My LEGO August 1 strategy: Spider-Man 2 and gaming icons

August is almost here, and it's bringing dozens of new LEGO sets with it, but the models topping my list might look different from most people's.

My plans for LEGO purchases in August aren't focused on some of the major releases next month, but instead lean into personal nostalgia. I'm looking to bolster some at-home displays and collections as well, of which three August sets will be perfect. You can see what another member of the Brick Fanatics team is planning to pick up by clicking here.

72038 Wario & King Boo is my number one priority on August 1, even over the likes of 10358 Soundwave and 76324 Spider-Man vs. Oscorp. Those are builds that I'd prefer to wait for a discount on, but I can't resist the pull of LEGO Wario.

After playing far too much Mario Kart World on my Nintendo Switch 2, I have become oddly enamoured with the long-awaited LEGO Wario figure. While minifigures seem unlikely now in the future of LEGO Super Mario, this brick-built Wario figure fits the current style perfectly. It's a nice bonus that he so happens to be in a set with two of my favourite karts and a glider from the last Mario Kart game.

King Boo isn't nearly as appealing, but I've missed out on every other set featuring him, so it's about time I caught up. The real star of the show is, without a doubt, LEGO Wario, and at £44.99/$49.99/€49.99 for 512 pieces, I'm fine without waiting for a discount on 72038 Wario & King Boo.

Next up on my August LEGO shopping list is a set that I'm sure will be in the minds of many fans ahead of next month, but I've got a personal reason for picking it up. 76321 Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock Subway Train Scene is an incredibly appealing set thanks to its minifigure selection, revisiting one of the most iconic Marvel movies in cinema history.

76321 Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock Subway Train Scene appeals to me not just for those minifigures, though. A friend from my childhood once owned 4855 Spider-Man's Train Rescue, of which the 2025 set remakes, and I loved admiring this model every time I'd visit his house. It was an important step in what would become a career revolving around my love of LEGO and trains, and with my modular building city plans starting to take shape, a modern train design such as this will be perfect.

I've been inspired by iron_foot's build, which integrates a smaller take on this style of train into a modular city by way of a bridge over a road, ideal to frame a city's backdrop, which would otherwise be a blank wall. Their train is notably smaller, but the concept should work for a larger version with some modifications.

Rounding out my shopping plans for August 1 is the exclusive 40805 Arcade Machine, which will go perfectly in a display I've been building up for some time in my office.

Whether it be the Nintendo console recreations or the LEGO arcade machines, I've been slowly starting a LEGO gaming tribute collection for a few years, the centrepiece of which is the stunning 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade. The retro model has received a lot of attention from guests, and as soon as I saw 40805 Arcade Machine, I knew it would be the ideal companion.

It even comes with a minifigure and minifigure-sized machine that lives inside the larger build. At £34.99 / $39.99 / €39.99 for 468 pieces, it's not a bad deal to take advantage of on launch day. Discounts will be unlikely as well, since it's a LEGO-exclusive set.

Together, my planned basket comes to £124.97, and that was before I knew about the upcoming 40760 Adventure Peely & Cuddle Team Leader gift-with-purchase. At the time of writing, the set is only confirmed for the US and Europe, with all orders of $130 / €130, but Europe's GWPs are usually the same as those of the UK, with a slightly higher threshold.

Assuming this pattern continues with 40760 Adventure Peely & Cuddle Team Leader from August 1 to 11, I'm hopeful to add the pair of Fortnite characters to my BrickHeadz shelf next month, to sit alongside 40728 Brite Bomber. This hasn't been confirmed just yet, so take it with a pinch of salt as I currently am. Should this go live in the UK, I'll have unintentionally geared my plans around a gift-with-purchase just as I did in June.

That should do for me in August, or more realistically, the start of the month, but you can see everything that's launching next month by checking out our comprehensive guide.

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