First reviews of two LEGO BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 sets

Two upcoming LEGO sets from the relaunched BrickLink Designer Program have received early reviews from fan media.

Five fan-created models will be available to pre-order next week, thanks to the relaunched BrickLink Designer Program, with sets inspired by classic LEGO themes such as Castle and Western. The successful submissions were chosen by the BrickLink team for fulfilling specific criteria and only up to 30,000 copies of each crowdfunded set will be available, meaning once they’ve sold out they’ll be gone for good.

BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 pre-orders will begin on February 7, 2024 at 4pm GMT / 11am ET / 8am PT through LEGO.com, with models then shipping approximately six months later. That should mean you’ll receive yours sometime around August 2024, although the platform states that ‘actual dates and shipping times may vary,’ and orders are limited to two copies of each set per person.

Months ahead of the models being delivered, two of the upcoming BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 builds have received early reviews from LEGO fan media lucky enough to have been sent the sets in advance. Kicking things off is YouTuber Solid Brix Studios who has taken a look at Mountain Fortress, created by SleeplessNight, giving his opinion on the 3,995-piece model.

The reviewer states that the set is likely to be the most popular from the upcoming BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 and he predicts that it could well sell out within less than 24 hours of pre-orders opening. Solid Brix notes that the set has plenty of similarities with 10305 Lion Knights’ Castle, with a mostly grey exterior, lots of rooms inside and multiple minifigures.

However, where Mountain Fortress differs is that it’s themed to the Black Falcon faction, has a snow-covered exterior, a working drawbridge, removable sections to allow access to a sparser interior and is much taller. Unfortunately, the reviewer says he did spot at least 30 mistakes in the build while assembling the model, although he was informed by the LEGO Group in advance that only pre-production instructions had been supplied, ahead of the company’s usual final quality control checks.

A second early look at an upcoming BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 set has also been posted by YouTuber Tiago Catarino, who’s received a copy of NicolasCarlier’s Parisian Street. The 3,532-piece model comes with seven minifigures and a total of 16 stickers, although the review copy doesn’t include final finished versions of the latter elements.

The video notes that Parisian Street shares a lot in common with other LEGO Modular Buildings Collection sets and has an open back design, complete with bakery, a pub and a flower shop. There’s plenty of architectural detail on display, although he does state the look of the model isn’t quite as polished as other finished releases.

One section of the build is taller than the rest, but a lack of any stairs inside makes it tricky for minifigures to navigate between floors. Each of the interior rooms is well-equipped, with plenty to explore, even if some of them don’t actually seem to be on the same level. Despite a lack of overall finishing touches, the reviewer still manages to find enough to like in Parisian Street, which might make the limited run model a potential purchase for many builders.

Both BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 sets will be be available to pre-order from February 7, so make sure you reserve yours as quickly as possible to avoid any disappointment. To find out everything you need to know about BrickLink Designer Program Series 1, check out out in-depth guide right here.

BrickLink Designer Program Series 1 prices

Design name	Designer	Price	Pieces	Minifigures	Stickers
Mountain Fortress	SleeplessNight	£299.99 / $379.99 / €339.99	3,995	9	0
Parisian Street	NicolasCarlier	£259.99 / $319.99 / €289.99	3,532	7	16
Old Train Engine Shed	Mind_The_Brick	£189.99 / $229.99 / €219.99	2,331	6	10
Snack Shack	DistractedBldr	£39.99 / $49.99 / €49.99	539	2	3
General Store	llucky	£119.99 / $159.99 / €139.99	1,906	5	4

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