This is one of the first 2014 sets I've gotten, and it is definitely a great set

And is worth the money, this set also has some fantastic pieces.

Box/Instructions

The Box Shows Laval Riding the Lion Legend Beast, Laval is holding a CHI

Sword and a CHI Shield.

The Instructions are nice and clear and I can not find any mistakes.

Parts

This set has some Great pieces, which makes this one of the best sets at this price range, you get some new Ball joints which makes the Lion very possible and fun to play with, this set also has some new claw pieces.

Minifigure

The Minifigure is Laval, this version does not have a cape though, which makes him deferent from his other versions, Laval's Legs are the same as Lennox's Legs, his Torso is Blue with Cream arms and white hands.

The detailing on his torso is very nice, he has some straps on the front and the back of his torso and he has a belt with a Lion head on it. And he has a double sided head.

The build

The build is short and can be done in ten minutes, though it is surprisingly Fun and is one of the better builds for a set of this size.

The completed model

The complete model is very impressive, and is fun to play around with,

And can be possed in many deferent ways and Laval can sit on his back Nicely with his Sword and Shield.

Overall opinion

Whether it's for the parts or the model itself, this is a great set and is Worth The money. I would happily recommend it to any LEGO Fan.

Set #70123 Lion Legend Beast: A great idea was the creation of the Legend Beasts. LEGO gave us some interesting models and a cheap method of acquiring some interesting characters and pieces. Especially the new ball and socket joint pieces that were specifically created for the Mixels, but prove their versatility quite well outside of many other LEGO Themes and designs. On to the set.

Box/Instructions

The box design for the Legend Beasts is simple, it doesn’t include many of the design cues we’ve seen in other sets such as the fact that the upper corner does not include an image of the main minifigure in the set. They’re still very good with some nice artwork on the back of the character as seen on the show.

The instructions are short, barely 30 pages long and the only cross promotional items in the back is the info on the App Game which allows you to unlock the legend beasts as character in them on smart phones. They work quite well in showing how to build the model, repetitive though that may be. Also included is a sticker sheet because aside from the eyes this set’s detailing is accomplished with stickers.

Parts

Most of the parts in this set are light tan bricks, the only truly useful parts for MOC enthusiasts would be the ball and socket joints, the light tan variants of the LEGO tooth piece. The lion tail is also a nice piece and in a light tan which is an interesting colour.

Minifigures

Laval: Included in this set is a nice version of the main protagonist of the Theme. This version of Laval does not include his cape, however he has gold armour, a double-sided torso print, leg printing and a double-sided facial print which are all familiar to fans of the character and the Theme.

His accessories are the transparent blue Chi shield and the golden Valorious sword, none of these parts are new, however they are fun and I definitely think they could be useful for MOC fans. (If you’re buying multiples of this set to get more of those sweet ball joints.)

Overall an interesting Minifigure here and a decent way to get Laval for a good price.

The build

While being a four legged beast this build winds up with repetitive steps the solid nature of the finished model can make me forgive that. What I can’t forgive is the use of ball joints, you have ankle joints and hip joints, but no elbow style joints, meaning that the poses you can make with the lion are limited. I’m also not a fan of the stickers, but we’ll get to that in the next section.

What I do like is the build of the head, this is a very impressive little piece of the build and I love how they capture the look of a lion’s mane. The mouth and the nose look great too in how they made it. The build for the main body isn’t so bad either, very cat like.

The completed model

As a complete model the lion legend beast is just as impressive as the crocodile legend beast I’ve reviewed previously. The problem is the use of stickers for printed detail, I’m afraid I just don’t see why they couldn’t print those elements, considering the facial expression is printed for the animal’s eyes and stuff.

My biggest issue with this set however is the lack of proper elbow joints, without them while you can get some decent stalking poses and interesting attack poses, with a few other decent pose options you can’t really get any decent pouncing poses out of him. While I know a good MOC could fix these posing problems, however it’s just a shame that the design limits the posing options for the legend beast.

Overall opinion

I enjoy the legend beast sets for what they are, some of them could use a bit more work in their designs, however they’re all very impressive. The only problem is that they are 12.99$ CND and usually regular LEGO Theme sets of this type at least come with more than one minifigure. I kind of wish they’d included two figures at least. It would have been awesome to get Cragger’s mother in the crocodile legend beast and here it might have benefited to have an enemy for Laval to fight. I recommend the set based on these thoughts, I would caution you that if you haven’t already gotten this set and want the legend beasts for your Chima collection you’d better be quick because these are retiring or already retired by this point and you’ll need to hurry before they vanish completely.

LEGO: Legends of Chima: 70123: Lion Legend Beast

Pieces: 120

Release Year: 2014

Price: US $9.99

Box/Instructions

The box seems to be a new size that is a tad larger than the standard $7.99 size boxing that most LEGO fans are accustomed to. The graphics on the box are yet again outstanding and are what buyers have come to expect when they purchase any set. The front is the action shot that Brickset has of the set picture. The back of the box shows the other 4 Legend Beast sets that were released at the same time.

The instructions were clear and had exceptional graphics. Standard LEGO quality most have grown accustomed to.

Overall: 4/5 the box and instructions are standard LEGO quality.

Parts

When I first saw the Legend Beast sets I was skeptical. I wasn't sure if I would purchase them all, I didn't have a great reason, I just wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the money for them. However I bought this one and 70125 (Gorilla). I must say the pieces in the set are worth it alone! The new ball joints that are used in the set are great. There are plenty of new and useful pieces in the lion build itself apart from the minifigure.

Overall: 5/5 ball joint pieces are a great addition to any collection and can be used in alot of MOCs.

Minifigures

The set has 1 minifigure: Laval. This is the only set that he comes in looking like this. However Laval must be one of the most common Chima minifigures. However, the Chima minifigures are outstanding and I love the level of detail given to them. Laval also comes with his gold sword and a handy trans-blue shield that before the Legend Beast sets was rare if even made.

Overall: 4/5 great minifigure! Only drawback is that Laval is probably the most common and you already have like 50 of him. But either way a Chima minifigure is a great one.

The Build

The build was great. It is really interesting to try and build an organic creature out of LEGO bricks. The new ball joints definitely help and add to the moveability of the lion. There is a bit of repetition as expected since there are 4 legs and the front ones and rear ones mimic the other side. However the front and back legs are built differently and use different angles to get the look that was desired. Some interesting techniques were used to help the overall look.

Overall: 5/5 building was fun and fresh.

The Completed Model

Not sure if you picked up on it yet, but I love the use of the ball joints to get the organic feel from the LEGO system pieces, something that otherwise is very difficult to do. The model has a surprising range of motion allowing for great playability and poseability. This set has great potential for young builders who would love to have a lion figure and for those who would rather just have it on display. Either way the model is a win.

Stickers: There are some stickers included with the set. 3 sets of paired stickers and then one for the lions face. The stickers add armor and a face to the lion. They are easy to place and add simple touches that do not detract from the model.

Overall: 5/5 great movement range. Stickers add to the overall model.

Price

Price for this set is US $9.99. Piece count is 120 with 1 minifigure.

Price-per-piece: $0.083 per piece. This is just below the $0.10 benchmark I usually hold for LEGO sets. Chima sets will have a better P/P ratio since it is a LEGO owned line and not a licensed product. Thus, Chima usually sits well for me in the P/P area.

Counting in Minifigures: 1 Minifigure (6 pieces)(legs, torso, head, helmet, chestplate, and chi). I count a minifigure at $3.00. Thus the rest of the set will come out to $6.99 at 114 pieces. Price-per-piece: $0.061 which is great for the collection of pieces that are in the set, especially the ball joints.

Overall: 5/5 Great for the price, and if they can be bought on sale are even better. However, right off the shelf they are a bargain at under the $0.10 P/P mark.

Overall Opinion

The Legend Beast sets are must haves for any Chima fan, or any collector looking to make MOCs. I am hoping the LEGO will produce more Legend Beasts in the future as a mammoth, saber tooth tiger, or even a bear would be really cool.

I recommend this set to any child for the simple fact that its a lion and has great playability and to any AFOL for the purpose of great display potential and great pieces for MOCs.

Overall: 4.67/5 Great minifigure, great model, great pieces.