LEGO Reviews Elves41172

The Water Dragon Adventure

Name: LEGO The Water Dragon Adventure 41172
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 41172
Rating: 4.71 (511 reviews)

80 · HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: A2016212 pcsHigh agreement · 96%

Expert reviews

3analyzed

Owner ratings

511

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Highly Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"The Water Dragon Adventure earns its Recommended tier primarily on the strength of its dragon: with 511 owner ratings averaging 4.71/5 and unanimous praise for the articulation and design, this is the standout small-set creature in the Elves line."

The Water Dragon Adventure (41172) is a highly regarded entry-level Elves set best known for its highly articulated brick-built water dragon, which consistently draws more praise than the accompanying island playset. Owners across 511 ratings average 4.71/5 with a 96% would-recommend rate, with particularly strong scores at Walmart (4.83/5). Reviewers note the set delivers impressive value given the dragon's pre-printed head piece, multiple ball-joint posing options, and accessible price point of $19.99.

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LOVED (7)

01Highly articulated dragon with posable wings, tail, legs, and a head that simulates water-breathing
02Pre-printed dragon head piece with sticker-only accents on feet, tail, and chest
03Wide range of poses: sitting, standing, flying, rearing
04Dragon design praised as one of the best LEGO animals ever produced
05Accessible price point delivers exceptional perceived value
06Hidden compartment on the island base for accessories
07Catapult play feature on the island

CRITICIZED (5)

01Island/tree structure is comparatively simple and small relative to the dragon
02Body silhouette of the dragon is slightly thin
03Wings can slide off with use
04Sticker-decorated water element in the mouth can interfere with posing
05Leg connections noted as occasionally fragile

What reviewers are saying

"Merina the Water Dragon looks to be the smallest of the dragons."

Brickset Reviews

"I've said many times that I like the Lego elves sets in general but I like this one better than most this to me just feels a little bit better than average it's nicer looking a little bit more complete even though it is …"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

"The Water Dragon Adventure's affordable price makes it a good gateway set if you'd like to get a taste of the new Dragon-themed Elves sets."

Jay's Brick Blog

Ecosystem

Ninjago dragons — The Elves dragon has diverse and creative build like Ninjago dragons but with enough curves to fit lifelike mini-dolls and creatures; Merina is smaller like Thorne but without stocky bulldog-like physique

Fire dragon (same Elves wave) — Merina is smaller than the fire dragon, with more posable wings attached by two pins on other dragons restricting swivel movement

Other LEGO Elves sets — This Water Dragon Adventure set is better than most other Elves sets in the line. The reviewer states: 'I like this one better than most this to me just feels a little bit better than average it's nicer looking a little bit more complete even though it is small.'

Larger LEGO Elves Dragons — The water dragon in this set has better articulation and motion than even the bigger dragons in the Elves line. Reviewer: 'this one actually again has good motion relative to the other dragons even better than than the bigger than the biggest ones so far'

ElvesTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 3

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"Merina the Water Dragon looks to be the smallest of the dragons."

Key Pros

✓Dragon is fantastic with great posability due to ball joints
✓Blue and purple colors are a good match for water dragon theme
✓Multi-colour wings are wonderful

Key Cons

✕Ball joints only come in grey despite being visible on tail
✕Hair bow on dragon seems incongruous with Elves world

READ FULL REVIEW

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

Key Pros

✓Visually attractive with bright, lively colors and a cohesive aesthetic
✓Water dragon has exceptional articulation and poseability with smooth, multiple joints
✓Wings are very poseable with forward/back and up/down rotation

Key Cons

✕Water source unclear—waterfall appears to have no source despite the water flowing down
✕Minidoll binoculars cannot pose realistically to the figure's face like they can with regular minifigures due to minidoll anatomy

JUMP TO REVIEW

Jay's Brick Blog

Editorial Source

BUY

"The Water Dragon Adventure's affordable price makes it a good gateway set if you'd like to get a taste of the new Dragon-themed Elves sets."

Key Pros

✓Brick-built Water Dragon with excellent articulation
✓Great mix of bright coloured elements
✓Relatively affordable (AU$29.99, often goes on sale)

Key Cons

✕Weird catapult that seems out of place and 'too conflicty' for the otherwise peaceful water vignette
✕Stickers on the dragon feel too cartoony and out of place (Jay regretted applying them)

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (1)Wait for sale (0)

Exclusivity

Brickset Reviews: LEGO Elves line exclusive

Jay's Brick Blog: Not exclusive to any retailer

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (1)

Naida Riverheart

Standout parts (per reviewers)

1x2 ball joints in grey
Used for dragon body flexibility; reviewer notes they come only in grey despite being core structural elements
Clear blue flame piece
Used as dragon's tongue/water breath
Dragon head molded parts
Primarily made of molded parts with expressive eyes, white markings, teeth detail
Multi-colour wings (one extra)
Set includes three wings; extra wing noted as intentional for replacement purposes
Remolded small catapult piece in medium Azure
New color for this part; used as a water-control mechanism fitting the magical water theme
Translucent purple elements on dragon wings
Frosty translucent effect gives an ethereal feel to the dragon's appearance

What Owners Say · summarized from 32 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

Owners consistently praise the Water Dragon for its beautiful design, highly articulated moveable parts, and excellent value, though a small minority report missing pieces or feel the accompanying build is less compelling.

COMMON PRAISE