Review: 40786 Micro Command Centre
Posted by CapnRex101,
A space-themed building contest was hosted on LEGO Ideas last year, coinciding with the release of the acclaimed 40712 Micro Rocket Launchpad. One of the two winners, Micro Rail Command Centre, was likely influenced by that microscale launchpad.
This would definitely bode well for 40786 Micro Command Centre because the duo should work well together. Though not based on any particular Classic Space set, this structure fits neatly among them and the rail system is a fun addition. However, I have encountered some issues with this set, not shared by the launchpad released in 2024.
Summary
40786 Micro Command Centre, 214 pieces.
40786 Micro Command Centre is a bit disappointing to me, but still pretty good
- True to the style of Classic Space
- Neat rail system, for its size
- Lacks detail in places
- Rail system could be smoother
- No printed control panels
Microfigure
A single microscale astronaut is included, re-using elements created for the Spacebaby, albeit with a traditional smiling face to match the figures from 40712 Micro Rocket Launchpad. I love the moulded air tanks on the back and printed Classic Space logo, although supplying another blue-suited astronaut is a missed opportunity because red and yellow have yet to appear.
The Completed Model
The model's fan designer, FlyingUFO, mentions being inspired by the acclaimed 6990 Monorail Transport System, albeit eschewing the Futuron aesthetic in favour of Classic Space. I think the result looks good, even though the rail circuit is comically short. A straight track would have been preferable to me, connecting the command centre to something else.
On the other hand, a small circuit feels very much like a toy and true to the Monorail Transport System. The actual track is designed like that in Minecraft sets, with a groove for the vehicle to follow, which also works around corners. This resembles the classic monorail system, but I may have drawn from 6970 Beta I Command Base instead, which features a conventional monorail that could be recreated with modern parts.
The train certainly evokes that from 6990 Monorail Transport System, given its white and black colours. The same colours were also used for certain Classic Space vehicles, so this looks fine beside the building. The trans-light blue curved slopes are not ideal though, as trans-blue would have matched the Futuron monorail train.
In fact, the cockpit looks strange in general. The open sides do not concern me, but there is a noticeable gap between the curved slopes on the front and top. The rear carriage features the Classic Space logo and two banks of controls, all using stickers. I like the controls' style, which mirrors panels from the original Classic Space range, although I wish they were printed.
The vehicle can navigate the corners, although the motion is not exactly smooth. Nonetheless, the function works, with 1x1 round plates underneath each carriage following the groove in the track and the ball joint in between articulating.
Unfortunately, leaving the station under the command centre is awkward, as the trans-red 1x1 round plate on the back collides with the base. The train can still pass by, but jumps the tracks slightly. Issues like this are quite unusual, so I have double and triple checked that I assembled the set correctly, but it seems to be a problem with the design.
The command centre and station are standard Classic Space fare, in a good way! The famous blue and trans-yellow colours look splendid and I love the use of 2x4x5 stanchions, created for Space and Town sets in 1983. Also, the structure's shape and external details closely resemble the Ideas submission, which is a nice touch.
One or two features have been lost, however. For example, there were originally ladders for astronauts to leave the train and climb down to the ground, but they have swapped for some stickered controls. While the controls are welcome, a ladder would have been useful.
Two more stickers are decorate the level above, including another Classic Space logo and the numbers '1222', which is likely a reference for the fan designer. The black bars forming railings or maybe electrical conduits come from his model on LEGO Ideas, as do the roof-mounted dish and antenna.
The back of the building is open and you can remove the roof for easier access. Inside is a 2x2 jumper plate where the character can stand, surrounded by more controls. These bring the total number of stickers to eight, which seems like quite a lot for a set of this size.
Saying that, I may have liked another because the windowless wall is blank. There were many options for a screen here, perhaps based on one from 926 Command Centre or monitoring the vehicles in 40712 Micro Rocket Launchpad, really drawing these microscale sets together.
Overall
I have mixed feelings about this set. The model is attractive on the whole, but there are quite a few areas for improvement. In addition, 40786 Micro Command Centre seems lacking in detail relative to 40712 Micro Rocket Launchpad, so the pair are not as easily compatible as I hoped, despite their shared Classic Space aesthetic.
Giving an opinion regarding the value of Insiders rewards is tricky because it really depends on whether you have the points available to spend. 2250 points equates to roughly £14.00, $17.50 or €15.00 and feels very reasonable to me, although accruing that many points obviously entails a substantial spend beforehand. Still, if you have the points, this is a sound acquisition.
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38 comments on this article
It’s disappointing the train gets fouled by the red light at the back. For something so specialised (and small) I’d really expect those kinds of issues to be resolved.
Still, I’ll probably grab this; I have the earlier microscale set to accompany it. In my mind’s eye these mini models are training facilities for the next generation of astronauts: the sooner you start, the better, right?
A bit bummed they are limiting this to just one per customer. I have enough points i would have grabbed a few to moc up a larger track. Pick a brick is fine i guess but using points would have been nice. Maybe they will lift the restriction if not enough people grab it up?
And or drop the points threshold like they dis for the ninjiago miceobuilds.
I'm saving my points to offset shipping when LEGO finally decides to restock the Wolfpack torsos on Pick-A-Brick
@WolfpackBricksStudios said:
"I'm saving my points to offset shipping when LEGO finally decides to restock the Wolfpack torsos on Pick-A-Brick"
I placed an order for some yesterday (US), so you can stop waiting ....
They should just release a whole Space babies line. It would do well.
That red light interference is odd; it could've easily been avoided.
That being said, this set is really cute! I like the tiny track, and the baby Bennys are always a win!
Also, @CapnRex101 mentioned set 926 . Kind of a random question, but does anyone know if that was the space command center seen in The LEGO Movie? Maybe someone who knows a little more about Classic Space than me could answer.
I’m so glad to have this. Like others I do have quibbles, such as the fact this Spacebaby is yet another blue one when we’ve gotten only one white, one pink, and none of any other color beyond those three, as well as the reliance on stickers rather than prints. But the red “taillight” colliding with the structure at the turn isn’t a big deal to me, as I intend to treat this as just the start of a much larger circuit, expanding it with additional parts, and the positions of the turns will change anyway. On the whole I’m glad to see “Micro Space” flowering into its own whole little theme of sorts (and of course lots of these parts will also be welcome in neo-Classic Space MOCs). I’m so glad I had the points on hand for this.
Despite a few flaws I do still like the set. Just don't have (and likely never will) enough points....
@BabuBrick said:
"That red light interference is odd; it could've easily been avoided.
That being said, this set is really cute! I like the tiny track, and the baby Bennys are always a win!
Also, @CapnRex101 mentioned set 926 . Kind of a random question, but does anyone know if that was the space command center seen in The LEGO Movie? Maybe someone who knows a little more about Classic Space than me could answer."
At first glance it looks like it: I’m sure a red astronaut is listening to Lucy’s call to arms, which may narrow down the options a bit.
I liked the look of the original submission better.
I very much like this, I might have to pick it up.
@dudebrick said:
"They should just release a whole Space babies line. It would do well."
Yes, and sell them normally too. I would buy them!
The thing I can't help asking, when it comes to issues like the red light not clearing the station without an issue ... why didn't anyone notice? They built the set before they put it into production, didn't they? Surely someone within the billion-dollar toy-company actually spent ten seconds playing with the toy before deciding to sell it to their customers, didn't they?
So why did nobody notice the issue?
Does the front light also collide? If not maybe they only tested driving into the station rather than backing in also.
There's a simple if somewhat unsatisfying fix to the bumping tail light: reduce the number of 1 x 1 round plates under each car from two to one. This allows the cars to angle in such a way that the red light clears the command centre without contact. It's not ideal because the cars can then rotate in funny ways as the tram goes round the track.
Another solution is to push the tram out of the command centre with your finger on the rear car, not by pulling on the front car as one normally would.
@Zordboy said:
"The thing I can't help asking, when it comes to issues like the red light not clearing the station without an issue ... why didn't anyone notice? They built the set before they put it into production, didn't they? Surely someone within the billion-dollar toy-company actually spent ten seconds playing with the toy before deciding to sell it to their customers, didn't they?
So why did nobody notice the issue? "
I imagine the designer did make a slightly bigger loop which would eliminate the problem, but then got told he had to get rid of a few pieces. And as we all know by now, Lego will always put saving a few (fractions of) pennies over quality
@WolfpackBricksStudios said:
"I'm saving my points to offset shipping when LEGO finally decides to restock the Wolfpack torsos on Pick-A-Brick"
Why? Just buy $35+ worth, and you're set on both handling and shipping fees.
We'll likely never see Yellow Spacemen again, TLG seems to have retired them in favour of Orange Spacemen. It makes sense that Yellow would stop appearing since it looks like a minifigure's flesh, but it would've been nice to see Flame Yellowish Orange instead since it's closer but still distinct.
I imagine the choice of Orange has to specifically do with orange airtanks almost always being in production for divers.
A huge appeal for me for 40712 was all of the classic space elements: the space camera, ladders, console with wheel, plate 1x4x2 with tube (I hadn’t personally seen that piece in a long time), tons of the mini antennas, some rocket parts, especially the steering nozzles (and 2 space babies). It was like a classic space parts pack and I loved it so much that I even went to BrickLink to get a second copy. I want to always be positive, but this set disappoints me. Other than the stanchions, there really aren’t any classic space elements, and there are really no frames at all (it would be pretty easy to build this from existing parts). - except maybe the transparent yellow 1x2x2s. Those are always appreciated.
I'm worried about the stickers on this one. Two stickers are applied to 2x4 sloped bricks, and one to a 2x2 sloped brick. The issue is those bricks have textured sloped surfaces, and I remember growing up that the stickers placed on Lego's textured slopes never stuck on well and peeled off by themselves. Not early 2000s sticker plague stickers that peel and go brittle over years, but peeling off in days by themselves.
I don't personally have any modern Lego sets with stickers on textured surfaces, and had assumed Lego abandoned the practice due to the peeling issue. Do they work better than they used to?
Happy little set. The issues haven't stopped my enjoyment. In part, because my points were obtained largely during double points.
This is just majestic.
@StyleCounselor said:
"Happy little set. The issues haven't stopped my enjoyment. In part, because my points were obtained largely during double points. "
Yeah, I'd been hoarding my points for this and the other winner of the Ideas contest that produced this. I haven't built the set yet (still got backlog to work through) but I'm looking forward to doing so.
@Nuclearxpotato said:
"We'll likely never see Yellow Spacemen again, TLG seems to have retired them in favour of Orange Spacemen. It makes sense that Yellow would stop appearing since it looks like a minifigure's flesh, but it would've been nice to see Flame Yellowish Orange instead since it's closer but still distinct.
I imagine the choice of Orange has to specifically do with orange airtanks almost always being in production for divers."
Yellow was always my favourite space minifigure colour, thankfully they included one in Benny’s Space Squad.
I’m on the fence regarding the set, but I just got around 2300 points from a very slow to complete PAB order placed during the last double points so will get it in the basis that it is only costing me EUR 7.50 and I was planning to place an order for a few small sets anyway.
@gearwheel said:
"I'm worried about the stickers on this one. Two stickers are applied to 2x4 sloped bricks, and one to a 2x2 sloped brick. The issue is those bricks have textured sloped surfaces, and I remember growing up that the stickers placed on Lego's textured slopes never stuck on well and peeled off by themselves. Not early 2000s sticker plague stickers that peel and go brittle over years, but peeling off in days by themselves.
I don't personally have any modern Lego sets with stickers on textured surfaces, and had assumed Lego abandoned the practice due to the peeling issue. Do they work better than they used to?"
I've had that issue before. A couple of stickered control panels attached to two https://brickset.com/parts/4234534/roof-tile-2x2x2-65-deg in my copy of 7879 stopped sticking a while ago, but that's an older set. I can't say for anything within the past five years or so.
Thanks for the review, Rex.
I couldn't agree more about that cockpit, especially after the initial design was so beautiful. I guess one space baby is reasonable for that price/points range, but everyone interested in this set would have liked more.
It's almost nice in my opinion that it's not designed so well, as I'll be re-designing / upgrading it and the control center.
@gunther_schnitzel said:
" @Nuclearxpotato said:
"We'll likely never see Yellow Spacemen again, TLG seems to have retired them in favour of Orange Spacemen. It makes sense that Yellow would stop appearing since it looks like a minifigure's flesh, but it would've been nice to see Flame Yellowish Orange instead since it's closer but still distinct.
I imagine the choice of Orange has to specifically do with orange airtanks almost always being in production for divers."
Yellow was always my favourite space minifigure colour, thankfully they included one in Benny’s Space Squad.
I’m on the fence regarding the set, but I just got around 2300 points from a very slow to complete PAB order placed during the last double points so will get it in the basis that it is only costing me EUR 7.50 and I was planning to place an order for a few small sets anyway."
Yellow was always my favorite Classic Spaceman color, too. This because my first Lego spaceship was 6780. I had sooo much fun with that ship. Still one of my favorite Lego spaceships.
I love the classic space revival sets, both full minifigure scale and mini-scale - but this is the first one that I think is simply a mediocre, not very well designed set, and that I'm not going to get. Zero printed parts (even the 40712 used one or two); only one figure, and in a re-used color; the train hits the station on the curve (unacceptable for an official Lego designed set); and the large gap between the two trans-light blue sections that make up the windscreen looks really poor and could have been easily remedied in several different ways.
With a point-value equivalent to around $17.50US, I suppose you could say this is a nice parts pack, but even then the lack of any printed parts reduces the value in that regard too. In fact, I think it would be fairly easy for any classic space enthusiast to use figures from 40712 and the CMF space babies, combined with their inventory and bits of 40712, to make a version of this set that looks and works better, and ends up costing the same or less in terms of additional parts they might have to order.
This set is ultimately a failure IMHO, and the only thing that's going to keep its value up on the resale market is the fact that you have to buy it with points, and the only people who can get more than one copy are folks willing to take the time, and ignore the ethical concerns, to create multiple Lego accounts to try to game the system.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Happy little set. The issues haven't stopped my enjoyment. In part, because my points were obtained largely during double points. "
Yeah, I'd been hoarding my points for this and the other winner of the Ideas contest that produced this. I haven't built the set yet (still got backlog to work through) but I'm looking forward to doing so."
Of course, I have to remind myself not to buy into 'influencer math' where you count the double VIP points as a discount on the set that you earned them on as well as the set you spend them on. ;)
@Ridgeheart said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Of course, I have to remind myself not to buy into 'influencer math' where you count the double VIP points as a discount on the set that you earned them on as well as the set you spend them on. ;)"
Influencer math is a zero sum game, son.
BOOM. Brick drop!
"
According to influencer math. I'm already gone.
I hope they continue this Space Babies theme touching on all the major Classic Space sets.
@legoDad42 said:
"I hope they continue this Space Babies theme touching on all the major Classic Space sets."
I would prefer if LEGO sold (for money, not points or as a GWP) a 3in1 Creator based on late ‘70s Classic Space at minifigure scale. The parts inventory was small back then so LEGO could easily emulate three sets of that era with the parts needed for the largest of the three. I’d get at least three of that set, maybe more.
@StyleCounselor said:
"Of course, I have to remind myself not to buy into 'influencer math' where you count the double VIP points as a discount on the set that you earned them on as well as the set you spend them on. ;)"
I remember reading a particularly egregious example of that on this site, where someone had basically convinced themselves that buying a particular set was effectively free, even though they were still laying out quite a bit of cash for it. I think they were even spending points on the set, but still counting the full value of points that would have been earned if they hadn't.
@PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Of course, I have to remind myself not to buy into 'influencer math' where you count the double VIP points as a discount on the set that you earned them on as well as the set you spend them on. ;)"
I remember reading a particularly egregious example of that on this site, where someone had basically convinced themselves that buying a particular set was effectively free, even though they were still laying out quite a bit of cash for it. I think they were even spending points on the set, but still counting the full value of points that would have been earned if they hadn't."
That's funny. Yes, the influencers I speak of like to denegrate their own gender by calling it 'girl math' when they exchange an item and consider the new item free.
I refuse to use their term. I met Mrs. StyleCounselor in calculus class.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Of course, I have to remind myself not to buy into 'influencer math' where you count the double VIP points as a discount on the set that you earned them on as well as the set you spend them on. ;)"
I remember reading a particularly egregious example of that on this site, where someone had basically convinced themselves that buying a particular set was effectively free, even though they were still laying out quite a bit of cash for it. I think they were even spending points on the set, but still counting the full value of points that would have been earned if they hadn't."
That's funny. Yes, the influencers I speak of like to denegrate their own gender by calling it 'girl math' when they exchange an item and consider the new item free.
I refuse to use their term. I met Mrs. StyleCounselor in calculus class."
I don't believe the individual I referred to was female. Just really bad at math.
@PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Of course, I have to remind myself not to buy into 'influencer math' where you count the double VIP points as a discount on the set that you earned them on as well as the set you spend them on. ;)"
I remember reading a particularly egregious example of that on this site, where someone had basically convinced themselves that buying a particular set was effectively free, even though they were still laying out quite a bit of cash for it. I think they were even spending points on the set, but still counting the full value of points that would have been earned if they hadn't."
That's funny. Yes, the influencers I speak of like to denegrate their own gender by calling it 'girl math' when they exchange an item and consider the new item free.
I refuse to use their term. I met Mrs. StyleCounselor in calculus class."
I don't believe the individual I referred to was female. Just really bad at math."
I honestly don't believe it's so much about math as it is about budgeting and controlling impulses.
@StyleCounselor:
If someone thinks that they get $X off this purchase because of points earned for later use, another $X off because they can cash those points in on a future purchase (but apply that discount towards a previous purchase), and all this while spending a bunch of points to bring the current purchase price down to zero, they clearly can’t do math. That may feed into poor impulse control, but it starts with being worse at math than a drunk Pentium processor.
Hi!
It seems that several of the issues can easily be avoided by turning the track into a point-to-point one, starting on the Micro Command Center and ending at.... Micro Rocket Launchpad? :)
Advantages of our favorite hobby: it can be modified :D