Necessary TRU Exclusive for Quicksilver
Set #76041 The Hydra Fortress Smash: Exclusive to Toy’s-R-Us if you’re looking for every character from the film in Minifigure form than you’re going to need this one. Right now I’ve seen it on clearance so if you haven’t snatched this up yet definitely don’t miss out on the chance to own it, especially if you want Quicksilver and Baron Von Strucker Minifigures.
Box/Instructions
Box: This box looks great, as is typical from the Theme. It does a good job showcasing everything from the set on the back and has a fun action scene on the front, and once again we have the NEW Super Jumper! Not much else to say here, moving on.
Instructions: This set breaks the build up between two numbered manual for both of the models, the first manual is the smaller of the two and focuses exclusively on the Hydra Tank, with some cross-promotional images at the back. And the parts list.
The second manual is larger and focuses on the fortress and features only the build instructions with no other images at the back of the book. Not even a final shot of everything finished and on display together, an odd choice for this set.
Being a store exclusive set there is no comic in this set.
Parts
There are a lot of parts in this set, a lot of standard and easily found in other sets parts, nothing stands out as unique or anything. I’d say this is a fairly decent set for parts if you’re looking for common ones, but with nothing rare or anything you might be better off getting those parts on Bricklink from sellers who have already broken this set up for its parts.
Minifigures
Baron Von Strucker: Dressed in a sort of Bley looking outfit, the Baron features some minor print detail for his uniform which includes the Hydra logo on his left breast pocket. He includes a gun for an accessory using the space gun piece and a single sided facial print with his traditional monocle. He looks like he will be a major threat, until you watch the movie and find out he’s doomed to an unfortunate fate.
Captain America: This is the only set from AoU that features Captain America in a lower price point. The only other set featuring this version of Cap from that Sub-Theme was the Quinjet set. You’ve seen one Cap you’ve seen them all though, his print doesn’t change much between releases, though the colouring of his torso does change, from lighter shades of blue to darker ones. Cap and Iron Man are the least to change design wise or print wise across the MCU sets from LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.
Hulk: As a bigfig hulk looks perfect, this version we’ve discussed before in the Hulkbuster set, and so I’ll just say about him I’m glad they made him more accurate to the film version with the darker green tone. No accessories for him though, which makes sense.
Hydra Henchman: This Minifigure is identical to the one found in Avengers Hydra Showdown. No accessories again for him here, he’s a driver so he doesn’t get a gun.
Quicksilver: With a double-sided torso print capturing the look of his costume as seen at the end of the film, this version of the character, the first of his kind, looks ok. His dual-sided facial print has a scruffy bit of facial hair with side burns, and two distinct expressions, an angry one and a smiling one. For the hair piece it’s the first time we’ve gotten this one in white. He includes no accessories.
The build
Bag 1: The build for this bag is the Hydra tank, and it’s a very solid build, I enjoyed it a great deal, and while there is a huge open space for the interior the exterior of the vehicle is all enclosed which looks great. There are a couple of stickers for detailing, a pair of numbered stickers with 318 that go on either side of the tank and a sticker for the Hydra symbol. There were no difficult steps during the build, it’ll be easy to follow along and quick to build.
Bag 2: This portion of the build starts up the fortress proper, which if I’m honest is not much of a fortress, more like an outpost. However the build is still pretty fun, there’s not much to worry about aside from the small portion of ground that sticks out to one side where the breakaway fence goes. This area is a bit on the thin side and does make the build a bit awkward if not done on a solid surface like a table or floor. Other than that the build is easy to follow and no tricky steps.
Bag 3: Completing the Fortress model here is where you build the small sentry tower with the massive turret on top. There is a bit of repetitiveness involved as you build up the walls, but other than that nothing is difficult or hard to do. I especially liked how the main turret on top of the fortress was built, it’s a nice little bit of SNOT building and shows more Tesseract built weaponry on Hydra’s part.
Bag 4: To complete the build you’ll be finishing off a bit of foliage building with a large tree and the main entrance gate to the ‘Fortress’, since this final bit of the build is fairly simple and straightforward there aren’t any difficult steps, but there is a bit of repetitiveness due to the nature of the asymmetrical gate build. Also the tree branches share steps. It isn’t as fun as the Fortress portion of the model, but it is still a nifty little bit of building and I do like how it all comes together in the end to make a really great looking model.
The completed model
Hydra Tank: This is a great looking model, it’s big, it’s chunky and it’s loaded with personality. It’s also really fun to play with, with giant tires to roll over enemies and a huge ball launcher on the front to show the weapons engineered using the Tesseract energy that are used by Hydra. I really dig the vehicles that Hydra uses, LEGO really knows how to get some great designs out of them.
Hydra Fortress: As noted during the build portion this is not a dedicated Fortress by any stretch of the imagination, the fact that it includes a large gate that leads nowhere is a dead giveaway. That being said it is rare to receive anything that isn’t a vehicle build, so having a playset for this set is a pretty nice touch, even if the interior is a bit limited. Most of the inside of the structure is taken up by the device which is being used to house and study Loki’s staff (which is included in the set) and there isn’t much room to populate it with Minifigures.
The play features rely on the Super Jumper play pattern introduced in 2015, you can launch a hero on the jumper piece at the device on top of the cage where Loki’s staff is, this will knock the device up and cause the front of the chamber to fall forward granting access to the staff. The stud launching cannon on top can also be knocked over, flip a little locking tab over and you can watch the cannon collapse. You can also push on two tabs to knock the gate over, to simulate Hulk smashing open the gate, which leads nowhere. All-in-all it is a decent model with play features that do little to detract from the overall look of the model and works as a base for your Hydra forces to use, if you also happen to own the 2014 Hulk Lab Smash set you could say this is the front section that is meant to protect it and add more to the display.
Overall opinion
This set is a TRU exclusive, which means you can only get it at LEGO S&H or Toy’s-R-Us. And that also means that the price is a bit high for the contents, however it is currently on clearance at TRU, if you happen to see any more on the shelf. So yes, I would definitely recommend this set. It is the only way to own Quicksilver, a key character from Age of Ultron in Minifigure form, and is a nice looking playset that is fun and offers a lot of play value. Keep in mind though that it will be harder to come by on the secondary market after it is gone from store shelves because it is a store exclusive, fans of MCU in LEGO won’t be disappointed with the set either as it is an elegant looking display piece and takes up very little space. So once again, definitely recommended.
2 out of 2 people thought this review was helpful.
Excellent job!
Just loove this set!
Box/Instructions
The box has a nice look at the front who shows hulk is smashing the tank! It also have a nice backside where all the play features are. This set comes with 2 instructions and 4 bags with parts.
Parts
Not the best selection of parts but it is enough for a 49.99$ set. You are getting pretty much big parts like: rocks, panels and of course the Hulk. You are not getting so many "rare" parts, most of them are pretty common except minifigure parts.
Minifigures
GREAT figures! Like baron von strucker is exclusive to this set. You are also getting caaptain america, hulk, quicksilver and a hydra henchman. If you want the set just for the figures; this is a great set.
The build
The build tok me around 1- 1/2 hour. Pretty common build! Not more to say...
The completed model
ALOT of play features: you can smash the tank, smash the fortress, tank can shoot such as stud shooters on top of the fortress. It's not so often lego makes buildings to the sets(only vehicles).
Overall opinion
Super set! All lego super heroes fans will love this set.
6 out of 9 people thought this review was helpful.
Newly refurbished Cap, great Quicksilver, stylish tower
Box/Instructions
I like the box art with the live-action Avengers stars in the upper right hand corner. The instructions are printed on bright yellow with a design on it which I thought was a nice change and also made it have a more fun superhero vibe.
Parts
A plant appears in a dark red colour and it looks very good against the other colours of the set. The short bush in front is a welcome addition to the snowcapped tower. Also, the no entry sign should be helpful in many situations for other builds, especially for City MOCs.
Minifigures
Quicksilver steals the show here with his detailed torso and stark white hair. Cap's printing is much more elaborate here then the last time we saw him in the 2012 Avengers sets and it looks great. Baron Von Strucker is a classy looking fellow with his monocle and casual business clothing. The Hydra Henchmen is also well printed but is far from the star of the show; he's just good for Hulk to beat up :) speaking of which, Hulk is looking great this time around. I, personally love this new olive colouring and hairpiece on Hulk.
The build
The build was pretty average but I did enjoy building the holding container for Loki's sceptre.
The completed model
Once completed, the set looks really eye-catching in my opinion. It blends the elements of the Castle line (the fortress) with a vehicle that reminds me of something Ultra Agents, and pairs them both with some great superhero minifigures.
Overall opinion
Overall, it appears that I like this set more than most people but I consider it a very welcome and attractive addition to my collection. Also if you are looking for a fun playset for children I would choose this because the play features involving Hulk smashing things is extremely entertaining :) If anything the weakest part is the value for the money, when you look at this set I'm not really feeling the price point but the minifigures are detailed really well and you get a nifty little tank so it's not incredibly hard to rationalize it. I would give this set about an 8/10
4 out of 5 people thought this review was helpful.
Underrated and Undermined
One of the mid-range sets in the Avengers: Age of Ultron-inspired lineup, featuring two exclusive minifigures based on one of the movie's more memorable action sequences, and one of the few playsets available in the Marvel subtheme overall, 76041: The Hydra Fortress Smash seemed like a promising addition to the lineup. How does it stack up in the grand scheme of things?
Background
For those less familiar with the material, the first act of the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron, focuses on the team's efforts to storm a heavily guarded fortress in Germany, where the fascist organization Hydra has stolen a powerful alien weapon, the Scepter, which has the power to brainwash and alter victims. The scepter is key to multiple efforts to control the world, so the Avengers want to recover it before it's too late.
This set largely focuses on two sub-models - a tower to represent the massive fortress seen in the final film, with a gate connecting it to a tree, as well as a Hydra Tank with room for a minifigure inside. The tank is an interesting choice, as a different Hydra vehicle was also available in 76030: Avengers Hydra Showdown at the same period, though that vehicle was more of a dragster.
It may be important to note for historical perspective that this set was initially released as a retailer exclusive in the United States, in partnership with retailer Toys R Us. Though it was released directly from LEGO with a recommended price point at $49.99 MSRP, it was sometimes marked up higher at Toys R Us stores where it was sold, and it attracted criticism immediately for its price point, which already began at 12 cents per piece, probably inflated by some of the larger parts and bigfig using more plastic.
Parts
There are some interesting but not unique parts in this set, such as the dull brown bush and the red leafy plants, usually rendered green, along with black tree branch pieces. There are a lot of trans blue pieces to make up the container for the Scepter but nothing fully unique. The tower involves some castle and rockwork related pieces that were new to me. The gate is represented by 'prison doors'.
I am not aware of the history of this specific part, but this is one of the earliest sets (chronologically) that I've owned to contain a 'cannonball' shooter, which is surprisingly effective compared to the flick missiles often employed in recent years. The cannonballs here have a white-and-blue coloration reminiscent of a marble.
During the time this set was released, LEGO introduced the 'Super Jumper' in Heroes sets, a specific transparent piece designed to fit around a minifigure's legs and, when held back, propel them to a high jump that could interact with a set. These jumpers were not popular with kids or collectors, and fit the minifigure joints tight enough to crack or break them, and did not reappear in the theme after their year of release.
Minifigures
The opening sequences of the film involved almost the entire cast saved the titular villain, but five characters from The Avengers: Age of Ultron are included in the set.
- Captain America: Newly re-designed at the time, Captain America now has a new face print to include his chin strap, brown gloves, and a new body print including straps and more red ornamentation around his star logo. This minifigure remained the standard version of the character for Captain America: Civil War as well, making an appearance in several sets. Though serviceable, I felt the new face was printed a bit too deep flesh, and that some of the ornamentation was over-detailed, preferring the earlier design; but certainly it's a fine version of a character necessary for any Marvel builder.
- Hulk: Newly re-designed in olive green, with purple pants, I had some misgivings about the updated Hulk in images, but the subtle mold changes (such as an altered neck) help accentuate a strong new version of the character. The legs are printed with purple pants including green 'Avengers' styling. He has an angry expression and an altered black hair, but uses the same pieces in olive green for his articulated arms. I felt this bigfig looked much better in person than on boxes, etc.
- Quicksilver: An exclusive character, Quicksilver has an accurate design; his double-sided face includes stubble, with a shiny print for his unique blue outfit. His hairpiece is new in white here I believe. This is the only version of the character currently available in bricks and some resale of him matches the price of the complete set, making the purchase worth it for any fan of the character. The minifigure is accurate and fun.
- Baron Wolfgang von Strucker: The leader of Hydra, Strucker's face includes his monacle and an angry expression, and he wears a sand blue outfit featuring a Hydra logo. The film version of the character had a buzzcut, but as this is difficult to render in bricks, bald is fine. It's a fine impression of the character but probably of limited interest to a non-Marvel collector. He is an exclusive character.
- Hydra Henchman: Identical to the henchmen contained in 76030: Avengers Hydra Showdown this henchmen has the same alien augmentation detailing on his face and body, along with the same slicked brown hair, white legs, and gray arms. I do feel differently colored gloves may have helped both versions of the figure, and that one edition should perhaps have had a unique hairpiece to enable arm-ybuilding.
As an interesting note, the set includes two heroes, two villains, and Quicksilver, whose allegiance changes from villain to hero over the course of the film; during this sequence, he is actually a bad guy. The minifigure selection is therefore surprisingly balanced and has play value for different scenarios. Hulk interacts with some of the play features, and Quicksilver was a key part of the scene, making them excellent choices. Captain America does feel just a bit lacking here without his motorcycle (included instead with 76032: The Avengers Quinjet City Chase) though.
Though three of these minifigures are available elsewhere, one of those minifigures is an army builder, and the two remaining minifigures are characters that remain exclusive to the set, which leaves the selection feeling strong despite Hulk and Captain America being available elsewhere. Five characters (including Hulk) is also about as many minifigures as usually appear for this price point, although it may have been nice to see Strucker's associate Dr. List, who only appeared in this scene.
The Build
The build process initially focuses on the tank; though I have built many vehicles in my time as a builder, I have not built a tank before, so there were certain some new techniques and I found myself enjoying it more than I expected. I was surprised to realize the floor was so thin, and the complexity involved in the wheels, used to simpler hubcap solutions.
The tower structure comes up second, and was an interesting but repetitious build - the gate, tree, and tower all involve placing multiple similar pieces often in two places at the same time. It did involve more complexity than I expected, particularly the Scepter vault, and a lot of greebling to simulate the snowy forest, but it doesn't contain anything too impressive or innovative really.
Completed Model
The Hydra tank wasn't a real draw to the set for me at first but was a more fun vehicle than expected. The angles give it a feeling different from the many large truck-like vehicles included in the theme, and the gray/white/beige color scheme indicates Hydra well. The cannonball shooter works out really well here as a play feature and feels more reliable than a lot of similar features, and offers an exploding roof if the hood is pressed down upon. The cockpit is cramped though and requires the pilot to lay down, with no easy storage since it's partially open, and has no actual wind shield to see through. Wheels are also used instead of treads.
The fortress build is more interesting, looking somewhat imposing from the exterior with its turret-like nature. and the bits of surrounding environment. The bizarrely colored plants feel surprisingly appropriate, and the gate works very well given the use of prison doors, and can not only open and close via hinges but an effective play feature can cause them to explode or be smashed through by Hulk. The gate is not large enough for the tank to fit through, though when it is 'exploded' it can be squeezed through tightly.
The tower roof seems to offer a lookout spot along with a double stud shooter to defend the fortress... but the ability to pull a hinge and collapse the stud shooter is a play feature that negates a lot of space for the minifigures to stand or sit up here, nor is there a natural position for a minifigure to hold the weapon. The entire interior of the tower is home to the vault that houses Loki's Scepter, with a stickered control panel and a lightning piece to appear as if its energy is being extracted, perhaps to power weapons. The vault/case can be opened or 'exploded' by lifting a piece that rests atop it, allowing the heroes to retrieve it.
Although the tower stands almost seven inches tall, reasonable for a LEGO licensed playset, it ends up feeling rather small due to the lack of interior space and the fortress in the film being enormous to begin with. I think the set could have proven more popular - and a better value - if it included an additional floor. Perhaps a cell(s) for Quicksilver and his sister, or a small armory. I have a soft spot for building castles so I had fun with this, but it still left me wanting a little more.
Conclusions
This set has grown on me a lot, and it has a lot to like - a strong, balanced minifigure selection, some cool and creative play features, and an approximation of an interesting location from the film. There's a lot of play value here and I don't want to dismiss that. Some kids will have a lot of fun with Hulk smashing apart the tank and the gate, or Strucker shooting towards Captain America, and Quicksilver can play for either team... but for the price point, the set feels lacking. There's not a lot of specialized parts involved, and the fortress and tank both feel as if they're a little incomplete. The set just doesn't feel like it fills out fifty dollars, and even imagining it at ten less, it still doesn't feel quite right.
To compound this problem, the set is no longer in production, so an interested collector may likely be looking at paying a far more inflated price than the point that made it a hard sel to begin with. I actually do want to say I love this set but at any price above forty dollars, it's very difficult to recommend it much. If you're a huge Avengers fan who needs Quicksilver or Strucker, or just is really excited about a Hydra fortress (I was!) this set is probably a must-have, but as much as I want to rate it higher, it should probably be a pass for most collectors at this point unless you're looking at a great deal.
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