As a teenager soon entering college, I selected Nexo Knights as the last full theme that I'd buy into. I have to save money for dorm supplies, so I saw this set on sale at Walmart and got it for 25% off. I was originally going to buy the Rumble Blade, but after seeing the price and size difference, I decided this set was the better buy.
To begin, I will say that I definitely recommend this set to anyone looking for a display or play model with creative design and good play features. To the parents reading this, I will say this set is a good gift for a birthday or special occasion set and is definitely worth the money.
As always, I'll go through the pros and cons of this set. At the end, I will list any modifications that are decent to add to the set, all of which that take minimal pieces and simply a few minutes to build into the model.
(Cons)
As with most speeches, I'll begin with the cons. The first and most obvious con of the set is that there are only three minifigures to this sixty dollar set. Personally, I would've enjoyed a few scurriers or blobblins, or at the least a Crust Smasher so you can have some point defense. However, taking any extra figure you have from another set and placing it on the mobile is a quick fix to that. The monster build, Sparkks, is a little smaller than I had personally imagined. Given the box art, I assumed he was going to be at lesat 8 inches tall, but here he only comes out to 6. The build of him is very impressive, using the new pieces first introduced in Chima to great effect. The only remaining con that I had with the build of the set was the lack of deck space on the second level of the build. The ladder looks very daunting, but without any space to place figures, it limits your ability to hold figures on it (this is a modification that I made later on in the review).
(Pros)
The pros of the sit, conversely, are numerous. The mecha-horse build for Lance is very well done and executed. The build isn't too challenging, but it pulls in a very unique use of the dirt bike element, includes places to store Lance's weapons, and the minifigure can grip the handle bars, an issue with other models. Speaking of minifigures, they are the highlights of this set. Jestro is executed perfectly, making great use of the Crocodile tribe cape and having an excellent face printing. To have the book of monsters is also very great, and the printing on the cover is perfect, giving the personality of the tome almost beautifully. Lance is a very well detailed and printed figure, though if you are looking for him, his Mecha-Steed set is much cheaper and gives you the same figure. The build of the mobile is great, showcasing some of Lego's best pieces and techniques. As many other reivews have pointed out, the moving jaw and blade function is exceptional, giving the thing life and making it seem much less lifeless. The front design looks evil and very nasty, and the use of the Ben 10 pieces for the Jester hat part of the face was very clever. I also admire the level of detail that went into making the entire thing half black and half red, to the point of including red pins for one side and black pins for the other. placing catapults on the side adds in some play features and are limited enough so they won't fling too far (if you are a parent who hates, as I do, cleaning up after playing with sets). The throne section for Jestro is also executed well, and the function of having it lower down to 'hide' him is perfect, fitting well both into play and the personality of the whole thing. The monster can, of course, be attached to the front to pull the thing, but I recommend, if you have the money to spare, buying Infernox Captures the Queen and hitching him up instead. Overall, I was both satisfied, impressed and excited by the build, which itself was rather enjoyable.
So, to reiterate, I personally recommend this set to anyone with the money and interest in Nexo Knights. The minifigures are great, the builds are immpressive, and the thing just seems to scream 'roll me around and DESTROY THE KNIGHTS!' Overall, I think this set showcases some of Lego's best decisions and best additions to their lineup.
(Modifications)
There were two minor modifications that I made to the model after purchase, both of which are very minor and require few parts to do so. The first modifications is featured in the first picture added to this review: the jail cell. Taking a small jail cell door and a handful of red and black bricks, I built up a small wall to make the back feel much more like a prision area. Placing it four studs back from the back leaves enough room for the blades to still spin and enough space for the figure to sand or sit. I also added a few bone pieces from my own collection, just to add to the scene.
The second modification I made was to take two 2x6 gray plates and place them on the sides of the second level, as shown in the other picture. This gives enough space for you to set some figures and still have that 'trap door' type function.
