≡ Menu

(Written by William)

It is both good and bad that the recent licensed minifigure collections are coming in groups of 12. It’s good in that they don’t hit your wallet as hard. It’s bad since LEGO may not include the character you were hoping to get. Anyhow, the LEGO Marvel Studios Collectible Minifigures are here, and they seem pretty popular from what I can tell.

Just like with the Looney Tunes minifigures, there are two options (besides buying an entire case) to get this series. So, you will see two set numbers associated with this series. Either it will be the individual packs, which is set #71031, or a six-pack set #66678.

If getting the six-pack, it works like the Looney Tunes minifigures; there is an “A” and a “B” pack. Each pack will always have the same six minifigures. So, if you get both packs, you have a full series, provided that is what you were going for. For the rest of us, we may only be looking for a few minifigs, or even in some cases, duplicates of a minifig because we like the character or really need the parts.

To that end, I’m hoping this guide will help give you a fighting chance at getting the characters you want. Keep in mind, this series is a bit tough since every minifigure features both a jumper-plate and the little clear angled action element to help pose your minifigures in action positions. These parts add a sort of background clutter in the bags, so you may have to really take your time identifying them.

Captain America – Out of all the minifigs, this is the simplest to find. His massive wings are impossible not to find due to how wide and flat they are. If you feel something that is like a large stick of gum, you’ve got the new Cap!

Captain Carter – The shield is a popular shape in this series. So instead of that, go for the 1×1 square plates. She uses two of them, but LEGO gives an extra, so there’s plenty to find. If you find any basic plates, you’re good.

Gamora with the Blade of Thanos – Now we’re getting into a character that might be tricky. Start by finding the flat blades. Once you’ve identified them, you need to make sure it is not Sylvie. Gamora will have a handle for the blades, which is a lightsaber hilt.

Loki – Don’t get distracted by Throg! Find the mug and you are done.

Monica Rambeau – Monica has a few building components for the little drone helicopter. So, you can find the brick with stud, a cheese-slope, the three long bar, or the little bar/clip wrench piece. The only one I’d avoid depending on is the hilt that has a “T” connection. This is a bit similar to Gamora’s hilt, so is a little less distinct than say the brick. Personally, I’d go for the brick or slope, they’re quick to identify and reliable for finding Monica.

Sylvie – The gator is the best piece to use. However, it is a new mold and can throw you for a loop. So, if you find something big and can’t recognize it, try looking for some blades. If you find them, go back to the big element and see if you can make out the gator, since that’s most likely what it is.

T’Challa Star-Lord – He comes with two fancy blasters. Fortunately, they are unique enough to make them a good part for identification.

The Scarlet Witch – Her unique elements are the scarlet blasts you can launch from her hands. The problem is they have a curved section just like the clear action stand piece. You’ll really need to dig your nails in to be sure what you are feeling has a handle since the blasts have one and the action stand doesn’t. Or if you think there are just too many pieces with an odd curve to them, you can then see if there is a long hairpiece. Combining too many curved pieces with long hair is a good indicator you found The Scarlet Witch.

The Vision – Fortunately, he has a book that is used as a laptop. The book cover or the 1×2 tile are probably the easier and more distinct book pieces to find. Just make sure the tile is not a jumper-plate.

Winter Soldier – This is the second hardest minifig to identify. That is because he is confused with the hardest minifig in the series. It all comes down to finding his knives. There will be two and they are attached to a sprue that puts it in the same shape as a bucket handle. I found they liked to hook around the handle of the shield, so make sure the shield is free of any hangers-on. Once you find the knives, your work is done.

Zombie Captain America – This is the hardest minifig to find. The only difference compared to the Winter Soldier is that he has a helmet instead of hair and he doesn’t have knives. Trying to make sure something is not there is much tougher than looking for something specific. I ended up locating what I thought was the helmet and ran a fingernail over the top of it. If I detected ridges, it was probably hair and belonged to the Winter Soldier. If it was smooth then chances are it was the helmet. I will also point out that this is currently one of the cheaper minifigs on the secondary market. So, if you aren’t sure, that might be an easy way to go. I really don’t like feeling for this one.

Zombie Hunter Spidey – You got two choices with Spidey. Either find the string with all the bars or make sure he has two heads. Between the two, I always found the rope first.

Good luck finding all the characters you’re looking for! And if you have any of your own tips and tricks for finding them, feel free to share in the comment section below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

{ 9 comments }

CADA Brick Separator for Technic Builders & More!

I recently ran across a short video by a company named CADA, featuring their brick separator. Brick separators are very useful tools to separate hard-to-remove LEGO elements like tiles, plates, Technic connections, etc.

In an article earlier this year, we discussed LEGO’s own brick separators (see: LEGO Brick Separators, Tile Remover Tools & More!). We talked about the original LEGO brick separator that was introduced in 1990, the updated version introduced in 2012, the wider LEGO tile separator introduced with the LEGO Art mosaic sets last year, and a couple of the small LEGO minifig accessories that double as brick separators (crowbar, screwdriver, and the LEGO DOTS tile remover key). And we also discussed the nine-in-one tool by Mega Construx, which, as the name implies, can perform nine different actions (you can read about these in the article linked above) and is a more advanced brick separator than the LEGO version.

As you will see in the video below, CADA’s brick separator is somewhere between LEGO’s version and the Mega Construx version in terms of functions. It can perform five actions; tile remover, Technic bush puller, Technic half pin puller, Technic axle pusher, and normal Technic pin puller. From these five, the one most interesting one is the Technic pin puller, which is at the back of the tool. You push the small rod into the Technic pin you want to remove, pinch the tool together around the lip of the pin (the handle has a bit of spring action), and pull the pin out.

The CADA brick separator is particularly useful for Technic builders. In addition, it is the only tool that I have seen that’s made of the more rigid transparent plastic. This keeps the tile remover edge sharp even when used repeatedly (unlike the LEGO brick separator’s tile removal edge that tends to get chipped with use). The second, more basic brick separator you see on the image above is also by CADA. I believe that one they include with their non-Technic sets.

So who or what is CADA? According to their website, CADA is a brand of building bricks created by the Double Eagle Group, located in China. They also state that they have been in operation since 2016, and they have over 66,000 square meters of manufacturing facilities and over 300 employees. Their focus is on Technic-type sets, standard brick-built vehicles, and military vehicles, and apparently, they pay a licensing fee to designers as well as brands. Interestingly, besides mainland China, they are also popular in Germany. So, even though they are a Chinese LEGO knockoff company, they are one of the better ones.

If you do want to check them out, their website is deCADAstore.com. Their selection isn’t big, and their products aren’t cheap, but they do offer free worldwide shipping over $50.

Like the quality of their brick separator, the quality of CADA elements is surprisingly good. I built their small Suzuki Jimmy Off-Road vehicle, and I couldn’t tell the difference between LEGO elements and CADA elements. Everything was the correct color, shine, feel, and clutch-power. Even the transparent pieces are crystal clear, which is very rare amongst Chinese brands.

The stickers are nice too, although I don’t like that some of them overlap several elements. The instruction booklet is of exceptionally good quality. Maybe even a bit better than LEGO, as the paper is slightly thicker. The steps are arranged the same way as LEGO instructions, and the pictures are big and bright. They even have a parts-list at the back.

Speaking of the Suzuki Jimmy specifically, although I’m very satisfied with the quality of the parts, the stickers, and the building instructions, I’m not entirely happy with the design itself. It looks good once finished, but it’s a bit finicky until the very end when the roof is placed on top. Also, even though this is a minifig-size vehicle, and there are even a steering wheel and seat for a minifig inside, the roof is not designed to be easily removable, and there are no opening doors, or hatch, or hood. In other words, once you finish building it, there are zero play-functions besides the rolling wheels.

And although I only built one CADA set so far, I suppose this could be a concern with all of their sets. They may just not have the designers who can produce sets with the same quality, care, and thoughtfulness as LEGO. So, if you consider purchasing any of their sets, I would suggest looking at the images and read the descriptions very carefully. Do the sets have the stability and playability you would expect?

Again, I only built one of their sets, so it wouldn’t be fair to judge them on a single lesser quality design. And the good thing is that since CADA already nailed the quality, if they could vet their designers, and they stick with original designs instead of copying LEGO, like other Chinese companies, they would have a great product.

What do you think? Have you tried CADA before? Or have you considered any of their sets? And what do you think of their brick separator? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

{ 5 comments }