LEGO's best Lunar New Year 2026 set proves size matters not

LEGO 40864 Fortune Master delivers a delightful and expressive brick-built figure that makes for the perfect Lunar New Year display piece.

LEGO Lunar New Year sets come in all shapes and sizes, but while this is far from the largest or the most visually impressive offering for 2026, there’s no denying that 40864 Fortune Master is by far the cutest and most adorable set that the LEGO Group is releasing for the Year of the Horse.

40864 Fortune Master

Release: Jan 1, 2026

Retiring: Dec 31, 2026

Price: £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99

Pieces: 386

Minifigures: 0

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Buy now at LEGO.com

Not every LEGO set needs to be massive. It’s easy to imagine a version of 40864 Fortune Master with twice as many pieces and perhaps a minifigure or two thrown in for good measure. This little brick-built figure could be far more expansive, posable, and feature some kind of unique gimmick, such as those present with other Lunar New Year sets.

What’s harder to imagine, though, is how any additional elements or unique mechanics or custom elements might improve the build. 40864 Fortune Master is perfect exactly as it is – while it’s not necessarily a LEGO set that absolutely everybody needs in their collection, it is the best possible version of this kind of model.

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It’s small, cute, expressive and fun. Sometimes, this is more than enough. 40864 Fortune Master is simple and enjoyable and above all, downright charming. The eponymous Fortune Master’s face is cartoonishly silly without feeling creepy, steering far clear of the uncanny valley (a difficult thing to achieve with many brick-built humanoids), and the included additional sets of eyes (hidden snugly in a barrel out of sight when not needed) allow for a degree of customisation.

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There are plenty of drum-lacquered gold elements, which are nice to have. There’s some solid printing on a few tiles here and there, and that’s nice too.

Above all, though, this model creates its inventive look through clever use of existing LEGO elements and familiar build techniques. Nothing here will challenge your understanding of what is possible with the LEGO brick, and nothing here is particularly bold or innovative.

40864 Fortune Master is simply an example of a very well-designed LEGO set that makes people smile, and for that reason, despite there being far larger and flashier offerings this year, this might just be the best Lunar New Year set for 2026’s Year of the Horse.

Our honest opinion: 40864 Fortune Master is simple, traditional fun, proving that LEGO sets don’t need large piece counts, fancy gimmicks or impressive unique elements to make them stand out when the core idea is perfectly executed in a way that is fun to put together.

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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How many eyes are included in LEGO Lunar New Year 40864 Fortune Master?

LEGO 40864 Fortune Master contains three sets of eyes which can be mixed and matched to create different expressions. There are also spare printed eye elements in the box which are useful in case any of these go missing.