Pre-Release Thoughts

The main draw to this set for me was the Golden Kai minifigure. I hope to collect all the 10-year golden figures, so this set was essential to my collection. I am not particularly attached to the original set or the vehicle in the show, so the rest of this set wasn't too interesting to me.

Build Experience

The build experience wasn't too memorable. I was watching Hamilton while building it, and it was infinitely more interesting than building it. The process wasn't bad, it was just very standard. Not many comments to make here.

Model

The model is about the size I expected. The front of the ship looks great with its use of sand green. The cannon is well-built and keeps technic joints out of exposure. The cockpit uses a new piece, which looks marvellous with the gold. The wings are also well-constructed, using stickers and flat pieces to good effect. My favorite part is the orange stripe that goes under the black layer.There isn't much else but a turbine on the back and a tail wing with a sticker on it. The model can also stand well on its own and can be held using a handle on the back.

There's a small prison cell that has a cool play function of being opened by shooting a missile on the round part on top of the cell. The color scheme of dark bluish gray, tan, and purple corresponds with the other Ninjago: Tournament of Elements sets.

Minifigures

The most important figure in this set is arguably Golden Kai, as he is the only exclusive one. He looks incredible, just like the other Golden Ninja.

Cole and Lloyd are in their Jungle suits, which look unique and have good use of dark and light colors. Lloyd's suit is my personal favorite, as it uses sand green perfectly to accent the regular green. Cole's suit also uses orange and brown to add to the regular black.

Eyezor is the Anacondrai cultist featured in this set. The printing on him is about average for a Ninjago Figure. The standout feature on this figure is the crazy Mohawk on his head.

Comparison to Original

*Disclaimer: I don't own the original set, so this comparison will take from pictures*

The original set was made in a different time when LEGO had more limited pieces. It uses less sand green on the front and a lot more brown. I personally dislike the variety of colors on the original. The different shades of brown mess with the color scheme and look unpleasant. Technic joints aren't hidden as well on the original in comparison to the new version. The cockpit lacks the elaborate piece that the new one uses and looks quite basic as a result. The wings are also very bland and end up looking thing and useless. The use of the color gray also kills the look of the model.

There is also a small build on the original similar to this one, except it's only a pillar and has no play features.

The minifigures are slightly better, mainly because of the higher detail and the inclusion of Golden Kai.

In conclusion, I think this new version, while not doing anything outstanding, cleans up the flaws present in the old version.

Value

The value of this model is just fine for forty dollars. It has enough decent figures and builds to be worth price. I'd say this is one of the weaker Legacy sets of this wave (including the summer sets) but only because many of them are very good. The play value is high, as there are some cool action features and flying the ship around can provide some fun. The price per piece ratio is pretty good, just about what you expect.

Pros

• Easy to handle
• Moderate price
• Collectible minifigure
• Excellent display piece
• Good parts and stickers
• Well-produced minifigures
• Good play value

Cons

• Only one exclusive minifigure
• Few things for the villains
• Boring build experience

Overall

The Legacy Boulder Blaster has just about met my expectations. It improves upon the original, as most Legacy sets do, and includes enough fun play features to entertain a kid. The minifigures are adequate, but I wouldn't really recommend it unless you want to get the Golden Kai.

- Christmaskingcool