Set #60163 Coast Guard Starter Set: Another LEGO City Starter set to discuss and this one features three Minifigures and a LEGO shark, can the coast guard save the day? Let your imagination at play tell the tale.

Box/Instructions

Box: It’s another LEGO City box, and it announces itself proudly as a Starter Set. Not much more to say, only that the front of the box tells a harrowing tale of a poor surfer being cornered by a hungry shark.

Instructions: Your standard looking manual from LEGO here, there’s nothing that really stands out for this manual, it’s the same as it always is.

Minifigures

ATV Driver: This female character has a double-sided torso uniform look with the Lifeguard symbol on a badge in the front and on the back. She includes a pair of binoculars and radio to contact the lifeguard… it is interesting to note that while Brickset calls her the ATV driver, LEGO itself has her standing on the lifeguard post while the ‘lifeguard’ is actually driving the ATV.

Lifeguard: This male figure has no leg printing, but includes a very interesting looking torso print with a lifeguard symbol and some sort of zipped up in the back thing that, well if it’s a life preserver on the print, including the physical piece is a bit pointless. His head isn’t unique though, we’ve seen it countless times before. Really stands out as a great looking figure with rich maroon colours.

Surfer: Dressed in the LEGO wet suit this dude is wearing a lime green wet suit and has a double-sided face, one side is happy and smiling, the other is afraid and nervous as he is being threatened by the shark. He includes a matching surfboard in the same colour as the accents of his wet suit. LEGO did an awesome job with this print and I love seeing it in so many sets now.

The Model

ATV: It doesn’t use a lot of pieces, but it includes a roll cage and looks great, there’s a red wind-surfing board attached to the top, a shame the set doesn’t include the sail for the old wind surfer. Considering they included a regular new surfboard piece for the male surfer it’s a bit of a shame they give us the older larger board without the sail to use to help save the surfer from the shark.

Lifeguard Post: This model is just a post that would be seen on a beach far off the beaten path, it doesn’t use a lot of pieces or interesting elements and it’s rather short, but it does add a bit of play options for younger fans of the set.

Overall opinion

The set is a Starter Set. A cheap little pack to get for a gift or good report card day, as my folks often did for me when I was a KFOL. And quite frankly it’s not a bad set, it’s a nice grouping of models and elements for a quick and fun play session. The value may come off as a bit weaker thanks to the fact that other Starter Sets have featured four Minifigures, but considering you get a shark in this set I feel it works fine.

The models are simple and fun, and they include a printed Lifeguard shield piece on the ATV. So no stickers. Mildly recommended.

The 2017 City Coast Guard subtheme has earned its own Starter Set (60163) at an affordable price point. Featuring a shark attack play scenario along with a lifeguard tower to spot the danger and an ATV to assist in the rescue, the set features an overall good value, although I am unimpressed with the design of the builds.

The Build

There are three minifigures in this set: a surfer (featuring two expressions: scared and smiling), a lifeguard (wearing a shirt and pants--she is not planning to get wet) and an ATV driver (wearing a wetsuit and an optional life jacket). Four minifigures are typically included in Starter Sets, but the fourth minifigure in this set is replaced with a standard dark gray shark. The small accessories help enhance the play nicely: a walkie talkie, a pair of binoculars, a life preserver and two surf boards.

In my opinion, the two builds in this set have some design issues. The lifeguard tower features a clever ladder build and uses the Coast Guard color scheme. However, the lifeguard must stand, has no protection from the sun, and the life preserver is high off the ground, unavailable to the minifigures if the tower is unoccupied. Imagination--or modification--is required.

The ATV also has issues. I like the color scheme and the bed large enough to accommodate a passenger, as well as the snappy red surfboard on top. However, the roll cage pitches forward at an awkward angle, and the nose of the ATV looks like a mess (although the curved slope with the printed logo looks very nice). Having a steering wheel instead of handlebars makes this look a little more like a golf cart than an ATV.

Overall

Starter sets like these are an affordable way to build up your minifigure collection and can often enhance play scenarios if you own other themes. This one offers some nice parts and good playbility, and at such a low price point it is hard to go wrong. However, I wish the execution of the builds was done a little differently.