Wednesday, December 26, 2012

LEGO Lord of the Rings #30211 Uruk-Hai with Ballista Review

Theme: Lord of the Rings
Name: Uruk-Hai with Ballista
S/N: #30211
Year: 2012
Pieces: 21
Minifig: 1
Price: RM-, USD-, GBP-
 
Polybag
Will do a quick review on this as this is a small polybag set. The front only shows the serial number and the picture of the Uruk-hai with his little ballista while at the back of the polybag are just words. It was a small and simple set like all the other polybag set and this one is very suitable for army building (if you manage to get it cheap of course).
IMG_2472  IMG_2473

Content
Below are all the parts that were pour out from the polybag, not much of a pieces and there is one instruction sheet that teach you to build the ballista.
IMG_2474 IMG_2485

Accessory
The only weapon included in this set is the large halberd which usually this kind of armored Uruk-hai use in the playset that has been released by TLG.
IMG_2475

Uruk-hai
Here's the minifigs, which are the same as the one you will get in playset, nothing to complain about the quality. So this Uruk-hai have two different face printed on this head and the torso are printed on the both side. The leg are printed too. Is a good thing that there are more prints which is more detailed.
IMG_2476
IMG_2477 IMG_2478 IMG_2479

Ballista
This one a quick and simple build and comes with a playability which I do not need to further mention. Small and is quite ok. I just don't like the 2x4 plate which makes it looks big.
IMG_2480
IMG_2481 IMG_2482 IMG_2483

Completed model
This set do not comes with any spares, as you can see from the content that there are no small parts in this set. A good set for kids to play as it will not cost you much at the moment and is was a quick build. This may fill up your urge for LEGO too when you cannot afford any of the playset.
IMG_2484
 
Playability: 4/10 Flick-fire. . .
Building experience: 4/10 Cannot expect much from this.
Parts: 6/10 Cool helmet and armor, halberd and droid arms.
Value for money: 6/10 Get it for RM20+, not really a good price but affordable.
Overall: 5/10 Average, the only good part is that it is affordable otherwise Uruk-hai minifigs can get at RM15+ with halberd.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

LEGO Lord of the Rings #9472 Attack on Weathertop Review

Theme: Lord of the Rings
Name: Attack on Weathertop
S/N: #9472
Year: 2012
Pieces: 430
Minifig: 5
Price: RM349.90, USD59.99, GBP49.99
 
Box
Another pricey set, which the price is mark up ridiculously in our local market. The front box art shows the serial number and the set name together with the cast on the bottom left. Thanks to that, I learnt about the characters as I'm not really a fans of this theme to be frank. The top side of the box shows all the 5 minifigs in their actual scale while the back of the box shows us the playability, accessories and the interior of the Weathertop.
IMG_5245 IMG_5246 IMG_5247
 
Content
There are for numbered bags of bricks inside the box together with a manual to guide you on the building process. Also, the minifigs is separated into different bags.
IMG_5248 IMG_5249
 
Brick Separator
This set comes with a brick separator that worth RM10 here. This new kind is slightly smaller and have more functions. Anyway, I think next year instruction book will teach us how to use it (maybe).
IMG_5250
 
Accessories
This set comes with plenty of accessories and some of them even have spare one. Nice eh?
IMG_5251
 
Animals
Here we have two black horses with printed design that suits the horse of Ringwraith. Sorry am not sure how the Ringwraith's horse looks like, but nice head print and it looks pretty cool. Extra bricks are given just in case you removes the saddle. I think we will no longer see horse head armor huh?
IMG_5252 IMG_5253
 
Minifigs
We have Merry, Frodo, Aragorn and two Ringwraith. The hobbit all looks alike to me, maybe they all shares the same hair piece. This time round Frodo have different color of cape compare to the one in Shelob Attacks.
IMG_5256
IMG_5257 IMG_5258 IMG_5259
Frodo - both side of his torso printed, nice details and have two expressions printed on the head.
Merry - both side of his torso printed, nice details and have two expressions printed on the head.
Aragorn - both side of his torso and leg printed, nice details and have two expressions printed on the head.
Ringwraith - torso printed on both side front and back, no face expression, like the Clone Trooper head, the cape is really something that gets in the way, hood cannot be attach properly and cape will stick out from the back. Really not cool.

Bush and Bricks
Here's something extra that are given and I don't know if this something important in the movie or not. Anyway you get a tan bush and and a few dark green parts to represent moss? 
IMG_5254 IMG_5255

Weathertop
This is what we are looking for in this set after the minifigs, the side dish maybe? Anyway, I like the way it was design though I have no idea how the real Weathertop looks like but there definitely is a something that makes me feel like it is some sort of ruin. Another thing to like about this is the shape, which look rounded with gap in between the wall.
IMG_5260
IMG_5261 IMG_5262 IMG_5263 IMG_5285 IMG_5264

Here's the top part of the Weathertop and it seems broken. No roof, broken walls and the standing windows. There are some tan bricks with pattern to signify the bricks and some microfigs been use to design the ruin. Trapdoors are attached with tiles so that the minifigs can fall when the trap is sprung.
IMG_5265 IMG_5266 IMG_5284
IMG_5267
 
So here's the trapdoor, and to open it, we just need to pull the button (the dark brown cone) and the trapdoor will open. Whoever that stands on top of it will fall down into the ruin. But there is always an exit at the bottom.
IMG_5268 IMG_5269
IMG_5270 IMG_5271
 
There's a little interior for the Weathertop and there is an entrance at the front of it. At the side we have a mouse hole and there is where the the technic pin holds the Weathertop closed together. This is where we will need to open to spilt the Weathertop open and reveal the interior. Let us enter into the Weathertop.
IMG_5272
IMG_5273 IMG_5274

This is how the interior looks like,  there is a weapon shelf that holds a sword and a spear, torches hanging on the wall and a mouse. I have no idea what is that black round thing inside it and of course, to flick the arrow we have to flick from the inside.
IMG_5276 IMG_5275

Next, there is some space for these three friend to camp and to cook some food. There is a small fire setup and space to put the carrot and bags of supplies. There are stairs beside it where they can climb to the top of the ruin. Neatly implemented by the designer and I like the stairs.
IMG_5277 IMG_5281

However, beware if you camp there, there are arrows close to it and it might be fatal if they got shot. The arrows (the flicking playability that commonly use in playset) are install right beside the campfire. there are two of them and it was very well hidden.
IMG_5278 IMG_5279 IMG_5280

Extra pieces
Here's the leftovers after I completed the Weathertop and whatever things that need to be completed. We have extra gold ring and weapons leftover too.
IMG_5282

Completed model
I'm not sure how accurate is this but this Weathertop looks very nice, really. I have fun building it especially when I see the outcome. No regret getting this set at a lower price than the retail price here. Nice minifigs and nice ruins.
IMG_5283
 
Playability: 8/10 Actually not much playability other than trapdoor, flick-fire and splitting the building
Building experience: 8/10 Different way of building a ruin, rounded shape.
Parts: 6/10 Price per piece is not that nice here but you can get a lot of grey parts here.
Value for money: 2/10 Don't bother the price here, is just crazy.
Overall: 6/10 Nice amount of minifigs and nice buildings but bad price.