Review: Brickcraft 72033BFS Bricktanicals Bluebonnet

Looks like we have a new entry to the brick built botanical sets "competition".  I found this the other day in Walmart.  Apparently there are more of them and the majority of the Brickcraft line is exclusive to Walmart.  Anyway.  This is the only set I found so let's give it a review and hope that there are more out there.

Box.  MSRP is $4.97, for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Loose in Box.  Axle.

Parts 2.  Padlocks, Octagonal Bar Plates, Sword Leaves,

Bar Clips, 3L Axle Connectors, Bar W/Stop, Lightsaber Bar,

 Notched Axles, Axle Connector w/Clips, Bar Plates, Round

 Bricks, Axle, Round Large Jumpers, Bar Studs, Round

 Plates, Travis Brick, Cone, Tooth Plates, and Clip Claws.

 

Build.  Frame [2Rh+d8 (claws) 2B (maneuver jets) 1Gd8 (no ranged weapons)].

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+).  I like it.  A new part and pieces in colors Lego hasn't made yet is always something that will get my attention.

Review: 71805 Ninjago Jay's Mech Battle Pack

Another potentially useful set in what has proven to be a mecha heavy year for Lego.  I wasn't sure if I was going to review this but I really wanted those Gold Large Figure Armor Plates.

Box.  MSRP is $9.99, for a $0.13 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifigs.

Parts 1.  Cockpit, Cockpit Shell, Jagged Blade w/Axle Hole, Inverted Studless

Slope, Studless Slope, Curved Slopes w/Studs, Inverted Slopes, Brick w/Pinhole

& Plate, Large Figure Armor Plates, Cheese Graters, Rounded Plates, Ball Joint

Plates, Stud Shooters, Clip Plate, Cone, Ingots, Minifig Katanas, and Bar w/Stop.

 

Parts 2.  Ball Joint Plates, Vertical Clip Plates, Axle, Jumpers, Large

Cheese Slopes, Studless Slope w/Cutout, Printed Round Tile, Stud

Shooter Triggers, Tassels, Translucent Round Plates, and Friction Pins.

Build.  Frame, Tank Archetype (2Rd+d8/2B) with

spare Systems: Melee (2Rh) and Spotting (2Y).

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+).  The price point isn't great but you can make a Frame with extra Systems so that evens it out a little.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 20

Finishing our nature walk, let's look at a one more Lego tree.  This one re-uses the Appendage, Bladed w/Pin and 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf of Thursday's build but it changes up the section where the leaves attach.

This tree starts with an Appendage, Bladed w/Pin for the trunk, into a 1x1 Cone, then a 2x2 Round Tile w/Open Stud -- or, as I call it, a Round Large Jumper -- then four Bricks w/Stud on Side, four 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf attached to those, then finishing off with a 2x2 Round Plate.  This gives us 2 Hits and is 29 feet tall, 17 feet across, and 23 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.  You could even top it off with a 2x2 Round Plate w/Rounded Bottom instead if you don't want to look at the underside of that regular Round Plate.

Here's the usual suspects for a size comparison.  I hope the different tree designs I've posted this week give people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 19

Continuing our nature walk, let's look at a couple more Lego trees.  This one re-uses the "four pieces around a Travis Brick" technique of Wednesday's build but is less garish and also uses the new 1x2 Round Plate w/Leaf that has a resemblance to a Palm frond.  

This tree starts with an Appendage, Bladed w/Pin for the trunk, into a

Travis Brick, with four 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf attached.  This makes it 1 Hit

and converts to 27 feet tall, 21 feet across, and 25 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.

You can expand this tree by adding a 1x1 Round Plate, another Travis Brick, and

 four additional 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf.  This adds another Hit and changes the

dimensions to 29 feet tall, 22 feet across, and 27 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.  If

you want to add more Hits to this Cover you can add more of these layers but it will

need a bigger base than the one I made for it so it doesn't tip over on the table.

Here's the usual suspects for a size comparison.  I hope I've given

people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 18

Let's take another nature walk and see what kind of Lego trees we can find this week.  This first one will be an addition to my "Oasis" table-setting.  I made these after the last time we visited that battlefield but hopefully it won't be too long until get to see these in use.  I feel like these are kind of inspired by something I saw in a Lego set.

So it starts with a Dinosaur Tail End Section/Horn for the trunk, into a Travis Brick, with four 4x3 Plant Leaves attached.  This gives us 1 Hit and is 16 feet tall, 17 feet across, and 9 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.

They should make a nice compliment for these trees and help to keep pushing "Oasis" in a sci-fi direction.  I hope I've given people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Review: 30680 Star Wars AAT Polybag

I know we're barely into 2024 but I was somewhat surprised to find two new poybags at Barnes & Noble.  This one is quite different from Wednesday's review though.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99, for a $0.07 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Dish, Plates, Wedge Plates, Round Tiles, Quarter Circle Curved Slopes, Arches, Curved Slopes w/Cutout, Bricks w/Stud on Side, Brackets, Slopes, Cones, Studless Slopes, Turntable Base, turntable Top, Double Curved Slopes, Boat Sliders, Minifig Hose Nozzles, Bar Plates, Plate w/Pinhole, Clip Plates, Rounded Plates, and Bar w/Stop.

Free Build.  IO Frigate (2Rs/2Y). 

 Set Build.  2Ra/1B/2Y.

Size Comparison 1. 

Size Comparison 2.  As you can see it pushes the edges of "The Box" but is somewhere between a Chub and a Classic in height.  

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+).  Frame-in-a-Bag.  I think a squad of these wouldn't look out of place on any gaming table.

Review: 30682 Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance Polybag

I know we're barely into 2024 but I was somewhat surprised to find two new poybags at Barnes & Noble.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99, for a $0.06 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Wheels, Round Bricks, "L" Liftarms, Split Axle/Pin Connectors, Offset Axle

Pin Connectors, Bricks w/Axle hole, Axle Connectors, Bars, Thin Liftarms, Axle/Pin

Connectors, Axles, Gear, Link, Axle Connectors, Pins, Axle/Pins, Long Axle/Pins,

Axle w/Stop, Friction Pins, Bar Clips, Small Thin Liftarms, Rounded Plate, Axle/Ball

Joint, Bars w/Stop, Axle/Pin Connectors, Triple Axle/Pin Connectors, Corner Axle/

Pin Connectors, Pin Connector w/Bar, Worm Gear, and Axle/Pin Connector.

Build.  Two Frames.

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+).  Plenty of useful parts at an excellent Price point.  Unless you're used to building with Technic this set may be a bit difficult for people to handle though.