Coming into Day 13, SW retains a one point lead over HP. Will SW increase its margin today or can HP find its footing to square things once again? Let’s find out:

Harry Potter- Day 13

Matt: After the subpar offering yesterday, HP has established a recent string of middling builds that are really zapping the excitement out of the competition. Let’s see if they can do better today. Behind Door #13 is a Yule Ball Christmas tree. This offering is both festive and (somewhat) HP related. While it doesn’t necessarily scream HP, fans will recall that the courtyard/grounds were decorated for Christmas during the Yule Ball. LEGO doesn’t necessarily do trees well and to me, this isn’t something ground breaking. Comparing it to 2019’s HPAC tree, I feel like the 2019 version is better. That said, this one does a decent job at this scale. The highlight from a pure parts perspective are the 1×1 trans light blue pyramidal pieces adorning the tree, as these are relatively rare. My colleague Patrick points out that the grey piece used to mount the star on top of the tree is a bit of an eyesore, and I’d have to agree. Using the same part in white would have been a much better call. I’d also argue the transition to the 2×2 conical piece is slightly off-putting based on the bottom part of the tree’s design. Nevertheless, I’d argue today’s offering is still floating around that “middling” territory that HP has been reluctant to get out of all week, but at least offers an on-theme, festive build.

Star Wars- Day 13

Patrick: Day 13 of the Star Wars advent calendar revealed a micro-scale Republic Cruiser, as seen in the Prequel movies and the Clone Wars tv show. This model makes efficient use of 18 pieces, most of which in the elusive dark red colour, with some nice attention put towards capturing the engine pod and satellite dish segments. This model actually hits close to home, as its an update of the first advent calendar build of the first Star Wars advent calendar back in 2011. Day 1 that year was also a Republic Cruiser, but I actually think that one was nicer opting for the Episode 1 design in all red rather than a more Clone Wars-era white and dark red. The 2011 model also had a portion built up representing the cockpit, which this build lacks and could’ve really used, as the entire front portion is flat without the suggestion of the cockpit. Nonetheless, this is a ship I’m happy to receive twice in a decade, and I hope it’s a sign of more Prequel-era builds and characters to come.

Verdict

After much debate, both sides felt that there wasn’t a standout, clear winner in today’s matchup. With that, our second (and hopefully final) tie of the season is being awarded. With the draw today, SW retains its one point advantage over HP, and the score is back on round numbers, at:

HP- 6

SW- 7

To be continued…

Patrick Barnes is back with the weekend SW reviews!

After the first ever tie was given out yesterday, both HP and SW are hoping to break the gridlock today. Let’s see what Saturday has in store:

Harry Potter- Day 12

Matt: After a peculiar day yesterday in which both calendars provided lackluster offerings, it’s anyone’s guess who will come out of the weekend with the lead. Behind door $12 is…another horcrux. I’m kidding. It’s another appalling offering, this time in the form of a window sill/frame/thing? There’s one thing to be said for attempting to make a coherent scene, and another thing to provide random, non-HP oriented offering. Today’s model actually connects to yesterday’s which might be the only redeeming highlight, save the festive wreath atop the model. Overall, I’m too tired of subpar models to really run this one into the ground but needless to say, we’re gonna put this day behind us.

Star Wars- Day 12

Patrick: Behind the door for day 12 is a Porg, as seen in Star Wars Episodes 8 and 9. This is the 5th version of the minifigure-scale Porg Lego has done, and coming off a Christmas coloured one from 2019 this one feels pretty underwhelming. Though its technically exclusive to the set, all that changes is the colour of the tail/wing/body pieces in most versions of the animal. However, as they’re usually seen in numbers in the movies, its a nice creature to get multiples of, and they generally do a good job with the design, using a reprint of the BB8 head piece. Overall, this advents first animal addition isn’t amazing, but appreciated nonetheless.

Verdict

Clearly, SW takes the point today as HP struggles to find any momentum midway through the season. WIth that, SW takes the lead once again, and the score is now:

HP- 5.5

SW-6.5

To be continued…

After 10 days, both HP and SW are knotted at 5 points apiece. We’ve seen some highs and lows on both sides so far, and it’s anyone’s guess as to what will happen in the remaining two weeks. That said, lets’s take a peak behind Door #11:

Harry Potter- Day 11

Matt: Thankfully, the emergence of Ron Weasley yesterday snapped a losing streak which we will now put in the rearview of the Ford Anglia. I’m looking forward to great things (terrible, yes…but great) from HP over the remaining two weeks. Behind Door #11 is a classic fireplace + mantle combo, presumably from the Gryffindor common room. Mantle/Fireplace settings are commonplace in various themed Advent Calendar’s, and HP itself featured a very similar entry in its inaugural year (2019). Again, a build like this is not intrinsically “Harry Potter” so I’m disappointed from a pure fan perspective whenever this occurs. That said, the build is festive with a brick built stocking that is quite appealing hanging above the mantle. I like that it features an open-back chimney as opposed to a closed chimney (2019) as I believe the trans-orange flame “pops” more. The black bar in front is also new for this year and I like this style as opposed to 2019’s entry. Worth noting the presence of “1×1 bricks with clips” on the side of the fireplace, either hinting at future add-ons to this model, or a place to store accessories we may see down the line. In summary, it’s hard to get overly excited about a build like this when it’s lacking a definitive HP imprint- but the festive nature of the build is welcome. Furthermore, we’ve strayed off course from the Yule Ball, but not sure it should be penalized for that. All in all, “Good, not great” or “pleasant but not astounding”, would be how I’d describe today’s HP offering.

Star Wars- Day 11

Steve: Star Wars puts up a solid microbuild on Day 11 – The Millenium Falcon. The round radar dish means this is either a Rebellion-Era Falcon or a post-“The Last Jedi” version. This build is just a really good microscale of the Falcon. It’s a great example of how a designer doesn’t need new and specialized parts to really evoke classic designs. It’s out of scale with the other microscale ships in the calendar, but that’s a clear limitation of the size of the builds, so I won’t penalize it for that. I WILL say, however, that the instructions may have been the worst I have seen in an Advent Calendar. This is a build that needed a “step 2” instead of trying to do it all at once. I am not sure it’s a cut-and-dry winner today. The Falcon is good, but not amazing.

Verdict

Both calendars put up less than stellar offerings today. HP strayed off theme but remained festive, while SW reinvented a build that, like the fireplace, has been in advent calendars before. Both camps were less than enthusiastic about the offerings today, and felt that there wasn’t enough evidence to declare one build a clear winner over the other. Therefore, a tie is being awarded for the first time this holiday season. The day will be split, with half a point awarded to each. The score therefore remains tied, with:

HP- 5.5

SW- 5.5

To be continued…

After dropping three straight days, HP finds itself behind SW entering Day 10. Can SW extend its lead or will HP be able to break out of its funk? Let’s check it out:

Harry Potter- Day 10

Matt: To say the last 3 days have been a disappointment for HP fans in the seasonal battle would be an understatement. Capped by the dreaded side table (which my sources tell me is used to mount the gramophone- big whoop), HP is definitely on a cold streak. I’m hoping today’s offering stops the bleeding. Behind Door #10 is a Yule Ball variant of Ron Weasley! As far as I can tell, this figure has only appeared once before, so it definitely has a rarity factor, making him a great get here. Ron has a two sided face, with both happy and sour-ish looking expressions. This is true to his Yule Ball form, as he is memorably twisted during the ball- probably due to his jealousy of Hermione/Viktor Krum and his shabby dress robes. Speaking of which, I love his dark green bowtie and printing on his dress robe attire. Capped with medium legs and an extra sprue of wands, this is a great bounce back for HP on Day 10, albeit after conceding three straight points.

Star Wars- Day 10

Steve: Here it is – the first minifig to minifig matchup for the year – and Star Wars put up a holiday version of D-O. D-O is a droid introduced in Episode 9, and doesn’t have a lot of screen time. This is a minifig only by technicality, as there’s no articulation, it’s just a single molded piece with printing. It’s nice that they included the Santa Hat (Life Day Hat? The holiday continuity gets a little fuzzy here), but overall I think this is a figure only of interest to collectors and completionists. With Harry Potter veering back to the Yule Ball theme, it’s an easy win for HP today.

Verdict

While technically this is out first minifig matchup of the season, it’s really not a true blue head to head matchup. With its rarity and significance to the Yule Ball theme and overall calendar, HP comes away with the point today. With the win, HP breaks out of its cold streak, and not a moment too soon, as the score is all tied at:

HP- 5

SW- 5

To be continued…

Entering day 9, we’re all square for the third time this holiday season. Either HP or SW will take the lead today! Who will it be? Let’s find out:

Harry Potter- Day 9

Matt: After two less than stellar entries, HP has let its early lead slip. I’m expecting a solid entry today, as HP badly needs it. Behind door #9 is…a side table. Ah yes, the infamous side table, one of the 7 Horcruxes that Harry is tasked with destroying using…ah, nevermind. There’s no way to sugar coat this entry today. By far the weakest of the season, this is a new low for HP for 2020, making yesterday’s irrelevant couch look like Albus Dumbledore himself. As for the build, the legs are ok, making decent use of dark brown 1×1 cylinders, but that’s where it ends. The 2×2 circular jumper plate in dark tan mysteriously adorns the center of the table, perhaps suggesting there is something else to go on top in the coming days? We can only speculate. The only redeeming accessory today is the clear bottle of what I presume is Pumpkin juice owing to the orange 1×1 flower plate on top. Hard to tell whether this table is intended for the Yule Ball or in the Gryffindor common room. With entries like these, HP is going to have an exceptionally hard time competing and keeping up with SW this season. This one hurts.

Star Wars- Day 9

Steve: Day 9 of the Star Wars Advent Calendar brings us a minifigure – Rey in her “Rise of the Skywalker” outfit. This is another good figure with both leg and waist printing – I feel the lack of arm printing is a wasted opportunity since the character wears armbands in the movie, but that’s a nitpick at best. While not rare or unique, the figure has only appeared in 2 sets before this, so it’s a welcome addition to my collection. Even without the “minifigs win over builds” rule, I think Rey would easily beat HP’s offering of more furniture.

Verdict

HP’s Day 9 offering beats its own record for worst advent offering yet, set only yesterday with the couch. Another lopsided point goes to SW. With that, HP has been hit with a Petrificus Totalus spell and has completely seized up, while SW is white hot, with a 3 day win streak. With the win, SW takes its first lead of the holiday season, and the score is now:

HP- 4

SW- 5

To be continued…

After a full week of advent, it’s HP clinging to a one point lead after giving up yesterday’s point to SW. Can HP bounce back, or can SW shake off its two point deficit to square the battle at 4? Let’s take a peak behind the doors 8:

Harry Potter- Day 8

Matt: After losing yesterday’s battle, I’m looking for a strong bounce back from HP on Day 8. Behind the door, is a…couch. Yup, that’s right. A couch. Presumably from the Gryffindor common room owing to it’s dark red colour, there is very little, if anything, redeeming about this advent entry- save for the metallic gold egg, a very rare piece found only in the likes of 75946 Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge. Considering the sets’ retail price of $40 CAD, you could argue the metallic gold egg is a “good get” here. But realistically, it can’t do enough to elevate this model. The couch is somewhat minifig scale so that is something, but is a departure from the Yule Ball theme. This entry makes yesterday’s gramophone look like Albus Dumbledore. Overall, a slight disappointment on Day 8.

Star Wars- Day 8

Steve: Star Wars Day 8 brings us a Rebellion-era X-wing fighter in microscale. The X-wing has made several appearances in the last few calendars, and what’s interesting is that it’s not quite the same model – each version has made small improvements to the previous one. 2020’s version is the most accurate yet, with excellent use of scale and even a small play feature with folding attack foils. An excellent addition to your micro-scale fleet.

Verdict

In one of the more lopsided battles of the season, today’s matchup is a slam dunk for SW. With the victory, SW catches up to HP and looks to take its first lead of the season tomorrow. The score is tied at:

HP- 4

SW- 4

To be continued…

It’s the Return of the Jedi today, as Steve is back with the daily SW review!

After the weekend’s offerings, HP has opened up a two-point lead over SW heading into the week. Can SW rebound today? Let’s find out.

Harry Potter- Day 7

Matt: I’ve really enjoyed the latest two entries in the HPAC as it snatched both weekend points. Behind Door #7 is the enormous gramophone seen in the 4th film, when Prof McGonagall instructs Hogwarts students in dance lessons in preparation for the Yule Ball. The build itself is actually fairly impressive- it’s faithful to the onscreen variant, and features a turntable and adjustable needle. The color scheme is solid too. I think they could have sprung for a printed 2×2 round tile for the vinyl and the needle isn’t able to make contact with the record (somewhat fixed if you remove the 1×1 pearl gold round plate, but takes away from the design). And while functionality is secondary in microbuilds, if we wanted that record to spin, we literally have a piece called the 2×2 turntable (See here). Apart from this, the build on its own is solid.

My gripes with today’s offering are more subjective in nature- that is to say, I don’t believe this object in particular stands out in the book/film. I also think today’s entry is the first of this season that does not immediately scream Harry Potter. Steve reminds me that the license for LEGO HP is based off the film, not the book, making today’s entry more reasonable. Again, we’re back on track with the Yule Ball theme as well, giving some consistency to the calendar. Overall, a really solid build but I feel like there are a plethora of better scenes/objects/items to depict for a GOF based calendar. Guest reviewer Patrick Barnes points out that one disadvantage of sticking to a common Yule Ball scene is that is may limit the possible offerings on any given day. Great point, Patrick.

Star Wars- Day 7

Steve: Star Wars needs a “W” today to keep it interesting in the early rounds. For Day 7 we get a Sith Trooper minifigure. It’s a nice figure with good leg and belt printing, and the bright red is very festive! The only accessory is the standard Star Wars blaster rifle. This isn’t a new or exclusive fig, however, and it’s appearance in a Battlepack means it’s not particularly rare either. All the figures so far have made at least a brief appearance in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special – but given how that show ping-pongs through the timeline I don’t know if we can call it a consistent “theme” for the calendar or not.

Verdict

Based on our minifig scoring metric, Star Wars returns the favor from Day 5 and steals the win with a figure over an interesting HP build. With the win, SW keeps it close and the score is now:

HP- 4

SW- 3

To be continued…

Featured reviewer Patrick Barnes covers our SW review again today!

After reclaiming the lead on Day 5, HP holds a precarious 3-2 edge. Can they expand on their score or will Star Wars bounce back as they have done consistently this season? Let’s check out what Sunday’s Day 6 has in store:

Harry Potter- Day 6

Matt: After the marvelous Cho Chang fig yesterday, I’m hoping HP doesn’t let its foot off the Floo Powder on Day 6. Behind the door is a mini-fig scale Goblet of Fire! The titular entry presents a movie-accurate, minifig scale version of the goblet. Aspiring champions from the three schools throw their name in the hat vying to be selected and deemed worthy enough to represent their school in the Triwizard Cup. This entry makes marvelous use of the 1×1 plate “with stick” (totally not the official part name) as well as a Travis brick (alas, it’s black and not brown) to faithfully represent the model. Topped with a trans light blue with sparkles flame piece, I think today’s entry is great, employing the use of some trickier/inverted techniques. I really like the way the goblet portion on the top half comes together, which wasn’t immediately apparent during construction. All in all, another strong entry for HP today as it looks to keep its momentum going.

Star Wars- Day 6

Patrick: Behind door #6 of the Star Wars advent calendar is our first advent build based on Episode 9: The Rise of Skywalker, The TIE Dagger from Palpatine’s Final Order Fleet. While this build adopts a similar cockpit shape and colour scheme to other micro TIE Fighters, it is held back by a similar disadvantage to that seen in previous advent calendar TIEs: It can’t naturally stay upright due to the shape of its wings. It’s too bad because the wings use the nice new 2×4 wing plates, which create the right shaping, but it could’ve included a little stand like the System set 75272 does. Speaking of which, the ship usually has red accents as well, and its too bad some red couldn’t be incorporated the design. Nonetheless, this is a decent addition to the calendar repertoire and the limited Sequel-era advent builds we’ve received.

Verdict

Based on HP’s minifig scale entry and techniques used, as well as significance to this year’s calendar, HP takes another point today. With that, HP extends its lead by 2, the first such lead of the competition- but again, it’s still early days. With that, the score moves to:

HP- 4

SW- 2

To be continued…

Patrick Barnes is stepping in today for the SW Review!

HP and SW are all square at two wins apiece heading into Day 5. Let’s see which calendar takes the lead in Day 5:

Harry Potter- Day 5

Matt: After losing a controversial matchup yesterday, HP is looking to shake it off and bounce back on Day 5. Behind Door #5 is an exclusive variant of Cho Chang. Inspired by her Yule Ball attire, this is an amazing fig with very detailed metallic silver and magenta accents, on a light aqua dress backdrop (rare colors all around!). I love the use of the printed 1×2 brick and 1×2 plate to mimic the “medium leg” height of the 4th years at Hogwarts. Some are criticizing the skin tone as an unnecessary decision by TLG, although worth noting that they have consistently used this skin tone with previous variants of the Cho figure. Included in the build are dark brown wands, and this entry comes with an extra sprue. Overall, a wonderful offering for today. Worth noting that this is now a step toward the Yule Ball theme and it will be interesting to see what comes next.

Star Wars- Day 5

Patrick: Behind day number 5 of the Star Wars advent calendar is one of the best micro builds in recent memory, the Mandalorian’s faithful ship, The Razor Crest. Weighing in at a hefty 22 pieces, The Razor Crest micro build effectively captures the look of the in-universe ship, making great use of the newer 1-Long bar pieces attached to hollow studs, in both black and light bluish grey, to represent the primary guns of the ship as well as hold up the engines. The engines do look a little floaty being attached from the base rather than the side of the actual hull, but it effectively captures the look with minimal pieces needed. The choice to leave the studs exposed on the side seemed odd as well, as the ship is relatively smooth in the show, but it adds some needed texture. Otherwise, this is a high-tier micro build with appropriate shaping, dimensions, and colours, and getting a Mandalorian micro build is always a bonus. Its always really nice to get a tv show build in the Star Wars advents, as most are based on vehicles, locations and characters from the movies, but the few Rebels or Clone Wars gift we’ve gotten are usually really well done.

(On a side note, the timing of this build with the Mandalorian episode that released on the 4th cannot be a coincidence)

Verdict

Both calendars offer great gifts as we enjoy this weekend, but using our minifig metric as we did on Day 4, it’s the exclusive Cho Chang coming out with the win! HP retakes the lead and the score is now:

HP- 3

SW- 2

To be continued…

HP regained its very early lead with yesterday’s microbuild. Will they expand on that lead or will SW keep it close? Let’s see what’s behind the doors of Day 4:

Harry Potter- Day 4

Matt: Behind Day 4’s window is the Beauxbatons’ Carriage with Abraxan. Coming off the heels of the Durmstrang ship, this is the magical mode of transportation used by the Beauxbatons’ girls school to travel to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. Another microbuild, this carriage is faithfully recreated to match its on screen and parent set versions (75958: Beauxbatons’ Carriage: Arrival at Hogwarts). The model includes a variety of colours, ranging from light royal blue, dark red, and pearl gold. While the wheels do not move, I think the usage of the dark tan discs work perfectly here. It is immediately apparent what this microbuild is, which is always an important consideration. The Abraxan (winged horse) pulling the carriage is recreated well, however there are many people confusing it for a swan. Overall, this is another strong microbuild, and in my opinion, the 2^nd best of the last 3 days, just behind the Durmstrang ship.

Now that we have all 3 schools represented, it will be interesting to see where the calendar goes next, and if we start getting Yule Ball related entries. Stay tuned.

Star Wars- Day 4

Steve: Star Wars reveals a second minifigure today: Luke Skywalker in Tatooine outfit, with just one accessory, a set of Macrobinoculars. The choice feels appropriate after getting the Lars Homestead yesterday. It’s not a unique figure, but it does have some nice leg printing. Overall, it’s fine. With Harry Potter putting up another stellar build with the Carriage today (and keeping their own 2-day theme with the House transportation), by our own metric I give this one to the minifigure, but it feels like SW gets lucky.

Verdict

HP comes out with another respectable microbuild today while SW produces a non exclusive fig. Given that we put more weight on minifigs, today’s point goes to SW by the slimmest of margins. The force was certainly with SW on this day, and the score is now:

HP- 2

SW- 2

To be continued…