Christmas-tree Groot is the star of the new Lego advent calendars
Groot gets festive with the new Lego advent calendars
The latest batch of Lego advent calendars for Star Wars, Marvel, and Harry Potter have been unveiled, and they feature a surprisingly festive new look for the Guardians of the Galaxy seemingly based on the Holiday Special.
The new sets are available to order now via Lego's official website, and you're looking at a price tag of $44.99 / £29.99 for the Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Marvel 2022 Lego advent calendars. These sport completely revamped themes with a fresh batch of designs, sometimes featuring characters we haven't seen in previous sets. As an example, the Marvel offering pivots from last year's Avengers kit to the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special with classic ugly sweaters on the likes of Drax (which hopefully go easy on his famously sensitive nipples) and Groot taking on the role of the crew's Christmas tree. There's no guarantee this is exactly what will happen in the upcoming short, but it'd be pretty fun if that ended up being the case.
Although it might seem as if the company is getting ahead of itself with these Lego advent calendars, the sets have been known to sell out well before December itself (we have absolutely been burned by this before). While some offers will likely be available as we move toward the likes of Black Friday - which is usually a good opportunity to save on the best Lego sets - that's far from a guarantee and these offers always get snapped up quickly.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2022 Lego advent calendars.
Lego Star Wars 2022 Advent Calendar 2022 | $44.99 at Lego.com
Unlike the last set (which revolved around The Mandalorian), this kit celebrates moments from across the saga. There's C-3PO and R2-D2 in their Christmas best alongside a Darth Vader that's clearly hoping to spend the Holiday at the beach, but you're also getting a Clone Trooper locked in battle with a droid, Luke in his Hoth outfit, the Bad Batch's shuttle, and general vehicles from the original trilogy. It has 329 pieces and is suitable for ages 6 and up.
UK price: £29.99 at Lego.com
Lego Guardians of the Galaxy Advent Calendar 2022 | $44.99 at Lego.com
This kit moves away from the Earth-based Marvel heroes, opting for the current Guardians lineup instead. That means you're getting minifigures of Star Lord, Rocket, Groot, Drax, Mantis, and Nebula (Gamora is still MIA), and the focus of the set is a little tighter as a result - it creates a cohesive scene of the Guardians throwing a Christmas party with Star Lord's cassette player and a turkey that Rocket is roasting via a massive gun. Groot's been turned into their Christmas tree as well, which we're not entirely sure is rude or cute. This kit is for ages 6+ and has 268 pieces.
UK price: £29.99 at Lego.com
Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2022 | $44.99 at Lego.com
Much like the Star Wars set, this advent calendar takes a more eclectic approach to the Harry Potter franchise with minis from each film rather than opting for a theme like last year's 'Journey to Hogwarts' (which recreated the early moments of The Sorcerer's Stone). As such, you're getting figures ranging from Harry to Lord Voldemort himself with some detours via supporting characters such as Tonks and Moaning Myrtle. The rest of the kit is made up of scenes representing iconic locations such as the Whomping Willow and Hogwarts Express. This one's for ages 7+ and has 334 pieces.
UK price: £29.99 at Lego.com
Today's best Lego offers
If you're not fancying these sets, you can still get your hands on the older Lego advent calendars… but they're a lot harder to find seeing as they've been discontinued.
Want to opt for something else instead? Our bargain-hunting software has listed the latest Lego deals below, and it's populated with must-have kits ranging from the best Lego Star Wars sets to Lego Super Mario sets.
Christmas is still a little while off, and first we've got to get through a certain All-Hallow's Eve… To put you in the spooky mood, be sure to check out these Halloween board games. You can also get other tabletop recommendations with our guide to the best board games and these board games for families.
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As the site's Tabletop & Merch Editor, you'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news. I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and can normally be found cackling over some evil plan I've cooked up for my group's next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.