The most interesting modern Lego series

Lego Duplo

Lego Duplo is designed for kids from one and a half to five years old. These constructors are not classic Lego in the sense that its parts are enlarged compared to standard ones. This is done, firstly, for the convenience of the youngest builders, who have not yet developed fine motor skills too well, and secondly — for their own safety: you can't swallow such cubes even with all your efforts.

Lego Duplo sets are very bright, contain large blocks — bricks, windows, doors, arches, cars, figures of animals and people. Among them there are general-purpose sets for creative construction (for example, a box with cubes), and there are special ones. For example, bathing kits (Lego Duplo set 10567) or for learning counting (set 10558).

Thematic design kits cover a variety of aspects that interest kids. These are farms, zoos (sets 6131 and 4962), circus (10550), as well as the new 2015 series "Forest Animals" (10584, 10583). Very good designers, with which you can simulate the life of the city. In particular, extreme services — police (10532), ambulance (10527), firefighters.

The guys will most likely be interested in construction site, airport (10580) and, of course, trains. The latter are a separate story. I am glad that many Duplo trains are motorized and, as usual, they can be supplemented with parts from other sets, as well as additional rails and other accessories.

Lego Creator

This series already has a specific purpose, a certain specialization and a little more realism. Usually, from the Creator constructor, you can assemble from one to three different models according to the instructions. Well, or to dream up something else. Such sets are very diverse in size and complexity. You can meet a tiny train (for example, "Emerald Express" 31015), or you can meet a huge cinema (10232) on the box of which, by the way, the age "16 +" is indicated.

All Creator constructors are divided into three groups: "Transport", "Buildings" and "Creatures". The creatures assembled from the constructor look somewhat angular, nevertheless they can be called the first step of a child to sculptural creativity. An example is a snowman constructor (40093).

The buildings of the series are simple, such as could well be attributed to the Classic ("Tree House", 31010), and there are very interesting and complex, designed for adult users, like the cinema mentioned above or the Sydney Opera House (10234). City buildings are very good in this series ("Bike shop and cafe", 21026 or "Grocery and toy store").

The same is the case with vehicles. In the Creator series, there was a place for small and simple designers like a 53-part marine aircraft (31028) and for an ambitious realistic Mini Cooper (article 10242, 1077 parts, age 16+).

Lego City

The city is a real Lego classic, one of the most beloved and long—playing series, designed for children from 5 to 12 years old. There are policemen, firefighters, coast guards, railways, various transport, airports — everything that can be found in a real city. Basically, the City presents topics of interest to boys, although not only them. It's great that you can buy one small car, or you can buy an entire area. And, of course, to combine all this with other designers, gradually building a real city in the room (if, of course, you are one of those lucky people who has an extra room for this).

Among the interesting large sets we will mention "City Square" (60026), "Police station" and "Fire station". The first one is a whole world of 914 parts with two buildings (an exhibition of bikes, a pizzeria), a bus stop, a lifting crane, a city bus, a street sweeping machine, a monument and numerous residents of the city with their skateboards, bicycles and other paraphernalia. A great set with a lot of interesting details.

Every few years, the Lego company renews the main police station of its town. At the moment the 60047 set is relevant with an office, radar, prison cells, a helicopter, two cars and a police dog. And more recently, sets of the so-called "Swamp Police" have appeared. As far as I understand, these guys live in a hot, humid climate, respectively, they have a police boat and a boat at their disposal (set "Swamp police Headquarters").

The same is the case with fire departments. If my memory serves me right, it was the fire station that was one of the first Lego themed sets. The most new "Fire truck" is a set consisting of 752 parts: a helicopter, two fire trucks, the brave guys themselves, designed to fight fire, and, of course, their office is equipped with a coffee machine, a classic descent pipe and sliding gates.

However, acquaintance with the series can always begin with a small set. For example, "Fire department" of 92 parts, contains four mini-figures (three firefighters, one mechanic), a place of ignition (looks like some kind of gas station) and a typewriter.

In 2014, the City series was replenished with brave Arctic explorers. These sets differ in "winter" colours, diluted with bright orange technology (for example, "Base of researchers", 60036), "warm" clothing of mini-figures, the presence of huskies, sledges and other attributes of proximity to the Arctic Circle.

I can't help but mention the Lego City railway. I have to note right away: there are no small and inexpensive designers in this sub-series. Is that additional sets rail, but who needs them without trains?.. Like other popular series, the railway is updated quite often, although the old trains are compatible with the new ones. Today, a passenger train (article 60051) in white with three cars is relevant, as well as a chic freight train (60052) with a locomotive, two freight cars and one carriage for transporting animals. Both trains are motorized, have eight-channel seven-speed remote control. For the full collection of 2014, only a pretty station (60050) with a taxi, cafe and platform is missing.

Lego Star Wars

One of the most numerous thematic series, which has overgrown with fans of all ages, from the youngest, who have not even watched Star Wars films, to grey-haired elders who were born long before the first (the one that is the fourth) part of the saga was conceived.

The designers of the series cover all six parts of the film, and recently the series was supplemented with sets playing out the events of the animated series "Star Wars. The rebels." You can start getting acquainted with "star Wars in cubes" from the Microfighters sub-series. It contains miniature versions of famous starships and other equipment. Each piece of equipment relies on one mini-figure. It can be an ordinary stormtrooper of the Empire, a combat droid, and Han Solo himself. The latter comes with a small version of the Millennium Falcon (75030), and the classic white stormtrooper can be obtained together with the turbotank (75028). New items look very interesting — a small version of the AT-AT walking tank (75075) and a snow speeder (75074).

Most of the sets are combat vehicles, as well as scenes from movies. The latter include, for example, interesting constructors Duel on Geonosis (75017, the second part of the film) with 391 parts and four armed figures (Yoda, Count Dooku, Poggle Jr. and droid Dooku) or a battle near Salukem (75037, 178 parts) with two ordinary droids, two superdroids, a stormtrooper and a missile with a spring shooter (the projectile of which is lost instantly, you have to be careful).

A famous scene in the bar of Mos Eisley, the largest city on Tatooine — in a chic set of "Cantina Mos Eisley" (75052). The designer contains a four-module bar with several rooms that can be moved relative to each other and a stand, a droid scanner, as well as a Luke Skywalker speeder, eight mini-figures (including Luke, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a sand infantryman and three musicians) and a dubeck figure with a harness. There are a total of 616 parts in the set.

Spaceships and other military equipment are very diverse. From the tiny microfighters mentioned above to huge detailed models. For example, the famous "Millennium Falcon" (7965), the one that Han Solo piloted throughout all the classic "Star Wars" series. On board you will find cabins, a cockpit, laser cannons, rocket launchers and six minifigures, including Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. This set is not easy to find. It is considered collectible and one of the most valuable. But not the biggest: there are 1238 parts in it, while in another valuable and very interesting collectible set "Death Star" (10188) — 3803 parts. This is no longer just a set, but the dream of all fans of the series, without exception, which is a whole multi-tiered game world with 24 figures, weapons, rooms and a ship.

We will not list everything in this article, but of the smaller combat units, we can recall the wheeled car of General Grievous (75040) from the third part of the saga with double firing guns and minifigures of Grievous and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi interceptor (75038) with Anakin Skywalker and R2-D2 and the Mandalorian speeder (75022) with a raclette grill, two warriors and Darth Maul with robotic legs.

In addition to flying cars, guys often get excited about walking robots. There are enough of them in the series. Among the novelties is a small robot scout AT—RT (75002) from the animated series. His set, consisting of 222 parts, includes three minifigures (Yoda, the captain of the droid commandos and the 501st stormtrooper). Of interest is the armored walking tank AT-AP (75043, 717 parts) with a rotating cannon, spring mechanisms for launching missiles and five mini-figures and giant AT-AT walker (75054, 1138 details) with heavy laser guns, rocket launchers and medium blasters in service. There are five minifigures in the set: General Virs, a Walker Driver, 2 stormtroopers and their commander.

Lego Architecture

The details of this original series, unlike all the others, are low—colour. It cannot be said that the models of architectural structures presented by Lego Architecture are very accurate, but they definitely look like real buildings in miniature. These sets are most often bought by adults to decorate the interior of the house (the sets usually include even special stands), or for older children who are interested in architecture. The series includes various famous buildings. For example, the Eiffel Tower (21019), the Brandenburg Gate (21011), the Villa Savoy (21014), the Trevi Fountain (21020) or the UN Headquarters (21018).

Lego Mindstorms

LEGO Mindstorms is a separate song. The series goes far beyond the scope of a children's toy, although one of the two most important points in the models is the construction. But the second point is no less important and very unusual for Lego: we are talking about programming robots. The kits consist of standard Lego Technic parts (cubes, beams, wheels, gears, axles), sensors (illumination, ultrasound, touch, tachometer), motors and a programmable unit. Robots with sensors are built from the main sets (you can follow the instructions, or you can come up with something yourself) and programme it.

Lego has come up with its own visual programming environment, which even a young (ten years old) researcher will understand, but to come up with something interesting, you need ingenuity. The newest basic set is called Mindstorm EV3 (31313) with Russified software and five proposed models. Robots can be controlled via an iOS or Android mobile device, the kit also includes three servomotors, a colour, motion, IR sensor, as well as a control panel and 500 Lego Technic parts. You can add wires, switches, battery packs to the main sets and, of course, enrich them with details from other sets.