When it was announced, I didn't really like the style of it at first, and the color scheme seemed all over the place. However, the concept was interesting to me, since it is a set of 1055 pieces with a complete focus on the mech body, with no side build, no fluff, and just a single minifig.

After going through instructions, it was clear that this is a new kind of a mech that has some brand new construction techniques, and a great selection of useful parts.

The building experience is top notch. The build achieves crazy levels of articulation with no parts wasted, and a very clever and tight use of space, managing to pack rotation joints inside of arms and legs.

Probably the most striking feature of this mech are the legs, which may look skinny in some images, but in person they are actually insanely beefy and robust, and probably the most heavy part of the mech.

The shoulders look very bulky, but they too are able to move around all over the place because of the shape of the torso, which wasn’t obvious to me at all. That combined with the double jointed elbows, rotation in the biceps, and ball joint wrists, I was able to get pretty much any sword-wielding pose I could imagine, while still having solid support in every single joint for holding the sword one-handed.

This one really grows on you. Because it's so heavy, cumbersome, and tall, when you spend some time trying to get it into different poses, you really start to appreciate how much force and abuse the frame can handle without falling apart or breaking.

I'm really impressed, and it definitely sets the new standards for both MOCs and official sets. I hope Lego continues to make sets in this niche that are aimed at older audiences and MOC builders with great parts economy. Thanks for reading and have a good day.

Opening Thoughts

Well, here comes the big one. The mech has been widely lauded and acclaimed within not just the Ninjago community but the LEGO community as a whole for its brilliant appearance and mobility. Now that I have it in hand, it's time to see if it's worth all the chatter.

Build Experience

The building experience here was, for once, wonderfully brief. It all comes together in a matter of about 2 hours at a regular pace, and it feels rather simple for how the set has been praised for its technical achievements. Still, I appreciate the brevity of the building experience.

Model

What can I say? This model, firstly, is absolutely striking. It carries a large and effective visual presence, using a bold black, orange, and white colour scheme. The choice of white here, while different for Cole, feels innovative and regal. I also appreciate the lack of specificity in the mech. I can see this being used for custom worlds outside Ninjago.

The mech's poseability is nothing short of outstanding. After years of nitpicking LEGO mechs, we as Ninjago fans have finally met our match. The mech features obvious arm and leg movement but also enhanced ankle and knee movement (ankles in particular are usually heavily restricted, but a handy piston system gives them an incredibly useful amount of movement). It includes wrist movement, waist rotation, and extended forearm articulation. Additionally, the mech introduces arm and thigh rotation functions which give it an entirely new dimension of poseability and range!! Literally every reasonable poseability function is present here and I could not ask for more.

The only drawback to its astounding range is that the mech tends to be a little fragile, especially around the arm and thigh rotations. Builders should take time to attend to the mech and figure out how to pose it without having it break often. The wings on the back especially get in the way of movement and tend to fall off, but they can easily be shifted or taken off entirely.

The sword included is a bit too heavy to reliably pose the mech with, but looks spectacular in certain poses. I find the mech's drawbacks to be minimal due to its INCREDIBLE poseability and appearance. This is undoubtedly the greatest Ninjago mech at this scale and, dare I say it, the greatest...ever?

Keep in mind, however, that this mech is not meant to be played with as roughly as the others. It is prone to breaking or making unwanted movements when played with intensely.

Minifigures

The lone minifigure included is Cole in a new mech pilot suit. Firstly, I understand the compromise that was made to make sure all budget was focused on the INCREDIBLE mech. The minifigure here is quite detailed and matches the mech well. It is a skippable minifigure, but I love its design and am glad to have it.

Comparison to Other Mechs

I will be briefly comparing this to a few past mechs in the Titan line and seeing how it holds up. Firstly, I think it presents about as well as all the other ones, though it might have trouble competing with the appearance of Lloyd's for me. I will say Zane's mech is significantly sturdier and aimed towards rough play, along with Lloyd's. Those function a bit more as action figures, while this one is a bit more of a display piece. Still, you can definitely have fun playing with it as long as you are careful.

I would say affordability-wise Zane's is a good choice if you have a smaller budget, however, the price difference is not so stark and that set is already off the market. It blows all other mechs out of the water in terms of poseability and I would say is easily the superior Titan mech of the line. If you're choosing between this one and the others available, this one is probably the best package deal.

Value

This mech is, in my opinion, completely worth its large price tag (even my dad agrees!). It has so much usability and presentation value that it simply outshines every mech before it. HOWEVER, its value to minifigure collectors is weaker due to the inclusion of one exclusive but not particularly desirable minifigure. This set was also shoehorned into the show so it might not be so desirable in terms of show importance. Still, for true LEGO build and mech fans, this is, undoubtedly, a MUST-BUY!

Pros

• I mean... it's simply incredible
• Articulation UNMATCHED
• Good parts selection
• Exclusive minifigure (Only one)
• Great value

Cons

• Fragile in places
• Pricey (despite good value)
• Skippable for minifig collectors
• No side builds or other minifigs
• Sword is a bit heavy

Overall

I hope you have read my enthusiasm through this review! I simply haven't been able to let go of this thing since I got it on Sunday. It is a masterpiece and a wonder of LEGO construction. This set may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if it is, you will NOT regret purchasing. If you are interested in a big mech, you literally can't get better than this! As you read this I am sure to be having fun posing and taking pictures of it! Hope you get as much joy from it as I!

- Spruce