The Gimme LEGO Awards 2012

Contrary to what some seem to think, I don't generally plan my blog postings far in advance - we're not on some carefully crafted journey here, it's more a case of me writing about whatever I fancy from week to week. Hopefully this helps to explain why I've been so lax in providing updates on my City layout, and why the AT-AT is taking so long to finish; while I start out with the best of intentions, it's easy to get distracted....

One posting which was always going to happen was this one, though - the Gimme LEGO Awards 2012. I enjoyed last year's trawl through the 2011 sets far too much not to repeat it with the 2012 sets, particularly as it"s been another vintage year to be a LEGO fan. OK, so maybe the line-up has arguably not been quite as stellar in 2012 as it was in 2011, but we've still been spoiled with a huge number of outstanding sets, and here's my own personal pick of the best of them.


1 . Best Theme

Last years winner : Alien Conquest 

2012 winner : Monster Fighters

If you'd told me when the first Monster Fighters publicity shots emerged that I'd be picking this theme as my favourite of 2012 then I'd have thought you had taken leave of your senses, to be honest. Right up until the moment that I first saw Set 9468 Vampyre Castle (below) in a display case at the London Westfield LEGO Brand Store I had absolutely no intention of buying even one of the sets. And then I saw them, and they immediately captured my imagination, got under my skin, and won me over. 

Set 9466 Crazy Scientist and his Monster (picture below, and reviewed by me here) is a typical example of the theme and illustrates nicely why Monster Fighters is so good - it has goofy B-movie charm, it's an interesting build, it has tons of play features and it features  loads of interesting and varied parts. And just to top it all, LEGO then went and brought out what was effectively a spectacular Monster Fighters modular building - Set 10228 Haunted House - thus assuring the theme's place in my annual affections right there and then.

I have to say I love pretty much all of the Monster Fighters sets, with the possible exception of the truly bizarre Set 9467 Ghost Train which is too peculiar even for me. We won't be seeing any more Monster Fighters sets in 2013 - like last year's Theme of the Year it's a 'one and done' - so farewell, thanks and and long may you be fondly remembered.....

Honourable mention : Lord of the Rings - LEGO could easily have got away with a "by the numbers" LotR cash-in, but the sets came out great - much better than I expected.

Honourable mention #2 : Dino - seemingly unloved by everybody except me, this theme was a solid and entertaining reboot of the dinosaur genre which LEGO seems to revisit every so often. The magnificant dinosaurs themselves were the stars of the show, and why nobody but me was seemingly drooling over these chunks of plastic perfection God only knows - what's wrong with you all ?!


2. Most Disappointing Theme

Last year's winner : Star Wars

2012 winner : Cars

Lordy, talk about a fall from grace. Having grabbed my "Better Than Expected" award last year, the Cars theme completely fizzled out in 2012. They might as well not have bothered at all, frankly. Mostly small, unimaginative sets with barely a half-decent one amongst them (I'll at least give Set 9486 Oil Rig Escape some credit for rising above the mediocrity) the words "half hearted" have seldom been more appropriate. In fact, given the lack of Cars-related activity this year on TV and at the cinema it was a mystery why they persisted with Cars sets in 2012 at all. Completely pointless.

(Dis)honourable mention : Racers. So where are they, these Racers sets ? In years gone by we've been blessed with such splendid offerings as Set 8461 Williams F1 Team Racer and Set 8653 Enzo Ferrari 1 : 10. And then in 2012 we get four decidedly mediocre monster trucks and a few poly bags which thus far haven't been available outside of the Phillippines and Italy. Rubbish. Did people stop liking fast cars, or did LEGO just drop the ball on this one ? You decide....


3. The "Medieval Market Village" award for Best Non-Licensed Set

Last year's winner : Set 7066 Earth Defense HQ

2012 winner : Set 10228 Haunted House

Despite there being a fair few worthy candidates this year, this was for me one of the easiest winners to pick. What a bolt from the blue, though - who could have guessed that LEGO would chance their arm on such a big, expensive showpiece set for a brand new non-licensed theme ? I certainly couldn't see that coming. What a great set, though - over 2,000 pieces, and a design highly reminiscent of the revered range of Modular buildings. 

The level of detail is just spectacular. Outside there are boarded up windows, distressed brickwork and shutters hanging off their hinges, all complemented by a perfect sand green and light bley colour scheme, while inside the rooms are decorated to modern Modular standards, full of lovely little touches. Someone has clearly expended love and attention on the details to give us fans something to truly savour, and it's certainly hit the spot as far as I'm concerned.

From a business perspective it's hard to see LEGO shifting huge numbers of these, so if you're wavering then I'd urge you to take the plunge - the more they sell, the more likely we'll be to get more bold products like this from LEGO in the future. It's an absolute cracker and wins the gong at a canter.

Honourable mention : Set 10223 Kingdoms Joust (below). We've had a few jousting sets in the past, but really nothing on the scale of this beauty (pictured below). First revealed at STEAM 2011 prior to going on sale right at the beginning of 2012, I thought that this set sadly missed a trick by appearing at retail just as the rest of the Kindgoms theme, notably Set 7946 Kings Castle, was disappearing from the shelves. An attractive design borrowing from both the Kingdoms Castle and revered Medieval Market Village, loads of lovely little details and a ton of minifigures and horses make this one a winner and definitely worth picking up.

4. Best Licensed Set

Last year's winner : Set 10217 Diagon Alley

2012 winner : Set 79003 An Unexpected Gathering

Last year this award literally chose itself. The winning set was IMHO so far ahead of all the other contenders that there was really only one winner. This year was a different story, however - nothing stood out anything like as much. Also, I had a couple of issues to contend with. Firstly, I wasn't even sure if I should consider the Hobbit sets at all - they only appeared in December, and I initially assumed that they were actually 2013 sets which naughty retailers were releasing early. Their appearance in LEGO brand stores and on LEGO S@H finally convinced me that I should include them, however. I also had to contend with my almost irrational love of Set 6862 Superman and Power Armor Lex (see below). In the end, however, I just couldn't ignore the charms of Set 79003 An Unexpected Gathering, the standout Hobbit release, and a genuinely worthy winner. It grabbed me from the first publicity shots, and it really is beautifully conceived and designed, utilising a host of interesting building techniques. And of course it looks lovely when completed, nailing the tricky "organic" look and  managing to capture the essence of the subject matter. If that wasn't enough, it also comes with a generous sprinkling of six key minifigures, and to top it all it's very reasonably priced for a licensed set. Bravo !

(Very) Honourable mention : Set 6862 Superman vs. Power Armor Lex (below). I love, love, love this set - a truly underrated gem IMHO. I bought this one almost as soon as it was released, and indeed at RRP despite my intention not to pay full price for anything in 2012 if at all possible. It just....works, I guess. I absolutely love Lex's mech - the overall look, the neat ways you can pose it, the colour scheme, and the fantastic primary weapon which even contains a lump of Kryptonite. And then there's the thrill of finally owning a Superman minifigure after all these years of wishing that one existed, not to mention the presence of Wonder Woman which made my wife extremely happy. A superb set at a very nice price, then. I was a whisker away from awarding this set my "Best Licensed Set" gong, and while I suspect there might have been howls of protest from many, I really wouldn't have cared.

Honourable mention 2 : Set 10225 R2-D2 (below). Agonisingly close, but not quite there... I was thrilled when this set was announced, and it was another one which I ran out and bought as soon as I could. It's an interesting set to build, looks great when it's finished, and, well, it's Artoo, isn't it, so what more is there to say ?! I guess this set suffered from unrealistic expectations however. While it's undoubtedly a loving homage, the completed model was perhaps just a little small and skinny to be perfect, and it's crying out for some Power Functions to make Artoo move, rotate his head and beep-a-beep-beep. I fully accept that this would have doubled the price, but for subject material as revered and iconic as this I just wish that LEGO had properly pushed the boat out. If LEGO had addressed my wish list above then this set would have been my set of the year, bar none. As it is, it's a worthy effort and well worth owning, but I do continue to wonder what could have been....

5. The "Phantom Menace" Award for Most Disappointing Set

Last year's winner : Set 7877 Naboo Starfighter

2012 winner : Set 21012 Sydney Opera House

The Architecture theme has been something of a mixed bag since its appearance in 2008. Nobody doubts the aesthetic merits of the glossy black boxes or plush information brochures, but the models themselves have been decidedly inconsistent, ranging from excellent to frankly shocking. And as frankly shocking goes, I think you really have to go some to out-do Set 21012 Sydney Opera House. Honestly, just look at it - ghastly. It's a miserable dog's dinner of a design, and all the glossy black boxes and plush information brochures on earth won't save this one from my derision. Just awful.

(Dis)honourable mention : Set 40026 Statue of Liberty - reviewed by me here, this mercifully small poly bag set was utterly dire. The only saving grace was that it was only available from a couple of retail outlets in New York City, so relatively few people were exposed to it's awfulness. Unlucky them, I say.


6. Best Minifigure

Last year's winner : Jack Sparrow with Tricorne

2012 winner : Queen Amidala

Like last year this was a real bastard to judge due to the high standards of LEGO minifigure design that we continue to be blessed with. Licensed themes such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Super Heroes have pumped out literally scores of excellent minifigures, and there have also been some outstanding minifigures emerging from within the ranks of the Collectible Minifigures and non-licensed themes such as Ninjago and Monster Fighters.

In the end, despite the stiff competition, the gong just had to go to the stunning Star Wars Queen Amidala figure which is unique to Set 9499 Gungan Sub. Fanboys have been crying out for a new Amidala minifigure for a decade now, and finally LEGO delivered, and how ! The figure is exquisitely detailed and beautiful, so much so that you can almost forgive LEGO for it's inclusion in a random set in which it has no business appearing....

Honourable mention : Lady Liberty, Swamp Creature, Friends. Lady Liberty, from the sixth series of Collectable Minifigures, is beautifully realised and I think my favourite of all the Collectable Minifigures to date, while the intricately detailed Swamp Creature, from the Monster Fighters set of the same name, is maybe the best of all the Monster Fighters figures. And as for the Friends Minidolls, well, let's just say that they won me over, which is quite a feat given how sceptical I was at first.

        

Honourable mention #2 : Dino. OK, so they're not exactly minifigures as such, but the beauty of hosting your own awards is that you can make up the rules as you go along.... If I was a millionaire then I'd buy up hundreds of Dino sets so I could assemble huge herds of these wonderful dinosaurs and have them roam around my house. Bloody awesome, they are. All that's missing is a stegosaurus and a diplodocus and I'd be in heaven.

7. The "Better than Expected" Award

Last year's winner : Cars

2012 winner : Lord of the Rings

OK, so once the excitement of last year's Lord of the Rings (LotR) announcement had died down, hands up if you were secretly a bit worried that the sets might actually turn out to be, you know, a bit crap....dumbed down for a younger audience, too simplistic, lazy, whatever.

Wrong, wrong, wrong - what a pleasant surprise ! All the first wave of sets have something to commend them, and a couple of them including Set 9474 The Battle of Helm's Deep (above) are actually pretty impressive. Even the smallest of them, Set 9469 Gandalf Arrives (below), is a cracker - perfectly formed and utterly charming. The minifigures are great, the new horses are great, and overall I think LEGO have done the theme justice. 

Also of note, the second wave of LotR sets, which consists of sets inspired by The Hobbit, has recently appeared on the shelves, and gratifyingly, they seem to be maintaining the level of quality established by the first wave of sets, with Set 79003 An Unexpected Gathering (below) the highlight as previously discussed.

Honourable mention : Friends. Having stuck the boot in here somewhat when I first saw images of the sets, particularly the minidolls, I had to eat some serious humble pie here when I laid my hands on a few sets and realised that the minidolls were actually delicate and quite beautiful, and the sets (or at least some of them) were quite neat....

Honourable mention #2 : Ninjago. More cohesive, interesting designs this year and a big improvement on the 2011 sets I reckon. I'm almost disappointed that the theme will be bowing out after its last hurrah in 2013, although on balance I'm glad LEGO are wrapping up the theme while it's at the top of its game rather than flogging it to death and then some - Star Wars, I'm looking at you....


8. Most Welcome LEGO-Related Announcement

Last year's winner : LEGO Lord of the Rings sets on the way

2012 Winner : Watford LEGO Brand Store

OK, OK - apologies for being so tediously parochial, but what do you expect me to say when LEGO announces it's going to open a new LEGO Brand Store just a few miles from my house ? I mean, how would YOU feel ?! Living on the outskirts of London, I already considered myself pretty lucky having three of the UK's eight LEGO Brand Stores within a hour's travelling distance and a couple more within two hours drive, but the new Watford store is really the icing on the cake. As I write, the store opened less than 2 weeks ago and I'm preparing for my first visit this coming weekend - can't wait !


9. Gimme LEGO Reader's Choice Award

Last year's winner : Set 10217 Diagon Alley

2012 Winner : You Decide !

Can you believe that a few miserable curmudgeons actually chided me for going all populist and including a vote last year ? Grumpy sods - you know you you are.... Enough people actually voted to encourage me do it again, however, so here it is !

The 2011 Winner - Set 10217 Diagon Alley

You'll have seen a poll on the right side of the page - another 12 sets this year, some licensed and some unlicensed, which I consider to be some of the highlights of 2012. Cast your votes - one person, one vote - and at midnight on 31st December the poll will close and we'll have our winner.... I've also included a "None of the above" option - choose this if you feel strongly about a set that isn't listed, and drop me an e-mail via the contact button on the top right of the screen or leave a comment below to let me know your unlisted choice; if enough people go for a specific, unlisted set then that set will, of course, be the winner.

Before I go, I'd just like to thank you all for reading, and wish you all a wonderful Christmas - have good one !

*EDIT* I can't see the poll on my iPad or smartphone - thanks Blogger - so if you're in the same boat you'll probably need to click "view web version" at the bottom of the page in order to see the nominations and vote. Sorry about that....

New York, New York

I'm not necessarily a believer in fate, but I do have to admit that sometimes it's hard to ignore. I recently needed to take a trip to New York at very short notice, and given that I'd be spending barely 24 hours in the Big Apple, I didn't figure I'd have time to do anything other than work while I was out there. I'd left the job of choosing and booking my hotel to someone else, so you can imagine my amazement when it turned out that my hotel was literally just a couple of blocks from New York's Rockefeller LEGO store, and that I'd be arriving in Manhattan just in time to pay a quick visit before closing time. Destiny, I'd say....

The store is located in New York's famous Rockefeller Center - the rent must be astronomical - and it was absolutely packed with people. Predictably enough, the clientelle consisted mainly of tourists rather than locals.

Given the store's prime location, it's perhaps understandable that in addition to the expected wide selection of 'standard' LEGO fare available elsewhere there are also a few store exclusives on sale there as well.

I picked up the keyring above during my visit; although assumed by me to be exclusive to the Rockefeller store, I guess it's possible that this keyring might also be available in one of the other four LEGO brand stores in New York State as well - does anyone know ? I've not seen store-specific LEGO keyrings before, although that's perhaps just down to the stores I've visited - "Milton Keynes" doesn't have quite the same ring to it as "New York", and I guess there's less demand for souvenirs.... You can see another store-specific item below that I picked up - a magnet set. The figure is glued to the base, unfortunately, in the now-customary fashion.

It's not just exclusive trinkets that are available either; some of you may have read my review (perhaps better described as an assassination...) of Set 40026 Statue of Liberty a couple of months back, and this set is exclusive to the Rockefeller LEGO store. Set 40025 New York Taxi (below) is also a store exclusive, and I just had to grab a couple.... The availability of store-specific sets like these reinforces the Rockefeller store's status as a LEGO flagship as it really can't be very cost-effective to produce sets and only sell them in one place.

While obviously not exclusive to the Rockefeller store, it was still nice to set eyes on the new Lord of the Rings sets while I was there, as at the time of my visit these had yet to appear in the U.K.. Although travelling with hand luggage only, and generally too mean to pay full price for sets, I couldn't resist picking up Set 9469 Gandalf Arrives which is the smallest set in the theme, and I'm pleased to report that it survived the journey back to the U.K. more or less intact.

An image of the Ring to rule them all, sitting snugly on Sauron's finger, forms a prominent part of the Lord of the Rings branding and can be seen on the front of the box (above). A restful scene of Gandalf and Frodo in the Shire lies beneath. For reasons I've never quite grasped, folks in the U.S. get the piece count on the front of the box while us Europeans don't. The back of the box (below) features a number of small vignettes including Frodo playing with fireworks and Gandalf feeding his horse and, um, delivering the mail.

You're supposed to open the box by way of the thumb tab on the rear, but in the interests of neatness I always ignore this, resorting to my usual method of carefully sliding a knife under the flaps of the box on one side and gradually prizing it open. The new horse mould was loose inside the box as were the instructions which were folded in two; the box also contained two sealed bags of parts, inside one of which was a small sealed cardboard sleeve containing Gandalf's cape.

I hate it when the instruction booklet (above) is folded as it's seemingly impossible to ever get it to lie flat thereafter; the front cover is basically the same as the front of the box albeit without all the set information. The 20 building steps are clearly printed over an inobtrusive and elegant watermark consisting of a map of Middle Earth. In addition to the building instructions, the 24 page booklet contains an inventory of parts, an advert for Set 9473 The Mines of Moria, and a useful 2-page spread showing off all the minifigures in the first wave of Lord of the Rings sets (below - click to enlarge).

As usual, I've collected together some of the more interesting parts to be found within the set in the picture below. Pride of place in the rarity stakes this week goes to the dark tan 1 x 2 x 1 panels which are currently unique to this set. This is also the case for the dark tan  2 x 4 wedge plate. The red snake can only be found in one other set, and the reddish brown wagon wheel only appears in two other sets. We'll get to the horse later.

I'm not usually too fussed about minifigures, but as a massive fan of the Lord of the Rings I have to admit I was looking forward to see what LEGO would come up with. This set contains minifig representations of two of the main characters, Frodo and Gandalf.

As befits a Hobbit minifigure, Frodo has short legs, although LEGO unfortunately haven't given him hairy feet to go with them... His simple, back-printed sand green torso and dark brown legs look just perfect, and I love his tousled hair and expressive face.

Frodo's head is back-printed (below), just in case you'd rather he looked nervous rather than cheerful. While I generally prefer to look at a smiling face, I think his pensive look probably better captures his on-screen persona. Overall, I think this minifigure is simple but superb, and I struggle to think how LEGO could have made it any better. Of note, this version of Frodo is unique to the set.

Also unique to this set, Gandalf the Grey is very....well, grey as you might expect. He seriously looks the part with his flowing beard and cape. Once again I think that LEGO have done a great job with his facial expression, so it's a shame that Gandalf's craggy, wizened face is largely hidden beneath his huge hat and big bushy beard. Again, his torso is printed front and back, although the simple back-printing is obviously hidden beneath his cape.

The build itself consists of Gandalf's cart, and you can see it below (click to enlarge). It might be small and simple, but it's elegant and looks just perfect to my eye, stocked up wth fireworks, a carrot for the horse and Gandalf's staff.

Gandalf's horse is worthy of special mention; LEGO have treated us to a brand new horse design this year, and in contrast to what's gone before this new version can be posed on its hind legs (below). The face is nicely printed, and all in all it's an excellent new mould which is being put to good use in the Lord of the Rings sets and which will also surely find its way into other themes in due course.

Put it all together and in my opinion you've got a lovely little set - great minifigures (especially Frodo), the excellent new horse, and a nicely realised cart. Overall it's the perfect introduction to the Lord of the Rings theme and has definitely left me wanting more.

The set has an RRP of $12.99 in the U.S.; I haven't seen final confirmation of the U.K. RRP yet although it's currently showing as £11.99 (and out of stock...) on a couple of U.K. retailer websites. Not exactly stellar value for money, then, but when you consider that its a licensed set with a couple of unique and iconic minifigures, the new horse and a sweetly designed cart, it really isn't too badly priced at all, and I can certainly recommend it to any LEGO fans with even a passing interest in Lord of the Rings.

Buyer beware, however - the U.S. RRP might be $12.99, but the Rockefeller LEGO store has the set on sale for $14.49 plus sales tax, a mark-up of more than 10%... Oh well, I suppose they have to cover the rent somehow...

The Gimme LEGO Awards 2011

So, Christmas and the New Year are upon us, and many are already looking forward to the first wave of 2012 sets which are starting to appear on shelves. It's therefore as good a time as any to reflect upon the past 12 months.

Overall, I think we've been blessed with some truly excellent sets in 2011, some interesting new themes, and a largely high standard of set design which puts many previous years to shame.

Here, then, for your delectation and debate, I present my own version of the Oscars - the Gimme LEGO Awards 2011 - which will hopefully give 2011 the send-off it deserves. These awards aren't voted for by a panel of experts, nor are they democratic, transparent, definitive or politically correct. They're just one AFOL's view of the best (and worst....) of 2011, and if you don't agree then tough, although there's always the comments field below if you want to challenge me on any of my selections.....

1 . Best Theme

Winner : Alien Conquest

I've made no secret of my love for this theme in previous blog postings (see here, for example) and it's therefore no surprise that Alien Conquest gets my vote for best LEGO theme of 2011.

No older LEGO fan could have failed to spot the cues linking these new sets to the classic space sets of the late 70's, but the ten sets which make up the 2011 Alien Conquest line-up don't just press the nostalgia buttons - many such as Set 7066 Earth Defense HQ (sic) and Set 7065 Alien Mothership are excellent sets in their own right.

The Alien Conquest sets feature a heady mix of bold colours, interesting designs, gimmicks such as light and sound bricks, tons of play features and even a face-hugging alien, not to mention vivid and deliciously retro box art.

Worryingly, there's no sign as yet of further Alien Conquest sets in the 2012 release schedules; let's just hope that we get a second installment in the Summer of 2012, and that the Alien Defence Unit get to fight another day...


2. Most Disappointing Theme

Winner : Star Wars

Contentious, perhaps, but if even a dyed-in-the-wool LEGO Star Wars fan like myself is shifting uncomfortably in his chair while reviewing the 2011 line-up then perhaps all is not as it should be.

For me, just too many of the 2011 Star Wars offerings are so-so sets based on the Clone Wars TV series or distinctly average remakes of classic ships, some of which are frankly almost identical to previous versions. As acknowledged in a previous posting here, with hordes of youngsters joining the hobby all the time, none of whom own the many previous versions of the iconic Star Wars craft and minifigures, I'm increasingly not the target demographic for these sets, but I still have to call it as I see it....

The 2011 line-up was by no means all bad - we were treated to some crackers such as Set 7962 Anakin Skywalker's and Sebulba's Podracers and Set 10221 Super Star Destroyer - but too many of the sets just didn't do it for me this year, and given the higher price of these sets compared with the average I really think they need to be giving us more of the 'wow' factor.

I can see some promising signs of creativity in 2012 such as the Planet Sets so let's just hope that I feel more enthusiastic when I review next year's offerings....


3. The "Medieval Market Village" award for Best Non-Licensed Set

Winner : Set 7066 Earth Defense HQ

This was hellishly tough to judge; despite LEGO's increasing focus on licensed properties, 2011 has been a fantastic year for unlicensed sets. In the end, the Earth Defense HQ set, which aside from the hideously misspelt name is a distillation of all that's great about the Alien Conquest theme and which is essentially 3 sets in one, wins this coveted prize by a nose.

Having chosen my favourite, however, I do need to acknowledge a number of other great sets which ran the winner very close. These include, but are by no means limited to, Set 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van, Set 10219 Maersk Train and Set 8110 Unimog which are also superb. Honourable mention too for Atlantis Set 7985 City of Atlantis - an underrated set which is beautiful to look at, high on play value and packed with interesting parts for the discerning builder.

Set 10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van

Set 7985 City of Atlantis

Bravo to LEGO for providing us with such a wealth of magnificent unlicensed sets in 2011, and long may it continue.


4. Best Licensed Set

Winner : Set 10217 Diagon Alley

Much easier to judge this one - Diagon Alley stands out from the licensed competition like a beautiful shining diamond in a coal bunker. It shows that LEGO are still able to step up and well and truly do the business when it comes to the licensed sets. The design of the buildings brings to mind the revered modular building range, and the variety and quality of the minifigures means that there's something for everybody.

There were a few other licensed sets in 2011 that I thought rose above the average - the Star Wars Advent Calendar was unexpectedy good, Set 7962 Anakin Skywalker's and Sebulba's Podracers was excellent, I liked some of the Cars sets, and the Pirates of the Carribbean Queen Anne's Revenge set turned out better than I expected.

Set 7962 Anakin Skywalker's and Sebulba's Podracers

Set 4195 Queen Anne's Revenge

Overall, however, I didn't think that LEGO really hit the heights this year with the licensed sets compared with their unlicensed counterparts, and I'm hoping for better in 2012.


5. The "Phantom Menace" Award for Most Disappointing Set

Winner : Set 7877 Naboo Starfighter

If you can't, or won't, improve on a set that you've already released on a number of previous occasions then please just don't bother, or at least wait more than a couple of years before re-releasing it.... There's nothing inherently wrong with this set, just that it barely if at all improves upon the previous version. Just a waste of a product slot that could have been better used IMHO.


6. Best Minifigure

Winner : Captain Jack Sparrow with Tricorne

Man, this award was hard to judge; it's been a fantastic year for the LEGO minifigure and there have been a lot of contenders for this award, with some really neat collectable minifigs released in 2011, not to mention a preponderance of high quality figures included in sets this year. All that having been said, I can still remember how impressed I was when I first saw the Jack Sparrow minifigure above. Seldom has a figure better captured the essence of the character it's supposed to represent, and it was a real stand-out for me, so it gets the gong.

Honourable mention must also go to this year's Star Wars minifigures which have been excellent - multiple remakes of old figures which have frankly blown their predecessors out of the water (I just wish I could say the same about the sets they came with....). I've also really liked some of the figures from the Pharaoh's Quest theme such as the Anubis Guard and Flying Mummy, not to mention the likes of the Hazmat Guy and the Punk Rocker collectable minifigures from Series 4, and many others.

And having had an early look at Series 6 of the collectable minifigures, I think 2012 could be even better....


7. The "Better than Expected" Award

Winner : the Cars theme

I initially had no intention whatsoever of getting any of the Cars sets at all - honest ! I figured the sets would be dumbed down for a younger audience and that I wouldn't find them of interest. And then I made the fatal error of buying the smallest sets in the theme - 8200 Radiator Springs Lightning McQueen and 8201 Radiator Springs Classic Mater - just out of curiosity, and realised that they actually weren't half bad at all....

Colourful, fun, lots of printed parts rather than stickers, and a more than passable rendition of the subject material. So I bought another set, and then another, and before I knew it I was collecting them all.

Runner up goes to the 2011 Star Wars Advent Calendar. I wasn't expected much from this either, and was therefore pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the contents.


8. Most Welcome LEGO-Related Announcement

Winner : Lord of the Rings and Hobbit licenses

This late-breaking announcement snatched victory from July's Superheroes reveal, and it's a dream come true for countless AFOLs. Honestly, were it not for the fact that in space no one can hear you scream, I reckon that the collective outpourings of joy from millions of LEGO fans around the globe when this tie-up was announced could probably have been heard on Mars....

Some of us have been pleading for this tie-in for years, and like a benevolent uncle LEGO finally came up with the goods. Clearly we'll have to reserve judgment somewhat until we see what LEGO will actually do with these licenses, but for millions this was still a superb Christmas present.


9. Gimme LEGO Reader's Choice Award

OK, so now it's your turn..... You'll have seen a poll on the right side of the page - 11 sets, some licensed and some unlicensed, which I consider to be some of the highlights of 2011. Cast your votes - one person, one vote - and at midnight on 31st December the poll will close and we'll have our winner.... I've also included a "None of the above" option - choose this if you feel strongly about a set that isn't listed and then please drop me an e-mail via the contact button on the top right of the screen or leave a comment below letting me know your unlisted choice; if enough people go for a specific, unlisted set then that set will, of course, be the winner.

Happy voting, and here's to a 2012 that keeps up the high standard !

Update 1st January 2012 : voting has now closed !