MCU/HP are neck and neck, but SW has slipped behind. Can they get back into the mix today? Read on:
Day 8- MCU
Steve: We’re ending off the first 1/3 of the calendars today, and the MCU entry comes in festive with a gift-wrapping station.
It’s a nice build that can clip into the Hall of Armour set (like the previous wreath entry). This also means the two builds connect to make a background for your figs.
The build itself has some creative part usage (love the door element as a roll of gift wrap!) and definitely returns the MCU entries to the Holiday Season.
Day 8- SW
Patrick: Cluing up the first third of the calendar, day number 8 for Star Wars gives us another great army building figure, a Tusken Raider. These guys are seen in both seasons of the Mandalorian, though more prominently in season 2, so his inclusion is welcomed. This version of the Tusken has been seen in 4 sets in the last couple years, and has great torso and leg printing, as well as an awesome molded head. While he is a great figure to get, the advent calendar is actually the most expensive set he appears in, meaning he’s a relatively common figure. Its also too bad he doesn’t have an item to hold like a Gaffi Stick, but after the unarmed Stormtrooper I’m not surprised. This seems to be the start of a transition into Tatooine builds from Imperial, and I’m all for it!
Day 8- HP
Matt: Coming off the heels of three consecutive days of strong entries, HP looks to keep it going. Unfortunately, today’s entry cannot live up to expectations. On Day 8, we get a small table complete with a bottle and two mugs. I know what LEGO was trying to go for here- a continuation of the Leaky Cauldron scene (“Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter, can’t believe I’m meeting you at last”). This is in line with the calendar’s “Journey to Hogwarts” theme- but today’s entry doesn’t impress. I do like the flat silver mugs, and if you owned previous HP advent calendars, these do match the plates we’ve received before. So you could be building your own silver place settings by now. That said, the entry must be judged on its own merits, and as such, it’s disappointing especially versus today’s competition. Pour one out for ol’ Harry, cause this one is a bust.
Verdict
SW gets a much needed two points today with its Tusken Raider minifigure. In “The Battle of the Tables”, MCU gets the 2nd place point, with a festive offering that also connects to a previous day’s entry. In 3rd place, the cauldron is certainly leaky as HP can’t offer much today. The scores are now:
MCU- 9
HP- 8
SW- 7
To be continued…
NewfoundLUG 