When choosing a LEGO set, you have to be aware of the difficulty rating. Young children that like to build on their own may prefer a smaller, simple set so that they don’t lose patience. They won’t have time for pages of instructions and will prefer playing with the finished product than the art of building it. They can build things up, tear them down and restart with a few creative additions for new storylines. Older children in their early to mid-teens may prefer the building process because they get greater satisfaction out of completing the project and having that perfect finished model. Always check the age range first.
There are actually more age ratings on the boxes than you might realize.
There are lots of ratings for age-appropriate children’s sets and you can narrow down searches online between ranges as narrow as 9-11 and 6-8. Then there are the additional LEGO Juniors, 16+ sets and 18+ sets on the very ends of the scale. There are lots of sets out there that are classed as 16+ sets. This may seem quite high for a “toy” such as this. What this means is that the set is more of a building project than a toy. There will be some minifigures and accessories in the set to add some realism to the scene and allot families to play with the set-up. But, the pleasure comes from the hours spent building the detailed set, layer by layer, in fine detail.
There is where the work of the LEGO designers really shines through. They can ass more details to those colorful buildings then they could to something for a younger age range. This higher difficulty rating gives them room to add different shapes and tiny pieces of more impressive architecture and street scenes. There are pages of instructions to work through and there is a chance that a small misstep could prove to be a problem for the final build. There are a few different ranges in the LEGO universe that have these higher difficulty ratings.
Look at some of the advanced Superheroes, Creator Expert and Architectures sets.
If you are looking for a challenge like this then it is recommendable to look for anything that has the “Creator Expert” tag on the box. This range lets people create those detailed buildings – often in three stories with detailed interiors. There are lots of these difficult modular buildings out there to let you create your own town, such as the bookshop, cinema, dinner and more. Another range to consider if you want a set that is of a higher difficulty level is the architecture range. These builds let you create LEGO scale models of famous landmarks like palaces, bridges and monuments.
That said, some buyers are surprised at how much complex sets there are in some of the nerdier ranges that also appeal to younger kids. There are advanced Lego sets in the coolest Superheroes builds and Star Wars builds too. This is probably because the designers know that the geekiest fans will want the finest detail and spot any mistakes.
Check the number of pieces when looking for the most difficult LEGO sets for adults.
Most of the sets that are for older children and above have an astonishing amount of bricks. You can expect well over 1000 piece Lego sets here. Some examples of challenging Lego sets with an incredible total of bricks include the Eiffel Tower with 3428, the Ghostbusters Firehouse, with 4634 and the Taj Mahal with 5923. However, the prize for the largest set currently lies with the Ultimate Collector’s Series Millennium Falcon at 7541. Therefore, it is always important to read the box and specifications online before buying a model. It might look like a cute kid-friendly toy on the front but it might turn out to be too complex for younger builders.
Work to your own capabilities when choosing between the hardest LEGO for adults.
The best advice here is to know your limits. Are you the sort of builder that will sit up for hours until 3 am working on a complicated structure or the sort to give up by 9 pm and play with a simpler creation? All difficulty ratings and age limits are there for guidance. There is no reason why a smart, patient 12-year-old can’t build the toughest 3000+ piece landmark with a little help. Just make sure you know what you are committing too.
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