Set Review: 76006 Iron Man: Extremis Sea Port Battle
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 at 10:18pm by Benjamin, BZPower Reporter
With Iron Man 3 about to be released, it's only appropriate to suit up and check out another LEGO Super Heroes set: Iron Man: Extremis Sea Port Battle. How much danger is Iron Man in this time? Will Aldrich Killian get away? Can War Machine save the day? These are just some of the fun features of this set.
This is the only set to feature Avenger and Tony Stark BFF Rhodey/War Machine, making it a notable set in my book. Minifigs might be a reason to buy a set, but what about the rest? There's a cool boat here after all! But are the 195 pieces worth the $20? Note: Stickers will not be applied in this review or on this set. They're just not for me.
Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
The front, back, and contents of the box. Not only does the Super Heroes logo up top make an impression, but the boat and heroes are sure to grab your attention. The back showcases some playability features. And of course there are the age “suggestion,” set number, set name and piece count on the front.
Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
The boat has a pretty standard studs-up build. However, it is very sturdily built and won't fall apart in play. As the play features come together, one sees the neat little tricks the set designers have integrated into the set, such as the flick-fire missile integration that blends them into the boat's design. Also notice how the windshield is sloped downward slightly, yet it looks natural. Just a little trick of some hinge pieces.
When all is build and done, you have in your hands a sizable boat driven by the bad guy and the heroes in hot pursuit. For good measure, there's a bouie that also has some functionality to it, as seen later in the review.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
Disappointingly, the only new pieces in the set would be the figs (see below). There are some cool and interesting pieces which will be a nice addition to any builder's collection, but nothing too impressive on the surface to make this set stand out as far as pieces. Maybe next time LEGO will give Tony some new toys for us to play with.
The boat itself is fancy and sleek, perfect for a getaway. The flick-fire mechanism blends into the back and there are skid plates on the bottom for playability as you slide it along your carpet. Best off all, the front of the boat pops out so Killian can surprise the Iron Men with a stick of dynamite, sure to make a mess with all that water around.
Here it is, my favorite reason for buying this set: War Machine, and all the other figs too! Tony is decked out in his new Extremis armor, and Aldrich Killian's head glows in the dark! I love how their toes are detailed too. That's not something we see too often in figs.
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with.
The flick-fire missiles have the best design I've seen yet. I'm not a big fan in general, but with the way these little buggers deploy they can fly a respectable distance using the boat's method. The bouie is also cool in that is explodes when the mechanism is used, which is pretty cool for a little extra like itself. And finally let's not forget the playability when it comes to having the bad guy captured, thwarted once again I'm sure by these meddling rich boys in their suits.
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Pros
What's to like?
- The figs!
- Sturdy build.
- Actual functional flick-fire missiles!
- Some nice extra features.
Cons
What's not to like?
- No new, interesting pieces.
- All studs-up build.
Avengers assemble!
In the end, the Extremis Sea Port Battle is a nice addition to the LEGO Super Heroes family. It's got the figs, the playability, and is the first set to impress me with the flick-fire missiles. The price-to-piece ratio is even decent, and is especially decent considering it contains three awesome figs for a licensed theme. I'm sure this will be a nice addition for any LEGO Iron Man fan.
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