Review: 71477 The Sandman's Tower
Posted by CapnRex101,DREAMZzz features some great location-based sets and 71477 The Sandman's Tower seems to maintain that quality. The architecture is unique and clearly embraces the fantasy of the Dream World, similar to the many vehicles created for the theme already.
Also, the selection of minifigures is impressive, including both the Sandman and the villainous Never Witch for the first time, as well as a taller version of Logan. The significant differences between the alternative models are interesting too, although the high price of £79.99, $89.99 or €89.99 could be a cause for concern.
Summary
71477 The Sandman's Tower, 723 pieces.
£79.99 / $89.99 / €89.99 | 11.1p/12.4c/12.4c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
While the minifigures are absolutely outstanding, the model is severely lacking in detail
- Attractive and unusual architecture
- Exceptional minifigures
- Very sparse interior
- Bland functions
- Far too expensive
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
This is undoubtedly the superior Mateo minifigure, featuring his unique bright green cape and matching belt. The colour combination of bright green, dark azure and red is striking, with dark bluish grey trousers too. Furthermore, the texture of Mateo's hair is excellent, but I look forward to him donning a new costume in future DREAMZzz sets because versions of this figure have become quite common.
Izzie appears almost as frequently as Mateo and her minifigure is perhaps even better, due in no small part to an amazing hair element. This mixture of trans-opalescent blue and trans-pink colours looks marvellous and the texture is very intricate. The torso and legs are highly detailed as well, although this version of Izzie lacks her fabric skirt, likely because it would obstruct her sitting on the brick-built bird.
Also, I would like to see new expressions for both characters, as including two smiles on their double-sided heads seems unnecessary to me. The accessories are brilliant though, as usual. Mateo carries his pencil-shaped staff, while Izzie comes with a dual-moulded sword. The trans-light blue energy blade looks superb.
The protagonists are overshadowed though, as the other four figures included are brand new. Logan was introduced as a diminutive Dreamling, but has now grown to become a traditional minifigure. This version of the character thus sports a hooded jacket, with the Dream Chasers' symbol on the front. However, his dark azure skin tone and hairstyle remain unchanged.
Exactly the same hair element is used for The Sandman, albeit in flame yellowish orange for the first time. That works perfectly for sand and the rest of the minifigure is primarily the same colour, with metallic silver and blue accents to capture the character's sense of magic from the animated series. Similarly, the dual-moulded spectral base looks brilliant, but I wish the flame yellowish orange plastic was more vivid.
The Sandman wears a monocular on one side of his head, for inspecting artefacts, while the other side displays a smile. Logan, meanwhile, features happy and angry expressions, along with a full set of teeth on this occasion, unlike his previous Dreamling figure. The hockey stick remains as Logan's accessory though, while the Sandman wields a golden sword.
The villains in the first wave of DREAMZzz sets were tremendous, between Night Hunter and the Nightmare King. Fortunately, I think the Never Witch looks equally impressive, due mainly to her stunning dual-moulded hair and crown component. The combination of coral and black is beautiful, especially against the Never Witch's pale skin.
Furthermore, the moulded detail on this piece is outstanding, with textured wings across the back, as well as diamond-shaped decorations on four sides. The torso and legs are superbly detailed too, including ornate metallic silver and magenta patterns. The magenta is interesting because the same colour appears on the Nightmare King, Night Hunter and their creatures.
A matching stripe thus adorns the other side of the Never Witch's head, hinting at the villains' prior association. The trans-pink crystal atop her staff continues this colour and completes an exceptional minifigure, certainly rivalling the aforementioned villains DREAMZzz produced last year.
Sneak completes the character selection and is also highly desirable, as this Grimspawn was noticeably missing from the earlier selection of sets, despite his important role in the animated series. The new four-legged body piece looks excellent and Sneak's mean expression matches his personality onscreen, although the opportunity for a second expression has been missed.
The Completed Model
A monstrous spider joins Sneak and the Never Witch. Similar models have appeared several times before, but the black and purple colour scheme looks suitably dark, with a few magenta pieces for the spider's mandibles. A sticker adds some extra eyes on the creature's back, while two smaller spiders can be placed inside the cauldron forming its abdomen.
The heroes also have an animal companion, in the form of a large bird, which resembles Zoe's avian steed from 71457 Pegasus Flying Horse. The colours are odd and inconsistent with Izzie, who is shown riding the bird in most official images, although I like the reddish orange oars used for feathers on the wings and tail. The printed eyes look lovely too, but the position of the bird's feet is odd, hardly raising its body off the ground.
While some DREAMZzz sets can swap quickly between designs, transforming the Sandman's tower into a fortress requires major reassembly. The structure below is the core of both models and only comprises about half of the total pieces. In some respects, I like the substantial change between the two buildings, but faster reconstruction is arguably more enjoyable for play.
The titular tower is definitely the primary model and impresses based on its size alone, as the tower reaches a height of 47cm. The sandy base, white walls and onion dome give this model an unmistakable Middle Eastern style and I find its asymmetrical features appealing, especially with vibrant splashes of blue from the trees.
Like the Sandman minifigure, flame yellowish orange is used for sand around the base of the tower. Tan would normally be more appropriate, but I think such heightened colours work well within the Dream World. Additionally, the sand flowing down the walls is interesting and further conveys the feeling of the supernatural, as if the tower has freshly emerged from the sand.
Stickers are applied on the curved wall panels and introduce some detail, alongside stickered clocks. The stickers were needed because blank wall panels would be too plain, but I wish the brickwork and swirling sand was actually built. The balcony on this side of the tower looks good though, above one of the decorative gearwheel sections, which stands out in light bluish grey.
Unfortunately, the interior is surprisingly sparse. The laboratory area makes sense, given the Sandman's expertise in repair work and presumably science, but this could have been bigger and included more furniture. The two flasks attached to the stand look lovely though, while two more pearl gold blades are stored in the opposite corner.
The consistent use of pearl gold elements is effective, particularly on the next level, where a series of golden claws form an attractive balcony railing. An hourglass is placed in the centre and its prominent location is fitting, but again, I think there was an opportunity to include extra detail around the hourglass, since the Sandman specialises in fixing these artefacts.
The next floor is better though, housing an opening book, which is cleverly constructed using 2x2 curved slopes. The stickered pages add some detail and there is space for a character to stand in here and read the book. Moreover, I like the blue and dark azure trees growing on the sides of the tower, incorporating 6x5 leaf elements in blue for only the second time.
A variety of Technic gears occupies the next floor, connecting the large clock on the front of the building to the dome on top and a dial on the side, shown below. Turning the grey gear causes the dome and the clock hands to rotate together, which is a basic function, but a welcome one to provide some motion.
The metallic printing on the clock face is ornate and I like the decorative gears, matching those inside the tower. The three hands are also interesting. Ideally, they would turn at different rates, but that would require a bigger and more complicated mechanism. The hourglass found above the clock looks splendid as well, containing 1x1 round plates to represent the flow of both sand and time.
Pearl gold balloon panels comprise the onion dome, with gaps between these panels revealing the hourglass. The shape of this structure is nice, but I think its rotating function would be more dynamic if the hourglass remained static, while the dome and maybe the trans-light blue crystal turned, as though the sections of the dome are always shifting to protect the precious hourglass inside.
LEGO describes the alternative model as a fortress. This structure has a completely different silhouette to the tower and measures 29cm across, excluding the branches of the tree. I think the wider configuration looks good on the whole, especially because of the bigger clock on the fortress, which combines the two halves of the gear attached to the tower.
In addition, the golden balloon segments become part of the walls. Their bulbous shape looks slightly odd, although re-using such large elements is difficult and I like the distinction between the walls of the fortress and those at the base of the tower. Also, the connection method is quite clever, using clips at the top and bottom.
I have mentioned the need for major reassembly when switching between the tower and the fortress, but there are features that stay together. The hourglass originally situated inside the dome, for instance, moves over the entrance, while the open book is now placed outside on a balcony.
The hourglass is connected to the building sideways, which looks strange to me. However, the rotating function remains intact, now linking the whole clock with the hourglass, rather than just the hands of the clock. I think this function would be more appealing if the hourglass turned end over end. After all, that is what hourglasses are designed to do.
The rotating clock and hourglass are controlled using a gear on the back. This mechanism is more exposed on the fortress than it is on the tower, but the interior otherwise remains nearly unchanged, which is rather disappointing given the documented lack of detail.
LEGO could have introduced some more detail in the adjoining tower, but that is quite sparse too. Nevertheless, the bridge linking the buildings looks great and I like the crystal at the base, which was previously used as the lens on a telescope. The room above is empty though, sadly.
I am impressed with the exterior of the tower though, especially with its pearl gold windows and decorative claws. Again, the tower is finished with a brick-built crystal inside a golden ring, with the hourglass accessory placed in front. I presume the crystal serves as a source of power, so perhaps this is being channelled into the hourglass.
Overall
71477 The Sandman's Tower includes some incredible minifigures, arguably surpassing any other DREAMZzz set in that regard. The tower and fortress are both reasonably attractive as well, from the outside, but their interiors are poor. Compared with the likes of 71795 Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores, this is extremely underwhelming.
Moreover, the price of £79.99, $89.99 or €89.99 feels very expensive to me. The tower is fairly substantial, but desperately required detail to match. On that basis, I can only recommend this set once heavily discounted, which is a shame, considering the tower's interesting architecture and the magnificent minifigures.
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27 comments on this article
Another set that looks great but it has nothing to offer inside :/
Also Sandman looks wrong as it has darker hair in the show.
I was intrigued by this set, but there seems to be a bit too much sand in the gears design-wise. Maybe one to get on sale; I’m still on the fence as to whether to properly invest in this theme more broadly.
All these Dreanzzz villains are causing me to redesign my Castle Fantasy Era MOCS and displays... Nightmare King was made to lead the Skeleton Horde. And now Never Witch at his side? I feel like a kiddie again, forming stories in my mind for all my figs :)
Despite the lack of interior and the heavy price tag, I'm fascinated by this set. I absolutely adore the look of both configurations, the exquisite elements (printed clockface, marvelous golden curvy elements), and the color scheme. In fact, I think the whole set would work best with combining its tower and fortress modes by purchasing two copies. If someone does that, please post pictures!
I'm sure I can put this in the canon for my in progress lego universe
OK, anyone suddenly wanting some Neil Gaiman SANDMAN Lego sets? No? Just me?
Odd that they didn't use the Erlenmeyer flask element for the lab. Might be one of my favourite LEGO pieces!
This absolutely has to mean the Sandman is going to be in Dreamzzz Season 2 because he did pretty much NOTHING in the show.
I am SUPER excited to finally get Sneak in physical form though!
Looks a lot like the Crystal Castle.
The witch looks spectacular. I just hope that behind the scenes, she and the Sandman are secretly friends, because together they'd make an amazing sand-witch.
I regret nothing.
Okay, that is a lie - I kind of regret the price here. I still really love DREAMZzz, but given all of our shrinking budgets at the moment, I'm forced to be a little more picky these days - and I think that between Space and DREAMZzz, Space is going to be the winner. Still, maybe at a discount? End of the year? This really is a nice set, but it's not a must-have.
I don't quite get Dreamzzz(z?), although maybe that's because the entire aesthetic of the theme is giving me PTSD to the diabolical Balan Wonderworld. But I think this looks quite fun, although that comparison with the Ninjago set at the end for sure does it no favours.
I imagine the hourglass is turned sideways on the alternative model because it is meant to act some form of cannon to protect the fortress.
So that’s Matteo, Mr Oz and now the Sandman who all have something going on with their right eye; is this something of deliberate significance the show explains? Or am I just seeing patterns where none exist?
At a hefty discount I can see myself getting this, if only for the parts and awesome minifigs.
I'm normally not even that interested in the figs, but this theme definitely has figs that are way above the rest at the moment.
I really like it, along with the alternate build, even moreso seeing it closer in the review. This is the first in Dreamzzz I'd consider buying two of, but that price is steep.
You're right - those are some great figures. One wonders if Logan will be the last character to get an upgrade from Dreamling to standard minifigure. I also love the Sandman's design. The reversible head has me wanting a pirate figure whose head that has an eyepatch on both sides, but over the right eye on one side, and the left on the other, to represent how pirates actually used eyepatches. And lastly, as I said in the RSotD article on 6633, the Never With has a great"Evil, bot hot!" design.
@Ridgeheart said:
"The witch looks spectacular. I just hope that behind the scenes, she and the Sandman are secretly friends, because together they'd make an amazing sand-witch.
I regret nothing."
Nor should you - a good pun is its own reword.
I agree on the con about the price being too high.
But to me all Dreamzzz sets feel waaay too overpriced. Despite being an original theme the prices feel a lot like something from the licensed world.
I don't deny the creative approach nor the amount of new expensive parts but that's still feels too much.
Dreamzzz is appearing to be a great theme for the lower price points. The expensive ones however... the only one that looked worth it was the stable from last year. I am not sure any of this year hit the mark. All the smaller sets however. Zblob, bunchu bunny, the village, etc are great.
I can't decide if this set is more Monkie Kid or Elden Ring to me.
@Brickalili said:
"So that’s Matteo, Mr Oz and now the Sandman who all have something going on with their right eye; is this something of deliberate significance the show explains? Or am I just seeing patterns where none exist?"
It's explained in the show that when a Dreamcrafter enters the Dream World, they can basically make themselves look however they want. Mateo's glowing vitiligo is part of his Dreamchaser outfit, Mr. Oz's monocle is probably just for that one set, and the Sandman had that eye thingy in his original design.
Minifigs are nice. And a good parts pack once on sale. Dreamzzz sets are shelfwarming a lot here so should see 50% off in near future.
@Rimefang said:
"I can't decide if this set is more Monkie Kid or Elden Ring to me."
The tower gives me some Shintaro from Ninjago vibes.
I wonder if they’ll ever do the real world/civilian versions of the protagonists. Obviously Mateo isn’t too far off, but it’d be nice to see the others.
The tower looks too Elvish and unfocused. The fortress is just a hot mess.
All of it is too expensive. Good figs and parts, though.
The only DZ set I purchased for less than 30% off was the Shark Ship. This new wave will be unlikely to get into my house for less than 50% off.
At this rate, a third wave seems less and less likely. Goodbye Nexo Side. We hardly knew ya!
Based on what I see the price seems reasonable to me. I'm picking this up for sure. What I REALLY want, though, is a normal world set (i.e. probably their school) with the characters in their awaken outfits.
The Never Witch minifigure is insanely good, love that headpiece.
I think the horizontally placed hourglass in fortress mode is actually supposed to be a gatling gun emplacement, what with the four barrels and rotating function.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
" @Brickalili said:
"So that’s Matteo, Mr Oz and now the Sandman who all have something going on with their right eye; is this something of deliberate significance the show explains? Or am I just seeing patterns where none exist?"
It's explained in the show that when a Dreamcrafter enters the Dream World, they can basically make themselves look however they want. Mateo's glowing vitiligo is part of his Dreamchaser outfit, Mr. Oz's monocle is probably just for that one set, and the Sandman had that eye thingy in his original design."
Both times Mr Oz has appeared he’s had something going on with his right eye; a blacked out lens in the bus, fancy monocle in the car. Even if Matteo and Sandman are choosing to have something going on in that same area, it’s odd they both made that choice. Just wondering how much of a deliberate pattern it is versus how much it might just be set designers subconsciously picking their own dominant eyes