Review: 70599 Cole's Dragon
Posted by CapnRex101,
Dragons are an ever-popular subject and the Ninjago theme has certainly been able to take advantage of that as almost twenty have been released since 2011. 70599 Cole's Dragon is one of three included in the Skybound subtheme and is priced at just £7.99, making this the smallest retail set of the wave.
Despite its small size this set offers an impressive model, two excellent minifigures and abundant potential for play. It is a marvellous package and one which should not be overlooked in my opinion, hence I am posting this review!
Minifigures
Cole is the former leader of the ninja team and this version of the character only appears in 70599 as that in 70604 Tiger Widow Island has a ghostly face to reflect Cole's transformation into a ghost in the last season of the animated series. This minifigure has a typical yellow head instead, perhaps suggesting that he will be transformed back at some point in the new series, which is hidden beneath a nicely textured hood, decorated with dark bluish grey highlights.
All six ninja wear brand new outfits for their mission to defeat Djinn Nadakhan and the sky pirates. Cole's torso and leg printing reflects this and is intricately detailed with an elemental symbol, a grey sash and some straps which seal his robe. These designs are continued onto the legs and they line up nicely with those on the torso.
This figure also differs from that in 70604 due to the inclusion of a sashimono, a banner mounted on a pole which was worn on the back of warriors in feudal Japan. Unfortunately the flag makes use of stickers on each side. Printed designs would have been preferable but they are easy to apply so do not bother me too much.
The pirates are as detailed as their ninja opponents and Bucko is one of my favourite villains of the latest bunch. I like the relatively new bandana element very much and it looks great in dark green, especially when integrated with reddish brown and orange. I am surprised that this colour scheme works but it really conveys the dishevelled appearance of the sky pirates.
His chest is emblazoned with a skull and crossbones as well as a studded belt and layered plate armour. A flintlock pistol is included along with a superb new sword which has a serrated edge and a skull moulded onto the hilt guard.
The Completed Model
A surprising amount of detail has been packed into this little dragon and its inherent swooshability makes it a great deal of fun to play with too. Small ball joints are used throughout the model which yields impressive articulation of the wings, tail, head and feet, while the golden blades which form the tips of the wings can be adjusted to change their profile.
The head is my least favourite area of the model, although that is only due to the eyes being a little too low. I think the open mouth and spines placed on the snout look great, as does the patterning on the top of the head, although this is another sticker and it would be nice if the jaw could be moved.
Two more stickers are used on the body to give the impression of armour plating on either side of the rider's seat. This area looks very rocky and organic thanks to the use of a variety of reddish brown slopes but still leaves room for Cole to sit. There are no reins for him to hold which is a bit of a shame but the sashimono looks even better when Cole is seated on the dragon than when he is standing separately.
Three ball joints are squeezed into the length of the tail which allows you to pose it however you wish. The sand green spikes running the length of the tail look great and the golden spikes at the tip match those around the snout while also looking rather dangerous.
Cole and Bucko are clashing over a Djinn Blade, one of seven new swords which each hold the trapped spirit of a ninja. This one contains Zane, represented by a printed 1x1 round tile which is mounted on a brilliant new hilt element. The piece is decorated with skulls on both sides and axe blades are attached to form the enormous crossguard while the blade is jagged and partially translucent, producing a nice effect when it is held up to the light.
Overall
This is a delightful set. The two minifigures look splendid and Cole's dragon is also very impressive, offering substantial play value and plenty of articulation so you can create some dynamic poses for display. It looks rather small in comparison with many of the dragons included in other sets but I appreciate the unusual nature of the design.
I don't yet know the North American prices as this set will not be released in the US and Canada until February or March, but I would guess it will cost around $9.99. If so I think that is an excellent deal just as it is based on the UK price of £7.99 and for that reason I definitely recommend this set.
More Ninjago reviews will be published soon!
JANGBRiCKS' Video Review
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18 comments on this article
I love this little set, i was thinking it would be a $13 set but for 8 pounds it should be only $10 and will be one of the few NinjaGo sets I buy.
Any idea on a piece count?
So is this like How to Train Your Dragon, but with Ninjago instead of Vikings?
Also, there's a Kai polybag coming with a smaller dragon....
While not a Ninjago fan, I'm seeing some great Piratey pieces that would be fun to carry right over to the regular Pirates line...
Im with the BigDumbWookiee on this one. While not a Nanjago fan I do want to get a few sets to make an Asian island to have someplace and someone else to have my regular pirates go to and fight.
@The Green Brick Giant: It's 98 pieces, so a reasonable value for a set its size, though nothing exceptional.
This dragon is a great design, though it'll be interesting to see how they reconcile it with the show since Cole's elemental dragon from season 4 was a lot larger. It might just be one of those things that doesn't line up between the show and the sets and is never really reconciled. I don't totally mind the small size of the set, though. It's a good set in its own right, just a bit peculiar how much smaller it is than Jay's Elemental Dragon. The sizes of Ninjago dragons have always had some variation but usually not to quite this extent!
Minifigure-wise, this set doesn't have a whole lot making it stand out. Cole and Bucko are both available in larger and more impressive sets. I don't entirely understand why the designers chose to give Cole his regular human face in this set and his ghost face in the Tiger Widow Island set. I think it makes this set feel a bit less special, since the human version of Cole has been available for years now (he doesn't have his new shoulder armor/sword holder in this set, either). There's a lot of this sort of thing going on in this year's sets, and while I understand it in some cases, I don't entirely like it. I think Tiger Widow Island and Misfortune's Keep would be just as desirable even if the versions of Kai, Nya, Cole, and Jay in those sets appeared in the smaller sets as well.
I haven't decided for sure if I'm interested in getting this set, but since the sets aren't out yet in the U.S., I have plenty of time to make a decision. And it's small enough and inexpensive enough that I can always get it on impulse even if I don't work it into my overall game plan for the year.
this was already on my list, and now i know i was right to put it on that list.
I picked this up on New Years day. Who doesn't love Dragons, Pirates and Ninja.
Its a really great little Dragon, I'm seriously thinking of picking up at least one more.
Did I miss something? Since when is Cole the leader of the Ninjas?
@Tom, wasn't he always the leader?
@TomKraut: Cole was officially the leader when the story began, as stated explicitly in the books and on the website, though it wasn't obvious in the TV special (especially since Kai kept doing his own thing). In season 4 (Tournament of Elements) Lloyd basically took over as leader, since he was the one motivating the team to get back together, and in season 5 (Possession) the ninja took turns being leader, ultimately settling on Lloyd again after he was rescued.
I'll admit the head isn't perfect, but it's obviously leaps and bounds better than the original two-piece rubber heads of Ninjago dragons...
Also, why is Cole a ghost? Isn't that a bad thing?
I love this review, especially for the use of the word "swooshability". And love the dragon!
The dragon is adorable, and I love the figs. But there are a few really ugly spots on the dragon, like the grey ball joints around the wings and feet. Not... entirely sure how to fix the ankle joints, frankly.
My understanding of why Cole is a ghost @ hjarzab
Cole didn't make it out of a haunted house before morning. He dropped a scroll he needed and went back This turned him into a ghost.
Really he could have gotten out, and then gone back in for the scroll
Nice! And the cheap price makes it an easy purchase.
I kinda wish Lego would make dragons for all the ninja in this size. I absolutely adore small models.
Can't wait to pick up this set along with the other Ninjago 2016 sets.
@TomKraut/hjarzab, I would try google next time you have certain questions about the series, its quicker!
WHen I will get this set I will put mixels eyes on it!
@Aanchir Thanks for clearing that up for me! I was in my dark ages when Ninjago was first released so I watched the show on Netflix years later. My latest info was that Lloyd is still the leader after the others failed spectacularly in that Stixx episode.
I try to avoid buying Ninjago sets because I collect so much other stuff, but at this price point I can see myself having it in my shopping cart when all I wanted to buy were some groceries...