LEGO having a keen sense of timing, only now the manufacturer is sending three copies of the LEGO XTRA polybag 40368 Christmas Accessories (32 pieces - 3.99 €) to different sites and blogs.

I'm not going to do a fifteen-page "review" of it, this new bag from the XTRA range contains only 32 pieces on the theme of the end of the year holidays and there is therefore no reason to philosophize during hours about its content.

No minifigs in these accessory bags that are used to expand your dioramas, but this one at least allows us to get a copy of the husky already seen in many boxes including the LEGO CITY 2015, 2016 Advent calendars, 2018 and 2019.

The blue crystal is the one that makes the heyday of the LEGO Disney Frozen range (Snow Queen) and which is also provided in the 2019 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar.

For the rest, you have to be content with a rather basic snowman to build, two golden barriers already seen in particular in the defunct Elves range, a tree, two flowers in Pearl Gold seen in the LEGO Creator Expert set 10267 Gingerbread House, a white sheet, a blue cap (Dark Azure) and a set of snowshoes already seen in the LEGO CITY Arctic Exploration (2018) sets, a bag and some pieces to assemble gifts and decoration.

Too bad that the snowman's head is neutral, even a rough pad printing would have given the contents of this polybag a little relief. We will console ourselves with the husky which is technically exclusive: the technique used to inject the gray color of the coat induces slight variations on each copy.

In short, nothing to get up at night, especially at € 3.99 per bag.

Note: The three bags presented here, supplied by LEGO, are as usual brought into play. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the November 3, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

Update : The three winners were drawn and were notified by email, their nicknames are indicated below. Without a response from them to my request for contact details within 5 days, new winners will be drawn.

We continue the tour of the new LEGO Star Wars products launched on October 4 for Triple Force Friday with the set 75254 AT-ST Raider (540 pieces - 59.99 €), a small box based on the new series The Mandalorian which will begin broadcasting in mid-November on the Disney + platform.

Since the series has not yet been broadcast, it is difficult to put the contents of this box in a particular context. All we know is that the action in the series takes place five years after the Empire was defeated (Episode VI) and 25 years before the appearance of the First Order (Episode VII). That being said, a brand new AT-ST is still a good idea for those who don't already have one on their shelves. Those who, however, already have a few in their drawers will immediately understand that this new version is frankly inspired by that of the set 75153 AT-ST Walker released in 2016 on the occasion of the film's release Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

This AT-ST is obviously a model recovered and tinkered by the Klatooiniens Raiders delivered in the box. We are therefore entitled to a patchwork of colors (and stickers) which give a little freshness to this new version. Colored parts, visible cables, various and varied additions, the machine visually becomes a little more attractive than the gray versions seen so far.

It is assembled very quickly, we spend almost as much time to stick the different stickers properly as to fit the parts. The cockpit is obviously mounted on an axis which allows it to change position via a relatively discreet wheel placed at the rear. Two minifigs can take place at the controls of the machine, one must remain seated behind the controls, the other can be hung on the side handles to observe what is happening outside through the upper hatch.

Because it was necessary to add a little playability to the whole, two Spring-Shooters are placed under the cabin and they are sufficiently well integrated so as not to disfigure the machine. The missiles are ejected by pushing on the two protuberances placed at the rear at the foot of the cabin.

Do not expect to walk this AT-ST, the two legs are not articulated. The majority of fans will be content with a static device to display but it's still a shame that it is impossible to simulate a movement effect while maintaining the balance of the construction.

As I said above, it's the party of the sticker in this box with 23 stickers to put in place. Impossible to do without the details provided on these stickers, they ensure the "tinkered" effect of the machine which is the interest of the product. A good point: the AT-ST also looks good when viewed from behind with a sufficient level of detail.

At the risk of sounding like rambling, I once again underline the presence of blue Technic pins which remain visible on the final model. All the possible explanations aimed at finding extenuating circumstances at LEGO's choice in this area will do nothing, I find that frankly unsightly.

On the minifig side, the assortment provided here is balanced with two major characters from the series and two more generic villains. A second vehicle may be missing in the box, just to balance the forces involved.

The Mandalorian is portrayed onscreen by actor Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones, Narcos) but LEGO was certainly instructed not to provide a face to the character in this first derivative product. We will probably have to wait for another set based on the series to obtain a version with a real face under the helmet. For the rest, the character's outfit is consistent with what Disney has unveiled for the moment in the Trailer and the few teasers and other posters already available.

Pedro Pascal is accompanied by actress Gina Carano (Angel Dust in Dead Pool) who plays Cara Dune in the series. Here too, the costume is more or less faithful to the outfit seen in the trailer but it lacks the reinforced shoulder pads worn by the character. LEGO is content here with a gray point to symbolize the logo of the Rebel Alliance tattooed on the cheek of the character. Difficult to do otherwise, I salute the attention to detail.

Both Klatooinian Raiders are equipped with the same head and legs and are only differentiated by their torso and accessories. The pad printing is generally very successful on all of these minifigs with an appreciable level of detail and a finish without major flaws.

I'm not really a fan of assembling blasters / lightsaber handles / various accessories to embody the weapons of the different protagonists. In my opinion, it would be time for LEGO to go to the trouble of molding these extendable weapons so that minifigs can finally have visually believable accessories.

In short, there is not enough to philosophize for a long time on this box without taking any risk. The set is a nice derivative of a series that has not yet been released and if we take into account that an AT-ST is still good to take, we can only complain about the price charged for this box: 59.99 € for that, it is much too expensive. We will wait for the inevitable promotions to come to have fun.

AT-ST RAIDER SET 75254 ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

THE OFFER IN BELGIUM >> THE OFFER IN SWITZERLAND >>

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the November 3, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

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, I suggest you take a quick tour of the LEGO Ideas set 21320 Dinosaur Fossils (910 pieces - 59.99 € / 74.90 CHF) and to give you in passing some very personal thoughts on the contents of this box.

As a preamble I would like to point out that if we had to demonstrate once again that when fans vote for a project on the LEGO Ideas platform, they only express their interest in the idea developed by the project leader, this set Today brings a new rather spectacular confirmation.

There isn't much left of the original project in this new box except the general idea of ​​featuring dinosaur skeletons. The official version is more like the project 6 in 1 Fossil Dinosaurs still in the process of recruiting support for the project Dinosaur Fossils Skeletons - Natural History Collection by French fan designer Jonathan Brunn aka Mukkinn.

The LEGO designer in charge of adapting the initial idea, Niels Milan Pedersen, took such ownership of the project that I think he forgot a little that 10.000 supporters enthusiastically supported the original idea. Exit the beige color of the bones and the delicacy of the skeletons which gave an organic side to the whole probably at the cost of a very important fragility, we find ourselves here with more massive representations, even coarse and a mix of colors not always very judicious. We will have to do with it.

Two of the three skeletons, the T-Rex and the Triceratops are perched on a display from which they cannot be removed without having to partially dismantle the support. We build from the bottom up, starting by firmly anchoring the legs in the base which guarantees excellent stability but deprives us of the possibilities of staging these skeletons in other contexts such as for example the discovery of one of between them in an excavation field.

Fans of the LEGO Star Wars range will also have a feeling of déjà vu by assembling the legs of the T-Rex: Looks like those of an AT-ST, pins Technic and plate-based cladding included. The result is a little disappointing: the framework is very thick and some pins and other colored joints remain too visible for my taste on the finished model.

The recipe is the same for the Triceratops with legs well anchored in a black base which hides a few colored pieces and a patchwork of shades for the rest of the skeleton. As with the T-Rex, the tail is articulated and can be oriented at different angles to save some space on your shelves. For the rest, this skeleton is logically very static, only the head can (a little) move. The finish on the legs is in my opinion very disappointing, especially at the front, and these little sloppy finishing details confirm that the whole will look especially good from a distance.

The Pteranodon is assembled in three minutes flat. Nothing very exciting in the structure of the animal which is in fact the most mobile of the three specimens thanks to the joints of the wings and the head. Here, I find that the creature looks good and it is the one that in my opinion most closely resembles the style proposed by the bearer of the reference project.

Overall, I find the dominant white color inappropriate. The few touches of beige (Tan) and gray present on the different constructions are not enough to give a realistic aspect to these skeletons. I challenge you to find skeletons of such immaculate white in your favorite museum, but if you've invested in the LEGO Jurassic World set 75930 Indoraptor Rampage at Lockwood Estate (2018), you have here something to expand a little the museum on the ground floor of the building already symbolized by a creation of the same style, that's always taken.

The set is presented as a product suitable for people aged 16 and over. In my eyes, nothing really justifies this classification except perhaps the very large number of small parts and the white tint of the different models which could possibly make this set difficult to assemble for the youngest. The construction techniques used here are mostly widely available to fans who are under the age of 16.

But how many parents will simply ignore this mention on the box when this type of product should be within the reach of any young dinosaur fan? If parents read me, buy this box, help your children to assemble the different models if they stumble on certain steps and offer them in the process a copy of the excellent LEGO Dino book which will be the perfect companion to the experience offered here.

The designer added a minifigure and a touch of humor inside the box, two welcome elements even if I have the impression that it is more marketing than creativity that motivated these additions. Minifigs sell, especially if the content of the set is having a little trouble standing on its own, it's no secret.

We therefore obtain a paleontologist with his large magnifying glass, his notebook, some bones, an egg and several tools gathered in a crate, all accompanied by a human skeleton perched on a base dressed with a sticker bearing the mention Lego sapiens. In principle, there is often a minifigure that vaguely resembles the original project owner in these boxes, but it looks more like the LEGO designer than the fan who had the good idea to start ...

The set can be assembled in several because the manufacturer still had the good idea to separate the assembly instructions into three separate booklets. Unfortunately, these booklets contain very little information on the three dinosaurs in question and LEGO didn't even bother to insert a few facts through the pages.

The description of the three species is two pages long with a font size that is not really easy to read. As usual, the booklets are in English and you will need to download the French version in PDF format as soon as it is uploaded to the manufacturer's server if you have an interested young fan at home who has not yet mastered Shakespeare's language.

What in my opinion could have become a nice product with a pseudo-educational vocation is ultimately only a slightly sloppy adult toy and I find that a shame for a manufacturer that does not fail to pride itself on training future astronauts and other engineers in the making thanks to its ultra-creative products.

In the end, I find the whole a bit too quickly shipped and reworked to really pay tribute to the work of Jonathan Brunn. However, there had to be a better compromise to be made between the draft version and this total reinterpretation. Do not let this prevent you from supporting Jonathan Brunn by buying this box sold at a reasonable price, he will receive his commission on sales like all project leaders who have seen their creations go down in history. You can also vote for his new project online on the LEGO Ideas platform: 150 Years of 20 Leagues Under the Sea.

THE SET 21320 DINOSAUR FOSSILS ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

THE OFFER IN BELGIUM >> THE OFFER IN SWITZERLAND >>

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the October 31, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

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 interested in the LEGO Star Wars set 75250 Pasaana Speeder Chase (373 pieces - 49.99 €), one of the few boxes inspired by the film The Rise of Skywalker whose marketing began on October 4 on the occasion of the Triple Force Friday.

To be honest, the film has not yet been released, it is difficult to really judge the relevance of the contents of this box even if a reproduction of the Treadspeeder used in the movie was presented during the Star Wars Celebration Chicago convention.

We are promised a pursuit, it is there. LEGO delivers two machines on which the two pairs of characters can take place. It is ultimately very appreciable, the set offering real playability without having to go back to the cash register to acquire a possible extension that would give meaning to the scene reproduced.

LEGO is adding a small buildable market stall to the set. Under the curtains, we place a box filled with some tools which according to the official visuals is embarked by Rey during his escape. A detail to check in theaters when the film comes out.

The main machine is based on transparent parts and it is a good idea to simulate the floating of the thing. It's also a detail that should be appreciated by those planning to display this speeder on a shelf.

You have to stick some stickers in different places to give a "used" appearance to the machine, but the number of stickers is reasonable. The finish of this Speeder which is somewhat reminiscent of Desert Skiff of Episode VI is also in my opinion very correct with an assortment of colors which help to give it this "second hand" aspect. It remains to verify that the construction is faithful to the film version.

Lovers of parts more or less diverted from their usual use will have noticed that the rudder lever is here embodied by a ski pole and that the guardrail placed at the back is a part that regularly makes the heyday of the LEGO CITY range. by serving in particular as a roll bar for various construction machinery.

The assembly is easy to handle without breaking everything and both Stud Shooters placed at the front allow you to have a little fun. The two uprights placed at the rear are fixed and therefore cannot be adjusted when moving.

To pursue Rey and BB-8, the soldiers of the First Order have a Treadspeeder, a somewhat bizarre machine only equipped with a track at the front, the rear being suspended above the ground. Here too, LEGO has thought of integrating a transparent part under the frame to keep the machine horizontal while vaguely giving the impression that the rear part is not in contact with the ground.

The machine can carry two minifigs on its minimalist cockpit. Not enough to get up at night, but it's enough to initiate the pursuit and bombard the other speeder with green coins.

Rey's minifigure is exclusive to this set even if it reuses the face already provided since 2015 in the set 75099 Rey's Speeder then in a dozen other boxes that feature the character.

the pad printing of the different pieces is correct with a nice draping effect on the character's tunic and an acceptable alignment between the torso and the legs. Too bad LEGO does not print to the edge of the torso so that the junction is perfect and the outfit is homogeneous. The flesh-colored areas (Flesh) on the upper torso and calves are slightly lighter than the arms or head, but still acceptable. No more bubble in the lightsaber, it looks like LEGO has finally made some progress on this point.

BB-8 minifigure reuses the usual droid body part and dome variant seen so far only in the set 75242 Black Ace Tie Interceptor based on the animated series Star Wars Resistance.

The two soldiers of the First Order, a Jet Trooper and TreadspeederDriver, allow us to obtain some beautifully pad-printed unpublished pieces. The back accessory of the Jet trooper with its removable part is a nice evolution of the usual assembly based on various and varied clips.

Only the pilot's helmet is not new, it is the one already seen in particular in the 2019 LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar and in the bag supplied with one of the latest issues of the LEGO Star Wars magazine. Unsurprisingly, both minifigs are equipped with the Clone Troopers edgy already delivered in over a hundred sets of the LEGO Star Wars range.

In short, I think this set has it all, or almost with content that offers good gameplay, two major characters from the saga and two interesting "generic" figures, even if in my opinion it deserved a public award at the around 40 € instead of 50 €.

I'm not worried, this reference is not the most attractive of the line for younger fans and it will probably end up being forgotten and sold out once the film is released.

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the October 20, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

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.

With the arrival at LEGO of the "house" concept of smart bricks connected by Bluetooth to a smartphone, I will briefly come back to another brick at least as smart as the one supplied with the official sets: the model produced by Buwizz.

While LEGO has been trying since this summer to install the Control + ecosystem in our cottages via the set 42099 4x4 X-treme Off-Roader and since the start of the school year with the reference 42100 Liebehrr R 9800 Excavator, Buwizz has since 2016 been able to pilot motorized LEGO vehicles via the Bluetooth protocol and using an application installed on a smartphone. The manufacturer is already at version 2.0 of its product with an edition "Ludicrous"which promises to deliver even more power to the various connected motors.

Those familiar with motorized MOCs obviously already know this product. The only question here is to present this alternative to LEGO solutions to all those who are wondering what to do with their elements. Power Functions while LEGO is considering the possibility of eventually releasing an adapter to use them with a Smart Hub Control +.

The Buwizz brick is more compact than the Smart Hub Control + (ref. 88009) or a Battery Box rechargeable Power Functions (ref. 8878). Its integration into the various existing models does not therefore pose any particular problem and the use of Bluetooth even eliminates the need for the essential infrared receiver. Power Functions (ref. 8884). The four connectors available on the Buwizz brick allow the support of motors and / or LEDs Power Functions.

No need to use a Battery Box as is the case with the solution proposed by SBrick, the Buwizz brick has a rechargeable Lithium Polymer (Li-Ion) battery via a microUSB port and it is even possible to use a Powerbank installed directly on the model to recharge it during use.

I took as an example a model marketed this year but which did not have the chance to benefit from the Control + ecosystem: The LEGO Technic set 42095 Remote Controlled Stunt Racer (79.99 €). In its official version this set has two engines Power Functions L, a Battery Box and an infrared receiver. The supplied IR remote control allows you to control the machine, provided you stay close to the receiver. This last detail was a great source of frustration for my children who quickly grew tired of having to run after the vehicle ...

The integration of the Buwizz brick in this model is very simple: it does not require any major modification of the product or additional parts: It is enough simply to reposition a few parts and the only Technic pin to add is already provided in the inventory of the set as a replacement part.

Note that it is possible and sometimes even recommended to install several bricks in the same model depending on the number of motors installed and the expected speed of movement. This possibility will eat a little more the budget of the demanding MOCeurs but most of the existing sets convertible via the installation of a single brick will already benefit from real improvements without having to go back to the checkout.

In use, we find everything that makes the interest of a radio-controlled machine: we gain in speed of movement, in piloting precision and it is no longer necessary to stick to the train of the vehicle to ensure that the infrared receiver is in the line of sight of the remote control. I did not lose control of the vehicle until about twenty meters away.

The autonomy is very correct, I was able to have fun for a little over an hour by alternating between the four power levels available before having to recharge the built-in battery. The "normal" mode is already a little faster than what the original elements of the set allow. the other three modes available increase the voltage sent to the motors and really accelerate.

Replacement of elements Power Functions by the Buwizz brick also has an impact on the weight of the machine: We go from 586 grams, the six AA batteries included, to 413 grams with the Buwizz brick. In this specific case, the result is final, the vehicle rears up much less when starting up even if this particularity is in principle one of the strengths of the set and the placement of the Battery Box original is thought to accentuate this effect.

On the side of the application that allows you to take control of the brick, it is very refined. No visual artifices like at LEGO, the interface boils down here to what is strictly necessary. Several preinstalled profiles allow you to quickly get started with existing sets and it is also possible to create your own profiles. The association of the commands to the different controllers of the Buwizz brick is a breeze and many tutorials are available on Youtube.

We could regret that the dressing of the application is so basic and that the possibilities of customization are limited, but it ultimately only serves as an intermediary between the pilot and his machine.

The original application developed by the manufacturer has also gone into version "Legacy"and Buwizz is now making a new version available on the Google Play Store (Android) and on the app store (iOS). It is not necessary to have a competition smartphone to install the application. I used an "old" model of iPhone which did not cause any problems.

The Buwizz brick is sold for 157.38 € TTC per unit or 279.38 € TTC for a pack of two bricks. We can consider that it is a bit expensive as it is. But this product is really versatile and it can be used on all your models without being limited by a closed interface which only allows the piloting of one or more particular models, as is currently the case at LEGO with the Control + system.

If we also take into account the fact that this brick incorporates a rechargeable battery and that it gives a second life to your sets equipped with elements Power Functions by making them truly controllable remotely and by allowing them to move a little faster than in their initial configuration, the investment seems to me to be appropriate to prevent your pretty motorized set from being a source of frustration and ending up at the bottom of a cupboard from the first uses (it's real life ...).

Note: The Buwizz brick supplied by the manufacturer is used (without the test set). To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the October 15, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory. 

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.