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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Exclusive peek #5: LEGO city experimentation


The above does not show anything that is in any way final, nor indicative of what the final layout will look like, or how it'll be arranged!  This is just a peek at a part of the ongoing process of experimentation as I work on my actual layout on the computer, and place various temporary arrangements on my new tables to get a better idea of the real size & scale of various constructs.

In other news, I went back to the store & got a couple more tables after settling upon the very most efficient & effective arrangement for the space I have to work with!  My big Bricklink orders have also been shipped, though they're coming from overseas, so it may take a couple weeks for them to arrive.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Exclusive peek #4: Tables are up, the city has a foundation!


I'm now kicking my BlueLink work into high gear as I explore a couple of different options for arranging the tables.  The new space is almost twice as large as the space I expected when I showed my first digital draft of the city arrangement, and the shape is also completely different.  As a result, I've had to scrap the old design altogether, but I'm making quick progress towards something viable for the new space.

Last night, I also made two huge parts orders on Bricklink.  Unlike the last BL haul video I shared on YouTube, though, these new orders actually include crucial numbers of essential parts for making my city a reality!

LEGO Hero Factory Brain Attack Jet NEX


In my review of Jet Rocka I made it clear that I didn't like the official set for numerous reasons.  With encouragement from viewers like you, I went ahead and updated the set to use a missing hero character, instead of a poorly-executed duplicate of one we've already had in this series.  Things changed include:
  1. Updated color scheme
  2. Aimable blasters
  3. Retractable kickstand to hold the pack up when unoccupied
  4. Hybrid NEX MOC in normal size (not stupidly tall like J.Rocka), with full armor coverage, including MTIS on the back
Video:

Exclusive peek #3! Construction underway on my LEGO city!

 

While folks on YouTube are clamoring for updates on my LEGO city, folks like you who follow the blog for updates get to watch the transformation in real time!  Above is 350 lbs. of tables pre-assembly, and below is the first one erected into final(ish) position!

LEGO official Toys R Us truck, now with more shortness


Remember my review of set #7848, the Toys R Us truck? Well, the truck is back, but now significantly smaller; 10 lugs shorter to be exact!  I took 6 in length out of the trailer and 4 out of the truck, leaving behind a vehicle that still holds the essence of set and all relevant details, while wasting far less useful space in a city!  Folks who live to be picky & critical will look at the original and the new and complain about every brick & plate that has changed.  Everyone else in the world, including me, will still see a blue & white Toys R Us tractor-trailer rig :)

(Also shown on video.)

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Exclusive peek #2! Equipment on the way for my LEGO city!


Another important milestone.  This is my car in the loading zone at Ikea, all full of the tables that will form the very foundation of my LEGO city! Exciting times!

Exclusive peek #1! Construction to begin on my LEGO city!


Things have changed! This is the new space I'm going to use for my LEGO city layout!  Got it all cleared out and ready for work to begin! It's huge!

LEGO Castle set 70404 King's Castle set review & speed build!


This Castle set took longer for me to build than probably any official LEGO creation I've gotten to date. Oh, was it worth it, though!

Videos:

Minifig Lottery - Collection 10, May 24, 2013

Managed to sneak another of these in...

Big news is around the corner!

For months I've spoken in passing about my intention to make a large LEGO town layout.  I even shared a digital preview of what I had planned.  I'm happy to report that much has changed for the better on this front, and I'm going to have some very tangible progress to share within the next 2-3 days, so stay tuned!  The next updates will be seen only here, and not on YouTube!

LEGO Castle Dragon Mountain 70403 set speed build & review!


Here's the second largest of the "Summer" 2013 LEGO Castle sets.  Just one more to go after this!

Videos:

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Four new videos: Haul, Minfigs, HF & Space MOCs!


I continue to work towards eliminating all video backlog (easier said than done) while preparing for the start (finally) of tangible work on my big layout.  More news about the latter very soon!

New videos:

Hero Factory evil brains: What to do with them?


Alright folks, both Brain Attack waves have hit the market, and a bunch of us have these brain parasite... things.  What are your ideas for new/creative/custom things to do with them?  Are they doomed to become as useless as Inika kanohi or Piraka outer heads?

Sunday, May 19, 2013

LEGO Castle Gatehouse Raid 70402 set review!!


Here's another of the 2013 LEGO Castle set releases for ya!

Chima ultrabuild combination models, ALL of them!

I've gone through and done all six combination models from the Legends of Chima "ultrabuild" large action figure series.  I hope you enjoy at least some of 'em!

LEGO Castle Gold Getaway 70401 set review!!


Another from the new fantasy era series.

LEGO Castle Forest Ambush 70400 set review!!


"Fantasy era" medieval LEGO is back!  Here's the first set from the 2013 Castle series, and my first set from this type of theme, ever!

Friday, May 17, 2013

LEGO Coast Guard Patrol set 60014 review! Summer 2013


More Coast Guard and other City videos to come!  I really liked this one!

LEGO Galaxy Squad CLS-89 Eradicator MECH 70707 set review!


Welcome to the "Summer" 2013, wave 2 LEGO Galaxy Squad sets!  My first one, with all others to follow, so keep checking back!

Minifig Lottery time! Collection 10 again...

Two more random minifigs from series 10.  What do you think they'll be?

Hero Factory Brain Attack Wave 2 summaries

With all of the official HF BA W2 models & combinations complete, filmed, and published, it's once again time for me to sum up my thoughts on them all! 
Share your own thoughts on these small collections in the comments section.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

LEGO CHIMA - Chi Eris review! large action figure 70201


Alright, this ends my epic one-day full round-up of the entire Chima large action figure series (not to mention the 8 other videos!).  Next from me in the Chima series will be the six combination models, but I have more new Hero Factory material to publish soon as well.

LEGO CHIMA - Chi Worriz review! large action figure 70204


Another of the better Chima ultrabuild figures here, in my opinion...

LEGO CHIMA - Chi Razar review! large action figure 70205


There's one thing that needs to be said about Chi Razar:  PURPLE!

LEGO CHIMA - Chi Gorzan review! large action figure 70202


Gorzan SMAAAASH!!!  Wait, what am I saying?

LEGO CHIMA - Chi Cragger review! large action figure 70203


Here's the main bad guy from Legends of Chima in a massive form!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

LEGO CHIMA - Chi Laval review! large action figure 70200


Tell your friends!  I will be reviewing all of the Legends of Chima large "ultrabuild" action figures and their combination versions!!

Hero Factory EVO + Aquagon combination (Brain Attack wave 2)


One more combiner for the history books!

LEGO Hero Factory Aquagon review! Brain Attack wave 2


There always has to be a smallest set in any varied series, and this time around it's Aquagon.

LEGO Hero Factory EVO review! Brain Attack wave 2


The final hero of the Brain Attack series is the yellow & gunmetal Evo.  He's back, but is he better than ever? You decide...

LEGO Hero Factory Jet Rocka review! Brain Attack wave 2


This is the big one of the wave, for better or worse...

LEGO Hero Factory Frost Beast review! Brain Attack wave 2


Abominable snowman, Hero Factory style?

Christmas in MAY part 2! More Hero Factory, Coast Guard, minifigs...


Yess!!  Part 2 arrived a day earlier than expected!  More excitement, but also more work to be done!

LEGO Hero Factory Stormer review! Brain Attack wave 2


Brain Attack Stormer, online!  Tons more videos to come, so don't look away for long!

Toys R Us giveth, Toys R Us taketh away


ToysRUs.com is once again engaging in their maddening LEGO release season malaise.  Late April through the first week of this month, all new Hero Factory Brain Attack Wave 2 figures except for Evo & Aquagon were showing as "not available online" and "in stores," though they were not yet in stores.  The same went for the City Coast Guard, Chima Ultrabuild, and Galaxy Squad Wave 2 sets.  On May 9th, all came in stock for online ordering, except for the 2 missing HF figs, Galaxy Squad Galactic Titan, and Coast Guard Surfer Rescue.  The evening of the 13th, Evo & Aquagon were added to the site, ready to order, though listed with generic & incorrect names of "LEGO Hero Factory Fall Ast1," "Ast" standing for "Assortment."  The Surfer Rescue set also came up in stock.  By the following morning, all of these new sets had been removed from the site entirely, except for Aquagon, who was pulled hours later.  When I say removed, I mean removed.  The product IDs (I saved them) now come up as invalid.

It's endlessly frustrating that this sort of madness occurs every single time there's a new major LEGO release.  In the United States, Toys R Us is frequently the first source for new sets, before LEGO stores even, and folks who want the sets quickly need to rely on either astounding luck or the spare time to check the TRU site every hour (if not more frequently) to catch products the moment they appear (sometimes with wrong names, or in wrong categories making them hard to find), before they get removed, re-added as "out of stock," removed, moved, renamed, and then re-listed days later.  Does anyone have any inside information from TRU to explain this insanity?

PS:  Don't worry, I did get all of the new sets.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Hero Factory Dragon Bolt + Surge combination (Brain Attack wave 2)


Here's my first combiner model from Hero Factory Brain Attack Wave 2, Dragon Bolt + Surge combine to form what I now call Absurdge!  Not to be left alone, Absurdge leaves behind a new hyper-villain, Dragon Dolt!

LEGO Hero Factory Surge review! Brain Attack wave 2


Here we go with my first Brain Attack wave 2 hero review, set #44008, a.k.a. Best Surge Ever.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

LEGO Hero Factory Dragon Bolt review! Brain Attack wave 2


It's here!  My first Hero Factory Brain Attack Wave 2 review!  I had this guy in my big online order from Toys R Us, but I know that so many of you have been anxiously awaiting this new series, I went to my local brick-and-mortar TRU for one more check!  The online order arrives in 1-2 days tops, but the local store had a few new sets so I bought another just to bring you all the review as quickly as humanly possible!  I hope you enjoy it!

Spread the word, a massive, continuous stream of new reviews is on the way!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

LEGO Summer Scene 40054 set review!


Already managed to sneak in my first "Summer 2013" set review here!  Alright, with 40 pieces it's a little uncomfortable to call it a "set," but hey, something is better than nothing! :)

More new reviews to come hopefully next week.

LEGO City 4206 Recycling Truck set review!


This should be my last not-brand-new set review for quite awhile, as about 15 sets are on their way from Toys R Us in one order alone, with still more new sets soon to be released!  It's going to be a busy late Spring & early Summer!