Best Lego Sets For Men

Ghostbusters Firehouse Headquarters

The Set: The ultimate fantasy toy of many an ‘80s child, turned into 4,600-brick reality.

Why You Need It: From the working pole to the ECTO containment unit and the personalised lockers, there are enough geeky references to have most movie fans quivering like a bowl of particularly excited ectoplasm.

Man Points: Major. Having the best toys is still something to brag about as much as it was when you were eight years old. And make no mistake, this really is the best toy.  

The Expert Says: “It’s quite bland from the exterior, but the interior is absolutely packed with Easter eggs and jokes. Kids aren’t so fussed, but us adults who grew up with Ghostbusters have gone mad for it. A real collectible.”

£329 at Amazon. See it here

Technic Mercedes-Benz Arocs 3245

The Set: An absolute behemoth – 21-inches, 2,800 pieces, and fully motorised. Also one of the most technically difficult sets ever. There’s a reason the Technic range is for bigger boys.

Why You Need It: It's about as close as most of us will get to driving an actual articulated lorry. Which takes a special kind of manliness.

Man Points: Never mind DIY or changing a tyre, fiddling around with the intricacies of this model – which include an automated crane arm, six-cylinder engine, and independent suspension – is a true test of masculine prowess. And there’s no shame in a few tears halfway through.

The Expert Says: “It’s all pneumatics. The engineering that goes into these models is phenomenal. From a technical point of view, because of the gearbox underneath and all the cabling that runs through the crane arm, it’s very easy to get it wrong.”

£154.99 at Amazon. See it here

Ewok Village

The Set: You know, where the Ewoks live. Plus 16 figures and a little speeder bike. The Force is strong with this one.

Why You Need It: Once the crowing glory of any 1980s Star Wars action figure collection, it’s now the crowning glory of any modern-day Lego collection.

Man Points: As well as kudos for owning the greatest playset this side of Tatooine, you’ll learn some clever techniques while building this set. Techniques such as “SNOT” (studs not on top), a way of connecting bricks sideways, have been introduced to Lego sets by adult fans-turned-official designers.

The Expert Says: “This is a real guilty pleasure and there are lots of hidden extras to it. It looks like the old ‘80s Ewok Village toy – I think that’s deliberate. Lego is very good at pushing our nostalgia buttons.”

£293 at Amazon. See it here

Slave 1

The Set: The ship of bounty hunter Boba Fett and arguably the most badass runaround in the entire galaxy. Yes, it’s more Star Wars, but you can never have too much, can you?

Why You Need It: The Ewok Village might be the perfect playset for the child in us all, but this is strictly for grown ups –  a serious bit of kit that’s just asking to be displayed like a Han Solo in carbonite-style trophy.

Man Points: When it comes to movie nerd street-cred, it doesn’t get much bigger or better than this. The coolest part of the coolest film in the whole damn saga.

The Expert Says: “It comes with a display stand and a plaque telling you all about the ship. It’s also about two-foot long, so you get a lot for your money. Whenever I put this on display at an exhibition, all the dads want it.”

£169.99 at Lego. See it here

Tower Bridge

The Set: One of several landmarks to get the Lego treatment, this is made up from a whopping 4,300 bricks – one of the biggest sets available.

Why You Need It: There’s the blokey mantra that bigger is better (if that’s your bag try the discontinued, near-6,000 piece Taj Mahal – a cool £3,000 on eBay), but this one will also satisfy every man’s natural desire to construct something magnificent.

Man Points: Big time. It’s not just the satisfaction of building something epic, but the endurance of seeing it through to the end.

The Expert Says: “Both the towers are exactly the same, so it can be quite repetitive to make. But these landmark sets are beautifully done and Tower Bridge set is a very clever build.”

£221.99 at Amazon. See it here

The Simpsons Kwik-E-Mart

The Set: The only Lego set where you can find a Squishee machine, Krusty O’s, and out-of-date doughnuts all under one plastic roof.

Why You Need It: It opens up to reveal more Simpsons references and in-jokes than you can shake a can of Duff at. So, who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? You do.

Man Points: If you can get all the gags, it’s proof you’ve put in some serious hours with The Simpsons. As every man should.

The Expert Says: “In these big sets there are always lots of little secrets. This is just packed with colourful printed parts and great characters. It even has the frozen old man in the fridge. It’s expertly done.”

£152.99 at John Lewis. See it here

Brick Bank

The Set: The best of the “modular buildings” series – city sets aimed at adults, with lots of fun details.

Why You Need It: Though it’s for advanced builders, it perfectly captures the old school magic of making random houses with colourful bricks.

Man Points: It’s the first step to building that proper Lego city you always wanted in the loft. In other words, the moment the boy becomes a man.

The Expert Says: “Any of these modular building sets are worth having. Around the side of the bank is a launderette, which is a little in-joke about laundering your money. There are also certain colours of bricks that are hard to find, and they’ve put them in the bank for no particular reason. It’s a nod to the adult fans, like they’re saying, ‘Here, have something rare and green!’”

£169.99 at Amazon. See it here

Super Hero Airport Battle

The Set: From the latest Captain America movie, it recreates the almighty superhero smackdown that pits Cap’s buddies against Iron Man and his team of do-gooders.

Why You Need It: It’s every man’s prerogative to have a mini fight with his, erm, “collector’s items” when everyone’s out for the afternoon.

Man Points: You’ll be halfway to completing the Avengers line-up for starters, not to mention owning the biggest Lego man money can buy with the giant-sized (alright, 14cm) Ant-Man.

The Expert Says: “This is very good. I’m not a big fan of previous superhero sets as they have been too focused on the mini figures, but this one has a very detailed jet and the Ant-Man is excellent – a display piece on its own. It’s also the first official set from British designer Justin Ramsden, who appeared on the Channel 4 documentary, The Secret World of Lego.”

£67.97 at Amazon. See it here

MINI Cooper

The Set: Part of Lego’s “Expert” range, this perfectly replicates the classic MINI Cooper VII.

Why You Need It: Of all Lego’s cars – and there are plenty, including a rather tasty Ferrari F40 and Technic Porsche 911 that’s released next month – this is the most iconic motor for us Brits.

Man Points: With its pattered seats, moving gearstick, and detailed engine, you’ll feel like a real Alan Partridge with this on the shelf. There’s even a picnic basket for the boot, giving the set authentic English country gent flavour. Whether you construct it while wearing tan string-back driving gloves is up to you, of course.

The Expert Says: “Technically it’s nothing too advanced, but pretty smart. It’s a nice display model – the sort of thing mum would buy for dad to put in his office.”

£74.99 at John Lewis. See it here

Batman Classic Series Batcave

The Set: The campy genius of 1960s Batman series finally gets its own top-notch playset. Holy plastic brick indeed.

Why You Need It: Not a particularly tough build, but it screams retro cool – right down to the Joker’s teeny moustache (a nod to the fact that actor Caesar Romero refused to shave his off).

Man Points: This is one for that little boy who grew up watching Batman on Saturdays – “grew up” in the loosest possible sense, of course – but you’ll also impress the kids by proving you were into Batman years ago. Before slapping their hands away and putting it on a very high shelf.

The Expert Says: “Until now all Batman sets had been focused on the latest films. This is a big jump back. It has a generous range of mini figures, but the old school Batmobile sold it for me.”

£229.99 at Amazon. See it here

For more on Bricks magazine visit republic66media.com