The LEGO Power Miners theme was a short-lived, original product line that ran from January 2009 to the end of 2010, focusing on a team of geologists and miners who travel deep underground to investigate a series of powerful earthquakes.
Overview and Storyline The Power Miners discovered a subterranean world inhabited by elemental rock monsters who were causing the earthquakes by consuming "Energy Crystals." The theme followed the miners' mission to collect the crystals before the monsters did, leading to various conflicts and discoveries.
Factions: The theme featured two primary factions: the human Power Miners team and the various rock monsters (Rock Monsters, Crystal King, the Lava Monsters, etc.).
Design Aesthetic: The human vehicles were large, brightly colored (orange, green, and black), and featured heavy drilling and mining equipment. The sets included numerous interactive features like working drills, cranes, and firing functions.
Construction Sets
A total of 18 sets and several promotional polybags were released across the theme's two-year run, which was split into two waves: a "Rock Monsters" wave in 2009 and a "Lava Monsters" wave in 2010.
Crystal Sweeper (8961): A key set from the first wave, featuring a large vehicle designed to collect loose crystals.
Titanium Command Rig (8962): The main base of operations for the Power Miners team, an imposing mobile rig with extensive drilling capabilities.
Underground Mining Station (8708): A major set from the 2010 wave that included a large drilling mechanism and a monorail system. Crystal King (8709): A large, brick-built figure of one of the rock monster leaders.
Lava Monsters (e.g., Lava Dragon 8191): The second wave focused on lava-themed monsters and their fiery environments.
Collectibility
The LEGO Power Miners theme is now retired and sets are no longer available in standard retail stores. Due to their unique original story, action-oriented play features, and the fun character designs of the rock and lava monsters, the sets are popular on secondary marketplaces like eBay and BrickLink. The larger vehicles and the unique monster figures are particularly sought after by collectors.