Today we quickly tour the LEGO Star Wars set 75300 Imperial Tie Fighter, a box that will be available from January 1, 2021 and which confirms to us that LEGO knows how to compromise without being extremely simplified.

This Tie Fighter of barely more than 400 pieces offered at 39.99 € has neither the presence nor the level of detail of a version which would cost twice as that of the set 75211 Imperial Tie Fighter marketed in 2018 at the public price of 79.99 € but it is doing in my opinion with the honors. The most assiduous collectors will also remember the reference 9492 Tie Fighter marketed in 2012 at the public price of 59.99 € with a Tie Fighter of 400 pieces barely bigger than this one and 4 figurines.

This new, even more affordable version of the ship is not easy, however, and offers its share of interesting assembly techniques. This is not a luxury "4+" and we especially escape the metapieces usually provided in these boxes for toddlers who have grown tired of DUPLO products.

The cockpit is a relatively complex assembly of small parts that results in a fairly convincing sphere. LEGO is also reusing the glass roof already seen in several sets since 2015 and the dish pad printed created in 2018 for the set 75211 Imperial Tie Fighter. The result makes it possible to install the pilot in command without having to go with a shoehorn, it's no frills but the essential is there.

The wings are of a design also without big aesthetic risk taking but the result is generally satisfactory. We may regret that tiles The gray ones placed in extra thickness only fit on two tenons and they will tend to unhook too easily during handling.

The two wings are fixed to the body of the vessel via three pins which plug into a unique 6x6 piece with five holes arranged in a cross, they will not accidentally come off. Note that the borders attached to the edge of the wings are only held at their ends via two clips, the ball joint central simply ensuring the fold that allows to respect the angle.

No stickers in this box, and that's good news. Of them spring shooters are integrated under the cockpit and it is sufficiently well done not to annoy those who would have done without. Ammunition sticks out at the rear, but that's the price to pay to be able to take advantage of the mechanism of these spring-loaded missile launchers.

The result: a vaguely Tie Fighter Midi Scale, a little bit of chibi with its large cockpit on the usual scale and its wings of a wingspan much smaller than the version of the ship marketed in 2018, but a product sufficiently detailed not to be likened to LEGO 4+.

The minifigure assortment may seem uninspired but in my opinion it remains relatively interesting for a young fan who is trying to build up a collection and an army. The Stormtrooper is the one delivered in several sets since 2019. The Tie Fighter pilot's helmet dates from 2015 and the torso from 2016, these are elements seen since on various pilots of the range.

The Death Star protocol droid, here named NI-L8 (for annihilate) takes the lead of the version seen in 2016 in the set 75159 Death Star and benefit in this new version of a superbly pad-printed torso. A fourth character would not have been refused, but the endowment still seems very reasonable to me for a box of 39.99 € under Star Wars license.

With this box and the set 75301 Luke Skywalker's X-wing Fighter (474 - 49.99 €) which we will talk about in a few days, LEGO finally offers two emblematic ships of the saga at reasonable prices without being petty in terms of inventory, design and minifig endowment.

It will obviously be necessary to accept the fact that these two ships are more compact and a little less detailed than their predecessors but this is the price to pay to take advantage of a more accessible price than usual. The youngest fans who will be looking for how to optimize the use of the money they may have received at Christmas will be able to afford both boxes for less than 90 € and that, in my opinion, is very good news.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 19, 2020 next at 23pm. 

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, today we are quickly interested in the LEGO Technic set 42122 Jeep Wrangler, a box of 665 pieces which will be marketed from January 1, 2021 at the public price of € 49.99.

This licensed product was developed in partnership with the automaker, so the instruction booklet does some publicity for the "real" Jeep Wrangler Rubicon in the process. Do not expect a high-end model, it is above all a simplified adaptation of the original vehicle aimed at the youngest.

The 665 parts, including more than 260 pins, are quickly assembled. The remote steering in the trunk, the two rear shock absorbers, the front axle and the cockpit are quickly installed and the main part of the construction process then consists in dressing the vehicle chassis with different bodywork elements.

No engine under the hood, you have to be content with a bucket seat covered with a sticker symbolizing the 6 horsepower 3.6l V270. The steering wheel spins in a vacuum, it is not connected to the steering shaft. It is also not a "real" 4x4 with all-wheel drive, there are no front suspensions and you have to be content with a front axle with central fixing which will however create an illusion when setting up. situation thanks to a large clearance. The five tires supplied are new in this range, they are the ones that will also be used on the LEGO CITY Tractor in 2021.

The vehicle's crossing capacities are therefore very correct and the youngest should have a little fun with this Jeep Wrangler, which does not lose parts during handling. We cannot really count on fidelity to the reference model to proudly display this Jeep, on this scale we only vaguely find the characteristic lines of the real vehicle and the many visible pins do not make it a model with an exemplary finish. It's just LEGO Technic and it shows.

The iconic Jeep seven element grille is present and the parts are pad printed. It has the merit of making it possible to visually associate the construction with the reference vehicle, but the pattern is unfortunately not perfectly aligned on all the parts.

We may regret that the rear arches are black on the LEGO version, they are the same color as the body on the real Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. The rest of the trim of this Jeep Wrangler consists of stickers, even on the dashboard and on the seats with a "upholstery" stamped with the Rubicon mention.

The winch is often equipped with a simple string, it is time for LEGO to develop a more opulent solution based on flexible plastic cable. This sewing thread is not at the level of a licensed toy at 50 €. The cable is raised by manually turning the gear placed next to the spool. Rustic but effective.

We could debate the choice of color for this LEGO version which looks more like one of the many construction machines already in the LEGO catalog than anything else, but Jeep does offer a color called Hellayella very similar to its catalog.

In short, this set is a children's toy that looks a bit like a Jeep Wrangler crossed with a Hummer, it is not a complex model that implements elaborate techniques and the vehicle will be intended to roll on the floor of the bedroom or in the garden rather than ending up on the shelf of a collector looking for a successful reproduction. At 50 €, I find the object a bit expensive but we all know here that it will be quickly possible to find it for less than 40 € elsewhere than at LEGO.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 17, 2020 next at 23pm. 

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.

LEGO who sent a copy of the LEGO set 40416 Ice Skating Rink to all the bloggers on the planet including yours truly, I suggest you quickly take a tour of this small box of 304 pieces currently offered and as long as there is still more from 150 € of purchase on the official online store.

More than a simple static ice rink to be exhibited in a festive Winter Village, it is above all a real toy with a function that will please all those who expect from LEGO something other than too mini-dioramas. static. No complicated mechanism under the ice rink, these are three notched wheels that will put the two children in motion. The principle used here is similar to that seen in the LEGO Harry Potter set 75948 Hogwarts Clocktower with the ballroom and its dancers.

Ice is embodied by a layer of tiles transparent to the bluish tint installed on a white background. The effect is convincing, but the apparent pile of pieces used to portray the two skaters on the ice is a little less convincing. The extra thickness breaks the sliding effect on the ice and it is still very rough, even if we are not going to complain about being able to play with this little merry-go-round on ice.

To make the two young skaters turn, just push the toothed wheel that protrudes from the base. The most motivated may possibly consider motorizing the thing, even if I'm not sure that the game is worth the candle, except perhaps for a Winter village which will serve as a nursery for the end of year celebrations.

The two minifigs provided are dressed in new festive sweaters. Both elements are content with a few simple winter designs and the minifigs come with neutral legs. A hat and a scarf to complete the paraphernalia of young skaters, it is in the theme.

Do you absolutely have to spend 150 € on the official online store to get this little box? If you collect the limited edition party sets that LEGO offers each year, you can get started. Otherwise, you still have to be honest, this little set is cute but it does not justify spending 150 € and paying a high price for the products in order to get it.

If this box seems essential to you but you have other things to worry about financially at the end of the year, wait a few weeks, the sellers of the secondary market will quickly fight to offer it to you for a few tens of euros. Remember that many of the official store customers rely on the resale of these offered products to reduce the amount of their spending. There is something for everyone on arrival.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 15, 2020 next at 23pm. 

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 some novelties of the LEGO Harry Potter range planned for January 1, 2021 and I preferred to group the four "books" which are announced in the mini-collection entitled "Hogwarts Moments". These four sets will be one for many fans who will not ask themselves many questions when choosing which reference to buy and they will without hesitation spend a second the 119.96 € requested by LEGO to afford the integral part of this series of playsets, so it seemed logical to tell you about this whole mini-range.

As you already know from the announcement of these four products, they are in fact classrooms installed in a container that closes to look like a book. These are not pop-up books, the contents of these four books do not unfold by themselves when opened and you will have to manually rearrange the various pieces of furniture to obtain a play space that looks like something.

Each of these playsets is built on the same principle as the other three and the variations are found in the furniture and its arrangement to allow the book to be closed and constitute a more or less homogeneous section. Only the front side of the cover is pad printed, the back cover remains empty. Those who had imagined that the back would also be pad-printed will be at their expense, we must be content with a somewhat coarse thematic sticker whose background color does not even match the color of the piece on which it takes square. No even discreet mention on the back of the membership of these different works in the Harry Potter universe, it's a shame.

Inside, it's a bit of a sticker fair with very large stickers to put in place in the various locations provided. These stickers greatly contribute to the atmosphere of each classroom and it will be difficult to do without them, the open book serving as a backdrop. In defense for LEGO, these stickers are really well done, and we salute the work of the graphic designer responsible for the file.

The interior layout of each of these works is more or less inventive and some classrooms seem to me to be significantly more successful than others on a technical level. This difference in quality in the design inevitably affects the good behavior of the book once closed. Some examples (76382 and 76385 to a lesser extent) are really very fragile and difficult to move without having to tighten the cover tightly to prevent something from falling off. Others are stronger and benefit from a better thought-out "storage" solution.

We will remember the presentation video offered by the manufacturer during the announcement of this mini-collection which invited us to buy them all in order to have a 360 ° competition playset. Missed, the playset shown in the video only brings together three of the four books and the assembly of the four products between them does not leave much room to play.

Unconditional fans of the Harry Potter universe, like those of the Star Wars or Marvel and DC Comics universes, are demanding on the details and they are quite right. They will be served with the content of these four playsets which do not really innovate in terms of gameplay but which are full of more or less supported winks to the lessons given by the four teachers provided.

No one will have much fun replaying a Transfiguration or Potions-making class, but the little scenes on offer should appeal to those who never tire of accumulating everything that LEGO can market around the Harry Potter universe. Collecting is a disease that cannot be cured.

Others will only see the inside of these books when they are assembled and will then be content to display them aligned on a shelf after having extracted the various minifigs that this collection allows to obtain. A classic presentation will not visually add much to a shelf and it will probably be necessary to find a solution to highlight the different covers.

Speaking of minifigs, the assortment here is rather honest with a teacher and two students per classroom, a lot of new elements and the possibility for the buyers of these boxes to expand their collections all at once with new ones. variations of their favorite characters.

In the set 76382 Hogwarts Moment: Transfiguration Class, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley with a new torso also delivered in two other of these boxes and a minifigure of the headmistress of Hogwarts Minerva McGonagall completely new. Special mention for the hat with integrated hair, it was about time and it was successful.

In the set 76383 Hogwarts Moment: Potions Class, Draco Malfoy and Seamus Finnigan also equipped with new torsos available for the moment only in this mini-collection, and the director of Slytherin Severus Snape who would undoubtedly have benefited from having pad-printed legs.

In the set 76384 Hogwarts Moment: Herbology Class, Cedric Diggory featuring Han Solo's face, Neville Longbottom and Hufflepuff Headmistress Pomona Sprout who reuses Paleontologist's legs from the LEGO Ideas set 21320 Dinosaur Fossils (2019) and the character minifig hat from the series 2 collectible characters. The torsos of the two students are identical.

In the set 76385 Hogwarts Moment: Charms Class, Filius Flitwick (without hat), Harry Potter and Cho Chang all benefit from new torsos, the director of Ravenclaw is equipped with the beard of Dwalin here declined in white and his face, just like that of Cho Hang is unpublished.

Finally, I must admit that I was very impressed by the official visuals of these products when they were put online on the official store but that I am a little less after having had them in hand, even if I continue to think the original idea is excellent. LEGO knows how to make us salivate with pretty packaging and clever staging, then it's up to everyone to decide if the promise is really kept.

The four playsets are really very compact and these books a dozen centimeters high lack a bit of cachet to really convince me with their apparent gray clips. The often annoying fragility of some of them does not help matters but the clips provided on the back of each of the books, designed to connect the different playsets to each other, make it possible to join the four volumes to facilitate movement and alignment. .

At 120 € all together, it becomes difficult to be choosy especially for a fan of the LEGO Star Wars universe like me who rarely sees such creative products in his favorite range. The idea is excellent, its execution is uneven depending on the reference but remains very correct, the assortment of minifigs is plentiful and the different environments are very supplied with decorations and other accessories. This collection of books / playsets could have been more ambitious on the size and finish of the books but the retail price would have been that much higher. So it is very good like that.

Note: The set of sets presented here, supplied by LEGO, are as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 15, 2020 next at 23pm. 

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 75299 Trouble on Tatooine, a small box of 276 pieces based on the first episode of the second season of the series The Mandalorian currently broadcast on the Disney + platform.

The set which will be sold at the public price of € 29.99 from January 1, 2021 picks up from the entire episode in question but LEGO ultimately only covers the subject by simply focusing on different elements and leaving at least one character. important aside. The content of the set is a patchwork of these different elements and it really lacks anything to justify the presence of the ballista.

So we end up with a speeder, a hut and a ballista, all accompanied by two minifigs and the inevitable Baby Yoda micro-figurine. The hut is dispensable and I think many of us would have gladly traded it for Cobb Vanth's speeder. It's loosely modular to provide access to the interior area, and it folds in on itself to look a bit more like the Tusken Raiders tents seen in a scene in the episode.

The Mandalorian's speeder is also relatively faithful to the version seen on the screen even though it is oversized. The minifig does not reach the footrests and must remain tilted backwards to be able to grab the handlebars of the machine but the whole offers a nice dynamic that should please those who dream of exposing the character on this speeder.

Baby Yoda takes place in the baby carrier already seen in 2020 in two boxes of the CITY range, it works. The level of detail of the machine is quite impressive and almost justifies its variation on a scale that is no longer really consistent with that of the minifigs.

The ballista is also quite successful and the designer does quite well if we compare the LEGO version with the weapon seen in the series. No frills for the integration of Spring shooter but the machine brings a certain playability to the set. There is, however, no creature to shoot with this ballista ...

The set therefore does not sparkle in terms of its content, it offers just the essentials to still be able to enjoy the name construction toy. Should the contents of the box be expanded a bit to better match the different scenes from which it is inspired? I think so, the first episode of the second season deserved better than this little product that misses some important elements. However, I know that many fans will not be choosy because they will be able to afford inexpensively a highly anticipated new minifigure: The Mandalorian with his outfit covered with pieces of armor in Beskar, but without his jetpack.

The character's helmet changes color for a lighter color than that of the item available so far in the sets 75254 AT-ST Raider et 75292 The Mandalorian Bounty Hunter Transport and the pad printing offered in this new box is top-notch. Under the helmet, we will be content with a neutral head but that's not so serious: the heads that could suit Pedro Pascal are not lacking in the LEGO catalog.

The unique Tusken Raider delivered here is identical to those delivered in 2020 in sets 75270 Obi-Wan's Hut et 75265 T-16 Skyhopper vs. Bantha Microfighters. Two copies would have been welcome, just to be able to flesh out the scene during which the Tusken Raiders discuss with the hero of the series around the fire.

The included Baby Yoda micro-action figure has not changed since the sets 75292 The Mandalorian Bounty Hunter Transport et 75318 The Child : The soft plastic character's head is still not the same color as the hands molded with the rest of the figure.

In short, many fans will be content to agree to pay around thirty euros for the new minifig of the Mandalorian with his speeder and Baby Yoda in his baby carrier, which seems almost reasonable if we take into account the public price of the other sets. allowing to obtain the micro-figurine. The rest of the content looks a bit like filler although the Tusken Raider and the other two builds provide a bit of context. Only regret: LEGO missed the possibility of offering us Cobb Vanth and his speeder. We will do without.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at December 10, 2020 next at 23pm. 

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.