What is your favourite set of 2018?
Posted by CapnRex101,
We recently asked Brickset members to submit nominations for their favourite LEGO product released during 2018 and received more than 400 comments, nominating 72 different sets.
Twenty sets which received the most nominations have now proceeded to today's final poll. Vote for your favourite set of 2018 and find out which sets were selected by Brickset staff members after the break...
CapnRex101
10261 Roller Coaster
2018 has seen the release of numerous impressive sets, ranging from 70657 NINJAGO City Docks and 71043 Hogwarts Castle to 60204 City Hospital and 75955 Hogwarts Express. These were certainly among my favourite sets this year.
However, 10261 Roller Coaster stands out above all the rest in my opinion. I was somewhat dubious regarding the potential of a large scale LEGO roller coaster but this model is absolutely incredible. A fantastic range of functions are included and the roller coaster looks surprisingly attractive on display, due in part to its vast size!
MeganL
71043 Hogwarts Castle
For set of the year I look for a set that provides a wonderful build experience, appeals to multiple segments of the LEGO community and can be a terrific stand alone ambassador to people who aren't familiar with LEGO. So, as much as I would love to choose 41196 The Elvenstar Tree Bat Attack, which was my favourite build of 2018 (although there are so many others I haven't had time to build yet, including NINJAGO City Docks!), for me the set of the year has to be 71043 Hogwarts Castle.
It's a fun and engaging build. It appeals to Harry Potter fans and castle fans alike, in addition to those who love the longer challenging builds. I had the good fortune of gifting copies to a couple of Harry Potter fans who were not LEGO fans...yet. It was an amazing hit and I received numerous pictures showing building in progress. The sets were thoroughly enjoyed by non-AFOLs and I can't think of a better criterion for set of the year.
FlagsNZ
70657 NINJAGO City Docks
The entire theme from The LEGO NINJAGO Movie has impressed me and my favourite set for 2018 is 70657 NINJAGO City Docks.
The NINJAGO City Docks could easily fit into any modular city scene and it adds an exciting Asian feel to the LEGO buildings. It is well designed and includes some interesting uses of certain parts to create an attractive addition to your dioramas.
Huw
42083 Bugatti Chiron
You can see that 42083 Bugatti Chiron is something truly special as soon as you open the box! The packaging is exceptional, the building experience is challenging and engrossing, especially when accompanied by the interesting designer podcasts, and the finished model is a joy to behold and admire.
Which set did you vote for? Let us know in the comments.
The results will be published early in 2019!
79 likes
58 comments on this article
A nice spread of choices! (If a little heavy on the wizzards...)
I'll be the first to welcome the end of Brickheadz, but also the first to admit that Go Brick Me is excellent, honest LEGO fun.
I voted for the Rollercoaster. While it's rather easy to say that, in any given year, the biggest sets are the best, the Rollercoaster is truly great. It's brilliantly designed and looks fantastic on display. With the added power functions, I could watch the train go up and down for ages, it's just that fun. I didn't have as high of opinion about it until I actually built it. I just love it.
Very difficult to chose from. Ended up choosing betrayal at cloud city. The city docks looked good, would’ve choose that if cloud city was not on the list
I voted for Voltron with the Pop-up Book as a close second.
The Pop-up Book could have its own theme, if they kept putting out story sets each quarter, or so.
Dang so many great sets to choose from. For me the modular building is always the highlight of the year. But I find the Ideas sets to have been very impressive and creative.
rollercoaster was the most original and awesome :)
The only way LEGO would have been able to do a full Hogwarts castle would’ve been to do it in microscale, which still looks amazing. I have to vote that one because it looks better than I ever could’ve imagined, even in microscale. Downtown Diner and Velociraptor rescue are close runner ups however.
Basically all big sets, which is kind of a shame as there are also a ton of smaller models with a lot going for them. Out of these I'm gonna vote for the pop up book.
71043 Hogwarts Castle!
There are NINE of the sets that I LOVE for different reasons and all would be the top one for me! Now I don't know what to do!!
1. Rollercoaster
1. Voltron (tie)
3. Hogwarts
4. Fantastic Beasts Suitcase
5. Hogwarts Express
Top five for me are,
Ninjago city docks
Rollercoaster
Downtown diner
Statue of Liberty
Voltron
Some great sets this year that will stand the test of time
I hope whatever next year’s rumored DC D2C set is will be good enough to make it on the 2019 poll. I was really hoping to see app controlled Batmobile on here or the Pirate Roller Coaster. It may not be as good as the Expert roller coaster but it is still really cool. I considered choosing the Hospital but Go Brick Me and Ship in a Bottle were definitely tied for first. For the poll I decided I would choose Ship in a Bottle.
Not a Great Year, if your not a HP fan, the Creator modular didn't fit with previous years, although will fit with this year. Did like the look of the Roller Coaster as a real difference and that would get my vote. Just finished the Homer and Krusty Brickheadz and that with the Boba Fett Brickheadz has been my fav this year, not usually a big fan of Brickheadz, but those 2 sets stand out.
Biggest flop, the cardboard minifig factory, was so looking forward to that too.
Hogwarts castle, followed by the Roller coaster for me..
Even though I did not get either of these sets, my favorite set of the year was the X-Wing, followed by the Sactum Santorium, from the poll at least. The Tie Fighter made an excellent companion for the X-Wing. If I had to pick one that I owned, it would be the Ultimate Battle set because it got me on the road towards collecting all the Infinity War sets which is something that I won't be able to do again for a long time (collect all the sets in a wave)
I'm torn between Ninjago Docks, Velociraptor Chase, and Newt's Suitcase.... gonna go with the docks.
Easily the X-Wing because 1. It’s the only set on the list I have and 2. It is really spectacular
Even though I love the new City Hospital and Cloud City looks fantastic, the Roller Coaster was simply the most fun and amazing set of the year.
Voted for Voltron. Lego has never done anything else like it.
City Hospital is great.
The roller coaster just filled such a big gap in TLG's release history that it has to be my choice.
Had to be the pop up book for me as it is a great unique creation that has a well integrated function a close pick was the roller coaster
Go Brick me.....game changer!
The Pop-up book.
It was just something different in a sea of similarity
I picked the Great Hall set as this was pure magic for my family and I. This will be partly because I finished reading the Harry Potter series to my kids (and hubby!) during the year.
How on earth did the Mack Anthem not make the list? It’s my favorite set this year and in my top 5 too.
I didn't vote.
Where is the Technic mobile crane? The UCS Y-Wing? The Speed Champions Ferrari garage? The new City trains?
@TheLegoMaster35 - 42078-1 Mack Anthem was close to qualifying but only received five nominations so fell short in relation to other sets.
@Duq - Those sets were nominated but were not as popular as the products listed here. I was particularly surprised to learn that only three people nominated 75181-1 Y-wing Starfighter.
Roller coaster all the way. No comparison. Except the pop up book, ship in a bottle, ... ok. I guess there are some comparisons.
The roller coaster. Not only is it a magnificent piece of Lego engineering, but it's totally unique and unlike anything Lego has ever done before. The other sets in the list are great, but they don't have that same "wow" factor of "you can do that with Legos?"
CITY HOSPITAL!!!
I’m not a big D2C big ticket buyer, and I admit there were some outstanding high end sets this year... but pound for pound I think 60204 City Hospital is going to go down as one of those iconic City sets upon which future renditions will be compared. Can’t recommend it enough
I had to go with Ninjago City Docks. I own both the docks and the City and they are arguably some of the most stunning lego sets thus far! When put together they are extremely attractive and provide some examples of extremely unique building techniques not seen in many sets at all. Overall very pleased with this year I sets!
@CapnRex101 you should also consider the number of likes for each of those nominations - not everyone is going to necessarily add a new post when what they liked is already noted.
Docks the best by far. When it first came out, I thought it was inferior to the Ninjago City set. But actually it is a more interesting build! I have the two sets together in my office at work, and everyone is amazed by those sets as they come into my office.
It's kind of ironic that the best sets of the last few years have all been Ninjago (Docks, Ninjago City, and Temple of Airjutsu. Kudos to the designers.
1) 71043 2) 42082 3) 70657....... Bonus : Voltron, Bugatti, Roller coaster, Pop-Up Book and Statue of Liberty...
Thanks to the staff if this wonderful Lego website.
@darkstonegrey - Likes are taken into consideration when tie-breaking between sets or minifigures, along with comments which mention multiple items.
Oh man, what to choose: Velociraptor Chase, Ship in a Bottle, Sanctum Sanctorum, City Hospital (about time Lego), Go Brick Me and Vestas Windmill.
Just saying, but I HATE the Hogwarts Castle. It could have been a really cool MBS set but it was micro scale...
The Pop-up Book was my final choice, even though at first I was really torn between the Hogwarts Castle and the Sanctum Sanctorum sets.
The Ideas theme is going strong, and the Pop-up Book is a perfect example of what creativity with Lego is all about.
I must be one of the few that think that the Downtown Diner was a refreshing step in a new direction and am GLAD it departed from the style of the previous modulars, which I honestly thought was getting stale. And love that it will fit well with 2019's modular, which I'm looking forward to getting soon.
The City Hospital would be a close second for me though.
Most fun I had building a set this year was the Creator London Bus, but it came out in 2017. (I got it as a gift this year.)
Bugatti Chiron
Absolutely the set of the year. Saw the final version build at the Lego shop and it blew my mind. Web images doesnt do the set any justice.
Voltron. But man that Hogwarts....
I wish Han's land speeder made it, but I easily chose the Great Hall from Harry Potter. So beautiful.
Although the only NINJAGO set I own is the award-winning, 2507 (Fire Temple, 2011), I must say the sets in that theme offer lessons in both history and fantasy.
At one extreme, those sets represent the "ninja and samurai era" of 11th through 19th century Japan, yet at the opposite extreme some of those sets include a fictional/mythical creature, such as the dragon. Therefore, I voted for the set 70657 (NINJAGO City Docks, 2018). Domo (arigato) [Japanese: Thank you (very much)].
P.S: No, I have not seen that LEGO NINJAGO Movie, so would very much like to.
I like the look of 10261 Roller Coaster and how it functions. Great set!
For me I find that the SNOT (Studs Not On Top) approach of making a Lego car, is the best approach in terms of look, similar to how one would usually do when making a building or a house with clean looking lines. And the Aston Martin DB5 is perfect in this direction (comparatively to the many not so appealing look of the other Lego cars, particularly those Technic super cars):
https://brickset.com/sets/10262-1/James-Bond%C2%A0Aston-Martin-DB5
Newt's Suitcase is my choice, although there are many other excellent sets on this list! However, I am very impressed by the way the suitcase set captured the magical essence of the original item while remaining relatively compact and affordable.
The Hogwarts Castle! Even if I think that there could've been some minor changes (back walls, more minifigs), it is by far the best Hogwarts Ive seen, almost looking like a MOC made up by a big fan. So, even though it is not finished in my opinion I'm looking forward on getting it in about two month from no. And I just can't wait for it ^^
Next up would've been the Hogwarts Train for me. Yes, I'm on the wizards side :D
I picked the Ship In A Bottle. I received it for Christmas, and it blew my mind. WOW it is amazing (even for an Ideas set)!
At first I thought I'd go with one of the obvious, like Hogwarts Castle, or the Rollercoaster. But then I thought again and revisited the City Hospital, and came to realize that in many ways it is much better all around than all those giant D2C sets.
Therefor, City Hospital it must be!
Ninjago City Docks all the way. I bought two sets to go with my Ninjago City, the second of which is to be built in reverse and modified to fit on the end of my expanding docks area for my Lego Town. I truly hope we get another Ninjago modular to go with the existing two in the future. They are simply gorgeous kits and a nice addition to the other Lego buildings available.
I had to go with the City Docks set as it is just visually stunning, has unique building approaches, and creates an alternative display site for my DC heroes.
I would really like to see next year broken out into a few price points as the expensive sets really dominate over the smaller sets. There were some great smaller sets this year that just would never make an all inclusive list. Also, the larger sets may be out of budget for many collectors. (It may also be cool to see separate licensed and non-licensed mini-figs categories.)
Can't believe the X-Wing is so popular. I think it is a pretty rubbish set. So innacurate, overpriced, and doesn't have good figs (not a fan of the new helmets).
Voltron.
Unlike any other LEGO set to date BAR NONE
There are plenty of modulars for buildings...so something like Docks is another variation but nothing groundbreaking...just Ninjago themed
Same for Hogwarts...lots of castle (even other Hogwarts)...nothing new...just a new scale.
Chiron..Porsche...another technic car...the latest one yes, but not particularly new or groundbreaking...just the latest iteration w/ improvements
Any star wars set...nothing new...just the latest interations
Rollercoaster...nothing new, just the latest iteration w/ advancement (for sure) but nothing groundbreaking
Aw, no mention of 42082: Rough Terrain Crane.
I voted for Voltron :)
I dont own the roller coaster yet so I can't vote for it. Voltron is great though so I voted for that. My personal favorite set of 2018 has to be the Tron Legacy ideas set though (probably the only set LEGO have released that counts as cyberpunk)
Definitely the Roller Coaster for me - a much needed addition to any collection.