Summary

Of the Ninjago 'The Hands of Time' series, a series I like in general, this was arguably my least favourite set. Where some of the other Vermillion mechs have a clear character, this one seemed 'just some weird mech that can throw stuff'. I bought it because it was on a discount, and I would like to collect all the sets in the 'The Hands of Time' subtheme.

While building the set, I was pleasantly surprised. It is a nice companion piece to the Ninja's Destiny's Shadow (set 70623), and in many ways a polar opposite. The structural core of the vehicle is much more complex than the exterior suggests, and building it was a lot of fun. The final vehicle is much more impressive than images suggest. It is much bigger and wider in real bricks than it appears to be at first glance. Throw in some nice minifigures, and - perhaps - Destiny's Shadow, and you have a whole lot of play fun.

If you can find it, like Ninjago and/or like the 'The Hands of Time' subtheme, it is definitely worth picking up if found at regular retail price, or on a discount.

Build experience

For such a low piece count, I was surprised to see that it took me an hour or so to build it. There were only two bags, in the box. One for the target piece and the core of the vehicle, the other for the outer parts. The core of the vehicle consists of a lot of Technic bars and pins, and fix the central track in place. One has to pay attention there, as it is easy to put pins or axles in the wrong holes, resulting in not being able to put in the track properly. There are some stickers to be placed. IMHO they do definitely add to the looks, and mostly they are easy to apply. I like how the wing pieces are used to create a shape for the fuselage. In the end, most of the Technic pieces are covered up nicely, and whatever van be seen does not distract. I also like how there are no off-colour pieces used or visible, allowing for a vehicle with a nice and consistent colour scheme fitting the theme. Construction is given as 8 years old and up, and I think most 8 year olds should be able to build this set without help. The 'catapults' work nicely, using two small elastic bands.

The minifigures

Three minifigures are included, two bad guys - Slackjaw and Commander Ragmunk - and Zane.

Ragmunk and Slackjaw are not unique to this set. They can both be found in set 70627: Dragon's Forge, and Slackjaw is also included in set 70621: the Vermillion Attack. Their prints are very well done, with lots of fine detail, continued nicely from the front of the torso onto the legs, and in register. Both of them also have two face prints. I like Ragmunk's axe.

Zane is unique to this set. He also has a very detailed print on the front and back of the torso, and on the legs. Due to his borg-like state he only has a single face print. He is armed with a katana.

The build

The shape of the vehicle is rather odd, but from some angles it seems to represent a snake head, or an insect head (ant, or locust). It looks surprisingly menacing in real life, rather than comical as in the photographs.The stickers and snake effectively enhance the look. Also a good thing is that the Invader looks well finished from every angle; no exposed bricks, blue Technic pins, or anything.

For a centerline based vehicle (the track with a support wheel), it is surprisingly stable. I also like what look like two platforms on which to pose minifigures. Also, with all the odd angles, the designer has shown some knowledge of Lego geometry.

Play vs Display

This set is mostly a play set, and I think it works out well as such. It is quite 'swooshable' on the ground, and with a little pressure, the track runs smoothly. Launching the two rocks by accident seems to be avoided quite easily. I also think that most 8 year olds should be able to operate the vehicle fairly smoothly - only kids with really small hands might have some difficulty handling the Invader. Also, the rocks in the launcher are more secure than I thought they would be.

The target/hiding place seems to be a throw in. I am not sure what its purpose actually is. Combine this set with Destiny's Shadow (set 70623), and you have a lot of scenarios to play out.

I am conflicted about its success as a play set. On the one hand, it is big, odd and unique enough to serve as such. On the other hand,its odd shape makes it a strange object to disply.

The verdict

Overall, I think this a good set, with RRP being a reasonable price for what is included. The minifigures are nice, with only one of them being unique. It offers quite a few play options, and is well designed. I think it would make quite a good gift. In the end, I am glad I got this set, and it has confirmed my goal of collecting the other sets in this subtheme.

After being extremely pleased with LEGO's previous offerings of Ninjago I was eager to find out whether this Sub-Theme (Hands of Time) would measure up to last years (Skybound) line.

The Packaging

This wave features Kai and Nya in the top-right hand corner of the box and shows the Vermillion Invader rolling through a swampy background, similar to what we see in the show.

There are three bags, the first building the hideout and the center of the vehicle and the other two each building one side respectively.

The Build

The build feels complete goes together with little difficulty. I'm not a fan of the symmetry of the build as it gets repetitive near the end. The inside of the vehicle houses some technic which could be troubling for younger builders, yet provides some fun for the more advanced builders.

Parts

There aren't many new or rare parts in this set, but you do get some 2x2 Wedge Plates in red and the Urak-Hai sword elements are in copper for the first time in this wave.

Minifigures

I'm really pleased with the selection of minifigures in this set.

My personal favorite is Zane, being as he is exclusive currently to this set and has some intricate printing on the torso and through to the legs. He also has the older style of shoulder armor in black and if you remove it you find similarly good printing on the rear of the figure. Without the armor on the black arms do look out of place.

Commander Raggmonk only appears in one other set being 70627 Dragons Forge. He features some very gruesome details of the snakes running through his body. Unfortunately, most of this is covered by the new armor piece and helmet he wears.

Slackjaw appears in many sets this wave and is the simplest of the minifigures in this set. This isn't to say he's a bad figure by any stretch of the imagination. He comes with a new mold for a sword blade which is attached to a modified lightsaber handle in gun metal grey.

You also get the fast forward time blade in this set which also appears in 70621 The Vermillion Attack. I love the molding on these blades and I hope this piece shows up more in the future.

The Completed Set

The completed set feels very study and won't fall apart in the hands of a child. It also has a good amount of weight so it feels good to roll around with and it feels complete. There is room to stand only two minifigures on the vehicle and they can't really holding any large accessories. There is also no place to store those accessories when not in use.

The main feature of the set is the dual catapults on either side of the set. These use rubber bands to launch the eggs (You will have to detach the eggs from the studs in order to fire) and they work reasonably well. With some imagination these can pose a threat to the Ninja. I wish there was more tension in the system, but I think kids will have a fun time playing around shooting the eggs all over the room!

The small side build contains only twenty pieces, but provides a small target for the catapults. This would also sit nicely with other sets from this wave.

Overall

While not as good as previous thirty dollar sets from Ninjago I still feel like I got my money's worth. This set has some really nice minifigures and a nice looking build. While I wish there was more you could do with this set I would recommend you pick this one up if you're interested in this wave of Ninjago or have other sets from this wave.

The Vermillion Invader is a great set to add to one's Ninjago vehicle collection.

Packaging/Contents: The box for the set is the typical $30 box size which fits the pieces and instructions well. The set has two numbered bags, one sticker sheet, and two instruction manuals.

Minifigures/Accessories: The set includes three minifigures; Zane for the ninja's side and Commander Raggmunk and Slakjaw for the Vermillion side.

Zane: Zane sports his new fusion outfit which is so far exclusive to this set. There is a new print on the face with what looks like a small dent on one side. He has a silver torso and legs and black arms and hands. The printing on the torso and legs look great and Zane also has some black armor where he could sheath his katana. Zane wields the green forward Time Blade.

Commander Raggmunk: The Vermillion figures have introduced some great new weapons and armor pieces. Commander Raggmunk has some great dark gun metal grey armor which goes up over his neck meeting up with his helmet. He has a double-sided face print and has great printing all around.

Slakjaw: Slakjaw has great printing also and wields a Vermillion sword.

The Builds: The main build of the set is the Invader itself however a small build is included also.

Swamp Build: The small swamp build has some nice foliage ranging in different shades of green. There is a little barrier made of what I would assume is wood that you can push over to knock it down.

The Invader: The Invader is a very fun build and has cool triangular shape. It has some plating up the sides with a few stickers used and a huge tread in the center. The blades on the sides can be slightly angled and give the vehicle a more menacing look. On each side of the back there is a platform where a minifigure can stand to pilot the vehicle. The two catapults on the back work well however they have a fairly small range of fire. The two Vermillion eggs can either be launched or broken in half and attached to the catapults to launch the studs inside. A cool feature with the Vermillion eggs is if they are launched hard enough or if the eggs are loose enough, the eggs can break apart on impact. The vehicle roles around quite easily and has a small wheel in the back for stability.

Conclusion: Overall this is a great set. The price is fair for the 313 pieces included and all of the new minifigures look great! The vehicle is really fun to role around and the catapults are a great play feature. The swamp build although very small is a nice inclusion and doesn't detract from the set at all. I would highly recommend this set to any LEGO fan especially Ninjago fans.

Thanks for reading, and happy building!