BrickLink announces removal of part variants

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BrickLink has announced their intent to merge variants of certain parts into single catalogue entries from the 1st of February.

While understandable in some respects because the differences between part variants tend to be subtle, this will make it more difficult to acquire the correct elements when buying replacement parts for older sets, or ensuring consistency on a MOC. You can view all the affected pieces here.

Sellers will be able to highlight different versions of parts in their descriptions, but I imagine the change will still cause problems, as sellers may choose not to add extra information.

Do you think this will be a positive change, or do you see the potential for issues? Let us know in the comments.

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Review: 76277 War Machine Mech Armour

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The quality of Marvel mechs varies significantly. Some are expertly designed for their respective pilots, while others seem more generic and lack proper character. For instance, Iron Man mechs have struggled, capturing the hero's distinctive colours, but little else.

76277 War Machine Mech Armour should have an advantage, as War Machine's armour includes far more visible weaponry, which could be translated to a mech. Additionally, this set contains an exclusive War Machine minifigure, so has another opportunity to impress there.

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Review: 60431 Space Explorer Rover and Alien Life

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LEGO has favoured more realistic space rovers recently, although 60431 Space Explorer Rover and Alien Life evidently takes a more outlandish approach to the idea. The result looks fantastic in official images and includes some ingenious functions for a model of this size.

Moreover, the price of £24.99, $34.99 or €29.99 seems inexpensive for a set with such exceptional play value. Having already reviewed some wonderful Space sets this month, I get the impression that the space rover could be another.

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Super Battle Droids: 2002 to 2024

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There has been no shortage of Battle Droids in LEGO Star Wars sets, although the Super Battle Droid appears less frequently than the standard Battle Droid and not at all since 2015.

75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack introduces a new version and the differences between the current droid and its predecessors are more extensive than I envisaged. This article examines those differences in full.

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Review: 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack

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Incredibly, the standard Phase II Clone Trooper has only appeared in six sets and the latest was produced in 2014. 75372 Clone Trooper & Battle Droid Battle Pack is thus an appealing prospect and features three standard Clone Troopers, as well as a red-armoured Shock Trooper.

Moreover, this Battle Pack reintroduces the Super Battle Droid, which has been missing for almost as long as the Clone Trooper! Between a fantastic minifigure selection and vehicles aligned with the Republic and Separatists, there is plenty to appreciate here.

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40611 Year of the Dragon and double Insiders points available now

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Year of the Dragon

Year of the Dragon

©2024 LEGO Group

40611 Year of the Dragon is now available with any LEGO.com and LEGO store purchases of over £75, $85 or €85. This promotion will continue to January 31st, or while stocks last.

In addition, you will receive double Insiders points until January 24th.

Shop now at LEGO.com »

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Review: 71471 Mateo's Off-Road Car

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The gelatinous Z-Blob is able to transform into multiple vehicles, now including 71471 Mateo's Off-Road Car. The shape of the vehicle is slightly unusual and thus looks awkward, although the details shared with Z-Blob's robotic form are effective.

However, this is an instance where I believe the secondary quadcopter mode, not displayed on the front of the box, is actually superior to the off-road car. On that basis, there is more to this set than it seems.

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Review: 71805 Jay's Mech Battle Pack

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NINJAGO has never been a stranger to mechs, but the new wave takes their dominance to an extreme! 71805 Jay's Mech Battle Pack includes the smallest of those mechs, although its four minifigures have undoubtedly attracted more attention than Jay's mech.

This makes sense because it is unusual to find four minifigures in a NINJAGO set costing as little as £8.99, $9.99 or €9.99, particularly when two of those minifigures are exclusive, while two others are perfect for army building.

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LEGO Replay trialled in the UK

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LEGO Replay was launched gradually in North America between 2019 and 2021, accepting donations of bricks to clean and redistribute. Now the trial has expanded to the UK and the press release follows:

The LEGO Group unveils trial of brick take-back service LEGO Replay in the UK

We are piloting our brick take-back service LEGO Replay in the UK and inviting fans to join us as we test how to bring playful learning to more children, and stop LEGO bricks becoming waste.

The good news is that most people in the UK already have a plan for any LEGO bricks they no longer need: 94% of families who’ve decided to pass them on do so to friends, family, charities or local schools, or they sell them* – helping to ensure LEGO bricks are played with again and again.

For anyone that doesn’t know what to do with their unused LEGO bricks, LEGO Replay provides an easy option for ensuring those bricks continue to inspire play and creativity for children.

The new pilot programme will test new uses for the bricks donated by families and fans in the UK. During this exploratory phase, the returned used bricks will be recycled into new items that support learning in schools, such as storage boxes for toys.

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Review: 60404 Burger Truck

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It seems LEGO City is being taken to extremes in 2024, between the new Space range and 60404 Burger Truck. This model is definitely distinctive and perhaps less realistic than equivalent trucks produced before, although I find its eye-catching design very appealing.

The burger-shaped structure looks excellent and can be detached to become a separate burger stand, while the actual truck is impressive too. In addition, both minifigures are new and I was surprised to find no stickers required, as any decorated parts are printed!

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Review: 30680 AAT

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LEGO obviously considers the AAT an interesting subject for microscale models. After all, the tank has already appeared in three Advent Calendars and two polybags. 30680 AAT is the third.

The vehicle looks remarkably detailed for its size and its release is fitting, for the 25th anniversary of The Phantom Menace.

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Review: 71045 Collectable Minifigures Series 25

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71037 Collectable Minifigures Series 24 could be considered among the best series of Collectable Minifigures released to date and I am expecting great things from 71045 Collectable Minifigures Series 25. There are various desirable characters included, after all.

The sinister Vampire Knight has drawn particular attention, modernising Basil the Bat Lord, while the long-awaited goat is also available with the Goatherd. However, all twelve minifigures have something to offer and the high standard appears remarkably consistent across the series.

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Review: 60430 Interstellar Spaceship

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The previous Space subtheme in LEGO City prioritised realism, clearly contrasting with the new range. 60430 Interstellar Spaceship seems like a product of science fiction and looks very sleek, focusing on pure speed over storage or other practical considerations.

I love the angular shape of this vehicle and its proportions, while its central function was a pleasant surprise too. There is even an exclusive minifigure, so this should prove to be another great addition to the Space subtheme.

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Result: What are your favourite smaller sets of 2023?

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Although larger sets often monopolise attention, LEGO continues to produce plenty of smaller sets annually, as well as gifts-with-purchase.

We therefore ran polls to determine the most popular gift-with-purchase and set costing less than $40 released in 2023. Having received over 8000 votes between them, we are now ready to reveal the results...

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