Review: 75132 Star Wars First Order Battle Pack

After a bit of searching last night, I grabbed this from the backlog pile .

Box.  MSRP was $12.99 for a $0.15 Price per Piece

Instructions.

Minifigs.  The Black helmet could
look really good as the head of
one of my Generic frames.

Parts 1.  Plates, Slopes, Hinge Plate, Turntable Base, Flags, Studless
 Slopes, Stud Shooter, Brackets,
Bar Plates, Panels, and Bricks.

Parts 2.  Hinge Brick, Tiles, Turntable
Top, Plates, 3L Friction Pin, Printed
Tile, Round Plates, Stud Shooter
Triggers, Mod. Plate w/Pin Hole
(inverted), and Technic Bricks.

Build.  A 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?  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+).  Good if you like Minifigs -- and maybe Stud shooters -- but not much else.

Review: 75033 Star Wars Microfighter Series 1 Star Destroyer

I dug into my backlog again for today's review, all the way back to the start of the Microfighter line for the final set in the first series.

Box.  MSRP was $9.99 for a $0.10 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifig.

Parts 1.  Slopes, Plates, Wedge Plates, Brackets, Tile,
Technic Bricks, Inverted Slopes, Brick, Mod. Plates w/
Pin Hole, Mod. Plates w/Door Rail, and Mod. Tiles w/Pins.

Parts 2.  Round Plates, Dishes, Lampholders, Jumpers, Tiles,
Grille Tiles, Plates, Cheese Slopes, Large cheese Slopes,
Flick Missiles, Cones, Minifig Blaster, and Technic Brick.

Build.  Two bare bones 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?  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).  A higher parts count brings up the score for this set.

Build Journal: Quadcast 2

Jumping back to my Quadcast design, I'm sticking to the inverted version but adding a new part to the mix.  The Axle/Wire Connector can be found in the new Spike sets and makes a pretty good looking claw/toe piece.















I've also expanded on the torso, adding a "face", and added more connection points for Attachments.

Here is my usual size comparison shot.                                                    This isn't the idea I mentioned in the prior post.

Flickr page.

Purity: Laser Pegs 18003 Mars Shuttle Review

Back when I reviewed the Mars Explorer a number of the TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Homegoods stores had this line in stock.  I'm always a sucker for clone bricks and possible interesting transparent parts makes for more potential fun.

Box.  MSRP was $49.99.  Original Price per Piece was $0.18.
I paid $8.00 for this which gives a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions and stickers.

Minifigs.  These have knees!

Parts 1.  Light Brick and
the Axle activators.

Parts 2. 4x4 Round Light
Bricks, and 2x4 Light Brick.

Parts 3.  Canopy, Plates, Studless Slopes, and Bricks.

Parts 4.  Orange Boat Sliders!  Kre-O Mod. Brick/Round Brick, Base & Lever, Plates, Round Plates, and Technic Pins.

Parts 5.  Ball Joint Plates, Studless Slopes,
Plates, Round Tiles, and Bricks. I know the
Translucent White pieces are hard to see.

Parts 6.  Plates, Clip Plates, Bricks, Technic Bricks, Bracket Bricks, 1x1x2 Bricks, Round Tiles, Rounded Large Cheese Slopes, Tiles, Grille Tiles, Bar Plates, and Corner Plates.

Parts 7.  Slopes, Round Plate, Plates, Inverted Slopes, and Bricks, 

Parts 8.  Panels, Plates, and Bricks.

Build.  1 Hit piece of Cover,
a (2Rd+d8/1Y) Frame,
and three Stations.

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+).  There are some really cool parts in this set.  At the clearance price the score would be +20 (A+).

Review: 70330 Nexo Knights Ultimate Clay

Digging into the backlog for another small set nets us a Nexo Knights Ultimate set.

Box.  MSRP was $9.99.  Original Price per Piece was $0.14.
I paid $6.98 for this which gives a $0.10 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifig.

Parts 1.  Dish, Angled Plates,
Plates, Wedge Plates, Flames,
 Printed Pentagonal Tiles, Ball
Joint Plates, and a Brick.

Parts 2.  Large Jumpers, Hinge Bricks, Jumpers, Ball Joint Plates, Ball Joint
Pins, Bar Plate (open end), Large Cheese Slopes, Plates, Grille Tiles, Clip
Plates, Apollo Studs, Half Pins, Clip Bars, Gem, Pneuma-Ts, Pin Connectors,
Lightsaber Hilts, Printed Pentagonal Tile, Sword Blades, and Exo-Force Arm.

Build.  A Melee (2Rh+d8) frame.

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+).  There are some really cool parts in this set.  At the clearance price the score would be +15 (A).

Purity: Best Lock 3 in 1 Review

I picked this up at the Dollar Tree a while back.  It's been mentioned on the Facebook page a couple of times So I figured I'd review it.

Box.  I paid $1.00 for 71 pieces, for a $0.01 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Studless Slopes, Turntables,
Axle Plates, Plate, Bar Plate, Click
Hinge Plates, Panels, Lampholders,
Headlight Bricks, Round Bricks,
and Rocket Fin Bricks.

Parts 2.  Plates, Wedge Plates,
Click Hinge Plates, Grille Tile,
Jumper, Clip Plates, Wheels,
Bracket, Cheese Slopes, Clip
Tiles, Tiles, Bars, and Cones.

Build.  Two Frames, and there were a fair amount of leftover parts.

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 good parts but the color selection is a bit iffy.

Review: 10707 Red Creativity Box

Jumping into the wayback machine again, we find this set from 2017 waiting for a review.

Box.  I paid $4.99, for a $0.09 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1. Studless Slopes, Bricks, Slopes, Bricks w/Studs on Side, Wedge Plates, Plates, Panel,
Rims, and Printed Round Tiles.

Parts 2.  Plates, Arch Bricks, Propellor, Axle Plates, Pin Brick, Tires,
Brick, Slopes, and Panel.

Build.  A Station, a Frame, and 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?  Yes.  (+5)
Score: +20 (A+).  A good set but, it's not wowing me.

Purity: Mega Bloks GCN19 Slashing Scyther Review

I picked up this set recently at Target.  It was on clearance for 30% off.

Box.  MSRP is $19.99 for a $0.11 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Wings, Scythes, Head, Torso,
and Foot pieces, Part of the Pokeball,
Multi-Directional Brackets, Ball Joint
Round Plates, and Claws/Barbs.

Parts 2.  Slopes, Wedge Plates, Angled
Plate, Plates, Round Bricks, Brick, Hinge
Plates, Brackets, Semi-Circle Bricks,
Pentagonal Bricks, and a Studless Slope.

Parts 3.  Plates, Double Sided Plates,
Slope w/Cutout, Round Plate w/Bar, Plate
w/Bar Holder, Round Plates, Curved 1x1
Slopes, Bar Holders, Bars, Bar/Bar Holders,
and Double Sided Round Plates.

Parts 4. Domes, Leaves, Ball Joint
Plates, Bar/Ball Joints, Studless Slopes,
Half Circle Plates, Double Sided Half Circle Plates, Double Sided Half Circle Ball Joint Plates, and Double Sided Round Bricks. 

Parts 5.  Turntable, Large Jumper, Quarter Circle Tiles, Wedge Studless Slopes, Jumper, Plates, Large Cheese Slopes, Pentagonal Tiles, Headlight Bricks, Round Bricks, Half Circle Tiles, Round Plates, Bent Bars, and Slopes w/Cutouts.

Build.  A haphazard Frame -- my creativity deserted me while I was trying to build something --  and two pieces of 1 Hit 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+).  This set has a bunch of interesting parts, it really deserves a re-visit sometime when my creativity is actually engaged.