PenPlays Posted October 8, 2013 (edited) "Chima... a magical world of untamed nature, beauty and wonder. From the mysterious Mount Cavora, the CHI falls provide life, harmony, and power to the animals that inhabit the land, but the precious CHI orbs are objects of desire, and the animals have become divided. These are... THE LEGENDS OF CHIMA." -Lagravis Nestled into the crater Mount Cavora left as it rose into the air, the Lion CHI Temple collects the CHI that falls from Cavora into a sacred pool. Here the CHI is gathered and distributed to the other tribes of Chima. Lagravis, leader of the Lion Tribe, oversees the CHI distribution so that the balance of CHI in Chima remains stable. With war ensuing, that balance has been effected through thievery of the CHI among the other Tribes, and those who are short on CHI make their move on the Lion CHI Temple. The in-store eye-catcher, the front of the box! Name: 70010 The Lion CHI Temple Theme: Legends of Chima Year: 2013 Minifigs: 7 Price: USD 119.99, GBP 99.99, CAN 149.99 Resources: Brickset, Bricklink The front of the box itself is the typical, but stylish box that is used among the 2013 Legends of Chima sets. This particular box features Lagravis in the top corner of the box. This box is also the largest of the combined 2013 wave, and stands out on the shelves with it's dark blue edges. The feature-filled back of the box The back of the box continues with the dark blue, worn look. As is typical on the back of today's sets, the main features are displayed with the miniscule text descriptions that I'm sure we all have come accustomed to. The top right corner is once again reserved for the two minifigures included in the set that, according to the story, have the highest rank on either side of the Chima war front. The box bulging contents Here we have the ten bags that nearly break open the box itself (good luck finding this set without a sagging box). 9 of the bags are numbered going from 1 to 9 and are quite large compared to the bags that are included in other sets priced only $20 less than this one. The tenth bag is full of "big parts" that will be used throughout the build. Only the two 32-stud-long axles are out of any packaging (and are thus slightly warped), along with the cardboard backed instructions and DSS. The ever important contents of the cardboard backed bag The three instruction booklets are numbered 1, 2, 3, and feature their theme centric ads. The Dreaded Sticker Sheet, a.k.a. the DSS, is of decent size. Definitely not the largest one you can find, but there are plenty of stickers to make your arms ache from steadily applying them. Lets see what our factory sealed baggies contain "Big Bag" This image also includes our 32L Axles (link leads to the surprisingly long list of sets including this abnormal piece). From here you can clearly see their warps. Luckily you have a choice as to which one you want to use, as one of them is extra . In this bag you get quite a nice selection of earthen colored bricks and plates. Bag 1 The completed contents of Bag 1 This bag includes most of our star-studded (pun intended ) cast of characters, the two Lion Claw Bikes and Ewald's Drone Fighter. It is interesting to note that Ewald is included in Bag 2 with Crawley's Reptile Raider, whereas Crawley is included in Bag 1, the bag that includes Ewald's Drone Fighter. I'd also like to note that the names for these vehicles are not my doing. They are in the set description on Lego.com. We will cover the minifigures and features after all of the bags have been opened. Bag 2 The completed contents of Bag 2 As stated before, here we have Ewald the King of the Eagles along with Crawley's Reptile Raider. Nothing too surprising here, although it would have been nice if a Raven vehicle was included like that of Razcal's Double Crosser. Bag 3 It is interesting to note that for the past three years, one of the largest sets in each year of the more prominent action theme includes a red spider. Previous examples are 2011's 2505 Garmadon's Dark Fortress, and 2012's 9450 Epic Dragon Battle. This bag includes the parts to build the main supports of the Temple. Bag 4 This bag includes the parts to build the drawbridge and the immediate walls beside it. Bag 5 This bag includes the parts to build the canals, and the throne room. Bag 5 This bag includes the parts to build the waterfall tower. Bag 6 This bag includes the parts to build the Lion gate. Together they complete the central portion of the Temple But wait that's not all! Bag 7 The completed right wall And finally, Bag 9 Bag 9 consists of the missile tower The excess of our build The completed Temple with walls Here we have the completed set without its extra vehicles. The build is a very solid 3 1/2 hours. Not a color is odd and/or out of place. It could have very well gone with a wrap around wall like the recent lot of "Good King" Castles from the recent three Castle/Kingdoms lines, but in its folded position (sorry, no picture at the moment) it still looks mostly whole and even gives the temple a bit of girth. Compared to the iteration of the Temple in the TV show, however... well I digress. Before we get into the details of the flagship of the 2013 line, I thought that we'd take a moment to discuss... Minifigures This set features a nice lot of 7 minifigures that are colorful and are emblazoned with beautiful prints that bring out their character. The Royal Kings of the Lions and Eagles Here we have (left to right) Ewald and Lagravis. Some quick backstory. Lagravis is the King of the Lions, and the father of Laval. Athough he shares a different outlook from his son on the rules that keep Chima in balance, he is a kind-hearted Lion who only wishes to see good come out of the other animals of Chima. Lagravis is the one who keeps order in Chima by distributing the CHI equally among the Tribes. Ewald is the King of the Eagles. Robed in a royal robe, and a golden crest, there is no doubt Ewald is royal. The only unclear thing about the lisped, Eagle King's status is whether Eris is his daughter being that she looks like royalty as well. Ewald is also the first male minifigure outside of licensed themes (thanks Sandy) to use the dress slope for legs. Both of these minifigures have very nice and expression filled prints, and both are exclusive to this set, if Speedorz sets are not counted among the official sets. Otherwise, Ewald can be found in 70011 Eagle's Castle and Lagravis in 70108 Royal Roost. Here are some views of their heads underneath: Pic 1, Pic 2 The Lead Lions Here we have Laval and Longtooth Laval is the main protagonist of the Legends of Chima story. Having been betrayed by his close friend Cragger, Laval is in the middle of two opinions that would hurt the other if Laval were to appeal to one. Laval tries his best to lead in the way his father does, but with all the rules over his head, he doesn't see how he can succeed without breaking some of them. Longtooth is a loyal guard of Lagravis. He is about as old as Lagravis as well, and has been in the Lion armies long enough to be promoted far beyond his position now. However he finds his place beside Lagravis, and wouldn't have it any other way. Laval is probably the Lion with the most clothes on as his blue garb has nearly three layers of armor over it. Longtooth on the on the other hand has next to no clothes besides an armored kilt. He also has blood marks/scars on his body, a rarity among minifigures. Both Longtooth and Laval are available in 70005 Laval's Royal Fighter, Laval is included in 70115 Ultimate Speedorz Tournament, and Longtooth in CHI Battles. Here are some views of their heads underneath: Pic 1, Pic 2 The misunderstood anti-heroes of Chima Here we have Razar, Cragger, and Crawley. Razar is business hound, going as far as stealing from others, only to resell their stolen wares back to them for a high price seconds later. The Ravens side with the Crocs after a worthwhile payment in goods, or CHI, thus Razar is bonded to the Crocs in any situation such as this and would be bonded to the Lions if they were to offer the same, or something even better. Cragger is the Prince of the Crocodiles. Having lost his parents in an accidental conflict with the Lions, young Cragger is alone and unsure if he rules as strong as his father, Crominus. His sister Crooler is encouraging, although she usually does this to manipulate Cragger to her wishes. Crawley is your basic grunt, willing to get dirty for the Croc King, or whoever is in charge of the Croc tribe. He is a skilled pilot on both the land and sea. Personally, I find the anti-heroes to be the cooler looking tribes when it comes to their minifigures. They have a mixed up scavenger look to them that I find aesthetically appealing. This is the only variation of Razar with golden armor and this is the only variation of Cragger without golden armor. Razar is included in 70003 Eris' Eagle Interceptor, 70012 Razar's CHI Raider, as well as 70100 Ring of Fire, Cragger is included in 70006 Cragger's Command Ship, 70014 The Croc Swamp Hideout, as well as 70115 Ultimate Speedorz Tournament, and Crawley is included in 70001 Crawley's Claw Ripper, as well as 70005 Laval's Royal Fighter. Extra pictures of their heads underneath can be found here: Pic 1, Pic 2 The CHI Weapons From left to right, top to bottom we have a Royal Valiourous, a CHI Jabaka, a CHI Jaba, a CHI Saw, a small CHI Decalus, and a Vengdualizer. The Vehicles The Lion Claw Bikes These bikes are nice and compact, sleek, and just fearsome enough to have a chance on the battlefield. Ewald's Drone Fighter Albeit simple, it accomplishes the Eagle look quite nicely. My only problem is that Ewald can't be seated on the craft. The King must be a bit on the wild side. Crawley's Reptile Raider The Reptile Raider is quite nice being the only exemplary Crocodile vehicle of the entire wave. The black, ruby studded (there's that pun again ) blades on the side are removable and provide Crawley with a nice set of weapons. The Reptile Raider sports a nice set of chompers And finally... the Temple Right from the get-go, there are traps Nestled quietly behind the water falls are the axles that control the function. Both sides of the Temple sport these launchers. "You shall not pass!" The never-to-be-forgotten front gate of the temple looks quite innocent really. What's this? Has Cragger come to get the CHI again? A pull of the upper yellow pin and... ...he takes a nice Cavorian water bath... ...or gets mauled by the gate itself. How innocent is the gate now? The closed gate also sports a nice collapseable cannon. Behold the King of the beasts! Lagravis' throne is very simple, and is accompanied by a very sheepish looking CHI pool. The Lion Sleeps Tonight The second level of the tower sports a bedroom and a spare key for the dungeon at the bottom of the Temple. A birds eye view The Giant CHI Sphere is opened to show the precious Golden CHI. In this corner, we have... The right wall features a hidden door beneath the shrubbage. From the back we have a good look at the useless jail cell... ...case in point. Ewald, however, has a very nice perch. ... And in this corner... The left tower has a hidden door as well. Below the tower lies the map of Chima (Show accuracy! Yay!). A CHI chunk awaits its future user in the watchtower. Perhaps the sword will be usefull as well. ...and this... is my weapon. Combine! When complete, the Temple looks fantastic and will certainly be a staple when looked back on. Summary review Playablility 8/10 (Definitely has some excellent features, but due to its size, you'd think it would have more) Design 9/10 (The designers did an excellent job with this set) Price 6/10 (Back in the day a set this size was much cheaper, but times have changed. If you can pick this guy up on sale I suggest that any amount more than 20% off is excellent) Overall 7.5/10 (This set is an excellent parts pack besides being pleasing to the eyes. The minifigure assortment could use a little more oomph as all but one of these minifigures were available in January) Thank you all so much for reading! This is my first review of a set this size and I'm very curious as to how I did. Please let me know in the comments below! Edited October 15, 2013 by Penkid11 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
burlogh Posted October 8, 2013 Thank you for this awesome review, Penkid! I don't really like the temple itself, but the minifigures and the vehicles are very good. I think I will bricklinking some of them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Csacsa234 Posted October 8, 2013 Wow very detailed review, thanks for the huge load of pictures! I really like this set, great figures and I myself like the look of the building (especially the waterfalls, they turned out very realistic) as well as the little vehicles. However it won't fit my budget so I have to pass it up but I think it's a set worth getting becase it has really great parts and beautifully painted figs. Thanks for the review! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Etzel Posted October 8, 2013 Thank you so much for this review, Penkid! I'm not a huge fan of Chima, but I really like to read reviews about the sets to get some nice detailed views on minifigs, special parts, interesting designs etc. One of the most interesting aspects of this set to me is the amount of bright light orange bricks and slopes. Nice to see that a rare colour like that gets more useful pieces. I also like most of the detailed minfigs and I've already bought the Ewald torso and slope piece of Bricklink. Some parts of the temple is also nicely design, most notably the left tower that has its own type of design that I find very fitting with the Lion tribe in Chima. Too bad that stuck that horrible missile on top of it. I'm also not a fan of any of the vehicles or the fact that the temple structure is built by technic bricks and have an overall spindly look. Definitely not a set I would buy for more than 50% off, but I'm happy that it provides some good pieces, nice minifigs and a little inspiration for future builds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eurotrash Posted October 8, 2013 This is a well written and comprehensive review. I'm probably definitely the wrong demographic for Chima (being an old fart) but I like the piece/color options and if I can get this cheap then it seems a good option. Thanks for doing the review! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PenPlays Posted October 9, 2013 Thank you everyone for the kind comments. I hope to have another review ready for you all within the next two weeks so keep your eyes peeled. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZO6 Posted October 10, 2013 Great review, and very thorough! I like the look of the set a lot. It shares some similarities with the Portal of Atlantis, but has enough differences to be unique. Some of the various functions seem like fun; I'm a fan of traps that are a bit more elaborate than the standard flick-fire missiles. The piece count is pretty massive for a non-exclusive; lots of the parts are in fantastic colours too (gotta love all those transparent parts, as well as all the light orange). This set had been on my must buy list for this year, but having dramatically cut back on the amount of Lego I'm buying these days means that this will unfortunately have to be a pass. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sandy Posted October 14, 2013 Thanks for the review! I was contemplating on getting the set, but the lack of unique parts and the fact that I already had most of the minifigs made me pass it. I have to point out a minor flaw in the review, though. Ewald is not the first male minifigure in a sloped dress, that honor belongs to the 2012 Nute Gunray minifig. And nowadays there's actually a third "dude in a dress" as well, the Orthanc version of Saruman. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PenPlays Posted October 15, 2013 I have to point out a minor flaw in the review, though. Ewald is not the first male minifigure in a sloped dress, that honor belongs to the 2012 Nute Gunray minifig. And nowadays there's actually a third "dude in a dress" as well, the Orthanc version of Saruman. I'm not a licensed theme guy, so thank you much for the correction . Remedied. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kermit Posted October 15, 2013 Great detailed review. You also took some great pictures as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rumble Strike Posted October 16, 2013 Fantastic, detailed review, with some lovely pictures. A really good read. I am tempted by this set but would need a good sale on it. I do love the Chima minifigs but feel that there are too many reuses here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arc Posted October 19, 2013 great review! I'm not much of a chima fan, but i have to say this set looks interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gabe Posted October 24, 2013 Great review Penkid, thanks! I've been waiting for a review of this set to see the parts breakdown - it looks really nice with all the rarish and new colours. If i see one on sale i might have snap it up. (despite also saving my money for the Hobbit sets! There's clearly too much on my wanted list... ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Elijah Timms Posted January 7, 2014 (edited) Man, my son got this set for Christmas, and I cannot believe how FRAGILE IT IS!!!! The entire structure is supported by a series of 2-wide plates underneath, many of which are gripped by Only the two front studs of a 2x3 slope. It's like the original Jabba's Palace, only flimsier. This may be fine for display purposes, but for a boy (who takes great care of his toys, btw) who wants to play with it, it just doesn't want to stay together. I have an ENORMOUS AFOL collection of my own that spans over 30 years, and I can easily say that, at least structurally speaking, this is some of the worst designing I've ever seen in a Lego set. ESPECIALLY at such a high price point ask this. And you can be sure I will be contacting TLG to express my disappointment as a loyal, high-traffic consumer. Edited January 7, 2014 by Mr. Elijah Timms Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lordofdragonss Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) I actualy don't think its fragile. At first glance it looks very imposive being so high and all. But just like me many kids in our shop pointed that it don't look like it was worth the price and there is a lot of place underneath that could be used for something like a parking lot (for speedors for example). It's still a greatset filled with never seen before functions and I recomend it for any Chima, Ninjago and Castle fan. Edited January 10, 2014 by Lordofdragonss Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
