Random set of the day: Fangpyre Mech
Posted by Huwbot,Today's random set is 9455 Fangpyre Mech, released during 2012. It's one of 48 Ninjago sets produced that year. It contains 255 pieces and 2 minifigs, and its retail price was US$24.99/£19.99.
It's owned by 1,711 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you should find it for sale at BrickLink, where new ones sell for around $60.00, or eBay.
74 likes
27 comments on this article
Banana Assault!
Oh, I loved this mech, I remember it was a day-one purchase for me. Ninjago was really starting to find it's groove, by this point.
I wish I'd gotten this one. I also wish Lego would do more animal-themed mechs. 76243 is nice (and also on my wanted list), but I want more.
Mark Stafford’s designer notes for this set are interesting, apparently it was quite difficult to make the mech look like a snake as opposed to a dinosaur. I’d say he did a really good job!
Quick lore!
The Fangpyre are Serpentine that can turn things into snakes by biting them
Quick lore!
Fun fact: in the show, this is a robot turned evil by the fangpyre and looks completely different
@Noahcat1 said:
"Mark Stafford’s designer notes for this set are interesting, apparently it was quite difficult to make the mech look like a snake as opposed to a dinosaur. I’d say he did a really good job!"
I was going to say something about that, having recently read through his bricklist.
https://brickset.com/sets/list-5289
@TheOtherMike said:
"I wish I'd gotten this one. I also wish Lego would do more animal-themed mechs. 76243 is nice (and also on my wanted list), but I want more."
I have it for sale new without a box in my store on Bricklink if you really want it.
WHY DOES HE HAVE A BANANA???
@Yorick: NEVER MIND THAT; HE HAS A BANANA, RUUUUUNNNNN!!!:D
Side-note: I like the contrast with snake-guy holding the banana, and Cole holding a scythe...and probably thinking: 'Ya' gotta' be kidding me...':)
Some of the dark green pieces from this era of Ninjago were brittle, in my experience. In particular when bagging and storing a different Fangpyre set I had a 4x4 round plate snap in half during disassembly. Some other parts tended to crack as well.
I do like the Fangpyre vehicles quite a lot, even if the head construction can get repetitive and the stickers are all similar. That is a solid way of unifying the wave, on the other hand.
@Yorick said:
"WHY DOES HE HAVE A BANANA???"
He’s evil. Duh.
Another random Ninjago set that probably has no equivalent in the show! Wowza!
Say what you want about the Serpentine but man do they have a strong sense of branding
@GSR_MataNui said:
"Quick lore!
The Fangpyre are Serpentine that can turn things into snakes by biting them
Quick lore! "
Thank you. That does explain the banana, which I guess is only one bite away from becoming a dangerous snake?
A bananaconda, if you will.
@NotProfessorWhymzi said:
"the moment when you encounter Level 1 highwaymen as a Level 50... um, Monk, i guess? Monks can use scythes, right?"
If it's a monk weapon, then sure!
I own this one! :D
The mech is great. Unlike a lot of more humanoid mechs this one is clunky in all the right ways and flexible in all the right ways too! The CCBS parts for the upper arms mean it's super posable without making it too easy to overextend. The hands are nicely robotic claspers and the legs are straight and robotic. But there's also waist articulation and even head articulation! The head looks the right kind of goofy, and I like that with the posable tail it still conveys the snake motif. And it could actually do some damage with those fangs!
With the titan mechs of late we've really missed out on stuff like this. So posable! So affordable (at the time)! Too bad it wasn't more widely available.
Oh and "watch those wrist rockets!"
Love this one.
That Scythe of Quakes sure is unconventional though
After all the dozens of humanoid mechs this makes a great change both visually, building and play with only 255 piece! The head and arms would still look great in a set today, but the legs and chunky feet could do with updating although guessing any smaller would make keeping balance tricky.
@Ridgeheart said: "A bananaconda, if you will."
Okay, thread's over. Ridgeheart wins. We can all go home.
@Noahcat1 said:
"Mark Stafford’s designer notes for this set are interesting, apparently it was quite difficult to make the mech look like a snake as opposed to a dinosaur. I’d say he did a really good job!"
He's Mark Stafford doing a mech and *not* doing a job is... inconceivable. (And yes, Inigo Montoya, I do know what that word means.)
YESSS POG RANDOM SET
Always love it when sets from my favorite theme are picked.
Banana Boomerang? Banana Rang. Ring Ring Banana Phone ?
What an awesome looking set! This was about 2 years before the end of my dark age, but if I'd seen this set back then I might have come out of it right there.
Forget elf on a shelf, snek with a mech is where it's at!
@MCLegoboy said:
"Banana Assault!"
Reminds me of the Self Defense class sketch (I think that's what it was called?) by Monty Python.
"What do you do when attacked by the Banana-wielding Fiend? Simple: you shoot him with a gun, like this!"
@PurpleDave said:
" @Yorick said:
"WHY DOES HE HAVE A BANANA???"
He’s evil. Duh."
Let me put it this way If you had to fight someone and instead of picking a sword or a spear as a weapon they picked a banana, how scared of their sheer skill would you be?
Also it’s a human sized snake with hands and legs, so that thing can run after you.
Personally, I would pee my pants if I saw some massive snake chasing me down with a banana.