⌘ K
"The Story of Nian earns its Recommended BrickScore of 76.1 on the back of a genuinely spectacular creature build, a culturally meticulous scene, and six exclusive-torso minifigures including the collectible ox-suit figure. The plain grey wall is a real weakness that holds it back from higher territory, but owner ratings of 4.8 out of 5 confirm that buyers overwhelmingly find it a beautiful and worthwhile seasonal display set."
Reviewers across four expert sources rate the Story of Nian as a visually striking Recommended set (BrickScore 76.9) built around an exceptional Nian creature and a culturally rich Chinese New Year scene. The Brickset reviewer called the creature "simply spectacular" and praised the set as authentic, colourful, and extravagant; The Brothers Brick said the Nian build "sets a very high bar for any monsters that LEGO produces in the future." Jay's Brick Blog was more measured, noting the plain grey wall section leaves something to be desired, which is the primary fault line across reviews. Owners rate it an outstanding 4.8 out of 5 across 283 buyers, with 95% recommending it on LEGO.com, confirming broad satisfaction despite critical reservations about the building's flat facade.
Where they split: The Nian creature draws near-universal praise across all four expert sources, but the grey wall section divides reviewers. Jay's Brick Blog and Rebrickable found it the weakest part of the set and a step down from sibling sets in the Chinese Festival theme, while Brickset was more forgiving, calling the overall package cohesive and authentic.
Is this a smart buy? BrickPicker's data-grounded investment verdict.
Unlock the Max Profit Opinion: our stance (buy / accumulate / hold / pass), the reasoning, the exact data behind it (eBay + BrickLink comps, CAGR vs MSRP, our retirement model), and whether the reviewer community agrees.
"The hybrid monster is the stand-out aspect of the set and it is simply spectacular. It's a riot of colour and gold, and the head in particular is delightfully complex and densely packed with all manner of techniques and …"
Brickset Reviews"Story of Nian is merely a façade. It looks great on one side, but there is absolutely nothing to the other. You can only display this set on one side."
True North Bricks"The hybrid monster is the stand-out aspect of the set and it is simply spectacular. It's a riot of colour and gold, and the head in particular is delightfully complex and densely packed with all manner of techniques and pieces"
"Story of Nian is merely a façade. It looks great on one side, but there is absolutely nothing to the other. You can only display this set on one side."
Amazon4.8
LEGO.com4.7
