Review: 71846 The Fire Knight Mech
Posted by CapnRex101,
Mechs and dragons are integral to NINJAGO, so launching the display-oriented Legends range with one of each seems appropriate. I was very pleased with the imposing 71847 The Guardian Dragon and 71846 The Fire Knight Mech shares many of the same qualities.
However, one common critique of the Guardian Dragon was its static design, very unusual for a NINJAGO model. This mech, by contrast, can be easily detached from its base and posed like any other. In fact, the articulation here is better than many LEGO mechs, although it looks excellent on the base as well, so this set seems to impress in all circumstances!
Summary
71846 The Fire Knight Mech, 996 pieces.
£109.99 / $119.99 / €119.99 | 11.0p / 12.0c / 12.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Although small for its price, the Fire Knight Mech looks outstanding on display
- Appealing proportions and colours
- Excellent articulation
- Beautiful cape
- Detailed display base
- No double-jointed elbows
- Expensive, especially with the mech displayed alone
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Box and Contents
To differentiate them from other sets, the NINJAGO Legends models each have illustrated box artwork. I find this design quite appealing, but the mech does not stand out very clearly from its shadowy background, instead drawing your eye to the pink monster emerging from the base.
There are eight numbered bags and a small sticker sheet packaged inside, plus the instruction manual and an exclusive poster. Though the poster is only A3 in size and printed on thin paper, the actual artwork looks fantastic. Maybe a similar sky backdrop should have been used on the box.
Minifigures
The box identifies Kai as the Master of Fire, which is how the Fire Knight Mech addresses him during NINJAGO Legends: Monstrosity. This figure does not really reflect his appearance in the animation, but looks marvellous nonetheless. I love the subtle fire design around the edge of his robe, with Kai's traditional symbol on both sides of the torso.
Also, the dark red shoulder armour looks superb, as do the golden arms. However, this would have been an ideal opportunity to create a new head for Kai, featuring unique determined and angry expressions. The dual-moulded sword is perfect though. The same accessory is used for the Reveal Blades from Dragons Rising season three, but the sculpted flames on the hilt work brilliantly for the Master of Fire.
Kai is very much alone throughout the Monstrosity animation, lost in the Land of Monsters, so the presence of a generic Fisherman seems peculiar. However, citizens to rescue are always great for play and I like this character's sand green attire, only available in the more expensive 71799 NINJAGO City Markets and 71814 Tournament Temple City before now.
The frightened expression is perfect and I love how the fisherman's hat is attached to his back with a minifigure posing element, creating a sense of motion. The minifigure also comes with a reddish brown oar.
The Completed Model
Similar to 71847 The Guardian Dragon, the Fire Knight Mech is designed to stand in a specific pose on the base, though unlike the dragon, the mech is fully articulated and can be presented separately. Options are certainly welcome, but the standard pose is impressive and its height of 33cm, measured to the shoulder, affords the mech reasonable presence on display.
The base mirrors that of 71847 The Guardian Dragon, comprising black 10x10 curved wedge slopes around the edge. I found the frame unnecessary under the dragon, but this example is more effective because the water's edge needs to be clearly defined. That is less important for rocky locations, as 71814 Tournament Temple City and 71819 Dragon Stone Shrine illustrate.
The use of dark blue round tiles for the water is interesting, alongside aqua plant stem parts as little splashes. This works quite well for a stylised interpretation of a rough sea, but I think other techniques could have been even better. However, both the sea monster and the dock area are nicely constructed and stand out thanks to their distinct colours.
Technic pins anchor the mech to the base, making it easy to achieve the intended pose, which really conveys a sense of movement as the mech fends off the sea monster. You can definitely imagine the mech thrusting its spear into the beast's jaws and I love its other hand gripping one of the monster's tendrils.
Even so, the tendrils still look as though they are about to wrap around the mech and you can adjust them however you wish. The armour on the mech is appealing too, making good use of 4x4 wedge slopes shrouding the knee joints, which mirror the faulds around the waist. Even the grey elements on the knees are appropriate for mechanical detail.
The chest and waist are constructed much like 71785 Jay's Titan Mech and 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech, with an angle between the hips and the upper body. This configuration can work well for an upright stance, but is particularly appropriate here because the model is designed to look downwards.
While nowhere near the size of its animated counterpart, the sea beast nevertheless occupies much of the base and is unlike anything else in NINJAGO sets to date. Dark pink dragon head elements are used brilliantly for its jaws and the printed eyes look superb. The stickered details look lovely too, although stickers are never ideal on a set like this.
I do wish the fishing boat was a little more developed though. It is small and clearly intended to be simple, but the 3x4 wedge plates make it look dated, similar to LEGO boats produced in the early 2000s. On the other hand, its dark orange colour is eye-catching amidst the action.
Displaying the mech separately gives a clearer impression of its design. The proportions of the model are pretty similar to 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech and other Titan Mechs, including a narrow waist, with chunky thigh and shoulder armour. This tested combination looks marvellous and perhaps even better than usual, thanks to the cape adding volume behind the torso.
The dynamic cape looks excellent when properly positioned, connected to a frame comprising curved supports. Draping the fabric naturally around the shoulders is tricky though, unless you remove the frame altogether, which also reveals the full fiery pattern. These stylised flames are striking, with a Ninjargon 'K' in the middle.
71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech was launched last summer, raising the standard for premium LEGO mechs going forward. This mech is much smaller than its precursor, measuring 25cm in height once removed from the base, but no less detailed. Moreover, the Fire Knight Mech looks bulkier than the Titan Dragon Mech, especially its legs.
Most importantly, the articulation remains extremely versatile. The ankles, knees, hips, waist, shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers and neck are all moveable, so a wide spectrum of dynamic poses can be achieved. However, I miss the double-jointed elbows from Cole's mech, as they allowed even more dramatic anime-like poses.
Neutral stances are also possible and work remarkably well with the dynamic cape, as though perpetually billowing in an unseen wind. Additionally, you can alter the position of the handgrip on the mech's weapon, planting it on the ground for a classic power pose!
The aforementioned 4x4 wedge slopes around the knees are particularly effective in a neutral pose, resembling flared boots. I like the colour combination as well, with scattered gold details alongside dark red and black parts, with the brighter shade of red concentrated primarily on the thighs and shoulders.
LEGO mechs have greatly improved recently and the use of pistons to reinforce the ankles on 71812 Kai's Ninja Climber Mech was a huge step forward. The technique debuted towards the end of BIONICLE generation one and I am happy to see it again, strengthening the ankle joints without compromising their ability to rock sideways.
Sharp angles continue on the upper body and the arms, using the standard mech body in the centre and 2x5x1 windscreen pieces above. The few stickers look good, although the furnace visible on the chest should arguably be more prominent. Perhaps this feature could have been brick-built instead, though that would mean adapting the cockpit too.
As on many recent mechs, the head is rather small. This compact structure is still very detailed though, using a familiar 1x1 double slope for the faceplate, also featured on 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech. In addition, I love the orange plume attached on top, partly because this helps to signal where the mech is looking when viewed from a distance.
There is ample room for Kai to pilot the mech, which is never shown in NINJAGO: Monstrosity because the Fire Knight Mech is itself sentient. Even so, I like the stickered console displaying the sea monster inside. Kai's voluminous hair causes a slight issue though, restricting the head movement somewhat.
A clip is available to store Kai's sword on the back of the mech, between attachment points for the cape stanchion. You can connect this support on either side and change its angle, giving a range of possibilities for the cape.
The mech wields a spear, incorporating the blade piece created for Seabound. I am surprised this element has proven so versatile, but it works brilliantly here and the symbol from the cape appears again on a sticker underneath. The flame at the other end is a lovely touch too, placed inside a Sonic ring.
Overall
NINJAGO offers no shortage of stunning mechs and 71846 The Fire Knight Mech adds another to the selection. The mech looks splendid in the stance shown on the packaging, attached to its base and fending off the sea monster, but also benefits from extensive articulation, which 71847 The Guardian Dragon lacked. I still narrowly favour the dragon, but the mech is far better than I expected!
A challenge all subsequent mechs of this scale will face is comparison with 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech, which raised the level for LEGO mechs. This model is nearly as good in various ways, though I do miss the double-jointed elbows and the price of £109.99, $119.99 or €119.99 feels expensive, even taking the base into consideration.
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26 comments on this article
It looks nice, but too many mechs for me. I prefer dragons, than also suit to castle scenario.
I was going back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to get this or Cole's Titan Mech. I ended up going with this mech because it looks better IMO and because I was missing a Kai vehicle in my collection.
Kai's dual-moulded sword looks nice but it doesn't feel like Lego, same as Flash's helmet. That all should be in Lego pieces, like had castle's knight helmet: helmet, visor, plume dragon, plume wings (like 6009)
My son was really excited the first time he saw pictures of this mech and the big green dragon. Then he lost interest in the dragon when he saw it was a static display only. I wonder if he will still like this one? My thoughts looking at the article, it's neat and big enough, but much smaller than I originally thought.
Beautiful model! I regularly push back against the incessant, knee jerk complaints that sets are too expensive, but in this case I agree. There’s no IP tax here and so imho $105 US (10c ppp plus a little extra for the cape) is what this should be. Otherwise, though, a great set.
I just noticed that squid looks just like Gooper Blooper from the Mario and Sonic Olympic games
I got the dragon because I love dragons, and it might be static but that's OK by me. It's going to be a game room display piece. I can totally see people liking this, it feels a bit 40K-ish and I'm sure people will mod it as such. Not that my wallet needs any more hurting, but I do love when they make sets like this.
I love the box artwork for this set. It is so much better than black background used for 'adults' sets. I am never fan of mechas but i really love the cape here. I Wonder how useful this cloth is as a sail?
I wonder how much of that piece count went into the Mech and how much of it into the base.
The initial picture makes the Mech look small and the €120 MSRP tag insane! Until you notice the fisherman, suddenly the Mech looks a LOT bigger. Still a similar Mech for the same line, just over a year ago has 5% more parts, is a bigger Mech build, and €20 cheaper...
I like it, but not for that price. And while I got 71821 with a 30%+ discount, for 71846 I'll probably wait for a 40-50% discount.
Really like this set and will buy at some point. Tipping point for me is the fishing boat being tipped over which is a great touch and gives me Pacific Rim vibes.
I’ve recently become interested in Ninjago as I like the designs and the fusion of old and new tech. I’m a big fan of the vehicles and some of the mechs which I think are well designed. Have just bought City Gardens and hope to buy other city sets to eventually create a cityscape when space and time permits.
Looks nice, but overpriced. For $90, I'd probably bite, if there were a good GWP or two on offer. Otherwise, pass. Ninjago jumped the shark years ago and I've given up trying to follow it, so the sets no longer interest me much. This one is something of a standout, but again, the price hinders it.
Just when I decide I'm done with mechs, they find a way to pull me back in!!
I will get this on sale. We could really use some mechs/guant robots that aren't so anthropomorphic. How about those two guard robots from Mando?
This one looks messy/busy. And the head and elf boots bother me. That white mech in the pic looks way cooler.
This is the best ad for Cole's mech. It dwarfs this new mech while being cheaper. And with the impending retirement and current discount, I might finally cave.
Without the base and a base and with a small vehicle with an enemy this could have been a fun 60 legobucks set. Is this aimed at kids?
On the one hand, that is an awesome cape. On the other hand - what, are you worried your mech is going to catch a cold? Is the cape used to disguise the fact that your giant mech is a giant mech? But on both hands - the cape might be useless, but it's a very, very nice useless cape.
Really, really wish the Not-The-Buster-Sword's blade was detachable.
@Crux said:
"On the one hand, that is an awesome cape. On the other hand - what, are you worried your mech is going to catch a cold? Is the cape used to disguise the fact that your giant mech is a giant mech? But on both hands - the cape might be useless, but it's a very, very nice useless cape.
Really, really wish the Not-The-Buster-Sword's blade was detachable."
@thor96 was wondering how useful the cape might be as a sail, so maybe you could MOC it into a transforming mech with a sailboat alt-mode?
Those wedge plates were already used for boats in the early '80s.
Anyways, this set is not that interesting to me and way too expensive. I see 50€, 60€ with a stretch.
Furthermore I find the head of the sea-monster pretty unatractive with those up-side-down head elements.
The mechs have been so good lately, it makes me want a Gundam theme more & more(and we wouldn’t get these small head, open cockpit builds anymore). I don’t really mind the cockpits, but with my long love affair with Gundam, I have a preference for my mechs. One that the Monkey King Ultra Mech did beautifully.
Of all the mechs LEGO have done over the years, this is certainly...
one of them.
I do understand that some of you are fed up with mechs. Agreed, there are many mechs over the year for Ninjago but again, this one is special. The beautiful cape and the articulation are unmatched for this size of mech. As a huge Lego mech fan and collector of Ninjago mechs, you can really see the progress these sets made over the last 5 years, it's actually insane. Sure, Cole's Titan Mech is still the best but the Fire Knight Mech comes in second, using the same techniques but managed to minify them.
The price is a downside, I recommend waiting for a discount. Maybe the base wasn't 100% neccessary but it's still a highlight to me, a limited amount of very epic poses are achiveable by placing the mech on it. I got the set soon after release for 85€, that is still a lot for a plasic figure but at least it's a good one.
Oh and because someone asked about the cape, yes, you can totally use it as a sail. It has holes in each corner. I'd like to see it being used in a boat MOC.
Just picked this up for my nephew (and double points). Funny how you look at the price less when you are shopping for what a loved-one would like - that's how LEGO gets ya!
Thanks for the review. I've been waiting for the review to pull the trigger on this one. I've been a fan of Ninjago mechs and dragons in equal measure. The mechs for sure have gotten better and better and the Titan versions of the mechs are the best ones out there. Although if I'm not wrong only Kai is missing a Titan mech. I guess this comes close.
Wish Lego would create a full-on mech focused line.
@Yobuster said:
"Thanks for the review. I've been waiting for the review to pull the trigger on this one. I've been a fan of Ninjago mechs and dragons in equal measure. The mechs for sure have gotten better and better and the Titan versions of the mechs are the best ones out there. Although if I'm not wrong only Kai is missing a Titan mech. I guess this comes close.
Wish Lego would create a full-on mech focused line. "
I miss Exo-Force, and wish I'd bought more sets than just 8107.
Never even considered buying this set until now. Really Ninjago's Furno XL, isn't it?
I don't care about Ninjago, but I'm glad to see that Mini Head 3540 (https://brickset.com/parts/6351352/mini-head-no-3540) is being included in more sets. A wonderful terrified expression like that deserves to be put in the hands of as many Lego fans as possible.