LEGO Reviews Ninjago70500

Kai's Fire Mech

Name: LEGO Kai's Fire Mech 70500
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 70500
Rating: 4.39 (106 reviews)

80 · HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: A2012102 pcsHigh agreement · 94%

Expert reviews

3analyzed

Owner ratings

106

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Highly Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"Kai's Fire Mech is a textbook overdeliverer at its price point: a BrickScore of 80.4, 94% owner recommendation rate across 106 ratings, and consistent praise from reviewers for squeezing two premium minifigures and a fully articulated mech into a $9.99 package make it one of the strongest value propositions in the 2012 Ninjago lineup."

Kai's Fire Mech (70500) earns a Highly Recommended verdict with a BrickScore of 80.4, and the owner data fully supports the expert consensus: 106 ratings average 4.39 out of 5, with 94% recommending it and LEGO.com-specific scores of 4.74 for value and 4.65 for play experience. Reviewers across the board praised its exceptional value proposition at $9.99, delivering two highly detailed minifigures, full Hero Factory ball-joint articulation, a working grabber hand, and a cannon arm in a surprisingly substantial package for its price and piece count.

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LOVED (8)

01Exceptional value at $9.99 for two minifigures plus a fully poseable mech
02Kimono Kai minifigure unique to this set at its original retail price
03Stone Scout minifig with Sensei Wu-style red hat, quiver, crossbow, and detailed double-sided torso printing
04Full ball-joint articulation at shoulders, wrists, hips, and ankles enabling expressive posing
05Dual arm functions: one articulated grabber hand with poseable fingers, one cannon arm
06Transparent orange Fire Blade with red interior creating a realistic flame appearance
07Gold-colored pieces throughout the mech, including decorative sword elements at the shoulders
08Finished model appears larger than the box suggests

CRITICIZED (6)

01Kai does not come with his armor, which multiple reviewers expected
02Fire Blade sits loosely in the grabber hand and can drop during vigorous play
03Back of the mech is not well covered, leaving an exposed area that looks unfinished
04Stone Scout feels like a mismatch against the mech, with no vehicle or weapon to counter it effectively
05Hero Factory limb pieces are efficient but perceived by some as a lazy design shortcut
06Only one Stone Scout included; buyers wanting an opposing army need multiple sets

What reviewers are saying

"can you believe this is A1 $1 set I had trouble believing it's a $10 set"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

"I'm a big fan of LEGO mechs, so I was pleased to get the chance to review the latest effort from LEGO – Set 70500 Kai's Fire Mech."

Brickset Reviews

Ecosystem

9448 Samurai Mech — The Fire Mech is similar in colour scheme and design approach (black modified 1 x 2 plates with angled handles, gold mechanical arms for hands and fingers, profusion of gold bling), though it is much smaller (102 pieces vs the larger Samurai Mech). The Fire Mech is better than expected for its small piece count and is readily poseable like its predecessor, though the Samurai Mech remains the bigger brother.

9455 Fangpyre Mech — Part of the same Ninjago mech line, though the review does not provide detailed comparison between these two.

NinjagoTier 3Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source · avg of 2

BUY

"can you believe this is A1 $1 set I had trouble believing it's a $10 set"

Key Pros

✓Exceptional value at $10
✓Two quality minifigures with excellent designs
✓Innovative hybrid building technique with Technic and Ultra Build pieces

Key Cons

✕Plain/flat underside/back plane
✕Extensive use of stickers (though reviewer finds them acceptable)

JUMP TO REVIEW

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"I'm a big fan of LEGO mechs, so I was pleased to get the chance to review the latest effort from LEGO – Set 70500 Kai's Fire Mech."

Key Pros

✓Nicely designed mech
✓Readily poseable with ball and socket joints
✓Two minifigures included with unique prints

Key Cons

✕Back of mech is rather bland
✕Small piece count (102 pieces)

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (1)Wait for sale (0)

Value drivers

Brickset Reviews: Kai with unique and unreleased torso and leg prints

Exclusivity

Brickset Reviews: Kai's unique torso and leg prints are exclusive to this set. Garmadon's Scout also appears in two other 2013 sets.

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (4)

Kai

$27

Kai - The Final Battle

$16

Stone Army Scout - Yellow Face, Red Quiver, Short Legs

Scout

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Elemental Flame Sword
Yellow transparent piece with red streak, assembled as large package for mech to hold securely
Technic ball joint pieces
Provide articulation and posability for the mech limbs
Ultra Build armor and bone pieces from Hero Factory/Chima
Hybrid building integration creates excellent articulation and friction in joints
Black 1 x 2 – 1 x 2 bracket
New for 2013
Scout's red conical hat
New for 2013
Trans-yellow ice sword with red shaft
New for 2013. Appears across the 2013 Ninjago range in a variety of colours.

What Owners Say · summarized from 60 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

Owners love this compact, affordable Ninjago set for its flexible mech, detailed minifigures, and solid value, though some wish it included armor for Kai and note the box appears larger than contents.

COMMON PRAISE

+Excellent value and price for the cost
+Mech is highly articulate and flexible with ball joints
+Detailed minifigures with great printing, especially exclusive Kai in elemental robes
+Durable and holds together well during play

COMMON COMPLAINTS