Review: Brickcraft 72033BFS Bricktanicals Bluebonnet

Looks like we have a new entry to the brick built botanical sets "competition".  I found this the other day in Walmart.  Apparently there are more of them and the majority of the Brickcraft line is exclusive to Walmart.  Anyway.  This is the only set I found so let's give it a review and hope that there are more out there.

Box.  MSRP is $4.97, for a $0.05 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts 1.  Loose in Box.  Axle.

Parts 2.  Padlocks, Octagonal Bar Plates, Sword Leaves,

Bar Clips, 3L Axle Connectors, Bar W/Stop, Lightsaber Bar,

 Notched Axles, Axle Connector w/Clips, Bar Plates, Round

 Bricks, Axle, Round Large Jumpers, Bar Studs, Round

 Plates, Travis Brick, Cone, Tooth Plates, and Clip Claws.

 

Build.  Frame [2Rh+d8 (claws) 2B (maneuver jets) 1Gd8 (no ranged weapons)].

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.  A new part and pieces in colors Lego hasn't made yet is always something that will get my attention.

Review: 71805 Ninjago Jay's Mech Battle Pack

Another potentially useful set in what has proven to be a mecha heavy year for Lego.  I wasn't sure if I was going to review this but I really wanted those Gold Large Figure Armor Plates.

Box.  MSRP is $9.99, for a $0.13 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Minifigs.

Parts 1.  Cockpit, Cockpit Shell, Jagged Blade w/Axle Hole, Inverted Studless

Slope, Studless Slope, Curved Slopes w/Studs, Inverted Slopes, Brick w/Pinhole

& Plate, Large Figure Armor Plates, Cheese Graters, Rounded Plates, Ball Joint

Plates, Stud Shooters, Clip Plate, Cone, Ingots, Minifig Katanas, and Bar w/Stop.

 

Parts 2.  Ball Joint Plates, Vertical Clip Plates, Axle, Jumpers, Large

Cheese Slopes, Studless Slope w/Cutout, Printed Round Tile, Stud

Shooter Triggers, Tassels, Translucent Round Plates, and Friction Pins.

Build.  Frame, Tank Archetype (2Rd+d8/2B) with

spare Systems: Melee (2Rh) and Spotting (2Y).

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 price point isn't great but you can make a Frame with extra Systems so that evens it out a little.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 20

Finishing our nature walk, let's look at a one more Lego tree.  This one re-uses the Appendage, Bladed w/Pin and 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf of Thursday's build but it changes up the section where the leaves attach.

This tree starts with an Appendage, Bladed w/Pin for the trunk, into a 1x1 Cone, then a 2x2 Round Tile w/Open Stud -- or, as I call it, a Round Large Jumper -- then four Bricks w/Stud on Side, four 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf attached to those, then finishing off with a 2x2 Round Plate.  This gives us 2 Hits and is 29 feet tall, 17 feet across, and 23 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.  You could even top it off with a 2x2 Round Plate w/Rounded Bottom instead if you don't want to look at the underside of that regular Round Plate.

Here's the usual suspects for a size comparison.  I hope the different tree designs I've posted this week give people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 19

Continuing our nature walk, let's look at a couple more Lego trees.  This one re-uses the "four pieces around a Travis Brick" technique of Wednesday's build but is less garish and also uses the new 1x2 Round Plate w/Leaf that has a resemblance to a Palm frond.  

This tree starts with an Appendage, Bladed w/Pin for the trunk, into a

Travis Brick, with four 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf attached.  This makes it 1 Hit

and converts to 27 feet tall, 21 feet across, and 25 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.

You can expand this tree by adding a 1x1 Round Plate, another Travis Brick, and

 four additional 1x2 Round Plates w/Leaf.  This adds another Hit and changes the

dimensions to 29 feet tall, 22 feet across, and 27 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.  If

you want to add more Hits to this Cover you can add more of these layers but it will

need a bigger base than the one I made for it so it doesn't tip over on the table.

Here's the usual suspects for a size comparison.  I hope I've given

people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Terrain Workshop: Trees 18

Let's take another nature walk and see what kind of Lego trees we can find this week.  This first one will be an addition to my "Oasis" table-setting.  I made these after the last time we visited that battlefield but hopefully it won't be too long until get to see these in use.  I feel like these are kind of inspired by something I saw in a Lego set.

So it starts with a Dinosaur Tail End Section/Horn for the trunk, into a Travis Brick, with four 4x3 Plant Leaves attached.  This gives us 1 Hit and is 16 feet tall, 17 feet across, and 9 feet leaftip-to-leaftip in 6P scale.

They should make a nice compliment for these trees and help to keep pushing "Oasis" in a sci-fi direction.  I hope I've given people ideas or techniques to use in their terrain builds.  Flickr Page.

Review: 30680 Star Wars AAT Polybag

I know we're barely into 2024 but I was somewhat surprised to find two new poybags at Barnes & Noble.  This one is quite different from Wednesday's review though.

Bag.  MSRP is $4.99, for a $0.07 Price per Piece.

Instructions.

Parts.  Dish, Plates, Wedge Plates, Round Tiles, Quarter Circle Curved Slopes, Arches, Curved Slopes w/Cutout, Bricks w/Stud on Side, Brackets, Slopes, Cones, Studless Slopes, Turntable Base, turntable Top, Double Curved Slopes, Boat Sliders, Minifig Hose Nozzles, Bar Plates, Plate w/Pinhole, Clip Plates, Rounded Plates, and Bar w/Stop.

Free Build.  IO Frigate (2Rs/2Y). 

 Set Build.  2Ra/1B/2Y.

Size Comparison 1. 

Size Comparison 2.  As you can see it pushes the edges of "The Box" but is somewhere between a Chub and a Classic in height.  

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.  I think a squad of these wouldn't look out of place on any gaming table.

Review: 30682 Technic NASA Mars Rover Perseverance Polybag

I know we're barely into 2024 but I was somewhat surprised to find two new poybags at Barnes & Noble.

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

Instructions.

Parts.  Wheels, Round Bricks, "L" Liftarms, Split Axle/Pin Connectors, Offset Axle

Pin Connectors, Bricks w/Axle hole, Axle Connectors, Bars, Thin Liftarms, Axle/Pin

Connectors, Axles, Gear, Link, Axle Connectors, Pins, Axle/Pins, Long Axle/Pins,

Axle w/Stop, Friction Pins, Bar Clips, Small Thin Liftarms, Rounded Plate, Axle/Ball

Joint, Bars w/Stop, Axle/Pin Connectors, Triple Axle/Pin Connectors, Corner Axle/

Pin Connectors, Pin Connector w/Bar, Worm Gear, and Axle/Pin Connector.

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+).  Plenty of useful parts at an excellent Price point.  Unless you're used to building with Technic this set may be a bit difficult for people to handle though.

Terrain Workshop: Alien Plants 4

While it seems like I skipped a number there is a third Alien Plant.  It was posted to Flickr rather than here and maybe I'll do a breakdown at some point in the future.  Digging back into the "Alien Plant" territory -- pardon the pun -- for another build, the main driver for this creation was the 2x2 Dome Bottom -- along with a fun inversion technique.  Working downward from there, you combine it with a 2x2 Round Tile w/Hole, a Friction Pin, another 2x2 Round Tile w/Hole, another 2x2 Round Dome, then stack it on a 1x1 Round Brick for a 1 Hit piece of Cover.  I also feel like it sort of reminds me of an inverted Bowling Pin.  Which could make it fun Cover for a "shooting gallery" type of table-setting.

The fun thing about these pieces -- like a prior Terrain Workshop -- is they come in a number of colors which allows you to make multiple combinations. Flexing fictional muscles again allows us to make fun explanations as to why these combos exist, like just sprouted, under-ripe, ripe, and over-ripe (from left to right). Placing all of these on a plate in a line gives you a wall of sorts.

You can make a taller version by starting with two 1x1 Round

Bricks, a 2x2 Dome Bottom, a 2x2 Round Tile w/Hole, a

2x2 Round Tile w/Stud, then another 2x2 Round Dome.  This

one is still 1 Hit but it changes the height in 6P scale to 14 feet.

This version looks like the nosecone of a rocket to me.  It starts with

a 2x2x2 Cone, a 2x2 Dome Bottom, a 2x2 Round Tile w/hole, a

Friction Axle Pin, a Truncated Cone, and finishes with a 1x1 Cone.  

This one is still 1 Hit but it changes the height in 6P scale to 16 feet.

It definitely has a more mechanical look than the prior versions.

Here's a look at all the ones I've built so far.  Like I mentioned earlier, having the main parts in multiple colors allows this build to be multi-dimensional.

In 6P scale these are 11ish feet tall and 5 feet wide.  As you can see from

the usual suspects in the size comparison picture they are a decent size.

I'll probably be adding these to my Sci-Fi Outpost table-setting too. I

hope this helps people with future terrain designs for MFZ: Rapid Attack.

Flickr page.

Review: Mini Dino 2212A-6 Pterodactyl

I found these in Philadelphia at the Ebisu store during PAX Unplugged.  There doesn't seem to be much information available about them online.  At least on English language websites.  I'm not sure who even manufactures these.

Box.  MSRP is $3.99, for a $0.05 Price per Piece.  As you can see, the

box resembles a Lego brick.  If you're curious, they do actually stack.

Instructions & Stickers.

Parts 1.  Inverted Studless Slopes, Round Tiles, Bar Plates,

Studless Slope, Round Large Jumpers, Tooth Plates, Ball Joint

Plates, Clip Plates, Padlocks, Ingot, Wedge Studless Slopes,

Large Cheese Slope, Curved Slope, Bar Bar Holder, and Tail.

Parts 2.  Plates, Wedge Plates, Jumpers, Corner Plates, Studless Slopes,

 Cheese Slopes, Tile, Quarter Circle Tiles, Clip Tile, Inverted Slopes, Bricks

 w/Stud on Side, Hinge Brick Base, Hinge Brick Top, and Plant Stem.

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+).  Once again, another good set but single instances of useful parts is annoying.

Review: Mini Dino 2212A-4 Triceratops

I found these in Philadelphia at the Ebisu store during PAX Unplugged.  There doesn't seem to be much information available about them online.  At least on English language websites.  I'm not sure who even manufactures these.

Box.  MSRP is $3.99, for a $0.05 Price per Piece.  As you can see, the

box resembles a Lego brick.  If you're curious, they do actually stack.

Instructions & Stickers.

Parts 1.  Plates, Wedge Plates, Bar Plate, Tile, Jumpers, Brick,

Slopes, Studless Slopes, Cheese Slopes, and Round Plates.

Parts 2.  Half Circle Plate w/Cutout, Studless Slopes, Inverted Studless Slopes, Wedge Plates, Round Tiles, Rounded Plates, Round Large Jumpers, Clip Plate, Triple Slopes, Inverted Slopes, Hinge Brick Base, Hinge Brick Top, Bricks w/Stud on Side, Cones, Padlock, Ingot, Cheese Slope w/Stud, and Plant Stem.

Build.  IO Frigate (2Rs/2B).  Systems in White.

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+).  Another good set.  The single Padlock and Modified Cheese Slope are a little disappointing though.

Review: Mini Dino 2212A-2 Spinosaurus

I found these in Philadelphia at the Ebisu store during PAX Unplugged.  There doesn't seem to be much information available about them online.  At least on English language websites.  I'm not sure who even manufactures these.

Box.  MSRP is $3.99, for a $0.05 Price per Piece.  As you can see, the

box resembles a Lego brick.  If you're curious, they do actually stack.

Instructions & Stickers.

 Parts 1?  This is the base of the case.  Which is pretty

 interesting because it's a transition from large Duplo style

 anti-studs on the bottom to regular system size studs on top.

Parts 2.  Plate, Round Large Jumpers, Round Tiles, Studless Slopes, Inverted

Studless Slopes, Clip Plates, Tooth Plates, Ingot, Rounded Plates,

Large Cheese Slopes, Padlocks, Clip Bar Holders, Curved Bricks

w/Cutout, Inverted Slopes, Bricks w/Stud on Side, and Plant Stem.

Parts 3.  Plates, Jumpers, and Cheese Slopes.

Build.  Basic 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+).  I like the parts, the colors, and the price but, I feel like you'll need two of these to make something really good.