Lego Review: X-Men vs. the Sentinel

I must say, of the four Marvel Superhero Lego sets that were realeased in June of this year, the Starblaster Showdown, the Knowhere Escape Mission, and the Milano Spaceship Rescue, I was least excited to buy the X-Men vs. the Sentinel set. I mean, I basically bought it to get my purchase up to $75 so I could get the Flashback Shredder from the Lego Store. But I finally opened and built the set, and I didn't regret my purchase.

The main reason I wasn't that interested in this set, apart from the $49.99 price tag, were the minifigures. The Blackbird looked cool but the minis were based these character's looks from an era I didn't grow up with. If the designs were based on the more modern, Astonishing designs (or roster), or the iconic Jim Lee designs, I would've been all over this set. But I digress, I'm not really here to complain about what Lego should've done with this set.

The Minifigures

This set comes with four minifigures, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Magneto, as well as one full-sized figure, the Sentinel. 

Starting off with the full-sized figure, the Sentinel looks great and is well built. I do think he is a bit on the thin side, but that doesn't really detract from the build. I do wish the head was attached to a turning plate, but that's something that can easily be modded.

The flick-fire missiles on the shoulders are attached to a swivel, giving the, a 45-degree range of motion. I do think Lego dropped the ball by not incorporating a missile launcher into the arm cannon. It's basically a pin were a missile can be placed into for aesthetic purposes as it's non-functioning.

In terms of accessories, Magneto is the standout of this set. He comes with a platform that he can ride on, and his iconic helmet. What I liked about his design was that he came with a clear peg that allows him to hold his helmet in his hand, giving the appearance that it's floating before him. It's a pretty cool addition. You can also see that he comes with two expressions and a white hairpiece to round out his look.

Next we have Wolverine. The design is cool, based on his classic brown costume design. It's also the first Wolverine minifigure to come with a full mask. Apart from that, this figure isn't that much different from the previous Wolverine mini that came with the Chopper Showdown. It still looks great though. He also comes with two faces, two sets of claws and a black hairpiece.

Storm really looks great. I love the lightning accessories she was given to show off her weather witch abilities. Her cape actually can be attached to her hands, which looks just like her comic counterpart. Her hairpiece is nice, but I really wish they went mohawk Storm with this set. That would've been so rad.

Cyclops is the lame duck of this set. He has no accessories and no special features. And since he doesn't have a head piece or anything, he doesn't even have a second facial expression. Lego could've at least included something to simulate his optic blast, but we didn't even get that. I was ultimately disappointed with this particular figure.

The Vehicle

The Blackbird seems pretty simple, but it's actually a pretty neat design.

The overall build is pretty narrow, and I do wish it was a tad bit wider, but ultimately it works well. The interior is designed to hold four minifigures: two in the cockpit and two in the center of the plane. The larger wings are static but the two smaller flaps towards the bottom of the ship can be moved, although I think this is for "landing" purposes, not really an action feature. There are also some stickers on the interior which look like a view screen showing the Sentinel threat. Lego also used printed pieces for the cockpit, which I really appreciate.

But what sticks out in terms of playability is the missile battery on the rear.

The battery is designed in a way that allows it to slide to the top of the ship, basically in an on/off position. The missile launchers on Lego sets are pretty sensitive so this is a great feature just to avoid misfires, which is great because these things can probably launch a good six feet and easily poke an eye out.

The Verdict

While there I things I would personally change about this set, I was pretty pleased with it. The Sentinel and Blackbird are both solid designs that are pretty fun to play with. Magneto and Wolverine are essentially rereleases, but their new designs and accessories make up for that. Storm is also a great addition to the Marvel Superhero fold. Cyclops, on the other had, was incredibly disappointing.

But ultimately I recommend this set. It's a lot of fun to play with and not a difficult build, and it finally gave me a masked Wolverine.

So go buy it.