Rufus

'Ok, Ogre, I'll take him on.' Rufindel aims his staff at Metasimian Louie from the Front Row.

'Hey Boomy - what would you like me to do? I can heal you or Nyx, or take a bash at one of the monkeys myself to prevent them getting a free hit.'

I think it's highly unlikely that both Casey and Petey are Cultists. If they were, I'd have thought Casey would have been very keen to distance herself from Petey, probably to the extent of not commenting at all on the situation. Instead, her initial reaction was suspicion of Petey; although she quite quickly backtracked from that position. There would be no need for Petey to contact Casey if they were both scum; granted, we have (and will likely never have, given the new rules) no evidence that such contact did occur; but then, why would Casey mention it at all? It's a connection that two scum would be keen to avoid. For this reason alone, I think there isn't much to be gained from lynching Casey. Sure, she could be scum; Casey's subsequent actions have been a little suspicious, but her resignation to being lynched doesn't look like a Culty reaction to me - not on day one, and without any nocturnal evidence. If, on the other hand, we lynch Petey, we have much more to gain. Several people have shown suspicion towards Petey, and would then be much more likely to be honest Villagers if Petey is a Cultist, and we can look at those animals who have defended Petey. If Petey is town, I'd be inclined to look at those animals who seemed to know this. More than anything, accusations which result in a lot of arguing and finger-pointing away from the original accusee are, in my book, always worth following up on. Vote: Petey Panda (darkdragon) *chomp* Sorry Gilda, that was an affectionate nibble.

Better late than never! Oky's 6873 Spider-Man's Doc Ock Ambush has been added bringing the total number of reviews to a nice round twenty!

Hmmm. While I agree that, of the main protagonists in this argument, lynching Casey would give us some information, I'd have thought that the most information would be gleaned by lynching Petey. Though Casey's 'defence' is hardly that, and I remember a Demon in Spring Haven saying, 'it's a fair cop.' I think if Casey doesn't make any effort to defend herself, we'll have no choice but to lynch her. I'm going to think on this some more. Meanwhile: So, Carly: you defend Bristol for lurking, then attack another animal that we have no way of identifying for doing exactly the same thing?

Clone O'Patra, def, Big Cam, WhiteFang VBBN, Pandora, Rufus, LuxorV, JimButcher, Inconspicuous, ZO6 Oky, Brickdoctor, Masked Builder, The Cobra, R8, Sisco It's the Eurobricks Reviewers Academy 4th Anniversary today! Eurobricks is renowned for its high quality reviews, and this is mainly thanks to the hard work of the Reviewers Academy Teachers and Students. This year has seen 7 new bronze badges, 3 new silver and 3 new teachers! The teachers once again have been hard at work bringing you twenty new reviews for your delectation! Read here for more information and to comment, or click here to join the Reviewers Academy!

Released back in 2008, the 7675 All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE) formed part of the vanguard of the first wave of Clone Wars sets. A Clone Wars remake of 2003's 4482 AT-TE, this later version is larger, with 150 more pieces, though surprisingly - in the UK at least - cost only £5 more. Let's take a good look around this mechanical beetle. Foreword: This review has an unusual history. I first took most of the pictures for this review back in 2010 - they were the first I took with my DSLR camera. Other projects took precedence, and I didn't get to start writing up the review until about a year ago: when I discovered I'd accidentally deleted one of the parts pictures. Only now have I had the opportunity to dismantle the set to retake the parts picture; however, I've spruced up the rest of the pics for this 4th Anniversary Special. Review: 7675 All-Terrain Tactical Enforcer Set Information Name: AT-TE Walker Number: 7675 Theme: Star Wars The Clone Wars Availability: 2008 - 2010 Pieces: 798 Figures: 6 Price: GB £69.99 | US $89.99 Links ... Brickset ... Bricklink ... Peeron The Box Click for a larger full-frontal The white box surround is probably my least favourite of all box art from the entire Star Wars range. It featured on all Clone Wars sets from 2008 to 2010, and even some Original Trilogy sets from 2010; to me, it seems out of keeping with the Star Wars genre, but the decision was part of the the Lucasfilm licensing agreement, so we can't blame LEGO for that. This being said, on this particular box, it contrasts nicely with the reddish background of the set picture, and does look smart. It's a lovely shot of the AT-TE itself, surrounded by the set's figures in action; who is driving the AT-TE? Unusually, the figure inset is on the left of the box front. Also surprisingly, the back of the box doesn't feature a set diorama: instead, four insets demonstrate the AT-TE's features on plain white background, with advertisements for other sets of the 2008 Clone Wars range on the right. Click for a larger image This box is of the annoying 'tear the box sides apart' variety. The six figures are shown in 1:1 scale on the box top: Click for a larger image I'm not so sure the scale is entirely accurate: Ahsoka seems rather larger than Anakin, even allowing for her spiky head, making her lightsaber protrude outside the inset. Contents Not wishing to destroy the box, I employed the 'stealing the mail' tactic to extract its contents. Out came two instruction booklets, one sticker sheet and twelve polybags: There was no modular build for Star Wars sets back then, so some serious sorting is required! Decal Sticker Sheet My DSS had suffered in transit, though this isn't the worst sticker-catastrophe I've encountered. The number of stickers is rather reasonable, and the set does surprisingly well without them, as we shall see. However, I'm disappointed that the round Republic emblems aren't on printed pieces; the stickers are printed on clear plastic, so these Republic insignia come out looking rather grey. The Instructions The two instruction booklets are identical in size and thickness ... ... and feature the same picture as the box front. I'm not sure of the wisdom of a grey background for a set which is predominantly light bluish grey; however, the diagrams are clear: Piece call-outs are pictured on a blue background; sub-builds - of which there are many - on pastel yellow. As usual, it can be tricky to differentiate dark bluish grey from black, but in practice this doesn't prove too much of a problem as there aren't many similar pieces in each colour. As the model grows, steps begin to straddle double-pages: There's a lot of blank space there, with no patterning on the background. Still, it means the instructions are clear and easy to follow, if page-turning does happen rather frequently. Towards the back of Booklet Two is found the inventory ... Click for a larger image ... and a double-page spread of the features: These are identical to the shots from the box back, but picked out against red rather than blue. The Figures I have to say, this is rather a yawn-inducing selection of figures. I'm sure even Clone Wars fans will agree! Even in 2008, ugly-Anakin was common: he appeared also in 7669 Anakin's Starfighter, and the triad of Anakin, Ahsoka and Rotta featured in 7680 The Twilight. Both have featured in many sets since; note that they have plain bley lightsaber hilts, the standard at the time. Possible the only exciting figure is Captain Rex, who despite innumerable appearances in Clone Wars Episodes, only featured in this set and a Comic-Con exclusive. Until his re-appearance in 2011's Battle for Geonosis, that is. Neither of the Jedi have back-printing, if you don't count Ahsoka's impressive headpiece: The Clones do, but both torsos are the same, Rex's coloured arms notwithstanding. The Clone Trooper has a 'standard' Clone head, although he seems to find something interesting over to his right: Rex, on the other hand, will hold your gaze - for long enough to grow a nice 5 o'clock shadow My Clone Trooper's helmet had suffered an interesting mishap during printing: Here's hoping it's worth something in oddity-value! Rotta is a strange beast. He is apparently the son of Jabba the Hut. His LEGO form has moveable arms, but they can't hold anything. He also has an anti-stud on his bottom which means he can be attached to a structure, or to a minifigure in a disturbingly veterinary way He does look quite like his CGI counterpart: Intersting fact: (if you believe Wookiepedia) a leaked prelimary image of this set was the first recorded public mention of Rotta as a Star Wars character. Well, there you go! Finally, we have a common battle droid, riding a Single Trooper Aerial Platform (STAP): This STAP is similar, but not identical to, the promotional 30004 Battle Droid on STAP (pictured on the right). The latter is a little shorter, but it's nothing that a few extra pieces wouldn't correct. It's nice to get a STAP in this set, so the AT-TE has something to fight. The Parts I've sorted the parts roughly into two lots: larger and smaller. As might be expected for a Star Wars set from this era, the larger lot consists of a lot of bluish-grey plates, and a serious amount of Technic: There isn't a hug amount to get excited about, here, although the six Ball Turret Socket Bases make good plant pots. There are a couple of 6-wide printed 'AT-AT-style' radar dishes, and the trans-clear 4-wide radar dish and 'Snowspeeder cannon' are useful for making a stand. Note also the 1x1x5 dark red brick, which comes only in five sets - none since this one - and is to my knowledge only available in 'old' dark red. Bottom-left are two cardboard cases each containing two white elastic bands, a bag of Technic pins and another of Clone accessories, and Rotta comes in his own little bag. I accidentally deleted the second 'smaller' parts picture. Having to wait for the opportunity to dismantle the set accounts, to an extent, for the delay in releasing this review. Here is the re-take - it may be missing a few leftover pieces, but the set is complete. Again, there's rather an overwhelming amount of Technic. There is, however, a good quantity of dark red plates and tiles, and no other set contains as many black chairs as this (and they have been rare since 2008). Four of the smaller 4-wide 'AT-AT' printed radar dishes are also present. The Build We start with the base of the Walker's body, which consists principally of a sandwich of technic beams and blocks between plate layers. The four black right-angle technic beams, with red perpendicular connectors at each end, act as outriggers to support the side panels of the bodywork. I'll be referring to them later. We then encounter a number of small sub-builds. In the top half of the picture, a curious construction of engine-blocks and axles will form part of the mechanism for the AT-TE's central 'handle': The other two sub-builds are placed at front and rear respectively ... ... and secured with bush-pins (inset): Large bley slopes build up the centre of the Walker, and are topped with a trap-door frame. Four black bricks with vertical clicky-hinge will attach the opening top panels of the body; these are covered with black racks (used only as greebling) and secured with black liftarms: The two spring-cannons are placed on the front end. A black technic beam (inset) will form the AT-TE's carry-handle, allowing it to attach to the LAAT/c Dropship from 10195 Republic Dropship with AT-OT Walker. This slots into the aformentioned engine-block construction, and blue stud-pins prevent it over extending either way. Considering it is not attached, only sitting loosely within the engine-block apparatus, the handle is surprisingly sturdy. I'm a little worried about the longevity of the blue stud-pin, which is all that stands in the way of the AT-TE's floor-based demise as it dangles from the LAAT/c. Next come the four weight-bearing legs for each corner. As far as I can tell, front and rear are mirror-images of each other, with opposite corners being identical, but each leg has a separate set of instructions. The legs pivot around the upper end of the liftarm, but the elastic band always returns the leg to full extension. The feet dangle from the tan frictionless axle-pin, making posing difficult, but giving a realistic appearance as the Walker hangs from the dropship handle. Impressive though they look, the centre legs do not bear the weight of the AT-TE. They pivot around the top of the liftarms, and the feet dangle loosely, swiveling forwards-backwards at the lower end of the liftarms, and side-to-side around the lower of the two 2L red axles. It's really quite floppy! The upper end of the leg attaches to the two axle ends which protrude from the engine-block attachment seen earlier. Next comes the cockpit section, which again consists of a number of sub-builds. The main cabin is a simple structure of bley bricks and tall smoke window panels; on the hinges in front is mounted a brick-wide window panel flanked by dark red 1x1x5 bricks and fronted with a small ladder piece. This section clips onto the blue pins at the front of the body base. The rear of the cabin is built separately, and connects onto both the cabin (above) and the front of the body base, securing the cockpit firmly. Note the black tile and dark bley plate standing proud at the side; we'll see what this is for in due course. The pilot sits in a black chair and has a couple of levers to play with. This little arrangement slides in and out of the cockpit using the bley 1x4 bricks with centre slot on each side of the cockpit. Two wedged panels attach either side of the cockpit; they rotate around the bley pin attachments, and sit atop the spring-cannons. Pressing down on the cheese wedges pushes the red technic connector onto the spring cannons' release mechanism. We'll look at this again later. In case you haven't seen it before, the rotating guns consist of two hemispheres inside a larger cup. They can rotate 360 degrees around the z axis of the cup, or about 150 degrees around both x and y axes. There are six of these in the set. Beware - move them too forcefully and they have a tendency to pop out! The AT-TEs side panels are a simple plate construction reinforced with a central 2x6 brick; a small symmetrical wedge spur sits at an angle via clicky-hinges. Note the slope brick towards the rear; the panel is attached only via the black 2x2 plate with pin hole onto the red outriggers of the main body; the slope brick 'interacts' with the 1x2 tile with handle on each of the four leg-parts, to prevent the whole panel swivelling. Sounds flimsy? Surprisingly not! The rather bland bley panels above are placed at the front of the AT-TE; the rearward ones are identical but for some nice splashes of dark red tiling: These are built later, but shown here for ease of comparison. The AT-TE's 'bum' is a simple panel of plates, and features two more of the swivelly guns. Of interest here is the use of two vehicular wheel axles to connect the white liftarms; these in turn secure the bum panel onto the blue friction pins at the Walker's rear. A little removable 'tray' forms the main crew seating area: ... and finally, we build the two roof sections, which pivot on clicky hinges: Front and rear are identical, except for the huge cannon ... ... which sits on top of the front one, via a clicky turntable, and requires patience and 2L axles to build: Look closely at the dark red parts in this picture. I didn't notice until reviewing the set, but it actually contains parts in both 'old' and 'new' dark red; the triconvex slope brick pictured, and the 1x1x5 bricks in the cockpit, are of the 'old', slightly translucent colour, whilst all plates and tiles are of the newer, somewhat brownish hue. Hardly noticeable, but interesting nonetheless! The Complete Set The way this set is constructed with lots of little sub-builds means you can save putting it all together till the end for a nice surprise. And the result is surprisingly nice! The AT-TE looks pleasingly insectile, the body shape resembling a beetle, and the forward guns looking like little antennae. It's amazing how solid the finished model looks - from this angle at least - despite the paneled construction. However, as we shall see, it doesn't bear up so well to closer inspection. From the top, the AT-TE is a little plain, and the acres of bley are only partly compensated by the flashes of dark red. This would certainly be ameliorated by the stickers which should go on the large 8x6 slopes, but as usual, I refuse to succumb to the stickery devil. From any other angle, the set does quite well without them, especially given the lovely printed radar dishes on the legs. From the side, the model looks rather sleek, and stands quite high off the ground: The exposed Tecnhnic is a little untidy; the large bley 1x6x5 slopes go some way to fill the gaps around the central legs, but this angle again is rather deceptive ... ... as starts to become apparent when the set is viewed from the bottom: As you can see, huge gaps separate the side panels from the slender base, giving the AT-TE a rather unfinished look from this angle, and rendering the walker rather dangerous to its occupants! As it is designed primarily for atmospheric ground-based use, I don't have a problem with mysterious gaps as I would for a spaceship, but these take the biscuit! The front has a narrow profile, and gaps are reassuringly absent here; the cockpit is completely enclosed: The spring-cannons are well hidden behind the slope bricks on either side of the cockpit; the main projectile cannon looks menacing from this angle! The AT-TE's bum isn't nearly so sexy . With the large gaps in the armour, and the exposed Technic, it looks rather unfinished. You can see quite a way into the hull from here! I guess this would be a weak spot if the 'real' AT-TE had an behind like this! Or maybe the Republic were confident that the Separatists wouldn't get round the back Here's how the AT-TE should look: I think LEGO has done a pretty good job here in recreating the classic beetle shape of the 'real' walker. The cockpit, the shape of the front end, the four antipersonnel lasers are all spot-on. Even the shape of the main cannon is pretty good, even if the LEGO version's seat is a little disappointing. The spiky top of the cannon has been recreated fairly well, but there really ought to be more dark red on there. And the seat just looks 'stuck on'. Most of all, I commend the legs - LEGO has these looking perfect, both in shape and stance. It's a pity they aren't exactly posable, though. This shot also highlights the importance of the little handle on the walker's roof - it allows the AT-TE to attach to the Dropship. I've still to build my 10195 but I'm delighted that this, the AT-OT, and 2010's Clone Turbo Tank all can be carried by the LAAT/c! Features Now let's see what play features the AT-TE has to offer. We'll start with the rather cramped cockpit: Misprint-Clone is driving the AT-TE, with the help of two levers and no other controls. Still, any controls are good! It would be tricky to get him in and out of there, so the designer has thoughtfully included a little drawer that slides in and out. I guess it would also make a rather ugly escape craft, which is a little but unexpected bonus. Note the two wedged panels with the turret cannons either side of the cockpit ... ... these make a nice little surprise. The panels swivel on a Technic pin; pushing the cheese wedge opens the panel ... and activates the trigger of the concussion missile. It's quite effective! Moving in a logical order from front to back, next we come to the opening Forward Compartment. The lid lifts easily, allowing access to the forward passenger seats, where Anakin and Ahsoka sit for this demonstration. Behold, however, the major flaw of this set: the lack of floor. I hope the Jedi aren't afraid of heights: there are big holes to both left and right, and directly in front of them. I really don't know why the designer couldn't have added just a few plates to fill those ugly gaps - it can't have added to the cost too much. As it is, the set just seems incomplete. Now let's have a look at the legs. The front and rear legs are sprung with elastic, which means that although they are movable, they aren't really poseable, though you can kind of simulate the AT-TE walking . They also carry all the weight of the AT-TE: The centre legs, though they look rather substantial, are entirely vestigial. They are, however, poseable - their full range of movement seen in the image above - but only when they are in the centre position to they actually touch the ground. I'm undecided as to how important this is; it's great that they do move, but they are a little too floppy for my tastes. Finally, we can open the Rear Compartment: Here, clones from the Clone Walker Battle Pack demonstrate the rear passenger section: they are sitting on the removable 'tray' we encountered in the Build section. Like the front compartment, there's a little storage box; also like the front compartment, there are acres of space for the poor clonies to fall through, if they aren't well strapped in. Again, some floor would be nice! Conclusion Compared to the 2003 original 4482 AT-TE, 2008's Clone Wars version is more imposing, standing higher off the ground, and recreates the shape of the original fairly well - a shape which is tricky to achieve in LEGO, and therefore unusual techniques are required in its construction. The downside to achieving this shape is the resulting gappiness that these techniques produce, and the ugly exposed Technic, particularly at the rear. The set is therefore the result of a trade-off between recreating the original design as accurately as possible, whilst keeping the model playable, and cost/benefit of filling in the resulting gaps. I think the winning formula was one that looks good from the outside (and therefore on the box), and I do think that form the outside it's a great representation of the AT-TE - it's just on closer inspection that the set fails. Through some rather forgettable figures in there and you'd be forgiven for wondering if the set is any good at all. As a non-Clone Wars fan, however, I can live with the set's failings. I wanted an AT-TE, as the vehicle has an important role in the Prequel Trilogy, and I want it to look like an AT-TE, and this set does. You can keep the ubiquitous figures! It may not be a classic set, but it's a good representation of a classic Star Wars vehicle. Design: 7 The deisgner has done a great job of rendering the AT-TE 'beetle' shape in LEGO, which is no mean feat. It necessitates a 'plates on Technic frame' approach which is rather familiar to Star Wars fans, and to some may be disappointing, but the overall shape is good, and the model surprisingly sturdy. However, the cost is a whole load of gaps leading to a sadly unfinished feel. Build: 7 There's a lot of fiddly Technic work, but without much repetition, with some interesting techniques thrown in. I learned quite a lot from building it. The best thing perhaps is that, even though you aren't directed to, you can build the model in lots of sections which all come together at the end, leading to a lovely denouement to the build process. Parts & Figures: 4 Aside from a few useful dark red tiles and plates, and some nice printed radar dishes, there isn't a lot that most Star Wars fans won't have already. Moreover, the figure selection is decidedly lacklustre. A forgettable set from the parts perspective. Playability: 9 Four good guys and a big armoured walking tank against a single STAP? That's not a battle! Still, those STAPs are zippy little things. The AT-TE has lots of fun play features; lining up the concussion missiles to know the STAP over is fun even for an adult. If only the legs were more poseable, this might get a high score. Value: 8 In terms of LEGO pieces for you money, 7675 was quite good value for a Licensed set. I'm not sure that it would be worth trying to track one down now - a used complete 7675 will currently set you back about £90, a little too much in my book. Overall: 70% My score: 7/10 If you can find a used one now for the original price, it might be worth picking one up, but I wouldn't spend any more than that. If you decide you really need an AT-TE, I'd Bricklink the parts if I were you; forget the figures, and spend the difference on some extra plates to fill those gaps. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this Reviewers Academy 4th Anniversary review. Please comment! Rufus Larger pictures on flickr. Endpieces: (A reference to this, for which I can't find a video I'm afraid.) Apologies if you've seen this one before: I originally made this funny to go with the review when I first took the review pictures two years ago. If you want to learn to make stellar LEGO set reviews, please consider joining the Reviewers Academy:

As soon as I heard about the upcoming release of this set, I knew I would have to review it, even though by now it's already been reviewed at least twice on Eurobricks. Being a proud owner and reviewer of the original 2001 release 3451 Sopwith Camel, I've been looking forward to seeing how today's version compares with its now elderly relative. I was fortunate to attend a presentation by designer Jamie Berard at this year's Eurobricks Event in Billund, in which he showed prototypes of the new Camel and his solutions to various problems. He described two main complaints with the previous version: the undercarriage, which was difficult to build, and the decals, which as I explained in my review of 3451 are often named as the epitome of STickers Across Multiple Pieces (STAMPs). In this review, we'll focus a little on Jamie's approach to these issues, and also highlight the remarkable new play feature of this set - the moving ailerons and elevators. Review: 10026 Sopwith Camel Set Information Name: Sopwith Camel Number: 10226 Theme: Exclusives Year: 2012 Parts: 883 Figures: 0 Price: GB £79.99 | US $99.99 | EUR 79.99 - 99.99 | AU $129.99 | CA $129.99 Links ... Shop@Home ... Brickset ... Bricklink ... Peeron (not yet listed) The Box Click for a larger image The nicely-proportioned box features the familiar air-force blue stud pattern which graces the entire Exclusives range. The massive wingspan of the plane barely fits, even diagonally; this angle is really the only way to capture the true majesty of this set, and include the wings, engine, and fuselage, as I found out when making the title picture above. A small inset reveals the models dimensions: 40 cm long by 50 cm wide (16" by 20" for the Yanks ). The aircraft's second best angle fills the rear of the box: Click for a larger image This shot from the port side aft gives the best view of the fuselage, and of the working control surfaces. A faux-walnut panel, lined with antique brass, fills the lower end; with its circular fittings I guess this is meant to represent the Camel's instrument panel, though the two gauges seem to have smaller LEGO Camels crashing through them . It's an interesting way to highlight the the features; I'm not sure what the keyhole is for. Atop the box is the obligatory set inventory; in the absence of figures, a wheel is used for the 1:1 scale demonstration: The inventory has a bright sky background, making the parts a little easier to see than on some CREATOR boxes, for example. Further photographs of the plane from various angles are displayed on the box sides, which are sealed with tape rather than glue, and allow repeated opening and closing of the box without ripping the cardboard. The bottom gives the expected multi-lingual Small Parts warning, part provenance, and a surprising advertisement for The LEGO Club on this AFOL set. 10226's box is considerably larger than her eleven-year-old sister: The newer set is double the price, but allowing for the effects of inflation this is probably reasonable considering there are 50% more pieces in the 2012 version. How this translates into increased box volume is for some clever person with too much time on their hands to work out. Box Contents Out of the box fall the bagged instructions, and ten polybags: There are no numbers on the bags: no modular construction to make things easier for us AFOLs. Two of the bags are identical (centre-left and front-right); the two bags containing the larger plates are made of a softer plastic. One of the bags containing the smaller pieces had split (or had a factory defect) meaning there were parts loose in the box; fortunately, no parts seem to have been lost. Even AFOLs aren't spared the horror of the screaming Gagne Kid. I couldn't even manouevre the sticker sheet to cover his demonic features this time. Cardboard backing is included - it's a must for these expensive collectors' sets. My cardboard had a large crease down the centre potentially rendering it less effective, but the instructions and stickers seem to have survived unscathed. The Instructions The two booklets each sport the same cover as the box front. Booklet number 2 is thinner, and has slightly lower quality paper, and there's a noticeable difference in colour: look at the blue stud pattern at the top of each. Inside the front cover, we launch straight into Step 1: there's a palpable lack of any patronising instructions as to how and where to sort your parts. In the absence of any command to the contrary, I naturally chose to build my Camel whilst bungee-jumping from the Eiffel Tower. Sadly unlike those of her elder sibling, 10226's instructions feature no interesting sketches or schematics behind the instruction steps; just the plain blue with yellow surround normally found on CREATOR sets. Perhaps it's no bad thing: the steps are logical and clear, without the issues of colour differentiation which plagued the earlier set. Small sub-builds abound, as seen in this shot, and as we'll see later, there is even pictoral advice for how to tweak the moving control surfaces. Aside from the screaming kid advertisement at the back of manual 2, and a VIP scheme and LEGO Club promotion at the rear of manual 1, there are no set advertisements at all throughout either booklet. Only the usual inventory pages occupy the penultimate page and inside rear cover of book 2: See Page 1 and Page 2 on Flickr. Decal Sticker Sheet Grumble grumble stickers grumble groan. Of course there would be stickers in this set. The big Royal Flying Corps red, white and blue roundels are such a necessary feature, and I'm sure people would be complaining if LEGO had tried to brick-build them (see the mini-Camel). So I can't really complain. Let's have a look at them: The sticker sheet looks smart, and is certainly simpler than 3451's extravagant array. Jamie Berard said that this set would address the STAMPs problem of 3451 - how was this achieved? We'll have to wait for later in the review. The Parts The absence of modular construction at least lends itself to a more succinct review of the parts. I've divided the pieces by polybag, into (roughly) large, medium, and small. The five larger bags yielded the following pieces, and two smaller bags: I suspect the quantity and variety of earth green plates will get many people's pulses racing! The four 8x16 and sixteen 2x16 plates are new in this colour, as are the four 6x6 tiles and 3x3 round corner plates. Also unique are the reddish brown wishbone arms (they came in old brown in the 2001 version), the Technic 1977 steering wheel in black, and eight 4x4 macaroni pieces in metallic silver. Not rare, perhaps, but interesting are the numerous 1x4 plates with ball hinge, and their respective 2x2 sockets; we'll see how those are employed in due course. Also worthy of note are the strings, which come in two lengths: 41L, and the shorter 11L. I understand that LEGO string is made by on outside contractor, and is very expensive to produce, so existing strings with established lengths were used in this set. The smaller parts selection is dominated by the 63 (sixty-three) 1x3 tiles in earth green. Note the collection of various incarnations of SNOT (Studs Not On Top) brackets over centre-right: the brand new 1x2 SNOT plates sit next to the old 2x2 bracket that dates back to the early days of Classic Space. New also to this set are the double-curved 1x4 slope in reddish brown, and the much desired dark tan 1x1 bricks; the 1x4 dark tan bricks (in the first photo) are also new, but feature in even greater quantity in the Friends Summer Riding Camp. Finally, the two little baggies from the first parts picture don't quite get forgotten: There's a little Technic, but less than you might expect. Most notable are the eleven 1x1 round tiles in pearl dark grey, unique to this set at the time of writing. Parts Verdict: A lovely selection of of rare and useful parts in the earth tones make the set a great parts pack. The Build Unlike the original Sopwith Camel and its contemporary, 10024 Red Baron, which employ very similar build processes, 10226 is built very differently. I've arbitrarily divided the build into three sections. Part One We start with the lower wings: a sandwich of large plates, with many earth green tiles forming ridge detail on the upper surface. Now a little plate-built structure to which two of the 41L strings are attached is placed on a tile in the centre. This will form the basis for the aileron mechanism. I've left the strings in their tapes for now. Immediately in front of this is a small 2x2 bluish-grey string reel - a part that will look familiar to anyone who has ever built Ikea furniture. At the moment, it's just sitting there. Next, an orange Bionicle tooth is placed upside-down between the cheese wedges of the aileron mechanism... ... its axle connects to the ball-jointed mechanism shown here, forming the control stick. Moving the stick from side to side rotates the orange tooth, thereby sliding the plate/string construction in the opposite direction to the stick's movement. Pushing the stick forwards and backwards moves the black steering arm in the opposite direction; this will allow movement of the elevators. The mechanism is now buried as contours and detail are added to the engine section and cockpit, and the base of the pilot's chair is formed, like in the 3451 Camel, from window grilles on jumper plates. Part Two Now we turn to the fuselage. A stepwise construction of dark bluish-grey plates provides an upward slope towards the tail: Onto this go two arch window panels, and through them is fed a Tecnhic liftarm in what must be the second most interesting use of these pieces I've seen. (Sorry, Jamie, but the award for the best use goes to the roof detail from the Town Hall modular. ) This section clicks onto the back of the engine/cockpit area, and the white liftarm connects to the black steering arm ... ... giving us our first inkling of how forward/backward movement of the control stick will be transmitted to the elevators. Using a technique that will be very familiar to owners of the original Camel and the Baron, or anyone who has ever built an X-Wing, the sides of the fuselage are made from an attractive combination of dark tan and dark bley: Again the bottom is stepped upwards towards the rear; note the light bluish grey cheese wedge, seen from the back in the port side. The fuselage sides are added, and strengthened with some tiles: You can see the clips inside the fuselage: white from the sides, pointing inwards, and bley from the centre pointing out. I don't know what they are for; they don't connect to anything. Possibly to prevent too much pressure if the fuselage is squeezed from the sides? The horizontal stabiliser and elevators are added, and we get to see how the ball-joints are employed: This is mounted onto the rear of the fuselage, and the third 41L string connects the elevators to the end of the white liftarm: At the moment, the string is pulling the elevators quite sharply upwards: more on that story later. The fuselage is completed with a nicely-curved roof section, and we can see the upright part of the pilots chair has been completed: Some clippy pieces form the struts that will support the centre of the upper wing. Talking of which: Part Three The upper wing is a sandwich of plates like the lower wing, but note the hole and wedged recess in the centre, and the notches at the outboard front surfaces. To the underside of the wing are attached the wishbone struts, some more 11L strings ... ... and some ball sockets. The upper wing is placed on the plane, and more ball sockets are added to the base of the lower wing: Now have a look at the front end of the fuselage, where you can see some bluish-grey and black tecnhic plates with axle holes. These allow connection of the undercarriage, which, unlike in 3451, is build as a separate module: Although it too bases the undercarriage design around the wishbone piece, 10226's solution is vastly different to 3451's. Used in this trapezoidal formation, the wishbone parts aren't rigid: the whole will flop from side to side. In 3451, two steering arms were used as cross-supports to keep the shape rigid, but they weren't true to the original plane, and were very tricky to attach. Jamie's solution is ingenious. There isn't a part that will connect the inner of the two technic holes on the wishbone pieces together at this angle, as the distance between them isn't an exact number of studs; so, the two suspension springs are used as they can be compressed to the correct length. Magic! Looking at it, though, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the plane itself therefore has suspension. It doesn't. The only downside to this technique is that the plane doesn't sit quite so stably on the undercarriage as 3451 does - it tends to wobble a little. There remain only a few fiddly bits to build. First the ailerons, two for each wing; the upper wing on the left and the lower on the right: The lower ailerons have an extra ball plate to allow placement of elastic bands; the upper have an extra 2x3 plate on the top surface, which we'll encounter again before too long. The tail fin is a simple brick-built structure topped with slopes ... ... while the movable rudder uses clever SNOT-work to allow the red, white and blue stripes to be brick-built - unlike 3451's tail fin, which used stickers and didn't move. Finally, we build the engine and cowling, propeller, and guns: Here the engine cylinders are made from stacked studs topped by 1x1 round tiles; each attached perpendicularly to an octagonal bar-frame plate. Technic gears keep the cylinders at the correct angle. The axle fits into the 'Ikea' string reel piece mentioned earlier. These parts are attached to plane, elastic bands are attached, some string-trickery is employed, and the model is completed! Or is it...? Troubleshooting The final instruction page in the manual gives direction on how to tighten the long 41L strings to get the control surfaces working properly: With the control stick central, twisting the string attachment studs tightens the cable, bringing the ailerons level. It isn't pointed out, but in this diagram (from the instructions scan download from Shop@Home) you can see how a similar technique has been used to tighten the other string in the bottom right of the picture. This is all well and good, but when I built mine, this is what I found: The strings are so taut that both ailerons are pulled up, and the control stick doesn't move at all. I suspect that this is due to differing lengths of the long string piece; mine must have come out of the factory a little shorter than intended. Or, it is possible that the string will stretch over time. Anyway, we can't have the flagship feature of the set not working. After some experimentation, here's how I solved the problem: Removing both the 2x3 plate from the top, and the black stud from the SNOT rear panel, allows the aileron to sit nicely level with the control stick central. Super. Now let's turn to the elevators. With the control stick neutral, the elevators sit roughly level; however, 'neutral' for the control stick is actually slightly forward. Pulling back on the stick raises the elevators, as expected, except that 'back' on the stick isn't very far back: look in the cockpit in the right-hand pane to see what I mean. Because the 'neutral' position of the stick is actually slightly forward, there isn't a lot of leeway for pushing the control stick further forward. In the left-hand pane, I've push the stick as far forward as it will go, and as you can see this simply returns the elevators to level. I can push the elevators further down by hand, as in the right hand pane, but I can't get them into this position by pushing on the stick. Ideally, the stick needs to rest in 'neutral' further back than it does. I eventually solved this problem by reattaching the elevator string in a different position: this has an effect similar to lengthening the string: Now with the control stick in neutral position, the elevators point slightly downwards; this is how they would lie when the plane is parked on the ground, so I can live with that; plus there is now a full range of movement of the control stick and surfaces. I should mention at this point that I have two copies of this set. The box pictures are of the one I bought in the UK, but the parts and construction are of a set I bought in the US. This might explain the discrepancy in the string lengths, if they were made in different factories; though the instructions pictured here are also American so if there is a problem with string lengths it doesn't seem come to LEGO's attention yet. Applying the Stickers I hate stickers. Did I say that already? Normally I refuse to apply them, but as their design is central to one of the improvements of this set over its elder sibling, I couldn't do a complete review without putting the little stuckers on. Here's where they go: It's a shame that the round stickers aren't cut perfectly, making the white edge uneven. But: each sticker fits entirely onto one piece (the 'SOPWITH' sticker is on both sides of the bley brick). So, no more STAMPs! And you can take the set apart without permanently destroying the decals! Hallelujah! :thumbup: That made me, and the leftover pieces, smile: Build Verdict: This is a great build: fun from the start, never boring, with some intriguing techniques; the control stick mechanism is delightful, and I can even forgive the stickers. Only having to improvise a solution to the string-length problem detracts. The Completed Model Stickers are stuck, strings betweaked, and she's ready to fly. Chocks away! First things first: I love the colour scheme. The choice of dark green for the wings, dark tan and dark bluish grey for the fuselage, and reddish brown for the cockpit section is perfect. It's a pity they couldn't make some earth green 1x3 wedge plates, though. This angle is best for showing off not just the colours, but also the smooth contours of the fuselage, and the lovely SNOT rudder fin. Despite the studs, the lines of the wings are crisp, and the stickers tastefully understated. The delightful symmetry of the wing struts and cables is apparent from the front: The centre struts and wheel braces also make a nice hour-glass shape. Perspective makes the forward-mounted upper wing appear wider, but it's actually the same width as the lower. Both are perfectly parallel, unlike the real Camel. From above, we can again delight in the beautiful colours, and the pleasing lines of the wings. If anything, though, the wing roundels are a little small: - they should really fill the entire width of the wing. The underside is remarkably smart and clean. I love the way the steps on the tapered sides of the fuselage match those of the centre. The aileron and elevator mechanisms are a little obtrusive, but the use of (for the most part) black lessens this effect. There ought to be roundels on the underside of the wings, too, but you can't stick stickers on antistuds. Sticklers for authenticity might consider modifying the set with some of these. Incidentally, I personally like the use of tan for the underside of the wings; although it might seem a little surprising, it does appear that a lighter colour was used, as we shall see. The stepped lower surface of the fuselage only starts to look a little ragged when viewed from the side. I don't think there's an easy solution to this. Note in this shot the steep downward tilt of the landed plane towards the rear, typical of most taildraggers; you can also see the little grey cheese wedge which represents the pilot's footplate for ease of ingress. This is a good opportunity to compare to the real thing. Picture from www.aviation-history.com Camels were painted in a variety of colours; judging by the similarity to this LEGO incarnation, both in terms of the colours, the B-number, and the SOPWITH logo on the tail, I wouldn't be surprised if this were the reference plane the designer used. Here's the same plane from beneath: Picture from military.discovey.com Note the lighter-coloured wing undersides, and the black wheel braces; also you can see the pronounced dihedral of the lower wings, absent in both 10226 and 3451. Design Verdict: She's a beauty. Some serious thought and effort has gone into her design and realisation. I really cannot fault it. Features Let's take a closer look at the engine: Eight cylinders form this powerful rotary engine. The previous version only had six; it appears that eight is the correct number. I really appreciate how the propeller blades are built with wedge plates to simulate their twist. I also love the metallic macaroni pieces used for the engine cowling - it's a small point, but it makes a big difference. If it turns, give it a spin! True to life, the engine spins with the propeller; not as smoothly as I'd like, and it only goes for four or five turns before friction brings it to a stop. It would be possible to motorise this set, but I doubt it could be done without losing the control stick mechanism. The cockpit looks a little cramped; those grey inverted slopes and cheese wedges seem to limit the would-be pilot's legroom. I'm not sure why they are there; they don't seem to restrict the control stick's movement, which is limited by the range of the ailerons. It's a common piece, but the printed dashboard is the most appropriate part for this plane. It's certainly better than the Baron's 'Citroen Car Key' and the older Camel's 'digital 82' displays! Now let's review the set's flagship feature: Stick to the right, plane banks to the right; stick to the left, she banks to the left. Stick forward, elevators down, nose down; stick back, elevators up, nose up. Perfecto! I've also cheekily moved the rudder left and right here, to show that it does indeed move. Not remotely, however: though it would be quite possible to include controls to move the rudder via pedals, it would be tricky to get your finger in there to use the feature. Playability Verdict: Let's face it: this is a display model, but still she has some great 'play' features. Not only is she eminently swooshable and take-off-and-land-able, and has a spinning propeller, but you can amuse your non-LEGO friends for hours with your in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of a World War One fighter biplane! They'll be so overawed by your nerdiness that they will forget to raise an eyebrow at your LEGO hobby! Everyone's a winner!!! Comparing the Camels I dug the old bird out of retirement specially for this review. To be fair to both, I compared them before I applied 10226's stickers, which I will never do for 3451. The most obvious difference, aside from the colour scheme, is how much tidier 10226's wings are. I do like the expanses of tile on 3451's wing surfaces, but compared to the neat regularity of 10226, they just don't look as good. They are also flimsy, and prone to breaking; 10226 is built to last. Also tidied up are the wing struts. Quite why the wishbone pieces weren't used here the first time round is anyone's guess; instead, ugly Technic beams and axles were employed. The 2012 solution is much better. I also prefer the enclosed silver engine cowling over the red fence pieces. Modern curved pieces allow for a smoother gradient to the top of the fuselage and rear of the cockpit, but they are otherwise quite similar here. Even the two inexplicable 'dots' are preserved. 10226 also has a tidier tail end; the horizontal stabiliser fins look neater, and the tail fin and rudder gorgeously built. Perhpas the one tiny detail where 3451 wins over its new rival is the pilot's footplate: I prefer the use of the 1x2 tile with handle over the cheese wedge here. Conclusion & Scores I sang the praises of 3451 to the high heavens when I reviewed her back in 2010. In her was a classic set, and I was proud to own a piece of LEGO history what was also a great model. I was therefore surprised and slightly disappointed to hear the set would be re-released; it would be like TLG making a new version of 497/928 Galaxy Explorer. I was also sceptical, thinking there was no way LEGO could improve on the old classic. I am delighted to admit that I was wrong. 10226 is a beautiful set, that not only addresses the few failings of her predecessor, but also adds clever and innovative features that LEGO has never seen before. 3451 is still a classic, perhaps not as sought-after as it might have been, but 10226 surpasses it and is a must-have for parts fans, collectors and indeed all adult LEGO fans. Design 10 Beautifully rendered, she makes clever use of modern parts and innovative techniques that not only solve the problems of her predecessor but add innovation to the LEGO Exclusive universe. Build 9 Interesting and involved, the build is a joy from start to finish. Intriguing techniques make the build out of the ordinary even for die-hard LEGO aficionados. A point is lost only for the 'string' problem. Parts 9 The colour palette immediately makes for an interesting parts selection; most of the pieces will find a useful place in anyone's collection, and there are plenty of rare or unique parts here. Playability 9 This display model is likely to get a lot of attention. With a hand around the fuselage, you can swoosh this beauty around the house, manouvring with a finger on the control stick, and making 'rat-a-tat' noises at the cat. Great fun! Value 9 Coming in at under 10 pence per part, and bearing in mind that many of these are large and/or rare parts, she's good value for the parts alone. When you factor in the awesomeness of the set, she's excellent value. Overall 92%. My score 10/10 An instant classic. Buy it now or regret it forever! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this Reviewers Academy 4th Anniversary Special review. Please comment on the review and the set! Rufus Resources Review: 3451 Sopwith Camel For an in-depth look at the 2001 Sopwith Camel, read this. It includes some factual information about the 'real' Camel, and a debate about The LEGO Company's decision to release sets based on warplanes. Review: 10024 Red Baron The companion review to 3451's. See the LEGO realisation of the Camel's nemesis up close. Maybe they'll re-release this some day. More and larger picture on my flickr page. If you would like to learn how to make stellar reviews of LEGO sets, please consider joining the Reviewers Academy:

Rufindel stands nervously in the Back Row, and prepares again to heal Skrall.

It doesn't necessarily mean a recruiting cult, although that's always a possibility. I once read a book named after some obscure Egyptian god who wasn't really a god. The villains in that book were Cultists, but they were really just ordinary scum.

Ah, my scales feel so much better now, thank you Becka! *Looks worriedly at Gilda and Booker* What? Can't I visit the town's beautician too? It's good for the town's economy! Anyhoo. I can't say I've seen much today to raise suspicion. There's the silly cow, who doesn't seem to know her Aardvark from her Elephant, but I'd guess that's just some bizarre personality quirk, or mad cow disease. Next she'll be singing, 'I am the Walrus'. Goo goo good job. Then there's the defensive Anti-Panda, which is probably the most interesting lead so far, and led to a few revealing responses. I'll have to give this one some more thought.

Please make sure you resize all images to a maximum of 800 x 600 pixels. Thanks.

Then he's definitely not right in the head. Or other parts.

My scales could do with a polish, dear Becka, if you have the time... or is that a private engagement with Bookie? What? No, they're not. And nor is the elephant. What's with your obsession with priests? Sounds Culty to me.

'Sounds good enough for me. I don't have a better idea. If no-one comes up with something better, I'll heal myself from the back row.'

Baxter, my tool is bigger than yours. *yawns impressively* This whole situation is hauntingly familiar. Even the thread subtitle very first words I heard today are the same as the very first words I heard in Spring Haven. But, it seems we don't have to reach a majority to lynch this time. But we do have to wait till after lynch to lunch. Or whatever. Why do you keep calling people priests?

'I'll be in the back row, Boomy, so will take less damage if they do hit me.' Rufindel ignores the comment about being rubbish at healing.

'I'll heal Skrall. Ellaria's a stronger hitter.'

Hi Angeli, I'm afraid I can't admit you to the Academy if you don't intend to do reviews; however I appreciate your desire to learn photographic techniques. I'll discuss this with the EB staff. In the meantime, do check out this thread; and some other topics in the Tutorials Index might help. Access granted, welcome to the Academy!

Hi JillyB, and welcome to Eurobricks. Please note that we discourage people joining just for the purpose of selling, which is why we don't allow people to post in the Buy/Sell/Trade/Finds forum until they've made 100 posts. However, since you have asked for advice on selling elsewhere, rather than trying to initiate a sale on this site, I'll let people address your questions here. My advice would be: if you have the time, try to sort the sets as much as possible so they are complete. You'll get much more that way. Rufus

Sorry dude - that looks awesome, but many of your pictures are way too large. I've removed the image tags from the offending ones. Please resize the pictures to a maximum of 800 x 600 pixels, then feel free to edit them back into your post. It's an amazing MOC, and needs to be seen in all its glory, but I can't allow pictures in excess of our site guidelines. Thanks for understanding! If you're not sure how to resize images, please follow the tutorials link in my signature. Rufus

Rufindel, his face full of grim determination, sprints back towards the sounds of battle. 'I smell monkeys. Why does it always have to be monkeys?'

Thanks for making me laugh on a Monday morning, Hinck! What a super review. We have yet to build any of the LOTR sets we brought back from Brickworld. You just upped the anticipation by a few notches! I do love the detail they've put into these sets, especially the figures, though I'm hankering after a bit more structure. It is the language of Mordor, which I will not utter here. They are Dwarven Runes, and apparently say 'DIORDIE WAS HERE'. Some kind of in-joke by the designers?

Rufindel Galadhras (Rufus) 375 year old Elven Male Cleric Level 13 Power: 23 (13 + 10) (25 if using Malfunctioning Staff (13 + 12)) Defense: 2 (2 - Warlord's Helmet) Health: 23/23 (9 + 12 + 2 - Cloak of Chimera) Ether: 19/19 (5 + 12 + 2 - Cloak of Chimera) Gold: 15 Equipment: Fauxthril Staff (WP:10), Warlord's Helmet (SP:2; grants 'Natural Respite'), Cloak of Chimera (Backwear, Suitable for Mage and Clerics, +2 Health, +2 Ether - on loan from Cronk) Inventory: 1 Grand Potion, 2 Potions, 2 Remedies, 2 Bones, Pickaxe, 2 Tonics, Bedroll, Venom, Wooden Shield (SP:2), Malfunctioning Staff (WP:12) - on successful roll, has 50% chance to do half of WP damage to self instead (ignoring row and SP)

Scuba - will do. 'That is correct, Ms Arbour. Need we be so formal? Please call me Rufindel. Nyx and I took part in the very first quest of the new Heroica guild. Of course she has found the time to be much more adventurous than I since then.' Rufindel looks at his feet.