Tournament of Elements (71735) Review

Back in December, the LEGO® Group sent me most of the January 2021 wave of Ninjago Legacy sets to review. The only one I did not get was Ninjago City Gardens. However, I went and picked that one up myself out of pure excitement. The big draw these sets held for me was the commemorative 10^th anniversary golden Minifigures. Today, I have reached the end of the January 2021 wave with Tournament of Elements (71735). It is the smallest of the recent sets, but it is not the worst. Without further ado, let us see how it 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.

TOURNAMENT OF ELEMENTS SUMMARY

• NAME: Tournament of Elements
• SET #: 71735
• THEME: Ninjago
• COST: $39.99 CAD
• BRICK COUNT: 283
• MINIFIGURES: 7
• RELEASE DATE: January 1, 2021

TOURNAMENT OF ELEMENTS QUICK REVIEW

• VALUE: 82% (Satisfactory value-per-brick, great build time value.)
• BUILD: 70% (This set does not offer anything we have not seen before.)
• MINIFIGURES: 95% (Amazing number of detailed characters with loads of accessories.)
• ENTERTAINMENT: 75% (More play set than AFOL interest piece, but it comes with good bricks.)
• OVERALL SCORE: 81%

TOURNAMENT OF ELEMENTS (71735) REVIEW

VALUE: 82%

Tournament of Elements costs $39.99 in Canada. Additionally, the set comes with 283 pieces. Subsequently, the cost-per-brick is $0.141. When compared to sets from all other LEGO® themes I have reviewed, that is right on the average and earns 80%. However, Ninjago is a theme that performs better than average in this category. My average cost-per-brick for this theme is $0.11. Therefore, compared to other Ninjago sets, Tournament of Elements earns 66% in this category. Averaging these two scores gives an overall value-per-brick of 73%.

This set provided 74 minutes of build time (one hour and 14 minutes). Consequently, at full price, the cost-per-minute of building is $0.54. Comparatively, my average across all themes is $0.83/minute. My average for Ninjago alone is $0.64/minute. Therefore, either way Tournament of Elements gives you better than average build time for the price. In the former case, it earns 95%. In the latter, it earns 87%. As such, the overall build time value is 91%. Combined with the value-per-brick, the final value score is 82%.

BUILD: 70%

The base structure for Tournament of Elements is nothing new. We have seen this sort of angled design before in sets like Throne Room Showdown and the Overwatch Hanzo Vs Genji kit. Additionally, the set does not offer anything new in the way of bricks or interesting new uses for bricks. Given that the value-per-brick is only satisfactory, this set needs more pieces for more substance. However, it is structurally sound. For a kit that is basically a backdrop for play, the pieces hold together relatively well. Additionally, the set uses stickers for details, but they add to the brick-built details. In other words, the set does not rely solely on the stickers for embellishment.

The box shows the picture of a scene from the Ninjago show that inspired this set. The resemblance is not that striking. For such an ornate looking scene, this build falls flat. Granted, a set that detailed requires a lot of bricks and an increased cost. However, this set needs a little more in my opinion. Whether its detail, build techniques, or new parts, Tournament of Elements needs something. I rate the build at 7/10 (70%).

MINIFIGURES: 95%

This is the category where Tournament of Elements really shines. You get seven Minifigures. Sadly, the design score suffers a little because one of them has stumpy, unmoving legs. However, all of them have front and back torso printing. Additionally, five feature leg printing and six have double-sided faces. You also get many accessories. Mostly, Tournament of Elements packs a lot of weapons. However, the set also has a book, some skates, a crate, and a tornado/spinjitzu piece. These are nice, detailed Minifigures, I rate them at 95/105 (90%) in this category.

• 

• 

• 

The collectible golden Ninja provided in this set is Lloyd. Unlike the other 10^th anniversary commemorative characters seen so far, Lloyd is not wearing his ninja mask. That was an odd choice in my mind. He does not match the others. Interestingly, the Overlord Dragon set also came with a Golden Lloyd. However, that one is not one of these collectibles and does not have the buildable stand. Personally, I will take the mask from that variant to display with this Minifigure. It makes the 10^th anniversary characters more consistent.

Seven Minifigures in a 283-piece is excellent. The brick-to-fig ratio works out to 40:1. Comparatively, my average ratio across all themes is 144:1, while for Ninjago it sits at 148:1. No matter how you look at it, this set provides a lot of Minifigures for a kit of this size. That is a solid 100%. Averaging this score with the design score gives an overall Minifigure rating of 95%.

• 

• 

• 

ENTERTAINMENT: 75%

As an AFOL, I will not keep this set built. It does not offer me anything in terms of display potential or something I can use in my LEGO® city. However, the bricks included are great for MOCs. I am tinkering away with Asian style custom builds for my city’s Ninjago district. The parts included in this set are great for that. I am particularly excited about the window frames with the opaque white “windows”. Additionally, there are several red columns. For a small set, it provides me with a lot of what I need. However, since the set is just a brick box for me, I rate the AFOL score at 3.5/5 (70%).

As a KFOL piece, Tournament of Elements has play potential. While not packed with fun features, it offers a backdrop, characters, and accessories. Perhaps Ninjago fans will enjoy it. I do not see the set appealing to a broader audience though. This set is more of a play piece than an AFOL item, so I rate it at 4/5 (80%) in this category. Taken with the AFOL score, I rate the entertainment value for Tournament of Elements at 75%.

OVERALL SCORE: 81%

Tournament of Elements (71735) is primarily a Minifigure set. AFOL collectors gain a lot of fun, detailed characters as well as a collectible golden ninja. Additionally, the bricks included are useful for Ninjago-style MOCs. Unfortunately, the set does not offer much in terms of new bricks, techniques, or details though. For the price, the LEGO® group should have included more bricks for greater detailing. This set is worth the buy if you are a minifig collector. However, I would wait for a sale. What are your thoughts on Tournament of Elements? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.

Until next time,

-Tom

Want to support True North Bricks?

If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter for regular updates. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the menu to the right. These affiliate links earn me a little commission at no extra cost to you, thus helping to manage the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support!