Which ninjago set to choose!

[CaptainJackBrickster]

I have liked the idea of Ninjago ever since its day view in 2011, but i have only owned 1 or 2 sets of the theme. And after a large long break i have decided that i need to purchase a set. I have been looking at the airjitzu temple but the price is very steep. I want to know which set is a good stand alone set, or a duo of sets that are good for introducing someone to ninjago with no prior knowledge. Also is it even worth getting into? It has been going on for 4 years now and im scared im gonna buy a set and miss out on the show.

[Aanchir]

In my opinion, Ninjago is absolutely worth getting into, even after four years. :) Not sure where you're from, but in Great Britain and North America, the pilot and the first three seasons are all on Netflix, which is a nice affordable way to start getting caught up on the series. When it comes to the sets, many of the most recent sets and minifigures are also some of the best, so unless you are really committed to the theme it's probably not necessary to try and get a whole lot of the older sets on the aftermarket.

For an affordable, current set that gives you a good taste of what the theme has to offer, it's hard to beat Master Wu Dragon. $40/£35 for 575 pieces including five minifigures, a dragon with 20 points of articulation, a tea farm gate, and a haunted food kiosk. It was designed by an AFOL (you can read an interview with him about the set here) and includes lots of really creative parts and building techniques. In my opinion, it's the best dragon set the theme has had, and Ninjago has had many great dragon sets over the years!

The only big disadvantage of the set is that unlike some of the vehicle sets, it doesn't offer a whole lot of "action features" — just a disk shooter on the kiosk and some flick missiles on the tea farm fence. But from my experience AFOLs are usually more interested in sets for their looks than for these kinds of action features.

When it comes to display value and character selection, it's hard to beat the Temple of Airjitzu. It includes all seven of the theme's main characters (Kai, Zane, Cole, Jay, Nya, Lloyd, and Wu) plus supporting characters Misako, Dareth, and the postman. But of course, you can get the Master Wu Dragon and still save up for the Temple. The only duplicate figure you'll get between those two sets is Cole. Temple of Airjitzu will probably also be available for a while yet, since it's a direct-to-consumer set rather than a regular retail set.

[gamejutzu]

Hmm..

If you're looking for something recent, you're looking for something from the early 2015 to late 2015, the Tournament of Elements and Possession, respectively.

Now for the best set/s from either... Well, ToE's is most likely Enter The Serpent or Titanium Dragon (comes with an excellent figure). Or Boulder Blaster if you like roto-jets.

Possession's best (in my opinion, excluding the temple) is Master Wu dragon, Morro dragon, or Ronin R.E.X.

Possession has other "good" sets, but it's hard to beat the above 3 in terms of features and display/play value. ^Those^ picks are great.

Edited December 9, 2015 by gamejutzu

[DraikNova]

Dragons are one of the defining features of Ninjago. Either Morro's dragon or Wu's dragon are good sets. Mechs are another common feature, and Titan Mech Battle is one of the best, especially in terms of parts-price ratio.

[Still Raindrop]

As someone who also just got into Ninjago this year, I did pretty much what Aanchir suggested (Master Wu Dragon, then the Temple of Airjitzu, and use of Netflix), and I think that's a great way to go about it.

[Peppermint_M]

Of the more recent waves, the Lava Falls set is still in a lot of shops. It has a neat function and won't break the bank.

It looks to be out on the Shop@Home site though, so this is probably one to look out for in the supermarket or toy shop.

[CaptainJackBrickster]

I have looked at the master wu dragon set and it looks absolutely great! It looks very different than all the other dragons from the ninjago theme. Plus being a major fan of Dragon ball z (DBZ) Master wu's minifigure is great for acting like hes Master Roshi!

[gamejutzu]

I myself haven't bought the Ronin R.E.X, but I really think it's unique. I don't think LEGO's ever made anything similar.

It's really not bad. Sure, other sets here outclass it, but I can't help but to pour over it. I looks nice, and it has cool functions.