More mechs and dragons...

More mechs and dragons!

It seems across all 2024 themes that there are a higher number of sets at a lower price point than in previous years. I think LEGO has done the financial analysis and realised that with increasing costs of living and inflation, people are able to only spend smaller amounts on hobbies/ gifts. I'm glad they're adjusting their overall strategy to make sets more accessible, and obviously they're hoping that by more people buying these small sets they will maintain their profits.

Also, the fact that these small sets are complemented by insanely large and expensive adult ones!

Cool Bionicle sets.

Love the sora mech.
I like the mini jay mech set, and want multiple.
Shame to see the new ninja not get suits.
Those gimmick sets look like knockoffs.
Every normal (Non 4+ or gimmick) set looks good
Also, these suits would work really well for a custom space wave.

What, no Ninjago Space?

@Karrot said:
"It seems across all 2024 themes that there are a higher number of sets at a lower price point than in previous years. I think LEGO has done the financial analysis and realised that with increasing costs of living and inflation, people are able to only spend smaller amounts on hobbies/ gifts. I'm glad they're adjusting their overall strategy to make sets more accessible, and obviously they're hoping that by more people buying these small sets they will maintain their profits.

Also, the fact that these small sets are complemented by insanely large and expensive adult ones!"

I'm guessing they realized that more cheap sets makes more lego fans in the long run, especially during the current regression.

I'm tired of mechs, but they must sell exceptionally well since they've infected nearly every theme.

How many mechs do you need in one theme??? and dragons... Wish there were some buildings and larger sets..........

It seems that a lot of people like mechs, but I've never been interested in them. Then again, my interest in Ninjago is limited. I only have the Temple of Airjitzu and the Ninjago City sets.

@Ridgeheart said:
"Ah, Kai is here to bring us the first Hulkbuster of 2024, thank goodness."

No No No No you said the forbidden word, now we're getting more.

I thought I was done with Ninjago dragons, but a dragon wearing a hat may prove irresistible.

@watcher21 said:
" @Ridgeheart said:
"Ah, Kai is here to bring us the first Hulkbuster of 2024, thank goodness."

No No No No you said the forbidden word, now we're getting more.
"

If we get *that thing*, then we will have @Ridgeheart to blame. I say we start stockpiling pitchforks and torches now, to make sure we don't run low later...

;-)

Yeeeeeeeessssssssssss! Finally a conformation on the prices me and my brothers are planning on getting all eleven sets! Man I can’t wait!

@Tuzi said:
" @Karrot said:
"It seems across all 2024 themes that there are a higher number of sets at a lower price point than in previous years. I think LEGO has done the financial analysis and realised that with increasing costs of living and inflation, people are able to only spend smaller amounts on hobbies/ gifts. I'm glad they're adjusting their overall strategy to make sets more accessible, and obviously they're hoping that by more people buying these small sets they will maintain their profits.

Also, the fact that these small sets are complemented by insanely large and expensive adult ones!"

I'm guessing they realized that more cheap sets makes more lego fans in the long run, especially during the current regression."

It does make sense.

I would've liked that old dragon and the earth mech to be more developed (and expensive).

But, allowing Ninjago to return to a kids' theme, and leave my wallet alone, is not a bad thing.

It's hard to get new AFOLs without KFOLs and TFOLs. For cheap mechs and dragons, these are pretty cool.

I wish I could just get battle packs of the ninjago villains.

Exo-Force did it better.

@Tuzi said:
"What, no Ninjago Space?"

It's hard to believe there have not been sets on that Season 3 Arc.

@Karrot said:
"It seems across all 2024 themes that there are a higher number of sets at a lower price point than in previous years. I think LEGO has done the financial analysis and realised that with increasing costs of living and inflation, people are able to only spend smaller amounts on hobbies/ gifts. I'm glad they're adjusting their overall strategy to make sets more accessible, and obviously they're hoping that by more people buying these small sets they will maintain their profits.

Also, the fact that these small sets are complemented by insanely large and expensive adult ones!"

But don’t they do this every year? Releasing cheaper sets early in the year after the Christmas period, precisely because of the sheer amount of spending and expensive Christmas purchases made at the end of the year.

IMO that's the most disappointing Ninjago wave in years if not ever

I'm a huge fan of mechs, but these just don't look too good in my eyes, even though I like the small EVO mechs and these new ones are basically bigger versions of them, but they're somehow worse, I think they overdid that clunky armored style... guess I prefer the more mechanical-looking ones like the Empress mech or the Titan-scaled ones

Even the figures are mostly a let down for me, I'm not digging the new ninja suits (not very ninja-esque) and hood pieces (they're too big and don't mesh well with printed eye masks) at all, Arin and Sora are basically unchanged, the villains are cool, but there's not enough variety, the three named characters are mostly unique, but the difference between the generic ones appears to be only their headgear, Climber Kai and new Wyldfyre are awesome tho (can't wait to see the Climbing Mech later in the year)

I think the best sets from this season so far are probably the master dragon (tho that head do be kinda goofy ngl), Cole's mech (for being so bulky and actually conveying the elemental look well) and Jay's mech (a great deal despite the build's quality)

Overall, first season's sets were so much better in every way possible except for the prices

@Tuzi said:
"What, no Ninjago Space?"

In space... everyone is silent as a ninja.

@TheOriginalSimonB said:
"I thought I was done with Ninjago dragons, but a dragon wearing a hat may prove irresistible."

A hat and a moustache!

The Cole mech is genuinely great I think.

Hoping that’s not an actual Source Dragon in 71815, or that a more impressive version is coming later in the year. Dragons Rising has built them up as these awe-inspiring creatures, not…THAT.

Wow this is underwhelming. The most boring wave in a while.

Personally only really care about the Jay mech (will be modded to become guard mechs), but I like how the dragon has a beard. Otherwise, dang Ninjago, let's slow down on the mechs and release bad guy stuff/buildings.

@LukeSkywalker said:
" @Karrot said:
"It seems across all 2024 themes that there are a higher number of sets at a lower price point than in previous years. I think LEGO has done the financial analysis and realised that with increasing costs of living and inflation, people are able to only spend smaller amounts on hobbies/ gifts. I'm glad they're adjusting their overall strategy to make sets more accessible, and obviously they're hoping that by more people buying these small sets they will maintain their profits.

Also, the fact that these small sets are complemented by insanely large and expensive adult ones!"

But don’t they do this every year? Releasing cheaper sets early in the year after the Christmas period, precisely because of the sheer amount of spending and expensive Christmas purchases made at the end of the year. "

It's more unusual this year. 2023 has $100, $80, and $60 sets of note. 2022 had $100, $90, $70, and $50 as the higher end Core line. Here, the most expensive is $70, with the second-highest being a Juniors set at $37. Next is $30 - it's cheaper than most recent January waves I can think of.
Some of that is doubtless contributed by the interchangeable mech parts gimmick they're doing this wave, but it still is very noteworthy.

A bit of a let down after the dragon's rising S1 wave, hopefully we'll get a proper Sora hair soon.

Strange to put the most interesting figs in a 4+ set.

Hopefully some of the more interesting figs come the magazines as I don't see myself buying any of these. Mostly mechs but the best mech last year was in the elemental dragon versus the Empress mech set. None of these are especially impressive builds.

I like the master dragon but not enough to particularly want him. Ninjago has a whole menagerie of dragons so they really have to stun to draw my eye.

I think there are more coming in the spring so we'll see if they have anything more interesting then, might be better for my wallet if not.

@Yardsale19X said:
" @TheOriginalSimonB said:
"I thought I was done with Ninjago dragons, but a dragon wearing a hat may prove irresistible."

A hat and a moustache! "

How much cooler would 70734 be with a hat like that!

LEGO forgot to put Space logo on 71804 Arin's Battle Mech , clearly it's a mining mech , and the set comes with purple crystals seen in the space sets :)

WHERE IS BABY RIYU? IS HE SAFE?? IS HE ALRIGHT??

71805 skipped leg day.

@HOBBES said:
" @Tuzi said:
"What, no Ninjago Space?"

In space... everyone is silent as a ninja."

Nah. Everyone is screaming, but everyone is also deaf. That's why no one can hear you scream.

@Tuzi said:
" @Karrot said:
I'm guessing they realized that more cheap sets makes more lego fans in the long run, especially during the current regression."

I certainly wouldn't be a Lego fan today if there hadn't been the affordable sets in the 90s to get me into it. The "Walmart bundles" and great polybags and the sub-$40 sets, that were still actually nice sets.

Looking through the sequence of recent articles about 2024 sets, I felt I was looking at sets from several years ago--smaller, simpler, and probably more fun to play with than the elaborate models we've become used to. I don't find this disappointing or inappropriate; my wallet can use a rest, and Lego is, after all, at heart a children's toy. The dual-molded parts in the Rising Dragon sets would make great starting points for more elaborate MOCs--and they don't cost an arm and a leg.

Also, the mechs have a lot of individual personality, which I like. Is Sora *really* going to war wielding a branch from a flowering peach tree?

@Froggage said:
"I wish I could just get battle packs of the ninjago villains.
"

So much this. It doesn’t matter what the theme is or how the sets look, the villains are just amazing, every time.

Cole's Earth Mech 71806 looks a heck of a deal of £18. Chunky Boy!

@Duq said:
"I still remember the days when the Ninjago theme had Ninja things, like temples and dojos..."

You mean 71795 : Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores that released just 6 months ago? .

And 71767 : Ninja Dojo Temple that was available for the past 2 years, which even could be expanded with 71764 : Ninja Training Centre.

But there's still 71787 : Creative Ninja Brick Box in 2024.

Ninjago had a very large amount of larger sets release in 2023 (which will still be available), so going somewhat smaller here makes sense.