Review: 76189 Captain America and Hydra Face-Off
Posted by CapnRex101,
Unique minifigures appear throughout the new Infinity Saga series. 76189 Captain America and Hydra Face-Off contains two such figures, which definitely appear interesting and originate from Avengers: Age of Ultron. Superb enhancements are accordingly apparent.
The accompanying motorcycle seems especially simple, reflecting the 4+ age recommendation. However, I think this model looks reasonable and several unusual elements are supplied. Moreover, the minifigures alone may be enough to interest Marvel Super Heroes collectors, especially given the modest cost of £8.99 or $9.99.
Minifigures
Captain America minifigures have changed since the Avengers: Age of Ultron range became available during 2015, now featuring removable headgear. This component displays authentic decoration, featuring decorative wings on each side. The double-sided head underneath looks excellent too, including a printed strap which complements the separate helmet.
The torso appears similar to its 2015 counterpart, by comparison. This design has remained consistent, with only subtle refinements to the metallic silver star on Captain America's chest and improved detail across his reddish brown belt. Unfortunately, the legs remain plain which certainly detracts from the minifigure, although I appreciate the accurate dark red gloves.
An alternative medium nougat hair element is included to replace the helmet. Steve Rogers' smiling face looks reasonable and the character wields his famous printed shield, as normal. Unfortunately, the decoration on my shield is off-centre so I hope this issue will not prove too widespread, since the error is noticeable.
While alterations to Captain America are relatively minor, other than his headgear, the Hydra Agent scarcely resembles his predecessor! This minifigure looks appealing, sporting realistic snow camouflage which appears perfect for the Sokovian environment. Ideally, these designs would continue across the torso and legs, but the body armour includes fantastic detail.
I am particularly impressed with the pixelated pattern underneath the soldier's chest armour, matching the gloves and knitted cap. Furthermore, the sinister Hydra symbol decorates both sides of the torso and the minifigure's facial expression appears fittingly evil, following its two previous appearances with a Harry Potter reference book and 75288 AT-AT.
The Completed Model
Captain America frequently employs motorcycles during missions and this design takes loose inspiration from the vehicle featured in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The black colours correspond with the onscreen Harley-Davidson and I like these proportions, making great use of elements intended for 4+ motorcycles. This chassis was introduced in 76172 Spider-Man and Sandman Showdown but appears more effective here.
The vehicle measures nearly 9cm in length, excluding the trans-orange flames. Despite being relatively large beside minifigures, this is actually among the smallest Super Heroes bikes and benefits from that limited size in my opinion. Captain America does not appear ridiculous when riding it, unlike certain previous creations which have overwhelmed the minifigure!
Printed elements are always an appealing feature of 4+ sets and this motorcycle integrates a decorated 4x3 wedge slope, displaying a yellow headlight. The shaping seems attractive here and I also like the printed Avengers emblems on each flank. Moreover, the red seat stands out nicely against the muted bodywork, providing ample space for Captain America.
Two trans-orange flames are positioned at the rear, denoting exhausts. The white component supporting these flames looks great and some interesting new wheels are available here. The tyres cannot be removed from their golden hubs which seems unusual, evidently reflecting the young age recommendation. The yellow Technic pins are uncommon too, returning from 76172 Spider-Man and Sandman Showdown.
Avengers: Age of Ultron introduces the Avengers while dismantling Hydra's network of bases, where Chitauri technology is being used. This disc launcher therefore features pearl gold and trans-purple pieces which distinguish Chitauri weapons. Helpfully, the gun situated on top can be removed and carried separately by the Hydra Agent.
Overall
76189 Captain America and Hydra Face-Off was developed for young children and definitely seems appropriate for that audience. Both models are easy to assemble and brilliant for play, without compromising their appearance too significantly. However, the unique minifigures are undoubtedly the highlight because they both look marvellous.
Captain America combines the best qualities of previous and modern designs while the Hydra Agent achieves much greater accuracy than its equivalent from 2015. Of course, a completely different version of Captain America, perhaps inspired by Captain America: The Winter Soldier, would have been even better. Nevertheless, this small set has exceeded my expectations.
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29 comments on this article
Solid pass for me. Already have too many Captain America's and the bike is to bulky compared to the standard lego motorcycle which we have a few avenger ones of already.
I still think cap looks a bit silly riding it. I agree with @EGRoberts.
@EGRoberts said:
"Solid pass for me. Already have too many Captain America's and the bike is to bulky compared to the standard lego motorcycle which we have a few avenger ones of already."
Agree, the Hydra agent is nice but I can't use more Caps.
I still only have the original 2012 Captain America, so I'm kind of debating whether I should get this or the mech to get the new headpiece. The mech seems more fun, but this fig is slightly better.
Because this is the Age of Ultron Cap which 8 have twice anyway I think I'll just get the Endgame suited cap from the new final battle, and then wait for Sam Captain America in the Cmf series.
@TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
This. This had better not become the new normal.
Honestly, I really like this 4+ bike chassis piece! It’s pretty neat that it splits down the middle and works not only for upscaled motorcycles and quad bikes, but presumably also trikes, and potentially even other stuff that would benefit from this sort of rugged suspension, like lunar rovers or monster trucks! I could also imagine it being effective as decorative mechanical motifs on heavy-duty construction equipment, mecha, spaceships, etc.
In general, it strikes me as yet another example of how good a job the Juniors/4+ element designers have done designing these “starter bricks” with versatility in mind, particularly compared to other preschool themes like Fabuland or Jack Stone which had much more theme-specific design languages, and fewer SNOT connections that could be used to vary the exterior details of the resulting builds.
Imagine trying to make a Disney Princess model out of the weirdly futuristic parts from the Jack Stone theme, or an Avengers model using the bubbly and whimsical parts from the Fabuland theme! Needless to say, even in a best case scenario, the result would look wildly incongruous.
The new wheel mold is also very nice, and I suspect the reason for molding the wheel and tire together it is not because of the target age, but rather to allow for a thinner tire than would be structurally sound as it’s own separate piece (same as with the Spike Prime wheels or the new Speed Champions ones introduced this year).
In fact, I’m surprised that this is the first set I’ve seen this wheel in, since a 2-module-wide wheel like we’ve seen in many other 4+ sets would honestly seem simpler for this set from a build standpoint than two 1-module-wide wheels, even if it DID have a separate tire.
Parts aside, this build is pretty unremarkable, but it fulfills its purpose as an attractive and playable set for an audience that might not be ready for a more complex and elaborate approach to the same subject matter.
And while the exaggerated scale may bother some people, I honestly don’t mind — after all, I’ve greatly enjoyed plenty of themes like Agents and Ninjago where over-the-top upscaled vehicles like this are pretty much the default!
So, not for me, but definitely a decent set in its own right that continues to raise intriguing possibilities about the directions we might see 4+ sets expand in going forward.
@Dash_Justice said:
" @TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
This. This had better not become the new normal.
"
It pretty much already has, what’s the point in using grey or black ones? It’s not like our motto is “only the best is good enough” or anything.
@Dash_Justice said:
" @TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
This. This had better not become the new normal.
"
The 'non-friction' pins were tan before (might still exist, mind you). Would gladly welcome back the original light blueish gray ones.
To be fair, I don't mind other colours - they might have their place in some situations - but do not stop producing the original colours.
I could be swayed either way to get this set. I don't have this version of Cap and I like the printed Avengers logo pieces. The motorcycle is just a touch too big for my liking but that's because minifigures aren't proportioned like actual human beings. I see the benefit of the larger bike for little kids though so I'm 50/50.
@TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
Because this is a set for children. In the case of 4+ sets, “Only the best” means the best building experience, and so the pins are color-coded in more distinctive colors than those in sets for adults. It’s not a set for display, and most 4-year-olds won’t care how the set looks, but they are more likely to have difficulty finding a grey pin in a pile of largely grayish parts
@Aanchir said:
"Honestly, I really like this 4+ bike chassis piece! (...)"
Everything you said!
The chassis piece(s) make me think of some sort of train bogie use...
@Dash_Justice said:
" @TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
This. This had better not become the new normal.
"
Noticed this is a 4+ set? ... I suppose that explains it.
Very cool 4+ set - buying it.
A comparision with the 2015 Cap would be nice.
@Slobrojoe said:
" @Dash_Justice said:
" @TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
This. This had better not become the new normal.
"
It pretty much already has, what’s the point in using grey or black ones? It’s not like our motto is “only the best is good enough” or anything.
"
This is literally a set FOR CHILDREN. Not for snotty AFOLS.
Excellent review as always cap'n! I had no intention of purchasing this set due to its 4+ label, but your review & the fact that I don't have any Marvel sets from 2015 has inspired me to pick it up for the minifigures & much better scaled motorcycle.
@EDHS1989 said:
" @Slobrojoe said:
" @Dash_Justice said:
" @TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
This. This had better not become the new normal.
"
It pretty much already has, what’s the point in using grey or black ones? It’s not like our motto is “only the best is good enough” or anything.
"
This is literally a set FOR CHILDREN. Not for snotty AFOLS."
I buy lego for myself as an AFOL but I also buy lego for my child as a parent... This is sub par and not worth buying for either me or my son. The lego motorcycles are by far way better and the Captain America with a bike has been done already better and to many times. They need to innovate and bring something new. Maybe you should chill and realize we also review sets based on a parental standpoint as well.
Didn't know this was a 4+ set until I looked it up in the database. I reread the review and saw that it's not mentioned until the bike is discussed. It might have been a good idea to mention this upfront.
Those wheels look nice.
@Mr__Thrawn @ferda
I think so too. Yellow pins in sets for younger builders has precedent, in fact, from the Duplo Toolo theme.
@Zrath said:
"Didn't know this was a 4+ set until I looked it up in the database. I reread the review and saw that it's not mentioned until the bike is discussed. It might have been a good idea to mention this upfront."
It could be argued that the mention in the second paragraph is "upfront" enough.
@EGRoberts said:
" @EDHS1989 said:
" @Slobrojoe said:
" @Dash_Justice said:
" @TomKazutara said:
"why in the world yellow pins ?"
This. This had better not become the new normal.
"
It pretty much already has, what’s the point in using grey or black ones? It’s not like our motto is “only the best is good enough” or anything.
"
This is literally a set FOR CHILDREN. Not for snotty AFOLS."
I buy lego for myself as an AFOL but I also buy lego for my child as a parent... This is sub par and not worth buying for either me or my son. The lego motorcycles are by far way better and the Captain America with a bike has been done already better and to many times. They need to innovate and bring something new. Maybe you should chill and realize we also review sets based on a parental standpoint as well."
What @EGRoberts said, but also not all of us are AFOLs here.
Small, cheap set with two good minifigs. I'll pick this up when I see it.
I don't mind getting another Cap, the helmet & shield are useable elsewhere. But I could use a bunch of the Hydra agents.
My children would have fun with this
It's not for me, but I made peace years ago with the fact that TLG doesn't work with only my needs, tastes, etc. in mind.
I'm sure it will be someone's favourite set. And I can always grab the Hydra agent on the secondary market.
Has TLU finally solved the light-on-dark printing issues of the last couple of years? I noticed the Vidyo-prints being particularly solid, and these seem to also be... good!
@bananaworld said:
"
@Zrath said:
"Didn't know this was a 4+ set until I looked it up in the database. I reread the review and saw that it's not mentioned until the bike is discussed. It might have been a good idea to mention this upfront."
It could be argued that the mention in the second paragraph is "upfront" enough.
"
Didn't see it the first time. Didn't see it the second time. Am seeing it now that I'm looking for it.
Hidden in plain sight, eh wot?
I don't see any reason to be upset about yellow pins. I would feel differently if they WERE in fact taking the place of the existing Medium Stone Grey pins. But as it is, they've appeared in several other sets this year (https://brickset.com/sets/containing-part-6331822), and so far there's no indication that they'll be replacing the grey ones.
If anything, this just seems to be another example of a trend we've been seeing quite a bit of in recent years, in which many parts which have typically been color-coded/color-locked are now being produced in both neutral colors AND brightly-colored ones, depending on which set they appear in (like even-numbered axles being available in black OR red, and odd-numbered axles being available in grey OR yellow).
LEGO has been doing this for even longer with many other small parts like the 1/2 Pin with Stud (https://brickset.com/parts/design-4274), 2M Cross Axle w/ Groove (https://brickset.com/parts/design-32062), Bush (https://brickset.com/parts/design-42798), 1/2 Bush (https://brickset.com/parts/design-42136), etc.
For my part, I'm thrilled to see this sort of variety become "normal" across a wider range of parts. Offering more and more of these parts in two default colors instead of just one gives us AFOLs more and more creative options for MOCs — especially since many of these parts are the sort we often end up accumulating large quantities of without even trying!
We've even seen official sets demonstrate how these sorts of options can benefit the aesthetics of a finished model (not just the building experience), such as using the yellow axles as high-visibility guardrails in 42055, or the red axles as masts/spars in 70677 or a protective rollcage in 42077. So all in all, I don't see any reason to feel bad about having additional options for the color-coded Technic pins we've grown accustomed to as well.
I bought it for the minifigs
While I know this is a 4+ set, I still can't understand how Lego building instructions are getting more and more infantile and ridiculous. If this is the level of a 4+ year old nowadays...