Today we are very quickly interested in the content of the two small promotional sets currently offered subject to purchase on the LEGO online store as well as in the LEGO Stores: the references 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride et 40604 Christmas Decor Set.

These two small boxes with a festive theme are automatically added to your order as soon as the minimum amount required is reached, namely €70 for the set. 40604 Christmas Decor Set and €150 for the set 40603 Wintertime Carriage Ride. The two offers are obviously cumulative.

The 153-piece carriage seems very well executed for a promotional product with limited inventory. It's elegant, detailed, solid and functional and you can easily install the three minifigs provided to make it wander the streets of a Winter village made up of a few boxes on the same theme.

The machine is pulled by a horse whose hitch pivots on the integrated front axle, this is useful for taking turns correctly. Note that the coachman does not have a whip, LEGO undoubtedly having wanted to avoid offending animal lovers or at least not to provoke unnecessary reactions around this product.

The three minifigs delivered in this box make good use of rather common elements, nothing very original at this level except the head of the young woman which bears a new reference, even if I think that the coachman would have deserved a torso dedicated to the place to be satisfied with that of the train driver or the lighthouse keeper. We can imagine a versatile retiree who combines seasonal jobs.

As for the three balls to hang on the branches of the tree, the constructions are identical right down to the exterior motifs and it is only the color of the object that changes. You can, however, display all your creativity by mixing the colored faces together to obtain something more colorful, it's up to you depending on what you put on the branches of your tree. The rings provided by LEGO are those already seen in several sets since 2022, they are perfectly suited to the use intended here.

The three balls are therefore well designed with the necessary solidity in mind to be able to handle and hang them easily without breaking everything. The inside of each of these balls may seem a little crude but that was undoubtedly the price to pay to make them real decorative elements that will withstand the end of year celebrations. It will also be easy to produce others if you have a suitable inventory.

Should we agree to pay a high price for a few boxes and reach the threshold of €150 which allows the two offers to be combined to obtain these two products presented as limited editions? It's up to everyone to see if the game is worth it and if these two little sets have a usefulness that will go beyond the end of their career at the bottom of a drawer.

If you're used to decorating your home with festive-themed LEGO products, I think the effort is worth it. If this is not the case and you do not plan to resell these two boxes to recoup the expense made on the official online store, you can skip it and find your favorite sets (excluding Shop exclusives) for much cheaper elsewhere.

Note: The products presented here, provided by LEGO, are as usual put into play. Deadline fixed at 11th December 2023 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.

Today we take a very quick look at the contents of the LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog set. 76995 Shadow's Escape, a small box of 196 pieces which will be available from January 1, 2024 at the public price of €20.99.

And the guided tour will indeed be very quick as this little box is almost content to be a simple extension of the more global concept developed in the already very extensive Sonic the Hedgehog range : there is in fact not much to build and only one minifigure is provided.

We will note in passing that the inventory of this box is delivered in two “paper” bags, LEGO having recently recalled that the shift announced for a long time will eventually materialize in 2024 in Europe. I mention the word paper in quotation marks, the material being abundantly coated with plastic inside to prevent the pieces from tearing the packaging and we still find in these bags the usual small plastic packaging containing the smallest elements of the inventory.

LEGO promises an “infinity of stories” to invent with the contents of this product, however you will need to have a little imagination to get something out of it. Shadow can be imprisoned in the "cryogenic tank", he can escape, he can confront the Badnik Rhinobot in passing and then escape on his motorcycle. Why not, do it once before posting the thing in a corner to amortize the investment.

The motorcycle is very decent considering its limited inventory, Shadow can be installed in a seated position on the seat, this is not always the case with LEGO motorcycles, and can even really take hold of the roller-based handlebars paint. The machine is not unworthy, it is neat knowing that there are no stickers in this box and that the motorcycle therefore benefits from pad-printed elements.

The other construction of the set brings some functionality to the product with the possibility of ejecting the glass from the tank by pressing on the two-tone edge of the base so that Shadow sets sail. The barrier placed behind the tank is synchronized with the ejection mechanism of the canopy, Shadow can then smash it with his motorcycle. the bottom of the tank is furnished with a very successful pad-printed piece (see photo below).

The Rhinobot is correct even if it struggles a little to embody the creature with its shell and its central wheel seen on the screen in video games where the villain makes an appearance, it is missing at least one yellow band which crosses the shell of the evil robot. the Clucky provided is symbolic, the idea is there and the little figurine will do the trick even if the hen's crest would in my opinion have deserved a plastic excrescence instead of being satisfied with a simple printed pattern.

We cannot therefore say that the product is crazy playable and exceptionally creative and for €21 LEGO is clearly content with the bare minimum to encourage us to buy the new Shadow figurine delivered in this box.

The latter is rather well executed even if the white pad-printed area on the black background of the torso is too dull compared to the more "intense" white of the legs, which is a shame. The legs and arms benefit from particular care and these nicely pad-printed elements are successful.

For the head of the figurine, some will perhaps only see an interpretation that strays too far from the initial concept of the LEGO minifig, others will find that the mold is frankly successful, everyone has their own appreciation of the liberties taken by LEGO in this range to offer credible characters resembling their digital alter egos.

In short, this little additional pack which could possibly flesh out a diorama made up of a few boxes from the Sonic the Hedgehog range doesn't have much to offer but it only costs €21 and we all know here that the motivation will come from the presence of a new figurine that many fans of this universe were waiting for in a LEGO version.

That's already good, we learn not to be too demanding over time and to be satisfied with what we are offered if the price seems acceptable to us. In my opinion, this is the case here, the motorcycle saving the furniture in the process concerning the constructions provided.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 10th December 2023 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.

Today we take a quick look at the contents of the LEGO promotional set 5008076 Marvel Taxi, a small box of 150 pieces which will be offered to members of the LEGO Insiders program from November 24 to 27, 2023 for the purchase of the LEGO Marvel set 76269 Avengers Tower which I spoke to you about yesterday.

We're not going to lie, this extension to be integrated at the foot of the diorama offered by LEGO in its big box at €500 looks a bit like content that the manufacturer would have finally decided to remove from the set 76269 Avengers Tower to make it a promotional product aimed at encouraging purchase.

The product is packaged in the small soft box, and a little ugly, reserved for promotional sets available via the LEGO Insiders program, the pieces are simply thrown into a resealable bag slipped inside the packaging and that's the cover of the instruction booklet which serves as the front of the box.

LEGO is expected to ship the two products separately, the LEGO Marvel set 76269 Avengers Tower being already packaged in a dedicated box which does not leave room to add this small box. So much the better for those who hate receiving sets crushed during transport.

The contents of the set are very quickly assembled with a yellow Tesla-looking taxi and four minifigs provided: Black Panther in a version already seen in the set 76212 Shuri's Lab (€9.99), two Outriders introduced in 2023 in the set 76247 The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda and a taxi driver who uses a very common head as well as the torso of Harry Potter delivered in the set 76405 Hogwarts Express Collector's Edition.

Note the presence of a cap bearing the Avengers logo identical to the one worn by Kevin Feige in the large set associated with this promotional product and the absence of stickers in this box, all the patterned elements being pad printed. The two windshields used by the vehicle are obviously a little scratched upon unpacking, no pleasant surprises there.

The good idea of ​​the product: the possibility of staging Black Panther on the roof of the taxi thanks to the transparent parts provided and the presence of supports for the two Outriders. This is in line with the possibilities for dynamic presentation of the different characters offered in the set 76269 Avengers Tower.

It will be up to everyone to see if they should fall for the LEGO Marvel set 76269 Avengers Tower from its launch at the public price of €499.99 to be offered this little extension which should have been in the box or if it is better to try to obtain this set via the secondary market which should not fail to be quickly flooded with proposals.

The content of this promotional product therefore seems rather convincing to me overall with four figurines provided, no stickers and a little construction, it's up to you to see if all this is enough to make the pill pass more easily.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at November 27, 2023 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 Marvel set 76269 Avengers Tower, a large box of 5201 pieces which will be available at the public price of €499.99 from November 24, 2023 via the official online store and in the LEGO Stores. Fans have long wanted a model of Stark Tower which has become the headquarters of the Avengers, LEGO has heard the call and this box is therefore in principle designed to meet these expectations even if we can consider that the product arrives a little late in the shelves, the Marvel universe in cinema having already moved on.

In the product box, around forty sachets, three instruction booklets and a very large handful of stickers to stick. The construction is not modular or disassembled for transport or storage, all the sub-assemblies which compose it are integral with each other. It's a bit of a shame, we could have hoped to easily separate the tower into three or four modules to be able to store it temporarily or move it more easily.

The finish of this 90 cm high tower is a little uneven depending on the sections and it sometimes feels more like we are assembling a luxury LEGO CITY police station than a high-end model. The fault is undoubtedly the hundreds of panes of glass that simply have to be stacked in a chain to obtain the final result, these large surfaces giving the impression of easily gaining volume without putting too much effort into the assembly techniques.

Part of the tower seen on screen on the LEGO version is also missing, which ultimately only reproduces the upper section of the building. We will have to be content with this aesthetic shortcut, LEGO having clearly wanted to offer a product which hesitates without really choosing its side between luxury playset and pure exhibition model.

You will also have to savor the assembly process according to the arrangement of the different interior spaces which refer to one scene or another from the saga, the progression through the pages of the three booklets is designed to avoid as much as possible the weariness encountered during the inevitable sections that are a little repetitive or uninspired.

The set obviously combines references to the entire Avengers saga with the added bonus of characters and scenes that don't really have a memorable link with the building. The product is a melting pot of diverse and varied references, a sort of global synthesis intended for those who will only buy this box and who usually ignore the rest of the LEGO derivative products under Marvel license.

We can't really talk aboutEaster eggs regarding the numerous references to the Avengers saga scattered throughout the product, it is indeed the object of this type of box to accumulate in an obvious and endless way the more or less strong nods to the universe concerned. Fans will be well served, even if the most dedicated will notice the scenes that never took place in this tower and the characters who don't have much to do there. Others will be content with this playful summary all in the glory of what we callInfinity Saga, with its geographical approximations and its shortcuts, certain references amounting to a drawing on a sticker.

The interior spaces are accessible by removing a few facade elements including the large front bay window, you will still need to have small fingers and pay attention to the furniture and accessories already present to install some characters there. The exterior walls of the tower for their part integrate numerous connection points which allow you to install the numerous transparent extensions provided which will accommodate the staged minifigs, you have the choice of dynamics and this profusion of possibilities will also be very useful depending on the angle chosen to present the construction on your shelves. Note that as for the front of the set 76178 Daily Bugle, that of this tower can be made intact by modifying the damaged bay window using the two windows provided.

The mini Quinjet provided is anecdotal even if it is not unworthy, the construction serves here to furnish the landing zone present at the top of the tower and the machine is on arrival more of a decorative element than a real functionality of the proposed playset even if it is possible to install a minifigure there. The bravest will try to put it in a flying position outside the tower by finding the right combination of connection points, transparent extensions and the necessary balance point of the model. The included Leviathan does not impress, it is much too compact, but it at least has the merit of being relatively detailed and of being able to be presented in flight thanks to the transparent support provided.

As you can imagine, the hundreds of windows are once again simply thrown into the bags with the other parts and many of them are marked or scratched upon unpacking. It is impossible here to defend LEGO by citing the fact that the product will in any case end up in the hands of young children who will destroy the windows a little more, this product is not directly intended for them. If I am usually quite demanding about the condition of the glazing present in the products I buy, I will resign myself here because I already know that it will be of no use to go and request several dozen replacement parts from the customer service.

In the best case scenario, the latter will send them to me also thrown into a bag with the risk of seeing them arrive in the same condition as those delivered in the box. Seen from a certain distance, the tower does not really suffer visually from these visual defects, but up close these numerous scratches are often clearly visible. Too bad.

Once again, LEGO delivers a product presented as high-end but covered with various and varied stickers, with two very large sheets of stickers of which you will find scans below so that you can take full advantage of the distilled references. It's as usual for LEGO, graphically very well executed but the manufacturer could have made an effort by pad printing some of these visuals such as those which take place on Falcon's dorsal gear.

After reflection, I find it a shame that it is not possible to transform this tower into a Stark version with appropriate signage; however, a few handfuls of additional pieces were enough to offer a variant that would undoubtedly have found its audience among certain fans.

The supply of figurines is substantial with 31 characters but, judging by the first reactions during the official announcement of the product, the selection made by the designers is not to everyone's taste: too many characters already seen under the same shape in other boxes, new minifigs without much interest while LEGO ignores prominent characters who would have deserved a place in this box and a few characters whose presence was not necessarily required considering- given the context.

Everyone has an opinion on the subject and as I said above, this product is not only aimed at unconditional fans of the Marvel universe in a LEGO version: it also targets a more occasional clientele who do not buy sets from the Marvel range on a regular basis and who will therefore have a fairly exhaustive selection of characters on hand here.

We will remember that the Hulk figurine now has a removable head and hair, that LEGO once again gives us torsos or heads for Captain America and Scarlet Witch in a flesh color too pale to convince, that Wong is an intruder who is frankly off topic while Bruce Banner would have for example been welcome, that Thor is unfortunately adorned with his face in fashion Love and thunder and that Vision and The Wasp benefit from flexible plastic elements of the most beautiful effect.

I'm not a fan of the presence of Kevin Feige, producer and president of Marvel Studios, while in my opinion Stan Lee definitely had his place here if it was absolutely necessary to associate a significant external contributor to the cast provided. The most diligent collectors will be happy to have on hand second-rate characters who have never had the honors of the LEGO range such as Alexander Pierce, Helen Cho or Erik Selvig, the others would undoubtedly have exchanged these figurines for superheroes or more emblematic characters from the Marvel universe. We will console ourselves with the magnificent figurines of Ultron, Vision, Hawkeye and Iron Man's damaged Mark VI armor.

Whatever the faults of the product, in particular the inevitable problems of scale between the different elements of the set, I will be among the first to treat myself to this long-awaited and hoped-for large tower, with a well-treated subject and a satisfactory supply of figurines. . I will make the effort from November 24th so as not to miss out on the little promotional set 5008076 Marvel Taxi offered for the occasion. I already have a handful of Black Panther in my drawers but this small extension of the set will be enough to make up for the retail price of the product. At least time to validate my order.

I hope that I will be lucky with the windows delivered in the bags and this time I will take the time to assemble the contents of this box as it should be: patiently while trying to make the most of the references included, the interior spaces and all the “experience” promised.

The €500 requested by LEGO will unfortunately not put this box within the reach of all budgets and you will have to seriously save your pocket money to afford this luxury playset. I think the game is worth it, the fun possibilities are numerous, my son who is now 20 years old has also stressed that he would have "really" liked to have had a toy like that when he was younger instead of the boxes less ambitious of the range, and the exhibition potential of the product seems really interesting to me despite its relative aesthetic simplicity for a high-end model.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at November 26, 2023 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 are very quickly interested in the content of the LEGO DREAMZzz set 71457 Pegasus Flying Horse, a box of 482 pieces sold at the public price of €52.99 on the official online store and in the LEGO Stores. This set is in the soft underbelly of a range whose public prices range from €29.99 to €139.99 but it deserves the attention of all those who have found an affinity with the universe concerned: it is the least expensive of the two products which currently make it possible to obtain the main villain of the LEGO house license, the King of Nightmares, in minifig format.

We therefore assemble here a black horse with rather successful curves and reduced but sufficient mobility, the animal becoming a cousin of Pegasus when the throne of the King of Nightmares is installed on its back. The whole then works visually very well but we can only regret the fragility of the association between the two constructions, it only holds in place on two tenons, it has an unfortunate tendency to come off without warning and the two pairs of white ribs which can be folded over the horse's abdomen provide no support. For the rest, it will be possible to orient the head and tail of the animal and take advantage of articulated hips which allow the four legs to be shifted a little.

The two large wings supplied are nicely made, another pair is also available in the set 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship (€139.99) to embody the sails of the boat. I note that one element was missing in the copy of the set that I received: a large pad-printed eye in principle supplied in two copies and present both on the throne of the King of Nightmares and on the top of the cage in which finds itself locked up Nova. This last sub-assembly also brings a little playability to the product, it will involve Zoey perched on her bird to go and free the young girl held by the super villain and his henchman.

The bird with its articulated wings and movable head, ridden by Zoey, is also rather successful even if the construction can seem basic and a little undersized to really compete with the horse, more than 20 cm high. A few stickers are to be applied to the different constructions to refine their level of detail a little, the horse can do without them but the bird needs its eyes.

The supply of minifigs here goes to the essential with two members of the main cast, Zoey and the King of Nightmares and two second knives, Nova and the micro-minion Susan. All the figurines are delivered in at least one other box in the range but this remains the cheapest option to obtain Nova in pajamas and the Nightmare King with his magnificent pad printing and his very successful accessories.

This toy for children who are fans of the universe developed in the animated series currently broadcast on all major platforms as well as on television seems to me to be rather successful with its neat and colorful constructions, it offers, like the other references in the range an assembly variant at the end of the booklet with the possibility of transforming Zoey into a giant butterfly. Nothing crazy, the modification is not as spectacular as some of the much more creative variants imagined in other sets.

The public reference price practiced by LEGO often seems to me a little too high for what the set really has to offer, but this price is only there to set the bar high and serve as a reference for the percentage of reduction available everywhere else and it is obviously already possible to acquire this box for less than €40 at Amazon:

Discount -39%

LEGO 71457 DREAMZzz Pegasus, The Flying Horse, Build a Fantasy Creature in 2 Ways, with Zoey, Nova and Night King Minifigures

52.99 € 32.19 €

BUY

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at November 12, 2023 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.