Let Down Lair

A short, but honest review about the disappointments of Ninjago set 71771, The Crystal king Temple.

Though nearly all of the Ninjago Crystalized sets in the most recent wave have been stunning and fantastic additions to any collection, this set is not. The Temple of the Crystal King is a set that is really only worth having for the figures. The build, at least for me, felt similar to last year's Temple of the Endless Sea (set 71755), in that it made for a decent backdrop, but really wasn’t that fun to play with. It feels incomplete, there are several empty spaces where even a few pink crystals would have added a lot. Additionally, the play features, while fun once or twice aren’t the most creative and don’t feel super satisfying.

These criticisms aside, the figures in this set are impressive, good enough to redeem the set? No, but they do keep it from being a complete waste of money. The ninja are all set exclusive, coming in their Not-golden outfits from the first half of Ninjago Crystalized. Personally, I think Zane is the strongest figure, with Cole and Jay tied for second, and Kai in last. That said, they all have unique flairs and are believable as a team. When paired with the Lloyd from The Crystal King (set 71772) they make for an impressive line-up. The villains of this set are the four armed Crystal King and a generic Vengestone Guard. The Vengestone Guard is fine and the transparent elements are well used, but the Crystal King easily shows up his minion, with an ominous mask and stunning gold torso.

On a whole the build is eye-catching, but any closer examination will reveal its shortcomings. So, unless you want the ninja minifigures, I wouldn’t recommend this set.

QUICK OVERVIEW

Theme: NINJAGO™ Set Name: The Crystal King Temple Set Number: 71771 # of Pieces: 703 Released: 2022 Degree of Difficulty: Easy Mini-Figures: Cole, Kai, Jay, Zane, Vengestone Guard, and Crystal King Specialty Pieces/Elements: Metallic shoulder pads, golden weapons, masks, transparent pink crystals Link to Lego site: https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/the-crystal-king-temple-71771