Ninjago 2015

[obsidianheart]

Maybe its a peg sized hole to attach something to the top?

After looking at some pictures, I think it's to allow Snake-Skull Torches to be a thing.

[Cagast]

I can make out a few names on ipad (you can zoom in with finger swipes)

White dojo guy seems to be called "Steffan Turner" (actually, it kind of looks like "Griffin”)

The black samurai with the giant hands is "Hanlan" (or Kanlan....i cannot make out if it is a H or a K)

I was the one who made out some of the cultists names. Slash, Slaven and Kapau.

They are easiest to make out, most of people did.

[Aanchir]

They are easiest to make out, most of people did.

One of the Anacondrai goons is also named Krait, I think. He comes in 70745 and 70752 (incidentally, paired with Kai each time).

One of the things that confuses me is that there are literally two different minifigures identified on the boxes as Sleven. Either they have only very slight spelling differences in their names that I was unable to pick up on, or one of them is built wrong or misidentified. Discounting the possibility that they have magical moving tattoos, it can't just be two different "costumes", because the two Slevens literally have different tattoos on their torsos! The one in 70756 has a coiled snake tattoo on the lower right side of his torso, while the one in 70747 has a wavy snake tattoo on each side of his torso.

[DarthLeapyous]

I'm curious to know what the new serpentine are called.....but i don't think any of them are the mysterious Arcturus..... (perhaps he will be in the later sets?)

[Shakar]

I'm kind of shocked that, with Ninjago's overwhelming popularity, Lego never tried to do constraction sets. Maybe because they didn't quite realize its popularity (considering what happened in 2013)? Or because they think the building style wouldn't fit humans (they could explain it via "special magical armours" kinda like the 2012 SH Ultrabuilds)?

[Lyichir]

I'm kind of shocked that, with Ninjago's overwhelming popularity, Lego never tried to do constraction sets. Maybe because they didn't quite realize its popularity (considering what happened in 2013)? Or because they think the building style wouldn't fit humans (they could explain it via "special magical armours" kinda like the 2012 SH Ultrabuilds)?

Considering the SH Ultrabuilds did not do well enough to justify further releases, I don't know how well the "special armor" explanation worked for buyers.

[Shakar]

That's a good point...guess CCBS humans just look too creepy to customers (and I can't blame them).

[8BrickMario]

That, and the Ultrabuilds are unpopular, despite the theme being popular. There were only 3 Ultrabuilds for each SH theme, and Chima's failed horribly, to the point that they just stopped selling them in North America due to lack of profit.

Edited October 4, 2014 by 8BrickMario

[just2good]

That's a good point...guess CCBS humans just look too creepy to customers (and I can't blame them).

Yep, I've geard the KK2 constraction line flopped for the same reason.

[Mandate]

It's especially ironic with CCBS because it was meant to be standardized enough to prevent problems like this from occurring...

Honestly, I don't want to see any Ultrabuilds with NINJAGO. There's far too much of a chance of them messing them up (Chima Ultrabuilds face's looked absolutely hideous, and back armor was a gigantic problem), they worked somewhat with Chima because every man and his dog wears some kind of armor, whereas in NINJAGO, even the ninja's most bulkily armored outfits, other than Kendo, don't come remotely near the level of armor-y as CCBS comes across.

[Cagast]

It's especially ironic with CCBS because it was meant to be standardized enough to prevent problems like this from occurring...

Honestly, I don't want to see any Ultrabuilds with NINJAGO. There's far too much of a chance of them messing them up (Chima Ultrabuilds face's looked absolutely hideous, and back armor was a gigantic problem), they worked somewhat with Chima because every man and his dog wears some kind of armor, whereas in NINJAGO, even the ninja's most bulkily armored outfits, other than Kendo, don't come remotely near the level of armor-y as CCBS comes across.

I agree with everything you said. I wouldn't buy these sets. I don't like ultrabuilds at all, and as somebody has already mentioned above, Chima ultrabuilds failed so i don't see why would they try that again with Ninjago.

[Mandate]

CCBS doesn't mesh very well with SYSTEM either, the strange shapes and odd curves of the shells detract a lot. Notable example is the Earth Mech, while it's a very good Mech and the shells fit with it's style the fact that the shells are a single piece with a lack of any kind of traditional SYSTEM integration throws it off.

Anyway, I think the whole "snake torches" thing about the skulls is probably right. It also allows stacking of skulls to make mountains out of mole hills

Edited October 4, 2014 by JayWalker

[Lyichir]

CCBS doesn't mesh very well with SYSTEM either, the strange shapes and odd curves of the shells detract a lot. Notable example is the Earth Mech, while it's a very good Mech and the shells fit with it's style the fact that the shells are a single piece with a lack of any kind of traditional SYSTEM integration throws it off.

Anyway, I think the whole "snake torches" thing about the skulls is probably right. It also allows stacking of skulls to make mountains out of mole hills

CCBS meshes a lot better with System than Bionicle ever did. Frankly, with the number of curved slopes in System these days I think the CCBS shells fit right in. In fact, that's one of the reasons I got into buying Hero Factory in the first place (after basically abandoning constraction for traditional System themes after Bionicle's end).

I doubt the skulls can be stacked. You could attach a 3.2 mm bar to the top, but the hole wouldn't allow for stud-to-stud connections.

[Mandate]

CCBS meshes a lot better with System than Bionicle ever did. Frankly, with the number of curved slopes in System these days I think the CCBS shells fit right in. In fact, that's one of the reasons I got into buying Hero Factory in the first place (after basically abandoning constraction for traditional System themes after Bionicle's end).

I doubt the skulls can be stacked. You could attach a 3.2 mm bar to the top, but the hole wouldn't allow for stud-to-stud connections.

Curved sloping bricks are different to curved shells that have curves on every side and jut out at awkward angles that make it look bad even inside its own building system (admittedly, the lack of back-covering on the shells has improved with new parts and better techniques, but it's still a gigantic problem). Bricks like the ones in the X-1 Ninja Charger add defined lines to the car, clearly-defined edges yet giving it an overall smooth dynamic shape.

The sad part about this is that this is what CCBS was made to fix, it's LEGO's Tertiary Universal Building System, designed to avoid the horrendous offender of specialized parts that was BIONICLE, and replace this specialization with a standardized building system that only requires minimal specialization for aesthetic purposes and is wholly compatible with LEGO's Primary building system (SYSTEM) and Secondary building system (Technic).

Granted, Technic got off to a bit of a rough start too, but Technic was compatible with SYSTEM from the very beginning. It had the studs and tubes, but it also had pins and pin holes. It could be used to stabilize a LEGO MOC and provide support, it could be used to add in gears, etc and bring about set functions. It didn't (and still doesn't) require specialization because it was made to fit LEGO's current designs.

CCBS, however, was made to replace another system, and be better on a whole than the previous one. The problem with this is that CCBS succeeded and failed over its predecessor; it brought standardized functionality at the cost of complexity. While this is being fixed, it's still an ongoing problem, especially when you take a moment to think of how awkward the new BIONICLE sets are going to be with the large backpack and the arms so far behind the chest. And I believe I've already mentioned how bad the Shells are for armor plating, there's almost no ways to use them without them looking gappy. It most certainly doesn't look stylized either, something BIONICLE did do very well.

All of this is why I don't want to see NINJAGO using Ultrabuilds. They're cool in theory, but after the hideous faces of Chima's Ultrabuilds, the armor-like plating, and an utter lack of proof that they will be good (no, Hero Factory and BIONICLE 2015 don't count as examples, those are Constraction themes, not reimaginings of SYSTEM/human characters), I would rather them try to improve CCBS over time for such a concept than force another theme into submission with it.

Sorry for the mostly off-topic semi-rant.

Anyway, about the skull-stacking, that's what I was implying. You can still "stack" them per say, but not in the same way you could with tiles

[scorchfire]

That yellow ninja looks great, wonder what elemental power will she have

[8BrickMario]

She's actually Chima orange! I honestly don't know. Maybe she'll be an air-based ninja?

[PenPlays]

Maybe she'll be an air-based ninja?

That's interesting. Skylar... Hover/Jetboard...

[Mandate]

She's actually Chima orange! I honestly don't know. Maybe she'll be an air-based ninja?

Not "chima" orange. That orange existed before Chima. I don't even recall any Chima sets using this specific orange as a main color, the lions used Bright Yellow (or at least I thought they did) and the Tigers are using the normal orange.

[Aanchir]

Not "chima" orange. That orange existed before Chima. I don't even recall any Chima sets using this specific orange as a main color, the lions used Bright Yellow (or at least I thought they did) and the Tigers are using the normal orange.

No, the lion vehicles do indeed use Flame Yellowish Orange as their main color, which makes them a fantastic source for this color. I did a review of 70144 Laval's Fire Lion for The New Elementary which went into detail about many of the new Flame Yellowish Orange parts it introduced. And the list would have been even longer if some of its Flame Yellowish Orange parts hadn't debuted in earlier Legends of Chima sets!

[8BrickMario]

It's a simple nickname, since it was most prevalent on the Lion Tribe vehicles. I feel horrible for being too lazy to write "Bright Yellow-Orange" or "Flame Yellowish-Orange", but I regrettably am. I believe one of the earliest usesof the color was on the CMF Fisherman.

[Aanchir]

It's a simple nickname, since it was most prevalent on the Lion Tribe vehicles. I feel horrible for being too lazy to write "Bright Yellow-Orange" or "Flame Yellowish-Orange", but I regrettably am. I believe one of the earliest usesof the color was on the CMF Fisherman.

Actually, most of its first appearances were in 2004 Duplo sets, and it's been used extensively in BIONICLE sets since 2005. BIONICLE fans call it Keetorange after its extensive use in the BIONICLE set Keetongu.

[DuckBricks]

That's interesting. Skylar... Hover/Jetboard...

Ha! Never noticed that!

[Cagast]

Ha! Never noticed that!

Yes logically, but why would they introduce only one element in 2015? I hope that unidentified set has another new colored ninja

[PenPlays]

Yes logically, but why would they introduce only one element in 2015? I hope that unidentified set has another new colored ninja

All of the sets are identified. Are you referring to the Electro-Mech, because we have the minifig count for that one, and Jay is the only Ninja.

You are probably referring to Dojo Showdown. We don't know about Griffin or Hanlan (unofficial assumed names). Only time will tell.

[DuckBricks]

All of the sets are identified. Are you referring to the Electro-Mech, because we have the minifig count for that one, and Jay is the only Ninja.

You are probably referring to Dojo Showdown. We don't know about Griffin or Hanlan (unofficial assumed names). Only time will tell.

Looks a bit more like Harlan to me, but I dunno...