The filling out of LEGO Ideas’ Third 2021 Review Stage continues. At last count, the 10-K product ideas in this batch now include four building sets. It would be five if you count the interior set for BenFankhauser’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” 99th Precinct. These other builds boast nicely-detailed insides with room for the accompanying minifigures to pose in. But a new product idea with 10,000 supporters will soon give the early ones a run for their money. It’s an original theme with an attached storyline too, based on a popular sci-fi sub-genre. Say hello to Steampunk Explorers.
LEGO Ideas 10-K Club Member Castor-Troy, along with Max Brich gives us this impressive building set. It boasts a nice Victorian-era style but with aesthetically-fitting tech advancements. The building is modular and can be divided into three sections as shown:
- Left: 1F Workshop/Garage, 2F Greenhouse
- Center: 1F Main Entrance, 2F Hot-Air Balloon Hangar
- Right: 1F Planetarium, 2F Observatory
As seen, the build includes two vehicles: a 2-in-1 observation vehicle (aircraft/submarine) and the aforementioned hot-air balloon. The creators even made profiles for no less than eight minifigure characters working in this Steampunk facility. From left to right, top-down, they are:
- Franck Reade Jr. (pilot/astronaut)
- Prof. Hasan Jensendi (astrophysicist and ether particle discoverer)
- Kastor Zebulon Troy (oceanographer/diver)
- Maximus Brikonov (pilot/mechanic)
- Louis D.H. Griffont (philanthropist financier)
- Countess Cecilia de Acuña (polyglot and ancient language expert)
- Pierre-Jules Pevelverne (engineer/designer)
- Dr. Alexa Tarabotti (botanist/herbalist)
One would think Castor-Troy and Max Brich are pitching a new LEGO theme with this product idea. It might be a hit too. But first “Steampunk Explorers” much survive the Third 2021 Review Stage on LEGO Ideas. And it has plenty of serious competition already.