Review: Brickcraft 72609BFS D.I.Y Egg

Brickcraft is debuting some new sets for Easter this year.  They still have the Peeps sets but they have a bunch of new sets this time around.  This one seems to be a, smaller, riff on Lego's Decorative Easter Egg.

Box.  MSRP is $6.99 for a $0.08 Price per Piece.  I paid $4.97 at Walmart for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Plates, Bricks w/Studs on Side, Corner Bricks, Truncated Cone, Corner

Plates, Studless Slopes, Large Cheese Slopes, Double Sided Plates, Heart Tiles,

Round Tiles, Stadium Tiles, Quarter Circle Tiles, and Bricks w/Stud on Side.

Build.  Frame (2W), 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?  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 all the Aqua, and the 3x4 Plates are interesting.  It's not conventional but it should add a splash of color to your regular choices.

Review: Brickcraft 72603BFS Bricktanicals Hyacinth

Brickcraft is debuting some new sets for Easter this year.  They still have the Peeps sets but they have a bunch of new sets this time around.  I was really intrigued by the Pink pieces at the core of this build so I bought the set.

Box.  MSRP is $5.99 for a $0.06 Price per Piece.  I paid $4.97 at Walmart for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  X by Y Leaf w/Ball Joint, Axle.

Parts 2.  Weapon Holder Rings, Axle Connectors, Flower

w/Bar, Round Bricks, Axle Connector w/Ball Joint, Cones,

Minifig Banana Peels, Stem w/Bar & 3 Leaves, Bar,

Apollo Studs, Inverted Tile Clips, Bar w/Stop, and Axles.

Build.  1 Hit piece of Cover and Frame (2W).

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 the build is disappointing, this set will make a great parts pack with those Weapon Holder Rings and Ball Joint Axle Connectors.

Review: Brickcraft 72607BFS Bricktanicals Blue Sunflower in Picket Fence Pot

Brickcraft is debuting some new sets for Easter this year.  They still have the Peeps sets but they have a bunch of new sets this time around.  I was really intrigued by the Pink pieces at the core of this build so I bought the set.

Box.  MSRP is $13.99 for a $0.07 Price per Piece.  I paid $9.97 at Walmart for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Notched Round Plate, Round Plate, Plates, Bricks w/Studs

on Side, Inverted Tiles, Round Bricks, Studless Slopes, Bricks

w/Studs on Corners, Axle, Brick, and Curved Slopes w/Cutout.

Parts 2.  Round Plates, Large Steering Wheel, Octagonal Bar Plates,

2x2x2 Round Bricks, Eggs, 7x4 Leaves w/Clip, Axles, 4x2 Leaves w/Clip,

2x2 Round Bricks, Half 2x2 Round Brick w/45 Deg. Bend, Clip Plates,

Round Tile w/Pinhole, Round Plates w/3 Leaves, and 2L Notched Axle.

Parts 3.  Tiles w/Studs on Edge, Large Stadium Tiles, Round Plates,

Corner Plates, Plates, Large Hinge Brick Tops, Brackets, Large Cheese

Slopes, Hinge Brick Bases, Cheese Slopes w/Stud on Slope, and Tiles.

Build.  Two Frames (2W), 1 Hit

piece of Cover, and a 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+).  Two Frames, a Station, Cover, and tons of extra pieces leftover.  Yes, please!

Review: Make-It Blocks Block Rabbit

Easter is coming up soon and Make-It Blocks is debuting some new sets.  I think.  The Block Chick from last year is back.  I'm not sure if I missed this one last year or if it's new but I'm reviewing it anyway.

Box.  MSRP is $1.50 for a $0.02 Price per Piece

Instructions & Stickers.

Parts 1.  Bricks, Plates, Tiles, Corner Tile, Studless Slopes,

Brackets, Curved Slopes w/Cutout, and Bricks w/Stud on Side.

Parts 2.  Plates, Jumpers, Padlocks, Studless Slopes, Round Plates w/Clips,

Round Tiles, Stadium Tile, Brackets, Clip Tiles, and Headlight Bricks.

Build.  Frame (2W) and 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 like it but, I feel like you'll need two of them to make something substantial.

Review: Brickcraft 72065BFS Bricktanicals Bluebonnet Polybag

I found this the other day in Ocean State Job Lots.  I swear someone mentioned it on the Discord way back when but I can't find any trace of it.  The parts count makes it look like it's the same as the boxed version.  Let's see.

Bag.  MSRP was $5.99, for a $0.06 Price per Piece.  I paid $1.99, for a $0.02 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Loose in bag.   Axle.

Parts 2.  Sword Leaves, Octagonal Bar Plates, Clip Claws, Bar Clips, Bar w/

Stop, 3L Axle Connectors, Lightsaber Bar, Round Large Jumpers, Round

Plates, Notched Axles, Bar Plates, Padlocks, Tooth Plates, Bar Studs,

Axle, Round Bricks, Cone, Axle Connector w/Clips, and Travis Brick.

Build.  Frames (2W) and 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+).  It's the same as the previous version just available at a cheaper price.  I'm not seeing any downsides.

Review: Snap & Switch 64186 Stray The Guardian

I was in one of my local Five Below stores the other day and they had some new sets on the shelves.  I bought a few but this is the one that caught my eye because it has several Ball Joint pieces in colors you don't find in Lego.  I've seen other sets from this IP but I have no idea what it is.  Also, "Snap & Switch" seems to be another sub-line of Well Played.

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

Instructions & Stickers.

Parts 1.  Dish, Plates, Plates w/Cutout, Wedge

Plate, Brick, and Bricks w/Studs on Side.

Parts 2.  Wedge Plates, Tiles, Plates, 8L Bars w/Stop Rings & Pin,

Studless Slopes, Bricks, Brackets, Round Brick, Bricks w/Studs

on Side, Bricks w/Pinhole, Inverted Slopes, and Ball Joint Plates.

Parts 3.  Round Tiles, Tiles, Bar Plates, Ball Joint Plates, Plates, Large

Cheese Slopes, Brackets, 1.5L Bar, 1x1x2/3 Double Anti-Stud Bricks, Bar

Studs, Padlocks, Half Pins, Round Plates w/Ball Joint, and Bar Clips.

Build.  Frame (2W), Station,

and Micro-Frame (2W).

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+). Ball Joint Plates in non-standard colors, Technic Ski Poles, and plenty of Bar Clips make this interesting.  I'm going to need another one just to have matching numbers of parts in certain colors though.

Terrain Workshop: Lesser Pirate Palm

Wanting to use the Triple Pin/Axle Connector in a more "normal" build, I came up with the following idea.  This doesn't have much in common with the original Pirate Palm beyond the 6x5 Swordleaf w/Clip piece.

Inserted into the ends of the Triple Axle/Pin Connector are three

2L Bars w/Stop Ring, attached to those are three 6x5 Swordleaves w/Clip.

That assembly is placed onto a 1L Axle/2L Pin w/Friction Ridges

which is plugged into a Smooth 2L Axle Connector which is attached

to another Smooth 2L Axle Connector by a Notched Axle.  The stack

is topped off with a 1x1 Round Brick.  This is a total of twelve pieces

which is 2 Hits.  It's 26 feet tall and 16 feet wide in 6P Scale.

I'm calling it a "Lesser Pirate Palm" because it only uses three Swordleaf pieces as opposed to the four of the original.  The trunk is also shorter in this design.  When I first built this I had the leaves pointing at the ground.  But I discovered that it looked so much better the other way around.  I hope this gives people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr page.