Review: RGM-78SP GM Sniper II (234)

While Christmas shopping at my local Barnes & Noble, I decided to pick up a few new Gundam Converge sets.

Box.  I paid $6.99 at Barnes & Noble for this.

Parts.

Disassembled.  The antenna could be Spotting.  The head could be Defense or Spotting.  The rifle could be Direct Fire, Artillery, or Spotting.  The shield could be Defense.  The arms are removable for White Dice damage.

Assembled.

Size Comparison.

The Questions:
Is it below, at, or above $10 per Frame?  Below.  (+5)
Is it a good size to use in a game?  Yes.  In between a Chub and a Classic.  (+5)
How many parts does it have to represent systems?  Four.  (+5)
Does it have enough parts you can remove to represent White Dice damage?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (B+).  Just barely squeaks into a top score with that removable antenna, looks cool though.

Sales Alert (Updated)

Target has a couple of sales this week.  15% off Select Lego sets, and 20% off select Mega Construx sets.

Barnes & Noble also has a 30% off select sets sale going on.

Good hunting.

Purity: Mega Bloks Construction Polybag Review 3

  There are new Mega Construx blind bag polybags available at the Dollar Tree.  I was alerted to the existence of these by someone on the MFZ Facebook Group.  I haven't been able to find any information on these as the only number on the bag that comes back with a hit, 684173-A, leads to an eBay auction.  As these seem to be blind bags you'll have to do the "feel test" to determine which one you're buying.

Bag.  MSRP was $1.00 for a $0.04 Price per Piece.

Instructions.  These are folded up really small and bound with a

clear rubber band that, unfortunately, doesn't get used in the build

Parts.  Plates, Axle Plates, Slope w/Cutout, Tile w/Bar, Grille

Tiles, Tile, Wheels, Bar w/Bar Holder Horizontal, Bracket,

Double Sided Round Plate, Truncated Cones, and a Slope.

Build.  This cement mixer is a 1 Hit piece 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? 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-).  Another construction vehicle -- for some reason I'm intrigued by cement mixers -- with a few cool parts.

Purity: Mega Bloks Construction Polybag Review 2

 There are new Mega Construx blind bag polybags available at the Dollar Tree.  I was alerted to the existence of these by someone on the MFZ Facebook Group.  I haven't been able to find any information on these as the only number on the bag that comes back with a hit, 684173-A, leads to an eBay auction.  As these seem to be blind bags you'll have to do the "feel test" to determine which one you're buying.

Bag.  MSRP was $1.00 for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.  These are folded up really small and bound with a

clear rubber band that, unfortunately, doesn't get used in the build

Parts.  Tile, Plate, Plate w/Open Studs, Tiles w/Open Stud, Axle Plates, Rounded Slope, Panel, Bracket w/Open Studs, Wheels, Bars, and Bar Holder/Bar.

Build.  The top of this is roughly five Bricks

tall, so it could be a 1 Hit piece 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? 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-).  Another parts set that can help populate a construction site battlefield.

Purity: Mega Bloks Construction Polybag Review 1

There are new Mega Construx blind bag polybags available at the Dollar Tree.  I was alerted to the existence of these by someone on the MFZ Facebook Group.  I haven't been able to find any information on these as the only number on the bag that comes back with a hit, 684173-A, leads to an eBay auction.  As these seem to be blind bags you'll have to do the "feel test" to determine which one you're buying.

Bag.  MSRP was $1.00 for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.  These are folded up really small and bound with a

clear rubber band that, unfortunately, doesn't get used in the build

Parts.  Plates, Hinge Plate Bottom, Panels, Bracket, Axle Plates, hinge Plate Top, Tiles, Wheels, and Transparent Slope.

Build.  As you can see I missed a Grille Plate when I emptied the

bag, so always be sure you have all the parts.  :-)  With the bed

down the dump truck is only 8 Plates tall so it doesn't count as

cover.  But with it in the upwards position it is 14 Plates tall and

counts as a 1 Hit piece of Cover.  You could possibly put it on the 

battlefield with the bed down and allow a frame that has moved

next to it use a Melee "action" to elevate the bed of the truck.

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-).  A neat little set but it probably will be better in bulk as a parts pack.

Terrain & Scenery 17

How about some neat pictures to look at for Friday?

Sentient Alien Plant by Ty-Ro.  These would look

fantastic as part of a game on an alien planet.

Nano-Chopper Instructions by GoIPlaysWithLego.  This looks fantastic.

Megalith Temple by legoalbert.  Nanofig scale for this one.

CIRCorp APC "Thunderstorm" by x‿x.  In 7P

scale this would be roughly the size of a box truck.

Alien Flora Grove by TenorPenny.  Great use of color in this one.

Review: 40413 Mindstorms Mini Robots

I received this as a "free" giveaway with purchase a few weekends ago at my local Lego Store.  Maybe at some point it will make it into the standard retail pipeline.

Box.  MSRP is $19.99 for a $0.06 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Rims, Plates, Tires, Stud Shooters, Technic Axle and Pin

Connector Perpendicular Double Split, Axle Plate, Technic Thick Lift

Arms, Axle 5.5 w/Stop, Technic, Thick L Lift Arm, Bricks, Inverted Slopes,

Technic Fairing Panels, Technic Brick w/Pin Holes, Slopes, Bionicle

Sphere, Projectile Launcher, and Mod. Brick w/Studs on 2 Sides.

Parts 2.  Angled Connectors, Plates, Studless Slopes, Axle/Pin

Connector 3L w/2 Pin  Holes, Tiles, Ball Joint Plates, Corner Plates,

Bar Plates, Axle Plates, Brackets, Technic Double Pinhole Bricks, Clip

Brick, Pinhole Plates, Curved Slopes, Minifig Radio, Axle w/Stop, Pin

Connector 2L w/2 Pins & Center Hole, Axles, and Projectile Arrows.

Parts 3.  1x1 Technic Bricks, Turntable Bases, Hinge Brick Tops, Thick

Liftarm w/Axle & Pinhole, Angled Connectors, Bar Plates, Plates, Tiles,

Pin Connectors, New Headlight Bricks, Clip Plates, Hinge Plates, Hinge

Brick Bases, Axles, Angled Corner Tiles, Corner Tile, Large Cheese

Slope, Inverted Pinhole Plates, Round Tile, and Technic Ball Joints.

Parts 4.  Lightsaber Bar, Turntable Tops, Large Round Jumper, Plates, 

Axle/Pin, Thin Liftarms, Studless Slopes, Tile, Jumper, Pin/Pin

Connector, Axle/Pin Connector, Wand Bars, Round Plates, Hinge

Cylinder, Heart Tiles, Tile Clips, Brackets, Rounded Plates, Axle

Connectors, 1L Pin Connectors, Levers & Bases, and 3L Friction Pins.

Parts 5.  Plates, Tile Clips, Notched Axle, Pin, Friction Pins, Cheese

Slopes, Minifig Bucket Handles, Stud Shooter Triggers, Round Tiles,

1L Pin Connectors, Half Bushings, Round Plates, and Bar Clips.

Build.  Frame and 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? 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+).  While it has a lot of useful parts in Teal, you should be able to make a fair amount of functional builds from a set this big.