If you're still on the fence, you can find a run-down of the nominations below to help you make up your mind, and if you've already voted and want to change your mind, click on "Change your vote". Oh, and don't delay - I had intended for the poll to close at midnight on the 31st December, but due to the vagaries of the poll plug-in it'll probably close prematurely...
If you're using a mobile device and struggling to see the poll on the right side of the page then scroll down to the bottom and click "View web version"
*EDIT* Voting is now closed. Happy New Year to all, and I'll announce the scores on the doors in due course....
The Nominations (in alphabetical order)
1. Star Wars Set 10227 B-Wing Starfighter
The latest addition to the Star Wars Ultimate Collectors Series line of big, collectible Star Wars sets stretching back to 1999, the B-Wing pretty much nailed the subject matter. Even UCS MOCcer extraordinaire cavegod, he of the UCS AT-AT, declared the official version better than his own version of the B-Wing, which is a pretty good recommendation....
2. Lord of the Rings Set 9474 Battle of Helm's Deep
The showpiece set from the better-than-expected Lord of the Rings theme. It's big and impressive, can be tastefully expanded with army-builder Set 9471 Uruk-Hai Army, comes with a decent selection of minifigures, and includes the all-new 2012 LEGO horse. Definitely a contender.
3. Ninjago Set 9450 Epic Dragon Battle
The biggest of the 2012 Ninjago sets. This theme was evidently designed to appeal to small boys, but the quality of design was such that the appeal of many of the sets ended up going well beyond the target audience, and the Epic Dragon Battle was one of those sets. Made up of a collection of interesting models and some neat minifigures, this set definitely fell into the "surprisingly good" bracket.
4. City Set 4440 Forest Police Station
Many older LEGO fans have I think become more than a little jaded by the endless annual procession of samey Police and Fire sets making up the evergreen City theme. Credit therefore to LEGO for thinking outside the box in 2012 and coming up with a genuinely different spin on the emergency services sets. The forest location prompted a welcome change in architecture and minifigure design, not to mention some more original vehicle designs. And an excellent bear. I thought this set was hugely underrated, and hopefully it'll pick up some votes to vindicate that view.
I think I probably covered most of the details during my last posting while declaring this set my favourite non-licensed set of 2012. Simultaneously a stunning display set and a wonderful play set, this cracker deserves to be successful. Definitely gets my vote.
6. Star Wars Set 9516 Jabba's Palace
Having panned the Star Wars theme last year for a lack of originality and inspiration, I was pleased to see some welcome signs of renewed life this year. Both UCS sets were good, the planet sets were interesting, and this welcome remake of Jabba's Palace also hit the mark. Admittedly it didn't have much to live up to - the last version was distinctly ordinary. Even so, this version looks pretty good, can be expanded with the addition of 2013's Rancor Pit set, and comes with a good selection of minifigures, including Jabba himself. A rather nice set, actually.
7. Kingdoms Set 10223 Joust
Somewhat bizarrely introduced just as the rest of the Kingdoms line was being retired, this set is nevertheless a cracker and well worth its inclusion in this list of the great and the good. Lots of lovely details, a ton of minifigures and designed to be expanded if you buy two of them.
8. Star Wars Set 10225 R2-D2
This almost perfect rendition of Artoo narrowly missed out on the gong for best licensed set; it was just a few design tweaks and some Power Functions short of being a classic in my eyes. As well as looking great, it's an enjoyable build, and unlike many of the Star Wars sets it even feels like reasonable value for money. Excellent.
9. Advanced Models Set 10226 Sopwith Camel
Wowed the audience at its unveiling at AFOLCON 2012, and didn't disappoint when it eventually hit the shelves. A genuinely elegant model, fun to assemble, and an excellent source of parts in relatively uncommon colours. Certainly one of my favourites of 2012.
This almost perfect rendition of Artoo narrowly missed out on the gong for best licensed set; it was just a few design tweaks and some Power Functions short of being a classic in my eyes. As well as looking great, it's an enjoyable build, and unlike many of the Star Wars sets it even feels like reasonable value for money. Excellent.
9. Advanced Models Set 10226 Sopwith Camel
Wowed the audience at its unveiling at AFOLCON 2012, and didn't disappoint when it eventually hit the shelves. A genuinely elegant model, fun to assemble, and an excellent source of parts in relatively uncommon colours. Certainly one of my favourites of 2012.
10. Advanced Models Set 10224 Town Hall
The latest addition to the revered modular building line up, this set follows in the footsteps of some heavyweight predecessors and doesn't disappoint. Tons of detail both inside and out, bags of interesting parts in interesting colours for those inclined to cannibalise their sets, and another thoroughly enjoyable modular build
Another set that I eulogised about last time out while awarding it my "Best Licensed Set" gong, this one surely needs no more introduction from me. Superb organic design, a genuinely interesting build, lots of great minifigures, and a faithful recreation of the subject matter, this set ticks all the boxes; on the basis of voting thus far it appears that many of you agree with me.
12. Seasonal Set 10229 Winter Village Cottage
Having just finished building this one I can enthusiastically vouch for it. I have all the other "Winter Village" sets, and enjoyed building this one just as much. The main building is great, the vehicle is lovely, the out-buildings are perfect, and the whole package is thoroughly enjoyable to build and display
'Other'
I had to draw the line somewhere, but there are many other sets I could have chosen to fill the 12 nominee slots; some that narrowly missed the cut include Creator Set 7347 Highway Pickup, Set 10230 Mini Modulars, Super Heroes Set 6862 Superman vs. Power Armor Lex, Friends Set 3061 City Park Cafe and a number of others.
If you have a favourite that isn't listed, vote for "Other" and either send me the name of the set via the "Contact me" button above or leave it in the comments section below and your vote for that set will be registered.
So get voting, and I'll announce the winner in the new year !
'Other'
I had to draw the line somewhere, but there are many other sets I could have chosen to fill the 12 nominee slots; some that narrowly missed the cut include Creator Set 7347 Highway Pickup, Set 10230 Mini Modulars, Super Heroes Set 6862 Superman vs. Power Armor Lex, Friends Set 3061 City Park Cafe and a number of others.
If you have a favourite that isn't listed, vote for "Other" and either send me the name of the set via the "Contact me" button above or leave it in the comments section below and your vote for that set will be registered.
So get voting, and I'll announce the winner in the new year !
my favorite set of this year is 9443 rattlecopter, because of the great techniques used and the swooshability of the finished model.
ReplyDeleteThanks - I've logged your vote; you're not the only one to pick this set as your favourite, incidentally.
DeleteWhat Lego did you get for Christmas Dr.Dave?
ReplyDeleteNothing big - a few bits and pieces such as keyrings etc.. I told people not to bother buying me LEGO as I already had all the 2012 sets I wanted, and can usually find stuff cheaper than they can anyway....
Delete