LEGO Group has captivated NINJAGO fans with twists and turns in its story plot. In the new series ‘Dragons Rising’, forces of evil in the form of Lord Ras and Empress Beatrix supported by the Imperium Guard take advantage of The Merge and plan scheming ways to capture the same dragons the ninjas train.
The impressive 71796 Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech set consists of 1038 LEGO pieces which kids aged 9 and above can use to recreate a battle showdown between the dragon Jiro, ninjas on their flyer vehicle and Empress Beatrix’s mech.
Unboxing of LEGO Ninjago 71796 Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech
We invited our NINJAGO-loving friends to join us in an industrious endeavour to complete building the set in a single morning.
With ages ranging from 6 to 10, the boys were thrilled to get their hands on the box and couldn’t wait to empty the contents out.
Despite it being labelled as fit for 9-year-olds, the 8-year-old also took on the challenge to finish the built.
Upon unboxing, we found out that the set had one single manual. This made it slightly challenging for the splitting of workload amongst the boys.
With the scanning of a QR code on the box, this issue can be resolved with the LEGO Builder app opened on a device like a tablet as it acts as a second manual. If more than 2 children are constructing, they can do so with a click of the ‘build together’ button.
As this set is made up of 3 main models, using the LEGO Builder app enables ‘many hands (to) make light work’.
There is a total of six NINJAGO minifigures that come with the 71796 Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech set, giving a right balance between good and evil – ninjas Jay, Sora, Zane versus Lord Ras, Empress Beatrix and an Imperium Guard.
Each of the ninjas carry two Japanese swords called katanas to fight Lord Ras with his hammer, the Empress with her sword and the Imperium Guard with its staff.
The detailing of the pieces is intricate and adds colour to the play.
Building the Flyer Vehicle and Empress Mech
Following the manual step by step, the boys did not have much difficulty fixing the flyer vehicle and the Empress’ mech.
The ninja flyer has golden blades and powerful launchers on each side which can shoot out four studs.
Just a note that these studs are small and hence, parental supervision is advised should there be younger children around while the toy is in play.
I believe the quick build encouraged the boys to play pretend with the models and helped to ramp up their excitement to create the final and largest model – the dragon Jiro.
Transforming Nature of Jiro the Dragon
The dragon Jiro has quite a few surprising elements. Standing at an impressive height of 25cm, this dragon model will be a perfect display piece in a kids play area or bedroom once battle clashes have ended for the day.
As an elemental dragon, Jiro has a yellow power element in the shape of a spherical ball that resides at the top of its head. This is what the good and evil forces are trying to protect versus take possession of.
There are four other power elements in different colours to collect from other NINJAGO sets.
With its rotatable arms and legs, as well as movable wings, tail, claws and jaws, Jiro the dragon can be manipulated to suit the battle arena and recreate fight scenes that the kids had witnessed in the NINJAGO Dragons Rising series available on LEGO’s YouTube Channel and Netflix.
What I appreciate about LEGO is how such sets are able to draw children away from extended time on their screens to expand their creativity in model building, team building and role playing.
Lastly, but certainly not least, Jiro is a transformable masterpiece.
By adding the golden blade wings and powerful stud shooters from the flyer vehicle, Jiro can be upgraded into a more imposing figure to fight against the evil forces of Lord Ras and Empress Beatrix.
71796 Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech Set: Stunning Impressive for All LEGO NINJAGO Fanatics
This dragon and mech playset will not disappoint in all aspects of play and display, especially for NINJAGO fans who desire for good to overcome evil.
We set out to complete the entire built in a single morning but due to the fun elements in the finest of detail, the play and building process were lengthened.
With the process itself enjoyable, the boys never once complained that it took too long.
Find out more about LEGO NINJAGO Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech 71796.
If you enjoyed this, we predict that you will also enjoy this story about a LEGO supercar or this other one about a super NINJAGO mech.
