Toy Fair 2016: Elves

[Hapori Tohu]

Elves launched last year and is coming back in 2016 stronger than ever with ten new sets. Last year there was a single baby dragon in one of the sets, and this year it looks like it and its friends are all grown up! To check out what LEGO was showing off at Toy Fair 2016, read on to see the fantastic flight of models.

 

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[Lyichir]

Thanks for this coverage! I'm loving every single one of these sets.

 

41171 is not a huge set but by extension it's also not expensive. As you said, it includes Emily, but it is also the only set to include Fledge the baby wind dragon.

 

41172 has some decent landscaping in addition to Merina the water dragon (the smallest adult dragon of the year). I love the new dragon heads, personally—there's a place for brick-built heads but it'd be hard to match the cuteness of the other animals and characters of the Elves theme that way. The new smaller dragon wings are also neat.

 

41173 is actually not a school for PEOPLE to learn about dragons, but rather a school for the dragons themselves! The slide/swing is to help baby dragons learn to fly. Other neat features include Tidus Stormsurfer the dragon trainer and the hourglass that is used in the story to tell how much longer the Elves have to find the dragon queen. This is the only one of the sets I'm unsure about getting, since I already have Miku the baby dragon from last year and Tidus will also be coming in the Dragon Sanctuary, but considering it's a cheap set I might just end up getting it anyway.

 

41174 has fantastic architecture, and is the only set to include Spark the baby fire dragon. It's also the only way to get Sira Copperbranch the sky captain other than a recently discovered polybag. Cool features of this set include a bed with secret storage underneath, a rotating telescope and ladder, and some neatly designed chairs.

 

41175 features Zonya the fire dragon, the biggest dragon of the winter wave (with seating for two characters). The cave itself is also neat, though, with a sliding lava fall over the entrance and some neat beds made out of moss! The shadow fountain, a key landmark in the new story, is also included in this set, and serves as the first hint of the darker direction this year's story takes.

 

41176 is the only set to include Thorne the Earth Dragon and Owlyver the owl. Like the Starlight Inn, this set is a wonderful source of some fantasy architecture, with a goldsmith shop, library, and post office. There are neat building techniques used throughout.

 

The summer sets take things in a slightly darker direction with more danger and the first real villain of the Elves theme. 41177 is a neat set with a cool-looking action feature, but I'm a little disappointed that Farran (who does not come in any of the other summer sets) does not include the same hood and cloak that the other Elves get in the summer sets. This set is the only set to come with the baby earth dragon, and also includes some sort of mouse or other rodent.

 

41178 is a neat set, and the only set to include the wind dragon and baby water dragon, but curiously, the sanctuary itself doesn't seem to be visited by the main characters in the actual story (at least, not according to the chapter book).

 

41179 is an AMAZING set with moving stepping stones over lava and a working elevator! Of course, the focus of this set is the Dragon Queen herself, who is the largest of all the dragons, even having a unique head mold and fabric wings! It also includes a fox or wolf who is not featured in the chapter book but has appeared in promos for this year's TV special.

 

Finally, 41180 is the darkest location the theme has ever had. Ragana the elf witch, her cat, and the baby dragon queen are all unique to this set. The shadow castle is packed with action features like a collapsing walkway, trapdoor, and a bridge that retracts when the main doors open, as well as other neat features like a prison, bedroom, washroom, and treetop cauldron!

 

I can't wait until I can get my hands on these sets. Based solely on what I've seen, I'd probably consider Elves the single best Lego theme of 2016, and I only hope it continues to get better as the years go on!

[Aanchir]

Nice coverage! Last year's LEGO Elves range was spectacular and this year's has managed to impress me all over again.

 

I love that there are dragon eggs, baby dragons, and adult dragons corresponding to the elements of all five main characters. It's really cool that the baby dragons have transparent wings, spines, and tummies. The adult dragons have very diverse and intricate builds without feeling inconsistent with the beautiful design language of the Elves creatures, characters, and world. They also have great articulation, far more than the typical LEGO Castle dragon. And all without looking as robotic as the dragons from the Vikings theme ten years ago (wow, how time flies)! The new medium-sized wing mold, appearing on the Earth, Water, and Wind dragons and looking very much like a smaller version of the LEGO Castle/Vikings dragon wing used on the Fire and Wind dragons, is a great new piece, as is the new 1x2x2/3 inverted "baby bow" slope that appears on the back of some of the dragons' legs. Note: the Queen Dragon's wings are attached to the wrong sides here.

 

Even with all the focus on dragons, though, there's plenty here that also expands the world of the Elves. For instance, the Secret Market Place brings in a lot of essential fantasy-world businesses (like a post office, a blacksmith, and a library), and charmingly, the entire marketplace is run by animals. And the Starlight Inn gives the elves a place to stay, save their game, refresh their hit points, and possibly take part in an important cutscene. There are lots of great details in both sets, like how the market place has a flyer posted for the Starlight Inn.

 

The Precious Crystal Mine is one of the sets that surprised me the most. I had thought of the possibility of a mine being a great setting to represent the Earth element, but I wasn't sure how well a mine would fit in with the way the elves live in harmony with their environment, since mining is often not the most environmentally friendly. Not to mention that Elvendale seems to have plenty of crystals even at surface level — they literally grow on trees! But I think the designers managed to make it work. The little rodent living in the mine (same mold as this year's new hamsters from LEGO Friends, I think) is less colorful than most Elves creatures but suits the gloomier setting.

 

The Shadowlands are a great new setting that brings the LEGO Elves theme into much darker and spookier territory. The Shadow Fountain appearing in the Fire Dragon's Lava Cave set was our first glimpse at this darker design language, but it really comes into its own in the prison tower from Queen Dragon's Rescue and Ragana's Magic Shadow Castle. It still features some of the "girly" colors the theme tends to dabble in, such as lavender stonework and Bright Purple (Dark Pink) foliage, but it still feels quite creepy. I am impressed with the detailed furnishing of the Shadow Castle, which includes a foyer, bedroom, washroom, throne room, and dungeon. There are some great functions on display in these sets as well, like the elevator and extending stepping stone functions in Queen Dragon's Rescue and the opening double door function in the Shadow Castle.

 

The Spring Yellowish Green fox from the Queen Dragon's Rescue set seems to be corrupted by the Shadow Fountain much like the elf witch Ragana, and the way it's aiming that crossbow it doesn't look like it's keen on letting the Elves free the Queen Dragon without a fight! Ragana's cat is cute but still spooky, with ornately patterned fur and a feisty look in its eyes.

The new costumes for the main characters look great, staying true to their signature styles from last year but with new colors and patterns. The patterns on the Elves' shoulders have changed shape and color (the new patterns are metallic), so that pretty much confirms that they are body paint rather than tattoos or birthmarks. Emily is as fashionably modern as ever with her brightly-colored sneakers and patterned top. The new characters Sira Copperbranch the Sky Captain and Tidus Stormsurfer the Dragon Trainer are both awesome and look like they have plenty of stories to tell. The cloaks and hoods in the Shadowlands sets are quite nice, though it's disappointing that Farran once again doesn't get a cloak or a hood.

 

There are plenty of cool new accessories, such as a new map, a new enchanted hourglass mold, and the new book piece. The book is in several sets with the same cover, but it'd be cool if it came with a different tile for its pages in each set. The Market Place version has the Earth Dragon printed inside, so pages on the other dragons could be fun to collect.

 

Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with the new sets! The prices are generally very good, with only the Precious Crystal Mine rising above the ten-cents-per-piece sweet spot AFOLs tend to use as the threshold for a good value. And the designs are as phenomenal as ever. The only one I'm considering not getting is the Dragon School of Elvendale, since its characters and accessories all appear in other sets. But it's inexpensive enough that if I see a good sale or deal I might end up getting it anyway.

[fishers64]

I really like all of these sets, although the ones with the large dragons draw me in the most. I really want to get the Water Dragon for some reason, even though I already have on Naida iteration. It's simply the most well-designed dragon at the best price...yarr. Might have to make that a trend or something...or is it that the water sets are always the best value?

 

I also like the green-treasure-carrying dragon too, but he comes with the largest building which I don't really want and which drives up his price, so I'm probably going to pass. 

 

The last standout is definitely the Queen Dragon's Rescue, which combines -dark- Elves with a sweet Dragon design. I might splurge for it, maybe. 

[Ptah]

My impression. Nice to see dragons of any stripe, but feel a bit short changed here.  Ninjago has had at least brick built dragons every year. We have about 2 dozen Lego dragons of varying designs and parts. I wouldn't mind a return of some of those designs.  It looks like all the dragons are put together the same way with minor various (an extra set of wings, different accessories for the tail)

 

I am glad they are bringing some conflict into the theme. Lego needs to break out of the habit that girls shouldn't touch conflict. That's G1 My Little Ponies bull there. Join the Friendship is Magic crowd where girls can have ambition and are willing to strive and fight for them. And villains aren't just a pack of mean girls, but actual beings who wish to do you ill.

 

I'll probably pick up the Baby Wind Dragon for Emily Jones. The Fire Dragon Cave is a little steep for a theme I haven't gotten invested in. The Water Dragon Adventure is in my price range.

 

I do admire though seldom buy the architecture sets.  The Treehouse Hideaway looked great last year and the Starlight Inn, the Dragon School and the Dragon Sanctuary are all standouts. Just beyond the $20 I'm willing to spend.

 

I definitely hope we will see a Friends/Elves crossover in the near future. And maybe I'll cobble together a few elemental dragons to satisfy the 'what could have been' itch.

[Aanchir]

My impression. Nice to see dragons of any stripe, but feel a bit short changed here.  Ninjago has had at least brick built dragons every year. We have about 2 dozen Lego dragons of varying designs and parts. I wouldn't mind a return of some of those designs.  It looks like all the dragons are put together the same way with minor various (an extra set of wings, different accessories for the tail)

 

It might not be totally clear in the BZPower pictures, but the Elves dragons are built very differently. They have very different proportions for their legs and bodies. The Water Dragon is the smallest and thinnest, the Earth Dragon is similar in overall size but much stockier, and the Dragon Queen is enormous, from its head to its feet. The only two dragons that are really alike in build from what I can see are the Wind and Fire Dragons, which are both large and muscular and mostly alike in build except for the Wind Dragon's tail and second set of wings. They're not as different as the Ninjago dragons, but their differences are more than just minor variations.

[FrozenPancake_]

I'm quite impressed by these sets. I love all the recolors, and that the theme is stepping into grittier territory. It proves that things targeted towards girls don't have to be all kittens and rainbows and whatnot.

 

I especially like that trans-green chain in the Queen Dragon Rescue set. Speaking of which, the Queen Dragon is very cool.   It has a good color scheme and it's just massive. 

 

Don't even get me started on Ragana's castle. I'm almost thinking about buying it, but then I'd have a lot of explaining to do.

 

Seriously, it's just epic. I also like the bed.

Edited February 18, 2016 by FrozenPancake_