Review: 71027 Collectable Minifigures Series 20 (Part 1)
Posted by CapnRex101,
Collectable Minifigures were introduced during 2010 and the range has become extraordinarily successful, comprising more than thirty distinct series! The latest selection therefore celebrates ten years of Collectable Minifigures and sixteen new characters are included.
However, past celebratory series have featured chase minifigures or focused completely upon single subjects. 71027 Collectable Minifigures Series 20 more closely resembles typical series though and accordingly contains an excellent collection of costumed, historic and modern characters alongside many brand new elements.
Box Distribution
Each box contains sixty minifigures which are distributed as follows:
- 3 - Piñata Boy
- 3 - Breakdancer
- 4 - Pea Pod Costume Girl
- 5 - Tournament Knight
- 4 - Pirate Girl
- 4 - Space Fan
- 3 - Llama Costume Girl
- 3 - Viking
- 5 - Super Warrior
- 4 - Martial Arts Boy
- 3 - Athlete
- 5 - Marine Biologist
- 4 - Brick Costume Guy
- 3 - 80s Musician
- 3 - Pyjama Girl
- 4 - Drone Boy
Minifigures
Representatives of various nations are available within the Collectable Minifigures range and Mexico has proven notably prevalent, already yielding two musical Mariachis and the Taco Tuesday Guy. The new Piñata Boy features the same sombrero piece as his predecessors, although the medium nougat component lacks elaborate decoration and instead includes simple stitching around the brim.
However, the poncho is exceptionally colourful and its design seems remarkably intricate. Two fabric elements comprise this garment, folding neatly around the shoulders. The result looks superb but the torso underneath is completely blank which is slightly disappointing. I appreciate the new face though as this excited expression could prove versatile.
While this minifigure appears relatively bland, the new piñata looks absolutely delightful. Stripes are printed nicely across each flank and I think bright light yellow was the most suitable colour choice for this element. The stud on its back is great for hanging the piñata and the boy carries a reddish brown stick to crack it open, as one might expect.
Dancers of different kinds have appeared throughout the Collectable Minifigures theme and the new Breakdancer looks marvellous, featuring an exclusive hat and hair component. This was evidently designed to match an existing hair piece from 2011 which is pleasing, although that element has only appeared once in dark red. Moreover, the angled hat seems notably realistic.
Unfortunately, the yellow skin tone on her torso does not match the head and arms, although I do like the vibrant coral colour scheme. Exactly the same shade decorates the dual-moulded legs and simple knee pads are printed here too, befitting a breakdancer. Nevertheless, the washed out torso printing is frustrating as similar issues have emerged before.
Boom boxes are already available in five different colours, having been introduced with the Rapper from the third series of Collectable Minifigures. This teal design is the latest example and the golden highlights look nice. The minifigure also includes a trans-clear stand so you can display her performing some elaborate dance moves!
Costumed characters have become a consistent feature of the Collectable Minifigures theme and the Pea Pod Costume Girl is a charming addition to the range. Her costume is immediately recognisable, featuring bulbous lime green peas which stand out against the green pod. Their textures also vary and the moulded stalk on top looks splendid.
The pod appears relatively bland when viewed from behind, although no further details are necessary in my opinion. Removing the costume reveals a brilliant double-sided head with green lipstick and two fun expressions. Additionally, the green torso is decorated with a bowl full of salad. This design is very unusual but could be worn by any generic CITY minifigure which is always useful.
An exclusive pea pod accessory would have been welcome here but a red apple is provided instead, presumably making reference to soups and salads where these ingredients are sometimes combined. Red apples are slightly less common than the bright green variants which is appreciated, although this accessory seems rather superfluous to me.
I anticipate the Tournament Knight proving especially popular within this series, given the continued desire for Castle to return. His pearl dark grey helmet is reasonably common but looks excellent and I love the exclusive dark red feather on top, complementing the dark red gloves. The head is decorated with elegant facial hair and a confident expression which seems appropriate for this warrior.
The tabard features traditional quadrants of black and flame yellowish orange, distinguishing this minifigure from the heavily armoured knights who have appeared previously. The knight does wear pearl dark grey chain mail beneath his tabard though and the belt also features metallic details which continue across both sides of the torso.
My favourite aspect of this minifigure is undoubtedly his new sword which looks more authentic than any previous LEGO sword. The fuller along the centre is perfect and I love the textured hilt, although the pommel could have included an attachment point. The shield is also appealing. This design does not take obvious inspiration from historic Castle factions which is surprising, although its style loosely resembles the Black Falcons' emblem.
21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay introduced a new tricorn hat piece with dual-moulded hair and that element is also worn by the Pirate Girl. A plume does attach on top, thereby matching the standard tricorn, but this component also includes medium nougat hair which looks superb when viewed from behind and contrasts with the black hat. This double-sided head is great too, displaying two different smiles.
The white shirt and reddish brown straps appear eminently suitable for a pirate, especially since that shirt includes frills around the neck. The metallic gold buckles and stitched crosses also look fantastic and I love the black breeches which feature dark red stripes. This design continues across the sides of the legs, ensuring that the Pirate Girl appears equally detailed from every angle.
Her accessory seems relatively bland though. This dark bluish grey cutlass is certainly suitable for a pirate but an alternative colour might have been preferable, like the earlier Pirate Captain Collectable Minifigure who wielded a golden blade. Perhaps black or pearl dark grey would have been interesting here.
References to Classic Space are invariably appreciated and the Space Fan impresses in this regard, sporting a shirt that displays 918 One Man Space Ship from 1979! The design is relatively simple but includes sufficient detail and the dark bluish grey sleeves present a nice contrast. Furthermore, I love the patches decorating her legs, although the heart appears somewhat out of place.
The back of the torso includes limited detail but the vibrant coral baseball cap looks splendid, in dual-moulded combination with black hair. The double-sided head is equally effective, featuring an excited facial expression on one side and a pair of safety goggles on the other. I can imagine the second face proving extremely versatile as any scientist minifigure could wear them.
An appealing collection of accessories are provided, including a dark bluish grey wrench, a model rocket and blueprints for the rocket. Despite its advanced age, the wrench has not been available in this colour before and the 1x1 round brick that is decorated with the NASA symbol is also brand new. The matching plans look wonderful too, matching the actual design of the rocket quite closely.
The new Llama Costume Girl is among the stranger animal costume characters which LEGO has produced, although I think the minifigure has been executed beautifully. The headgear considerably increases the height of this minifigure and includes marvellous texture, most notably around the ears, alongside a friendly expression. Both faces underneath appear similarly cheerful.
By contrast, the torso and legs look simple. Nevertheless, I like the consistent use of dark tan on the hands and feet while the chest features white fur and a zip appears on the reverse. Other minifigures are certainly more intricately decorated but there is little need for additional detail here as most llamas feature reasonably monochromatic coats, although various colours do exist.
Domesticated llamas are frequently fed carrots and a carrot is accordingly included. A more unusual accessory would definitely have been appreciated here but I cannot think of any obvious alternatives and am therefore satisfied with this choice, especially since a spare bright green stem is included.
Following an earlier attempt in the fourth series of Collectable Minifigures, the modern Viking seems more historically accurate than his predecessor. His helmet lacks the anachronistic horns which have become associated with Viking armour, instead featuring a spectacle guard. This definitely resembles archaeological evidence and includes an attachment point for a plume on the central ridge.
The helmet slots perfectly around the orange beard which looks wonderful here. However, removing the beard creates an awkward gap between the spectacle guard and the head. I think this face looks great though, featuring orange facial hair to match the separate beard. The olive green tunic appears impressive too, incorporating dark brown dual-moulded boots and wrist guards.
Blue fabric is printed across both sides of the torso, corresponding with the Viking's blue cape. This shade seems too bright in my opinion and I would rather the blue torso decoration had been omitted, allowing the cape to be replaced if you wish. The round shield does include matching colours though and looks splendid beside the reddish brown spear.
Overall
71027 Collectable Minifigures Series 20 comprises various interesting minifigures, demonstrating the improvement in minifigure design which has become increasingly apparent during recent years. Each new element includes outstanding detail and I am pleased with the wide selection of characters, even though some seem more distinctive than others.
The second part of our review is available here.
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your opinion of the minifigures in the comments below.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review is an expression of my own opinions.
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54 comments on this article
It is great that the Tournament Knight is one of the better represented figures, number-wise, in each box. More opportunities to assemble an army of them.
space fan Space Fan SPACE FAN!
I'll be buying a few Space Fans :)
Well I really like the historical characters - knight, pirate and viking. Really too bad about the gap on the viking helmet when the beard is gone though, the bright blue cape printing is also somewhat limiting.
I just don't know how I am going to sift through all the bags with the current corona virus problem. Does anyone think lego will pre-open bags at their stores to pick the mini-figures we want? (when stores are open again) Or will the secondary market be the place to buy specific figures?
So does that gap in the Vikings helmet mean it can fit any beard or just that one he comes with?
Thanks for the review. It'll be interesting and more challenging trying to get particular minifigures from this series. Nearly very store in my province has been closed for weeks and it is gonna be a long haul according to the Prime Minister. Also, I'm not so keen on feeling random bags this time round. I may have to order from the secondary market.
Great review as always cap't. I got the One man shuttle for my 10th birthday and it remains one of the best presents I've ever received (and that was 40 years ago) so I will definitely be getting that one. I've made a Viking boat to populate it with a crew of vikings from this series and I'm adding Pirate girl to the "Pirates of Barracuda Bay" set. Great minifigs all round!
@CapnRex101 , Great review and pictures. Thank you!
The knight’s sword does have an attachment point at the pommel as far as I can tell. It looks like it is bar diameter, so should fit c-clips including minifigure hands.
@Profbrick489, A tournament knight would normally use a blunted sword rather than a sharp. No other difference apart from that.
Pretty okay distribution!
@Zander - Unfortunately, the hole is slightly too small to receive a bar and the pommel is marginally wider than a bar so I have not been able to find any working connections.
I do like this, but yes, it's going to be difficult trying to collect a full set. I can't imagine shops would be okay with you sitting down in-store and feeling your way through the packets.
Saved the best for last, Rex? Wink
Wait till some one does a layout of where they found them in a full box.some are visibly easy feels. Would love full set even P.J. Girl but price will be offputting
I am buying a box of this and gifting the extras away.
Edit: what are the extra accessories?
Oh, I wasn't expecting the Viking's helmet and beard to be separate pieces; that's really neat!
Still, of them, I think I'd be most inclined to go for the Space Fan and the Breakdancer. I really like both their combined hat-and-hair pieces (I know Space Fan's isn't a new mould, but I don't have that piece myself yet), and these days I'm kinda more interested in minifigures who look like more 'everyday characters' to round out my current crowd.
Between those two, the pirate girl, and the Viking, I think you've covered all the ones I was interested in for this set ^^ Thanks for the detailed review, as always! :D
The Apple accessory is just weird. Is it meant to represent a tomato instead here? A bowl with some salad printed inside would’ve been a much better accessory.
I need the viking and knight! Actually, I need a bunch of them!
Those of you who collect the full series - do you get 2 of one character when they have double sided heads?
Can’t wait
Has the release date been confirmed yet?
I guess Megan Fox gave up on acting and moved on to something else?
I didn't realize until just now that the Knight has a glaring design error in that they molded the legs in the same color. They should have molded the thigh on the right leg in black and printed the orange instead (and printed the black on both sides of the hips).
Another thing I just noticed is that the SP*CE hat looks like a hat that was originally red and has become seriously faded over the years. The schematic is very disappointing in that it was clearly hand-drawn and does not match the dimensions of the rocket parts _AT_ALL_. Compare the bottom lips of the three parts to the schematic if you don't believe me.
The Viking helmet looks great from the front (a beardless picture with the helmet would have been nice, since it was mentioned), but the skirt around the back is not something I remember ever seeing in any historical Viking helmet, so that's actually a bit disappointing. I understand why they did it, however, as it neatly solves any problems with hair (or lack of it) in the back.
@Brickalili:
I was wondering that myself. It'd be nice if someone comes up with a comprehensive list of all the beards that helmet works with.
@Zander:
That changed a lot over the centuries. Early jousting was really just practicing for war, but at some point it became more of a sporting event. All weapons were blunted, and I think lances were designed to break. Armor was probably designed more for show later on, especially since there were limits to the number of blows that would be exchanged.
@BionicleJedi:
A lot of us weren't. I'd even justified claiming they were one piece by pointing out that the CGI version of the beard had a noticably different design, which now confuses me. Surely they have a CAD file of the beard, so how hard is it to pass that along to the marketing team?
If the Viking did not have the blue printing it could work for a custom link from the legend of Zelda
@CapnRex101 , I should have spotted that the pommel was wider than the grip. My bad!
@PurpleDave , By the 13th c. - the period of this knight judging by his armour - the purpose of the tournament on foot was to take opponents hostage, not kill them. If you injured them while taking them hostage, you had a duty to have them treated, which could hurt your purse especially if they were cut, hence blunt swords.
The llama was probably added considering that Monty Python and the Holy Grail was partly directed by 40 specifically trained Ecuardorian mountain llamas
The ponytail-through-the-hat-mold is pretty cool. Is that new, or have we seen that before?
Can't wait for the Viking. Will definitely try and get multiple. I wish it didn't have the blue on the torso though. Limits its re-usability.
@PurpleDave the schematic looks hand drawn by design, it would look weird if the proportions were perfect.
So far: Piñata Boy, Space Fan, and Viking.
I'm definitely going to get quite a few from this series, although, as others have said, feeling for the ones I want might prove unwise. I guess you could buy a case, get out the ones you want, then sell the rest online. I'll have to think about that.
@JordanMenace said:
"Can’t wait
Has the release date been confirmed yet?"
April 19
@Brickalili said:
"So does that gap in the Vikings helmet mean it can fit any beard or just that one he comes with?"
Gandalf's beard works as well
@omnium said:
"I'll be buying a few Space Fans :)"
THIS. Sorry I didn't mean to yell...
@Zander:
It depends on where the joust was taking place. I know of three basic settings, and within those settings there was still quite a bit of variety. Jousting originated on the battlefield with the heavy cavalry charge, and it was just a way to kill people (usually foot soldiers), but eventually nobles started issuing challenges for one-on-one combat in order to increase their reputation, after which each combatant would return to their own side.
Then you had the famous tournament jousting, which were a form of sporting event in those days. The early form of tournament is something we wouldn't recognize today, which was basically fought much like a true battle, with two opposing sides formed of multiple fighters (and yes, spoils of war were the primary goal here). Later on it developed into the more formal tournament that we immediately think of, in which case the knight who yields may have to ransom back their armor and/or horse. But the most famous version of this, with a divided "tilt", and special jousting armor (both of which were specifically designed to reduce the lethality of jousting, by ensuring that the lances broke with any solid hit), didn't happen until the Renaissance era, when it was basically just a way for bored nobility to occupy their time.
The third type was a sort of "challenge ambush", where one or more knights-errant would camp out near a point of passage (often a bridge so you couldn't detour around them) and challenge any other knights to a duel. Any passing knights either had to fight, or leave their spurs behind in disgrace. Basically the point of this was that real pitched battles had become too dangerous for knights, with the introduction of the longbow and the pike.
But, throughout this entire period, the basic format of the joust stayed true to its origins. You always started out on horseback with lances, and worked your way down through progressively smaller weapons, ending with the knife. In the early forms, this was purely by necessity, as an unhorsed knight couldn't do much with a lance, and weapons would often be knocked out of hands during combat. The final weapon was always the knife, which seems silly for two guys wearing full plate armor, but knives were used to deliver mercy blows to mortally wounded knights, or to dispatch an enemy if you had been reduced to wrestling on the ground, as a small blade could penetrate a lot of the gaps in armor that was designed to allow free movement while protecting against heavier weapons like axes and swords.
There's nothing about this knight that pegs him to any of these types of jousting. He looks very similar to the S15 knight, but without the shoulder armor, and with a sword that's similar to the S7 knight. It looks a lot more lethal than the swords used by the S9 and S19 knights.
@B_Space_Man:
I can find five listings for a ballcap w/ ponytail combo on Bricklink, dating back to 2018. I believe it originated with either the Mountain Police, or the Fire sets that came out around the same time, as a way to give female minifigs some sort of appropriate headgear. It's worth noting that the year before they did another female police officer with a hat/bun combo, but that was Barbara Gordon in her dress uniform from TLBM, and the Mountain Police didn't use any officer caps.
The schematic looks like it's supposed to be hand-drafted, not hand-drawn (you can see something approximating the title block in the lower right corner, and all sorts of engineering notations on the rest of the drawing). So, properly scaled dimensions are important.
Definitely going to get a bunch of those Vikings and maybe a few knights for that sword. Probably will get the pirate girl to add to the Pirate Bay whenever I can get it haha.
They are already available in some Walmart's in the US. I happened upon two mostly full & intact boxes the other day so I did try to feel for the ones I wanted. Did pretty well but I ended up with some extras of the Athlete-Javelin/Discus Girl thinking they were the Viking. They are unopened so I may return them. Surprisingly I think I only ended up with one of the Sea Rescuer so I will eventually need to find another. I still have to open up a bunch of what I expect are the duplicates I wanted of some. I think I did pretty good considering I didn't have any guide to use.
Excellent review, much appreciated. Thank you.
Nice photography, enjoyed the review. Some of these minifgs are great!
I think the bird on the Knight's shield is supposed to be an homage to Brave Sir Robin from Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail. It would make sense, since they already made the other knight with the red boar's head shield that was just like the Black Knight's shield from the same movie.
I have a mighty need for the tournament knight. And the space fan. And the pinata boy, just for the poncho...
@PurpleDave thanks for the info, and you make a good point about the schematic. That makes more sense.
Tbh I'll probably only get a few bc of the price
@Zordboy said:
"I do like this, but yes, it's going to be difficult trying to collect a full set. I can't imagine shops would be okay with you sitting down in-store and feeling your way through the packets. "
G'day Zordboy, I've never had an issue doing this at Big W or Target. The Target staff even offered to help me with my search!
I was also able to pick these up at Walmart yesterday. Felt basically an entire box to get the five I wanted with no complaints from store staff. You can tell the Viking from the athlete by making sure the round element has the handle on one side. Piñata boy was the easiest feel because with the two ponchos and the piñata his bag is a lot more poofy than the others.
Another series of great minifigs. I'm not a completist but plan on getting many of these.
Be aware that I've seen posts online that some stores don't allow you to feel the packages to try and identify the minifig due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I know I'm not ready to feel through 40-60 packages that may have been also been fondled by who knows how many people before me. --__--
The knight's shield design is more likely resembles the medieval hungarian Hunyadi's sign, but with incorrect colors :D
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Coa_Hungary_Family_Hunyadi_v2.svg/260px-Coa_Hungary_Family_Hunyadi_v2.svg.png
Stopped by Walmart this morning and there was a sealed box on the shelf, $3.44 a bag. Quickly shuffled though the box and got the ones I wanted, skipping out on the Knight, Viking, and athlete.
Remember to wash your hands after digging through that box, folks!
Isn’t the spanner in space fan the same as 30365?
@Suddsbackwash:
30365 is a click-hinge brick. Do you mean 4006? Because it's the same part, possibly a different mold, but definitely a new color in dark-bley. That part has been made in black, light-grey, light-bley, and flat-silver before.
The Space Fan has an amazing design. The theme Classic Space is still alive with this minifig. Love this series! Thanks for the review!
The Collectable Minifigure series has evolved a lot from series 1, I really like the minifigures here. The pirate girl reminds me Elizabeth in Pirate costume from POTC.
That planet on the legs of the space fan must be called Daisy, since Heart and Star are also present :)
I happened upon 2 brand new boxes on the shelf about a week ago and I dug in. Pulled two sets, one to open (16) and one to keep sealed (16), as well as the rest of the Knight (8), Viking (4), and Pirate Figures (6). I am good for now. Bought 50 in total. Damn.
Two points:
Give the knight a cloak and a banner and you have a paladin.
And did anyone else look at the viking and think of Eowyn from LotRs?
I got screwed on a full box count for the second normal series in a row.
Series 19 I got 7 of the Fright Knights, and 2 less Jungle Explorers, and a couple other counts were wrong.
For Series 20, I got 7 Green Brick guys and only 1 Viking, 4 Ocean Explorers, 4 Tournament Knights, but one extra Breakdancer. I really wanted those Vikings and Knights. :(