Today we quickly go around the other novelty of the Botanical Collection LEGO which will be available at the public price of 49.99 € from May 1st: the reference 10309 Succulents, which allows with its inventory of 771 pieces to assemble nine plants forming a small modular set.

Difficult to pass after the very successful orchid of the set 10311Orchid, the product offered here has its charm but it is necessarily a little less elegant. It's the subject matter that wants that and this set still has some arguments to make, such as the possibility of assembling it with several people. LEGO indeed provides three instruction booklets and three separate bags that allow you to assemble three of the nine planned plants.

We can therefore consider that the experience is to be shared, even if the assembly of some of these succulents will only take a small handful of minutes. I engaged in the exercise as a family, with three, everything was completed in half an hour. I'll spare you the usual construction steps, it's up to you to discover the different techniques and parts used to obtain the final result, there's no need to spoil this pleasure for you.

For those who are wondering, there is not really any added educational value in this box, but LEGO takes the trouble to identify the different plants to build over the pages of the three instruction booklets. There won't be any chance of forging a solid culture about what the different assemblies represent, but you will at least be able to put a name to each of them. It is then up to you to document yourself if necessary so that you can skilfully present and comment on the construction in front of your friends.

If we take each of the plants individually, the result is in my opinion very unequal with for example an Aloe Vera, a moon cactus and a Sempervivum passable, a very correct sea urchin cactus and burro tail and two Echeverias which I find very successful. It is the set that will have its little effect and you will have to wait until you have finished assembling and connecting the small black pots to each other to obtain a visually rather convincing result.

We are not going to swoon for hours in front of these few plants, but the block will, for example, make a very original decorative centerpiece on occasion. Bringing together succulents, the construction does not take up much volume on arrival and it is the moon cactus which sets the maximum height with 13 cm high.

The modularity of the overall construction is interesting, it allows many combinations and it is only limited by the size of certain plants whose leaves protrude from the frame. Depending on the space available or the use of the construction, you can choose to group the different plants by balancing the volumes or align them wisely on a shelf. Small appreciable detail, the red axes provided which are used to connect the pots between them can be stored in the black base under one of the plants.

This product is a lifestyle reference that deserves its place on the shelves of a decoration and accessories store and which will undoubtedly have a little more difficulty finding its audience among LEGO fans accustomed to other ranges and universes. . For fifty euros at LEGO, and probably much less elsewhere in a few weeks, this box will make a nice gift to offer to arrive with something other than a bottle of wine and a cake at your friends' house. It's not trompe-l'oeil in the literal sense of the term, but the object has its charm if you can accept the idea of ​​exhibiting plastic-based plants.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 27th next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Botanical Collection set 10311Orchid, a box of 608 pieces stamped 18+ which is currently in pre-order on the official online store at the public price of 49.99 € and which will be available from May 1, 2022. I am not drawing you a picture, this is about build an orchid in its vase. We can always discuss the interest of reproducing plants with plastic, it will be up to everyone to see if it is better to be content with buying real flowers which will have to be taken care of rather than contenting themselves with exposing this eternal reproduction that is only in danger of gathering dust.

The final appearance of the product does not really reflect the complexity of certain elements that compose it and the internal structure of the pot is deliberately much more detailed than what would have been necessary to achieve the same result. Good for us, the construction challenge is all the more interesting, knowing that the assembly of stems and flowers is very repetitive and has nothing very exciting about it.

The pot, whose outer surface is sober but nicely made, is heavy enough to avoid any accidental tilting of the construction afterwards, no risk at this level. It will be enough to leaf through the instructions to understand that the pot can easily be personalized to make it a little less sad, the internal structure with its pins on which you can attach Tiles allows for some creative variations if your inventory allows.

Those who have already spent their money on other products of this Botanical Collection will be on familiar ground when it comes to assembling the stems and their stakes. Nothing very exciting at this level, but if you want to reproduce the model shown on the packaging identically, you will have to be careful to respect the angles and bends of the two green rods and their ramifications.

We then assemble and install the buds and flowers, LEGO also specifies that it is up to everyone to compose their presentation by changing, for example, the length of the stems and placing the flowers where they see fit according to their mood. time or space actually available between two shelves: the construction measures 39 cm high on arrival.

Note in passing the use of the head of the Demogorgon minifig seen in the LEGO Stranger Things set 75810 The Upside Down, flanked here by a superb pad printing which really gives character to the object. These two pieces are also so successful that the six large flowers based on pieces and frogs seem almost indirectly a little too coarse.

Taking a step back, however, the whole is really an illusion and we almost believe it. The few "diverted" pieces used for the flowers such as the white forks, the shields and other shoulder pads are discreet on arrival and fit perfectly into the overall aesthetic, it's appreciable.

There are only the green leaves made from very large pieces which in my opinion spoil the overall presentation a bit, it's too coarse to convince me. The contrast between the finesse of the flowers and these large green pieces without veins is obvious, it will be possible to attenuate it by carefully orienting the leaves to make them a little more discreet.

The pot is filled with substrate to conceal the internal structure as best as possible, which remains visible from certain angles. Lego is once again content to deliver us a handful of pieces that simply have to be thrown into the pot while trying to distribute the different elements between the stems and the tutors. These pieces are not fixed, you will have to be careful when moving so as not to lose some of them. I find the process a bit lazy and disappointing, you can't really talk about "construction" anymore at this stage.

at €50 for a flowerpot, there's nothing to think about for too long: It's nicely done, the asking price is rather reasonable and the product will easily find its place in the interior of whoever will receive the product. This plastic orchid is also a little less kitschy than the fake bouquet in the set. 10280 Flower Bouquet with its car hoods or the plant of the set 10289 Bird of Paradise with its Technic body panels. The frogs present on the flowers also seem to me more appropriate here in their role as a nod to the many possibilities of use offered by certain pieces than on the Bonsai which used a hundred of them.

I think we have here the most elegant product of the entire collection of plastic plants offered by LEGO, if you only had to buy one for yourself or as a gift, this is it. The real flower requires a lot of attention and care, this plastic version will delight anyone who wants to emphasize their love or their friendship to someone without risking seeing the thing wither and disappear from the shelves too quickly.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 25th next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Star Wars set 75342 Republic Fighter Tank, a box of 262 pieces which will be available at the retail price of €39.99 from April 26, 2022.

In the packaging, a new interpretation of the machine already seen at LEGO in 2008 in the set 7679 Republic Fighter Tank then in 2017 in the set 75182 Republic Fighter Tank, accompanied here by Mace Windu with a nice pad print on his arms, a Clone Commander, two Clone Troopers from the 187th Legion and two Battle Droids.

We are not going to lie to each other for too long, it is the Clone Troopers and Mace Windu who are featured here, the tank only serving as a pretext to sell us a construction toy which is in my opinion much too expensive for what it actually has to offer.

The machine is assembled in a few minutes, you have to stick a large handful of stickers to give it its final appearance and the result is ultimately just a simple children's toy without any particular pretension or ambition.

The youngest will probably be satisfied with it, the vehicle being equipped with a few features that will keep them busy for five minutes: two spring shooters sides, three hatches that can be opened to slide the Clones in and four wheels that allow this tank seen in the video games of the franchise Star Wars: Battlefront and in some comics to move without scratching the floorboards.

The presence of wheels under the tank also allows it to move with a relatively credible floating effect, they know how to be very discreet under the machine and we believe in it. The finish of the tank is very average with a front hatch that does not close completely, a central corridor too low for the minifigs and a somewhat empty internal space. The tank also seems to me a little undersized for the minifigs provided, they have a little trouble finding their place in the different positions.

There is no escaping the eternal difference in color between the background color of the stickers and that of the parts on which they must be stuck. It's really blatant here, whether it's when it comes to sticking white on white or red on red.

The real stars of the product are obviously the minifigs provided: we get an unpublished version of Mace Windu and three Clone Troopers of the famous 187th Legion delivered here in a color matching that of the blade of Windu's saber. Those who have experienced theBattle Pack" marketed by Hasbro in 2007 will appreciate to see that LEGO is going there this year of its adaptation of this squad, the others will probably find these colorful minifigs with very accomplished pad printing too cool to ignore.

Mace Windu's minifig is very successful even if it shows us the technical limits of the pad printing process used by LEGO. The white ink on a beige background struggles a bit to exist and it smudges in some places, especially on the underarms. The minifigure remains very convincing, however, and the slightly opaque blade of the saber goes a long way to making this detailed version of Mace Windu desirable.

The Clone squad here is made up of a commander equipped with a helmet usually reserved for members of so-called "Airborne" sections and two generic Troopers. Here too the pad prints are frankly successful and only a few patterns are missing on the arms for the LEGO version of these Clones to be perfect.

Let's not be too choosy, the purple accents are convincing, the level of detail on the torsos and legs is very satisfying and a few Clone variants are always good to pick up these days.

We could however regret the absence of antennas on the helmets, of patterns on the hips of the generic Clones and the very symbolic interpretation of the beige kama (the skirt) of the commander which comes down here to two pad-printed areas on the legs, but LEGO is doing pretty well in my opinion. Under the three helmets, we logically find the head available since 2020 and launched in the sets 75280 501st Legion Clone Troopers et 75283 Armored Assault Tank (AAT).

I mention for all intents and purposes the presence of the two battle droids of which everyone already has a large handful in the drawers following the purchase of the various LEGO Star Wars Advent calendars, the two minifigures are equipped with metallic gray blasters and it's still better than the usual black color accessories.

LEGO can only market Battle Packs of minifigs and must defend its reputation as a manufacturer of construction toys. We will therefore have to bother with the tank provided here to be able to add the three Clones and the definitive version of Mace Windu to our collections.

It's not very serious, there will always be a child around to play with the machine which still offers some features if not ultra-detailed. Those planning to build a small Clone army of the 187th Legion can always try to recoup their investment by reselling their extra copies of the tank and Mace Windu.

40 € for this box, it's probably a little too expensive even if it allows us to obtain a large handful of new and technically accomplished minifigs. As often, patience will be rewarded by counting on Amazon's ability to treat us to a more reasonable price within a few weeks.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 21th next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the contents of the LEGO Speed ​​Champions set 76906 1970 Ferrari 512M, a box of 291 pieces sold at the retail price of €19.99 since March 1st.

With the Countach of the set 76908 Lamborghini Countach, this reference is one of my two favorites of the 2022 wave: the two vehicles seem to me to make the most of the LEGO inventory and the relatively limited possibilities of the current format of the vehicles in the range.

We assemble here the vehicle bearing the number 4 which won in 1970 the 9 hours of Kyalami in South Africa with at the wheel the Belgian Jacky Ickx and the Italian Ignazio Giunti. LEGO is doing quite well with a fairly faithful reproduction of the reference vehicle and the designer, well helped by the use of the canopy usually used on many ships in the Star Wars universe, did not have to struggle too much with curves of this Ferrari. It can be concluded that the subject is well covered, the result is convincing and the thing will stand out on a shelf.

If the choice of this canopy seemed obvious to the designer of the product, the fact remains that its use causes a major problem: The Ferrari 512 M is a two-seater car and there is only enough to slide here. a minifig in the center of the vehicle. The canopy is also too round and tapered to stick perfectly to that of the real Ferrari 512 M, but it is only by comparing the LEGO version with the real vehicle that this defect really manifests itself and we can easily be satisfied with this Overall very decent interpretation.

The products of the LEGO Speed ​​Champions range are above all toys for children and the possibility of installing a minifig at the wheel of the different vehicles is essential. Suggesting the presence of two seats in the cockpit would no doubt have been possible by reducing the space available for each seat, but it would then no longer have been possible to put a minifig at the controls.

The assembly is as usual quickly dispatched and it is obviously necessary to apply a large handful of stickers to dress this Ferrari 512 M and recreate some aesthetic details. The canopy and both Tiles used on the side of the front headlights are stamped, as is the Ferrari logo present on the 1x1 pieces placed on the sides of the vehicle. The canopy and the sides of the headlights are of Dark Red mismatched, it's a bit of a shame knowing that the stickers are perfectly matched. LEGO provides half a dozen of these 1x1 pieces flanked by the Ferrari logo, but four of them are installed in unexposed areas.

Too bad for the headlights which are summarized here in their simplest form, the transparency effect falls a little in the water. Two optical units in the form of stickers to be placed under non-tinted transparent parts would have been welcome. As often, lovers of original and sometimes surprising techniques will be served, I won't say more and I advise you to skim the photos above only quickly if you don't want to spoil the pleasure.

The overall look of this Ferrari 512 M benefits from the very limited number of studs visible on the surface: there are only six left and that's enough to mark the LEGO spirit without disfiguring the model. The rest of the body is perfectly smooth, it's successful. LEGO rims in Pearl Gold also available since this year in two sets from the LEGO CITY range are a vague illusion: they are the right color but the real Ferrari 512 M was fitted with five-spoke rims. No central mirror on the roof, it will be necessary to do without, and the two white fins at the rear are integrated a little roughly into the bodywork via a few transparent parts.

I said it above, I'm still really a fan of this model which pays a nice tribute to the reference vehicle despite the few flaws and aesthetic shortcuts that stand out if you take the time to compare the model with photos of the real one version. I gladly forgive these discrepancies because the result has cachet and personality, which is not always the case with products from the Speed ​​Champions range with supercars that all end up looking more or less alike. Even if the twenty euros requested by LEGO seems a bit exaggerated to me, I make the effort without waiting for a price drop elsewhere, it's not every day that the LEGO Speed ​​Champions range really manages to seduce me.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 14th next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

We end this cycle of reviews of the three references of the new LEGO Star Wars Diorama Collection with a quick overview of the content of the set 75330 Dagobah Jedi Training, a box of 1000 pieces which will be available from April 26, 2022 at the retail price of €79.99.

I'm not drawing you a picture, this is about assembling a reproduction of the meeting between Luke Skywalker and Yoda on the planet Dagobah during Episode V (The Empire Strikes Back), which begins with a crash of the X-wing in a swamp and ends with some sequences of physical training and highly philosophical reflections.

The assembly of the product oscillates between weariness, with nearly 180 Tiles greens to place to form the surface of the swamp, and more entertaining sequences with the construction of Yoda's hut and the surrounding vegetation. The contrast between the vegetation and the hut is well managed, the staging of 29 cm long by 17 cm wide and 16 cm high seems to me graphically very successful with easily identifiable and well positioned elements which avoid us some confusion visual.

The transparency effect of Tiles swamp works rather well to embody a liquid surface even if we are not yet in a trompe-l'oeil rendering. The organic aspect of the hut is convincing, the "wall" of vegetation that delimits the bottom of the diorama is appropriate, difficult to find fault with. The wing of the X-Wing which suggests the presence of the submerged vessel in the marshy waters is well executed, this detail made up of a few parts really gives cachet to the scene with the added bonus of the presence of "bubbles" around the wing to symbolize the sinking of the vessel.

The designer has not only worked on the front of the diorama and also leaves access to the interior of Yoda's hut from the rear, with just enough room inside the premises to install it. Yoda and Luke. It is also on the back of the product that the lightsaber handle is located, it is hung on the ceiling of the hut. At the front, Luke can optionally be staged balancing on one arm, LEGO provides the transparent parts that allow the minifig to be presented in the correct position.

Like the other two products in the same collection, the construction here displays a quote from the film and the text in English, "...Do. Or do not. There is no trying...", is once again self-sufficient as the formula has become cult and used in all sauces for many years. Almost no one uses the French version of Yoda's statement anyway: "...Do it or don't do it, but there is no try...".

To populate this mini diorama, three figurines: Yoda, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2. The three miniatures can be considered as evolutions of those of the set 75208 Yoda's Hut marketed in 2018, because they benefit from subtle aesthetic modifications by taking up patterns already seen. Luke Skywalker, for example, comes in the same outfit, but the t-shirt and the characters' legs are a little more detailed on this new interpretation. The head of the character is identical to that of 2018, it nevertheless carries a new reference.

The cylinder of R2-D2 takes up the 2018 pattern on its front face, stains included, and LEGO adds this year a pad printing on the back with there also traces of sludge. The result is frankly convincing and is only a little spoiled by the eternal problem of alignment and more or less pronounced deformation of the pad printing of the dome of the droid.

Yoda's minifig is also content to reuse in detail but under a new reference the torso with the design already seen on the figurine marketed in 2018 and the head which dates from 2013.

LEGO finally assumes the idea that no one will really "play" Luke's training sequences on Dagobah and offers us a truly accomplished pure exhibition product. This is in my opinion the most successful interpretation of Yoda's hut at LEGO to date and the sequence seen on screen finds a beautiful tribute here. More generally, this new collection of exhibition dioramas which targets an audience of adult fans will inevitably find its audience despite high prices. It offers the possibility of displaying your passion for the Star Wars universe in a subtle way without filling your living room with ships and more or less detailed playsets.

With a little patience, we can save a few euros or get something offered by waiting at least a few days from the launch of these three new products scheduled for April 26: The offers around the May the 4th operation will follow and it is to be hoped that these three boxes are not already out of stock during the event. Nothing is less sure.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at April 12th next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.