[USA] LEGO Master Builder Academy

[Legobrandon]

Is this hinting towards the Monster Fighters theme and the Large Haunted House set coming out soon?

[pumbaugh]

To each his own on comparing value...I just look at the old kit 2-6 which is 5 kits and 947 pcs for 70 bucks vs the new which is 3 kits and only 632pcs for 60 bucks. I'd much rather have another 300pcs for 10 bucks. Not saying it will keep me from buying, but I do think value has dropped considerably in this installment.

[vynsane]

^^ Yeah, the orange and black does really give off a Halloween vibe...

^ I see what you mean - from the math it doesn't seem to add up. There are more large elements in this level, which may account for the price/piece ratio discrepancy between Level 1/2 and Level 3. Since this is MBA-L3 by itself, we don't really have a solid comparison. If MBA-L4 is $40 and has another ~600 pieces, it may even itself out a bit. Comparing the value of Kit 2-6 to Kit 7-9 is like comparing apples to oranges. You really have to take Kit 1 into account, as Kit 7 has the same extras as Kit 1 did - Level Minifigure, box, sorting tray, element separator (hope it's the new orange one). So, that being the benchmark:

Kits 1-6: 1125 pieces, $100
Kits 7-9: 632 pieces, $60

If Level 4 (Kits 10-12) is priced at $40 and has somewhere in the range of 490 pieces, that would put it dead-even with the first year's subscription plus Kit 1. If it's priced at $60 and has around the same amount of pieces as Level 3, then it's still the same value as Kits 1-6, just more pieces for more money.

[1brickshyofcrazy]

Well whether the value adds up or not - when all is done this looks like a really cool set... JMO

[silvashado]

I am definitely excited about this! Finally into a realm I like and want to really learn about.

And it does very much have a Halloween vibe. I could see them tying this in to Monster Fighters and the large haunted house. That would be very cool, I think.

As for the value of the kits, there's more than LEGO pieces in the kit. There's the book and the value of the book depends on your point of view. If you only want it for the pieces then the book is not important and the kits do seem overpriced. But if you are looking forward to the instructions and education in the book, then the kits are totally worth it.

Just my two cents.

[vynsane]

^ Plus, I think the value is improved by the fact that each kit has up to 11 different building instructions. I was excited by the prospect of more online alternate builds for Levels 1 and 2, but really the Space Designer was the only one that had any additional alternate instructions.

[silvashado]

^ Plus, I think the value is improved by the fact that each kit has up to 11 different building instructions. I was excited by the prospect of more online alternate builds for Levels 1 and 2, but really the Space Designer was the only one that had any additional alternate instructions.

I was a little disappointed that other kits don't have alternate builds too. I complained to LEGO about this last year and I got a response that they will have one massive build that uses pieces from kits 1-6 and that will be included in kit 6. We will find out soon whether that's real or not. I sure hope so, but then, I have to catch up first. Though, I've been keeping my builds from each kit so far. It may be hard to take those apart to build their massive creation... unless it's very very cool.

[unclephn]

I'm still holding out hope that MBA will at some point be made available to Canada (and internationally, for that matter). LEGO almost seems like a relatively new phenomenon to the general mainstream public, what with there only currently being three LEGO brand stores open in the entire country. Having a program like this would show people how detailed and intricate LEGO building can be, as opposed to it just being 'simple building blocks for kids'.

And also because Kits 7-9 are awesome and I want them bad! :P

[vynsane]

Got the confirmation email for Kit 6 on Saturday. The email also links to the pre-order for Level 3.

[silvashado]

Got the confirmation email for Kit 6 on Saturday. The email also links to the pre-order for Level 3.

Me too! So excited to get level 3, but I gotta catch up on the previous kits including this final kit 6. I really hope it has the special build that a customer service rep told me about last year.

[vynsane]

I really hope it has the special build that a customer service rep told me about last year.

Most likely, if it does exist, it will be part of the Kit 6 online materials - not part of the Kit 6 handbook.

[silvashado]

I really hope it has the special build that a customer service rep told me about last year.

Most likely, if it does exist, it will be part of the Kit 6 online materials - not part of the Kit 6 handbook.

Makes sense. I hope it's there, just like I hope the new level 3 has more online alternate instructions.

[vynsane]

There is a "Kit 4-6 Combo Model" available for download at the MBA site. It's #9 on "To Do" list for Kit 6. It's really cool looking, it's a "Super Jet".

[TClone]

There is a "Kit 4-6 Combo Model" available for download at the MBA site. It's #9 on "To Do" list for Kit 6. It's really cool looking, it's a "Super Jet".

link please?

[silvashado]

There is a "Kit 4-6 Combo Model" available for download at the MBA site. It's #9 on "To Do" list for Kit 6. It's really cool looking, it's a "Super Jet".

Cool!! I was hoping it'd be all the kits, but I'll take that! Now I really gotta catch up and get to kit 6.

[silvashado]

There is a "Kit 4-6 Combo Model" available for download at the MBA site. It's #9 on "To Do" list for Kit 6. It's really cool looking, it's a "Super Jet".

link please?

You have to go in through your own account to get to it. I don't think there's any way to do an external link. But if someone downloads it and hosts it somewhere, then the link can be shared. When I get to it, I'll try to do that, though I only have access to image hosting, like on flickr, so I'll have to see if I can convert the pdf to an image.

[vynsane]

Cool!! I was hoping it'd be all the kits, but I'll take that! Now I really gotta catch up and get to kit 6.

I know what you mean, though I think it makes the most sense to keep it per level. It would have been a challenge to make a cohesive model out of the lime/green from Level 1 and the yellow/gray of Level 2 in addition to the white and black they both share. I would have rather gotten a Kit 1-3 AND Kit 4-6 all-encompassing model than just a Kit 4-6...

I added the PDF to my Dropbox. (If anyone's interested in checking out Dropbox, click this referral link and we both get an extra 250mb of space).

[scatmanjack]

Do any of the other kits come in the large box like MBA set 1 or are they simply poly bags and the book in a shipping envelope/box?

[vynsane]

For Levels 1 and 2 (the 'first year' of the subscription) the only one that comes in the large box with the sorting tray is the stand-alone MBA Kit 1. The rest are shipped in a thin, square mailer box containing the polybagged kit and associated handbook.

It looks as though, starting with Level 3, that each 'Level inception' kit will be packaged in another large box with sorting tray. So, per this screenshot I posted previous in this topic:



Kit 7 "The Lost Village" comes in the larger box w/sorting tray and 'element separator' (the new orange version) as well as the Level 3 'exclusive minifigure' and Kits 8 and 9 will come in polybags.

[sidersdd]

Spotted this at Legoland. No details, just a pic of the dark blue Level 4 fig.