Friday, January 23, 2026

Review: Lazer Blocks US101-1966 Stegosaurus

Let's finish out the week with a Block Tech sub-line, Lazer Blocks.  I'm always looking for Translucent Green pieces to Color Tag Movement systems with so this should be a windfall for me.


Box.  MSRP is $6.00, for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.












Parts 1.  Translucent Plates, Translucent Brick, Translucent Wedge Plates, Translucent
Bar Plate, Translucent Clip Plate, Translucent Ball Joint Plates, Translucent Studless
Slopes, Translucent Brackets, Translucent Round Light Brick, and Translucent Tails.






Parts 2.  Translucent Wedge Plates, Translucent
Ball Joint Plates, Translucent Plates, Translucent
Large Cheese Slopes, Translucent Studless Slopes,
Translucent Lampholder, and Translucent Brackets.





Parts 3.  Translucent Tooth Plates, Translucent Rounded
Clip Plate, Translucent Cheese Slopes, Translucent
Brackets, Translucent Round Plates w/Petals, and Barbs.



Build 1.  Two IO Frigates, and a HVA.

Build 2.  Can't be built at the same time as Build 1.  Frame (2W) 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+).  I actually felt better about this set after putting together the second build.  It has plenty of good parts but the color balance might be off a little.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Review: Block Tech US101-0463 Block Succulents Green Spoon

This is from the third release of Block Tech's Block Succulents line.  It features some interesting pieces and I think it's still on Five Below shelves.


Box.  MSRP was $3.25
, for a $0.06 Price per Piece.

Instructions.














Parts 1.  Half Circle Plates w/Cutout, Round Bricks, Quarter Oval Plates, Dome
w/Bar, Octagonal Bar Plates, Curved Slopes w/Cutout, Plate, and Minifig Bucket.








Parts 2.  Round Plate, Round Large Jumper, Tiles, Tooth Plates, Headlight
Bricks, Cone, Travis Brick, U-Clips, Inkwell, and Apollo Stud.



Build.  Two Frames (2W), two Stations, and one 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?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  I'm a fan of this set -- I mean, look at what I managed to build with it -- but I feel like it needs a little bit more to be truly special.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Review: Block Tech US101-0927 Mount Up Cyber-Saurus Rex

This is from the fourth release of Block Tech's "Mount Up!" line that was released in early 2025.  I decided to review it because, say it with me now, "I needed some parts from it for some builds".


Box.  MSRP is $6.00, for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.








Minifig.






Parts 1.  The ubiquitous Weapons Sprue.












Parts 2.  Clip Plates, Tiles, Ball Joint Plates, Grille Tile, Plates,
Minifig Binoculars, Round Plates, Barbs, and Tooth Plates.







Parts 3.  Studless Slopes, Tiles, Bar Plate, Corner Plates, Plates, Ball Joint Plates, Tooth Plates, Wedge Plate, Exo-Force Arms, Bracket, and Bricks w/Studs on Corners.
 







Parts 4.  Quarter Circle Plates, Plates, Wedge Plates, Bar Plates,
Mudguard Plate, Ball Joint Plates, Large Ball Joint Bricks, Bricks,
Inverted Slopes, Studless Slopes, and Bricks w/Studs on Side.

Build.  Frame, Station, and two IO Frigates.
 
 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 haven't seen a bad "Mount Up" set yet.  I can't wait to really dig into these parts.

Friday, January 16, 2026

Review: 30727 Star Wars TIE Advanced Polybag

The new for 2026 polybags are starting to arrive.  It looks like paper packaging has finally made its way to the United States.  I found this one at Barnes & Noble.


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

Instructions.











Parts.  Half Circle Plate w/Cutout, Dishes, Plates, Translucent Plates, Bar
Plates, Double Inverted Slopes w/Cutout, Tiles, Large Jumpers, Slope, Wedge
Plates, Tiles w/Studs on Ends, Transparent Dish, Round Tiles, Clip Plates,
Brick w/Stud on Side, Corrugated Brick, Large Cheese Slopes, and Brackets.


Build 1.  Two Frames (2W) and a Station.  







Build 2.  Cannot be built at the same time
as Build 1.  Frame (2W) and a Station.







Build 3.  Cannot be built at the same time as
Build 1 and 2.  Set Build.  IO Frigate (2W).
Build 4.  Cannot be built at the same time as Build 1, 2, and 3.  IO Frigate (2W) and HVA.  You could turn the Frigate into a quad walker if you wanted too.

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, Ship-in-a-Bag, useful pieces, good parts count, this one's a winner.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Review: 30714 Orange Cat Polybag

The new for 2026 polybags are starting to arrive.  It looks like paper packaging has finally made its way to the United States.  I found this one at Walmart.


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

Instructions.











Parts.  Round Plate, Plates, Rounded Corner Plates, Wedge Plate, Round Brick,
Brick, Studless Slope,  Rounded Plates, Printed Tiles, Inverted Studless Slopes, Macaroni Bricks, Bricks w/Pinhole, Plate w/Bar on Bottom, Jumpers, Clip Plates,
Minifig Claws, Tiles, Apollo Studs, Double Curved Slopes, Stadium Tiles, Tooth Plates, Plates w/Pinhole, Friction Pins, Quarter Circle Tiles, Pneuma-Ts, Bracket, and Arch.


Build.  Frame (2W) 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+).  A Frame-in-a-Bag with a station and left-over parts.  Very nice.

Monday, January 12, 2026

Review: 30735 Technic Hot Rod Car Polybag

The new for 2026 polybags are starting to arrive.  It looks like paper packaging has finally made its way to the United States.  I found this one at Barnes & Noble.


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

Instructions.













Parts.  Liftarms, Tires, Axle/Pins,  Thin Quarter Ellipse Liftarms, Rims, Thin
L Liftarms, Axles, Perpendicular Split Axle/Pin Connectors, Crank Discs, Perpendicular Axle/Pin 3L Connectors, Perpendicular Axle/Pin Connectors, Thin Liftarms, Small Pistons, 3L Axle/Pins, 3/4 Pins, Friction Pins, 1/2 Pins, Bushings, Half Bushings, Transparent Round Plates, Grille Tiles, Plate, 12 Tooth Gears, Axle/Pin Connectors, Curved Panels, and Quadruple Axle/Pin Connector. 


Build.  IO Frigate (2Ras+d8) {Systems are Light Bley}.
 
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+).  As much as I like Technic pieces this is more of a parts pack then a starter kit.

Friday, January 9, 2026

Review: Brix FB64134-12 BBT Succulent Bonsai Tree

This weeks reviews are going to be a little different.  They all come from one "set".  Brix has already released Buildable Brix Trios as part of their Micro Brix line, now they're releasing them in standard brick size.


Box.  MSRP is $6.00
, for a $0.14 Price per Piece.



This is what the combined sets look like.







Instructions.




Parts.  Plate, 6x5 Leaf, 5x3 Leaves, Round
Bricks, Inverted Slopes, Corner Inverted
Slopes, Tiles, Round Plates w/5 Petals, Clip
Plates, Padlocks, Axles, Cheese Slopes w/
Stud, Angled Axle/Pin Connector, Corner
Tiles, and Round Plate w/3 Leaves.





Build.  Baby Groot frame (2W) and 2 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?  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?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +15 (A).  While this set has some useful parts and excellent terrain bits, I feel like it would be better attempting a Double Set Challenge when trying to build a Frame.