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More 2018 LEGO summer sets coming!

by Thita (admin) on May 21, 2018

There has been a lot of new LEGO set reveals this past week, so I thought to write up a summary on what we can expect for our discussions. Knowing what LEGO sets are scheduled for release can be very helpful with preparing for new building projects and budgeting ahead of time. So, let’s take a look. Please note that we discussed a number of upcoming sets already at List of LEGO 2018 Summer Sets & More!, so you might want to check out that article as well. And if you just want to see pictures of the new sets, scroll to the bottom for a video summary by the BrickShow. 🙂

➡ 2018 LEGO HARRY POTTER SETS: The big new LEGO collection this summer is going to be related to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Besides the previously revealed #75954 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall, we are also getting the #55953 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Whomping Willow the #75955 LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Express, and the #75966 LEGO Harry Potter Quidditch Match. Very nice sets for those who missed out on the previous LEGO Harry Potter sets from a decade ago.

➡ 2018 LEGO CITY TRAINS: LEGO releases a new passenger train and cargo train every few years. They are usually solid sets, and an excellent introduction to LEGO trains. They are also a good value, as they include not just the trains, but also tracks, and all the LEGO Power Functions components you need to motorize the trains. This year, we are getting the #60197 LEGO City Passenger Train, and the #60198 LEGO City Freight Train. While the sets look pretty similar to previous releases, there is one big difference; the 2018 trains include the updated LEGO Power Functions components. It is not entirely clear yet what all the differences are going to be, but some things we know already is that the trains can be operated both via a new type of remote control or an app via Bluetooth wireless technology.

➡ 2018 LEGO CITY HOSPITAL: Another pieces of exciting news is that LEGO City is finally getting a hospital! The #60204 LEGO City Hospital includes a fairly substantial and very nicely detailed hospital building, as well as an ambulance, helicopter, and a great selection of minifigs and accessories. Look for it at the LEGO City section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 2018 LEGO DUPLO TRAINS: LEGO DUPLO is also getting a whole range of new train sets for younger builders, including some very useful track and bridge packs to expand the tracks that come with the new LEGO DUPLO train sets. Look for them at the LEGO DUPLO section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 2018 LEGO UNIKITTY! SETS: As we discussed previously (see: List of LEGO 2018 Summer Sets & More!), LEGO is releasing a whole range of sets related to the Unikitty! TV show. Besides the five sets and collectible characters we talked about last time, we are also getting the #41456 LEGO Unikitty Unikingdom Fairground Fun with another roller coaster (LEGO is really into roller coasters this year)! I really like the colors of the Unikitty sets, and there are so many interesting new pieces, including lots of very useful printed elements! Also, the official LEGO Unikitty website went live just a few days ago, so if you are interested in this new theme, you might want to look around.

➡ 2018 LEGO FRIENDS SETS: Besides the LEGO Friends go-kart sets we talked about last time, we are getting a large selection of other sets as well. There are new bedrooms for Andrea and Emma, an accessories store, a small airport, a pet center, and a large summer resort. The set I find most interesting though is the #41346 LEGO Friends Friendship Box, which seems to encourage girls to build together some larger brick-built creations. As there are too many pictures to post that would make this summery too long, I will instead encourage you to check out images of the new LEGO Friends sets at the Brickset database. They will be available this summer at the LEGO Friends section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 2018 LEGO POWERPUFF GIRLS SETS: We have gotten Powerpuff Girls in the LEGO Dimensions line, but now we are also getting regular sets. This includes the #41287 LEGO Powerpuff Girls Bubbles’ Playground Showdown, and the #41288 LEGO Powerpuff Girls Mojo Jojo Strikes. Both sets should be available in August.

➡ 2018 LEGO STAR WARS SETS: LEGO revealed several of the upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets, including #75203 LEGO Star Wars Hoth Medical Chamber, the #75214 LEGO Star Wars Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter, the #75216 LEGO Star Wars Snoke’s Throne Room, the #75218 LEGO Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter, the #75221 LEGO Star Wars Imperial Landing Craft, and the #75220 LEGO Star Wars Sandcrawler. You can look out for them at the LEGO Star Wars section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 2018 LEGO MINECRAFT SETS: The LEGO Minecraft collection continues with three new sets; the #21145 LEGO Minecraft The Skull Arena, the #21146 LEGO Minecraft The Skeleton Attack, and the #21147 LEGO Minecraft The Bedrock Adventures. They will be available in August at the LEGO Minecraft section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 2018 LEGO SUPER HEROES SETS: There are several LEGO Marvel and LEGO DC Super Heroes sets coming, the highlight of which is the app-controlled #76112 LEGO Super Heroes Batmobile. Other sets include the #76111 LEGO Super Heroes Batman: Brother Eye Takedown, the #76110 LEGO Super Heroes Batman: The Attack of the Talons, and the #76109 LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Quantum Realm Explorers. They will be available at the LEGO Super Heroes section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 2018 LEGO TECHNIC SETS: Four upcoming LEGO Technic sets have been revealed; the #42079 LEGO Technic Heavy Duty Forklift, the #42080 LEGO Technic Forest Machine, the #42081 LEGO Technic Volvo Concept Wheel Loader, and the #42082 LEGO Technic Rough Terrain Crane. And the highly anticipated #42083 LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron will be revealed at the beginning of June. They will be available at the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ 2018 LEGO BRICKHEADZ SETS: It seems like LEGO is releasing BrickHeadz versions of main characters from practically every license they carry. To match the upcoming LEGO Harry Potter sets, we will be getting the #41615 LEGO Harry Potter & Hedwig pack, the #41616 LEGO BrickHeadz Hermione Granger pack, and the #41621 LEGO BrickHeadz Ron Weasley & Albus Dumbledore pack. In addition, we are also getting a LEGO Ghostbusters BrickHeadz pack with Peter Venkman and Slimer. Look for them at the LEGO BrickHeadz section of the Online LEGO Shop.

For other sets coming this summer, including LEGO Architecture, the LEGO City Arctic collection, LEGO Creator, LEGO Disney, LEGO Juniors, LEGO Elves, LEGO Ninjago, The LEGO Ninjago Movie, LEGO Juniors, LEGO DC Super Heroes and more, check out our previous discussion at List of 2018 Summer Sets & More! or watch the video below with pictures of all the upcoming sets. And you can also keep an eye on updates under the what’s new section at the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like the sets we will be getting this summer? Do you already have some favorites you definitely plan to get? Have you noticed any interesting new parts, minifig accessories, and building techniques? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

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

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Custom LEGO Models by Build Better Bricks

by Thita (admin) on May 19, 2018

in Featured LEGO Creations

Just about a year ago, The Brick Show – the popular YouTube channel for LEGO fans – teamed up with two very creative LEGO builders to share some of their custom creations. Tyler Clites (Legohaulic on flickr) and Sean Mayo (Siercon & Coral on flickr) are well-known in the LEGO fan community, and we have featured their creations here many times as well. Tyler has been particularly active on The Brick Show’s YouTube channel, discussing some of his fantastic custom models, sharing tips and tricks, and even full instructions on how to build them (see links to previous articles at the end of this post). Due to the number of requests for PDF instructions, The Brick Show eventually set up an online shop where these creative builders can easily share custom instructions for their most popular models.

Build Better Bricks is set up as a simple and secure online shop, where you can download instructions for some excellent custom LEGO models. Most of the instructions are for original custom builds, and there are also instructions for alternate models for official LEGO sets, and even some small custom kits with both parts and instructions included.

You can get instructions for everything from brick-built lightsabers, brick-built Star Wars, Super Heroes, and Nintendo characters, character busts, beautifully designed Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and other creations, Christmas ornaments and other seasonal models, and more. I particularly like the miniature Pirates of the Caribbean ships, including the Queen Anne, the Black Pearl, the Flying Dutchman, and the Silent Mary. And I also really like the adorable brick-built Groot (see further below) and other brick-built characters.

Most of the instructions run between $2-$5, with some of the larger models up to $10. The prices are very reasonable for high quality and carefully prepared custom instructions and in line with what I have seen charged by other designers. Build Better Bricks also offers some of their instructions in bundles for an even better price, and they run regular sales as well. Some instructions are also available free, either as downloadable PDFs or as video tutorials. Those are good ones to check if you just want to try out the service.

To download free or purchased instructions, you need to register at BuildBetterBricks.com, place the instructions you want in your cart, and check out. You will receive an email with a link to download instructions. The download file includes simple-to-follow full-color instructions and parts-list in PDF format (see sample pages below), and a Stud.io file for easy uploading to BrickLink.com to make ordering parts a breeze.

When you get building instructions from other LEGO fans, one concern is always how much it would cost to build the actual model. Of course, it really helps if you already have a decent size LEGO collection for sourcing the needed parts, but if you are missing some pieces (or even all the pieces), BrickLink.com – the largest online LEGO marketplace – is the place to go. As we discussed previously (see links at the end of this post), Stud-io is BrickLink’s own free LEGO digital designer software, fully integrated with the BrickLink marketplace. Stud.io allows you to not just design LEGO models (similar to LEGO’s own digital designer), but also to easily check the price and purchase the parts you need. The Build Better Bricks designers take care to make sure they are not using unusually expensive parts, and that the average price-per-piece ratio remains around 10 cents (you can read more about this at their FAQ page).

Building high-quality custom LEGO models is a great way to expand the LEGO hobby. It exposes you to designs and techniques you may not find in official LEGO sets. LEGO fans also often go much further in working out every little detail to be just perfect compared to what LEGO’s own designers can do within set budgets, timelines, etc. An excellent example is Tyler’s greatly enhanced Guardians of the Galaxy Milano spaceship, which takes LEGO’s version of the Milano to a whole new level.

Custom LEGO models also make interesting and unique gifts for a LEGO fan who would like something that is not available in an official LEGO set. As both Tyler and Sean have very positive reputation within the LEGO fan community, and their models are of excellent quality, Build Better Bricks is a great place to try out custom LEGO builds you can trust and have a good experience with. Also, since Build Better Bricks only provides digital instructions, they never run out of stock, and they can deliver globally.

So, if you are looking for something unique to build, check out BuildBetterBricks.com for some fun custom LEGO models. And, if you have already built some of them, feel free to share your thoughts and review in the comment section below!

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

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More 2018 LEGO summer sets coming!

Custom LEGO Models by Build Better Bricks

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