One of the most iconic moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to be when the original members of the Avengers assemble during the Battle for New York. It was a moment which has tried to be replicated including during the opening of the Age of Ultron. The film opens in a snowy forest, where the Avengers are battling through HYDRA forces. For a brief moment, the action slows as the Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man continue their push towards Baron Von Strucker’s Castle. It’s that brief moment, which has inspired this new LEGO® Marvel set. Similar to the recent Spider-Man: No Way Home and Avengers: Endgame buildable dioramas, this Age of Ultron set offers a similar minifigure-filled display piece. Continuing my look at the upcoming LEGO Marvel sets, here’s a closer look at the Avengers Assemble: Age of Ultron set.
Product Details
Set Name: The Avengers Assemble: Age of Ultron | Set Number: 76291 | Pieces: 613 | Theme: Marvel
Number of Bags: Bags x 6 (paper) | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Hawkeye, Black Widow, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor & Hulk plus 3 x HYDRA Agents
RRP: £89.99/$99.99/99.99€/169.99AUD/129.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online and LEGO Retailer from August 1st
It may not have had the same impact as the original Avengers assembled moment, but the opening scene of Age of Ultron was still rather cool. With the battle in full swing, the Avengers’ advancement is briefly shown in a slow-motion shot. This features all of the Avengers working together for the greater good. In LEGO terms, it means a set featuring all of the original Avengers and another impressive display piece.
The set looks quite complex but that’s not reflected in the set’s build. It’s made up of different sections which are then brought together to create the complete scene. Even so, each of these sections is quite basic. But that makes the set even more impressive as it’s packed with detail. The snowy scene is littered with snow-capped trees, a bunker and a watch tower. Although this is a display piece, it does hide a couple of play features.
The small bunker can be ‘smashed’ by flicking the white tile plate sitting just under it. The off-roader vehicle can also be used independently of the rest of the set. This is a great vehicle, let down solely by the visible Technic pins used on the roll cage bar.
Another slight annoyance is placing some of the ‘set dressing’ for example there are three ani-tank ‘jacks’ which are connected via a transparent minifigure display peg. It’s quite tricky to get these to sit nicely. This is a similar issue for the minifgures. They are connected to the scene by transparent elements. How the instructions suggest they are mounted can be improved upon by getting creative.
The set does have an impressive line-up of minifigures. These include a trio of HYDRA agents, these are based on the more ‘sci-fi-looking’ grunts mowed down by the Avengers. The print detail on the HYDRA agents is great particularly their backs, which feature the HYDRA logo. All three minifigures are the same, with one sporting a jet-pack.
The Avengers are made up of parts from previous sets and new pieces. So Hulk has the same head from the Levaithan set but a new body with jazzy shorts. Iron Man is wearing the Mark XLIII suit, which is the same as the Iron Legion vs. HYDRA set. Captain America is also the same version which has appeared in a handful of previous sets. He does sport a back clip, which can hold his shield.
Thor uses the same torso and head used for the character in several different sets but also features the new moulded cape. Black Widow is the same version which appeared in the Black Widow & Captain America Motorcycles set from earlier this year. The only truly unique minifigure is Hawkeye. His torso and legs are new for this set.
From all the new LEGO Marvel sets I’m reviewing, I expected this to be the most complex behind the new Guardians ship. However, once I started building it, I was surprised by how simple it was. Now that isn’t a bad thing. The set still offers an impressive and somewhat dynamic, display piece. Sure it’s tricky to perfectly place some parts of the scene. This is both frustrating and yet part of the fun. Namely, the anti-tank ‘jacks’ are really awkward to get sat neatly but it’s fun to get the minifigures posed in exciting ways. I do like these sort of displayable sets. They might not offer much in terms of playability but there are other sets which fill that remit. The Avengers Assemble: Age of Ultron set will be available from tomorrow.
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These sets were provided to BricksFanz.com by the LEGO Group for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Marvel. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
