Category: Lego Space

Top 3 Lego Alien Conquest Sets of 2011

Best Alien Conquest Lego Sets of 2011We’re counting down the top Lego sets of 2011 with today’s focus on the Top 3 Alien Conquest Lego sets.

While our other lists have counted down the top 5 of each theme as Alien Conquest is a new, small theme we decided to choose only three…but they are an awesome trio (One of them is my top 5 set of the whole year!)

Check out our other Top Sets of 2011,  Top Lego City Sets, Top Star Wars Lego Sets, Top 5 Lego Ninjago Sets and subscribe to our newsletter for more updates.

Alien Conquest is a subtheme of Space. Read more about the Alien Conquest Legotheme or sit back as we take a look a the best 3 sets released in 2011.

Top 3 Alien Conquest Lego Sets Of 2011

Alien Tripod Lego Set

3. Tripod Invader (Set 7051)

The Alien Tripod Invader is pure classic sci-fi schmaltzy fun.

Designed as a The Tripod walker is actually quite solid and isn’t likely to fall over unless pushed.

In addition the center cockpit area detaches from the legs to make a very cool little UFO.On the UFO there is a detachable prison pod to “store” humans.

The set is a unique looking vehicle, reminiscent of “War Of the Worlds” and while it isn’t a large set and doesn’t have many pieces it is worth getting for it’s quirky design.

The set comes with two figures; an alien trooper and a businessman civilian and also comes with a “head hugger” alien as well.

With 165 pieces and priced at $19.99 it makes a worthwhile accompaniment to other Alien Conquest sets because of it’s value for money and the two separate play features of the tripod walker and UFO.

The set can be found at Amazon with free shipping.

2. Alien Mothership (Set 7065)

Alien Conquest Alien Mothership 7068The Alien mothership is another distinctive alien vehicle that symbolises the 1950’s inspired cartoon feel of this theme.

While rather smaller than I would imagine a mothership to be (it only sets one alien) it does have quite a bit of presence and some very cool features.

The ship itself is 19 (48cm) in diameter so it is quite large, and includes moving parts and a sound brick.

The sound activates each time you turn the outer rim of the ship and is a spooky kind of “UFO” sound. Think something along the lines of a “creepy-mechanical-bird” chirpy noise.

The rim rotates on train tracks and it is a cool feature that works well. The central command cockpit seats the alien commander and has the added feature of having a handle coming out the side.

Kids can fly the ship around the house and also twirl the rim at the same time, as it flows easily. If the sound becomes too much parents can relax – being Lego the set can be taken apart and the sound brick removed or replaced with “non-noisy” Lego.

The two figures include a TV reporter and the Alien commander. The latter is not available in any other set so far.

Overall the Alien Mothership is another unique Space set and would inspire kids to create other sets of their own. Paired with a smaller ADU set (such as Alien Defender Unit 7050) the Mothership certainly makes an impact. It retails for $59.99 and be purchased at Amazon with free shipping.

1. Earth Defence HQ (Set 7066)

Alien Conquest Earth Defence HQ 7066This is one of my favorite Lego sets…ever!

Seriously, I loved this set from the moment I saw it in late 2010 when leaked images began to emerge. There is something so rugged and versatile about this set and it reminds me of space sets from my own childhood.

The Earth Defence HQ has so many play features that when I recently made a video about them all I even forget to put one in.

Lets take a closer look.

The set is comprised of one large, two part vehicle, a small UFO, a jet fighter and a small car with trailer.

The main attraction is the big blue HQ vehicle which measures 14 inches (35cm) long and 5 inches (12cm) tall and houses a slew of play features to keep any child (ar adult) occupied for hours.

The front section seats two figures in the drivers area which backs onto a prison area backs. An alien (or human) can be placed into the prison pod and then sealed into the prison bay. At the rear of the front vehicle is an area designated to computers, perhaps a forward operations center?

Then rear trailer attaches to the front easily and uses quite a nifty connection piece. A cool feature allows kids to jam the two halves together and form one long truck.

Alien Conquest Earth Defence HQ 7066 LabIn the rear area is the science laboratory, an area to examine aliens with an x-ray beam machine and some cool storage areas including cupboards and drawers.

On the roof sits the jet launcher, a very cool design that utilizes technic pieces and may require some assistance from adults to put together. The extra effort is worth it however as this is one cool launching device.

On top of the front vehicle is a rotating missile launcher. It uses the most nifty type of flick fire launching I have seen in a Lego set – it’s very effective.

The six mini figures are a great cross section from the theme-2 ADU troopers, 2 Aliens, one scientist and an alien clinger (my daughter thought this was cute and not scary in the slightest!).

With 875 pieces and at $89.99 this is amazing value and with a large playset/vehicle, a jet, a UFO and a smaller car it is truly one of the best Lego sets ever!

You can purchase this set from Amazon with FREE shipping.

Alien Conquest : Earth HQ- A Closer Look

The Top 5 Lego City Sets Of 2011

Lego City LogoWelcome to the third in our series of articles covering the Best Lego Sets Of 2011.

This time around we look at the Lego City theme, a perennially popular theme with kids that is as old as the Lego Company itself.

Looking back over the last year, we unveil which Lego City sets stood out in 2011, in both their appeal to kids and their affordability for parents.

The Brick Life takes into account a set’s play value for kids in both the short and long term as well as it’s value for money over time. We understand parents view Lego as a long-term toy and not something that will be built once and then disregarded for a new trend-based fad.

While you are here, you can check out our other guides to the Best Star Wars Sets and the Best Ninjago sets for 2011 or subscribe to our newsletter for more of the best guides to Lego for families.

Lego City Sets 2011

In 2011 Lego released a total of 27 City sets:

  • 19 Regular sets
  • 1 Promo Set
  • 1 Set Train Tracks
  • 1 Advent Calendar
  • 3 Mini packs
  • 2 “4-In-1” Super Packs
2011 saw Lego’s return to space (in more ways than one) and their three major sub-themes were Harbor, Space and Police.

The Top 5 Lego City Sets Of 2011

5. Space Centre (Set 3368)

Lego Space CenterThe 2011 Lego Space Center depicts NASA’s new approach to space flight – the Atlas spacecraft which has replaced the Space Shuttle as the preferred way to send humans and satellites into space.

The emphasis on this set is play.

Space Center isn’t designed to have the most pieces or the most innovative design but rather is designed to provide the best play experience for kids.

The space center is relatively easy to build and so would suit younger Lego fans (the age recommendation is ages 6+) but it also has enough play features to interest older fans.

The set comes with the main rocket, a control center, launch platform, satellite, countdown clock, maintenance vehicle, fuel tank and tool station and comes with 2 astronauts, a flight center operator and mechanic figures.

There is also an elevator which can carry the astronauts up the launch tower where one of them can fit into the cockpit.

With 494 pieces it is a short build but the final construction is one that kids can add to if they have Lego already. The nice variety of pieces makes Space Center a wonderful set for children interested in the space program.

The set retails for $69.99 and be found at Amazon with free shipping.

4. Power Boat Transporter (Set 4643)

Lego Power Boat TransporterThe Power Boat Transport combines two wonderful vehicles into one small but engaging set.

The power boat and truck combination is not new to Lego, they have made these types of sets before and kids love them.

Trucks have an inbuilt attraction to kids and there is something appealing about sitting on the floor and driving a toy semi-trailer around the place.

As a parent I have done this on more than one occasion, but usually my kids are with me when it happens :0)

The added bonus of the sleek looking power boat brings this set into the realms of “awesome” for kids, especially as the boat actually floats! This is the perfect toy for bath time as the boat is designed perfectly to fit into small hands comfortably and be zoomed all around the edges of a bath. After the bath is over kids can dry it off, attach it back onto the truck and zoom off for more adventures.

Play-wise this set is an absolute winner and also comes with two driver figures. It retails for $39.99 and can be found at Amazon with free shipping.

3. Bank & Money Transfer (Set 3661)

Lego Bank And Money TransferThe Bank and Money transfer set is a little powerhouse of a set.

Design-wise the set is almost of the caliber of one of the larger modular sets, with some wonderful detailing on the bank building, both inside and out.

For this reason it is probably more suited to older Lego kids or those that appreciate details over size. As it is quite small in relation to a set like the Police Station the Bank And Money Transfer set would also make a good addition to an already existing collection.

The two storey bank building has a safe and office inside and an ATM on the outside. The interior is decorated with plants, furniture and  money bricks as well as a skylight on the roof (which can open!).

The four figures are a police officer, bank assistant, robber and money transport agent. There are also three vehicles included in the set; a police car, a security money transport truck and a very cool off-road motorbike. Bank And Money Transfer adds another level of fun to the Lego City environment, with some great detailing to inspire young Lego architects.

The set is a limited edition and retails for $49.99 at Lego’s Official Online Store.

2. City Harbor (Set 4645)

Lego City Harbor 2011The Lego City Harbor set sits at pride of place on my desk, just behind my laptop.

I love this set because it is a beautiful combination of the Lego Harbor and Farm themes- the boat in the harbor is a green grain cargo ship and comes with a Farm sticker on the side.

Combining the city with the country themes is a great move to get kids thinking about how other people live and widens the Lego City theme out beyond the urban environment.

Color-wise and Play-wise the set is an absolute winner for kids.

The set includes a large boat that floats and has cavities to put the “grain” into as well as a bridge area where the ship’s captain steers and navigates.

Kids can use the crane to unload the grain from the ship, then drop it onto the awesome conveyor belt and move it into the awaiting tip truck. Other small details include fish, a fishing rod, fuel tank, trash bin, a pier, trolley and a rat. The set also comes with four very diverse minifigures – a fisherman, farm truck driver, a crane driver and chief officer.

Color-wise the set is one of the most highly appealing Lego sets I have seen. The yellow, red, green and blue color scheme really stands out and makes you want to play with it (that is why I have it on my desk!).

At $89.99 the set is worth the price because of the large floating boat and the sheer number of clever playable features.

1. Police Station (Set 7498)

Lego Police Station 2011Police has been a favorite part of lego City for many years and though there have been many different versions of similar sets in the theme (police cars, motorcycles, helicopters, boats, stations, etc ) Lego always manages to come up with great sets.

This latest version of the Lego Police Station is truly something special for kids and is widely regarded as the best Police Station Lego has made.

If you are looking for a set with lots of playability then this would be very near the top of our list.

First of all it is BIG!

Sure it is only 783  pieces, hardly a huge set piece-wise but Lego has managed to make the size of the final constructed station quite large due to tall the window pieces that make up the building’s three storey height.

The station houses two jail cells, a double garage, a dog kennel, evidence room, mug shot area and secret compartment. There is also a helipad on the roof (but the helicopter is sold separately). The set also comes with a police car, prisoner transport van and bicycle as well as 6 minifigures- 4 police officers, 2 robbers and police dog.

There is so much in this set to keep kids interested and engaged and it is big enough to have a certain presence that will give kids a feeling of being in the story they are creating. The pure fun this set provides is balanced by the $99 price tag and that makes the Lego Police Station the Best Lego City Set for 2011.

If you enjoyed this article check out our other Best of 2011 Lists for the Star Wars and Ninjago themes (more themes to come).

The Top 5 Lego City Sets Of 2011 Gallery