Today we very quickly go around the contents of the LEGO ICONS set 10355 Blacktron Renegade, a box of 1151 pieces which will be available on the official online store from January 1, 2025 at the public price of €99,99.

As you already know, this set pays direct homage to a reference in the Blacktron range initially marketed in 1987: the set 6954 Blacktron Renegade. If you have no memory of this box, that's normal, it was then an exclusive reserved for the US market that was never sold in the shelves of our toy stores. For the nostalgia linked to this particular model, you will have to come back, but if you had some of the other products from the Blacktron universe during your youth, this box may catch your attention.

This marketing limited to a geographical area also explains the choice of design at the packaging level of this new product. It is not a question here of imitating the design of a particular product that only a part of the clientele today adult of the brand will have really had in their hands in the 80s and the use of the very sober concept reserved for products of the ICONS universe makes this box a little less directly associated with the reference set and puts it more forward as a tribute to the entire range.

Otherwise, know that you can also assemble an alternative model with the product inventory, the alienator already seen in 1988 in the set 6876 Blacktron Alienator, a box that was then well marketed in Europe. The necessary instructions will be available exclusively in digital format from the launch of this 2025 novelty.

It is known that many European fans have since undertaken to reproduce the ship from the set. 6954 Blacktron Renegade by purchasing at retail the inventory elements necessary for the assembly of the model, they will have one day had in their hands the reference ship in question here. The 2025 version is obviously a "modernized" interpretation of the original ship with a very basic design, in my opinion it should be seen more as a tribute seen through the prism of a designer's vision in charge of the project than a perfectly faithful reissue but using modern elements available since the 80s.

We can always try to criticize LEGO for its aesthetic bias on one point or another about this homage, the proposal is there and it is up to everyone to appreciate it. In any case, it was difficult to make it more simplistic than the reference model which was then content with a few stacks of pieces with a result that can today leave even the most tolerant of fans perplexed. We were already very far from the slightly more accomplished and readable look of the set 928/497 Galaxy Explorer marketed in 1979 and whose reinterpretation marketed in 2022 under the reference 10497 Galaxy Explorer had logically found its audience very quickly. Here, you will have to have really been a fan of the Blacktron universe to find what you are looking for.

That being said, the assembly of the product remains pleasant if you manage not to pay too much attention to the scratches on the supplied canopies and to ignore the state of the black parts which are also for some in a disappointing state. I am also not a big fan of the alternation of textures between the different black parts and we go from matte grainy to shiny smooth with a result which in my opinion lacks a little homogeneity in places on the visual level.

The yellow color is also much more present on this adaptation than on the reference ship. No need to be offended, I think this choice brings a little readability and texture to a ship that sorely lacks it in both cases. No stickers in this box, everything is pad printed.

For the rest, the pretty rover is detachable and can be fitted without too much manipulation and it can be dropped and recovered very simply. The ship also benefits from retractable landing gear and a few detachable modules, some of which can possibly be combined with each other. The spirit of the reference toy with its pseudo-modularity is there, those who will be sensitive to the proposed homage will find their account in terms of nostalgia.

LEGO provides three minifigs and a small droid to build. The pad printing of the three characters is a little sad, it is in the spirit of that used at the time but the white printed on a black background lacks as often. The torso has a different reference from the one delivered in the promotional set 40580 Blacktron Cruiser, we will have to try to find a difference between the two versions, if there is one.

I'm not going to pretend to be enthusiastic about this homage to a ship I didn't play with when I was younger. And it's obvious that those who will have actually known the reference ship in France, apart from later reconstruction, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. For the most nostalgic fans of the great era of flat ships at LEGO, this Renegade will perhaps be a suitable display companion next to the ship from the set. 10497 Galaxy Explorer, and for a relatively reasonable price that won't require much thought before you buy.

This set is obviously a niche product that targets a specific clientele mainly located across the Atlantic for the subject covered and a slightly more global clientele for the reference to a range very popular in the 80s. It is pure fan service for nostalgic adults that some will judge more or less balanced with on one side those who will be satisfied with this minimalist version certainly more detailed than the reference model and on the other those who will not be sensitive to the falsely vintage look of the product and who would have liked something more contemporary.

LEGO cannot be blamed for ignoring the demand for its many ranges around Space marketed in the 80s/90s, there is enough to (re)produce many cult ships for several generations of children. We will see if the manufacturer renews the concept in the future with tributes to other universes, even if for many of these sub-ranges the marketing window was relatively short and it was necessary to be in the target during the period concerned.

For those who are wondering and who have not found the answer via the official visuals of the two products: this ship is not compatible with the one in the promotional set. 40580 Blacktron Cruiser offered in 2023, the latter not having the same clip system.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 7th January 2025 at 23:59 pm. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid "I'm participating" or "I'm trying my luck", we suspect that this is the case.

LEGO today officially unveils the ICONS set 10355 Blacktron Renegade, a box of 1151 pieces which will be available from January 1, 2025 at the retail price of €99,99.

This set pays homage to a reference in the Blacktron range initially marketed in 1987: the set 6954 Blacktron Renegade. If you have no memory of this box, that's normal, it was then an exclusive reserved for the US market. For nostalgia linked to this particular model, you will have to come back, but if you had some of the other products from the Blacktron universe during your youth, this box may catch your attention.

Otherwise, know that you can assemble an alternative model with the product inventory, the alienator already seen in 1988 in the set 6876 Blacktron Alienator, the necessary instructions will be available at the launch of this box, which we will discuss again in the days to come.

10355 BLACKTRON RENEGADE ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

Today we are taking a quick look at the contents of the LEGO ICONS set. 40757 Corner Kiosk, a small box of 205 pieces which will be offered from January 1 to 7, 2025 for the purchase of the LEGO ICONS set 10350 Tudor Corner (229,99 €).

It is a tradition at LEGO, the marketing of the new Structure comes with a small matching promotional product that allows fans to flesh out their dioramas a little. Some are more successful than others, but the effort is regular on the part of the manufacturer.

Since 2022, we have indeed been treated to the set 40532 Vintage Taxi, followed by the set 40586 Moving Truck in 2023 then from the set 40681 Retro Food Truck in 2024. As you may have noticed, these three promotional products featured vehicles. The chain is broken this year and you will have to make do with a small newspaper kiosk that could have been delivered directly in the box of the set 10350 Tudor Corner, the whole thing probably not worth all the energy that went into making it a standalone product. Still, separating two products to give the impression of offering one with the purchase of the other is a tried and tested and effective marketing technique.

Nothing crazy here, everything is quickly assembled and the longest step remains the application of the half-dozen stickers provided (see the scan of the board below). LEGO has skipped the usual stickers in the set 10350 Tudor Corner where everything is pad printed but this little box does not benefit from the same preferential treatment. This kiosk, its newspaper stand and its candy machine can be easily integrated into a street based on Modulars, no doubt about it. Too bad for those who were hoping for a new vehicle in the very British theme of the construction proposed this year.

Two figures are delivered in this box, they do not use any new elements and all the parts used for the characters in question are at least available in another box: the seller's torso is for example delivered in the LEGO IDEAS set 21353 Botanical Garden (€329,99), his cap in Dark Brown is also that of the chimney sweep in the set 10350 Tudor CornerThe young girl's torso is a regular in CITY or Winter Village sets.

Once again, we're not going to complain about LEGO making an effort to offer promotional products that match the sets they're associated with, fans who will fall for the Structure 2025 will definitely find their account there. This box will not however revolutionize the genre, but it should still motivate the most hesitant at the beginning of the year with its simple construction but in the theme of Structure and its two characters who will bring the proposed staging to life.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 15 December 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

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 ICONS set 10350 Tudor Corner, a large box of 3266 pieces that will be available from January 1, 2025 at a public price of €229,99. Since the official announcement of the product, everyone has an opinion on this Structure in vintage 2025 that will be integrated among the other proposals marketed by LEGO over the years. This version adopts a style that is both very British and vintage, it is enough to divide the fans.

I am not going to give you a Prévert-style inventory of the techniques used to obtain the final result. This is also why we buy this type of product and it is appropriate to leave to those who will spend their money on this box the pleasure of discovering the subtleties of the thing. Do not spoiler not too many of the different stages of construction visible in the photos below even if I tried not to reveal too much.

That being said, I must admit that I am personally seduced by both the assembly process and the final result. The progression is as with every Structure a more or less clever mix between stacking bricks to build the walls of the building and sequences dedicated to the furniture elements which will gradually fill the different available interior spaces.

Here, we don't get bored for a second, there are very few frankly repetitive sequences and it is really very well measured over the 589 assembly steps gathered in the large instruction booklet provided. No stickers in this box, all the patterned elements are therefore pad printed.

As you will have understood by looking at the photos above, the building only occupies part of the 32x32 base plate provided, the rest being composed of sidewalks on two sides. Some may be offended by this, but this is the usual lot of these Modulars which form a street corner and which at first glance seem to take up more space but which ultimately make do with a reduced portion of their support.

As for the furniture installed in the various interior spaces, it is of the level of what is usually found in this type of set with here an emphasis on the various and varied clocks that logically fill the watchmaker's shop. The exercise is interesting with different models that will undoubtedly inspire all those who are looking for variations to furnish their creations. The haberdashery is more compact, it is filled to the brim with bobbins and hats, there is also a mannequin with a neutral face.

The pub counter is cluttered with dishes and containers, the business benefits from a kitchen area that is difficult to access but is properly laid out with some good ideas to symbolize the different equipment, the toilets are placed under the staircase leading to the first floor, they are easily accessible by removing a section of the latter and the bedroom on the second floor is properly laid out even if there is no bed.

We also note that the ratio of available space / piled-up furniture is this time rather correct with a fairly satisfactory balance. The staircase leading to the second floor consumes rooms but it is very convincing and rather well integrated even if the arrival in the maid's room is done by a simple trapdoor.

On the walls of the second floor bedroom, we find the Tile pad-printed which features the sunflower cord that I told you about when LEGO put the Friends set online 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane. The cord is placed on a shelf, so we can deduce that it is that of the minifig who lives there.

The variety of textures and colors used for the walls of the construction contribute to providing a truly satisfying assembly experience. This Structure is not on a single theme even if we can grant it the "Tudor" style for the main building and we pass with pleasure from one universe to another over the stages of the booklet. At the end we obtain two constructions stuck to each other with their architectural particularities and their identity.

The different techniques used are in my opinion of a level that should be able to convince the most demanding fans, no doubt about it. The designer did not however encumber himself with the two faces that are intended to be attached to other products in the range, we will not blame him for having been to the essentials for the back of the building and for having simplified a little the area that accommodates the staircase and which will give a little air to the neighborhood by creating a circulation space between two buildings.

However, I am not convinced by the removal of the building that houses the trash can, a gimmick already used in several products, the available space could have been used to enlarge the pub kitchen, which is still the main business of the place and which benefits from fairly basic treatment on the interior level.

The floors of the first and second floors remain in exposed tenons with carpets symbolized by a few Tiles. I would have preferred a smoother finish in these spaces while keeping, as on the sidewalks, some connection points to stage the seven characters provided. You will have noticed in passing that the space available in the room on the second floor is rather reduced, the techniques used for the half-timbering of the walls requiring gaining on the surface area of ​​the places to offer a credible result. The roof of the maid's room is reduced to an easily removable flat section with simply a functional hatch and a second chimney, it is relatively basic but sufficient.

Not counting the mannequin installed in the haberdashery, we get here 7 minifigs including the pub cook, a chimney sweep, the watchmaker of the first, the tenant of the maid's room and her cats, the haberdashery saleswoman and two passers-by or customers. This is more than enough to furnish a little and bring the set to life on your shelves. Nothing new in terms of figurines, all the elements used here are available in at least one other set.

The question of integrating such an architecturally marked proposal into a street composed of other products from the universe Modulars arises, but it has already arisen in the past. LEGO makes a proposal grouping which is aesthetically interesting via the official visuals of the product by framing this building with the sets 10326 Natural History Museum (2024) et 10312 Jazz Club (2023)

We could add the building from the set 10297Boutique Hotel (2022) and the set would in my opinion look really great as is. We can understand that LEGO favors a possible integration with the products still available in its catalog without worrying about the consistency between the most recent products and the oldest references in the range. It will therefore be up to everyone to find the best possible combination between all the Modulars available, the possibilities are numerous.

As I have pointed out in the past, starting a collection of Modulars is never easy, fans are quick to get hold of the models still available for sale before turning to those that are removed from the manufacturer's catalog and realizing that the secondary market is not doing them any favors.

We wonder every year if this range that is satisfied with only one product per year will manage to renew itself, I think that this will be the case in 2025, both on the aesthetic level and on the side of the complexity of the assembly of the product. This set is in my opinion largely at the level of what LEGO must offer its fans to keep them in suspense around this range.

If you like this proposition, do not hesitate to get started without hesitating too long in the hope of a hypothetical price reduction. This range offers a real construction experience combined with a really interesting exhibition potential and you will then have all the leisure to expand your street with other references according to your tastes to create "your" personalized street. Believe me, I am the first to appreciate the assembly of these boxes, which I was able to do once again thanks to LEGO on the occasion of this "Review", although I never really wanted to collect them.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 14 December 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

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

LEGO officially unveils the new universe building today Structure and this is the LEGO ICONS reference 10350 Tudor Corner which will be available from January 1, 2025 at the public price of €229,99.

In the box, 3266 pieces to assemble the construction of 31 cm high by 26 cm wide and 25 cm deep which brings together a restaurant, a haberdashery, a watchmaking workshop as well as an attic apartment. The building is populated by 8 minifigs including a chef and a chimney sweep.

This product will be accompanied by the small LEGO ICONS promotional set 40757 Corner Kiosk which will be offered to all those who go to the checkout between January 1 and 7, 2025. The inventory of this small box will allow you to assemble a vintage kiosk accompanied by 2 minifigs as well as some street furniture elements.

10350 TUDOR CORNER ON THE LEGO SHOP >>