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Loki's Comsmic Cube Escape is one of two $20 sets in the Marvel half of the LEGO Super Heroes line, and the only one that's tied to the movie. The other one is the Wolverine's Chopper Battle set, which, while delicious in it's own right, is much more comic-inspired than movie-driven, so it looks quite a bit different from the Avenger's line. And the first impression is that at $20, this set could be a steal...

I know, I couldn't even keep that act up for a full paragraph. Yes, I'm known to be particularly hard on sets. In part, it's because I like being critical, but it's also...

Do you remember back in 2006 when this set was known as 7779 The Batman Dragster: Catwoman Pursuit? Stop. Don’t answer that. It’s a trick question. This set is not 7779. It can’t be. There’s no dragster. No, instead, 6858 Catwoman Catcycle City Chase (say that five times fast) comes with a traffic light and three fewer pieces. And a $12.99 price tag. I wanted to like this set. I thought it would fill the hole in my brick-loving heart left by missing out on 7779. I thought wrong.

Excuse my over-dramatic...

They couldn’t all be winners, could they?

Nope.

Before I rant about why I don’t like it, let’s break the set down.

You get three minifigs in the set. Batman is the same as the one you get from 6864, so not a lot to say here that hasn’t already been said.

As far as the DC portion of the LEGO Super Heroes line goes, this is the flagship set to get.

Weighing in at 207 pieces, the set’s MSRP is $19.99, hitting that golden ratio that seems to be harder and harder to come by these days, licensed theme or not. You get three fantastic minifigs on top of that: Superman, Wonder Woman, and Superman’s arch nemesis, Lex Luthor.

Superman has his signature spit curl hair...

Now, if you bought all the previous LEGO Batman sets and think the current DC releases aren’t up to snuff, then you would be right in some ways, but if you look at the sets on their own merits, you might actually enjoy them. I had set my expectations pretty low for this set, mostly turned off by the garish color scheme on Two-Face, his cronies and the truck to be honest, but ended up liking it in the end. The MSRP is $49.99 and for that you get 508 pieces, another set hitting that golden ratio but unfortunately...

LEGO Star Wars Planet Series - Series 3:
75006 - Kamino Jedi & Starfigher (R4-P17 Astromech Droid)
75007 - Republic Assault Ship & Coruscant (Clone Trooper)
75008 - Field Asteroid Bomber & Tie (Tie Pilot)
LEGO Star Wars Planet Series - Series 4:
75009 - Hoth Snowspeeder & (Snowspeeder Pilot)
75010 - Endor & B-Wing (B-Wing Pilot)
75011 - Aldeeran & Tantive IV (Rebel Trooper)

For most people, Darth Maul and pretty much everything he did was the highlight of Episode I. Red tattooed face? Check. Horns? Check. Double-bladed lightsaber. A million-times checked. If he would have been used in more of the movie, and had more than a couple of lines, he would have washed away the assault on our eyes and ears that was Jar-Jar Binks, but sadly, that was not the case.

What little we did see of him, outside of the very epic Lightsaber Duel, was his ship, the Sith Infiltrator....

Rounding out the Star Wars: The Old Republic releases for 2012, we get the Republic Strike Fighter… which I don’t remember in the game. How do you write a review for a ship that you don’t recall ever really seeing in a game you played a lot? Unlike the Sith Fury, the Striker was just the little blips you shot down during space missions as Sith (I think… it went fast), not the ship that players end up with.

I’ve played some Republic characters, but only gotten into the mid-20s, and never did the space...

Lego Star Wars: Clone Trooper vs. Droidekas (75000):

Lego Star Wars: BARC Speeder (75012):

Lego Star Wars: AT-RT (75002):

Lego Star Wars: A-Wing Starfighter (75003):

Lego Star Wars: Rancor Pit (75005):

Get ready to lock your s-foils in attack position all over again. It hasn’t been long since LEGO discontinued the last version of the classic starfighter, 6212. That version, originating as the 4502 X-wing Fighter, has been around since 2004, winning the non-existent award for LEGO set longevity. With the anticipated introduction of the 9493 X-wing Starfighter in January 2012, there haven’t been any extended periods since 1999 that some form of X-wing hasn’t been available. Can this new version match the staying...

Let’s not beat around the bush on this review: the Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR) should be the best of the Pirates of the Caribbean sets, by a pretty big margin, right? Unlike the other sets, it’s a vehicle (of sorts), and who doesn’t like a good pirate ship? QAR is a central piece of the new movie, the ship of the bad guy, and you just can’t help but be awed when you see the movie art or even the box art of the set. You know a few things about Blackbeard right away. First, he liked dark colors, and really likes...

Join me as I contemplate whether Dobby should ever be free.

When I first bought this set, I felt like it was a little overpriced. But you know what? The Collectible Minifigs (and the minifig magnet packs) have put things into perspective for me. If I’m willing to put down $15 for 3 minifigs and their accompanying magnets, or umpteen collectible figs for $2 or $3 a pop, $10.99 for 3 fantastic minifigures...

LEGO is a building toy, not an action figure line. It's hard to tell with recent sets, but it's true. One of the most difficult things for licensed LEGO sets is to capture the where and what just as much as who. Star Wars was the low-hanging fruit... there are so many things to capture. Vehicles like the X-Wing and Jedi Star Fighter have a certain look that give something to build. Some places, like Jabba's Palace or Cloud City can provide a very solid where, in some ways as iconic as the ships.

While...

4842 is the 4th edition of Hogwarts Castle, and will probably be the last. At the top of the pricing schedule, this set has plenty to offer both Harry Potter fans and LEGO collectors.

First, you may be wondering “what sets this apart from previous versions of Hogwarts Castle?” Each castle has been very different from preceding renditions, and this is no exception. 4709 (2001) was centered around The Sorcerer’s Stone and included the gatehouse, Gryffindor Tower, the owlery, and the Great Hall. ...

At first glance, 4867 Hogwarts looks like just a poor man’s version of the full-blown Hogwarts Castle. Even more puzzling is the fact that right next to it on the shelf IS 4842 Hogwarts Castle. So beyond scope and size, what really sets the smaller 4867 apart from its big brother?

First off, it should be noted that 4867 is intended to depict a couple specific events from the Battle of Hogwarts, notably the collapse of the entry bridge and destruction of the Room of Hidden Things (hence, the Gregory...

In the latest PotC movie, there apparently was an escape from London. I wouldn’t know, because I couldn’t bring myself to go see the movie. I know, it sounds strange that the guy who’s reviewing all of the sets hasn’t seen the movie (I didn’t see the third one either). I really did love the first movie, and that spirit is something that could have been captured in the sets. LEGO Jack Sparrow? It seems like a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want that?

4193 – The London Escape, is the mid-priced ($49.99)...

While it was Star Wars that got me back into LEGO all the way back in 1999, Castle has always been my first love. It's what I loved as a kid; when I dumped my bricks out on the carpet to build as a kid, I either built houses or castles. Sure, there was an occasional spaceship, but I was a huge NASA fan back then, and didn't get into Classic Space because it really didn't look like the NASA stuff I loved.

What does this have to do with a review of the mid-range Lord of the Rings set, Attack on Weathertop?...

Every once and a while, there comes a LEGO set I can’t put down. There is something about it that feels right, whether in the way it looks or its substance. I get this feeling that reminds me of that day in May way back in 1999 when I opened my first LEGO Star Wars set, the X-wing. As I built it, I knew it was something special, and once it was complete, I thought I’d never take it apart. It deserved to stay together because those pieces came together into something that worked. 6869 Quinjet Aerial Battle is...

Now that it’s out of the way, I promise that I will not use that absurdly over-used line from Ackbar. This set has a special place in Star Wars lore, because we helped to contribute to the ideas.

Okay, first, let’s hit the obvious critiques. The piece count is a bit low for the money… 789 for $109.99. It’s called Home One but could be called “A playset that might be the inside of a spaceship or a maybe a futuristic Denny’s.” It’s an exclusive so it isn’t exactly easy to locate (unless you have...

There’s always that hard-to-find chase variant. 6857 The Dynamic Duo Funhouse Escape is the exclusive set in the first wave of DC Super Heroes sets. It can only be found in a LEGO Brand retail store, online at LEGO Shop@Home, or in a Toys R Us. Problem is, the LEGO store is always sold out, Shop@Home has shipping fees, and Toys R Us has marked up the set by $10. I’d been drooling over this set for months, hoping to find it in a LEGO store. With some VIP points saved up, I was finally able to justify getting...

Once upon a time (okay, until like a week ago), I was a Star Wars: The Old Republic (TOR) player. But life has a funny way of getting in the way of things, and I was never really able to devote the time I’d like to the game. I played it in beta, and for months after launch. I even got a couple of characters up to 50, including a Sith Warrior, which flew around in the Sith Fury.

Okay, fly is kind of a misnomer… space is a minor and insignificant portion of the game. The “missions” you do in this ship...

Empire Strikes Back, and Hoth in general, has always been a somewhat neglected area of the LEGO Star Wars line until recent years. But, starting with the somewhat infamous Hoth Rebel Base back in 2007 (has it really been that long?), the Ice Planet has been getting a little more love. The new base is the 3rd in a line of successive “bases” (2009′s 7749 – Echo Base would be the other), and is the first one that actually looks like a base.

At first glance, there’s a whole lot to love about this set....

If you’ve been collecting LEGO Star Wars since 1999 with any seriousness and/or obsessiveness, then there’s a good chance you have too many TIE Fighters. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, well, at least not from a certain point of view. You may say to yourself, “No more, please, I’m stuffed. I don’t have the room.” I don’t blame you. It’s only been a couple of years since the last TIE Fighter, the TIE Defender, sat on store shelves (and in some cases, may still), but we’re going on about 7 years since the last honest-to-goodness TIE Fighter, the signature fighter of the Imperial Navy and perhaps...

I’m not going to lie to you… I love the Battle Packs. I buy the heck out of these things. I even bought multiples of the Ice Cream Clones that we had last year. I even bought several assassin droid battle packs, so I take the droids, even though they’re fragile and annoying. This battle pack gives us both!

But I’m also one of those people that accuses LEGO of using the higher price-points to make glorified battle packs (I’m looking at you, Geonosian Cannon and Ewok Attack). This year, we got two battle packs. We have an upcoming review of the excellent Endor Battle Pack, which I’m buying...

summers over for me and time to head back to classes T.T

but anyway guess i disappeared again and forgot i existed again XD

im alive and want to wish everyone a very happy Autumn which for some of u tht have hot weather will love the cold like i do ^^

i cant wait for the new site to come up but im so behind on wats happening idk if or when its going up Q.Q

oh for those of u tht dont know, my dissapearance was over the fact i finally caught myself a man

BTW! first...

When the 2011 second-wave sets were first leaked, the reactions for most sets was the same we’d felt in recent years: “meh, too expensive.” But then everyone glanced at the revision of the Episode I classic podracers, and what was in there, and the buzz was on. Early previews pointed to a sharp looking, well designed set from an area that didn’t get a lot of love in recent years.
Episode I is rightfully hated by pretty much anyone who’s ever had it inflicted on them, but the podracer scene was one of the highlights. Edit: Okay, I relent. I was apparently confusing Anakin in this with the video...

At $25 and three good minifigures (also, Boba Fett), this set shows a whole lot of early promise… In some ways, this is a hard set to pin down, mostly because it doesn’t really exist outside the Jabba’s Palace and the upcoming Rancor set. You need to get all three of them to get the figures together (and you’d still be missing Slave Leia) to get the scene together. Also, having a Sail Barge would also help. Minifigs is where this set really jumps out to shine. At $25, we get four figures, one new, three revised, and all that were in expensive sets previously. We get a new Lando in disguise...

anyway. i am losing internet pretty soon. for who knows how long. i will not be able to get online anywhere so i will not be dropping by for quite some time. so this will be a goodbye for now
have fun all of you

I received a message from John today, and he told me to spread the word. AAC WILL, I repeat WILL be making a return. He says about 1 month tops but please be patient. He's still having Internet trouble. Til next time Folks. ;P

Droidified Enlarged Power Generator w/ Storage Capacity - 3,600cr, 15kg (medium size), 0 slots, deals 8d6 in a burst-4 when it explodes

Droid Equipment #1 - Self-destruct system - 720cr, 3.6kg, deals 6d6 in a burst-2 when activated
Droid Equipment #2 - Internal storage - 500cr, holds 50kg

This gives us a total of just under 65 kg of storage space of anything small size or smaller (has to be less than, because you can't use the full 15kg of Storage Capacity). The three main things that come to mind are: Detonite, Explosive Charge, and Thermal Detonator. Since all three...

For those of you that I haven't whined to yet, I'm working on a really big, really important paper right now. This is like, THE big paper of my university career. I'm not talking like a phd paper or anything, it's just an undergrad, but it's still pretty important for what I'm doing.

I've spent all semester gathering research for it and now I'm just writing it. It's supposed to be done for wednesday at midnight, though my prof has told me that I can have more time if I need it. But I REALLY want to get it in on time. So i've been writing ALL day and tomorrow I'ma write all day again....

im posting it here as a backup for the post i have on the wizards of the coast forum..... so yea here it is:

New Species: Skakoan


Skakoans are cool, calculating, and humorless beings with a strong sense of self-preservation. Their thought processes are more akin to droids, focusing on logic and reason—showing emotion is both a rarity and sign of insanity. They have an innate understanding of machines and computers and are excellent engineers, although most Skakoans focus their energy towards...

I wonder how many people will get that? xD Anyway my 1st blog on the the forum ;P

Uhh, thanks for having me?

On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A Hokage of the leaf.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two ninja dogs,
And a Hokage of the leaf.

On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Three kunai,
Two ninja dogs,
And a Hokage of the leaf.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four chunin,
Three kunai,
Two nija dogs,
And a Hokage of the leaf.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five throwing...

Okay go to profile and click the tab marked "Friends & Foes"..scroll down and look for pending requests..i have sent you all requests so plz make me proud and accept