71765 NINJAGO Ninja Ultra Combo Mech

 71765 NINJAGO Ninja Ultra Combo Mech

Although there hasn't been a new season of NINJAGO in a few months, NINJAGO sets are still coming out just like they did previously. Now, instead of the sets tying in with the television show, they are now based off of the new comic book series. You'll notice that the designs on the boxes are different, and that's just one of the changes that come with the new wave of sets. Anyway, let's dive into this review.

When you purchase this set, you get a huge mech and a small one. As a bonus, you get a plane, a mining vehicle, a heavy-duty vehicle, and another mech. You also get 7 minifigures, which are: Kai, Jay, Cole, Zane, a Wu Bot, a Cobra Mechanic, and a Boa Destructor. These last two are new additions from the comic book series and appear in all the latest NINJAGO sets. 

Now, don't say that I lied when I said that there were 4 other vehicles... because there are. In fact, the mech is made up of these vehicles! You can see that the mech isn't jus one color, and the multiple colors are those of the vehicles. I will show you.

But before I get to the vehicle part, here's a better image of the "combiner mech".

Okay. Here's the first piece of the mech. It's Kai's mech, and it's looking pretty good here. It's a wonderful build, and the end result just makes your work put into building this more worthwhile. The detailing is wonderful, and rare elements adorn this build in every place. The design takes from the classic LEGO space mechs, but is decorated to make it look a little more stylish. I really love this part of the combiner, not only because I love mechs themselves, but because it looks like a huge LEGO buildable ninja figure. Of course, that was also part of the inspiration. 

Anyway, this build is absolutely wonderful and goes well on both the shelf and the playmat. Let's move on!

Check out the second piece of the combiner! It's Jay's plane, and it looks like something straight out of a video game. The new ninja minifigs actually look like their Prime Empire arcade box counterparts but with ninja hoods (which the arcade box figs didn't have). Anyway, this plane is superb in both design and functionality. It's also easy to put together when its parts are plucked from the combiner. Overall, this plane is a great vehicle and it suits the comic-styled builds here. The exclusive stickers add color to this set, while the single ring at the nose of the plane stands out greatly and adds some "Sons of Garmadon" composition to this splendid build.

This model is just brimming with detail and I'll have to say, this is one of my favorite ninja vehicles ever! 

This is clearly a small version of Cole's Earth Driller, but there are some changes. For example, there is a pair of humongous drills, which means the designers decided to double up here on the functions.

This build is very strong, and you can drop it from around 3 feet with this model escaping unscathed. It also rolls along very smoothly, thanks to the traction on these one-of-a-kind wheels. Like all of these miniature ninja machines, Cole's driller is decorated with vibrant stickers which add detail to every spot.

Let us move on!

I'm just going to call this a tank, since that's what it practically is. This hulking machine is Zane's Ice Tank, which reminds me of his other vehicle in The Lego Ninjago Movie. Quite similar. Anyway, Zane can either share this tank with a Wu Bot or he can ride solo. Actually, any minifig can replace the Wu Bot. Now, I'll have to admit, this thing looks pretty tough and rugged, even though there isn't any dirt to be seen. The tracks of the tank are huge, with them almost as tall as a minifigure. The detailing and printing is appreciated, with the splendid patterns and textures helping this tank stand out among the crowd of other machines. 

To be concise, this might just be the best piece of the combiner, and it is a hard decision to make, so congratulations to the tank! This also goes well on the playmat, but not so much on the shelf as Kai's mech. There is one more machine to cover, so let's go.

The arachnid-like mech in the left corner is the enemies', which are the Serpentine (?). This mech is phenomenal and it resembles a mining machine from the old LEGO mining themes, both the underground theme and the outer space one. What more is there to say? There is a space for the Cobra Mechanic to sit in, and the mech arms can move to carry this model around.

Here are the characters, and they are looking good. The ninjas really do look like the spinjitzu blitz pack or arcade box editions, with a little touch of traditional wear. The Wu Bot isn't technically a minifigure, but I'll treat it just the same. The screen on the bot is full of detail and the launchers at the top of it work quite well. They are actually from the CITY theme, and they are used on fire trucks and ATVs. 

The Cobra mechanic resembles a typical Serpentine, specifically the Pyro Vipers, and so does the Boa Destructor. The shoulder piece and huge fists make this minifigure stand out in this set. The head piece is also really cool and it's a pity that there aren't more of these snakes with similar prints.

This set is pretty great, and I hope LEGO continues to make combiner sets, especially mechs, which I love.

This Ninja Ultra Combo Mech starts at around $89.99.

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