The Brickset 2015 Holiday Gift Guide, part 2
Posted by Huw,
The first part of our gift guide considered sets under $25. Today we turn our attention to those $25-$50 (~£20-£40). We are again spoiled for choice: there were over 80 sets released this year in this price bracket.
The Brickset team has cast their expert eyes over the selection and picked sets that they think provide the best playability and value for money. Read on to see if you agree with our choices...
SprinkleOtter: 76031 The Hulk Buster Smash (£29.99 / $29.99 / 35€)
I think it's necessary to preface my decision with the fact that I am not yet a Marvel fan, nor have I seen this set in action in Age of Ultron. This just goes to show how strongly Hulk Buster Smash stands by itself.
The obvious star of this set is Tony Stark's Hulkbuster mech, which stands an impressive 14 cm tall, roughly twice as tall as the Hulk figure. HulkBuster has a great deal of articulation, as well as two stud shooters, representing a repulsor beam.
The other play features of the set fall a little short: Hulk's trap looks too small to contain him and is one-sided, and the Super-Jumper has had plenty of accusations of damaging minifig legs. However I don't think these affect the set too much, as the trap doesn't hold Hulk in the movie, and Iron Man and Ultron are safe to ride the Super Jumper because of the cylinders under their feet.
Hulk Buster Smash has quite a few minifigures for a set its size, including Iron Man, the Hulk, Ultron and Scarlet Witch. At $30, Hulk Buster Smash is the cheapest set that both Hulk and Ultron have come in to date, and is the only set to contain Scarlet Witch.
DrDaveWatford: 60092 Deep Sea Submarine (£24.99 / $39.99 / 29.99€)
I've surprised myself by nominating a City set as my pick in the $25-$50 price range. It's not that there's anything inherently wrong with the LEGO City theme of course, more that the sets have a tendency to be a bit safe and uninspiring at times.
That's certainly not the case for Set 60092 Deep Sea Submarine, though, which manages to combine playability and realism in a genuinely appealing package. The sub itself looks cool and is unusually realistic for a City set, while the inclusion of some scenery, a shark and a couple of divers in addition to a submariner provides a suitable backdrop and ramps up the playabilty factor. I've been quietly impressed by the Deep Sea Explorers sub-theme, and for me this set is the highlight.
HearItWow: 31038 Changing Seasons (£39.99 / $49.99 / 49.99€)
The LEGO Creator line cuts to the heart of what many AFOLs remember as kids, and what many parents lament as the brand has shifted toward licensed products: the freedom to simply build. If instructions are a starting point to fuel the imagination, then sets that offer multiple possibilities from a single set of bricks are the path to creative, innovative play.
Changing Seasons takes the Creator concept of three-in-one models a step further by providing some incentive to break down the model and rebuild as the calendar shifts from summer to winter. With 536-pieces, it exceeds the 10-cents-per-brick value line, and with no new Winter Village set for 2015, it offers fans of that series something new to add to their displays.
MeganL and LostInTranslation: 41075 The Elves' Treetop Hideaway (£39.99 / $49.99 / $49.99)
MeganL: I really loved 75092 Scooby Doo The Mystery Machine (talk about an iconic piece of childhood). However, the sets I loved more were from the new Elves theme introduced this year. While I can absolutely recommend any of the Elves sets, for me the best is 41075 Elves Treetop Hideaway.
There's nothing I don't love about this set. All the Elves mini-dolls are fantastic with colour and detail. The build itself is a satisfying one with lots of little details with some nice use of Technic parts that aren't obtrusive.
The set combines old and new colours quite inventively. With the "magic" ladder bridge and bucket, the hiding place and multiple platforms there is lots of opportunity for play. There is minimal use of stickers for the non-sticker crowd. There's even a blue panther cub to fulfil the cute animal requirement!
LostInTranslation: My pick in this price bracket is 41075 Elves Treetop Hideaway. I was lucky enough to review it for Brickset and really cannot praise it enough.
As well as a gorgeous colour palette and vast array of new and interesting parts, it offers a lot of playability in terms of all the moving mechanisms and the different areas of the model and how they connect to one another.
I think you would be hard pressed to find any other LEGO set that offers girls so much fun and potential for storytelling in an exciting adventure context.
TheBrickPal: 70795 Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder (£24.99 / $29.99 / 29.99€)
The return of BIONICLE was one of the biggest LEGO stories of the year. You can introduce kids and adults alike to the new generation of constraction with this set. You get two awesome figures to battle it out, the highly-desirable Mask of Creation, and hours of role playing opportunities.
This type of set is often neglected, but trying something new can be a good thing. Ekimu and Kulta definitely deliver!
CapnRex101: 75902 The Mystery Machine (£29.99, $29.99, 34.99€)
This price bracket often yields a range of excellent sets but this year one stands out far beyond the others in my opinion: 75902 The Mystery Machine.
The entire set is absolutely fantastic, featuring a lovely model of the famous Mystery Machine which is accurate in every regard and has some brilliant details on both the exterior and interior. The minifigure selection is splendid as well and could only be bettered if the entire Mystery Gang were included, although I think that is an unrealistic expectation given the price point.
For £29.99 you simply aren't going to find a better set than this one and it was therefore a very easy pick for me.
Huw: 42036 Street Motorcycle (£29.99 / $39.99 / 34.99€)
If you're looking for something to gift an older child then Technic is the obvious choice. Technic sets provide new building challenges and realistic looking models that could nurture a life long interest in engineering.
This is pretty much the ideal Technic set as an introduction to the theme. With just 375-pieces it doesn't take too long to build and isn't too complex. The finished model, in light blue and red, looks fantastic, although the stickers do need to be applied to get it looking its best. It's a great build and a superb display piece.
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Hopefully that has given you some ideas if you are looking for the perfect LEGO gift in this mid-price range. There's something for everyone in the list but there does seem to be a consensus when it comes to buying for a girl: both of our female contributors picked the Elves Treetop Hideaway and I have to agree, it's an excellent set that provides new storytelling and play potential for those that are perhaps getting bored with Friends already.
Agree with our choices? What sets would you have picked?
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40 comments on this article
I own and have built the Hulk Buster and the Mystery Machine and can recommend, they are great looking sets, with good playability and a great selection of minifigures.
I can't believe that Wall-E didn't get in. Even with a swivelling head he represents an excellent build and is a great price for what you get! He would certainly be my pick in this price range.
^ Wall-E is $59.99 so not eligible for this bracket :-) (we are basing it on the USD RRP)
I was sorely tempted to say Birds, but decided overall I loved the Elves more. Glad to see Megan agreed with me.
I own the Mystery Machine but haven't built it (or any Scooby set) yet, so I'm looking forward to that.
I also have the Hulkbuster and whilst I love the fact that we even get a set based off it and that it includes Scarlet Witch, I had some issues with the scale - I actually think it's too big compared to the Hulk. I had similar scale issues with Gorilla Grodd goes bananas, where Grodd is up against a giant Bat mech. Unfair fight, in my opinion :-)
Nice picks again. Changing seasons and The Mystery Machine will be my list :)
^^ We got a good deal on the price of Wall-E over here then! But that's a good reason for not including him I guess ;). I will have to change my vote to another set I am surprised missed a spot - 70734 Master Wu Dragon!
Oh, and if you think that Grodd couldn't squish that stringy looking Bat Mech then I think you need to read more comics! (I do agree that the hulkbuster is too big, but if it was only big fig size it wouldn't be such a good build)
@ LostInTranslation
I agree that Hulkbuster is a couple centimeters too big compared to the Hulk figure, but I actually think the Hulk should be larger, not the Mech smaller.
As someone who owns the Hulkbuster, Mask Maker, and Treetop Hideaway I can certainly recommend any of the three (depending on who you are buying for). I also wish the "trap" in the Hulkbuster set more closely resembled that in the movie, but I don't think it is a deal breaker.
Thanks Rex; Mystery Machine was the runner-up for me, so I'm glad to see it still got included in the end.
^ I was surprised to read that the Mystery Machine wasn't chosen by others, although all the sets listed above are worthy of their place. The only other contender absent from the list that springs to mind for me is 75112 General Grievous.
Would have chosen Grievous for sure; but I don't yet own him, so didn't think that would be a fair judgement to make. ;)
^ For sure! Grievous was my 1st ever CCBS, I was never drawn to or impressed by them, but 75112 led me owning all 6 Star Wars battle figures, and looking forward to buying the next 6.
For me, he's the clear standout in that line, and worth every cent. The size and articulation are impressive, MOST impressive.
I'm almost tempted to get Gorilla Grodd Goes Bananas just for that Bat-Mech...though the Grodd bigfig and the regular City vehicle with the "peanut better jelly time" man make for nice touches as well. I'm really waiting for that set to go on clearance, though. Last year, I found a TON of the Joker Steamroller sets at half price and I'm hoping the Grodd set suffers the same fate when the "Dawn of Justice" sets start appearing.
I was positive that someone would select The
Mystery Machine, glad I was right! Also suspected LostInTranslation and I were of the same mind :-)
I'm happy to see City getting some love; while I don't buy many of their sets I've thought a couple of their subthemes (Deep Sea as DrDave mentions, and the Arctic) have looked pretty cool.
Wow, all nice pics! I own the Hulkbuster, and I'm waiting to get Mask Maker vs. Skull Grinder after Christmas. Nice Elves treehouse, makes me wish I had a little sister of the age to enjoy it! (Sadly the Believe stuff of the early 2000's was not enough to convert my sister to Lego)
It surprises me that 70734 Master Wu Dragon didn't make it onto the list! It's easily one of the best sets of the year in my opinion. It has an INCREDIBLE value for money (575 pieces for £34.99 / $39.99), includes dozens of rare and useful parts, and demonstrates all kinds of incredibly creative building techniques that make for an extremely engaging building experience.
The final set is very playable, with a highly "swooshable" dragon boasting a solid 20 points of articulation, five well-equipped minifigures, and even a dog. And it has a lot of humor — the ghosts' primary bastion of defense is a haunted food kiosk that shoots ghost disks, the dog is equipped with a crossbow, and the dragon is equipped with a full tea set!
If all of that doesn't sway your opinion, this set is the first set created by AFOL-turned-designer Nicolaas Vas (https://www.flickr.com/photos/brickthing/). He made sure to pack the set full of parts that he thought MOCists like him would appreciate! You can read more about the design process for the set in this interview on ReBrick: http://rebrick.lego.com/en-US/BottomMenu/Blog/10302015-nicolaas-vas-ninjago.aspx
I would recommend this set to just about anyone (except perhaps a beginning builder), regardless of whether they're into Ninjago. It's possibly the best LEGO dragon I've encountered in any theme!
I think the challenge is to only pick a single set from among those 80 in this bracket, and it's very hard to choose something that you haven't actually built. So whilst I do want to buy that set Aanchir (and am pleased to hear you recommend it so strongly) I haven't done so yet, so I can't say I think it is the best in the category (compared to something like the Treehouse that I have built, loved, and bought a second copy of) until then.
Birds was my second pick in this price range, and if I was writing a guide strictly for AFOLs, Birds would easily be the winner, but it's a display set with little play value for younger kids, so the Creator house won out.
I've got a young niece in need of LEGO this Christmas, and I think she's got a certain Elves set coming her way, based on the recommendations here.
Your choices are pretty much spot on for sets in that price range. Although the Master Wu Dragon (as Aanchir suggested) would be a great fit for this price range.
I have heard good things about that set. Possibly the problem is that we can really only pick sets we have built ourselves and maybe none of us a Ninjago fans.
I would have chosen 75912: Porsche 911 GT finish line. That's certainly worthy IMO, and so is the Master Wu Dragon set, as Aanchir and StorzN said.
But still, great list. The Street Motorcycle looks amazing! I'd never really noticed that before.
Hulkbuster Armor is an excellent set for its price point.
I have the motorcycle and my son has the Hulk-buster. The motorcycle is a great technic set from a playability standpoint, and the aesthetics are gorgeous. If you want to try a different color scheme, and have the MK II crane, you can replace the red-and-blue with black-and-yellow, for a sharp look even without the stickers.
The Hulk-buster set is a good set, with interesting parts and features. But in the end my kids play with City set 66523, "City Super Pack 3-in-1" much more, at a similar price point.
I'm surprised the Ninjago Titan Mech Battle wasn't included, it's £39.99 and contains a whopping 754 pieces, meaning it have an almost unheard of PPP value! The set itself is absolutely excellent too.
Really recommend the Hulkbuster set, you get great minifigs, A HULK and a pretty awesome build and printed piece. Also, only TWO stickers in the entire set!!!!!!
The Changing Seasons set is really amazing, I highly recommend it. Best part, even if you're an AFOL who just builds stuff and keep them on display, this is one set you can rebuild as the seasons change. I currently have the autumn one built and plan on rebuilding it into the winter one by Christmas. Just lovely!
@Sir Brickalot - another one at 59.99 USD! (and that I don't own)
@Huw - Whilst I wouldn't describe myself as a massive Ninjago fan, I have accumulated quite a few sets over the years and am trying to acquire some of the minifigs (all the DX suits, NRG versions, rebooted, Airjitzu etc) but just can't afford to buy as many sets from Ninjago as I would like as it's not one of my main focuses, much as I love the aesthetic of the latest wave in particular.
Maybe I will pick a Ninjago set for another price bracket, you will all just have to wait and see!!
Wow - so much love for Set 70734 Master Wu Dragon....
I'm not averse to a bit of Ninjago, but I have to say that I'm not particularly a fan of 70734. Yes - lots of elements for the money, but I'm not especially enthusiastic about the design of the dragon.
Now if we're talking about Set 70737 Titan Mech Battle then that'd be different - excellent set. At $59.99 it's outside the price range for this review, however.
I think this is a great list except for the Mystery Machine. I was extremely disappointed that this set came with so many stickers that will probably peel off in just a couple years. The van is so iconic, it is a shame that it is not meant to last for very long.
I considered Master Wu Dragon, but my decision had to come down to how a kid would play with the set- while the Dragon is swooshable, and it does have a nice shooter, let's face it- the set is a parts-pack/AFOL set (and it exceeds in that regard!). But it lacks a lot of the elements I think a kid would be looking for in a dragon set.
Don't get me wrong, Aanchir, I LOVE Ninjago... but I love BIONICLE even more.
However, you'll be happy to know that in a future gift guide article, I am including a Ninjago set!
@kumasawa - Firstly, the quality of the sticker sheet in The Mystery Machine set is excellent and there will be no risk of them lifting over time. I agree that printed elements would have been fantastic, but there is simply no way that so many could be included in such a small set and stickers were therefore the only option.
With regard to 70734 Master Wu Dragon, I do own the set and I like it, but not nearly enough to make this list. I was actually intending to review it soon after it came out but I think other sets must have supplanted it.
@CapnRex101 I hope you're right -- unfortunately, we won't know for sure about the sticker quality until a few years pass.
So much choice this Christmas season. Great guide. I think the Technic bike is the best ever.
Was trying to reduce my wish list to a more reasonable level and took Changing Seasons off last week. I may have to revise that now. My poor pockets!!
Out of curiosity, what do you think the worst set of the year was?
Mine would surely be 70734 Master Wu Dragon; the parts selection and price per part are superb. The set also boasts a very nice build, and has 5 great minifigs. A definite buy for any Ninjago fan!
Even though I'm not a fan of Ninjago, I agree that the Master Wu Dragon is quite a nice looking set, and doesn't include any flying cars or vehicles.
@LegoPegasister2015, regarding the worst set of the year, I really don't like the remakes of the Sith Infiltrator and Naboo Starfighter, mainly as I feel there is no need to remake them, but would not count them in the bottom sets of the year.
76037: Rhino and Sandman Supervillain Team-up looked pretty bad, but I don't own the set, so I can't really say.
From last years sets I'd say that 76014-1 looked the worst :p
I always felt that we need a Ninjago fan on the Brickset admin team. I think this theme is brilliant and I'm always itching to read more about it online.
I think Master Wu's dragon is incredible, but what about Ronin R.E.X as well? Great set with lovely minifigures, an airjitzu flyer and great playability. I think that my pick though would have to be the Scooby Doo Haunted Lighthouse. Such a great rock build, lots of hiding places, a boat and some great minifigures. The set looks lovely on display as well.
Overall, there's so many great sets I understand it's so hard to choose.
@ Msanders.
I am a fan of Ninjago, but my wallet disagrees with me on it a lot of the time. ;)
Don't forget a holiday gift guide to the best LEGO books, gadgets, and other gifts.