Review: 71735 Tournament of Elements
Posted by CapnRex101,
The rigorous Tournament of Elements featured various new Elemental Masters, supplementing those established during earlier seasons. 71735 Tournament of Elements contains many unique minifigures, among whom are three brand new Elemental Masters!
These exclusive minifigures look wonderful and have attracted considerable attention among NINJAGO fans. The associated structure seems interesting too, depicting essential architectural features of Chen's impressive palace, where much of the tournament occurs. Nevertheless, the minifigures remain the primary attraction.
Minifigures
More than fifty different versions of Kai have been produced since 2011 and this example returns from 71704 Kai Fighter. The elaborate dark brown hair piece differs from the original minifigure which may be considered disappointing, although this element looks magnificent and the original part has not appeared since 2018. The tournament robes feature similarly stark alterations but look splendid.
Jay also varies dramatically from his 2015 counterpart, incorporating a dark brown hair piece from The LEGO NINJAGO Movie and totally different torso decoration. The sleeveless design and bandana have both remained intact but I think the torso and leg printing should have been more consistent with the original minifigure. Nevertheless, these elements do include extensive detail which continues onto the reverse of the torso, as demonstrated below.
Furthermore, both minifigures display Ninjargon text which reads 'Master'. That seems logical since the Tournament of Elements is focused around various Elemental Masters, of which Kai and Jay are two. Each character also features two facial expressions and interesting weapons. Kai wields a lethal spiked scythe while Jay carries nunchakus, consisting of two lightsaber hilts connected by a pearl silver chain.
While those minifigures, the exclusive Elemental Masters are undoubtedly the highlight of this set. Jacob Pevsner is the Elemental Master of Sound and features striking attire, resembling that worn by The Beatles on the album cover for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This perfectly reflects his musical inclination and includes a beautiful colour combination of teal and metallic gold. His enormous hair piece looks excellent too.
Bolobo lacks such elaborate clothing, instead sporting plain sand green trousers and a strap across his chest. This seems appropriate for the Elemental Master of Nature and I love his rugged hair and beard component. However, Bolobo's spectacular chest decoration deviates from the animated series. While greater accuracy would usually be ideal, I think the update is successful here because it helps to distinguish this character from others.
Such dramatic alterations were not required for Gravis, whose elegant robe corresponds with the onscreen character. The omission of leg printing is slightly disappointing but the metallic gold highlights across the torso look superb and I like this double-sided head, which features suitable facial hair and expressions for the character. The face with closed eyes is particularly effective, conveying absolute concentration.
Great concentration is required for Gravis to demonstrate his command over gravity, which is represented by two glittery trans-purple dishes on this occasion. Bolobo carries the powerful Staff of Nature which integrates the handle element from Monkie Kid, appearing exclusively in tan, while Jacob includes a white guitar. This character typically wields a sitar and a new piece depicting that instrument would have been wonderful, although this unique guitar is an exciting alternative.
Eyezor was introduced during the Tournament of Elements, supporting Chen's effort to steal powers from each Elemental Master. Contrasting with Kai and Jay, Eyezor's updated design remains quite faithful to his original depiction from 2015, featuring the same spiked mohawk hairstyle above a snake tattoo on his face. Of course, the character's requisite missing eye is also evident.
The torso decoration remains relatively consistent as well, featuring an open leather jacket which displays an Anacondrai emblem on the reverse. Eyezor's belt buckle exhibits notable alterations though. The design has remained essentially the same, integrating two opposing snake heads, but they are now intertwined which looks superb. The most significant change between this minifigure and its predecessor are the legs, however, which are predominantly dark red rather than purple.
NINJAGO is celebrating its tenth anniversary during 2021 and numerous sets throughout the newest range contain collectable Legacy minifigures. Lloyd Legacy appears here, consisting almost entirely of pearl gold components which look wonderful. Green highlights do remain on the torso and I love the metallic gold armour plates visible underneath Lloyd's robe.
This minifigure wields two katana which can be stored in twin scabbards across Lloyd's back. Removing this piece reveals additional torso decoration underneath and the legs look equally detailed. Furthermore, an outstanding dual-moulded hair component is provided, integrating a green headband. Exactly the same element will soon appear with The Island subtheme which should arrive during the spring.
Each celebratory minifigure includes a black display stand. These are reasonably simple but I think they look delightful, improving upon the minifigure bases from the Star Wars twentieth anniversary range in my opinion. This lovely stand includes a printed 2x2 round tile at the front and green 1x1 round plates on either side, reflecting the colour generally associated with Lloyd Garmadon.
The Completed Model
Spinners have appeared in various NINJAGO sets, accommodating minifigures at their cores. This example matches the Forbidden Spinjitzu spinners that were introduced during 2018 and features an exclusive colour combination of pearl gold and glittery trans-clear. The result looks magnificent and you can connect this spinner to its handle, causing the spinner to rotate when the rubber wheel underneath moves across a surface.
NINJAGO: Legacy sets traditionally take inspiration from past models, sometimes remaining relatively close in design to their predecessors while others seem completely different. 71735 Tournament of Elements most closely resembles 70756 Dojo Showdown which was produced during 2015, although these two structures vary in appearance. The new model features three angled sections and two levels while the original dojo only included an elevated platform in the centre.
Their sizes have remained reasonably consistent. The previous model measured 23cm wide while the updated design measures 20cm across, excluding the smallest segments at either end. However, the shape and detail has definitely been improved for the 2021 model, which includes wonderful splashes of red, dark blue and pearl gold. Such details are less apparent when viewing the model from behind but the front looks outstanding.
Modern location-based sets frequently comprise three connected sections, greatly improving their appearance on display. This model conforms to that standard, with the exception of two small platforms which are attached using ball joints at each end. The first includes a rotating bladed weapon with two bright green blades. Similar accessories are spread throughout this structure.
They are intended to represent Jadeblades which are sought by the Elemental Masters during the Tournament of Elements. A specialised element was originally created for those blades but has since been retired, hence I think these are a sensible compromise. Clouse's mystical Book of Spells is provided as well, featuring an accurate dark blue sticker on the cover and another sticker inside which forms the pages.
Roller skates are kept inside a reddish brown box beside the Jadeblades, making reference to the Thunderblade race which takes place during the Tournament of Elements. The red pillars flanking each alcove look splendid and I like the white panels behind them, resembling shoji. These paper room dividers are traditionally associated with Japanese architecture so appear appropriate here and I like the small tree connected outside the alcove.
Unfortunately, no staircase is included to reach the upper level but I appreciate the consistent integration of dark blue accents. These banners appear particularly attractive, integrating the 2x6 tiles that were introduced quite recently and displaying the Anacondrai emblem with two katana. The weapons shown in this detailed graphic are exactly the same shape and size as those wielded by minifigures!
Two such katana are displayed beneath the central torii, although they feature separate hilts, alongside another bright green dagger. Once again, these weapons depict Jadeblades and stand out against their surroundings. You can remove this storage rack and replace either the aforementioned tree or the spinning blades because all three structures include small ball joints.
Another symbolic Jadeblade is concealed inside one of two white vases which flank the torii. This takes direct inspiration from the animated series where Jacob Pevsner and Skylor must smash vases to find a Jadeblade. Another banner is placed here and the entire upper level is protected by golden handrails with ornate decoration, befitting Chen's palatial home.
Overall
71735 Tournament of Elements contains six brand new minifigures and these alone appear remarkably appealing, potentially justifying purchase of this set. The new Elemental Masters look excellent, including extensive detail which improves upon their onscreen counterparts in certain cases and reflects advancements in minifigure design between 2015 and today.
While the minifigures are deserving of considerable attention, their environment should not be overlooked. This model includes some interesting architectural features and certainly captures the atmosphere of Chen's palace, despite comprising relatively few pieces. I love the scattered Jadeblades as well, even though they differ from their classic appearance. The price of £27.99 or $29.99 represents good value in my opinion and I would recommend this set.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review represents an expression of my own opinions.
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18 comments on this article
yep, definitely going to get this one. s14 golden Lloyd, more elemental masters, for 30 bucks!
Must have
Great set, but I DESPISE fact we get REMAKES of figures we never got.
Balobo looks horrible compared to original, and his face is wrong.
So, anyone has wn idea of what sets to get in order to own all elmental Masters (aside from Ultra Agents Tixicrita and the Invisible Guy).
@Lordmoral said:
"So, anyone has wn idea of what sets to get in order to own all elmental Masters (aside from Ultra Agents Tixicrita and the Invisible Guy)."
currently all but Camille, the master of form all available. you will need this set, 70756 dojo showdown, 853687 accessory set, 70626 dawn of iron doom, 70627 dragon forge, 5004938 NInjago Minifigure collection. all the ninja, wu and garmadon. i think thats it but could be wrong.
@lordofdragonss said:
"Great set, but I DESPISE fact we get REMAKES of figures we never got.
Balobo looks horrible compared to original, and his face is wrong."
Personally I disagree. Several of the Elemental Masters from the cartoon, such as Ash, originally used slightly modified versions of Collectible Minifigure prints (much like other early character designs from the show like Ed and Edna). When Ash was finally released as a minifigure he had been redesigned to have a more unique decoration and I'm generally fine with the same being done for elemental masters like Bolobo who hadn't previously appeared. This is generally how I feel about a lot of "show accuracy" in Ninjago sets—I'd much rather have a well-designed figure or set than an accurate version of one that was thrown together on a hectic TV timetable.
@extremepayne said:
" @Lordmoral said:
"So, anyone has wn idea of what sets to get in order to own all elmental Masters (aside from Ultra Agents Tixicrita and the Invisible Guy)."
currently all but Camille, the master of form all available. you will need this set, 70756 dojo showdown, 853687 accessory set, 70626 dawn of iron doom, 70627 dragon forge, 5004938 NInjago Minifigure collection. all the ninja, wu and garmadon. i think thats it but could be wrong."
Thanks for the list.
@Bhahouighf said:
"Thank you for your fantastic review! This is one if my favorite sets of the wave, and it's great to read a review by someone who clearly has an extensive knowledge of both Ninjago AND the LEGO system. One mistake, though - you said it has seven exclusive minifigs, but only four are exclusive (Bolobo, Jacob, Gravis, Lloyd Legacy), but Jay also appears in 71737 X-1 Ninja Charger, Kai is found in both the aforementioned set and 71704 Kai Fighter, and Eyezor appears in 71736 Boulder Blaster with another upcoming appearance in the 4+ Electromech."
Apologies, I intended to write that there were seven new minifigures in the conclusion, as opposed to them all being exclusive. However, you are correct about Kai as well. Oddly, the part number for his torso is new but I cannot spot any differences between it and the earlier minifigure from 71704 Kai Fighter, as you mentioned.
Anyway, thank you for bringing it to my attention! The article has been updated.
The missing Masters of elements available at last! I have been hoping for them for a while now, having gathered all the others, and will order this set on January 1st for sure. And will build this nice part of the palace which being small enables low price point while keeping detailed and attractive. Excellent set, awesome minifig selection, excellent value for the price (as it is often the case with Ninjago sets). Thank you for the review and nice pictures of them all.
@lordofdragonss said:
"Great set, but I DESPISE fact we get REMAKES of figures we never got.
Balobo looks horrible compared to original, and his face is wrong."
For my part, I really don't mind the designs being changed from the on-screen versions, since as @Lyichir mentioned, I feel like the designs of show-only characters often feel less refined or thoughtfully designed than ones that are intended to appear in sets from the get-go.
The Ash and Shade minifigures from 853687 are a good example of this. In Season 4, Ash's scale armor was extremely simple and flat-looking, and even more perplexingly, his smoke insignia on his belt was copied directly from the Season 4 Overlord minifigure, implying a connection between the two characters which didn't actually exist. Ash's physical minifig gave his armor more detail and a more contoured look, plus gave him a unique insignia on his belt that better represented his elemental power.
Meanwhile, Shade's torso in Season 4 was simply a palette swap of the plate armor from the Minifigures Series 10 Roman Centurion with the belt removed. The physical Shade minifigure gave him much more unique armor with detailed, multi-layered components with visible rivets and fastenings holding the components together.
Jacob Pevsner's torso in the TV series was just made up of recolored components from the 2009 LEGO Pirates governor and soldier minifigures (the governor's coat over the soldier's jacket trim and collar). Gravis's torso was just a simplified version of Stone Armor Zane's torso plus the belt from the Series 11 Barbarian. And Bolobo's torso lifted details from several minifigs, including feathered necklace from the Series 10 Tomahawk Warrior, Fili's shoulder strap from The Hobbit, and Eomer's belt from The Lord of the Rings.
I guess part of the appeal that these redesigns have for me is that they sort of feel more like what these character designs might've looked like if they'd been designed for sets from the get-go and given wholly unique graphics created for these specific characters, rather than just repurposing graphics created for other characters in other themes.
It's kind of the same as how I felt about the LEGO Ninjago Movie giving the ninja new hairstyles tailored to their personalities, rather than all but Kai reusing more generic hairstyles from earlier themes. Even if the earlier versions had to reuse designs from other themes because of limited resources, that's no reason not to update them once there's a budget for more "personalized" designs.
One thing I wouldn't mind again for a Collective Minifigure Series is another NINJAGO but this time with all Elemental Masters. Heck including Morro and the other 2.
Can we see a review of zanes Titan mech battle next? I love that set!!!
Thanks for explaining some things guys, I just find the new Bolobo change WAY too different. Especialy when other master changes are more subtle.
I was just looking foward for that cool green torso. I think the naked chest dont fit him well.
Anyway, thanks so much for writing such a great review of this set! Just as 70670 was a huge step up in accuracy and detail compared to its earlier equivalent, 2504 , this set likewise presents a much more show-accurate rendition of the Tournament of Elements' qualifying round (as presented in the episode "Only One Can Remain") compared to its predecessor, 70756 . It really showcases how much the Ninjago Legacy subtheme has to offer even for fans like me who've been followng the theme long enough to have a lot of the original sets from these earlier seasons.
Even at a small scale, this set does a great job portraying the cylindrical, multi-story main hall of Chen's palace where much of the qualifying round took place. I love the renditions of the sorts of fine murals/tapestries, vases, and other ornamentation which served variously as decoration, hiding places for the Jadeblades, or activation switches for the palace's many secret passages and booby traps.
The set does take some creative liberties in how it incorporates the Anacondrai insignia into the room's decor, but if anything these attributes help to enhance the scene and secure it more firmly into the context of the overall story arc. Same goes for the other references to the events of this season like Clouse's book of spells and the pair of roller skates!
The use of Ninjago weapon pack to represent the Jadeblades s certainly a lot more visually interesting than the identical blade pieces used in the sets and show (and helps make many of them like the dagger-sized ones both easier to conceal and less ungainly for minifigs to hold), but I honestly would've preferred if they'd been in Transparent Green like they were in the original sets. Not only does Bright Green feel somewhat less exquisite or valuable than a more crystalline-looking transparent color, but it also makes them stand out less from Bolobo's staff.
I love the new rendition of Eyezor, but it feels like sort of a bummer that he's the only Season Four villain minifigure in any of the Legacy sets this year. I realize that this choice was probably mainly because Eyezor doesn't require any of the skull helmet or bone armor molds from 2015, but I still wish the designers had found a less repetitive solution. Even just an updated Clouse minifigure might've ben a better fit for this set to accompany his spell book, since he wouldn't need any unique helmet or armor pieces either. I guess there's still hope for other Season 4 baddies to show up in future Legacy waves, though.
All in all, I'm glad that the Ninjago theme is still going strong, and that the designers have been finding opportunities to acknowledge characters and scenarios which were absent from or not very recognizably portrayed in earlier waves of sets. It definitely gives me plenty of reason sto keep looking forward to what future themes might have to offer!
Also, now that I'm married and living with my lovely wife, many miles away from the collection of Ninjago sets that I'd previously shared with my twin brother, Legacy sets like this one will be a great opportunity for my wife and me to expand OUR collection as I help her catch up on previous seasons of the TV series. As surprising as it is, she might be even more enthusiastic about Ninjago's goofy shonen anime vibes than I am!
@lordofdragonss said:
"Thanks for explaining some things guys, I just find the new Bolobo change WAY too different. Especialy when other master changes are more subtle.
I was just looking foward for that cool green torso. I think the naked chest dont fit him well."
I wouldn't be surprised if the reason they changed Bolobo's design so much compared to the others were because his previous torso design was the same color (Bright Bluish Green) as Jacob's! Taking off his shirt and using that color in a more limited capacity on his belt helps to give him a more prominent "signature color" — Sand Green — which stands out clearly from the other competitors like Jacob and Lloyd.
Bolobo is also one of the competitors who CAN be redesigned in this way without disrupting the season's continuity, since he was already eliminated prior to the episode "Spy for a Spy" in which the ninja check the backs of everybody in their Elemental Master alliance for the Anacondrai tattoo that would mark them a double agent working for Master Chen.
That said, I'm also slightly amused by the thought of just much more homoerotic subtext this outfit would've added to the scene from this episode where Bolobo, searching the palace for the Jade Blades, ends up walking in on Jay while he's taking a bath! XD
@CapnRex101
Kai's torso is renumbered too? Jay's is in fact a corrected print, as there was a spelling error on his earlier torso: the third Ninjargon character was wrong, meaning the text did not read "master".
@extremepayne said:
"currently all but Camille, the master of form all available. you will need this set, 70756 dojo showdown, 853687 accessory set, 70626 dawn of iron doom, 70627 dragon forge, 5004938 NInjago Minifigure collection. all the ninja, wu and garmadon. i think thats it but could be wrong."
Morro: Am I a joke to you?
I’ve drifted away from the ninjago theme (city and docks aside) as the kids have gotten older - but more elemental masters? I’m there! Now if I could only bring myself to pay for Inivizable on the aftermarket...