Review: Make-it Blocks Dinosaur 5

These sets finally arrived in one of my local Dollar Tree stores after a wait of roughly two months.  This is the smallest of the sets but Blue is my favorite color so I saved it for late in the cycle.

Box.  MSRP is $1.25 for a $0.13 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Studless Slope, 2x3 Rounded Plate, Plates,

Lightsaber Hilt, Bar Studs, and Clip Tile.

Build.  I tweaked it a little bit.

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.  (-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: -5 (B-).  I think this is the lowest any Make-It Blocks set has scored.

Review: Make-It Blocks Dinosaur 4

These sets finally arrived in one of my local Dollar Tree stores after a wait of roughly two months.  This is one of the medium sized sets.

Box.  MSRP is $1.25 for a $0.07 Price per Piece.

Instructions.  There might be a step missing or you

actually get spare parts with this one.  I'm not sure.

Parts.  Motor Brick, Wedge Plate, Ingot, Skeleton

Legs, Inkwells, Clip Tile, Apollo Studs, and Barbs.

Build.

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-).  It's a tiny build but the Yellow Motor Brick and Ingot make it worth it to me.

Review: Make-It Blocks Dinosaur 3

These sets finally arrived in one of my local Dollar Tree stores after a wait of roughly two months.  This is one of two medium sized sets.

Box.  MSRP is $1.25 for a $0.07 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Slopes w/Studs on Angle, Bricks, Plate, Clip

Plate, Clip Tile, Padlocks, Bracket, Bar Stud, Double

Slope Cheese Slopes, and Translucent Cheese Slope.

Build.

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-).  I'm hyped about those Slopes w/Studs on Angle, and the other parts in colors that Lego hasn't made them in yet.

Review: Make-It Blocks Dinosaur 2

These sets finally arrived in one of my local Dollar Tree stores after a wait of roughly two months. This is actually the largest of the sets but it has similar color choices to Monday's review so it's up second in the rotation.

Box.  MSRP is $1.25 for a $0.06 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Studless Slopes, Plates, Bar Studs, Brackets, Rounded

Plates, Padlock, Clip Plate, Round Plate, and Barb.

Build.

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-).  This one is a parts pack for sure, featuring a bunch of Brackets and Bar Studs.

Review: Make-It Blocks Dinosaur 1

These sets finally arrived in one of my local Dollar Tree stores after a wait of roughly two months.  This is the second smallest of the sets but it has a bland build and colors so I figured I'd get this one out of the way first.

Box.  MSRP is $1.25 for a $0.10 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Flags, Studless Slopes, Bar Plates,

Skeleton Arms, Clip Plate, and Plates.

Build.

The Questions:

Can you build something -- a frame, station, or starship -- right away?  Yes.  (+5)
Is it below, at, or above the golden ratio?  At.  (0)  (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: +5 (B+).  It is what it is.  It might make a good starting build for a flying squad but you'd need some sort of base.  The same if you want to use it for Intercept Orbit.

Battle Report: Alien Planet 4

This is our fifth game for the year.  We had to haggle a bit to get this organized.  Since we only had three people we decided on a Battle.

Me (4 Frames & 16 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (6 assets) = 42 points.  (Bruni Bots)
   Green -- 2Rd/2Ra/2B/2W +SSR.

   White -- 2Rd/2Ra/2B/2W +SSR.

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

   Red Watchtower -- 2B/1Gd8/2Y/2W.

Chuck (6 Frames & 24 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (8 assets) = 24 points.  (Old School Squad)

   Purple Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

   Green Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.

   Yellow Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.

   Orange Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.

   Brown Fast Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1G+d8/2W + SSR (x2).

   White Fast Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/1B/1G+d8/2W + SSR.

Tom (6 Frames & 24 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (8 assets) = 24 points.  

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

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

   Brown Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

   Pink Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

   Green Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

   Orange Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W + SSR.

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

Events of Round 1 (DDC @ 11): My Yellow frame captures Chuck's Orange Station before the game starts.  My Yellow frame heats up Chuck's Brown frame for 1 after it closed into melee range.  Chuck's White frame takes a few steps forward and hits my Yellow frame for 1 with a SSR, Station Dance, then  Chuck's Brown frame recovers his Orange Station.  My Green frame hits Chuck's White frame for 1.  Chuck's Green frame hits my Green frame for 2.  Tom's Green frame takes one step forward and hits Chuck's Purple frame for 1, Station Dance.  Tom's Pink frame blasts Chuck's Purple frame for 6, destroying it.  My White frame hits Chuck's Brown frame for 2 and then moves around the medium Blade-Grass to capture Tom's Station.  Tom's Grey frame scuttles forward and hits my White frame for 2 with a SSR, Station Dance, and the Grey frame recaptures Tom's Station.

Me: 42 points.

Tom: 24 points.

Chuck: 21 points.

Events of Round 2 (DDC @ 8): My Yellow frame hits Chuck's Brown frame for 4 with a Flame Frisbee SSR, destroying it.  My Yellow frame then takes a few steps forward and recaptures Chuck's Station.  Tom's Orange frame hits my White frame for 1.  Chuck's White frame runs forward and clubs my Yellow frame for 1, Station Dance.  Chuck's White frame reclaims his Orange Station.  My Green frame moves from the other side of the Loop-Grass to closer to my Red Station and hits Chuck's White frame for 1 with a Flame Frisbee SSR.  Chuck's Orange frame moves from the end Balloon-Tree to the Loop-Grass and hits my Yellow frame for 2.  Chuck's Yellow frame hits Tom's White frame for 1 the moves from the Bent-Top Blade-Grass to the Loop-Grass side of the middle Balloon-Tree.  Tom's White frame attempts to attack my White frame at melee range.  Tom's Pink frame hits his White frame for 2 in a friendly fire incident when attempting to hit my White frame.  Tom's Grey frame leapfrogs behind my White frame and jackhammers it for 4, destroying it.  Tom's Green frame hits my Yellow frame for 4, destroying it.  Chuck's Green frame moves from the large Blade-Grass to the empty side of the middle Balloon-Tree and hits my Green frame for 2.  Tom's Brown frame hits my Green frame for 3, destroying it.

Tom: 24 points.

Me: 21 points.

Chuck: 18 points.

Events of Round 3 (DDC @ 4): Chuck's White frame takes a few steps forward and captures my Red Station.  Tom's Orange frame hits Chuck's Green frame for 1, which then moves behind the Bent-Top Blade-Grass.  Tom's Pink frame hits Chuck's Yellow frame, which was acting as Cover for Chuck's Orange frame, for 2.  Tom's Brown frame hits Chuck's Yellow frame for 3.  Chuck's Yellow frame changes direction, moving away from the middle Balloon-Tree it hits Tom's Orange frame for 4.  Tom's Green frame hits Chuck's Green frame, which was acting as Cover for Chuck's Yellow frame, for 2.

Tom: 24 points.

Chuck: 21 points.

Me: 14 points.

Events of Round 4 (DDC @ 2): Tom's Orange frame moves to the corner of the battlefield and hits Chuck's Yellow frame for 1, destroying it with a SSR.  Tom's Brown frame hits Chuck's Green frame for 1.  Tom's Pink frame hits Chuck's Orange frame for 2.  Tom's Green frame hits Chuck's Orange frame for 3.  Tom's Grey frame continues moving forward to jackhammer my Red frame for 4, Station Dance, and my Red frame lurches over behind Chuck's White frame attempting to attack it.  Tom's Grey frame captures my White Station.  The Doomsday Clock is ticked to zero.

Tom: 24 points.

Chuck: 18 points.

Me: 7 points.

Here are several during and aftermath pictures.

Round 1.4

Round 1.3

Round 2.3

Round 2.4

Round 4.5

Round 3.3

Round 4.6

Round 4.7

Round 4.8

Round 4.9

Thoughts & Observations:

• This was a Battle.
• We haven't used this table-setting since 2020.
• I made several strategic errors before the game started.
• I made several tactical errors while the game was being played.
• I wanted to test an idea I had for loadouts but it turns out I completely misremembered the loadouts I wanted to use.
• I got my butt stomped.
• Flickr page.

Review: Gundam Converge ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex (266)

Let's do another review.  This Gundam Converge set is from the first wave of 10th anniversary sets which was released in March of 2022.  I find the arms on this fascinating, so I bought it.

Box.  I paid $10.99 at Newbury Comics for this.

Parts.

Disassembled.  I think the left hand comes off but I didn't want to

find out the hard way it won't.  The head vane could be Spotting.  The

head can be Defense or Spotting.  The backpack can be Defense or

Movement.  The back fin could be Defense or Movement.  The club

could be Melee.  The arms can be removed for White die damage.

Assembled.

The Questions:

Size Comparison.

Is it below, at, or above $10 per Frame?  Above.  (-10)
Is it a good size to use in a game?  Yes.  About the same size as a Chub.  (+5)
How many parts does it have to represent systems?  Five.  (+5)
Does it have enough parts you can remove to represent White Dice damage?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +5 (B+).  While it's a good looking model, something about this feels lacking.