Retro LEGO | All Blacktron II Sets Ranked!

[@M0torsagmannen]

that jetpack element is so good. i think Lego should bring it back

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Really one of the best elements from all of LEGO space.

[@Marco1973est]

Agreed

[@brb7919]

What a Saturday morning treat! I love 90's Lego Space. Another fun effort!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Though I LOVE Classic Space, it’s these 90s sub themes I grew up with, so I have a lot more to say about them 😆

[@brb7919]

@keltondavisLEGO Me too! I look forward to seeing more 90s themes, love the videos.

[@empire0]

Hard to believe these smiley dudes are a bunch of hardened space criminals😂

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Makes them all the more deceptive 😆

[@john7m7usa]

Maybe they’re just ecstatic to go and commit space crimes!

[@JustA-RandomName]

Thats what the Space Police wants you to think🔎

[@iQuitGirls99]

They just love their jobs 👍

[@Pocketkid2]

Retro LEGO by Kelton Davis is one of the best shows on KZbin!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

THANK YOU! So glad there’s an audience out there for my nerdy musings 😂

[@docnecrotic]

What an absolute joy! I prefer the Blacktron I figures, but the builds for II were great. Also, it's a seasonal miracle, TrikBrix came back as I was writing this comment!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I’m just learning of this! He was a HUGE inspiration for me!

[@joshmidd]

8:17 gotta love that alliteration! "Blacktron's vibe of villainy" 🤝

[@joshmidd]

Always love your rankings for retro LEGO. Personally, I think due to the bug style, I would put the Blacktron Octopod in 2nd place. Rather than 4th. But that would be my only personal change. I am a big fan of these giant space rovers.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Haha thank you! I can’t help it!

[@FifteenthApollo]

This channel is awesome. I love getting to see all of these retro sets ranked. I was born in 1993 and got my first set in 1998, so these were a little before my time. It's awesome! I feel like these older sets truly embody what makes LEGO, LEGO, versus all of these licensed themes they have nowadays.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Though I love plenty of what they’re making these days, these were the “good old days” for me.

[@michiganscrambIe]

Your videos make me wish I could time travel to purchase these at their original prices

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Oh that we could! Or just that I had kept my originals intact 😂

[@MystoRobot]

Man, your channel is awesome. Now I know where the random black ground plates I had came from. (someone donated them to me with a bunch of pieces when I was a kid)

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Nothing like solving a long-standing LEGO mystery!

[@chromasus9983]

That aerial invader is indeed really cool! Two buggies, huge spaceship.. and all the technical things like the radar on top and the ramp. That and the mech from earlier, shows off they could do some really fun features even with how "low-tech" Lego still was.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

This was the era that LEGO was REALLY starting to experiment, and I love what they came up with.

[@dreamcast649]

seeing spectral starguider at #1 is great, that set is the only blacktron ii set i have with box and it is perfect, back of it works decently for troop carrier functions

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I honestly didn’t expect it to hit #1, but after building these all for the first time in nearly 30 years, it’s what stuck out the most!

[@Maniac4Bricks]

I am astonished at the deployment on the Aerial Intruder/Blacktron Intruder Force! Really reminded me of the opening back of the Deep Freeze Defender. The cargo in the center with controlling pods on either side is a welcomed change from the spaceship norm!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

It’s one of the single best play features in the line! I had forgotten about it until I had the chance to build this one again.

[@adalariea]

Oh! This is the line that my older brother had sets from! As a kid I never knew, i was much younger then him, inherited his Legos.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Glad I could assist with your LEGO epiphany!

[@George-wm4qk]

What a wonderful channel! One of the best in Lego space.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Thank you! 🙏

[@pauld348]

Great video. I love the design on these kits.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

The color scheme and play features are particularly satisfying. One of LEGO's best eras.

[@Flowfighter1]

My personal space collection leans right on the edge of the end of Blacktron II, but this video has given me some inspiration to pick a few of them up!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

You won’t regret it!

[@natef15]

I had a lot of fun with the Spectral Starguider as a kid and I'm glad you placed it ahead of the Outpost. Great video as always!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Had to go with my gut! Love that set.

[@fallsilently8666]

THIS is the series of my childhood. I had some of the smaller sets, but oh how I wanted that base. The trans-neon green is still my favourite colour in Lego today.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

The base was definitely a catalog-gazer for me.

[@strutsstudios]

Wonderful theme and wonderful channel. I should binge all of these while I edit 🎉

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I designed these to be endlessly binge-able, so binge on!!

[@strutsstudios]

@@keltondavisLEGO I just might!!

[@QZification]

hey kd, nice vids, i love your retro lego rankings. i think it could be a great idea to make a mixed ranking, for exempal your favourit 10 space sets out of all the fractions - would love it

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I’ve thought about that! I have some ideas for future videos that follow that format.

[@EpicoNubletto]

Awesome video on an awesome theme! Really excited to see the Spectral Starguider as the #1 set. I have it and I love it. I like to see it as a troop carrier. I have 6 minifigs on mine, the flat back section is perfect for filling with extra minifigs!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I didn’t know what to expect when building these all for first time in almost 30 years, but the Spectral Starguider really stuck out to me!

[@igorkhovanskiy3283]

Great quality as always!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Thank you so much!

[@npucentral5811]

Always love your videos. I didn't grow up with this era of Lego so it's fun to see how different it was.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Those were the days that got me hooked on LEGO for life! So glad I can share them with those who didn’t experience it firsthand.

[@TheAtoll]

Thank you for changing the background color in this video.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

It was a great suggestion!

[@petern6448]

I absolutely loved this video I have, and got them as a child, the blacktron star strider, grid trekkor, tri-wheeled tyrax and the spectral starguider. These were sets that I absolutely enjoyed as a kid. I need to remake them from my childhood bin which is separate from my newer lego collection. Really enjoyed the video.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

If I’m proud of anything on this channel, it’s getting people to rebuild their favorite sets from childhood.

[@vwing20]

These were some of my entry Lego sets as a child and I loved that they were simple enough for me to build on my own. Definitely the roots of my Lego sci-fi interests. The Explorians collection is oddly the one I get nostalgic over for how grand the flagship was.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

It’s hard to beat the Exploriens Starship. Probably the best flagship in all of LEGO Space.

[@vwing20]

@ The latest space theme really inspires me to make a modern update to that Starship set. If I ever get around to mocing one up I’ll be sure to share the results!

[@SuperSecretBricks]

As a kid, I had the Tri wheel tyrax, as well as two Allied Avengers. The tyrax has such a cool and strong look, while the allied avengers had such an elegant stance (not even mentioning it was to little kid me an x-wing fighter just a couple of years before LEGO finally joined hands with Lucas films)

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Love hearing everyone’s childhood experiences with these.

[@joetreleaven5462]

Note the fiberoptic properties of the clear green plastic.. amazing

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I love putting them under the blue LEDs of my LEGO room. Looks so cool! 😎

[@joetreleaven5462]

@keltondavisLEGO interesting how those pieces still give off a nice glowing effect after all these years..

[@michaelm4810]

I have the Two Pilot Craft, Tri-Wheeled Tyrax, Sub-Orbital Guardian, two Allied Avengers, Aerial Intruder, and I used to have the Alpha Centauri Outpost (sold on Ebay years ago for about retail price). One of my favorite themes! These sets look so cool. My favorite is the Allied Avenger... such a sinister-looking, unique ship! It reminds me of the Scooby Doo Space Kook ship.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

That’s a nice collection! I’m not looking forward to having to return these to Alex. Such treasures!

[@michaelm4810]

@keltondavisLEGO yes, Lego hit a lot of home runs with the themes around that time. It must be a lot of fun to document these sets!

[@LaNoLaCola]

The black and green make me think of The Matrix or the original Xbox

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Certainly has that vibe!

[@Marco1973est]

Owning the OG Blacktron ( black and yellow) all sets - to me that was the classic and best. By the time 1991 rolled around and I was 17 - I remember walking by the section of LEGO (During my dark, black out period) and remember saying to myself - what a watered down simplified , half attempt of creating LEGO space with this “ new style” Blacktron. I thought it looked cheap then ( less build quality , less structure and pieces , less bulk , and weird color combos with the silly B ) and watching this video now - some 33 years later - I feel the exact same way. In the LEGO vault is where those sets should remain. ( Good video tho ‘ cheers ( liked the music selection too).

[@Maniac4Bricks]

I didn't know much about the Spectral Starguider before this video, but I am easily won over by this too. I think it's a great set to encapsulate Blacktron II features - the global canpoies and the interchangeable assemblies - while offering its own play features to the mix with rear steering and working suspension. In fact, the platform on the back looks large enough to house a smaller Blacktron II ship like the Scout Patrol Ship, the Two-Pilot Craft or the Grid Trekkor!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

It’s a winner all around!

[@FinnBricks]

Exactly the list I would have made. I'm lucky enough to own all of these sets (including the Super Model). Nothing beats the Spectral Starguider. It's just so beautiful.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

That’s quite the collection! Glad to see we’re on the same brainwave.

[@TheDoughboy1917]

"What say you to the space court in defense of all your horrid space crimes?" ":)"

[@keltondavisLEGO]

😂 They love their job

[@jf9229]

love the soundtrack:)

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Thanks! I first used it for my Exploriens video, but it seemed to fit really well with Blacktron as well.

[@Maniac4Bricks]

Alpha Centauri Outpost is a catchy name, but I do agree the Message Intercept Base is a greater Blacktron headquarters.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Agreed on both points!

[@Maniac4Bricks]

I may be in the minority, but I really enjoy the Blacktron II sets. Sure they look less intimidating than their forefather wave, but still have a great space feel to me. To be fair, I was introduced to these sets before I had a Blacktron I set in hand in any capacity beyond a minifigure. I enjoy Scout Patrol Ship because it has a subtle asymmetric design in the wings, due in part to the long plate with hinges at both ends running through the base. Sure it's an easy tweak nowadays for a symmetrical design, but I find it a great way to work with what parts were available while keeping the build simple. Super Nova II/Blacktron Star Rider is my favorite Classic Space small craft - it has style while being sleek. It has function while being compact. There's a Futuron set that looks remarkably similar to this one, 6830 Space Patroller, while still standing out in its own way. I'd like to herald the headcanon that Super Nova II was a stolen and modified version of the Space Patroller craft. Maybe the naming convention is a cover-up, since there was no Super Nova I LEGO set, let alone in space. I was happy for a time that I had Allied Avenger/Blacktron Octopod with the box as well, despite being in rough shape. This definitely elevates the profile of the Super Nova II but in some ways takes a step back. The pod separating in the front is neat and encourages play with other sets. The complete enclosure with the octagonal panels is LEGO design genius, and I'm glad other sets follow suit too. I'm not a fan of the wings being stuck in a static pose, but maybe that's just the X-Wing in me talking to have the fold up. And a ship this large should have some extra storage, especially when something as small as the Super Nova II could pull off, but this is easy to mod in some mailboxes. I also noticed your copy has two kinds of octagonal panels, one with the axle hole and one without. Both are valid!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Thank you for your insights! Though I do generally prefer the original Blacktron, these sets are a worthy follow-up.

[@jeffreyhawkins1027]

I'm a sucker for modularity; these guys just jumped in coolness.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

You? Modularity? Nah, I don’t believe it 😜

[@jeffreyhawkins1027]

Lol, guess that's not surprising from the AFOL who became 10 years old again when describing how awesome Life on Mars is...

[@dawnbreakerdrake8427]

the starguider is deffinetly deserving of the top spot it is a set that genuanly surprised me with it's function, it has both steering and suspension, in a set from 1991, it feels ahead of it's time

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I quite agree! They were really pushing the envelope during this era.

[@deckie_]

3:23 - 3:28 subtle redesign ;)

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Oh boy, what did I screw up this time? 😆

[@darkmoon5564]

@@keltondavisLEGO hinge placement, the second shot has the correct placement

[@random1911]

Ahh, Blacktron II ❤! Thanks for review! Always dream about it then I was child. Finally bought aerial intruder month ago. BTW, what is your favorite space base set, Kelton?

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I think it might be a toss-up between Message Intercept Base from Blacktron 1 and Android Base from Exploriens. Both are excellent.

[@fireboy312002]

I cannot believe these are the villains. They probably never well, I would love a third version with the black form the first and all, but with this bright green (WHY DID THEY GET RID OF THIS?!). I think it would be a fun mix. Drop the white. Time will tell.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I wouldn’t say it’s likely for a full series, but some sort of CMF or GWP is pretty likely, as they’ve already done some modern Blacktron stuff.

[@fireboy312002]

@keltondavisLEGO I have said this a few times, I would love a classic theme. Lets say x amount of small, medium and one large. Have the themes change, so one of the small and one medium are space while the rest are something different. Would love if the large also had a small that wasn't gwp. There are a lot of great themes, but like you said do we need a whoel theme? Like I would love a new Aquazone ship, don't need five. Just putting it out there, time will tell.

[@revtengu178]

wondering what your cutoff for the definition of retro is -- would love for you to cover Agents!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I don’t have a hard cutoff, but I’d say anything at least 15-20 years old could easily be considered Retro. Not sure I’ve heard of the Agents theme (unless you’re taking about Alpha Team?)

[@pinfarmer]

someone near me is selling this whole line as well as m tron. Taking all my will not do drop tons of money and gobble them all up!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I’m not sure I can give you much inspiration to save money 😂

[@rowanmichaels]

Why do most of these sets have two / alternative names? Is it something to do with localization or is it because of marketing information?

[@keltondavisLEGO]

This and M:Tron were marketed a bit differently between Europe and North America, so the set names were different. Not sure why they made that decision 🤷‍♂️

[@georgecheliotis418]

I would have put aerial intruder at 1 because that is the most famous and defining set from blacktron 2.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Perfectly valid! It’s a great set.

[@andrewepp6763]

Spectral starguider is awesome

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Couldn't be beat!

[@xityarxip]

I highly doubt that top piece on number 3 is a helicopter piece rather a radar of sorts to communicate with the deployed vehicles, the whole set piece is a hover dropship not a helicopter at all.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

You’re most likely right, but I just like the idea of space helicopters 😂

[@mitch8072]

are you sure the prices are correct? set 7 ,8, 9 are 62 dolars new and 13 used. great video

[@keltondavisLEGO]

The Brickset prices for these were all over the place, and I couldn't really find any other resources for pricing on these, so it's basically a big question mark for a lot of these. LOL.

[@SeverinThirteen]

helllllllllllllllllllllllllllll yeah

[@keltondavisLEGO]

😎

[@dbsm206]

this is what lego need to go back to.

[@keltondavisLEGO]

I would certainly welcome a lot of these styles and play features back into modern LEGO.

[@guchypoo]

Love the videos.. but that popping stereo effect of the music is freaking my ears out?? No one else hears the popping??

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Hmm, on my end I don’t hear anything out of the ordinary. Curious to see if it’s an issue for anyone else.

[@EpicoNubletto]

I didn't hear anything unusual or unpleasant while watching

[@deckie_]

I do hear a popping sound through my headphones around, for example, 6:16, but it seems like a normal part of the soundtrack to me

[@infinidominion]

Its intermittent and only noticed with louder volume. I think it's part of the soundtrack too, an electronic drum kit type sound

[@tadofficial1563]

I’m batman & did you find my lego sets from 2006 yet?

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Not yet, Mr. Dark Knight.

[@Lars-y9o]

Remember - lego was a cool toy for kids. Now it's an expensive crap: die, billund

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Though, to be fair, with inflation taken into account, LEGO has always been a very expensive toy.

[@spideysteve3895]

I'm first comment!

[@keltondavisLEGO]

Congrats!! 🎉

[@Kociu91]

Alpha Centauri is the worst Lego space base set ever I am afraid...

[@keltondavisLEGO]

It definitely pales in comparison to its original Blacktron counterpart.