Review: 60106 Fire Starter Set
Posted by CapnRex101,
Fire sets are a staple of the LEGO City range but I think the 2016 selection is one of the best waves yet. 60106 Fire Starter Set is the second smallest of these and sets an impressive precedent considering its low price of just £8.99 or $9.99.
The play value is high and I like the design of the two models included but it is the minifigure selection which probably holds the greatest appeal. The sheer number of minifigures included in these Starter Sets is superb and I welcome the combination of firefighters and a civilian which are found in this one.
Minifigures
Four minifigures are included in this set, three firefighters and a mechanic. The firefighters all wear different outfits but the essence of the design is the same throughout as each one sports a black uniform with some high visibility reflective strips. The female firefighter has a crash helmet and a yellow life jacket intended for piloting the hovercraft while the diver wears flippers, an air tank and a snorkel. The last of the three is wearing full firefighting gear with breathing apparatus and a white helmet.
The mechanic, meanwhile, has an orange jacket printed on the front and back of his torso, dark blue legs and a frowning face print. A frightened expression would have been ideal but the cap does not allow for the use of a double-sided head unfortunately. He comes with a wrench for working on the jetty.
The Completed Model
The set consists of two main models, a wooden jetty with a generator of some sort and a small hovercraft for the Fire Service. Neither build is particularly complex but they both offer reasonable play value and I like the design of the hovercraft very much.
Black curved plates are used to form the skirt and six slider elements are used underneath so the model can move across flat surfaces smoothly. There is room for a single minifigure to sit behind the steering wheel in the cockpit although any accessories fixed to the back of a minifigure must be removed.
A 2x2 curved slope printed with the fire logo is placed between the cockpit and the thrust fan which rotates in its housing but cannot be turned from side to side. It would be nice if this could be angled to replicate a real hovercraft. The monitor placed on the front of the vessel and a trans-light blue piece is included to represent a water spout.
Every one of the new Fire sets includes a flaming structure and this one is a generator on a jetty. The assembly is fairly plain but it serves its purpose and includes two 'apollo' studs in trans-orange, a new colour for the element. These are used as the base for a pair of flames which can be attached to the studs on top of the generator or placed loosely so they can be knocked off easily.
Overall
The Starter Sets are consistently impressive but this is one of the best yet. There are plenty of minifigures and accessories included for imaginitive play and the two main models look great. The level of detail is impressive taking the number of parts into account and I am glad to see an unusual vehicle make an appearance which is much more interesting than the quad bikes which more frequently appear in City Starter Sets.
If you are intending to purchase some of the larger Fire sets then this one can probably be skipped but it is an excellent option if you are looking for a quick taste of the Fire subtheme or are on a tight budget, especially for younger buyers.
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17 comments on this article
Built this in LDD yesterday, and it is very impressive. Looks better than the Fire Engine, at least...
"Fire starter" set sound SO bad... LEGO, Why not "Fire brigade starter set" or similar?
Oh I can sure use that generator in the dock for a random part of a City/jungle base.
So... you are telling me that I cannot start fires in my LEGO City with it? Aw...
A little disappointing, in that obviously no one in this set is attempting to start a fire.
And now I got The Prodigy song stuck in my head, thanks Lego.
The set itself - nothing special, but I like the variety of minifigures.
With all three firefighters smiling, I think we can figure out who started the fire in this fire starter set.
But all joking aside, I do wish they'd give these characters more serious faces, more appropriate faces to their occupation and the theme. It's a very, very minor nitpick but it's a bit odd too when the faces don't match at all what's going on in the theme.
No Keith Flint minifig?
As a wildland firefighter, I must object to any set called "Fire Starter"... ; )
A neat little set, I like the included flaming structures!
Besides the double meaning of the name I think that it isn't really a starter set.
^ my thoughts exactly; it is a starter set for the fire theme not a firer-starter set.
http://brickset.com/sets/60091-1/Deep-Sea-Starter-Set.
I have had to look up the expression 'Apollo studs'. Has this term now permanently entered LEGO lexicon? LOL when I found out what an Apollo stud was and how the term originated though.
I get the original intent of the name, it just makes me giggle. Hence the winky in my previous post. ;)
Thankfully there are firemen to go with the fire starter set!
I don't know, I've been pretty underwhelmed by the firefighting sets on offer in 2016. It's all been there, done that, and it's hard to get excited about them anymore. Meanwhile, this city has so many fireboats already, do they really need a fire hovercraft?
I had to go watch the old Prodigy music video when I saw this set. Maybe we could make a Firestarter minifig out of a Captain America or something
You had me at "trans-orange apollo studs."
I have the Demolition (60072) and Swamp Police (60066) starter sets and like how they have a lot of minifigures for the price. Glad to see that in other themes, though I agree starter is somewhat ill fitting here.