Random set of the day: Lavatraz
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 8191 Lavatraz, released during 2010. It's one of 4 Power Miners sets produced that year. It contains 381 pieces and 4 minifigs, and its retail price was US$49.99/£34.99.
It's owned by 1,942 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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42 comments on this article
This is probably one of my favorite Power Miners sets, I like location builds a lot and that lava monster is cool.
I checked to make sure that this set's name actually was Lavatraz, and it is. That is simultaneously fantastic and horrible at the same time. Alcatraz is supposed to be inescapable, and yet, this is probably the least secure prison I've ever seen. You dishonor its legacy with such a name. But then there's the irony of it all making it fun again.
There really should have been some larger sets for Power Miners second year, but that's just me. 2010 had a good selection of sets overall.
I will never not be mad that these sets came out at a time when I did not have grown-up money to waste frivolously on plastic toys like I do today.
Being able to 'use' the vending machine on this was pretty cool back in the day. Always found the name amusing, though the crane is even less study than the walls of the prison - can't really lift the monster any more than a claw game.
In retrospect, having water balloon zamor spheres to launch at the lava monsters is hilarious.
Cool drinks $100.
Which one of the humans is Sean Connery?
My childhood!
"On December 31, 2010, Lavatraz officially closed. All the prisoners were transferred off the island. Only, that's not what happened. Not at all."
Modified intro speech from this TV show https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_(TV_series)
WARNING WORKING AREA
If you're close enough to see that sign, it's already too late.
Very weak set, and people say todays prices are wild xD
Eruptorr however is great!
Ooh, the sliding, manned crane thing is impressively compact. The miners and Eruptorr looks suitibly awesome as well!
@namekuji said:
"Cool drinks $100. "
Inflation ruins everything
I could've sworn we had this one before. Either way, love the vending machine in it!
Looks like a Jurassic Park set for lava monsters
@namekuji:
Another day older, and deeper in debt…
@PurpleDave said:
" @namekuji:
Another day older, and deeper in debt…"
St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store.
Very ironic this turned up as at the moment I am working on a Power Miners prequel!
I remember this set in catalogs, thought the name was great. Always liked the vending machine. I much preferred waves 1 and 2 though.
The lava thing just didn't do it for me and while I wouldn't say this is a bad set, as a 'base'/big set of the wave all you can really do is put the lava monster in a cage and use the vending machine. Perhaps some more structure to the build would have helped.
At least there was never a Power Miners helicopter, ATV or drone. That's all we ever get thesedays. Bring back Power Miners and Atlantis! (I know PM they could easily pick up the theme where it left off as they never actually resolved the story)
Very ironic this turned up as at the moment I am working on a Power Miners prequel!
I remember this set in catalogs, thought the name was great. Always liked the vending machine. I much preferred waves 1 and 2 though.
The lava thing just didn't do it for me and while I wouldn't say this is a bad set, as a 'base'/big set of the wave all you can really do is put the lava monster in a cage and use the vending machine. Perhaps some more structure to the build would have helped.
At least there was never a Power Miners helicopter, ATV or drone. That's all we ever get thesedays. Bring back Power Miners and Atlantis! (I know PM they could easily pick up the theme where it left off as they never actually resolved the story)
This set is hot.
I was less keen on the sets for this wave of Power Miners but those armoured suits they got kitted with the deal with the lava monsters are just plain rad
Wait, the vending machine from Ninjago City Docks is a reference to the vending machine of this set? That's cool.
Honestly, this set is pretty underwhelming compared to 8190 Claw Catcher. None of the functions work really well. It's still a decent playset I guess.
The color scheme of the Second Wave of Power Miners feels like one of those late '90s Basic Sets...
I get what they intended there, but for me It's Just too much. Maybe Just blue would Work better?ä
Anyways that Lava Monster is cool. Although the design doesn't really match with the 1999 game, it might also work for Rock Raiders.
The only regular Power Miners set I never bought, for reasons unknown. That soda machine is so cool!
I remember this being a bit expensive for what it was. But you do get an early bigfig and a superfluous vehicle.
And Eruptorr is a sweet figure!
It's just one of those 2000s/early 2010s sets with a lot of gaps.
You know what? I prefer those to the super compact sets with tiny pieces of today. More fun, more size, more imagination.
Fight me! (Don't, really. Please).
As cool as the vending machine was (and it was, indeed, very cool), would be nice if it could hold more than one drink. Maybe that's why the drink is so expensive - supply and demand.
You'd think the vending machine and beverage area would be slightly further away from the cage where they trap the living piles of sentient molten lava, but, nope.
That's just poor workplace health and safety planning, really.
Never realised how effectively this monster could pass for a classic Rock Raiders lava monster; that's cool, that's cool. I mean, they're not the same, obviously - but the Rock Raiders sets only ever included the basic rock monsters, not their lava or ice cousins from the video game and books, so this one would be a good stand-in if it was ever needed.
That just leaves the absence of a similar size ice monster too...
Am I right in remembering that Power Miners took place on earth, not on an alien planet like Rock Raiders did? If so, my theory is still that the PM monsters are descended from the rock monster that the Rock Raiders accidentally brought back from Planet U with them at the end of https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?B=PuzRock ^^
All these years and only now I realise that this set's name is a reference to Alcatraz.
@Brickalili:
I used one of these to make one of my earlier minifigs of DC’s Firefly. The other one I came up with, based on his lone TNBA appearance, used an original Jango torso, so this version got a lot more layout appearances.
@Binnekamp:
I got two copies of the Crystal King, and one very small vehicle, but otherwise I ended up just buying the entire run of rock monsters off Bricklink. Still miffed about there not being a real trans-yellow 5-point crystal…
@TheOtherMike:
Guarding a lava monster in an open cage, you’d probably sweat more than that just in the time it takes to shotgun one can. Alternately, you might find the liquid simply evaporates between the can and your lips.
@ThatBionicleGuy:
Did you forget about Marshmallow?
I never had Power Miners sets as they released during a time I was not collecting LEGO, but nexo knights did tick some boxes, with lava monsters, later stone monsters, and some big vehicles having big drills.
70325 : Infernox captures the Queen
70354 : Axl's Rumble Maker
The more recent Monkie Kid 80020 : White Dragon Horse Jet had a cool vending machine as well.
And then there are obviously the 2 Crystal King sets that at least share a name with Power Miners, but at a different approach : 71771 : The Crystal King Temple , 71772 : The Crystal King
I'm sure if I had collected LEGO during the time Power Miners were around I'd probably have some of the sets but I usually don't get older sets I don't have any connections with (big time gap where I was not following LEGO at all from 2002 to 2015 or so)
I remember getting this when I was younger, and I thought Eruptor was so cool. I still have the entire thing, an I still love this set.
Never got any of these Year 2 Rock Raider sets, not a huge fan of the silver suits or the blue/lime green combo.
@TheEpicLuke:
Also acceptable would have been responding with the lyrics to Bo Diddley by Bo Diddley.
Lavatraz? Lavatory Alcatraz? Weird name.
Oh, lava Alcatraz. Makes more sense...
@lordofdragonss said:
"
Eruptorr however is great!"
Indeed. I bought one on the secondary market (BrickLink?) not long after the set’s release. I still have it in my display collection among my magma/lava/fire elementals.
@TheEpicLuke said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @namekuji:
Another day older, and deeper in debt…"
St. Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store."
I was young and poor. After many years of hard work, I am no longer young.
I have this set; the monster is by far the best part.
Anyone else get the vibe that the Power Miners are the villains and the rock monsters are the heroes?
@Vladtheb: If you want to invert a line that way, SPIII is your best bet. It's really easy to interpret that line as a xenophobic police state, if you want to.
How did I miss this the first time around? This is hilarious!
This takes me back! I was 13 when this came out and got it for my christmas that year i believe! Along with my new obsession in hero factory. This was the first wave of sets I collected completely! This was also probably my least favorite of the lava sets. The claw was super disappointing as it can't actually hold onto anything, much less that giant monster! The base of the set, the red plates underneath, also constantly fell off whenever I tried to touch anything! The vending machine was amazing though. Even after dismantling the rest of the set, I definitely kept that together!
Even though it had its issues I really miss sets like these. If they had continued with a few more original ideas that weren't so crazy expensive maybe I wouldn't be in this current dark age. As it stands I just don't have the budget of money or time for Lego anymore... maybe one day I'll be able to return! I'm always one step away from regressing into obsession again haha.