I recently received a few small seasonal sets to review from the LEGO® Group. Two were Halloween related. The third was the Winter Snowball Fight (40424). I feel it is a little early in the year to think about the snowball fights. However, since the set is already available for retail, let us look at how this kit fares.
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. I will use my usual rating system (click here to learn more) and provide my honest opinion.
WINTER SNOWBALL FIGHT SUMMARY
- NAME: Winter Snowball Fight
- SET #: 40424
- THEME: Iconic (Seasonal)
- COST: $16.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 149
- MINIFIGURES: 2
- RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2020
WINTER SNOWBALL FIGHT QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 82% (Good cost-per-brick, satisfactory build-time value.)
- BUILD: 70% (Too many small builds that lack detail.)
- MINIFIGURES: 91% (I dislike that both minifigs are children, but lots of accessories.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 50% (Sadly, I am not a fan of this set.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 73%
WINTER SNOWBALL FIGHT REVIEW
VALUE: 82%
The Winter Snowball Fight set costs $16.99 in Canada. Additionally, it contains 149 bricks. Consequently, the cost-per-brick is $0.114. That is good. By comparison, my average cost-per-brick is $0.14. Therefore, this set earns a value-per-brick score of 89%.
In terms of build time, this set took me 18 minutes to assemble. At full price, the cost-per-minute is equal to $0.94. Comparatively, my average cost-per-minute is $0.83. This means you are not getting a great amount of build-time for what you are paying. However, the build-time is not terrible either. In this category, Winter Snowball Fight earns 74%. Averaging this score with the value-per-brick score gives an overall value rating of 82%.
BUILD: 70%
Winter Snowball Fight consists of four small builds. The first is a simple snack table. There is also a snowman, a toboggan ramp, and a snow fort. The only one that I like is the snow fort. The technique used to build a rounded wall is great. The idea itself is not new. AFOLs have used similar strategies for years. However, for budding builders the technique is a great one to learn. I have not compared it to older techniques for building rounded walls, but I think this one allows for a sharper turn.
Otherwise, the snowman is okay but not great. I do not like the toboggan ramp or the toboggan though. Neither one looks particularly good. Additionally, the ramp is too small and unnatural looking to serve as an actual hill. I wish the set design remained true to its name. There is no need for a toboggan in a snowball fight. Those bricks should add detail to the snow fort instead. Most of the design for this kit is unimpressive. I am inclined to accept the snowman for what it is, and I like the fort. But this set loses points for the sled, table, and hill. There are too many small builds that lack detail. I rate the build at 7/10 (70%).
MINIFIGURES: 91%
Regulars know that I do not like child Minifigures. Their unbending legs are a pet-peeve of mine. Additionally, the stumpy legs make the arms look disproportionately long. As such, I often refer to them as ape children. Winter Snowball Fight has two Minifigures and both are ape children. No set should contain only stumpy legs. That is a huge minus in my books. Otherwise, the torsos have front and back printing, and one character has a double-sided face. Additionally, the kit comes with a scarf and the red hat that I loved from the City Arctic Explorer sets. Finally, you get two cups, a husky, a top hat, skis, poles, a blue crystal, and a small conifer. Overall, I rate the design at 26/30 (87%). The saving grace here is the number of accessories.
Two Minifigures in a 149-piece kit is particularly good. The brick-to-fig ratio is 75-to-1. Comparatively, my average ratio is currently 150-to-1. For a kit this size, you get a decent number of characters. Consequently, I rate the ratio score at 95%. Averaging this score with the design score gives an overall Minifigure rating of 91%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 50%
Of the three seasonal sets I received to review in fall 2020, this is my least favorite. As with many other LEGO® sets, it tries to be too many things and does not do justice to any of them. I will not keep this set built even for this winter’s display. The kit features two play features that might make the set more appealing to kids. However, this would not be my first pick to buy for children on my Holiday shopping list. I just do not like this one. From an AFOL perspective, I cannot give this more than 2/5 (40%). KFOLs might like it more, but even then, I say it is 3/5 (60%). That brings the overall entertainment rating to 50%. Maybe winter village builders will like it more?
OVERALL SCORE: 73%
Winter Snowball Fight (40424) is not my favorite set by a long shot. With that said, the kit comes at a good value, and contains a lot of Minifigure accessories. Even the brick-to-fig ratio is good. However, the Minifigures that you get are both children with unbending legs. I do not like those. Additionally, the set has too many small, undetailed builds. The set name is “snowball fight”, so keep it a proper snowball fight. The fort is a great idea. There is no need for a toboggan and a ramp. The fort could be so much better with those extra bricks from un-needed builds. Sadly, I recommend passing on Winter Snowball Fight. Do you feel differently? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
What do others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of the Winter Snowball Fight (40424) below.
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