Review: Mixels Series 8 MCFD
Posted by TheBrickPal,
It is now time to conclude our look at Series 8 with the fire-fighting MCFD; the Mixopolis City Fire Department! These Mixels of course put out the flames that arise in their city, and are the counterpart to Series 7's MCPD (police).
I was mostly underwhelmed with Splasho, Aquad and Hydro at the release of their first photos and unfortunately my opinion hasn't changed since. But while I think the tribe has room for some substantial improvement, there is still great fun to be had.
41563 Splasho
Splasho is the commander who loves yelling orders to his brigade recruits... even though doing so sprays out a huge deluge of water. I love the interesting personification of a fire hydrant that Splasho displays - and a leaky one at that! A huge flame piece is used, in this instance in trans-blue, to depict the action.
Splasho may be one of the greatest Mixels builds of all time, built with an abundance of SNOT and shaping in all directions! The parts and techniques used create a wonderful, open O-shaped mouth effect. With the recent 1x1 squared-off tile used as teeth partially covered by the lips on the top and bottom, the construction works perfectly.
Among other things, Splasho also uses a unique variation of feet to resemble fire-fighter boots! With the usual Mixel articulation in that area, of course. Shame...
The set has two points of articulation in the arms - great for maneuvering that grey bucket Splasho comes with to hold! This is also the second appearance (in Mixels; their debut was in Classic) of the printed 1x1 half-closed eye tiles, first seen with 41562 Trumpsy in this specific theme. They will appear again in 41576 Spinza, and even a slight turning of them can convey tons of emotion.
Overall, Splasho is my definite favorite amongst the MCFD, with an aesthetic that comes across quite well and many pieces that could be of great benefit to MOCers.
41564 Aquad
Going by both set number order and my ranking of favorites in this tribe, Aquad is second here. He's the tribe's eye in the sky, set to extinguish any fire that he can spot with that cycloptic minifig head eye. It is topped with a fire-fighter helmet that has appeared countless times in City and perhaps other themes. However, this is surprisingly the first time it is available in yellow!
Moving on, Aquad is clearly based on a fire plane. I think this basis is great, and the feet as landing gear is a nice enough detail. The wings are hinged with only one point of articulation each. And while I would have preferred them ball-jointed, he somewhat makes up for the lack of that with an awesome play feature...
The set comes with a few trans-light blue studs to represent balls of water. Insert them into his mouth, open his back with the fin, and there they go falling out onto the fire (er, floor)! This is the type of gimmick that is so often missing from Mixels so I am pleased that such a splendid one is featured here. Is this a sign of more things to come? Hopefully! More please, LEGO.
Aquad is just average. While I appreciate him for the nifty stud dropper, he doesn't bring much else new to the table.
41565 Hydro
Forgetful Hydro is my least favorite Mixel in the MCFD tribe, and perhaps of Series 8 on the whole. Beyond using him as a parts pack the model itself is actually quite poor, though I can't deny his slight charm. Allow me to elaborate...
Hydro is essentially a recolored Lunk, with a long ladder jaw instead of a long neck. Nonetheless, they look too similar. You would think the designers could create more than just a rehash. Aside from some minor things, they have the same type of structure and build, too. The wheels on the feet look randomly tacked on and they don't even allow Hydro to roll.
Furthermore, the flame pieces in blue representing water that he is seen holding don't make any sense where they are, and would have been better attached to the body in some way (like water cannons). Or coming out of handheld hoses connected to his back. I don't know. It just doesn't look good.
Maybe the only redeeming quality of Hydro is not anything to do with him, but the Nixel he includes. Admittedly, unless you like adding to your Nixel army like I do, there's not much here. He reuses the exact same 2014/2015 angry face print, unlike the other Nixels included in 41566 and 41570 who contain unique face prints. The flaming ears in trans-orange, though, are indeed a nice touch!
I cannot recommend Hydro unless you are a Mixels completist or Nixel collector. But who knows, you may really like him if and when you decide to purchase him. This is, after all, my own review and opinion. Hopefully it wasn't too scathing.
Verdict
It's really hard to suggest the MCFD. Splasho is the only one I truly enjoy; and while Aquad is good too, Hydro is absolutely dreadful. However, if you A.) love Mixels, B.) have an odd fascination with fire-fighters or C.) want to grow your rare parts collection easily, I'm sure they'll find their way into your shopping cart somehow. Also, I won't lie: they do have the best Max of the wave, and the color scheme is appropriate as the inverse of the Lixers' colors.
Final Thoughts
We have now concluded our reviews of Mixels Series 8. This was my fourth time reviewing a Mixels series for Brickset, which I began doing around a year ago now.
Series 8 is another stellar offering in the Mixels range. While I am not totally keen on the MCFD as showcased here, there is no doubt in my mind that all three groups this time around were worked on as hard as ever by the designers, as evident by the themes and figures exhibited here. My favorite tribe in this wave, the Medix, are what a perfect Mixel tribe should be and I sure hope that the line continues to deliver in that regard; with the cute, creative and sometimes creepy little monsters I have grown to adore.
Mixels Series 8 are available in all good shops and at shop.LEGO.com, so you can buy them all now to Mix, Max and Murp!
Now we wait for October...
Thanks to Huw for the photos.
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17 comments on this article
Well done on the review, and I agree, the MCFD felt so underwhelming...also a shame that they're the extra-packed tribe of this series, too.
I saw the instructions for the MAX, and it actually transforms into a firetruck.
https://mi-od-live-s.legocdn.com/r/www/r/service/-/media/franchises/mixels/downloads/wave%208/thumbs/41563_41564_41565_digital_mcfd_max.pdf?l.r2=1260453537
I do think it would be nice to include the MAX in the reviews of the Mixels if possible.
Yes it would but it's extra work!
Splasho is the first mixels I have bought. I like him. There is a good mix of parts for a good price. The blue water flame is great. And he looks characterful when made up.
Ooh, Aquad's "play feature"! I know a certain four-year-old boy who will enjoy that, especially when I load it up with http://brickset.com/parts/4216581 (or http://brickset.com/parts/4161734 if he's got a dicky tummy).
Great review! I'm loving all the city themed mixels. Still holding out hope for lightsaber parts in more colours at some point.
I do have a fascination with fire-fighters but I don't think that's odd.
^ T'was a joke. :-)
I should have put a ;) at the end to show I was being playful :)
You should include the Max as part of your reviews! :)
Great photo's. What I would like in a next review is a bit more focus on the parts. The mixels are great parts pack and do often feature unique colours or rare pieces. For example, the fireman's helmet, while common, is unique in yellow. This kind of info would add to the usefullness of the review.
I personally love this tribe. Aquad has an exclusive color for the fireman's helmet, has rare trans-blue dome pieces, and looks really good. I've only bought two mixels before him, and he was definitely worth the price. I also like them because ever since I was little I have had a sort of odd fascination with fire trucks. I'm thinking about buying Splasho so that I'll have two members of the tribe. Good review though! :)
Ok Tribe but amazing MAX!
Thanks for pointing it out everyone; had no idea the fire-fighter helmet hadn't appeared in yellow before!
^It makes sense that the fire helmet hasn't been in yellow when you think about it, since if it were it'd match the skin tone of a typical LEGO firefighter!
Overall, I think these fellows are really cute and charming. I love Splasho's expression!
It may be weird, but I love them. I'm an AFOL, and apart from technic super cars, these are my current favorites. I love the color scheme.
I think I need 2 Hydros and 2 Splashos, so I can build my own fire engine with 4 wheels and mudguards. Just like the tiny http://brickset.com/sets/6911-1/Mini-Fire-Truck - also one of my old favorites.
I'm tempted by these; such cheerful colours, and I like their expressions...
the only mixels i have are krader and schuff, but i like these 3 red ones and the doctory ones with the azzure and white parts on them, well done lego on these newbies might buy a couple..