The Best and Worst LEGO Pieces (According to R.R. Slugger)

[@RRSlugger]

FINAL CALL FOR MECHTROPOLIS SUBMISSIONS! I really need to get started on the video for Mechtropolis, so consider this the last call for submissions. IMPORTANT: The only models that will appear in the video are the ones that have either been submitted through the Google Form or to my email. I don't have time this year to wrangle up all the models posted in Discord, Reddit, Instagram, or other corners of the internet. If you want to be featured in the video at the end of the summer, you need to submit your model ASAP. I'll extend the deadline a couple more days, but once the clock on your computer/phone says "August 26th", I'm sorry but you're too late. I have to cut it off somewhere. Here's the link for the Google Form: forms.gle/qbWyhmu8CQjXFqMk8

[@Dinowrestler]

Sadly I built an Ice Planet theme mech. I failed to hear the first time it was city themed mechs. A lot of brick link orders after lol

[@thrillhouse4151]

I talked mad game about contributing this year but I never got around to it sadly. My concept was gonna be kinda grim, the minifigures would be suspended in tubes and there’d be one many armed Mech with a single Omni-directional capable eye and it would be called “School” or something hehehehe

[@baconatorman3770]

Thanks for extending the deadline! I made my model when I first heard about the contest but forgot to submit them before the original deadline!

[@RRSlugger]

@@Dinowrestler Ah dang! I'd still love to see it, if you sent it to my email. 😊 [e-mail]

[@kaylievinchenstein9987]

slugger hating the piece that forms his eyestalks is certainly a bold move

[@peregrinecovington4138]

This is so sad... Love yourself slugger ;-;

[@Atraira]

"these are my two least favorite pieces" 13:08 cut to shot of slugger built almost entirely of those two types of pieces i chuckled

[@consensuslphisk]

I was gonna, mention that lol

[@Zosso-1618]

@@Atraira Right??

[@grahamnlegos]

Saw that too

[@RRSlugger]

Even bad pieces have their uses! 😉

[@bosunsbricks]

Not to mention the plague pieces on his side, ha! That said, there's nothing as smooth as a slug, so I suppose that particular animal is one of the only things you really _need_ those pieces for.

[@damonullerick6572]

Slugger: "I hate part 11477". *stares awkwardly at UCS Slave 1 which features eleventy-gajillion of that exact piece*

[@imahaloguy]

Slave 1? No no no, you must mean Boba Fett’s Starship!

[@MatecaCorp]

@@imahaloguy Anakin and his mom were sold into Boba Fett’s Starship by the hutts

[@COGintheMachine]

​@@MatecaCorpinto "Boba-Fetts-starshippery"

[@dodopod]

@@COGintheMachine into "Boba Fett's Ship Minus One-ery"

[@Zosso-1618]

The intro guy needs to get his crap together. He’s walking on thin ice.

[@roisinbyrne3893]

Wonder how much longer until they get a new voice actor

[@hor1zonstr1der9]

Hey, he's still recovering from melting last summer, give him a chance.

[@hoglin7]

​@@hor1zonstr1der9fr

[@El_papa_de_Rambo]

Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, have been sacked.

[@Zosso-1618]

@@hor1zonstr1der9 He didn’t melt last summer! He stuffed himself silly with marshmallows like a chubby bunny and still had the gall to show up to work! Like showing up to your job drunk!

[@chimpkinglich1637]

Imma be honest slugger, I don't even like lego, i was always a model kit builder and Lego doesn't really do the same for me, but your passion for it is contagious and it has made me look at it as more than some "consumerist bullshit" because most Lego channels are about products and collecting and selling, not about actually enjoying and appreciating the design language and history of the toys, keep up the amazing work.

[@mihailos8701]

Damn you have a point! While I'm not fully have exactly the same angle as you, because I grew up on my own liking building my own things with Lego, your critique does seem solid on current Lego KZbin, and you're right about R.R. Slugger too. Really big thanks for sharing feedback from your perspective

[@ano_nym]

You never had Lego as a kid?

[@henrypaleveda7760]

would you like more channels that are about what you actually build? I have a few recommendations if so.

[@DutchThriceman]

As a MOC maker, somebody who's main passion is making their own models of things out of bricks I'm glad you turned around a bit, I love lego because while it's possible to say make a relatively accurate Gundam out of Lego pieces if your skilled enough, you can also re-use those pieces to make something completely different if your fancy strikes you to make something else. Unlike a model kit (of which I have a few also) which is permanently the same thing and at most can be used to kitbash which doesn't give you as many options as Lego. I've seen terrific versions of anything in the model scene out of Lego, I already mentioned Gundam but I've seen near perfect Warhammer Builds and naturaly basic model stuff like Trains or Cars is very easy to recreate with Lego yourself and most commonly done.

[@atlas16198]

I feel like you'd enjoy Lego Rewind for this reason ngl

[@Thinginator]

Honestly, as much as I love 90s angular LEGO, I was born into the era of curved pieces so those still look very LEGO to me. So I vividly remember my elation when the 1x2 curved slope came out... never before did I feel such a need to buy LEGO just to get new pieces. I needed as many as possible to build with immediately, and the first few I had were my favorite pieces for a while. I don't think they detract from the LEGO aesthetic any more than tiles or cheese slopes do, and more importantly, they're a godsend for making small assemblies durable, locking things together nice and tightly. I still can't get enough of them 😅

[@TheB3]

I cannot tolerate the cheese slope slander, but interesting perspective nonetheless! I can definitely appreciate era-agnostic pieces more now!

[@Catinagalaxy]

Nice to see you here 😊

[@walnutsmcgoo]

0:52 Rock Raiders Horse goes unbelievably hard.

[@leftygurl]

personally the slopes and little tile pieces are some of my favourite parts of all time, i like the look they create and how they can add in level of detail, the slopes in particular ive found can really help with stability in small places. personally, when i see a studded surface on my own builds, a lot of the time im asking myself “what else can i do with this space?” and a little quarter-round tile design is often a pretty satisfying answer to me.

[@GermanPeter]

Another problem with levers: they wear out REALLY quickly, making them pretty much useless. Even some of the least-used levers often move back and forth so effortlessly that it makes them practically useless. You can't even prop them up at an angle, because they'll fall back down automatically. I hate them too and I wish they made sturdier ones. Personally, I dislike all pieces that are smaller than a minifigure's hand (like coins for instance), and the lever itself is definitely on that pile.

[@John.Banana.]

Lol I never thought see you in a lego channel xdxdxd

[@bluebrickmax]

Yes! And I find the base cracks much more often than other pieces. I've had to throw out so many of them. It also bugs me that figures could never hold onto the end, it just hovers there.

[@Lordodragonss]

Thats why I LOVE new tile coins! Much more Legolike.

[@DutchThriceman]

Slugger talking about he dislikes Slope Curved pieces as his number one spot only to show a custom brickbuilt Slug with said pieces used to help create the organic creature look might be peak Sluggin... having said that, I did realize I do rarely if ever end up using those myself, I also rarely ever build organic creature type mocs, however those are perfect for that specific purpose. I was also thinking how I can't live without the turntable pieces seperated for stuff like AC's, Windows, Mech/Mechanical detailing etc and how plague parts in greys/tans/whites etc are neat for landscaping/rockwork. But other then that, wholeheartedly agree.

[@lance2580]

"Speak for yourself, Motherslugger!" - Sonic the Hedgehog

[@MistahhMingus]

He WONT respond to this. Slugger has fallen off, I’ve been sayin this since ‘09. He’s far too political. This is a joke ily slugger

[@GeriatricFan1963]

@@lance2580 "Bing Bong. Uhh hey what's up? You're doing a bad job." - R.R. Slugger when Lego discontinued part #30303

[@RRSlugger]

Even bad pieces have their uses! 😉

[@kleo-da-bat]

@@GeriatricFan1963 "I know I'm doing a bad job."

[@dumbpup]

Another problem with the clip system is that clips have a tendency to break over time. I’ve had a handful of clips break off but I’ve never had a technic pin break.

[@Bionickpunk]

C clips are objectively badly design and easily brake, same as old socket designs and axel bushings.

[@boggle_rocket]

"Because who would want to take apart a LEGO set" honestly inadvertently summed up the flaws in the company's current design philosophies perfectly

[@RRSlugger]

There is very little I dislike more than having to pull apart a set built upon a Technic skeleton, and that really feels like the norm these days...

[@boggle_rocket]

@@RRSlugger I miss the days when the classic Slave 1 had random blue bricks inside it, whether it was because that colour was cheaper to print or because it was to guide the building process, but that kind of LEGO core memory is just that now: a memory :(

[@barragethree5047]

I was just rewatching "The Great LEGO Plague of 2002" and you mentioned the possibility of a future video on your least favorite elements. I wondered when it would be and here we are

[@RRSlugger]

Perfect timing! 😉

[@alecabrahams4115]

As someone who loves to build mocs of organic figures and settings like animals and trees, I love a lot of the smoothed out curvy lego pieces and I don’t share most of your opinions. However I really respect your ability to explain your feelings towards certain pieces and reasonings for having them. I can genuinely see and understand your takes and agree to disagree. We just use lego parts differently.

[@1RandomToaster]

My take is that there’s a danger zone, an uncanny valley even, where a build has some smoothing but it’s applied inconsistently. Basically once you smooth one thing you have to smooth anything that radius or higher otherwise what was the point. To your point theme matters, organic things aren’t square, technical and architectural things usually are. Cars are a grey area and I think the Stingray is actually an example of smoothing done right since those curves are the defining feature of it. The only correct number of exposed studs is how many you left there no matter your opinion.

[@eloghatu]

Yeah, I feel as though there is also a bit of "what is Lego" that comes into play here. I agree with slugger that the curved slopes don't feel like "Lego" and I very much appreciate studded builds, especially because of nostalgia. I can also see the "slope-ification" of modern sets and feel Lego could sucessfully add a sort of "nostalgia" line of sets leaning into the blocky-ness. On the other hand though, as someone who builds mocs, I love them because it can add another aesthetic choice that can be made in the Lego system and can detail in smaller builds. It may loose the classic Lego feel, but in a way makes Lego bricks more versatile as an art medium in general. This in turn may also broaden the appeal of Lego in general.

[@NickonPlanetRipple]

I will say curved slopes have two good uses. 1- Organic, brick-built animals. You see this best utilized with creator animals and Ninjago's dragons, forming lifelike musculature without just making it a couple giant playmobile-esque molds like we still see to this day in most of Lego's Jurassic Park sets. I vastly prefer intricate, brick-built creatures, and these slope bricks are a good compromise, still looking just enough like "normal" lego and not being overly specialized. 2- As a brace. Oftentimes, I've seen them used to hold pieces at different elevations down, or to be the final lock on two sub-builds lined up underneath. I think lego pieces having a little less clutch power now is less an issue of cheapness and more likely a deliberate decision to make taking things back apart easier for a child's hands (though they still include brick separators with almost everything). If they tried making a similar flat slope with a cutout on the bottom for clutching multiple levels, it might be thin and fragile and the middle to break.

[@lance2580]

Can you please provide some examples of sets using slope tiles as a brace? I'm trying to picture it in my head.

[@RRSlugger]

@@lance2580 I can! 70324 has a pretty egregious example of this, where a simple ladder piece is held down by one of these curved slopes. I remember regarding that on live stream when I built it as being complete overkill - as if the clutch power of the studs on the ladder piece wasn't enough already. 😅

[@Zolet_lionheart]

A con I have the with the curved slopes is that they lack the slight grove making it difficult to remove from other parts tho I do enjoy them as organic pieces

[@NickonPlanetRipple]

@@Zolet_lionheart Yeah, they're one of those pieces that still, oddly, may have too MUCH clutch power.

[@chedder_chandlure4363]

I personally find the idea of a Lego piece being bad kinda strange. Every piece adds something to the table and has usefulness. I can't really say if there is a Lego piece I dislike.

[@pinkraven4402]

Well, Slugger made a few solid arguments - a Lego piece definitely can be bad in terms of quality - like the lever piece, it looks spot-on, but what makes it bad is how flimsy and delicate it is abd also how hard it is to use. In this case it's not about the looks or usefulness itself, but the technical quality. Same goes for the turntable piece. Definitely Lego pieces can be bad at least in that technical way. Personally I also dislike very large and overspecified pieces, such as ones used in infamous Jack Stone theme, ugh, they're practically useless and ugly

[@chedder_chandlure4363]

@@pinkraven4402 fair fair

[@siljeff2708]

Slugger’s favorite piece deep down is the cape

[@michaelkolano8686]

which cape though?

[@JohnBainbridge0]

My issue with the clip connections is that the clips break way too easily. The Technic pin is way more durable.

[@Bionickpunk]

At the very least replacing a technic pin is far cheaper on your wallet. Pins are in abundance, while modified plates with C clips aren't as much.

[@jaketakenobreak]

77808 is really interesting to me because its attempting to solve an issue none had, if anything its creation causes more issues as clips tend to break very easily at least in comparison to the technic pin and hole. The only real advantage 77808 has over technic pins is its's compatibility with the numerous clip elements and its use in those foldable doll house like builds or transforming builds, otherwise it just falls short.

[@XZentag]

I liked its use in the lions knight castle and the viking village. It is able to connecr at an angle and pivot in a way the technic pin cannot

[@GeriatricFan1963]

@@XZentag Yeah, I especially like how they used it in the Eldorado Fortress remake, with it being modular and the base being able to be put in different configurations via the clips; that would be a lot harder and more ungainly-looking to implement with the technic pin system. Whereas the Blacktron Cruiser I think is a case where it can only really be built like a snake with everything in a row, so the tehnic pin system makes a lot more sense there.

[@RRSlugger]

@@GeriatricFan1963 This is a really good point. Like I say in the video, it has its use cases, but I've found the majority of the times I've seen it it's being used in places where a Technic pin connection would have been better. 👍

[@OlleMoquist]

Great video! I can't say I agree with the extreme ends of the list but your point were well argued. I like curved slopes as a contrast to the more angular bricks and regular slopes but I see a lot of mocs where they are overused. The level of detail being favored over play value is also true in modern sets. For me personally my favorite pieces are definitely snot bricks and brackets. They're perfect for skirting just outside system but also dipping back in. Building with them is more math and feels like a puzzle at times which I really enjoy.

[@ggtwinbee8506]

I love how the theme song just becomes much more off tune the further the summer comes to an end.

[@diatonicdelirium1743]

Noooo, the 2x2 turntable is a classic from the 70s! Perfect for chairs, and when taken apart you get a great vent texture. I've loved this piece since 1977 when it was featured in the first technic sets for steering.

[@st0rm_door]

Slugger: “my #1 least favorite type of Lego part is the curved slope tile” Slugger: *uses multiple curved slope tiles on the Slugger sigfig (**13:02**)* 🤔 THIS HYPOCRISY WILL NOT STAND.

[@GeriatricFan1963]

He doesn't like it, but he has to go along with it.

[@RRSlugger]

Even bad pieces have their uses! 😉

[@empatheticrambo4890]

I literally gasped when you said the lever was on your bottom 5. As a Rock Raiders fan myself I was not prepared for this iconic part to be critiqued... the problem is, I completely agree!!!!! I have bent dozens of those over the years, and they’re so dang hard to remove if the part gets stuck

[@RRSlugger]

Hey, thanks for approaching the video with an open mind! 😊 I really think lever pieces could be made better, but the company's unwillingness to update the mould in 40 years is really baffling to me.

[@thomas2406]

I just found this channel and it is an emotional rollercoaster

[@RRSlugger]

Welcome to the channel! 😊

[@jeremiahsacks2868]

An additional problem with #5 worst is that c-clips are, at least in my experience, far less durable than technic pegs. All the technic pegs I have broke were due to either a: accidentally dropping an entire build that had an exposed peg conveniently placed at the perfect location to recieve maximum damage, or b: applying a similair amount of stress to the peg. They also tend to bend instead of completely snapping off, which means it could be theoretically fixed with a hair dryer and some patience. The same can not be said about c-clips, wich have broken on me for being placed .0001 mm away from the center of the rod, disconnecting or reconnecting them when they had decided they didn't want to do so because of their arbitrary unspoken reasoning, and putting them in an area thats just a little too cold. And in like pegs, clips will snap clean off when this happens, and they will never be usable again no matter how much superglue you think you can add. Also, on number 1 worst, your opinion is valid and your points are strong. However, I simply do not agree.

[@cameron.swizzy]

Honestly your 1 pick triggers me, because I love that piece so much but brings me back to my childhood when I only ever had 2 in my collection from aqua raiders sets. I always wanted more of them to make landing gears, vault doors etc. but lego withheld theses from me as newer sets came out not utilizing such a good element😭😭

[@puppetguy8726]

I almost feel like it's blasphemous to speak ill of the 2x2 turntable, it's such a classic and iconic piece! It gives me a lot of childhood nostalgia

[@mike.94]

4:09 don't you dare disliking this one!;) It's a classic piece that I love. It's super useful to create rotating objects like chairs or turrets. Oh, and you can even craft a nice air conditioner using its base!

[@ShyGuyXXL]

I can understand not liking small pieces when they are used to "hide" studs and uneven surfaces.... but they can be so gosh darn useful for adding detail to a build! And yeah, I also understand that your favourite themes are from a time where being super detailed wasn't a priority for lego, but I think there's a middle ground where detail can be super beneficial for a set, if it's used wisely. If you add an excessive amount of detail, the way a lot of Mocers do, yeah, then it's not gonna look like lego anymore. But if you use details and subtle shapes to make a design look more alive, it would be sorely missed if gone. So yeah, for me it depends on HOW you use those little pieces. In the right places, they can look so good.

[@mattboy5296]

I think the UCS Millennium Falcon is a good example of this. There's a bunch of those small smooth parts to create tons of detail but there's still plenty of studs exposed to show that it's Lego. And one other positive I'd give to the smooth tiles is that if a build uses a lot of them, it sure makes dusting a heck of a lot easier lol.

[@Glory2Snowstar]

100%, detail in and of itself can sometimes BE part of the set's function. Even for utilitarian settings there's always a case to be made for rounding off some edges- it turns exposed studs from feeling like a blank canvas begging for definition into intentional facets of the build's implied textures! Galaxy Squad (my beloved) always took the opportunity to add some smaller plate-based pieces wherever it could, and it did wonders for the contrast and the vibes. Space Swarmer used the slopes (and these sloped vent things that were sick) to give the ship this mad sleek feel that also made it quite easy to hold onto. I can verify this because I was a turbonerd that brought that lil' bug ship with me absolutely everywhere. That gross buggy green and DEEP maroon was a divine combo and they had every right to flex it.

[@ShyGuyXXL]

@@Glory2Snowstar Oh hi, Glory. Didn't know you were a Lego fan. 😁

[@Glory2Snowstar]

@@ShyGuyXXL XD Yeah! I’ve got a collection of Lego bat pieces and everything in my room! Some fun lil’ freaks too, mostly Mixel chimeras. …Now that I think about it, my obsession with black/lime may be traced straight back to Power Miners as well.

[@ShyGuyXXL]

@@Glory2Snowstar 🦇🦇🦇

[@laurenhahn8569]

I really hope the backup singer nails it in the final SOS2024 video. That would be cause for celebration, a final hurrah, a "glad it happened, not sad it's over" sort of energy.

[@korkad_]

Slugger petting Jet while replacing the turntable is kinda adorable

[@TitanSix]

I’m a simple person. I see the slug, I click.

[@nolanvaliquette9969]

As a lego MOC fan maker, I find 1x1, 1x2 and 2x2 slope tiles absolutely A-MA-ZING! You won't find a single one of my mocs without at least one of them! The gray piece on the turntable is very useful if you separate it from its base. Also my least favorite pieces would be the small ugly rock and the 45° Angled plate (the one you can make a spider web by putting 8 in a circle)

[@Nadiki]

You know Slugger’s least favorite parts list is going to be good when the very first piece is one you’ve never seen before

[@Ringtail]

I appreciate your frequent use of Star Trek in your videos

[@headcrabking9054]

If I be bold as to say this Mr. Slugger, I feel like your problems with the number 1 worse pick(s) lie more with their abundance than the parts themselves. As you've said before, not everything needs to be coated with studs, and I don't think its hard to argue that some designs benefit from curves rather than angles. If these parts appeared less often, but more strategically, I think they'd just be seen as the less successful siblings to their angular counterparts, rather than a blight on the system as a whole. (Also the worst lego part is clearly the poor excuses for palm trees today, fight me)

[@RRSlugger]

Absolutely, this is definitely a factor! I mention in the intro that my list is skewed based on the frequency in which I use these pieces, and the splattering of these parts on nearly every LEGO set today drives me crazy. 😅

[@headcrabking9054]

@@RRSlugger ah man, I had forgotten that detail! I guess it makes sense after all, that's one of the key points in your OG plague parts video! The joys of being a goldfish I guess!

[@Mick0Mania]

I like building hot rods, so the tiny curved slope pieces are some of my favorites. They can also add a lot of structural integrity to any piece sticking one plate high, by binding them firmly to the surface below. To me, these pieces are a natural extension of LEGO's old curved pieces, used to great effect like in the Hot Rod Club set, forming the curvature of such cars while staying within the confines of LEGO. That said, I make a harsh distinction between "Retro" LEGO and "Modern" LEGO. I personally don't like mixing and matching pieces from different eras. So if I was judging the new pieces with the intention of integrating them to mocs of older themes, I wouldn't enjoy any of these pieces either. I keep my blocky yet charming old school mocs separate from the sleek and detailed modern ones.

[@rennythespaceguy7285]

God that new clip series of connections are so poor. The Blacktron Cruiser is so awkward to separate

[@RRSlugger]

I know, right? I really did try to approach it with an open mind, but nothing I've seen so far from that system is making me believe it's better than what we had.

[@rennythespaceguy7285]

@@RRSlugger i feel the benefit is so minor as well, there are so many different pieces that can revive a technic pin including some plates. It never really seemed like too big of a roadblock to me

[@Bob-ew1hx]

The middle jumper is all over the place in Lego Minecraft!! Love that theme

[@MedallionBricks]

This video is jam packed with hot takes - haha.

[@LordAzran_]

Slugger: I hate tiny rounded pieces that remove stud pieces. Me, who looks at my LKC and its 1x2 half cylinders that ornament the edges of walls and towers: 👀

[@precascer8221]

The Plague parts may be bad, but the way they align with that wide cockpit piece is so flawlessly delicious I can't ignore when trying a spaceship. This plague started the year I was born, so guess there is a connection.

[@RRSlugger]

Are you Patient Zero?? 😉

[@williamaitken7533]

While I can't agree with you about your distaste for curved pieces, I can absolutely appreciate your reasoning and aesthetic preferences. Lots of good choices with clearly thought out examples and explanations :)

[@spamhands6993]

The worst part about 1x1 tiles and cheese slops of any kind is when they get stuck in the under side of a brick, in an unsorted collection. That's what gets me about these small tiles. As for my favorite LEGO piece, it has to be the ball and socket joints from CCBS. I still adore the simplicity of, the poseability for action figures blows its competition outside of LEGO out of the water, and I don't have to worry about sockets shattering in my hands, when taking them apart, like Inika joints did. Now if only LEGO kept making them.

[@thecosmonaut4221]

watching an R.R slugger video is like listening to your friend get high and get philosophical

[@2468h-s9e]

I use them myself for critters but you are SO TRUE FOR THE CURVED SLOPES AND ROUND TILES... I hate round lego. My list would probably feature both sizes of those obnoxious tube bricks found in dreams. And a section for current day minifigure hair. Love your choice for favorite! First place had to be an oddball with character. O and about the 1x2 with the bars you primarily know as a technic pin replacement, I see them mainly as a connector for mech and creature joints/details. They're probably better suited to that than being worse pin bricks.

[@Brickticks]

A few things…. One, those curved tile slope things you mentioned do have their purposes…. For instance, although it’s mostly angular, my starship, Nexus-1, actually uses them to great affect as the final piece on her blaster turrets. Due to the nature of their construction, no other piece fits the bill. Now, do I wish there was an angled version of this piece? Yes, but used sparingly they can be put to great affect, even providing a great way to bridge a pair of plates that are one plate different in height that may otherwise be unsecured. They can also be great stand ins for when a angled part simply doesn’t exist for the required function of the piece, either being too big or too small. Second, cheese slopes…. Good if one needs a slice of cheese, in fact, there’s even a printed one for just a purpose. However, it’s the 2x1 version that can transcend ages, as they fit perfectly into the space between the panels of a satellite dish made up of part 30117. The small 2x1 space between the panels will fit the part seamlessly, and looks great fir a more modern dish…. Won’t fit the little 1x1 space in the corners of the panels, but hey, you could put some stud lights there instead. These parts also make excellent small rocks, adding some variety to what would otherwise be a collection of studs. And third, I agree with the lever thing, great part, looks great, but if the clutch power is too high it doesn’t lend itself any favors. It can work as other things not directly held by minifigs, i.e. a comms antenna or a wall mounted switch for turning on large power circuits. However, by the time it goes onto most creations, I agree, there usually isn’t enough room to maneuver the lever around. Oh, and don’t even get me started on how some levers loose their friction over time, leading to levers that just flop around as a model moves. Overall, I will say, good list. Can’t say I agree with everything, (i.e. the turntable still has its uses, just usually not as a turntable or possibly used where some lateral motion is desired), but good job overall. Rockatoa, Brickticks out! P.S. If you want to see some pictures of Nexus-1 and her turrets as well as some use cases where the rocking of a turntable is desired, I can send you some pictures…. Nexus-1 doesn’t quite have all her decals and prints, but it should give a good idea for the overall feel of the ship.

[@Aiffy44]

I love these kinds of videos focusing on pieces !! Maybe you could do a top 10 most interesting pieces in your opinion or maybe do videos focusing on the history of colours used by lego. Also love the pictures throughout the videos - strangely immersive

[@RRSlugger]

Thanks! I'll consider it! 🙂

[@12...]

those damn curved slope tiles are so difficult to remove, too, since they don't have a groove around the edge

[@DZstudios.]

I didn’t imagine I would take your disliking of the LEGO leaver so personally

[@strutsstudios]

I love watching your videos Slugger, especially when I'm working on my Lego animations. It's so cozy, especially with your music! 🎉

[@RRSlugger]

Thanks! Good luck with your animations! 🙂

[@Riteliso]

I think the problem with some new pieces is they're trying to replace older pieces, but are more focused on looking pretty than actually being a suitable replacement. 77808 is easily the best example of that, obviously. There's also just the fact that I, and many other people, love technic. It already integrates with other system parts well, so creating a separation between the two feels like they're going against exactly what they always say is their goal. As a kid, I majorly got into lego because of Bionicle, as did many others, so technic was comfortable and home-y. I never really wanted to build cars and diggers and the like but it feels like that's all lego really wants technic to be used for right now, and I'm not sure why. Frankly, a lot of lego's "recent" decisions, (most of which not being all that recent,) perplex me in the same way. Big black boxes aren't fun. Having two original themes and everything else being licenced isn't fun. If the whole point is to be fun and to inspire, they're kinda letting me down as of late. It just feels like they're catering to adults who can't let themselves be seen collecting a kid's toy, so they have to buy the kid's toy put in the package that screams "this children's interlocking brick toy was made for adults and collectors." I literally just wanna play with lego and beyblades bro I really don't care that I'm playing with children's toys, the barrier to entry is usually admitting it and that feels right to me

[@memyselfishness]

WHERE'S THE CUE?!

[@Zosso-1618]

Wow, you really scared me with that brick separator joke! I’m surprised of all the elements that made the cut for the best, no snot element appeared among them. If I were making this list, at least one of 4070 the headlight brick or 44728 the 2x2 bracket would have made top 5, if not both! Breaking out of system is always such a fun part of the building process, and these two elements are the bread and butter of that process, like ii-V chords in jazz. I simply can’t do without them! I know these are plague adjacent parts, inasmuch as they remove available studs for the sake of curves, but 553 the 2x2 dome and 30602 the 2x2 thingamabob (I’m really not sure what to call it haha) hold a special place in my bricky heart. Their inclusion in one of my all-time favorite sets, 4918 Mini Flyers, immortalized their place in my Lego palette. They’re such defining features of that sets A model. Part 553 is doubly special to me as I remember on one of those old Creator videos, the designer showed off a little snail build, no more than 5 pieces, which used 553 as its shell. For me, they’re bound to be stand-out elements in any set, and I cherish their inclusion any time. Unfortunately, that same Mini Flyers set also contains one of my least favorite pieces, 4488, the 2x2 with side wheel holder. The problems you have with the 2x2 turntable, I also find in this part. It feels so gross to put wheels on and off of it. Like the turntable, to me, it feels like a competitor snuck this element into Lego’s inventory. But unlike the turntable, which can often just be replaced with a 2x2 jumper plate, I don’t think there’s another piece that serves 4488’s purpose, as pins are often too large for the scales 4488 is suited for. I don’t really see a way to redesign this element without sacrificing its unique purpose, so I’m somewhat consoled by the fact that this piece probably couldn’t have been made another way. That cannot be said for this piece, 32554, the original Bionicle eyestalk. While I’m glad it came in such a variety of colors during its brief run from 2001 to 2004, I cannot get over the fact that it’s so HARD to remove from the head! It’s a Herculean task to change the eyestalk of an original Mata head. It’s a challenge for me as an adult today, but as a kid? who loved to take apart my sets and put them back together? it seemed impossible. Whereas almost all pieces that come separate when packaged can easily become separate again, this cannot be said for 32554 and the Mata head 32553. But where the Mata head can easily function and did function without the eyestalk in many sets, even finding its way as the foot piece of the Turaga (a part usage whose cleverness is second to none in my mind), the eyestalk is almost useless without the head. And with how hard it is to separate from the head, it’s bound to stay useless without it. Say what you will about the Metru, and you have said what you will about the Metru, but their subtle innovation with the new eyestalk 47313 must be applauded, even tho it appeared in less colors than the original. I just cannot stand 32554. It’s anti-Lego, and unlike 4488, I cannot be convinced that there was no better way to go about the purpose this piece served.

[@TheStarshipGarage]

I am a lever lover but I do agree it is obnoxious to position and move. It is the best and worst lego piece out there. Though I vehemently disagree with your bottom 1 pic. As someone who builds lots of vehicles. I can't build without those pieces. They're godsends.

[@DCT-tt8ib]

The issue I have with the curved slope tiles is that trying to make a single, continuous, smooth slope out of them is way harder than it needs to be. If you just use the same piece over and over, you’re stuck with his awkward ridges since they don’t line up correctly. As a result, you have to mix-and-match them to get a desired slope, and it’s always a pain. Also, about removable chunks of sets being held with clip connectors vs. Technic pin connectors… I think the clip connectors are fine on paper. The issue with technic pin connectors is that they can build up way too much tension, and when you try to detach them, you end up destroying half the set in the process. Clip connectors circumvent this issue, but it comes at a cost: Those clips wear out much faster with usage/time than Technic pins, and as a result are much more prone to breaking. Granted, clip connectors are a very common part and easy to replace, but the issue still stands.

[@dangalfthedruid]

12:19 I think you’re absolutely right about the look of LEGO. That’s just a model car, it may as well be one molded piece. There was something almost makeshift about older designs; the designers found a way to fit a shape into the LEGO aesthetic, now they go the opposite direction: molding LEGO into the shape they want

[@skygolding16]

I respectfully disagree with the slope decision. But when thinking about it it's all about our different approach to models. I love a super accurate minifig scale moc. You prefer a blocky retro style. Both are great 👍

[@vthesnail]

11:51 When slugger did the fakeout that he hates brick separators I was so not fazed by that and was immediately ready to accept it. I'm just that used to him having wild asf takes lol.

[@RRSlugger]

Oh no! My unpredictability has become predictable! 😂

[@Matteo_the_Plague_Doctor]

This video is proof that one man's trash is another man's treasure, I love the curved slope parts. They're essential for the kind of MOCing I do to try and make human looking Bionicle characters. I wish Lego would hurry up and do a corner part for 11477, so many times I've wanted to change the direction of that part while keeping it smooth. I think you're in a massive minority of people who want lego to be square and studded. All the stuff you say you hate I use constantly. I want my builds to feel smooth and fluid. I'm glad Lego has provided options for that. And clearly most people don't feel this way, because as more of this stuff has come along to make lego sets look better, the more popular Lego has gotten. I hope no one from Lego sees this video and thinks this is how we all feel, it's not.

[@chaoticjexak]

please dont judge but i actually kind of like plague bricks and curved slopes. as much as sure they don't feel like very 'lego' in comparison to older sets and design philosophy, they have their purposes. plague bricks are curvy yet juuust angular enough to really make mech sets pop, I think the 7700 stealth hunter shows this off the best of all. And yeah its probably my nostalgia for exo-force in general showing here. as for newer curves, I feel like they are essential for some kinds of build, particularly MOCS based on real existing things, or famously speed champions sets. I challenge you to recreate the famous Aston Martin Db5 without them and still have it look good and accurate enough to the full scale car. for me, my least favourite piece is perhaps a hot take in of itself: the 2x4 standard brick. I know, please dont nail me to a lego cross for that one. but by and large i just never really find a use for it in anything i build. That might be becuase i tend to build sleeker things like mechs and sports cars, but even with buildings i'd prefer a panel or a 1 by anything instead. 2x4's are just...too bulky!

[@vaimantobe3034]

One thing about the lever is that more modern ones have less clutch power and are thus far easier to adjust and remove.

[@RRSlugger]

LEGO's diminishing clutch power to the rescue! 😆

[@silvertamman3218]

Do you even play with your legos? As a kid, when i got 4x4 turntable from Basic set, i was in 7. heaven. Suddenly i could build helicopters, semitrailers, cranes, tanks and so on. Those where some good times!

[@RRSlugger]

Haha, fair enough! Truth be told, I hated how wobbly those pieces were *as a kid* - I probably like them more now, but I'm still not a fan, personally. 😅

[@procrastinator3466]

This, half my fun with Lego when I was 10 was rotating that Emperor chair in 7200

[@Alfwin]

I tend to agree with this list -- certainly that LEGO's recent obsession with smoothing off their sets with a bunch of fiddly little studless curves has been to the detriment of its aesthetic. I must admit, though, I'd never even _heard_ of part 71752 before! Is the build at 11:18 a MOC? It's gorgeous! Fits my LEGO aesthetic tastes pretty much exactly -- enough to make me want to go build something similar!

[@LittleMushroomGuy]

Levers are in the bottom 3? Those are fighting words

[@EpicoNubletto]

They really are!

[@kociarzultimate384]

I really don't understand idea of LEGO build being bad when not looking like a LEGO, the point of art is to make you forget it's not real, for me at least it sounds like saying a sculpture is too life-like and to make something that is more obviously just a carving or making a movie break immersion purposefully

[@spacemanspud7073]

It's am aesthetic choice he has, he probably has the perspective of "If it looks completely smooth, why not just buy a plastic mold and forget the bricks?" Also, the object of art is not realism. The object is that an expression of the artist. That definition would throw out cubism, surrealism, romantism, and most of the rich genres of art in general. "Realism" is just one star in the universe of art. You can both lose and gain things with realism; the are genuine advantages in the pictoral dynamics in "Black and White" photos over "Color" ones aswell as disadvantages (and vice versa)

[@kociarzultimate384]

@@spacemanspud7073 except even within style you strive for some sense of perfection that makes you suspend the disbelief of it being just man-made

[@benb.1273]

It's funny to see those curved slope pieces as your #1 hated piece. I'm pretty casual when it comes to Lego, buying mainly their small and large scale car models, and I think they're great for adding subtle detail that would otherwise be difficult to pull off with bricks. Inversely, when I was a kid I didn't know what to do with your #1 favorite piece. I'm putting the blame more on my uncreative self but I couldn't come up with a use for them that didn't nearly replicate their function in the Rock Raiders/Life on Mars sets I got them from.

[@Brickwraith]

I find these sorts of videos so interesting. While I don’t necessarily agree with your ideas of what makes a good and bad brick, I love how you are able to clearly see what does and doesn’t fall into your idea of the perfect lego system. As a lego fan that started in 2009 I always love seeing what made lego such a beloved toy to generations other than mine.

[@empatheticrambo4890]

My first hover scout part was from the original AT-ST, and I’ve loved it ever since

[@EpicoNubletto]

I think the brown one is my favourite iteration of that part

[@TheOtherGuys2]

Also now that you mention it, I can't believe the joystick/lever piece doesn't have the lip on the bottom to help remove it.

[@BKRandyful]

Haha I love the turntable piece. There was always something so satisfying about putting an occupied minifig chair on it and spinning them around.

[@TheTanoshimu]

I love the turn table! D:

[@GearsAndBricks]

Fav: 4151b & c. Stud connections can occur inverted, in 1/2 stud spacing, normal along edges top & bottom. In the center, they vary. The “b” variant has a technic hole in the center of a 2x2 plate, which doesn’t interrupt the aesthetic that the “a” variant had, while still offering numerous additional connections. The “c” variant, however, has a 2x2 cut out in the center perfectly sized for 2x2 parts, clocked at 45°. This offers so many technique opportunities that the newer versions do not. Not to mention the aesthetics! These parts have a lattice (or grille) construction, and look good when exposed inside a model. They are useful in all sorts of things, from gardens to spaceships and everything in between.

[@LauraLowe]

Glad the parts with clips are properly captioned now, thank you!

[@legomann4345]

FINALLY we get the slugger opinion on levers and turn tables! You teased this a while ago in one of your videos (i think it was the plague video) and now we get to know! Very interesting opinion! I too always thought the wobbliness of the turn table was quite odd. AND that corvette may not look a lot like lego but its a darn good recreation of the silky smooth classic stingray design!

[@grugfarstey]

Those little curved slope tiles have got to be one of my favourites. I enjoy working at small scales and they provide much needed detail and form to MOCs at such a scale, little robots and mechs just wouldn't be the same without them.

[@GoyBenius_0901]

Wait they retired 60606 despite it being THE default part to use as the foot on every mech known to man inclusing in Rock Raiders and on the various Star Wars walkers like the ATAT and ATST?

[@RoachDoggJr2112]

R. R. Slugger you are by far my favorite LEGO KZbinr, please cover the Paradisa theme at some point in the future. IMO it’s super underrated.

[@michaelturner2806]

I'm relieved to hear your bottom 1 list. I've relatively recently come out of my Dark Ages with building some of the Creator 3-in-1 sets, and these things are everywhere. To add insult to injury, the curved slope tiles are also difficult to separate - no lip, hard to get a grip on, etc. No other part has made me want to go back to my childhood in such a bad way as to be tempted to use my teeth to separate bricks.

[@lordbarristertimsh8050]

A very good list, Mr. Slugger, keep up the good work! Also, with regard to parts and their respective analyses, I think I have an interesting one for you. Lego 2x2 tile, Scroll with ancient writings / magic scroll with red magic wand, piece number 3068/81926 , I have always been curious if the writing/characters on it say anything, and if so: what language is it, and what do they say, if anything? You might be the right slug for the job.

[@BOS_Fox]

Wow!? Bottom number 1 is the curved slope tile! As someone who builds 'doll-like' figures as MOCs I seriously love them so much. Building organic things like hair and fur with them feels you're sculping with lego which I love. Currently building the V-tuber Nakiri Ayame and her hair is full of them, but my favourite use of them so far on her has been her oni horns. In conjunction with a hinge piece they sit at the perfect angle and look great. I suppose it shows that how wide of a net lego casts how vastly different opinions of a piece can be and i'm happy there is room for all of us under it.

[@Justin-Hill-1987]

I like all of the new tire rim designs that were introduced in the LEGO Disney Cars and LEGO Racers Tiny Turbos themes, which integrate very well into the LEGO City theme. Those rims gave the various cars and trucks more style!

[@LordMarshyMan]

This is a pretty respectable list!

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! ❤️

[@thefunkyrolo]

I think your bottom 5 suffers from your perceived uses for it, the new space mech shows how much more useful it can be for opposing hinges or double joints for mech limbs

[@shqip_sumejja]

I love the detail that each of the numbers for the rankings are brick built

[@josephmeluso2377]

15:09 insert articulated palm tree here. Which makes me wonder about something else but I'll save it for later

[@DoublePack337]

Part 4592 I have a love hate relationship ship when, I am a classic space fan and I feel like this adds to the robots very well and thebut, you have to use all you force to take off the piece and sometimes for me ( most my levers are from places such as brick and figs ) it could get very loose at times. Easily my 17TH worst Lego piece, the only reason it’s getting that boost is due to classic space

[@zarda1484]

Couldn't disagree more with the hate for smooth surfaces. Lego is a building system not a studs system. You don't need to see warts everywhere to know something is brick built. I hate the over reliance on small parts but I love that Lego as a brand was able to evolve with the rest of the world. That said it can suck to remove one singular curved slope but nothing is more satisfying than finishing off a build with some detail. People will praise technic, Bionicle and all the weird specialized parts of the 2000s that aren't brick on brick then hate on not having studs covering every surface as "not Lego like" but what I think they mean is "I want everything to be like it was when I was growing up". What parts do I hate? Ball joints. Ugly. Never color matched. The big ones break!

[@MayoHosko]

You can tell that slugger has a rock raiders bias when he doesn’t like curved sloped tiles and likes a rock raiders specific wedge plate. I like curve slope tiles for their smoothness but as a vintage builder I use them carefully in my builds. Mainly to add aerodynamics. Call me crazy but my favourite piece is the 1x6x5 wall panel

[@RRSlugger]

I love that piece too! Super useful. 👍

[@ledekou1983]

Thanks so much for another great video, Slug! Do keep it up! :)

[@lainhyugatha3762]

Digging through a bin of used lego and finding a gnarled lever piece still stuck on something is always a good bit of environmental storytelling

[@Mischievous_Moth]

My favorite piece is 11216, the portcullis from the Green Dragon's prison rescue set. I was ecstatic when I discovered that the teeth slot perfectly between both kinds of 1x1 rounded tiles. It makes the cobblestone look of my fortress that I'm building look so much better.

[@Crazy-Drokon]

"core brick" ahhh I recall our old conversation about building the core of the set with specific universal bricks and then adding finishing touches : Surprised and pleased me a lot. Thank you Slugger!

[@RRSlugger]

Absolutely! It reshaped how I think about LEGO. ❤

[@aquestforthetruth1653]

5:02 I’ve always loved this piece for chairs it is way more secure than a jumper tile sure it wobbles but it doesn’t let things just pop right off with the slightest nudge

[@benmartin6288]

Slugger, love your videos. You overlooked a method for removing lego levers using a brick separator. Although I agree it should have been edited by now to have a slit on the bottom, you can remove the lever itself and put the tip of the separator into the slit of the base; then apply torque. It should easily pop off. I am a firm lover of this piece so I believe you should reconsider.

[@Theo_the_cat_guy]

Gotta disagree on the studless detail pieces, they have their place and when used properly can really be great additions to certain builds (the lego ideas globe for example) maybe I'm just biased because I was born in 2005 and have never experienced lego without these pieces

[@jonahyoung55]

R.R. Slugger, I would like it to be known that this video helped me out of a jam. I have limited space in my Lego City display, and I have a train siding for a farm set up. But since the train track only fits at a diagonal, the train station was just sitting on top of the adjacent plates at a diagonal to be level with it I didn't like that at all, and I wanted to find a way to connect it to the plates underneath. I thought that my best solution would be to use those small 2x2 turntables. I didn't like this solution, but it was the best I could think of. But then you compared them to the 2x2 jumpers and I realized that that was the key! It was so simply, and I had them in green so I could blend it in with the grass and make the whole thing look just right! So thank you for explaining how much better part #87580 is than part #3680, haha!

[@RRSlugger]

Hahaha, wonderful!! I'm humbled to have helped inspire you! ❤