What is your favourite set of 2023?
Posted by CapnRex101,
723 sets have been produced this year and the nomination process to seek out the best overall was hotly-contested, as always.
Nearly 400 nominations have narrowed the field to twelve exceptional sets and you can vote for your favourite set of 2023 below, selecting a maximum of two to make the choice a little easier...
(Select up to 2 options.)
You can participate in our other 2023 polls here:
- What is your favourite minifigure of 2023?
- What is your favourite gift-with-purchase set of 2023?
- What is your favourite set of 2023, costing less than $40?
Which set(s) received your vote(s)? Let us know in the comments. The results for this and our other polls will be published in the New Year.
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68 comments on this article
Ooh, two! I own three of these but none get my votes.
Rivendell is a giant expensive set from a theme that doesn't interest me, but I tip my hat to the designers and the graphic artists who created an incredible set of the year.
Likewise, Avengers Tower is another magnificent set which isn't in my wheelhouse but deserves plenty of praise.
Well, for me this was so easy choice to make with Rivendell and Ninjago City Markets being on the list :)
Avengers tower was an automatic win. It’s massive size just takes the cake!
This is a no brainer, 21343 Viking Village is easily my favorite set of the year!
Rivendell is an easy pick for me. Im not especially a LOTR fan, it’s just an incredible build.
And in a poll of large, expensive sets, Botanical Garden is such a fun underdog. It was an unanticipated set from a theme which many who frequent this site don’t focus on, and it’s up there among the sets of the year.
10320 Eldorado Fortress and now lego give us some small and medium sets to play along with it.
No surprise that my favorite (Hokusai's Great Wave) didn't make it, I probably was the only one who picked that one. That said, Concorde was my close 2nd, so obviously is my pick here. I would be surprised though if it (or any other set) can challenge Rivendell for the win.
Not really surprised by most of the other candidates, all very good sets. The one exception to me is the Orient Express, which still feels like one of the biggest let-downs of the year.
Definitely the Viking village; it’s got interesting subject matter and works well as a self contained model.
Just finished building the Insect Collection this evening. It's an incredible set: great building, robust & very posable. Didn't realise how big these insects really were.
It's the only one on this list I own, and only 2 of other others are even on my wish list. Very little else here really floats my boat.
Honorable Mention: 41757 Botanical Garden
Pity that my favourite 21340 Tales of the Space Age didn’t make it to the final vote. Each of four scenes really piqued my imagination, and while building it I immediately connected each of them to a specific space theme…
So from the selection my vote goes to 10320 Eldorado Fortress
Venator and Temple of the Golden Idol.
Between the 2 ideas sets here, and it's going to Viking Village. Just a fantastic building experience.
Tranquil (Japanese) Garden for me, by a mile, but of these, I have 3 and chose Viking Village.
To me it was the Concorde. Rivendell looks amazing. But i havent got it.
10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell.....yes it is expensive but it's worth every brick and it looks great on display. Hope Lego will make another great Lord of Rings set in 2024.
I don't own any of these, but I voted for Temple of the Golden Idol. They way they elongated the diorama AND incorporated moving functions is somewhat revolutionary!
Yo Rivendell, I'm really happy for you and Imma let you finish, but 71456 Mrs. Castillo's Turtle Van is the best set of all time. OF ALL TIME.
Rivendell.
Even though I am yet to obtain Temple of the Golden Idol, it has to be the best diorama set so far. My other vote goes to Eldorado Fortress, which I had a lot of fun building an playing around with. I must admit that all of these nominations are splendid sets.
I chose Avengers Tower and Eldorado Fortress!
I chose Botanical Garden as it is the only one on the list that I own. Although there are others on list that I intend to buy someday, none stand out as best of the year no matter how much I may like them the way Botanical Garden does.
I was torn between the botanical garden and ninjago city markets, but ultimately went with the botanical garden, lego friends needs more love, man.
1. 10320 Eldorado Fortress
2. 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell
3. 21343 Viking Village
Rivendell by a mile
77015 all the way. I have it, in fact i'm looking at it right now. It's my favourite set ever! if you are considering getting it, go ahead It's an amazing set!
^ absolutely agree with @Maxbricks14. Set 77015 is brilliantly done with clever functions. Just terrific. I love it—an Indiana Jones set never looked better than this one.
Rivendell is not even on the same level as others. The Avengers Tower has been done at smaller scales and with more original minifigs. Other than Vision, there's nothing interesting about it. I liked Viking Village, but it's not at the same design, aesthetic or minifig selection level as Rivendell. I LOVED Botanical Garden, but Rivendell outdid it with its plant life (and though innovative and priced reasonably, it didn't have the design or minifig selection, in fact the minidolls were average). So for me it's a no-brainer.
Concorde. Without a doubt. Greatest airplane set of all time.
Ninjago City Markets second, Eldorado Fortress third, Rivendell fourth and the Temple fifth.
Honorable mention for the beautiful Hokusai set.
Venator is all looks and zero content. None of the SW capital ships in UCS scale is worth of a top 5 if they continue to make them without interior. 10221 was the only great one so far.
I’ll admit it - I was an anti-Friends snob.
But the Botanical Gardens set is just so, so good.
The awful mini dolls went straight in the ceremonial fire, obviously, but what’s left is one of the best sets of the decade, let alone the year.
Happy New Year everyone!
And the correct answer is...
Rivendell
:-)
I say Orient Express.... even though I will never be able to afford it, and it wouldn't fit in with collection anyway!
Orient express and Rivendell. no competition
I nominated the Botanical Garden, so that's one vote.
I know it's not without issues, but after seeing it in person, that Orient Express still looks amazing.
So there goes vote number 2!
@LuvsLEGO_Cool_J said:
"^ absolutely agree with @Maxbricks14. Set 77015 is brilliantly done with clever functions. Just terrific. I love it—an Indiana Jones set never looked better than this one."
You guys are selling me on it!
@Yardsale19X said:
" @LuvsLEGO_Cool_J said:
"^ absolutely agree with @Maxbricks14. Set 77015 is brilliantly done with clever functions. Just terrific. I love it—an Indiana Jones set never looked better than this one."
You guys are selling me on it! "
Yes absolutely go get it and don't forget 77012 and 77013 I have those two as well and they are also amazing sets! But 77015 is the crown jewel of all the Indiana Jones sets.
Rivendell and Viking Village are overrated imo. Both boring to look at. Rivendell was a good build though. Viking Village the most disappointing set of the year. Concorde and Venator were my picks. They look brilliant.
Even surprising to me is that my favorite set this year was 11033 ... excellent piece to price ratio, very nice 'minifigures', great use of all the pieces, and a strong encouragement to be creative! It's really quite ideal as a set.
I selected El Dorado for this poll, which is also a great playset and close / respectful to the original.
The Mighty Avengers' Tower F.K.A. Stark Industries' Tower.
I knew even before I opened the article that 10320 would get my vote. I generally don't vote for sets I don't have, but if I did, 77015 probably would have gotten my vote. I may not have it, but I definitely want it.
Temple of the Golden Idol and Rivendell for me.
And it’s not even close
Botanical Garden should be one, original, gorgeous, Friends doesn’t get nearly enough credit for all the great parts and buildings it has given us.
Temple narrowly beat out Viking Village for me.
@Patrik78 said:
"Well, for me this was so easy choice to make with Rivendell and Ninjago City Markets being on the list :)"
I made the same two choices, Rivendell is glorious, and although I don't own markets it is an amazing set by an amazing designer!
I would have voted for the viking village as well if I had a third, it is a glorious set for a very reasonable pricetag
I love the Botanical Garden and Insect Collection. Anytime LEGO ventures into incorporating the natural world into their sets they tend to be the sets that I gravitate to the most. And I feel they get better and better looking each year.
Daughter got botanical garden. I got insects. And both of those override viking village as a close third.
I'm a little sad the A-Frame Cabin seems to be so underrepresented in the comments. Definitely one of my favorite sets of not just 2023 but the past few years
I voted 10320. I'm a space fan, but I'm happy that my Pirate brethren are also getting some well-deserved love! Arrrrrrr!
Indiana Jones Temple for the win!
Oh crap, that Rivendell set is beautiful.
Tough choice.
Gotta' go with Indy. Fortune and glory!
@Reventon said:
"Rivendell and Viking Village are overrated imo. Both boring to look at. Rivendell was a good build though. Viking Village the most disappointing set of the year. Concorde and Venator were my picks. They look brilliant."
How is Rivendell boring to look at? Do you prefer models over minifig scale? I could easily understand the Viking Village being considered boring with its muted tones and smaller footprint.
@PhantomBricks said:
" @Reventon said:
"Rivendell and Viking Village are overrated imo. Both boring to look at. Rivendell was a good build though. Viking Village the most disappointing set of the year. Concorde and Venator were my picks. They look brilliant."
How is Rivendell boring to look at? Do you prefer models over minifig scale? I could easily understand the Viking Village being considered boring with its muted tones and smaller footprint."
Personal tastes are different you know.
I for one find the A-Frame Cabin totally boring while @lumpy_lilac seems to be very fond of it.
I voted Rivendell (even though I don't own it), but there were quite a few choices I could have gone with from my personal point of view.
Although I can't argue with 10316 Rivendell, I don't own it, and 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol is a dream come true.
I don't have one (or two) yet but my reason for voting for the Orient Express 21344 is the progress it shows. Compared to many fan expectations it is far from perfect; it does not replicate the fan model of the locomotive, but that would need larger wheels and this is where LEGO company policy hits a snag; they have left wider-radius curves to 3rd parties so any set model has to negotiate R40 curves in order to be in the "LEGO System". It is also not a motorised set; motorisation has been left to fans to recommend and there are different ways to do it; either in the loco itself or train motors under the tender. This means the model could not be a set of larger flangeless driving wheels with the loco body suspended on the front bogie and the tender front bogie as I have done before; that method could not power the driving wheels in a set model without them having a separate gearmotor linked electrically to the tender motors; the Powered-Up system does not allow that as 9V and PF did. Hence the LEGO company's hands are tied. Therefore the loco design is the best they can do within their restricted system, so there is credit for the set whilst the system continues to hamper them.
The other great positive step is the coaches, which are ready-to-run on L-gauge track, a great improvement from those of the UCS Hogwarts train and yet still including interior details. The only bugbear there is that the new single wheels have excessive rolling resistance compared to the older metal axles. The couplings are not as good but they do avoid having to design additional bespoke pieces with magnets whilst having wider buffers.
Overall it is the best they can do and hence the school report gets an "A for effort" even if the system needs to change to allow the LEGO company to produce the sort of models we build ourselves for exhibition. The Powered-Up system continues with its "D minus" with many of us sticking with 9V, PF or 3rd-party products to support much more than a toy train.
71469 was the obvious choice to me...
@AustinPowers said:
" @PhantomBricks said:
" @Reventon said:
"Rivendell and Viking Village are overrated imo. Both boring to look at. Rivendell was a good build though. Viking Village the most disappointing set of the year. Concorde and Venator were my picks. They look brilliant."
How is Rivendell boring to look at? Do you prefer models over minifig scale? I could easily understand the Viking Village being considered boring with its muted tones and smaller footprint."
Personal tastes are different you know.
I for one find the A-Frame Cabin totally boring while @lumpy_lilac seems to be very fond of it.
I voted Rivendell (even though I don't own it), but there were quite a few choices I could have gone with from my personal point of view. "
I am very aware that personal tastes are different. That's why I was asking why he finds Rivendell boring. I would like to know how he determines how a set is interesting since we clearly have different qualifications for that title.
@Mark_Bellis : you might want to google "Mould King 12025". The loco is based on the proper Orient Express prototype (and features loads of printed pieces), as is the carriage (yes, that set includes only one). It is also fully motorized, has a remote, working lights, and even a real steam generator. Oh and it costs 189 Euro including tax, straight from Amazon.
Just saying.
Edit: and I forgot, it also includes 36 curved track pieces for one full circle, I think of either the R1 or even R0 variant.
Rivendell for just being a fantastic surprise and an exceptional statement on what a LEGO set can achieve and Viking Village for being an incredible value for money.
Had to pick the one I said the first time round. Rivendell! I'm also currently hip deep in it, done with 25 bags out of 49.
I absolutely agree with @RaiderOfTheLostBrick -- 10316 Rivendell and 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol. Avengers Tower is a close third, with 10320 El Dorado Fortress and 41757 Botanical Gardens getting honorable mentions. I'll probably get the Orient Express later on, but it doesn't excite me the same way as the others. Special kudos to Botanical Gardens for making it onto this list at all!
sad to see no technic in the list
My favorite set this year was 43217 Disney/Pixar "Up" House!
But since that wasn't a choice, I voted for Rivendell (gorgeous!) and the Friends Botanical Garden (so creative!).
I chose my favorite of those on the list that I actually own (A-Frame Cabin), and my favorite that I would love to own (Rivendell).
Some amazing sets this year!
A-frame and rivinedale
10316 - gorgeous, intricately-detailed set bringing back a favorite theme from some of my favorite movies/books
76269 - improved in every way from the modular tower I built myself!
Had to pick these up. Expensive LEGO year for me, but some of the best ever came out this year. Slowing down after 10333 next June.
Is the Jury still out on this one? Now that the favourite/best minifig of 2023 here on brickset has been officially announced.
Taking a look at some of the sets on this list, I suggest you should also make another poll: "Biggest disappointment of the year". There a quite a few candidates there...
I love nature builds and both Rivendell and the A-frame are stand outs for me. They have fantastic build experiences with such variety.
Picking favorites was hard. This is how I've ordered them now, but ask me again in a week or a month and it may have shifted a lot.
1. 77015 Temple of the Golden Idol
Great build, with lots of functionality. Looks great too. Indiana Jones is a theme with a lot of nostalgia for me. It's the only set from the nominees that I've been able to get, since I was lucky enough to come across one with a considerable discount.
10320 Eldorado Fortress
It's the theme that got away. Both back in the day and currently, sets like this end up just outside the scope of sets that I end up buying.
10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell
Loved the (spinn-off) movies and series. The set looks great, but out of my budget.
21343 Viking Village
This looks so much fun to build and is a great set to look at.
75367 Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser
As a Star Wars fan, I've been dreaming of sets like these quite often. However, they're not a exciting a some of the other nominees.
76269 Avengers Tower
Great rendition and impressive size. I've enjoyed most of the MCU, so that helps the scoring.
21338 A-Frame Cabin
Nice looking set, but a bit too disappointing after seeing the original Ideas design.
21344 The Orient Express Train
Trains are always nice and this one looks stunning. However, I prefer them motorised.
41757 Botanical Garden
Very nice. If it was a City set with minifigs instead of minidolls, it would have ended up higher in my list.
71799 NINJAGO City Markets
These large Ninjago sets are quite impressive, but too chaotic for my liking.
21342 The Insect Collection
Pretty neat colourful display pieces.
10318 Concorde
Almost on par with the Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser, but not as impressive in size. Plus I've got nothing for airplanes really.
Very easy choices on here Eldorado and Viking Village. I would have voted for Rivendell but only one pricey LOTR set is joke and infuriating that we couldn't more anymore choice from LOTR.