New Products at FireStar Toys

First off, my apologies for not posting much. I've been traveling alot this week. In fact I'm writing this post in an airport lounge waiting for the 'red eye' back home. But enough about me, let's talk about figs...

FireStar Toys has just released a new series of custom minifigures featuring chromed custom items from head to toe. Some items feature accessories from the Hazel Fantasy line while others are chromed Star Wars figs.

There's also a series of female Star Wars custom minifigures featuring the new Arealight printed sci-fi torsos and helmets!

Lots of wonderful custom items and minifigures to choose from. Head on over to FireStar Toys today!

miniBIGS Now the Official US Reseller of Arealight

The owner of miniBIGS contacted us to let us now they are now the official US reseller of Arealight products.

They will be carrying about 90% of Arealights products. This is great news for us here in the US. That will mean faster shipping times and likely at a lower cost too.

Arealight products are great and if you haven't gotten a chance to look at his products yet you can do so by clicking here or by reviewing some of the guides we here at the Ugly Duckling have written up here.

Visit http://www.minibigs.com/ or http://www.arealightcustoms.com/ today!

Arealight Printed Helmets and Torsos Now on Sale

Just a quick reminder that Arealight now has their range of printed Sci-Fi Helmets and Female Mando Torsos up for sale today. A wide variety to choose from and the colors work wonderfully with official TLG items (as you can see above).

Head on over to the Arealight store today!

Two Big Announcements from Arealight

Wow. I had suspected that Arealight was preparing printed offerings of clone and Mando troopers when they released their sci-fi helmet collection last year, but now that I see these pictures I am blown away. 

Not only will the printed Sci-Fi Helmets be available tomorrow, but so too will be the printed Mando helmets and torsos. The clone trooper and Mando pics show a mix of official TLG and Arealight parts.

This is an astounding accomplishment and firmly marks Arealight as one of the best custom houses out there. 

You can see more on the Arealight Flickr stream. You can see our review of the sci-fi helmet and Mando jet pack set here, or you can just cut to the chase and spend that Valentines Day money at the Arealight store ("I'm sorry dear, but we'll need to downgrade our romantic evening. How do you feel about Big Macs...") All of this will be available on February 15th.

Quick Hits: New Sets, Plan B, and More Arealight

A few bits of news coming across the wire today...

Toys N Bricks has more set pics for LEGO Cars (not the Duplo sets), CITY Harbor, Harry Potter, and the Sith Nightspeeder (above). Aside from more pics of the new LEGO Star Wars figs, there's not much else to report. Does anyone else think that the Hogwarts set is a little wierd?

UPDATE: A Modular Life has more LEGO Cars, Star Wars, Kingdoms, and Technic set pics collected from Kris Kelvin (he's the Eurobricks member who has been providing the shots). The Star Wars sets shown include Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator, the Podracers, and Republic Frigate. The Kingdoms set is theMill Village Raid and has some great views of the printed horses, goats, chickens, and pigs!

Brickset correspondent Yellowcastle shares a 'Series B' dot code sheet for Series 3 Collectible Minifigures. We had heard rumors that the dot codes may have been changed with later shipments. Now you have the ability to find the figs you are looking for. The packages this pertains to should have a 'B' on in the batch code along the bottom where the dots can be found. You can find the form in all its glory on Yellowcastle's Flickr stream.

Finally, we have more details on the Arealight printed helmets. Bluce has been so kind to put up more shots of each helmet in 360 views (Hey! That's my job...just kidding). This is a fantastic way to see as much of these great products before you buy. I can tell you from personal experience that the helmet molds are fantastic. Bluce also states that he's still working on the Mando helmets which he will try to make available very soon. I highly recommend checking out the 360 pics of the printed products on the Arealight Flickr stream.

That's all for now. More as it becomes available...

Cygnet
Minister of Information
Ugly Duck Command Center
Minifig Nation

Arealight to Offer Printed Sci-Fi Helmets

My suspicions were confirmed today as Arealight has announced printed helmets in their 'Sci-Fi' series to be available on February 15th, 2011.

I'm not seeing the Mando helmets in this pic, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them shortly.

While you are waiting for these to arrive, check out our review of the non-printed helmets. You can also peruse the Arealight store to see what else you might include with your order.

(Picture via Arealight's Flickr stream)

Darkness Decends on the Death Dealer

Geoshift shows us his latest fantastic creation - The Death Dealer. The gun really jumps out (I'm guessing it's a modified Warhammer rifle), and the details on the armor are nothing short of amazing. The Arealight helmet is a nice finishing touch, and works with the rest of the composition.

You can see this and more on Geoshift's Flickr stream. Now it's time to see if I can find that rifle...

Arealight Customs Product Reviews Collected

This post collects the product review articles for custom house Arealight Customs. Each of the links below connect to the original articles.

As we conduct more reviews in the future, they will be collected here.

• Arealight Clone Trooper Helmets
• Arealight Mando Helmet and Jet Pack Set

Arealight Customs to Close for Holidays

Arealight Customs will be closing temporarily starting December 10th, reopening on January 3rd. Bluce is gearing up for some new printed offerings (this picture above may be a hint of what's to come), and, let's admit it, the man deserves a break for the holidays.

So if you were planning on ordering any Arealight product for Christmas, hurry over their store before December 10th.

Quick Hits: Turkey Day Edition

Some quick bits of news before many of you enter an all-day haze of tryptophan and football...

Arealight now has their sci-fi helmets and jet packs in the new colors of red, blue, and tan. They just put them up today, so check them out.

There's been a sighting of a new LEGO Pharaoh's Quest battle pack sighted by Brickhorizon. Three mummies, a khopesh, scarab shield, horus helm, wings, and a sarcophagus. What more can you ask for (well an Anubus Warrior for one...but I digress). Check out the full review on Brickhorizon.

Don't forget that the LEGO Brick Friday event starts tomorrow. If you plan on buying gifts through LEGO Shop at Home this season, please stop here first and click through to help support 'The Duck'.

That's all for now. Have a great Thanksgiving and if you don't know what I'm talking about...have a great Thursday...I guess.

Cygnet

Minister of Information

Ugly Duck Command Center

Minifig Nation

Product Review - Arealight Mando Helmet and Jet Pack

Today we will be covering the new Mando Helmet and jet pack release from custom house Arealight. Although not referenced directly, these designs are based off of the Star Wars Mandalorian armor, famously worn by Jango and Boba Fett.

The first item is the Mando Helmet which is inspired by helmets worn by many Mandalorian knights and merciless bounty hunters. Although the overall design has changed through the ages, all Mandalorian  helmet designs are distinctive through the use of a ‘t-visor’ on the helmet.

Arealight Mando Helmet (Silver)

The item is shown here in sliver with a cut out for the t-visor. The picture was taken using a black minifigure head with no print (not included) underneath, creating the ‘visor’ effect. There are also two holes on each side for accessories to be added. The item is made of ABS plastic and has a good connection to the minifigure head. This helmet is available in black, white, sand green, and silver.

Arealight Jet Pack Set with and without Warhead (Silver)

What bounty hunter’s arsenal would be complete without a jet pack? The Arealight jet pack is modeled after the Mitrinomon Z-6 Jetpack worn by Jango and Boba Fett.The jet pack set comes with a base element that attaches to the minifigure via the head post and has a small hole at the top of the pack. A ‘warhead’ comes with each set that fits into that hole. You receive a ‘warhead’ of the same color when you purchase the jet pack; however, you can buy them separately in different colors for further customization. The jet pack is made of ABS plastic and fits firmly against the minifigure torso. The jet packs and warheads are available in black, white, sand green, and silver.

Rocket Accessory with Jet Pack (Black)

In addition to the warhead, there is a rocket accessory that can be purchased separately for the jet pack. Measuring 1.6 cm in total length (1 cm of the rocket will show when inserted), it fits firmly into the hole at the top of the main piece. Even with the rocket accessory in place, there is plenty of clearance for the Mando helmet. The part is made of ABS plastic and comes in the four main colors mentioned above.

There are a few important notes regarding official LEGO accessories. I had an antenna/rangefinder that came with the 2010 Slave I set. I found that the LEGO part did work with the Mando helmet. This was nice as Arealight currently does not sell an antenna/rangefinder for this piece. Another nice touch is that the LEGO flames will attach to the nozzles at the bottom of the jet pack. Tight connections insure that the flames will not fall out during display or play time.

These are phenomenal pieces and are highly recommended buys. ABS quality with good connections and fantastic details that are ready for custom paint and decal treatments. Although some may balk at the lack of print, this allows one to customize these pieces to their own specifications or to take them outside of the Star Wars universe entirely.

Additional Stats

Custom House: Arealight Customs

Website: www.arealightcustoms.com

Location: Taiwan

International Shipping?: Yes (see store for details)

Colors Available: Black, White, Sand Green, and Silver

Retail Prices: Jet Pack Set ($2.50 USD), Extra Warheads ($0.30 USD), Rockets ($0.50 USD)

The reference pictures and background information were taken from Wookieepedia

Quick Hits: Redeye Edition

So I'm finally back from my work trip and, man, did a few things happen while I was away. Let's get to it...

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean becomes even more of a reality as Disney Interactive and Traveler's Tales announced a video game based on the property will be released in May 2011. I would expect more set and minifigure news to appear around Toy Fair season in the coming months. Although financials on LEGO Harry Potter haven't been shared, the video game, LEGO sets, movie combination may be here to stay. Check out FBTB.net for more information. (UPDATE: TLG has also announced 8 sets for the line-up debuting in Spring 2011).

Also on FBTB, there's a contest in conjunction with TLG to submit your most wanted LEGO Star Wars minifigures. Now this isn't a 'who is your favorite' list, this is a 'who would you like to see' kinda thing. FBTB provides the e-mail  and other instructions for how to send your list. A select few, 10 people to be exact, will win White Boba Fetts for their participation. Here's the link for more details.

Thanks to one of our readers, Nathan, we have more details on the Series 3 Collectible Minifigures. Nathan was able to pick up a few of these at a Washington (state) Fred Meyer and provided some additional details for the Samurai, Snowboarder, Gorilla Suit, and Tribal Chief. Check out the comments for each entry in the guide for more details. I'll be updating those entries shortly. Also BrickPOP posted pics of the green Series 3 package. It's official - no secondary bar codes. You can also read Hillel Cooperman's colorful unboxing of his Series 3 minifigures on the site. The box ratios (rare, uncommon, and common) are all there too!

Mr. Will Chapman and fine folks at BrickArms released their WWII German soldier minifigs: Johann, Wilhem, and Fritz. Each fig retails for $20 and comes with a minifig stand, collector card, and great BrickArms accessories. You can check them out on the BrickArms site. Also for this month...winter camo freebies!

Arealight announced recently that starting November 25th, they will have the new sci-fi helmets in three new colors - Tan, Red, and Blue. The scooters shown in the pics? Those can be purchased now from BrickForge.

If you've checked out our customization tutorials page, you will have likely seen the name 'Lamanda2'. Well this female, customizer has several lots of hand painted goblin heads in tan and green for sale. You can check them out and negotiate a deal on her Flickr page.

Apologies for the lack of pics. If you can't find something, just shoot me a message and let me know.

Cygnet

Minister of Information

Ugly Duck Command Center

Minifig Nation

Quick Hits: On the Road Again

I've been traveling over the past few days, so posts are a little erratic. True to form, Tuesday had a lot of news to offer...

It sounds like LEGO bricks-and-mortar stores are now getting in the 2011 non-licensed sets. Reported by Toys N Bricks, I don't know if these are full set line ups or just a select few. I know last year it was just a subset of the full line. Either way, give your local LEGO store a call and see what they have in.

It would seem that 'tommy gun' element I noticed on the LEGO Pharaoh's Quest minisite is a reality. Marianne posted pics of set 7307, Flying Mummy Attack, which showed two of them attached to the biplane model. Some great new elements with this set as well, including the mummy wings, Horus-themed headgear, and of course the new figs. If the report above is true, then you might be able to head on down to the LEGO store and pick one up soon. Picture from Marianne's Model Building Secrets Blog.

Bricks Down Under is reporting that Aussie fans can potentially win an entire set of the Series 1 LEGO Collectible Minifigures just by signing up for Mini Brick Toys mailing list. The winner will be announced this Sunday, so hurry on over and sign up.

BrickArms posted this pic showing a pile of custom of Winter and Heer Soldier minifig torsos. Will promises that these will be available 'soon'.

JasBrick posted this wonderful custom Clone Commando yesterday. Jas painted the visor on the Arealight helmet and digitally 'tweaked' it to make it glow. Although the glowing effect was added in, I'm amazed at how he gives you a sense of depth to the visor. It almost looks like the visor has been cut into the piece. The Arealight helmets are popping up all over Flickr these days, showing the popularity of these pieces.

Customizer Julian Fong (AKA levork) is donating a whole series of his DC Super Hero minifigs to the 2010 Creations for Charity. This means you have an opportunity to get one of these great figs and helep out a worthy cause at the same time. At last count, the fundraiser has earned over $5,000 for Toys for Tots. A strong showing for the entire LEGO community and minifig customizers.

That's all for now, Minifig Nation. More news when I can. Also, don't forget to check the Flickr Favorites page periodically. I'm constantly updating this with new finds from Flickr everyday, traveling or not.

Cygnet
Minister of Information
Ugly Duck Command Center
Minifig Nation

Product Review - Arealight Clone Trooper Helmets

Today we will be covering the new Sci-Fi Helmet release from custom house Arealight. Although not referenced directly, these eight new helmets are based off of  various Star Wars clone trooper designs. We will cover each helmet in turn and discuss the material that inspired it.

Many of the items you will see have very similar features. All of the helmets are made of ABS plastic and were found to have a firm, tight connection to the head. All of the pieces have nice details that extend around the helmet, as shown in the pictures below. Each piece also has lots of space and surface to accommodate custom touches like paint or decals.

Not all of the helmets had eye holes or visor slits (we will indicate below when this is the case). In those instances where the helmet does have eye holes, we have a black minifigure head with no print underneath. These did not come with these pieces and there are no black visors.

The items are shown in various colors; however, all of these pieces are available in black, white, sand green, and silver.

The first item is the Commander Helmet which is inspired by helmets worn by Clone Commanders and Troopers in Phase II armor. The Phase II armor became the norm in the Galactic Republic as the Kaminoans became more accustomed to human anatomy. This upgraded system was the next step in the evolution towards the Galactic Empire’s Stormtroopers. The item is shown here in white with nice details including a cut out for the eyes and extending down the bridge of the nose. As you can see, there are holes on the side of the helmet to accommodate visors (more on that later).

The next helmet is the Bacara Helmet modeled after the helmet worn by Clone Martial Commander ‘Bacara’. Bacara headed up the Galactic Marines under the leadership of Jedi General Ki-Adi-Mundi. The unique design of the helmet was originally intended for clone tank drivers. The item is shown here in white, again with nicely sculpted details and eye holes similar to the Commander Helmet.

The Neyo Helmet is based on the the helmet worn by ARC Commander ‘Neyo’. Neyo led the 91st Reconnaissance Corps who all wore specially designed and matching helmets in order to protect their commander. The item here is shown in white with eye holes but no extension on the bridge of the nose.

The AT-RT Helmet is often seen on the All-Terrain Recon Transport drivers. The helmets of these drivers featured boosted com-links for when they were away from their walkers in the field. Many of the clone troopers were used on Kashyyyk to hunt Wookies after the event known as ‘Order 66’. The item here is shown in white with two separate eye holes. The visor on this piece is molded into the helmet and cannot be moved or removed.

The Airbone Helmet is inspired by those worn by Clone Paratroopers. The indentation on the front of their helmets helped regulate airflow as they were dropped into battle. The item here is shown in white with eye holes extending across the front of the piece in a similar fashion as the Neyo helmet. The design is more angular in nature, however.

The Commando Helmet is based on the Katarn-class clone armor worm by the Clone Commando units. Clone Commandos were used for specialized missions and operated in pods of four. The Katarn-class armor is named after a predatory animal from the Wookie planet of Kashyyyk. The Commando helmet is the most general of all the Arealight clone helmet designs. There are no eye holes or visor slits, instead favoring a smooth region over the face. This also makes this piece the most customizable as it doesn’t have a look at that instantly places it in the Star Wars camp.

The ARF Helmet is modeled after those worn by the Advanced Recon Force. ARF Troopers would be used to gather information and carry out stealth attacks. The ARF are also known to pilot the AT-RT (All Terrain Recon Trasport) walkers. Although shown here in white, they resemble the helmets worn by the Imperial Scout troopers from the film ‘Return of the Jedi’. The visor/eye holes are bigger than those featured on some of the previous helmets. The visor is part of the mold and cannot be moved or removed.

The Assault Helmet is often seen on Cold Assault Troopers. These troopers were deployed in terrain which featured extreme cold. The helmet design is similar to the Imperial Stormtroopers on Hoth from the film ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. Shown here in black, there are no eye holes or visor slits. If you want this piece to better resemble its inspiration, then you will need to add paint or decals.

There are a few important notes regarding accessories, both official LEGO parts and those sold by Arealight. I had an antenna/rangefinder and visor that came with the 2010 Slave I set. I found that the LEGO parts did not interact well with the Commander Helmet (the only clone helmet design with holes on the side). The hole in the Commander Helmet was too small for the LEGO antenna and the visor. The visor is also a little small for the width of the helmet. This said, Arealight never claimed that the LEGO accessories would interact with their parts. You might be able to modify the holes to be bigger for the antenna.

Arealight does sell a Phase I and II visor and binocular visor, but I did not have either one available for this review. I believe the Phase II visors are the ones needed to fit the Commander Helmet.

These are phenomenal pieces and are highly recommended buys. ABS quality with good connections and fantastic details that are ready for custom paint and decal treatments. Although some may balk at the lack of print, this allows one to customize these pieces to their own specifications or to take them outside of the Star Wars universe entirely.

Additional Stats
Custom House: Arealight Customs
Website: www.arealightcustoms.com
Location: Taiwan
International Shipping?: Yes (see store for details)
Colors Available: Black, White, Sand Green, and Silver
Retail Prices: All items shown are $2.50 USD

The reference pictures and background information were taken from Wookieepedia

Attention Arealight Customers

Just passing along a bit of information from Arealight. If you purchased a Commander Helmet or Commando Helmet in black from Arealight before 11/7/10, please check to see if  the head stud is missing. There have been reports of some of these items going out to customers.

Not to worry Bluce is happy to correct the mistake, just contact him via the shop and he'll send you a replacement. If you would like more information you can check out the original post on Flickr.

Do remember that mistakes happen, it's how people handle those issues once they arise. I think Arealight is handling this both quickly and professionally. And how mad can you be with that minifig head smiling up at you?

I purchased a set of the new sci-fi helmets and received them earlier this week. I saw nothing but quality from these pieces. Don't believe me? Well guess what the next product review is based on...

Some Site Updates

I've been doing  some housecleaning here on the site. I've gone back and tried to correct and update the minifigure guide for LEGO Harry Potter. Some image and information fixes, as well as updating which figures will be in set 10217, Diagon Alley. As with any of the guide entries, if you notice an error, discrepancy, or out of date information, please just drop me a line and let me know. I'll fix any issues as soon as I can.

I have also moved the 'Retailer's Bazaar' section lower on the sidebar, as it had been starting to crowd out the main site information. The affiliate sites will continue to remain at the top of the sidebar. I have also added another banner to the bazaar, BrickTW, in advance of their new product launch later this week.

As you may have seen in the previous post, I've started to collect the product reviews for Tiny Tactical. The post entry below will be updated over time, but if you ever want to make a quick jump to it, go to the 'Product Review' tab at the top of the page. There you will find links to all of the product reviews we've conducted to date. We have one more TT review planned for the near future, then we will branch out to reviews of Arealight and Amazing Armory Ltd. product. If there are certain products you would like to see reviewed from any custom house, just let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Given that I'm moving and shifting items around, if you experience any issues while viewing the site, please just drop me a line.

That's all for now, citizens, more to come once it's available.

Cygnet

Minister of Information

Ugly Duck Command Center

Minifig Nation

uglyduck.bricklink@gmail.com

Creations for Charity 2010

I wanted to mention the Creations for Charity 2010 event is going on right now on BrickLink. Many in the minifig and custom community have put forth their time and creations to make this year's event a big one. I noticed from the splash page on Eurobricks that JasBrick contributed his Tau Pathfinder. Also Legoagogo contributed a piece which is still up on the store, and Arealight contributed some of his new sci-fi helmets and jetpacks.  My thanks to everyone in the community who have contributed to this great cause.

I believe you can still participate, with creations or donations, through December 1st. If you would like more details Eurobricks has a thread up on their frontpage right now.

Reminder: New Items at Arealight Today

Just a reminder that Arealight has their new range of Star Wars inspired sci-fi helmets and jet packs up for sale right now. I placed an order at their store this morning and can't wait until these come in. 

While you are there, don't forget to check out their range of Twi'lek female heads and those famous curved female torsos. A lot to see, so check it out.

(Via Arealight Customs)

Quick Hits: Amazing Sculpts, Cosplay Fun, and Custom House News

Another big Tuesday so far, and I haven't even had my second flagon of coffee yet! Lot's to cover so let's get started...

Tyler (AKA Amadgunslinger) has posted some wonderful sculpts like the one seen here. This is a nicely detailed recon helmet, and using Sculpy no less! Also not to be missed are his mermaid and custom hairpiece for slave Leia. Needless to say, anything I would attempt would look like a reject from the Play Doh Fun Factory. Nicely done! Tyler does have an eBay store where he sells some of his custom creations. Check it out when you have a chance.

Not only is Morgan plowing through the month of October with his inspired Halloween countdown calendar, he's also had time to produce an entry for the Eurobricks Cosplay contest. Channeling a taller Kenny Baker, Kevin Chen gets ready for his first Star Wars convention.

This week is shaping up to be big for new custom house releases. Arealight will be releasing a new series of Star Wars inspired helmets on October 27th. My Imperial head gear identification skills are a little rusty, so I won't embarrass myself. Instead you can check them out yourself on the Arealight website and their Flickr stream. It's been a while since I've visited the Arealight store but it looks like it's received an upgrade.

Woody's Minifig Customs has just put up some new designs for Spartan warrior gear on his Shapeways store. If you missed it we covered Woody in a spotlight article last week. Since then 3D printing has been in the news with a 3D printer made of LEGOs that builds, what else, more LEGOs, and Badger has been showing how Will uses the technique as part of the prototyping process for development of the BrickArms helmet line.

Roaglaan has been adding and updating decals to his BrickLink store recently. With designs ranging from military, superheroes, and medieval themes I'm sure you will find something you'll like. No sightings on the store yet of his Cobra troopers decals. Let's hope they go up soon. (UPDATE: They are now up on the BrickLink store. Search by 'newest' and today's date. Torso and face stickers are included in the price.)

That's all for now, citizens. More to come as it happens...

Cygnet
Minister of Information
Ugly Duck Command Center
Minifig Nation

News from Arealight and Tiny Tactical

 Some new product news from both Arealight and Tiny Tactical. Arealight has been showing around some of the new parts they've been working on for the Star Wars universe. The shot above is for a series of new helmet designs in ABS plastic. Shown here in black, I'm certain there be some options on color. Not only is Arealight working on getting these items into production, but they also have a modular 'Boba Fett' style jetpack with interchangable missles and connections for flames, as well as new visors. No dates or prices yet. Once we hear of these going on sale we will let you know.

Earlier in the week we let you know about Tiny Tactical's new flamethrower prototype and modular pieces for the BrickArms LMG. There were a couple of items we missed, however. Take a look (above) at their 'Handy Talkie' handset and Army flashlight. Both are designed to slide into the minifigures hand, and, no, the flashlight doesn't actually light up (I asked). There's also an OD green tactical vest which can be seen here. The good news is that the radio, flashlight, vest, and modular gun parts are on Tiny Tactical's BrickLink store right now. Supplies are limited so head on over when you get a chance.

(Via Arealight and Tiny Tactical's Flickr streams)