Set Review - #21342-1: The Insect Collection - LEGO Idea

It’s the 50th LEGO Ideas set. I’m surprised LEGO didn’t make a big deal out of this one. Usually they celebrate all kinds of anniversaries. Oh well. #21342-1: The Insect Collection was released on 4 September 2023 for $79.99. It contains 1,111 pieces which works out to $0.072 per piece which isn’t too bad. A lot of the pieces are smaller, but some are special printed or unique pieces so that may make up for it.

For the review, the front of the box shows the three different models with the set name and Ideas logo on the top. The back shows another view of the set and some close up shots along with a display suggestion.

The set contains seven numbered parts bags. Bag one contains a piece separator. There are then four instruction booklets that come in an envelope (Thank you LEGO!). The first book gives some detail on the models and designers. Then the remaining three are for each of the builds.

The first bag begins building the Blue Morpho butterfly. It builds a base with a brick built plant or stick coming out of the base. Around the base are a few flowers and other plants and leaves.

The second bag adds the butterfly. The first instruction book shows the fan designer build of the butterfly which was built with SNOT techniques. This one is made with plates and tiles stacked on top of each other. The advantage is that they have some printed tiles on the edges of the wings. The disadvantage is the build isn’t as exciting due to the techniques used. It still looks great though as a blue butterfly with the different shades of blue. You also get a miniature honey bee. The bee is fun although I would rather have had a larger sized bee like the fan designer originally submitted. I guess this bee is more to scale so it fits into the scene better.

One bonus though is everything is printed. There are no stickers. YAY!

Bag three starts the Hercules Beetle build. The build starts off with a base similar to the last build. Then you add on a piece of a plant or a branch that the beetle is crawling on.

The fourth bag begins to build the beetle. It’s an interesting build with some fun techniques. The horn piece is big. I’m not sure if they are unique to this set or not, but it would have been interesting to see if they could have built it with additional pieces instead of one larger piece.

The fifth bag finishes up the beetle. You add in two blue mushrooms and then finalize the beetle. Besides the legs, you add in the wings and the covering of the back of the beetle (I’m not sure of the official term for it). You can pose the beetle with the wings out or remove the wings and have the yellow pieces covering the back. I like this feature and decided to picture it as if it’s just taking off from the branch.

The sixth bag starts the build for the Chinese Mantis. You start with the same base that the other two insects are on. Then you build a small stem with some leaves and flowers on it. There are also some round 1x1 red tiles printed as ladybugs. The fan designer submitted a larger scaled ladybug to Ideas and I would have preferred that as well, but I’ll take what they created.

The seventh and final bag adds in the Chinese Mantis. The designers did a good job capturing the shape and details of the insect. I like the use of the pistols at the bottoms of the legs and crow bars for antenna.

Here are the final builds. Definitely something outside the ordinary sets we see so that’s good. I would have liked to see more of the fan designer submissions (larger ladybug and bee), but I can’t complain with what we received. These are definitely display pieces which is fine for the 18+ audience in my opinion. Pricewise, it’s not bad considering the price for piece and maybe as it gets closer to retirement, we’ll see it go on sale which would be awesome.

What were your thoughts on this one? Can you mix them in with some of your Botanical sets?

Happy building!

Set Review - #76419-1: Hogwarts Castle and Grounds - Harry Potter

How many different versions of Hogwarts Castle can LEGO come up with? We’ve had all of the minifigure scale modular sections and then #71043-1: Hogwarts Castle which is about half of the castle. On 1 September 2023, we got #76419-1: Hogwarts Castle and Grounds. This one contains 2,660 pieces and retails for $169.99 which works out to $0.064 per piece. This Hogwart’s set is the first one that has the full castle all in one set. It’s a much smaller scale than the others, but it works and still captures a bunch of details. Onto the review…

The box front shows the full set build. There’s a Harry Potter logo and the 18+ greebling on the bottom. The back of the box shows some of the details of the set and the other side of the set.

The set contains 22 numbered bags with one bag per number. There’s also a 16x16 black plate and then the instructions are in an envelope. There are two instruction books. The instructions start with some details on the set and the castle. Throughout the instructions, there are various notes about some of the sections of the castle.

Of note, I did find at least one error in the instructions where they listed the wrong piece and showed a different one being installed.

The build starts with some of the sections underground. Bag one builds the chamber of secrets and then the Devil’s Snare. Bag two builds the room where they chase the keys, the Wizard’s Chess board, and then the room where Harry meets Professor Quirrell and finds the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Bags three and four build out more of the base and some of the cliff sections around the castle. Of note, you get a 1x8 black tile with “Hogwart’s Castle” printed on it similar to how the Architecture sets are built.

Bag 5 continues to build out the base of the castle and more of the cliffs around the edges. Then bag 6 starts to build the top with a lot of olive green pieces for grass coloring and a bunch of jumper plates to hold future sections of the castle. There are also some light gray tiles as walking paths around the castle.

Bag seven builds the last underground section which I think is Snape’s potions library (maybe). Bag eight continues the base to include more of the cliff edge and a pathway made up with some sloped dark tan sloped pieces.

Bag nine adds more of the cliff section and some plates to build up on. Bag 10 adds in the boat house at the end of the dark tan path you build.

Bag 11 adds in a lot of the water pieces. I like the use of dark and light colored translucent blue tiles to make some different colored water. You also include a section in the bottom right which is where the Durmstrang Ship will go later on in the build.

Bag 12 starts the Great Hall. I like how this one is buildt separately and then added to the rest of the castle at an angle.

Bag 13 finishes up the Great Hall and adds it to the rest of the build. As mentioned, I like how it’s installed at an angle. You also add the bridge which works out okay, but the supports don’t quite touch the bottom so it looks a little odd if you look closely.

Bag 15 tops off the quad area and then the Headmaster’s Tower. Bag 16 builds another section of the castle. The instructions say that this area contains the girl’s lavatory area where Moaning Myrtle lives. I appreciate how some of the building techniques create the details and then there are some printed pieces mixed in. Thankfully, no stickers. YAY!

Bags 17 and 18 build the East Wing according to the instructions.

Bag 19 builds the astronomy tower which is the tallest point of the castle and is built using some SNOT techniques.

Bag 20 starts a corridor section that is completed in the next bag. More printed bricks again which is great.

Bag 21 finishes the corridor in this section of the castle and then adds in the greenhouses. It also adds in some walls and some gemstone and ice cream pieces as miniature trees and plants.

Bag 22 is the final bag in the set. It builds the Whomping Willow, the Durmstrang Ship, the Pegasus and Beauxbatons’ Carriage, and then finally the Architect of Hogwarts golden minifigure. The first three are all fun miniature builds and if you know the Potter world, you can easily pick up on what the builds are representing. The minifigure is a nice addition to the set and to the gold anniversary minifigures, but it really isn’t a known character. It’s fun that they came up with an idea of what the architect might look like, but I don’t see this minifigure as a must have collectible just based on it being a made up character. I guess it’s better than yet another Harry Potter minifigure.

Durmstrang Ship

Pegasus and Beauxbatons’ Carriage

Architect of Hogwarts

Whomping Willow

Here is the final build from a few different angles. Overall, it’s a great set. You can buy the various sets to piece together the castle or get the larger castle, or just get this one and be done (assuming you don’t collect minifigures). It’s great that you get the full castle and a bunch of details from the books in one set. The minifigure isn’t a standout to me, but it’s nice that they included one. The price per piece is good although the pieces are a bit smaller so you would hope that would be the case. If you’re a Harry Potter fan or enjoy Architecture themed sets, I highly recommend this one. Look for opportunities to grab this one with double Insiders points or great GWP offerings in the future.

Happy building!

Set Review: #76413-1 - Hogwart's: Room of Requirements - Harry Potter

Here’s a review for #76413-1: Hogwarts™: Room of Requirements. This one was released on 1 March 2023 and retails for $49.99 in the US. It contains 587 pieces which puts it at $0.085 per piece. I grabbed this one on sale from LEGO Shop @ Home with GWPs so even better. This is not the first venture into this section of the castle. This set focuses on a scene from the last book/movie “The Deathly Hallows”, but we had #75966-1 back in 2020 which was from “The Order of the Phoenix” book/movie which focuses on a separate scene in the room with a different purpose.

Nothing overly special about the box. It is pretty standard with how the front and back usually look for a Harry Potter themed set.

The set contains four numbered parts bags, and instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet. My sticker sheet was smashed into the box and had a pretty sharp crease in it. I was not happy with that, but thankfully, it didn’t wreck the overall look of the set when I was done putting it together.

Unlike most Harry Potter sets, the first bag actually starts with the top of the structure. You build a small roof section and then a larger one with a spire. The one with the spire has a space underneath the spire where a scroll is set for reading. I’m not sure what the reference is to in the movie exactly so it’s relevance in the set is unknown to me.

You get two minifigures in this bag. One is Harry and the other is “The Grey Lady” (Rowena Ravenclaw’s deceased daughter).

The second bag assembles the ground floor of the build. This is the entrance to the Room of Requirements. There is a door (with stickers that you put on both sides) and then the inside starts to build all of the various things that are stored in the room with two cases with cups in them.

There are some straight and curved tiles placed around the door frame on the inside of the room. These tiles have stickers. I had a challenging time putting the stickers on the 1x6 pieces and an even harder time trying to line up the curved stickers on the curved tiles.

The Draco Malfoy minifigure comes with this bag.

The third bag adds more to the room to make it taller. You also tack on a few more stickers for details. You see a number of Technic axle and pin holes throughout the build which will make more sense after the next bag.

On the outside of the build you put together some doors/wall pieces that slide back and forth so you can cover the door to the room similar to the movie. It’s not flush with the wall like in the movie, but it gets the job done considering the cost of the set and the space available for the build.

The Hermione minifigure comes in this bag.

The last bag wraps up the set with a lot of the various items inside the room of requirements to include boxes, books, a chair, a helmet, a record player, and the lost diadem that they are searching for in the movie/book.

The minifigure in this bag is Blaise Zabini who I don’t remember from any of the other movies, but it could just be me.

Lastly you build the fire dragon that Blaise casts in the Room. You can have the dragon as one long piece or you can split it up. The set comes with some extra Technic pins so you can connect the dragon to the various pin holes around the set. This is a fun play feature and I like how the designers added this one in.

5 minifigures in this set. All are exclusive so even if you thought you had all of the Harry Potter minifigures, there is yet another one. No major complaints here, but nothing super exciting.

Here’s the final build. Like the other sets, this one is modular and connects to the various Harry Potter sets to help you build out a full Hogwart’s Castle however you want to. The set has some good play features with the moveable doors in the front, the fire dragon that can be moved around, and some stuff to scatter around the room. You can also use your own pieces to add to the clutter in the room.

Overall, it’s not a bad set and the price per piece isn’t too bad. It’s gone on sale once so wait for another round of sales before you grab this one.

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Storm - The white hair piece is a cool piece.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

Another Set From the Pirates Theme to Build

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

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

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

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

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

Happy building!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bag 1

Bag 2

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

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

Bag 3

Bag 4

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

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

Bag 5

Bag 6

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

Bag 7

Bag 8

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

Bag 9

Bag 10

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

Bag 11

Bag 12

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

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

Bag 13

Bag 14

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

Build 16 assembles the floor of the top floor.

Bag 15

Bag 16

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

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

Bag 17

Bag 18

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

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

Bag 19

Bag 20

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

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

Bag 21

Bag 22

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

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

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

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

Happy building!