As promised we quickly tour the LEGO Ideas set 21321 International Space Station whose official announcement took place a few hours ago. For this time, the LEGO designer has respected the intentions of the reference project submitted by fan designer fan designer Christoph Ruge (XCLD) and the official model is finally very close to the proposed idea.

With 864 pieces in the box, it was quickly settled. The last step which consists in assembling the eight solar panels which come to be fixed on the main beam is necessarily repetitive, but it is the subject who wants that, difficult to blame the designer.

The model is relatively fragile with a few connection points between the different modules which are satisfied with a single stud. Here too, it is the subject who wants this to stick as closely as possible to the reference construction. On the side of the parts "diverted" from their usual use because of the scale of the model, there are some ski poles for the antennas and can lids for the hatches but no barrels. I appreciate the effort.

My great regret about this set: The educational aspect, which could have been at the center of the product, is completely left out. The instruction booklet, which does not forget to do tons about the designers of the product and the different products marketed by LEGO on the same theme, does not even offer an exploded view of the station detailing the different modules added over the years by the countries involved in this incredible space adventure. I'm still looking for the "fascinating information about the ISS,"promised in the official product description ...

We still have a nice model to display on the corner of a cabinet with its mobile solar panels and its various modules that are necessarily detachable, since it is a LEGO product. The ISS is not a construction with a refined aesthetic and the LEGO version logically becomes a somewhat messy assembly of various and varied elements, but we find the main modules of the station and you can have fun trying to make the connection between those who are really represented on the LEGO version and those who have been overlooked.

I note in passing that the function of securing the shuttle to the station is not documented, so I used one of the additional parts to connect it to the station in a more or less realistic way by removing a part of the the cabin to simulate the opening of the cargo area.

The station is simply placed on its display, so it can be handled without having to remove several pins first. If you want to fly it around the living room, you can. I am a little dubious about this big black display: a version based on transparent parts might have been more suitable to give lightness to the construction.

I note in passing that the designer could not help but slip some blue pins that remain visible on the final product. It's ugly, but I think that LEGO forces its employees to use these parts on visible areas, there must be a specification somewhere stating that it is mandatory to clearly mark the LEGO spirit of the product. I see no other explanation.

The support is dressed in a monochrome pad printed plate with a badly centered pattern and the text of which turns gray. An effort on this detail would have been appreciated, especially for a pure exhibition product.

No stickers in this box. The inventory is also interesting, we find the usual 1x4 solar panels already seen in the LEGO Ideas sets. 21312 Women of NASA and Architecture 21043 San Francisco, delivered here in 64 copies. They are joined by two new pieces with the same pad printing, a 2x3 plate supplied in 46 copies and two 3x8 flags. The hatches of the different modules are optionally represented by the Tile 2x2 round already seen in LEGO Hidden Side sets 70423 Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000 and Ideas 21311 Voltron or by the 1x1 can lid present in many sets since 2015.

The three micro astronauts supplied in the box are identical to those supplied in the LEGO Ideas set 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V., and the shuttle is similar to the one in the LEGO Ideas set 21312 Women of NASA, it's consistent.

In short, if you collect the different LEGO products on the same theme, you will be hard pressed to find a valid excuse not to fall for this little box sold for 70 €. Do not plan to turn your kids into future astronauts using this model, it is not really educational as it is and in my opinion it is a bit of a shame. It was an opportunity to make the product a great tool for parent / child relationships around a theme that makes both adults and young people dream.

As a bonus, a suggested presentation in "Gravity" mode. It's up to you.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at 31th January 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

As promised, today I'm giving you some very personal thoughts on the LEGO Creator Expert set. 10272 Old Trafford - Manchester United (3898 pieces - 269.99 € / 299.00 CHF). You will not be surprised to learn that my opinion on this big box which allows to reproduce the Mancunian stadium is ... a little mixed.

First of all, you have to put the set in its context: it is above all a product intended for Manchester United fans who may have some affinities with LEGOs. For many fans of the English team, Old Trafford is a mythical stadium, as are the Stade Vélodrome for fans of the Olympique de Marseille, Le Parc des Princes for fans of Paris Saint-Germain or Geoffroy-Guichard for Saint-Étienne fans. LEGO did not have much choice of subject anyway, it was the stadium or a series of minifigs with the effigy of the players. Bad luck for those who love the team but not to the point of spending 270 €, it fell on the stadium.

That being said, I think this box deserves its belonging to the LEGO Creator Expert range and its look as a set from the Architecture range with a packaging that takes all the codes or almost. The finish of this 3898-piece model is far from exemplary at all levels but the pleasure of construction is often there over the ten hours required to assemble the set.

Where I remain more reserved, it is on the presence of a huge sheet of stickers which we know in advance that they will not necessarily contribute to making this product a high-end exhibition model with the finish irreproachable. To put it simply, you will understand that everything that is not on the sheet of stickers of which you will find a scan below is therefore pad printed.

You have already been able to discover the stadium from every angle thanks to the official visuals gallery provided by LEGO, but to know what this model really offers in terms of construction, it is especially necessary to be interested in what is behind the relatively convincing appearance of the product. And I must say that even if I expected a few repetitive steps which are well in place, the product remains very interesting to assemble thanks to the presence of many techniques largely of the level of what one would expect from a product of the Creator Expert range. We can also consider that the model is worthy of finding its place within the LEGO Architecture range: We find here the usual techniques of extreme miniaturization of the range.

Each element of the stadium is based on an element-based structure Technic which brings together the five subsets of the set: the lawn and the four stands. This breakdown of the model is perfect for facilitating storage or moving from one shelf to another without disassembling everything, and allowing a real discovery of the interior of the premises. With hindsight, I am more and more convinced that the exterior of the stadium is frankly successful while the interior is marred by somewhat hazardous "creative" choices, as if two designers had each worked on their own. before gathering their solutions.

The exterior facades of the stadium are very faithful to the reference construction and the different structures that maintain the roofs of the stands, although simplified on the LEGO version, really give an illusion. The most perfectionists will take the time to orient the various elements of the metal structure that covers the roof to hide the injection points and the holes visible on the side of the various clips.

No detail has been forgotten around the enclosure, with the identification panels of each stand, the various statues that pay tribute to important figures in the history of the club, the micro-bus that transports the players and even the clock stopped at the time of the take-off crash on February 6, 1958, of flight 609 which was carrying the team returning from a European Cup match in Belgrade.

Everything is there and fans who know the place because they had the opportunity to go there to attend a meeting should find what they are looking for. Those who only watch the games on television may never have seen the outside of the stadium and some references may escape them. The instruction booklet being richly documented, it will provide them with some answers.

Inside the stadium, the grass of the field is content with a few large pad-printed plates with white lines with a somewhat rough alignment. Those who hoped for a complex tile to assemble will be at their expense but the solution used here seems reasonable to me because of the presence of the white lines.

The stands are represented by large alignments of striated red pieces that would create an illusion if the stickers to stick on were matched. The solution used by the designer to symbolize the rows of seats is visually convincing but the black lines of the stickers are in my opinion much too thick and really too dark to blend in perfectly with the red background. I suspect the graphic designer in charge of the sticker design imagined that the stripes of the red pieces would produce a shadow effect and tried to reproduce this effect on the stickers, but it is too pronounced.

Another detail that affects the coherence of the interior of the stadium, the corner stands are made up mostly of smooth parts and are not perfectly adjusted with the elements they rub shoulders with. The construction hesitates between a triangle with stepped edges and large rounded pieces that break the profile of these stands. The stickers to stick on some of these bends do not help.

A note about the transparent parts used on the roofs of the stands, including the new quadrant: They are thrown into the bags in the middle of the rest of the inventory and, as too often, several of them are scratched when unpacking due to the friction of the parts between them during the movements of the bags inside the box. Do not hesitate to contact customer service to obtain the replacement of these damaged parts, at 270 € a box, we are entitled to hope for an irreproachable product.

We do not escape the color differences in this box and the large flat roofs reveal different shades of white depending on the room. We go from creamy white to beige white and depending on the lighting, the rendering is a little irregular.

This stadium is a pure exhibition product that we will handle from time to time to show all the details to a passing friend. The modularity of the product is perfect for this type of exercise, but one should not hope too much to keep the construction in perfect condition for many years. Even though LEGO has long since changed the recipe for plastic used for parts by removing tetrabromobisphenol-A, a flame retardant that caused UV-exposed items to prematurely yellow and is now prohibited for use, roofs will inevitably tarnish eventually. and the stickers of the stands suffer from prolonged exposure.

In short, I know that Manchester United and LEGO fans will be content with this meeting between two universes that fascinate them and will be happy to indulge with the few finishing details which in my opinion spoil the product a little, but I remain convinced that the stands deserved better than this big handful of ill-assorted stickers and these somewhat rough finishes. On the other hand, I am pleasantly surprised by the exterior appearance of the place and by the finish of the enclosure roof with the different combinations of parts that embody the elements of the metal structure.

As this is an empty stadium, without players or audience, I think that LEGO could have thrown in the box a display with two or three players and a ball, just to give a little consistency to the product and to make pleasure to the fans.

Ah, man, this display exists and is actually currently offered with the product to members of the VIP program. Or rather, it was offered, at the time of this writing, it is already out of stock on the official online store ...

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at 27th January 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

It's the gift of the moment on the official LEGO online store and we will quickly talk about the set 40355 Year of the Rat which marks as the title of the box indicates the beginning of the year of the rat.

You have to spend 80 € on the LEGO Shop to be offered this little thematic set of 162 pieces and I know that many of you will remain insensitive to this somewhat wacky interpretation of the animal. No mystery, it's assembled in three minutes flat and it will end at best on the corner of a shelf in the company of previous sets on the same theme already marketed: the snake in 2013 (10250), the sheep in 2015 (40148 ), the monkey in 2016 (40207), the rooster in 2017 (40234), the dog in 2018 (40235) and the pig in 2019 (40186).

The rat is staged on a rather well decorated small plinth, that's always taken. The new eyes will eventually serve as a starting point for other creatures and the animal has articulations at the level of the ears and legs. The head is also adjustable so that this rat is staring at you from the dresser in the living room. If you'd rather think this pattern is a good start to getting a cool version of Ratatouille, no one will stop you changing the color of the legs.

As with all small sets featuring the featured animal in the coming year, LEGO provides a "red envelope" in the box which is actually ... yellow on the outside and red on the inside. Tradition has it that in Asia we offer money to our loved ones at this time of the year and you can therefore also comply with this custom thanks to the envelope provided. If you are giving the set to someone, you will need to open the box first, put the money in the envelope and close the set.

In short, this little gift is not uninteresting for all those who love Asian culture and its customs. Unfortunately, the minimum purchase to get it via the official online store, set at 80 €, is frankly too high to make it really accessible to everyone and that's a bit of a shame.

The secondary market should as usual be inundated with copies of this box in the days and weeks to come, and if you wait a bit it will be possible to get it for a few euros without having to pay a few sets at the price. fort on the official LEGO store.

I specify for all intents and purposes that the money you see on the top photo is not provided in the box ...

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at 23th January 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Today we quickly tour the LEGO Star Wars set 75273 Poe Dameron's X-Wing Fighter (761 pieces - 109.99 €), a box that features a very colorful X-Wing seen in the last installment of the Star Wars saga. As with many ships or vehicles in the Star Wars universe, there is always at least one X-Wing, "classic" or from the latest trilogy, in the LEGO catalog.

Each version brings its share of innovations or regressions in terms of design, even if the models of the sets 75102 Poe's X-Wing Fighter (2015) et 75149 Resistance X-Wing Fighter (2016) were almost identical, and we can't blame the designers for not making the effort to offer varied and original finishes here.

It is obviously a toy intended for the youngest and we therefore find on this new version some elements allowing to knock out an enemy ship: two Stud Shooters are placed on the sides of the fuselage and two Spring-Shooters are present under the lower wings. The latter seem at first glance very roughly integrated with the red rod of the ammunition which protrudes frankly at the back but they can be easily removed so as not to disfigure the ship if you just display it on a shelf. It was also the case for those of the set 75218 X-Wing Starfighter marketed in 2018 and it is a choice that seems coherent to me and which makes it possible to satisfy everyone.

The X-Wing took color with the latest trilogy and this new version adds a big orange touch to the white fuselage. It's flashy but I salute the effort made on the transition areas between the orange colored sections and the white ends. It's relatively successful and without the addition of stickers in two shades, well done for that.

For a top-of-the-range toy sold for € 110, I can't help but regret the presence of these four rubber bands that will bring back memories to anyone like me who at one time or another in their youth wore braces. LEGO also only provides what is strictly necessary for the implementation of the main functionality of the product and does not provide for the possible replacement of these rubber bands. It's mean.

When closed, these white bands are a little less noticeable, but when the wings are outstretched, the vessel becomes quite disfigured. The lever which allows to act on the mechanism is also a little too prominent when the wings are unfolded, but this is the price to pay for the toy to be easily manipulated by the smallest hands.

We welcome the replacement of the wheel arches used at the air inlets on the 2015 and 2016 versions by a set of parts which allows to obtain a perfectly round element. I am less convinced by the fixing of the reactors which seem to me a little too thin and poorly integrated into the cabin of the vessel. There are no barrels at the level of the reactors as on the version of 2018, you see me delighted.

For the rest, we find here the pretty usual pad-printed canopy and R2-D2 is in the right direction when it is installed in its housing just behind the cockpit. The latter is basic but sufficiently convincing with a new very successful pad printed element which offers a few screens and several buttons.

Note that the wings close automatically when the X-Wing is placed on the ground thanks to the rod that crosses the ship, but by putting it down gently, it can also be presented in an attack position. The good news of the set: there are only three stickers to stick on this X-Wing, two on the front of the wings and the third on the right side of the front of the fuselage. The model is doing very well with these three stickers.
The assembly is easily manipulated if we have taken care to plug R2-D2 into its housing, otherwise the droid ends up on the ground. Nothing detaches from the ship during the flight phase, young adventurers will find what they are looking for.

On the minifig side, the assortment is eclectic and allows us to obtain the pilot and his astromech droid, Jannah and one of the knights of Ren, in this case Vicrul. It's varied, even if we feel that LEGO has determined the cast to reproduce in minifig format and then distributed the different characters in the boxes of the range to encourage fans to buy all the sets.

Poe Dameron is delivered here in his usual outfit available since 2015 in many sets. the character's helmet is an updated version of the one with integrated visor from 2015, it has a new reference (6289513). LEGO is kind enough to give us hair for Poe, a nice detail that allows us to enjoy the character a little more. R2-D2 is delivered with the new dome also present in the set 75270 Obi-Wan's Hut. The droid's body, on the other hand, is the one we all already have in several copies in our drawers.

Jannah (Naomi Ackie) minifig is very successful. We find all the attributes of the character seen on the screen, up to the transponder on his right arm and the grapple attached to the belt. LEGO has taken the attention to detail to the limit with a different colored right hand to symbolize the archer's glove the character wears. Too bad for the basic bow and quiver which does not really pay homage to the equipment of the young woman, much more elaborate and detailed. The macrobinocular binoculars are integrated into the hair and the accessory works perfectly.

Finally, LEGO delivers us here Vicrul, one of the knights of Ren, who will join those also available in sets 75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle (Ap, lek and Ushar) and 75272 Sith TIE Fighter (Trudgen). As I assumed in my "Very vite tested"from the set 75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle, these characters are ultimately only secondary extras without much interest, but the minifigure is interesting with a nice pad printing and a very original helmet that covers the neutral head.

110 € for a product whose main functionality depends in part on four rubber bands is way too expensive for my taste and not providing at least two replacement rubber bands in the box is in my opinion a mistake on the part of LEGO. And it's not the ladder provided that saves the furniture.

But we all know that this set will end sooner or later at a price much lower than its retail price at Amazon and it will be enough to be patient to add this new version of the X-Wing to our collections. This X-Wing will undoubtedly not pass to posterity, but the most complete of us will not be able to miss this new copy and the young fans who have discovered the Star Wars universe with the last films will undoubtedly prefer this colorful version to the more austere one of Luke Skywalker's X-Wing.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at 22th January 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Today we are quickly talking about the two new bags of the LEGO XTRA range, marketed since the beginning of the year and that LEGO has kindly sent in several copies to a slew of history sites that we are discussing this range of polybags, with the references 40375 Sports Accessories (36 pieces - 3.99 €) and 40376 Botanical Accessories (32 pieces - 3.99 €) which come to flesh out this series of small packs of more or less interesting thematic accessories grouped under the label XTRA.

The bag 40375 Sports Accessories offers elements related to rather varied sports activities. There is no seasonal theme here, you get both ice or sliding sports equipment and something for rollerblading or archery practice. If you have assembled a diorama on the theme Winter village, you may find here something to expand your scenes and equip your minifigs.

In all cases, there will be only one winner who will be awarded the trophy provided. As is usually the case with XTRA range pouches, there is not much to assemble here. We will be content to mount the two hockey gates and the archery target (pad printed).

The bag 40376 Botanical Accessories offers for its part a fairly complete assortment of vegetation accompanied by two barriers. It will take several bags to really brighten up a street or a park, but it's a good start. The little tree to assemble is hardly better than the mini-gadgets of Advent calendars, but that's not really what the polybags of the XTRA range are. The best product: the possibility of changing the leaves of the tree to switch it to winter mode.

This is not the first polybag on this theme to be marketed in the LEGO XTRA range: in 2018, LEGO put the bag on sale 40310 Botanical Accessories which already allowed to obtain a little greenery.

In short, if you already buy retail parts on the secondary market more or less regularly, including some of the items provided here, you know that the shipping costs usually add significantly to the bill. These two bags therefore make it possible to add them to an order placed on the official online store in order to only pay for their inventory at the right price.

Note: Three lots of the two bags presented here, supplied by LEGO, are as usual put into play. Deadline fixed at 18th January 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winners were drawn and were notified by email, their nicknames are indicated below.