It took time, unlike other projects which were able to quickly mobilize huge communities to reach 10.000 supporters. The project Modular Western Town enters its second phase, and LEGO will find itself in a big dilemma: accept the project by pretending to have had a choice or refuse it for obscure reasons and alienate Eurobricks and others, who must be recognize, make a little rain and shine in the small world of AFOLs.

Because it must be admitted, this western village is only a pretext for a balance of power between the manufacturer and a large part of the English-speaking AFOL community represented by various sites and blogs which took turns until the 'overdose to convince their members that it was necessary to save honor, to assert its cohesion and to put things in their place ...

Regarding the project itself, I don't feel anything. No feeling. This western village is well designed, it's a nice MOC, but from there to make a set, isolated moreover, without consistency of range ....
But LEGO does not have the means to reject the project of an entire community, a project which also meets all the moral criteria of the brand. 

So I have a vague aftertaste of covert blackmail, of exerted pressure, of claim and undoubtedly excessive community pride, all led by American AFOLs who seem to seek recognition from the manufacturer which they promote throughout. year with great complacency and submission.

LEGO will have the final say, but I don't see how the project could be rejected. After all, on this occasion, LEGO knows that the 10.000 supporters are almost all AFOLs capable of going to spend crazy sums to afford this trophy obtained through hard work.
As a sign of belonging to the gang which has succeeded in imposing its will on a manufacturer who cannot do without the American market.

The second wave of LEGO Star Wars sets is finally listed at amazon.fr. Here are the prices currently applied, knowing that they are constantly moving at this merchant. Note that for the moment it is a third-party marketplace merchant who offers these sets.

You can also find these sets in the Hoth Bricks store. The prices are updated there in real time and you can order directly, you will be redirected to the amazon site.

9496 Desert Skiff - € 30.00
9497 Republic Striker-Class Starfighter - € 49.10
9498 Saesee Tiin's Starfighter - € 39.10
9499 Gungan Sub - € 74.10
9500 Sith Fury-Class Interceptor - € 99.10
9515 Malevolence - € 139.10
9516 Jabba's Palace - € 149.10

Seen on flickr in Huw Millington's gallery (brick set), these scans of better quality than those provided by sidersdd of the two character pages of the LEGO Lord of the Rings range. (these are not the plastic versions, but 3D renderings)

Nothing new, we already know all these minifigs up and down and across, but it's cute to see the different characters in situation (special mention for the Uruk-Hai who is going to take a shovel. .) and this allows you to wait until the actual arrival of the boxes in our favorite stores ...

We will console ourselves for the delays in delivery of our orders of the set 10225 SCU R2-D2 with this video review of Artifex which of course presents the assembly of the droid in stop-motion but which also features some nice special effects that I let you discover.

Artifex also took advantage of this video to present R2-D2 equipped with a kit of LEDs which, it must be admitted, gives a whole new dimension to this set and which you can order on his online store or eBay.

Treat yourself, it lasts 5 minutes and it's great art. And for those who would ask the question: No R2-D2 does not have wheels or casters. It is a stop motion movement. Besides, LEGO was mean on this point. Although this model is primarily intended to be exhibited, 4 wheels would not have been too much to move it while making tibibibidididi...

Back to serious things for Omar Ovalle with this successful MOC of the Probe Droid, this recognition machine seen in particular on Hoth and that all Star Wars fans know well.

While you're at it, take a walk on the flickr gallery by Omar Ovalle, a space is dedicated to all kinds of droids from the Star Wars universe.

You can also admire the other very successful Probe Droid of the moment, that of Tiler I was telling you about a few weeks ago on our blog.