I love LEGO® dinosaurs. As soon as I learned about the Jurassic World Dominion lineup, most of the sets made my wish list. Among those sets was the topic of today’s review: Triceratops Pickup Truck Ambush (76950). Truthfully, I had little interest in the set itself. I wanted the triceratops. I already have one triceratops… but it was lonely. Wasn’t this a herd animal? Thankfully, the LEGO® Group offered to send me a pre-release copy of the set. I love the new print and coloration on this dinosaur. It really is the highlight of this set.
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. True North Bricks’ usual rating system applies (click here for more information).
TRICERATOPS PICKUP TRUCK AMBUSH SUMMARY
- NAME: Triceratops Pickup Truck Ambush
- SET #: 76950
- THEME: Jurassic World
- COST: $49.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 210
- MINIFIGURES: 4
- OF INTEREST: 1 triceratops
- RELEASE DATE: April 17, 2022
TRICERATOPS PICKUP TRUCK AMBUSH QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 60% (You get VERY few bricks and little build time, but it is an inexpensive triceratops.)
- BUILD: 60% (Terrible ATV, lack luster pickup truck.)
- MINIFIGURES: 90% (Average minifigures, but you get a lot of figs for a set this size.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 100% (Despite a lack luster set, you get an amazing triceratops.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 78% (Average-ish set overall… but great triceratops.)
TRICERATOPS PICKUP TRUCK AMBUSH REVIEW
VALUE: 60%
Triceratops Ambush costs $49.99 in Canada. With 210 pieces, the cost-per-brick is $0.24. Those are some expensive bricks. But that is not unheard of for the Jurassic World theme. Licensing and large dinosaur figurines don’t come cheap. However, even for Jurassic World, Triceratops Ambush is expensive. In the theme, only Indominus rex Vs Ankylosaurus had a higher cost/brick. The cost-per-brick earns 45% on our usual review scale.
Triceratops Ambush took me 23 minutes to build. At this price point, that is not a lot of build time at all. I normally get at least double the assembly time for $50. With Triceratops Ambush, each minute of build time costs $2.17. Comparatively, across all themes our average cost-per-minute is $0.84. Meanwhile, for the Jurassic World theme it is $0.94/minute. Consequently, Triceratops Ambush earns 21% in this category based on our usual review scale. Averaging this with the cost-per-brick score gives an overall value rating of 33%.
With that said, this is the cheapest triceratops the LEGO® Group ever released. The first triceratops came out in the 2011 set, Triceratops Trapper (5885) from the Dino theme. The set cost $64.99 CAD. Eight years later, we finally saw the mold again in Triceratops Rampage (75937) from Jurassic World. That set was $79.99 CAD. Consequently, at $49.99 CAD, you are unlikely to find a cheaper triceratops. I checked the price for a triceratops on Bricklink, and the original one averages over $40 used, while the newer one hovers just under that at the moment. You might as well get a new one with this set and get all the bricks and Minifigures that come with it. Because of that, this set represents a great value for LEGO® dinosaur collectors. I’m willing to give it a pass for that reason and boost the value score to 60%.
BUILD: 60%
You assemble two vehicles in this set, and both suck. I’m not going to candy coat this. The first is a small ATV. It is flimsy like you wouldn’t believe. Just placing Minifigures on it for photography, it fell apart in my hands. Nothing stays in place. Additionally, it has less details than some polybag builds I’ve gotten in the past. I just don’t like it.
The second vehicle is the set’s namesake pickup truck. It is nothing special, but I don’t dislike it. I have seen nicer trucks in the City line. However, this one does have an interesting play feature I have not seen before. A bump to the front causes the hood to fly off. However, the cab has no back, and the car has no doors. The truck is passable, and the ATV constitutes such a small part of the set, I’ll give the set a pass here too.
MINIFIGURES: 90%
Triceratops Ambush comes with four Minifigures. Each features the standard parts, as well as front and back torso printing. However, none have leg printing and only two have double-sided faces. The black jumpsuits are new prints, but the other Minifigures are fairly generic. The set also does not include many accessories. You get two tranquilizer guns and darts, and a carrot. Interestingly, the darts are yellow. I have never seen that before. Additionally, there’s a triceratops. I rate the Minifigure designs at 80%.
Four minifigs plus a dinosaur gives you five characters. Five figurines in a 210-brick kit is amazing. Truthfully, it ties for the best ratio in a Jurassic World set with Dilophosaurus on the Loose. You get 42 bricks/fig. No matter how you look at it, that is amazing and earns 100%. Averaging this with the design score gives and overall Minifigure rating of 90%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 100%
Triceratops. Need I say more? I’m recycling this set for bricks, but that dinosaur will remain on display. I keep all my Jurassic World dinosaurs on a shelf. Like I said before, this is the cheapest way to get a triceratops. Additionally, it looks great. The previous iterations have been pristine, fresh out of Wu’s lab. This one has been around the block. It’s looking rough, like it’s been in a fight or two. This triceratops definitely leads the herd. If you collect dinosaurs like me, this is a thoroughly entertaining set just for the triceratops. And, let’s face it, that’s what this set is. It’s a triceratops in a box with a few extra bricks. But what an amazing triceratops it is.
OVERALL SCORE: 78%
Taken as a general LEGO® set, Triceratops Pickup Truck Ambush is a terrible value. The builds are also simplistic and small for the price. The triceratops makes the set. You won’t find a new triceratops figurine for a lower price, so you might as well get the bricks and minifigs with it. Plus, this is my favorite triceratops so far. I love the scarred look. If you wait for a sale on the theme, you will get a great deal on a great dinosaur figurine. What do you think of Triceratops Pickup Truck Ambush? Let us know in the comments below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
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