escort Shuttle as used by Nute Gunray in the Prequel trilogy. It's a nice little model, with an interesting build technique and some nice parts (15 in the model with 3 spares).Overall a pretty good day; the firefighter and Shuttle mini model are excellent, but the handbag lets the side down a bit.
City -- 9, a nice figure with some useful accessories.
Friends -- 3, regardless of what you think of the handbag itself (I think it's pretty neat), a single element is a bit of a let-down.
Star Wars -- 9, a great little model, my favourite of the mini models so far.
29 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2652 views
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Advent day 18
Posted by bluemoose, 18 Dec 2012 14:30. Filed under Advent countdown.
A slightly odd model today from the City advent calendar, with a touch of toilet humour ... the fire hydrant is a nice little model (only five elements though), and the dog is one of the modern 'police' dogs with a printed face.
In the Friends calendar, we get a cutesy wrapped gift. Not a great deal to it, and not a huge amount of play value, but a nice little model with a few interesting parts.
Yet another minfigure in the Star Wars calendar today ... this time it's a rebel trooper, most famously from the start of Episode 4, when Princess Leia's CR90 Corvette, the Tantive IV, is boarded by Imperial Forces.Overall an okay day; the dog and minifigure are nice, and the two models are okay, with useful parts.
City -- 8, a nice little model, with some useful parts, and a great dog.
Friends -- 7, seasonal and cute, with a couple of nice parts.
Star Wars -- 9, someone to bolster the Rebel ranks.
16 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2530 views
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Advent day 17
Posted by bluemoose, 17 Dec 2012 16:59. Filed under Advent countdown.
Continuing on with the snow-fight theme from yesterday, the City advent calendar gives us a snowball (or toilet roll) chucking device. Not very complicated, or particularly interesting from a parts' perspective.
In the Friends calendar, we get get a cutesy mail box for sending Christmas letters and cards to friends and family ... and Santa, of course. A bit like the City model, it isn't very interesting, but the pink 'cheese' pieces are quite nice.
Now this is more like it; another of the popular mini vehicles from the Star Wars calendar. Today it's the Flash Speeder (from Episode 1), Captain Panaka's ride. A nice little model, but fairly simple (14 pieces). A few nice parts.Overall, a bit of a slide back from yesterday, but not the worst day.
City -- 3, maybe okay for play value, but a bit of a low-point.
Friends -- 4, again, maybe okay for play value, but not a great model.
Star Wars -- 7, another great mini vehicle model.
24 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2392 views
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Advent day 16
Posted by bluemoose, 16 Dec 2012 16:10. Filed under Advent countdown.
In a break from the fire-fighting theme of the last few days, today the City calendar gives us another welcome minifigure - a young female with snowballs, to go with the young male figure from Day 6. As with many of the other figures in this year's advent calendars, while the figure is technically unique to this set (in that the parts have never been used together to create this specific figure in any previous set), the individual parts are fairly common. Still, a great minifigure!
In the Friends calendar, we get what I assume is a bucket full of snow balls and a broom ... a little bizarre, but there you go. The bucket was originally a Belville piece; while it has been fairly common in Friends sets this year, and has popped up in a few other themes over the years, it isn't a very common piece. The broom originates with the Fabuland theme in the early 1980's, but has been included in many sets in recent years, including many Harry Potter sets, so is now fairly common.
Another of the popular mini vehicles in the Star Wars calendar; today it's the turn of Queen Amidala's Naboo Royal Starship (from Episode 1), a ship that continues to be a curious omission from the regular mini-fig compatible line. A nice little ship, and a great partner to the Naboo Starfighter from Day 7. Also, a nice mix of useful parts - 20 parts in total, including a couple of spares.Overall a good day, although the bucket and broom still feels like an odd inclusion ...
City -- 8, a nice figure, in the spirit of the season and a great addition to a 'Winter Village' display.
Friends -- 4, a bit odd and not very useful.
Star Wars -- 8, another mini starship for the collection!
15 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2283 views
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Advent day 15
Posted by bluemoose, 15 Dec 2012 14:00. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today in the fire-obsessed City calendar, we get a third section of wall which follows on from the previous sections received on Day 5 and Day 8. The accessories today can be assembled to create self-contained breathing apparatus for one of the minifigure fire fighters. The model also includes four more of the always welcome 'brick profile' bricks.
In the Friends calendar, we have a third section for Olivia's sledge. The build is pretty simple, but the parts (all 8 of them) are quite nice. How much longer can the sledge get? (The previous sections were from Day 2 and Day 10).
Another minifig from the Star Wars calendar today; not a rare or unique figure but a welcome 'army builder' - an Imperial Snow Trooper. Technically the figure in this particular configuration is unique to this set - the head hasn't been used on a Snow Trooper figure before, but it's the common 'Imperial Minion' head from the 2012 sets.I feel that today is a welcome 'step up' from the last couple of days, and the scores reflect this.
City -- 7, another section of wall, with some useful accessories for play.
Friends -- 6, another section for Olivia's sledge, with some interesting and useful parts.
Star Wars -- 9, an always welcome addition to the Emperor's forces.
7 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2299 views
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Advent day 14
Posted by bluemoose, 14 Dec 2012 12:30. Filed under Advent countdown.
Carrying on with the fire theme, today we appear to have some equipment for practicing putting out fires, just so our miniature firefighters can be prepared for the potential Christmas conflagration ...
In the Friends calendar, we have a dog basket and a bone for Wednesday's cute canine.
There have been a few grumbles in recent days about the lack of weapons for the Star Wars minifigs. Today they make up for that, with a little weapons rack so our Hoth-bound figures can now defend themselves.Very like yesterday, today feels a bit like a 'filler' day; no minifigures, animals, vehicles or micro-scale ships. Not terrible, but not great either ...
City -- 5, not too bad, a few useful pieces for the firebugs out there.
Friends -- 5, again, not a lot to it, but some rare-ish colour/part combinations.
Star Wars -- 6, an accessory pack, like the other two calendars today, but you can now 'complete' a couple of the previous figures.As Huw mentioned yesterday, I've taken over doing the reviews for a few days while he takes a well earned break. Huw will be back this time next week, but swing by tomorrow to find out if day 15 is going to be an improvement over the last couple of days. And don't forget to let us know your thoughts on today's Advent Calendar sets in the comments section below.
16 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2207 views
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Advent day 13
Posted by Huw, 13 Dec 2012 12:52. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today we have a desk, complete with PC and mug, and chair for the fire station. I hope it doesn't imply that yesterday's female firefighter is just doing a desk job!
In the Friends calendar we have a bowl of water and a stool for our pooch.
BrickLink categorises this 'Gonk Droid' as a minifig. I'm not sure I agree, and I'm not sure he looks very much like the Gonk Droid at Wookiepedia either...City -- 7, not too bad, useful printed computer pieces.
Friends -- 6, not much to it today.
Star Wars -- 6, a cute little fellow.
From tomorrow, bluemoose will be guiding you through the calendars and I'm sure he'll add a fresh perspective to them.
12 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2627 views
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Advent day 12
Posted by Huw, 12 Dec 2012 13:27. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today we have our second fire person, and for a nice change it's a female. It's good that LEGO is acknowledging that it's not just males that work for the emergency services, but I don't honestly know, do women work on the frontline tackling fires?
For the Friends calendar, we have the little pooch that we had a gift for yesterday. Isn't he cute!
There's another unique minifig in the Star Wars calendar today: Hoth Rebel Trooper, Moustache. His component parts are common enough but the combination is unique, so another great figure for the Star Wars minifig completest.City -- 9, great female minifig.
Friends -- 7, only one piece but a cute piece :-)
Star Wars -- 7, not too exciting but a must-have for collectors.You will notice that today I have not cut the images out and presented them on a white background. That's because from tomorrow, I will be away for a few days, so I had to open all the windows today and get the models photographed before I go, and I didn't have time to do so. I'll be posting tomorrow's, then the rest of the team will (hopefully) get the rest posted in my absence. I hope it hasn't spoiled your enjoyment of them too much :-)
23 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3246 views
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Advent day 11
Posted by Huw, 11 Dec 2012 14:19. Filed under Advent countdown.
So the wheels weren't completely useless after all! Neither was the mechanic: he was needed to attach the wheels, presumably :-)Actually this is a fairly decent little quad-bike model given the number of parts. I think it would have looked better with some cross-country tyres rather than the slicks.
Today's Friends model is suitably cute and presumably a gift for a pooch we'll be getting later in the month.
I presume this is some sort of hardware found on Hoth? I'm sure one of you will know what it's supposed to be.City -- 9, excellent model that showcases what's possible with a handful of parts.
Friends -- 8, seasonal and cute.
Star Wars -- 5, not immediately obvious what it is, so loses points.
31 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3842 views
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Advent day 10
Posted by Huw, 10 Dec 2012 14:19. Filed under Advent countdown.
Continuing on with the fire and Christmas theme of the City calendar (not!), we have a sack barrow and four wheels and tyres today. Like we don't all have enough wheels and tyres already...
Today's Friends model is another sledge that can be attached to the other so both Olivia and Christina (I'm told she's Christina and not Stephanie as I originally thought) can sledge together.
And in the Star Wars window today we have an AT-AT. There are some models that work really well in miniature (like the Droid Fighter Naboo fighter) but this isn't one of them!City -- 1, useless...
Friends -- 7, cute.
Star Wars -- 4, what can I say...?Today was not a very good day, was it?
45 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3740 views
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Advent day 9
Posted by Huw, 09 Dec 2012 14:18. Filed under Advent countdown.
In today's fire-themed City calendar, we have a, er, mechanic...BrickLink says he's unique, although it's only the combination of torso and head that is; the component parts have appeared in sets many times before.
I do like the new baseball cap with curved brim, so it's great that there's a spare one of those.
In the Friends calendar, we have some cakes, milk, a cup and a plate. All useful accessories for Friends fans!
In the Star Wars calendar, we have a treat for minifig collectors. Like the mechanic, this 'Imperial Officer, Chin Strap' is unique to the calendar although the component parts have been used often in the past.So, not a bad day, then...
City -- 8, useful minifig for populating your city.
Friends -- 7, nice parts, perhaps could have done with a few more though.
Star Wars -- 9, unique minifig, although not particularly interesting.
10 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2474 views
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Advent day 8
Posted by Huw, 08 Dec 2012 14:17. Filed under Advent countdown.
There's a nice lot of parts in the City calendar window today. Okay, so it's just another section of wall, but once again it's all useful pieces, including yellow skis.I'm not sure why it has a 'roof' and flashing lights on the top though...
This 9-piece table and chair in the Friends calendar is also quite decent. The parts are certainly more useful to most than yesterday's assortment of brushes and bows.
However the best of the day's models is definitely this Droid Fighter in the Star Wars calendar. It's very cleverly executed and can flip from walking mode to flying mode with ease.City -- 7, model a bit boring but useful parts.
Friends -- 7, ditto.
Star Wars -- 9, a very clever mini-model.
18 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3126 views
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Advent day 7
Posted by Huw, 07 Dec 2012 15:45. Filed under Advent countdown.
It's quite an interesting set of models in the windows today. In the City calendar we have a remote control fire engine. It was a neat touch making it a minifig scale r/c vehicle rather than a micro model of a real fire-engine.
In the Friends calendar we have a selection of accessories to use on and connect to our mini-dolls' hair. What fun we can now all have combing their hair and putting in bows and hearts!
This Naboo Starfighter is the best micro-model so far in this year's Star Wars calendar. It's just the right size and just the right number of pieces to make it a worthwhile model.So, today, my scores are:
City -- 7, quite interesting and well executed.
Friends -- 7, girls will love these accessories.
Star Wars -- 8, best micro-model yet.
18 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2640 views
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Advent day 6
Posted by Huw, 06 Dec 2012 12:11. Filed under Advent countdown.
Can you believe it, we're one-quarter of the way through the calendars already!In the City calendar today, we have a naughty boy with some snowballs.
His green torso is uncommon and has only ever appeared in three Christmas-themed sets for whatever reason.
The spare helmet will come in handy, I'm sure.
We have our second (and last) mini-doll in the Friends calendar. Like Olivia on day one, Stephanie is sporting a lovely seasonal outfit.
In the Star Wars window today, in keeping with the Naboo theme of the calendar so far, we get what must surely be the most boring 'minifig' in the Star Wars universe. Don't we all have hundreds of these already? At least it has a dark red torso, I suppose.City -- 9, great minifig.
Friends -- 9, unique mini-doll in festive outfit.
Star Wars -- 5, yawn...
23 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)3098 views
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Advent day 5
Posted by Huw, 05 Dec 2012 14:42. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today is an excellent day for parts in two of the calendars. The tool rack for the firemen might not look like much but the parts are great. You can never have too many of the 1 x 2 profile bricks, and the 1 x 4 plate with two studs in red is uncommon, appearing in only three sets thus far.
In the Friends calendar we have a very nice snowman. The carrot tops in brown are unique to this set; usually they are green of course. What's more, we get a spare!So, some nice parts in two of them. Now onto Star Wars...
I don't really know what to say about this one. I am a fan of micro-models, but this is taking it too far. 'Mini' and 'Micro' are fine, but not 'Nano'! Although we can all see it's a MTT, and I suppose it's quite cleverly designed, it's just a bit too small, isn't it. So..City - 7, not much of a model but great parts.
Friends - 9, everything an Advent calendar model should be.
Star Wars - 5, too small, too few parts.
29 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2804 views
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Advent day 4
Posted by Huw, 04 Dec 2012 14:11. Filed under Advent countdown.
Someone emailed yesterday to point out that the Christmas tree shown on the back of the calendar box had a fairy wand/star on the top and the contents of his day 3 bag didn't include one. The reason for the discrepancy became apparent today!Today's bag contained the star and some steps to enable our fireman to reach the top of the tree. I'm surprised at the lack of health and safety awareness he has, though: it's not safe climbing to the top rung of the steps when there's no guard rail. If he loses his balance, he and the tree will topple...
Olivia is also taking risks taking her new skis and poles out onto the ice and show without protective gear, isn't she...I believe they are the same as those we've had with collectable minifigs, aren't they? I can't find mine to check. Whatever, they look great in blue, although the poles are a bit short.
In the Star Wars calendar we have our second micro-model: a Star Destroyer of some sort. Again, it's a valiant effort with so few pieces.The scores today then, are:
City -- 5, not much to it, and boring parts.
Friends -- 6, just the 4 parts but they are all good and go well with the mini-doll.
Star Wars -- 7, another decent micro-model.
20 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2188 views
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Advent day 3
Posted by Huw, 03 Dec 2012 14:22. Filed under Advent countdown.
The Christmas tree in the City calendar today certainly makes up for yesterday's lack of parts, I think you will agree.It's very similar to those that have been in previous year's calendars, although having just checked, it's nothing like the one we had last year.
The 2 x 2 x 2 slope at the top is not common, although they don't really have much use other than for the tops of trees, do they...
The street lamp in the Friends calendar is not too bad I suppose, although the decoration is perhaps a bit on the large side, and the lamp post could do with being a bit taller: Olivia could reach up and burn herself on it!
In the Star Wars calendar we have some Gungan military hardware, some sort of power-shield, isn't it?It's a good day for parts. The models are okay but I think their constituent parts are better.
City -- 8, a nice festive model and plenty of big, bulky parts.
Friends -- 7, design could be better.
Star Wars -- 7, complements yesterday's figure perfectly.
11 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1968 views
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Advent day 2
Posted by Huw, 02 Dec 2012 14:41. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today's City window is a bit light on parts -- just eight of them, and small ones at that -- but the finished model of a chainsaw is pretty good, and a neat accessory for yesterday's fireman.Quite why he's chopping logs though, I'm not sure. Perhaps he's making toilet rolls :-)
Olivia gets a cool sledge to play on today which comes with one of those 1x2 modified tiles that LEGO calls a 'Foot, Plate'.Their sole purpose is to solve the problem of the mini-dolls not having holes in their backsides to secure them when seated (stop giggling at the back...). The piece wedges between their feet and keeps the doll seated.
In the Star Wars calendar we have our first minifig: a Gungan soldier. Luckily it's a generic one and not our friend Jar Jar. It's the same as that which appeared in 7929 from 2011.So handy for army builders wanting to recreate the Battle of Naboo.
Marks out of 10 for today's offering:
City -- 5, nice model but light on pieces.
Friends -- 7, nice parts, just right for Olivia to sit on.
Star Wars -- 6, a decent minifig, one you can probably never have too many of.
17 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2479 views
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Advent day 1
Posted by Huw, 01 Dec 2012 15:39. Filed under Advent countdown.
Having just got back from our Christmas party at LLW (which was great BTW), I've just read through my RSS subscriptions and was shocked to see that every Tom, Dick and Harriet are doing Advent countdowns on their blogs this year! It will be interesting to read their take on the models but with my photographs and your comments, together we'll make sure Brickset's is the best on the 'net :-)
For day one of the City calendar, we have a fireman. I'm not a big fan of emergency services sets but this year the fire minifigs are so much more realistic than in previous years with their high-vis outfits, printed legs, and dark red helmets.
The bag contains a spare helmet and 'megaphone'.
The Friends calendar door number one contains one of the two mini-dolls in the set.This one is, I believe, Olivia, who's sporting a lovely festive jumper. There's not much more to say about her, but hopefully in the coming days we'll get some neat models for her to interact with.
Finally, in the Star Wars calendar we have a mini Gungan sub. It's immediately recognisable and a pretty good representation considering it contains just 13 pieces.Overall then, all three calendars are off to a good start. My scores out of 10 for each are:
City -- 8, nice fig, spare hat.
Friends -- 8, unique festive mini-doll.
Star Wars -- 7, good effort, maybe a bit on the small side.
22 comments, latest one posted 5 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)2497 views
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Advent day 24
Posted by Huw, 24 Dec 2011 16:18. Filed under Advent countdown.
Here we are then, Christmas Eve, and the windows of the Advent calendar are all now open!We have a Santa in both today, so no surprise there. Santa Yoda is certainly very cool and the highlight of the calendar. I first saw him in January at the London Toy Fair and you may remember I tried to hide his identity but it wasn't long before it was revealed at another blog. I guess it was worth the 11 month wait to get my hands on him!
That concludes the Advent countdown, then. I didn't know if I'd continue it 24 days ago but I've just about managed it although on some days it's been a struggle to find things to write about the models. It was quite fun, though...
I predicted that December would be a quiet month for news and that's one reason I started the countdown, but I couldn't have been more wrong, could I: you'll surely remember that the biggest LEGO story of this millennium broke mid-month!
So, it's 9:30 here in the UK. Santa will be here soon so all that remains is for me to wish you all a Happy Christmas! I hope all your presents have that unique rattling sound when you shake them!
56 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)554 views
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Advent day 23
Posted by Huw, 23 Dec 2011 17:13. Filed under Advent countdown.
In the second-to-last window of the City calendar we have this cute little police doggy and bone. I wonder if that's the left-overs from the toilet roll slinger?In the Star Wars calendar, we have a seasonal model for a change.
Just one window to go now, and we all know what's in the Star Wars one, don't we...
14 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1788 views
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Advent day 22
Posted by Huw, 22 Dec 2011 15:50. Filed under Advent countdown.
Another decent day in both calendars. They've done a good job on this A-Wing, there's nothing to dislike about it, and not much to say about it, either!
The snowmobile is OK as well, although identical in design to the orange one two days ago which shows a little lack of imagination, but I guess you can race the two of them round the snow track on the lid of the calendar now.Two days to go, thank goodness, I'm running out of things to say about them!
22 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)580 views
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Advent day 21
Posted by Huw, 21 Dec 2011 17:29. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today we have the Millennium Falcon in 13 pieces. It captures the look of the ship perfectly. This is the 8th model of the MF to have been made, which has been rendered in 6 different scales, from this, the smallest, to the UCS Falcon.
The sled in the City calendar isn't much to look at on its own but once filled with the presents from earlier in the month and coupled to yesterday's snowmobile, it makes a decent model.
9 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)593 views
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Advent day 20
Posted by Huw, 20 Dec 2011 16:35. Filed under Advent countdown.
The City calendar is on a roll now: this snowmobile is perhaps the best mini-model we've had in the calendar so far. Very simple, but effective, and a great colour scheme!The TIE fighter is also very simple, but not quite so effective. It would have been nice it was to the same scale as the X-wing Fighter so as to enable some dog-fighting action!
16 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)539 views
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Advent day 19
Posted by Huw, 19 Dec 2011 16:16. Filed under Advent countdown.
I really like today's City model of a safe, complete with gold bars, although in this picture it looks better than it actually is because the door is not hinged. Nevertheless, it goes some way to making up for the disappointment of the car.The TIE Defender Pilot in the Star Wars calendar featured in only one set until now so I suspect it's one many of you don't have. All in all a good day!
15 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)522 views
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Advent day 18
Posted by Huw, 18 Dec 2011 15:11. Filed under Advent countdown.
Both calendars are back on track today after the disappointment of yesterday. Here we have another instantly recognisable miniature marvel: a Y-Wing in 20 pieces. How did we ever manage without 1x1 cheese slopes, I wonder? They are great for adding details to small models.In the City calendar we have a minifig, our second criminal, this time in a standard issue prison stripy shirt. Like one of the cops, this is also a unique figure although none of his constituent parts are new. The crowbar is a nice piece and there's even a spare in the bag!
11 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)485 views
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Advent day 17
Posted by Huw, 17 Dec 2011 17:20. Filed under Advent countdown.
Well, the police 'car' is finished, but it's pathetic. It's look like something a 5-year-old has thrown together. Very disappointing.In the Star Wars calendar we have what BrickLink calls a Weapons Depot. It's not particularly exciting on its own but I suppose it does add some play value when combined with the minifigs we've had. Let's hope things improve tomorrow!
17 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)568 views
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Advent day 16
Posted by Huw, 16 Dec 2011 15:30. Filed under Advent countdown.
It's been such a monumental day for LEGO news that I'm going to keep this brief today. In the City calendar, we have some more pieces for our car, while in the Star Wars calendar we have a Clone Pilot, who has not made an appearance since 2009. BrickLink considers this to be a new unique figure though, because it has a black head.
6 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1538 views
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Advent day 15
Posted by Huw, 15 Dec 2011 12:11. Filed under Advent countdown.
I'm sorry that I've posted this earlier than usual today: I'm off out with my work colleagues for a few beverages and a Christmas meal later on, so it's now or never :-)After the disappointment of yesterday, the Star Wars calendar is back on track with this excellent rendition of a Republic Gunship from about 13 pieces. The model wouldn't have been possible without this old SNOT piece that first appeared in 1987 in Space sets. I thought it had fallen out of favour with set designers, but clearly it still has its uses.
In the City calendar we have a car chassis that I suspect will be added to tomorrow to make some sort of police car/buggy. Can't wait!
16 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1552 views
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Advent day 14
Posted by Huw, 14 Dec 2011 16:30. Filed under Advent countdown.
Just nine pieces, plus a couple of spares, in our Star Wars bag today that go together to make this mouse droid, whose previous appearances were in the same two big sets that contained yesterday's astromech.It's quite cute I suppose, but I feel a little bit short-changed...
Our little police station is starting to get a bit cramped inside, what with the bed from day 8 and now this forensic desk. The desk lamp is quite cool, though...
14 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1539 views
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Advent day 13
Posted by Huw, 13 Dec 2011 17:23. Filed under Advent countdown.
The number 13 may be unlucky for some, but not for us because today we have minifigs in both calendars. This little astromech droid, R2-Q5, is a particularly welcome addition to the Star Wars calendar because until his appearance today, he could only be found in two expensive sets (6211 and 10188) and as a result, commands a high premium over at BrickLink.
In the City calendar we have our second policeman. He is actually a unique figure, according to BrickLink, although there isn't anything very special about him. I do like his new-style baseball cap with curved peak though, and we even get a spare one in the bag, which is great.He is scowling, looking very angry, so I'm guessing that he might just have been hit by an errant toilet-roll...
16 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1545 views
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Advent day 12
Posted by Huw, 12 Dec 2011 15:14. Filed under Advent countdown.
Here we are then, half way through the Advent calendar already! Haven't we had some great models so far! Today's Snowspeeder is another miniature masterpiece: a model of the battle of Hoth at this scale, complete with 6" high AT-ATs, would be awesome!If you're interested. you can also read FBTB's views on the Star Wars calendar models so far.
In the City calendar, we have the final part of our police station. I can't say I'm too impressed: it has no glazing in the windows, no door, no roof, they scrimped on the tiles for the roof, and 2x2 corner slopes would have been nice. Still, I don't suppose the target audience will worry too much and I look forward to hearing what your kids make of it in the comments.(I *hope* future models are not predominently white -- it's such a nuisance trying to select the white parts when photographed on a white background in Photoshop!)
24 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1597 views
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Advent day 11
Posted by Huw, 11 Dec 2011 15:21. Filed under Advent countdown.
I'm sure we all have too many Battle Droids as it is, but at least this one has a blue torso which is not particularly common compared to the tan one, having appeared in just two sets until now (8036, 7662). BrickLink doesn't differentiate between those that are painted and those which are not for some reason, but I'm sure I've seen painted ones before. (Update: it does, I just wasn't looking in the right place)
Our police station is taking shape nicely now, it now has a door. Not a very secure one, by the looks of things though, it's more like an archway. Maybe there's a force field or something to keep the baddies in and the toilet rolls out...
20 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)1572 views
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Advent day 10
Posted by Huw, 10 Dec 2011 14:52. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today, as anticipated, we have proof that yesterday's minifig was not an axe murderer on the run from the LEGO City Police, but a fisherman. Today's bag is a bit light on pieces but they complement the ice fisherman nicely. The use of whip piece is less than ideal, though, as the poor man has to be virtually on top of the fire to get the fish anywhere near it.
A miniature rendition of an Imperial Shuttle is in the Star Wars calendar, and while it's not quite up to the standard of yesterday's X-Wing, it's still pretty good.
9 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)545 views
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Advent day 9
Posted by Huw, 09 Dec 2011 14:52. Filed under Advent countdown.
What an excellent day day 9 is in both calendars. In the Star Wars calendar we have our third mini-ship, an X-Wing, and once again it's a miniature masterpiece. The designer even managed to get R2-D2 into it!
In the City one, we have something unrelated to Christmas, or cops and robbers: an ice fisherman. What makes it so good is that it's a unique torso, which is only the fourth to be made in bright green and the hoodie only appears in one other set, the Winter Village Post Office. So overall he's a great figure!
26 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)508 views
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Advent day 8
Posted by Huw, 08 Dec 2011 15:31. Filed under Advent countdown.
A nice piece of furniture awaits you in today's City calendar: a comfy bed for the prison cell.
In the Star Wars calendar we have our third minifig: Dack Ralter, who apparently, served as Luke's gunner in the Battle of Hoth. This is the fourth Dack minifig we've had, but the first to feature anything other than a classic smiley face. However this is not a new print, it's been used for various pilots recently including Zev Senesca. It would have been better had it had a printed helmet like the other Dack's, but it's still a nice addition to any Star Wars minifig collection.
25 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)484 views
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Advent day 7
Posted by Huw, 07 Dec 2011 16:33. Filed under Advent countdown.
I'm glad to see the City calendar has continued with a Christmas theme today, with two presents and skateboarder accessories. Maybe we'll get the actual skateboarder tomorrow...
The Star Wars one isn't too exciting today but at least Chewie gets a crossbow which some of you were hoping for, along with some tools. I had wondered why there were tools until I was reminded at Wookiepedia that apparently he is a skilled mechanic and designed many of the Falcon's systems. The dark grey barrel is a nice piece that, although first made in 2008, hasn't appeared in many sets since.
15 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)512 views
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Advent day 6
Posted by Huw, 06 Dec 2011 16:41. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today, we have a Christmas themed mini-model in the City calendar which makes a change from pieces of wall. The model's not too bad, but a 1x1 round brick for the trunk would have been a better choice, IMO.
Chewbacca makes an appearance in the Star Wars calendar. He's a great figure but perhaps a bit of a disappointment given that he already features in two other sets this year.Also, I reckon his mould could do with a bit of a refresh as it's still the same as it was in 2000 when first released. More recent figures, such as this year's Watto, make it look somewhat crude in comparison.
37 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)570 views
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Advent day 5
Posted by Huw, 05 Dec 2011 15:31. Filed under Advent countdown.
The Star Wars calendar might have been expensive but the models so far have been superb. Today's Slave 1 made from 20 pieces is another excellent representation: even its wings rotate. It might be a small model but took some skill to make it instantly recognisable and packed full of detail.
On the other hand, I can't say the same for the City calendar. Another piece of wall today. I much prefer it when each day's model is a stand-alone set. The play value of today's and yesterday's, on their own is absolutely zero. Let's hope the combined prison is worth the wait...
27 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)631 views
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Advent day 4
Posted by Huw, 04 Dec 2011 14:55. Filed under Advent countdown.
Today in the Star Wars calendar we have an OG-9 homing spider droid, and once again it's a good representation given its size and the number of bricks.
Meanwhile in the City one, we have a prison wall. On its own, it's a bit boring, there's not much I can say about it, I can't even squeeze in a toilet-roll related joke :-(
20 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)607 views
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Advent day 3
Posted by Huw, 03 Dec 2011 14:40. Filed under Advent countdown.
As if proof were needed that the shifty guy on day one was up to no good, today we have a policeman complete with handcuffs in the City calendar. Thankfully he has a hat so any toilet rolls that come his way won't knock him out.
The Star Wars calendar features the second mini-model which I have to confess I didn't recognise and had to look up at Wookiepedia. Apparently it's a mechno-chair, used by wealthy Neimoidians such as Nute Gunray, which I suppose makes sense given we had him yesterday.So here he is, on his chair...
33 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)729 views
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Advent day 2
Posted by Huw, 02 Dec 2011 15:10. Filed under Advent countdown.
As promised, a bit later today. I hope you've all opened yours!
The Star Wars calendar today features its first minifigure, Nute Gunray, the Neimoidian, first seen in The Phantom Menace. He's such a popular, pleasant chap, isn't he, and perhaps a strange choice for inclusion in the calendar. Perhaps there was a stash of his hat somewhere in the warehouse :-)In proper (as opposed to Chinese) plastic, he was quite rare until today, having appeared in only one set, 8036, Separatist Shuttle, in 2009.
In the City calendar we have a toilet-roll slinger, which explains why the crook was holding one yesterday!
32 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)504 views
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Advent countdown, day 1
Posted by Huw, 01 Dec 2011 11:04. Filed under Advent countdown.
It's likely to be a slow couple of weeks for news, so member Red Five Standing By suggested I do an article a day featuring the advent sets of the day. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep it up for 24 days but I'll start as I mean to go on...
So, on day 1, in the Star Wars calendar, we have a rather excellent Republic Cruiser made from about 20 pieces. It really is a good rendition for its size.
In the City calendar we have a very shifty looking minifig wearing a standard issue prison shirt under a scruffy jacket. He must be shifty, he has a gold tooth, LEGO only gives them to shifty characters for some reason. What's more, he's brandishing an offensive weapon. I can't decide whether it's a snowball or a toilet roll :-)
50 comments, latest one posted 17 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)716 views
