LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon's build isn't all bad, but the set relies too heavily on its exclusive minifigure.
Introducing Wyldfyre to the theme, 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon takes a normal NINJAGO dragon and literally flips it on its head. Despite this, the build isn't all that exciting or even functional and highlights the simplicity of the Imperium builds outside
The new LEGO NINJAGO set's source material is unknown for now as we await the launch of Dragons Rising, but it's clear that Wyldfyre is the pinnacle of this build.
--- LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon set details ---
Theme: LEGO NINJAGO Set name: 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon Release date: June 1, 2023
Price: £46.99 / $54.99 / €52.99 Pieces: 479 Minifigures: 5
LEGO:
--- Where to buy LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon ---
71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon launches, along with the rest of the Dragons Rising LEGO sets, on June 1 for £46.99 / $54.99 / €52.99. It includes 479 pieces made up of five minifigures, a dragon and an Imperium vehicle.
[bdproduct search='71793' sort='discount' numberOfRecord='1' brand='' sliderMinValues='0' sliderMaxValues='750']--- LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon build ---
With a name like 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon, the fiery design of the dragon is a bit more muted than should ideally be the case, not showing off any elements and featuring colours that you might not expect from lava. The shades of purple are a bit confusing, but ultimately add an appealing and unexpected colour to the design.
It's disappointing to see so many grey pieces on show, but it's not as much of a problem on dragons as it is on other brick-built figures. It would also be nice to see more physical representation of the heat and lava, instead of just stickers.
The dragon also appears to have a posture problem, which- no, wait, that's just its main function. The 'transforming' feature in 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon involves simply flipping the dragon upside down and rotating the head and legs for a very different look. This is said to be its battle mode with easier access to the shooting dragon core as its main offensive ability. This is done through a small and simple lever using Technic pieces.
Unfortunately, this feature doesn't work nearly as well as you'd hope. The dragon tends to buckle when attempting to press the Technic piece down to activate the mechanism, and the Technic bricks used bend heavily as the dragon core is far too secure to be ejected. This doesn't appear to be an intended feature of this piece and it's hard not to wonder what repeated brute force will do to the set.
71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon's opposition is a flying Imperium vehicle with a claw to grab the dragon in mid-air. This build is underwhelming to say the least, and extremely simple to put together. Had its claw been able to open rather than just static, it would have been a lot more impressive and playable – but as it stands, this part of the NINJAGO model is just a waste of pieces.
--- LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon characters ---
It's not all bad news in 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon, as the minifigure selection is one of the best in the new wave. You've got the usual suspects including Kai, Lloyd and even Lord Ras who comes in a few other sets. Lord Ras's head piece is new but does an awful job of showing his detailed moulding. Some additional printing could have fixed this.
Wyldfyre and the rare Imperium Claw Hunter are the highlights of the build, with the latter offering the new armoured helmet in gold. The brick isn't quite as bulky as it was suspected to be and that's a good thing in our books. Seeing the custom minifigures using this helmet in the future should prove interesting and exciting.
Wyldfyre is exclusive to 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon and her minifigure is excellent, reusing the Monkie Kid element from
--- LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon price ---
71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon will set you back £46.99 / $54.99 / €52.99 when it launches on June 1, 2023, and based on the contents, this price feels acceptable, until you consider the functions and the lacklustre Imperium build.
A slight discount in price would have gone miles in furthering the value of this set and as it stands, its apparent focus on the exclusive Wyldfyre minifigure seems to be one of the only reasons why it is as expensive as it is.
--- LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon pictures ---
--- LEGO NINJAGO 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon pros and cons ---
Part of the build and the functions in 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon don't quite manage to hit the mark, and as good as the minifigure selection is, this is a tough set to recommend compared to other entries in the new wave.
Those who want to add Wyldfyre to their collection will need this set as she's exclusive here, but she just doesn't manage to carry the rest of the model. You should wait for a discount on this build before buying it.
| 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon pros | 71793 Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon cons |
|---|---|
| Exclusive Wyldfyre minifigure | Weak Imperium build |
| Dragon is elegant with an interesting colour scheme | Not all transformations are equal |
| Shooting function is far too stiff |
This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.
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