BrickHeadz Ninjago 10 (40490) Review

LEGO® Ninjago turned ten this year. To celebrate, the LEGO® Group released commemorative golden ninja Minifigures, new sets, and the epic Ninjago City Gardens. This summer, the festivities continue. A slew of new sets hit store shelves in August. While we wait, the LEGO® Store is offering a promotion. From June 1 – 30, 2021, spending $110 CAD or more on Ninjago sets gets you the chance to purchase BrickHeadz Ninjago 10 (40490) for and additionally $15. Incidentally, the set has a retail value of $39.99 in Canada. If supplies remain, you can purchase the set flat out at full price starting July 1. The LEGO® Group sent True North Bricks a review copy of the set, and today we will take a closer look.

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 for more information) and provide my honest opinion.

BRICKHEADZ NINJAGO 10 SUMMARY

• NAME: Ninjago 10
• SET #: 40490
• THEME: BrickHeadz
• COST: $39.99 CAD
• BRICK COUNT: 406
• MINIFIGURES: None
• RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2021

BRICKHEADZ NINJAGO 10 QUICK REVIEW

• VALUE: 85% at full price, 100% with the promotion.
• BUILD: 85% (Mostly standard BrichHeadz fare, with the exception of the dragon design.)
• MINIFIGURES: N/A
• ENTERTAINMENT: 80% (Narrow niche interest set.)
• OVERALL SCORE: 83% at full price, 88% with the promotion

BRICKHEADZ NINJAGO 10 (40490) REVIEW

VALUE: 85% at full price, 100% with the promotion

At full price, Ninjago 10 costs $39.99 CAD. I am at a loss to explain that price. Similar BrickHeadz sets came out on the same day based on Harry Potter, and those cost $34.99. In fact, the Harry Potter sets have more bricks. All the same, you can currently acquire these Ninjago BrickHeadz for $15 if you have $110 worth of other Ninjago stuff to buy. The timing of the promotion is a little odd considering the new Ninjago sets only drop in Canada this August. But I digress…

406 bricks for $39.99 works out to a cost-per-brick of $0.10. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick across all LEGO® themes is $0.14. As such, you get a good value even at full price. If you get this as part of the $15 promotion, the cost-per-brick is $0.04. That is an amazing value. At full price, this set earns 93% in this category. For $15, it earns 100%.

Ninjago 10 took me exactly 45 minutes to assemble. At full price, the cost-per-minute of build time is $0.89. By comparison, my average cost-per-minute is currently $0.83. Consequently, you get a satisfactory amount of build time, but it is not great. Viewed in that light, the set earns 77%. However, if you get Ninjago 10 for $15, the cost-per-minute is $0.33, which once again earns 100%. Ultimately, it pays to get this set as part of the June promo. The value is a solid 100%. If you wait to buy this set alone in July, the value rating is 85% overall.

BUILD: 85%

I am not a BrickHeadz fan. I like these sets because they are cheap brick boxes. However, my first BrickHeadz experience taught me a lot about building SNOT (studs not on top). I think these are good sets for AFOLs just getting into the hobby. However, once you have built one BrickHeadz, you have pretty much built them all. With that said, Ninjago 10 mixes it up a little. In addition to the two standard characters, you also assemble the dragon, Firstbourne. I like that the set offers something different in terms of the build experience. I rate the build in this case at 85%.

ENTERTAINMENT: 80%

I have yet to keep any of my BrickHeadz built and on display. The theme just does not appeal to me. I like buildings and Minifigures. I do not need cutesy, oversized versions of Minifigures. However, that is a personal preference. BrickHeadz appeal to others for sure. Additionally, I do like Firstbourne. As I built the character, I thought it might look nice as a statue or mascot on a building in my Ninjago City district. All the same, BrickHeadz are a niche interest. Ninjago specific Brickheadz probably narrow the niche even more. I rate the entertainment value at 80%.

OVERALL SCORE: 83% (full price), 88% (promo)

I might be a little more excited about Ninjago 10 if it was a gift-with-purchase, and not a purchase-with-purchase. Personally, I would not dish out an additional $15 for this set. Additionally, it does not make my wish list at full price either. However, it might mean something to hardcore fans of the theme. If you are really into Ninjago, chances are you have $110 worth of sets that interest you. In that case, June 2021 is the time to get Ninjago 10 because it will save you $25 down the line. That amounts to another small set for free! What are your thoughts on the BrickHeadz Ninjago 10 (40490)? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.

Until next time,

-Tom

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