TahuForever!

So did they build life-size versions of the individual bricks in the set, and then piece them together, or did they just put the thing together ground up? Life-size versions of bricks would be awesome.

Ooh, alternate universe thing going on here... At first, this kind of sounded like a sports news article, but... Hoo boy, that changed. Deep theme you've got here. Yeah, I guess it might have played out even better if it had greater length. I think it works well the way it is, though. Kudos to a deep and meaningful story. Nice metaphorical use of the theme, too. (why'd you and Tolkien have to enter last-day stories, anyway? )

Aw, shoot. Got me some stiff competition here... Short, and yet an epic story of hardship and suffering, endurance, renewed hope, and ultimately... Well, settlement. Nice climax, too. I don't think I stand a chance. Yours could use a sequel, though. This is actually a rather loose fit for "settlement", although I found it amusing the way you tacked in another link to it in the end. And you even used the raven-haired woman.

Oh, Vikings? I was picturing American pilgrims, but I suppose the reference to "gods" might have tipped me off. I have to disagree with Jean, though. It seemed like a decent amount of story told to me, given the short space. Although you might have lengthened it a little. Some conversation between the star-gazers might have been nice, too, instead of her just showing up and that was it with her. Overall, though, I enjoyed this story of first arrival in a new land. Albeit, I suppose it does only somewhat loosely fit the theme "settlement". More like the precursor to a settlement, really. "Arrival" would've been a better fit, I think. And it was a rather literal interpretation of the theme, too, but I suppose that doesn't matter.

It definately ended too soon for my taste. I wanted to see where this was going. I enjoyed the images you conjured up for me here, though. For some reason I was picturing it in anime style. Anyway, I do wish there could have more, but this is from one of the fifteen-minute write-offs, right? So it's not exactly your fault. It sounds like the beginning to an interesting story, though.

Just sharing a bit of an update from a later post in the LEGO Message Board thread: Whoa... That's pretty interesting. Really, I'm not sure where the news got the idea Ninjago wasn't returning until 2014, though. I don't see anything that said so. Besides, technically we already knew there would be at least a few more Ninjago sets next year. (or us cheaters did, anyhow...) Of course, I'd thought that would be it. But there's more set for 2013? Possibly more episodes of the show included even? Wow, cool. That'll be exciting! Ninjago, Friends, Legends of Chima... So when are we going to see such a theme about pirates?

Hey, nice review. I'm a major fan of the LCM series myself. Nice descriptions and tips on how to find them. Strange as this may sound, the red cheerleader is one of the ones I want most. She's the only way to get that hairpiece in that color. There can never be enough lego pirates! And that golden sword... I also like the conquistador (more gold!) and the detailed Santa is nice. And I can see how the lederhosen guy can be a lot of fun... And of course LCM are always awesome.

Oh, pictures of these have been officially released now? Nice. Lookin' like a cool theme. Love the detail on the 'figs, and the weapons, accessories, and other pieces are nice, too. Like with Ninjago, all the vehicles that look like animals are kind of odd, though. I do like the gator-boat, though. lol Hey, and the big flying raven. A theme of purely animal-figs is unusual, but interesting. I especially like the ravens and wolves. (I have a thing for both) Too bad they're all villains. lol Ah, well. The pirate-ravens are cool, though. The rest of the animals are cool, too. Lions, gators, eagles... Man, such variety. Oh, and check out the pure black wolf... 'Twill be interesting, too, to see what the 'fig heads look like under the "helmets". So far it's lookin' to be as cool as Ninjago, and with all these factions it sounds like a complex story-line.

*pant* *pant* Last minute entry! Okay, didn't realize the story would come out with double-spacing... Or triple-spacing, whatever it should be called. Sorry to disappoint, Alex. lol Member Name: TahuNuvaFan Theme: Settlement Word Count: 873 Entry: Dancing With Shadows

Noticing a news article for an Ambage writing contest right after joining, I gave it some thought, and realized I had a good idea to go with the theme. Or good-ish, at least. lol Anyway, so here's a short story I wrote for the Ambage Fortnightly Flash Fiction Contest. Dancing With Shadows I moved stealthily through a dark aisle in a warehouse. Where is my quarry? I wondered. This was the right place. But where is she...? It all started two days ago. I'd gotten a call from Headquarters saying they had tracked her down. She was going to meet with some criminal colleagues in a warehouse not far from my vacation spot. Doesn't it just figure? I remember thinking. Take a vacation and she shows up nearby. Typical. Why had it taken me two days to get to the warehouse? That's a story for another time. Let's just say it involved an ice-cream truck and a group of enraged monkeys and leave it at that. So here I was, sneaking around in a warehouse, once again putting myself in mortal danger, searching for her, when I was supposed to be enjoying my vacation. Suddenly I saw a figure pass into the aisle ahead of me. There! I followed. Stealthily I strove to gain ground, not making a sound. Suddenly the figure dashed ahead. How had she heard me? I cursed my luck as I charged forward. Reaching the point from which she'd taken off, I angrily smashed in a small mirror with my elbow. I was a little faster than her, and steadily gained ground. I have to reach her before her friends arrive! If they're not here already... Suddenly she made a brilliant leap and grabbed a shelf, gracefully hauling herself to the top of the shelving unit. I followed, albeit a bit more clumsily. She'd already leapt to the next unit. As I leaped after her, she was already on her way to the next. As this continued, I realized I wasn't gaining ground anymore. Frustrated, I grabbed a small box from the shelves and flung it at her. My aim was true, but the missle was intercepted by a flying kick, the scattered remains raining to the floor. I re-doubled my efforts, and was pleased to find after a few leaps that I was gaining. Then she stopped, turned, and smiled at me. Inwardly I sighed. And now, as usual, begins round two... I landed by her side and we began to exchange blows, each of us displaying masterful skill in the martial art. Mind you, hers was always more agile and graceful than my heavy-handed form. But she was never as strong as me. I remember the days we had trained together... So long ago, in that old monastery, deep in the Outback of the Down Under. Long, long ago... Before she'd turned to a life of crime and helped to have the monastery burned. I'd never understood it. "Still haven't lost it", was my incendiary remark. "Doing fine yourself", she retorted. We moved through form after form, exchanging blow after blow, neither tiring, neither landing any major strikes, though by now my lip was bleeding, and her leg now bore a welt. Trouble was we knew one another's styles too well. We knew what the other would do before the other did it. Compounding the problem, for me, was that I was the best at dealing with her. Headquarters had tried sending others, but those attempts had always... Failed. Now they always insisted on me. But we always mirror each other perfectly. It was a complicated and deadly game we played. Skill didn't matter. The only way to win was through the spontaneous unorthodox. Should've seen that coming. Instead of blocking my blow, she let it land and put in one of her own in the same moment. It didn't hit me hard, but it put me off balance, and in the worst of timing, when I was already on the edge of the shelf structure. I fell into empty space. The air whipped through my ears. Then an idea occurred to me. I wasn't sure it would work, but I was desperate... I grabbed a shelf so that my body curved toward the center structure, and slammed my feet into it. Two things happened at once. The structure shook, toppling her off balance. Then the entire unit began to tilt over, to her surprise as well as mine. I managed to leap clear and find my footing on the floor, whereas she toppled painfully down to it. I was upon her in an instant, and I could tell she was physically beaten. She laughed, then glared at me furiously. "Finish it, then", she snarled. I glared down at her furiously, prepared to deliver. But in that moment, I couldn't help remembering the last time we'd fought... It had been two months before. Similar situation. She was up to no good, I was sent in to stop her. Only that time, she'd beaten me. But just before landing the final blow, something had come over her... And she'd let me live. I took two steps back and glared. "Your mission has failed. And our debt is settled." She looked surprised for but an instant, then winked and smiled. Then she was gone. I stared at the floor in fury. How long can this go on...? She, worming her way around in my heart... I heard footsteps behind me. Her friends were here. Good, I thought. I could use some exercise about now... Well, I hope you enjoyed Dancing With Shadows. Constructive criticism, comments, etc. are of course more than welcome.

So... Today's theme for BZPower news: Brains. ... Wow. Seriously, was this done on purpose? So, "Hero Factory is under attack by evil brains." Okay, then. Looks like a fun game, though. And judging from the last five seconds of the video, they even have moments of their typical humor in there. lol I like the environments, too.

Aha. Well, now I know where the LCM Battle Mech got its' color scheme. I've aways loved space themes, and it looks like we have ourselves another cool one right here. It is rather reminiscent of Insectoids. I hope this will be another of those themes with individual character names and bios, and lots of story material. (like they did with Pharaoh's Quest, one of my all-time favorites, and Atlantis, another one I liked a lot) So let's see, we have four squads of heroes up against an army of bug people. I like the mosquto people. XD What are the others, though? Cockroaches? Actually, they kinda look like Centipedes. (wow, so to whom else does THAT name ring a bell? lol) Too bad the squads use basic colors, instead of dark red and green, and navy blue. I LOVE those colors. Is there such a thing as dark orange, though? I love the robots, too. (although the blue one does look somewhat monkey-like, lol) Oh, and it's also disappointing that the "squaddies" don't have armor like the Space Marine had. The green and orange 'bots do, though. Too bad they only come in the most expensive sets. lol At the risk of getting ramblesome, here's a little review of the individual sets: Space Swarmer: Nice cannon on the robot, and you get one of the Centipoids. Nice little ship, too. Just imagine a swarm of those flying down and starting to walk around. Eww... Funny how it even has a "mouth". I can see an engine in the back, but I wonder what purpose the wings serve? Swarm Interceptor: Oh, wow that's a beautiful little ship. And you get a Mosquitoid with buggy bike, too. Nice wing piece on the Mosquitoid. The "squaddie" has nice armor decals, and I like the targeting computer over his eye. Even makes him look a little "piratey". lol Still wish he had navy blue instead of regular blue, though. You know, the "Galaxy Squad" symbol kind of resembles the S.H.I.E.L.D. symbol. It's like S.H.I.E.L.D. in space! lol The Centipoids even look a bit like Chitauri. Warp Stinger: Ooh, giant mosquitos are attacking! Not sure how this one gets through space, though, I don't see an engine. I like the bike, too. The robot looks kinda like a Calamari. (like Admiral Ackbar) Interesting boomerang-looking things on the robot. I think the mosquitoid is holding a scorpion with a frying-pan attached to it as a blaster. Kind of funny-looking, but amusing. Star Slicer: Ooh, looks like a giant praying mantis! One of my favorite insects. Nice that they chose it as the only full-size secondary to the mosquito-ship. Again, though, not sure how this thing flies through space. And I also like the Shooter- excuse me, car. Or I guess I should say moon buggy. ... Ha, I made a pun. Or you could call it a "rover". ... What, no pun there? ... Okay... Ooh, I love the red Centipoid! Again, I love those darker colors. Vermin Vaporizer: Oh, my, goodness, is that a hand-held force-field generator? Total... Nerd-out... Is... IMMINENT!!! Nice weapon, too, and head, and armor... That robot is awesome. The big mech is really cool, too. I love the truck, too. Nice for ramming things. (nice detail, too, notice the blaster marks, and especially the squished bugs on the windshield, lol) On a side note, I like this squaddies face, too. And there's a nice little "scorpion-mobile", too. Bug Obliterator: I see where the name comes from. That's a lot of blasters. This ship kind of reminds me of the MX-81 Hypersonic Operations Aircraft from Mars Mission. That's pretty cool that it can seperate from the little Shooter- ah, war rover, too. Speaking of which, that war rover has a great look about it, and how cool is that that the magazine of missiles can be raised or lowered and hidden? Awesome. So again, is there such a thing as dark orange? ... Anyway, nice dragonfly ship, too. I think those "leg" pieces are new. As a final note, there is, as usual, some nice box art, too. Nice lunar surfaces with spacey backgrounds, and I like the picture they all have of the Earth being invaded by the Swarm, who have apparently already conquered the moon. I like the off-to-the-side buildings, too. Yeah, this is a cool theme. Nice pieces, figures, and vehicles. (and box art) Hopefully there'll be a good backstory to go along with it. I love backstories. And those robots are just awesome. (none quite as cool as the Battle Mech in my opinion, but the green 'bot comes pretty close)

10,000 B.C. 'Nuff said. Oh, wait, you said "series" didn't you? Well, The Mummy would be cool. *cough*pharaoh'squestwas*cough*oneofthecoolest*cough*themesever*cough* I don't know if they'd do it, though. Let's see, some that would be awesome: LOTR, POTC, Star Wars, Indiana Jones... Wait, they already did those. Veggie-Tales. Who woudn't want to see vegetable-people 'figs? As some others have said, Legend of Korra would be cool. National Treasure would be cool, too, though maybe not "cool" enough for an actual theme. Seriously, though, there should be a prehistoric theme, complete with mammoths, saber-tooths, and cavemen. That would sure make my day.

Wow, I'm surprised there haven't been more replies here... I LOVE the collectible series! It's also a nice surprise to see the next wave so soon, though perhaps they did the same last year. Anywho, my reviews: Hollywood Starlet: Nice hair, nice dress, nice statue. Eh, nice face, too. Plumber: Wow. Finally a lego plunger! Um... Is discussion of plungers allowed on BZPower? Fortune Teller: Huh. Sort of goes with that "Sherock Holmes" 'fig from before, in that there was a fortune teller in Sherlock Holmes 2. Actually, the "business man" kinda resembled Watson, if you ask me. Nice hair, dress, and cards, too. Policeman: *whistles* AWESOME. Best lego police 'fig I've ever seen! Awesome hat. Want, want, want. Mermaid: Meh. Seen lego mermaids before. Kinda interesting, I guess. Goes with the "King Neptune" one. Nice detail on the seashells, I guess. Waiter: Ooh, nice. A younger Alfred. Cool tux. Mr. Good & Evil: What a name. Looks like a cross between Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde and Two-Face. Interesting, though. I like the hat and test-tube. Roman Emporer: Wow. That's really cool. Nice decoration all over, and a nice wrinkled face. The only other Roman besides the Soldier, I believe. Not as cool as a Roman Centurion or Commander, but still cool. Heroic Knight: Oh, ooh, ah... Total awesomeness! Definately one of my all-time favorite 'figs now! Just check out the awesome shield, armor, and legs... And the new sword! Not really that great a sword, actually, but otherwise a totally awesome fig! WOO HOO! Battle Mech: O_O Total nerd-out is imminent... AWESOOOOME! Would go great with the Space Marine, another AWESOME fig. Judge: LOL... This one's cool, too. I also find him somewhat amusing for some reason. Nice wig, hammer, and cape. I have a friend involved with the court system who'd love this one. Chicken Suit Guy: BAHAHA... Probably the best "suit guy" yet. Reminds me of the chicken suit from "Tak and the Power of Juju". Nice arms. Forest Maiden: Ooh, either Mrs. Elf or Mrs. Forestman. Doesn't look like a Maid Marian, though. But definately an awesome 'fig, here. Awesome hair, (hope we see it in black later!) awesome bow, awesome shield, nice dress. Cool. Love the face, too. Cyclops: Hey, another enemy for the Heroic Knight. Or perhaps an innocent loner of the medieval world. Unless you have multiples, in which case you could have a family. (wow, just imagine "Mama Cyclops" Well, they had an "alien queen", so...) Anyway, overall a nice 'fig. Here's yet another color for that club. Interesting "minifig head piece" under the "helmet" too, being pure orange except for a single big black eyeball smack dab in the middle. Roller Derby Girl: Nice 'fig, and thank goodness there are no "goths" this time around. Nice roller skates, those might be brand-new. Alien Avenger: Funny, I don't recall seeing him alongside Hulk, Iron Man, and the others... But anyway, nice enemy for the Space Marine. What with the Battle Mech, though, he's out-numbered. But I guess there can be multiples of all three. Anywho, nice ugly alien face, nice armor, cool all around. To anyone who bothered to read all that, I hope you enjoyed my little review! Nice bunch of 'figs here! Now I can't wait to see future waves!

A rather unusual review we have here. But I'm glad you put in pictures of the building process. Man, was it complicated. I have one question, though: What is a minifugre? I'm not completely familiar with LOTR terms. Jokes aside, that outfit is cool, as is the swordstaff. (It would be even cooler to see such a staff with a sword on each end, though!)