Lego Minifgs: Series 3 - The Elf!

Hey all, I'm back!  After a refreshing and serene honeymoon in New Zealand, I'm definitely not looking to go back to work, especially after two weeks of nothing but beautiful vies of snow capped mountains and glacial lakes.  But I'm sure happy to be back to our home and of course, getting back to more reviews!

So I guess it's fitting that we kickoff the year with something I managed to find in a Warehouse (NZ's version of Walmart.)  There we were on the second last day of our trip, my wife and I, disappointed that there were no real finds in the toy section.  Then lo and behold, we see two lime green Series 3 boxes of Lego Minifigs!  "Elf, Elf, ELF!" was all I could remember thinking.

Mel then asked me if I had the bar code list to decipher each figure's blind bag.  Of course I didn't.  I never have them when I need them.  But I replied that the Rangerlord had told me there's a better way: to feel for the elf's bow. As the store was due to close pretty soon, we hurried through feeling the packs and concluded that someone had already been through them and taken our pointy eared friends.  We left but I was kinda expecting we wouldn't find them.

What made me go back to the crumpled packs on the shelf the next day to try again, I'll never know.  But I took my time, wanting to identify each figure I was feeling.  Maybe I'd just buy a Samurai? Maybe I'd get the Sumo wrestler.  I also realized then that the identifiable bar codes from the first two series had been done away with, so feeling the packs was the only way to find them Elves!  By the time Mel was done browsing at the clothing section and came by, I'd found two of 'em.  She also proved to be a lucky charm, helping me fell out two more! Yay!

Two of them are staying with me, and the other two are going to the Rangerlord.  It's part of our blood pact to share in our hunts. :P

So how did Lego's first ever Elf minifig turn out?  Find out after the jump!

Pieces: This badass cousin of Legolas is made up of the standard Lego minifig parts: legs, torso, yellow head, and in this instance, a shock of blond, fly-away elfin hair.  It's molded in a shade of yellow slightly paler than the head so it stands out just enough.  It's also nicely tooled to look very layered and naturally slicked-back, like all well-groomed Elves should. Hah. The torso is molded in dark green, while the arms are made of a pale green plastic.  The legs were cast in brown.

Paint: The green padded leather tunic is rendered beautifully with silver highlights on the front of the torso and extends to the top of the legs.  You've also got a silver belt complete with buckle, and a brown hem and collar with a touch of silver.  There are also brown padded knees.  The front of the cloak, fastened by a brooch, has also been printed on.  Leather straps for his quiver are also there, but the Lego-las (Get it? Get it?) doesn't come with one.

The torso has the most distinct printed designs on this figure, along with the full shield, which has a silver stag head emblem on a field of dark green and silver lines to match the Elf's padded tunic.  The border of the shield is printed an orange yellow with intricate silver patterns.  This matches his partially hidden tunic collar.  The only other thing that is printed on is the face.  And they've given a mildly furrow-browed, chiseled face.  Perfect for an Elf!

Unique Features: He's got a forest green cloak made of the standard stiffened cloth, a bow (with arrow attached), and a shield (molded in grey plastic).  I don't know why they changed angle of shield handle from vertical to horizontal because I prefer it vertical so figures can hold the shield at their sides.  The figure also comes with a standard base that's 3 x 4 but only has 4 stud running d own the middle of the top.

The one non accessory-related unique feature would be in his molded hair: the Elf has got his pointy ears molded as part of his blond locks!  Their nice and sharp and painted the same yellow as the figure's face in order to make it stands out.  This works real well when you look at the figure front-on.  But it's not as prominent when viewing the head from the side.


RATINGS

Aesthetics: 9/10 - Elf, Elf, ELF!  Elves are meant to be pretty!  And I really dig those ears--they're ingenius!

Fun: 8.5/10 - Great with Lego's Dwarves, Knights from Kingdom/Castle, and Goblins but are missing sets and other varaints of Elves to complement it.  But seeing as how they fit well with the aforementioned themed sets, I can't wait to recreate a medievel Lego D&D scene with a party of a knight, a Dwarf, and and Elf fighting off Goblins and Ogres!

Value: 8/10 - At NZ$4.75 (US$3.50), it's a great deal compared to the US$9-11 for him on Ebay. Still, he's a dollar more expensive than what he'd go for at retail here in Singapore.  But if it means I get to be one of the first to review him on Chase Variant, then the Elf way more than worth it! :)

Overall: A mighty fine 8.5/10!  Seeing that there's only 3 of him per box compared to 4 or 5 for the others in Series 3 (except the Fisherman, he's also only 3 of) makes him much very sought after.  And given that it's the first time Lego's done Elves, you should grab this lil' guy if you happen to find him, especially if you manage to feel him up at retail!