Review: 70662 Spinjitzu Cole

I found this in Target on Clearance while I was out killing some time.  The package was taped shut so it may be missing some items.  (Turns out it wasn't.)

Box.  MSRP is $9.99 for a $0.09 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifig.

Parts 1.  This was loose in the box.

Parts 2.  Ring Plates, Bar Plates, Clip Plates, Plates, and Rock Finger Plates.

Parts 3.  Slopes, Printed Tiles, Plates, Round Plates, Lightsaber Blades, Bar Holders, Brackets, Claws, Clip Plates, Modified Bricks.

Build.  A Frame (2Rh+d8/1B/1Y) and three Stations.

The Questions:
Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  Another fun Spinjitzu set.  I may have to track more down.

Review: 41287 Powerpuff Girls Bubbles Playground Showdown

This one recently went on Clearance at Target.  It's 19 pieces over my self-imposed review limit for Lego sets but let's take a look anyway.

Box.  MSRP was $19.99 for a $0.14 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifigs.

Parts 1.  This was loose in the box.

Parts 2.  Bard Studs, Ball Joints, Trans-Dark Pink Plates, Nexo Knight Cockpit, Stud Shooters

Parts 3.  Ball Joints, Plate W/Pin Hole, Clip Plate, Bar Plates, Printed Tiles, Gorilla Fists, Trans-Dark Pink Round Plates and Pyramids.

Parts 4.  Mod Brick 1x2x1-1/3 Rounded.

Parts 5.  New Headlight Brick, Technic Brick, Printed Tile and Brick, Energy Power Blasts.

Build.  A Frame (2Rd+8/2Y), Station,
and two 1 Hit pieces of Cover.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +5 (B+).  A good set hampered by price.

Review: 40327 MMMB Ice Cream Truck Polybag

This is a Monthly Mini Model Build Set.

Bag.  If it was sold, it would probably be $3.99.  Price per Piece would be $0.08.

Instructions.

Parts.  Bricks,  Plates, Mudguard Plates, Brackets, Tires, Rims, Slopes, Grille Tiles, Ice Cream, Panels, an Ice Cream Cone, a Clip Plate, and an Axle Plate.

Build.  A quick IO Frigate and
a piece of 1 Hit Cover for RA.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Below.  (+5)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  No.  (-5)
Score: +10 (A-).  Some useful parts and nice colors but, nothing to write home about.

Battle Report: Roadway Rumble

After taking July off, our group reconvened for a game in August.  This is a new setting.  I've had this idea rattling around in my head ever since I purchased the Black Panther mine battle set.

Me (4 Frames & 15 Systems) = (5 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 30 points. (Cucurbita)

   Red Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.

   Green Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.

   Blue Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR..

   Yellow Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1Gd8/2W + SSR.

Narbey (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 18 points.  (Skitterers)
   Yellow Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

   Red Soldier -- 2Rh/1B/1G/1Y/2W +SSR.

   White Soldier -- 2Rh/1B/1G/1Y/2W +SSR.

   Orange Soldier -- 2Rh/1B/1G/1Y/2W +SSR.

Occam's Spork (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 18 points.

   Blue Spotting Bodyguard -- 2Rd/2Rh/1B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Red Spotting Bodyguard -- 2Rd/2Rh/1B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   White Spotting Bodyguard -- 2Rd/2Rh/1B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Orange Recon by Fire -- 2Ra/2Y/2W.

This is what the table looked like at the start of the game.

Events of Turn 1 (DDC @ 11): Occam's Spork's Blue frame moves up to the rail line and hits my Green frame for 2 with a SSR.  My Blue frame moves to the other side of the road and hits Occam's Spork's Orange frame for 2 with a SSR.  Narbey's Orange frame moves out from behind the trees and hits my Yellow frame for 2.  Occam's Spork's Red frame moves away from his Stations and hits my Blue frame for 1 with a SSR.  Narbey's Yellow frame hits Occam's Spork's Orange frame for 4 and it does the Station Dance.  Narbey's White frame hops over the building and hits my Yellow frame for 1.  My Red frame moves closer to Narbey's Orange frame and hits his Red frame for 1.

Me: 30 points.

Narbey: 18 points.
Occam's Spork: 18 points.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC @ 8): My Red frame hits the rail line for 2 and Occam's Spork's Blue frame for 5 then moves into the space where the bridge was.  MBTA event!  Occam's Spork's  Red frame hits my Blue frame for 4.  Narbey's White frame hops back over the building and hits my Green frame for 1.  My Green frame spins and shield bashes Occam's Spork's Blue frame for 3, destroying it.  Narbey's Yellow hits my Green frame for 2.

Me: 30 points.

Narbey: 18 points.
Occam's Spork: 15 points.

Events of Turn 3 (DDC @ 5): My Red hits Occam's Spork's Orange frame for 1, destroying it.  Narbey's Yellow frame hits my Green frame for 1, destroying it.  Narbey's White frame hits my Red frame for 4.  Narbey's Orange frame follows that up with a 2 point hit on the rail line and a 2 point hit that destroys my Red frame.  Occam's Spork's Red frame hits my Blue frame for 2, destroying it.

Narbey: 18 points.

Me: 15 points.

Occam's Spork: 12 points.

{ I know why I forgot to take pictures of this round. }

Events of Turn 4 (DDC @ 2): Narbey's Orange frame hits Occam's Spork's Red frame for 2, then moves forward and seizes one of my Stations.  Occam's Spork's White frame hits Narbey's Orange frame for 2.  Narbey's Red frame hits Occam's Spork's Red frame for 2.  The Doomsday Clock is ticked to zero.

Narbey: 18 points.

Occam's Spork: 12 points.
Me: 10 points.

Here are several aftermath pictures.

Thoughts & Observations:

• This is a new table setting.
• I'm not sure I'm finished working on it yet.
• The other players liked it but I felt there wasn't enough actual Cover.
• It was just the right size for three players.  Any more and I would have had to add more baseplates.
• I bought some of the new Road Playmats for use in this game.
• I've been grooving on vehicles lately.
• The train fell off the tracks when damage was being applied to the cover.  We figured it was appropriate and left it where it was.
• Narbey's dice were pretty hot this game.
• Here's a picture of several of the vehicles I built for the game.

Review: 75224 Star Wars Microfighter Series 6 Sith Infiltrator

I found this in Walmart a few weeks ago on Clearance so I snapped it up.

Box.  MSRP was $9.99 for a $0.11 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifig.

Parts.  Plates, Wedge Plates, Clip Plates, Bar Plates, Round Plates, Slopes, Inverted Slopes, Brackets, New Headlight Bricks, Stud Shooters, Minifig Roller Skates, and Tiles.

Build. IO Frigate and a small Station.

The Questions:
Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +5 (B+).  Another fun set for Intercept Orbit.

Review: 30393 Minecraft Steve & Creeper Set Polybag

This is one of three new polybags that can be found at Walmart.

Bag.  $3.97 for a $0.11 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifigs.  I might be able to do
something with that Creeper body.

Parts.  Plates, Bricks, Round Bricks, Round Plates, Large Jumpers, Printed Bricks, a Tile, an Axle Plate, a Brick w/Pin, a Plant piece, and a Minifig Telescope.

Build.  Two pieces of 1 Hit Cover.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Terrain gets you no points.  (0)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  Above.  (-10)  (The Golden Ratio is $0.10 per part.)
If you can't build a frame right away, or choose not to, does it have parts you should be able to put into use right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Does it have more than a handful of immediately useful parts?  No.  (-5)
Score: -10 (C+).  If you need the parts or you're a Minecraft fan, otherwise not worth it..

Build Journal: Zizy Vehicles 2

Last year I hopped on the Zizy vehicle bandwagon.  I'm returning to those vehicles because I have this idea for a table-setting that involves cars and because I'm on a creative streak.  This time around I took it in a different direction and went civilian.

I also figured out a way to make a shorter, four stud long vehicle.  This one involves sticking a Friction Pin between the two Travis Bricks that form the axle.  It's loose but it prevents the axles from pivoting too far out of line.






One thing I've disliked about this design is the three stud width of the chassis.  This basically limits you to 2x3 and 3x3 Plates stacked on top of the 1x? Plate "spine" to form the body of the vehicle.  And looking at later builds from Zizy I see he's moved away from it too.

But, if we keep the same "axle" set up of three Travis Bricks linked by 1x1 Round Plates with 1x1 Round Bricks attached we can attach that to a 2x6 or 4x6 Plate in the same manner it attached to the 1x6 Plate.  Except this time it's easier as we're inserting into anti-studs as opposed to clicking into the mini-bar pieces that are on the bottom of some Plates.


This allows us to make vehicles that are a little sturdier, with lower part counts, and can be made with more common pieces.  It also allow us to make vehicles of varying widths, 3x and 4x, to make our scenery a little more varied for a better looking game table.  Also, as you can see from the pictures above, you can use standard Lego wheel arch pieces.