Review: 71818 Tournament Battle Arena
Posted by CapnRex101,The ninja attended the Tournament of Elements in the fourth season of NINJAGO, meeting many new Elemental Masters. This event has provided the basis for some exceptional sets and another contest, dubbed the Tournament of the Sources, will appear in upcoming episodes.
71818 Tournament Battle Arena therefore bears a strong resemblance to 70756 Dojo Showdown and 71735 Tournament of Elements, partly because of its setting, but also the amazing minifigure selection. This set features a modern version of Tox, the Elemental Master of Poison, as well as the sinister Evil Jay and an updated design for Cinder, plus three other characters!
Summary
71818 Tournament Battle Arena, 659 pieces.
£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 | 6.8p/7.6c/7.6c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
While the battle arena is appealing for play, its minifigures are the primary focus
- Brilliant minifigure selection
- Impressive statue
- Good functions
- Visually imbalanced for display
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
I think the influence from the Tournament of Elements extends to certain minifigures, as Kai bears a notable resemblance to his minifigure from 2015. The sleeveless robe and bandana recall the earlier design and the torso decoration appears familiar too, although the detail has greatly improved. I love the dragon emblem and scaly padding underneath, while the Ninjargon text reads 'MOF', standing for 'Master of Fire'.
Sora also receives a new design for this wave, finally replacing her original attire from a year ago. The sleeveless style is obviously catching between characters, although her mechanical arm remains the same and looks fantastic. Additionally, cat symbols are integrated as much as possible and I like the extremely simplified icons forming clasps on her legs, in particular.
The design on the back of Sora's torso looks great too, as does Kai's flaming dragon emblem. However, this is normally hidden beneath a shoulder armour and sheath element, which holds both a standard and a short katana. The shorter weapon is a new piece and appears in several summer sets, complementing the existing sword perfectly.
A second shorter blade is attached to one end of Kai's polearm weapon, with a normal katana mounted on the other. Sora seems poorly armed by comparison, wielding only a single golden sword. Nevertheless, the updated ninja are brilliantly detailed and I like the double-sided heads, although a little more variety would be welcome for Sora, as her figures always use this head.
The ninja were suddenly dispersed during the Merge and deposited in different locations. After initially arriving at the painfully bureaucratic Administration, Jay has presumably been recruited by the Wolf Clan, re-emerging as Evil Jay! While the hero's affiliation with lightning remains, his classic bright blue garb has become darker and now includes the Wolf Clan's crescent-shaped insignia on both sides.
Evil Jay is exclusively available here and the same is true for Tox. Tox was among the many Elemental Masters introduced in the Tournament of Elements and can control poisons, which also makes her immune to them. The character's animated appearance in 2015 was based on Toxikita from Ultra Agents, but this version is completely original and much more distinctive.
I love her colour scheme of lime green and purple, while the punk influence suits her typically sinister Elemental Power. The mohawk looks stunning and actually returns from a Friends set, while her green eyes are also appealing. Tox wields a purple and lime green shuriken to match her clothing and Jay is equipped with black nunchucks, as well as a katana on his back.
Cinder debuted in the first half of Dragons Rising season two, serving as a general in the Wolf Clan and the new Elemental Master of Smoke. The character evidently wears new attire in the second half of the season, emphasising his association with smoke. The smoke-like details on the torso are effective and I like the dual-moulded ghostly element forming Cinder's lower body.
The pearl silver shoulder armour component looks nice too, although it is unclear which way around this should fit. The instruction manual shows it as positioned in these photos, but it is reversed in the animated series. Regardless, the moulded detail is impressive, while the grey hairstyle works well for the Elemental Master of Smoke.
A lone Wolf Mask Warrior is also provided and these troops have undergone changes for the second half of the season too. Their masks are now dual-moulded in purple and red, replacing the dark blue and dark azure colour scheme from earlier waves and looking more ominous than ever. The torso is similarly decorated with red and purple highlights, alongside silver armour.
However, the warrior's energised claws are undoubtedly its most eye-catching feature. These are mounted on a backpack created for the Marvel range, but the trans-red streams of energy are new and look superb. Adjustable claws are attached to the ends and the Wolf Mask Warrior is also outfitted with a pair of handheld claws.
The Completed Model
The arena is constructed in four sections, as a weapons rack, a statue and a ceremonial drum surround the arena floor. This configuration is excellent for play, maximising access to the floor where characters can fight, without losing detail from the environment. On the other hand, I find the standard arrangement a little unbalanced visually, given the tiny size of the weapons rack.
You can rearrange the various sections though, as they are connected to the arena floor using Technic pins. I still think the rack should be bigger to mirror the ceremonial drum and because the statue really belongs in the centre, but different options are always appreciated in location-based models like this example.
The arena floor is covered with red tiles and surrounded by pearl gold ingots, which provide a nice texture around the edge. Additionally, the carved stone underneath looks splendid, so the arena is reasonably ornate, despite its modest size. Perhaps an enlarged floor area could have been fun, but this design is spacious enough for its function.
Two circular platforms are placed in the arena and connected to the 2x2 textured round bricks on the sides. Turning these bricks causes the platforms to tilt back and forth. The mechanisms are very simple and a more complex design allowing the platforms to move along multiple axes would be ideal, although I think the tilting functions suffice, considering the size of this set.
A nice selection of weapons is already provided with the characters, but a few alternatives are welcome, stored beside the arena. I like the ornate design on top, resembling a traditional torii and the gateway found in 71814 Tournament Temple City. The autumnal tree similarly matches foliage from the larger tournament-focused set, including orange 6x5 leaves, which are new.
The statue looming over the arena is outstanding. Presumably depicting Master Wu, I love its minifigure proportions and the statue's seated position is cleverly realised, with curved slopes mounted sideways. Moreover, the clear contrast between the grey stone of the statue and the steps underneath is effective, including some more golden ingots around the statue.
Curved slopes and tiles form a lovely beard, swept to one side, as Wu's beard often appears. The conical hat is another important feature, flanked by a pair of banners. The round symbols on the banners show stylised letters reading 'T of S', standing for 'Tournament of Sources'. The stickered scroll gripped in the statue's left hand, meanwhile, reads 'T of the S'.
Both arms on the statue are connected using ball joints, so you can change their position. The scroll likely remains in one place, but I am less certain about this gold dragon, which appears poised to come to life. This is a new element, also available in trans-orange in 71822 Source Dragon of Motion and featuring intricate moulded detail.
The staircase is designed with a neat trap, as pulling a switch behind the statue transforms the steps into a slide. Any minifigures climbing the steps, perhaps to collect the dragon as a trophy, will thus be deposited back in the arena. The function works perfectly and is surprisingly simple inside, which tends to be beneficial for play features. Stickered dragon insignia appear on either side, resembling those worn by the ninja.
The switch to activate the staircase function is bright red, so it could certainly have been better disguised. At least the neighbouring switch under the drum is the same colour. Regardless, the model is not intended to be seen from the back, which is a shame because I think relatively few changes would be needed to improve its appearance on all sides.
A short bridge links the arena floor to the ceremonial drum, matching the bridge leading to the weapons rack. I like the sand green plates across the floor and the wooden steps look superb, combining tan, medium nougat and dark brown parts to good effect. A traditional stone lantern stands beside the steps, again corresponding with 71814 Tournament Temple City.
The drum makes excellent use of curved panels, plates, slopes and tiles, creating a beautiful rounded shape. The 3x3x2 curved panels are notable, as they have not been available in red before. Stickers are applied on both sides of the drum, repeating the symbols from the banners, while beaters are provided as well.
Pulling the switch beneath the drum activates another function, lifting a Technic beam to push the drum out of its cradle. Once again, this function is rather rudimentary, albeit enjoyable and integrated well. Unfortunately, the bridge tends to obstruct the rolling drum before it reaches the main arena floor, much to the relief of any characters fighting there, I imagine.
Overall
NINJAGO has a history of interesting location-based play sets and 71818 Tournament Battle Arena adds another to the range. The arena environment captures ample detail and I like the statue in particular, serving as a striking centrepiece. Moreover, the functions are implemented well, especially in the case of the transforming staircase.
However, the minifigures are the highlight of this set, as expected. Tox and Evil Jay are highly desirable for NINJAGO fans and both are exclusive, alongside the new version of Cinder. The other characters are similarly well-designed and essential for play, so I think £44.99, $49.99 or €49.99 is a reasonable price, even though the actual model is comparatively small.
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23 comments on this article
Jay and Tox look so good, that mohawk suits her!
Evil Jay minifig looks really cool, it would fit fantasy scene very well imo. As well as Cinder! Tox looks great for any cyberpunk location. Nice set, I might buy it on discount.
I'm surprised such an obviously blood-inspired new element got approved, however cool it looks.
I still don’t think Poison and Smoke qualify as “elements.”
@Zink said:
"It's cool how the wolf guy is obviously just blood bending. Very metal!"
What makes it so obvious? The CMF Scarlet Witch 71031-1 for example uses parts of the same color for her magic. Yet I don't remember anyone commenting it as blood-bending. It could be just as well some dark ghost/magic claws.
A definite buy from me, those minifigs are great!
@SearchlightRG said:
"I still don’t think Poison and Smoke qualify as “elements.”"
Poison is an element in both Pokémon and Ninjago so I think that means it's canonical now, sorry.
"... 70756 Dojo Showdown and 71735 Tournament of Elements..." and 71708 Gamer's Market.
It would be better that wolf mask can be taken off, like classic castle knight helmet; visor, plume dragon, plume dragon wings
Wolf warriors in my two favorite colors? Hell yeah, now we're talking!
Love that new Toxikita figure. I've turned those villains Ultra Agent figures--Toxikita, Retox, and Adam Acid--into a Space faction and am always looking for new parts!
@Crasha said:
" @Zink said:
"It's cool how the wolf guy is obviously just blood bending. Very metal!"
What makes it so obvious? The CMF Scarlet Witch 71031-1 for example uses parts of the same color for her magic. Yet I don't remember anyone commenting it as blood-bending. It could be just as well some dark ghost/magic claws."
the wolf's whole thing is "The Blood Moon" so it's obviously it has something to do with blood, even if it is just "blood moon energy"
I'm going to need the Tox fig to join my biker gang!
Ideally the battle arena would allow the pins to be pushed back and forth for the battle, rather than merely tilting. I'll probably look into getting this once it's on sale.
It’s been 5 days. Please, I can’t take this anymore. Withdrawal symptoms are too hard. No more Ninjago. No more Blocks. No more Wicked. No more things of the day. I’ll even take a Technic review or a reminder to order now and not miss the weird space diner.
There has to be something new to announce, right? Or Star Wars designs to bemoan or Creator designs to laud. Furiosa is not for me and Caitlin fever has cooled. Doncic is keeping me afloat but Probst has been snuffed and I haven’t been to a physical LEGO store in way too long. I wasn’t very excited for the space CMF but I now have all and my kids (of course) love them. I miss my Brickset. I need my Brickset. Tell us how we’re wrong with our color (colour?) names, @poshhammer . Or how Market Street was the second and best modular. Remind us that we’re only a week away from the next Bricklink Designer bonanza @CapnRex101 or show me more paper bags that I’ve still never seen @Huw .
Help me Obi Brickset, you’re my only hope.
Those "energised claws" parts look perfect for a Carnage custom.
I am here just for Toxikita.
Reminds me of some of the older Ninjago play sets, like 2254, which I own. Or 2520.
@SearchlightRG said:
"I still don’t think Poison and Smoke qualify as “elements.”"
In Ninjago, anything is an element if you believe hard enough.
Amazing set! I don't usually pick sets up on day one, and certainly not for RRP, but this might be an exception. Loving the minifigures and the modular nature of this set is interesting to me.
Does Sora's new suit confirm that her arm is prosthetic?
@SearchlightRG said:
"I still don’t think Poison and Smoke qualify as “elements.”"
Have you heard about Heat? xD
And Pokemon has Dragon and Fairy, now that's silly!
As someone with Autism, this set is just not fun to look at. I'm glad that you pointed out how it looks visually unbalanced, as that's what drives me NUTS! It's so hard to analyze this set when all the models are combined, and I can't do anything about it because as an autistic, I need things to be visually clear so I can understand and identify things easier. Great review!
@Ridgeheart said:
" @SearchlightRG said:
"I still don’t think Poison and Smoke qualify as “elements.”"
It might surprise you to learn that "green" is also an element.
As is "surprise". Bam! You got elemented."
*surpriiiiiiiiiiise!*
Just bought this set today! Absolutely loving the minifigures and the build itself looks like a really good location-based play set, I know I'd have had a whole lot of fun with it if I was still a kid!