Lego Ideas 6

For some reason I'm able to get back into my Ideas account, after five years.  Let's get back to finding cool sets to support!

Dragon Designer -- Cool colors and tons of parts.

Martian City -- This would make for great nano-scale terrain.

Micro Worlds -- Might be cool as oversized Stations.

Mecha Dragon Statue -- Should have a ton of good parts.

Modular Knight's Castle -- Who doesn't want two castles as terrain for their game?

Baby Dragon Fortress -- More terrain and some fun bits.

Review: 76141 Thanos Mech

I found this in Kohl's after I went back for more Spider-Man Mech sets.  This is the third of three new sets for 2020 that feature "small" mecha for Marvel characters.

Box.  I paid $9.99 for this which gives a $0.07 Price per Piece.

Instructions and stickers.

Minifig.

Parts 1.  Cockpit Shell, Plates, Technic Plate, Slopes,
Inverted Tiles, Tiles, Ball Joints, Click Hinge Plate, Ingot,
Slopes w/Cutout, Clip Plates, Panel, Friction Pins,
Brackets, Printed Pentagonal Tile, and Technic Brick.

Parts 2.  Slopes, Axle Plate, Ball
Joint Plates, Bar Plate, Brackets,
Tiles, Exo-Force Arms, and Plates.

Parts 3.  Padlocks, Technic Plates, Inverted
Tiles, Round Tiles, Slopes, Plates, Bar
Plate, Dish, Ball Joints, Bar Studs, Round
Jumpers, Jumper, Headlight Bricks, 1x2x1.3 Rounded Brick,  and Clip Plates,

Build.  Two Frames 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+).  Just as good as the Iron Man mech, lots of Gold pieces.

Review: 76140 Iron Man Mech

I found this in Kohl's after going back to find more Spider-Man Mech sets.  This is the second of three new sets for 2020 that feature "small" mecha for Marvel characters.

Box.  I paid $9.99 for this which gives a $0.07 Price per Piece.

Instructions and stickers.

Minifig.  Like the Captain Marvel polybag, the
Power Blasts might make good greebles.

Parts 1.  Cockpit Shell, Inverted Slope, Technic

Plate, Axle Plate, Clip Plate, Inverted Tile, Plates, Studless Slopes, Ingot, Click Hinge Plate, Ball

 Joint Plates, Slopes w/Cutout, Technic Brick,

Triple Ball Joint, Panel, Printed Slope, Double 

Cheese Slope, Brackets, Tiles, and Friction Pins.

Parts 2.  Round Tiles, Technic Plates, Launcher(?), New Foot Bracket, Studless Slopes, Brackets, Inverted Tiles, Round Jumpers, Boat Sliders, Tiles, Ball Joint Plates, Axle w/Stop, Friction Pins, Axle/Pins, Quarter Round Tiles, Plates, Rounded Plates,  Slopes, Technic Connectors, Dishes, Cones, and Bar Ball Joints.

Parts 3.  Slopes, Brackets, Axle Plates, Ingots, Wedge Plates, Bar Plates, Plates, Round Tiles, Boat Sliders, Rounded Plates, Ball Joint Plates, and Exo-Force Arms.

Build.  Two Frames 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+).  Only two Frames this time but still as good.

The Road to PAX Unplugged 2020

The dates for PAX Unplugged 2020 have been released.  The con is 43 weeks away.  The reason I'm talking about this now is I want to run a tournament for Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack at this con.  I've talked about this with a fair amount of people and I know that Micah, Ed, Joe, Chris, Templeton, Hydromancer, Vlad, Pete, and Peter are all down for this.  That's three tables of three players each.  That would be more games and more people playing MFZ:RA in one place than I've ever seen before.  Wouldn't you like to get in on this?  Wouldn't you like to see our community on multiple tables in the Miniatures Area at PAX Unplugged?  Start planning now.  Let's make this happen!

Review: 30533 Ninjago Sam-X Polybag

I found this in Walmart.  It was supposed to be released last year and the community was chomping at the bit to get its hands on it.

Bag.  I paid $3.97 for this which gives a $0.07 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Ball Joint Plates, Axle Plates, Padlocks, Plates, Minifig Shuriken, Minifig Bucket Handles, Inverted Dome, Tires, Rims, Slopes, Jumpers, Tiles, Clip Plates, Corner Stud Bricks, New Headlight Bricks, Round Brick, Minifig Katanas, Brackets, Bar Claws, Bar Ball Joints, and Nipples.

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+).  A quick Frame with plenty of extra parts.

Clearance Season

It's my favorite time of year, Clearance Season.  Both Target and Walmart are moving older sets to Clearance to make room for new 2020 sets.  You never know what you're going to find.  Case in point, this is a new set and it's already being clearanced.

Good hunting.

Review: 75970 Overwatch Tracer vs. Widowmaker

I figured since this was going on Clearance I'd give it a review before it disappears off store shelves.

Box.  MSRP was $14.99 for a $0.12 Price per Piece.

Instructions & Stickers.

Minifigs.

Parts 1.  This was loose in the box.

Parts 2.  Printed 8x8 Dish, Bricks, Slopes, Grooved Bricks, Wedge Plates, Tails, Trans-Clear Round Brick, Panels, Pin Plates, Technic Connector, Container, Printed Slope, Hinge Brick Tops, and Window Brick.

Parts 3.  Wedge Plates, Plates, Tiles, Hinge Plates, Hinge Brick Bottoms, Wedge Slopes, Round Plates, Bar Plates, Nipples, Lightning Bolt, Hinge Brick Top, Clip Plate, Rounded Tiles, Overwatch Guns, Grappling Hook, Bracket, Printed Round Brick, and Bricks.

Parts 4.  Plates, Jumpers, Ingot, Slopes,

Technic Bricks, Bricks, Corrugated

Bricks, Lightsaber Hilts, and Minifig

Neck Brackets.

Build.  Two IO Frigates & an HVA
plus a one Hit piece of RA 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?  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+).  A good selection of parts hampered by the Star Wars tax.

Battle Report: Alien Planet 2

This was the first meet up of 2020 for the group.  We originally had enough players for two games -- with a 3 and 4 player split -- but one person had to drop out due to work concerns.  We ended up keeping the two game split though.  There's no battle report for the second game as I've tried keeping track of two games at once and even with someone taking notes and me taking pictures, the battle report for the second game never comes out as well as the first.  The table-settings used in both games had been used in at least six months so I felt it was time to give them some love again.

Me (5 Frames & 19 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (7 assets) = 49 points. (Goblins)

   Brown Armored Spotter -- 1B/1Gd8/2Y/2W + SSR.

   Lime Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Blue Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.

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

   Red Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/2B/1Gd8/2W.

PJ_Nichts (6 Frames & 22 Systems) = (4 Points per Asset) * (8 assets) = 32 points.  (mecha)
   Lime Warrior -- 2Rh/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Green Warrior -- 2Rh/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR (x2). 
   Red Heavy Assault -- 2Rd+d8/1B/1G/2W.
   Orange Heavy Assault -- 2Rd+d8/1B/1G/2W.
   Blue Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W.
   Yellow Spotter -- 1Gd8/2Y2W.

Tom (6 Frames & 24 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (8 assets) = 24 points.  (Construction Crew)
   Red Hammer -- 2Rd/2B/1Y/2W.
   Purple Hammer -- 2Rd/2B/1Y/2W.
   Orange Light Brawler -- 2Rh/2B/1Gd8/2W + SSR.
   Yellow Light Brawler -- 2Rh/2B/1Gd8/2W + SSR.
   White Light Brawler -- 2Rh/2B/1Gd8/2W + SSR.
   Robot (recon by fire) -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

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

Events of Turn 1 (DDC @ 11): My Yellow frame hits PJ Nicht's Yellow frame for 2 and the barrelbushes in front of it for 1.  My Red frame captures PJ Nicht's Station in the corner of the battlefield as PJ Nicht's Yellow frame jumps to his other Station on the side of the battlefield.  Tom's Robot hits PJ Nicht's Blue frame for 2.  My Red frame leaps from its starting point and clubs PJ Nicht's Yellow frame for 2, which does the Station Dance.  My Blue frame shuffles towards the center flowertree as Tom's Red frame hits it for 1.  Tom's White frame moves to the other side of a flowertree and hits PJ Nicht's Red frame for 1 with a SSR.  Tom's Orange frame does the same and also hits PJ Nicht's Red frame for 1 with a SSR.  PJ Nicht's Green frame recaptures his Station in the corner of the battlefield.  PJ Nicht's Orange frame hits my Red frame for 1.  My Lime frame moves up to the bladetrees and hits PJ Nicht's Blue frame for 4, which does the Station Dance leaving his Station on the side of the battlefield open for my Red frame to capture.

Me: 56 points.
PJ Nicht: 28 points.

Tom: 24 points.

Events of Turn 2 (DDC @ 8): Tom's Purple frame moves deeper into the battlefield and hits PJ Nicht's Red frame for 1 as it was acting as cover for PJ Nicht's Green frame.  My Red frame clubs PJ Nicht's Blue frame for 2, destroying it.  Tom's Orange frame saws my Blue frame for 2.  My Blue frame hits PJ Nicht's Red frame for 4, destroying it.  PJ Nicht's Green frame hits my Red frame for 2 with a SSR, it then does the Station Dance.  PJ Nicht's Yellow frame recaptures his Station.  Tom's White frame saws my Blue frame for 4, destroying it.  My Yellow frame moves closer to PJ Nicht's Station on the side of the battlefield then hits Tom's Orange frame for 3.

Me: 42 points.
PJ Nicht: 24 points.

Tom: 24 points.

Events of Turn 3 (DDC @ 6): My Red frame captures PJ Nicht's Station.  My Yellow frame hits Tom's Orange frame for 2.  My Lime frame hits PJ Nicht's Yellow frame for 4, destroying it.  My Yellow frame captures PJ Nicht's Station on the side of the battlefield.  PJ Nicht's Orange frame hits my Yellow frame for 2, which does the Station Dance.  PJ Nicht's Orange frame recaptures the Station on the side of the battlefield.  Tom's Yellow frame captures one of my Stations.  Tom's Purple frame hits my Brown frame for 2.

Me: 42 points.
Tom: 27 points.
PJ Nicht: 16 points.

Events of Turn 4 (DDC @ 3):  Tom's Yellow frame captures my second Station.  My Lime frame moves back to the bladetrees and hits Tom's White frame for 2.  Tom's White frame hits my Brown frame for 1.  Tom's Robot hits the wavegrass for 1 and my Brown frame for 2, destroying it.  My Yellow frame moves behind PJ Nicht's Station on the side of the battlefield and hits Tom's Orange for 1, which does the Station Dance.  PJ Nicht's Green frame closes in and claws my Red frame for 2, which does the Station dance.  PJ Nicht's Green frame recaptures his Station in the corner of the battlefield.  PJ Nicht's Orange frame hits my Red frame for 4, destroying it.

Tom: 30 points.

PJ Nicht: 20 points.

Me: 14 points.

Here are a few aftermath pictures.

The Robot

SSR Graveyard

Thoughts & Observations:

• I tried to make a deal with PJ Nicht to get through the game but I went back on my word, so that didn't end well.
• Honestly I should have made a deal with Tom and then carved up the board between us.
• We had two new players at this meet up but they weren't in this game.