Year: 2018

An AFOL’s Guide to Overwatch #3 [75972 Dorado Showdown]

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In our third review of LEGO Overwatch sets, we enter a new environment: the Dorado Map. As I have previously discussed, while looking at Tracer vs WidowMaker as well as Hanzo vs Genji, I have not played much Overwatch, and so I have turned to my teenage son for information about the characters as well as the nature of the gameplay, and how they might relate to the LEGO Sets. Today, we world of the neo-wild west, where we meet Reaper, Soldier: 76 and McCree.

We will look at the minifigures, the builds, compare these with reference artwork, and see if the build has anything to offer the AFOL who is not an overwatch fan.

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All I want for Christmas is the Return of Classic Space [70841 Benny’s Space Squad]

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This was probably not the post I was planning to write today. In fact, I was not planning to write one. And then a couple of things happened: a couple of LEGO® Movie 2 sets arrived at home, and I was given a Lume Cube as a present.

The Lume cube is a small, portable light source – waterproof, it also comes with a variety of magnetic filters which act to provide a bit of warmth or diffusion. And the light has variable brightness: either through buttons on the back, or by bluetooth control. I’ll talk about it a little more in the future, but suffice to say I was was looking for an excuse to photograph something.

But the arrival of Benny’s Squad was also very exciting. Perhaps one of the most anticipated sets from the LEGO Movie 2, 70841 captured my attention in several ways.

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The Rambling Brick’s Advent-ure #24

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Here we are, and it is the twenty fourth of December. Since the first of December, we have been visiting the ways in which different LEGO® sets have been but together to celebrate the Christmas Holiday Season. Why have I been doing this? This year is the twentieth anniversary of the release of the first LEGO Advent Calendar. If nothing else I would have just reviewed an advent calendar from each year. But in fact I have found myself spoiled for choice. And I have left things out – I have not really tackled Brick built, non Santa decorations from the early days of the century; I have not mentioned the baubles containing seasonal micro builds; and I remain puzzled about the LEGO Japan exclusives from Christmas 2004. So today, I have chosen a subject that has been getting more and more interesting every year: The LEGO Employee Christmas Gift.

These sets have been produced since 2008, although the 2008 and 2009 sets appear identical, despite seperate set numbers. Initially a simple heart, the constructions have become more elaborate: with subjects having historical significance to the company – either through their direct subject matter, or commemorating a significant anniversary within the company. And you know how I love my significant Anniversaries. [ please note: if you read past the break, there is a spoiler shot of the Box for this year’s Employee Gift. The content will not be revealed.]

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A Little Something Xtra, just in time for Christmas [40341 Sea Accessories]

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We saw the first xtra polybags appear about a year ago as an inexpensive way of obtaining general accessories for (until now) City type builds. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the door and found a copy of a new xtra bag: 40341 Sea Accessories sitting there.

Whether you are building around a contemporary city or historical pirate type of MOC, this polybag has something for everyone.

The bag contains a selection of sea life, some items you might consider to be treasure, and a number of things you might associate with off the beach play in contemporary life…

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The Rambling Brick’s Advent-ure #23

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As I’ve previously stated so many times that its making my head spin, this year represents many significant anniversaries in the the history of the LEGO group: Sixty years of the brick; forty years of the minifigure; twenty years of Mindstorms; fifteen years since the colour change was rolled out, ten years of Architecture…. and Twenty years since the release of the first Advent Calendar. Today, I thought I’s take a look at two of the enduring Advent Calendars: LEGO® City and LEGO Star Wars.


LEGO City, as we now know it, has had an annual Advent Calendar since 2005. Typically rich in minifigures, it has evolved over the years: Initially focussing on showcasing the sub themes of city – e.g. police, fire, healthcare, construction/civic maintenance; mechanics; cooking and domestic life, with a figure and several mini builds (occasionally integrating together to put together a larger build) and culminating with a Christmas type build – either Santa, with some form of transport; or a Christmas tree on the 24th of the month.

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The Rambling Brick’s Advent-ure #22

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We have a few days to go, and a couple of themes to look over as we approach the end of our Advent-ure. Regular readers might recall that this is the 20th anniversary of the first LEGO Advent Calendar, and we have been surveying Christmas holiday themes and set from across the years.

We have seen a number of different brick built Santas over the last couple of weeks and today I would like to look at a subject that has been across many licences and themes in 2018: Brickheadz. This year we have seen a Brickheadz double pack featuring Mr. and Mrs. Claus – 40274 A hot seller, it has been difficult to track down, frequently being out of stock at the LEGO online store.

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The Rambling Brick’s Advent-ure #21

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As we approach the end of our journey, I thought I’d take a look at one of this year’s Seasonal Gift’s With Purchase: the 40292: The Christmas Gift Box.

Cunningly disguised as a present wrapped in sand green and dark red ( special treats in themselves), when you remove the lid from this set, you reveal a Christmas living room vignette inside. With two minifigures and three hundred and one pieces, this model certainly looks to be inspired by Christmas.

The build is simple and satisfying, and I have to admit that I love the use of the pearl gold elements to complete the box on top of the present.

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The Rambling Brick’s Advent-ure #20

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Today we continue out journey through Christmas Holiday seasonal sets with a quick look the 40223 Snowglobe. Released in 2016 as a gift with purchase in 2016, it has 215 parts, and comes with a Santa minifigure. Santa stands on a brick built plinth, along with a Christmas tree, sealed in with white round tiles, which fail to suspend themselves magically in the air, as shown in the box art…

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The AFOLs Guide to Overwatch #2[75971 Hanzo vs. Genji]

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It’s been a busy time of year! Recently, we looked at the smallest of the new LEGO®sets in the new Overwatch theme: Tracer Vs. Widowmaker. I was not up on the lore behind the story, so I invited my son Harry to provide some background commentary, to help bring me up to speed.  If you are trying to understand the underlying stories, it might help you too. As we continue to explore the world of Overwatch, in the context of the soon to be released LEGO sets, today I am taking a look at the the second set, 75971 Hanzo vs Genji. Hopefully, Harry is able to help all of us…

With 197 pieces, and costing $AUD39.99, this is a relatively expensive set, with elements costing roughly 20 cents each.  We will continue look at the value of these sets as we move along through the range.

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The Rambling Brick’s Adventure #19

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Yesterday, I struggled to work out the nature of the the decoration that was unwrapped in yesterday’s Friend’s Advent Calendar, and an astute reader pointed out that his daughter felt it was a micro version of the 40139 Gingerbread House released in 2015. Having had that pointed out to me, I cannot unsee that version of the truth. So today, I thought I’d have a quick look at some of the gingerbread houses that have been produced as seasonal sets over the years.

According to Wikipedia, baking gingerbread was exclusively the domain of specialised gingerbread bakers, except at Easter and Christmas times, when anybody was allowed to bake it! Ginger bread houses became a popular construction in Germany during the early 1800s after the publication of the Brother’s Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel, where the witch’s candied house became the centrepiece of the story. Some food historians claim they were already popular at the time, and the the Brothers were writing about something they had regularly seen.

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