LEGO Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 76080 Ayesha's Revenge: My Thoughts

This was probably my most anticipated Guardian's of the Galaxy set simply due to the new Yondu minifigure. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the rest of this set. It contains 323 pieces and costs £30/$30 which is a very respectable prise. It also contains 3/4 minifigures (If you count Baby Groot) and all of which are exclusive; Yondu, Star Lord, Ayesh and Baby Groot in his ravaged outfit. I think Star Lord is probably the weakest as he is very similar to the version we saw in the 2014 sets. Despite this he still has a decent jacket print and jet pack build so I cannot complain too much. Ayesha looks great with the gold head and hair and the rest of her is adequately printed. Yondu, however, looks fantastic. His new fin piece looks very cool and the face printing is pretty accurate to the film.

There are 3 main builds in this set; the mining ship, the Sovereign ship and a little portion of the planet on which the Guardians face off their final battle. First off, the mining ship is what takes up most of the piece count and I think it looks very good. It is pretty accurate (if scaled down) to the real thing in the movie. The two printed dish pieces on either side look great and the overall shape is something I haven't seen before. The two dishes at either side open to reveal a storage unit, a fire extinguisher and a wrench which are small yet welcome additions. Another thing that I think is unique about this model is how you load a minifigure into this. Instead of opening the cockpit like you normally would, you have to slide out the main bulk of the model to reveal a gap to put the minifigure into. I think this is a wise choice as you do not need any connector for the cockpit which makes the overall thing look cleaner. My only qualm with this model is the spring-loaded shooter which seems a little clumsily attached but it can easily be removed so this doesn't bother me too much.

Ayesha's remote-controlled drone is the smaller ship in this model but I do not think this at all hinders it. It continues the cool gold colour scheme and has some cool shaping to make it look sleek. There is a stud shooter on either side which adds a nice bit of extra play value. Although this build is simple, I think it appropriately displays the vehicle we see in the movie. Finally, the section of planet adds a nice bit of context and scenery to this set which is nice. Despite being simple and small, this build has a very fun play feature that I think is very well hidden. If you push down on the red stud, it will pop up the little bit on the top. The idea is to put Ayesha on this piece and then utilise the feature, flinging her into the air and "defeating" her.

Overall, I think this is a fantastic set that lived up to my expectations. The builds are all very aesthetically pleasing and also are very accurate to the movie. However, the highlight for me are the minifigures. Yondu and Baby Groot are my personal favourites but Ayesha and Star Lord are also very good. If you enjoyed the movie then I would definitely recommen this set to you as it is great value and a great set in general.

LEGO Spider Man Homecoming 2017 Sets: My Thoughts

Starring Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Homecoming is the latest MCU film releasing this summer. To coincide with this blockbuster, LEGO have revealed two sets that tie in to this film. These are ATM Heist Battle and Beware the Vulture. My opinions of these sets are not yet definite since they have not released but, from these images, I am going to say what I think about these two sets.

First of all, let's start with the smaller of the two; ATM Heist Battle. This contains 185 Pieces and 3 Minifigures. To start off with, this is the cheapest way to get the new Spider-Man minifigure which is fantastic and has great detailing on the arms, legs, head and torso. The two other minifigures included with this set are also cool. They are two bank robbers but with Avengers-themed masks on. Although they are not necessarily vital characters to the plot (as far as I know yet) they are still a nice inclusion as the Hulk and Captain America are quite nice to get.

The build I think is good but not great. It is relatively simple bank build as you would expect from a set with 185 pieces but it doesn't really have anything special about it. One thing that is nice is the amount of play features in such a simple set. You can break the window down, steal the ATM from the bank and open it up to reveal the money. It is nice to get some play-value in a set of this size and because of this I can see this appealing to younger children. Despite that, I think this is an overall decent set. The minifigures are pretty good and the build is also relatively good. I will probably be getting this when it releases this summer

The other set releasing in this wave is Beware the Vulture and it contains 375 Pieces. Firstly, the minifigure selection is fantastic in this set. We get the new Vulture minifigure, the Shocker, Iron Man in his new suit and Spider-Man. Although Spidey is the same version as in the cheaper set, the rest of the line up is fantastic. I love the use of the new Iron Man helmet on Vulture and I think he looks great in general. The Shocker is also a nice (if obscure) inclusion and the new Iron Man suit is a fresh  look. I honestly think the minifigures are going to be what sells this set to a lot of people as they do not disappoint.

Despite the minifigures being the Stars of this show, I also think the build(s) look great. The truck looks pretty standard and the stud shooter in the back adds a bit of fun value. However, my favourite part is Vulture's jet pack-thing that we see him using in the trailer. Although it is a little oversized, I think the use of the shield pieces to create that sharp look at the front is very clever. Overall, this set is the stand-out for me and is one I will definitely be looking forward to.

In conclusion, I think this short line is a very strong one. My only issue is the fact that it is so short. I wish they would release 3 or 4 sets like they would normally or at least for one of the sets to be a larger one. Although these two sets are fantastic, I am just left wanting more as I feel there was more, even from the trailer, that could have been set-material and we just haven't seen that yet

LEGO® 71244 Sonic The Hedgehog Level Pack: My Honest Opinion

The Sonic Pack in wave 7 of LEGO Dimensions is perhaps the most anticipated and for good reason. It is the first time we have seen the hedgehog in minifigure form and I must say I hope it's not the last. The minifigure himself looks incredible. The print is simple but rightly so and the head mould is incredible. He is useful in-game aswell as he's the first super-speed character but also has the ability of agility. On top of this, a level is included hence the name and this is a great blend of classic sonic and Lego gameplay.p that stars some more classic characters. Also, the Sonic adventure world is unlocked with this pack. I think that, from first impressions, this is great with both classic Sonic art and gameplay.

The builds for this set are the Sonic Speedster and The Tornado. I think that both look great but especially the Sonic Speedster as I feel that the sleek style has really been captured in a small model. This can be rebuilt into Blue Typhoon and the Motobug. I think both look a bit clumsy but this is expected with re-builds. I prefer the motobug out of the two because it contains a lot of goofy character. The Typhoon also looks nice and can be rebuilt into Crabmeat and Eggcatcher.

Overall, I think this is a very strong pack. The physical items look great but the in-game inclusions are also very good. My only concern is that Sonic only has 2 abilities which, compared to some of the other available characters, isn't much. However, I do still really like this and would recommend it.

https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Sonic-the-Hedgehog-Level-Pack-71244

LEGO® 42054 Claas Xerion 5000: My Honest Opinion

The LEGO Claas Xerion 500 is one of my all time favourite Technic Sets. Maybe it's because I personally love tractors or maybe it's because LEGO have done such a great job. Either way, there's no denying the beautiful looks and great function of this set. My personal favourite parts are the huge chunky tyres, the bright green colour scheme and the perfectly-designed stickers. This really is a great functioning and display piece alike.

There are quite a lot of things this set can do. This includes turning the cab, moving the crane and adjusting the weights; all of which stay true to the real life model. All of these work pretty well but if I were to be really picky, the switching between steering is slightly clunky. However, this is the height of nitpicking as it really doesn't detract at all. Also, there's not too much of a B-Model for this set; just a secondary attachment which may not be what some were expecting.

Overall, I think this is great value for money costing way less than 10p/c per piece. Both the looks and functions are amazing and the sheer size will blow you away. I could honestly say that this is one of the best technic sets in a long while and I couldn't recommend this enough to both technic fans and agricultural fans alike.

If you would like to read more or buy this set, go to this link:  https://shop.lego.com/en-GB/CLAAS-XERION-5000-TRAC-VC-42054

LEGO® 76060 Doctor Strange's Sanctum Santorum: My Honest Opinion

Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is part of the Marvel Super Heroes line and was released to coincide with the upcoming release of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. Although this set is only small with 358 pieces, I feel like it is definitely worth the £30 (or $30 in the US) as the level of detail in the given space is great. From the table to the bookshelves, from the window to the giant portal monster, I feel like LEGO have hit the nail on the head with this one. The extra effort they have spent on the little things has made a humongous difference.

However, with this being a vignette/facade, it doesn't look quite as flattering from behind but, when on a shelf, you wouldn't at all see this side and it would look a really great display piece. I feel like the few mini play features are okay but not much is really sacrificed to add these, well apart from the big black ball that is on the wall but this doesn't bother me too much. I love the minifigures, especially Doctor Strange as I feel his printing and head mould work really well together.

Overall, I think this makes a great small, cheap display piece with great effect. I dont feel like this is as much a play set but in terms of aesthetics this is spot on and there are a few play features to satisfy some of those needs as well. I also think, in terms of value for money, this is pretty good as it less than 10p/c per piece as well as 3 exclusive minifigures, all of which I must say are magnificent. I would recommend this to every LEGO fan, especially displayers and Marvel fans.

If you want more detail on the features or would like to purchase this set, go to this link: https://shop.lego.com/en-GB/Doctor-Strange-s-Sanctum-Sanctorum-76060

Changes

I sincerely apologise for not posting in so long but I'd like to talk about a few changes I'd be making. The problem I had before was describing every set before coming to my thoughts and feelings. To try and solve this, I have come to the decision that I will simply state my personal opinions on each set as well as leaving a link to the description if you so wish to look at these. I'm sorry for any inconveniences but I'll be back in the swing of things soon.

LEGO® Architecture Venice 21026 Review

Price: £24.99/$29.99   Pieces: 212   Release Date: January 2016   Price per Piece: 11.8p/14.8c 

Venice is one of the three skyline sets released Spring 2016 and measures 25X3X13cm which is smaller compared to Berlin. I will probably compare these two sets during this review as they are both the same price and the same theme. Check out that review if you want more info. The value of this isn't brilliant and you certainly get more pieces in Berlin although I think the build of this is slightly more refined. The set includes 5 Venice Landmarks and a printed nameplate.

I will review these landmarks from left to right so starting with the Rialto Bridge. There is a clever use of pieces with the wheel arch and I think this is the best LEGO could do on this scale although there could maybe be a little more definition on the arches but it's hard when it's this small. The use of the trans-blue pieces as water is a clever and effective addition. Next is St. Marks Basilica, my favourite part of this set. I think it looks reasonably accurate and the detailing in this scale is very good. The teeth parts are well used as is the drain piece. I think this brings the set to life along with the next landmark, St Marks Campanile. Although it is a simple build, it matches the simple design of the real life landmark and the horse on the top adds a bit of extra detail. The build of this is simple but effective, as is the next one. St Theodore and the Winged Horse consists of 6 pieces and isn't that substantial but fits with the scale and adds a bit more detail to the entire model. There's not much else to say about this one as there's not much of it. The final build, The Bridge of Sighs, is also very small so there can't be much detail. The water is effective and it looks okay but not fantastic.

Overall, I think the problem with this set is that there are not many substantially sized landmarks in Venice so they can't add much detail to the smaller ones. What size they have done, they've done well but I think they need to get a better place to build. I would recommend this set to Architecture fans but to Architecture newbies, I'd recommend 21027 Berlin for the same price.

Build: 3/5   Aesthetics: 4/5   Value: 3/5   Playability: N/A (not designed for play)

Overall 4/5