Monday, January 30, 2023

Terrain & Scenery 23

I spent the day reading a new book, so here's a picture post for you to enjoy.


Shield Generator by ballomnonnom.  A bit big for a Station -- it's definitely
tall enough for Cover -- but pretty fantastic looking all the same

in this build are what fascinate me.  Disabled downloads.

Untitled by 4estFeller.  It would take only 1 Hit to reduce the center
piece under the Cover limit but if you have a lot of Translucent
Green Plates/Tiles then a bunch of "trees" that look like this
would make for an interesting table.  More disabled downloads.



are a little large and parts intensive than what might be
considered "normal" for MFZ:RA but they have a serious
sci-fi vibe thatnwould be cool on a gaming table.










I love the shaping on this.




The first three from this list came from this Flickr gallery.
The second three came from this Flickr gallery.

Friday, January 27, 2023

Review: 30509 Super Mario Yellow Yoshi's Fruit Tree Polybag

This is a polybag from 2022, it was supposedly a "Free With Purchase" from August/September at the Lego store.  I found this in the Lego aisle at one of my local Targets.


Bag.  MSRP is $4.99, for a $0.10 Price per Piece.

Instructions.














Parts.  Plates w/Rounded Corners & 4 Feet, Plates, Corner Curved Slope 2x2x1.3 
w/Recessed Stud, Round Tiles, Round Large Jumper, Stickered Round Tile, Stickered Tile,
Jumpers, Tile, Half Round Tiles, Dome Bottom, Plate w/Door Rail, Inverted Round Tile,
Round Tile w/Hole, Feet Plate, Brackets, Brick, Slopes, Bricks w/Studs on Side, Printed
Brick, Printed Curved Slope, Curved Slope, Technic Bricks w/Pinhole, Double Curved
Slopes, Triple Slope, Quarter Circle Tiles, Minifig Posing Stands, Pin Arms, and Butterfly.

Build.  Frame and Station -- or 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?  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?  No.  (-5)
Score: +5 (B+).  It has a handful of good parts but not much else.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Review: 30654 Star Wars X Wing Polybag

This is one of the new 2023 polybags.  I found this in the Lego aisle at Walmart.


Bag.  MSRP is $4.97, for a $0.06 Price per Piece.

Instructions.












Parts.  Wedge Plates, Studless Slopes, Lightsaber Hilts, Plates,
Jumpers, Grille Tiles, Ingots, Plates w/Pinhole, Clip Plates, Translucent 
Tiles, Translucent Cheese Slopes, Ball Joint Plates, Inverted Studless
Slope, Round Plates, 2x2 Plate w/Studs on Side, 2x3 Rounded
Plate,  Friction Pins, Bars, Minifig Ski Poles, and Round Bricks.




Build.  Two Frames (2Rd+d8/1G) 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+).  Frame-in-a-Bag-Plus!

Monday, January 23, 2023

Review: 60393 4x4 Fire Truck Rescue

I was originally going to do another new polybag but I noticed this new set at my local Lego Store and I figured I'd give it a shot especially as it has a decent price for a City set.


Box.  MSRP is $9.99, for a $0.10 Price per Piece.









Instructions.  I like the change from just re-using the box art.

Minifig.













Parts 1.  Loose in box.











Parts 2.  Windshield, Mudguard Plates, Brick, Container, Plates,
Race Car Grille Plate, Tiles, Hinge Plates, Printed Studless Slope,
Door Rail Plates, Studless Slopes, Round Plates w/3 Leaves, Panels,
Grille Tile, Clip Plate, 2/3 Bricks, Vehicle Axles w/Cutouts & Wheel
Holders, Rims, Brick w/ Studs on Side, Flames, 1x4x3 Bar Grille,
Transparent Quarter Circle Tiles, and Transparent Round Tiles.



Parts 3.  Triple Curve Wedge, Brick, Arches, "+" Plate, Tires,
Curved Plates, Vehicle Bases w/Suspensions, Large Jumpers,
Bar Tile, Bricks w/Clip, Inverted Slopes w/Cutout, Minifig
Fish, Minfig Steering Wheel, and Inverted Tile w/Bar Hole.




Build.  Battlecart (2Rd/1G) 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).  I like those Vehicle Base parts -- and it has a better PpP than the last set I reviewed with this part -- so I may just get more of these.

Friday, January 20, 2023

Battle Report: Stone Garden 2 @ Paper Asylum

Despite having an open invitation, this was the group's first trip back to the Paper Asylum since the end of 2021.  We had six players for our first game of the year but instead of one giant game we split into two smaller games.  I have the barest of notes on the other game because trying to keep track of two tables at the same time is a fool's errand.  I do have a handful of pictures though.  Both games were Battles.

Pete (5 Frames & 20 Systems) = (7 Points per Asset) * (7 assets) = 49 points.  (Fuzzy Pink Bunny Slippers)
   Blue Anvil -- 2Rd+d8/1B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Yellow Anvil -- 2Rd+d8/1B/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Orange Soldier -- 2Rd/1B/1G/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Lime Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.
   Red Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/2B/1Gd8/2W.

Me (6 Frames & 23 Systems) = (5 Points per Asset) * (8 assets) = 40 points.  (Conquistadors)
   Tan Watchtower -- 2B/1Gd8/2Y/2W + SSR.
   Red Watchtower -- 2B/1Gd8/2Y/2W + SSR.
   Yellow Watchtower -- 2B/1Gd8/2Y/2W + SSR.
   Blue Medium Artillerist -- 2Ra+d8/1B/2W.
   White Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/2B/1Gd8/2W.
   Brown Brawler -- 2Rh+d8/2B/1Gd8/2W.

Tom (7 Frames & 28 Systems) = (3 Points per Asset) * (9 assets) = 27 points.
   White Armored Swarmer -- 2Rh/2B/1Gd8/1Y/2W.
   Lime Armored Swarmer -- 2Rh/2B/1Gd8/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Grey Armored Swarmer -- 2Rh/2B/1Gd8/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Blue Armored Swarmer -- 2Rh/2B/1Gd8/1Y/2W + SSR.
   Orange Tank -- 2Rd+d8/2D/2W.
   Red Tank -- 2Rd+d8/2D/2W.
   Yellow Recon by Fire -- 2Ra+d8/2Y/2W.

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













Events of Round 1 (DDC@11): Pete's Blue frame hits Tom's Yellow frame for 1, Station Dance. Pete's Blue frame then slides from the "Old Man" mesa to the corner of the battlefield and captures my Red station. Tom's Blue frame steps towards his station in the corner of the battlefield and hits the medium sized mesa for 2 and Pete's Orange frame for 1.  Pete's Yellow frame slides slightly and hits Tom's Yellow frame for 1.  Pete's Lime frame hits Tom's Yellow frame for 2.  Tom's Orange frame steps out of the stack and hits my Brown frame for 2.  My Brown frame sprints forward and captures Pete's Yellow station.  Tom's Red frame steps in front of a very small mesa and hits my Brown frame for 1, Station Dance.  Pete's Red frame slides to the edge of the battlefield and captures my Blue station.  Tom's Lime frame steps forward and hits my Brown frame for 1.  Tom's White frame lopes forward and captures Pete's Blue station.


Pete:
 49 Points.
Me: 35 points.
Tom: 30 points.




Events of Round 2 (DDC @ 8): Pete's Lime frame hits Tom's Yellow frame for 1 then slides behind a small mesa.  Pete's Orange frame hits Tom's Yellow frame for 1, then slides to the corner of the battlefield and captures Tom's second Station.  My Tan frame hits Tom's Grey frame for 3 with a SSR then moves towards Pete's Yellow station.  Tom's Red frame keeps moving forwards and hits my Red frame for 2.  Tom's White frame saws my White frame for 5 and lopes towards Pete's frames.  My White frame then captures Pete's Blue station that was under Tom's control.  My Yellow frame hits Tom's Grey frame for 1 with a SSR then moves to Pete's Yellow station.


Pete:
 56 Points.
Me: 40 points.
Tom: 30 points.





Events of Round 3 (DDC @ 5): Pete's Lime frame hits Tom's Yellow frame for 1, destroying it, then slides along the edge of the battlefield towards the middle-edge of the table.  Tom's Blue frame saws Pete's Orange frame for 3.  Pete's Orange frame slides to the far side of a small mesa and hits Tom's Blue frame for 3.  Pete's Yellow frame hits Tom's Blue frame for 3, destroying it, then slides over to capture Tom's -- now unguarded -- Station by the big mesa.  My Brown frame steps forward and captures my Blue station that was under Pete's control.  Tom's Lime frame jumps over a couple of my Frames and saws my Brown frame for 2.  My Blue frame hits Pete's Orange frame for 1 then takes cover behind a very small mesa.  My White frame chops Tom's Lime frame for 2.


Pete:
 56 Points.
Me: 45 points.
Tom: 15 points.





Events of Round 4 (DDC @ 3): Pete's Lime frame hits my Brown frame for 5, destroying it, and keeps sliding along the edge of the battlefield.  Tom's Grey frame jumps over and frame kicks my Red frame for 3.  My Red frame retaliates and kicks Tom's Grey frame for 2, destroying it.  Tom's Red frame runs over and hits Pete's Lime frame for 3.  Tom's Orange frame also runs over and hits Pete's Lime frame for 2.  My Blue frame hits Pete's Orange frame for 4, destroying it.  The Doomsday Clock is ticked to zero.


Pete:
 49 Points.
Me: 40 points.
Tom: 12 points.












Here are several during and aftermath pictures.














Here's some bonus pictures from the other game.


















Thoughts & Observations:
  • This was a Battle.
  • I've had personal discussion about MFZ where I've mentioned losing the game during the Set-Up Phase.
  • Tom and I both made mistakes in the Set-Up Phase of this game.
  • I ended up where I wanted to be in the Initiative Order.
  • But my squad was also weighted too far towards defensive play.
  • I may have to write an analysis of this game for a future War College post.
  • I think I missed a couple of notes in the final Round.
  • Flickr page.

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Review: 30634 Friendship Flower Polybag

This is one of the new 2023 polybags.  I found this in the Seasonal section at Target after being alerted on the MFZ Discord by ChronosVulcan.


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

Instructions.














Parts.  Round Plates, Octagonal Bar Plate, Round Plate w/Cutout, Half Cylinder Bricks, Studless Slopes, Plates, Wedge Plates, 1x3 Quarter Circle Tiles, Cheese Slopes, Clip Plates, Quarter Circle Tiles, Bars, Candlesticks, Clip Claws, Dome, Inverted Cones, and Brick w/Studs on Corners.



Build.  Frame (2Rd+d8) 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 think this is better than last years' flower polybag and I liked that one.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Review: 30641 Panda Bear Polybag

This is one of the new 2023 polybags.  I found this in the Seasonal section at Target after being alerted on the MFZ Discord by ChronosVulcan.


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

Instructions.












Parts.  Round Plates, Plates, Triple Wedge Slope, Inverted Studless Slopes,
Grass Stems. Wedge Plates, Studless Slopes, Brick w/Studs on Sides,
2x2 Wedges, Tile w/Studs, Ball Joint Plates, Rounded Plates, Round Plates
w/3 Leaves, Clip Plates, Padlocks, Quarter Circle Tiles, Printed Round
Tiles, Double Curved Slopes, Bricks w/Stud on Side, Jumpers, and Bars.



Build.  1 Hit piece of Cover, or a Station, and a 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?  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 Extras.  Let's hope this doesn't disappear too fast.