LEGO Reviews Ninjago71718

Wu's Battle Dragon

Name: LEGO Wu's Battle Dragon 71718
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 71718
Rating: 4.8 (2953 reviews)

76 · RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: BBB2020321 pcsHigh agreement · 99%

Expert reviews

3analyzed

Owner ratings

3.0K+

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"Wu's Battle Dragon earns its Recommended tier with a BrickScore of 76, praised across all three expert sources for its elegant proportions, exclusive Hero Wu figure, and exceptional value at $19.99, while articulation limits and simplistic wings keep it below the Highly Recommended threshold. Owner enthusiasm is markedly higher, with 4.8 out of 5 from nearly 3,000 buyers confirming this is a crowd-pleaser that delivers where it counts for its target audience."

Wu's Battle Dragon (71718) earns a solid Recommended verdict from three expert sources (Brickset, JANG, and The Brothers Brick), all landing between 75 and 78, reflecting a well-executed small dragon set held back by articulation limitations and rudimentary wing execution. Owner ratings tell a noticeably warmer story: 4.8 out of 5 across 2,953 ratings, with 97% of LEGO.com reviewers recommending it and a value-for-money score of 4.6 out of 5. The set's strongest dimensions by aspect consensus are design aesthetics (82.6) and parts value (80.1), while playability (66.6) ranks lowest.

Where they split: All three expert sources agree on the set's merits and its limits, scoring within three points of each other (75 to 78). The main qualitative split is on the wings: Brickset is more critical of their rudimentary appearance, while JANG views the vinyl wing cutouts as integrating nicely. The gap between the expert consensus (around 76) and owner enthusiasm (4.8 out of 5, 2,953 ratings) is worth noting: everyday buyers, often buying for children, are significantly more satisfied than the analytical expert scoring reflects.

Where to Buy

Amazon

Out of stock

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LOVED (8)

01Exclusive Hero Wu minifigure with new chest armour and accessories not readily available elsewhere
02Elegant overall proportions and majestic appearance for the scale
03Fantastic neck and tail articulation via multiple ball joints
04Consistent pearl gold and white color detailing throughout the body
05Beautiful brick-built head with standout medium azure eyes and clever roller-skate mouth technique
06Gleck goblin minifigure with distinctive metallic silver detailing
07Excellent value at $19.99 with strong price-to-part and price-to-volume ratios
08Ivory Blade of Deliverance with display stand

CRITICIZED (6)

01Flexible plastic wings appear rudimentary and less detailed compared to the body, with pin holes that deform the wing shape
02Limited leg articulation: front leg ball joints have restricted range and legs cannot splay outward
03Wings are limited to perpendicular up-and-down motion with no additional rotation
04Sword stand described as weak with the sword sitting loosely
05Dual-molded ivory and black sword blade shows dark plastic through the translucent white
06Tail tip lacks detail

What reviewers are saying

"the Battle Dragon looks magnificent and the exclusive Hero Wu minifigure seems particularly appealing, wearing heavier armour than many Wu minifigures"

Brickset Reviews

"The designer did a really nice job here, I think, of keeping the color scheme nice and consistent. I really appreciate how much black is used on the underside."

JANG's LEGO Reviews

"Overall, this is a very solid set."

The Brothers Brick

Ecosystem

70734 Master Wu Dragon — 71718 shares numerous similarities with the previous creature despite considerable reduction in size and modern fabric wings; the brilliant tendrils which decorated the earlier model have been excluded which is somewhat disappointing; 71718 is smaller and less expensive but still compares favorably in terms of innovative techniques

70734 Master Wu Dragon — This set has about half the part count of the previous Master Wu Dragon, but this dragon is still a nice build

NinjagoTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 3

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"the Battle Dragon looks magnificent and the exclusive Hero Wu minifigure seems particularly appealing, wearing heavier armour than many Wu minifigures"

Key Pros

✓Majestic and elegant appearance
✓Fantastic articulation throughout
✓Beautiful head design with standout medium azure eyes

Key Cons

✕Flexible plastic wings appear rudimentary compared to the detailed body
✕Wing colour saturation could be improved, particularly white on trailing edges

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JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

BUY

"The designer did a really nice job here, I think, of keeping the color scheme nice and consistent. I really appreciate how much black is used on the underside."

Key Pros

✓Excellent value at $20
✓Good color scheme consistency with effective use of black on underside
✓Well-designed dragon proportions appropriate for the scale

Key Cons

✕Limited leg articulation - cannot splay legs apart
✕Front leg ball joints have limited range

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The Brothers Brick

Expert Video Source

BUY

"Overall, this is a very solid set."

Key Pros

✓Exclusive Hero Wu minifigure with new prints and accessories
✓Poseable dragon with ball joints on neck and tail
✓Nice build techniques including roller skate for mouth and curved horns

Key Cons

✕The sword stand is pretty weaksauce and the sword sits loosely in the clips
✕Front box art is chaotic and does not clearly show the set contents

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (2)Wait for sale (0)

Value drivers

Brickset Reviews: Hero Wu with new chest armour and exclusive appearance

The Brothers Brick: Hero Wu - exclusive minifigure with unique face print, ponytail, printed legs, and brand new dual-sided torso print

Exclusivity

Brickset Reviews: Exclusive Hero Wu minifigure and Gleck character; standard retail release

The Brothers Brick: Exclusive Hero Wu minifigure; Ivory Blade of Deliverance also appears in larger sets

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (4)

Hero Wu

$14

Wu Hero

$12

Gleck

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Hero Wu chest armourValue
Completely new element protecting both sides of the torso with wooden texture and reddish brown shoulder armour
Ivory Blade of Deliverance
Dual-moulded sword with brilliant texture around the hilt, skull-shaped pommel, and new trans-bright green flame elements
Medium azure 1x2 jumper plate eyes
Forms the dragon's eyes with strong contrast against surrounding pieces
Pearl gold 2x2 jumper plates and white 1x1 slopes
Situated along the back of the dragon from head to tail as a consistent design feature
Flexible plastic wings with feathered texture
Modern fabric wings with printed feathered texture in black, gold and white, differing from traditional scales; fixed using hinges for movement
Vinyl wing cutouts
Dual-molded bone and ivory wings that pop out from a sheet and integrate with the dragon's structure

What Owners Say · summarized from 16 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

Owners overwhelmingly love this set for its fun build, excellent minifigures, impressive posable dragon, and strong play value, though a few note the brick-built dragon head looks less finished than desired.

COMMON PRAISE