Review: 30375 Sira's Adventurous Airglider
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO Elves seems to have garnered quite a following even after only two waves and I expect the third wave will prove even more popular with the addition of dragons to the magical world of Elvendale.
Those sets will be officially released on the 1st of March, but for the moment we have been able to source a new Elves polybag for an early review. 30375 Sira's Adventurous Airglider will be available in North America as a free gift with qualifying purchases in April. I hope the same will be true in other countries as this is an excellent little set.
Mini-doll
Sira Copperbranch is one of several new characters to join the cast and this polybag is one of only two sets which include her, the other being 41174 The Starlight Inn. The set description for 41174 describes Sira as a sky captain, a role which certainly fits with the aerial theme of the glider.
Her rubbery hair piece is new in spring yellowish green and features a lavender highlight at the fringe. This is the first time a hair piece has been moulded in spring yellowish green but it looks splendid, accentuating the Elves' connection with nature. The printing on her head is also new, as are the designs on the torso and legs. I like the green and copper colour scheme very much and the intricacy of the scrollwork is impressive.
Sira is equipped with a pair of golden binoculars and a printed map which shows the route from a pink dragon egg to Ragana's forboding castle.
The Completed Model
Very few polybags offer impressive models but this one is definitely an exception. Sira's airglider is small but delightful, with an attractive shape and colour scheme as well as a few rare parts! The most notable of these is the Jammie Dodger, a printed element which is new this year and has only appeared in a couple of other sets so far. The lime green 6x1 inverted slopes, golden wings and foliage elements on which they are mounted are also uncommon, so I am pleased to see them appear in such a small set. The building techniques used are also unusually interesting for a polybag.
The combination of pearl gold primary wings and white feathers to represent the tailplane looks splendid and I like the medium lavender pieces which furnish the seat. Sira can sit securely inside, although there are no controls which is a shame as the minidoll looks a little awkward without anything to hold onto. Perhaps the glider is magically powered in some way and therefore does not require any controls.
Overall
The Elves range was very impressive in its first year, so much so that both JANGBRiCKS and MeganL selected it as their favourite theme of 2015. Based on this polybag I think the success of the theme is likely to continue as this set is ideal for imaginitive play but also looks good as part of a display and includes some lovely pieces as well as an excellent mini-doll.
We will be reviewing most, if not all, of the new Elves sets in the coming days and weeks, so stay tuned!
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19 comments on this article
The set is "ehhh", I mean it's nothing special at all.
However it is very creatively built with the wings and the plant pieces. A useful part pack. I'm nt sure wha exactly it is but the minimills look great in Elves and look so bland and boring in Friends.
Thanks for the review! That Sira minidoll is amazing, hope we get the polybag in the UK soon too.
I've got The Secret Marketplace already from the ARP team, so expect a review of that soon!
Love the Elves minidolls. They are so pretty! I have been collecting them all and will definitely get Sira too. However is designing these figures at LEGO is a wonderful artist.
The lack of controls is my biggest disappointment with this set. The colors are nice, though I wish the feather plume pieces on the back came in gold like the Chima wings! Now that would look divine!
Sira is a great new character and a well-designed one to boot. She truly feels like a daring fantasy adventurer.
Overall, after reading in the book "The Dragon Queen" (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0545852811/) that Sira has her own airship, I had hoped for something more than this. And truthfully her airship in the "Introducing Tidus and Sira" video (https://youtu.be/DUl2KlW7vLc), which is presumably based on this one, looks a lot more impressive. However, I understand that there are limits on what is possible in a polybag set, and there's still the opportunity for her to get a more impressive vessel in the future. For a freebie this is not a bad set.
I've really got to pick up some Elves sets, I've been eyeing them for a while, they look really awesome. It turns out that LEGO actually did know what they were doing when they made mini-dolls. I can't imagine Elves with minifigures, it just wouldn't be the same probably.
WOW! The set may not be that much to speak of, but these are the best pictures I'd seen of Sira herself! I hadn't realized how awesomely reflective the copper printing on her torso and skirt would look!
I can't recall ever seeing a polybag set appear in any kind of mass-media source (Lego books, tv shows, etc.). Despite our love for polys, I always feel like Lego treats them like the redheaded stepchild of their toy lines.
The Anacondrai mech from NinjaGo appeared in an episode last year, which was a first I believe for the show.
^^ Alrighty, so there's one. I'm genuinely curious if there's others. I think somebody said they saw the Super Secret Police Enforcer in The Lego Movie, but I can't say I saw it myself.
I agree with The Green Brick Giant about the look of the Elves' minidolls. They are so much more interesting and unique than the Friends line of minidolls.
@ResIpsaLoquitur: It wasn't exactly in story media or anything like that, but several of the DK Ninjago guidebooks (including the Ninjago Character Encyclopedia and Visual Dictionary) feature polybag sets as well.
I don't think polybags are a "redheaded stepchild" so much as treated as what they are—cheap, sometimes even free sets that are meant to promote their respective theme and not much else.
Sira is really awesome-looking. What are the qualifying purchases??
@Lyichir: I simply mean that they occupy this weird space in the Lego lineup where they're not necessarily readily available to everyone. If you're lucky, you find them in the promo section of a store, but more often you have to jump through hoops like making a major purchase or going out of your way to buy something. Some polys I've never seen in stores, and it's frustrating.
PicnicBasketSam, Lego's April Store Calendar says Free with a $35 purchase of Friends, Elves, or Disney Princess from April 25-May 8.
Oh, this looks great! I can't wait to get (and review) more of these when they come out!
I'm still not a huge fan of minidolls in general (useful legs that can be easily anchored and rotating hands would be a step up), but I started collecting the Elves sets last year and I really do think they're quite wonderful.
I love that little map. I've never collected Castle or LotR sets, but in some ways, even though these Elves are targeted more at female fans in general, I find them more inspiring from a fantasy perspective. I don't have any, but I always like seeing new sets.
Despite the fact that I definitely had a preference for mini-figures I have grown to like the mini-dolls as well. More specifically for the Elves mini-dolls. I am really looking forward to getting these sets and have really enjoyed this theme thus far.
This new character looks great! Love the hair, outfit and boots.
Wow. This is a gorgeous minidoll. Lovely details on her.