Random Mechs 26

I have the Monday morning blues, so here's some mecha to gawk at.

Interceptor by -SuspendedAnimation-.  Suspended
Animation always makes interesting builds.

Ultramarines Dreadnaught by Moriartus.  We don't get many
 40K builds in MFZ "scale".

Mobile Laborer ML-01 by vf_builds.  We're

hitting another franchise with this one.

Unit by _RH_.  There are some

really neat techniques in this build.

Lego microboT mk-III by Marco De Bon.

Lots of Hero Factory pieces mixed in here.

G1 Soundwave by Tom-Gerardin.  A little big,

but Soundwave was always one of the taller

Decepticons.  Also, no downloads available.

Build Journal: Alien Spiked Tree

I tend to experiment with pieces while sorting.  I'm always looking for new ways to use odd or non-standard size pieces in builds so that they don't end up sitting around in storage.  Any more than normal, that is.  One part I don't really use much is Tires.  I only have a few settings that use vehicles as scenery and I don't build that many vehicle-based Frames.

This started out as a tablescrap I built in July and kept around because it looked cool.  I think the Minifig Claw pieces came from a bunch of Dimensions sets I parted out.  Now, it has sixteen claws and a 37x18R Tire for a total of 17 which means it would take three Hits to destroy.  But, it's  under the Height Minimum for Cover so all it does is impede the progress of Frames without Green dice.





I set it aside because my group isn't meeting right now due to COVID 19 -- also because that's the majority of my Minifig Claw pieces -- and put it in my Terrain Bin.  Besides it being too short for Cover another thing that bothered me was that it was seventeen pieces.  I can be a little OCD at times.  Then, driving home from work the other night, it hit me.  I figured out a way of making it a full three Hits and making it tall enough to function as cover.

A 2x2 Round Brick will fit into the bore of that Tire and have almost enough contact friction to hold it in place.  A 3x3x2 Cone fits nicely under the Tire and brings it far enough off the ground that the top section now counts as Cover.  So now you have a piece of Cover that takes three Hits to bring under the height minimum.  What I was missing in my calculations was that anything underneath that third Brick minimum doesn't really matter.  Once the top section is destroyed it ceases to be Cover.

Size comparison.

Flickr page.

I hope this helps inspire people to look at parts

they have set aside as "unusable" in a new light.

Purity: Block Tech US35-0071/FB Robo Machines 2 Review

I found this in 5Below basically a year after the last review and it's taken me nine months to actually complete this review.  It has the same ID number despite having different parts, part counts, and number of parts bags.  It does have the same poor quality control -- see the parts 4 picture.

Box.  I paid $5.00 for this at 5 Below, this gives us a $0.03 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Plates, Axle Plates,
Brackets, Jumpers, Cheese
Graters, Tiles, and Studless Slopes.

Parts 2.  Wheels, Mudguard, Studless Slopes,
Cheese Slopes, Ball Joint Plates, Bracket, Clip
Plates, Jumper, Plates, Round Plates,
Transparent Studless Slopes, Minifig
 Gun, Minifig Helmet, and Minifig Head.

Parts 3.  Plates, Axle Plates, Corner
Plates, Bricks, Corrugated Bricks,
Brackets, Lampholders, Tiles,
Jumpers, and a Grille Tile.

Parts 4.  Mudguard, Brackets, Wheels, Ball
Joint Plates, Clip Plates, Round Tiles, Tiles,
Plates, Grille Tiles, Studless Slopes, Large
(Transparent) Cheese Slopes, Door Rail
Plates, Antenna, Minifig Head, Panel,
Minifig Helmet, and Minifig Gun.

Build.  Two Frames.

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 have the same reservations about this set that I did for the other one.  Plenty of good parts but poor quality control.

Purity: 77784 Top Blox Motorcycle Race Review

Another clone brick set that looked intriguing.  Unfortunately I can't seem to find any information on the manufacturer or a base price.

Box.  Dollar General had this for $8.00  This yields a $0.03 Price per Piece.  I paid $4.00 on sale for mine.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Rims, Tires, Plates, Bars w/Stop Ring, Slopes, Wedge Bricks, Mudguards, Printed Wedge Brick, Inverted Slopes, and Studless Slopes.

Parts 2.  Wedge Plates, Plates,
Plates w/Pinhole, Brackets,
Boat Slider, Round Tile, Inverted
 Slopes, Hinge Brick Bases,
Bricks, Tile, and Studless Slopes.

Parts 3.  Tiles, Technic #1 Connectors,
Bar Plates, Technic Pin Joiners,
Brackets, Hinge Brick Top, Taps, Minifig
Megaphones, Hinge Plates, Large Cheese Slopes (one transparent!), Lampholders, Technic Bricks, and New Headlight Bricks.

Parts 4.  Plates, Round Tiles,
Tooth Plates, Clip Tiles, Axles, Half Pins, Pins, New Headlight Bricks, Headlight Bricks, and Corner Plates.

Parts 5.  Grille Tiles, Plates, Round Plates,
Tiles, Technic Bushings, and Cheese Slopes.

Build.  Two Frames.
  

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+).  Technic, SNOT, and other fun bits.  All you have to do is hold your nose and go clone.  :-)

Purity: Cobi COB1621 Construction Bulldozer Review

I picked these sets up at the Hobby Bunker way back in February of 2018.

Box.  Original price was $18.99 for a $0.17 Price per Piece.  I paid
$6.00 for this at Hobby Bunker.  This yields a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

This was stamped inside the box.  I'm not
sure what it is, perhaps a mark of authenticity?

Minifig.

Parts 1.  Tires, Plates, and Tiles.

Parts 2.  Rims, Plates, Tiles w/Studs,
Bar Plates, and Round Plates.

Parts 3.  Plates, Brackets, Brick, Wedge Plates,
Corner Plates, Double Sided Plates, Levers &
Bases, Large Cheese Slopes, Open Truncated
Cones, Bars w/Angle, and Axle Tiles w/Studs.

Parts 4.  Tiles w/Studs, Plates, Textured
Engine Block, Hollow Slope, Jumpers,
Round Plate, Cheese Slopes, Studless
Slopes, Brick, and Pino Joiner w/Clip.

Build.  Battle Cart (2Ra+d8 (cannons) 2B (smoke canisters)).

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+).  I may have to track down more of these, it has some useful parts.

Purity: Cobi COB1423 Fire Rescue Vehicle Review

I picked these sets up at the Hobby Bunker way back in February of 2018.

Box.  Original price was $18.99 for a $0.17 Price per Piece.  I paid
$6.00 for this at Hobby Bunker.  This yields a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions and stickers.

This was stamped inside the
box.  I'm not sure what it is,
perhaps a mark of authenticity?

Minifig.  That is a fierce face.

Parts 1.  Tires, Plates, Windscreen, Tiles,
Hoses, and Minifig Steering Wheel Base.

Parts 2.  Plates, Bricks, Slopes, Headlight
Bricks, Double Sided Studs, Axle Plates,
Bumper Plate, Bracket, Minifig Steering
Wheel Top, and Hose Ends.

Parts 3.  Rims, Bricks, Plates, Corner
Plates, Axle Plates, Large Cheese
Slopes, Brackets, Round Plates,
Hollow Slopes, and String Reel Holder.

Parts 4.  Plates, Wedge Plates, Clip Plates, Pin Joiners, Headlight Bricks, Bricks, Rounded Cheese Slopes, Open Truncated Cones, Floodlight Glass, and Large Cheese Slopes.

Build.  Battle Cart.

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+).  The multiple Axle Plates gives lots of options for this set.

Purity: Cobi COB2113 Military Vehicle Delta Review

I picked these sets up at the Hobby Bunker way back in February of 2018.

Box.  Original price was $9.99 for a $0.17  Price per Piece.  I paid
$3.00 for this at Hobby Bunker.  This yields a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

This was stamped inside the box.
I'm not sure what it is, perhaps a
mark of authenticity?

Minifig.  It has a tiny nose.

Parts 1.  Rims, Tiles w/Studs, Plates, Axle Plates,
Round Plates, Brackets, Clip Plates, Bar Plate,
Minifig Guns, and Technic Connector w/Clip.

Parts 2.  Car Shell, Bricks, Tires, Plates,
Car Radiator, Hose Ends, Round Plates,
Minifig Pistol, and Minifig Binoculars.

Build.  Frame (2Rd/1Y/2W+SSR(x2)).

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+).  That shell piece just kills the entire set.

Purity: Block Tech US24-0018 Surface Explorer Review

I found this in the impulse buy section at the front of a Target store.

Box.  MSRP was $3.00 for a $0.03 Price per Piece

Instructions and parts list.

Minifig.

Parts 1.  Plates, Tiles, Tires, Bricks, Bricks w/
Studs on Side, Slopes, Slope w/Cutout, Plates
w/Pinholes, Rims, Inverted Slopes, and Liftarms.

Parts 2.  Studless Slope, Round Tiles, Textured Tile, Wedge Plates, Large Jumper, Jumpers, Plates, Technic Pins, Small Pin Joiner, Ball Joint Plates, Clip Plate, Travis Bricks, Round Brick, Minifig Binoculars, and Clip Tiles

Parts 3.  Technic Friction Pins, Grille
Tile, Tiles, Bar Joiners, Round
Plate, Round Tiles, Cones, Tap,
Bar Bars, Bar Clip, and Bar.

Build.  A Frame and a
4 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+).  This is a fun little set.  The only drawback I see is the lack of duplicates of some parts.