Review: 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech
Posted by CapnRex101,Mechs are notoriously common in the NINJAGO theme. However, there are occasional standouts and 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech is definitely one! Not only is the mech superbly detailed and enormous, but the articulation clearly improves upon comparable vehicles.
Articulation and attractive shaping are normally my priorities where mechs are concerned, so I believe this has the potential to be one of the best LEGO has produced. That being said, its colour scheme is questionable for Cole, relying remarkably heavily on white elements.
Summary
71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech, 1,055 pieces.
£89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 | 8.5p/9.5c/9.5c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
NINJAGO features no shortage of mechs and this is arguably the best of all!
- Massive size and presence on display
- Lovely armour shaping
- Incredible articulation
- Clever knee mechanism
- Occasional fragile areas
- Questionable colour scheme
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigure
Only one minifigure is included, which is unprecedented for a NINJAGO set of this size. Some extra characters would surely increase play value and might have been nice, although without vehicles for them to rival the mech, I am happy to focus exclusively on Mech Cole. In addition, this version of the ninja is unique, sporting a distinctive white suit to match his vehicle.
White is probably the colour I would least associate with Cole, the Elemental Master of Earth, whose black, reddish brown and orange livery has long been established. Even so, this figure features excellent detail and does incorporate orange throughout. I love the mechanical design on the torso in particular, reminiscent of Iron Man's armour.
The bulky shoulder armour looks splendid as well, paired with a more traditional head wrap. I like this element, but its inability to turn is unfortunate because this keeps Cole facing forward aboard his vehicle, rather than looking to either side. The double-sided head underneath works well though, while Cole's trans-orange blades are superb, having only appeared twice before.
The Completed Model
NINJAGO mechs are clearly influenced by Gundam and that is extremely apparent here, as every edge is sharp and the model's proportions find a great balance between bulkiness and agility. Its colour scheme has proven contentious and I probably would have preferred a darker livery for Cole's mech, although other Titan Mechs have also incorporated white accents, so I applaud their consistency.
Such consistency does not extend to their size, as this comparison to 71738 Zane's Titan Mech Battle shows. Measured to the top of its shoulders, the model reaches a height of 33cm, which narrowly surpasses even 70676 Lloyd's Titan Mech and 71775 Nya's Samurai X Mech. This is therefore the largest NINJAGO mech released to date, especially once its wings are taken into consideration, measuring 47cm to the top.
Larger mechs often look impressive, but tend to suffer where articulation is concerned, as their heavy limbs require strong joints. However, this is where 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech truly excels. The ankles, knees, hips, waist, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers and head each include versatile joints to achieve a fantastic range of poses, aided by rotation at the biceps and thighs.
In that respect, the articulation is very much like a modern action figure. There is a degree of play in some joints, which include click hinges, but that is the nature of LEGO joints and does not interfere with poseability overall. Furthermore, various joints provide a remarkable range of motion, especially the elbows, which each integrate two click hinges.
Poses gripping the sword in both hands are more difficult, of course, but possible nonetheless. The sword's hilt is relatively long and includes three connection points for Technic pins, so you can change the hand positions for maximum dynamism. Also, the shoulders can move inwards quite easily, allowing the arms to reach some way across the torso, as positioned below.
The wings are adjustable too, although they still obstruct the shoulders sometimes, or at least make posing more difficult. Thankfully, they are designed for easy removal, which allows even more dramatic poses. The only issue with such comprehensive articulation is that certain poses expose less detailed areas of the model, such as the underside of the forearms.
I love the angular design of the mech's shoulders, which are cleverly constructed around bricks with studs on the side and brackets, so both sides are nicely finished. Four stickers are applied on the front of the shoulders and twelve are included in total, although most provide only minor details, so they can be omitted without a problem if you prefer.
The head seems tiny for a mech of this size, but I think it works in proportion with the shoulder armour. The golden crescent-shaped blade on the forehead looks superb and I like the swords forming decorative horns. Moreover, the head includes a trans-orange visor tucked beneath the crescent blade, with a trans-clear plate behind it, so the visor can be illuminated from the back.
The structure of the head is very similar to past mechs, with a hinged neck section raising the head above the torso and creating enough space for a minifigure to sit underneath. Cole does indeed fit inside the cockpit, although placing him there is quite fiddly and there are no controls, unfortunately. The chest armour is excellent though, with a trans-orange 2x2 slider forming an energy core in its centre.
Bands of pearl gold pieces identify the rotating bicep joint, which separates the shoulders and the dark bluish grey upper arms. The rocky texture here is effective and suits Cole, although it only appears sporadically. Much though I enjoy the existing design, I think better distribution of these earth-themed details would result in a more interesting and distinctive mech.
As mentioned earlier, the elbows are double-jointed, so articulation of the arms is essentially unlimited. However, the 2x2 inverted slopes on the elbow joints can be accidentally detached surprisingly easily. They are securely mounted with four studs, but these areas of the mech are often handled, so an even stronger connection was needed.
The sword fares better in that regard. Both hands include Technic pins to connect the sword, which is designed with three pin holes on its hilt. Once the fingers are closed, the grip seems firm. I dislike the light bluish grey Technic 2x2x2 cross blocks that support the blade, but these parts are not available in pearl gold.
A new blade element was introduced with 10327 Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter and returns here, now in pearl gold. The whole sword therefore measures 40cm long, which seems like an ideal size, relative to the mech. In addition, the blade is comparatively light, avoiding a problem that affected 71785 Jay's Titan Mech because its sword looks stunning, but is fairly heavy.
Incidentally, the blade from that sword is used for the wings on this model. I am not convinced wings were really necessary, although they make the mech look bigger and their shape works well, following the silhouette of the shoulders. Each golden blade is connected to a click hinge, so they can be individually adjusted, but the wings do not fold away.
They are able to fold back, however, as shown below. This is a neat function for play and also serves an important role when posing the mech, as you can move the wings to maximise their visual impact even when the vehicle is standing sideways. Additionally, clips are situated where the wings join the torso, so you can store Cole's katana discretely.
The wings are connected using two Technic pins, so they feel secure, but are easily removable as well. The pearl gold tiles surrounding this connection point look good and I think the mech is well finished from behind, avoiding any unsightly colours. However, the backs of the arms could be better, particularly because those surfaces become visible from the front in various poses.
Construction of the hips is very similar to 71785 Jay's Titan Mech, including exactly the same waist joint and sharp angle between the upper and lower torso. The adjustable panels around the hip joints are new additions though. Beyond looking good, these armour segments are fully articulated to accommodate the legs, so they do not hinder poseability whatsoever.
Dark bluish grey rock elements are used on the thighs, giving way to heavily armoured knees. Alongside the shoulders, this is my favourite section of the mech, as the angular armour looks great and features a series of 1x2 slopes for texture, comprising radiator grilles. In addition, the angular armour protecting the lower legs complements the bulky knee pads.
These joints are designed like the knees on 71775 Nya's Samurai X Mech, consisting of three neighbouring ball joints. The resulting friction is more than enough to support the weight of the model comfortably, without the joints feeling too stiff. Similarly, the 2x2 truncated cones located alongside the knee joints are shared with Nya's vehicle.
Furthermore, the ball joints are reinforced by sliding knee armour. The armour is linked to the thighs and slides up and down with the movement of the knees, which means the joints never become exposed from the front. The vehicle thus appears properly armoured in any stance and pearl gold 1x2 ingots decorate the surfaces underneath the knee armour.
White and pearl gold armour covers the ankles too. Once again, these panels are moveable to follow the ankle motion and the black 1x2 double slopes with overhang look splendid, mirroring details on the mech's torso. I am less satisfied with the light bluish grey elements on the feet, as this shade of grey is hardly used elsewhere on the mech.
Each ankle includes a single ball joint between the leg and the foot, strengthened by a pair of Technic rams behind them. This technique was used several times in BIONICLE sets and has been seen recently on 71812 Kai's Ninja Climber Mech, although this example is much heavier duty and necessarily so, considering the mech's enormous size.
The rams look superb and this mechanism works brilliantly. While they might seem restrictive, each ram is attached using ball joints at the top and bottom, enabling an outstanding range of motion. The design provides a nice touch of realism too, as large actuators would doubtless be required on a real mech.
Overall
Of the roughly 150 different mechs I have assembled, 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech is my favourite. Not only does the model look fantastic from all angles, thanks in part to its imposing size, but its articulation is nothing short of incredible. The joints are easy to handle and provide an excellent range of motion, so placing the mech in action poses is easy and a lot of fun.
One or two details are a little fragile, but that is the only notable issue. Personally, I would have preferred a more conventional colour scheme for Cole's mech, but that is completely subjective. The price of £89.99, $99.99 or €99.99 is relatively expensive for a NINJAGO set containing only one minifigure, but considering the size and amazing quality of the model, I am pleased with its value.
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53 comments on this article
Best. Mech. EVER.
I have no interest in Ninjago and usually skip these reviews, but HOLY S*** that mech looks amazing, had to click onto this one. Some of the poses you put this thing in for the photos are awesome!
Thank you for the early review Rex, much appreciated.
The mech is a masterpiece and every serious mech collector should get it asap. Hats off to Niek!
I don't see an issue with the white colour scheme, it's the defining feature of the Titan Mechs. There absolutely should have been more minifigures though. If it was €10 more but with 3 or 4 more minifigures it would be perfect.
@EnterTheSerpent said:
"I don't see an issue with the white colour scheme, it's the defining feature of the Titan Mechs. There absolutely should have been more minifigures though. If it was €10 more but with 3 or 4 more minifigures it would be perfect. "
this one definitely, has too much white and grey. The black does not cover enough space to convey that it is a Cole mech. That's the main argument I've seen for the only reason why this set is bad in any way. I don't think it makes it look bad at all, it's actually incredibly unique. The color scheme looks great, just not for Cole
Can't wait to pick this one up, along with the new Z-Blob mech and Nezha's Ring of Fire mech from Monkie Kid. Oofta, that's going to be one expensive month!
Fantastic set. Absolutely great move to focus entirely on the mech and not include lazy side builds. Will definitely get this one.
Also, I don't see any problem with the color scheme. The white parts are restricted to the legs and arms.
The white looks nice in my opinion. I think this is a flawless mech.
@HJB2810 said:
"Kai's missing out on a big mech of his own!
All the others have a Titan mech, and Nya has 71775 , but Kai has to get a smaller one or share. (I'm not including 70515 as it's movie not series and really doesn't match the titan mechs)
Smaller:
71767
71812 (yeah it's biggish but not in the same calibre all the titan mechs or 71775)
71808
71783
71707
70500 (What a stubby little thing!)
Shared:
71765
71720 (which does look sick)
"
71775 is not a titan mech. It doesn't have a hint of white in it, and doesn't have titan in it's name. So, the two ninja siblings need their titan mechs.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @HJB2810 said:
"Kai's missing out on a big mech of his own!
All the others have a Titan mech, and Nya has 71775 , but Kai has to get a smaller one or share. (I'm not including 70515 as it's movie not series and really doesn't match the titan mechs)
Smaller:
71767
71812 (yeah it's biggish but not in the same calibre all the titan mechs or 71775)
71808
71783
71707
70500 (What a stubby little thing!)
Shared:
71765
71720 (which does look sick)
"
71775 is not a titan mech. It doesn't have a hint of white in it, and doesn't have titan in it's name. So, the two ninja siblings need their titan mechs."
ik, but it is a big mech in the way none of Kai's are
Would love a Nya titan mech too though- I just feel like Kai needs one a bit more because all his are dwarfed by 71821 , 71738 , 70676 , 71785 , and 71775 , which seem to be roughly the same size and shape.
Also, I wasn't calling it a Titan Mech- I said 'the titan mechs or 71775'
This mech looks amazing. So stoked to get it once it releases here.
I'm actually kinda happy they focused solely on the mech. Side builds and extra minifigs often seem superfluous to me. I just set the extra bits aside and mess with the main model.
100 euros??
Some excellent poses captured in this review!
The stock photos really didn't do this thing justice. I was on the fence but I'm completely off of it now.
@DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @EnterTheSerpent said:
"I don't see an issue with the white colour scheme, it's the defining feature of the Titan Mechs. There absolutely should have been more minifigures though. If it was €10 more but with 3 or 4 more minifigures it would be perfect. "
this one definitely, has too much white and grey. The black does not cover enough space to convey that it is a Cole mech. That's the main argument I've seen for the only reason why this set is bad in any way. I don't think it makes it look bad at all, it's actually incredibly unique. The color scheme looks great, just not for Cole
"
I think the white's fine, but there's way too much grey. The other mechs are predominantly white and the ninja's colour, but the added grey in this overshadows the black.
@HJB2810 said:
" @DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @HJB2810 said:
"Kai's missing out on a big mech of his own!
All the others have a Titan mech, and Nya has 71775 , but Kai has to get a smaller one or share. (I'm not including 70515 as it's movie not series and really doesn't match the titan mechs)
Smaller:
71767
71812 (yeah it's biggish but not in the same calibre all the titan mechs or 71775)
71808
71783
71707
70500 (What a stubby little thing!)
Shared:
71765
71720 (which does look sick)
"
71775 is not a titan mech. It doesn't have a hint of white in it, and doesn't have titan in it's name. So, the two ninja siblings need their titan mechs."
ik, but it is a big mech in the way none of Kai's are
Would love a Nya titan mech too though- I just feel like Kai needs one a bit more because all his are dwarfed by 71821 , 71738 , 70676 , 71785 , and 71775 , which seem to be roughly the same size and shape.
Also, I wasn't calling it a Titan Mech- I said 'the titan mechs or 71775'"
I have Kai's Climber Mech displayed with the 5 you mentioned but at the rate he's getting mechs, he'll have his own Titan Mech by the end of the year!!
@EnterTheSerpent said:
" @DaLegoNerd1 said:
" @EnterTheSerpent said:
"I don't see an issue with the white colour scheme, it's the defining feature of the Titan Mechs. There absolutely should have been more minifigures though. If it was €10 more but with 3 or 4 more minifigures it would be perfect. "
this one definitely, has too much white and grey. The black does not cover enough space to convey that it is a Cole mech. That's the main argument I've seen for the only reason why this set is bad in any way. I don't think it makes it look bad at all, it's actually incredibly unique. The color scheme looks great, just not for Cole
"
I think the white's fine, but there's way too much grey. The other mechs are predominantly white and the ninja's colour, but the added grey in this overshadows the black. "
Plus, it's LEGO, you can always replace the white parts with black/dark grey. I already checked it, the pieces are available. Of course, that produces additional costs.
Very nice build, love the increased articulation. However, I wish it was not primarily white, which will discolor so easily over such a short time. More black and orange would have sold it for me.
And I really don't like this white and orange Cole, it's just so jarring and looks non-Ninjago to me. Looks more like a space or even Iron Man suit.
@oukexergon said:
"Very nice build, love the increased articulation. However, I wish it was not primarily white, which will discolor so easily over such a short time. More black and orange would have sold it for me.
And I really don't like this white and orange Cole, it's just so jarring and looks non-Ninjago to me. Looks more like a space or even Iron Man suit."
Like when they went to space? This would've been a great year to get those suits!
The articulation on this mech is seriously impressive. I can't wait to build it! I do think there's too much white but I also don't like Cole's newer color scheme in general. I dislike the orange and white with his Minifigures but the design of the mech looks amazing so I don't think it'll bother me.
Great review Capt! My thoughts on this one as kinda complicated - it's a lovely looking build excellently done by the design team, and I think if you asked me about it 7 or so months ago I would've called it a shoo-in for my collection!
...but 6 or so months ago I got into Gundam and Gunpla - and when it comes to plastic buildable mechs? Simply no contest I'm afraid.
As close as this gets for detailing and posing, it still can't compete - *especially* on the affordability side of things (most I've spent on a gunpla kit is about £30 for Suletta Mercury, everything else averages around £15-20). LEGO mechs of this price are much larger, sure, but when both budgeting and shelf space are at a premium I'd prefer a fleet of lil chums over one big lad I've gotta struggle to display.
LEGO's still my choice of hobby for a whoooooole lotta things (anything to do with buildings/architecture, MOCs, etc), but for specifically mechs Bandai has em beat in my eyes, sorry chums!
Still reminds me of 4508 Titan XP. Especially those feet, kilt, torso and shoulders.
But unlike that mech, I love how we're finally seeing full articulation on something this size that's actually fully stable. Well done on the designer to remember that the bionicle titan (name no relation to the titan mechs) piston parts exist. The articulation on this is impressive!
Amazing overall, but the exposed head of the figure is just stupid. Defeats the purpose of this being a mech if the pilot can just be headshot. Perhaps it has a forcefield...
I was not expecting it to be this posable.
When it was announced, I was thinking ‘oh another giant Ninjago mech with a static lower half’ but BOY WAS I WRONG
This just became an immediate buy for me
Now, let's buy 8 and give my ornithopter golden wings!!!!
As a Ninjago lover, a Cole lover, a mech lover, and an orange and white color scheme lover, I have to say…… I’m pretty darn excited for this one!
@Thieraboss said:
"Amazing overall, but the exposed head of the figure is just stupid. Defeats the purpose of this being a mech if the pilot can just be headshot. Perhaps it has a forcefield..."
My general philosophy is: The more stylized something is, the more important "Suspension of Disbelief" becomes.
With something as stylized as Ninjago, headshots likely aren't of any concern, they're effectively irrelevant. Trying to explain or justify it just undermines the suspension of disbelief by drawing attention, in my opinion.
Edit: And the great thing about LEGO is... If you still think it's an issue that needs to be fixed, you can do just that!
That poseability is absolutely astonishing
Nice. I’ll be having one of these at some point.
For a lifelong lego action figure/mech fan, this is a dream come true, both the aesthetics and articulation are at their peak here, it's basically a lego Gundam gunpla kit! This one is definitely gonna be my new favorite set of all time, once I'll eventually get it!
One comparison I'd like to see is with Cole's previous giant mech - 70632 Quake Mech from the movie, which surprisingly has even more pieces than this one and even though it's not as tall, it's very wide and chunky all around.
Why does it feel like a lot of people tend to like a big lego mech more, if it has a certain word in its name and uses a certain color in its palette, but otherwise shares many design similarities and building techniques with the ones, that don't have these two minor characteristics?
71812 Kai's Climber and 71794 Lloyd's Team mechs with 71785 Jay's Titan or
71775 Nya's Samurai X and to a slightly lesser degree the 71765 Ultra Combo and 71720 Fire Stone mechs with 71738 Zane's Titan and 70676 Lloyd's Titan
From what I can gather the Titan Mech trend is something that came into being somewhat accidentally or organically.
The name can be attributed both to the 70737 Titan Mech Battle and
70676 Lloyd's Titan Mech (a possible homage to the former; conspiracy corner - what if it was meant to be Zane's mech, but at the last minute, they decided to make Legacy thing and a proper remake a part of it so thet swapped some blue for sand green, even in the show Zane is seen using this mech way more than Lloyd),
as for the use of white, it'd be the decision of the 70676 Lloyd's Titan Mech's designer to introduce it in a stereotypical "green set" and then the fact that 71738 Zane's Titan, a stereotypical "white set" and a remake of 70737, that by default bears the same name, came not too long after it (although 71720 Fire Stone mech was released in between the two).
Looks like this was enough for people to pick up on some sort of pattern, they expected to be continued, which in turn prompted the designers to do so.
I wonder how would people react to a Titan Mech without any white, or a white ninja mech with a different name.
I was on the fence about this one, but I haven’t see all the articulation for myself. It looks awesome! Thanks for the great reviews!
The set looks brilliantly designed and what every Lego mech fan wants, but the underlying thought holding it back in most regards is... why Cole? Aside from using that rock detailing very sparsely, it doesn't feel at all like an Earth-elemental robot, and everyone's already said their piece about the color scheme. Wings are badass in general, and these appear more ornamental, but it contributes to feeling totally uninterested at getting creative with the premise of Cole.
Hopefully a good sign of things to come from Lego, but unsure if I'll pick this up as a long-lapsed Ninjago fan.
@IgniK said:
"...One comparison I'd like to see is with Cole's previous giant mech - 70632 Quake Mech from the movie, which surprisingly has even more pieces than this one and even though it's not as tall, it's very wide and chunky all around..."
70632 is still my favorite mech.
Great review. Can't believe the Cap'n has built 150 mechs! Not sure if I'm envious or feel sorry for him.
This set is finally offering fans what they want, and which they have been clamoring. The articulation is fantastic. You can tell that everyone in this comment section can't wait to play with the darn thing.
It's nice to see the evolution of skill that comes with creativity, passion, and commitment. It's too bad that other themes (cough, cough, Star Wars) treat fans as obstacles or hindrances to be endured rather than opportunities for service.
Well done!
Awesome review, and great looking mech...
Same sentiment as many others about the colour blocking seeming a bit off - not a deal breaker, but the colouring just doesn't seem to work as well as on the other 3 Titan Mechs.
Speaking of the other Titan Mechs, am I the only one who thinks this one looks TOO big? That photo with Zane's mech really has me questioning how it will look on display with the others?! (I'd love to see a pic of all 4 together)
I don't know anything about the lore of the Ninjago characters, so the colour scheme doesn't bother me at all.
And I'm not even into mechs, but some of those poses look awesome to me.
Shame that it's so expensive. Then again there's sure to be sizable discounts available in due course.
@EnterTheSerpent said:
" @oukexergon said:
"Very nice build, love the increased articulation. However, I wish it was not primarily white, which will discolor so easily over such a short time. More black and orange would have sold it for me.
And I really don't like this white and orange Cole, it's just so jarring and looks non-Ninjago to me. Looks more like a space or even Iron Man suit."
Like when they went to space? This would've been a great year to get those suits!"
Did you know that Project Arcturus was originally supposed to be setting up for s4, which was then meant to be a space series, but was then changed as it didn't quite fit into the ninja aesthetics?
Space is good. Ninjago is great. But they shouldn't mix imho.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @IgniK said:
"...One comparison I'd like to see is with Cole's previous giant mech - 70632 Quake Mech from the movie, which surprisingly has even more pieces than this one and even though it's not as tall, it's very wide and chunky all around..."
70632 is still my favorite mech.
Great review. Can't believe the Cap'n has built 150 mechs! Not sure if I'm envious or feel sorry for him.
This set is finally offering fans what they want, and which they have been clamoring. The articulation is fantastic. You can tell that everyone in this comment section can't wait to play with the darn thing.
It's nice to see the evolution of skill that comes with creativity, passion, and commitment. It's too bad that other themes (cough, cough, Star Wars) treat fans as obstacles or hindrances to be endured rather than opportunities for service.
Well done!
"
70676 is my favourite mech (not just because it contains the only s11 ninja I don't have- Lloyd) but also because it looks sick. Out of all the non-DR Ninjago series sets, I want 70751 Temple of Airjitzu (no wait I mean of Cyclon-Do ;D) most, then 70738 Final Flight of Destiny's Bounty, then 70676. (I already have 71741 but otherwise that would be my most wanted ninjago)
Looks fabulous!
Wow, Niek Van Slagmaat's last Ninjago set... He went out with a bang! Excited to see how Ninjago sets evolve, since he's kind of the "leader" now.
@SpaceNinjaWarrior said:
"Wow, Niek Van Slagmaat's last Ninjago set... He went out with a bang! Excited to see how Ninjago sets evolve, since he's kind of the "leader" now."
What... (he asked with dramatic trepidation in his voice) the hell happened to Slagmaat???!!!
@StyleCounselor said:
"What... (he asked with dramatic trepidation in his voice) the hell happened to Slagmaat???!!!"
Nothing, he is still in the Ninjago team but fullfills a different role. He's more of a creative lead now, doing a set occasionally but not on a regular basis, see his twitter @Toothdominoes
@darthnorman said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"What... (he asked with dramatic trepidation in his voice) the hell happened to Slagmaat???!!!"
Nothing, he is still in the Ninjago team but fullfills a different role. He's more of a creative lead now, doing a set occasionally but not on a regular basis, see his twitter @Toothdominoes"
Just gonna jump in here, I am just a senior concept designer now. So I work with a team of people under the creative lead (Sven) to explore the future of Ninjago.
CapnRex101 wrote:
>Also, the shoulders can move inwards quite easily, allowing the arms to reach some way across the torso.
In action figures, the term of art for this kind of pectoral flex is "butterfly joint." (Just suggesting that reviews for LEGO mecha may as well adopt genre-standard terminology.)
>the head includes a trans-orange visor ... with a trans-clear plate behind it ... can be illuminated from the back.
And this is typically called "light-piping." It was commonly used on Bionicle figures (via the distinct skull and eyestalk elements) and on Hasbro Transformers (in the latter it has been mostly dropped in recent years, much to the dismay of some fans).
@Toothdominoes said:
" @darthnorman said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"What... (he asked with dramatic trepidation in his voice) the hell happened to Slagmaat???!!!"
Nothing, he is still in the Ninjago team but fullfills a different role. He's more of a creative lead now, doing a set occasionally but not on a regular basis, see his twitter @Toothdominoes "
Just gonna jump in here, I am just a senior concept designer now. So I work with a team of people under the creative lead (Sven) to explore the future of Ninjago."
Congratulations!
Please say the future involves giant mechs with incredible articulation! You can't leave us, now that you've proven it can be done well.
Also, happy to keep buying anime-punk city sets and well-sculpted landscape scenes as well as the occasional giant dragon and crazy vehicles (e.g., Shark Mech).
@Lexomatic said:
"CapnRex101 wrote:
>Also, the shoulders can move inwards quite easily, allowing the arms to reach some way across the torso.
In action figures, the term of art for this kind of pectoral flex is "butterfly joint." (Just suggesting that reviews for LEGO mecha may as well adopt genre-standard terminology.)
>the head includes a trans-orange visor ... with a trans-clear plate behind it ... can be illuminated from the back.
And this is typically called "light-piping." It was commonly used on Bionicle figures (via the distinct skull and eyestalk elements) and on Hasbro Transformers (in the latter it has been mostly dropped in recent years, much to the dismay of some fans)."
I think a butterfly joint is a separate joint that allows the shoulders to move forward and back, distinct from the shoulder joint for the arm and often embedded in the chest. These are just the usual shoulder joints, but because there are significant gaps between the joints and the torso, you can rotate the arms inwards further than on many mechs or construction figures.
@HJB2810 said:
" @EnterTheSerpent said:
" @oukexergon said:
"Very nice build, love the increased articulation. However, I wish it was not primarily white, which will discolor so easily over such a short time. More black and orange would have sold it for me.
And I really don't like this white and orange Cole, it's just so jarring and looks non-Ninjago to me. Looks more like a space or even Iron Man suit."
Like when they went to space? This would've been a great year to get those suits!"
Did you know that Project Arcturus was originally supposed to be setting up for s4, which was then meant to be a space series, but was then changed as it didn't quite fit into the ninja aesthetics?
Space is good. Ninjago is great. But they shouldn't mix imho."
No, I didn't, but I totally agree with your conclusion.
I call it Impresive but WAY too big to be fun.
The design is cool but don't love all the white on this one. I know it's there because all the titan mechs have had significant amounts of white so it's "a thing", but it doesn't really work with Cole's usual colour scheme. And the Cole minifigure included might be one of the worst Coles ever, honestly.
Nothing will ever surpass 70632 anyway.
oh how i. need. this.
The mech looks awesome & seems like a huge improvement over the other Titan mechs. So which Ninjas is left for their own Titan mech?
@Yobuster said:
"The mech looks awesome & seems like a huge improvement over the other Titan mechs. So which Ninjas is left for their own Titan mech?"
For mechs that actually have Titan in the name? Kai, Nya, and the newbies. For mechs that basically serve the same function? Kai and the newbies.
Alas, Garmadon and Pixal’s giant mechs will only ever be realized as MOCs.
Is the sword stable ? It looks like it will slide because it's a cross shaped connector in circle holes
If mechs are gonna replace dragons as Ninjago's new rehashing tool, then let's hope they all look unique and novel like this one does!