Mage's Lego Review: Stormtrooper Brick Headz

[mageParticipant 20596xp 3]

To the mods: Please move if this is in the wrong place. Apologies in advance if not.

Hi guys,

Something a little different. I figured I’d post something about Lego and see what the reception is. I bought something I have seen a lot of in shops and on display in said toy shops but thought were stupid: Brick Headz. Why is this relevant on BoW? Well, it’s a Star Wars one of course.

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Why am I doing this for ‘something stupid’? Well, I saw one at a Lego convention with my son. Our second lego event, I took a shine to them and bought one on a whim yesterday. Don’t worry, my boy got a Duplo Mickey Mouse set. The Lego/Disney deities shall be pleased with our piety.

For ten euro this is what you get. Two bags of lego, five euro each: how bad?

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As typical for lego, solid instructions. I put together an off brand one that my son’s other grandmother bought him. Her intentions were good, but it was a nightmare to put together. The one positive thing about that nightmare inducing kit was it gave me a new found appreciation for how good I have things with real Lego. And yes, that’s chocolate I someone got on the coin.

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The first significant dent in the kit I made. I warmed to the concept of the kit at this point

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I liked it even more when it started to look like something. There’s some heft and weight in this kit and they feel satisfying in one’s hand. Im not sure if it is intentional or not, but I think it is: the tongue in cheek pink piece inside the kits head, the brain perhaps? Ill know when I put together more of these kits:

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Everything laid out and assembled:

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Final pose, time for some business!

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Bonus pic to follow when I get some replies.

[limburger 21708xp 0]

Lego is the GW of the toys.
Everyone likes to hate the stuff for being expensive.
but they definitely have nailed the instruction and parts.
People probably never appreciate the quality of Lego until they try one of those cheap clones.

It’s a shame that Lego hasn’t undergone the change in attitude that GW has though.

My only complaint is that they do far too many kits with unique parts that only ever work for a specific model (like the head bits in this trooper kit for example).

I wish there were (officially licensed) tabletop games that made use of Lego, because the hobby aspect of the stuff is pretty awesome.

I wonder … anyone ever thought of playing Star Wars Legion using Lego ? Plenty of SW themed sets out there.

[torros 23816xp 0]

Lego certainly is popular and people will buy it now matter the cost. It’s sales in 2016 of US$2.1 billion makes wargames sales look like pocket money

In think it’s the largest Toy company in the world now

 

[limburger 21708xp 0]

I think they’re definitely the biggest manufacturer of tyres …

Biggest toy company ? Google fu reveals that isn’t strictly true.
It’s Namco-Bandai according to this site :

https://www.statista.com/statistics/241241/revenue-of-major-toy-companies-worldwide/

And this list has it not even in the top 10 :

https://www.ranker.com/list/toy-companies/reference

It is important to remember that a lot of low quality toys get made by companies most of us don’t even know.
Lego probably does count as the biggest toy company for a single product type.

[mageParticipant 20596xp 0]

@limburger

 

I would agree it kind of is. I do appreciate the quality a lot more now to be fair. I remember when I was a kid, still very young, seeing Mega Blocks come out for the first time, ,and thinking how cheap and bad the kits looked (early days at least) and being put off them, even as a kid. I think I only ever got one of those and I still wasn’t too impressed even though it was one I liked.

 

The instructions are A+.

 

How do you think and why do you think they should change attitude? Im very curious to hear your opinions as it seems you have thought about this, whereas I never really have.

 

I think the unique parts can make some of the kits. The more diversity the better. I think Lego did have ones as board games with Lord of the Rings and Hobbit. Do not think they are still in production however…

 

I’d love to try that haha. Or just have an official tabletop game (though I vaguely remember seeing one in a Lego TV documentary) for Lego. I love me some Lego Star Wars.

 

 

This is what I found after a quick google:

 

http://brikwars.com/

[mageParticipant 20596xp 1]

Bonus picture!

 

This is the Droid Im looking for!

 

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Buzz whistle beep (Translatoin: nooooooooooooooooooooo!)

[limburger 21708xp 0]

They did a series of ‘boardgames’ using lego bricks and minifigs, but not with the kind of sense of purpose that they apply to any of their kits.

Their products tend to follow fashion a bit too much.

Fun fact : Lego used to be strictly non-violent. No guns allowed.
Now we’ve got the likes of Batman, Marvel and Star Wars.

Then there’s Minecraft which sort of is the virtual Lego game that Lego themselves could have created if they had been a bit more willing to step outside of their comfort zone.

I think they’re also relying a bit too much on other people’s IP.
Their own IP is not bad (their classic City and train sets) but at the same time they’ve got really weak thinly disguised advertising cartoons (Lego Friends) that just smell of focus tested marketing material designed to hit specific bullet points. The Lego movie kind of showed that they do have an interesting universe to exploit that can be fun for everyone.

I guess it must be a bit of nostalgia too. I remember when Lego only did basic bricks and had books showing stuff you could build. Unique parts were practically non existant. Building anything with curves or other odd shapes required a lot of effort,  skill and compromises.

[mageParticipant 20596xp 0]

I logged on quick before bed. i watched the toy documentary on lego in netflix. ill have fun debating this stuff with you tomorrow @limburger 🙂

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