Ninjago

70754 Electro Mech

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.03 Construction: 3.5 Parts Value: 5.0 Play Value: 2.0 X-factor: 3.5 Overall: 14.0 Set release date: 2015 top Lego index

The Electro Mech is one of the better humanoid robot sets Lego has released. It's got an excellent 'crouched' stance, and both the arms and legs have an excellent range of movement. By removing the knee and wrist joints, the designers have succeeded in creating something that is highly pose-able, but completely avoids a lot of the frustrations that come with posing (and 'playing' with) Bandai's humanoid Gundam plastic model kits, for example. The folding sword-wing gimmick is a nice addition to the set, greatly increasing its play value. However, the wing-folding mechanism, and some other parts were tricky to assemble. For that, the set may be difficult or frustrating for younger enthusiasts to build. There are a lot of rare or unique parts in the set. On top of that, the set comes with a plethora of Minifigure weapons! Nevertheless, I found the 'cockpit' area disappointing. How the Minifigure attaches to the robot is a continuing source of frustration, as anything in the Minifigure's hands (and sometimes the Minifigure itself) are knocked off during play. The set is active in the play cycle, but at below average levels (the kids are Star Wars fans...). Although the robot is an interesting and impressive figure to have on display, if you're not a Ninjago fan, it may be hard to justify that. For me, the weakest part of the set is the enemy and double crossbow gun. However, those additions make it a great starter set for younger Ninjago fans, and gives them something to squish under the mecha's feet! (Not to mention even more Minifigure weapons!) I picked up the set as part of my quest to find the ideal parts to make a robot vehicle or transforming Valkyrie Fighter with. However, I am extremely satisfied with the robot vehicle, and don't have the heart to disassemble it.

Chima

As a series, the Legend Beasts make for a great series of well articulated Lego animals to put on display. As they are based on real animals, they not only have great play value on their own, but also easily fit into other play genres.

70123 Lion Legend Beast

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.03 Construction: 4.0 Parts Value: 4.5 Play Value: 1.5 X-factor: 3.5 Overall: 13.5 Set release date: 2014 top Lego index

The lion accurately recreates the real animal. It has an excellent range of articulation, and is able to assume a variety of poses. There's also a good range of not so common parts in the set. I'm not a fan of the Minifigure included in the set, but visually it is a nice contrast with the other Minifigures in the Chima Legend Beast series. Among those in the series, the Minifigure's weapon is possibly the least likely to fall apart during play. The Lion Legend Beast is about the same size and length as the Wolf Legend Beast, making them great for moving in formation or fighting each other. Alas, after a few battles with the other Legend Beasts, the lion disappeared into my son's Lego collection. He hasn't disassembled it, mind you. So, there's residual value in having a Lego lion awaiting in the wings, so to speak.

70125 Gorilla Legend Beast

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.03 Construction: 3.5 Parts Value: 4.0 Play Value: 2.5 X-factor: 5.0 Overall: 15.0 Set release date: 2014 top Lego index

I initially picked this one up in my quest for parts to make a transformable Variable Fighter. In that regard, I was disappointed by this set. However, from the start, I've felt that this is one of the more fun sets in my collection, and it is occasionally put out on display. The highlight of the set is the gorilla itself. Although the pieces used to make the legs limit the range of poses it can be put into, the set is still very accurate to the real animal. Also, I always get a kick out of the beast warrior riding on the back - you just can't go wrong with a masked monkey man riding a giant gorilla, while waving a giant hammer around. Whichever way I look at it, this set is a riot of fun!

70127 Wolf Legend Beast

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.03 Construction: 4.5 Parts Value: 4.5 Play Value: 3.5 X-factor: 3.5 Overall: 16.0 Set release date: 2014 top Lego index

I picked this one up because of how much fun the Gorilla Lion Legend Beast sets were, as well as continuing my quest for parts to build a transformable humanoid robot in Lego. The wolf is another excellent addition to the Lego collection, with a surprising amount of continuing use in play - my youngest brings it out for dog/horse like roles. More than the other sets in this series, this one is the most... friendly? The wolf has a surprising amount of articulation and is able to do a myriad of poses. The only draw back is that due to the way it is constructed, it tends to fall apart when stored in the Lego box. Otherwise, it is a great source of not-so-common parts. The Minifigure is pretty neat, and its weapon nicely adds variety to this series and ones overall Lego collection.

Pirates

70409 Shipwreck Defense

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.04 Construction: 4.0 Parts Value: 5.0 Play Value: 3.5 X-factor: 3.5 Overall: 16.0 Set release date: 2015 top Lego index

An excellent starter set for the pirate series. Although the ship wreck itself is fun, in its limited sort of way, this set is chock a block full of not so common parts. It comes with a plethora of Minifigure accessories, as well as a cannon. This set is recommend just for those! One of the highlights of this set is that it attaches to 70411 Treasure Island, giving the pirates a rather decent sized base, with a nifty lookout post. Although my kids generally don't play with it on its own, it is active as part of the larger pirate base. Out of the four 2015 pirate sets, this was the most difficult to track down in Japan. For me that speaks volumes about its desirability.

70410 Soldiers Outpost

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.04 Construction: 4.5 Parts Value: 4.5 Play Value: 4.0 X-factor: 4.5 Overall: 17.5 Set release date: 2015 top Lego index

The Soldiers Outpost is the set that piqued my interest in the 2015 pirates series - it has everything that a medium priced set should have to satisfy your kids or the kid in you. The outpost is nicely designed, creating a tropical watery fortification that fits in well with a lot of different play genres. The soldier (and pirate!) Minifigures come with a plethora of accessories, and the swiveling cannon on the roof of the outpost is a real treat. Although the pirate raft is rather basic, it is a neat addition, and its visual size rivals that of the outpost itself. The set also comes with a fish and octopus, which neatly round out the aquatic theme. The only drawback to the set is that the leaves on the 1-stud plant brick in the lower left of the front are prone to breakage when put into the Lego box (the larger tropical leave simply falls off). Highly recommended.

70411 Treasure Island

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.04 Construction: 3.5 Parts Value: 4.5 Play Value: 3.5 X-factor: 4.0 Overall: 15.5 Set release date: 2015 top Lego index

Treasure Island is an excellent addition to the 2015 pirate series. Although the skull-faced island was a bit of a turn off for me when initially purchasing the set, it gives the island an undeniably unique character. The set comes with a plethora of Minifigure accessories; as well as rare parts, such as a parrot and treasure map. There are also a couple of gimmicks built into the island - a secret cabinet in the back to store the map, and pushing down on the tree pulls the chain that opens the skull face to reveal a hidden treasure chest! The set is rounded out with a soldier in a row boat, as well as a crocodile. The set has oodles of play value written all over it, and it is semi active in my kids' play cycle. The only minor drawback to the set is the pirate queen - my middle child prefers smiling Lego princesses, so the snarling pirate queen was 'ugly' to her. The other kids don't mind it.

70412 Soldiers Fort

Review by: Aaron Sketchley Reviewed on: 2016.04.04 Construction: 3.5 Parts Value: 5.0 Play Value: 4.0 X-factor: 4.0 Overall: 16.5 Set release date: 2015 top Lego index

I just had to add this set to my collection after learning that it directly connects to 70410 Soldiers Outpost! It did not disappoint, and I remember it being fun to assemble. Highlights to the fort are the jail cell (with a wall that easily detaches for pirate rescues!), a working crane for retrieving the treasure chest from the dingy, and a proper palm tree, that adds colour and an interesting dimension to the fort. As with the other sets in the 2015 pirates series, this one also comes with a plethora of Minifigure accessories. In addition to the cannon, there are also a pair of pistol launchers. I'm not a fan of them personally, but unlike the Star Wars Battle Packs, the guns work here because they are either boat or building mounted (call them mini-cannons). There is a wide variety of Minifigures included in the set, giving them all a nice visual contrast with each other, and the Minifigures in the other 2015 pirates series. The crane is a bit fiddly to assemble, and may be frustrating for younger enthusiasts. The main drawback to the set is that it tends to disintegrate when stored in the Lego box. Nevertheless, it's an extremely nice set to keep out on display.