LEGO Ideas 21342 Insect Collection

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

1111 parts, 80 Euros, release September 7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The builds look good, but the set is also a pretty radical departure form the original submission by Hachiroku24. Only three insects instead of five (with the labybug and bee relegated to tiny sub-builds), and a large portion of the parts count going into the botanical display stands. I suspect many fans will feel that this is not what they voted for. That said, the remaining insects builds are quite nice. I like that the Hercules Beetle has extendable wings. The Mantis looks a lot better in the final model, though I prefer the butterfly from the original fan submission.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by BrickMonkeyMOCs

[Lyichir]

Well, I personally think it's gorgeous—my jaw dropped when I saw the reveal. I feel like it's a vast improvement on the submission, with the chosen insects more detailed and complex and the stands making the models more display-worthy. Conversely, I wasn't much impressed by the bee and ladybug from the original proposal—I'm fine with how the final model has included them as smaller accents scaled to the other insects here.

This project initially wasn't much on my radar, but now it's definitely a must-buy set.

[danth]

The final bug models do look really good. I guess they're trying to segue the flower market into buying this.

Bees are my favorite insect so I would have liked to see a larger bee model in an official set. The tiny bee doesn't interest me at all.

[Lion King]

I think bugs have printed elements as it seems to me. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Lion King

[LegoDakin]

The mantis a particular favourite of mine in this set

[Lion King]

I wonder what are these insects’ measurements? The mantis’ measurement is already mentioned on Lego S@H. 

[RichardGoring]

The stands really help to show them off, and I think they look great. Shame that they didn't keep the bee and ladybird, but I still like the set.

[Lyichir]

18 minutes ago, RichardGoring said:

The stands really help to show them off, and I think they look great. Shame that they didn't keep the bee and ladybird, but I still like the set.

My sister mentioned to me that another advantage of the stands might be to more easily pick up, move, and display the insects. The mantis in particular is bigger with more accurately slim and articulated legs than the one in the original project, so posing it to support its weight (and having it hold that pose even when picking up/moving it) might be trickier without having a robust stand for it to rest on.

The bee and ladybug are also still there—just more accurately scaled to the other, larger insect species.

[danth]

20 minutes ago, Lyichir said:

The bee and ladybug are also still there—just more accurately scaled to the other, larger insect species.

Obviously they meant that they weren't kept as full models. I mean one is literally a single tile.

And I would argue that any scale arguments go right out the window with this set. The mantis is absolutely massive, strangely even longer than the Hercules beetle.

From the original Ideas designer's own entry:

Quote

Only the Hercules Beetle and the Blue Morpho Butterfly are in real life-size. Sadly the Mantis, the Bee and the Lady Beetle are way bigger than the real-life insects, but it helps to notice the shapes and colours, and they look better as LEGO models.

 

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

I think a lot of what I miss from the original submission is the striking combination of primary colours. Losing the red and yellow of the ladybug and bee really detracts from that for me, though I can acknowledge this to be a highly subjective thing.

[Accio Lego]

2 hours ago, Lyichir said:

My sister mentioned to me that another advantage of the stands might be to more easily pick up, move, and display the insects. The mantis in particular is bigger with more accurately slim and articulated legs than the one in the original project, so posing it to support its weight (and having it hold that pose even when picking up/moving it) might be trickier without having a robust stand for it to rest on.

That thought had occurred to me as well. And lego can be rather stringent when it comes to model sturdiness, so adding the bases was probably required by whatever standards and practices department they have. 
 

[RichardGoring]

6 hours ago, Lyichir said:

My sister mentioned to me that another advantage of the stands might be to more easily pick up, move, and display the insects. The mantis in particular is bigger with more accurately slim and articulated legs than the one in the original project, so posing it to support its weight (and having it hold that pose even when picking up/moving it) might be trickier without having a robust stand for it to rest on.

The bee and ladybug are also still there—just more accurately scaled to the other, larger insect species.

Good point about the sturdiness. Certainly adds a lot to that and the model construction method options.

5 hours ago, danth said:

Obviously they meant that they weren't kept as full models. I mean one is literally a single tile.

And I would argue that any scale arguments go right out the window with this set. The mantis is absolutely massive, strangely even longer than the Hercules beetle.

True about the scale arguments, but they probably feel about right to a lot of people?

[Lion King]

Maybe in the future, we will get more Insects sets? Like hornet, dragonfly, spider (shudder…), centipede, moth , fruit fly, ant, and more. That we will get “large” honeybee and ladybug next to other small insects. 

Oh and add a giant brick (nod to Honey, i Shrunk Kids movie).

[Murdoch17]

Ok, show of hands: Who else is going to use the insects as giant versions for attacking towns, like old sci-fi B movies? (Think "THEM!" or "The Spider" or about two hundred other films I could name)

For me, the Praying Mantis is too good an opportunity to pass up!

[Lion King]

30 minutes ago, Murdoch17 said:

Ok, show of hands: Who else is going to use the insects as giant versions for attacking towns, like old sci-fi B movies? (Think "THEM!" or "The Spider" or about two hundred other films I could name)

For me, the Praying Mantis is too good an opportunity to pass up!

I need these insects for Modular Buidlings! It would be strangely hilariously that minifigures still smile while giant insects invade the city.

[Karalora]

2 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

Ok, show of hands: Who else is going to use the insects as giant versions for attacking towns, like old sci-fi B movies? (Think "THEM!" or "The Spider" or about two hundred other films I could name)

For me, the Praying Mantis is too good an opportunity to pass up!

I won't pretend that wasn't one of my thoughts...

But I don't know if I'll actually get this one. I've already bought the new Disney Castle and the Hocus Pocus cottage and a $100 LEGOLAND set this year, and that's just the big stuff, not counting all the smaller sets and Bricklink purchases I've splurged on. At some point I do have to ask myself where I expect to keep all these models when they're not on display.

[Lion King]

43 minutes ago, Karalora said:

I won't pretend that wasn't one of my thoughts...

But I don't know if I'll actually get this one. I've already bought the new Disney Castle and the Hocus Pocus cottage and a $100 LEGOLAND set this year, and that's just the big stuff, not counting all the smaller sets and Bricklink purchases I've splurged on. At some point I do have to ask myself where I expect to keep all these models when they're not on display.

I hear you - I got Bookshop, Police Station, Boutique Hotel, and Jazz Club off Lego website. I grabbed Downtown Diner and Corner Garage sets off secondary market… Yup, I have all of them this year. I now have Great Waave of Kanagawa (Art set that I will hang it on the wall). With combined Modular Building sets, i have no idea where I will put this amazing insects set. I guess I will remove stands and put insects on buildings then. 

By the way, what is that set you got from Legoland?

[Karalora]

32 minutes ago, Lion King said:

By the way, what is that set you got from Legoland?

It's the main one depicting Legoland itself, available for sale only at the theme park. I don't have the box in front of me (and I haven't built it yet), but from memory, the builds included are the entry gate, Dragon coaster, a Pirates ride, the observation tower, and a couple of smaller things. The tipping point in my decision to buy was when I realized it comes with stickers of every Legoland location and you choose the one you want for the sign. I mean...

[Accio Lego]

18 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

Ok, show of hands: Who else is going to use the insects as giant versions for attacking towns, like old sci-fi B movies? (Think "THEM!" or "The Spider" or about two hundred other films I could name)

For me, the Praying Mantis is too good an opportunity to pass up!

You just sent me right back to the episode of Magic School Bus where they learn the importance of spiders and other predatory insects while fighting/trying to save the giant praying mantis attacking a town in an old black and white B movie (that the kids can obviously zap themselves into and affect the outcome of because Magic). I really need to find that episode online and rewatch it now, it was a fun one. Might give me some moc ideas. 

[Lion King]

There is review on this et from Jay’s Brick Blog. 

[Murdoch17]

10 hours ago, Accio Lego said:

You just sent me right back to the episode of Magic School Bus where they learn the importance of spiders and other predatory insects while fighting/trying to save the giant praying mantis attacking a town in an old black and white B movie (that the kids can obviously zap themselves into and affect the outcome of because Magic). I really need to find that episode online and rewatch it now, it was a fun one. Might give me some moc ideas. 

I plan on displaying the Mantis next to my Magic School Bus MOC. (The name of the MSB episode is "The Magic School Bus Spins a Web", and is available free on Youtube.... I may have binge watched the entire series to make the MOC accurate.) The fictional B-movie even has a name, and according to my research, (Wikipedia) it was called "Stand By Your Mantis".

[Accio Lego]

4 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

I plan on displaying the Mantis next to my Magic School Bus MOC. (The name of the MSB episode is "The Magic School Bus Spins a Web", and is available free on Youtube.... I may have binge watched the entire series to make the MOC accurate.) The fictional B-movie even has a name, and according to my research, (Wikipedia) it was called "Stand By Your Mantis".

Thanks for the tip! 

[hikouki]

I think they should release the Bee and Ladybug as edition 2!

Why were they removed from this release? Is it mainly the piece count or they were worrying about the scale?

[Lion King]

6 hours ago, hikouki said:

I think they should release the Bee and Ladybug as edition 2!

Why were they removed from this release? Is it mainly the piece count or they were worrying about the scale?

I don’t think it has to do with piece count as long as it’s under 3,000 for IDEAS theme? Probably it i a price tag? Or no enough space. For stands to have Bee and Ladybug to rest on?